After his experience fishing, Randall thought perhaps his best bet in the near future would be to expand the output of his farm. He’d have a little bit of profit from the rest of the vegetables he was growing, even after paying off the credit he’d been given to purchase his fishing rod.

The field he’d been using as a garden had several more rows for planting crops, and so far he’d only used half of the space available. If he cleared the entire field and made it ready before summer, he could grow a lot more than he’d managed in the spring. And with the new watering can, he wouldn’t have to spend all his energy making sure his crops had everything they needed to grow.

For the rest of spring, he came out each day to water the crops he had left and weed in the garden. He gathered up the remains of older crops that had regrown and rotted in the field, adding them to a growing pile of compost opposite the barn. He threw dirt and worms over top to hasten its decay, hoping it would turn to fertilizer he could use when he planted new seeds in the summer.

He harvested the remaining vegetables, along with a third row of strawberries that ripened on the last day of spring. With nothing more he could do on the farm since the season would be changing the next day, he decided to head to the general store. He took one basket of strawberries with him but left the others in the box to be collected later.

He walked into the store to find Kate in the middle of rearranging the shelves in the produce section. Many had no produce left, and she’d moved them towards the back under a sign that read, “Summer Fruits and Vegetables.” What was left of the spring crops was prominently displayed in the front.

“Having fun?” he asked as she carried a stack of empty crates past him.

“You wouldn’t believe how much.” She glanced at the basket in his hand and in a husky voice said, “Last strawberries of the season.”

“I thought you’d be happy,” said Randall.

She set down the stack of crates. “I’m only reminded that I’ll have to wait through three whole seasons before we get any more.”

“Couldn’t you preserve some? Make jelly and enjoy it all year round?”

Hank snorted from his seat by the register. “That would require some of the strawberries to last long enough to be canned in the first place. The average lifespan of a strawberry that enters our house is measured in minutes.”

Kate shot her father a dirty look, then whispered, “He’s not entirely wrong. Mom does some canning, but we always bought our strawberry jam from the mainland.”

“There’s a little bit of time left.”

He held the basket out, and she took one of the berries.

“You should bring these to the party tonight,” she said as she bit into her strawberry.

“What party?”

Kate looked at him in surprise. “I forget sometimes that you haven’t lived here very long. There’s an end-of-season party held at the Lazy Beagle on the last day of each season. People bring food to share, and they socialize with others from town. We’re usually all so busy in our day-to-day lives that it’s a chance to catch up with what everyone else is doing.”

Hank motioned for him to come over to the counter. “If you want those to go to the party, you can leave them here. I’ll make sure they don’t disappear beforehand.”

“I wouldn’t take any if I knew they were for the party,” said Kate.

Randall looked at Kate with suspicion. Addressing Hank, he asked, “Would you happen to have a safe on the premises?”

“We used to have a cash box before we got this register.” Hank held the basket of strawberries up beside the drawer. “I don’t think it will fit inside.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “As much as I love being the butt of the joke, I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

They both chuckled as Kate walked away.

“What time is the party?” asked Randall.

“Festivities start at dusk,” said Hank.

“I’ll be there.”

#

The Lazy Beagle Pub was the only building along the main road through town he had yet to visit. On the far side of the town hall, it stood two stories tall. The ground floor was taken up entirely by the pub, while a wooden staircase on the side of the building rose to a hallway providing access to rooms patrons could rent.

Randall had cut the remaining daffodils from the planters on his porch and brought them to give to the proprietors, thinking they would make nice decorations. The party was to celebrate the end of the season, so he thought it fitting to display some spring flowers before they withered away.

The doors to the pub were made of a thick, dark wood with diamond shapes cut out of the middle and replaced with frosted glass. The sun had set ten minutes before Randall arrived, and diffuse light leaked out through the decoration, making oblong triangles that stretched over the road. He strained against the handle for a moment before the heavy door swung slowly inward.

Wainscoting covered the lower half of the walls, stained a rich, dark brown. The upper portion was painted white and reflected the light of candles held in sconces around the room. One long, continuous bar filled the entire back wall, with stools every couple feet where patrons could sit while they ordered or talked to their neighbor.

Six booths filled the wall to his right on a raised platform. Dividers between them gave a bit of privacy to anyone sitting there. The middle of the room hosted a dozen tables, each with a candle set in the middle along with place settings for four people. A buffet dominated the left side of the room. Several warming trays held casserole dishes or pots filled with soup. Fruit and pastries covered the far end of the buffet.

A middle-aged woman walked along the buffet with a dish towel, wiping up a spill from one of the platters. She turned when the door slammed shut behind Randall with a loud bang. She had brown hair with a bit of curl at the ends, and her cheeks puffed out when she smiled. She walked over to him, squeezing between two of the tables. Her blue eyes flashed when she greeted him.

“Come in, dear!” she said while motioning him forward. “Don’t be shy. You must be Randall. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“That’s right. I’m curious, though. How did you know my name?”

“Is this your first time in a pub?” She laughed. “This is where everyone comes to gossip, so I’ve heard quite a bit about the young man who was on the ferry when it crashed. However, one of my boarders mentioned meeting you last week and how you helped her catch a whole mess of fish.”

“Oh, that must be Yuki. She came to the pier at the harbor when I was fishing there.”

The woman eyed the bouquet of daffodils he was holding and leaned in conspiratorially. “Those meant for any particular young lady?”

“They’re for you, actually. I thought you could use them to decorate the tables during the party.”

“Well, aren’t you sweet.” She took the flowers out of his hands. “I’ll put these out in a bit. Welcome to the Lazy Beagle. I’m Betty, and the old man behind the bar is my husband, Oscar. Make yourself at home.”

Betty walked off, holding the flowers up so she could sniff them. Randall loitered in the dining area, unsure of where to go first. Townsfolk clustered in little groups spread out around the pub. He decided to start with the bartender then mingle amongst some of the people he already knew.

“What can I get for you?” the bartender asked when Randall sat down.

“A root beer would be good,” said Randall.

“Coming right up.” The bartender opened a cooler and pulled out a bottle, popping off the cap with a flick of his wrist. “You must be the new guy in town. I’m Oscar.”

“Randall.” He took the bottle and tasted the root beer. It had an earthy flavor followed by a rush of sweetness. Surprisingly, it was also carbonated, something he hadn’t expected. “That’s really good. It’s a shame you’re likely to run out with the connection to the mainland cut off.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Oscar pointed at the label.

Randall held the bottle up to read what was printed there. A line that wrapped around the bottom said, “Bottled at Haven Steamworks.”

“I didn’t realize there was a factory here,” said Randall.

“Not exactly,” said Oscar. “More of a workshop, although the only thing they make large quantities of is this root beer. The owner is a bit eccentric, likes to keep to himself. We almost certainly won’t see him here tonight. He works on his own crazy contraptions with the money he makes from the drinks he sells.”

Randall’s thoughts immediately went to the ferry boat. He’d have to repair it somehow, and maybe the person who ran the steamworks would be able to help him. He doubted he’d be doing that anytime soon, so he filed away the thought that he should get to know the person who worked there at some point.

“Now that you’ve been here a little while,” said Oscar, “what do you think of Haven?”

“It’s nice.” Randall took another sip of root beer while he thought of the things he’d done since arriving. “Working on the farm is a lot harder than what I used to do, but it’s rewarding in a way to see the fruits of your labor. People seem genuinely excited to receive the things I’ve grown.”

Oscar nodded. “There’s something about working with other people who appreciate the service you’ve done them that gives meaning to what would otherwise just be a job.”

“I take it you weren’t always a bartender.”

“For a while when I was younger, I moved to the mainland and found work loading cargo onto ships in the harbor. My boss was one of those time-is-money types, always calling us lazy and pushing us to load faster. It wasn’t an easy job, but I was able to save enough money to cover the down payment on this place. I still do a lot of lifting and moving boxes around, but nobody is standing over me snapping their fingers when I’m not moving fast enough for their schedule.”

“I can see the appeal.” Randall had no desire to explain his old job developing web sites. He had to admit to himself, though, if he never heard the phrase “crunch time” again, he’d be as happy as Oscar.

“Have you met many people while you’ve been here?” asked Oscar.

Randall rattled off all the names he could remember. Oscar sneered when he mentioned the mayor but didn’t interrupt.

“Sounds like you’ve met most of the young people here in town,” said Oscar. “There’s a few more folk living on the northern and eastern sides of Haven. I think I saw the blacksmith’s apprentice and the young doctor who came here to train at the clinic last year. They’re around your age if you’re looking to make some more friends.”

The sound of the door slamming closed drew their attention to the front of the pub. Desiree and Vincent stood there along with an older couple he assumed were their parents. Betty had been putting daffodils out on the tables and moved to greet them.

“The Boucher family,” said Oscar. “Sounds like you already met the younger ones. Guy and Lily are nice, and they’ve mellowed a bit since they came here over twenty years ago. At least, I can talk to Guy about cooking without hearing a rant about how all other foods are inferior compared to French cuisine.”

“That must be where Desiree got her attitude from.”

“The Boucher temper is well known around here, but it’s all bark, no bite. Once they cool off, they tend to be reasonable about whatever it was that started the argument. And they’ll more than have your back if they feel you’ve been wronged.”

“Yeah, I saw that after the flower competition,” said Randall. “Desiree would have chewed the mayor’s ears off if she’d caught him.”

Oscar chuckled. “I’d like to see that when it happens.”

Down the bar, someone called to get Oscar’s attention.

“I should go take their order,” he said. “If you have any questions or would like an introduction, you can always ask me or my wife. Enjoy the party.”

“Thanks, Oscar.” Randall tipped the neck of his bottle in salute as the bartender went to serve other customers.

Thinking he should introduce himself to the older Bouchers, he stood up and approached Vincent and his parents. He didn’t see Desiree, who must have already gone to speak with someone else.

“Vincent, how are you?” Randall asked when he was close enough to be heard.

“Randall, I am well.” Vincent held his hand out to indicate his parents. “This is my father Guy and my mother Lily.”

Lily held her hand out with the fingers pointed down. “Enchanté.”

Randall wasn’t quite sure what was expected, but he took her hand in his and gave a nod.

“You must be the one who liked my croissants,” said Guy. His accent was thicker than Vincent’s, turning the word “the” into “zee” and dropping the consonants in “who” so it sounded like “ooh.”

“Yes, I was quite impressed,” said Randall. “Maybe the best I’ve ever tasted.”

Guy preened, raising his head up with a smile. “I have brought some tonight, for the party.” He looked around and scowled. “Next to the casseroles. I can already feel them growing heavy.”

Guy stalked over to the buffet, lifting the plate of croissants and carrying them to the other end of the table. He placed them next to the pastries, taking a moment to turn the plate this way and that until he was satisfied.

“Please excuse my husband,” said Lily. Her accent, like her son’s was barely noticeable. “When it comes to food, everything must be perfect.”

“That is an understatement,” Vincent said so low Randall doubted anyone else heard it.

“Tell me a bit about yourself,” said Lily. “What have you been doing since you came to the island?”

“I’ve been staying on an old farm outside of town that was owned by Kate’s uncle.”

“Uncle Jack, I remember him. He rarely came to the cafe, only for special occasions. But I often saw his cart in front of the store when he was delivering food grown on his farm. He always bought candy and gave it to the children to share.”

“And Desiree would zip around, chattering non-stop for hours,” added Vincent.

Lily smiled. “I asked him not to give them so much sugar, but he said kids were made for spoiling. You can tell he had none of his own.”

“Kate told me a couple stories,” said Randall. “He sounded like quite the character.”

“So what have you grown on Jack’s farm?” asked Lily.

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Randall listed all the crops he’d harvested, then added, “Although the best were probably the first set of strawberries. I wish I could have raised everything as well as I did those.”

“I remember. Often we bake fruit into desserts because they need a little sugar to bring out the flavor. It’s quite a feat to grow a berry so sweet that it tastes best all by itself.”

“Thank you,” Randall said to the implied compliment.

Lily frowned. “I see my husband is going to speak with Oscar. I should make sure he doesn’t get into a conversation about cooking right away. It was lovely meeting you, Randall.”

“Nice meeting you.”

Lily walked up to the bar and sat next to her husband.

“I took your advice,” Randall said. “I got a fishing rod and tried my luck.”

“Did you catch anything?” asked Vincent.

“A couple small trout the first day. After that, I went to the harbor and caught quite a few sardines, along with a cod that was about a foot long.”

Vincent whistled. “I’ve not caught any cod, mostly just the smaller fish.”

“I had a little help figuring it out. I met the fishing expert you mentioned.”

“Who is he?”

“It’s a she, actually.” Randall looked around the room and spotted Yuki seated at a table with a young man he didn’t recognize. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to her.”

Randall examined the young man as they crossed the room. Being seated, it was hard to tell his height, but he seemed quite skinny. He had medium-length blond hair and wore a dark blue sweater over a shirt with a white collar. He sat straight in his chair, only moving his head slightly to take a bite of the dessert on his plate.

“Mind if we join you?” asked Randall when they reached the table.

Yuki moved a dirty plate from where she’d placed it in front of one of the empty chairs. “Please do.”

Randall introduced Vincent once they’d sat down. The man she’d been talking to was named Christopher, and he shook both of their hands.

“I was just telling Vincent I’d met the island’s fishing expert,” said Randall.

Yuki waved her hand in front of her face and said, “No I’m no expert. It’s just a hobby of mine.”

“It sounds like you’re catching more fish than the rest of us,” said Vincent. “I’d love any tips you could share.”

“If you come to the pier during the day,” said Yuki, “I could give you some pointers.”

While Yuki and Vincent were discussing fishing, Randall turned his attention to Christopher. “So what do you do?”

“I work in the clinic,” said Christopher. “I studied medicine at a university, and now I’m training under Dr. Tottenham.”

“Is the man who piloted the ferry still there? How’s he doing?”

“We’ve been taking care of him since the accident. His body appears to have recovered, but for reasons we can’t understand, he is still in a coma.”

Randall thought perhaps the man wasn’t waking up because he was part of some quest that would be revealed later in the game. Once certain milestones had been achieved, he would wake up and most likely give Randall a new quest to restore the ferry boat. Of course, Randall couldn’t say any of his suspicions out loud. The doctor-in-training he was speaking with might insist he come to the clinic for evaluation.

“That’s too bad,” he said instead. “Is there much other work to do here on such a small island?”

“The villagers come in regularly for check-ups or when they have various ailments. It’s the only place on the island that can handle births or any kind of surgery. Those are pretty rare, and when we know in advance, we can send difficult cases to the mainland. In general, our clinic is not as busy as a hospital there would be. If you find yourself in need of medical attention, don’t hesitate to come see us.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. I guess you never know when an accident might happen on a farm.”

As their conversation lulled, Randall caught a bit of the discussion going on between Yuki and Vincent.

Vincent was saying, “I appreciate any advice I can get from the winner of the fishing competition.”

“There’s a fishing competition?” asked Randall.

Yuki nodded. “The reason I came to visit last winter was to take part in the competition.”

“I knew someone from off the island had won,” said Vincent. “Unfortunately, I’d caught a cold and wasn’t able to attend. That’s why I knew there was an expert in fishing here, but I didn’t know who it was.”

“Is there a festival every season?” asked Randall.

“The summer festival is held on the beach,” said Christopher. “There’s a competition to see who can build the best sandcastle.”

“My sister will be a tough opponent there,” said Vincent. “She spends a lot of time at the beach in the summer, so she gets plenty of practice.”

“The fall festival is centered around the harvest,” continued Christopher. “Anyone can enter the largest vegetable they’ve grown for the competition. The field next to the general store will be cleared and a bonfire lit that lasts half the night.”

“That sounds like fun.” Randall made a mental note to look into which crops were best for growing large vegetables in the fall.

“The fishing festival takes place on the lake north of town in the winter,” said Yuki. “You can build snowmen or sled on the hills nearby, but the biggest draw is the fishing competition. Holes are drilled through the ice, and the winner is whoever catches the largest fish.”

“I’m looking forward to all the competitions,” said Randall, “but I have to ask, who does the judging?”

“It was usually the mayor,” said Vincent. “I hear there have been calls to select judges randomly before the events have started. A lot of people weren’t happy with how he handled the competition at the flower festival.”

“Probably a good idea,” said Randall. He definitely didn’t want the judge trying to do him any favors in the future.

Many more of the villagers had come in while they’d been talking, and Randall saw some other people he’d hoped to talk with.

“It was nice to see everyone,” he said while standing up. “I think I’m going to mingle a bit.”

“See you around,” said Vincent, and the other two voiced their own farewells.

Desiree was sitting on the end of one of the booths with some other people, so he walked over to speak with her, since he’d already spent time with the rest of her family. She sat next to a man Randall hadn’t met yet, while Liam and Kate were on the bench across from her.

There was no room left at the booth, so he stood at the end of the table and said, “Hello.”

“Randall! I’m glad you could make it,” said Kate.

Liam’s face turned sour. “Yeah…”

The man beside Desiree held out his hand. “I’m Anthony.”

Randall thought his fingers were going to break under the crushing pressure Anthony put into the handshake. His shoulders bulged out, and his bare arms looked like the bodybuilders Randall had seen when he joined a gym for a few months after making a New Year’s resolution.

“Nice to meet you,” said Randall. “That’s quite the grip you’ve got.”

Desiree patted Anthony’s arm. “He works at the smithy.”

Anthony released his hand. “Sorry, I forget my own strength sometimes.”

“Are you enjoying the party?” asked Kate.

“Yeah, it’s been fun,” said Randall. “I’ve met several new people. Betty and Oscar were very welcoming, and Desiree’s parents seem nice.”

“Compliment my father’s cooking, and he’ll love you forever,” said Desiree.

Since he had Desiree’s attention, he said, “Your brother told me about the upcoming festivals and the competitions held at each one. Sounds like you’re pretty skilled at making sandcastles.”

“I’d rather not brag,” said Desiree while at the same time raising an eyebrow at Kate.

“Oh, they’re lovely!” she said on cue. “Last year she even ran string through the middle of the wall to a wooden drawbridge so it could be raised and lowered.”

Desiree beamed at the praise.

“How did you do that?” asked Randall.

Desiree shook her head and refused to answer.

“She buried straws inside the walls,” said Anthony, earning him a swat on the arm. He didn’t flinch at all.

“Hey!” Desiree pouted. “Don’t give out all my secrets.”

“Don’t worry,” said Randall. “I’ve never built a sandcastle, so I doubt I’ll be much competition.”

“What did you do when you went to the beach?” asked Desiree.

“The closest beach to where I used to live was thousands of miles away. I traveled to the mountains for my vacations. I went for hikes in the wilderness.”

Desiree frowned. “And you found that relaxing?”

“Yeah, fresh air and exercise,” said Randall. “Sometimes I would watch the local wildlife. I saw a mountain lion lounging on a boulder once. It padded off into the trees when it noticed me.”

“I’ll take a nice, civilized beach any day,” said Desiree.

The others around the table chuckled.

“I’m surprised you don’t have a pile of strawberries in front of you,” Randall said to Kate. He glanced at the buffet. The basket of strawberries he’d provided was about half empty.

Kate followed his gaze. “I was giving other people a chance to try them. They’re not all gone, are they?”

“Not all, but they are disappearing quickly.”

“Let me out, Liam,” said Kate. “I’d like to get something to eat.”

Liam slid out of the booth. Before Randall could offer to go with her, he said, “I’m a bit hungry, too. Let’s go see what they’ve got.” He moved in front of Randall, letting Kate go past him while also blocking Randall’s path if he tried to join them.

Randall watched them walk off together, wondering what exactly he’d done to Liam that had made him so disagreeable.

Desiree stood up as well. “I’m going to get something to drink. Do either of you want anything?”

Randall swirled his bottle of root beer, which was almost empty. “I wouldn’t mind another.”

Anthony smirked. “I figured you’d had enough of waitressing at the cafe.”

Desiree put her hands on her hips. “So a root beer for Randall and nothing for the jerk in the booth. Coming right up.”

Once Desiree stormed off, Anthony held out his hand to the bench across from him. “Have a seat.”

“Aren’t Kate and Liam sitting there?”

“These events are pretty informal. People move around, take different seats all the time. They’ll figure it out when they get back.”

Randall felt a bit awkward standing over the table when so many seats were open, so he slid into the empty booth.

“I’ve been hearing quite a bit about you,” said Anthony. “Especially from the young ladies that live on the island. Desiree has talked about you non-stop since the party started.”

Thinking of how jealous Liam was acting towards him, and not wanting to step on someone else’s toes, Randall said, “Are you and her together?”

“She’s shown interest, but there’s nothing serious there. After standing over a forge all day, I think the last thing I’d want to deal with is her fiery temper.”

“Oh…” Randall thought that over and said, “Liam has been pretty protective of Kate since we met.”

Anthony nodded. “He’s had a crush on her since they were kids, or so I’m told, and it’s not like there are a ton of young people on the island. I doubt he likes the idea of a new guy coming in and being a potential rival.”

“Kate’s helped me out a lot since I came here, but I hadn’t thought about that sort of thing.”

Anthony leaned forward. “I’ve seen a lot of people visit this island, expecting to only be here for a short while but end up staying. Heck, I was one of them. Chances are you’ll be here long after you intended, so you should probably keep it in mind. I know the young ladies have already started sizing you up.”

#

New Quest: Develop a Relationship

It’s not easy running a farm, so keep your eyes open for a partner who can help you. There are five young women on the island you could potentially marry. But don’t waste too much time, because there are five young men who are also looking for love. Wait too long, and you might find your pool of potential partners dwindling.

#

The prompt was surprising, and Randall took a moment to read through it. He thought over the people he’d met to figure out who the five potential love interests could be. Desiree had flirted with him, although she seemed to do that with everyone. He suspected she was one potential partner. He would put money on Yuki being one as well, seeing as she was from the mainland and not accompanied by anyone else. He was uncertain about Kate, given her relationship with Liam. Could any of the other young women he’d met be a love interest?

He also had to consider the rivals. Who were they, and could they do anything to throw roadblocks in his way?

“Don’t over-think it,” said Anthony when he didn’t say anything. “As the new kid on the block, you could have your pick, so just get to know them and see how things develop.” He glanced over at the buffet where Desiree had joined Kate and Liam. “I’m going to chat with some of my other friends before they come back. Desiree has probably been thinking this whole time how to get me back for the waitress comment. Have a nice night.”

“You too,” said Randall.

Randall was still pondering the quest message and what Anthony had said when the rest of the group came back to the table.

“Ran off, did he?” asked Desiree.

“Anthony went to talk to some other friends,” said Randall.

“That’s fine. I can share my desserts with you, instead.”

She was carrying two bottles of root beer and two plates with what looked like angel food cake covered in whipped cream. She placed one of the desserts and a root beer in front of Randall before sliding into the booth next to him. Kate and Liam followed behind her and sat down on the other side of the table.

Kate picked up one of the five strawberries she’d taken from the buffet and bit into it. “These taste so divine!”

Liam shot him a dirty look.

#

Relationships

Anthony ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Betty ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Christopher ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Desiree ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Guy ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Lily ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Oscar ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Vincent ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Yuki ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

#

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