A/N:  I hope you're enjoying the story!

When Harry woke later that morning, he was refreshed; having slept much better after his encounter with Maddie's mother on the deck. He chuckled at the memory as he rose from bed and made his way into the bathroom attached to his room. After he was showered and dressed casually for the day, he stepped out of his room. With a good morning to Jim, he made his way downstairs; Jim following behind him.

Maddie and her mother were already up; dressed and eating breakfast on the deck. Harry pulled his sunglasses onto his face—was it always this sunny in Colorado—and stepped outside. Both women looked up with matching smiles as he joined them.

"Good morning," Maddie beamed as he moved to the seat next to her.

"Good morning," he leaned to kiss her. "Good morning Hannah." Hannah's eyes met his in a silent thank you.

"Good morning Harry. Good morning Jim," she called out; waving her hand towards the fourth place setting at the table. "Join us, won't you?"

"Thank you Mrs. Forrester," he smiled and sat at the table with the three of them; with quite the breakfast spread available.

"Well kids, I hate to eat and run, but I have things to do today," Hannah wiped her hands and put her napkin next to her plate with a grin. "I'll be in class until four and then I'll be home to change and say hello and then I'm off to meet the girls."

"The girls?" Maddie laughed lightly.

"My book club," Hannah narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "Truthfully it should more accurately be called a wine club, but for appearances sake we bring books..."

Harry laughed. "Sounds amusing."

"It is," she nodded; rising to her feet.

"How long will you be with your...book club?" Maddie watched as her mom moved to hug her.

"Six till Ten," she smoothed her daughter's hair back from her forehead. "But I can always cancel, Madeline. It's very rare that you're in town and..."

"No, no, no," Maddie shook her head. "Don't change your day. I have you all weekend. Besides, I have plans for Harry."

"Ah yes," Hannah winked and patted his shoulder as she passed him. "You two have fun. I'll see tonight."

A chorus of good-byes followed as she slipped back into her house to get on her way. Harry swallowed a bit of orange juice and turned his focus to Maddie.

"So, these plans you have for me..." He began, but her attention was elsewhere.

"Hold that thought," Maddie held up a finger as she watched her mom gather her bag and slip from the front door. "Okay." And when she was sure her mother was gone, she was out of her seat, moving away from the table.

"Where are you going?" He watched with a half a smirk as she moved around the deck, peeking into potted plants, looking under cushions. And when she moved to the stone box he remembered from the night before, his eyes flashed wide under his sunglasses.

"There it is..." Maddie sighed happily; a soft smile covering her face as she pulled the box of cigars from the box. After a moment of silence, she turned to Harry. "My dad used to smoke these and...after he died...my mom started to. I don't know when or really how it started but...I think she does it because she misses him and the smell reminds her so much of him..." Maddie took one out of the box and ran it under her nose; inhaling. "She doesn't know that I know and...I know it's silly, but I kind of like that she still does it. I like that she still misses him. Is that wrong you think?"

"No," Harry shook his head with a warm smile; his mind flashing back to the night before. "I think you're probably right."

"Yeah," Maddie smelled the cigar one more time before she put it back in the box; returning it to the hiding spot. "Okay..." She took a breath and gave him a bright smile. "Where were we?"

"Plans for today," Harry reached for her hand as she moved to stand next to his chair.

"Ah yes!" She grew excited; biting on her bottom lip. "Are you ready for this?"

"I'm not entirely sure," He chuckled at the way she bounced on her feet.

"Today, we are going to be farmers."

"I'm sorry, what?" Harry laughed.

"You heard me right. I gave my cousin Gary the day off. We're going to run the farm." Maddie took a breath. "I know you're no stranger to hard work, Wales and I thought I would show you how things work around here. We're starting with irrigating. We have to go start the water in the corn out back..."

"But..." Harry glanced out over the acres of farm land behind them. "I've never irrigated before. What if I..."

"And I never curtsied before I met you. We learn new things," she smiled smugly. "Now, finish your breakfast. You're going to need your energy. And you're going to get dirty—just in case you want to change. I'm going to go grab my boots and pull the truck around."

"You're incredibly serious, aren't you."

"Are you afraid?" She arched an eyebrow; mounting a challenge.

"Of hard work?" Harry laughed. "No way. Of messing up the farm that helps sustain your family? Absolutely."

"Ha!" Maddie tossed her head back in laughter. "You can't mess it up. I'll be with you the entire time and I know what I'm doing." With a quick kiss to his cheek, she moved towards the house.

"I thought you were a child psychologist!" He called after her.

"I am!" She paused in the doorway to call back. "But before that I was a farmer's daughter. Now finish your food and meet me out front in five minutes."

"Bossy, bossy, bossy," Harry muttered, reaching for a bite.

"You love it!" Maddie laughed as she slipped into the house. Harry chuckled as he shook his head, looking up at Jim.

"I'm going to be a farmer today."

"Very well Sir," Jim smiled; almost unable to hold back his laughter—unable to contain his amusement at the young woman who had been a part of his life for a year. Though he remained silent about his work, about his charge, he had known Harry for years—watched him grow into the man he was now. And he was happy that he had finally found the match he had with the young American. Happy to see the smile on his face, the way the weight had lifted from his shoulders.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Harry had finished his breakfast and gone to change and, when he stepped out the front door, Maddie was waiting with Jim. She had told him where they were going to be and he had agreed to take one of the cars they brought along and wait at the end of the road; feeling comfortable with the safety the property provided and with his view of Harry. Harry rounded the older pick-up truck to where the two of them were standing and about fell over. Maddie, in denim cut off at the knee, a wide brimmed sunhat and red rubber Wellies—he felt his heart jump in his chest.

"Wow..." He breathed as she stepped up to him as Jim moved into the second car. "Look at you..."

"If you're going to make fun of me now, you can just stop. There's mud and water and these are incredibly practical."

"I was not going to make fun of you," his hands moved around her waist, pulling her to him. "I was going to do this..." His lips moved against hers.

"Oh..." She sighed into him; her fingers tugging at his shirt, bringing him closer.

"If you had been dressed like this last night, I'm not sure I would have been able to refuse," he confessed.

"I had no idea you were turned on by farm clothes."

"Neither did I," he shook his head; groaning as she stepped away.

"Sorry," she sighed. "While I would love to run with this new discovery, we have a list of things to do." She reached into the back of the truck and pulled out another pair of rubber boots, in a more muted green color, and handed them to him. "I thought these would fit you. You might need them later."

"They should," Harry took them from her. "Thank you."

"Okay...you ready?"

"Yes?"

"Ha!" She laughed, pulling open the driver's door. "Did you get enough breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Put on sunblock?"

"Mmm Hmmm."

"You love me?"

"God yes."

"Then get in the truck."

With a shake of his head, Harry did as he was told. And his day as a farmer began.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Okay," Maddie handed him a slightly bent and curved metal irrigation tube. They were standing along the road at the end of the corn field; rows and rows of corn stretching out in front of them next to the ditch full of running water. Harry took the tube and watched as she began to demonstrate what he needed to do. "Put one hand on the end, flat like this..." He did as she did. "You're going to plunge it into the water like...it's the pressure that's going to make the water suck back in. Watch..." And he did. He watched as she started one, then two, then three irrigation tubes, laying each of them gingerly into their own row; the water trickling out and down the rows.

"Look at you..." Harry was impressed. "How long have you known how to do this?"

"Since I was...five?" She laughed at his expression. "It's your turn." Her hands rested on her hips and she waited. Harry took a deep breath and went for it. She was patient, sweet, as he tried four times before water began to flow back at him. Plopping the tube into a row, he looked up at her with a wide smile.

"I did it!"

"You did," she smiled with pride. "Nicely done."

"I'm a farmer," Harry clapped his hands together.

"Okay..." Maddie laughed. "Let's not get carried away. But it's a great start."

Harry followed along as they continued to start tubes of water and set them in rows; occasionally hopping into the truck to drive further down the road. The focus and precision that he had seen in Maddie on numerous other occasions was evident in the way she handled this task as well.

"Harry..." Maddie called from a few feet away. He dropped his tube into a row and looked up to her. "Will you please bring me the shovel from the back of the truck? I need to fix this row..."

"Sure," Harry nodded and did as she asked. Handing her the shovel, he watched as she moved across the ditch; shoveling dirt from one place to another and, when she was finished, she wedged the shovel into the ground and reached for a tube. Setting it, she watched for a moment as the water flowed, making sure the fix would hold. Satisfied, she pulled the shovel from the dirt and hopped back across the ditch. Harry watched; jaw slacked as she put the shovel back in the truck and reached for a bottle of water. He couldn't move; he was transfixed with her. Glancing up at him, she caught him looking.

"What?" She laughed nervously; returning the bottle of water to the cooler in back.

"God, I love you." It was almost as though he could feel himself falling further for her—a feat he hadn't realized was a possibility up until that point.

"You love the plaid shirt and the cut off shorts," she countered.

"I do," he nodded with a smirk. "But..."

"But you would love me even more without them..." She finished with a knowing look.

"You're turning this into something dirty," he shook his head as she moved closer to him. "And it's far from it. I'm impressed with your wide range of abilities, Madeline."

"Well thank you," she tipped her lips up to meet his. "And I'm impressed with how quickly you pick up new things."

"Good..." Harry grinned; pressing his lips to hers one more time before she stepped back.

"Okay, we just need to finish up this row and then we move onto the cows."

"Cows?" Harry's eyebrows arched.

"We have cattle to feed," she called out behind her. "We have eggs to collect and then we head to the horse barn."

"Excellent," Harry took a deep breath; reaching for a few tubes and following where she led.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

They had started water on the corn, fed cattle, and collected eggs from the hen house—an experience Harry would rather never repeat again in his life—despite how humorous Maddie found it. They stopped briefly for a quick lunch at the house, changed into more appropriate boots and then they made their way to the horse barn; a place Harry felt instantly more at ease. Walking along the stalls, she introduced him to the horses as they walked and, stopping outside the last two stalls, she smirked when she asked him if he knew how to saddle a horse or if that was delegated to somebody else. With a roll of his eyes, Harry moved to prove something to her. When the horses were saddled, he climbed atop Frankie and followed Maddie who rode Gilly.

They strolled out of the barn, past the corrals, across the bridge over the stream and out onto the untouched part of the property. Maddie brought her horse to a stop and Harry moved up beside her.

"You feel okay?" She nodded to Harry and Frankie.

"Yes," Harry smiled wide; his eyes scanning over the miles of open land.

"We're going to ride the perimeter and check the fence," she informed him, her horse getting antsy underneath her. "Try to keep up." And then with a wink and a slight nudge to Gilly underneath her, the horse broke free—into the run he had been gearing up for since Maddie had saddled him. Harry watched as she rode away from him, watched as she moved easily on the horse—almost able to feel how free she felt with the wind against her face.

"Okay Frankie, it's you and me," Harry chuckled and nudged the horse underneath him. And he was off—chasing Maddie and Gilly, chasing that exhilaration they both felt as they galloped over the land. He could hear Maddie laughing as she slowed to a trot; allowing him to catch up with her.

"Oh my God!" She called out to him. "It's been years since I've done this."

"Years?" He called back. "You were home for a while after you left Bendal, weren't you?"

"Yes. But I was recovering, remember? I couldn't move my arm, much less ride a horse."

"Ah yes," Harry nodded. "You look good on that horse."

"I feel good on this horse," she grinned wide. "Come on, I want to show you something." Harry nodded and let her pull out in front of him. They moved quickly along the fence line—Maddie keeping an eye as they moved. And, when she cut off course, Harry followed behind her. They moved towards the large stream of water that ran through the property; splashing into the water, ducking into the shade. And then they rounded a corner and they were standing below a bluff; as though somebody had come along and taken a chunk from the earth. Harry's eyes went wide as he looked to the west. He could see the mountain range through the clear sky. There was a cluster of trees that grew around a place where the water pooled; where the stream had expanded out. Maddie came to a stop and hopped from her horse. Guiding Gilly to the stream, she let loose the reigns and allowed her to rest, to have a drink. Harry followed suit; patting Frankie's neck before he stepped away—trying to keep track of Maddie.

"Here," she reached back for his hand, pulling him through the trees and around a corner to a wide open meadow; full of flowers and trees and the same amazing view. Harry looked in awe; surprised to find something so lush hidden out here. Maddie pulled him with her to a spot that was shaded by an enormous old tree and she moved to the ground; kicking off her boots, letting her toes sink into the wild grass below her. Without a second thought, Harry joined her; tossing his own shoes to the side. He couldn't stop smiling as he watched her sigh and lay back; flat on the ground. She pulled her sunglasses from her eyes and looked up at the sky; at the leaves as they bristled in the breeze, at the clouds as they rolled by. Her fingers ran over Harry's arm as she smiled up at him. Rolling to his side, Harry leaned on one elbow so that he could watch her—watch her tense-less face, watch her take deep breaths of the fresh air, watch her as she processed the memories that came with this spot.

Rolling to her side, she leaned up, mimicking his position. When she spoke, her voice was laden with nostalgia and memories; instantly bringing him in.

"I used to spend entire summers out here," she met his eyes. "I would help start the water and then head out here while my dad worked. I would bring toys and books and lunch. Sometimes I would stay all day..." She chuckled. "My mom would be so mad when I came back after dark. That was the rule; home before the sun went down. But I would just get so...lost. In my head, in what I was doing." She nodded towards a tree in the distance. "My dad built me a house in that tree..." She pointed. "You can still see part of it. And there's a tire swing over there..." She moved her finger. "Down by the water, there's a bit of a beach. Well...it's not a beach, but it's sandy and every year we would all come out, cousins and uncles and...and we'd have this big party with a bonfire and hot dogs and s'mores and..."

"S'mores?" He raised his eyebrows.

"You've...sorry..." Maddie sat up. "You've never had a s'more? It's...a graham cracker with chocolate and a marshmallow that has been toasted over a campfire and...wow. I guess I know what we're doing tonight."

"Hot dogs and s'mores?" Harry took a guess.

"See..." Maddie nudged him with her shoulder. "You pick up things incredibly easily." Her head dipped to kiss him. "Come on. Let's finish checking the fence. We have to collect the irrigation tubes and check the garden and then I think we'll be done for the day."

"Really?" Harry followed her as she stood.

"Mmm. We can shower, say hello to my mother and then...we'll be back."

"To start a fire?"

"Just a small one," she giggled. "Don't worry, Wales. I know what I'm doing."

"I can see that."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

They finished their chores, they showered and dressed and they spent a little time with Hannah before she grabbed her book and a bottle of wine and bid them good night. Maddie called her cousin Gary and Jenna and invited them over for a fire by the stream. Then the two of them, along with Jim, went into the one grocery store in town to buy the additional items they would need for the night. It was a little under three hours before a picture of them appeared on twitter; laughing and holding hands while they filled their basket—completely oblivious to the young girl with the camera phone.

They bundled up with warmer clothes, loaded up the trailer to the four wheeler and then, along with Gary and Jenna and Brad and Nathan (Jim was taking some down time) they made their way out to the meadow. As Maddie and Gary arranged the wood for a fire, Jenna stepped up to Harry with a lowered voice.

"I wanted to let you know that I brought what you asked for. They are in a bag that I gave to...Nathan." She pointed.

"Excellent," Harry clapped his hands together with a big smile. "That's amazing. Thank you Jenna. Did Nathan pay you for them?"

"Yes he did."

"Fantastic. It's really great of you to do this for me."

"Not a problem just...when she finds out, if you could keep my name out of it..."

"Ha!" Harry laughed with her. "I'll do my best."

"Thank you."

"We got it!" Maddie called to them as bright flames flew up; lapping at the night sky. And the memories kicked off. As they settled into their chairs and ate their campfire food, Gary and Maddie reminisced about their childhood; something Harry was sure would reoccur the next day when they spent time with the rest of their family.

And he took it all in; the way they interacted, the way the loved each other, the way they poked fun, the way they supported, the way they made sure to include him and his security officers in on the revelry. They ate and drank and