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Restoring Faith	By : Lady_Kae Category: +G through L > Harvest Moon Views: 2535 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters used from the game Harvest Moon: ToT. All characters ,game related material, and lyrics, save for original content is property of their respective owners and no money is being made from this fiction.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
A/N: I want to give a quick thanks and shoutout to GrizzlyTeddyBear. It was thanks to her story, Reading Totems, that I learned a little of something used a little later in the chapter...Much later...This was one of my favorite chapters to write just for one scene alone, I'm sure you guys will figure out which one that is XD Nonetheless, enjoy!
~Kae

Chapter 5: Life on The Island
Restoring Faith
A Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility Fanfiction

Kohri sighed heavily as she looked at the paperwork that she still had to complete and take down to the town hall sometime this week. It was mostly the business licensing for her ranch, despite the fact that she was going to be focusing on her agriculture more than rearing any animals. The only thing that she hadn’t filled out, and of course it was a required field, was a name for her ranch.
She had been stuck on that for the last three days in fact.
Kohri groaned even as she stabbed into her supper a little viciously in her ire. As her dad had wisely put it many a year ago, she was having a rather severe case of cerebral flatulence and quite frankly it was time for it to hit the damn road. Part of her knew why she had been trying to put it off, and that was because of a certain blonde haired man who happened to work where she needed to turn this in at. Kohri blushed brilliantly as she recalled her behavior from the other night. She had been fairly drunk off of Hayden’s cocktails, not that it excused her invasion of Gill’s personal space because it absolutely did not. She had yet to apologize to him either, which only nagged at her conscience as well. For all things green and growing, how could have she been that stupid?!
Lemon and dill popped pleasingly over her tongue, pulling her out of her dark and violent musings, and Kohri couldn’t hold back the small sigh that escaped her at the flavor flooding her taste buds. Her supper for the evening was a gorgeous rainbow trout that she had caught and Kohri had filleted it right up. It had been fried in herbal butter and served with up with a fresh batch of gnocchi and a salad.
Her eyes went bright in a moment of inspiration and she grinned broadly as she wrote down the name. It might be one step forward in telling Gill how much Kohri appreciated his friendship. She needed to distinguish her ranch from the others while trying to keep to the food name theme that the island had adopted. While the other two were named for desserts, her farm would not. The smile on her face was broad and contagious as she thought of how funny Gill was going to find this and Kohri rolled her chair over to the phone. She dialed the number for the town hall, if only to ask them to keep the doors open for a little bit until she got there.
There was no time like the present after all.

Kohri reached the town hall in what seemed like record time, she had been nothing but a bundle of nerves to get here. Gill was by himself behind the counter and Kohri took a glance around. Neither Elli nor Mayor Hamilton were here it seemed. Maybe Gill had sent them off?
Gill took a look up at the clock in surprise when Kohri came in. “ I was expecting forty five minutes at least, not thirty.” he commented, both intrigue and pride evident in his voice. “ I sent Elli and father off barely ten minutes ago.” He was straightening papers at his desk and Gill motioned silently for Kohri to come around. “ I was hoping to talk to you actually…”
“ Me too.” Kohri admitted sadly, her gaze sad and downcast as she came up beside Gill’s desk.
“ I’m sorry about the other night…” both said worriedly, only to pause for a moment as they stared at one another in shock.
Kohri snorted in amusement, softly at first, though Gill really let loose when he began chuckling richly. Soon, both of them were laughing fully, unable to believe that they both had been fretting about the near miss that had happened between them four days prior.
“ We’re actually in agreement on something!” Gill quipped humorously, and he motioned for Kohri to go ahead and take a seat in his chair. She did so, and he leaned comfortably against his desk. “ In all seriousness, I am sorry for that. I normally wouldn’t take advantage of a lady like that, as I knew you had been drinking with Owen and Luke that night. I…” Gill paused, unsure of how to say this right. “ I’m not sure why I wanted to Kohri...I haven’t been in that kind of situation in years.” he admitted finally.
Kohri sighed softly. “ I understand. I’m sorry as well, Gill. I shouldn’t have invaded your personal space like that and my being drunk at the time is not an acceptable excuse. I only made things awkward between us that night.” Kohri whispered, still ashamed with herself for her behavior. She shook her head after a moment as if to clear those negative thoughts away and Kohri’s sweet azure gaze met Gill’s as she looked up to him. She wasn’t sure if she should admit her misgivings about romance and she shook her head. Why tell him? It was clear he wanted to keep things platonic between them as well.
“ So you finally finished the paperwork for your business license? May I?” Gill asked her with a small grin. She handed it to him and Gill began looking through it, only to laugh out loud when he saw the name she had chosen. “ I was certain you would have chosen Torte or something of the like. Damn...I’ll have to tell Elli I lost that little wager between us.”
It was Kohri’s turn to laugh at that statement. “ You two had a bet on what I was going to name my ranch?”
Gill chuckled once more as he set the small stack off to the side to file away in the morning. “ Actually, all of us did. It was Ramsey that won the bet, as he was sure you’d choose a side dish of some sort.” Gill chortled as he looked over to Kohri once more as she laughed loudly and he motioned for the door so that he could lock up. “ Are we still on for Saturday?” he inquired, twisting the key without bothering to watch what he was doing. Gill could close the place up while fast asleep he had done it so many times.
Kohri nodded in reply as her face took on a softer, melancholy mein. “ I’ve already got the portions I want to scatter set aside and mixed with some of the soil from my farm and a few of the blooms from the bushel you gifted me with the other day.” she replied. Kohri glanced up towards Mt. Gelato and she sighed heavily. “ If only the path to the mountain were clear...That would be the ideal spot to be honest.”
Gill looked fairly pensive for a few minutes and he looked towards the northwest where Brownie Ranch was. There was a perfect spot near that way, but Gill hadn’t had the courage to go there in five years, much like he had been avoiding Angie’s old house. The only reason he was considering it was all because of the petit sable haired woman beside him. She was living through the same grief Gill was finally working through now. Not only that, Kohri had been there for him last time. “ I’ve got the perfect spot Kohri. I’ll meet you at your house sometime Saturday afternoon.” Gill said with more confidence than he actually felt.
Kohri nodded as they began walking towards the tree near by, or Darren’s Tree as she had come to learn it was called. “ You alright? It looked to me that you had something pretty heavy on your mind.” she asked him kindly.
Gill nodded silently in answer as Kohri leaned against the trunk, and he was hit with a vision from the first time he saw her stand there. Her eyes had turned into liquid gems at the time because of her tear filled gaze. Looking at the woman before him, Gill was glad to see that she definitely seemed much happier than she had been despite that it was only had only been a few short months since her arrival. There was light and life in her eyes along with a smile that only held a little bit of melancholy. Gill couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking of for her to smile like that.
“ I’ll be taking my leave home now Gill. I’ve still got course to get ready to mail off come Monday and I want to have a free weekend.” Kohri declared as she stood straight after their companionable silence. “ Thank you again for helping me with this Gill. I appreciate it very much.”
Gill smiled even as he gave Kohri’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “ You’ve tried to do the same for me without knowing all the details. Just as I’ve played a part in helping you grieve, you’ve been doing just that for me in the most unexpected ways. Angie’s house, for starters. You were there to support me, reminding me I wasn’t alone and you finally gave it purpose again. You exorcised the grief from it.”
Kohri smiled as she looked over to the hutch for a brief moment. “ I forgot to ask you...Who told you I didn’t have any lavender here?” she asked him, trying to move the conversation elsewhere. She could tell by the look in Gill’s eyes that he wasn’t ready just yet, as she had seen that face in the mirror more times than she cared to count after Wren had murdered her parents.
“ Anissa mentioned that the only blooms you were missing were some of Sue’s prized hibiscus, and some lavender.” Gill admitted, though he couldn’t help the wry smirk that quirked a corner of his mouth as he followed Kohri towards the stairwell to the town proper. “ Good luck in getting Sue to part with any of the seeds.”
Kohri tittered girlishly at the joke and she smiled as she looked up at the handsome young man beside her. Gill was twenty five, just a year older than she was, but the way he carried himself and the way he acted around others gave him a world weary, cold individual. Kohri knew that wasn’t the case in the slightest. It’s always the ones who seem the most cold and indifferent that actually care the most. she thought, smoothing her hand down the railing in an effort to keep her balance. Drunk or not, Kohri was clumsy as sin and she had no desire to give poor Dr. Jin and Miss Irene an after hours call due to a sprained ankle. “ I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for keeping the place open a little late so that I could drop off those papers by the way. I had hoped to have a chance to talk it out. I’d hate to lose you as a friend Gill.”
Gill nodded as the two stopped near the cross street he would go down to get home. “ You’re welcome Kohri. I believe the saying is that great minds think alike after all.” Gill chortled. While he didn’t voice it, Gill knew he’d be devastated to lose Kohri’s friendship over something like that as well. Especially from that lapse in judgement on his part.
Kohri laughed out loud at that and she wiped a few tears of mirth from her eyes after a few minutes, though a fresh round bubbled forth at the glare she was being affixed with. Gill’s bored and disinterested gaze actually told her that he was confused as to why she would be laughing at a barely veiled compliment. “ With as often as we disagree when we’re debating? Are you sure that euphemism really applies to the two of us?” she countered, immediately proving her point with the rebuttal she delivered.
Gill opened his mouth to retort, but it quickly turned into laughter as well as he really thought it over. “ You’re right about that. I’ll concede that one to you.” he replied. “ We finally have a winner between us it seems.”
Kohri shrugged nonchalantly as she began walking for the inn, though she was still giggling every now and again. “ I told you I’d get the first one! I’ll see you Saturday Gill! Have a good evening!” she called out over her shoulder. She was in the mood for one of Yolanda’s melon parfaits tonight. Maybe she had everything she needed for them…
There was only one way to find out, and Kohri was a woman on a mission as she strode through the double doors to the inn.

Luke was bored as hell. Dale had somehow wrangled him into keeping an eye on the shop for a bit without any clues as to what time he was coming back. Sharp golden brown eyes cut to the clock on the wall, only to leave the young man groaning in disappointment.
It had only been ten minutes since Dale had walked out the door.
Luke grumbled a little more as he leaned against the counter. What could he do to combat his boredom? Seriously? He needed to be outside with Lucy, his lucky ax, swinging away at the trees in the Praline Woods. His eyes fell on a rather handsome block of mahogany and Luke’s brow rose in an idea. With a small smirk, he went over to the window to see if Owen was just across the way, and Luke’s fist pumped skyward with joy at the sight of his best friend where he normally was at this time of day. With an exuberant step, Luke threw open the window and he stuck his head out. “ Hey Owen! Dude! C’mere a minute! I’ve got an idea!” Luke called out to him.
Owen set his hammer down even as he shook his head in exasperation. The russet haired man had warned Dale on countless occasions to let Bo mind the shop while Luke stayed out in the field gathering the wood, lest the young man come up with any hair brained ideas. So far, Owen had been subjected to at least three different plans to get Gill out of his; as Luke had brilliantly put it, ‘dork shorts’ and into a pair of jeans more often. Two of the plans had been to justify the painting of a flame design on all of the buildings; to make them ‘wicked sick’ as Luke had said. Last but not least, Owen had been subjected to thirteen different conspiracy theories concerning the now dead Mother Tree.
Owen wasn’t sure he could handle another one of those days. Please by everything that is good and green, don’t let it be another conspiracy theory...he pleaded silently to the Harvest Goddess. Owen pushed open the door with a heavy sigh and he saw Luke getting carving tools ready on his normal bench. “ What’s this idea of yours, bud?” Owen asked, cutting right to the chase.
“ Dude! You know how she’s gotten a housewarming gift from everyone? Well, Pops, Bo, and I haven’t given her anything yet. Then I saw the block sitting over here and boom! Lightbulb goes off in my brain! Do you know if she’s named her ranch yet?” Luke rattled off faster than Owen could follow.
Owen shook his head in an effort to make heads or tails of what Luke had just said, but it was for not. The other man had just spoken much too quickly and excitedly for Owen to follow. “ Start from the top bud.” he instructed, though his dark brown eyes went wide when Luke took a deep breath in to go a million miles a minute again. “ Slowly! Talk slowly Luke. You know I can’t make sense of anything when you’re talking too fast.”
Luke groaned as he rolled his eyes and he pulled a pencil from his back pocket to start some free hand sketching on the block. “ Alright, so you know how Kohri’s been getting an assload of housewarming gifts?” he began, much slower this time to his own chagrin.
“ Yeah. Gramps and I are puttin’ in a fireplace for her in about a month or two once she’s got some more stone stored up.” Owen replied. “ Granted, she’s insisted to pay us for the work at least. What she doesn’t know is Gramps won’t let her pay us that much.”
“ Alright, next question. Do you know if Kohri’s named her ranch yet?”
Owen sniggered a little. “ Yes, she has. It’s kinda funny actually. Even though she lives in the Caramel River District, she’s decided to name it Gnocchi Ranch.”
Luke stood straight with a perplexed scowl marring his face. “ What the hell is gnocchi and how the hell do I spell that?” he deadpanned, all the while he was giving Owen a look that clearly said to stop screwing around.
“ Gnocchi’s a type of food, but I don’t know how to spell it admittedly. Lemme call Kohri up and I’ll have her come down.” Owen chortled.
Luke beat him to the phone however and he dialed up Kohri’s home. “ Hey Kohri. Ya mind coming by the shop? I had a couple questions for ya.”
“ Yeah, I’ll be there in a bit.” Owen heard Kohri reply. “ It’s gonna take a while if I can’t get over that root.”
Luke’s face went a little worried. “ Kohri, chickadee, do yourself a favor and don’t try it. Trust me. Just take the long way around.” he said quickly.
“ I’ll be fine. Honestly. I’ll see you in a bit Luke.” Kohri insisted before hanging up.
Luke shook his head as he walked back over to the counter. “ If she’s not here in an hour, we’re checking the root.” he said flatly to Owen.
Owen couldn’t keep himself from snorting in mirth. “ Ooo boy. This is gonna be funny as hell. Think Simon still has his camera?” Owen prodded, all the while nudging Luke with his elbow a bit.
Luke was smiling mischievously himself as he reached under the counter. “ Why go all the way to Simon’s shop?” he countered, holding up his dad’s still camera.
Owen couldn’t help but rub his palms together. “ An hour?” he clarified, only to receive a nod for an answer. “ Damn, this wait is gonna be torture.”

Kohri tapped her chin thoughtfully as she looked at the large root towering over her and blocking the path. She had gotten so sick and tired of going the long way around to the Ganache Mine District that she was thinking of just trying her chances at scaling it. She tightened the strap keeping her rucksack smooth against her hip and she tied her boots extra tight. It had been a long while since she had climbed anything more than a ladder after all and Kohri wasn’t going to chance a nasty injury due to a loose boot or anything of the like. Kohri rubbed her palms against her pants to dry them and the rancher took off into a fast sprint. She kicked up to grab a low hanging branch and Kohri swung herself up some more. She smiled as she kept gaining height, though it was turning smug the more she thought of how she was going to rub it in Luke’s face that she had been fine.
She leaned against one particular branch about half way through the break in the roots, as she was trying to just go through the middle and without warning it snapped. Kohri’s eyes went wide in fear, for if she got injured here it would take a lot of time to not only get someone but to get her out. “ Oh shit!” she cried out, though it turned into a harsh sputter when the breath was knocked from her lungs courtesy of her diaphragm. A quick glance over her shoulder showed that her rucksack had kept her from falling where it was looped over a sturdy branch, but the price was that she was awkwardly suspended in midair. Kohri coughed harshly, trying to find any sort of hold that she could get with her hands or feet and she groaned in annoyance when she realized that her awkward position didn’t allow her feet to touch down on anything. Worse yet, the branch that had broken was the only thing in reach from this end as well.
Luke and Owen were never going to let Kohri live this one down once they figured out what happened.

Gill was in the midst of walking towards the hot springs and he smiled when he saw Kohri’s as he passed by. It had been busier than he had anticipated for a Thursday, and the deputy mayor was in need of some sort of stress relief or he would have a tension migraine on his hands before the end of the night. The smile quickly fell when he saw that the young rancher wasn’t outside tending to her newly planted crop, nor could he see her puttering about inside. Gill paused fully, wondering if Kohri might have only just stepped out. Maybe she had needed something from Hananh’s, or even Craig’s shops? Maybe even Ramsey’s?
“ God damn it! If someone can hear me, HELP!” came Kohri’s irate voice.
Gill dropped his things in an instant as he began running for the root. Sure enough, Kohri had stepped out alright, but she had tried to scale the root as opposed to going around, if the sight of her boots in the gap between the break of the root said anything. A scowl darkened his face. Gill had repeatedly told both his father and Dale that this root desperately needed to be cut. This was an important thoroughfare and the root was blocking it. Yes, it belonged to the Mother Tree, but the tree had died nearly twenty years ago. Not just that, but the Harvest Goddess wouldn’t want them to struggle needlessly after all.
“ Is someone there?” Kohri asked with a grunt. Her feet were kicking wildly and despite the direness of the situation, Gill choked back a full on belly laugh. “ Listen, if it’s Luke or Owen...Don’t even think about trying to make this harder on me! Just get me the hell down!” Kohri’s tone was so stern, but the way her feet were flailing were just too much…
Gill sat down hard on the ground, laughing richly at Kohri in her predicament. “ Oh sweet goddess! Where’s my camera!” he howled out, holding his sides as his ribs began to hurt from the force of his mirth.
Kohri stopped moving entirely when she heard Gill’s voice. Of all the flora and fauna in this world, why him?! Why was Gill out this way?! He normally didn’t leave the office until it was nearly eight o’clock. Kohri groaned to herself when she realized that she had come to memorize what time he normally left the town hall by. As if her subconscious needed to throw it in her face that Kohri was indeed forming a romantic rapport for the mayor’s only son. Kohri quickly forced those musings into the furthest most recesses of her mind in an attempt to continue staving off those self-damning thoughts. Kohri’s mind kept screaming that she wanted nothing to do with romance right now, but her heart wasn’t paying that tripe any mind. It knew what it wanted and it would keep saying it until it got just that. For now, Kohri just had to keep drowning out that voice.
“ If you’re done laughing at me, would you please get me down?” she groused, utterly mortified at the position she had been found in.
Her ass had to look like a big green moon from where he was at!
Gill felt his shoulders shake when Kohri’s feet kicked once more and he felt tears of mirth fill his eyes at the joy and amusement flowing over him. Everyone over the years had had the sense of mind to go around this root, but apparently Kohri wasn’t in a patient mood today if she had attempted to climb it. Her boots were a blur with the speed they moved as she tried to dislodge herself from her current predicament and Gill fell to his back laughing harder than he could ever remember doing.
“ If you’re done, I need help Gill! I just heard Luke’s voice a second ago! Get me down from here!” Kohri screeched.
Gill shook his head slightly as he managed to climb to his feet and he carefully began scaling the root to where Kohri was. He could see where she had tried to balance herself at to get through and Gill had to bit his lips shut in an effort to not break out in uncontrollable laughter once more. If seeing from the ground with just her feet kicking was humorous, then the sight before him was the end all be all of hilarity. Kohri had somehow gotten her hip-side rucksack caught on a sturdy branch and it had her in just the right position to where her feet couldn’t get to the flat surface below and there were no branches before her in reach to pull herself out of the spot. More than likely, her weight was one of the key factors preventing her escape as the buckle holding her rucksack in place was pressure sensitive to not give out in circumstances like this if Kohri were carrying something ridiculously heavy in there. Even taking all that into consideration, Gill had to force himself to sit down for a second when it became too much to hold back his amusement at this. “ What possessed you to climb over and through this thing?” he asked her in stuttered words, as he could not stop chuckling the entire time.
Kohri groaned in both consternation and embarrassment. “ I was busy working on one of my class reports when Luke asked me to come by the shop. I didn’t want to spend an hour or so going around it the way I have to even though I can see Ashemore Carpentry from here. Goddess, this is just too damn embarrassing!” she whined.
Gill shook his head as he finally tamped down his humor enough to get Kohri out of her dire straits. He walked over to her, inspecting the way the branch was stuck in her belt, and it took every ounce of will to keep his mind from percolating on how shapely her rear was, or how she was in the perfect position for a spanking. Thankfully, he was able to keep his composure, though Gill couldn’t keep a small chuckle back when he finally found the culprit to this mess. No wonder Kohri hadn’t been able to get herself out. There was a slight y bend in the branch that she was caught on and it was sticking straight up. She’d have to be just a few inches taller to be able to get herself out of this. Gill settled both hands on her shoulders and he carefully and slowly pulled her up into an upright position. He crossed around to the front of her, taking care to loop both her arms around his neck all the while. “ Hold on to me to keep yourself straight. I need to lift you up just like this if I’m going to get you out of this mess you’ve gotten yourself into, Kohri.”
Kohri looked down and she groaned in annoyance when she saw her feet were still a solid three inches from the flat part of the root, though it was quickly silenced when both of Gill’s hands settled on her hips, right where the sturdy leather strap was. A small squeak of surprise escaped her when he effortlessly lifted her a few inches, but if the puzzled and exasperated look on the blonde man’s face was anything to go off of, he was going to need to change his tactics.
“ Kohri, tighten your arms around my neck.” Gill ordered gently. His silvery blue eyes were the color of steel in his concentration, Kohri realized with a resounding blush. Not only that, his body was toned and lithe as compared to Owen or Luke, and she knew from first hand experience just how gorgeous a body it was. Her fingers felt the slightest tickle of silk and Kohri tried to wiggle the sensation away, believing it to be his tie. Oh no, instead it was the gorgeous platinum blonde strands at the base of his skull.
Kohri was now desperately driving away every fiber of her being that was telling her to just sink her hands into those beautiful strands of silk, and to finally get that damn kiss that Gill had teased her with a week and a half ago.
Gill seemed oblivious to her predicament, or he was just hiding how her proximity was affecting him. Once he had Kohri in just the right spot, Gill swept her up into his arms by the knees and he carefully lifted her away from the branch she had been stuck on. He set her back down to her feet and Kohri sighed in relief though she had yet to let him go. She couldn’t keep herself from savoring the feel of him against her. Kohri’s head was tucked perfectly under his chin, only further cementing the realization that she fit like a glove against him. Kohri looked around, completely uncomfortable with the sudden train of thought that she had just had and she nodded to herself. Gill seemingly had gotten to her before…
Raucous laughter echoed through the air, making the both of them jump in surprise and Kohri looked down off the root. Her face went crimson when she saw both Luke and Owen there, barely hanging off each other in their hilarity. Then she spotted the glint of metal in the sunlight and she turned even more red, if that were possible. Gill couldn’t help but wonder what had drawn out such a reaction from Kohri and he followed her gaze only to have it land on the shiny little still camera in Luke’s hand.
I believe it is now time to make myself scarce in this instance, as I’m sure she’s about to unleash all hell on those two…Gill thought to himself as Kohri began climbing down the way she had come. He followed her down and he scowled as he looked back up at the root. He would definitely have to talk to Dale about cutting it down once more. Kohri had already started in on Owen and Luke and Gill chortled softly to himself as he took his leave. He wanted to get over to the spring before it got too late after all.

Owen and Luke both snickered under their breaths as they lifted their mugs of beer up to their mouths. Kohri had walloped both of them upside the head, rather strongly for that matter, for being able to hear her even in the shop, but for not coming to her aid sooner.
Hayden’s eyes twinkled merrily. “ Where’s our Aramis at?” he asked the two. Hayden was rather surprised to not see Kohri drinking with Owen and Luke as she was wont to do lately.
Luke’s eyes bugged out as he fought to keep from spitting out his beer when Hayden mentioned Kohri by her Musketeer name. Owen had already slammed the metal tankard down against the wooden counter and he was laughing for all he was worth with his face buried in his arm. Luke struggled to swallow the mouthful he had without choking on it and Hayden looked between the two in utter confusion.
“ Okay then...Something really funny concerning Kohri happened this afternoon. Got it…” Hayden said as he shook his head while cleaning out a glass. “ Certainly explains the shiners you two are sporting tonight.”
Luke finally manage to swallow his beer without it going down the wrong tube and he nearly toppled from his barstool in hysteria. Owen managed to catch him before he fell and Luke calmed himself enough to pull out the camera. He had hoped to get over to Simon’s to get the picture developed, for posterity’s sake of course, but it wasn’t to be tonight. Ah well, he’d just get over there first thing in the morning. “ Just look at this Hayden.” he finally said with enough composure to be understood.
Hayden took the little camera from Luke and he held it close enough to see Kohri suspended in the air enough by her rucksack and his mustache quivered a little as he too fought to hold back his laughter. “ She tried to go over the root?” he asked.
Owen howled once more and Luke nodded. “ Oh yeah. We told her not to do it of course, but the funniest part is who actually showed up to help her.” Luke couldn’t keep himself from giggling like a little school girl. It was the funniest damn thing to happen on this island in years! Not even the prank war between Angie and Owen had been this good! “ Gill was the one to manage to get her off that root in the long run.”
Hayden chortled as he dried another glass. “ Why was she trying to get over the root anyways?”
Luke had the grace to look sheepish. “ That would be my fault actually. I asked her to come by the shop for a few minutes. Again, I did tell her to just go around after all.” Luke admitted.
“ This is Kohri we’re talking about, Luke...Both of us know she’s as stubborn as they come and she’s not gonna listen to us once she has her mind made up on something.” Owen chortled in a slightly drunken retort.
Luke laughed out loud as he clinked their tankards together in a toast. “ Ain’t that the truth!” he agreed and the two men bottomed out their glasses. “ ‘Nother round please Hayden! I’m scared I’ll start laughing in my sleep if I don’t get good and drunk!”

Gill was sitting beside Darren’s Tree once more, enjoying a book during his break and he felt a feather light caress against his shoulders, up his neck, and finally following his jawline to his chin. His head tilted up automatically and his lips closed over the woman’s before him. He could all but smell the subtle scent of lavender and mint that she used in her shampoo and conditioner, and Gill relished in it, drawing in as much of it as he could before he had to exhale. He would never get tired of that scent he was sure. Sweet goddess, why had he held himself back so long with her?
“ Is it time for you to head back in?” she purred against his lips, her meaning unmistakable.
Gill smirked in return as he got to his feet. “ Not really, but I know a quiet little spot inside where we would be more comfortable.” His steely blue gaze was nearly silver in his oncoming desire for her, and Gill led the way up stairs into the library. They entered the old classroom that he used to sit in as a child and Gill closed and locked the door behind them.
The moment the audible click of the lock sliding into place was heard, Gill grunted when she pinned him just a little roughly against the door. Her agile fingers slid into his hair, grabbing a handful and he was hauled in for another kiss. The kiss outside had only been a slight peck compared to the one she was laying on him now, and he moaned in response when her tongue ran along the bottom of his lip. “ You know our roles are normally reversed, right?” he asked her.
“ Not gonna let me have a little fun?” she retorted teasingly.
Gill smiled and he hauled her up against him, wrapping her legs around his waist as he strode strongly for the desk up front. Her lips and tongue were already sensually assaulting his neck and collarbone and Gill hiss in appreciation. “ Sweet goddess…” he groaned in delight as she ground against him. His manhood had reacted the moment the lock had clicked shut, and it was hard and ready for anything.
“ Mmmm...No use callin’ on her darlin’. I’ll be your gateway to paradise…” she purred as she was laid flat. Her head flew back the moment Gill cupped her sex through her jeans and she bit her lip to keep herself quiet. It wasn’t like they wanted to telegraph to Elli and Hamilton that they were up here fucking after all. “ Gill! Don’t tease me today! Please!”
Gill chuckled sensually as he ran his other hand over the fine silver chain to the pendant she was wearing. “ Who would have thought that we’d be here…” Slowly, he brought her left hand up to his lips and Gill reverently kissed the two bands sitting on her ring finger. “ Married…” Gill leaned over her fully and he claimed her lips in a slow, sense addling kiss. Much like the one he had wanted to lay on her that one night. His hands were reverent as he removed as much of her clothing as he dared, though hers did just as much touching, teasing, and exploration of him as well.
Their mouths met once more and Gill swallowed a cry of ecstasy as he seated himself inside of her willing body. His jaw dropped as her velvet channel enveloped him, a feeling that never got old nor lost its intensity and Gill felt her tighten her grip on him as he set a slow, leisurely rhythm. His eyes were hooded with delight as he watched her in their shared abandon, just memorizing her face and the soft loving look in her eyes. Her right hand clutched tightly at his sleeve while the other fisted the silken platinum strands near his neck. Gill smirked as he looked down at her, knowing he was already bringing her close to her pinnacle.
Her head flew back as she bit her lip, her blue eyes alight with love and adoration for her husband. “ Gill! Yes!” she cried out softly. Her hips moved against his in perfect tandem, making the most of every movement they made together. She swore under her breath before her jaw dropped in an ‘O’, and she shuddered as Gill began riding out her climax with even more thorough and demanding thrusts. “ Shit! Yes! C’mon baby!”
Gill chuckled desirously in her ear, his hips gently beating out an age old song within his wife’s petite body. “ I’m nowhere near close yet sweetie…” he purred in her ear. “ I doubt there’s anything you could say or do to change that fact.” Gill noticed that she went silent after that and he paused, worried for her. “ Are you alright?”
She nodded with a smile and her blue eyes were alight with tears as she met his worried gaze. “ I had to go see Ms. Irene today, Gill…” she began and her hand tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear. “ I’m not getting sick like you had worried…” She maneuvered him to where he was upright and her hands gently grasped his. “ Darlin’...” Slowly his hands came to rest against the slight bump that he had not noticed until she set his hands there. “...we’re pregnant…”
Gill closed the distance between them once more and his mouth claimed hers passionately as he began to make love to his wife in earnest once more. Gill clenched his teeth as his wife whispered that news to him over and over again, and he groaned in disappointment when he release slammed into him with all the subtlety of a typhoon. “ That wasn’t fair…” he panted as he kissed her temple lovingly.
A playful smile flitted across her face and she gave him a slow, lingering kiss on his temple. “ When do I ever play fair? On that same note, I was telling the truth. I am pregnant, Gill. And I’m positively thrilled about it for that matter.” she purred and she chuckled as Gill gave her another kiss. “ I love you, Gill.”
Gill couldn’t keep himself from smiling as he rubbed their noses together and he chuckled richly for a moment. “ I love you too, Kohri.” he whispered reverently before sweetly claiming his wife’s lips once more.

Gill bolted up in his bed, breathing heavily as if he had just had a nightmare. Where the hell had that dream come from?! Why Kohri of all people?!
Could it have just been brought on by what had happened on the root today? Gill could not deny that he had both enjoyed the sight that Kohri had made bent over like that, nor the feeling of her body nestled tightly against his. He was only a flesh and blood man after all, and while he knew he could hide his outward reactions, there was no denying Kohri’s effect on him. Gill groaned in annoyance when he felt an all too familiar twitch below and he glared in the direction of his stiff and swollen manhood defiantly. There was no way in hell he was going to bring himself to climax with Kohri still rooted so deeply in his psyche. He hissed at the insistent throb that answered that thought and Gill clenched his fist stubbornly to keep it at his side. He was going to be alone with her as it was later and Gill was adamant about not having that kind of guilt; nor anything hinting to a blatant attraction, on his mind or conscience.
The only downside was that he’d probably have a rather impressive case of blue balls for this decision.
Gill took in a deep, calming breath as he tried to will his arousal down. It had been years upon years since he had had an erotic dream like that. Without warning, the image Kohri had made in his dream, sprawled out half naked on the desk, her sweet little pink knickers hanging haphazardly from one knee, and panting wantonly came back and hit Gill full force. He grunted as he tried to ignore the pulses of need and want rolling through and thickening his blood even further, though Gill was determined not to lose this battle of wills with his libido. He tried his calming exercise once more, though the sight of Kohri bent over the desk, ass bare and legs spread eagle, and begging him to spank her came to mind this time.
Gill swore as he practically jumped out of bed and he began stalking for the kitchen to grab something cold to drink. He needed to get his mind off of her in that sense, though his body was desperately screaming for completion. He shook his head as he drained one glass, then another of tomato juice. Despite everything so far, Gill could not shake that dream from his mind, mostly because of the connotations it held to him and what he thought had been his unwavering faithfulness to Angie. It was one thing to desire a woman physically, and if it had only been physical in his dream, he would have been able to shake it a little easier.
But it hadn’t been just sex, and that one realization perturbed Gill greatly. His dreams were telling him it was time to move on, but his heart still wished for the love he had lost five years ago. Despite the fear of what that meant, Gill still had something he wanted to give to her.

Kohri was puttering about her home when Gill knocked on her door that afternoon and she pranced over to the door excitedly. She had a bright smile on her face and Gill have her a soft wave hello. “ Come on in. I just gotta grab something really quick.” she told him. Kohri grabbed a clay pot and she set it on her counter. Her grasp found a pair of scissors and Kohri carefully selected a short lock of chestnut brown near the base of her neck. She cut the lock in half twice and she then added them to the ashes. Gill’s gaze was curious, but then he recalled a book that he had read on native american indians doing a ritual like this. Silently, he stopped her from putting the lid back on and he carefully cut some of his hair away to add to the ashes that Kohri was going to scatter.
“ I’m not unfamiliar with this ritual, Kohri.” Gill told her softly, and she gave him a bright, excited smile in return. Again, the dream that he had this morning came back with a vengeance, but Gill was prepared for that and he stilled the reality of their situation into the forefront of his mind. Kohri was only his friend after all. He was fairly sure that she didn’t want to take things further than this.
Her arms wrapped around his middle faster than he anticipated it and Gill froze at the contact. Her ear felt as if it were right over his heart, just listening to the beat. “ Thank you Gill.” She whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She pulled away from him after a second and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
Gill swallowed as he looked towards his pocket. “ Uh...Kohri...I was wondering if we could add just two more things to the pot that you’re using?” While silent, the smile that Kohri gave Gill was encouraging. “ Some lilies, and…” Gill swallowed hard as he pulled a plastic bag from his pocket.
Kohri’s gaze softened sweetly as she closed the distance. Her hands settled over both of Gill’s to gently cup the bag between them. “ Those are some of Angie’s ashes?” she asked gently.
Gill shook his head and a small tear slid down his cheek. “ Her’s and my mother’s actually. Lilies were Angie’s favorite flower and you’ve already got some lavender in there too…”
Kohri silently took the lid off the pot and she slid it over towards Gill. “ Hopefully we’ll both find some closure from this.” she said supportively. She could hear Gill whispering a small prayer to the harvest goddess as he added the ashes and Kohri found herself muttering a similar prayer her father had taught her as well. “ I’m ready when you are, Gill.”
Gill nodded solemnly as he settled the lid back over the large jar. “ There’s something I need to tell you…” he began, his throat tight. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze and Gill’s fists clenched tightly at the raw grief washing over him. “ Where we’re going... I haven’t stepped foot that way since Angie…It’s where she…” A hand on his forearm silenced him gently and Gill’s gaze turned upwards to meet Kohri’s compassionate one.
“ You’re hoping to get some measure of closure for yourself by going there today?” A small, quiet nod answered her and Kohri gave Gill’s arm another reassuring squeeze. “ Then we’re killing two birds with one stone and that’s just up my alley! C’mon! We’ll get this done and the two of us can have dinner here at my place. Sound good to you?”
Gill gave her a small grin and he nodded once more. “ Just one more thing before we go. I have something for you.” he said as he settled both his hands over her shoulders. Turning her around, Gill eased her long, sable colored strands away from her neck. His brow furrowed at the intimacy that action left him feeling with her but Gill manage to quash it before he pulled something from his breast pocket. “ It’s a silver pendant...I’m told that the symbol is lucky in at least three different ethnicities.”
Kohri felt the chill of a silver chain around her neck and she couldn’t stop the broad grin that split her mouth. “ You remembered!” she exclaimed excitedly. One of their first debates had been centered around silver and Kohri had admitted that she loved that as opposed to gold. She turned the pendant over to get a better look at it and she giggled spritely the more she inspected it. “ Gill...This is japanese hiragana. This word is rakki, which literally translates to lucky. I hope you didn’t spend a lot on it.”
Gill chortled as well. “ It’s not like I bought special for you or anything.” he quipped humorously in return. Actually, the pendant had been his mother’s, something that he had been waiting to give to Angie after they had married. That day had never come unfortunately and Gill had promised his mother that he’d give that pendant to a young woman worthy of his esteem. It had been Jillian Tamelin’s good luck charm after all, maybe it would do the same for Kohri in the long run. “ Besides, Mira made it years ago. It’s older than I am.”
Kohri colored a little when she figured out just who this had belonged to. It was a family heirloom, and it hadn’t been his father’s. “ I’ll take good care of it…” she whispered, accepting the gift with a small smile as she looked up and over her shoulder to Gill.
“ You said that when you took over the house and you’ve held to that admirably.” Gill replied proudly as he rested both hands against her shoulders. “ I have no reason to doubt you now.” He turned her towards the door and he picked up the jar holding everything they needed. “ Right now, we have something important to do.”
The trek out to Brownie Ranch struck up a melancholy banter between the two and Kohri waved brightly at Craig and Ruth when she saw them hard at work in their fields. Maybe she’d come by to help out tomorrow once she was done tending to her own chores. They passed under the stone archway that held a placard hanging in it and Kohri chuckled a little. “ Did you know the entire reason Luke asked me to come by the shop yesterday was so that I could tell him how to spell gnocchi? He’s carving out a placard like that one for my ranch.” she said humorously.
Gill’s mouth couldn’t stop from turning upward in a grin as he remembered the mirth he had found himself in yesterday evening. “ I talked to Dale again about cutting that root. As comical as that was, I don’t think we need another repeat of what happened yesterday.” Gill replied, only to laugh out loud at the resounding blush that covered Kohri’s face. “ I see my point has been made.”
“ Yeah, yeah…” Kohri grumbled under her breath as they passed by another of the named trees here in these parts. Kathy had told her this was Alan’s Tree, and it was a lucky spot for couples professing their love to one another. According to the avid equestrian, those that professed their love here had luck follow them into marriage or something of the like. Kohri had tried to cut the conversation on romance short, as it had left her feeling a tad uncomfortable.
It wasn’t as if she were in a huge rush to get married after all.
Kohri heard Gill’s pace beside her slow and she turned around to look at him. The haunted look in his eyes stabbed at her heart and Kohri sucked in a small breath between her teeth. She could see his hands shaking as they drew close to a billboard near the northernmost part of Brownie Ranch and she took a closer look at their surroundings. Near the billboard was a set of ruined stairs and Kohri’s intuition screamed that their collapse had been the cause of Angie’s death. Her gaze softened as she turned it back over to Gill and she exhaled slowly. He had known a lot of pain in his relatively young life, as had Kohri. Angie had obviously been someone very dear to Gill or he wouldn’t be as devastated as he was still about her death. Kohri settled the jar comfortably in one arm and she reached slowly for Gill’s hand so as to not scare him.
Gill’s fingers automatically laced with hers and he swallowed hard though he was drawing strength from Kohri’s comforting hold. “ Just over this way…” he said thickly as they neared a small copse of trees. Just past them was a sturdy deck and Gill drew a shaky breath even as he wiped a few tears away. He exhaled a little more forcefully than he wanted to and Gill inhaled through his nose this time. The smell of the salt air, alfalfa, hay, and the surrounding flora along with the soft, sweet breeze flowing over them served to soothe his addled nerves for a moment. “ This used to be one of my favorite reading spots…” he whispered, running his hand over all the initials that had been carved into the wood.
D and A. Dale and Amelia, Luke’s parents. H and G. Hayden and Ginger, Kathy’s mom and dad. H and J. Hamilton and Jillian. Gill’s fingers ran a little longer over his mother’s initial as he smiled sadly. “ It’s a tradition for all the newlyweds here on the island to come out to this deck and find a spot for their initials on the posts here. My father said it’s an old superstition that the marriage between those whose initials are carved will be as enduring and lasting as the wood here.” he began. “ Who knows how many will be added in the long run. I do know that mine won’t be on there any time soon…” Kohri’s hand was the embodiment of sympathy as it came to rest on his shoulder and Gill gave her a wan smile in response to the unspoken sentiment. He gave it a soft pat as if to convey that he was alright and Gill took a deep breath in. A good breeze rustled their clothing from behind and Gill took the jar from Kohri a moment. “ I’m ready when you are.” he told her.
Kohri nodded with a small, sad smile of her own and she climbed up onto the thick wooden barricade to sit on. She didn’t see Gill’s panicked expression at her position as she locked her feet between the top and middle bars of the sturdy fencing, nor that he instantly reached to pull her back off of it. “ Not a lot of people could tell because of his hair, but my dad was half Cherokee Indian. He held onto a lot of the culture and taught it to me over the years. When my grandparents died, we did this for them…” Kohri explained as she took the jar back from Gill. She pulled him in so that he would stand behind her and her hand carefully removed the lid. Once it was place beside them, Kohri reached into the jar, and she softly sang one of the chants her father had taught to her. It felt as if it had been so long ago, even though it hadn’t been. She didn’t stop when she felt Gill’s arms circle her in order to reach in as well, and together they slowly released the mixed ashes, petals, and hair clippings to the wind.
Gill felt a peacefulness settle over him as he listened to Kohri’s voice and silently he apologized as the breeze blew a few lavender and lily petals out over the ocean. The way they twirled and danced on the breeze looked as if they were waving goodbye and Gill felt a melancholy grin split his face. The guilt that he had carried the five years since Angie’s death felt as if it were slowly siphoning away with every small handful they released to the wind. Gill stepped closer so as to reach in better, and Kohri’s back settled fully against his torso. He could smell her hair even in the breeze, lavender and mint, and Gill smiled though he didn’t know why he did. Once they got close to the bottom of the jar, the two cupped their hands together and they lifted their arms to let the wind take the rest of the mixture. Gill’s arms wrapped around her waist, if only to keep her from falling, and her hands settled over his in companionable silence. With a small sigh, Kohri leaned her head back to settle it in the crook of his neck, and Gill was thankful that her back was to him as he colored a little. Again, that sense of intimacy came back with a roaring vengeance, though Gill managed to keep calm through it. He could only pray Kohri couldn’t feel how hard or fast his heart was pounding as he realized just how natural this felt. No, natural wasn’t the right word for it…
This exact moment felt perfect.
Despite his body’s reaction to their proximity, Gill focused more on exactly how he was feeling. It was as if a calm had settled over both his mind and heart, releasing him of everything that he had been internalizing for years. Gone was the guilt that had plagued him following Angie’s sudden death, banished was the hurt that had filled him at losing two of the most important women in his life. Gill was finally letting go of it all, finally saying goodbye in a way. He hadn’t been there when Angie had died, nor had he been able to be at his mother’s side as she had been taken to the mainland for better care in the hopes that she would get better. My chest doesn’t feel so tight any more...he realized as he looked down at the back of her head.
Kohri was right. Gill had finally gotten closure for what had happened and it had been because of her. Kohri had confided with him first about what had happened to her parents, had only recently given him the whole story. She didn’t know anything about his pain other than the little bit she had figured out on her own. Kohri had been nothing but a wonderful friend since her arrival onto Waffle Island, and Gill found himself thanking the Harvest Goddess for blessing him with such a precious and wonderful person. His heart swelled the more he thought of it, and he smiled fully.
Everything had been changing since Kohri’s arrival, including himself. She had slowly been restoring hope into their fellow residents with the turnaround that had happened since she had helped Craig and Ruth on their farm. He rested his cheek for a moment against her hair and Kohri sighed once more, content.
“ Kohri?”
“ Mhmmm?”
“ Why don’t we head back to your ranch? This way we can get to work on supper. I’ve got a story for you while we’re doing that.” Gill told her softly.
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Restoring Faith