Chapter Text
Prologue
“Cliff! Come back here, you big oaf.”
Louis regrets his words almost as soon as they leave his mouth, his big ball of fluff of a dog running towards him at the sound of his voice and jumping up at him to get some attention. The ground beneath Louis’ feet is muddy and soft, thanks to the rain that has finally stopped after falling for three full days, and he loses his balance and slips when the dog’s strong paws make contact with his chest.
“Get off me,” Louis says as he pushes Clifford away, though he can’t ever truly stay mad at his dog for very long. “I’m gonna have to give you a bath later, aren’t I?”
Cliff doesn’t seem to mind, and he waits excitedly as Louis gets back up with a little difficulty, struggling to get proper traction in the mud.
He’s going to need a good wash himself after that fall; his own clothes covered in thick mud thanks to his over excited grown puppy. He’s glad he at least remembered to put on his rubber boots before going out, because he’s got a lot more ground to cover before he can get back inside for a hot shower.
Spring has only just begun a little over a week ago, but Louis can already tell this season will be a good one as he rounds the corner of his old barn and catches sight of his expansive orchard. The recent rain has really done his peach trees some good, and he can already see tiny buds are starting to sprout on some of the branches.
He walks through the middle row, picking up rogue twigs and branches from the ground and wincing slightly every time his boots land in a particularly deep puddle and water and mud splash against his calves. Clifford is having the time of his life following him, running in between the rows of trees and getting himself even dirtier. Louis’ glad at least one of them is enjoying the uneven grounds.
He’s satisfied with the way things look, the slightly colder winter weather these past few months doesn’t seem to have taken too much of a toll on his beloved peach trees. Come May, he’s certain most of them will be fully blooming and that this harvest season will be just as successful as the last.
It’ll be his first time handling it by himself after taking over the orchard and the farm from his aunt at the end of last year, and he’s a little nervous about it all.
He knows everything there is to know about peaches and this farm, having spent all of his summers helping out here since he was barely able to hold a shovel, but the responsibility involved with running all of it by himself is still slightly daunting.
These days, it’s only him and Clifford on the farm, but this place will be bustling with people before they know it. The people of Cumming, Georgia know how sweet and juicy the Tomlinson’s peaches are year after year, and hundreds of tourists from all over the country come each year during the summer to get a taste of their famous fruits.
Winter is quieter though, but Louis doesn’t mind it. He’s got all he needs right here on the farm. Clifford keeps him company in the big farmhouse, and there’s always something to do or fix around here, which keeps him busy enough. He goes into town a few times a month to stock up on food or visit his sisters – the ones that haven’t already left town, that is – and that’s more than enough for him.
He doesn’t have very many friends, and most of the ones he did have have left for bigger, brighter futures anyway. He can’t really blame them. Not many young people stay in Cumming nowadays. Sure, it’s a fun town to grow up in or spend a few weeks in during the summer with the family, but most people want more than the simple rural life Louis leads, and the opportunities in Atlanta are far more appealing.
Louis likes the quiet of the farm, though. He enjoys the winter months where his animals are his only source of companionship: a few dozen chickens in a coop behind the orchard, two gorgeous, well-trained horses his aunt left him along with the farm, and of course his big labradoodle Clifford.
He’s never really felt the need for anything more. He knows his family would love for him to find himself a nice boyfriend so he wouldn’t be so lonely out here by himself, but Louis just doesn’t really have the time to date these days, and Cumming isn't really teeming with eligible young men either.
He can’t say he remembers the last time he went on a proper date, and although the thought of that alone is enough to make him feel a little lame, it doesn’t really change his stance on things. He just doesn’t date, and completely that’s fine to him.
“Hello girls,” he calls out when he reaches the chicken coop and most of the animals come to greet him at the promise of food. He throws out a few handfuls of feed before heading inside to collect the eggs the hens have laid over the past couple of days.
“Cliff,” Louis warns when he sees his dog getting a little too up close and personal with one of the roosters. “Stop harassing Bob, will you.”
The dog lets out what sounds like an offended huff, clearly annoyed by Louis’ inaccurate claims when he was just trying to be friendly, but still follows him outside of the enclosure.
Louis counts the eggs on his way back to the farmhouse, humming happily when he notices there are even more than last time. They make a quick stop in the barn to give the horses food and fresh water, and Louis gives the two majestic creatures some well deserved attention while Clifford makes even more of a mess of his already filthy coat by rolling himself in a bail of hay.
Both horses could use some grooming, he thinks to himself as he notices their manes are starting to get a little matted. He’ll put that on his to-do list for tomorrow, then. He’s still got a few things to do today and it’s already a little later than he’d expected, the mass amounts of mud having slowed down his pace a little as he got his daily chores and tasks done.
He pets the horses one last time before bidding them goodbye and wrangling Clifford again, and heads back to the farmhouse.
Louis sets down the basket of eggs in the kitchen, shaking his head fondly at the way Clifford is getting mud everywhere without even realising it. He’s just a big excitable puppy. He takes off his boots, leaves his dirty wet coat by the door to be dealt with later and struggles to get Clifford to the bathtub.
Washing him is always a challenge, and it seems like every inch of his small bathroom is covered in water by the time he’s done, but nobody got injured in the process, so Louis would still consider it a win. He lets the dog out of the room before jumping in the shower, scrubbing himself clean and letting the warm water seep into his bones. He doesn’t allow himself to enjoy it for too long though, knowing he still needs to set up the guest house in preparation for tomorrow.
He had the idea to start renting it out to guests a few summers ago, back when his aunt was still in charge of the farm and showing Louis the ropes. She had been all for it, and it had been his little project ever since. It doesn’t require a whole lot of work, only a little bit of cleaning and maintenance between guests, and the additional revenue it brings is certainly an added bonus.
There haven't been any guests for a few weeks now – the slightly colder and rainier climate of Georgia winters clearly not appealing to the crowds as much as the warmer spring and summer days – and Louis is expecting to have to do a little more work because of it. He doesn’t really mind though, since this new guest rented out the place for the whole summer, which means Louis won’t have to do this again for a little while.
The small house had been decorated by his aunt, which explains the slightly outdated furniture and the feminine touches around the space. Louis never really took the time to change it though, and it just adds to the southern charm of the house anyways, he thinks.
The guest house is quite dusty, as expected, and Louis gets to work dusting and vacuuming from top to bottom, then gives the small kitchen and bathroom a thorough cleaning. He puts fresh sheets on the bed, doing his absolute best to make it look good (although he can’t say his attempt is really that successful), and places clean towels in the bathroom along with a few toiletries from local vendors which he knows the guests always appreciate, before deeming it good and ready to welcome their new guest tomorrow.
He heads back to the main house, which is only a few steps away really, his stomach grumbling in hunger from a long day.
The kitchen is large and beautiful, and Louis wishes he knew how to make good use of it the way his aunt once did, but the microwave is really the only appliance that has seen any real use since Louis moved in permanently. He fills up Clifford’s bowl before opening the freezer to grab dinner for himself. The choices are few, since he needs to make a trip in town soon, and he grabs a serving of frozen lasagna and sticks it in his beloved microwave to thaw and heat up.
He sits alone at the small table he bought to put in the kitchen since the dining room felt too large and important to use by himself. Clifford sits by his feet as he eats his bland meal, making him feel a little less lonely in the big house.
It’s already almost 10 p.m. by the time he’s finished eating, and Louis wonders how the day managed to slip away from him so quickly. He decides to call it a night a little earlier than he’d usually do, whistling so Clifford knows to follow him as he climbs the stairs up to the master suite which takes up the whole second floor. He gets ready for bed and settles under his warm duvet, Cliff curling up by his feet as usual.
Today was a good day, he thinks, and falls asleep hoping tomorrow will be just as great.