3 Chapter 02

Chealseaville 1976

When the Mayfields first arrived in Chelseaville the town was initially ignorant about the haughty city family, but Hope's effulgent charisma which mingled with her challenging persona could not be overlooked as the belles of the town searched for cover around her presence.

Harrison Crawford was not aware of Hope's arrival or existence, as he poured his attention and time for the ranch left behind for him by his father. Too muddled up in the barn and the paddocks he never imagined anything else would be worth the distraction, until a feud flared up between the old Mayfield ranch run by Hope's grandfather Joe Mayfield. Harrison knew Joe was a retired grump, who preferred his quietness, that was until his son crashed back into Chelseaville with his family, just because the city was not being nice to him. Harrison did not mind the competition, until Mr. Mayfield made a nasty comment over Harrison's family and upbringing, over who would be headlining the annual Herd festival that year, which heated things between the families.

The Herd festival was a celebratory event or more of an auction, according to the "modern times", where rich dairy moguls from the city would pick the best cattle Herd for their breeding season. This event flared up passion and excitement among the townsfolk, as the whole town celebrated the departure of their best cattle. Harrison had continued to win even after his father's reign at the ranch, and he was certain about making it into the platform this year, because he knew the ranch needed the prize money.

Even though Harrison was not planning on hating the Mayfields, deep down he knew that the Mayfield-Crawford feud was inevitable, because when two ranches tried to govern a town it never took more than a season for things to go awry. Harrison remembered how his own father was unbelievably clever and witty at keeping Joe in his good books, just because he did not believe in petty feuds. Harrison knew Joe would have stayed retired and quiet if his hot head of a prude son had not snivelled back into town.

After the Mayfield ranch with Mr. Mayfield's connections from the city won the petition to lead the Herd festival, Harrison knew he wasn't going to be favouring the Mayfield family any time soon, because he knew he lacked the gentility and the patience his father had.

Harrison later on came to see how foolish the feud was, but a part of him could never stop wondering if he would have loved her had they not fought over for a stupid bale of hay, instead of asking his workers to lend it for her, as he predictably would have done.