The general contractor came by later that afternoon and we went over the changes that had to be done. By four I was dragging with the last bits of energy I possessed while Hannah drove us home.

"We'll need to go into the city to find you a nice dress for this weekend."

"Hmm?" I brought my attention back from looking at the billions of pine trees that lined every road in southern Mississippi, and back to Hannah.

"A dress. The city. Your date?"

I still wasn't getting it. "I thought I'd wear one of my skirts and…"

"Oh no no no. You're going to be laying under the stars with one of the better catches of Stone County. There's no way I'm letting you out of that house in anything that doesn't say, take me now, I'm yours."

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not be taken under the stars, or anywhere else for that matter."

Her eyes widened and I could see Hannah mentally kicking herself. "I'm sorry. That's wasn't what I meant. I shoulda thought first."

I sighed. "Aunt Hannah, I'm not psychologically frail, or a man hater because of what happened. Yeah, I'm nervous when I'm around men I don't know and I darn sure don't want to go back to the city by myself, but that's pretty much it. That's why I'm carrying the M&P now."

"But…"

"Really. I just don't know if I want to seriously date anytime soon. I've been going through some changes, and sex just isn't a priority in my life." The turn off to the ranch was around the next curve. "Brett is a nice guy though," I said absently.

Hannah smiled. "Yes he is. You could do worse."

I nodded. And we came to another life defining choice to make. It was hard enough to voluntarily choose to be a girl along with everything that it entailed. But dating led to kissing, and kissing led to petting, which led to sex. Sex led to a relationship, engagement, marriage, babies… I just didn't know if that was something that I could do. It's all well and good to insert myself into those people's lives to save them from serious heartache, but to actually be Allison Baker… to make the choices that she would have made was impossible. Eventually I'd have to lead my own life, whatever that meant.

After dinner and dishes, I went and drew a hot bath in hopes that I could meditate on the choices that I would have to make. I put my hair up and slipped a shower cap over my head. Dealing with long hair just wasn't in the cards for the evening. Maybe the following morning.

The heat of the water and the bath beads soothed my sore and overused muscles. After I scrubbed down and shaved a little here and there, I leaned back and just enjoyed the silence.

Laying there, I kind of went through an odd sort of déjá  vu into Ally's past. Her doing the exact same thing the day of her senior prom. Robbie was her date. She was really nervous about the evening, wondering if she could restrain herself from the tradition of a girl losing her virginity on prom night.

Of course, she was very familiar with her body and had pleasured herself quite often over the previous years. For purely noble reasons, and to save herself from being overly stimulated for the evening, she took things well in hand and eased the tension she was feeling.

What may come as a surprise to most people was that over the last six weeks, I hadn't truly explored Ally's body in that way. Not only was I full of guilt about the part I played in her death, but I was guilty about feeling any sort of pleasure at all. A self-imposed punishment if you will. This was her body. I was just taking it on loan to try and make some sort of amends. I didn't have the right to invade the one place in her life that should have been hers alone until such time as she chose to share it with the man or woman of her choice. Who was I kidding? Ally was one hundred percent heterosexual. Girls didn't do anything for her. Maybe that's why I wasn't attracted to them anymore.

I thought it was the angel that did something to me, or that maybe my own guilt had castrated the male portion of my brain. I just didn't know what to think.

Certain guys did catch my eye, but that was for entirely different reasons. Jethro was obviously very handsome, but he felt like a father figure to me. Ally's next door neighbor in the city was more like a kid brother. Robbie had turned into a sexist jerk. And now there was Brett.

While I had no intention of dating him regularly, Ally's portion of my brain daydreamed what it would be like to kiss him and hold his hand under the stars and explosions of fireworks. He wasn't aggressive as most of the boys she'd known in high school. That was probably why he wasn't even on her relationship radar. But now that he'd wound up the courage to ask her out… ask me out, there he was bleeping away.

Briar Park came to mind. Ally had been there numerous times to see the show, and each time had been with her family or when she turned sixteen, with her boyfriend at the time. It was romantic, so there was no escaping that aspect. That meant whether I wanted it or not, there would probably be a kiss or two involved at some point Sunday night.

Would I go through with it? Would one of those stupid compulsions make me kiss him or would I finally be able to determine my own fate?

It was just a kiss. Just like any of a thousand I'd participated in with several girls over the years. It didn't mean anything… much.

I sighed and ran a hand over my leg, letting it fall where it may, on my abdomen.

Get it over it in your head, Jimmy, Ally, whatever my name is. Then maybe you won't be so freaked about it when it happens.

Brett's face came up again. Both of us standing there in front of the door to the theater when he leaned in for a kiss on my cheek. Instead this time, I turned into him and met his lips straight forward. Sensory memories provided by the Ally portion of my brain took over and I open my mouth to accept him into me.

Ally wasn't an aggressive French kisser. She liked it better with his tongue in her mouth instead of the other way around. I didn't seem to mind so much either. A few seconds later Brett backed off and we separated. There simple, and it wasn't awful either. It was just nice.

Reality came swimming back to me and I jerked my hand away from its place nestled between my legs. Enough of the bath. Taking baths was obviously bad. Showers only from now on.

Jethro was as good as his word and after I got out of my bath we went outside and blew off another hundred rounds of ammo. By the time we were finished, my hand was aching and my forearms were involuntarily vibrating from constantly fighting the recoil, but I hit what I was aiming at more often than not.

He walked through the cleaning and oiling of the weapon before I stashed it away in its holster and hung it up behind my bedroom door.

The next morning, Hannah and I went through my wardrobe and tried to decide on an outfit for Sunday night. I really wasn't ready for a field trip to the city. But try as we might, Hannah didn't find anything that she liked, and since I wasn't really in the mood, we set aside the task until later.

I gave her several website addresses so she could research her part of the investment I was planning, and then I got a bug to go riding. Ally was very experienced on a horse and I hadn't ever been, so it was with mixed emotions that I entered the horse barn.

Three horses were currently housed in the barn, more often than not. These were ours. The others were meant to be broken and sold off. Ally's was a chestnut colored Morgan Horse named Penny. It was actually Shiny Penny, due to her coloring, but Ally wound up shortening it.

My biggest fear was that Penny wouldn't recognize me, but that wasn't to be. Her head stuck out to see who was coming and I received a snort in response.

"Hey Penny girl."

I grabbed a brush before I reached the pen and saw that Penny had her back turned to me.

"You aren't mad at me for disappearing on you for so long are…" I was interrupted with a swat in the face from her tail. "Okaaay, I guess you are."

I clicked my tongue which got her attention. Then I produced an apple. "Uh-huh. Who's your momma now."

She snorted again, just to let me know that she wasn't completely satisfied, but that it was a decent peace offering. I got head-butted a little, until I provided said offing properly. Reaching up, I ran my hand over her mane and down her forehead. "Want to go for a ride girl?"

Her eyes flicked to me, but she was still destroying the apple so she didn't say anything. I opened up the pen door and stepped inside to brush her down. Contrary to popular belief and hundreds of cowboy movies, you don't just toss a saddle on a horse and you're magically ready to ride. You have to brush them down, before and after. This gets rid of any dirt, dust, and any lingering bugs that might cause irritants while saddled.

This was news to me. I just let Ally's memory do its thing.

Once she was brushed, I returned with a clean saddle pad that went on first. Then the hard part came next. The leather saddle didn't weigh that much, maybe fifteen or twenty pounds, but it was awkward with my tiny hands and short stature.

Penny was fourteen point two hands tall. To those of you uninitiated, that means a little under five feet. About four-ten, from front hoof to her withers, that's where the bottom portion of her mane stops. So needless to say, with me being a petite five-two, I had problems.

Luckily I had a stool. Penny didn't give me any problems. She was probably as eager to get out and run a little as I was. Once she was strapped in I quickly attached the bridle and led her out into the interior of the barn.

"Who's the good girl?" I urged. In return I received a nose in the butt. Apparently I had a horse with an attitude. Wonderful.

I needed another step-stool to hop into the saddle. Once I was secure, boots firmly in the stirrups, and hands gripping the reins, I clucked my tongue. "We're going through the south pasture today girl."

Starting off with an easy trot, I tugged a little to the left and let Penny have her rein. It only took a minute or two for her to warm up and then we were off in a canter, moving along about fifteen to twenty miles an hour, roughly.

Two things a rider really needs to look out for in the summer are snakes, and armadillo holes. The latter are easily spotted because armadillos are very messy when they dig; dirt gets all over the place. Since southern Mississippi is mostly clay, all you have to look for is mounds of red dirt. Snakes are a different matter. That's why I had my pistol with me.

It didn't take too long to traverse the lower hundred where the other horses make their home. Penny slowed and performed a collected trot. If you've see the fancy horses that they have at shows then you know what I'm talking about, all high stepping and horse haughtiness. I just giggled and ruffled her mane. "Quit showing off to the plebes."

There was a portion of the back fence where two gates are located. If you are riding, you can easily open one and then the other to exit the ranch without letting the wild horses escape, which I utilized.

Why was I leaving the confines of the ranch? I had no idea. Maybe I just wanted to get the feel of the area that I hadn't actually seen yet. Relying too much on Ally's memories didn't make me feel too comfortable. I liked the idea of making a few new ones of my own.

After checking to see if there was any traffic coming I crossed the black pavement of two-lane Highway 15 and entered a pasture where the fence line had fallen. Working Penny up to an easy trot, I surveyed the land. It was somewhat familiar, but I knew Ally hadn't been as far as I had already gone. Another five minutes and I heard some banging off in the distance.

"Where are you taking me girl?"

Penny snorted and motioned her head forward, giving a little whinny at the end.

I laughed. "Can you understand me now?" Throwing a little caution to the wind. "Okay, go on."

Taking the reins in one hand, I grabbed a hold of the saddle horn and stood slightly so I could flex my legs. Penny was off in a shot at full gallop. She tore up the ground as I leaned into her, feeling the shear strength of the creature between my legs. When we reached the top of the rise, she slowed to a stop and then reared back, whinnying loud and strong. It was then that I spotted a newly framed house on a newly laid foundation. That didn't really compare to the shirtless figure that was sitting atop the roof, nailing something into something else.

"Show off."

Penny snorted and performed another collected trot over to some fresh grass that looked like it needed to be eaten. Yeah, it was Brett's new place and the tanned, well-muscled figure that was descending the ladder was none other than Brett himself.

Leaning in to Penny's flickering ear, I whispered, "What is it with you and Hannah. Is it a conspiracy?"

I freed my boots and swung my leg up and over Penny's head so I could slide down the side of the saddle. After checking to make sure the saddle was comfortably sat, I let go of the reins. "Don't go anywhere, traitor."

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you today."

I turned around and my throat tightened at seeing what Brett was hiding underneath all his loose clothes all the years Ally had known him. Apparently it was Achilles. "Uh…"

I've been checking out girls since I was twelve. I'm a master of the looking without appearing to look maneuver. And this made sense. Girls were hot and they had bits that boys didn't. Very nice bits. But I was quickly learning that from a girl's perspective, boys had some very nice bits of their own.

Brett chuckled a little. "You okay? I saw your horse rear back there. Hi-ho Silver and all that."

I finally got my hormones under control enough to answer without appearing like a total idiot. "She was just showing off."

A snort came from behind me.

He looked around me for a second. "Can I look at her?"

"Sure. She's not skittish."

Brett approached Penny and ran his hand along her withers. "She's beautiful. What's her name?"

"Penny."

He smiled and looked back at me. "Cute. Her color is just like a new penny."

"Yeah." I was quickly finding myself without anything to say. It was a new experience talking to boys. Somehow I don't think he would be impressed to find out that I knew the scores to the previous night's baseball games.

While he stroked Penny's mane he looked at me. "So, were you out riding and just so happen to come across the new place or did you need to talk about something?"

"Uh…" God, I must seem like a total freak. "Would you believe Penny led me straight here?"

His grin widened. "Not in the slightest."

Brett was comfortable on his home turf and it showed. Me, not so much. I straightened my back a little and gave him a haughty look. "Well, that's what happened."

Making a quick escape, I spun on my heel and went to check out Brett's progress on his house. It took me a minute to figure out where the front door was supposed to be.

"Can I give you a tour?" I nodded at his question and he held out a hand for me, so I could step up onto the high foundation.

"Thank you."

There was something to be said for country raised gentlemen. Being reared as a male in the city, I would have second guessed myself. For the most part, girls had a hard time accepting any man's help. As a petite girl, I recognized the need. Yeah, I could have made it up the simple twelve to fifteen inches of concrete, but there was the chance I would have fallen awkwardly. It was better to accept the offer of assistance. And strange as it may seem, I liked having my doors opened, and things carried for me. Femininity suited me.

That was something I would have never admitted if my being in a girl's body were publicly known. There were some things that I didn't like. Just like everything else in the world, there were pitfalls to every side. I didn't like feeling defenseless. But I did like it when Jethro came to my defense with Robbie. I didn't like being the shortest person in the room. But I did like it when I stood next to Jethro or Brett. It made me feel like I could just snuggle up to them. Ahem.

"This is the foyer, and over here is the sitting room." We stepped through places where doors or entrance ways would be as he walked me around the house.

As I followed Brett around, I couldn't keep my eyes off of his well defined back. He wasn't bulging muscles, but he was very firm and I could see exactly how easy it would be to cross that line into too much muscle. In some ways, I was disturbed about how fascinating I found the small of his back arching inward and trim, no sign of love handles at all, and his abdominal muscles on the side were hard. The only thing that was holding his Wrangler jeans up was the swell of his compact butt filling them out. Every once in a while I saw the top of his jeans shift and the color change of his dark tanned skin to the white that was hidden underneath made me think about how he would look if they weren't there at all.

Man, I really needed to take the edge off of my hormones. That made me stop for a second and frown. I counted off certain days on my fingers and came to the realization that this week was the time of the month that I was ovulating. Wonderful.

"Is something wrong?"

Startled out of my thoughts of drowning in estrogen. "Oh, no. I just realized something."

"What?" Brett looked somewhat concerned, like I didn't like the house or something equally as benign.

I grinned and if the sun wasn't making my cheeks red already then the blush I was experiencing surely would have. "Nothing."

He gave me a curious glance, and I tried to reassure him. "It's nothing bad, really." Well, as long as you weren't an ovulating girl that is eying up a man with thoughts of satisfying carnal desires, then it's not bad. Thank god I was taking birth control pills. I really didn't know if I had as firm of a grasp on my chastity as Ally did. In fact, if Brett decided to do something about it at that moment then I didn't know if I wouldn't just go ahead and let him.

"Okay."

"It looks great, Brett. I can't believe you've done this all by yourself."

He looked a little sheepish, but proud. "Brock's helped out a lot."

I stuffed my hands in my back pockets and smiled. "I don't see him around at the moment."

He reached up and ran a hand through his messy hair. "He's helping Dad train someone new at the store, so I don't have to spend all of my time there.

"Ah." I looked around for a second and then thought that I needed to get out of there before I did something stupid. "Well, I'll let you get back to work. I'm sure you don't have enough time to spend on the house as you'd like."

His boots shuffled and he jerked himself to a stop. "You don't have to leave."

I watched the play of emotions on his face, knowing the feeling of wanting a pretty girl to stick around, even if it was only to watch. Giving him a pleased smile, I reached out and set my hand on his forearm. "You need to work, and I'm distracting you."

Brett's own grin stretched wide and playfully. "But it's a good kind of distraction."

We both stood there, slightly embarrassed at our banter. "You're going to be a handful, aren't you."

"If you let me," he replied hopefully.

He escorted me to the front 'door' and hopped down to give me an assisting hand.

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

Penny sidled up, sensing that we were about to leave. I gave her a brush on her nose and grabbed the reins before turning around. Brett was less than two feet away. "See you tomorrow?"

He nodded, and I felt an big push from Penny's head, right on my butt. It threw me forward and into Brett's arms. My hands found purchase on his pectoral's. They were warm, firm, and slightly sweaty, but I didn't seem to mind in the least.

I swung my head around. "It's the glue factory for you, missy."

Penny, blew at me, fluttering her lips loudly.

Brett didn't let go, and I wasn't sure I wanted him to.

"You okay?" he almost whispered.

I smiled coquettishly. "Her and my Aunt Hannah apparently have some pact to get me into your arms."

His head tilted slightly, pleased with that. "I gotta say, I like the way they think."

My fingers tensed and almost kneaded the hard muscle underneath my hands while my thumbs seemed perfectly placed over his nipples. Yep, it was a conspiracy.

Before I knew it, Brett leaned down and brushed his lips, tentatively across mine, testing the road to see if I was willing for more.

Admittedly, I was unsure about the whole thing, but something inside me, that wasn't a compulsion, opened my own lips and accepted him. He tasted like clean sweat, and outdoors. I squeezed and ran my thumbs across his nipples as the kiss deepened its intensity. I received his tongue willingly and somewhat eagerly, circled it with my own.

I felt his hands dig into my hips while my own slid up his smooth skin, up to his neck, pulling him into me for more. Losing myself into the moment was more than satisfaction. It was desire awakened. Somewhere in my head I sighed at feeling something other than guilt at my continued existence. Which of course, reminded me that I should be atoning for my sins and not playing with the first boy that came along. Not that he was the first boy… the second actually. Either way. I had to stop myself.

Slowing the kiss to a close, I gradually let go of his neck and felt myself ease down off the balls of my feet, disconnecting our lips with regret that I couldn't continue.

I opened my eyes and felt my face flush with need. "I better go."

He nodded. "Tomorrow."

I nodded. "Uh-huh."

Before I did something we'd both probably not regret in the slightest I stepped out of his arms and wished I was about six inches taller. "Give me a boost?"

Brett smiled and laced his fingers together so I could climb atop Penny. He handed me the reins while I got settled. Before I had the chance to jump back to the ground, Penny swung around and lunged into a full gallop, back the way we came.

Penny was brushed watered and I filled her feed trough before going into the house to clean up. After changing into shorts, tank, and work boots, I went off to find Aunt Hannah in her sewing room.

"Working at the theater again?"

I nodded. "Mind dropping me off?"

The whirring of her sewing machine slowed to a stop. "Keys are on the hook by the back door. Go ahead and take my truck; I won't be needing it today."

Hannah letting Ally borrow her truck wasn't unprecedented, but it was unlikely, which surprised me. "Don't look all shocked. You're going to work. There's a difference between joy riding with your girlfriends and using one of the trucks for something productive."

"Thank you."

She nodded, her attention already back onto whatever it was she was working on. "Uh-huh. Just bring it back in one piece."

"Yes, ma'am."

I've found being short, sucks when you drive. I had to move the seat almost all the way forward so I could reach the gas pedal, which made me look like a little old lady staring through the steering wheel. Now all I needed was a couple of phone books to sit on and I'd be fine. Okay, it wasn't really that bad, but it was darn close.

Twenty minutes later and I was back again in the high pressure hustle and bustle of downtown nowheresville. Traffic was unbelievably heavy -- meaning that I had to wait about fifteen seconds for someone to back their car out of a parking space until I could drive on. Doubts about the viability of a coffee house began drifting through my head.

I was dripping with sweat by the time I got the burned out air conditioner compressor detached and replaced with one of the ones from the two other units that fed into the theaters themselves. It sucked doing the work myself, but after an hour and a half, I just saved myself about three hundred and fifty bucks it would have cost me if I called in a AC tech. A penny saved is a penny earned. Needless to say, I reveled in the cool breeze that was being blown into the lobby.

As I made my way across the lobby to close the outer doors I noticed a few familiar faces -- familiar to Ally, that is.

"Ally Baker! We heard that you were back in town."

Once I recalled from Ally's memory who the three girls were, I nearly groaned. "Hello Stephanie. Loretta, Marissa."

To call them Ally's rivals in high school was giving them too much credit. It was more akin of them wanting to outdo Ally and Ally not really caring about anything they had to do or say. Stephanie, the tall bottle-blonde, took my sweaty and slightly grimy condition in and wrinkled her nose.

"We heard that you were opening up the old theater." She spoke more at me than to me while her eyes roved the dust covered lobby. "You do know that everyone goes down to D'Iberville and Gulfport, where the real theaters are, to watch movies."

I smiled sweetly. "Of course. I haven't been gone that long Stephanie."

Her smile returned to me in triumph. "Couldn't handle living in the big city? Get scared and had to run back to mommy?" She stopped and held a hand to her mouth with melodramatic shock. "Whoops, sorry. Mommy's dead isn't she.

I stared at her for a second. It wasn't that I was stunned into shock over the deaths of Ally's mother and father. It was just the whole point of the thing. I kind of consider it bad taste when the dead are insulted. It's not like they can defend themselves or anything.

I gave her a confused look, basically showing that what she said was retarded. "Was there anything intelligent you had to say, Stephanie? See, I'm actually working here and not sponging off the people I live with."

Her face went blank. Loretta and Marissa's looked to their friend to see if she'd be able to come back with anything worthwhile, but as always, Stephanie's brain couldn't refute the obviousness of the truth. She was a sponge to her family while she waited around for someone to marry and take care of her.

I just rolled my eyes and closed the door.

I really wasn't planning on going to church the next morning, but the look Hannah gave me was akin to implying I was a heretic if I didn't. While she wasn't as fire and brimstone as some of the people I'd met before, she was devout in her belief that there was a really old man in the sky that had a plan for each and every one of us.

Dressing for the occasion was simple enough: a white sundress and matching sandals. Luckily enough, my toes weren't painted harlot red, but a pale pink color. It's amazing what happens at night when I zone out, thinking about my life and the decisions that led me to where I was. Before I knew it, my toenails and fingernails were painted and I was blowing on them. It almost made me think that Allison was still there with me, because I'd never think to do something like that on my own. The only way I could rationalize doing things like that was to remember that she had control of this body for almost eighteen years. Certain things were done automatically.

Do you have to actually have to put conscious effort in finding your way to the bathroom in the morning to pee? Do you actually think about washing each body part in the shower? Do you pay attention to the long stretch of road you drove every single day? No, you did those things automatically. They were so ingrained into your everyday life that you don't think about them anymore, you just do them. Maybe Allison painted her nails when she went all introspective. It could happen.

We sat in the pews and I listened to the service, nay-saying bits here and there, because I knew they were wrong or at the very least, not right. It wasn't until after all of that I spotted Margie Simpleton walking up to me in her floral… whatever that was she was wearing. Anyone that can wear long sleeves and a closed collar with a dress that hangs down to where you can barely see the tips of her shoes, was certifiable. That, and the silly sun hat. It was the deep south, the middle of summer, and it was already ninety-three degrees out at nine in the morning. Insanity I tell you.

"Hello again, Ally Baker." She showed me her pristine dentures. I wondered if she had just bought them and was proud or something. That's a sin you know… pride. Pride was the sin, not having new dentures.

"Good morning, Mrs. Simpleton. Did you enjoy the service?" I tried to be as cordial as I could. Old people tend to be well connected. It wouldn't do for me to insult any of them considering I was opening a business in their town.

Margie waved her hand. "Reverend Pierce used that one four times that I know of. He recycles his old sermons. Seeing that I've been coming to this little church since my youth, I've heard them all before." She nodded to my aunt and uncle. "Hannah, Jethro, always good to see you."

"Mornin', ma'am," said Jethro as he unbuttoned the upper most button on his dress shirt.

Margie set her hand on my arm. "Mind if I steal, Ally from you for a moment. I'll bring her right back."

Hannah grinned. "Of course not. Ally, we'll be at the truck. Take your time."

Great. She led me to the sidewalk in front of the church where we stood just out of the way on the grass so others could walk past on the way to their cars.

"I hear tell that you and Brett have gone a courtin'"

I blinked and swung my head around. "What?"

She grinned knowingly. "It's a small town, Ally, and Brett is my great grandson. Not much goes on around here that I don't know about."

I'm sure I looked the idiot at the moment. "Sorry, you took me by surprise. I didn't think…"

Taking my hand, Margie patted it. "Don't go frettin' girl. I just thought you should know that Brett's been holding a torch for you for years and I don't want him getting hurt, if you catch my meaning."

"I…" I shook my head not knowing what to say.

"I've been hearing good things about you over the years. Brock has nothing but grand things to say about his Ally-cat." Smiling at me again, I felt my cheeks redden slightly. It might have the sun bearing down at the moment, but I doubted it. "It takes a kind heart to treat a boy like Brock with common humanity."

"There's nothing wrong with Brock. He's always been nice to me and…"

She cut me off again. "You and I both know that ain't the truth. He's been a test to this community by God, and I'm sorry to say that most have probably failed, but I've seen something different from you, Ally Baker. You can be sure that you are in His good graces."

Clearing my throat, I collected myself. "I'm not nice to Brock because I see it as a test, Mrs. Simpleton. And I'm not so sure about me being in God's graces, good or not."

She looked at me questioningly, almost amused. "What an odd thing to say." Taking in the morning air through her nose, she patted my hand again. "I need to get to shoppin' before the parking lot at Wal-Mart fills up. Take care of my great-grandson, Ally. Brett has a kind heart. You two would make some very pretty babies."

My body froze except for my eyes which almost bugged from my head. Mrs. Simpleton grinned and lightly laughed. "I was young once too, Ally Baker."

On the way over to the truck, Hannah spotted me and opened the door right before I got there so I could climb up. "Ally, you look like you're going to be sick. Are you okay?"

I swallowed, but nodded. "Uh, yeah. I'm trying to get the image of Mrs. Simpleton having sex out of my head."

I mean the woman had to be in her mid to late-eighties if I was a day old.

"Guh…" I felt the bench seat shake from Jethro's shudder. Hannah smacked him on the arm.

"Behave."

TBC...

Pic credit: Marty McBride