---

Image: Free Wallpaper from http://www.scenicreflections.com/ ~Sephrena.

Author's Note: Thank you Hope for your encouragement and help in editing. Thank you Sephrena for making the post appear professional. Most of all thank you to all who have commented or left Kudos. For those who have left comments, I answer them with what I hope is something witty and appreciated. ~Barbara.

---

 
 
Chapter 39: Shopping
 

“When we get back to the store, we will need to look for skirts and sleeveless tops until that arm heals,” said Mrs. Johnston.

“And that slinky dress for you,” laughed the wolf.

“Jesse, do you have a mini-skirt to tease Gabriel with?” ask Debbie

“No, should I?”

“Most definitely. I want to see him squirm when he lays eyes on you in this skirt,” said holding a black brushed cotton skirt. The skirt had a sheen to it to draw a man's eyes down to the wearer's legs. “I thought I saw a set of boots in the shoe department that would go great with it,” continued Gabriel's sister. “Lets find one that fits and I'll help you try it on.” They went through the rack to pick out a couple of skirts to try on.

While they were going through the racks, the young wolf found another mini-skirt that she liked. It was a tartan pleated skirt that would give off a school girl look. “What about this skirt?” asked the girl as she held it up. “I liked the innocent sexy look when I was looking,” she said conspiratorially. Jesse continued, “Innocence or the appearance drove my mind wild, and paired with boots, I almost had to slap myself to keep from staring.”

“Well, that was a little TMI,” laughed Debbie. “But I know what you mean. Get the skirt and we'll find a blouse to go with it. The boots that go with this skirt will go with that one.”

They picked up the black scrunchy boots with faux buckles and straps. Beside the boots was another pair with some intricate stitching that Jesse just had to have. They picked up a pair of strappy sandals for Sue to wear with the slinky dress they were looking for. They had to walk through the children's department to get back to the more formal evening dresses. Jesse stopped at a rack of little dresses. She picked one out that was satiny and had a flounce to the skirt.

“Do you think Merry would like this?” She asked the other two women.

“Probably not,” said the mother. “But it may get her more into little girl thinking instead of thinking like a wolf. Does Merry need more clothes?”

“Yes, but I will need to bring her in to get her sizes.”

They walked into the section of the store that sold the more formal dresses. Sue walked up to the sales lady and asked where the cocktail dresses were. The lady led them over to the racks with the desired dresses. “We have a good selection for this time of year,” said the lady. “Do you know what you are looking for?”

“My mom needs something slinky to go dancing in Saturday. Also, my sister will need something too. I will be back at college this weekend,” said Gabriel's sister.

“I think I have just the right look over here.” The sales lady pulled off a dress that was black with silver highlights on the edges. It came up to a choker collar and was backless. There were spaghetti straps to hold the back together for “modesty”. The material was sateen with the silver highlights being satin with sequins.

“Mom you have to try that on.”

“Are you sure? I mean there's not much to this dress.”

“That is the point isn't it,” the daughter stated.

The mother took the dress to the changing room. Meanwhile, the sales lady pulled another dress off the rack to show Jesse. It was black sleeveless number with sequins all over the top with an A-line skirt of velvet. The boots she picked up earlier would go well with the dress or she could get strappy sandals. The two young girls walked toward changing room and met the mother coming out.

“I don't know if I can wear this? I feel practically naked,” she said looking at herself in the mirror

“Mom, you really rock that dress.”

“Really Sue. That dress is awesome.”

“I hope your father will like it?”

“He'll love it.”

“He'll love getting me out of it more.” The older woman giggled. “Jesse lets see you in your dress.”

Jesse and Debbie walked into the dressing room. “Your mom's really a sexy woman. I hope Gabriel and I are as in love when we reach their age.”

“I don't think you will have any problems. As long as my brother has been pining for you, you have nothing to worry about.” Debbie zipped up the dress and stood back as far as she could. “I like it, but I think we can do better.” They walked out of the dressing room to look through the racks. Jesse shied away from the black dresses and wandered over to the white dresses.

There was an off the shoulder dress in satin. The missing shoulder and sleeve matched her broken arm. The other side of the dress had a long sleeve with a princess cuff and a loop to go over a finger. The dress was form fitting ending six inches above the knees. “I like this one,” she told her future sister-in-law. They took it into the dressing room to try it on.

“Wow that dress looks good on you,” stated Debbie. “Lets see what mom thinks.”

They stepped out of the dressing room to where the mirrors were. “That dress is just too cute,” said the mother. “You will need some strappy sandals.”

“Lets get the shoes and head home,” replied Jesse. “The boys will be wondering what happened to us.”

“They know, but you are right. We need to head home.” They picked up some pretty sandals with four inch spiked heels.

“I can't walk in these.”

“Sure you can,” said the future sister-in-law. “It just takes practice. Besides once you are on the dance floor, you can take your shoes off and dance barefooted.”

The ladies took their packages to the car, where they placed themselves in the trunk. They got into the cars to head home. “Debbie, are you coming to the house?” asked the young wolf.

“I would like that.”

“Sue, if you don't mind I'm going to ride with Debbie, so we can get get to know each other better.”

The ride back was uneventful. Jesse kept asking Debbie about growing up as a girl, and Debbie asking about Jesse's life before she met Coyote. They laughed at the different situations they had found themselves in while they were growing up. Gabriel's sister was particularly interested in how the young wolf met her brother. “But I want to know how my brother fell in love with a boy. I know he is not gay.”

“He never realized I was a boy. All he ever saw was me dressed as a girl. A very shy girl. I could hardly look into the faces of his friends as I always thought they could see me as a boy in a dress. I demurred in kissing and heavy petting. I wasn't gay and kissing a boy was not my idea of fun.”

“But you dated him?”

“My grandmother insisted that I go out with Gabriel. She projected her deceased daughter on me and insisted that I was a girl. All in all it was a small price to pay to make my grandmother happy, and I thought that when I went off to college, Gabe would find another girl to marry.”

“Boy were you ever wrong. He compared every girl he dated with you. There were many girls that tried, but he wouldn't kiss them or go any further with them.”

“That might be my fault. I told him that if we kissed too much that it might lead to us having sex and I promised my grandmother that I would be a virgin bride. He didn't want to tempt me.”

“Would having sex with my brother be so bad? You could have not told your grandmother.”

“You forget that I was a boy, and I was scared that if he found out that he might hurt me.”

“You are so much a girl that I find it hard to believe you were ever a boy.”

“I guess I should say thank you.”

“You don't like being a girl?”

“I don't mind so much except when my time of the month comes. I know this is my first time, but if they all are going to be this way, I could do without.”

“I KNOW how you feel, but as you say, 'It's a small price to pay to be able to have children.'”

“I guess you are right,” she said with a sigh.

“Here we are at the ranch. Are you ready for a fashion show?”

“I haven't done one before, I'm looking forward to it.”

The girls got out of the car and waited for the mother to park. They took their packages into the house, letting the men know that they were back home. Sue walked up to her husband and kissed him passionately. “That bad,” he said. “Let me see the card.”

Sue pouted at the teasing, but handed the credit card to her husband. He reached out to take and dropped it. “OUCH” He bent over and picked it up swapping it from hand to hand and blowing on it.

“It's NOT that hot,” she pouted. “Besides I think you may like what I bought.”

The father turned to his son and winked. “Okay,” he said dejectedly. “Lets see what you bought.”

Sue grinned and ran off dragging Jesse with her. “Save the mini's for another day. We'll show them the two fancy dresses and convince them to take us dancing Saturday.”

Debbie came with them to help the wolf with her dress. While they were changing, the little girl walked in. “Far Wanderer, what are you doing?”

“I'm putting on this dress to show Gabriel.”

“Why”

“Sue, can you help me out here.”

“Merry, Jessie is putting on the dress to show Gabriel how pretty she can look. Girls like to look pretty. You would like a pretty dress?”

The little wolf looked at her suspiciously, “Do I need a dress to look pretty?”

Sue knelt before the little girl, “No darling. You are pretty just as you are. Girls don't have to wear dresses to be pretty. We like to wear them because the dress is pretty.”

“Okay,” said the little girl. She turned and walked out of the room to where men are. “Am I pretty?”
She asked the young cowboy.

He reached down and gathered her in his lap. “Why do you ask that?”

“Because Far Wanderer has a dress to look pretty.”

“Merry, Jesse doesn't need a dress to look pretty. She is the most beautiful thing in the world to me. You look just as beautiful as she does.”

“Then why did she buy a dress?”

“Dad?”

“If you are going to be a father, son, you are going to have to figure this out on your own.” Mr. Johnston had this grin on his face knowing that his son was struggling, but that he would figure it out.

---

 
 
To Be Continued...