Chapter 4

"Jill what are you doing?" A man in his thirties with black hair and blue eyes screamed at a toddler Jill who had almost took her first step onto the sidewalk; the outside world.

"Nothing father I'll go do my chores now!" Jill shot up out of bed screaming. Then she realized she wasn't in her front yard back in Minnesota, she wasn't anywhere near Minnesota, She was in Claire's house, in the guest bedroom with a confused Claire in pajamas starring at her.

"Well, I'm not your father, but I'd like it if you went and did your chores." Claire said while casually tossing a tool belt by Jill's bedside. "You'll need them." And she walked away.

Jill got up nervously and awkwardly.

Did that just happen?

Jill stupidly attempted to be cool like Claire and tried to jump the fence to the field; she failed miserably. Claire looked at her confused as to why she wasn't following anymore, then she just smirked seeing poor Jill was upside-down

With her head on the ground, her feet in the air, and her body leaning against the fence.

"Get up." Claire grunted as she lend her hand to Jill. As Jill awkwardly accepted Claire pulled her to her feet with her strong arm.

I was so right she could beat a buff guy at arm wrestling!

"Well so to start off the tour of my little patch of heaven, you'll have to meet the animals." Claire said as they walked up to a barn painted white with cute bright red shingles. "Meet the gang!" Said Claire as she swung the doors open, revealing three cows with beautiful big eyes, and two cute little sheep that where half way fuzzy. Two of the cows where a bland brownish color, but one of them the calf was white with the cutest black spots, the kind of cow used to think made the best milk. She used to ask her mom if that it was true but her mom would just laugh and say. "You sound like your father, No the cows coloring doesn't affect the taste of the milk, or the quality. So no brown cows don't make chocolate milk."

"This ones Mel." Claire said patting the largest cow on the head. "This is Carla." She said patting the other brown cow on the head. "The twins are Cuddles and Carmen, the one named Cuddles is the girl sheep." She pointing at the sheep."

"What's the little cow's name?" Jill asked innocently. Claire looked at the little cow for a moment smiled and said "She doesn't have a name yet I got her yesterday, Do you wanna name her?" A smile spread across Jill's face.

"Holly, her name is Holly." Jill said. "Can I pet her?" She asked.

"Go ahead…Holly eh? That name mean something to ya?" Claire questioned while Jill calmly petted the cow in awe.

"No." It surprised even Jill to how fast the words flew off her lips, almost sounding nervous. The name did mean something, it was what Jill's mother was called before she became just "Mrs. Redwing".

Jill thought of the stories uncle Ross used to tell her. He'd tell her about the kind of person Jill's mother had been before she married that dreaded man. Before she was married her name had been Holly Rose a kind fairly poor girl who worked in a catering company, cooking was her passion. She met Dan Redwing a party she was catering to, and after that he slowly tricked her into marrying a man she barely new, and afterward bore his first and only child. She would be forever trapped in a life she had never wanted.

Luckily Claire wasn't nosey and didn't question Jill's quick answer, and had just introduced her to the chickens, Scrambles, Cluckers, and Chichi, and the ducks, Quakers, and Squawk, then had just shown her how to water and harvest the plants. Now Jill was just finishing watering the strawberries and picking the ones ripe enough to harvest.

Oh they look so tasty!

Jill was tempted to eat some of the delicious looking berries, but she had a feeling Claire wouldn't like it. Jill finished her watering and headed to the house to put the harvested crops in the refrigerator. Form there Claire would pick out which ones to ship and which one to keep, Claire was kind of cheap so she kept the not-so-perfect ones.

Jill opened the frig and put the crops away then went to her room to decide what to do for the rest of the day. She though to herself.

I can do whatever I want…but what do I want?

Jill laid down on her bed and looked up at the wooden ceiling. She shot up.

I don't have any clothing!

Jill had forgotten that she hadn't packed anything and just wanted to get away. Jill hadn't seen a tailor near by or anything. She wanted to go ask Claire where to buy clothes, but she was working. Jill couldn't think of anyone else to talk ask, but then she remembered what Muffy had said the night before. "Ya'll need anything just ask!"Muffy had smiled in her sweet twang.

Jill got out of bed, and headed to the door.

Jill knocked on the door of the bar knowing that Muffy roomed with Griffen there. Griffen answered the door he smiled see it was sweet clumsy Jill. "What brings ya here?, Come on in." he asked widening the door opening for Jill to walk in.

"Is Muffy home?" Jill asked stepping in. "Yeah, Her rooms upstairs." Griffen said pointing to his room that had the stairs inside. "Thank you."

Jill came to a sign on the door that read "Girls Only" in lipstick and glitter. Jill knocked on the door. "Who is it?" She heard Muffy's cheerful voice. "Jill." She nervously answered. "Come on in, it's open!" Muffy said cheerily.

Jill opened the door to see Muffy lying on her bed wearing only her bright red

cocktail dress and under garments reading a 17 magazine. "What is it?" Asked the girl with curls propping herself up. Jill nervously tried to talk to this gordeus girl. "Will you take me shopping? I have money?" Muffy bolted up and ran to face Jill. "Shopping? Money? Of course!"