AN: I am always amazed at the different countries that people are from who are reading my stuff. I know it is on the internet and all that but I am still boggled by how far away some of you are. Thank you to all of you wherever you live. I would love to hear from more of you and what you think. Sorry it took a while for me to get this one up real life got in the way. I spent some time with my daddy this weekend and yes I still us that moniker for him even at the age of twenty four. I even wrote him a cheesy poem this year that he enjoyed so I am sharing it with you.

Daddy is a word that means so much

Daddy is always there to lend a hand

No matter how odd the demand

Daddy the one to make me smile

Especially when it had been a while

Daddy hugs are ones that such

Love is found that means so much

I hope you had the chance to spend some time with your father as well this weekend for my American readers Happy Belated Father's Day. Anyway read and enjoy.

Chapter 6 Hand Holding in Church

I went to sleep with a smile on my face and woke up the same way. Seeing Alcide was real nice and I looked forward to seeing him at lunch. I got up and took a shower. While I was washing my hair I thought about how happy I was, how free I felt. I guess I never realized just how much Bill limited me or how little I really knew about him. I mean I spent three years with him and I meet his parents only a hand full of times. The last time was right after he purposed. We had dinner with them. They spent most of the evening talking around me not to me. His mother acted like I was the worst possible thing for her son. If I remember the phrasing right she told him I was nice to look at the very least. I am sure that they are glad it is over well if Bill ever tells them. For the first time in a long time I was not worried about how he would feel with me going home. He always tried to get me to stay on the weekends when Gran would have lunch. He never really wanted to come with me either. He said that he had more important things to do or should I say people. If he was busy or had some where to be I was the last thing on his mind. A time or two he rushed me out of his apartment after getting a call. He would always say that it was for work, that he needed his privacy and that I would be bored watching him type meaningless code. I could never figure out what he needed to be alone with his computer for. It's not like I actually understood what he was doing or what exactly his job was. I had been in the shower so long that the water had turned cold. I hoped out and dried off. I let my hair dry naturally so that it would curl. I wrapped up in my old terry cloth robe and headed down stairs. Daddy was at the stove frying some bacon.

"You look happy this morning. Does it have anything to do with a certain, semi recently single employee of mine?" Daddy asked turning to look at me when I came in.

"Maybe" I said taking a seat at the table.

"You may be happy to know that said employee called this morning to have me tell you he was going to church and be saving you a seat." Daddy's eyes twinkled in mirth. He and I ate breakfast with more of his teasing thrown in. We both got dressed and headed over to Gran's to pick her up for church.

She was sitting on her porch swing when we got there. She was wearing her usual Sunday garb of a pastel pant suit this time in yellow. I got out of the truck to give her a hug and let her sit in the front. Of all the things I was expecting Gran to say or do when she found out about me and Bill I did not expect her to take one look at my left hand, gasp, pull me into a hug and say. "Thank you Jesus! I am so glad you got rid of that God awful ring. Child it is about time you ditched him. He was never good enough for you. Now we can get you with someone who deserves you."

"I think we already have a couple prospects for his replacement." Daddy hollered out the window.

"Daddy!" I whined.

"We are just teasing baby girl. You know we just want you to be happy." He soothed and then added with a smile. "Now let's not keep one of them waiting."

"Please tell me that Alcide is finally getting his act together." Gran said as we made our way to the truck.

"Mama you should have seen those two at dinner last night. I swear they said maybe three things to the rest of us the entire night. I don't think I have seen either of them smile that much in a long time." Daddy answered before I could say anything. I spent the rest of the ride to church listening to Gran and Daddy planning the rest of my life from the back seat. When we pulled into the church parking lot Alcide was leaning against his truck looking real good in a crisp white button down shirt and black dress pants. His tie was hunter green and he was holding a suit jacket. His face light up, when he saw me stepping out of the truck.

"Morning Sookie" He greeted coming over. I smiled at him with a blush creeping up my neck.

"Sookie dear why don't you two go in and find somewhere to sit." Gran said shooing us. He offered me his arm and we walked in. We sat down on one of the pews towards the back. I noticed that many of Gran's friends watched us walk in. They all would look away as soon as they saw me looking at them. It was rather funny really especially when Mrs. Fortenberry was nudged by her son Hoyt. He was trying to introduce her to a short bubbly blonde woman next to him. Soon Gran, Daddy, Jackson and Sue came in to sit with us. When we were asked to stand and hold hands to pray Alcide took mine and did not let it go for the rest of the service. He still had it when we were walking out to the parking lot. He talked Daddy into letting me ride to Gran's with him. He helped me in to his truck and shut the door with all the charm of a true southern gentleman. We talked about the job his crew was working on. Well he talked and I listened.

"What are you doing next weekend?" He asked as we pulled on to Hummingbird Lane.

"Would you hate me if I said I had a date?" I answered his question with a question.

"Not as long as I get a chance to take you out too." He smiled.

"Then my Saturday is free." I returned his smile as we slowed down on Gran's driveway. He pulled up behind the house were we all usually parked.

"Then I think you have a date at 5." He said jumping out of the cab. He opened my door and helped me out. He held my hand as we walked up the porch steps to the back door that leads into the kitchen. Gran had already arrived and had started on her fried chicken with all the fixin's. Gran's chicken is really a work of art and love. She soaks it overnight in a buttermilk bath with seasonings. She then lovingly drains and dries it before dredging it in seasoned flour and then fries it. I am still not according to Gran old enough to know all the secretes to her chicken. I have tried and failed several times to recreate her chicken but I can never get it right. She did promise to teach me after I get married how to make everything the way she does.

"Sookie dear I need some help with the mac and cheese." Gran said from her place at the stove. I washed my hands and went to work. Alcide sat at the kitchen table watching us with a smile on his face that I recognized from Jason. It was the smile that he would get when he was in "love" with which ever girl he was dating. I was mildly surprised that seeing that smile on Alcide's face had my heart fluttering. Daddy and Jackson came into the kitchen laughing. They grabbed a pair of beers and headed back the way they came taking Alcide with them all with matching smiles. I helped Gran to finish lunch which included her famous fried chicken, backed mac and cheese, warm bacon spinach salad, chilled pickled cucumber and onion salad and apple crisp for dessert with her homemade cinnamon ice cream. Jason showed up just in time to sit down and eat. He had brought with him his newest girlfriend Michelle. I really liked her she was down to earth and kept Jason in line like nobody except Daddy is able to. He got a funny look on his face when he noticed how close Alcide and I were sitting. It was a cross between happiness and befuddlement. I could see it as he tried to figure out just what was going on between Alcide and me. I found it extremely funny when everyone including Alcide's parents threatened him with bodily harm if he hurt me. Jackson even through in jokingly that if he messed this up then they were choosing me in the break up. By dessert Alcide was nervously happy sitting next to me. He would steal glances at me when he thought no one was looking only to be razzed by one family member or another when he was caught. We sat around the rest of the afternoon talking and playing games. My absolute favorite was Apples to Apples. It is a card game dealing with word associations that is ridiculously fun. I looked at the clock at four thinking that I really needed to head back to the house if I wanted to get to my apartment before dark. I was sent home with lots of leftovers to take back up. Daddy was still smiling like a fool when we got home.

"I hope that you give him a chance not just for me or Jackson and Sue but for yourself. You deserve a guy like him baby girl." Daddy said giving me a hug.

"I will. I really like him Daddy." I replied putting my bags into the car along with the leftovers.

"I am glad. Now drive safe and call me when you get there." He said giving me one last hug.

"I will Daddy love you." I climbed into the driver's seat and closed the door. I waved as I drove off not noticing right away that I had a stole away in the back seat. Dean had me jumping out of my skin when I got to the end of the driveway. He barked enthusiastically for his chance at a car ride. I turned right around. Daddy was just walking in the door as I pulled up again.

"What did you forget?" He asked when I came to a stop hopping out of the car.

"I didn't forget anything Dean just wanted to go for a ride." I said moving to the back door to remove energetic stole away. Daddy took Dean with him as I drove off. I got back to the apartment to find a body slumped in front of the door.