girl lives. Chances are good she would own a Barbie. Then you need to break in and get me some Barbie clothes to wear."
Chapter Seven
In less than half an hour of walking the countryside, Jack's feet hurt. His fingers and hand was stiff from holding the painting and even shifting hands with it didn't help for long. He ignored Kelly Jo's suggestion of finding something to tie the painting around his neck.
Oh, yeah, that's just what he needed: a miniature naked woman bumping around on his back or on his chest. Especially one he guaranteed would complain nonstop about either his stride was too long, he walked too slow, did he have to step over those potholes and badly jar her while he did it? Noooo thanks.
"Just a little further," Kelly Jo advised. "If I remember correctly, there's three houses on this dirt road. They're about a quarter mile apart and I'm not sure which one had a little girl, but...well, however long it takes, it takes."
Jack stopped and glared at Kelly Jo. "However long it takes, it takes? How very generous of you, since you're not the one doing the walking."
"Don't be such a baby, Jack," she chided. "This isn't easy for me either, you know. I never know if you're watching where you're walking or if I'm about to be bumped so hard I'll knock against your knuckles again." She grimaced. "That did hurt, by the way...a lot."
"That was your own fault," he informed her. "I told you to sit still, but you're so worried about your hair not covering what it should that you weren't paying attention." Even though it was her own doing he asked, "No bruises, I gather?"
"I don't think so," she answered, "but I won't know for sure until we stop and I can check them out."
Jack grinned, well aware of the 'them' that had landed on his knuckles when Kelly Jo pitched forward.
Her dark look to his grin said she knew that he knew. And that she didn't like it one bit. His grin broadened, but he said nothing.
"There," she said, pointing through a copse of trees. "I can see a clothesline. I think the house is further back."
Jack grunted. "Think we'll get lucky and today was Barbie clothes washing day?"
Kelly Jo ignored him and lowered her voice as Jack moved to where they could see the clothesline in a large clearing. He couldn't believe the luck. Little girl's clothing flapped in the afternoon sunshine.
Jack glanced down at her. "Now what?" He nodded away from the clothesline. "The house is about twenty yards that way and there's no vehicle in the driveway so I'm guessing no one's home. Should we just sneak in and you can make yourself at home rummaging through the dollhouse?"
"Very funny," she told him. She looked at the ground, then at Jack, started to speak and then stopped, shock covering her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Look down," she stated.
He did. Then looked at her. "What?"
"Your footprints."
Jack looked again. Sure enough, his sneakered footprints were a clear path from the dirt road through the trees to where they now stood.
"What's going on?" he demanded. Then it hit him. "Oh."
"Yeah," Kelly Jo said dejectedly. " Oh. Robert fast-tracked you to becoming human."
"Well," Jack said thoughtfully. "How do we find out if you are? Maybe you can just run around inside that painting and see if you leave footprints."
Kelly Jo sighed and Jack saw her thoughts racing through her eyes.
"Or," he suggested. "Maybe you could just sit down and see if you leave..."
"Hush," she ordered, but Jack saw her blush clear to the roots of her golden curls. "I'll think of something."
Jack waited, and finally Kelly Jo shrugged. "I'm drawing a complete blank. This metamorphosis happened way too fast." She sighed. "You'll have to go alone, Jack."
Startled, Jack asked, "To Covey's Creek?"
She shot him a look like he was dense. "No. Into the house."
"What?"
"It's going to be hard enough for you to get inside now that
Chapter Seven
In less than half an hour of walking the countryside, Jack's feet hurt. His fingers and hand was stiff from holding the painting and even shifting hands with it didn't help for long. He ignored Kelly Jo's suggestion of finding something to tie the painting around his neck.
Oh, yeah, that's just what he needed: a miniature naked woman bumping around on his back or on his chest. Especially one he guaranteed would complain nonstop about either his stride was too long, he walked too slow, did he have to step over those potholes and badly jar her while he did it? Noooo thanks.
"Just a little further," Kelly Jo advised. "If I remember correctly, there's three houses on this dirt road. They're about a quarter mile apart and I'm not sure which one had a little girl, but...well, however long it takes, it takes."
Jack stopped and glared at Kelly Jo. "However long it takes, it takes? How very generous of you, since you're not the one doing the walking."
"Don't be such a baby, Jack," she chided. "This isn't easy for me either, you know. I never know if you're watching where you're walking or if I'm about to be bumped so hard I'll knock against your knuckles again." She grimaced. "That did hurt, by the way...a lot."
"That was your own fault," he informed her. "I told you to sit still, but you're so worried about your hair not covering what it should that you weren't paying attention." Even though it was her own doing he asked, "No bruises, I gather?"
"I don't think so," she answered, "but I won't know for sure until we stop and I can check them out."
Jack grinned, well aware of the 'them' that had landed on his knuckles when Kelly Jo pitched forward.
Her dark look to his grin said she knew that he knew. And that she didn't like it one bit. His grin broadened, but he said nothing.
"There," she said, pointing through a copse of trees. "I can see a clothesline. I think the house is further back."
Jack grunted. "Think we'll get lucky and today was Barbie clothes washing day?"
Kelly Jo ignored him and lowered her voice as Jack moved to where they could see the clothesline in a large clearing. He couldn't believe the luck. Little girl's clothing flapped in the afternoon sunshine.
Jack glanced down at her. "Now what?" He nodded away from the clothesline. "The house is about twenty yards that way and there's no vehicle in the driveway so I'm guessing no one's home. Should we just sneak in and you can make yourself at home rummaging through the dollhouse?"
"Very funny," she told him. She looked at the ground, then at Jack, started to speak and then stopped, shock covering her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Look down," she stated.
He did. Then looked at her. "What?"
"Your footprints."
Jack looked again. Sure enough, his sneakered footprints were a clear path from the dirt road through the trees to where they now stood.
"What's going on?" he demanded. Then it hit him. "Oh."
"Yeah," Kelly Jo said dejectedly. " Oh. Robert fast-tracked you to becoming human."
"Well," Jack said thoughtfully. "How do we find out if you are? Maybe you can just run around inside that painting and see if you leave footprints."
Kelly Jo sighed and Jack saw her thoughts racing through her eyes.
"Or," he suggested. "Maybe you could just sit down and see if you leave..."
"Hush," she ordered, but Jack saw her blush clear to the roots of her golden curls. "I'll think of something."
Jack waited, and finally Kelly Jo shrugged. "I'm drawing a complete blank. This metamorphosis happened way too fast." She sighed. "You'll have to go alone, Jack."
Startled, Jack asked, "To Covey's Creek?"
She shot him a look like he was dense. "No. Into the house."
"What?"
"It's going to be hard enough for you to get inside now that
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