Abby had lived on a farm all her life. It was her turn to break away and move into the city. Something she had dreamt of doing since she was a young girl. She hated the smell of the barn, although she loved the animals. But the wet hay and dung got to her most. So at the age of nineteen she left what she knew to be familiar and took a job in a book store reading to the children at story hour. Her dream was to become a writer, not a farmers wife!

Wearing a cone like hat with ribbon trail, she would read each day for one hour to children, whether it was only one who sat attentively to a book the store was promoting or several adoring eyes, held spell bound to her soft voice and words shared. She loved her job, but it didn't pay much, so she also worked at a diner up the road to make ends meet. In her free time, she sat alone in an empty apartment with very few furnishings, and wrote her stories on any paper she could find.

For a year she lived this way, enjoying her job most at the book store, where the stories gave way to her imagination to add to stories of her own. When she was offered a full time position at the book store, she took it. It paid better than the diner, and it was less stressful than dealing with unhappy customers over their choice of food.

Often Abby recalled days on her daddy's farm that took her to a friendly place. In the winters there was the old pond out back she and Tyler skated on. He was about the most handsome man now in the farming community. But, he knew it too. He was always after her to go for a romp in the hay, as so many girls were given to do. She did not want to be one of his conquests and told him so. It only served to intrigue him more, as he would sit upon the wooden rail and watch her as she worked. He sported a blade of grass between his fingers and thumb, making a sound to draw her attention. Or trying to invite her by chewing on a wheat staff while leaving his shirt open to reveal his tan, buffed torso. He was one of the reasons Abby ran away to the city. She wanted to avoid any of his traps.

Abby never wrote stories about farm life. She wrote about people she met on a daily basis while either going to or coming from work, or an interesting customer...making up imaginary stories of their lives at home. When she finally saved up enough money to buy a television she felt she was one with the city. A girl who fought hard to make her way in the world of where she wanted to be.

The neighbors knew her to be a quiet girl in keeping to herself, but if they spotted her accidentally in the bookstore, they would drop in to say 'hello'. Abby was well liked by her fellow employees, eventually making title of assistant manager. When she received an increase in pay, she rented furnishings she had wanted all along.

It was on a return home for Christmas, Abby ran into Tyler again. She was picking up a box of oranges to give her parents, when he stood grinning at her from across the aisle.

"Well, who do we have here?" he said in a seductive tone of voice. "I don't believe it...miss Abigale Petticoat."

Abigale's cheeks flushed in a color of brilliant red. Turning to face him she merely smiled shyly and replied: "Hello, Tyler. You know that's not my name. Now, leave me alone!"

"Still a pretty stick in the mud, I see. Tell me...he inched in closer to her...are you as frigid as you appear to be?"

To both their surprise, she reached out and slapped him, dropping the box of oranges on the floor. As she scrambled to pick them up, he bent down to help her.

'Sore spot, huh?" he grinned impishly at her, then rubbed his red cheek. "Those city boys haven't got to you yet either, I suppose?"

Abby glared over at him then stood up quickly with the box of oranges. She marched away praying he would not follow her. But, he did and she cringed as she heard his voice call out from behind her. "Meet me at the pond this afternoon. I've missed you!"