Your Lips Said No, but Your Eyes Said Yes

"Honestly, Sheriff, that was the truth."

"Barney, tell me what happened one more time. Go slowly. Do not leave out any facts."

I took another sip of the stale coffee Sheriff Watson still had in the pot since this morning. I already told him twice what happened, but he wanted to hear it again. I inhaled, looked around, and began.

I told Sheila I loved her. I guess she suspected as much, but my formal declaration stole her breath. It must have been the suddenness of my tone that scared her. I let my words sink in as I stroked her hair. This always had a calming effect on her.

I wanted us to be more than friends, more than acquaintances, much more. When I arose each morning, I listened for her early morning regimen, knowing she in turn, listened for my approach. By the time I grabbed the feed for the chickens, she greeted me with a smile that made my heart skip a beat. Sheila liked to watch me work. She knew I was a farmer and that I may never have enough money for all the nice things females want. But Sheila also knew I had an honest heart and my words rang true.

The morning after I told her my true feelings, she met me during my chores and gave me that look. Ever so coy, Sheila played the coquette well. Others could never see what she saw in me. My father told me once that I could do better. But I never gave up hoping for a blessed union.

That morning, with those eyes, Sheila was more than any man could ask for. What she wanted was what I wanted. I pulled her close and kissed her softly. I wanted to be the man in her life. I told her, all I needed was a little more time to prove how worthy I was for her affection. She feigned a small amount of hesitation. I held her close and gave her the kiss that only a real man could give. The kiss that said, I wanted more.

In retrospect, that is where Sheila became scared. She tried to pull away, but I wanted her so. In the ensuing struggle, I became aggressive. Her muted yells fell on deaf ears as I dropped my pants and grabbed her from behind. Right there in the barn, I had Sheila the way I wanted. All of those years of waiting, all of those nights alone would seek their revenge as the sun rose on a new day. I grabbed her hard and made her the woman I wanted.

"But Barney, tell me again. Why did you have to kill her if you loved her?"

I took another sip of that disgusting coffee before I answered. What I said, I would never be proud of, never would forget. I wished I didn't remember any of this.

By the time I finished with Sheila, we had caused such a commotion, all of the other sheep broke loose from their pens and saw what I had done. They knew I had always taken a liking to Sheila, but after what just happened, I had to prove my standing among them.

Killing Sheila was the only way to do that. Sheep are herd animals. They would get over the loss of their leader and would choose another by sundown.

All that remained was the date of the next BBQ.