Her skin was sun baked under her lips as he kissed his way across a smattering of freckles. She was wearing that white dress again that barely touched the tops of her knees and he could see her bikini straps wrapped around her shoulders, the knot resting at the base of her long neck. She'd been working at the outdoor pool all summer, so she was lovely and dark and he couldn't resist tasting her skin - sweet like peaches with a hint of salt.
"If my brother finds us, he'll kill you," she teased, leaning her back further into his chest.
They'd taken to spending their days perched in the doorway of an old abandoned train car that was about a mile-and-a-half from her parent's place. Her brother had used it as a fort as a kid, his name was still carved into the old paint that had weathered and chipped away over the years. She'd showed it to him on his third night staying at their place, his second summer in a row.
Her parents welcomed him, excited to get a glimpse of their eldest son's college life; he was happy to oblige with stories as long as they'd let him stay. He traded tales of dorm pranks and football games for their daughter's soft butterfly kisses and long hours snuggled up with her whenever they could sneak away.
She was almost three years his junior and had just graduated from high school. She was planning to follow him to Kentucky State in the fall. She wanted to be a teacher or a veterinarian, but he mostly suspected that she wanted to be with him.
Rick kissed her shoulder again and hummed in agreement. "He will… for not asking your daddy first…"
"Askin' daddy what?" Lori asked, twisting her upper body so that she was facing him. She draped one arm over his knee and looked at him curiously with her earthy green eyes.
He cleared his throat nervously and her eyes flashed with knowing. She made a small sound of excitement and pushed herself to her knees. With one smooth movement she was kneeling in front of him, a beautiful smile spread across her face. She was buzzing and he could feel it as he watched her, backlit by the setting sun and fireflies that danced in the long grass behind her.
Rick stretched his legs out and crossed them, then pulled her towards him. She landed with a soft thud against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. "It ain't much… I'm a college boy and all," he said, keeping one hand spread across her back while the other fished through his pocket.
He pulled out a white-gold ring with a small single diamond and instantly wished that he could have done better….
His embarrassment was forgotten however, when she gasped, her eyes shining with tears. She offered him her left hand and he took it in his. "Lori Turner," he took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"
Lori nodded and said yes, though the word barely had any voice at all behind it. Her arms slid around his neck and crossed over, her chest flushed against his.
"I'm gonna spend the rest of my life lovin' you, Rick Grimes," she whispered, tucking her face into his throat.