"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"
Ruth stood behind the counter, looking distractedly out the window. Her father was trying to convince her to come along with him and her brothers on a hunting trip. This all seemed very suspicious to her since he normally didn't go to this length to try to persuade her to come. She feared he was on to the true reason she wanted to stay behind.
"I'm sure, dad. Besides, who's going to keep an eye on the shop?"
"The shop will be fine."
"I don't want to leave Micah behind. You know he can't leave town. Someone's got to look after him."
"Well, you shouldn't feel sorry for him. He got himself into this mess."
"We all make mistakes. Besides, he's not the only one in this family who's ended up in jail over something stupid they've done."
His faded blue eyes narrowed, searching hers.
"Keep him out of trouble then. And you do the same," he said steadily.
She gave her father a hug and walked with him outside. Her other two brothers, Amos and Bart, were already waiting in their father's old Chevy pickup truck. Another aged pickup pulled up alongside it. Ruth looked into the cab and saw Daryl Dixon sitting in the passenger seat, his father Will driving. Ruth waved to Daryl. He hesitated before waving back, a strange, knowing look on his face. Ruth felt a chill run through her body. She had a feeling it wasn't only her father that suspected she was up to something.
"Hey, Ruth Ann," Will Dixon called out through the open window. Ruth grimaced. She hated when people called her by her first and middle name. It reminded her too much of her mother who had passed on years ago. Ever since she'd died, it seemed everyone wanted to call her by both names.
"Hey, Will. You and Daryl going to?" she asked, as if she didn't already know.
"We are. I figured you might come along too, show those brothers of yours how to handle a gun."
She flashed a smile towards her brothers who were both rolling their eyes. Amos and Bart had never been into hunting. More often it was her that was going up into the mountains with her father, and he'd taught her a lot about things most girls didn't have a clue about. He'd even put her to work in his shop fixing cars after her brothers had all moved out of town. Lately, her brothers were coming around more often. She didn't have to ask them why; their father was getting older, and he wasn't in the best of health anymore. Even though neither Bart nor Amos knew a thing about hunting or fishing, they were taking these trips now for their father's sake—maybe out of guilt. They'd all moved on quickly after high school. Amos was a college boy; he'd moved to Atlanta and worked for a bank now. Bart had moved to Alabama and opened his own car repair shop. Micah, their youngest brother, had made a career of going in and out of jail. But Ruth had always been daddy's girl. She was only 18 when her mother died, and she didn't have the heart to leave her father alone. So she put her own dreams and hobbies aside and stayed with him in the house they'd all been raised in.
"I've given up hope. Maybe you and Daryl can teach them for me," she said. She noticed Daryl was still staring at her, a calculating look in his eyes. She looked away uncomfortably.
"Well, say hi to your brother for me. John, you ready to go?"
"We're ready," her father said.
"Have fun. I'll see you boys Sunday night."
As they pulled away, Ruth closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her straw blonde hair. She exhaled, trying to steady herself. Daryl definitely knew.
She walked back into the shop and closed the door behind her, staring out the blinds. The clock on the wall showed it was minutes from five. She went ahead and flipped the sign on the door to "closed".
She was pacing the floor when she heard the familiar rumbling of a motorcycle outside. A small feeling of relief rushed over her. She hurriedly turned out all the lights and locked up before heading outside. He'd parked around back like usual and was climbing off the bike as she came out the back door. As she approached him, a grin split his lips.
"What's the matter, Ruthie? You look like you seen a ghost," he said in his gravelly voice.
She wrapped her arms around him. She felt his hands on her, running down the length of her body. Despite the feeling this gave her, she stopped him.
"Daryl knows."
"So what?" he said dismissively.
"He had this look in his eye," she said.
"You know he was going to find out sooner or later."
"How do you think he found out?"
"It's a small town, Ruthie. You know these people around here can't keep their damned mouths shut."
"I think daddy might know too," she said.
"Your daddy doesn't know."
"How do you know that?"
"Because he would have shot my ass dead by now if he did."
He took hold of her hand and brought her in close, kissing her softly on the lips.
"Don't you worry about my baby brother. His little heart will be broken, but he'll come around. That spell you put on him won't break that easily."
He kissed her again, a little rougher this time, grabbing her ass and pressing her body into his. He pulled back, another little grin gracing his lips.
"Damn, girl. You're just about the sweetest thing I've ever tasted."
She smiled and rolled her eyes, shoving him back.
"Shut up, Merle. Let's get out of here."
She climbed on the bike behind him. As they took off, they quickly passed through her small home town and hit the highway. She didn't know where he was taking her, but strangely, she didn't care. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on as the bike picked up speed.