A/N: Thank you for stopping by to check out my new Rick and Beth one shot. It's based on a song prompt I gave myself :) A favorite of mine and I'll tell you all about that in the closing Notes. I hope you enjoy!
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Ever since his whole life had come crashing down around him he'd only done two things with any regularity, he went to work, he went home. Except on the weekends when he saw his son. Weekends with Carl were the only time he still felt human and connected. It happened twice a month.
Everything seemed to have come out of the blue. One minute he was a happily married man with a son and a pregnant wife, and then in what seemed like an instant he found out the baby wasn't his, and his wife of ten years was leaving with his son and his lifelong best friend. It had been a year and a half since the divorce, and he told himself he'd been hating life long enough, it was time to do something, anything, just get yourself the hell out of the house Grimes.
A bar probably wasn't the right choice but it was the choice he made, and as it just so happened there was one only a half mile from his place, he could walk. That couldn't be more perfect, it wouldn't do at all for the sheriff to be out drinking and driving.
He put on a decent shirt, a fresh pair of jeans, and even put a little polish on his boots. He wondered if now that his beard had gone so gray he should shave it, but nah, he wasn't going out to try and pick up a woman. He was pretty sure Dusty's wasn't that kind of place anyway.
His plan was simply to venture nice and slow back into the world and back into having a life. He'd walk down to Dusty's, sit up at the bar and have a couple of beers. Check out what other folks were doing this Saturday night, then walk himself back home.
He had his hand on the front doorknob and suddenly it was as if he froze, maybe he should just stay home. He had a six pack in the fridge and a fresh bottle of jack in the cabinet, maybe there was a good movie on the tube. He shook his head "No." That's exactly what he'd been doing every Saturday night for a year and a half. This Saturday was going to be different.
He walked in and the joint was crowded. He reminded himself it was Saturday night, what was he expecting? He spotted one empty stool down at the end of the bar and made his way right to it. There was some pretty good music playing and the beer was cold, the crowd was noisy and all of those things were kind of comforting. He didn't have to do anything or talk to anyone, all he had to do was drink his beer, listen and watch. That was just right with him.
He finished his first beer and finally glanced around, that's when he spotted her. She was leaning against the wall next to the jukebox, one knee bent and the heel of her boot resting up against the wall.
She was a beauty in those boots and blue jeans. Her hair was a sexy / messy mix of blond curls and plenty of shine and her eyes were big, blue and expressive. He felt a twinge of sadness because she didn't look happy, not happy at all. She looked a little melancholy, a little bored and a lot like she wished she was just about anywhere else. She looked quite a bit like he felt.
She looked at him and their eyes seemed so focused on each other, but her eyes didn't tell him what was on her mind. Her look was so much more powerful than that. Her eyes truly did give him a window to her heart. It was as if with that one look she'd laid it all out for him, displaying her heart just for him to see.
He knew her then, she was lost and lonely just like him.
He hoped he didn't fall in love with her. All falling in love had ever done for him was to make him just as blue as her eyes. He didn't need that kind of pain again, not ever. His heart simply couldn't afford the price of love.
Still he was a gentleman and now that the stool next to him was empty he thought maybe he should offer it to her. Since she was lonesome and all she might like some company. That was the thought he had in mind when she took her seat at a small table, and it was also then he saw she was with some guy. That figured, women like her are seldom single. The guy looked like a jerk and she looked so unhappy, but unless the guy got out of hand there was nothing he could do.
Even if she was single she probably wouldn't want to sit with a clown like him. But if she would, if she did, he'd do everything he could to erase the frown on her pretty face. Well anyway, it was probably best that she didn't sit with him because he was hoping he didn't fall in love with her.
He ordered another beer and when he turned back around he saw the guy she was with had apparently just up and split. Good riddance to bad rubbish as far as the sheriff was concerned. That jerk didn't deserve a woman like her.
There was an empty chair next to her and now he thought he ought to just go right over, introduce himself and sit down there with her. Yes he probably ought to do that, but he didn't. He knew she was lonely and he knew he was lonely so it was best he didn't sit with her. He was hoping she didn't fall in love with him.
He tried looking away for a while but his ability to do that didn't last long. And he had all those old feelings, she brought that out in him. Stuff he'd tried so hard not to think about for more than a year. A good woman like her wouldn't understand those tomcat feelings a man gets late in the evening, especially after a few beers while he's sitting, staring, taking in the sight and the heart of a beautiful woman like her.
It wouldn't be fair anyway, he didn't want to fall in love with her.
He had to go to the rest room which meant getting up and walking by her. She looked at him as he stood from his stool and he didn't move, he looked right back. She didn't take her eyes from his as she took a cigarette from a pack on the table. As soon as she lit it he could tell she was no smoker. He understood, she was just trying to look cool and casual, as if sitting around in a bar alone was no big deal. He didn't smoke either but if he had the guts he'd bum one from her. He could fake it as well as she could.
Instead he just went back to the rest room.
He came back out and suddenly the music was at a much lower volume, he knew what was coming next and sure enough the bartender hollered last call. He ordered another beer and he knew the time had come. He had to make a move or forget it and then regret it.
He turned around again and she was gone. His eyes frantically scanned the place hoping he was mistaken, but her pretty face was nowhere to be found. He'd finally given into it and fallen in love with her, but she'd left him. Now what? Well nothing he supposed, there was nothing to be done. He breathed a heavy sigh, finished his beer and settled up with the bartender.
His lips were pursed and his hands were on his hips as he tilted his head just a little to the side. He took a deep breath while he tried to brace himself for the lonely night he still had to face, right after his lonely walk home.
He nearly jumped when he felt a small hand on his back. He turned around quickly and there she was. She smiled but she looked a little shy and embarrassed, "My ride left and I have no way to get home."
That was a simple fix. He could put her in a cab, hell he was the sheriff he could call a deputy to come get her. No, it couldn't happen that way. He'd already blown it with her once that night and he wasn't going to let that happen again. "I'm sorry I don't have my truck here. I walked from home. Maybe you'd like to walk back with me."
"I don't know what you might be thinking but I'm not the kind of woman who just goes home with a man."
He looked so nervous and he was practically tripping over his own words as he tried to assure her, "Oh I wasn't thinking anything like that. I knew you weren't that way at all. It's just that I've had a little too much to drink to drive you. I hoped maybe we could have a beer or a drink at my place. It'll be quiet and private and we can finally have a chance to talk. We don't have to, I mean if you're too tired I have a spare room and the sheets are clean. I can give you a ride home in the morning, after breakfast. Or if you prefer, I can get you a cab."
He was so handsome and so kind and sincere and she was aware in her own lonely heart that really, she already knew him and she knew he was a good man. She spoke the truth when she told him, "Well I guess it would be alright, after all you love me and I love you too. My name's Beth."
He knew his smile must look big and stupid but he just couldn't help it, he couldn't recall ever feeling so happy. "I promise I'll be a gentleman Beth because you're right, and now that we both know how we feel I suppose it would be good if we got to know a little more about each other. And I'm Rick, Rick Grimes."
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A/N I'm sure some of you recognized the song as soon as he got to the bar, for those that didn't it's an old Tom Waits tune called, "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You." It's on You Tube if you'd like to listen. There's a chapter photo of this beautiful couple on my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick. I hope you enjoyed the story and that you'll leave a comment / review. Most of you know I pair Beth with other TWD characters, and if you're interested I've also done a Merle and Beth one shot based on this song called, "Saturday Night." Again, I thank you all so much and until I see you again remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee