Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last one. Here's another one for you :)
Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Summer Rain

They walked along the muddy riverside path, their hands entwined. Dervla was running in front of them, occasionally stopping to sniff a plant or the air, whichever took her fancy at that particular moment in time. They both, unusually, had the day off so they'd decided to seize the opportunity and take Dervla for a relaxing country walk.

It was a beautiful afternoon in August so you could be forgiven for expecting it to be hot. The day had started off quite warm but then around midday the sky had clouded over with angry, black rain clouds. Then the rain had started falling. It was gentle at first, small raindrops landing on them and the rich green surroundings. But then the tempo of the rain had increased, rather like the tempo of a particularly uplifting piece of music. There had been a few rumbles of thunder and the occasional crack of lightening before the storm ceased as abruptly as it started, dropping back off to the tiny little droplets of water that were sometimes welcome in the middle of a hot summer.

They both were soaked, having been caught in the middle of the storm. Sam's long blonde hair had been left down that morning and wisps of it were sticking to her damp forehead. The colour of her hair was a lot darker than it was when it was completely dry. Dylan didn't look much better. Occasionally a rain droplet would land on his nose, hanging there for a while until eventually it fell, tricking down his face.

Dervla was probably the driest of the trio but ironically she was also the muddiest. She had been nosing into the undergrowth, daring a rabbit to appear so she could chase it, and splashing through deep puddles of muddy water. She kept shaking her grey coat free of any water but they both knew that she was going to require a bath when they got home.

Dylan glanced down at his wife. She was dressed simply in a pair of jeans and a lightweight hooded top. She had an old pair of boots on her feet that were now rather muddy. Her hair was damp and sticking to her head but she still managed to look beautiful to him. He let go of her hand, snaking his arm around her shoulders instead. She glanced up at him, her blue orbs looking at him inquisitively. A small smile was playing on her pink lips as she moved closer to him, wrapping her arm around his waist. Neither of them really went in for public displays of affection so for them, walking like this was an alien concept.

They continued walking, neither of them feeling the need to break the peaceful silence that had settled over them. Dervla had returned to Dylan's side and she was walking quietly along with them, occasionally glancing up at them both, a contented expression in her liquid brown eyes.

That evening found Sam and Dylan sprawled out on the sofa together, a blanket draped over Sam's legs. The room was darkened, their only source of light coming from the various scented candles that Sam had – much to Dylan's annoyance – dotted around the room. He had his arm around her shoulder and she had her head resting on his chest, her arm around his back. Her eyes were drifting shut, the warmth of the room and the tranquil silence making her feel sleepy.

Their walk down by the river that day had been exhausting but all three of them had enjoyed it nonetheless. It had resulted in being muddy, tired and wet but neither of them complained. Dylan was well used to it – he normally took Dervla out on longer walks when he had days off to make up for the shorter walks she got when he was working – and Sam, well she'd just enjoyed spending quality time with both her husband and his dog.

Dylan shifted position slightly as he tugged Sam closer to his body, holding her protectively. He pressed a kiss to her damp hair, the sweet scent of her shampoo assaulting his nostrils. She mumbled something incoherent into his chest as exhaustion took over. He chuckled, knowing she was completely worn out by the days events whether she chose to admit it to him or not.

As she drifted off to sleep, he placed a soft kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering there for a little longer as he tenderly whispered the simple three words that meant so much yet were rarely exchanged between them. "I love you."