Chapter 7: Fried Chicken With a Side of Advice
Beth went about her day, bathing Beau and dressing him. She helped Annette clean the house and prepare lunch. With Beau in his sling, she went out to hang the linen on the line.
Jimmy walked up to her with dirt and sweat covering his face. He gave the water pump beside the house a few pumps and wet his bandanna.
"Sure is hot out today," he said to her as he squinted his eyes from the late day sun.
"Yeah, gonna be hot for another month or so." Beth continued to hang the sheet in her hand as Jimmy hovered around her.
"Beth... are we still friends?" Jimmy asked as he ran the wet rag over the back of his neck.
She clipped the corner of the sheet on the line and turned to look at him as her hands came up under Beau to cradle him.
"Of course we are. Why would you ask that?" She looked back at him and saw the lost look in his eyes.
Jimmy looked down as he kicked a rock around. When he gazed back up at her, his faced showed how unsure he was.
"You haven't talked to me much and since Aaron's been coming around, we don't hang out at all." Jimmy looked away from her as she swayed Beau back and forth.
"Jimmy, I've been right here. If you wanted to talk to me, you should have." She took his hand and led him to the back porch. They sat down on the steps as Beth continued to hold his hand.
"You know my secret, but there's something else I haven't told you that I need to." Jimmy smiled back at her with a gleam of hope in his eyes.
She nodded back to him, knowing she had to tell him her secret too. "I got a secret too, and I'm sorry I never told you. Aaron ain't Beau's father."
Jimmy chuckled a little as his smile widened. "I know, Beth. I saw you and Daryl Dixon down by the pond last summer... skinny dippin'. I didn't say anything about it, never told a soul. When Aaron came back from college with you and told Hershel you were pregnant and the baby was his, I figured you and Dixon were keepin' things quiet."
"Thank you," Beth said as she squeezed his hand. "Now, about your secret. Who is he and what can I do to help?"
"It's your friend, Aaron. I think he's been flirtin' with me, but I'm seein' someone. His name is Paul and he lives in Woodbury." Jimmy's confession took Beth aback.
When they dated in high school, he was never really that affection to her. They were more like best friends than boyfriend and girlfriend. On graduation night, she told him she didn't want to go away to college a virgin. He agreed to do this for her, but she could tell he was beyond nervous, maybe a little apprehensive.
They had sex that night and the night after. Neither time was that great for either of them, even their kisses felt wrong.
Beth took him out to their spot, the old dock down by the pond and asked him what was wrong. She thought for sure the problem was all her. She thought maybe she wasn't pretty enough or sexy enough, maybe she was doing something wrong.
That's the night he confessed to her he was gay. She sort of already knew it, but was glad he told her. His secret stayed locked away in her heart and she supported him and told him she'd love him forever.
She tried to keep in contact with Jimmy after she started college. They talked on the phone and hung out during the summer. When she met Daryl, she and Jimmy drifted apart. She tried to balance her life with Daryl, her family, Jimmy and Aaron.
After she quit college and had Beau, her life was narrowed down to keeping her little secret, her son and Aaron.
Sitting here with Jimmy's hand in hers and their secrets known to each other, she knew they could be good friends again.
"I'll talk to Aaron for you if you want, tell him you're not available." She kissed his cheek when she heard the screen door open.
Jimmy gave her a flash of a smile as he headed back to help Otis and Hershel with the fence.
Maggie stepped out and sat down beside her. "Jimmy's gay?"
"Maggie... please don't say anything." Beth's eyes began to tear up and Maggie wrapped her arm around her little sister.
"Too many secrets little sister. I won't say anything. Oh... Glenn's coming to dinner tonight. This will be interesting. You and your guy, me and my guy and Aaron flirting with Jimmy." They both began to giggle when Annette asked for their help getting dinner ready.
Maggie was rolling the chicken in some flour when Hershel walked up behind her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"How are my girls?" he asked as he poured a glass of sweet tea.
Beth came back in from checking on Beau sleeping in his playpen. "Daddy, what do you think of me and Daryl... dating?"
Hershel took a large gulp of his tea as he pondered the thought. "Don't you think you two are past the dating stage?"
"Yes and no. We really never dated, not like movies and dinners. I want a new start with Daryl, sort of wipe the slate clean." She picked up the bowl of potatoes and began to peel them.
Hershel set his empty glass back down and leaned his elbows against the counter, next to his youngest. "You have a son, doodlebug. You can't wipe the slate clean. I understand what you want, just don't go into it with any expectations, Beth. You're different, Daryl's different and there's a yearlong divide between you. If you truly love him, then just let it happen."
Beth stopped what she was doing, turned around and hugged her father, squeezing him hard. "Thanks, Daddy."
Annette placed the chicken in the skillet, watching her daughters talk boys and babies. When the topic of sex came up, Beth blushed a crimson red.
"Maggie... mom is right there," Beth said as she rolled her eyes at her older sister.
Annette sat down at the kitchen table with them, smiling and nearly giggling herself.
"How do you think you got here Bethy? I may not want to know the details of my daughter's sex life, but it's good to hear you sharing it with each other." She patted their hands when Beau woke up, screaming.
Beth moved to get him and Annette told her to stay. The girls knew she was leaving to give them some much needed sister bonding time.
Maggie turned the chicken in the skillet as Beth jumped up on the counter.
"You think I should get on the pill?" Beth asked her sister, wondering if she and Daryl would be picking up that part of their relationship again.
"You should already be on the pill. Didn't gettin' pregnant with Beau teach you that? You can't always trust a condom, Bethy and you sure can't trust a guy to always pull out." Maggie giggled as Annette said Amen from the other room.
Beth chewed on a green beans as Maggie's words tumble around her head. She knew it was the smart thing to do, but she honestly hadn't thought about sex since Daryl left.
"I'll make an appointment soon. It is the safe thing to do, just in case." Her lips slowly curled up into a smile and Maggie grinned back at her.
"You little minx, you're thinking about having sex with Daryl. Oh, Bethy... is he any good?" Maggie nudged her with her elbow, trying to hide the wide grin on her face.
"I've only have Jimmy to compare it to but I can't image it getting any better than that. He can be soft and gentle and he can be hard and demanding. There were times I was sure I'd die in his arms, at least it felt that way." The sound of the potatoes boiling over brought her back from her daydream.
Maggie took two bottles of water out of the fridge and passed one to Beth. "Here, you need to cool off, hot stuff."
They finished making dinner as they continued to talk about the men in their lives. After Beau was back to sleep, Annette came back in to help them. The girls had things under control and suggested she have a glass of sweet tea on the porch.
The sun was starting to set outside as dinner was being placed on the table. Hershel came in with Jimmy in tow.
"Otis had to go, his hand was smartin' something awful. Jimmy, go get washed up." Hershel picked up his grandson, smiling and making faces at him.
Jimmy looked at Beth and she nodded. "I'm gonna go home, thanks for the dinner invite."
"Jimmy, wait." Beth chased after him, stopping him on the porch.
"I ain't ready to tell them. Maybe someday." That's all he said as he jogged down the steps and out to his truck.
"What was that all about?" Hershel asked as he handed Beau to his mother.
Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket as the sound of Daryl's motorcycle echoed up the dirt road.
She pulled it out, seeing Aaron's number. "Hey, dinners ready."
"I won't be joining you for dinner tonight. Tell you all about it later. Got to go, love you Beth." Aaron sounded giddy, downright happy even.
"Okay... talk to later." She hung up sensing there was so much more he wasn't telling her.
Daryl parked his bike, placed his helmet on the handle bars and ran to her. His hands cupped her face as he kissed her deep and hard. Beau placed his small hand on his and he pulled back from Beth.
"What was that for?" Beth asked him as he took Beau from her.
"Cause it's been too damn long since I did that." He kissed his son's forehead, feeling all the love he had for that sweet little blonde and that sweet little baby boy well up in his heart.
She took his hand and they walked back in the house. He knew this was where he belonged, right beside her and he'd do damn near anything to stay there.
Thanks for the follows and reviews. The Greene family dinner will be next and it will be an eye opening experience for Daryl. As always... Bethyl on!
