A/N Thanks so, so much. I loved your reviews for the last chapter - it seems you all enjoyed the love going on ;) Good times. This chapter picks right up where we left off, yep the Deputy and his Sketch Artist in that fancy hotel in Atlanta. *sigh*
He wasn't used to going out of his way for anyone, ever, unless little brother or Becky needed something from him. But he was all about making this weekend a big deal for her.
He'd ordered room service that included Mimosas, Eggs Benedict, a fruit platter, juice and coffee. On his own he'd have sought out a greasy spoon for some eggs, grits and biscuits.
But she was delighted and the look on her face and the love in her eyes, yeah, it was good. "My goodness Merle drinking champagne at nine in the morning seems so decadent."
He squeezed her hand as he smiled widely and said, "Well Cupcake the folks that do it on the regular prefer if ya say it's sophisticated." And for some reason even that had made her come up all pink cheeked.
That was all the incentive he needed, "Ya think after breakfast ya might want another bubble bath?"
And she was so fucking guileless she didn't even get where he was going with that. "Oh gosh that would be lovely, do I have time?"
"Course there's time, in fact I's thinkin' I'd take the time ta take one with ya." Okay he was trying real hard to mentally keep track of her pink cheek moments, and he was pretty damn sure this was the best one he'd seen yet.
The woman was full of surprises though and she'd giggled nervously and said, "Alright."
And that was all the encouragement Merle Dixon needed. He got on the phone and asked room service to bring a bottle of champagne up right away.
"Do you think its' okay for us to drink a whole bottle of wine in the morning?"
"I think just about anythin' I do with you is a quite a lot more than okay. Besides, we're on vacation we gotta enjoy every minute we can, includin' takin' a little nap after our bath." Ah he was bad, he knew he was and he couldn't give a fuck less, he had all kinds of sinful behaviors he wanted to partake in with this pretty little sketch artist.
When they got in that tub, her sitting right there between his legs, his one hand on her breast and his other holding a glass of champagne, well it was right then he decided he was having his bathroom remodeled and putting in a real nice tub.
xxxx
It was hard coming back to reality but early Sunday afternoon they made the drive home. He carried her bag in her apartment, set it down for her and then took her in his arms, "Cupcake on a scale a one ta ten I'd give this weekend about a million. It was good, you were good, I hate ta see it end." And he kissed her like he was already missing her, he pulled away for a minute and rubbed the back of a finger lightly along her nipple, "Ya rest up now an I'll see ya in the mornin'."
She smiled up at him, "Thank you for a wonderful weekend Merle, I'll see you tomorrow."
As much as he felt like he loved her, knew he loved her, and as much pleasure as she'd brought to him over the weekend, he was glad to have his time alone. He'd been on his own a lot of years and it was what he was used to, what he preferred. He couldn't conceive of ever living with another person.
He knew it worked just right for some, he couldn't imagine Daryl and Becky not being together, or Rick and Michonne, yeah they were rock solid. But he couldn't see it for himself. He was going to be perfectly happy with her in her place and him and in his, and getting together when that's what they both wanted. He hoped it would be often, but the day to day routine of living together? Hell no.
Besides, someday she'd come to realize he wasn't a good man and she'd be gone. Why make it more complicated when that time came?
He'd just smoked a fat one when the phone rang, Little Brother. "Becky wants y'all ta come next Sunday n have dinner with us, maybe 'bout noon. A'ight?"
"Why that's real nice brother. Becky an Beth seem ta have really hit it off, they're gettin' close."
"Yeah, seems so. See ya Sunday." That's how conversations with Little Brother went, not a lot of small talk. Merle got a kick out of it, man they were different.
She was putting her things away, doing a little bit of housekeeping and getting her things ready for the week to come. Puttering around like she was, she had plenty of time to think about Merle Dixon and she found herself thinking into the future.
There was no doubt in her mind how much she loved the man, and with everything that had happened between them this weekend, it convinced her he was every bit as much in love with her as she was with him.
She imagined if things kept on this way he'd be asking her to marry him sometime in the next few months, and she was already sure she'd say yes.
xxxx
He peeked in the break room early Monday and sure enough there she sat, looking like her sweet innocent, hardworking self, "Hey there Cupcake, how ya feelin'?"
She smiled up at him and yessir that did help to get his morning, hell the whole damn week, started off real good. "Hi Merle, I feel really good and really happy."
He wanted to lay her down right then and right there, but he had heads to bust crosstown. "I's thinkin' maybe we go out for a bite after work tomorrow, maybe go back ta your place after, whaddya think?"
"That sounds nice I'd like that."
"Oh almost forgot ta mention, Daryl n Becky asked us ta have dinner with 'em come Sunday, sound okay?"
"Oh yes I've missed not seeing her these past few days, it sounds wonderful. I sure wish she had a phone."
"Yeah you n Daryl both, but she don't seem ta like 'em an he ain't of a mind ta push her on it. Thank God he's almost a part a this century. I'd hate havin' ta run out ta their place every time I wanna ask him ta meet me for a beer." He laughed, looked around to see who was watching and gave her a quick kiss. "See ya after while."
"See you soon, be careful."
"Always." Or maybe never.
She was happy he'd made plans with her. She wasn't the kind who felt comfortable asking him if he wanted to come over, or if he wanted to go here or there, she liked when he did the asking. She supposed it was the way she was raised.
And she was happy about going to Becky and Daryl's. It wasn't just that she liked Becky, she did very much. She was sweet, unassuming and seemed to be on the one hand gentle and delicate, and yet Beth already knew her enough, knew enough of her story to know just how strong and brave she was. And she was fascinated by the woman. The way she lived almost as though the outside world didn't exist. Beth was convinced that if Becky had never suffered, had never been left so scarred, she still wouldn't bother with town or most people.
Becky was teaching her to quilt and she loved the creativity and artistry of it. They had that in common, being creative and loving art in all its forms. She couldn't wait to know Becky more as their friendship grew.
Their place fascinated her as well and though she hadn't told anyone, not even Merle, but she was painting a watercolor of it, a gift for Becky.
They'd done a beautiful job building the log home, the inside was a step back in time the same as the outside. Well except maybe the sofa and chairs were more comfy, more overstuffed. Merle told her Daryl had made all their bedroom furniture, including the big four-poster bed. Becky and her Mama had made the feather mattress and the pillows.
What she'd never asked about, and she never would, was the second bedroom. It was all fixed up with a crib, a cradle and a rocking chair, and a short dresser with a pad for changing a baby. But there was no baby, she was at least 90% sure Becky wasn't pregnant and Becky and Daryl had never mentioned children. Merle hadn't mentioned a child had been lost. It was a mystery but definitely one of those where you wait until someone tells you the story unsolicited.
Tuesday came and Merle took her to eat but she could tell he was anxious to get her home. It seemed to her that ever since she'd agreed to his attentions, he wanted to be intimate all the time and that was fine with her, she was finding she wanted to be intimate with him just as much.
In her heart of hearts she just knew she and Merle Dixon were perfectly suited to each other.
He didn't give a fuck about eating that lousy dinner, all he could think about was getting her clothes off and getting himself on her. He was starting to feel like a damn randy teenager, but shit he just couldn't get enough of Beth Greene. And the best part was she seemed to want to give him all he wanted to have.
She didn't disappoint him, rolling around with her was the most fun a man could have. A helluva a way to spend a Tuesday night.
She asked him to stay over but Merle Dixon wasn't starting that kind of shit, nope he went home.
She thought it was because he respected her and was protecting her reputation.
He knew it was because he had no intentions of ever staying all night at a woman's house, hers or anyone elses. He was an independent operator, always had been and that's how it would stay.
They'd gone out again on Friday night and of course Saturday night and he still hadn't stayed, wasn't going to. In fact what Merle Dixon had done instead was go out when he left her place. Yep, he'd gone over to the Cinnamon Shack both nights. He'd had a couple of beers and a Jameson, maybe two, and just checked out the action.
That tight little Betty was there and she was a delicious looking temptation, but that woman he'd just been with, well she'd sapped him of his strength. That didn't stop him from buying Betty a drink and throwing an arm around her. He didn't feel guilty about flirting with her, he hadn't done anything wrong, just having a drink with a friend.
Merle Dixon had never been a one woman man and he wondered how long it would be until he got that urge to stray, no matter how much in love he was with the little sketch artist.
It was as though Merle Dixon might have been trying to prove to himself he didn't need her, just like he didn't need anyone. He was fine getting all her loving and he did love her, but there was no way he was going to be one of those guys. You know the ones. Go to work and come home to the same woman every day, day after day, week after week, year after year. No. That shit there, that was not who Merle Dixon was or ever wanted to be.
But for now, yeah, for now he liked having that soft place to land. That sweet little Cupcake.
He picked her up Sunday, gave her a tight hug and rubbed up against her for just a minute. He had the Bike and she'd dressed for it. She had on that pink sweater he liked and a pair of real tight jeans, damn she wasn't looking too innocent in those.
When the women saw each other they hugged and that wasn't lost on Daryl. His wife had a very limited circle of "people", but she seemed to feel good about this woman. That made Daryl feel good about her too, he trusted Becky's instincts about everything.
Beth brought her a gift, a small keepsake box she'd made. She'd painted the outside of the box in a floral pattern to match the wildflowers in Becky's garden. "Oh Beth I love it so. I'm going to put it by my bed so I can see it every mornin' first thing."
Beth was surprised when the sheriff showed up with his girlfriend. The story was that although they weren't married they'd been together for years. Beth had been curious to meet her. She was a strikingly beautiful woman, tall, muscular and feminine. She was soft spoken and Beth noticed how the sheriff paid close attention to everything the woman said, and how the woman paid close attention to everything Rick said, and how sometimes they seemed to communicate by just looking in each others eyes.
She saw a side of the sheriff she'd never seen, relaxed, laughing, and so affectionate with Michonne.
She got the sense this couple was as close to being a part of the very close knit Dixon family as "outsiders" could get.
Merle had brought a case of beer to his brother and the men were all having one. It was interesting because Daryl made his own beer and she'd heard it was excellent, if you like beer.
Beth noticed some sort of subtle "man teasing" going on. They were so different from women. Merle presented Daryl with the beer, "Brought ya this so ya don't gotta share yer good shit with the likes a me an sheriff Ricky.
That's when the sheriff punched at Merle's arm, "If you and your little brother don't quite callin' me Ricky I'ma have Michonne kick both your asses."
Beth would always remember that as the first time she heard Daryl Dixon laugh, "If anyone could it'd be Michonne."
The afternoon was fun and casual. Daryl grilled elk steaks and Becky had made old fashioned side dishes, butter steamed new potatoes, fried green tomatoes, and corn salad. There was a hummingbird cake for dessert but Beth noted Becky also had a big platter of molasses cookies. Cookies seemed to be Daryl's favorite food. And he'd looked in his wife's eyes and told her like he always did, "This here is real good Becky, ya outdone yerself."
She wanted to learn as much as she could about these people, she was thinking someday they might be her family. And she genuinely liked them, they were all such good people and so fun to be around.
It was a relief to him, he'd worried from the start she'd have trouble accepting his family. Daryl and Becky were not a typical pair, and although he cared for them just as they were, he wasn't sure she'd accept them, feel comfortable around them. The fact that she did made him love her more.
When it came to Beth Greene his love for her was fighting a mighty battle with his reluctance to commit to anything with a woman. Merle Dixon was a conflicted man.
For today and tonight he was going to give her what he had and take what she was willing to give.
Two Weeks Later
Merle was working an undercover job, she hadn't seen him in three days and he'd be working all weekend. Daryl had a tile job that was bucking a deadline and he had to finish up. So she and Becky made plans to spend Saturday together and she was looking forward to it.
Becky and Daryl had a big shop building close by the cabin. Half of it was his domain, taken up with his work tools and supplies, and all his hunting and tanning equipment.
The other half was her quilting, beading, tatting, their freezers and food and supply storage. Beth felt like they were well equipped to survive anything that might happen in the outside world.
She'd come to love the quilting and the way Becky did it all by hand. And she loved this time they had and the visiting, being close with a woman close to her age who was so much like her and yet so different.
Their day was going well, Becky was working on a special job for a customer of Michonne's, a woman expecting triplets. Beth was helping with those three little quilts and the three tiny pillows.
Daryl pulled in the yard and he saw Beth's small sedan there. He knew the women had a day of quilting planned and he aimed to stay out of their way, knowing his wife had her own deadline to meet. But more important to him was he knew his Becky loved the work and he didn't want to be bothering her.
He was on his side of the shop, taking some inventory and sorting his tools for Monday, and he heard their voices through the thin wall that separated the shops.
"Ya ever think 'bout havin' a child Beth?"
"I've always wanted to be a mom I'd love to have children. What about you? Do you and Daryl want children?"
"I used ta want ta be a Mother more than anythin', an when I met Daryl I knew he was the one I wanted ta have my babies with. Daryl wants ta have children, he's got that room ready for a child with furniture he built himself. It's me Beth, look at me, I know I'm frightening ta look at. I'd scare a child." Beth saw the tears in her eyes and her heart broke for her friend.
"That's not right Becky. You're beautiful. Your baby will look at you as Mama, your child won't know you any other way. You're one of the most beautiful and special people I've ever known. Any child would be blessed to have you as their mother. If being a Mama is what you want, and being a Daddy is what Daryl wants, then please my sweet friend don't let fear be your guide."
Standing there quietly listening he had his own tears, hearing those words his brother's woman spoke to his wife. He'd always known he'd let his wife make the decision, it was hers to make. Yes he desperately wanted a child, but he'd protect his wife, never make her do anything she didn't want to do. He appreciated the things Beth had said to her, maybe that would help her to know she was a beauty in so many ways.
With her words Beth had earned her own little spot in Daryl Dixon's heart.
Daryl also knew his brother better than anyone else knew Merle Dixon, and he hoped to God that Merle's intentions were as good as they looked to be. He'd hate to see his brother fuck up the relationship he had going with this good woman. But dammit, fucking up was what Merle did.
Sunday evening his undercover assignment was complete, paperwork and all. He came by her place. It had been five days since they'd seen each other. They'd missed it, all of it. The talking and the closeness and the sexual intimacy. The hunger was deep, they needed to satisfy it, and they did.
Still Merle Dixon did not stay the night.
A/N Merle is still fighting that loving feeling, still determined not to make any real big, real meaningful commitments. I think he's in deeper that he realizes. Thanks so much for reading, and please let me hear you comments / reviews xo
