A/N Thank you all so much. Merle is home from prison but our couple is estranged. Now what? This is a long chapter as we bring the story to it's conclusion. Grab a beer, and maybe a shooter, and let's do this.
00
The job, like the hotel room, turned out to be just what he thought it would be. He accepted that, it would be fine. It was a start. He'd be vacuuming other people cars, cleaning the windows inside and out, and wiping cars down until they sparkled. The pay sucked, minimum wage, but if you did a nice job there were tips to be made.
He meant it when he told the guy, "That all sounds real good. Whatever ya want me ta do I'll do. I need the job."
Merle did just what he'd been planning to do all along. He kept his nose clean, he worked hard, he saved every dime he could. He got a little cooler for his room and he bought bologna, bread, mustard and apples, cold cereal and a carton of milk, and he ate in.
He didn't have a vehicle, he couldn't afford that kind of luxury. He bought a bus pass and that was how he got himself to work and to meetings five nights a week, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Sunday afternoons his brother would come by and take him to dinner. Nowhere fancy, just a diner, some Mom and Pop shop. They ate the kind of food the Dixon brothers preferred. Chicken fried steak, potatoes and gravy.
Everything was good, just right. Except for the deep hole in his heart. He'd hoped it would start to mend with time. He thought eventually he'd heal, and he thought maybe he'd quit missing her so much. He thought he'd meet someone new. No one that could take her place. There was no woman who could take Beth's place, but he thought maybe just a woman to keep company with.
That wasn't going to work out though. Beth was the only woman he could ever see himself with. She was always on his mind and always in his heart.
Other than a heart that was never going to heal, things weren't going so bad. Life had succeeded in humbling Merle Dixon. He'd hit rock bottom, but he was also full of determination to get back on his feet. He got along on the job, his place wasn't great but it was clean, quiet, and cheap and he did what he knew he had to do.
He'd been back six months and he was getting a pretty good little stash of cash saved up. He thought maybe in another six months he'd have enough to buy a small car. Nothing much at first, just some kind of cheap little putt putt.
One night right after work he caught a meeting and afterward he decided what the hell. He splurged and had a hamburger dinner at a café down the block. Neither the meeting nor the café were far from his old house. He took a notion. It was a hot August night, why not go ahead and take a walk by the old place, see how it looked.
He turned off Elm and onto Maple and then he stopped for a minute and thought about it. Maybe he shouldn't, maybe he was torturing himself. Probably, but something had him going that way. He just wanted to have a look-see. Maybe he'd even get a peek at who was living there.
He found himself hoping it was a nice family. It was a great house for a family. Maple Street was quiet without much traffic and the house had a fenced backyard that was perfect for kids. Thinking about those things got him feeling melancholy.
There was a time not so long ago he could have had all that, but back then he didn't know he wanted it. Or maybe the truth was he was afraid of it. He saw that more clearly now. It didn't matter what the reason was though, not anymore. He was sure his chances of ever having a home and family were gone for good.
He shook those sad thoughts away, it was no good to dwell on the negative. What was done was done. He couldn't be thinking about all the "might have beens." There were way too many of them.
Then he spotted it coming around the corner, and he watched as little brother's pickup pulled up to the curb in front of his old place. Merle was sure he couldn't move if he had to and he sure as hell couldn't turn away. He was frozen in place as he watched the screen door fly open and a little blonde-haired boy with a head full of curls come running out. Then he saw Beth right behind the boy, a big smile on her face.
Daryl was out of the truck and the little fella went running right to him. His brother picked the child up in his arms, rubbed a hand playfully over the blonde curls, and the boy put his arms around Daryl's neck.
Beth's approach was slower as she walked toward little brother. He wrapped an arm across her shoulders, kissed her cheek and they all went in the house, Merle's old house, together.
He swallowed hard and he felt tears stinging at his eyes. Tears were something Merle Dixon didn't do. He was all man and he took things like a man. This was just a little too much for any man to take.
He turned and started walking away, back toward where the meeting had been held. There was another meeting in half an hour and he knew he'd better get to it. He needed to talk.
He shook his head and told himself he shouldn't be surprised by any of it. Beth and little brother were the good ones. Probably too good for this world. Likely when he'd gone to jail they turned to each other for comfort and like things do, one thing lead to another. Now here they were, a nice little family. Daddy, Mama and a curly headed boy.
He understood why Daryl never told him what was going on. He didn't blame him. Shit, the way he'd reacted that day when they almost killed each other in the street, why the hell would his brother say anything? Yeah, Daryl was smart. He was keeping his family and their life away from Merle.
He never wished so hard he could have been the one who was smart enough to marry her and give her the child she wanted.
He went to his meeting and he called his sponsor, and he caught the bus back to his hotel. He got out the spiral notebook and he wrote down how it all felt, he wrote about the crushing sadness of a heart that had been broken all over again. Surprisingly though, with all the feelings he was having, what he didn't feel was angry with his brother or with Beth. They'd done nothing wrong. They saw their chance for happiness and they were smart enough to take that chance. He just wished he'd been as smart as Daryl.
Little brother had no idea what his older brother knew and Merle made an effort to keep it that way. He didn't want anything to jeopardize his relationship with Daryl. They'd gotten closer than they'd ever been, and he didn't want to lose that closeness. Daryl was all he had.
When they had dinner on Sundays he treated Daryl like he always had. Merle never mentioned what he'd seen, but not because he didn't want to talk about it. He thought they should. He just didn't want to put his brother on the spot. He wanted Daryl to be the one to bring it up, whenever he was ready. Then they'd talk.
It was mid-morning on a Tuesday, the end of September and two months after he'd seen his brother with Beth and the curly haired little boy. There was an equipment failure at the car wash that morning. It was an electrical problem and they had to call a factory man out to fix it. The guy wouldn't be there until Wednesday. Everyone was sent home and told not to report back to work until Thursday.
He had damn near the whole day to kill and he thought, why not? The machine shop was only a mile or so from the car wash, on his way home he'd drop by and say hi to his brother. He hadn't seen the place in years.
He was walking up the back alley and was nearly there when he saw them. It was his brother, a wide smile on his face as he closely watched a real pretty dark-skinned woman write something on a little pad. After she did she showed him what she'd written and then she used sign language. Because of how intently Daryl was watching, Merle assumed she was showing him how to sign what she'd written on the paper. Sure enough little brother tried to imitate what she'd done. The exchange made Merle smile.
Merle's smile went away when his brother and the woman wrapped their arms around each other and kissed. Not a friendly peck on the cheek. It was the kind of kiss people in love share, and Merle was immediately flooded with emotions. He was furious that his brother was messing around on Beth, but he was also disappointed and confused. It didn't seem at all like something Daryl would do. But there it was.
Merle was also deeply hurt. He hurt for Beth and for the little blonde-haired boy. How could brother do them this way? And this woman, whoever she was, what about her?
He decided not to just turn and leave, but rather to nonchalantly walk over to them. "Hey little brother."
Daryl smiled and it was that big smile again. The kind of smile that had always come so rarely to little brother. He answered back, "Hey Merle, this is my lady, Connie." And then he signed to the woman.
The woman smiled at Merle, then signed to Daryl who translated, "She said she's real happy ta meet ya brother. I told her all about you."
Merle kept the smile plastered on his face when he looked at her and said, "The pleasure is mine. I'm happy ta know ya Connie."
Then he looked to his brother and said, "I don't wanna interrupt nuthin', but I do need ta have a quick word with ya."
Daryl was puzzled but simply shrugged and said, "Yeah, sure um, Connie was just goin' anyway. Lemme say g'bye. Hang on."
He and the woman communicated something to one another, he kissed her again, she smiled and waved goodbye to Merle and the brothers were alone.
"Why ain't ya workin'?" Daryl asked.
"Damn equipment meltdown. Factory's comin' ta fix it tomorrow so it's gonna be Thursday 'fore I'm back at it."
Little brother caught him by surprise when he nodded and said, "Ya been there what, about eight months now Merle? You're doin' real good and I'm proud of ya. But I think it's time ya went ta work someplace else."
"Oh yeah? What someplace else do ya know where they're hopin' ta hire an old ex con?"
"Right here. I want ya ta come back."
"I appreciate that, but before we go there I think we better have a little man ta man talk bout sumthin' else."
"What's that?"
"Beth."
One of Daryl's eyebrows raised, but other than that his expression didn't change much when he asked, "What about Beth?"
"A couple months back after I got out of a meetin', I decided ta take a little walk n check out my old place. I's surprised ta see she's apparently livin' in my old house. Then I seen my brother jumpin' outta his truck, and a little blonde-haired boy and Beth come runnin into his arms."
Merle rubbed a hand across his neck and continued, "I ain't mad, or at least I wasn't mad til right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm heartbroke over losin' Beth. I know it was my own fault, that makes it worse. I'll never get over what I done. I thought ta myself that the two of you were good together and I had no right ta be mad. I just want her ta be happy and you too, ya both deserve it. Then right now I seen ya kissin' on some other woman, and brother, I'm disappointed in ya and hurt for both them women and that child. What kinda game ya runnin' kid?"
What was most unbelievable to Daryl was how calm and reasonable his brother sounded. He didn't sound happy, but he also didn't lead with his fists, yell or cuss. He wanted to talk it out. Daryl looked at him and answered in the same calm manner, "It ain't a game brother. Beth is good people, she's a friend ta me and I'm one ta her. We ain't romantic though and that ain't my child. I let her move into your house cuz she needed some help. I figured you'd want her ta have it. As for anythin' else ya wanna know, I think ya need ta ask her. It ain't my story ta tell."
He dug in his pocket, pulled out his keys and said, "Take my pickup. It's about time the two of ya talked."
Merle thought he probably ought to go home and change out of his work clothes, but he didn't want to take the time to do that. Besides, it wasn't like he was calling on her and they were going out. She was liable to tell him to get his ass off the property before he was half way out of the truck.
He wouldn't blame her if she did, but he sure hoped she wouldn't.
He'd no sooner pulled up to the curb than he saw the screen door open and the small child start coming toward the pickup. He hopped out, started walking that way and the little blonde-haired boy stopped cold. Merle tried to look and sound non-threatening when he smiled and said, "Hey there little fella."
Beth was just a few steps behind the child, wide-eyed with her mouth agape. The little fella hadn't taken his eyes off Merle, and then he said just one word, "Daddy."
It was a meeting no one could have anticipated that morning.
Merle looked at Beth and he could see how nervous she was as she walked to the little boy. Her face was a bright shade of pink and her eyes were glistening when she took the child's hand and said, "Merle, this is Jamie, and yes Jamie, this is your Daddy."
Now it was Merle standing with his mouth hanging open. The question was in his eyes and on his lips. He wasn't just shocked, it was his heart too. It was so full and he wanted to grab her and the child up in his arms. That's just what the old Merle would have done. Acted quickly and without much thought.
The new Merle was very conscious of the little boy standing there, he was an innocent who needed to be treated carefully, protected from what are often the thoughtless ways of adults. He also hadn't missed the anxious look on Beth's face.
He was determined to let her take the lead in this conversation, he looked at her and waited for a cue of some kind. She smiled nervously and said, "Let's all go in the backyard. Jamie can play while we talk."
He simply smiled and answered, "Yeah, okay sounds nice."
She nodded, "Please, come on."
It was in the look they gave each other then, they reached a silent agreement. The child was the first consideration for both of them.
While they'd spoken so casually and made their silent agreement the little boy kept a hold of his Mama's hand. As they all turned to walk up the porch steps he said to Merle, "'C'mon Daddy."
This time it was Merle who stopped, daring to lay a hand on her shoulder, "Beth?"
She looked at him and he knew those tears were ready to spill. Her voice had a slight tremble when she told him, "His name is James Merle Dixon. He has your picture by his bed."
Merle was trying hard to process what she'd said. Was this all a dream? Then he saw a tear spill from her eye and roll slowly down her cheek. He had so much he wanted to ask, so much he wanted to say, but more than anything he wanted to hold her. There was that someone else there with them though, and he didn't want the little fella to see his Mama crying.
He took the small hand in his and smiled, "Hey Jamie, whaddya say we go on out ta the backyard and play? Maybe Mama will bring us a cool drink after while. Wanna?"
The little boy smiled and nodded, and Merle looked to her and spoke softly when he said, "Hey, I get it, it's a lot. Take your time, him n me are gonna stay busy."
He stood back while she walked in the front door, and looking down at Jamie he smiled, "always let ladies go first." She made a beeline down the hall toward the bathroom and the bedrooms and he wanted so much to follow her. He wanted to take her in his arms and promise it would all be different. But now was not the time for that. Now was the time for him to begin to get to know the little blonde-haired boy. His son.
As he walked in the living room he saw it wasn't much different, yet it felt so different. It was painted a soft blue color and the wall behind the sofa was covered with framed pictures of the little boy. In the corner of the room sat a wooden toybox with the name, "Jamie" painted on it. He wondered if Daryl built that for the boy. It looked like Daryl's work.
He glanced down the hall as he and the child made their way toward the backdoor and he wished he could check on her. All he could do was hope she was alright.
The kitchen made him smile, she'd painted the dark cabinets white and there were white cotton curtains in the window. She'd always talked about doing that and he'd always grumbled and said they were fine like they were. With him gone he supposed she finally felt free to do things her own way. She was right too, it looked a lot better.
He saw one of the chairs at the table had a booster seat in it. In his mind's eye he could see her and the boy sitting there together having a meal. Only Daddy was missing. He told himself to quit it, this wasn't about him feeling sorry for himself. This was about him acting like something mattered in this world besides just him and his ego.
He was about to open the backdoor when he thought to ask, "Hey son, ya got a ball? We could throw it to each other. I always did wish I could play catch with my Daddy."
Jamie nodded excitedly, answering, "Owside."
"Outside, alright then, let's me n you go play."
He guessed they'd been out there for 30 minutes or so when she joined them and said, "Okay you two, time for lunch." Merle could see her pretty eyes and her sweet nose were still a little red, but she smiled when she said, "I hope you like a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It's the top menu item around here, Jamie's favorite."
"I do like it Beth, and that's mighty sweet of ya ta include me, but I can't be eatin' your food. Ya need that for you and the boy."
She lay her hand on his arm and told him, "You pay for our food Merle. Every month Daryl gives me half the money you would have earned if you were there working. At first I didn't think I should take it but he said, 'You have to Beth. I always planned to save it for Merle. If it wasn't for him giving me the money to begin with, I wouldn't have the business at all. Think of it has his child support payment.'"
Merle laughed but he felt those tears in his own eyes when he told her, "That kid, he always was the sweet one, and the brains a the family."
It was simply soup and a sandwich but there was so much more to it than that. He appreciated the privilege of having a meal with his son and the woman he'd loved since the first time he'd seen her. This was no time to be getting into anything serious though. This was about having lunch with his son. He ruffed the boy's curls and said, "Your Mama makes the best cheese sandwich of anyone, don't she?" The little boy smiled and nodded his head as he happily chewed away.
After the meal she said, "It's time for Jamie to wash up and lay down for a nap. Would you want to help me tuck him in?"
He was just about to answer but Jamie answered for him, "Say yes Daddy."
"Yes I do. I really do."
She had the boy in the extra bedroom, the one he'd always used to store his hunting and fishing things. He didn't know where those things were now and he didn't much care. This was so much better. He scanned it, taking in everything about the room.
The walls were a brighter blue than the rest of the house, with a white ceiling and white baseboards. There was a small bed covered in a quilt with images of race cars on it. There was a miniature table, one made just for little people with four tiny chairs and on the table were a coloring tablet and crayons.
A short two-shelf bookcase filled with children's books was against one wall, it gave him an instant image of Beth reading to the child every night before bed. There was a basket filled with stuffed animals and on the bedside table, next to the lamp, was a picture of Merle and Beth. It almost made him tear up. They looked so happy, but he remembered the day. Happy was only how they looked, not how they felt.
Merle tucked the quilt around the boy and the little fella smiled and said, "Kiss g'night." Merle turned to her as if asking permission and she smiled and nodded.
She kissed the little boy next and said, "You have a nice nap now. When you wake up we can play with your cars, okay?"
"Yes Mama." She shut the bedroom door behind them and Merle said, "Ya got that fixed up real nice Beth, the whole house looks real nice. But why didn't ya just use the guest room for Jamie?"
"The guest room is the room I use now. I didn't…I couldn't…well it seemed like a better idea for me to stay in there than in our old bedroom."
"Yeah." There was an almost pleading look in his eyes when he asked, "Now that Jamie's sleepin', can we talk Beth? Catch up? I got so many questions. I promise I'm different though. I'ma listen to ya, I ain't gonna yell or cuss. I ain't ever gonna do that to ya again."
00
As soon as Daryl got the news he'd come to her. Merle was coming home. She hadn't seen him in over three years, and many times she'd wondered if she would ever see him again. Of course she would, she would have to tell him about Jamie.
He'd been so firm about never wanting a child and she remembered how hard she prayed that he'd be happy. She hoped he'd find room in his heart for his son.
What she hadn't even dared to hope or pray for was that somehow, what had happened between them could be "fixed." But then she was sure he didn't want that. He'd made a point of calling her out specifically as someone that was never to visit him.
At the time Daryl reminded her he'd done the same with him. "Beth, that's just Merle. He's bullheaded. I can hear his mind workin', tellin' himself he fucked up and we're better off without him." He took her hand and held it before adding, "I think it's sumthin' else too though. I think he went in knowin' he had ta either get his shit together or call it a day. When I heard his early release was cuz of good behavior it made me laugh, but it also let me know. Merle's been walkin' the walk, workin' on hisself."
They agreed, they were going to let Merle prove to himself he could do it. When the time came she would let him know all about Jamie. He could decide if he wanted to be part of the boy's life. If he didn't want to be, well it wouldn't be something he hadn't told her long ago. He'd made his feelings about children very clear. She'd simply have to learn to accept it. When Jamie got older she'd think of some way to explain it to him.
One thing Beth didn't allow herself to think was that he would have any desire to try and start over with her. She would always love him, but she was sure he was done with her. Besides, he'd been out a few months now and for all she knew he had a new love.
When she heard the truck pull up she hoped everything was alright. Daryl wasn't supposed to come by until after work. He was going to watch Jamie while she went to a meeting. She followed her little boy out the door, and when she saw who climbed out of Daryl's truck her heart went straight to her throat and her stomach did a backflip.
She told herself to pull it together, she had to. Especially when Jamie recognized his Daddy from the pictures. What surprised her was Merle's reaction. Of course he looked shocked, but he also looked emotional, as if he might have a tear in his eye.
00
They agreed to sit outside on the porch to talk. She went to the kitchen and began pouring them a glass of tea to take out. He told her, "Ya don't have ta wait on me Beth, but thanks."
She smiled when she answered, "Merle, I'm not waiting on you. You're here, we're going to talk, I'm a southern girl. Of course we're going to have a glass of sweet tea. Now please don't be so nervous."
He smiled back, "I wouldn't be nervous with anyone but you Beth. Last time we seen each other it was nasty. I was nasty. I've had a lotta time ta think about, and regret everythin' I said and done."
"It wasn't all you, I've had plenty of time to think myself. Come on, let's sit outside. The days have gotten so pleasant."
She told him all about the night she left and what happened after. The small bedroom she rented and the two jobs. Finding out she was pregnant, and Daryl finding her. "I wasn't sure I could come back to this house Merle. Not after everything that happened and how it happened, but Daryl was right. It was a good decision. Jamie has a nice home here, we've been very happy."
"It makes me happy knowin' that Beth. Ya always did deserve good things in life. I'm glad the boy brings ya happiness and that ya don't see him as a burden."
"A burden Merle? He's our child."
"That don't always mean folks welcome a kid, just cuz he's theirs." She knew what he was thinking about, but then he quickly smiled and added, "He seems like a real good boy."
"Most of the time he's a very good boy," She smiled and added, "but he is all boy and he has his share of naughty times."
He took his shot at it, "I'd like ta be a part of his life if you'd allow it. I promise I'd be on my best behavior. I could never hurt him."
"It never occurred to me you'd hurt him and that's what I want too. That's what I've wanted since I found out I was going to have a baby. I went to the jail to tell you."
"I appreciate that, I do. I had a lotta growin' up I needed ta do. I had a lotta gettin' honest ta do, a lot of gettin' my head on right. I still got my moments, but now I know what ta do about em."
He turned even more serious then, "I never wanted anythin' more than I wanted that pretty little blonde down at the end of the counter. Sippin' on her apple juice and lookin' so alone and scared. I couldn't believe it when ya let me walk ya up them stairs, then ya let me in. I didn't handle things right Beth, and I didn't treat you right. I knew we were movin' too fast and I knew I wasn't workin' my program. I ignored all that, and in time I ignored you. I know I turned mean. I hope someday ya can forgive me."
Her eyes were so blue with just a hint of a tear, but her voice was steady when she spoke, "I had a lot of straightening out to do on my head too. Don't take on all the guilt Merle, plenty of what went wrong was my fault. We share the blame. The only innocent one in all of this is Jamie." She let her hand rest on his arm when she said, "I forgave you and me both a long time ago."
It gave him the courage he needed to ask, "Ya think there's any chance, you and me…that we could ever try it again?"
He saw the bright pink color come up on her cheeks and it made him long for her, any kind of closeness with her. Damn he'd missed that look. She didn't hold back telling him, "I'd like that too, I would. But Merle, we'd have to be so careful. It really would have to be an entirely new beginning. We can't risk going back to what it became."
"I know, I'm with ya a 100%, and I know we gotta be especially careful around the boy." Then he laughed, "Shit, I's just thinkin' I'd ask ta take you and Jamie ta dinner tonight, but I ain't even got a car. All I can offer is ta take ya on the bus, or I s'pose we could walk."
"You still have your truck Merle. It's in the garage with all your hunting and fishing stuff. I will admit, it's the vehicle I usually drive. Our son prefers to ride in what he calls "the big twuck.'"
He smiled at that and replied, "Man, I remember I never would let ya drive it. I bet ya look cuter'n hell behind the wheel. Anyway, if that's what ya drive, and what Jamie likes, I sure ain't takin' it away from the two of ya. The bus is good enough for me."
"It's not fair for you to go without. I still have my old car and I can go back to that. You take the truck."
"I'll make ya an offer. I been savin' for a car. I got $700.00 right now. I'll give ya that for the car."
She laughed, "Do you really think the old thing is worth that much?"
"I got no idea, but damn I always had my sights set on a twenty-year-old Subaru with an oil leak."
He made her laugh again and she compromised, "Alright, you keep $200.00 for yourself, something might come up and you'll need it. We'll put the other $500.00 in Jamie's college fund."
That's how they started, they talked things out and they compromised.
They went on simple outings, mostly family stuff. Saturday matinees and fishing in the kiddie pond at the park. They went for walks in the woods and they went bowling, out for ice cream, and they stayed home watching movies and eating popcorn. Sometimes he'd grill burgers and they'd picnic in the backyard.
After Jamie went to bed they talked, a lot. Maybe even more important than the talking was they listened to each other and they heard. They paid attention.
They fit it all in around going to their meetings. That was the one thing they both knew better than to compromise on. And although they'd become more intimate than they'd ever been, they didn't get physically intimate. They didn't even come close to it.
It was that they didn't desire that with each other, they did, but they had an agreement. When and if that finally happened they wanted it to mean everything. They'd make the big commitment. First they had to be sure they were in it for the right reasons and for good. They couldn't take foolish risks, they had their son to consider.
Even though he was back working at the shop he still stayed in the little hotel room. It met his needs, it was where he ate his breakfast and where he slept. He was hardly there otherwise. He worked, he went to meetings and he spent every minute he could with Beth and their son.
It was six months after he'd driven up to the house in Daryl's pickup. He had the little box in his pocket and he was going to ask. He allowed himself the confidence to think she'd say "yes." They'd professed their love and they'd agreed on what they wanted their future to hold: A solid commitment based on love and respect. He knew Beth wanted it all, she wanted the ring and she wanted another child. He wanted to give her both of those things.
They were sitting on the back porch having a lemonade and watching Jamie run through the sprinkler. Merle stood, reached in his pocket and pulled out the little box. He wanted to do it right, but he also wanted to keep it simple. That's who they were. He got down on a knee, held out the open box and asked her, "Beth, would ya marry me?"
She kept it simple too, "Yes Merle."
A month later, in their backyard, with her family and his brother and Connie in attendance, Merle Dixon and Beth Greene made the big commitment.
Jamie was spending their wedding weekend with Beth's folks and Merle and Beth were staying home. For the first time in years they'd be sleeping together in the master bedroom. For the first time in what felt like forever they'd be sharing themselves with each other.
When the guests were gone they smiled at each other and he whispered, "Damn you're a beautiful woman Mrs. Dixon."
She put a hand on his cheek and answered, "Damn you're a handsome man Mister Dixon."
He took her in his arms, held her close and they were quiet. Then he whispered in her ear, calling her something he hadn't called her since before he went to prison, "Darlin, I love ya so much." He drew back cupping her face in his big hands, and smiled when he said, "I'm the happiest guy on earth Beth."
He took her hand and led her that way, "C'mon, let's make out on the couch like a couple a teenagers."
"That sounds like fun."
They sat, his arm slipped around her shoulders and his mouth was on hers. They really were like teenagers, kissing and sucking each other's necks while they teased at feeling one another's bodies over their clothes.
His hand gently moved along her tummy and her ribs until it reached her breast, and he could tell by the feel she wasn't wearing a bra. The idea appealed to him. He drew his lips away just enough to smile at her when he asked, "Did ya forget sumthin'?"
He didn't give her a chance to answer, his lips were back on hers and his tongue was in her mouth. His hands slowly moved to her back where he slid the zipper of her dress down, "Aha, now I see." He could feel it, and he could very clearly recall how sweet and sexy she looked in the little white undershirts she wore. That image of her appealed to him almost as much as the idea of her in nothing at all. It also gave him another layer to peel off before he got to what he called, the good stuff.
He slipped her dress off her shoulders and enjoyed the sight of his wife's small body. He looked in her eyes, unblinking while his hands clasped lightly onto her still-covered breasts. He was massaging them and teasing her nipples and she moaned, "Please Merle…"
It had been so long but that didn't mean he didn't remember everything about how good it was being with her. He'd spent many sleepless nights and had just as many cold morning showers thinking about everything he enjoyed about making love to Beth.
Now she was here and she was real, and he was getting the second chance he never dared to dream he'd have.
He slowly slid open hands inside the little t-shirt and slipped it off her, once again drawing back enough to take in the sight of her exposed breasts. He could tell by the flush of her skin she was embarrassed by his unabashed staring and appreciative grin, but his wife made no attempt to cover herself. She was letting him have his fun. Then she blew his mind.
She leaned back, resting her head on the sofa arm while she cupped her small breasts in her hands, and smiling at him she whispered, "Take me to bed and I'll let you have a taste."
"Oh I'ma have several tastes Darlin'," He smiled, stood and began to unbutton his shirt. Never taking his eyes off her.
She stunned him again. She stood, breasts naked and exposed, her dress still resting on her hips. She pushed his hands aside and said, "Let me do that for you." She loosened the rest of his buttons, put her hands inside the shirt and eased it off his shoulders. Then she rubbed her chest against his, while she teased a nipple with her tongue.
"That's it Darlin', you win." He scooped her up in his strong arms and she wrapped her arm around his neck, nuzzling her face into his warm skin while he carried her to their room.
Neither could quite believe it was really happening. It had been so long, and they had been ready and waiting for this moment for what felt like forever, but they didn't want to rush it. It was their "first time."
He was gentle as he stood her by their bed, her back to him. His arms slipped around her and played with her breasts while he kissed and licked the back of her neck. She leaned back into him softly moaning, "Please Merle."
He smiled when he answered her, "Whatever ya want Darlin'" as he finished unzipping the dress, slipped it over her hips and helped her step out of it. It wasn't just any dress, it was her wedding dress, and he carefully laid it over the bedroom chair.
The only article of clothing that remained were those high-waisted white cotton panties. He was so damn glad to see she still wore that style. He smiled broadly, picked her up again and lay her on their bed, stood over her and loosened his belt, then his pants and slid all over his hips and off.
He was naked and she saw he was getting hard. He reached big open hands between her legs, resting his palms against her thighs and gently nudging her legs apart His finger softly tickled at her pussy through the cotton fabric, and he never stopped looking in her eyes and smiling. It was such sweet torture and she could feel herself getting wetter, her nipples so hard and begging to be touched.
She let out a faint gasp when he moved his body between her legs and began nibbling at her, right through the crotch of those cotton panties. One hand teased at her nipple while his finger slid inside the elastic, and then inside her. She was squirming and moaning, and he was loving the feeling of her get wetter as she became more and more aroused.
He propped himself on his knees and said, "I gotta taste some a that sweetness." He pulled the panties off, but before casting them aside he brought them to his face, held them there and breathed in deeply, "Oh yeah, that's my Darlin'."
His bedroom talk had always made her a feel a little embarrassed, a little self-conscious, and a lot turned on.
It wasn't long before her legs were draped over his broad shoulders, her fingers tugging at his curls as she lost herself to him completely and happily. She was fully in the moment and fully in the bliss, and when his fingers pinched her nipple almost too hard, while his lips were sucking on her oh-so-sensitive clit, she could feel herself start to tremble.
Every part of her body felt hot, especially the part where his lips and tongue were licking, sucking and gently nibbling. She remembered him turning the AC on but still the room felt hot. Her breathing became more rapid and erratic, and she was sure there wasn't enough air in the room. She quivered and shook as her hips rose and her body stiffened, then let go completely while she cried out, "Oh Merle, oh my gawd, Merle."
He never stopped what he was doing, he'd been denied that sweetness for years and now he was determined to have his fill.
When her body seemed to go completely limp he started kissing his way from her pussy up and over her mound, over her pelvic bones, her tummy and her breasts until they were face to face, then he smiled, "Damn I been hungry for that Darlin'." His mouth was on hers and she could smell herself and taste herself and she started to feel aroused all over again.
She was done though. She felt weak and ready to rest. Then he began his teasing again as his hand slipped back between her legs. She marveled at how he could so quickly have her wanting more. She'd never been able to get enough of Merle.
His fingers knew just what to do as they played and teased, and in a raspy voice he told her, "Ya always get me goin' Beth, I can't wait ta get inside and make ya cum again." His words had her hips rising and as he slipped a finger inside her she felt herself searching for more as she tried to rub against any part of him.
He wanted to see her satisfied, but he wasn't rushing to end this moment. His mouth traveled along her body sucking, licking and kissing the soft white skin of her neck, her shoulders, her collarbones and her breasts, while his fingers kept up their teasing inside her and the pad of his thumb rubbed her swollen clit. "Merle, you…oh my gawd you make me feel so good. Please, I want you so much."
He he burrowed his face into of slope of her neck as he whispered, "I've waited so long ta have this with ya again Beth. You're all I've ever wanted."
His body seemed to glide down hers until once again his mouth found that little bump, and for just another minute he licked and sucked at it. He moved back up her body, and just as before his mouth lead the way. When they were eye to eye he smiled as he guided himself into her and said, "Darlin', I'm all yours."
Her voice was breathless as she answered, "And I'm all yours, always." He was taking it slow as they got back into that old familiar groove, reveling in the steady motion of her hips matching his strokes. His hand and his mouth were busy on her neck and breast, while her legs wrapped around his hips and she clasped tightly onto his ass.
As their hunger rose his strokes became faster and deeper. His hand was between their bodies and his fingers had again found that sensitive nub. Her legs wrapped around him more tightly, as if she was trying to pull him in deeper, and her hands now clasped his face as her fingers wove in his curls.
They were both on the edge of ecstasy when he hoarsely whispered her name, "Beth, Beth you're…damn Darlin' you're so damn good."
She responded the only way she could, moving her body more rapidly while she moaned and pleaded with him, "Please Merle, please, I need…please…". He was so hard and he thrust himself so deeply into her, as he bit softly at her nipple his finger rubbed faster and with more pressure on the little bump. She squealed "Yes, Merle, yes…" and he felt her losing herself to it, and he let himself go there with her.
As they collapsed back onto the bed he pulled her to him, "I love ya Mrs. Dixon."
She answered back, "And I love you Mister Dixon."
00
A/N I'm going out on a limb here and say, they lived happily ever after. Thank you all so much, please leave a comment / review. You can see the chap photo on my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick, please have a look. I appreciate you reading along and I hope to be back soon with more Merle and Beth. Until then remember, I love ya large! xo