Chapter 11

"You're right on time," Hershel Greene said with a chuckle, as he opened the wide glass door that led into his beautiful farm house. The smell of a roast cooking and the sweet smell of pie wafted out, and Carol swore she heard Daryl's stomach growl.

"Everything smells amazing," Carol said with a smile, as she walked in first with Daryl right behind carrying Sophia in her car seat.

"Well, I can't take credit for that. My girls learned from their mamas. Beth does most of the cooking around here these days, since her mama passed."

"I'm sorry," Carol said with a sympathetic nod.

"It's a part of life," Hershel said with a sigh. "We get through one part and move on to the next. Looking back is ok so long as it doesn't slow you down." Carol thought for a moment, the words resonating within her as she glanced at Daryl.

"Beth? Maggie? Glenn? Our guests are here." A young blonde girl came out first, her hair pulled in a high ponytail, eyes bright and wide and innocent as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel.

"Hi," she said with a cheery smile.

"This is my youngest. Bethy, this is Carol and Daryl. This is Carol's daughter Sophia."

"Oh, I just love babies," Beth cooed.

"She's got her nephew spoiled already," Hershel chuckled. A young woman came walking out, her dark hair pulled back, her eyes a bit red, dark circles under them from lack of sleep. She cradled a baby boy against her chest. He had a head full of black hair, and he sucked at a pacifier he fought sleep against his mother's chest. "This is my oldest, Maggie and my grandson, Henry." A young Asian man came out of the kitchen with a beer in his hand, giving a smile and an awkward wave to Hershel's guests. "And there's my son-in-law, Glenn."

"It's nice to meet you all," Carol said with a wave.

"Daddy says you used to live here," Beth said, reaching to take baby Henry from Maggie.

"I did. A few years back."

"Are you just visiting, or are you here to stay?" Maggie wondered.

"Um, I'm not sure yet," Carol admitted, glancing briefly at Daryl, who shifted uncomfortably next to her.

"Where's your husband?" Beth asked.

"Beth!" Maggie hissed under her breath. "Aint' right to ask that."

"Sorry," Beth said glumly. "I just...I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Carol said with a stiff smile. "Um, Daryl's been nice enough to let me stay with him until I get back on my feet. I really like it here, and I'm hoping this interview at the bank goes well. I'd like to stay for a while. I think Sophia would really like growing up here."

"You're the one who worked on Hershel's tractor, right?" Glenn asked.

"Yeah," Daryl said with a nod.

"You do good work. Maybe you can look at my piece-of-sh…"

"Language," Maggie said sternly at her husband, glancing at her father, who clearly didn't appreciate foul language in the house.

"Uh, my car," Glenn replied quickly, bowing a nod of apology to Hershel, who waved his hand in dismissal and cleared his throat.

"Alright, I think supper's ready. Let's eat."

...

Once the wine came out, Daryl loosened up a little. The adults each had a glass of red wine, while Beth stuck to lemonade. Maggie and Carol had shared a chuckle while putting the babies down so they could have their hands free to eat. The little ones seemed to snuggle into one another in Henry's bassinet. Maggie had commented on how they looked like two little sardines all squished together, which was when they took the babies upstairs to the room Hershel had set up when the baby stayed with him. There was a big crib and a rocking chair, and it made Carol ache for a house with a nursery just for Sophia, a place she could spread out and raise her daughter.

The conversation mostly consisted of small talk, talking about Carol's move back to town, wholeheartedly avoiding the subject of her husband and the very faded but visible cut that had almost completely healed on her lip.

At several points during the meal, Carol could feel Daryl's eyes on her, and she could feel the heat rise in her neck and face, and she'd take a sip of wine, trying not to meet his gaze, because despite her curiosity, she was also terrified about what she'd find when she looked at him. She was more confused now than ever, and she was getting tired, at this point, of the mixed signals.

He'd told her she wasn't the only one feeling these things. But then he'd been completely neutral toward her for two weeks. And then he couldn't take his eyes off of her, and he'd shy away if she even brought up the subject of them. It was just too much, and she knew she was just working herself up and making herself crazy, but she'd had enough crazy in her life. And if they hadn't been somebody's dinner guests, she probably would have slammed her glass down and asked him why he was staring, because she was sure as hell getting tired of the way they were both walking on eggshells around each other.

Just as the pie was being served, a horn honked from outside, and Hershel visibly cringed when Beth immediately stood up. She caught her father's look.

"Um, it's Jimmy, Daddy."

"Bethy, could you please tell your friend to come to the door when he comes to visit you? It's impolite to sit out front and honk the horn like that. He could at least come to the door."

"Daddy," she groaned. "Can I be excused?"

"Go on, but please pass that reminder onto your friend." Beth sighed but nodded, and she hurried out of the dining room. Maggie and Glenn shared a knowing grin, before Maggie took over serving the pie.

"Daddy, you remember what it's like to be young and in love, don't you?" Maggie asked.

"I do, but at least I had the common courtesy to pick your mother up at the front door. I didn't sit there and lay on the horn. Back then, a young man was expected to show good manners when courting a lady."

Carol smiled a little, catching the way Daryl was glancing at her again. When she caught him, her eyes flickered with something he couldn't quite figure out. She cleared her throat and started to get up. To her surprise, Daryl stood too, pulling her chair out. Carol raised an eyebrow in surprise, and she cleared her throat.

"I'm just going to get some fresh air," she said with a smile. "I'll be right back."

"You alright?" he asked, his voice low, thick with concern. His hand instinctively moved to the small of her back, a concerned gesture, to be certain, but it set her blood on fire.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Eat your pie." She flashed him a little hint of a smile, her heart hammering against her ribs as she swallowed hard and stepped away from the table. "Excuse me."

"She alright?" Hershel asked, eyeing Daryl as he slowly sat back down. Daryl glanced at the older man and then at the concerned faces of Maggie and Glenn before he stood back up.

"I'll check on her." He cleared his throat and followed the path Carol had taken out toward the back patio doors. He found her there, leaning against the side of the house, her hand on her chest as she took a few deep breaths. She moved her hand down to her side when he stepped out. "Hey. You sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine," she promised.

"You warm? You need some water? Wine gettin' to ya?"

"No," she said with a chuckle. "I barely had any. You drank yours down pretty quickly, though."

"Hey, free wine. Ain't gonna say no." Carol chuckled at that, and she turned to face him. "What's wrong? You're actin' different."

"I'm fine." He continued watching her, and she sighed. "You're staring."

"Sorry."

"Not just now. All night. You've been staring at me."

"Oh," he muttered, clearing his throat, shuffling his feet and sticking his hands in his pockets. "Sorry."

"It's…don't apologize. It's fine. I just…I don't know how to be around you. We don't talk. Not about...you know, the things we should be talking about. And you kissed me that night, and you told me you were…you were having feelings. That's what you meant, right?" He said nothing, but a little duck of his head assuaged her uncertainties a little bit.

"We need to talk about it."

"We don't," he muttered. "You ain't ready…I just…"

"Don't tell me what I'm ready for. Don't do that," Carol said with a shake of her head. "I'll tell you what I'm not ready for, and you can tell me, but don't put words in my mouth." She swallowed hard, lowering her voice. "What do you want?"

He moved his hands out of his pockets and gripped the edge of his shirt for a moment. Then he cracked his knuckles, and she sighed softly, tilting her head to the side as she watched him. She watched his tongue dart out to wet his dry lips and then he took a step toward her. She wasn't sure what to expect, wasn't sure what to do, but the moment his hands were on her hips, she followed his lead. And when his hand came up to cup her cheek, she closed her eyes, and then his mouth was on hers, and everything felt right again.

Her hands came up his arms and shoulders, gently caressing his neck, before she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer as his hands gripped at her waist. She opened her mouth to him, moaning softly as he slid his tongue against hers.

She gasped softly when he turned her, gently pressing her back against the side of the house, and then his mouth was on her neck, and she was biting her lip to keep from urging him on. They had a dinner to get back to, but God, it was too good to put a stop to.

"Daryl," she murmured breathlessly, reluctantly. "Daryl, wait." He pulled back then, sucking in sharp breaths as he rested his forehead against hers.

"M'sorry."

"Stop apologizing," she murmured, tracing her finger down his jaw. "We should get back." Her voice was low, a whisper. His hands trembled at her hips. "Are you ok?"

"Not sure," he admitted. "Not sure 'bout anything. But I sure as hell don't wanna go back in." She giggled softly, wiping her thumb across his lips.

"Lipstick," she whispered. "You look ok now. Go in first. They're probably worried. I'll be in in a minute."

"Alright," he murmured reluctantly. He leaned in again, pressing his lips against hers, leaving her with a yearning for more, but it wasn't the time. They weren't ready. This was going to take some time, but as he walked back into the house, the fluttering in her heart and in her stomach told her that time might be all they needed to get this right for once.