That night, while Daryl was putting his boots and belt in the closet, Carol tried on one of the new pieces of lingerie he'd brought her - a black, lacy corset and panties set. It made her feel confident and sexy, so when he closed the door and turned around, she was waiting for him.
His eyes swept over her from head to toe. "Damn," he whispered.
She kissed him teasingly and popped the button free from his tan wranglers. The zipper rasped as she tugged it down. "You've been patient," she said. "I want to do something for you."
His breath grew almost instantly thicker. "Carol, if ya ain't sure - "
"- I'm sure," she said firmly, and then slid to her knees, freeing him from his pants and boxers as she did so. Carol watched him close his eyes and lean back against the closet door before she bent her head.
"Oh...good girl..." he moaned when she began. With a hand to the back of her head, he gently urged her on. "Hell yeah. That's so...damn...right..."
Later, he returned the favor, as she lay on her back in bed, her panties discarded. He continued to torture her with his tongue even after she was trembling, and she had to push his head aside. He kissed his way up to her chin and then settled in beside her, face-to-face, where he traced the lacy outline of her bra with a single finger. "This is sexy on ya. I like it."
"Is that why you left it on me?"
"Who says we's done?"
"Not me." She snuggled in closer, pressing her chest to his. She toyed with his hair. "I think I miss the long hair. There would have been more to play with."
"Yer the one who made me cut it."
"You could grow it out again," she suggested.
"Then ya'd probably just make me cut it short again."
"So? It would be like getting to have sex with two different men."
"Yeah?" he asked. "Good. 'Cause that's as close as yer ever gonna get to that."
She chuckled. "Are you laying claim to your territory?"
"Mhmmm..." he murmured as he began assaulting her neck with gentle nips. He rolled her onto her back and trailed kisses down toward her breasts. "Gonna mark every damn inch of it..."
[*]
When Daryl took Ethan outside the gates one afternoon, he saw Brother Nathaniel and James Miller opening the tail gate of a pick-up. They each drug out a net full of fish, at least a dozen catfish and even more bluegill. James, who was one of the original Alexandrians, had been a sports fisherman in the old world, and Brother Nathaniel had worked on a crabbing boat in the Chesapeake before taking vows, but Daryl still felt outdone. "How in the hell ya get all those?" he asked. With all the chemicals from the firebombing of D.C., the Potomac was useless for fishing.
"Drove out to a lake a few miles west," James told him.
"We signed out the truck," Brother Nathaniel assured him.
Daryl wasn't worried about that. He sometimes forgot to sign things out himself. When he did, Karen would give him a lecture about how if everyone just took equipment out willie nilly, they'd never know where everything was - or where anyone was, in case a search party was ever needed. "Run in to many walkers near that lake?"
"We outdrove half a dozen getting there," Brother Nathaniel replied.
"And there were a couple of floaters," James said.
"Any sign of people?"
Brother Nathaniel nodded. "From the Kingdom. They were fishing there, too. Three men."
The Kingdom had joined the Alliance with the monastery and the Hilltop Colony in the final War against the Saviors.
"Any problems with 'em?" Daryl asked.
"They seemed a bit upset when we caught twice what they did," James said. "And they made some noise about the lake being their territory, but we reminded them if it's not fenced, it's not yours."
"We exchanged words," Brother Nathaniel agreed, "but that was the worst of it. Where are you headed?"
"Tracking wild pigs," Ethan said.
"Good luck," James replied.
Brother Nathaniel whistled up, and the gates rolled open.
Daryl and Ethan moved on. They walked deeper into the woods this time. They followed those swine tracks for a long while, bagging a rabbit on the way. "Hope that wasn't the Easter bunny," Ethan said.
"You still believe in that?" Daryl asked.
"Not since you ruined Santa Claus for me."
They lost the trail in a creek.
"They must have walked through this creek a long time," Ethan said. "Ain't nothin' goin' up."
"Your mama ain't gonna like it if she hears you sayin' ain't." Daryl swished the shallow water around with his boot. A fresh spring rain, coupled with the stream water, had washed away the trail. It was approaching evening. "We'll look some more tomorrow morning," Daryl promised him.
"I don't know if my mom will let me," Ethan said. "It's Sunday."
"So?"
"Church."
"Y'all go to that?"
"Half the town goes," Ethan replied. "It's not just for Catholics. Ms. Carol goes. Why don't you?"
"Church ain't my thing."
"My mom made my dad go." Ethan's nostrils flared and he bit his bottom lip. His light brown glistened, and Daryl could tell he was fighting back tears.
"C'mon," Daryl said. "'S get back home." He put a hand gently on the boy's back and urged him up the bank.
As they walked through the woods, Ethan asked. "You ever miss your dad?"
"Nah. My dad ain't worth missin'."
"My dad died to save us."
"He was a brave man who loved y'all very much," Daryl said, even though he had no idea what kind of man Ethan's father was.
"He never took me hunting or fishing," Ethan said. "But he took me to a baseball game when I turned five."
"I ain't never been to a baseball game. Those ball park dogs as good as they say?"
"Not as good as the cotton candy." Ethan looked down at the forest floor. "I'm starting to forget what he looked like."
"That happens." Daryl stopped and looked around the forest. He hadn't seen or heard anything, but something just didn't feel right.
"What is it?" Ethan asked.
"Nothin' I guess." Daryl moved on.
[*]
Carol settled onto one of the backless, wooden pews next to Karen and cut her fish with a fork. Sofie was sitting with Ethan in the grass on the other side of the outdoor sanctuary and chattering his ear off about something.
"Happy times are here again," Karen said. "What a catch." She looked at James who was standing by the grill. "I didn't know he was such a good fisherman. I thought he was just nice to look at."
"Do I sense a romance brewing?" Carol asked just before she took a bite.
"No. He's taken up with Cora Robinson. You know, Kendra's mom."
Daryl plopped down cross-legged on the ground in front of the pew where they sat. He set his plate on his lap and began eating the fried fish with his hands.
"They have forks," Carol told him.
"Better this way. Then ya can lick your fingers." He demonstrated with sloppy sucks.
"So sexy," Carol said sarcastically, and Karen chuckled.
"Can I take Ethan huntin' early tomorrow?" Daryl asked. "At sunrise. Have 'em back in time for church."
"I don't know. Daryl," Karen said.
"We's this close to gettin' that pig." He held his thumb and forefinger an inch a part.
"Okay, but don't be gone more than two hours."
Carol spied Carl sitting on the stage next to Vicky. He was signing to her, or at least attempting to. "When did he learn sign language?"
Daryl turned around to follow her gaze and then turned back to his food. "Got 'em a book," he said. "And a DVD."
"He's a little young for her," Karen mused. "Two and a half years is a lot at that age."
"Well, ain't like she's got a lot of options," Daryl said defensively. "And Carl's a good kid."
"We should host a singles mixer," Karen suggested.
"What?" Carol asked.
"For the whole Alliance. Invite all the single men and women and teenagers from the Kingdom and the Hilltop Colony."
Carol smiled. "You don't like any of the men here? I can think of at least one that would come running if you snapped your fingers." She nodded in the direction of Father Gabriel, who was eating next to one of the monks in the first pew.
"I just think everyone should know what their options are," Karen said. "What do you think? Should I bring it up with the Council?"
"Ya ain't thinkin' it through," Daryl said. "What if our power engineer falls for some chick from the Hilltop? And our water engineer falls for some chick from the Kingdom? And they up and move there? And then we ain't got no engineers."
"What if some tall, dark, handsome engineer falls for me and moves here?" Karen asked.
"Tom Miller's tall, dark, and handsome," Carol said. "He's not an engineer, but he's a master carpenter."
Daryl frowned. Carol tried not to smile at how ruffled he looked.
"He is kind of dreamy," Karen agreed. "But he's not a one-woman man."
"Really?" Carol asked. "And how do you know that?"
"If y'all're just gonna gossip," Daryl said, standing up, "I'm gonna go find Lawrence and see if he's got any cigars left."
[*]
Lawrence leaned over to light Daryl's cigar. Daryl drew in with a smack-smack-smack until it glowed with red embers, and then he leaned back against the dwarf apple tree. Lawrence had propped himself up against the dwarf plumb tree. The "orchard," such as it was, also had peach tree and a red mulberry tree. The mulberries should be ripe for the plucking in three or four weeks, and Daryl was looking forward to the mulberry pie Carol had promised to bake.
"I thought you didn't like cigars," Lawrence said.
"Outta cigarettes. And they's growin' on me. How many more ya got?"
"That's my little secret," Lawrence said and blew out his smoke in the direction of the outdoor sanctuary. They were close enough to see the rest of the party, but not close enough to blow smoke in anyone's face.
"Until the Council decides we got to hand smokes over to inventory."
"Think you'll serve another term on the Council?" Lawrence asked. The Council would be up for re-election or replacement in mid-fall.
"That's months away. Ain't even thinkin' 'bout it now. And that's up to the people."
Lawrence rolled his excess ash on the ground and took another puff. "There's going to be a turnover. You've only got one townie and one monastery refugee on that entire Council. People were fine with that when we were fresh from the War, but they don't like the imbalance anymore. How's Rick going to feel, do you think, when power starts slipping from the prison camp? If he himself is replaced?"
"Rick ain't gonna be replaced," Daryl said. "And if he is, he'll accept it."
"You really think so?"
"What the hell ya think he's gonna do? Organize a coup? We're all one now."
"I'm glad to hear you think so. Does Rick?"
"Rick's a good man." Daryl leaned closer. "Look. He's led us from the start, and maybe he weren't real open to feedback at first, but he has been for a long time. You ain't gotta worry 'bout Rick gettin' his panties in a bunch if he ain't re-elected. If he ain't, he'll step down, and that'll be that."
"I'm glad to hear you think so. You know him better than I do."
Daryl was distracted by the sight of Tom Miller approaching Carol and Karen. Nadia was with them now too. Tom sat on the backless pew in front of them, but facing them. His elbows leaned on his knees, he began to talk with them, and they laughed at whatever he said. "Whatcha think of Tom Miller?" Daryl asked.
"I think he's a valuable member of the community. Councilman, carpenter, and a decent shot."
"He a ladies' man?"
"Is this because of what I said to Karen? She has a child. I just think she needs someone more committed who doesn't treat her as a booty call."
"Wait…what? They's together?" Daryl asked.
"No. They're merely fooling around. But Tom's also fooling around with Lydia." That was Jonathan's mother. "They're in the same house. That, my friend, is a recipe for disaster. I'm trying to steer Karen in the direction of Father Gabriel."
"Thought Father Gabriel annoyed the shit out of you."
"No, just the piss."
Daryl laughed and then coughed.
"But he really seems to admire Karen," Lawrence said, "and he'll treat her well. I think a casual, non-monogamous relationship is bad for her."
"Ya think it's bad for anyone."
"True. But Karen was one of the early refugees to the monastery. She's family."
"Yer quite the gossip for an ex-monk."
"You asked," Lawrence reminded him.
Daryl rolled his ash on the ground. "Just wanted to know what I was dealin' with. Don't like the way Tom looks at Carol."
"Well don't be a cave man about it. She's not going to like that. Carol can very well fend for herself."
Daryl dragged himself to his feet. "Ain't gonna be no cave man." He took several quick puffs on the cigar. "Just think I'm gonna go over there an see what they's up to." As Abraham walked by, he offered the man the rest of his cigar and then headed for the pews.
