XXIX.
"I saw Buttons again—can we go look for him?" the boy asked as they walked back.
Daryl faltered to give the young child a look, and he really wanted to keep quiet, but he'd already realized that it'd just lead to another question. Sam was still reluctant to go back to the town, staggering all the while Daryl dragged him back, and even though he got shyness, he was chattering away which was making it much more tiresome, so he asked, "Who's Buttons?"
"The horse—" the boy explained, "I saw him with Aaron at the gate a month ago. He looked like Buttons."
Daryl had no idea what that meant, and decided he didn't need to know as well, instead only grunted out in answer, "We go back."
Sam again looked discouraged, as if he really didn't want to turn back and Daryl started to wonder if there might be another reason for the boy's reluctance, other than just boredom. "Boy," Daryl then called out, "Did ya do something back at home?" he questioned.
Sam gave him a short guilty look then ran his eyes away. Daryl knew the answer then. "Are ya worried your dad and mom get mad?" he questioned further, feeling—disturbed. He didn't know what made him ask about that, but something had irked him just the way, making him feeling disturbed.
Or he was getting carried away… but the boy's eyes grew heavier as worry clouded his young features further—"Boy?"
"Dad always gets mad," Sam quietly muttered, running his eyes away again, and Daryl really felt disturbed, "Is it why you wanted to come to the woods?"
Sam stayed in silence. Daryl always used to run off away in the woods back in the days too, whenever his old man got into a fit. It was safer that way, not to be around him when he was in the mood. Something—and something he couldn't exactly name was coming at him—more than only disturbance, but also the anger— "I broke the statue," Sam then said, breaking over his thoughts.
Daryl turned and looked at the boy, "Mother had an owl stature in the gardens," the young child said, "I broke it this morning."
Daryl gave him a long look. "Were ya upset?"
Sam stayed in silence again, the shrugged a half way. "I wanted to play with Rons. They told me to go play with the baby," he said, an annoyance in his tone for the disregard.
The baby had to be Judith. Daryl hadn't seen any other babies in the town. Why this shit seriously always happened to him? Not only he got himself a curious trouble-maker but apparently he also got one with a temper. Though, faintly he still laughed at the boy, remembering his own childhood, sometimes he got so upset at Merle not wanting him to play with him and his older friends, he used to break stuff too, and the old man got really into a fit… again he felt the same disturbance, his face grimacing.
Fuck!
What the hell he was supposed to do now? Was he reading too much? But Daryl was usually very good at reading the signs—and the signs were telling him shit now… Beth… he had to talk with Beth. She should now what to do, how to handle the situation. Beth also would talk to the boy, as well, she was good at that way, especially with helping troubled children. She'd always been so good with Carl before when the young boy had had the worst after his mother had died, and Rick had lost it for a while.
Yes, Beth would know what the hell they were supposed to do.
"Uh—" Daryl said then, "I—I got a friend. She's really kind. She gotta be in the infirmary. I was going to see her. You can come, too, if you want."
"In the infirmary?" Sam asked, giving him a hesitant look.
Daryl nodded.
"My dad works there," the boy said then.
Daryl frowned. "He's the surgeon?" There was only man who worked in the makeshift infirmary that they'd done out of one of the houses, and it was the surgeon that had tended Tyreese's wound last night. Daryl hadn't seen the man, Sasha and Abraham had carried Tyreese to the infirmary but he'd heard.
Sam nodded in affirmation as they saw the walls at the perimeters. He wondered who was at the watch this morning, who was responsible for a ten years old escaping without no one noticing it? Who was going to have the Rick's bite? They arrived to the gates a few minutes later. "Did ya at the duty this morning?" he asked the black haired man, had started sliding the door open to them.
She nodded. "Yeah, why?" he asked, "What happened?"
"This—" Daryl said with exasperation, showing Sam, "happened. He escaped to the woods this morning."
The man gave him a startled look, and Daryl left him there—leaving him for Rick to bite his head off. He walked inside, dragging the young boy, too, "Move, boy."
He decided to drop him by his home and talked to Beth as the boy didn't seem to want to be around his father. "Where's your house?" he asked.
Sam pointed at the house across Deanne's. The house was the second biggest one after Deanne's her own house. Daryl thought being the only surgeon in the town got its own perks, looking at the house It had its own solar panels in the gardens, and there was a small field with tomatoes at the back garden, and even from here, he could see small statures scattered around the gardens.
When they were in front of the house, a woman with blond hair, looking very alike to Sam ushered out, exclaiming, "Sam!" She stopped in front of them, "Where have you been? I was looking for you."
"He was out in the woods," Daryl shot back gruffly, tossing at her a terse look.
"What?"
"He escaped from the gate, and followed me. I found him in the woods."
The woman placed a hand over her mouth in utter shock, shaking her head. "Sam! How—why did you do it? What we've been telling you? Your dad is gonna—" she said, then stopped, as if she just remembered Daryl. She turned to him. "Thank you, uh—" she halted and looked at him in question.
"Daryl," he supplied in.
She nodded. "Thank you, Daryl," she said, "He's…I don't know what happens to him. Sometimes he gets so unruly."
"He's young." The woman nodded again and Daryl shot at her another look, and told her, warned her, "You shouldn't keep the stuff hidden from him. He needs to know."
Her lips thinned with dissatisfaction. "Thank you, Daryl, but I think I know better what's good for my child than you."
Daryl grunted out, and only said, "No, you ain't." He turned and started going to the infirmary. He wanted to find Beth. He'd missed her, and Beth really would know what to do with this better than him, and while he was there, perhaps he would also see this surgeon as well, look and see him.
In the infirmary, though, Beth was alone with Rosita. She walked to him smiling upon seeing him walking inside through the open doors. He fastened his pace too. Beth gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and pulled him out of the porch, so they could be alone. There was no one inside the infirmary, possibly the reason why the surgeon wasn't there, either. Amanda possibly had been right there. They didn't seem to have that much of nurses.
"You came back early," Beth smiled with a gentle smile, "I wasn't expecting you before the evening."
She knew he was getting suffocated in the town, when he was…trying. Daryl shrugged off in response. "Got a tail," he answered.
His eyes enlarged a bit with worry. "What? Who?"
Daryl recounted what had happened to her, and asked, "This doctor—surgeon—how's he like?" he asked to Beth.
Beth gave him a look, "I don't know. He seems…tensed, not very friendly, either, as if he wasn't happy with Deanne's decision. I don't know," she repeated, "He just feels—cold and distant. And I think he drinks. He's not drunken or anything, but he smells alcohol." Ah… Daryl sighed inwardly. "Do you think—he's…?" Beth asked, stopped before completing the word.
Daryl shrugged, "I'unno. Jus' the way Sam says he gets mad…it irks me at the wrong way," he said and paused. He looked around, gazing at the empty streets of the town, "and Deanne wanted two constables to keep the order," he faintly grunted, "Makes me wonder why."
Beth gave him another look. "You think she's got…problems?"
Daryl shrugged.
Beth let out a deep sigh then. "I talked to Amanda half an hour ago," Beth said after a while, and Daryl wondered if he was going to be talked into to talking to Rick again, but what she uttered the next got him completely unawares, "she said Deanne and Aaron want us to look for the new recruits and those Wolves—" She paused a second, letting another sigh, "Well, they actually want you to look for them, but Amanda thinks I need to come with you, too."
"What?" Daryl asked, not understanding if he'd heard correct. Amanda Shepherd thought not that it was a good idea being out there looking for trouble, but she also wanted him doing it with Beth? Had the damn woman completely gone mad?
He shook his head. "Nah..."
Beth opened her mouth to talk further but he saw Rick and Carol walking to them just right that moment. "Hey, knew you'd be here," Rick said, stepping at the first step of the porch with one foot, and lifted his head up at him. "We're going to gun practicing," he said, and leaned further, balancing his hands one his knee, "We need to talk."
Daryl knew what that meant. He nodded, and started climbing down, but Beth's voice stopped him, "I'm coming, too." She sent him a knowing look, "I need gun practicing."
Daryl grunted out, but knew she was right, she needed to better her aim—and well, she could never agree on staying behind now after Rick had said they needed to talk.
Beth went inside for a moment to let Rosita know that she was going out with them and came back with her cardigan, putting it on. As they walked out, Daryl told Rick what she'd said, "Amanda told Beth this morning they want us go to recruiting and look for those Wolves," he said, wondering what Rick would say, but to his bafflement, Rick nodded, as if he already knew.
"Yeah," the other mad said, clearing his throat a little, "I know. I just talked with her. She's got some plans. I'll explain later," he whispered as they passed through gates, Rick sending a killing look at the watch, but staying quiet. Daryl wondered what the hell was going on. He would've expected Rick was having a field day with the guard after he'd let Sam escape, and he'd talked with Amanda? Weren't they supposed to be on break, seething at each other with silent glares?
He shared a look with Beth, too, as they passed through the gates. She looked as confused as him, giving a look to Rick then she smiled and nudged at him at his side. "Look!" she whispered, getting closer to him, pointing at Rick with her head as the other man walked quickly with Carol through the woods ahead of them. Daryl looked at Rick, and then Beth, a question mark in his eyes.
"His left hand!" Beth whispered into his ear, "His ring…it's gone."
Ah, then Daryl thought. Beth smiled further, quite happy at her discovery. Struck at the sight, Daryl looked at Rick. He'd taken off his ring and that would only mean… Jesus Christ! Daryl let out a silent breath. Rick Grimes was really a brave sonofabitch, he gotta admit.
"We need to get guns from the armory," Rick said when they arrived to the cabin Rick had mentioned this morning and explained further, "I'd hid one with Amanda yesterday here, but she got that now. We're gonna steal more tonight." He turned to Carol, "You can slip off from the party and sneak into the pantry. They also keep the guns there, right?"
Carol nodded, "Yeah," she said, "It's in a different room, but, yeah. I—I can go to the pantry today, leave a window open and sneak in through it at the night."
"Good," Rick said, nodding, "Everyone is gonna be at the party. We can lookout for you, too. Beth?" Rick asked, turning to her.
She nodded as well. "Yeah, okay." Daryl didn't know how she felt about it, stealing guns, but he knew she was still wary.
"Good," Rick said then looked at them, "The party is a good opportunity for us to see all people gathered at once. Deanne possibly aims for the same thing—has wanted to inspect us closer all together, so I want y'all to do the same, too. Watch."
Beth smiled, giving him a side look, "We'll look and see," she stated, the first lesson he'd taught her for hunting; always mind your surrounding, always know your environment. Rick had been trying to do it since yesterday, getting his bearings, trying to read the situation, and it was high time for Daryl to get into the game, as well.
"This surgeon—" Daryl said, because he was the hunter, and would look and see better than anyone, "There's something off with him."
Rick's face turned grimmer. "What do you mean?"
"His boy—the boy I found today in the woods, he was his boy. He sort of told me that his dad…always gets mad. The boy was worried to turn back to the town." He paused, looking at the other man, leaving the rest unsaid but Rick still understood what he was suspecting.
Rick grimaced even further, and Beth said, "He also drinks. I smelled alcohol on him even in the morning."
"Hmm—" Rick grunted, "I saw him last night," He paused, "He sounded drunk, too."
"Deanne wanted two constables, man," Daryl added.
Rick nodded again stiffly. "I'll look at it." He looked at Daryl, frowning, "Deanne wants you to look for new recruits with Aaron. Amanda wants to search for those Wolves too before they could be a problem for us, but I think we need to secure this place first, deal with inside."
Daryl gave Rick a look. "Do you want me to?" he asked skeptical.
"No, I don't," Rick answered truthfully, "But she's got a got a point there with Wolves… If we don't clean our neighborhood, we might end up with problems. For the recruitments…I don't know."
"It's Deanne's decision," Beth cut in, looking at Rick, as Daryl and Carol looked at her, a bit…surprised with the words, but a small smile played over Carol's lips watching Beth, "It's what Amanda told me this morning—" she continued, and Rick's lips flattened, "She said it's still Deanne's decision, and Deanne will send Aaron and Eric no matter what we say." She turned to him then, "Amanda wants you to lead them so they couldn't bring back trouble to us."
"I know. I talked to her, too," Rick said, frowning further, sounding even a bit snappish, "And told her we deal with guns first tonight then talk the rest tomorrow," he said with finality in his voice, stressing out the last word.
Knowing the discussion was over, Beth nodded. "Okay. Tomorrow."
# # #
As they returned back, Beth felt…torn, everything with Alexandria was so unclear, and she still didn't know what to make out of it. She felt like juxtaposition, one part of her wanting something, the other wanting the exact opposite, but perhaps they were just going out of their comfort zones, and it felt like this.
Beth wouldn't know, not really, she guessed they just had to live and see it. But she was relieved…at least for her friend's sake. It appeared Rick and Amanda had talked and there was no ring now at Rick's finger. She was happy for her friend, and damn relieved that Amanda didn't need to follow that path now, trying to make another woman in charge happy to build a life for herself. She'd seen the last time how well it had worked, and Beth really wanted Amanda to be happy.
She wondered if she could go and asked what happened—what they had talked—but the notion of talking to Rick on a topic was so…foreign, she couldn't bring herself to question him. Rick wasn't an easy guy to speak in these days, as well, so…maybe she would just ask Daryl again… Before she could contemplate on the idea, four walkers found them.
Rick and Daryl quickly walked over to the walkers, stabbing their blades into the brains easily, as Carol emptied all of her magazine on one. "We told them we're going to gun practicing," Carol said with an eased shrug as Beth killed the last one.
They started walking again, but seconds later it was Rick who came to her side. "Beth," he said, and paused for a second as if he didn't know how to continue, then said, "Amanda might need your help with something. Can you look for her when we're back?" he asked, "She's in the house."
Beth stared at Rick. "With what?" she asked.
"She wants to bake some cookies," he answered "doesn't know how."
Beth still stared at Rick. "She's gonna make cookies?" she asked then remembered what the other woman had said, and smiled, "She's gonna make cookies for you?"
Rick sighed out, "She said she wants to."
Beth smiled even further, really happy, fleeting a look at his finger, "So you two…are together?" she asked.
There was no hesitance in Rick's answer, "Yes, we are."
Daryl and Carol were a few behind them now as if they had understood, "I'm glad," she said, "Amanda needs this. You'll come good to her, Rick." She paused, sending him another look, "She was really bad this morning. She thought she couldn't stay with us anymore. She thought she needed to prove herself to Deanne, needed to make her happy so she'd get herself another house and stay away from you."
A frown sat above his eyebrows. "I'd never let her go even if we did, Beth," Rick said, "She's one of us now."
"She's," Beth agreed, "but she said she can't be friends with you. I didn't understand first, but perhaps she's right. I can't be Daryl's friends, too if we can't make this work out."
Rick was in silence for a few seconds, then said, "Sometimes—I just can't reach her. She's got fears. She knows she can trust me, she knows I'm not that man, but she said sometimes she can't feel it."
Beth shook her head in objection. "Then make her feel it… You can do it, Rick. You're probably the only man who can do it." She looked at him, "Deanne was right about that. You brought us all together, made a family out of us." She nodded, "I'm sure you're gonna figure out something."
Rick looked around and let out a small sigh mixed with a tired smile, "In the department, there were these trust building exercises we had to complete with our partners so we can learn to trust each other," he said, "The partner's supposed to tie your hands first, then blindfold you, and he walks you through in the woods and you have to completely trust his directives, trust him not to fall down at your face on the ground—" He gave out another sigh, wandering his eyes around the woods, "I suppose it'd be too dangerous to bring her all tied up and blindfolded in the woods, right?"
Beth stayed silent at that, the words were innocent, but still they'd sounded…wrong, blindfolds and ties…and as if Rick also understood what he'd just said his face got tenser, and she knew Daryl's eyes were on her back as well. She wondered if they could hear them now, they were coming only a few steps behind and Beth got her answer as Carol gave out a small laugh, and said, "Rick, sweetheart, I think you can still find some other occasions to get her all tied up and blindfolded if it's that what you want."
At that, Beth almost gagged.
# # #
Amanda was getting pissed. All she wanted to do was making some cookies, but it looked the damn thing was going to be harder than she had expected. Beth was nowhere to be seen. After Rick had left her, she had first checked the house, looking for the ingredients, then realizing that she had no idea what she was supposed to look for, she had gone to look for Beth, but she wasn't in the infirmary.
Rosita had told her that she had left with Rick, Daryl, and Carol, and understanding her both possible teachers gone out, she'd asked Rosita if she knew how to bake—but the girl looked at her with a killing look but didn't deign an answer.
It was just cookies! No need to get murderous over it, and Amanda was going to tell Rosita about that, either, but on a second thought, she understood she'd better not to. Rosita was getting not her best days since they'd arrived here—the Latin woman had also started getting the pins and needles that Amanda already had, that soon she might find herself getting dumped for another woman—she hadn't missed the looks Abraham had started giving to Sasha, nor did Rosita.
She felt…bad…she'd been just feeling the exact thing with Rick, the fears and such…and she wished she could help Rosita, but then again, there was nothing she could do… She could just hope it'd work out at the end for Rosita, just like it had worked out with Rick and her.
And it'd worked out, right? He'd come back for her…he didn't leaver her. Okay, he'd given her a fair ultimatum, and a good bite, too, but at the end he really didn't leave her. And he'd taken his ring, even before he'd come to her, all mad and fuming, he'd taken off his ring.
Her insides were doing those silly things again, a big smile over her lips—god, she was turning into a mush, but she couldn't help it, and she wasn't fucking care, either. She was just…so happy. It was like her insides were overflowing, like she had a flood…like a dam inside her broken and everything she had kept hidden inside her since her childhood had come at her rushing, and it felt…fucking good.
Everyone said that being in love felt like being drunk and as of the moment Amanda conceded, it was true; she felt drunk…head above the clouds
She shook her head, really trying to get a grip herself. She still had things to do. First, cookies, then…she had to prepare. Tonight she was going to war, and even drunk with love, she had no foolish notions believing that that party was going to be anything than a battlefield, and Amanda had to be at her best game. Deanne probably wanted to put all of them in one place so she could watch them closer, and Amanda was thinking of doing the same. It wouldn't be her own preference; she preferred to get her bearings, get her facts straight in her subjects' natural environments. Parties were downtimes, and it changed things—you couldn't be sure of what you saw in parties but sometimes people revealed things into less-stressful environments too, so they were going to see.
Either way, she had to be prepared. All the bitches were going to be there and she was planning to give one message clearly for all who would care to see. Rick was hers, and Amanda Shepherd wasn't a woman you would want to get cross with. She trusted him, yes, she did, but she still would feel much more at ease if everyone knew it. And if she just would manage to find a suitable…suitor for Michonne to get her under off her way in the meanwhile, well, she wouldn't really mind it.
She wondered if she'd get him kiss her in the party too, and thought for a second to ask Beth how she'd managed to get Daryl to kiss her like that in front of everyone just after their first time, but Amanda didn't have Beth's doelike blue eyes, and Rick wasn't Daryl, either, like he'd told so. So she had to go old style, get all of her…assets back online.
All in frankness, Amanda never liked showing off herself. She dressed up whenever the occasion or situation called but never felt comfortable with it. She was an attractive woman, she knew it of course. She just didn't like hearing it from the others, one of other many things her childhood had ruined for her, and until now, until Rick, she'd never cared, too, liked enough her ugly police uniform, baggy trousers and oversize jackets, even touching it would've sent anyone to jail, but as she looked at it now Amanda found herself wishing she had other clothes…more fitting to her figure. It was weird, but everything was different with Rick Grimes…every damn thing.
She just wanted him to see her…pretty.
With a sigh, she left for the pantry. They kept all the stuff there, including clothes, ready to be distributed when it was necessary. The town had belonged to rich people, even from the interior designs of the houses that was obvious, so Amanda was just hoping there'd been some Stepford woman with a similar figure who used to live in one of those houses.
Olivia was on the pantry duty, and Deanna had already told the woman they could take whatever they would want to wear, so Olivia smiled at her and walked to backrooms to show her clothes. Then Amanda started looking for.
Boring, stupid, old, boring…too big, overdressed, big, boring… All she wanted was a little black cocktail dress, and her size seemed like would be a problem, she had a tiny figure so most of the dresses were just so big to her. She decided to look for one for Beth, too, while she was at it, going through the clothes. Daryl was over smitten over Beth, wouldn't look at any other woman, but it never hurt to be cautious. Daryl was an attractive man, too, with all his rough exterior and bad boy vibes, and some chicks dig at that, and well, it really never hurt to be cautious. She guessed Beth also would like to look pretty for Daryl, and what was friends for? Amanda wanted her friend to be at her best game, too. If nothing else, they were a team, and she had a feeling that tonight she would need Beth's help at the party. Somehow she always did.
She went through the dresses, and her eyes caught a short floral, flare chiffon dress, blue-green, long sleeves, something that would just go well with Beth's cowboy boots, something just like Beth, and Amanda really wanted her in the dress too, dancing with Daryl—well, trying dancing with Daryl at least, happy… God, something was definitely going wrong with her. She was sounding so…sappy, even in her damn head.
She took the dress, draping it over her arm, and continued looking. A couple of minutes later, she found what she was looking, for herself; a simple but elegant sleeveless V neckline black cocktail dress, only decoration the satin brighter belt across the waist on the same color, but nothing else. It was her size, too, better the hem of the skirt was tailored someone around her height, over the knees but not too short, decent without being overly conservative. She loved it. Next to it, there were a pair black stilettoes, too, possibly combined with it by the former owner, and when she saw red soles—she snickered inwardly, rich classy bitch.
Now Amanda liked the shoes like every other girl, there was something that made a girl feel powerful with wearing heels, and she liked having nice shoes even though she rarely wore them…but it was so inappropriate wearing these now. They were in the middle of the apocalypse…still… She really wanted Rick to see her pretty.
With another sigh, this time almost annoyed, she took the shoes, too.
The things she did for love.
She started going back to the house. She had to get over with the cookies, as well, the clock was ticking. If Beth or Carol hadn't still returned, she would start herself. It wouldn't be too hard, she guessed, but she wanted Rick, and Carl, and Judith all ate them. If they tasted bad, she could never forgive herself.
Getting closer to the house, she saw Rick and Carl at the porch, and momentarily she stopped—hiding her hands behind. They seemed like talking too. Carl, catching her out at the street, looked at her a second later. Rick lifting his head up followed his gaze, and his eyes found her, too.
She felt her heart started beating fast again—cold sweat running over her body, somehow she knew what they'd been talking about—and a cold fear sized her again—for what she had still no idea—it just did—running through her veins, her hands started tingling, then Rick gave her a half of smile, and she understood she started breathing again.
Carl, giving her another look, turned and went inside. Well, that was…she didn't know, not very friendly, but she knew Carl was good friends with Michonne. Godammit! Her arms still behind her back, she walked to the house. "Hey," he greeted her, his eyes squinted at her arms, and asked, "What're you hiding behind?"
She shook her head, "Nothing. Just…stuff…for…uh…party."
Giving her a look, he smirked, "Dress?"
She shrugged, feeling a blush rising over her neck to her cheek, embarrassed. What the hell she had been thinking? She hid her arms further across her back. In response, Rick leaned to the other side to get a look over her behind and let out a small laugh. "Amanda Shepherd, are these…heels?"
She sighed out, lowering her arms at her sides, shook her head, "I know, silly," she rested against the railings next to him, "I don't know what came at me. I just saw them…and took them."
He gave her a look, "Like heels?"
She shrugged again, "Like the sounds they make."
Rick snickered, "Well, you can…uh…kill walkers with them at least."
Shaking her head, Amanda showed him the shoes dangling at her fingers, "These are Louboutins, Rick," she said, "I can't kill anything with them." She stopped and sighed out, "It's the end of the world, and I'm having original Louboutins," she laughed, "Gotta love this world."
Rick laughed at that, and gave her another look, "I'm sure you'll look beautiful, Amanda."
Her heartbeat started fastening again and she tried to calm down her stomach, hearing the husky drawl in his voice, "Uh—there's a lot of…competition around here for a cowboy with a southern drawl," she said, giving him a look back, "Better show all my…assets."
His eyes heated, "I already saw all your…assets, remember?"
Her eyes kept staring at his, "Not to you, Rick."
"Hmm—" he leaned down towards her, "Do I need to get worried?"
"You—" she mumbled, her eyes still fixated on her, "No."
He was so close to her now. She wondered if he was going to kiss her—she so wanted him to do it—showed everyone what she meant for him… "Good," he rasped out, and kissed her just at the corner mouth—where he'd bitten her before.
She trembled, a bit disappointed, but well, it was better than nothing, she supposed. She gave him a small smile, and started going inside, but before she took a step, he suddenly caught her and pulled her closer. He then kissed her. Shocked, she barely registered the dresses and the shoes had slipped off of her fingers as they made a heavy thud hitting at the floor.
She couldn't believe it. Rick Grimes was kissing her at the porch, just out where everyone could see it—kissing her thoroughly just like she had wanted… Twisting aside, she threw her arms around his neck, resting herself further on him. In response, tightening his hand at the back of her neck, he deepened the kissed.
After a while, she broke the kiss, and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt like she was about to cry, cry like a baby. "You kissed me," she whispered out at him.
He lowered his arms down her waist and pulled her closer to himself. "Amanda, would you ever listen to me?" he said with a sigh, "We're not doing this half way." She smiled at his skin, it must be a dream…it felt like a dream… "Now, get your stuff down from the floor, get in and make us those cookies. We want to eat them before we go to dinner."
She lifted her head up at him, "We?"
"I told Carl you're going to bake us cookies," Rick said, then gave her a look, "He wants them before the party, so you better hurry."
She smiled wider, nodding. "'kay." She leaned down and pecked him at his cheek, "I'm gonna make you boys the best fucking cookies in the world, Rick."
She then bent down, quickly gathering up the dresses and shoes, and bolted inside.
She got work to do.