OK, second chapter based on the great story 'Safe Harbour' by UPSGirl88. Just what was Merle doing while Daryl and Carol were away on that cruise? I haven't proofed, hopefully its ok.
Safe Harbour Part II
The Georgia heat steamed across the fields in waves and Beth sweated and stuck to her vinyl seat. She propped her boot on the dashboard and rolled the window all the way down in a futile attempt to get some air. This old junker truck that Jimmy got from his dad ran all right, but that was about it. Jimmy was so proud of it and wanted to go everywhere in it so she couldn't deny him. Heck she didn't even have a car of her own but she'd secretly way rather ride in air conditioning and power windows like in Maggie's new Celica. But when Hershel got the call that the Schneider farm needed some more antibiotics for a shipping fever outbreak Jimmy jumped at the chance to go and Beth resignedly went with him.
As they cruised along the country roads she sang along with the mournful country songs of her dad's era. Jimmy's dad gave him the truck on the condition that only his old 8 tracks would be played in it. Her voice vibrated with those of Merle Haggard and Jim Reeves, she knew every song by heart after spending road time in this truck. It was the same music her dad played – songs about lovin', leavin', drinkin' and heartache. Not that anyone in the house was allowed to do the drinkin' part, she snorted to herself. But her Daddy had made himself clear on that, the Devil had bested him in that regard and no one else in the family was allowed to travel that path.
The heat had her a bit drowsy as she watched the fields and buildings file past. Jimmy was telling her something about cams and carburetors and fuel injection when the smoke started trickling in. Beth said distastefully, "Somebody's burning tires out here." Jimmy cursed at the ominous knocking emanating from the engine, then pulled over to the side of the shaded road as the truck coughed and died. He popped the button underneath the steering wheel then got out to raise the hood. Black smoke poured out and he backed away, blinded. Beth got out and slammed the door, backing away from the truck. "We're going to have to get towed," she said to Jimmy irritably. She knew that their trip to the Schneider farm was going to be an all day affair now. And on Saturday, her one day to goof off. Now that she was in community college she tried to devote her Sundays to worship and studying, and now it looked like her one fun day was shot.
Jimmy's words were lost in the sounds of the engine sputtering as he turned the key and pumped the gas, producing even more black smoke and harsh metallic sounds. Great, thought Beth. It should only take a few hours for someone to find us out her in the sticks. And my phone is dead too. She backed away from the truck and stood in the middle of the road to get away from the heat and smell. Jimmy was flitting back and forth between the driver's seat and the engine, talking to himself to figure out the problem. Beth sat in the shade on the opposite side of the road, leaned back against a tree and slid down sighing. It wasn't more than a few minutes before she heard the low rumble of a motorcycle engine reverberating from the hillsides.
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Beth stood up and put her hands on her hips, cursing her bad luck as Merle parked the rumbling Triumph behind Jimmy's truck. She couldn't tell if it was real or her imagination but it looked like a cruel smile momentarily twisted his lips as he looked her way. I've done everything to avoid that man for the last month, she thought. And now this. Well I'm not going to fall apart like I did last time. I have every right to be broken down on the road. We'll just take his help and be on our way.
She haughtily walked to the front of the truck and could see the waves of heat rolling off of the exposed engine underneath the raised hood. She tried not to misstep because she could feel his eyes on her and it made her nervous. Finally she got around the corner and out of his line of sight so she could regroup for a moment. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she heard Merle talking to Jimmy in the drivers seat, then she heard the truck door open and heard Jimmy get out. Still conversing, Jimmy led Merle to the front of the truck. Beth casually put her hand on the down to lean her weight on the front of the truck so it looked like she was completely at ease with the situation, but instead put it right on a hot pipe. She shrieked in pain and flailed her hand as they both came around the corner. Jimmy stopped short. "You OK Beth?" he asked, surprised. Beth put her hand behind her back when Merle's laser blue eyes met hers. "Um, fine," she said, immediately hating how shaky her voice sounded. Merle appraised her for a second then nodded. "Miss Beth," he said in greeting. Jimmy looked between them, surprised. "You know her?" he said to Merle. Merle's eyes remained on Beth's, which were stinging with unshed tears of pain. She jumped to answer. "Merle's a client of my dad's, Jimmy. Has a nice spaniel named Scout. Well, he and his brother do. Merle is a mechanic." She finished lamely.
"Cool," said Jimmy, clearly much less interested in the fact that Beth knew this stranger than the chance to show off his truck. He resumed his conversation with Merle, regaling him with random facts and figures about the truck and practically crawling into the engine to show him. Merle lit a cigarette and let Jimmy prattle, it didn't take long to know this skinny fresh faced pup didn't know shit about how an engine worked. Merle saw Beth's obvious embarrassment at how dumb Jimmy sounded at the moment and he decided there weren't no way Saint Beth woulda given anything up to this kid since Merle'd seen her last in his own house. Nope, she was still pure and he noted that she flushed at the memory of their last meeting when their eyes met over Jimmy's back. 'S been a while since ole Merle's had some fun. Merle thought. She ain't forgot that last little bit a sweet I gave her. He cleared his throat and drew his attention to the engine.
"You chromed the canooten valve?," he asked Jimmy abruptly. Jimmy stopped talking and looked at him, sweat trickling through the peach fuzz on his face. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Beth's mouth open sharply then close. Jimmy scratched under his cowboy hat. "Not lately," he said, not wanting to show that he didn't know what Merle was talking about. Merle took a drag on his cigarette and drawled, "On this particular model they tend ta stick if ya don't chrome 'em regular. I got one at the shop, I can throw it in there for ya at cost since ya in a bind." Jimmy smiled in relief and said, "That would be great Merle, should I come with?" Merle shook his head solemnly. "Ya ever seen the explosion that can happen if ya don't let that thing vent?" Jimmy shook his head sharply, looking slightly panicked. Merle took a last drag and expertly flicked his cigarette into the gravel. "Could take out the whole carburetor," he said grimly. "Best you stand here and keep the door on that pipe open manually. I'll get back fast as I can and install it." He looked up at Beth who regarded him with narrowed eyes. "I need another set a hands ta test the polarity on the valve," he said earnestly with an earnest smile. "Ya mind?"
Beth curled her lips into a rare frown as she readied to answer him but then smiled when Jimmy turned to look at her with concern. "Sure, of course," she said sweetly and Jimmy nodded in relief. She and Merle walked back towards his bike and she could swear that his shoulders were shaking under his T-shirt and vest. When they were out of eyeshot her anger took over. "Merle Dixon!", she hissed, slapping him on the arm and involuntarily yelping when her burned skin touch him. "You know there's no such thing as a canooten valve. And that truck's not going to blow up! This is cruel!"
Merle turned to her and bent his head close to hers. "Ya boy's gonna learn that after today." Beth glared at him and he laughed, " Whatsa matter, don't want ta spend a little time with yer old friend Merle? Ya gonna cash in on that motorcycle ride." She looked uncomfortable and he could see a series of emotions flitting through her eyes, the most expressive eyes he'd ever seen. He grinned and stepped closer, lifting her chin with one finger. "Besides, I'm gonna put somethin' on that burn ya tryin' so bad ta hide. Nothin' more…. unless ya want it." Beth looked up at him and was momentarily mesmerized by the two days scruff on his face. It was mostly brown with a little gray and she fought the urge to nuzzle through it with her face. She straightened and lifted her chin. "OK," she agreed.
After he mounted the bike she climbed on behind him and he idled up to the front of the truck. Jimmy was standing there with his arm deep inside the engine, holding the imaginary valve open. He looked at Merle and shouted, "Hey, how often I have to do this?" Merle nodded as if he'd asked a very intuitive question and shouted back, "about every 30 seconds since ya engine's in good shape." Jimmy grinned with pride and Merle gunned the bike, accelerating smoothly down the road. Beth tipped her face between Merle shoulders and shook with laughter at Jimmy's gullibility until she almost came off the back of the bike during a sharp turn. Merle growled at her and she tightened her grip around his waist, gripped him firmly with her knees and lost herself in the ride.
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The battered sign for Bob's auto swung in the wind when they pulled in. Bob had closed at noon but Merle had the keys. He and Beth came in through the garage bay and Merle closed the door behind him against the stifling heat. The garage was dirty with oil and grease but the benches were neat and the floor between the car lifts was swept. Most of the tools looked like they were in the appropriate place. Merle strode surely to a large tool cabinet and sifted through the drawers. After about ten minutes he swore and came up with an adjustable ring clamp. He walked behind Beth to consult a manual and grunted something about it being the right size.
He turned to look at Beth who was feeling a little light headed between the pain of her burn and the stifling hair inside the closed garage. "C'mon," he said. "Office is air conditioned." He led her through a short hallway to a cheap hollow core door with the word 'Office' written in black marker. When he opened it a blast of cool air followed and Beth sighed in relief. He motioned to the rolling office chair behind the desk and told her to sit there then he returned to the garage to find a couple more hose clamps and a few tools. Beth sat and drank a cool bottle of water from the small office refrigerator. She noticed a bathroom door and let herself in. After she used the toilet she stood up to clean her burn. She soaped it well in the cold water, trying to be tough about the pain. She looked up into the cracked and faded mirror and said, "Oh for God's sake!" Her face was splattered from some kind of anonymous black muck that had blown out of Jimmy's engine. She used the damp towel to get it the best she could and returned to the office.
She looked around curiously. There were five pairs of shop overalls hanging, one with the name of Bob embroidered on it, two of the others with the names 'Merle' and 'Daryl' written on them. There were stacks of papers laying about that represented some sort of accounting system, an outdated titty calendar that she eyed with distaste, and a battered trophy in the shape of a bare behind for 'Asshole Boss of the Year'. A faded picture of a group of smiling kids in uniforms was labeled, 'Bob's Garage Junior League, 1991'. The rest of the room was set up a waiting area with two chairs and a table with worn magazines.
Merle came back in the room and packed the supplies in a plastic bag, rolling the parcel tight so it would fit in his saddlebag. She took the opportunity to study him while he worked. When he was bending over the truck she had tried unsuccessfully not to stare at the worn blue jeans that hugged his chiseled ass and the play of his muscles under his T-shirt. Now that she looked at the front of him she could see the muscles of his chest outlined by the worn cotton of his shirt. His sunglasses were pushed up on his head into his short curly brown hair. She hadn't noticed it was curly before. She wondered what it felt like.
With a start she realized that Merle was looking straight at her, his face set like stone. She shifted nervously. "Do you need help?" she asked. "No," he replied. "Let me look at that hand." She walked to his side of the desk and sat on it, extending her palm to him. He grasped her hand gently from underneath and tugged it closer to the light of the window. She winced and bit her lip to bite back any outward signs of pain. He studied it and swore under his breath then strode to the desk, rummaging in a large file drawer until he came up with a roll of gauze and a couple of containers. He returned to her and set them next to her. He worked wordlessly as he applied a topical antiseptic which Beth thought hurt like hell. Then he dabbed on an antibiotic/anesthetic ointment and softly blew on her palm. He raised his eyes to hers and noted the tear streaks down her face. "Better?" he asked, and she nodded, pressing her lips together. He wrapped and taped her hand and said dismissively, "Boy's always burnin' himself on mufflers so we keep this shit around." She smiled when she realized he meant Daryl. She couldn't imagine anyone else in the world having the authority to call him 'boy.'
Merle noticed the smile and decided to make his move. She was still sitting on the desk so hee inched closer to her then flanked her hips with his hands, leaning his palms into the desk on which she sat. Time stood still for a moment and Beth's heart rate skyrocketed. She could see the creases around his eyes and the slight twist in the bridge of his nose where it had surely been broken at least once. He was examining her face, taking her in slowly and wondering just how far he could get this little church girl to go. God damn, she had to be tight as a clam. And a nice comfortable desk right here….we're in third base territory.
"Anything else on ya that needs my attention?' he asked, his voice gravelly and low. Beth was hypnotized like a rat facing a snake. As if she were outside of her body, she felt her head nod faintly. Merle's eyes darkened as he leaned even closer, his face almost touching hers. "Whatchyou want little girl?" Beth's voice came out cracked and dry. "A hug," she replied. Merle's face moved to the side of hers, the bristles of his beard faintly brushing her cheek and causing her breathing to accelerate. "A hug." He repeated. She nodded uncertainly and he moved back slightly so he faced her head on, their noses and lips a fraction of an inch apart. He held her eyes with his and slowly moved his hands from the desk to the tops of her thighs. He massaged her thighs casually with his thumbs then slowly pushed her knees apart so that he was standing in between her spread legs. He moved his lower body into the space so that the fronts of their bodies were touching. His eyes were half shaded as he looked into hers. How the fuck can they be violet? he thought briefly before he moved into her further, his cock jumping to full size at the contact with the crotch of her jeans. Beth gasped and trembled and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her entire body up into him.
Beth moved her arms to his shoulders and grasped his back with her hands. She was overcome with sensation of his arms strong as steel around her, the softness of his short brown curls, the sound of his breathing in her ear and the intimacy of his hardness pressing into the most intimate part of her. He smelled of cigarettes, motor oil and the sun. Her face was in his chest and she could feel his muscles, and she wanted to feel his skin. She tried to talk but only whimpered and she mouthed the front of his T-shirt, at a loss for how to proceed. Merle clenched his teeth as she felt her kiss his chest. Fuck yes, it's on he thought. Merle carefully pushed her backwards sweeping any hard objects on the desk out of the way with his hand. She weakly resisted when her back felt the surface of the desk beneath her.
Merle loomed over her, his hands drawing hers up over her head as his mouth dropped onto hers. He found her mouth open and wanting and he plunged his tongue into her sweetness. He could feel the battle raging within her and he came up for air to soothe her. She was breathing hard and her eyes were wide open and black as night. He smoothed the hair off of her forehead with one hand and said, "I just wanna make ya feel good. Ain't gonna fuck ya, ain't gonna do nothin' you don't want, y'hear?" Beth looked at him pleadingly and he brushed her lips again. "Hm?" he questioned, wanting her submission. Beth nodded and he pulled off his T-shirt and threw it to the side. She whimpered and he ordered, "Touch me." Her long hands moved gracefully to palm his chest and then curiously up to his bulging neck. His top lip curled slightly with the pleasure of her halting touch and he moved his hands to the backs of her thighs, lifting them and ordering, "Put yer legs around me." He felt her hesitate and said, "Go on now." She shyly complied and he moved further onto her, making sure not to push into her too aggressively. "So fuckin' sweet," he muttered into her mouth. "That virgin pussy openin' up for me. Any man ever touched this pussy?" Beth was shocked both at the language and frowned, ending the kiss. Merle regarded her and laughed, delighted. "Ya don't like me talkin' about your pussy, ya want me to pretend it aint there? That it aint pressed against me, soft and tight and wet, needin' a man ta ride it til ya scream with pleasure?'
Beth stilled and struggled to control herself. This man and his awful mouth! How did she get into this situation? She didn't even know about half of what he was talking about. He was studying her, the realization dawning on him as he smiled. "Come here," he said, his hand in her hair, and he kissed her gently this time, stroking the side of her face. She relaxed and they kissed for a long time this way, her melting and never wanting to stop. He came up or air and said softly, "Ya ain't never screamed with pleasure have ya? Ya don't know how good I can make ya feel?" Beth's emotions were going haywire and she worried that he was laughing at her. She flushed and a sob escaped her. Merle sternly said, "Look at me!" Beth obeyed shakily and he lowered his face back down to hers. "I ain't gonna hurt ya," he murmured.
"I wanna feel ya against me," he rasped, raising up and unbuttoning her shirt. Her hands grasped his wrists, ready to push him away if she became scared. He finished and opened her shirt, pausing to note the simple white lace bra she wore. Fuck, that made him even harder. He raised her arms over her head again so he could hover over the top of her and let her feel his weight. She had been lying with her eyes closed but at the feeling of his skin on hers she opened her eyes. He played around with kissing her open mouthed and open eyed, faintly brushing her lips until she raised her head to pursue him. Then he let her have his kiss nice and deep and felt her hands moving across his exposed skin and finally to his ass. He closed his eyes as her hands squeezed his ass, trying not to buck into her and broke the kiss when she squeezed it again. He grimaced as he fought not to thrust and dropped his forehead to her chest with a grunt. He caught his breath and came up for air to see her eyes full of wonder, deep as swimming pools, her breathing stilled. She squeezed him again and his head dropped to her chest again. "Fuck little girl," he moaned, his breath releasing jaggedly. He had to get control and he ground his teeth.
Beth rode a small stab of pleasure as Merle pressed into her. She was entranced that she could make him tremble with a touch. She experimentally pulled his ass into her and he swore loudly not being able to stop himself from grinding into her. It hurt when he pressed really hard but before and after it felt so good, like nothing else. Her hands roamed his back and shoulders, feeling the sweat pooling on his skin and the rigidity of his muscles as he fought for control. Merle snarled and moved her hands above her head, taking away her power. She studied his face, panting and unknowing. He held her hands above her head with one hand and used the other to push the cups of her bra above her breasts. She stiffened and he started slowly, kissing between them and tracing patterns over her light belly with his fingers. When he came to her pale pink nipples he traced them with his tongue and sucked them softly one at a time until she writhed underneath him. He came up for air and kissed her roughly. "Anyone ever suck on them titties?" he growled and she whimpered, shaking her head no. She pushed her chest against him and whispered, "Please Merle." He moved down again and sucked and pinched her nipples until she couldn't think anymore.
At this point he knew two things: one was that they needed to get back to Jimmy in good time and the other was that he was about to fuck the living daylights out of her. He never had any problem getting ass and the last thing he needed in life was a rape accusation from the chastest girl in the county. He raised up on his elbows, panting and kissed way down her belly (with a tongue flick to the navel) and he stopped at the zipper of her jeans. Beth was propped slightly on her elbows watching him. He brought his thumb down to the center of the hotness emanating from her jeans and he moved it in small circles until she closed her eyes and went slack jawed. That's only the beginning of what ole Merle can do to you he thought. He stopped and she whined in protest.
Knowing better but not being able to stop himself, he unzipped her pants and mouthed the patch of silky hair over the triangle of her pink panties. He'd never smelled anything like her and knew this was the last possible point he could stop. He caught his breath and looked up to see her blinking in amazement. He drew her unhurt hand down and said, "Feel yourself." Beth did and her eyes widened. "Feel how ready your pussy is for my cock?" he asked and she nodded. He looked down at his bulge. He hated blue balls. Just because he couldn't fuck her didn't mean he couldn't get off. He deftly unzipped his pants and pulled her hand out of her underwear, first licking off her fingers with moans of pleasure then placing them around his hot shaft. It only took a few pumps with the smell of her pussy in his nose and the taste in his mouth. He recovered to see Beth staring open mouthed at his shrinking cock in her hand. He wiped the cum off of her jeans with his T-shirt then tucked himself back in. "Next time you gonna cum," he said, helping her sit up and get situated. "And I don't have ta fuck ya to do it." Beth nodded numbly and buttoned her shirt then turned to him but he was already gone. She felt so good and so high and so wanted and so guilty and so immoral and so ashamed that she couldn't even speak. She needed to be held closely, to have kisses and admissions of love and private jokes to share. Instead Merle grabbed the supplies, ushered her out the door and onto the bike and drove her back to Jimmy's truck. On the way to the garage he had responded to her little squeezes with small movements of his own, but on the way back Merle was impassive.
They arrived to find Jimmy soaked with sweat, his hand on the fictional valve. He pulled his arm out and waved to them, wincing. When Merle turned the bike off Jimmy said, "every thirty seconds like ya said, and it's cooling down nice." Merle nodded curtly at him and replied. "You'll make a good gearhead son." Merle carried the supplies to the front of the truck then swore. He looked at Jimmy. "Can ya get my crescent wrench outta the bike?" Jimmy eagerly strode back to the bike and Merle laughed out loud. Beth looked at him hotly. "Merle!" she admonished. He quickly put the new ring clamp around the ripped coolant hose and straightened when Jimmy came back with the wrench. "Where's the new valve?" Jimmy asked and Merle bent into the truck, tightening the hose and ring clamp. "Already installed it," Merle replied. "I figured ya knew what one looked like, right?" Jimmy straightened up and nodded in agreement. "Oh yeah, lots of them," Jimmy said and Beth rolled her eyes. How did she never notice how stupid Jimmy could be?
She looked up when Jimmy said her name. "What?" she asked. He said, "What happened to your hand?" The sound of a motorcycle engine blasted out all other sounds and Merle took off without acknowledging either teenager. Beth's chin trembled and she felt herself coming apart. "If you'd stop looking at your stupid truck for ten minutes you'd know I burnt it!" she snapped, stalking to the passenger side and taking her seat. Jimmy got in the truck and started it up, smiling at his success. Once they got on the road he looked to the side to see Beth silently sobbing as she looked out the window. "Are you OK?" asked Jimmy and she replied, "No. It just hurts."
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I need reviews like never before, this is the first thing I've actually enjoyed writing since my husband died. Even if you don't like Meth, at least drop me a note of encouragement.
ALSO – I'd like for my next Anniversaries story to be Caryl…I'm open to suggestions because I don't have a lot of fresh ideas. Please PM me!
