Carl stepped down off the stage and ran over to his Dad; who crouched down to enfold him in a warm hug. "Your Mom would be so proud of you, right now. I'm glad I came in to see it."
"Was I really okay? I've been brushing up with Rose, she's been practising with me and Daryl all week."
"Rose and Daryl, really?" Rick looked over at Carol and raised his eyebrows questioningly. She shrugged as if it didn't bother her at all, but Rick knew that she must have had good reasons for believing that Daryl had been stepping out with someone else. "Tell ya what, sport. Go and see if Carol's ready for that dance and I'll catch up with you in a minute. I want to have a quick talk with Daryl. I won't be long." Rick shooed Carl away as he strode across to see an exhausted Daryl sitting to one side of the stage guzzling a bottle of water.
"Hey man, that was really somethin'. I had no idea you could play at all, let alone like that!"
"Hershel talked me into it, he wanted to play something fer Maggie and Glenn and needed another fiddle player. Haven't played in years; but it's funny the things that stick with ya. One of the guys brought this over from Woodbury – it was his wife's and he didn't want to leave it behind after she passed on. Said I could have it now, but I don't know…" Daryl caressed the well-worn fiddle in the same manner that he cared for his crossbow.
"Yeah, I think you do." Rick sat down beside his friend and followed Daryl's eyes over to where he was watching Carol giggling at something Maggie and Michonne said. "Talk to me, Daryl. How can I help you?"
"Don't think ya can help me out with this one, man. Sometimes a man's just gotta accept that he cain't always get what he wants…" Daryl shrugged and forced his gaze away from the woman that captured his attention.
"Oh, I don't know. She seemed pretty focused on you while you were playin' just now. Tried to get her to dance with me, but all she wanted to do was stare at your pretty face. Cain't think why…" Rick mused quietly and felt Daryl stiffen slightly at his side. He glanced over to see Daryl waiting for him o continue. "Yeah, I got her away from Merle thinking that she'd concentrate on my handsome and charming self but you were all she kept talking about. Every other word out of her mouth was 'Daryl'."
"Don't be yanking my chain, Rick." Daryl warned quietly. "Not about this, please."
"Brother, if you want that woman you need to tell her. She's gonna get fed up of you brushing her off and move on to the next lucky fella; and believe me there are plenty of guys in here that would be queueing up for just a glimpse of that sweet smile, the one she used to keep only for you. That very smile, she's giving your dear brother right now." Rick happened to glance over at where Merle had cut in on Carol's conversation with Maggie, and his attempt to draw her away into the shadows.
"Right…" Daryl growled low and looked across at where Rosemary and Beth were huddled over sheet music just below the stage area. "Yer gonna wanna stick around fer this one, Rick. It's gonna be your one chance to make me watch a fool of myself."
"What are you up to now?" Rick's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Daryl lept off the stage to bend down to whisper into Rosemary's ear. He could see the older lady grinning and reaching up to squeeze Daryl's cheek; like a favourite aunt. He could also see her reach over to tap his behind and he shifted around to speak to Beth. "Hmm…not like an aunt after all then. You'd better watch out, Carol, you might have some competition after all." Rick chuckled to himself as he wandered over to take a seat next to Michonne.
"Thought you were on at ten?"
"Dave said that he and one of other guys would take it; they're not big on parties, said they would prefer being outside. Buy you a beer, Sheriff?" Michonne held up a bottle in invitation and at his nod, slid a cool one over to him.
"You know what those four have planned next?" Rick sipped his beer and nodded over to where Carl had joined the little huddle at the table. Michonne started to peel the label off her own bottle and shook her head.
"Hopefully they're telling him to pull his head outta his ass and get his shit in gear with Carol. That woman deserves better than the silent treatment he's been giving her. If you'd have seen her earlier…" Michonne shook her head again and took a long pull out of the bottle. It was the longest speech Rick had ever heard her make, and he could see that she was well on the way to being tipsy.
"Tell me, Mich…what was she like earlier? 'Cause I have to tell you, she looks pretty happy right now." Rick nodded over to where Carol was giggling in the corner with Maggie and Glenn. He had an arm wrapped around each woman's waist and looked perfectly content. Merle on the other hand looked completely miserable; he caught Rick's eye and started to make his way over to the table.
"That's because she's got nearly a quarter bottle of Tequila in her and is looking at everything through an alcohol induced haze. Probably how Merle got her to dance with him; she probably thought he was Daryl…" Michonne stopped talking as Merle slumped into a chair at the table and stole the beer from her hand.
"Daryl this, Daryl that…Carol just cain't shut up about the man. One minute she's telling me that they aren't together and she's ready to move on and the next he seems to be the best thing since the invention of the vibrator…her words not mine."
"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about Carol too much; I've seen her drink many a man under the table before, me included."
"What's my fool brother up to now?" Merle sat up a little straighter in the chair; if he couldn't make headway with Carol then he'd sure like to see his brother try.
"I don't know…all he said was that it would be the only chance for me to see him make a fool of himself. And I think that he's just about ready to start…" They sat back in their chairs as Beth signalled for Tyreese to switch the CD player off again and the lights slowly dimmed so only the stage was lit up. Rosemary walked out onto the stage and Carl stepped over to the piano. Rosemary stepped up to the microphone and leant in close.
"This song goes out to one special lady out there…from your very own Redneck." Oohs and aahs filled the room as a lone spot light swung around to highlight Carol; who squirmed under the scrutiny. Glenn whispered something in her ear which made her blush and Maggie giggle.
'You made me love you, I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to do it.
You made me want you and all the time you knew it, I guess you always knew it.'
The soulful voice of Rosemary singing Patsy Cline held everyone's attention, not only because she had the perfect voice for the song; but because the whole room knew that it was the story of Daryl's struggle with Carol.
'You made me happy sometimes, sometimes you made me glad.
But there were times dear, you made me feel so bad.'
Everyone from Rick's group could relate to the lyrics, and even Glenn reached over to grab hold of Carol's hand to give it a gentle squeeze. They knew that Daryl had an aversion to being touched stemming from years of abuse from his father and they also knew that Carol had been the victim of an abusive marriage; and yet somehow they had been drawn to each other like a moth to a flame.
'You made me sigh for I didn't wanna tell ya, I didn't wanna tell ya
I didn't wanna tell ya.
I want some lovin', that's true
Yes I do, indeed I do, you know I do'
A distinctive, gravelly voice came from the shadows behind Rosemary and there was a sigh as Daryl stepped up to the microphone and added his masculine tones to Rosemary's smooth as whiskey voice.
'Give me give me give me what I cry for
You know you've got the brand o kisses
That I'd die for…'
Beth stepped out of the shadows and added her voice to the mix; blending in perfectly with Daryl and Rosemary. Suddenly Daryl disappeared off stage and walked slowly toward Carol holding a Cherokee Rose. He knelt at her feet and placed the rose in her lap.
"You know you made me love you." He whispered softly as he raised her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed her palm.