Chapter 3 – Let's Touch God, Boys

Tim got out of his truck at the address she'd jotted down on a piece of paper for him in History, and sucked in a breathe even Lyla's house wasn't this nice. It wasn't huge but it was bigger than most homes in Dillon white wood and red brick with a garden in the front and a porch it was so much nicer than his it wasn't even in the same category. He had never asked her what her parents did. He should probably do that he thought. He was actually nervous as he climbed the steps up and rang the bell. "Come on in I'll be right down." Carson yelled from inside the house.

He walked in and stood at the bottom of the stairs looking around the dinning room and the living room were connected and open there was a really comfortable feel, he knew things were probably expensive but it still seemed homie and lived in. There were hardwood floors and big dark leather couches with rugs and the kitchen had a cookie jar on the table and a tray with iced tea. It would be something he'd choose to live in if he could.

"Great place Carson." He shouted up the stairs, and heard "Thank you I just finished unpacking," from on the stairs. He turned around and his jaw literally dropped her hair was curled tighter than usual and they bounced around her she had on a green satin halter top and denim skirt just long enough to be appropriate but still sexy as hell, he wanted to take her on the floor right then and there he was that sure he wouldn't make it to the bedroom. "Do I look alright? I wasn't sure what the dress code was."

"You look perfect." He rasped out and noticed she'd traded her boots in for some low heels, which made her legs go on forever. She blushed again and looked at the ground then at him shaking her head, "Your just being nice." She laughed and took his arm leading him out the door, which she locked behind her.

"Can you even get into my truck with that skirt on?" he asked as he opened the door for her. She grinned and stepped up and in without a hitch though he did see the edge of white lace at the top of her skirt for just a second and just about lost in on the spot. He climbed into his truck and headed for the Garriety dealership.

He kept a firm arm looped around her waist as they walked in and after he got up on stage with the rest of the team he went right back to putting his arms around her, it just felt right and easy to do it and when some new person wasn't coming over to talk to her or a parent engaging her in conversation she held onto him just as tight. She wasn't the social butterfly Lyla was, he realized, but it was purely by choice – she didn't like being the center of attention but she could be if she wanted to. He didn't like it either so he understood, best to leave that to Jay and Lyla.

He could tell people were talking about them, could see the hands covering girls mouths as they talked back and forth, he could see some of the parents who knew his family frown in distaste at Carson. He saw all of this. Yet she didn't seem to notice, not once did she pull back or draw away, she didn't seem to care. "Tim, Tim?" she leaned into his chest to get his attention, he finally looked down, "where were you?" she whispered.

"Nowhere I'm right here sorry."

"Don't be," she smiled and he relaxed immediately, "when do we get to leave I'm almost hoarse from talkin'." She laughed again, God he loved how easy her laugh came out it was so easy to make her smile, and he damn sure liked being the cause.

"I'll go check ok? Let me just find Jason. I'll be right back." She nodded and he gave her hip a little squeeze and went in search of Jason, and maybe some fresh air. He was falling fast and he needed to stop the tailspin.

Tim left to find Jason and finally gave Carson a chance to breathe. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around him, quiet the opposite. But if he could hear her heartbeat she'd be screwed, every time he touched her it raced and he hadn't let go all night. But it was perfect, and simple – they moved around each other liked they'd been together for years, not as if they'd only known each other a couple of days. If she was honest with herself this was what she came to Dillon for, simplicity, heart. She was so tired of the endless games her world played. She liked Tim, his effortless clothing, the old truck, the way he loved his friends, his smile when she could find it was perfect, and the challenge of making the haze of pain in his eyes go away, the fact that he was the best looking man she'd ever met probably didn't hurt either, she smiled at the thought.

Just as Smash came up to her.

"Hey baby your lookin' fine tonight." Carson smiled on the outside but inwardly she was once again critiquing her clothing choice, the outfit had really been for Tim, after the other night she'd wanted him to see her all dressed up, and they were going to a party afterwards right? His face when she came down the stairs made it seem like a good choice but now with Smash's eyes roving over her all she wanted was a thick sweater. She knew he was harmless enough, so she just smiled, "Thank you, how are you tonight? Having fun?" she asked making conversation until Tim came back.

"You know just chillin' on top of the world, pickin' diamonds off of clouds baby." Carson had to laugh at that. Smash was funny and like she'd originally thought, harmless. "I'd love to pick you one," he finished saying. Or maybe not so harmless, "Is that right?" she said laughing off his comment.

Tim had just finished rescuing Jason from the extremely intense mayor, and barely escaped the clutches of a wannabe MILF himself, and was making his way back to Carson when he saw her, laughing, at something Smash had said. He just saw red after that, how could she? He wasn't gone more than five minutes and the bitch was flirting with the guy he hated most in Dillon, what the fuck?

So he barged into their conversation, "Funny. We're going," Tim said taking hold of Carson's arm. Carson barely had time to look up at Tim,

"We're just talking…" she began.

Smash finishing for her, "Yeah, it's cool man." With that Tim just seemed to lose it, "Do yourself a favor Williams and shut your face while I talk to my date."

"Say that again." Smash's joking attitude was gone. "Come on Rigs finish what you were sayin'."

"Hey guys…" Carson began when Tim just ignored her, part of her couldn't even believe he was acting like this. She realized she didn't know him really well but what she knew so far about him didn't compute with how he was acting.

"I want to ask you something Williams, your all about God, but at the same time," he reached over Carson to Smash's cross, "you got the bling right here." Smash threw his arms up and Tim backed off that damn smirk on his face, but there was no humor behind it now.

"Seriously guys enough," she said in her most forceful voice - still no effect. "Your something else aren't ya?" Tim said glaring at Smash. It was like he doesn't even see me Carson thought, what the hell is going on? So she just walked away, she would be damned if they fought over her.

When Tim caught up with her Carson was fuming, and ready to let loose when he snagged her arm and she whirled around. Before she could say anything, or start yelling at him for being such an ass, she caught a glimpse of that hurt in his eyes. He was a little boy lost and she understood, in his mind she'd betrayed him. Smash was not his favorite person to say the least and he left her alone for five minutes and come back to her laughing at something Smash had said. She could see where his mind had gone.

So instead of screaming at him she took a deep breathe and took a step toward him putting a hand over his heart and calmly said, "Tim you can't do that," he went to speak, so she placed a single finger over his lips which stopped him, "listen I came here with you, and I'm leaving here with you, the only person I wanted to be with tonight was you. Ok?" he nodded, and she removed her finger to wrap that hand around his neck, "But you can't do that to me, push me out of a conversation, tell me whom I can and can't talk to, you just can't ok babe?"

Now he was just listening her words, bellied by the intimate way they held each other and the quiet calm in her voice, "I know we just met and you don't trust me yet, but if whatever is going on between us goes any further, you gonna have to trust me. Now I get that Smash isn't your favorite person and to be honest I was laughing more at him than anything else but you just can't come in like that," she shook her head, "babe I barely recognized you back there." Her eyes were sad when they met his and all his anger just evaporated. Damn he was such an ass, she hadn't done anything wrong and he had screwed everything up for nothing.

Tim looked at her for a long time and for a second she thought he'd throw it all back in her face and leave her there, and forgetting everything else that thought just about broke her heart, but she couldn't take back what she said. It needed to be said, she wasn't here to play games, she was done with that and he needed to understand that. So she was pretty surprised when he leaned forward and put his lips to her forehead, "Let's just get out of here ok? I'm sorry I was such a dick." He smiled that crooked half smile of his when she looked up at him and let her breath out in relief.

"That sounds perfect."

They were at a party at some kid's house she'd briefly be introduced to as 'this awesome dude having the party" which she had laughed at as Tim grabbed them both a beer and they headed for Jason and Lyla. He hadn't let go of her hand since they had left the dealership, and it was hard to care about much else. So far she had won tonight, that sadness in his eyes hadn't come back and nothing else really mattered.

Tim sat down across the bonfire from Jason and Lyla, who were attached once again, and before she could look for another seat Tim pulled her down into his lap. She sat curled against him as if she belonged there, it felt so right.

She put her ear to his chest and could feel the steady beat of his heart, she could have stayed like that forever and been perfectly happy. She looked across the fire and met Lyla's eyes and in that moment these two girls who were so very different were also so much the same. They were having a perfect moment with the boys they cared about.

"Here's how I figure it's going to work," Tim started to saw grabbing them both another beer from the cooler, "correct me if I miss something here but I'm cool just hanging out right here man, you go do your what? Maybe 10 years in the NFL , say at five mil a year you give me one percent of every pay check." Carson smiled lazily and her and Lyla shared an eye-roll, oh Tim.

But he wasn't done yet, with a swig of his beer he continued, "when it's all said and done you and me," he raised his beer to Jason, "we're gonna own ourselves a big huntin' ranch."

Jason laughed, "There's only one little problem, Rigs I don't want you livin' on my land." Carson and Lyla laughed but Tim was unfazed, "Yeah ya do. I'm the caretaker Streeter, whether you like it or not," which garnered him yet another good-natured laugh and eye roll form the group. He raised his beer, "Here's to God and football, and ten years from now Street – good friends livin' large in Texas. Texas Forever Street."

Jason raised his beer, "Texas forever!" he said louder and a cheer went up.

Then the focus was back on Tim, and Carson eyes couldn't have looked away if she wanted to.

"Everyone, listen up let's do it, let's touch God this time boys, let's touch God." It was there in that moment, watching as he took a long pull of his beer that Carson completely and irrevocably fell in love with Tim Riggins. In that moment she got a glimpse of a mind, a soul, and most of all a heart under that haze of what life had already done to Tim Riggins and she was very, very much in love.

So when she sat up and put a hand to his jaw and gently put her lips on his, she forgot that everyone was there, that everyone was watching. She poured every inch of herself, everything she wanted him to know about her, all the sweetness and perfection of that moment into what her lips were doing. When he kissed her back she wouldn't have known if a bomb went off all she felt was Tim. And oh what a feeling, it was everything a first kiss should be sweet, and gentle, unhurried, and beautiful, and from the tiny tremble she felt run through him, he had never been kissed that way before. He was it, for her and he always would be.

Tim had kissed hundreds of girls; literally hundreds in his life but none of them had been Carson King. He just finished saying his dream out loud, him, Street, Lyla and a big Texas ranch, a place where nothing could touch them. When she sat up in his lap, (the fact that she had so easily sat in his lap, her head resting against his chest had felt so damn right it had to be too good to be true) looked straight in his eyes, her cornflower blue meeting his hazel, and kissed him. Soft and perfect there was nothing dirty or wrong about it. He'd never been kissed like that – as if he was all that mattered in the world. His hand released his beer and his arms came around her and he held on, and with a mix of fear and excitement Tim realized he wasn't likely to ever let go.