This was one of my favorite chapters to write in Lady in Red. I've got to say, I love the challenge of thinking like Daryl after being in Beth's head for so long. My plan, if I haven't mentioned it before, is to get this story all caught up to Lady in Red, then update them simultaneously.
Thanks as always to all the comments, favorites and follows for this story. They definitely make the words come out of my head faster knowing so many wonderful people are reading them! Special thanks to remisavant, property-of-murphy-macmanus and writerloverpsycho-pomp for your encouragement.
A week had gone by since Daryl had gotten Beth's (and her father's) phone number. Beth and Daryl had been texting each other back and forth every day since, and it was driving him nuts not being able to hear her sweet voice. The problem was, he worked all day every day at Martinez Garage, so his hands were pretty much constantly greasy, if not too busy to be able to call her. Meanwhile, she worked evenings and weekends at the little ice cream shop in town, so finding time when neither of them was working so they could actually have a conversation was difficult. Nonetheless, he could sneak away in between customers to send a brief message, and was able to catch her when business was slow on her end.
Tonight was Glenn and Maggie's return from their cross-country honeymoon. He'd been invited, of course, and had planned on going, though if he were honest, it was more for a chance to see Beth than to watch the newlyweds open their gifts. The problem was, a couple of Merle's old buddies (neither of whom Daryl or Carol really approved of for obvious reasons) had rolled into town and wanted to meet up. Merle wanted to catch up, just for old times' sake, but Daryl didn't trust the three of them together unsupervised, so he was forced to tag along, not just as his brother but his sponsor, and make sure his brother behaved himself.
By the time they both got home, it had gotten pretty late, and he realized he still hadn't gotten back to Beth. He didn't want her to think he was ignoring her, and Carol and Merle were getting ready for bed themselves, so Daryl snuck out to the front porch and called, hoping to catch her before she went to sleep. For whatever reason, she didn't answer, so he left a message, "Hey, Beth. Sorry I missed you…and I, uh, I do miss ya. I, uh…ahem…I got real busy at work today and a bunch of stuff came up and I just couldn't get out of it. Anyway, uh, if you wanna gimme a call sometime tomorrow and we can figure something out for dinner sometime…maybe this weekend…or whatever. Uh…I guess I'll catch ya later. G'night, Beth."
Think you could sound like a bigger idiot? he thought as he ended the call. Who knew leaving a message for a girl, even a sweet girl like Beth, could be so nerve-wracking? What he'd said was true, though; he missed her. Not just her kisses and seeing her pretty face smiling up at him (although that was definitely a part of it), but just being with her. Her presence made him feel calm and excited and happy and nervous all at once, and the longer he was away from it all, the more he craved it.
He headed back inside and downstairs to get himself ready for bed when the phone buzzed in his hand. He checked the screen and saw it was a text from Beth: Got your message. I'll try calling tomorrow. Then a moment later: I miss you, too.
His heart made a strange little flutter. She missed him? He smiled at the realization that, more than likely, this wasn't all in his head. She wasn't just being nice. Well, she was, but not to spare any of his feelings. She was genuinely a kind person, but this...this was more. He wanted to call her then and there, but knew it was probably getting to be too late to start up a conversation. In their random text conversations (if he could really call them that), she'd mentioned chores every morning on the farm, and he could only imagine how early she had to rise to get them done. With a sigh, he resigned to sending one last text: Look forward to it. Good night.
He walked over to the dresser where his phone could charge overnight. Just as he'd attached the cord to the phone, it buzzed once more. Good night, Daryl.
He chuckled to himself, the grin never quite leaving his face as he finished his nightly routine and laid in bed, once again staring into the darkness around him, his heart just a little lighter than it had been all day.
Something was buzzing on the other side of the space in the basement he called his room, something that was insistently trying to wake him up to answer it. It was too slow to be a phone call, and his phone didn't have any alarms to wake him in the morning – his stereo handled that task on its own, and it was still just as sleepy as he was. Somewhere in his sleep-foggy mind, he realized his phone was trying to let him know he'd received a text message. One glance at the digital alarm clock, whose numbers were glowing an ungodly hour even by his standards, clued him in as to just who would be texting him at this time in the morning. He trudged over to his dresser and grinned as his suspicions were confirmed.
Good morning. Hope I didn't wake you.
The time stamp on the message indicated that Beth had sent it almost ten minutes ago. He typed out his response: Well worth it.
Her reply was almost immediate.
You are so sweet.
Did you sleep well?
I guess. You?
I slept alright. Had a hard time getting to sleep.
Concern caused his eyebrows to draw together. What could be keeping her up?
Everything alright?
After a moment, her answer came in. I'm alright. Just kept thinking about you.
That surprised him, but in a very good way. A statement like that deserved more than just a text. Daryl figured everyone was still sleeping upstairs, so he'd be able to sneak onto the porch without being obvious that he was making a phone call. He took a couple minutes to breeze through his morning routine, shedding his typical sleepwear and slipping on a sleeveless T-shirt and a pair of jeans, but forgoing wearing any shoes since he was only sitting on the porch. Once he was settled in the deck chair furthest from the end of the house with all the bedrooms, he scrolled through his contacts and dialed her number.
Beth's voice was like heaven, even through the tinny speaker of his cheap, old phone, "Hello?" That was all it took for a grin to creep across his face.
"Hi," he answered, realizing his voice wasn't quite awake yet and hoping he didn't sound too froggy.
He heard her take a quick breath in, "Um, what's up?"
His grin transformed into a smirk, not that she'd be able to see it. "So you're thinking about me, huh?"
"Maybe..." she said teasingly. He could just imagine her, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to start her day despite the sun barely peeking over the horizon. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the sun come up...and couldn't think of anyone else he'd want to share this with. Now if only it were in person... He shook his head and brought himself back to the conversation.
He let out a little laugh, "Well, I figured since ya woke me up, might as well make the best of it."
"I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm really sorry."
As if he minded in the least. "Nah, needed to get up anyway. Start getting back into early morning schedules and all," He realized as he said the words they were completely true. In just over a week, Jeremy would be starting school, so he'd need to get up at least an hour earlier to make sure his son was good to go to get to school on time before getting himself to work. He wondered if Glenn and Maggie had ever mentioned that he had a son to Beth, and made a mental note to find a way to make sure she knew, but now was not the time. He continued, "So, while we're both not busy, when can I take you out for dinner?"
"Oh...um," she stammered. She was so cute when she sounded nervous. "When were you thinking?"
"What about tonight?" he suggested.
He heard a tiny sigh before she answered, "I'm really sorry, I have to work til close tonight. What about this weekend?"
Hell, it's Thursday already. Maybe she just didn't realize when she suggested it. "Mm...weekends are tricky," he replied. He tried to keep a good portion of his weekends free to be with Jeremy since he spent so much time during the week at the garage. He'd been promising to schedule a hunting trip soon and needed to make good on that. Plus he'd had to trade off a weekday to take Jeremy to school registration, which just shortened his free time anyway. "Next week sometime?"
Beth sighed, "We can try. I start student teaching next week, gonna need to get to bed pretty early, ya know?"
Daryl laughed sardonically, "Well, damn, girl. You're not making this easy on me."
"I'm sorry! I really..."
"Beth..." he interrupted, "I was joking." He grinned, "Maybe I'll just have to kidnap you and take you out."
Beth giggled nervously, "I'm beginning to think that's about the only way we'll get to see each other."
"Don't worry, sweetheart," his voice lowered, "we'll figure it out."
Beth hummed into the receiver, "So..."
"Yes?"
"So do you think about me?"
Daryl laughed right out loud, "Oh sure, now you don't hold anything back." She was playing all cutesy and teasing, and now...
"Well?"
He grew quiet a moment before answering, "Yeah...more than I probably should." He decided not to tell her that a routine oil change yesterday had taken nearly twice as long as normal because that damn "Fireflies" song had been on the customer's radio and all he could think about was the night they'd spent in her daddy's field.
"Really?" She sounded incredulous.
Shit. Quick! Cover! "I called ya, didn't I? Wasn't just cause ya woke me up." Swell.
She sighed...again. Apparently he was having some kind of effect on her. "You're really sweet, you know that?"
"I do what I can," he teased. It felt nice to let this side of him out for some air and not be mocked by anyone.
"I think about you a lot, too, you know. It sucks that our schedules keep working against us," she complained.
Daryl let out a heavy sigh, "I know, sweetheart. We'll get there." Again with 'sweetheart'? When the hell did that happen? What was this girl doing to me?
"Yeah, I know," she agreed, her voice full of disappointment. "Hey, Daryl, I really hate to do this, but I've got a bunch of stuff I have to get done before I go in to work tonight."
"Alright, darlin'," he said. Darlin'? What the hell?! "I'll keep working on finding a time for dinner. You can't get rid o' me that easy."
"I wouldn't want to," she said.
Wait...she doesn't want to get rid of me? Is she flirting with me? He let a chuckle escape.
"Oh, shut up." He could hear her grin through the phone.
"Yes, ma'am," he obeyed. "I'll catch ya later, alright?"
"Alright," she answered. "Bye, Daryl. Have a good day."
"You, too. Bye, sweetheart."
He ended the call and watched the bottom half of the sun rise above the skyline. He wasn't sure where these little pet names were coming from, but they had rolled off his tongue with ease and without any feeling of embarrassment...and she certainly didn't balk at them like his ex had. Everything seemed so much easier with Beth, their current scheduling problems excluded. There was a natural flow to their conversations, complete with flirting and banter and...and just a really good feeling throughout. There was definitely something growing between them, something he was simultaneously afraid to reach for and afraid to let go of. He found himself wanting to talk to her more and more, and had already started coming up with ways to actually get a chance to see her...and soon.
Daryl arrived at the garage earlier than he had in a long time. Not early enough to beat Martinez, his boss, but enough that he could park his bike in a permanent shady spot to avoid riding home with a burning ass. Normally the coveted spot was taken by Tyreese, another mechanic, whose pride and joy was his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda that he'd rebuilt from the frame up and had gotten a custom paint job just this past spring. Every day, the man would park his black beauty under the shade of the large Georgia elm tree nestled in the far corner of the parking lot, but would make use of the custom made cover to keep any surprises from the birds inhabiting said tree from landing on his car – a concept Daryl never fully understood. If you're gonna cover it up anyway, what's the point of parking in the shade...or having the sweet ass paint job in the first place? Thinking on it, Daryl glanced up into the branches above him and decided to risk it, heading into the tiny office area to stow his helmet and start his day.
Customers came to the shop, one after another, most needing basic maintenance, but for some reason, Daryl had an incredibly difficult time concentrating...again. While he didn't drop nearly as many socket wrenches today, he found himself losing track of where he was in the process of changing someone's oil or checking their air conditioner, forgetting if he had just tightened this bolt or needed to remove it, making a task that should have taken fifteen minutes stretch closer to thirty.
On top of all that, he hadn't heard from Beth all day. She had mentioned chores at home before working this evening, but thought she'd sneak a text here or there like she usually did. Of course, he could always initiate contact, but if she was that busy, he didn't want to bother her. Besides, Martinez was already giving him looks for lagging behind with the customers. If he stopped even for a moment to send off a text message, it would only piss off his boss that much more, and he'd rather avoid that if at all possible. Instead, he mentally shook his head and hunkered down to get through the day.
Martinez came around to tell his employees he was ducking out a little early, and to remind them that the garage would be closing early next Saturday and would stay closed through Monday so he could get the parking lot repaved. They all nodded and grunted their acknowledgment of his announcement. Martinez turned to Daryl, making sure he was still good to close up shop; Daryl checked in his overalls pocket to check for the key before answering his boss.
It gave Daryl a sense of pride that Martinez trusted him to lock up, even after only working at the garage less than a year – since his ex had staked her claim on the house in Atlanta but couldn't be bothered to take care of their kid. The thought still got his blood boiling in anger, though there wasn't much to be done about it now. While being (essentially) a single parent was rough, he loved his son and wouldn't trade him for the world. He was glad he had Merle and Carol as a support system and was just saving up as much as he could so he would eventually be able to get a decent place for him and Jeremy.
Once the last customers left and the other employees clocked out, Daryl gave the office a once over, made sure the books were balanced, and flipped the sign from 'OPEN' to 'CLOSED.' He crossed the parking lot to his bike, which thankfully was devoid of any bird droppings, and headed for Merle's house. When he walked in the front door, his nose picked up on the lingering aroma of what Carol had cooked for dinner. He was mildly disappointed that he hadn't gotten to eat with everyone else, while the food was still nice and hot, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
Merle, Carol, Sophia and Jeremy were all in the living room, watching some show on TV. Carol commented that she'd saved a plate for him and that it was sitting in the microwave. Daryl nodded and mumbled his appreciation, ran downstairs to get out of his work clothes, then returned to the dining room to eat his late, though delicious, dinner. Once he'd finished and cleaned his place, along with washing up the dishes (his way of contributing to the meal), he joined his family in the living room.
He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was close to 8:30 already. A beam of inspiration entered his mind. "Anyone feel like some ice cream? Maybe from that little place up town? My treat," he offered.
Merle looked at him as if he had lobsters coming out of his ears. Carol didn't look shocked, per se, but had a suspicious look on her face. Both kids, of course, were all for a late night treat.
"Doesn't it close early in the middle of the week?" Carol questioned him, but he just shrugged in response.
"Hell, damn podunk town like this, only thing open now is the bars," Merle replied, an almost wistful look in his eyes.
"Well," Daryl said, grabbing the keys to his bike off the hook where he'd left them earlier, "doesn't hurt to check. If they're closed, I'll find something else. Just...got a taste for something sweet." He almost laughed at himself for the last comment, but fought it back, not wanting to have to explain just yet his real motivation for leaving. He was just glad that Jeremy was already sucked into the next episode of...whatever it was on TV...nothing Daryl recognized.
"You're taking the bike?" Carol asked. Daryl turned and looked at her, waiting for her to finish her thought, which he knew was forthcoming. "It's just, it's been looking like it's gonna storm all day."
"And how the hell you gonna carry my ice cream on the bike? It'd just melt in the side compartments," Merle added. Leave it to him to suddenly be the practical one. "Here," he dug his own keys out of his jeans pocket and tossed them toward Daryl. "Just take the truck. Don't go getting my sundae all melted."
Daryl rolled his eyes and placed his keys back on the hook before heading out to the driveway. He smirked has he started the truck's engine. He had every intention of going to the ice cream parlor, but it wasn't to get Merle a damn sundae.
He parallel parked behind what he was pretty sure was Beth's car. A glance inside the shop showed a group of teenagers taking up two of the tables and Beth wiping down the counters, keeping one eye on her customers and the other on the clock, an obviously forced smile on her face. Not long after he'd arrived, the group had apparently finished and left. Damn kids didn't even bother pushing in chairs or throwing anything away. He fought the incredibly strong urge to corral them back inside and teach them a thing or two about respect and common fucking courtesy, but didn't want to cause any kind of scene that might get Beth in trouble. Instead he watched them all leave, curious as to whether or not he knew any of their parents, and came up with a quick plan as to how he hoped this would all play out.
Daryl saw Beth clean up her customers' mess and return to behind the counter, wiping things down that already looked immaculate, and running the final count in the register. A glance at the clock in the truck showed it was fifteen minutes until the shop was officially closed for the night. He figured with as empty as the sidewalks looked and the threatening rumble of thunder in the distance, no one else was going to be getting ice cream tonight, so he slid out of the cab and entered the store, unable to help the grin as the door chime welcomed him.
He looked at Beth standing behind the counter, her back to him, and could swear her shoulders sagged a little. He didn't take it personally; if she wasn't watching the door, she didn't know it was him, and any other customer would have started looking at the menu, not the beautiful blonde. Their loss. "Any chance I could get a double dip?" he joked.
Beth spun around, surprise written all over her face. She beamed brightly at him, "Hey, you!"
He cocked an eyebrow at her, "Were you expecting someone else?"
She giggled, "I thought you were 'that guy'."
"Beg pardon?" he said, thoroughly confused.
"You know...when you're just about to close, and then 'that guy' comes in and you just know you aren't getting off work when you're supposed to," Beth explained, her smile never leaving her face.
Daryl nodded, "Ah...yeah, we have a different name for people like that. Probably not polite to say in a place like this." Daryl took in the bright, cheery ambience of the ice cream parlor, quite the opposite of the garage. His eyes finally took in her uniform – a Pepto Bismol pink dress with large red buttons running down the front and a little apron around her waist. It was like something out of Happy Days. "Nice get up, by the way," he teased.
Beth blushed, "Shut up. It's not like I picked it."
"No, it's cute...it suits ya," he playfully argued, forcing her blush to deepen.
"So...can I get you anything?" she offered.
"Nah. Just thought I'd come in here and wait," he said.
Beth shook her head, "For what?"
Daryl looked up at the clock, which had just reached nine o'clock. He turned back to her with a grin, "Closing time." Beth giggled again. "I just figured with our schedules bein' so crazy like they are, I'd just come and kidnap ya and take ya out. I did warn ya." This isn't creepy is it? I mean, she's smiling and everything. God, I hope this doesn't make me some kind of creeper.
No, sitting outside an ice cream place waiting for the past twenty minutes for the lone employee to get off work so you can "kidnap" her isn't creepy at all. Idiot.
Beth reached behind her and untied her apron, setting it on the counter. "I just need to finish up with the register and lock up. Five minutes, tops."
"I'll time ya," he winked at her and took a seat at one of the recently vacated tables.
True to her word, Beth had finished closing up in less than five minutes and came back out to the front to join Daryl. He stood up as she came closer, making sure to push in his chair, and met her in the middle of the floor. "I'm impressed." He offered her his arm, and she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow.
"Where are we going?" Beth asked.
"You'll see," Daryl smirked at her. He walked her to the door and waited for her to turn out lights and lock up before heading out to the sidewalk and walking down the street. They hadn't gone far when he turned toward a little diner at the end of the block. He escorted her inside, nodded at the waitress, and guided Beth to a booth in the corner. "I know, it ain't exactly the nicest place, but the food's good," he offered.
Beth grinned, "Yeah, I know. I had a sandwich from here for dinner tonight." Daryl frowned at that. Not that he was hoping to make this a dinner date, but still... It was clear she was just humoring him and he was just setting himself up for disappointment. And seriously, who in this town hasn't eaten at the diner. Of course she knew the food was good. Idiot. She reached across the table and took his hand. "Hey...you can always buy me dessert," she said with a smile. He raised his eyebrows, almost daring to hope he was wrong, that she wasn't just humoring him, and felt her squeeze his hand.
The waitress came over and greeted them both by name. Apparently they both came here pretty frequently. Beth ordered a piece of peach pie and a vanilla coke, while Daryl ordered a plate of chili cheese fries and a regular coke. When the waitress walked back to place the order, Daryl leaned forward. "What, no ice cream with your pie?" he teased.
"Very funny. One good thing about this job is that I very rarely want ice cream...ever!" she declared.
"I'll remember that," Daryl nodded. Girl must really be sick of ice cream if she doesn't even want any with peach pie. And why is not wanting ice cream a good thing? She can't possibly be worried about her figure...because she's perfect.
It's. It's perfect.
The waitress came back quickly with their order. She had just turned her back when Beth reached across the table to steal a fry. "Damn, woman! I didn't even get a chance and you're already stealin' off my plate!" he exclaimed, not nearly as upset as he sounded.
Beth grinned as she bit into the fry, "Ya gotta be quick." She chewed as delicately as one can chew a chili cheese fry, and Daryl couldn't help but watch. "Besides, they're best when the cheese is still melty," she explained after she swallowed.
"Yeah, yeah," Daryl acquiesced, rolling his eyes. God damn, she's cute.
Beth took a sip of her vanilla coke. "You can steal a bite of mine if it makes you feel better."
"It ain't stealin' if ya give me permission," he said dryly, narrowing his eyes at her. Now it was Beth's turn to roll her eyes.
They joked and teased and talked as they ate, growing more and more comfortable with each other as the conversation progressed. Daryl kept asking Beth questions, about her family, her school, why she wanted to be a teacher. When she would ask questions, he would answer, but only the barest of details. His past was too screwed up to unload all that on her on a first date...if he were to call this a date.
When they'd finished and Daryl had paid the bill (despite Beth's protests to at least split the check), they both slid out of the booth and stretched their legs. Beth bent to grab her apron off the bench; when she stood back up, Daryl wrapped his arm around her waist and bent to press a quick kiss against her lips, completely catching her off guard. "See...that's how ya steal somethin'," he murmured.
Beth blinked rapidly as a blush crept from her neck over her cheeks and up to the tips of her ears. Daryl grinned and offered his arm to her again to lead her back out to the sidewalk, now littered with scattered raindrops. Apparently the storm that had been threatening the skies throughout the later part of the day had finally arrived.
As they walked back toward the ice cream shop and to their cars, the rain picked up and they were caught in a sudden downpour. Daryl released her hand from his arm and caught it in his own hand, running with her down the street. They stood under the awning of the ice cream shop, both laughing and out of breath.
Their eyes met – at least they did when Daryl managed to pull his away from her lips, which were slightly parted while trying to catch her breath through her smile. Looking up at him, with those wide blue eyes full of happiness and sweetness and anticipation, she was damn near irresistible.
Daryl took a purposeful step toward her and ran his fingertips along her forehead and down her cheeks, brushing her damp hair away from her face before cupping her face in his hands and bringing his mouth to hers. They met each other perfectly, their tongues hesitantly tasting each other's. Her arms slipped around his neck as one of his hands slid down her back to rest on her hip, pulling her even closer, the other cradling her neck. Their mouths moved together, taking their time tasting and teasing, stretching the kiss from simple to something more. Daryl mentally kicked himself for getting the chili cheese fries now that he could taste the peaches and vanilla coke on Beth's tongue, along with her own delicious sweetness.
He had a fleeting thought that this was, hands down, the best kiss of his life. Any other before, not that there were all that many, paled in comparison. Even the sweet little kisses the night all this started, their first kiss on the dancefloor. He'd committed them all to memory, but this one...he didn't want this one to end. He also didn't care where this sappy romantic side of him was coming from; he only cared about never letting this girl go, physically and metaphorically.
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed immediately by a loud clap of thunder, making both of them jump back. They laughed a little before stepping out of their embrace, Daryl's hand rubbing along the back of his neck as his other hand reached into his pocket for his keys. The kiss had absolutely knocked him off his feet. He wasn't sure what to do or say next. Walk her to her car? Suggest they go back into the ice cream shop so they could be dry and have some kind of privacy and pick up right where they left off? Yeah, cause that's romantic. Let's sit on the cold metal chairs and make out. Smooth. Idiot.
Apparently picking up on his awkwardness, Beth threw him a lifeline, "This was nice tonight. I had a really nice time."
"Yeah?" Daryl was relieved to see her tiny smile. "Yeah, me too."
Beth grinned, "You still aren't off the hook for dinner, though, you know."
Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, "Oh, don't you worry. I always make good on my promises."
"I trust you," Beth whispered. She looked at the rain falling in the street; it seemed to be lessening a little. "Well, I oughta head home. Don't want mom and dad to think I got washed off the road."
Daryl nodded, "Yeah, me too. Let me know when you get home so I...um...ya know..." he trailed off, stopping himself. Is it weird to tell a girl that you worry about her safety?
Not weird at all...if you're her father. Creep.
Daryl shook the inner voice that was quickly becoming the bane of his existence out of his mind, at least for the moment.
"I will," she promised. She made to leave, but turned last minute, reached up on her tip toes and kissed him again. "You're not the only thief, you know," she kidded him.
God, she's perfect. Sweet and sassy and funny and gorgeous all in one. His hand cupped the back of her head and brought her to meet him again for another kiss, this one more urgent than the last, unable to get enough of her, and yet knowing that this would have to tide him over until the next time he saw her...whenever that might be. He pulled away and smirked at her, "Just giving you food for thought for tonight."
She smiled widely and smacked him playfully, then raised an eyebrow at him. "Good night, Daryl," she said as she made to leave.
He met her smile with his own. "Good night, Beth."
They both hurried to their cars, parked close enough to the front door of the shop. Beth hopped into her car and drove down the street. Daryl made a slightly illegal U-turn (If there's no one to see you do it...) and realized he'd have to come up with an excuse as to why he wasn't coming back Merle's with ice cream...and why it took him an hour to come home empty handed. He reasoned that "The shop was almost closed and he didn't want to be 'that guy,' and when he got to the grocery store all the good stuff was picked over then the rain was coming down so hard he had to pull over" was as good a story as any, and began practicing it in his head the rest of the way to the house. Sure he could just come clean and tell the truth, but he just wasn't ready to hear more of Merle's teasing, and something told him Carol wouldn't let him go without a slew of questions, playing not just the sister-in-law but acting as the big sister he'd never had.
He really wasn't sure what to tell Jeremy, at least not just yet. He knew eventually he'd have to tell both his son and Beth about each other, but the timing needed to be just right. You can't spring a ten year old boy on a girl not quite out of college when you ain't even sure you're dating or not.
It turned out everyone had gone to bed by the time he returned, so he'd have until morning to perfect his story. On the way downstairs, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket: a text message from Beth letting him now she'd gotten home alright. He responded: Glad you're home safe. Then, a half-minute later, he fired off another message, hoping she'd take it in the spirit he meant it. Thinking about me yet?A few minutes passed before she answered.
Always. You?
Never stopped. Good night.
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