He had seen her dressed up many times before. She'd dressed up lots over the years to impress her boyfriend of the time. First Jimmy, then Zach and so on. But this time it was just for him. Wearing that pretty little red dress that barely covered anything.

He never thought that the blonde would set those pretty blue eyes on him. Not more than as the man who'd been her brother's best friend for near fifteen years, not as the man who helped out on occasion at her daddy's farm. Certainly not as more than the guy that had watched her go from the gangly twelve year old, all sticks and bones to curves and vibrant beauty.

When he first saw her, she was riding a horse, a skittish mare she still has to this day, around the farm. He only saw her from a distance. He'd come to have a talk with his buddy, Shawn's father about maybe helping out on the farm. The man was getting up there in age and needed some extra hands around the farm. His first thought was, 'man, that girls' goin' break someone's heart someday'. And she had proven him right. She'd broken plenty of boy's hearts.

Then she had set her eyes on him. She'd gotten that glint in her eye and that glint spoke volumes. Mostly that she was thinking something mischievous. Hell knows he'd seen her get into more trouble than most of her family knew about, aside from maybe her big brother Shawn, his best friend. And here he is, neck deep in it, getting ready to take her on a date. She'd turned to him one day as they were working in the barn and she simply said, "Daryl Dixon, I'm sick of boys. I want a man. I want you."

He'd looked at her in shock and confusion. Why would someone so beautiful, talented and perfect want someone like him, a thirty something redneck who has no business thinking about the farmer's daughter. He protested, told her he was too old for her, wasn't even good enough for her. He even told her that there wasn't any way that her family would ever accept that. She whipped her body around to face him. "Don't you dare say you ain't good enough. I've known you most of my damn life and I know good when I see it."

"Ya don' know the things I've done," He had kept his eyes trained on the ground.

"No, I don'. But that doesn't change a single thing. Now quit givin' me stupid arguments. Do ya like me or not?"

"Ain't nobody in the world that don't like ya," He replied.

"That isn't what I mean and ya know it."

Hell if she wasn't a spit fire. She needled and wheedled at him for a good twenty minutes before he finally gave in and gave her the answer that she wanted to hear. A yes, he did like her. He tried to end the conversation just by walking out and the five foot something slip of a woman blocked his way. Yeah he could have just picked her up and moved her but that wasn't him. He wouldn't lay a hand on her, ever, even if it was just to move her out of his way.

"My family loves you, Daryl. They ain't going to have a single problem." She had told him. And she was right. Her daddy was happy by it, her brother smiled knowingly and winked. Her mother had thrown her arms around him and said, "Perfect! You two will be a perfect couple!" Without them even going on a date. Her sister was more wary, and put on a show about 'treating her sister good and remember, Daryl. I carry a gun an' if you hurt my sister you'll have a gun pointed 'tween your eyes and a bullet comin' your way with your name etched into it.' Then she smiled at him all sweet and innocent like.

Her red dress was short, and hugged every single one of her perfect curves. She accented her lips with a touch of some sort of lip gloss and had her already curly hair in a half bun that let some of her curls hang loose. She took his breath away. He told her, in a shy way, that she looked beautiful. When she beamed up at him he promised himself that he'd tell her she's beautiful as often as he could just to keep seeing that smile.

Damn if she wasn't a tidal wave sweeping him along for a hell of a ride. If he wasn't happy and ready for every second of it, his name wasn't Daryl Dixon.

A/N: I'm not entirely happy with this little drabble, but I may come back to it and re-do it. Hope y'all like it!