A/N Thanks so much! You guys are just the most! Meet me at Ripley's later and I'll buy you a cherry coke! This chapter picks up right where we left off. Maggie is going to give lessons in how to sneak around, Daryl is going to be a bit resistant, and our couple is going to get closer. Oh yeah and you're being set up, just a little :) Yay!
Maggie slid in behind the wheel and Daryl already had the backdoor open to get out but she stopped him. "Not so fast Biker Boy. I have something to say to both of you."
"I'm willing to go out on a limb so you two can see each other at least a little bit. But you have to do things my way or I swear I'll tell Mama the whole dang truth."
They both nodded.
"I'll try to work it out so a couple of times each week I can stay in town a little longer and you two can spend some time together. We can't do it every day or Mama will get suspicious.
And Beth I'm going to ask Mama if you and I can take our horses out Saturday, maybe spend time down by the river. I'm going to tell her I want to have a talk with my little sister, help her see that she's been wrong for not minding Mama and respecting her more. That ought to make her agree to it.
I'll have my friend Kay pick me up at the bridge so you two can be alone. And geez I can go to town and maybe actually have some fun of my own.
You guys will have three hours. Bethie you'd better be there and be ready to get back on that horse and get home when it's time. Everyone understand?"
They nodded in agreement.
"And both of you had better behave or I swear I'll take turns beating you to death."
Daryl couldn't help himself, "Yer kinda bossy ain't ya?"
Beth was biting her tongue and Maggie just nodded in agreement. "That's the reputation I have and I'm just trying real hard to live up to everyone's expectations."
"Alright now I'm closing my eyes for 10 seconds, kiss goodbye and then me and Beth are going. We will not make Mama mad under any circumstances."
As soon as her view of him faded, Beth turned to her sister, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you Maggie! Gosh you're just the best sister in the whole wide world! I love you so much! I'll make it up to you somehow and I promise we'll be good."
"Oh you're going to be paying me back little sister, I'm not doing another dish while I'm home."
And Maggie made good on all of her promises including the dishes.
Wednesday was Mama's regular grocery day and Maggie suggested to her since she'd be going to town to get Beth anyway, that she and her sister could do the grocery shopping. That sounded good to Mama.
Daryl and Beth had 45 minutes alone in the back seat of Mama's car and she told him the things Maggie had told her. "She says we have to get smarter, well not you, me. Maggie is really good at sneaking around and getting away with stuff.
So she was telling me I have to get my friends in cahoots with me when she leaves, you know, so you and I can be together. I have to tell my parents things like I'm going to the movies with Kim, or to the record store with Jan, or Sally and I are going shopping. That kind of stuff. I'll make sure my friends know I'm supposed to be with them. You know so they don't call my house while I'm out, or if Mama asks them if we had fun they can cover up for me.
Then I have to be sure I come home when Mama expects me to and I need to always treat her with respect, even if I'm mad at her."
"Sounds like a lotta bullshit ta me Beth. Not the part about treatin' yer Mama right that part's the right thing.
But the rest of it, the lyin' and the sneakin'. That just don't seem right and it don't seem like yer nature, ya ain't that kinda girl.
And shit girl it don't feel like it's my nature either. I ain't perfect but I ain't no kind of sneak or liar.
Ya sure it ain't cuz yer embarrassed ta be hangin' with redneck biker trash? Don't want Mama and Daddy ta know their sweet little girl would have anythin' ta do with a guy like me? Is that the real trouble here that yer ashamed? Cuz ya know if that's the deal well I told ya before, I ain't goin' that way. Don't wanna just play at this. Don't wanna get ya in trouble either.
Shit Beth can't ya see, this ain't just some kinda messin' around for me. It means sumthin'."
"Oh my gosh Daryl how could you even think that?! Why I, I…well I'm proud to be seen with you anywhere. It's just that my parents are so strict and they expect me to date some boy my own age, someone from my church or that I went to high school with. Boys Daryl, not a man like you. I just know they'll say no and probably lock me up where I can't get out at all.
You told me you weren't giving me up, and I'm not taking any chances of not getting to see you. I don't want to lie and sneak around either but I can't take the chance of losing you. You must know by now Daryl Dixon, I think you're the most." And he swore she had tears I her eyes.
He took her hand, "Why don't ya just let me talk ta yer old man? Give me a chance ta explain ta him I ain't gonna hurt ya or take advantage. Just wanna see ya and be with ya. I ain't a criminal, I got a good job n shit. I could explain all a that ta him.
Cream Puff I wanna take ya out, show ya off, not be hidin'. I want ya ta be my girl an I want people ta know yer my girl."
And that's when the talking ended because the kissing started.
xxxx
He was waiting for her and Maggie when they showed up Saturday at noon.
He was well armed. He had his crossbow and a quiver full of bolts.
He slung the crossbow over his shoulder in one fluid motion then lifted a hand to help Beth off her horse.
He turned to Maggie and offered her a hand, "Well gee whiz thanks Biker Boy. I didn't know Biker hoodlums had such nice manners." She tied the horse to the bridge railing and just about that time a horn honked. "There's my ride. I'll see you two in three hours. Remember no hanky panky."
And the Biker and the Bobby Soxer both turned a nice shade of pink.
He had an open palm on her cheek, "I missed ya Cream Puff. Wanted ta see ya real bad last night. Wanted ta take ya in the little pick up, go over ta the passion pit and catch that new scary flick, Horror of Dracula. I's thinkin' how I could hold ya when ya got all scared. 'Stead a doin' that I had ta just stay home alone drinkin' beer an watchin' I love Lucy."
But he smiled when he said it and then gave her a serious kiss.
"I missed you too Daryl and I definitely wanted you to hold me, and what in the world is the passion pit?"
And he sort of snorted, "It's the drive-in movie. I ain't gonna tell ya why they call it that. Ya gotta figure that part out on yer own."
"Oh my gosh I think I know! Well maybe sometime soon," her face was bright pink and she gave him a demure little smile with just a dash of boldness.
And she thought maybe she ought to change the subject. "I brought lunch are you hungry?"
"Well yeah but how'd ya get away with that? Don't yer Mama suspect sumthin' when yer packin' up food?"
"Well Maggie told her we were going to have a picnic and I'd lost the coin toss to see who had to make lunch."
"Damn yer sister is kinda like one a them criminal masterminds. Are ya sure she's studyin' bookkeepin'?"
They finished their lunch he thanked her and then he stood. He picked up his crossbow and walked over to a big oak. He took his knife and made a little circle mark in the tree.
"Alright been a couple weeks let's see if I still got it." And he drew back on that bow and boom, that bolt went right to that circle.
She was sure she hadn't ever seen anything sexier than Daryl Dixon shooting a crossbow.
And then he asked, "Ya wanna learn how ta shoot the bow?"
She couldn't believe her ears. "Well heck yes I do but I don't know if I can. I mean I want to try for sure. Gosh but it looks awfully big and heavy."
"Well it is but I'ma help ya 'til ya get the hang of it. I'll be right behind ya an I'll help ya hold it steady. You do the aimin' an pull the trigger."
"Do you really think I can?"
"Well ya say ya know how ta shoot a gun, same principal different weapon. I think you'll be real good. C'mon now let's give it a try."
And he told her exactly how the crossbow worked. He told her not to close an eye when aiming like she did with her gun, and he explained the difference between an arrow and a bolt. "A bolt's shorter, that's the main difference and I just prefer 'em." Then he showed her how to load and cock the crossbow.
She couldn't quite get the bowstring pulled back all the way to load and cock it. He was standing right there behind her and he moved a little closer, leaned over and helped her finish the job. But when he was done helping he didn't move back. Instead he leaned in just that little bit further, close enough to start kissing the back of her neck, giving the slightest little suck and repeating the action. Even though he got little lost in what he was doing he was careful so as not to mark her. Couldn't be sending her back to Mama with a love bite.
She made a little humming noise, "mmmmmm," and she whispered, "Daryl that feels so good."
And he whispered in her ear, "Damn girl, I been wantin' ta do that to ya since the first time I seen ya walkin' up the street ta Ripley's. I'ma plan on doin' it a whole lot more too unless ya tell me I can't."
And standing there with that big bow in her hands, Daryl Dixon standing behind her so close she could feel him breathing and his hand over hers, she was excited. She felt it all over and it was a type of warmness she'd never felt before. She whispered back, "I don't think I ever want you to stop doing that Daryl."
He knew if he didn't put the brakes on, this fire was going to get out of control in a hurry. He was the man, he was the older one, he needed to be responsible. Shit he needed to think. "Alright now line it up. Ya got the target sighted in?"
"Yes." She was disappointed he'd stopped but it was probably for the best. The Bobby Soxer knew right in that moment, yes she was pretty sure she wouldn't have stopped him from doing anything he wanted to do.
He helped her cock the bow and she aimed and shot five more times. She finally managed to hit the tree on that fifth shot.
He was a lot more excited than her and he questioned it, "Ain't ya happy? Ya hit the damn tree yer gettin' closer every shot."
"I am happy but gosh it seems like I should be doing a lot better at this. And gee whiz I can't even load it myself. I feel like a weakling." And her brow was furrowed and he knew she was disappointed in herself.
He lightly touched her arm, "Cream Puff c'mon now ya ain't never done this before. Gonna take some time ya know an a lotta practice too. 'Sides that this bow here has a draw weight of 175 pounds. Shit girl ya ain't weak yer strong, but yer just a little thing, ya can't be expectin' ta draw the same weight I do. One day we'll get ya a bow sized for you. Maybe get ya a recurve or a compound, sumthin' where ya ain't gotta have quite as much muscle. Would ya like that?"
And then he saw that happy perky girl bubble right up, "Really Daryl? Oh my golly that would be so cool! I would love it if you would teach me how to do what you do. Shoot the bow, track and hunt and all of it."
Well he sure as hell never thought he'd have a woman for a hunting partner. Damn the only people he'd ever hunted with were his Dad and Merle. With the old man dead and gone for 10 years and Merle in and out of his life, well it had been just him for a good long while.
"Well then we'll do it. As soon as ya can get away for another Saturday we can take the pick up over ta Gatesville, they got a good archery shop there. We'll see if we can't find ya what ya need. Sound right?"
"Oh yes I'm so excited Daryl! You're so sweet to me and I don't know if I even told you the other day. You know because well we got kind of busy making out and stuff," And she was red cheeked and red eared, and gosh so was he, "But I do want to be your girl and I want you to be my guy."
He hugged her tight, "Never wanna let ya go I always want ya ta be my girl Cream Puff."
They were sitting on the cloth right there by the water and skipping rocks. He let go with one and it skipped nearly all the way across the slow moving river. "Fuck almighty girl don't think I ever made one go that damn far. Ya must be my lucky charm."
She giggled and then said, "You know Daryl you sure do swear a lot. I never heard anyone say some of the words that you say, like that "F" one. My gosh I was so shocked that first time I heard you talk."
He was confused, "I do? Everyone I'm around talks the same like me, well 'cept you an Maggie. I grew up with it. Everyone workin' at Dirty's talks like that. Now that yer my girl are ya gonna be tellin' me i gotta stop talkin' like I talk?" She knew he wasn't mad because he smiled that crooked little smile when he cocked his eyebrow at her.
"No Daryl I don't want to change anything about you. I like you just the way you are. It just caught me by surprise at first. And I always think about Mama saying, 'The only reason people swear is because they're ignorant. They don't have a good enough vocabulary to know the proper words to use.' She's got strong opinions my Mama does."
"Well shit then maybe it's best she don't know me. She'll be thinkin' I'm the most ignorant sumbitch ever lived."
When they got home she was washing up the picnic dishes and she overheard Maggie telling Mama, "I don't think you're going to have a bit more trouble with Beth Mama. I explained to her why it's so important to always listen to you that you know best. And I told her that she had the pleasure of living in your house and she has to abide your rules. She looked me right in the eye and said I was right and she wasn't going to disappoint you anymore."
Gee maybe Daryl was right and Maggie really was a criminal mastermind. And it made the Bobby Soxer smile.
She could hardly wait to see him Monday morning. When Maggie dropped her off at Ripley's she looked for him, caught his eye and waved. He nodded his head her way and gave her that little smile.
He came in for lunch and as soon as she set his water on the counter he squeezed her hand. "Missed ya Cream Puff."
"I missed you too. We have about a half hour when I get off work tonight. Maggie's going to the hardware store for Daddy and picking up the dry cleaning."
They gave each other a big smile before she went over and clipped his order up in the window for the cook.
They sat together in the backseat while Maggie was in the hardware store. She'd told them they'd have 15 minutes, maybe 20 while she looked around for the perfect nuts and bolts for Daddy.
"Guess what Daryl?" She was so excited it made him laugh.
"I ain't got a guess what?"
"Maggie's leaving on Sunday to go back to school in Macon. She asked Mama if her and I could go for Chinese food together Saturday night and then a movie. But she's really going to a party. That means you and me get to have our Saturday night Daryl!"
"That's real cool Cream Puff why I'll have someone ta watch 'Lucy' with." Then he kissed her, "Just kiddin' that'll be great. You can see my pad an we'll take the pick up, go get us some dinner. Anythin' special ya wanna do?"
"I've always wanted to go cruising! Holy smokes this is going to be so cool."
"Yeah cruisin' sounds real cool I'd be real proud ta be seen cruisin' with my girl." And he was going to take her cruising if that's what she wanted. But just this once. Yep that was one of the problems with being a 26 year old man dating an 18 year old, the Biker knew he was way too old to be cruising Main Street with teenagers.
And the other problem weighing on him was the sneaking around. He was way too old for that too.
"Shit girl I just wish you'd let me talk ta yer Daddy. Maybe he'd see his way clear ta let me date ya. Think on it Beth, please."
A/N Daryl's trying to convince her but Beth is just sure her parents will say "no way." The good news is, there's a big Saturday night date on the horizon! Golly geez I don't know about you guys but I can hardly wait to go cruising! Maggie's been a big help to our couple but she's still being her sassy self. I think she's feeling a little empathy. Don't forget Maggie has a steady eddy of her own, someone she has not yet bothered to tell anyone about. We'll meet him in a later chapter. Thanks so much for reading, please review! xo