Home Is Your Heartbeat ('Home Is' Book Two - Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 97 - Secret Garden (Bruce Springsteen)

DARYL

Nate tapped my shoulder. And I slowed down a bit so I could hear her.

"Don't mean to be a backseat driver, Babe. But the Hilltop turn-off was about four miles ago."

"Takin the scenic route"  I call out.

"Okaaaay then. Think you can find a scenic pitstop then, within twenty minutes or so? Is that the river we crossed over a while ago near Remington, ummmm....Rappahannock?"

My missus might have a rampant baby-brain. But she still doesn't miss a trick, huh? Observant as ever.

"Yep, it comes out where the bay meets the sea. Just south of Oceanside"  I throttle up again.

Siddiq had warned me. That rides like this can't go on once she hits her last trimester. That all the bumpin and vibrations won't be too good for her or the baby.

But neither Nate nor our little feller are complaining right now. Alfie is currently doin a tap dance on my spine, and havin himself a right good old time.

While his Momma is happily welding herself to me. Lettin go of what sounds like little sighs of bliss to be out and about. Just the three of us, alone together for a change.

I'm happier than a hog in mud, too. Except, this feelin is tempered with a fair bit of aggro as well.

Cos 'Someone'  (i.e. Rick)  has blabbed. And I'm guessin, I got maybe an hour to get my shit together? Before I gotta explain why I've kept it all a secret from her.

One of a couple, actually....  🤐

*

I spot the sign, hanging askew on a gate.

Reckon it's as good a place to stop as any, so I veer on in. Weave my bike uphill slightly through several acres of overgrown vine rows. Chestnuts interspersed with fig and olive trees make up the borders.

Then down to the river valley, where the majority of the buildings are located.

The whole joint had been done up to look like one of them French fancy chateau places or somethin. Only now? It's reaching the point of being ripe for renovation.

"Strewth!  Talk about bloody cruel, Dixon"  Nate muttered, while I pushed open one of the big wrought iron entry gates.

Takes a fair bit of grunt work cos it's seized up some with rust. They're set in a high stone wall that stretches all the way around to the river.

"What're yer grumpin on about, woman?"

"Choosing a winery  for my pee break....honestly?"

"It's scenic, ain't it? Got yerself a problem with that?"

Once we were in, I steered towards the biggest building. The whole place itself is massive overall.

These walls must still be pretty sound and solid? Cos the noise from my bike would've drawn Walkers in. But we couldn't see any or hear their groans within the grounds.

"Ummmm, helloooo! Preggers....ergo....not allowed to drink alcohol?"

My....my. The missus sounded right ticked off about that little fact  😉

"All that wine crap tastes like piss anyway. Besides, it coulda been worse. I might've kept going to the whisky distillery that Aaron and Enid found....instead of here."

I grinned wickedly when her mouth dropped open with longing almost.

"Now you're just being plain mean, mister! I would've crossed my legs and held on for that  had I known about it."