Spiced Molasses

Chapter 30

Daryl woke up later than usual; surprised he had slept so late with the sunlight streaming in through his windows. He had forgotten to shut the curtains before falling into bed last night. His body was loose when he rolled out of bed. He always carried some kind of tension with him when he was in the city. He was either ready to fight or ready to lie, and that kind of pressure sat on his shoulders even when he was alone in his apartment. But out here there was no one to pretend for, except maybe Beth and that was a wholly different type of pretence.

Out of habit he checked the main bedroom and found it empty. Then he felt that familiar twinge of unease in his chest but that was reflex. There was no reason to panic, it was impossible for them to find Beth out here.

Daryl did a quick sweep of the house and then checked the front porch. Beth was sitting there on the creaky, old wooden chair that looked like it shouldn't support anyone's weight but did year in year out. Her feet were tucked up underneath her and a book was left forgotten on the ground.

Her eyes were drinking in the surroundings and Daryl could acknowledge they were beautiful. The woods were glowing with the sunlight and there was still just enough mist left to make them seem mysterious. The lake was a startling blue, a perfect colour to reflect the perfect day. In winter it would become like charcoal slate but now it was inviting and pristine.

Beth's face was set in contemplation but she didn't look sad. She was aware of his presence but didn't it acknowledge it just yet, still caught by the unchallenged magic all around her. Daryl leaned on the door frame and watched her. What Beth didn't know, what she couldn't know, was how she completed the scene. Daryl had seen it before, marvelled before, but this time felt new and he knew it was because it now included her.

With her hair curling free of its bindings, she appeared relaxed and natural. She belonged here; Daryl felt it like a physical strike to the heart.

How had this happened? He was musing on that internally but not in the panicked, fearful way he had barely twenty-four hours ago. There wasn't anything in his life or past that should have led to this moment and yet here they were. Was it fate or destiny or some other kind of bullshit?

Any other day Daryl would have turned himself inside out, chasing that thought for some kind of answer but for now he was content to leave well enough alone. Just like Beth, he felt peaceful.

He didn't notice that Beth had changed her attention to focus on him. Her smile was joyous with a hint of something secret, but a secret they both understood.

She finally stood up. "I can't find the words to describe this place."

"That's gotta be a first," Daryl teased lightly.

"I'm serious," she answered with a grin, leaning on the wall near him. "It's lovely."

"Yeah," he mumbled, agreeing with her and meaning something more. He wasn't a poet and wasn't going to string together a pretty monologue of what this place meant to him but she understood just from his easy acceptance.

Impulsively he smoothed back that mischievous strand of hair that had escaped over her ear.

"You're safe here."

Her eyes were so open and trusting. "I know."

It was one of those moments where if he was any other man he probably would have kissed her but he didn't need to or even want to. He wanted his eyes open to memorise every detail of her face at this very second. Daryl was a realist and he knew that something this good couldn't last. But when it did get stolen away from him, he wanted memories like this to turn to.