*** for Hire

Montana stirred awake she noticed the absence of a pair of arms around her. Turning over she found the spot where Daryl had been the previous night empty.

She sighed feeling the empty place. She knew his job required him to be called in randomly. But it would be nice to wake up to those strong arms around her and those blue eyes staring into hers.

She was brought out her reverie by the doorknob turning. Looking up she saw Daryl walked in with a tray in nothing but his boxers.

"Good morning." He said walking over and setting the tray down. "How'd ya sleep?"

"You're still here." She whispered.

"I felt bad about leaving you yesterday morning I didn't want to do the same today." He said. "I want to make it up to you."

She smiled. "You already did that last night but I'm not complaining about breakfast in bed."

He chuckled and placed the tray on her lap. "Eat up."

She grinned and scooped up a forkful of hash browns. Her eyes closed and she moaned softly.

"They must be good if you're having an orgasm from them." Daryl said with a chuckle.

"They are." She said taking a bite of waffles. "Where you learned to cook like this?"

"My brother Merle taught me how." He said.

"I didn't know you have a brother." She said drinking her fresh squeezed orange juice.

"Had." He said quietly.

"I'm so sorry I didn't know." She said.

"It's okay." He said giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You didn't mean nothing of it."

"What was he like?" She asked.

"He was an asshole." He said with a smirk.

She laughed. "Really?"

He shook his head. "Sometimes he was." "We'd have the normal sibling rivalry and fights but he was my best friend." "Taught me everything I know." "How to ride a bike, cook, play ball, hunt."

"You hunt?" She asked.

"Not as much as I used to but I still do." He said. "Hunted rabbits, squirrels, opossum you name it."

"I've never had any of that." She said.

"Well maybe I could make dinner for you." He said.

"I'd like that but on one condition." She said.

"What?" He asked.

"You take me out and show me how to hunt for them." She said with a grin.

He chuckled. "That can be done."

She laughed with him then stopped. "Daryl how did your brother die?"

His face turned grim. "He was murdered by an unknown assailant in a convenient store robbery."

"Daryl." She said putting the tray aside and hugging him.

He returned her embrace enjoying the feeling of her body against him. He leaned in her shampoo invading his nostrils. As they hugged he felt her hands roaming his back.

"Daryl what happened?" She asked feeling one of his scars.

She pulled back looking into his eyes. "How'd you get that?"

He sighed. "My dad gave it to me."

Her face turned into a mixture of emotions. "Your dad abused you?"

"Yeah he did." He said. "He was a drunk and abused me, Merle, and our mom." "It got worse when mom died."

"Then one day me and Merle ran away with nothing but a trash bag of clothes, guns, and my crossbow." He said. "We started working for people in exchange for food and shelter."

Daryl felt strange he had just poured out his past which he didn't like to talk about to the woman who was his target. Her arms wrapped around him again.

"Daryl Dixon you've got to be the strongest person I know." She said stroking his hair.

"I don't know about that." He said. "Cause you're making me weak." He thought.

She pulled back. "You are cause you've been through so much and despite all that you've not dwelled on it." "Look at the wonderful strong person you are."

He placed his hand over hers and kissed her wrist. "You're pretty strong to you know leaving home coming to an unfamiliar city and trying to make it."

She laughed softly their eyes met and they leaned in for a soft kiss. Her arms went around his neck as his hands went to the back of her neck and her cheek.

They slowly pulled away foreheads against each other. Daryl stroked her cheek. She took his hand kissing his wrist. He noticed something out the corner of his eye.

"You play?" He asked gesturing to a guitar in the corner.

"Sometimes I do." She said getting up and getting it.

She strummed it as she came back over sitting down.

"I want to hear you play." He said.

She smiled softly and began playing a tune. She closed her eyes as she began singing.

"Hill up the road gathering thoughts."
"Never adding the way I want them."
"Sweet Jesus show me through the Indian paintbrush."
"Faith, faith was cursed upon me."
"A mustard seed was good enough for him and good enough to me."

Daryl watched this beautiful creature singing in front of him. She was one of those rare people who was amazing in every way possible. Those were the kind of people Daryl had never met or encountered until now.

"I like the rain I like going against the grain."
"Seems to me I'm cutting a simple pattern."
"She was weak."
"Hill up the road watching my thoughts chase each other."
"Sweet Jesus show me through the faith cursed upon me."
"She walked away, she walked away, she walked away."

She opened her eyes as she finished the final notes. "How was that."

"Amazing." He whispered. "How long have you been playing."

"Since I was twelve." She said.

He nodded. "Have you consider being a professional singer?"

"Sometimes but the same story with the actress deal." She said. "They don't see me as nothing more than a pretty face."

"You're so much more than a pretty face Jessica." He said.

She looked up at the sound of her real name.

"So much more." He said taking her into his arms.

As they embraced Daryl knew that he had a job to do but everyday he spent with Montana was making him rethink that.

It was safe to say he was having second thoughts and he was falling for her.