justdidntseeit | [[ wheelsy, south carolina // saturday night, henenlotter's saddle lounge ]]

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[[ wheelsy, south carolina // saturday night, henenlotter's saddle lounge ]]

[ "we can't cancel, can we?" ]

She threads her fingers with Bill's as she takes his proffered hand.

(Convincing him had been easy; a simple, "It's your last weekend as a free man -- let's go out on Saturday" had gotten an immediate smile and a nod of agreement. The hard part was assuring him they should stay in town instead of driving to Columbia for a night out.)

Gravel crunches beneath her heels as she slides from the cab of the truck.

"S'pretty crowded tonight," he says with a glance around the parking lot.

"Let's hope there's not another rodeo on," she teases, squeezing his hand. She ignores the tight feeling in the pit of her stomach and doesn't let herself double-check for June's car as they cross the gravel lot.

Bill holds the door for her and she ducks inside; the four-piece band stops warming up and the lodge buzzes with the hushed hum of nearly a hundred people.

When Bill steps in beside her, the house lights flash.

"SURPRISE!"

Resisting the urge to bite the inside of her cheek (and stifling a laugh at the hand-painted Welcome Back ~~Sherr~~ Sheriff!! banner), Kate turns to give him a hopeful smile.

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The spread of desserts makes Bill's eyes widen and his smile grow; Sarah wasn't the only one who did some baking for tonight.

"Hell, I don't hardly know where t'start."

The group around him laughs and the ladies who had a hand in making things are quick to step forward and help him decide by offering him pieces of what they've brought.

Sarah wins by sticking one of her Hello Dolly bars in his hand.

Kate's surrounded by Tracie and her friends, trying to remember if the brunette to her right is Chelsea or Chastity.

"Must've been such a nightmare, right after. I can't even imagine -- "

"An' good thing he had you, Kate, helpin' take care of him all this time -- "

"Lord, can you imagine if Starla was still in the picture? Why, he'd be -- "

Kate's smile freezes in place.

"It was pretty scary," she says, keeping her words carefully light, "but he healed really well, even better than the doctors expected."

One of the blondes -- Amanda, Kate's certain -- tilts her head slightly.

"So with him all healed up and goin' back on duty, when're you headin' back to the big city?"

He's finished the Hello Dolly bar and is just licking the remnants of a fried apple pie from his thumb when an arm wraps around his shoulders and someone pulls him backwards.

"Hey!"

Turning he sees Edward, a big mountain of a man wearing a dirty NASCAR cap and a wide grin.

"Here he is, boys. Our sheriff!"

Dragged to the other end of the counter Bill's just about to say something about being taken away from the desserts when a shot glass of whiskey is pushed into his hand.

"To the sheriff!"

"The sheriff!"

The group of men sitting on the corner of the counter all shout and salute and knock back their shots along with Bill.

Kate tucks a stray lock of hair behind one ear, keeping her expression neutral.

"Well, I -- "

"Will Bill be goin' out to visit anytime soon, y'think?"

"Be awful convenient for him to look up Starla while he's there -- she's out in California, y'know."

Kate gives Tracie a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"And of course he should, if he wants -- I know she's an old friend; they grew up together."

"Oh, they were more'n friends, at least in Bill's -- "

An arm circles Kate's shoulders and she starts.

"Evenin', Miss Warner."

It's Everett, the clerk from the gas station, and he has Henry in tow.

She gives both of them a smile that's shaded with genuine relief.

"Hey, you two."

The band starts their set, and Sarah threads her way through the crowd to find Kate.

I got a timebomb in my mind, Mom
I hear it ticking but I don't know why
I'd call the po-lice, but they don't like me
I hear them whispering when I walk by

I got a landmine in my bloodline
I'm not immune to getting blown apart
She's like a claymore, that's what she's there for
She's waiting 'round here to get blown apart

At the bar the toasting continues with whiskey and beer sloshing in all the glasses and Bill has his continuously refilled.

"To Sheriff Bill Pardy!" Edward hollers.

"Sheriff Bill Pardy!" The group, which has grown to a crowd, shouts and Bill's voice rises with them shouting out a "To me!"

"T'-- " Edward pauses and looks to the others for suggestions, having already gone through 'Sheriff, 'Bill', 'Bill Pardy' and all the various combinations of the three.

They all exchange blank looks then Bill pipes up.

"T'Wheelsy!"

"To Wheelsy!"

Up on the walls the antlers are rattling with shouts, laughter and now music.

Having her on my brain's like getting hit by a train
She's gonna kill me
Oh, Celeste
Oh, Celeste

"I tell you what, don't you even think about listenin' to anything a one of them had to say, you hear me?"

Kate nods, letting Sarah steer her away from Tracie's inner circle.

"Especially that Amanda. She's had it bad for Bill since fourth grade, when Danny Fitzgerald was pickin' on her at lunch an' Bill got in his face. Danny popped him in the mouth for that."

I got a timebomb in my mind, Mom
It's gonna go off but I don't know when
I need a doctor to extract her
I got a feeling she'd be right back in again

"But, Sarah, she mentioned Starla -- "

Sarah pauses, then shakes her head.

"That's long over an' done with."

I got a timebomb in my mind, Mom
I got it badly for a stick-legged girl
She's gonna kill me and I don't mean softly
I got it badly for a stick-legged girl

Edward is trying to coax Bill into a shooting match and Bill is just about to give in when Rudy pushes through the crowd and snags him.

"Hey, sheriff, come see what we done with the Xbox."

Bill follows Rudy and someone else takes his place, sitting down in front of the big man while shot glasses are lined up between the two.

"Hey, where's Kate?" Bill asks Rudy as he makes his way through the mess of people, somehow ending up at the TVs with a piece of pie and another beer.

"Kate, hey, m'glad you cooked this up."

She lifts a chunk of peanut-butter fudge from a nearby bowl and turns to see Gerald with a half-finished piece of Sarah's pie on a paper plate.

"Oh, I can't take all the credit," she says with a smile over the music.

This old nightclub stole my youth
And this old nightclub stole my true love
It follows me around from town to town
I just might get drunk tonight and burn the nightclub down

"That's right," Sarah chimes in. "I'll have you know I'm at least halfway responsible for this mess, Gerry."

"Honey, you're responsible for all of it," Dave says with a chortle, dropping a kiss on top of Sarah's head.

Kate pops a bite of fudge in her mouth and forces her eyes away from the door, reminding herself that June will either make an appearance ...

"He's in a hurry t'get himself killed, an' I'm so glad you're there to encourage him."

Or she won't.

Bill gets soundly trounced on the big screens but doesn't seem to mind at all as he walks off grinning, looking through the clear glass bottom of his mug as he finishes his latest beer.

He wanders through the crowd, getting plenty of attention from everybody.

Walking past Tracie and her friends he spots Kate and head in her direction.

Kate meets Bill's eyes across the room and smiles, giving Sarah's arm a quick squeeze before she starts to make her way toward him; meanwhile, Bill doesn't wander past Tracie without her notice.

"Bill, c'mere, you big ol' guest of honor."

"Bill Pardy," Amanda says at the same time, grinning, "get your keister over here this minute. There's congratulations in order."

He returns Kate's smile and almost doesn't hear his name being called out.

Stopping, he looks around and spots the ladies and gives them a friendly smile.

"Hey, girls."

Just like California was not even there
Since it's gone I'm so withdrawn
I ain't got no one nowhere

Tracie wraps him in a hug, the smell of freesia and cigarette smoke clinging to her hair and clothes. She plants a quick peck on his cheek.

"You havin' a good time?"

Right beside the ocean, my darling Clementine
Well the water got high and she never got dry and
She was a water sign

Amanda replaces Tracie as soon as Tracie takes a half-step back, sidling beneath his arm.

"Enjoyin' yourself, sheriff?"

Time is on my bad side
Halfway there just wouldn't be fair
So we're going all the way tonight

He nods to both of them, still smiling and the tips of his ears a little red.

"Yeah, real good time. S'great party."

"Well, good." Amanda gives his waist a squeeze, bumping his hip with hers. "You deserve a good time, seein' as it's back to the grind come Monday."

"She's right," Tracie says with a nod. "You'd better cut loose while you can -- "

"And that means giving Rudy at least one more run for his money," Kate says with an easy smile as she approaches, refusing to let her eyes linger on Amanda's arm around Bill.

"Hey, now, I been lookin' forward to the grind," He shakes his head at them, smile wide.

His eyes leave the two ladies and focus on Kate when he hears her voice.

Flashing a quick smile at Amanda, he takes his arm back and steps out of her hold, moving towards Kate.

"Actually, I'd kinda like t'ask someone to a dance."

Just like California to make a fool of me
Steal the sideshow, burn the disco, slide into the sea
I'm a thinking person, and I think that it's wrong
To keep on saying true love's waiting when true love is long gone

Kate sees Amanda's expression flatten for half an instant before a too-friendly smile is back in its place.

Time is on my bad side
Halfway there just wouldn't be fair
So we're going all the way tonight

Refocusing on Bill, she tips her head to look at him and breathes out a chuckle as the band finishes their latest number.

"This someone sounds pretty lucky."

Applause breaks out, punctuated by a few enthusiastic shouts and whistles, and a slower number starts.

Standing on the corner of Sixth and How To Forget
Trying to do right by you all night, Annette

"I still say it's me who's the lucky one, but we already agreed to disagree on that one."

He gives her a warm, fond smile and offers his hand.

"So, how 'bout it, you wanna dance?"

"I think I could make some time for you."

She folds her hand in his, and the light behind his blue eyes is almost enough to make her forget she doesn't want him back on duty, and that he still doesn't know how upset June is, either.

You can go ahead and get married, and this will be our secret thing
I won't tell a soul except the people in the nightclub where I sing

I don't want to get you all worked up
Except secretly I do

He gives her hand a squeeze then leads her out to the dance floor.

Settling into a slow dance with her he couldn't drop his smile if both their lives depended on it.

"Wanted t'say thank you for settin' this up, Kate. Was a real big surprise."

He's not exactly sober, his cheeks are warm and his smile is almost silly, but that doesn't affect his steps any as he keeps time with the music.

He wasn't lying when he told her he's a decent dancer -- in fact, he's really good.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have designs on you
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have designs on you

"You're welcome -- but you need to thank Sarah, too," she says as she moves with him, following his steps with ease. "She had a huge hand in this."

They draw more than a few appreciative glances and even a drunken, "Git 'er done, sheriff!" that causes Kate to bury her burning face in Bill's shoulder.

"She's been feedin' me desserts all night, so I've thanked her a time or two."

Reaching up he brushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Means somethin' different with you, though, 'cause I didn't know how-- "

The 'Git'er done' interupts him and he laughs, raising his hand to Kate's shoulder to try and help her hide her embarrasment.

"Am I gonna hafta drag you out an' kick your ass, Clint? 'Cause you know I'll be more'n happy to."

She laughs into Bill's shirt as he shields her from most of the onlookers.

Clint's slurred backpedaling, complete with an apology, makes her shoulders shake slightly; her cheeks are still pink when she lifts her head and clears her throat.

"Didn't know what?"

He's rather proud of himself for running off Clint and looks it when she lifts her head.

"Hmm?"

He looks at her blankly a moment then snaps.

"Oh, I was just... I was sayin' I wasn't quite sure how you felt about all this. Me goin' back, I mean. I know we didn't talk about it a whole lot before, an' I was worried... "

He stops that sentence before it goes anywhere and gives her a smile.

"What I wanna say is, I'm glad you understand. This means a lot t'me, an' it helps knowin' I got your support."

Her stomach twists, tight and sharp, but she keeps her steps smooth and her smile in place.

"I'm really glad you're having a good time, sweetheart."

"I am."

He nods before his smile turns a bit embarrassed.

"Bit too good, actually. I hope you don't mind doin' the drivin' when we head back."

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