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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Bill swings his head to look at Sarah, then swings it back around to look up at Amanda, smiling and blinking through a dizzy spell.

"Sorry, I guess we're takin' Rudy with us. Christy'll getcha home, though. She took Pete's keys awhile back."

June gives Sarah a curious look, but doesn't say anything, focused instead on snapping a plastic lid onto a bowl.

Amanda's face falls a little, but her tone is saccharine and wheedling.

"So what you're sayin' is, you wanna see me gone, is that it?"

She shakes her head in exaggerated sadness and leans down to brush Bill's cheek with a kiss.

"Good t'have y'back, sheriff. Y'all have a good night."

Across the room, Rudy watches the exchange and manages to position himself between Kate's line of sight and Amanda.

"You an' Sarah threw a helluva good time."

"Yeah? Thanks, Rudy -- I'm glad everyone could make it."

"'Course not," Bill shakes his head and the tips of his ears turn pink.

"Thanks. An' thanks for comin'. Have a goodnight."

He gives Amanda a smile and nod then turns back to Dave.

"You buyin' the next round?"

"I bought this round," Dave replies, emptying his glass as Bill does the same with his own.

"Yeah, but it's my party." Bill's smug expression lasts until June comes up to take his empty glass away.

"I think it's time both you boys, an' Rudy," she lifts her voice to call out the other deputy's name, "call it a night an' head home."

"Aw, mom."

"Mrs. Pardy."

Rudy looks like a stag caught in the headlights for a brief moment.

"But I didn't do any-- "

A pause and a sheepish grin.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. I reckon it's gettin' late, an' I'm supposed t'be directin' traffic at First Baptist in the mornin'."

He and Kate pick their way across the beer-stained floor; Kate's fingertips ghost against Bill's nape.

"Have a good time?"

Dave and Bill both crack up at Rudy's response then Dave tries to stand up out of his chair.

"Sarah, honey, you ready? Need help with any-- anything?" He stumbles and catches himself on the chair back.

Bill laughs again, but it cuts off when a tingle runs down his spine with Kate's light touch. He turns to look at her, holding out a hand to her.

"Yep. Sure did. How 'bout you?"

"I did," she says, taking his hand and giving his fingers a quick squeeze. "Danced the night away."

She won't mention Tracie or Amanda's petty remarks; Bill's had a good night, and that's what matters.

Sarah hefts a cardboard box filled with empty dessert pans.

"No, sugar, I got it -- you just make sure y'don't break your tailbone on the way to the car."

"Oh, c'mon," Dave protests, "that was years ago, Sarah, an' only 'cause your daddy broke out that moonshine -- "

"Wait a minute," Rudy cuts in, eyes wide. "You broke your ass an' here y'all give me beef for gettin' turned around that time in the woods?"

"Good." Bill nods, then bursts into laughter at the exchange between Dave and Rudy.

"Rudy, how many times have you broke your ass? Hell, you're the one who's so damn proud of that scar you got from gittin' gored."

Shaking his head at them he looks over at his mom.

"How 'bout you, mom? You need a hand or a ride?"

June shakes her head.

"I'm fine, I'll be goin' home myself once I make sure y'all make it to the cars all right."

"'Cause it's all squiggly -- it's cool," Rudy smugs. "An', hell, how many people got that story?"

(It's actually more than you'd think, sadly.)

"I mean, y'know, aside from the barb-wire fence an' that chicken coop, I think I made out all right with jus' a stabbin' in the -- "

"Rudy," Dave interjects, the deputy's name a half-belch, "shut your mouth or I swear on a stack of Bibles, I'll -- "

"David," Sarah says, nudging her husband with an elbow as they head for the exit, "you worry 'bout your own self and get the door for your lovely wife."

On the other side of the bar, the last of the straggling party-goers rouse themselves, calling out their good nights to Mary and repeating slurred congratulations to Bill as they wind their way outside.

"Goodnight, Dave. Thanks again, Sarah."

Bill waves the two as they leave then turns to look at Kate with a lopsided, drunken smile.

"You ready t'go, darlin'?"

Kate exchanges a grateful smile and a wave with Sarah before turning back to Bill.

Lifting their hands, she presses a quick kiss to his knuckles.

"I like how cute you think you are, sheriff."

(Though they both know the way he says darlin' works every time.)

Rudy glances at June and offers his elbow.

"Mrs. Pardy, it'd be my pleasure t'escort you t'your vee-hickle."

From behind the bar, Mary waves at the foursome with a dishcloth in hand.

"Y'all be careful -- get home safe."

"Well I like how cute you think I am."

Bill grins at Kate then tries to stand. The first attempt he falls back to sit in his chair again. Laughing he grips the table for support and gets to his feet.

Teetering a moment he finds his balance and nods.

"All right, let's go. See ya, Mary."

June watches Bill, glancing at Kate to make sure she has him. When Bill's on his feet and moving she accepts Rudy's arm, supporting him as he's escorting her.

"Thank you, Rudy. You always been a sweetheart."

Once they're outside, Kate shivers in the much-cooler air; her arm tightens around Bill's waist as they cross the nearly empty parking lot.

"All right -- "

She can't help a teasing half-laugh as she unlocks the passenger door and glances between Bill and Rudy.

"Think you two can make it up on your own?"

June's struggling to hide her own amusement as she surveys the scene from her parking spot beside them.

"I can, don't know 'bout Rudy," Bill says smugly.

"I call shotgun," Rudy declares.

"Hey! You can't call it."

"How come?"

"'Cause I already did. Huh, Kate?"

Bill blinks at Kate in an uncoordinated attempt at a wink.

Swallowing a laugh, "I think the statute on that expired at midnight, sweetheart. It's all Rudy's."

Rudy grins and Bill pouts.

"After you, sheriff."

Stepping aside Rudy waves Bill to get in.

It takes Bill several tries to get in and Rudy stands by laughing.

"Go on an' laugh, Rudy, 'cause it'll be fuckin' hilarious when you're walkin' home."

"Aw c'mon, Bill."

Rudy turns sideways, grasping the door and resting his elbow on the seat to hop up, only he doesn't get his leg up high enough and ends up slipping off the seat and sliding halfway underneath the truck.

"Woah!"

Bill falls over on the seat laughing.

"Oh my god -- "

"Rudy -- "

Kate crouches and June hurries over to help the fallen deputy.

"Hey," Kate says, looping an arm around his shoulders to help him sit up, "you okay?"

June shoots Bill a Look.

"Son, you'd best not be laughin' too awful hard, or there's no tellin' what'll happen when you try an' get down at home."

June's words cut Bill's laughing off quick.

"Oh, c'mon, I wasn't-- he's all right. You're all right, right, Rudy?"

Bill leans over on the seat to look out at Rudy.

"I'm fine," He nods, brushing his shirt front off. "Didn't break my ass."

Kate breathes a chuckle and helps Rudy clamber to his feet; when he totters, June reaches out a steadying hand.

"M'all right, m'all right."

Shooting a smiles of thanks to Kate and June, he turns his attention to the traitorous truck cab and smirks.

"Sheriff, get outta my seat."

Bill gives Rudy a surprised 'are you talking to me?' look, then moves over.

"C'mon, get in here. You're just lucky my mom an' girlfriend like you," Bill informs Rudy, holding out his hand to help him up. "An' that deputies are so hard t'come by."

Rudy takes Bill's hand and hauls himself in the truck, only swaying a little once he finds his seat.

Kate makes sure he's steady before shutting the door, and smiles to herself as Bill and Rudy fumble with the seat belts.

She turns to June, and her heart begins to beat faster.

"Thanks for coming tonight, Mrs. Pardy. It -- it means a lot that you're here."

June rubs her hands together, looking at Kate.

"Yes, you said that before an'... you were right. Bill would've been hurt if I didn't show up, an'-- "

He's been hurt enough.

"-- an' I didn't want to spoil his evenin' by doin' that."

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

She licks her lips and forces away the ugly echoes of that conversation.

"You guys looked great out there on the dance floor."

After a moment of hesitation, she steps closer and gives June a quick, tight hug.

"I worry about him, too."

"So did you," She says quietly.

She tenses a moment at the contact, then returns the hug and nods against Kate's shoulder.

"Take care of him. Please, don't let me lose him."

It's part of a prayer she's been saying for a long time now. She still wishes Kate would talk to Bill, but knows that's something Kate has made her own mind up about, and now isn't the time to talk about it.

Her arms tighten around June and she swallows hard.

"Okay."

From inside the cab, there's a muffled "Wait a minute, rock don't beat paper!" followed by a muted thunk.

Kate pulls back and gives June a watery smile.

"Drive safe, and thanks again."

June returns the smile, swiping discreetly at her eyes, and nods.

"You too. Goodnight, Kate. Good luck with those two."

She looks at the truck and shakes her head, giving a small laugh, then gets into her car.

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