Tethered

Twenty || Sweet Spot

{When You're Gone ~ The Milk Carton Kids}

...I asked you for a favour, you ain't let me down, you ain't let me down yet, the songs you loved to sing, they are still ringing in my ears, the love you gave to me, I am still holding on to...

----

The cloudless night has a chill that is uncharacteristic of Laurel Valley. I expected the wave of a humid night but instead, all there is is a cool breeze and the cicadas that surrounds me outside of the bar while I wait on Beau. I expected him to talk me down, remind me that we have training tomorrow morning, or simply inform me that he's coming to pick me up and bring me home, but he simply said 'Give me ten minutes. I'll be right there.'

His truck headlights begin to light up the roadway towards the bar as I hear another round of applause inside the bar for the end of a karaoke number, the raucous enjoyment of the night filtering through the doors to me on my little stoop outside. My body rises to watch him turn in and park the rickety truck and its sputtering engine and step out.

In all the time I've known Beau, he's never looked as put together as he does right now. His white t-shirts and dust-covered jeans were replaced with a clean pair of jeans and a crisp shirt. He's shaved his growing stubble down and on his head is a black ten-gallon hat that obscures his eyes. He waves over to me and I return it with a small wave. Within a few seconds, he is in front of me, his eyes searching the window seat where he had seen Scarlett and the boys hours before, before his brow furrowed in confusion as to the strangers who now occupied the booth.

"Where did--"

"They went to a party," I inform him, my eyes falling to the floor.

"And you didn't want to go?" He pushes.

"I'm already pushing the boat out even being here, by Uncle Deacon's rules."

Beau scoffs a little, shaking his head in a moment of disbelief.

"Y'know, he never seemed to be the warden type," Beau explains. "Still, I'm not family so what do I know?"

"I didn't ask you here to talk about why I didn't go to the party," I laugh, a small knot forming in my stomach as I try and steer the conversation onward. "Do you want to get a drink?"

"Here?" His eyes scan over the building, taking in the crowd inside singing along to some eighties classic being sung on karaoke.

"Where else?" I push.

"Ruby, there is more than one bar in Laurel Valley," Beau leans in slightly as though he doesn't want anyone else to hear his badmouthing. "And they're a hell of a lot nicer than this."

"I didn't think you were such a snob," I tease him.

"If insisting on taking you to a sweet little spot I know, if only so I can beat your ass at a game of pool, then yes I am a snob," he returns.

"Oh, it's on. Lead the way!" I confirm, wasting no time in heading towards the truck.

The truck lurches to life and within moments I am watching the neon sign of the bar fade out of sight in the rearview mirror, letting the open windows blow my hair around my face while Beau and I sing along to some old country song that blares from the car speakers, both of us relaxing into the cool breeze of our drive off the beaten path towards Beau's favourite bar.