Days passed and April slipped into May. Gardens began to grow up and put on fruit. Scarlett really enjoyed working in her Nana's garden, she could be found there most evenings, weeding, putting mulch down, squashing bugs, anything to help maintain the garden and to be down in the dirt. Bo had seen her around town and they had all went to dinner out at the farm or at the Boar's Nest about half a dozen times, but he hadn't had much chance to talk to just her for a bit.
He pulled up in the General outside her grandma's house and climbed out striding up to the fence and leaning his arms on it as he looked at her working in the garden.
"Hey Scarlett" he said smiling from under his hat.
"Hey Bo" she said standing to her feet, mud all down the raggedy shirt she had clearly borrowed from her uncle seeing as it was far to large for her.
He looked at her and just laughed. She looked down and laughed too.
"Well, you're looking quite the ragamuffin" he said still chuckling.
"Hush" she chided.
"I was wondering if you wanted to get out of your garden Mary-Mary maybe go dancing?"
"That sounds fun, but I hardly think you'd want to dance with me in this state."
"I wouldn't mind but I wouldn't want too many people staring at my girl" he said laughing. The my girl part had been jest and a reference to their past and nothing more and both knew it.
"Alright Romeo" she said shaking her head, "come 'round eight and I'll try to be less distracting than I currently am" she said sassily.
"You're never going to stop being a distraction" he said complimenting her before getting the garden gate for her.
"Well at the least I can make myself distracting for the right reasons" she said grinning.
An hour and a half later Bo pulled up and knocked on the door. Her grandmother answered.
"Good evening Bo" she said smiling to herself "now what could possibly be bringing you here at such an hour?" she teased. "She's upstairs getting ready still" she added before he could even answer. "And thank you, she spends far too much time surrounded by us two old crows, she should be out with young folk" her grandma said sagely. Bo was just glad her grandma wasn't against him taking Scarlett out for the evening.
Scarlett heard Bo enter downstairs and looked herself over in the mirror again. She looked beautiful, she would acknowledge that much, but she didn't feel it. She hadn't felt it in a while. She knew all the tricks, tips, products and styles that made her look good, but she still didn't feel it. She came downstairs in a pink skirt and white blouse that hugged her top nicely. Her grandma narrowed her eyes a bit.
"You ain' planning on wearing that out are you?" she said working up to a regular storm.
"Yes I am Nana" she said softly.
"Not under my roof" she scolded about to unleash a tirade about going around half naked.
"That's why I am going out from under your roof right now. Run for it Bo!" she said grabbing his hand and they rushed out of the house, her Nana scolding from the door as she slid into the General Lee and Bo started it up. Laughing, feeling just like a kid she settled into her seat.
"That was great" she said catching her breath. Bo nodded laughing along with her. "You should hear all the things she says about how Daisy dresses."
"I can only imagine" Bo said his eyes widening at the thought of her grandma going off about Daisy's short shorts and tight tops. "I even wish Daisy would cover up a little more sometimes, but I guess it's really me and Luke and Jesse's fault. We're guys, we couldn't exactly give her modesty talks when we run around without shirts on half the time."
"I remember" she said. Recalling trips out to the Duke's homestead and the boys running around like Tom and Huck in nothing but jeans.
"Yeah, your mama used to pull up in the yard and you two would get out and you'd try and act like you weren't staring" Bo teased.
"I was staring because I couldn't believe the ridiculous things y'all would do" she lied.
"Sure" Bo said shaking his head chuckling.
In no time at all they had pulled up outside the Boar's Nest. Bo came around the other side and helped her as she climbed out. Her skirt had rolled up a bit getting out and she hastily pulled it down.
"Me in the General can have that effect" Bo said just to give her hell.
"Shut up Beauregard" she said lightly slapping his arm. "I can see you're no less annoying than you were six years ago" she said smiling as they walked in.
"I try never to grow up" he said laughing softly.
"Well I'd say you succeeded, not that I mind, something that hasn't changed is a welcome thing in my life" she said a little sadly.
"Hey, none of that, you're having fun tonight. Whether you like it or not. Daisy a beer and whatever Scarlett wants" he said turning to Scarlett.
"Coke and Bourbon" she said simply. It had been her favorite drink all her life.
"That's my girl" he said chuckling as he helped her into a chair. In no time at all she was surrounded by curious locals who hadn't seen her but had heard she was back in town. More than half of which were male and under thirty. She kept her answers short and courteous, silently wishing Bo would hurry up with their drinks and rescue her from this throng. She had wanted time with just him or at least just close friends, not half the town.
Bo came back with their drinks and saw how uncomfortable Scarlett looked, and the pleading look in her eyes.
"Come on y'all, scatter" Bo said in the voice he usually used when telling other guys to back off his girl. They grumbled, and some stuck around. After finishing his beer he looked around and saw Ernie coming over, staring at Scarlett.
"Hey, let's go outside?" Bo said, his eyes shifting towards Ernie and right back to Scarlett to let her know why they were calling their night out short.
She smiled and didn't protest when Bo put his arm around her waist and bent down like he was cozily sweet talking her out of the bar. Ernie looked vaguely annoyed but didn't follow. As soon as they got outside Scarlett sighed in relief.
"Lord! he's as much of a creep as he was in Middle and High School" she said shuddering walking a few paces out into the parking lot.
"I'm sorry" Bo apologized "I was going to take you out for a fun night of dancing, I should have figured on the swarm that would come. I'm sorry" he said again.
"It's not your fault" she said gently touching his face "and we can still have a fun night of dancing. You do have a radio in the General" she stated pointing to the car.
He grinned "So?... dancing here, or dancing somewhere else?" he asked.
"Well seeing as you in the General have that reputation you were telling me about earlier, I think I'll opt for a public place, here, or anywhere."
He chuckled and went over to where the General was parked, turning the key and flipping on the radio. He scanned through channels, they were all country, until he found a nice dancing song. Then he walked up to Scarlett and took her hands in his, whirling and twirling her and leading her in nice medium tempoed dance.
"I hope they play a fast song next, I wanna see how good of a dancer you've grown to be" she said smiling "so far I'm impressed."
"Well, it's like I tell my younger cousins that are in high school still... if you wanna impress the ladies, learn how to dance well."
"Sound advice" she said as he spun her back in, dipping her over his knee as the song ended.
"And I thought only the boys in Texas knew how to dance half so well, I could have been in my hometown dancing with you" she said smiling.
"I wish you had stayed" he said softly while the DJ made some local announcements. "I missed you for quite a while, you were 'the one that got away' for me" he said a bit bashfully.
"And you were my country boy Romeo, who everyone tried to convince me was too simple for my taste, or wouldn't ever stick with me, but still, you always stayed in my top 3 of best guys I ever dated" she said laughing softly.
"I was wondering..." Bo said but found her finger on his lips.
"Shh. Don't Bo. Not now, yes we were happy once, and I don't wanna scar those memories with trying to make something work because we were once young and in love. After Texas I'm not ready to give my heart away again so easily" she said sweetly. "Not to use an overused phrase, but it's not you, it's me, and until I find out who I am again I am unfit to be with anyone, not without making a mess of it, and I wouldn't want to do that to my sweet country boy" she said gently touching his cheek with her palm.
He smiled a bit, just to let her know that he understood, not that he really did. But he did respect her choice to say no, though that no had had the sound of a maybe to it.
"It's fine, you're a great girl, and a guy like me would probably make a mess of it too I may have a reputation for having a lot of relationships, just not for any longterm ones. I think you and me that summer was the longest I've stuck with the same girl" he said and sweetly kissed her hand before leading her into a dance to the song that had just come on.
They danced out in the parking lot, turning up his stereo on fast paced songs and madly whirling around the parking lot doing all sorts of fancy footwork and intricate spins. They laughed and joked and lost all track of time just enjoying each other's company and the music.
They looked up after a particularly dizzying fast dance and found a crowd had gathered around them watching and was applauding. They bowed dramatically and laughed, Luke handed his cousin what was left of his beer.
"Thanks Luke" he said taking a swig and handing it back. "I better not have too much, gotta get Scarlett here home safe" he said turning to her. "You ready?" he asked.
"Sure" she said sliding around the car and in through the window, stealing Luke's signature move, which Luke applauded. He dropped her off at her house, watching her to make sure she got inside safely, but not walking her to her door, if he had he wouldn't have been able to resist the temptation of trying for a goodnight kiss, and he knew this, so he just waved as she disappeared inside.
