Chapter Text
“I knew this was going to be nothing but trouble the moment you pulled into the driveway!”
“You were sleeping when I pulled into the driveway!”
Cledus Snow felt the hot anger that had been slowly building start to fade away as he realized Bo had somehow managed to get him sitting in the seat of the forklift outside the Coors building.
The younger man rubbed a hand over his face before he turned to watch Bo Darville rummage through a box near the garage door.
“What’re you lookin’ for?” He heard himself ask.
“A goddamn pencil and paper.”
Cledus saw the notepad and pen sitting on the desk about two feet from where Bo was looking. He smirked and just shook his head.
“That guy didn’t know what he was talking about, don’t worry about it, Snow.” Cledus just nodded at Bo when the older man stood up fully and looked over at him. “I’m serious, people like that they always say they’re going to call the cops and then that’s all they say. All talk, no action.”
Cledus thinks about the old man who had slowed down in a cherry red truck when he saw Bo and Cledus loading crates of Coors into the backend of the truck. He had nearly come to a stop right in the middle of the road by the time Cledus felt eyes on the back of his neck. The man had started yelling something they couldn’t quite hear over the chugging of his engine, but the classic finger wagging was a sign even Bo could understand.
“Ha ha!” Cledus was brought back to the here and now when he saw Bo come walking towards him with the notepad and pen held triumphantly above his head. “Here you go.”
“What am I doing with this? I ain’t writing your autobiography again.” Cledus pushed his hat up to get a better look at the pad of paper. It had a couple things scribbled out on the first page so he turned to a new one before looking up at Bo. The older man stood a lot closer than he had expected. He could feel his breath catch in his throat, and from the sly smile on the shorter man, Bo had heard it.
“It would’ve been a bestseller if we hadn’t lost it in that fire.” Cledus resisted the urge to roll his eyes and chuckled instead. The moment was gone just as quick as it had happened.
“Just tell ‘em to send the bill to Big Enos Burdette.” Bo patted the time-worn vest that Cledus wore before walking over to his car.
The next time he saw the brunet in the flesh was on the side of the road somewhere this side of the stateline. Bo had a fine young lady on his arm and the jealousy in his throat died when she grinned at him before even saying a word.
“You must be Mr. Snowman.” She let go of Bo’s arm and brought him into a tight embrace.
“No ‘mister’ about me, miss.” Cledus could feel Bo’s eyes staring straight through him which only managed to turn his cheeks even redder.
“Then there’s no ‘miss’ about me, either.” She replied as she pulled away from him to look him in the eyes.
“Cledus.”
“Carrie.”
They shook hands and Cledus wondered if it was possible for the earth to start spinning the wrong way and put the hot summer sun right back on his face. Just the touch of her hand made him want to get on his knee and take off his hat.
“I’m Bo.”
“We know.” They both said without glancing at the dark haired man. Cledus knew from experience that they had about five seconds before the other man would need attention from someone. They smiled at each other and Cledus was about to suggest they forget the money and spend the rest of the day down by the lake just down the hill when the sound of Fred’s barking came from somewhere below their kneecaps.
“Fred! Where do you think you’re going– get back here!” Cledus finally let go of Carrie’s hand and tossed his hat at Bo before loping after the surprisingly swift hound currently headed straight to the water’s edge.
He reached the shore with the panting but satisfied dog in his arms. Bo and Carrie smiled as the blond haired man approached where they were sitting on the grass by the truck and car.
“Thanks for the help.” Cledus panted out as he approached the two of them.
“I told ya not to bring him.” Bo shrugged as he looked up at Cledus.
“He loves adventure.”
“He loves rolling in skunk.”
“A dog can love two things.”
“And who are we to stand between love?” Carrie nearly shouted as she waved her hands to stop the two of them from any more arguing. They all shared a laugh before Cledus took Fred to the cab of his truck. He shook his head at the two of them before he joined them on the ground.
“We should probably get going.” Cledus huffed as he tucked an arm behind his head and tipped his cap over his eyes. “Didn’t think you’d want to stop this close to the finish line.”
“I’m smelling the roses.” Bo reached over behind Carrie and flicked the brim of his hat.
“'S’that what they call you?” Cledus batted at Bo’s hand before adjusting his hat and looking at Carrie. She rolled her eyes before she flicked his hat clean off his head.
Cledus grinned at her, that feeling of heat on his face coming back. He wondered if he could blame the sun that was starting to get hidden behind some trees.
“Leave her alone, Snow. She’ll have you spun around five times to Tuesday before you know it.” Bo smirked, eyeing his friend’s red cheeks and the way the younger man couldn’t seem to stop looking at her.
“She already has.”
Bo wondered if he should be jealous. Because he usually was at this point.
He wondered if he could blame the lack of jealousy on the hundreds of miles driven in the last twenty something hours. The road was known to drive a man crazy.
Carrie laughed at the two of them before she turned her entire body around to face the two of them. She saw the way Bandit looked at her and, years from now, when she would think back to this day, she would always remember how his gaze never changed when he looked from her to the younger man.
“The roses are going to be here for as long as you’ll have them. That 80,000 though–” She trailed off and grinned when both of them looked at her then at each other and nodded in unison.
“Smart lady.”