Chapter 8

After supper, Luke asked Shelby if she wanted to take a walk. She hesitated for a moment, and then agreed. As they left the house, Bo looked at Daisy and grinned. “I think Luke's might be getting sweet on her.” He said

“I hope he is.” Daisy said, glancing out the window and watching the two of them walking towards a trail beside the barn that led into the woods that bordered the rear of the Duke property. “Luke deserves to be happy again.”

“And that little lady might just be what he needs to get all better.”

Luke and Shelby walked along the trail in silence for awhile, and then Luke said

“You thinking about Cory?”

“You doing your mind reading bit again?” Shelby asked him with a laugh “I thought that was my specialty.”

“It's not hard to figure out. I know you have to be worried about him.”

“I am but he's the one who got himself in this whole mess now he's the one who's gonna have to deal with it.”

“Yeah, and he ended up dragging you into it too.” Luke reminded her

“He never meant to do that. Cory just doesn't think sometimes before he does things.”

“Sounds like Bo. He's always getting us in trouble and I have to figure out a way to get us out.”

“Yeah, he seems just as headstrong as Cory.”

“Yeah, he can be as stubborn as a Missouri Mule. Goes with being a Duke I guess.”

“Well, us Lynns can be pretty stubborn too.”

“You know, there's nothing you could have done to stop him. He made his own choices when it came to the drugs.”

“I know…but I still should have known that something was wrong. He's my brother…”

“And you wanna protect him.” Luke said, finishing her thought for her “But there's only so much you can do.”

“You do the same thing with Bo, don't ya?”

“Yeah, I do…” Luke admitted “Bo and I have always been close. More like brothers then cousins. Since I was the oldest, I always had to be the one watching out for him and Daisy both.”

“Same here with Cory. I can remember my daddy telling me…now you're older he is…. he don't know no better…it's up to you to keep an eye on him…”

“Yeah…I heard that too…” Luke said with a laugh.

“Sucks sometimes being the oldest, doesn't it?” Shelby said with a grin

“Yeah…especially when you wanna go on a date and have to take your fourteen year old cousin along.” Luke said dryly

“I never had to do that.” Shelby said giggling

“Makes for an interesting time…”

“I bet….make it hard to do any serious making out.”

“I think that's why Jesse made me take him along half the time…” Luke suddenly realized that he was having a good time. Shelby was easy talk to and yet didn't mind when Luke kept quiet. And they seemed to have a lot in common.

They followed the trail into the woods until they came to the stream that ran through the Duke land . Luke sat down on the ground with his legs stretched out in front of him. Shelby sat down beside him, tucking one leg under the other one and leaning back on her hands. They sat there in silence watching the sun set. Shelby leaned closer to Luke and leaned her head against his shoulder as she watched the colors slowly fade from the sky as twilight fell.

It had been a very long time since Luke had felt this strong of a reaction to another woman besides Kelly. Since her death Luke had flirted with the girls at the Boar's nest, danced with a few of them, and stole a few kisses. But that was all farther he had gone with any of them. This was different somehow and his body insisted on pointing out that fact in no uncertain terms.

“Can I ask you something?” He said quietly, staring out at the horizon and avoiding her eyes.

“You can ask,” Shelby told him “But that don't mean I'll give you the answer you want.”

Luke smiled thinly. She was the only other woman besides Kelly who could say something that made him wonder if she really could read his mind. “That day at the hospital when you told me that you didn't think it was a good idea if we saw each other again when I got out…..did you say that because of what was going on with Cory?”

“That was part of it.” Shelby said uneasily, straightening up and moving away from his side.

“What was the other part?” Luke asked, turning his head to look at her.

Shelby turned to look at him with those green eyes that seemed to pull him in against his will “You're a dangerous man, Luke Duke” she said quietly, her voice so soft that he could barely hear her “You're the kind of man that women fall in love with.”

“And that's a bad thing?” Luke asked her with a crooked smile

“It can be…..because that's when somebody always ends up getting hurt.”

“I'd never hurt you…” Luke whispered. Unable to resist the temptation any longer, he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, tilting his head to kiss her lips. She didn't resist, instead she leaned closer and opened her mouth to accept his kiss. Luke lay back on the ground, pulling her down beside him.

He began kissing her more passionately with a hunger he had been denying for too long. Shelby wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kisses with a fiery passion of her own. Shelby could feel the strength and the hardness of his body as he pinned her to the ground beneath his weight. She felt herself responding to his kisses and the touch of his hands. It had been a long time for her too since she had felt this way about someone.

She moaned softly as his hands began to roam freely, touching her gently through the thin material of her tank top and running one hand up and down her bare thigh. Although she wanted him and wanted him badly, she knew that he wasn't ready to take their relationship to the next level yet and neither was she. Reluctantly, she broke their kiss. “We'd better get back.” She whispered softly, looking deeply into his eyes and hoping that he understood.

Luke smiled softly, letting her know that he did understand and that it was okay. He was willing to wait and let her decide when the time was right for her. They kissed for a few more minutes before Luke finally stood up and reached out his hand to help her to her feet. Silently, they walked back to the farm, both lost in their own thoughts. They knew that the next time, it wouldn't be as easy to stop for either one of them.

Chapter 9

Shelby looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had already changed clothes twice unsure what to wear. Finally, she settled for jeans and a blue denim shirt with her hair pulled back into a braid that hung down the middle of her back. Today was the day she met with the attorney in Atlanta about her case. Luke had volunteered to drive her and to stay with her for moral support. At the moment, she needed all of that she could get. She was scared to death.

Jesse and the rest of the family was gathered in the living room when Shelby came out of her bedroom. Daisy smiled encouragingly and gave Shelby a big hug,

“Good luck, sugar.” She said

“Yeah, good luck.” Bo said giving her a big hug of his own “It's all gonna be okay. I know it.”

“I know it too” Jesse told her with a smile “Now you two best git going, you don't wanna be late.”

“Thank you all for everything…” Shelby said as Luke waited patiently for her come with him. She gave Jesse a kiss on the cheek then turned to follow Luke outside to the General.

“Nervous?” Luke asked as they climbed into the General.

“As nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers.” She told him with a grin

“That's nervous.” Luke agreed with a wide grin, as he turned on the engine and pulled out of the drive. To keep her from getting too anxious, Luke did his best to keep up a light conversation on the way to Atlanta . But he could tell that Shelby was distracted and wrapped up in her own thoughts.

Luke found the building where the Public Defender's office was located in downtown Atlanta and parked in a lot across the street. Helping Shelby out of the car, they crossed the street and entered the lobby of the building. They found the elevators and took one to the fourth floor. The public defenders office took up the entire fourth floor. They walked down the hall until they found the office for Charlie Barnes. Luke opened the door and they stepped inside.

A pretty redhead was sitting behind a desk working on a computer. She glanced up at them and smiled warmly “May I help you?” she said

“I have a two o'clock appointment with Mr. Barnes.” Shelby told her

The secretary looked at the appointment book lying open on the desk in front of her and then looked back at Shelby and said with a smile, “Shelby Lynn?”

“Yes.”

“Please have a seat. I'll let Mr Barnes know that you're here.”

Luke and Shelby sat on one of the comfortable sofas sitting along one wall. They didn't have to wait along. A few minutes later, the secretary smiled brightly and said,

“Mr Barnes will see you now. Please go on in.”

Luke and Shelby went into the inner office. Charlie Barnes was a handsome man in his late thirties with sandy colored hair, warm blue eyes and a friendly smile. He stood up as Shelby came through the door. “Miss Lynn?” he said, holding out his hand to shake her hand and then Lukes. “I'm Charlie Barnes.”

“Nice to meet you.” Shelby told him “This is a friend of mine. Luke Duke.”

“Nice to meet you, Luke.” Charlie said acknowledging the introduction “Please, have a seat.”

Shelby and Luke sat down in the two chairs facing the young attorney's desk. Charlie opened a file lying on the desk in front of him and scanned the papers inside briefly. Looking back at Shelby with a faint smile, he said

“First of all, they'll never make the charges stick against you for moonshining. They don't have any evidence to back it up.”

“Then how could they arrest her for it in the first place?” Luke asked

“I think it was probably just a smoke screen….a way to pick her up and get her out of the way while they tried to find some evidence to hold her on….either on the moonshining charges or connect her to the drug operation.” He looked at Shelby and smiled thinly “And you didn't hear this from me…but if you do have any stills operating or shine stashed anywhere on your property….you might wanna get rid of the evidence before somebody does find it.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” Shelby said with a grin

“Now, I need to ask you a couple of questions and I need for you to be honest with me. Did you know anything about the drug operation?”

“Only what Cory told me about 6 months ago and that wasn't much.”

“Unfortunately, if the Federal boys wanna get picky, they could still charge you with obstructing justice just for knowing anything about it.” He paused then added “But I don't think that's what they're after…or they would have done that by now.”

“Then what are they after?” Shelby demanded in an irritated voice

“I'm not sure….we may just have to wait for them to make their next move so we can find out.”

“Can I go get my car and some clothes?” Shelby asked

“Yes, but that's all you can get for now. The feds have put a lien against your property.”

“What does that mean?” Shelby asked slowly

“It means if Cory is found guilty of the drug charges, even if you aren't, the Feds can still take your property.”

“That land has been in my family for five generations!” Shelby cried out, her voice rising angrily “How can the feds just step in and take it away from me?”

“I'm sorry but that's the law. If a property has been used to make or distribute drugs, the feds can take the land and the property.”

“So I could still end up getting screwed even if they don't charge me with anything.”

“I'm afraid so.”

“Isn't there anything she can do about it?” Luke asked “Especially since she owns half that property?”

“No, I'm afraid now. The feds have the resources to keep it tied up in court for years if you try to fight ‘em.”

Shelby 's eyes darkened and she muttered a curse under her breath. Luke couldn't help smiling, she had spirit and a temper. All wrapped up in one very attractive package.

“So, I'm going to file a petition with the court requesting that all charges against you in connection with the moonshining be dropped based on lack of evidence.” Charlie told her. He smiled shrewdly “In the meantime, you make sure there's no evidence for them to find.”

“You can count on that.” Luke answered for her.

“And I'll be in touch if I find out anything else.”

“Thank you.” Shelby said, rising to her feet, Luke and Shelby left his office and walked back down the hallway to the elevator. As they rode down to the lobby, Shelby looked at Luke and said glumly, “You think it's really gonna be that easy?”

“Well, I'd say you're about due for a break.” Luke told her “And he seems to know what he's doing.”

“Yeah, but no matter how it turns out…it looks like I'm gonna lose the land.”

“Hey, don't worry about that right now. You can stay with us as long as you need to.” Luke told her “I'll talk to Jesse when we get home. Looks like we need to make another trip up the mountain tomorrow.”

Chapter 10

Early the next morning, shortly after breakfast, Luke, Bo and Shelby got ready to head up on the mountain to make sure there was no evidence to use against Shelby for making moonshine. At the last minute, Daisy decided that she was coming too. Jesse ordered them all to be careful. They could all still be arrested if they were caught dismantling the stills or getting rid of the shine the Lynns still had stored.

They decided to take Daisy's jeep since it would better on the rough terrain than the General would be. Shelby directed Daisy to a rutted dirt road on the far side of the mountain. Bo realized that this must be the way Cory had taken him to the Lynn Cabin when Luke was hurt. But Bo could never remember how to find the road afterwards because he had been so concerned about Luke that night that he hadn't been paying as much attention as he should have been. They drove for almost an hour taking a couple of turns that Shelby had to warn Daisy about in advance because they came out of nowhere.

Finally, they reached a heavily wooded area where the road seemed to just end, until Shelby told Daisy to keep driving through some brush. When she did as Shelby instructed, they suddenly found themselves in a large clearing with the Lynn Cabin sitting in the middle of it. Now Bo and Luke understood why they had never been able to find the Lynn cabin when they tried to. They had decided to stop at the cabin first so Shelby could gather us some clothes and load up her car.

Shelby cursed loudly when she unlocked the door to the cabin and stepped inside. The place had been trashed. Furniture had been overturned and cushions cut open, carpet had been torn up off the floors and dishes had been thrown on of the cupboards. Even the pictures had been torn off the walls.

“Looks like the feds have been here.” Daisy said, surveying the damage.

“Sure does.” Bo said

“Well, at least there was nothing here for them to find.” Shelby said ruefully as she went into her bedroom. The damage was just as extensive in her room. The blankets and sheets had been torn off the bed and the mattress sliced open, along with the feather pillows. Clothes were scattered around the room, torn out of the closet and the dresser. Shelby 's guitar lay in one corner of the room with the neck broken off and the back smashed in. Bo started to help pick up some clothes until he saw some of the more intimate items, then he quickly backed out of the room with an embarrassed smile. Luke grinned and followed him, leaving Daisy and Shelby to gather up as many of her clothes as they could.

They put the clothes in some boxes Bo had found in a closet and the boys carried the boxes out to Shelby 's car. Shelby also gathered up some family pictures that were still intact and some of her jewelry that was tucked in the corner of a dresser drawer. As they left, she didn't bother locking the front door. There wasn't anything left in one piece to steal. Leaving Shelby 's car where it was for the moment, they climbed back into the jeep and Shelby started showing them where the Lynn still sites were located.

All the sites were carefully and skillfully hidden. It was doubtful if anyone, including the feds, would have ever found them but they couldn't take the chance. There were three operating stills that they had to dismantle and shut down. With all four of them working together, it didn't take long to put the stills out of commission.

When they had finished shutting down the stills, Shelby showed them where the shine that was already made up was stored. It definitely would never have been found. She led them to a large briar patch causing the three cousins to stop and look at her questioningly. Grinning, Shelby carefully pushed aside the briars and slipped through the patch. When the three cousins followed her, they found themselves in the entrance to an old mine shaft. Shelby lit one of the lanterns sitting by the entrance. Bo and Luke did the same.

Holding her light high so she could see, Shelby led the way to a large cavern at the end of the tunnel. And there was the hidden stash of shine, about thirty jugs full and two barrels.

“Your granddaddy knew how to hide his shine, didn't he?” Luke said with a grin

“I never said that granddaddy found this place.” Shelby told him with a grin “Cory and me found it when we were kids.”

“Well, let's get busy.” Luke said. The boys emptied out the barrels, while the girls started dumping the jugs and breaking them on the ground. When they were done, they went back out to the jeep and made their way back to the cabin so Shelby could pick up her car. Bo rode back to the farm in the jeep with Daisy, while Luke rode with Shelby in her car. Now there was no evidence to tie Shelby to any moonshining charges. Back at the farm, the boys got busy with their evening chores while Shelby helped Daisy fix supper.

After supper, the boys decided to they were going to the Boar's Nest for awhile and they invited the girls to go along. They readily agreed and the four young people left to blow off some steam and have some fun. Even though it was a Wednesday night, the tavern was crowded with the regulars. (Which included most of Hazzard County ) The four of them found a booth at the back of the room. The boys ordered beers and both girls ordered cokes. When someone put some change in the jukebox and a slow song started to play, Luke grinned at Shelby and asked her to dance.

Daisy and Bo both grinned from ear to ear as they watched their older cousin take Shelby's hand and pull her into his arms as they began to dance. “Told ya.” Bo told Daisy with a laugh “He's sweet on her.”

“Good…” Daisy said laughing back “Cause they made a perfect couple.” Just then Daisy spotted trouble as Ernie Ledbetter and two of his friends, Toby Mitchell and Billy Jo Richards, came into the bar. Ernie didn't like Bo or Luke at all. “Uh Uh…” Daisy said, poking Bo in the ribs with her elbow “Trouble…Ernie and his friends just came in.”

“Well, he better not start nothing.” Bo growled

“You don't need to start anything either. You and Luke are still paying the damages for the last fight you two were in.”

Since Luke had his back to the door, he hadn't seen Ernie and his friends. His mind was distracted by the woman in his arms. “Maybe we can go for a walk when we get back to the farm.” He whispered in Shelby 's ear as they moved slowly in time to the music. He took a moment to nuzzle the side of her neck with his lips, sending cold chills down her spine.

“Hey, Duke…” Ernie's voice said from behind him “I see you're hanging out with drug runners now…moving up in the world, huh?”

Shelby saw the muscle tighten in Luke's jaw and his eyes narrow dangerously, serious warning signs to anyone who knew Luke. He turned to face Ernie and his friends, positioning himself so that Shelby was standing behind him.

“Back off, Ledbetter.” Luke said in a deceptively calm voice, his eyes cold as ice.

“Or what?” Ernie said, deliberately trying to bait Luke. Glancing over Luke's shoulder at Shelby , he sneered “Hey, honey…why don't you dance with a real man…” Then Ernie made his second mistake, he reached out as if he were reaching around Luke to try and grab Shelby . In that split second, Luke hit him with a perfect right cross and he stumbled backwards, falling over a table. Bo was on his feet in an instant and at his older cousin's side. When Billy Joe pulled back his fist to hit Luke, Bo punched him in the stomach with a pile driver. That was when all hell broke loose. Nobody in his right mind, except Ernie and his friends, would try to take on the Duke boys in a fight.

Instinctively, Shelby grabbed a chair and raised it in the air intending to hit Ernie or Toby as soon as she got a clear shot at either one of them. Suddenly, Daisy grabbed her arm and hissed in her ear “Don't you dare! You're out on bail, remember?” In frustration, Shelby threw the chair to the floor and stood there beside Daisy watching the fight. When Luke punched Toby and he stumbled backwards towards the two girls, Daisy picked up a beer bottle from the table beside her and busted it over his head. Toby crumbled to the floor, out cold. Grinning at Shelby , she said “I'm not out on bail.”

Just then a gunshot sounded in the air and Roscoe yelled “Alright, break it up!” Immediately, Bo and Luke stopped fighting and stood there, eyeing Ernie and Billy Jo cautiously. All four men were breathing heavily. Both boys were okay but Ernie had the start of a black eye and Billy Joe obviously had a broken nose. “Alright you Duke Boys!” Roscoe spluttered, strutting across the bar and waving his gun. “You're under arrest for disturbing the peace.”

“Roscoe, we didn't start it!” Bo said defensively “Ernie and his friends did!”

“Yeah” Luke said angrily

“That's right, Boss.” Daisy cried “Ernie was harassing Luke.”

“I don't care! I'm tired of these two tearing up this place!” Roscoe bellowed, waving his gun around even more erratically.

“Roscoe put that gun down before you hurt somebody!” Luke said

“Hush up, Luke Duke!” Roscoe said, accidentally firing his gun again. Luckily, he was aiming at the ceiling. Plaster dust rained down from the ceiling on Shelby and Daisy. Roscoe giggled gleefully as he pulled his handcuffs off his belt and fastened one bracelet to Luke's right wrist and the other bracelet to Bo's left wrist. “Alright, you two! Let's go…” he grabbed Luke's shoulder, shoving him towards the door.

“Alright, alright…I'm going.” Luke said

“I better go call Uncle Jesse.” Daisy said with a sigh as she watched Roscoe escort Bo and Luke out of the bar. She glared at Ernie and his friends with open hostility as she walked towards the bar to use the phone, followed closely by Shelby .

Chapter 11

Jesse couldn't bail the boys out until the next morning. They had to listen to Jesse's lecture all the way home. “I don't know what gets into you two sometimes” Jesse growled “Then people ask me…Jesse, why is your hair so white….you two are gonna be the death of me yet!” The boys listened in silence waiting for Jesse to wind down. This was the same lecture they heard every time they got into trouble. They knew that Daisy and Shelby had already told Jesse what had happened but Jesse's lecture was still part of their atonement.

Both girls greeted the boys warmly when they got back to the farm. Daisy had made a special lunch knowing the boys would be hungry. The Hazzard county jail didn't always offer very appetizing meals. After they ate, Daisy had to go to work and Jesse took Bo with him into town to pick up some feed. That left Shelby and Luke with the house to themselves for at least a couple of hours.

Smiling, Luke took Shelby 's hand and led her over to the couch where they sat down side by side. Resting his arm on the back of the sofa behind her, Luke looked deeply into her eyes for a moment and then bent his head and kissed her. “I've been wanting to do that ever since I got home.” He told her with a grin

“I'm sorry you got into that fight because of me.”

“Shoot, if it hadn't been over you…it would have been over something else.” Luke told her offhandedly “Don't worry about it.”

“Is Roscoe always running you and Bo in like that?”

“Yeah…pretty much. Sometimes it seems like the Hazzard county jail should be our second home.” Luke let his arm slip from the back of the sofa to her shoulders. Moving his other arm to her waist, he pulled her close and kissed her again. When he gently ran his tongue along her bottom lip, she opened her mouth for his kiss. Shelby moaned softly when she felt Luke slip his hand under her shirt. Her heart pounded in her chest as he slowly ran his hand up over her ribcage. Her skin felt like it was on fire wherever he touched her. Shelby knew that this time there would be no turning back.

Luke felt Shelby 's hands pulling his shirt tail out of his jeans and then pulling open the snaps so that she could run her hands over his bare chest, then over the muscles in his back and shoulders. His breathing quickened as he felt his body responding to her touch. Before things got too out of hand, he whispered in her ear “I think we better go somewhere a little more private.” He stood up and took her hand, helping her to her feet. Smiling, he led her up the stairs and into his bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind them. Luke knew that he was breaking one of Jessie's strictest rules. The one about not having a girl in his room (and especially not in his bed) but at the moment, he was willing to take the risk.

They looked into each other's eyes without speaking as they both undressed. Then Shelby went into his arms willingly and without hesitation. Shelby felt her heart pounding wildly as Luke pulled her down onto the bed. They kissed each other hungrily while their hands explored the other one's body. Shelby quickly discovered that Luke enjoyed giving his partner pleasure almost as much as he enjoyed pleasuring himself.

Luke moaned softly as he finally gave in to the desires and the needs that he had been denying himself since Kelly's death. He was pleased to find out that when it came to making love, Shelby was more than willing to give as well as to receive. At that moment, nothing else mattered except finally being together in the most intimate way a man and a woman could be. Afterwards, they lay in each others arms knowing that their relationship had just changed permanently.

“So what now, Luke?” Shelby murmured, laying her head against his shoulder as she gently ran her hand across the flatness of his firmly muscled stomach.

“What do you mean?' Luke asked quietly, not sure he understood the question

“Where do we go from here? You're not ready for anything more serious than what we have going right now….” she told him.” And neither am I.” It was a little white lie but Shelby didn't think that Luke would mind. She knew that Luke was not ready for a really serious relationship, not yet anyway.

“I guess we'll have to be satisfied with what we have right now…” Luke whispered nuzzling the side of her neck with his lips. He would have liked to have stayed just the way they were but he knew that was a luxury they didn't have. Jesse and Bo would be back soon. “We better get dressed. Jesse and Bo will be back any minute.”

Shelby sighed and sat up on the edge of the bed, then leaned over to gather up her clothes. Luke quickly did the same. After she had finished dressing, she gave Luke a quick kiss and turned to leave the room. She opened the door and almost ran right into Bo. Flushing slightly, she murmured “Sorry, Bo” and quickly brushed past him, hurrying down the stairs.

Bo went into his room and looked at Luke who was still sitting on the edge of his bed. He arched his eyebrow at his older cousin. “Did I interrupt something?” he asked coyly

“Nope.” Luke said shaking his head but at the same time avoiding Bo's eyes.

“Uh uh….” Bo said “You're dang lucky Uncle Jesse didn't catch ya. He'd skin you alive for having her in here.”

“Well, then I won't tell him about you and Mary Anne Baxtor a couple of months ago.” Luke said “At least I used my own bed instead of yours.”

“Hey, I apologized for that.” Bo said sheepishly “I told ya that things got a little out of hand before I realized which bed we were on.”

“I need some coffee.” Luke said with a laugh and a shake of his head. Bo grinned as the door shut behind him. He was happy for Luke. He really liked Shelby and he hoped things worked out for both of them.

Chapter 12

Late the next afternoon the Duke family was just sitting down to supper when the telephone rang. “Now who would be interrupting a man when he's trying to talk to his lord?” Jesse grumbled as he shoved himself to his feet and to answer it. “Duke farm. This is Jesse Duke speaking.” He listened for a moment, then said “ Shelby , it's for you.”

Shelby looked surprised as she stood up and went over to the phone. She couldn't imagine who would be calling her. She said hello and then listened for several long minutes without speaking. Luke immediately sensed that something was wrong, very very wrong. Shelby 's face went white and she swayed slightly and then said something into the phone so quietly that none of them could hear her side of the conversation. Luke jumped to his feet and went to her side just as she hung up the phone. “What's the matter?” he asked in a concerned voice.

Shelby looked him blankly for a moment, then whispered “Cory's dead.” Then she collapsed in his arms, in a dead faint. Jesse, Bo and Daisy immediately jumped up from the table, as Luke gathered her up into his arms and carried her over to the couch.

“What happened, Luke?” Jesse asked worriedly

“She said that Cory was dead and then she fainted.” Luke said. He turned his attention to Shelby , gently saying her name as he rubbed his fingertips along her cheek. “Open your eyes, Babe.” When she didn't respond, he tried again as the rest of the Dukes watched anxiously “Come on, honey…open your eyes.” Shelby 's eyelids fluttered and she slowly opened her eyes.

Luke felt a lump in his throat as he saw the pain in her eyes, a pain that he remembered much too well. Suddenly, she burst into tears and threw herself into his arms, burying her face against his shoulder and crying as if her heart was breaking. And Luke knew from painful experience that it was.

“Luke, why don't you take Shelby to her room so she can lay down for awhile?” Jesse suggested, recognizing the first signs of hysteria.

Luke nodded and picked Shelby up in his arms, carrying her to her bedroom. The rest of the Dukes tried to go about their normal routine without worrying too much but it was hard to do. After supper, Jesse went to Shelby 's room and gently eased open the door. Luke was lying on the bed holding her protectively in his arms and they were both sleeping. Jesse quietly closed the door. This was one time that he was willing to ignore his own rule about the boys sleeping with one of their girlfriends under his roof without being married to them.

Sometime during the night, Shelby awoke with a start. Luke instantly awoke himself when he felt her jerk in his arms. “Luke?” she whispered when she realized that he was lying in her bed with her.

“I'm right here, babe.” He whispered back, gently stroking her hair. “You wanna talk about it?'

“That was my lawyer who called.” She told him in a ragged voice. “He said Cory killed himself. He wants to see me in his office tomorrow….he said he'd tell me all the details then….” She began crying again, not as hard as earlier but still obviously upset.

Luke gently cradled her in his arms, letting her cry until she couldn't cry anymore. Then he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks and lightly brushed his lips across hers. He felt her slip her arms around his neck, seeking out his mouth for another kiss. Luke knew that she was seeking comfort in his arms by wanting and needing to make love. It was a way to deal with her grief and prove to herself that she was alive and okay.

Luke gently let his hands caress her body both soothing her and giving her pleasure. He focused on her needs more than his own. And she responded by returning the favor. Luke closed his eyes, enjoying the feelings that surged through his body as she touched him, caressing and stroking, until they came together in a moment of intimacy more satisfying then either of them had ever experienced. They fell asleep cradled in each others arms.

Chapter 13

When Luke and Shelby arrived at her Lawyer's office the next morning, Shelby was composed and under control although her eyes were red from crying. Charlie immediately ushered them into his office and closed the door.

“I' m very sorry about your brother, Shelby.” He said sympathetically.

“What….uh…about the arrangements?” Shelby asked in a halting voice

“I can take care of all of that for you. Just let me know what you want done.”

“I need to know what happened.”

“Well, I've found out a lot since the last time we talked and I've managed to more or less piece things together.” Charlie told her. He opened the file on his desk and started reading from his notes “The feds wanted Cory to cooperate with them……to name names and to testify in court against the other people involved in the drug operation.” He paused and looked at Shelby solemnly “Unfortunately, they decided to use you to force Cory to do what they wanted.”

“What?”

“Are you trying to say this whole thing was some kind of set up?” Luke demanded

“I'm afraid so. Someone came up with the bright idea of making it look like Shelby was in danger of being charged too. Then they tried to make a deal with Cory using Shelby as the bait. They told him they would drop all charges against Shelby if he did what they wanted. If he didn't, then they'd throw the book at Shelby and she'd go to prison for a very long time.”

“Is that legal?”

“With the feds it is.”

“So Cory killed himself instead of cooperating?”

“Not exactly…….”

“What do you mean not exactly?”

“He took the deal. He told them he would cooperate and do what they wanted but only after they dropped all the charges against you…..which they did yesterday afternoon. And Cory was smart; he insisted that they file paperwork giving you total immunity.”

“So Shelby 's in the clear?” Luke asked rephrasing the answer into a question to make sure he understood what Charlie was saying

“Yes, from any federal prosecution in connection with the drug operation or the moonshining charges.”

“But Cory still killed himself.”

“But not before he wrote out a statement for the feds naming names and giving enough detailed information about the drug operation to do some major damage. Basely on his statement alone they've got enough to start making arrests.”

“So the feds didn't care if they destroyed my life as long as they got what they wanted from Cory.” Shelby said angrily

“No, they didn't….at least not the ones in charge of this investigation….and I have filed a formal complaint on your behalf with the Bureau about the way this case was handled.”

“But that's not going to bring back Cory, is it?”

“No, I'm sorry…it won't.”

“So I lost everything…..my home, my land, my brother……and for what? So the feds could break this case?”

“That's about the size of it.” Charlie said. At times like this he hated his job and he hated the system. He picked two sealed envelopes from his desk and handed them both to Shelby “One's a check for your bail money….the other one is a letter to you from Cory.”

Shelby accepted the envelopes and stood up “I need to get out of here….” She said “I'll be in touch about the arrangements…”

Luke took her arm and guided her from the office. Tears were glistening in her eyes but they did not fall. And Luke wasn't sure if they were tears of anger, grief or both.

Shelby couldn't bring herself to read the letter from Cory until later that night when she was alone in her room. With trembling fingers she tore open the envelope and took out the sheet of paper inside. Opening it slowly, she read:

Dear Shelby,

I never meant to drag you into any of this. I wish I could go back and change things, take back all the mistakes I've made since I got in this mess. They want me to cooperate and testify for them but I know if I do that I'm a dead man. But, I did give them a statement with enough names and information to crack this case wide open and get the people in charge…and I made sure they gave you immunity for any kind of prosecution. That was the only thing I could do to make it up to you for all the trouble I've caused and all the pain I'm going to cause. I'm sorry Shelby but I can't go on this way anymore. So I'm taking the coward's way out but at least I know you are safe now and they can't hurt you. Maybe someday you and God will both forgive me……Love Cory

Chapter 14

The next day, Shelby called her attorney and told him to make arrangements to have Cory cremated. There would be no service. He agreed and assured her that he would take care of everything. That only left one thing for her to do. She sat down and wrote four letters, sealing each one carefully. Sighing, she threw some clothes in a suitcase she found in the closet and left her bedroom. The boys were out in the fields with Uncle Jesse and Daisy was at work. She left the envelops with the letters she had written lying on the kitchen table, then walked out to her and threw the suitcase in the back seat. With one final look at the farm, she left.

When Daisy got home from work, she found the envelopes on the table. With a sinking feeling, she hurried to the bedroom that Shelby had been using. Just as she suspected, Shelby 's clothes were gone and so was she. Daisy slumped down at the kitchen table wondering how she was going to tell Luke that Shelby had disappeared again. She picked up the envelope addressed to her and tore it open. Taking out the letter inside, she read:

Dear Daisy,

I know you are probably really angry with me right now for leaving but this is something I have to do. As much as I would like to stay, I can't. The hardest part about leaving is knowing that I'm going to hurt Luke and I never meant to do that. I just need some space right now and some time alone to think things out. Shelby

She was still sitting there at the table when the boys and Uncle Jesse came into the house from working in the fields. Immediately, the Duke men knew that something was wrong. “What's the matter, baby?” Jesse asked her gently.

Daisy looked at her Uncle and her two cousins. In a quiet, carefully controlled voice she said “ Shelby 's gone.” She saw the stricken look on Luke's face and the pain in his eyes at her words and wished she could take them back but she couldn't.

“Maybe she just went into Hazzard for something.” Luke said, not wanting to believe that she had really left

Daisy shook her and indicated the three envelopes still lying on the table. “She left us all a letter.”

Jesse and Bo both reached out and picked up the letter with their names on the envelope but Luke ignored the one addressed to him. Instead, he turned and left the house. Bo started after him but Jesse reached and touched his arm, stopping him.

“No…” Jesse said quietly “Let him be for now….he needs to be alone for awhile. If he doesn't come back in a bit, then you can go after him.”

Jesse and Bo both sat down at the table and opened the letters addressed to them;

Jesse read”

Dear Uncle Jesse,

You will never know how much it has meant to me to stay here with you and the rest of the family. You have all done so much and made me feel so welcome. I'm sorry to disappoint you by leaving this way but I guess I just don't have the courage to look at any of you and tell you that I'm leaving. And I know that Luke is the one who's going to be hurt. And that's the one thing I regret the most. But I just some time alone.

Shelby

Bo's letter was little more personal than the rest. He read:

Dear Bo,

I know how close you and Luke are. You have a special bond that can never be broken. Luke is going to need you now more than ever. I know how much I am going to hurt him by leaving and I need you to believe that I never meant for that to happen because I love him too. But right now, I need to be alone for awhile. Please take care of him. You're the only one he might talk open up to.

Shelby

It was almost two hours before Luke finally came back into the house. Without a word to anyone, he picked up the envelope addressed to him and went upstairs to his bedroom. Sitting down on the edge of his bed, he stared at the envelope for several long minutes before finally tearing it open. He took out the letter and started to read:

Dear Luke,

This is the hardest letter of all to write. I have to leave for now. After everything that's happened in the past couple of weeks, I need to be alone for awhile. I know you probably won't understand and I can't really explain. You and your family have done so much for me and made me feel like part of the family and I will always be grateful for that. If it weren't you I may never have gotten out of the mess I was in. It hurts me to leave because I know how much it's going to hurt you. And I can't stand the thought that you're going to be hurt because of me. I told you once that you were a dangerous man because you were the kind of man that women fall in love with…..and that's true because I did. I don't expect you to forgive me for leaving like this because that would be asking too much. Please believe me when I say that I will always love you and that I will be back as soon as I figure some things out.

Shelby

Luke sat there for several long minutes staring at the letter in his hand. Then he slowly folded it and put it back in the envelope and stuck it under the mattress. He felt a wall closing tightly around his heart and his emotions as he slowly stood up and went back downstairs. Shelby had made a choice and he could not change that. But it still hurt because he finally admitted to himself that he had been falling in love with her too. And now she had disappeared again and he wondered how long it would be this time before he saw her again.