Chapter 6

Shelby stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off. For a moment she paused, gently running her hand over the slight slope of her stomach. She was starting to show. It wasn't noticeable to anyone else yet especially when she was dressed. She hadn't exactly been thrilled when she found out she was pregnant but now she was fiercely protective of the child she was carrying.

She had called Dr. Applebee and she had an appointment to see him this morning. She found herself wondering how long it would take before the news of her pregnancy started making the rounds in Hazzard. She knew there was going to be gossip, especially since one of the Duke boys was the father of her child. And the fact that she was staying at the Duke farm would only add fuel to the flame. Not that Shelby really cared what people thought or said. But she didn't want to cause Uncle Jesse or Daisy any unnecessary disgrace or embarrassment.

She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved denim shirt. Running a brush through her hair, she pulled it back and fastened it with a clip. With a final look in the mirror, she unlocked the bathroom door and went downstairs for breakfast with the family. The boys had already eaten and were outside doing their morning chores, leaving only Daisy and Jesse still in the kitchen. Daisy smiled when Shelby sat down at the table and sat a plate of bacon and eggs down in front of her.

Shelby 's stomach churned uneasily at the sight of the food. Morning sickness was definitely one thing she could do without especially since she seemed to have it morning, noon and night sometimes. As if sensing how she felt, Jesse looked at her with a faint smile and said “Don't worry….it won't last forever.” Shelby smiled thinly as she took a bite of her eggs.

After breakfast was over, Daisy started on the household chores. Shelby wandered outside and into the barn. She smiled brightly when Lobo whinnied softly from his stall, sensing her presence. Walking over to the big black horse, she laughed softly as he nuzzled at her face affectionately. “I missed you…” she whispered, gently rubbing her cheek against the horse's velvety muzzle.

“He missed you too.” Luke's voice said from behind her, momentarily startling her. She hadn't realized that he was in the barn. “I was just getting ready to take him out and put him in the corral.” Luke stepped up beside Shelby and slipped a halter over Lobo's head. Shelby stepped back as he opened the door to the stall and grabbed the halter, leading Lobo out of the stall. Together they walked out of the barn and around to the opposite side of the barn to the corral that the boys had built especially for the black horse. Opening the gate, Luke let go of the halter and gently slapped the horse's hindquarters. With a toss of his head, Lobo went into the corral and Luke closed the gate.

Smiling, he turned to look at Shelby . “You're up early.” He said

“I have an appointment with Doc Applebee this morning.” She told him

“What time?”

“Ten”

“Do you mind if I come along?”

“You don't have to, Luke.”

“I know I don't have to. I want to.” Luke told her firmly

“Okay.” Shelby said somewhat reluctantly.

“Then I better go get cleaned up.”

Shelby leaned against the top rail of the corral, watching Lobo grazing, as Luke turned and walked back towards the house. For three months (almost 4 now) she had been dealing with her pregnancy alone. It felt strange to suddenly have Luke involved too. Sighing, Shelby walked over to the old picnic table beside the house and sat down, staring off into the horizon, lost in her own thoughts.

______________

“You're pregnant.” The doctor had the clinic had said. “Around two months, I'd say.”

Shelby had simply stared at him for a moment, then thanked him as he went out the door. Sliding off the exam table, she had quickly pulled on her clothes and left without talking to anyone and without making another appointment. She had been hoping that she was simply late. Her periods had never been regular and skipping a period once in awhile wasn't unusual for her. But she had gotten worried when she noticed other signs this time, the nausea in the mornings and the tenderness in her breasts.

She knew Luke was the father. He was the only man she had been with in the past two years. She cursed her own carelessness. She had never intended to sleep with him but when he touched her and he kissed her, she had let things get out of hand. For the first time in a very long time, she had let down her guard and given herself to him willingly and without question. And now, she was going to pay for that little indiscretion.

She had struggled with the decision to tell Luke about the baby. It had taken her almost a month to get up the nerve to write him the letter. She wasn't afraid of him denying the child. She knew he wouldn't do that. That wasn't the kind of man he was. Shelby had made a promise to herself a long time ago that she would never let any man get close enough to hurt her and until she met Luke Duke she had been able to keep that promise.

  ______________

“ Shelby ?” Luke's voice said, startling her. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't heard him come out of the house. She glanced up and for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. His hair was still wet from a shower and he was dressed in his usual attire, faded jeans and a blue shirt with the top three snaps undone. There was no denying that he was a good looking man that could make any woman's heart beat a little faster.

“Sorry…guess I was thinking about something else…” she said. She shoved herself to her feet, purposely ignoring the hand he held out to help her. Luke followed her over to her car, climbing in on the passenger's side as she slid under the wheel.

“Look, Shelby …” Luke said with a quiet intensity as she turned on the engine and pulled out of the drive “I know this isn't easy….for either one of us. But we can't just ignore each other and pretend that nothing happened.”

“I know.” Shelby said a trace of irritation creeping into her voice “I just didn't think it was going to be this awkward.”

“Neither did I.” Luke admitted, turning to stare out his window at the scenery. . They both fell into an uneasy silence as Shelby headed for town. Shelby was the first to break the silence. Glancing at Luke, she said,

“I'm sorry….I just don't know how to handle all this…”

“You could start by letting me help you.” Luke told her “Instead of trying to shut me out.”

“I'll try….okay?”

“Okay.” He said with that crooked sexy smile that Shelby had missed so much.

Doc Applebee's office was located on the first floor of his house in downtown Hazzard. Shelby found a place to park in front and she and Luke went inside. Doc's receptionist , a pretty blonde in her early twenties named Laurie Stern, looked up and smiled brightly when she saw Luke walk into the waiting room. Like most of the girls in Hazzard she'd had more than her share of fantasies about the Duke boys. She eyed Shelby with mild curiosity wondering who she was and why she was with Luke.

“Hi, my name's Shelby Lynn. I have a ten o'clock appointment with the doctor.” Shelby said.

“Uh…fine. Have a seat. He'll be with you as soon as he can.” Laurie said, pointedly ignoring Shelby and smiling at Luke warmly. She had the good grace to blush when Luke ignored her and walked away with Shelby . She didn't know who Shelby was but Laurie decided she didn't like her. Luke usually at least flirted with her a little that was part of his nature. She found herself wondering why Shelby was here to see the doctor and why Luke was with her. She decided she'd sneak a peek at the doctor's file after Shelby left.

Fifteen minutes later, Dr. Applebee ushered Shelby into the inner office while Luke waited in the waiting room. Doc had know the Duke family since the boys were children and he was close friends with Jesse. He knew why Shelby was there to see him but he didn't realize that Luke must be the father of her baby until he saw the older Duke boy with her. He was mildly surprised to say the least but it was none of his business. His only concern was Shelby and making sure that she had a healthy uneventful pregnancy.

A quick exam showed that she seemed to be in good health and the pregnancy was progressing normally. He gave her a due date of July 15 th , a little over five months from now. He did discover one mild complication that surprised him and shocked the hell out of Shelby . He was positive that she was carrying twins. He arranged for her to go to the hospital in Capital City for an ultrasound to confirm his suspicions.

Chapter 7

Luke glanced up, mildly surprised when Doc Applebee opened the door to the inner office and motioned for him to come back there with him. Luke shoved himself to his feet and followed Doc to his private office. Shelby was sitting in a chair facing the doctor's desk and Luke noticed immediately that she seemed to be agitated about something.

“Is everything okay?” Luke asked trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice, suddenly worried that Doc had found something wrong.

“Everything's fine.” Doc assured him with a smile “I just want Shelby to go to the hospital in Capital City for an ultra sound.” He smiled again at the confused look on Luke's face “I think she's having twins.”

Luke's expression changed from one of confusion to shock and he slumped down in the chair next to Shelby . “Twins?” he repeated in a stunned voice.

“Luke, didn't you know that twins ran in your side of the family?” Doc asked him “Jesse has brothers who are twins and they tend to skip a generation.”

“I guess I forgot about that…” Luke said when he finally found his voice again. He couldn't help smiling. Shelby noticed and said sullenly,

“Wipe that smile off your face, Luke Duke, before I slap the tar out of you. One was bad enough….now I'm having two.”

“Having twins shouldn't change anything.” Doc told her, ignoring her outburst. “You'll just need to be more careful about your weight and you could go into labor a little earlier than expected.”

“Can I kill the father?” Shelby said, giving Luke another dirty look

“Well, I think that's a little drastic, don't you?” Doc told her with a chuckle

“No, I don't.” Shelby said. Luke looked at her but wisely decided it was best to keep quiet. Shelby was in no mood to be pleasant or to be pacified. And the truth was he was still trying to get used to the idea of her having one baby, now he had to get used to the idea of her having two.

“Here's the order for the ultra sound.” The doctor said, handing Shelby a slip of paper. “And make an appointment for next month before you leave.”

Shelby stood up and left the office. Luke started to follow her but stopped when Doc said, “Hang in there, Luke. Things will get easier……but right now I think you better give her some space…..she's not very happy at the moment.”

“Thanks, Doc” Luke said with a self conscious grin. He turned and went out into the waiting room where he found Shelby making an appointment with Laurie. Ignoring the questioning look in Laurie's eyes, he waited until Shelby was finished, then they left the office together.

Shelby stubbornly refused to talk to him until they were almost to Capital City .

“I'm sorry.” She finally said “This is just more than I bargained for.”

“Well, I wasn't exactly expecting this either.” Luke reminded her

“Twins….lord help us.” Shelby said, rolling her eyes.

“You can say that again.” Luke said which earned him another dirty look from Shelby .

“I still oughta slap the tar out of you” she told him

“Is it gonna make you feel any better if you do?”

“I don't know…..it might.” She said. Then she looked at him and smiled “But then I wouldn't want to mess up your pretty face…..that receptionist back at the doctor's office was sure scoping you out.”

“Laurie?” Luke said in a surprised voice “She's just a girl that hangs out at the Boar's Nest. I've never gone out with her or nothing like that.”

“Maybe not….but she sure wishes you would.” Shelby told him, her tone turning light and teasing.

“I think that'd be a little awkward right now, don't you?”

“Why? Because I'm staying at the farm and because I'm pregnant? Don't let that stop you. No strings, remember?”

“Yeah….I remember.” Luke said quietly

“I'm serious, Luke.” Shelby told him “You're free to come and go as you please and do what you want. My being pregnant shouldn't change anything…..at least not for you.”

“Maybe I want things to change.” Luke said

“Don't go there, Luke…..” Shelby said in a faintly warning tone. Their conversation was cut short as she pulled into the parking lot of the hospital in Capital City . She went in through the doors marked Outpatient Clinic and gave her paperwork to the receptionist. Half an hour later, she and Luke were in a room with the technician who was preparing to do the Ultra sound. Luke was standing beside the exam table where Shelby was lying. Shelby had wanted him to stay in the waiting area but Luke had insisted on going back with her. Finally, somewhat reluctantly, she had given in.

The Technician pulled up Shelby 's shirt, just far enough to expose her stomach and applied some kind of gel to her skin. For the first time, Luke saw the gentle slope of her stomach where she was just starting to show. The technician gently ran her paddle over Shelby 's stomach while keeping an eye on her monitor. After a few minutes, she smiled and said “It's definitely twins.” She looked at Luke and Shelby “Do you want to know the sex?”

“You can tell that?” Shelby asked in a surprised voice

“Yes, pretty clearly in your case. I always ask but it's up to you if you want to know or not.”

Without asking Luke or even waiting for him to say anything, Shelby said “Yes.”

The technician grinned and told her “It's one of each. A boy and a girl”

Shelby looked at Luke and smiled genuinely for the first time all morning. Luke smiled back and took her hand, squeezing it encouragingly. He was going to be a father that reality was finally sinking in. And he was going to have a son and a daughter both, that reality would take some more getting used to. In the past week, his whole life had been turned upside down but whenever Shelby was around he was starting to get used to that.

Chapter 8

The boys were in their room getting ready for bed. Luke and Shelby had shared the news with the family that she was expecting twins. Everyone was a little surprised but happy for them. They also told them that the ultra sound had shown that it would be a boy and a girl. Jesse had seemed more pleased than anyone at the news. He loved babies and it was about time that there was going to be some new life in the old farmhouse. But he was old fashioned enough that he secretly hoped that Luke and Shelby would decide to get married before the babies were born.

Luke sat down on his bed to pull off his boots when Bo glanced over at him and said, “Hey, Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you feel when you found out that Shelby was pregnant?”

“Surprised….shocked” Luke said choosing his words carefully “And I guess a little scared.”

“How do you feel now?”
“Still about the same…but kind of excited too.”

‘It's a pretty big thing, huh?”

“Yeah, it's a real big thing.”

“Did you ever think that it might not be yours?”

“No….I just knew it was.”

“Do you love Shelby ?”

“I don't know…” Luke admitted inhaling deeply and letting the breath out slowly “I think I could….if she'd let me get close enough to try.”

“Do you think she loves you?”

“I don't know…she said she did in her letter but she sure doesn't act like it most of the time.” He looked at his youngest cousin with a thin smile “What's with all the questions all of a sudden?”

“I'm just curious that's all.” Bo said “I mean, I like Shelby and all….it's just kinda weird that she's back and she's pregnant and it's yours.”

“Yeah…I know”

“Didn't ya use something like Uncle Jesse also told us to?”

“No….and that's my own fault.” Luke admitted uneasily.

“Are you sorry….about the baby, I mean.” Bo asked

No…” Luke paused gathering his thoughts. He wouldn't have felt comfortable having this conversation with anyone except Bo. It was too personal and Luke tended to avoid talking about his feelings or his personal life much to anyone besides Bo. “It's hard to explain….I wish it hadn't happened this way…but it did and I can't change that. But I have to be man enough to admit that I made a mistake and take responsibility for that.” He sighed softly “That's why I asked Shelby to come here…I wanna be part of this child's life and this is the only way I can be right now.”

“Do you think that you Shelby will ever work things out between the two of you?”

“I hope so…..not just because of the baby but because I really do care about her.” Luke flashed Bo a grin “Now shut up so we can go to bed.”

Bo grinned back and rolled over on his side, facing the wall. He knew he had gotten as much out of Luke as he was going to get for one night. Bo found himself wondering if he'd be able to handle the situation as well as Luke was if he was in Luke's shoes. But then Luke always had been more level headed and serious than Bo was. That was what balanced them out in their own relationship.

Luke turned off the light on the nightstand between the two beds and lay there staring into the darkness, lost in his own thoughts. He tossed and turned restlessly for over an hour before finally deciding to get back up for awhile. Sleep wasn't coming easily tonight.

Quietly he slipped out of bed and opened the bedroom door. He went out into the hall and down the stairs. In the kitchen, he made a pot of coffee and poured himself a cup when it was done brewing. He slumped down at the kitchen table with his legs stretched out in front of him. A few minutes later Jesse came wandering into the kitchen. Luke carefully hid a smile. Jesse always seemed to know when one of them got up during the night and always came to check on them.

“Can't sleep?” Jesse said, pouring himself a cup of coffee and sitting down at the table with Luke

“No”

“You wanna talk about whatever's bothering ya?”

Luke would like to know how Jesse always seemed to know when something was bothering one of them. And he wondered if he'd be able to do the same thing with his own children someday.

“It's Shelby .”

“Kinda figured that.” Jesse said “You two got an awful lot going on right now.”

“She keeps trying to shut me out, Uncle Jesse…” Luke said thoughtfully “And I can't figure out why.”

“Have you tried asking her?”

“Not exactly.” Luke admitted “Every time I try to talk to her about anything personal…she puts up this wall and cuts me off at the knees.”

“What do you think the problem is?”

“I wish I knew.”

“Then all you can do is keep asking. Maybe she'll tell you sooner or later.” Jesse said. He looked at his oldest nephew with a thin smile “But try to be a little sensitive…”

“I am sensitive” Luke said defensively

“Maybe…but when a woman gets pregnant she tends to get a little contrary and you have to treat her about like you would a skittish mare that don't wanna be handled.”

Luke laughed at Jesse's choice of words. “With Shelby it's more like a bobcat with it's paw caught in a trap….you gotta be careful not to get too close.”

“Well,” Jesse said shoving himself to his feet “It looks like you got your job cut out for ya taming down that bobcat.” Luke smiled thinly as Jesse headed back to his room.

Chapter 9

Shelby walked along the stream that ran through the Duke property. She had been back in Hazzard for a little over a month. She was starting to show now, not much yet but enough that it was obvious that she was pregnant. And thanks to Laurie, the receptionist at Doc Applebee's office, everybody in Hazzard knew about it and knew that Luke was the father. It didn't seem to bother Luke none but it bothered Shelby . She had always been a very private person and she hated being the main topic of gossip.

She and Luke had fallen into a comfortable relationship (at least for Shelby ) that centered around her pregnancy. She had felt the twins move but hadn't told Luke that yet. Feeling the new lives growing inside of her was something intensely personal that she wanted to savor herself for awhile first. She smiled to herself as she thought about how Luke was acting like a typical first father in some ways. He was on her to take her vitamins, to eat right and to get enough rest. She even teased him about it sometimes.

But Shelby still kept him from getting too close. She knew he wanted more out of their relationship than she was willing to give right now. She told herself that she was protecting Luke but she knew that she was protecting herself too. She loved him but she didn't want him to know that. Because if he did, she knew that he start pressuring her about getting married before the twins were born and it was the idea of marriage that scared her to death…even if it was to Luke.

She turned to head back to the farm. Luke and Bo were at the Boar's nest but they should be home soon. If she wasn't there she knew that Luke would come looking for her. As she reached the edge of the barnyard, she saw Jesse's pickup pulling out of the drive at a high rate of speed. Inside the farmhouse, she found Daisy in the kitchen making a roast for supper.

“Where's Uncle Jesse going in such a hurry?” Shelby asked as she got a glass of milk out of the refrigerator

“To Doc Applebee's office to pick up Luke.” Daisy told her

“Why? What's Luke doing there?” Shelby asked trying to keep the concern out of her voice

“I don't know all the details but I guess he got in a fight at the Boar's Nest. He's okay though. Doc told Uncle Jesse that he's got some cuts and a couple of bruised ribs but other than he's fine.”

“What was he fighting about?”

“I don't know but it was with Ernie Ledbetter and those two don't like each other at all.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Shelby said dryly. She had been at the Boar's Nest one other time when Ernie and Luke had gotten into a fight. “I'm surprised he ended up at Doc's office and not in jail.”

“Oh, Roscoe arrested him alright but Cooter bailed him out.” Daisy said with a laugh. That was the nice thing about Hazzard. You knew you could always count on your friends to come through for you.

Supper was almost ready by the time Jesse got back with Luke. And Bo who had followed them home in the General. Luke came in first, obviously still in a foul mood. He had a gash above his left eye that had sliced through his eyebrow and been stitched up. That eye was swollen and already turning black and blue. His bottom lip was also split and swollen.

“I hope Ernie looks worse than you do.” Daisy told him when she saw his face.

“He does.” Luke said shortly, storming though the kitchen and up the stairs. Moments later the sound of a door slamming echoed through the house just as Bo and Uncle Jesse came in from outside.

“Ya best stay out of Luke's way for awhile.” Jesse said unnecessarily “He's madder than a hornet.”

“Yeah, we noticed” Daisy said “What did Ernie do to get him so riled up?”

“He said something he shouldn't have oughta said.” Bo said, his own voice sounding angry. Jesse looked at him sternly and Bo looked down sheepishly after a quick glance in Shelby 's direction.

“He said something about me, didn't he?” Shelby said

“Now,” Jesse said in a soothing voice “It ain't nothing for you to get worried about.”

“It must have been something pretty bad to make Luke that mad.” She glanced from Jesse's face to a decidedly uncomfortable Bo. “And if one of you doesn't tell me what he said then I'm sure there were plenty of folks at the Boar's Nest who'd be more than happy to.”

“He'd been saying stuff about you being pregnant to Luke from the minute we got there.” Bo told her in a hesitant voice. “And Luke was doing a pretty job of keeping his temper under control…..” He paused hating to tell her the next part “Until Ernie said that nobody but a slut would get pregnant by a Duke.”

“He didn't!” Daisy exclaimed in an angry voice, her own eyes flashing fire.

“Yeah….he did…and that's when Luke nailed him.” Bo said “I think he would have killed him too if Cooter, L.B. and me hadn't pulled him off. And it took all three of us to do it too. I've never seen him so mad.”

“Well, I don't hold with violence and you boys know that.” Jesse said sternly “But I'd have hit him too for saying something like that. Can't blame Luke none for defending Shelby 's honor.” Jesse glanced up towards the ceiling “Just give him some space till he cools down.”

It took Luke a long time to cool down. He stayed in his room all evening, not even coming out for supper. Everyone else had gone to bed except for Shelby who was in the kitchen drinking a soda when she saw Luke come downstairs and go out on the front porch. She waited until she had finished her coke, then she went out to the front porch too. Luke was sitting on the porch swing, using his foot to slowly push the swing back and forth. He glanced up when Shelby came out the front door but didn't say anything. She sat down on the other end of the swing.

“I'd sure hate to see the other guy.” Shelby said “Cause you look like hell.”

“Thanks a lot….” Luke said with a thin smile.

“I don't know if I should thank you for defending my honor or say I'm sorry for being the reason you got into a fight in the first place.”

“He had no right to say something like that.” Luke said, a trace of anger still lingering in his voice.

Shelby smiled faintly as she felt the babies moving. “Give me your hand.” She told Luke.

“What?” he asked in a puzzled voice

“Just give me your hand.” Luke frowned and held out his left hand. Shelby shook her head. “The other hand” When Luke held out his right hand, she took it and gently placed it on her stomach with her hand resting on top of his. She watched his face as he felt the babies kicking beneath his hand for the first time. She saw the light in his eyes and he grinned broadly when he realized what he was feeling.

“That's amazing….” He said softly. He looked into her eyes “It has to feel strange to have ‘em moving around like that ..…”

“It does but you kinda get used to it.” Shelby told him “Right now I think they're trying to wrestle…”

Luke laughed and then winced when that made his bruised ribs hurt. “Don't make jokes right now….I ain't up to it.” He moved his hand back to his side. It had felt strange to feel the babies moving inside of Shelby 's stomach. He had never experienced anything quite like it before. It really was pretty amazing. Luke closed his eyes for a moment and slowly twisted his head from side to side to work out the kinks in his neck.

“You okay?” Shelby asked

“Yeah…just a headache.”

Shelby stood up and walked around the swing to stand behind him. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she began to massage the tensed up muscles in his neck and shoulders. Luke felt himself beginning to relax, enjoying the touch of her hands as she used just the right amount of pressure to relieve the tension still stored in his muscles.

“You're pretty good at that…” he said softly

“My grandma was medicine woman, remember?” Shelby reminded him with a soft laugh.

“Yeah, I remember” Luke grinned in the darkness “She taught you how to make a love potion too….”

“You do remember.”

“Yeah, I do.” Luke reached up and covered one of her hands with his, rubbing gently. Suddenly, Shelby pulled her hand away and stopped massaging his shoulders.

“I'm going to bed.” She said “You probably should too.”

Luke remained sitting in the swing as she turned and went back into the house. He still couldn't figure her out. One minute she could warm and receptive and then the next minute she could be as cold as ice. It was starting to get to him. She could get under his skin like no other woman ever had except for Kelly.

Chapter 10

Luke glanced out of the kitchen window and cursed under his breath. “What the heck is she doing now?” he muttered when he saw Shelby in the corral sitting bareback on Lobo's broad back. Sitting down his coffee cup, he slammed open the screen door and hurried outside. Shelby saw him come out of the house and smiled faintly as he crossed the barnyard to the corral. Glaring at her as he pushed open the gate, he said “What are you doing? You know you ain't supposed to be doing no riding.”

“I'm not riding. I'm sitting. There's a difference.”

“Well, git down off of there before you give me a heart attack or something.” Luke told her. Shelby grinned but she didn't resist as he reached up to help her down. She could feel the strength in his arms as he lifted her down from Lobo's back. She put her hands on his shoulders as he set her on her feet. Through the thin material of his shirt, she could feel the rippling of his muscles as he easily lifted her weight to the ground.

They stood like that for a moment, neither one of them moving, Luke with his hands still on her waist and Shelby with her hands still on his shoulders. They looked deeply into each others eyes. Then, unable to resist the impulse any longer, Luke bent his head and lightly brushed his lips against her mouth. He felt her tremble slightly but she did not pull away from his kiss. At least that was an encouraging sign.

“I didn't mean to scare you.” She told him, stepping back and putting a little distance between them. “I just miss not being able to ride Lobo.”

“Well, you do scare me when you do things like that.” Luke admitted. He grabbed her hand so she couldn't pull away entirely. “I don't want anything to happen to you or to the twins.” He reached out and gently rubbed his hand against her stomach. “It feels like they're wrestling around in there again.”

“No, actually I think they're having a contest to see which one of them can kick me in the ribs the hardest.” Shelby told him with a grin.

Luke laughed. “You wanna go for a walk? Maybe that'll settle ‘em down.”

“Yeah…maybe it will.”

Smiling, Luke kept hold of her hand as they began walking towards the trail that led into the woods behind the farm. Daisy pulled into the driveway just as they were disappearing around the side of the barn. She smiled when she saw that Luke was holding Shelby 's hand. At least they weren't avoiding each other today, that was a good sign.

Luke and Shelby walked until they reached the stream. Luke sat down on the ground and Shelby sat down beside him. He was mildly surprised but pleased when she leaned up against him and rested her head on his shoulder. He fought back the impulse to put his arm around her. He didn't want to read more into her gesture than she intended. She was in a quieter, more relaxed mood today then she had been in a long time and he didn't want to spoil the moment.

“I've been thinking about names for the babies.” She told him “What do you think of Jesse Kristopher?”

“I'd like that.” Luke said with a smile “And Uncle Jesse will too.”

“I have a name for a girl too….that is if it's okay with you.”

“What?”

“Kelly Lynn.” Shelby said quietly, holding her breath anxiously as she waited for his reaction to her choice.

Luke felt his breath catch in his throat at the name she wanted to use. He knew that she was doing it for him, both to honor Kelly's memory and to give him another Kelly to love. His daughter. It was a few minutes before he could find his voice to answer her. “I'd like that too.” He finally said, the slight crack in his voice betraying his emotions.

“Then I guess it's settled.” Shelby said in a pleased voice, happy that Luke agreed with her choices for their children's names. She turned her head so that she could look into his eyes. “I know how much you loved her, Luke and how much you miss her. And I know that nobody can ever take her place. She'll always a part of you.”

“I never expected you to take her place if that's what you've been thinking.” He told her

“I never thought that.”

“Then what's wrong? Why have you been working so hard at shutting me out?”

“Because I was scared....” Shelby finally admitted “Scared of loving you….of losing you….of you wanting to get married for all the wrong reasons. Scared of being hurt….”

“I'd never hurt you”

“Sometimes you can hurt another person without even realizing it or without meaning too..…it's not always on purpose.”

“I'm not sure I'm following all of that.”

“I know….but that's okay.”

“Someday I'd like to get a straight answer out of you without having to read between the lines all the time.” Luke told her, sighing softly

“Now you sound like Cory. He used to tell me the same thing all the time” Her eyes clouded with sadness at the memory of her brother.

“I guess I'm just wondering what's going on here….where this conversation is leading to….”

“Maybe it's leading wherever you want it too…” Shelby said with a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Luke laughed softly and shook his head “I'm never gonna get a straight answer out of you, am I?”

“Probably not.” Shelby admitted smiling up at him.

Unable to control the impulse any longer, Luke bent his head and kissed her. Really kissed her this time. There was a hunger in his kiss that couldn't be denied. Shelby didn't try to resist, instead she melted into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. She opened her mouth for a deeper kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She could smell his unique scent, a combination of his aftershave, the clean fresh smell of his skin and the aroma of the soap that Daisy had used to wash his shirt.

Luke lay back down on the ground, pulling her down on top of him. He continued to kiss her as his hands roamed freely over her body. His own body began to ache with unfulfilled desire but he deliberately held back. He had missed her so much and he didn't want to do anything that might cause her to put the wall back up between them. It felt so right just being here with her like this.

Shelby kissed him back with a hunger of her own. She knew that he wanted more, she could feel proof of that, but she knew that he was holding back and that he wouldn't go any farther then what they were doing right now. She lost herself in the simple pleasure of his kisses and the touch of his hands on her body. She realized that she felt safe and protected in his arms, something she had never felt with any other man. She knew that she needed him in her life as much her babies needed him in theirs.

Finally, reluctantly, Luke pulled away and stood up, reaching down to help her to her feet. Smiling, he slipped his arm around her shoulders as they silently walked back to the house together. Daisy noticed immediately that something had happened between them as soon as they walked into the house. She could see it in their eyes and hear in their voices. They both looked happier than either one of them had been since Shelby came back to the farm. And Daisy was happy for them. Maybe now things would finally be alright again.

Chapter 11

Shelby groaned as she struggled to shove herself to her feet. She was almost in her eighth month and was big enough that it was hard to get around. She felt awkward and clumsy. Dr Applebee had told her at her last appointment that he wanted her to stay off her feet as much as possible. She was trying to follow his orders but she felt like she was going crazy not being able to do anything. The boys were out in the fields helping Jesse and Daisy was at work, so she had the house to herself.

Trying to find something to occupy her mind, she picked up a photo album she found lying on a bookshelf and began flipping through it. She smiled at the pictures of Bo, Luke and Daisy as children. There were a lot of pictures of them together, alone and with Uncle Jesse. They all looked so happy.

In the back of the album was an envelope with pictures in it that had not been put in the album. When Shelby glanced through them, she realized that they were pictures that had been taken of Luke and Kelly on their wedding day. Self consciously, Shelby put the pictures back in the envelope and put it back where she had found it. Luke had looked so happy in those pictures and so had Kelly. Little did either one of them know that before that day ended, so would their entire world.

Sighing, she went into the kitchen to find something to eat. She had just opened the refrigerator door when she felt a sharp pain in the small of her back. She'd had backaches throughout her pregnancy, especially the bigger she got, but this was different somehow. She took a deep slow breath and exhaled slowly, waiting for the pain to pass. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost noon , the boys and Jesse should be in from the fields soon for lunch.

As she turned to walk back to the living room so she could sit down, another sharp pain ripped through her body, doubling her over with its intensity. Losing her balance she felt herself falling. She threw out her arm to try and break her fall and her head hit the edge of the table hard, hard enough to knock her out. She slumped to the floor unconscious.

Ten minutes later, Jesse and the boys came in from the fields. They been hard at work all morning and they still had a lot more work to do before the day was over. Luke went into the house first. He immediately saw Shelby lying on the kitchen floor, unconscious, bleeding from a gash on her forehead. “Uncle Jesse!” he yelled frantically “ Shelby 's hurt!” He ran to her side and gently gathered her into his arms. His eyes quickly swept over her body looking for other injuries but he didn't see any.

Jesse and Bo both came running into the kitchen. Jesse took in the scene in one glance and barked, “We have to get her to the hospital. Bo, grab that comforter off the couch and lay it out in the back of the truck!” As Bo did as he was told, Luke picked Shelby up in his arms and carried her outside. His heart was pounding but he managed to keep his fear under control. Bo and Jesse quickly spread the comforter out in the bed of the pickup and Luke gently lay Shelby down. He sat down beside her, cradling her head in his lap. Bo and Jesse climbed into the cab of the truck and they sped off, heading for the closest hospital which was over an hour away in Capital City . Jesse made it there in just over thirty minutes.

Luke kept saying Shelby 's name, trying to wake her up on the way to the hospital but she did not respond. He felt the fear clutching at his heart, fear not only for Shelby but fear for their unborn children. He had no idea what had happened although it looked like she had slipped and hit her head on the table. He should have stayed with her that morning instead of helping in the fields. If anything happened to her or to the twins, he knew that he would never be able to forgive himself.

At the hospital, Shelby was immediately taken into the emergency room. A nurse tried to stop Luke from following her but backed down when she saw the fire in his eyes. Shelby was taken into a private examining room and this time a doctor blocked Luke's way, refusing to let him go in with her. Luke argued at first but then backed down when he realized he couldn't do anything more to help Shelby or the twins. It was up to the doctors now. Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be escorted back out to the waiting room.

Jesse and Bo sat on one of the battered old couches in the waiting room, while Luke paced the floor anxiously. His mind kept flashing back to the last time he was in this waiting room waiting for news about another woman's condition. This was the hospital where Kelly had died and being here like this brought all of those painful memories flooding back to the surface.

Finally a doctor came out of the emergency room and walked over to them.

“Are you the Dukes?” he asked

“Yes,” Luke said hastily “Are Shelby and the babies alright”

“Are you the husband?”

“Yes,” Luke said, not bothering to correct the doctor's mistake.

“I'm Doctor Burrows. Your wife has a serious concussion but she should be alright in a few days. But I'm afraid we're going to have to do an emergency caesarean and delivery the babies right now.”

“Are the twins going to be alright?” Luke asked trying to control the sudden surge of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.

“They should be. I'll let you know after your wife is out of surgery.” With those words the doctor disappeared back into the emergency room.

Luke slumped down on a chair and buried his face in his hands, consumed with worry not only for Shelby but for his unborn children as well. God please take Shelby and the babies. Don't let anything happen to any of them. I love them all so much, I don't want to lose any of them. Luke felt Uncle Jesse's hand on his shoulder but he didn't look up, still he was comforted by his Uncle's touch. Bo had gone down the hall to call Daisy at work so he could tell her what was going on.

Jesse could feel Luke's pain and his fear. And he knew that being here like this was bringing back memories of being in this same place with Kelly. But Jesse had faith that this time things would turn out differently. Shelby and the babies would be alright. Luke would not have to go through the nightmare of losing any of them the way he did Kelly.

Chapter 12

Slowly, Shelby opened her eyes. It took her a moment to realize that she was in a hospital room. Then she turned her head and found herself looking into Luke's sapphire blue eyes. He smiled when he saw that she was awake.

“Hey, baby…” he said softly, gently brushing a strand of hair back out of her face. “Welcome back…”

“The babies….” Shelby said in a frightened voice, her hand automatically reaching for her stomach. Her face filled with sheer panic when she felt the flatness of her belly beneath the bed sheet.

“Shhhh….” Luke said soothingly “The babies are fine. The doctor had to do an emergency C section but they're just fine.”

“You've seen them?” Shelby asked, starting to calm down “You're not lying to me…they're really okay?”

“They're fine…” Luke reassured her with a grin “They're already raising a ruckus.”

“I wanna see them.”

“You will….but right now you need to rest. You hit your head on the table and have a pretty bad concussion.” Luke told her “What happened?”

“I had a really bad pain in my stomach…..I lost and my balance and fell….that's all I remember.”

“Good thing we came in for lunch and found you when we did.” He bent down and gently kissed her lips “Don't ever do anything like that again…you scared me to death…”

“Stay with me. Okay?” Shelby said “Don't leave me…I hate hospitals.”

“I won't leave.” Luke said, taking her hand in his and holding it gently. “Just let ‘em try to kick me out.”

“Feels funny not to have them in there wrestling around…” Shelby said quietly

“I bet it does…” Luke said with a grin “Now you're gonna have to deal with ‘em wrestling around for real.”

“Not for awhile I hope.” Shelby said with a laugh. She winced in pain as the stitches in her stomach protested. “Guess I won't be laughing for awhile…”

“All that matters is that you and the babies are okay.” Luke said, gently kissing her again. “I..uh…wanna talk to you about something.”

“What?”

“Well…uh…I…” Luke said suddenly finding himself at a loss for words.

“Go on…” Shelby said trying to hide a smile “You're doing so badly at it … .”

“You got that right.” He said. He looked deeply into her eyes and tried to work up his courage to say what he wanted to say. “I love you, Shelby…..and I want us to get married. As soon as possible.”

Shelby looked at Luke without speaking for several long minutes. She had been expecting this sooner or later. “I love you too, Luke….” She finally admitted “And I wanna be with you….but I can't marry you…..not yet.”

“Why not?” Luke asked the pain of her refusal to accept his proposal showing clearly in his eyes.

“Because I can't…” she said stubbornly “I don't expect you to understand…”

“How am I supposed to understand if you don't tell me why you won't marry me?” Luke said in an exasperated voice “What have you got to lose?”

“You…” Shelby whispered, tears pooling in her eyes

“You're not going to lose me….” Luke tried to reassure her “I wanna spend the rest of my life with you and with our children. Are you telling me that you don't want that?”

“No….I do want that….it's just….”

“Just what?” Luke said, trying hard to understand “ Shelby , what are you so afraid of?”

“Luke…please, just don't push it…okay?” Shelby said, silently pleading with her eyes for him to try and understand and give her some more time.

Luke didn't understand what was going with Shelby and why she was so dead set against marriage but he wouldn't push her. He loved her enough to be patient and to wait until she was ready to either marry him or explain why she wouldn't.

He glanced up as the door opened and two nurses came in. He grinned when he saw that each one of them was carrying a tiny bundle wrapped in a blanket. One of the nurses handed one of the babies to Shelby , while the other nurse handed the other baby to Luke. He took the tiny bundle in the blue blanket gingerly, awkwardly cradling his son his arms. Smiling, the two nurses left the room leaving the young parents alone with their newborn twins.

Chapter 13

Luke smiled as he looked down at his daughter lying peacefully in his arms taking a bottle. It still seemed strange to be looking into his daughters eyes, the same sapphire blue as his own. Even though she was only a few weeks old, he could already see the subtle blending of his features and Shelby 's in her face. Both babies had his eyes, little Jesse had the same color hair but little Kelly's hair was the same color as Shelby 's. And they both had that stubborn set to their chins that seemed to run in the Duke family.

He glanced over at Shelby who was sitting on the couch feeding little Jesse. He couldn't help smiling at the picture. He may not have been sure in the beginning about being a father, but he had no doubts now. Shelby and the twins meant more to him than he had ever imagined. And Jesse, Bo and Daisy were just as thrilled with the babies. At this rate, they were gonna be spoiled rotten.

After the twins had finished their bottles, Luke and Shelby carried them into Shelby 's bedroom and laid them in the crib. Even in their sleep, they curled up against each other. As they walked into the kitchen, Luke glanced at Daisy who was fixing lunch and said, “Daisy, would you mind watching the babies for a minute? I wanna show Shelby something.”

“Sure, Luke.” Daisy said “I'd love to.”

Luke took Shelby 's by the hand and led her outside. As they started to walk towards the back of the Duke Property, Shelby looked at him curiously and said “What are you up to now, Luke Duke?”

“You'll see….” He told her with a grin. Ten minutes later, they came to a large roped off area on the edge of the woods. Shelby frowned and looked at Luke questioningly. “What do you think about a house….right here?” Luke said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“A house?” Shelby said in a surprised voice. She turned her head so she could look into his eyes. “You're serious, aren't you?”

“Yep. Jesse gave me 5 acres of land and…I wanna build a house here….for us and for the babies.”

“You are full of surprises, aren't you?” Shelby told him with a laugh. “You planning on building this house all by yourself?”

“No, Uncle Jesse, Bo, Cooter and some other friends all said they'd help. I figure we could have it ready to move into in about six months or so.” He looked deeply into her eyes as he gently kissed her. “I want you in my life, Shelby ….married or not. I don't care anymore as long as I'm with you. I love you, Shelby.”

“Oh, Luke…..” Shelby said, tears gathering in her eyes “What did I ever do to deserve a man like you?”

“Just lucky I guess.” Luke said with a laugh. “So what do you think about the house?”

“You really want this, don't you?”

“Yes….just as much as I want you.”

“Then maybe it is time that we got married.” Shelby whispered. Luke looked at her in surprise, stunned by her sudden change of mind. She was the one who had been resisting the idea of getting married even though Luke had made it plain that he wanted to.

“Are you finally saying yes?” he asked with a huge grin

“Yes….I guess I am.” Shelby told him, as she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She was no longer afraid of making the final commitment to Luke, the ultimate commitment that a woman and a man could make to each other. She knew that he would do his best to make a good home for her and their children. And she knew that he would make her happy, he already did more than he would ever know. For the first time in a very long time, Shelby finally felt at peace, secure in Luke's love and secure in her place in the Duke family.

When they finally returned to the house sometime later, they shared the happy news with the family that they were finally getting married. Neither one of them wanted a big wedding, so they decided on a simple ceremony at the farm with just the family and a few close friends. They sat a date for one week from Sunday. Now that Shelby had finally said yes, Luke wasn't about to give her any time to change her mind. They were going to finally be a real family at last.