A Special Hazzard Homecoming

The bright orange Dodge Charger tore along the dirt road at ninety miles an hour. Everybody in Hazzard County knew the General Lee. It was the most well known car in the county. And the most memorable. With its bright orange paint job, the big black 01 trimmed in white on both doors, the rebel flag painted on the roof, and the name General Lee painted above each door, it was a hard car to miss.

Equally well known in Hazzard County were the two cousins that co-owned the powerful stock car. The Duke Boys. Bo and Luke. Bo was the younger of the two cousins and he generally drove the General Lee. With his baby blue eyes, feathered light blonde hair and sexy smile, Bo was a favorite with the ladies. Luke, who usually rode shotgun beside his cousin, was the oldest of the three cousins who lived on the Duke farm. With his brown hair, sapphire blue eyes and crooked smile, he was just as popular with the ladies as his cousin. And both boys had a lean muscular build from their years of working on the farm. They were considered the two best catches in the County and most of the girls in the county would give anything just to spend some time with them. And the majority of them had at one time or another.

After a long hard day of working in the fields with their Uncle Jesse, the boys were headed to the local hangout to blow off some steam. The Boars Nest was the only honky-tonk in Hazzard County and the most popular. Everybody went there. Located about 7 miles outside of town, The Boars Nest was housed in a long cinder block building with a large dirt parking lot out front. It was owned by Boss Hogg, who owned most of Hazzard County and what he didn't own, he held the mortgage on including the Duke family farm.

Bo turned the wheel and spun the General into the parking lot, throwing dirt and gravel up from beneath the rear tires. He skidded to a stop next to a white jeep CJ7 with a golden Eagle painted on the hood and the name Dixie written in script on either side of the Eagle. Laughing, the boys climbed out of the car. Since the General Lee was a full fledged stock car, the doors were welded shut so the only way to get in and out of the car was by climbing through the windows.

As the boys walked into the bar, several friends yelled out greetings as they made their way through the crowd towards the bar. Their cousin, Daisy Duke, was on duty behind the bar. With her blue eyes and long chestnut brown hair, she was the prettiest and most popular girl in Hazzard County . Dressed in her usual attire which consisted of a tank top and short shorts that barely covered her backside, she made the men drool. But all the guys in Hazzard knew not to try and get too fresh with Daisy unless they wanted to tangle with the Duke boys and nobody in their right mind wanted to do that. The boys had started and ended most of the bar fights at the Boars Nest.

Daisy had already poured two mugs of the watered down beer that Boss Hogg served and had them sitting on the bar by the time the boys made it that far. Smiling their thanks, they spotted an empty table at the back of the room and made their way in that direction. They sat down and each took a drink of their beer. It wasn't long before the unattached girls in the bar started drifting over to their table. Talking, laughing and flirting with both boys.

It wasn't long before Bo and Luke had each made their choice of a girl to spend the evening with. Bo was with Cindy Mitchell, a pretty little blonde with a Dolly Parton figure and Luke was with Anita Hogan, a pretty brunette with big brown eyes. The boys spent the next few hours laughing, playing the jukebox and dancing with the girls. It didn't take much persuading to talk the girls into leaving with them to go to Hazzard Lake for awhile. Once there, both boys found a nice isolated spot where they spent some time seriously making out with the girls they were with.

It was after two A.M. before the boys finally made it back home. Climbing out of the General, they went up the steps to the screened in back porch. They entered the weather beaten two story frame house through the back door that opened into the kitchen. Without bothering to turn on any lights, they quietly made their way through the darkness and up the stairs to the bedroom they had shared since they were children. Once inside their room, Bo sat down on the bed closest to the door, while Luke walked over to the bed on the other side of the room. They quickly stripped off their clothes and boots, and then crawled into bed. Soon they were both sleeping soundly.

The sun was just rising above the horizon the next morning when Jesse Duke climbed out of bed. After dressing, he crossed the hall to the room directly across from his and knocked lightly. “I'm up, Uncle Jesse.” Daisy's voice called out cheerfully. Smiling, the Duke patriarch walked on down the hall to the boy's room. He knew the boys had been out late the night before but days start early on the farm and he didn't cut the boys any slack when it came to doing their work around the farm.

Opening the door, he crossed the room to Luke's bed and gently shook his oldest nephew's shoulder “Luke,” he said quietly “Time to get up.” Jesse always woke Luke up first because he was a lighter sleeper than his cousin and then he left it up to Luke to wake up Bo and get him moving. Luke slowly opened his eyes, then yawned and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Satisfied that Luke was awake, Jesse left the bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen where Daisy was already fixing breakfast.

Jesse was in his early sixties with a headful of white hair and a full white beard. He had the strength, stamina and energy of a much younger man. He was the head of the Duke clan and his word was law and always obeyed. Out of love and respect mostly but always obeyed. He had raised the three cousins since each of them was a baby and as far as he was concerned they were his kids and not just his niece and nephews. They were a loving, close knit family who stuck together no matter what.

Daisy had just finished making breakfast when the boys came downstairs and joined Jesse at the table. Daisy quickly dished up pancakes with maple syrup and sausages on three plates, sitting one in front of Uncle Jesse and each of the boys. Jesse drank coffee while each of the boys drank a large glass of milk with their breakfast. Daisy fixed her own plate and sat down at the table across from the two boys.

Their breakfast conversation centered around the upcoming Hazzard Homecoming. The homecoming was an annual event in Hazzard. It was a week long celebration with games, food, contests, a talent show, a cross country race and a big concert at the end of the week that always featured a famous Country Music Artist. People who'd moved out of Hazzard, some of them years ago, came back every year for the event. It was a chance to see old friends and family who had moved away to make a new life somewhere else. It was one of the biggest and most anticipated events of the year. And it was less than a week away.

“Hey, Bo” Daisy said with a grin “You gonna be in the rattlesnake sacking contest this year?”

“Sure am.” Bo said, earning a stern look from Uncle Jesse for talking with his mouth full. He swallowed and smiled apologetically.

“And I'm gonna make some of my secret barbeque sauce.” Jesse said with a smile. He always won first place with his sauce. “You boys signed up for the race yet?”

“Well, I found out who's gonna be at the concert this year.” Daisy said in an excited voice “Sierra Dawson.”

“Well that ain't all,” Daisy said bubbling over with excitement as she continued with her news. “I also heard that she's gonna be staying in Hazzard for a couple of weeks and appearing at the Boars Nest to try out some material for a new CD.”

“Hey, how about that?” Bo said his own voice rising with excitement “I wonder if we'll get a chance to meet her?”

“I'm gonna get started on my chores” Luke said, shoving back his chair and standing up. Without further comment, he left the house and went outside.

“What's the matter with him?” Daisy asked in a puzzled voice. It wasn't like Luke to be rude and besides that he usually waited for Bo to finish eating before they started their chores.

“I don't know.” Bo said “I guess he's just not that excited about the homecoming this year.”

“Well, just leave him be.” Jesse said “Everybody's entitled to a bad day and you boys were out awful late last night.”

After finishing his own breakfast, Bo joined Luke outside to do the morning chores. The boys worked in a comfortable silence as they milked the goats, fed the livestock and gathered the eggs. They usually did the chores together because it seemed to go faster that way. Bo noticed that Luke seemed to be distracted, lost in his own thoughts, but he didn't think anything about it.

Like Jesse said everybody was entitled to a bad day and Luke could get into a dark mood sometimes. It had been like that ever since he'd come back from Viet Nam after being a P.O.W. for almost four months. He never talked about the things he'd seen or done in the war but he had been different when he came back to the farm. For months after he first came home, he'd had terrible nightmares and some nights he didn't even sleep at all. He had gradually come out of it but there were still times when he would slip back into one of those black moods. And when he did, Bo had learned that it was best to just let him alone until it passed.

Luke had always been the quiet more reserved cousin. He kept his thoughts and feelings to himself. He rarely opened up to anyone except Bo. The two boys were closer than brothers and shared just about everything. But Bo knew that there were still some things that Luke had never shared with anyone not even him and Bo doubted if he ever would. There was a part of himself that Luke kept carefully locked away from everyone and any secrets that were hidden in that part of his mind would stay hidden away unless Luke himself chose to share them.

After finishing their morning chores, the boys spent another long day helping Jesse in the fields. Planting time was always a busy time on the farm and the boys usually fell into bed at night, too tired to do much more than eat before going to sleep. They worked hard and they played just as hard. Jesse understood that and tried to allow time for the boys to have fun. On the weekends, other than their usual morning and evening chores which mainly consisted of caring for the animals, the boys had time to spend on themselves and their other activities.

Everyone in Hazzard County seemed to be getting ready for homecoming. Booths were being built and tents were already being set up in Hazzard Square for the event. And posters were going up all over town advertising Sierra Dawson as the star attraction both at the big concert and as a featured attraction at the Boars Nest for three weeks afterwards. All the red blooded males in Hazzard were busy trying to think up ways to meet the pretty country music star. And all the single men were fantasizing about meeting her for a little romance even though they all knew how unlikely that was to happen. But you never could tell, after all she was single too, and this was Hazzard County where stranger things had happened.

Everybody seemed excited about her coming to Hazzard except Luke. Bo thought that was strange because he knew that Luke was a big fan. He had every CD she had ever recorded even the first couple she'd done which were almost impossible to find anymore. And he always seemed to want to be alone when he listened to them. It wasn't like she was the first big star to come to Hazzard either. Between the big concert each year at homecoming and Boss Hogg's celebrity speed trap there'd been a lot of big name talent come through Hazzard and both boys had met most of them. Heck, Waylon Jennings was even an old friend of the Duke family. So to say that Luke's reaction to Sierra Dawson coming to Hazzard was a little unusual was an understatement.

The two cousins were in town running some errands and watching everyone rushing around setting up for the homecoming which was scheduled to start the next day. Bo was looking forward to the activities even if Luke wasn't. He hoped Luke snapped out of his mood soon, it was starting to get on Bo's nerves. He didn't even seem to be that excited about the annual Miss Homecoming beauty pageant and that was usually one of Luke's favorite events. (Especially since he had usually dated most of the contestants)

“Come on, Luke” Bo said in an exasperated tone “What's with you lately? You usually get into homecoming.”

“I guess I'm not in the mood for it this year.” Luke said flatly, staring out of his window at another poster on a store front advertising the big concert.

“Well, something's got you all bent out of shape.” Bo said refusing to let the subject drop. “This ain't like you.”

Luke just stared out of the window refusing to answer. Giving up, Bo stomped down on the accelerator and sped down the street, squealing the tires as he turned the corner and headed out of town. Luke remained in a silent withdrawn mood all afternoon, even Jesse noticed it. Later that evening after Daisy had gone to work and the boys were getting ready to go to bed, Jesse looked up from his favorite chair where he was reading a book and said “Bo, you go on to bed.” He looked at his oldest nephew solemnly “Luke, I wanna talk to you.”

Bo glanced at his cousin, who merely shrugged his shoulders to let Bo know that he had no idea what Jesse wanted to talk to him about. Luke turned around to see what his Uncle wanted while Bo went on upstairs to their room. Jesse waited until he heard Bo shut the bedroom door and then he motioned for Luke to sit down on the couch. Luke sat down and looked at his Uncle questioningly.

“All right, Luke…..out with it. What's got you acting like a bear with a thorn in his paw for the last few days?” Jesse asked gruffly. “And don't tell me that nothing's wrong. I know you better than that. And you ain't getting up till you tell me what's been bothering you lately.”

Luke sighed. He knew he was stuck. He had never lied to Jesse and he wasn't about to start now and, the truth was, he needed to talk to someone before he went crazy.

“Do you remember the girl I told you about that I met while I was in the Marines…..just before I got shipped out to Viet Nam ?” he asked in a quiet voice

“The one you were really serious about?” Jesse asked “The one you were thinking about marrying….”

“Yeah…that's the one.” Luke said with a thin smile. “It was one of those once in lifetime things….when you just know its right…and you just wanna be with them no matter what….”

“I know the feeling.” Jesse admitted, waiting patiently for Luke to get to the point of his story. He knew that Luke had to tell this in his own way and he couldn't be rushed.

“I never told you the whole story….cause there were some things I didn't wanna go into….”

“I told you that she sang at a club near the base and that's how we met. What I didn't tell you was how good she was. I knew she was good enough to make it if she ever got the chance. She could sing, she could write songs, she could play three different instruments…” Luke paused to gather his thoughts “Just after I got my orders to go to Viet Nam ….she got offered a recording contract with a major label in Nashville . She didn't wanna go….she just wanted to stay where she was and wait for me to come back. I couldn't let her do that….she was too talented…so like a fool I made her promise me that she'd sign the contract and give it a shot.” His voice caught as he finished “Then I shipped out and I never saw her again….” He took a deep slow breath and then looked at his Uncle, his eyes filled with sadness and regret “Uncle Jesse, that girl was Sierra Dawson.”

“What?” Jesse exclaimed in a totally surprised voice. This was the last thing he had expected to hear Luke say. It took Jesse a moment to gather his thoughts. He didn't want to say the wrong thing. “So that's why you've been acting so strange….you don't wanna see her while she's here.”

“I don't know how I'm supposed to avoid her….not if she's gonna be staying in Hazzard and appearing at the Boars Nest for three weeks…” Luke said

“Maybe you shouldn't avoid her. Maybe it's time the two of you talked about what happened.” Jesse suggested

“It wasn't her fault, Jesse.” Luke said “I was the one who chose not to get in touch with her when I got back……I was too messed up because of what happened over there….and she was already hot…climbing the charts….I figured she didn't need an old boyfriend showing up to complicate things.”

“Hell….I ran away.” Luke said with a thin smile “As fast as I could run.” He looked at his Uncle for understanding “And I've regretted it every day for the last eight years. It was the worst mistake I ever made.”

“Hell” Luke said momentarily forgetting Jesse's rule about using profanity “I don't even know if she'll talk to me.”

“There's only one way to find out.” Jesse said, shoving himself to his feet. He left the room to go to bed leaving his nephew alone to decide what he was going to do when Sierra Dawson finally showed up in Hazzard.

“Sierra Dawson ?” Bo exclaimed in a startled voice looking at his older cousin with wide eyes, not sure how to react to his confession “You almost married Sierra Dawson?”

Luke nodded, not sure if he could trust himself to speak in a normal voice. After telling Jesse the truth, he realized that he had to tell Bo too. He knew he'd hurt Bo's feelings by not confiding in him sooner but Luke had never intended to confide in anyone. His intention had been to continue to keep his past relationship with Sierra a secret and find some way of avoiding her while she was in Hazzard. But now he knew that was no longer an option.

“Well, I guess that explains a lot of things….” Bo said slowly “Except for one thing….do you still love her?” Instead of answering Bo's question, Luke turned his head and stared out the window which in a way was enough of an answer. Wisely, Bo decided to let the subject drop.

After confiding in his cousin and his Uncle, Luke's mood seemed to improve and he actually started to get into the spirit of things as Homecoming Week began. But he was still nervous wondering how he was going to feel when he saw Sierra Dawson again after eight years. Even if he hadn't admitted it to Bo or to Uncle Jesse, he knew that she still had a hold on his heart and that she always would. But eight years was a long time and people change. He sure had changed, especially after his experiences in Viet Nam . And Sierra was a big star now, being that famous had to change some things about a person. Deep down, he knew that was one of the reasons he had never tried to contact her. He was afraid that he'd find out that she wasn't the same girl he'd fallen in love with so long ago. He wasn't sure which he was more afraid of finding out that she didn't love him anymore or finding out that she did.

Daisy, Bo, Uncle Jesse and Luke all went to opening day for the homecoming. The streets of Hazzard were crowded with people and all the downtown streets around the square were blocked off to traffic. The Dukes stopped to talk to friends and neighbors, including some people they knew who had left Hazzard years ago but still returned each year for the homecoming. The big event for opening day was the beauty pageant. Daisy, as usual, was one of the contestants and one of the favorites to win.

Bo and Luke found front row seats for the contest and cheered on their favorites as they strutted their stuff on the stage. For most of the men in the audience the best part of the show was the swimsuit competition. Nobody was that surprised when Daisy won the contest and was named Miss Hazzard Homecoming. For the next week, she would proceed over the various events including introducing the performers at the concert Friday night. After the beauty contest, the boys spent the rest of the day checking out the different booths and exhibits, flirting with the local girls, and just having a good time.

Later that evening, the talent contest was held in the middle of the square. Luke and Bo were entered, both as solo artists, and as a duet. Luke sang Lying eyes for his solo and Bo sang It's now or Never for his. For their duet, the boys got together and sang Mama's Don't let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys (although they changed Cowboys in the song to Duke Boys, which got a loud round of applause and laughter from the audience.) No one was too surprised when they walked away the winners.

But what surprised the boys was finding out that as winners of the talent contest, they got to sing a couple of songs at the concert Friday night. That definitely made Luke uneasy because he was fairly certain that there was no way he was going to avoid running into Sierra Dawson now.

“Cousin,” Bo said with a grin as the boys walked back towards the General after the evening's festivities were over “It's beginning to look like someone up there is determined to make sure you get together with Sierra Dawson while she's here.”

“Well, then I guess you better take advantage of it.” Bo told him with a sideways glance at his oldest cousin “It might be last chance you get.”

When they got back to the farm, Bo went into the house but Luke decided to take a walk before turning in. He had a lot on his mind and some serious decisions to make. He slowly walked around the side of the barn and followed a path up the hill to the Duke family cemetery. It might seem like a strange place to go to think for most people but to Luke it was a place where he felt at peace. Pushing open the old rusty gate, he went into the family plot where five generations of Dukes were buried, including Luke's parents and Jesse's wife, Martha. Luke walked to the far end of the cemetery and paused in front of two slate headstones. The inscriptions read:

Luke's parents, the mother and father he barely remembered. He had only been five years when they were killed in a car accident and he had come to the farm to live with Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha. It wasn't long before he was joined by Bo and Daisy when their parents died too. Luke couldn't have asked for better life than the one he'd had on the farm. There may not have been a lot of money or material possessions but there was more than enough love. Gently, Luke reached out to touch each headstone in a silent gesture of respect and love for the parents who had given him life. He often wondered if they would have been proud of the man he'd grown up to be and the ways that his life might have been different if they had lived.

That was one of the things he'd had in common with Sierra. She'd been orphaned at an early age too but unlike Luke who'd had Uncle Jesse to take him in and raise him, she didn't have anyone and so she had been raised in and out of foster homes and institutions. She'd never been in one place long enough to form any lasting attachments and had never known the love of a family the way that Luke had. She'd been on her own since she was sixteen when she'd ran away from her last foster home, lied about her age, and got job bartending.

Luke had turned 21 when they met. She worked a club near the Marine base where he was stationed. She was one of the reasons that the club was a popular hangout for the off duty Marines. Not only could she sing better than anybody Luke had ever heard before but she was so beautiful that it almost hurt to look at her. Some friends of his had talked Luke into going with them to the club one night when they had an open mike night. Luke had entered the contest and won. The prize was singing a few songs with the band that weekend and that was how he had met Sierra.

It hadn't taken long for them to get together, bonded at first by their mutual interest in music and their natural talent. But as the weeks passed, their feelings had deepened into the first real love that Luke had ever known. They had talked about getting married when he was discharged from the service and she had planned to move back to Hazzard with him. But then, she was offered the recording contract and he was sent to Viet Nam .

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as let his thoughts drift back to the last night they had spent together before he was shipped out. They had made love all night and fell asleep the next morning wrapped in each others arms. And even though he knew it was a rotten to thing to, he'd snuck out while she was still asleep so he wouldn't have to face saying goodbye to her.

He'd been in Viet Nam for almost three months when he heard her first record on the radio. He'd been so excited and happy for her. He'd written her letters but they'd been sent back stamped Moved, no forwarding address on file . Then he'd been taken prisoner and was P.O.W. for almost four months before he was finally rescued. And he'd spent another 3 weeks in a military hospital before finally being sent home to Hazzard.

By that time, Sierra was hot…she was on her way to becoming the major recording star that she was today. So Luke had decided to try and get on with his life and forget about her and what they'd had together. But the truth was he had been afraid that he would no fit into her life and he didn't have the courage to find out if he was right or wrong. But now, he couldn't run from the past any longer. She was coming to Hazzard and he was going to see her again. That much was inevitable. But what was going to happened after that was the real question.

Thursday was the day of the big cross country race. All the lead foots in the county was entered in the big event, with Bo and Luke the local favorites to win just as they had done for the past five years. The boys had spent the entire morning making sure that the General was in top running condition. As Miss Hazzard Homecoming, Daisy was the official starter for the race.

The cars were lined up in the town square. The course would go outside of town for 10 miles in a loop with the finish line being back at the beginning again. As long as each car passed each checkpoint, the drivers had the choice of staying on the blacktop or cutting across country to try and get to the finish line first. The catch with cutting cross country was the various obstacles they could encounter along the way.

Bo was sitting behind the wheel of the General with Luke riding shotgun as usual. As always before a race, Bo was impatient to get started. He revved the Charger's powerful engine and drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, waiting for Daisy to shoot the starting pistol. The second she fired the gun, Bo tromped on the accelerator and the General shot forward ahead of the other cars, easily taking the lead. Twenty cars raced for the city limits and open country.

Luke's responsibility was to navigate and give Bo instructions on the best route to take or to warn him of upcoming obstacles so that Bo could concentrate solely on his driving. As a team, the boys were unbeatable. They knew each others moves inside out and could anticipate each others thoughts. None of the other teams had the same kind of ability to function almost as one person instead of two as the Duke boys did.

As soon as they were out of town, Bo twisted the wheel hard to the left and cut across a field, heading for the first checkpoint. He wasn't the only driver who chose to take the same route but he was the only driver who could handle the powerful Dodge Charger on the rough terrain as easily as he could on the blacktop. The number 4 car spun out and wreaked into a fence before he even made it into the field.

The car bounced over the field at an almost reckless speed. Several of the other drivers had slowed down not wanting to take any chances cutting across open land at too high a speed. It was too easy to lose control of your vehicle if you suddenly found yourself right on top of an unexpected obstacle. But the high rate of speed that Bo could drive at and still keep perfect control of the General, no matter what kind of terrain he was running on, was one of Bo and Luke's trademarks. It was also one of the reasons they generally won the cross country race each year they were entered.

Luke saw Hazzard Creek coming up and braced himself for what he knew was about to happen. With a loud “YEEEEEHAAAAAAA!” Bo steered the front of the General up the slight incline on the bank of the creek and the car went airborne, sailing over the creek effortlessly. For the briefest of moments, there was that fleeting feeling of weightlessness, and then the General came down on the other side with a bone jarring jolt. Bo sped away well ahead of the other drivers. Spotters along the route were reporting back to the finish line a minute by minute commentary on the race. None of the spectators back at Hazzard Square were surprised to hear that the General Lee was in the lead.

Bo flew back onto the blacktop just long enough to pass the first checkpoint and then he was heading back across open country again. There were two more checkpoints to get past before the end of the race. At the second checkpoint, another car closed in on the General but spun out at the last minute, hitting the rear quarter panel of the General as they spun out and went into a rollover. The General Lee fishtailed for a minute but Bo soon got the car back under control and was still leading the pack. At the last checkpoint, Bo stayed on the blacktop to head back into town. He passed the city limit sign going almost eighty miles an hour. The crowd in the square started screaming, yelling and clapping when they saw the orange car tearing down the street toward the finish line. As Bo skidded across the finish line he triumphantly blew the horn which played the first 12 notes of Dixie .

People crowded around the General as the boys climbed out of the car slapping them on the backs and congratulating them on winning the race. Laughing, the boys climbed the steps that led to the stage built in the middle of the square to accept the trophy as first place winners of the race. Deputy Enos Strate stepped up to the mike and grinned at the crowd. “Alright, folks! Here they are…the winners of the race….Bo and Luke Duke.” Enos looked at the boys, who stood side by side, with their arms around each other's shoulders, grinning at the crowd. “Now, boys, I know that Miss Hazzard Homecoming usually presents the trophy to the winner of the race…but this year we got a special presenter to give y'all your trophy….” He paused for dramatic effect and then said in an excited voice “Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Sierra Dawson!”

The crowd absolutely went wild, screaming and clapping as the country music star walked out on stage from the wings, carrying the two foot trophy that went to the boys as the winner of the race. Bo grinned as Luke, who smiled back faintly, his eyes fixed on the face of the woman walking towards them.

Sierra Dawson wasn't just pretty, she was gorgeous with flashing emerald green eyes fringed with thick dark lashes and long honey blonde hair that hung below her waist in one long braid. She was dressed in a pair of black leather pants, black boots, and a white cowboy shirt with black fringe on the yoke and the sleeves, topped off by a white cowboy hat. She flashed the crowd a big smile and waved as she walked towards the boys. She handed the trophy to Bo and kissed him on the cheek. Stepping up to the microphone, she said in a rich sultry voice “My oh my….are all the guys in Hazzard as cute as you two?” She laughed and turned her attention to the crowd “If they are, I just might have to move down here.”

Her comments got another round of hearty applause from the crowed.” She turned and looked back at the boys, her eyes locking for just a moment with Luke's and then she said “Seriously, that was a great race and you're both fantastic drivers. Congratulations.” She clapped her hands together in a round of applause for the boys. Taking the mike off the stand so she could hold it in her hand, she said “And now, I'd like to sing a song and dedicate it to Bo and Luke Duke as winners of the cross country race.” With that she launched into a rocked up version of Hot Rod Lincoln . Moving around the stage as she sang and keeping eye contact with the crowd, she had them in the palm of her hand, the trademark of a born entertainer. She finished the song to the roar of the crowd and put the mike back on the stand. With a wave of her hand, she left the stage, disappearing back into the wings.

Bo and Luke exited the stage and joined Uncle Jesse and Daisy who congratulated them on winning the race. Luke had a strained smile on his face, still unsettled by the unexpected appearance of Sierra Dawson. In that brief moment when their eyes had locked on stage, he had seen the fire in those green eyes that he remembered so well. Luke turned when he felt someone tugging on his sleeve and looked down at a little girl with blue eyes and long brown hair. Luke recognized her as Patty Hayes, the post mistresses eight year old granddaughter. “Hey, Luke…” she said with a slight lisp “Somebody wants you back stage….”

“Okay…I'll be right there.” Luke told her. He glanced at his cousin and the rest of his family “I'll catch up with y'all in a few minutes.” He told them as he turned to follow Patty around behind the stage.

Backstage, Luke looked through the crowd trying to figure out who wanted to see him. He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder and a sultry voice that he remembered even in his dreams said, “Hi, Luke.”

Slowly, he turned around to face Sierra, who was standing there smiling at him faintly. “Hello, Sierra.” He said when he finally found his voice again.

“Uh…yeah…” Luke agreed unable to refuse graciously. Slowly they started walking towards the edge of the square and away from the crowd. As they walked, Sierra said, “I came to Hazzard because of you, Luke. I wanted to see you again. And after the way you always talked about this place and your family, I knew you'd still be here.”

“That sounds like one of your songs.” Luke said trying to keep his voice light and casual.

“But I can make my songs come out the way I want them too.” She paused and stopped to look into his eyes “I could never seem to do that with you. You're still a ghost in my life, Luke……and you won't go away.”

“What do you want me to say?” Luke asked quietly, looking deeply into those incredible eyes that seemed to reach out and pull him into her universe.

Luke hesitated for several long seconds, debating rather to say what she wanted to hear or to be honest. Finally, he said in a choked voice “I can't say that…..I wish I could.”

“I wish you could too….” Sierra said with a trace of sadness in her voice. She reached out and gently touched his cheek “Maybe then we could both walk away and get on with our lives….” Without another word, she turned and slowly walked away leaving Luke standing there alone and not really sure what had just happened.

When Luke rejoined Bo and the rest of the family, Bo immediately noticed that Luke seemed upset. But he didn't question him about what had happened behind stage until later that night when they were getting ready for bed.

“You talked to her, didn't ya?” he asked as he pulled off his boots and stood up to unfasten his jeans.

“Yeah….” Luke said without elaborating, as he unfastened his own jeans and stripped down to his shorts.

“And?” Bo probed. Sometimes getting information out of Luke was almost like pulling teeth. It could be frustrating when he decided to answer questions with one word.

“And nothing.” Luke said “We just talked. That's it. She said she came to Hazzard because she wanted to see me again….to make sure it was over between us.”

“Okay, cuz….I give up.” Bo said with a grin “I'm not gonna ask you anymore questions.”

“Good…now go to sleep.” Luke said, crawling under his sheet and reaching out to turn out the light on the nightstand between their beds. His mind was still racing and so were his emotions. Seeing Sierra again, being so close to her, had reawakened feelings he thought that he had buried a long time ago. He had told her the truth. He still loved her and he knew that he probably always would. But he still didn't know how she felt. He didn't know if she'd been telling him that she still loved him or if she was trying to prove to herself that she didn't.

The big concert was scheduled for the next night. Bo and Luke spent most of the day working in the fields with Jesse and then they got ready to go to town. Since they were singing as the opening act on the concert, they dressed with a little more care than usual, wearing their best jeans, shined boots and white shirts with black vests. They arrived in town about an hour before the concert was scheduled to begin and immediately went to the backstage area to check in. As they signed their names to the schedule sheet, the girl in charge of the show glanced at their names and said “Which ever one of you is Luke….Sierra would like talk to you for a minute.”

“Go for it, cousin.” Bo said with a grin earning himself a dirty look from Luke, as he turned and slowly walked over to the large RV parked to one side of the stage. Hesitating only for a moment, he knocked lightly on the door.

The door opened and Sierra stood in the doorway looking at him with a faint smile on her face. “Hi, Luke…..get in here.”

Luke stepped in and she pulled the door behind him. Turning to face him, she said “I have a favor to ask.”

“What kind of favor?” Luke asked cautiously wondering what she had on her mind

“I'd like to do a couple of duets in the show tonight but I need a partner. You interested?”

Luke looked at her in surprise. This was the last thing he'd expected her to ask him to do. “Yeah….” He told her with a grin “I'd like that….” Even as he agreed to sing a couple of duets with her during her show, Luke realized that he meant what he said. He missed singing with her. They used to do it all the time. They'd even written a few songs together.

“Good…” she told him with a smile that tugged at his heart. She looked at him for a moment and then said “Luke, why didn't you ever write or call or anything?”

“I did write when I got to Viet Nam …but the letters got sent back. I guess you'd already gone to Nashville .” Luke told her

“What about after you got out and came back home? Why didn't you write or call then?”

Luke sighed softly and chose his words with care “Because you were already at the top of the charts…..I didn't think you needed an old boyfriend showing up out of nowhere to complicate things.”

“Luke, whatever made you think that my career was more important to me than us? In case, you've forgotten I'd didn't wanna sign that contract and go to Nashville . I wanted to wait till you got back so we could go together.”

“I couldn't let you do that….you were too talented….it was your big chance. I wasn't going to let you pass it up because me.” Luke said, trying to make her understand how he had felt at the time. “And besides….we both knew that I might not come back from Viet Nam . I didn't want you waiting around for a telegram telling you I didn't make it…..”

“So you just threw away what we had?” Sierra said, a trace of anger creeping into her voice. “And figured I'd get over it because I had my career?” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly “I loved you, Luke….and all I wanted was to be was with you…..and I thought you wanted the same thing….”

“I did.” Luke said in a choked voice “And I've regretted it every day for the past eight years that I just let you go…..”

“So what about now, Luke?” she asked “You said last night that you couldn't say that you didn't love me anymore. Is that true?”

“Because I still love you…” she whispered, moving closer, so close that he could smell her perfume and feel the warmth of her body close to his. Looking deeply into his eyes, those beautiful sapphire eyes that she had always loved, Sierra leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Luke hesitated only for moment, then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, bending his head to kiss her.

At first the kiss was gentle and tender but it quickly turned more intense as the spark of passion that had never completely died between them flared into a blaze. Sierra opened her mouth as Luke deepened the kiss leaving both of them breathless and shaken by the intensity of their sudden urgent need for each other. Luke was the first one to pull away. This was not the time or the place to get carried away.

“Would you come back here with me after the show?” Sierra whispered looking at Luke and waiting for his answer, wanting desperately for him to say yes but still afraid that he would say no.

“Yes…” Luke told her with that crooked smile that she had always loved. He kissed her again. A gentle kiss goodbye until later. He couldn't help grinning as he left the RV and went to find Bo.

Bo knew as soon as Luke rejoined him that something had happened between him and Sierra, something good from the smile that Luke had on his face but Bo didn't have time to ask. It was time to start the show. The boys took the stage and sang for almost an hour. Since they'd sang at the Boars Nest before most of the locals knew and liked their music. By the time Sierra's portion of the show started, the crowd was more than ready.

She hit the stage and tore into an upbeat version of Rocky Top that had the crowd yelling and screaming for more. She ran through most of her own hits plus some other current hits and then surprised the crowd when she called Luke back on stage to sing some duets with her. The crowd listened, yelling enthusiastically, as they sang Jackson, Golden Rings, Long legged guitar picking man and Holding on to Nothing. They were even more enthusiastic when Sierra gave Luke a kiss on the cheek before he left the stage. She closed her show with a gospel number Amazing Grace. The concert was a huge success. Afterwards, she sat on the edge of the stage for almost three hours, signing autographs.

Luke hung around backstage waiting for her to finish. He'd told Bo to go on home without him but didn't reveal his plans for the rest of the night. He still couldn't believe that things had turned out the way that they had. After eight long years, he finally had the chance he wanted to be with Sierra again.

Finally, she came backstage escorted by two of her band members and her road manager. Walking over to where Luke was leaning against the back of the stage waiting for her, she glanced back at her crew and smiled sweetly “Get lost guys.” She said “I'll see y'all tomorrow.” As they disappeared into the darkness, Sierra turned to face Luke and said “Now, let's go back to my RV and finish what we started earlier.”

“Yes, ma'am.” Luke said, grabbing her hand and walking with her over to the RV. She unlocked the door and they stepped inside. Sierra paused to lock the door behind them and then turned and slipped into his arms, tilting her head for his kiss. Luke was only too happy to oblige. It didn't take long for them to end up in her bedroom fueled by the same unbridled passion that they'd always had between them.

Discarding their clothes, they made love with the easy familiarity of old lovers. There was none of the awkwardness that occurs when you're first learning what another person likes or dislikes but there was an urgent consuming need to belong to each other again in the most intimate way that two people can connect.

Afterwards, Sierra lay cradled in Luke's arms with her head resting on his shoulder, her hair hanging loose and free around her shoulders. Luke had always loved it when she wore her hair down. He loved the soft silky feeling as the strands brushed against his skin when they made love.

“I don't know.” He told her, gently kissing her on the forehead “I guess we just take it slow and see what happens. You still have a career to think about and I still belong here in Hazzard.”

“We'll just have to find a way to have what we both want…” she said, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep, safe and secure in his arms.

Luke lay there awake staring in the darkness wondering if they could really do that. Could they really find a way to be together and still have the best of both of their worlds. Luke didn't want to leave Hazzard. Uncle Jesse still needed him to help run the farm and he wasn't about to let Sierra give up her career just to be with him even though he sensed that she would do that if he asked her to. But that was the one thing he would never ask of her or allow her to do. She was too talented to just throw it all away. Finally, Luke closed his eyes and slept too.

They awoke early the next morning and made love again, slowly this time the way they used to do in the mornings. The way they both liked it the best. Afterwards, they quickly dressed. Sierra pulled her hair back into a ponytail and pulled on a pair of jeans, sandals and a yellow tank top. With no make up on except a touch of lipstick and without one of her fancy stage costumes, she could easily have passed for one of the local girls (just a whole lot prettier) They left the RV and walked hand in hand across the square to the Hazzard Café for breakfast.

They sat down at a booth in the back. The waitress, a skinny brunette named Mindy James, came over to take their order. She smiled at Luke and glanced at Sierra, then quickly did a double date as she realized who she was. She found herself wondering what on earth Luke Duke was doing with Sierra Dawson at nine o'clock in the morning. But she had pretty good idea when she noticed the way they kept looking at each other. Well, if that didn't beat all. They both ordered coffee and pancakes. Mindy hurried to turn in their order and to start spreading the gossip that Luke Duke had hooked up with Sierra Dawson. Before nightfall, they would be the talk of the town.

“It's gonna be all over Hazzard before noon that we're together.” Luke told Sierra with a chuckle.

“Well, first I figured we'd go over to Cooter's garage and get you hooked up with a car to use while you're in town.” Luke said “And then I wanna take you out to the farm to meet Uncle Jesse and Daisy.”

“I'd like that. I've got two whole days free before I make my first appearance at the Boars Nest….and I'd like to spend them together.”

“All the sights or all the making out spots?” she said with a teasing tone to her voice

“You've still got my ring…” Sierra said in a surprised voice for the first time noticing the silver band that Luke wore on the pinky of his right hand. “I wondered what happened to it.”

“You put it on my finger the night before I had to ship out…and I forgot to take it off the next morning when I left.” Luke told her

“Yeah…you could've woke me to say goodbye….I woke up and you were gone.”

“That's because I didn't wanna have to say goodbye….” He admitted. “I just wanted to stay with you instead of going to Viet Nam ….” His eyes darkened with the memories of his time in Viet Nam “I came home pretty messed up….I couldn't sleep…couldn't stop thinking about some of the things I'd seen over there….I was a P.O.W. for the last four months I was there….”

“I'm sorry, Luke…..” Sierra said, gently reaching out to touch his hand “We don't have to talk about it….at least you were one of the lucky ones….you came back home…”

Mindy brought their breakfast and they began eating. When they were done, Luke pulled some bills from his pocket and left them on the table to pay for their food, then he took Sierra's hand and they walked across the square to Cooter's Garage.

Cooter Davenport was a close friend of the Duke family, especially Luke. And he was also the best mechanic in the entire state of Georgia . And in town where the sheriff's department was always wreaking their cars (usually while they were chasing the boys in the General Lee) he had more business then he could handle sometimes. He was under the hood of a sheriff's cruiser when Luke and Sierra walked into the garage.

“Hey, buddyroo….” Cooter said straightening up with a grin at the sound of Luke's voice. His eyes widened in surprise when he realized who was with him. “Howdy, ma'am…” he said politely, looking at Luke questioningly.

“Sierra needs a car to use while she's in town. I figured you could fix her up with something.” Luke explained the purpose of their visit

“Sure can. I got a nice little mustang out back. New tires, just tuned up. You can use it as long as you need to. No charge.” Cooter said, still trying to figure out how his old friend had managed to get together with Sierra Dawson. He knew that Bo and Luke could pretty much have any local girl they wanted but Sierra Dawson was in a whole different league.

Smiling at Cooter's obvious curiosity, Luke said “Sierra and I are old friends. We knew each when I was in the Marines.”

“ Went off to Nashville and became a big singing star?” Sierra finished for him with a laugh, crossing her eyes comically.

“It's okay, Cooter.” Luke said coming to the rescue “Nobody knew about me and Sierra until a couple of days ago when I finally told Uncle Jesse and Bo.”

“Well, let me get ya the keys to that mustang.” He said, disappearing into the office. He came back out with a set of keys that he handed to Luke “She's parked around back.”

“Thanks, Cooter.” Luke said “We'll catch ya later. I wanna take Sierra to meet Uncle Jesse and Daisy.”

Chapter 7

Bo was in the barnyard trying to round up some stray chicks when the blue mustang pulled into the driveway and pulled up beside the General Lee. He wasn't really that surprised to see Luke slid out from the wheel as Sierra Dawson slid out of the other side of the car. He was actually pleased to see the pretty singer with Luke, he had suspected that whatever plans Luke had had the night before involved her and he was happy for his cousin because he knew just how much Luke cared about her. When Luke grabbed her hand as they walked towards the house Bo knew that they must have worked things out pretty good. Grinning, he followed them into the house.

Jesse and Daisy both glanced up as Luke came into the kitchen, mildly surprised but pleased to see that he was accompanied by Sierra. Jesse had told Daisy about Luke's previous relationship with the talented singer the night before after they got home from town.

“Hi, everybody.” Luke said with a grin, as he stepped behind Sierra and protectively wrapped his arms around her waist. “Uncle Jesse, Daisy….this is Sierra Dawson .” Compared to Luke's full height of six foot one, Sierra looked a lot smaller than she actually was.

“I'm so happy to meet you!” Daisy gushed enthusiastically, smiling at the other woman happily.

“I'm pleased to meet ya too, ma'am.” Jesse said with a warm smile

“I'm pleased to finally meet all of you too….” Sierra said “Luke used to talk about you and Hazzard all the time….I feel like I already know all of you.”

“Well, we're sure looking forward to getting to know you.” Bo said with a grin stepping out from behind them and going to the refrigerator to help himself to glass of milk.

“We sure are.” Daisy agreed “You can tell us all about Nashville .”

“Luke, why don't you show Sierra around and me and the kids here will make up a nice lunch for everybody to welcome the pretty lady to our home….” Jesse said

“Sweet talk sure runs in this family.” Sierra said with a laugh

“Sounds like she's got you guys all figured out already.” Daisy said with a giggle.

“Come on….” Luke said with a laugh as he took Sierra's hand and led her back outside. For the next couple of hours, they walked around the farm as Luke showed her some of his favorite spots on the property, the hidden stream in the woods where he and Bo went skinny dipping in the summer, the hidden grove where blackberries and strawberries grew wild, and the tall oak tree where he used to hide as a kid when he was in trouble. When they returned to the house, they sat on the porch swing content and happy to just be together again. Luke found himself thinking that this was the way it should have been eight years ago. He had a lot of lost time to make up for.

They spent most of the day at the farm and Sierra seemed to fit in easily and comfortably. After lunch she immediately pitched in and helped Daisy with the dishes and when it was time to make supper, she helped with that too. After supper, Luke told Jesse that he wouldn't be back until Sunday night because he planned to spend the next two days in town with Sierra. Jesse nodded understanding Luke's need to be with Sierra as much as he could right now. Seeing them together, he could see just how much his oldest nephew loved her. And she loved him too. Jesse could see it in her eyes. There was nothing quite like being around two young people so much in love. It reminded Jesse of his early days with his darling Martha. They'd had that kind of love and the good lord had blessed them with almost 40 together before he'd called Martha home to Glory. Jesse still missed her terribly especially at times like this.

Luke returned to Hazzard with Sierra and for the next two days, they spent most of the time locked away inside the RV just getting to know one another again and renewing their love for each other.

Chapter 8

The next two weeks passed much too quickly. Sierra started appearing at the Boars Nest that Monday and was doing one show a night three nights a week. By now everyone in Hazzard knew about Luke and Sierra. And even though some of the local girls were jealous that Sierra had won Luke's heart, everyone was happy for them. Luke usually sang at least one or two songs with her at the Boars Nest. They even sang a couple that they had written together years ago. Their voices blended together in perfect harmony and they played off of each other's natural talent with ease and confidence. Luke spent most of the time they had together in town with Sierra (and he did it with Uncle Jesse's blessing)

All too soon it was time for Sierra to start getting ready to head back to Nashville . Two days before she was scheduled to leave, they were at the farm having supper with the family. Conversation soon turned to Sierra's impending departure. Smiling secretively at each other, Sierra looked at everyone else at the table and said, “I have to go back to Nashville to lay down some tracks for my new CD but after I do that, I'm planning to come back here for awhile.”

“That's great!” Daisy said. In the short time they'd known each other; Daisy had come to love the pretty singer as if she were her sister.

“Yeah,” Luke said with a grin, slipping his arm around Sierra's shoulders. “We figure she'll be back just in time for a September wedding.” Everyone gasped and began congratulating them but none of them was really too surprised at the announcement. They'd been expecting it.

Luke spent the rest of Sierra's time in Hazzard with her at the RV. Although he would have liked to have gone back to Nashville with her as she had originally asked him to, he couldn't leave the farm right now. There was too much work to be done this time of year. She would only be gone for a few weeks before she returned and she promised to call every night and Luke promised to try and get away for a few days to join her in Nashville after the rest of the planting was done.

The morning she left, Luke felt as if his heart was leaving with her and in a way it was but this time, he knew that she'd be coming back to him and that was enough to give him the strength to watch her climb on that RV to leave town. But he still had a lump in his throat as he watched her pull away. He watched until the RV was out of sight, then turned and slowly walked back to The General Lee to head for home.

Three days later, Luke and Bo was the barn cleaning out stalls and listening to radio. Daisy and Jesse were both in the house, also listening to the radio. Daisy was doing the dishes from lunch and Jesse sat at the table enjoying a second cup of coffee. Suddenly, the DJ cut into the song that was playing and said “It's has just been announced that Country Music Super Star, Sierra Dawson and her road manager, Toby Jones, were killed early this morning when a drunk driver ran a red light and crashed head on into their auto just outside of Nashville. Miss Dawson and Mr. Jones were both pronounced dead at the scene. This station will report further information about this tragedy as we receive it.”

“No!!” Daisy screamed and dropped the plate she was washing on the floor where it shattered. She burst into tears and ran from the room. Jesse bounced to his feet, immediately concerned about Luke. He hurried from the house and almost ran across the barnyard to the barn. Bo was kneeling beside one of the stalls, holding Luke in his arms. The oldest Duke boy was on his knees, doubled forward and retching violently, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. Bo looked at his uncle with tears glistening in his eyes and running down his face.

Jesse immediately knelt beside his two nephews, ignoring the cracking of his knees. Gently, he reached out to rub Luke's back soothingly, trying to calm him down. Glancing at Bo, he said quietly “Go call Doc Applebee.” Bo nodded and gently turned his cousin's care over to his Uncle as he ran towards the house to make the call. Jesse pulled his oldest nephew into his arms as Luke's retching finally stopped and he began to moan instead. Jesse held him gently and rocked him back and forth just as he had done when Luke was a child and got hurt at play. But he knew that this wasn't a childhood hurt that could just be kissed away. Luke continued moan and the sound tore Jesse's heart apart. He knew the depth of Luke's pain much too well. And he knew that there was nothing he could do to comfort his nephew except to hold him the way he was holding him now and let him grieve.

Bo came running out of the house and told Jesse that Doc Applebee was on his way. He shifted nervously back and forth from one foot to the other, wanting to help his cousin but not sure what to do. It wasn't long before Doc Applebee arrived. Forewarned about what was going on by Bo's phone call, he had come prepared. He already had a needle in his hand when he came into the barn. Kneeling beside Jessie and Luke, he gently touched Luke's shoulder but the young man didn't even seem to notice. In a quiet voice he said, “Luke, I'm going to give you a shot. It'll help you sleep for awhile.”

Since Luke already had taken his shirt off while cleaning out the stalls, all Doc had to do was inject the drug into Luke's shoulder. He glanced at Jesse and Bo and said, “You need to get him into the house before that sedative takes effect. I gave him a pretty strong dose so he should sleep for at least twenty four hours.” He shoved himself to his feet “When he's better, make sure and tell him how very sorry I am….”

“Thanks, Doc.” Jesse said. As Doc left the barn, Jesse motioned for Bo to help him with Luke. “Come on, Luke….” Jesse said gently “We need to go in the house now.” Luke gave no sign of hearing Jesse's voice. He was no longer moaning, he wasn't doing anything, including responding to his Uncle's voice. Between the two of them, Bo and Jesse managed to get Luke to his feet, each of them draping one of Luke's arms around their neck, while they each wrapped an arm around his waist. Luke stumbled forward, guided by his Uncle and his cousin. They got him into the house and up the stairs to his room.

Gently, they laid him down across the bed. Luke's eyes were already glazing over and starting to close. Bo pulled off his boots and Jesse gently covered him with a light blanket. Quietly, they left the room to do their own grieving, not just for the pretty young singer that they'd barely had time to get to know but also for Luke and the pain he was going to have to learn to live with.

Chapter 9

Luke slept for over 36 hours before finally opening his eyes. He was alone in the room he shared with Bo and as his mind cleared, the pain returned and ripped his heart in two. Sierra was gone and this time he would never see her again. Rolling over onto his side, he closed his eyes to hold back the tears and let himself fall back into the darkness where he wouldn't have to deal with anything for awhile.

When 48 hours had passed without Luke walking up, Jesse got concerned and sent Bo to check on his oldest cousin. Bo approached Luke's bed and gently reached out to shake his shoulder. “Luke…..hey Luke…” he said quietly. Luke's only response was a groan as he buried his face in his pillow and moved away from Bo's touch. “Luke, come on….Uncle Jesse thinks you should get up for awhile…” Bo said, gently shaking Luke's shoulder again.

“Leave me alone….” Luke's muffled voice growled as he swatted at Bo's hand.

Bo sighed and left the room to go back downstairs and tell Uncle Jesse that Luke wouldn't get up. A few minutes later, Jesse went into the bedroom. Crossing to his nephew's bed, he reached down and firmly shook Luke's shoulder “Come on, son…” he said in a firm but gentle voice “You need to get up now…..”

Luke rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes glaring at his Uncle with sapphire blue eyes that were blazing with anger. Jesse took a step back, startled by the rage in those eyes. People responded differently to the death of a loved one and obviously Luke had decided to respond to Sierra's death with anger. And that concerned Jesse because he knew that beneath the anger was the pain and the tears and that sooner or later, Luke would have to feel those emotions too. But as long as he let the anger rule his emotions, then the pain would just continue to fester inside of him and that wasn't good.

“Luke, I want you to get up now…..take a shower and change…then come on down for supper.” Jesse told him. He turned and left the room. He didn't know if Luke would obey him or not but he had to do something to get Luke to reconnect with the rest of the family.

As the door closed behind his Uncle, Luke threw his arm up over his eyes and continued to lie there on his bed. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to do anything. When Sierra left this earth, she took with her his heart and his soul leaving nothing behind except a hollow shell of a man with nothing left to live for. He felt empty inside, empty and cold. His mind refused to accept the inevitable, as long as he stayed asleep, she was still alive and with him in his dreams. And that's where he wanted to be…with her.

When Luke didn't come down for supper, Jesse had Bo fix a plate and take it up to him. He came back down stairs and told Jesse that Luke seemed to be asleep again. Later, when he went to bed, Bo noticed that Luke's plate still sat on the nightstand untouched. Bo was worried too. He'd never seen Luke like this before and he didn't know how to help him. He was shutting them all out at a time when he needed his family the most.

Two more days passed without Luke coming out of his room. Every time Bo or Jesse went in to check on him, he seemed to be asleep or faking it, they could never be quite sure which. If they coaxed him enough, he might open his eyes but he refused to talk to them and they were all getting more and more worried about him as each day passed. Finally, Jesse got concerned enough to call Doc Applebee.

Doc came out to the house and went upstairs to the bedroom shared by the boys. He wasn't in the room very long. Jesse, Bo and Daisy were all gathered in the kitchen. They looked at Doc anxiously as he came back down the stairs and joined them in the kitchen.

“Physically, there's nothing I can do for Luke.” Doc told them sadly “Physically he's fine. Mentally….he's locked away somewhere where he can't feel the pain and unless he lets himself feel that pain and starts dealing with it….you may not have any choice but to put him somewhere where he can get some help.”

“You mean like a hospital?” Jesse said shocked at the idea of being forced to put Luke somewhere against his will.

“If you don't and he continues to refuse to respond….you could lose him for good.”

“Thank you, doc…” Jesse said slumping down on one of the kitchen chairs. He had never imagined anything like this happening to Luke. Luke had always been the strong one, the one who protected everyone else and took care of them. The one that Jesse had always depended on the most. Even after he came back from Viet Nam , he had never gotten like this. Until now, Jesse had never realized just how deeply Luke had loved Sierra. Although he hated to, Jesse knew he could only give Luke a few more days and if he hadn't started to come around by then, he knew he'd have no choice but to take more drastic measures to save his nephew from himself.

The decision of what to do about Luke if he didn't start responding in some way soon was taken out of Jesse's hands two later when Luke disappeared. Daisy had gone to work and Bo and Jesse had been working in the field. When they returned to the house for lunch, Bo had automatically gone to their room to check on Luke and found him gone. Bo and Jesse had searched the house and the property to avail. Luke was nowhere to be found.

Chapter 10

The day was cold and overcast with a light rain falling. A day that perfectly matched the mood of the young man walking through the cemetery in Nashville . He'd asked the caretaker where to find the gravesite he was searching for. The caretaker had been glad to oblige. Folks seemed drawn for some reason to visit the grave of the famous lady singer who been killed so tragically at such a young age. They often came and left flowers, notes, all kinds of things behind. It wasn't that usually for someone to stop by and ask him how to find her grave. But there was something different about the young man who had asked him today where she was buried. Maybe it was the haunted empty look in those sapphire blue eyes or maybe it was the way he walked, as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Somehow, he sensed that this visitor had a more personal reason for visiting the young entertainer's grave than most.

The young man walked down the rows of headstones until he found the one he was looking for. A simple marble headstone, nothing elaborate. She wouldn't have wanted that anyway. Thankfully, whoever had arranged her funeral had realized that much. The young man's eyes slowly read the inscription on the stone:

Sierra Lynn Dawson

Born July 15 th , 1956 Died July 6 th , 1985

The country music world has lost one of it's

Brightest stars and now she sings with

The angel's band in the greatest show of all

Corny maybe but somehow oddly appropriate. She was a shining star that had burned out much too soon. In the country music world she was already on her way to becoming one of its legends. Funny how that seemed to happen to the ones who died much too soon before their full potential could be realized. But then that was the stuff that country music was made out of, the pain of lost love, cheating and drinking songs, songs about the realities of life. So it wasn't that unusual to immortalize one of their own and to embrace her as one of their legends.

But to the young man kneeling in front of her grave, she was more than just a famous singing star she was the woman he had loved with the passion and intensity of a young man's first real love. A love that would never die and never be replaced. A big part of him had died with her and in his mind that also included his ability to love again. Their love affair sounded like one of her songs, they had met and fallen love, then been separated only to find each other again and fall in love all over again, then she had been tragically taken from him before they could get married. So to the eyes of the world, he was just a nameless face instead of the man she had loved with all her heart and soul.

Losing her had come close to destroying him, dangerously close and he still wasn't recovered from her death, even after two years. He doubted if he ever would be. He'd spent the last two years here in Nashville learning about her world, the world she had lived in for eight years. The world that had made her a star. He had even been offered a recording contract of his own but had turned it down. This wasn't his home and it never would be. When she died, the music died with her.

Bowing his head, he finally let the tears fall, the tears he'd kept locked away inside of him for two years. Deep heart wretching sobs that shook his body with their intensity. Maybe now, he could start to heal whatever that meant because in his heart he knew he would never completely heal. When he was finally able to get his emotions back under control, he slipped the silver band off the pinkie on his right hand. Gently brushing aside some of the dirt at the base of the stone, he lay the ring on the ground and covered back up. It was the only thing he had left to connect them for eternity. Shoving himself to his, Luke straightened up and slowly walked back to where he had parked his car. It was time to go back home where he belonged, back to the family he had left behind, the family he knew loved him and would be there waiting with open arms for his return.