How to Catch a Duke Boy
by
Chapter 1
Author's note: the character of Jackie and her relationship with Luke is based loosely on his relationship with Anita Blackwell in the second reunion movie: Hazzard in Hollywood . However, the outcome of this relationship is different although there are similarities to the story line. Obviously, the time frame occurs much earlier in Luke's life.
Bo and Luke Duke were cousins from Hazzard , Georgia . Closer than brothers, they had been inseparable their entire lives. Raised by their Uncle Jesse who had been one of the best moon shiners in the state, they had both learned to drive at an early age. As they got older, they had become two of the best ridge runners in three counties. When they got busted on a midnight run one night, Uncle Jesse had made a deal with the U.S. of A. government and agreed not to make or sell anymore moonshine if the boys were given probation instead of being sent to prison. Overnight, a two hundred year old family tradition was broken.
With the family finances seriously depleted without the income they had made from the shine, the family had become even more dependent on the farm to make a living. Since the boys had always loved driving fast and racing, they decided to build their own stock car which they named the General Lee. Soon the General Lee was as famous in Hazzard as they were and they gained quite a reputation when it came to racing. They had always dreamed of someday racing on the NASCAR circuit and they both knew that they were good enough to do it. So one day, they set out to make that dream come true. With their Uncle Jessie and cousin, Daisy's, blessing they set out to make their mark on the racing world.
Bo did the driving with Luke acting as backup driver and chief mechanic on Bo's pit crew. Within two months of hitting the circuit, the boys were already starting to make a name for themselves and earning the respect of drivers they had admired all of their lives. And they were having the time of their lives. But they never forgot their family back home. They called home every Saturday night at seven o'clock to talk to their Uncle and their cousin. As they started winning bigger cash purses, they started sending part of their winnings back home to help out on the farm.
Their off time was just as busy as when they were on the track. They both were handsome young men with slow sexy smiles and that good old southern charm that very few ladies could resist. Back in Hazzard they were considered the two hottest men in the county and the two best catches. But the boys were in no hurry to settle down. They were in the prime of their life and having too much fun to think about settling down. Neither of them had any way of knowing that very soon a lady would come into their lives that would make one of them think twice about changing his ways.
The race was over and Bo had won. The boys were still on a natural high from the thrill of the win as they finished posing for photographs with some fans and then wandered back to their trailer to change out of their racing gear and into their more usual attire of blue jeans and cotton shirts. They loved the racing and even though they both liked the attention that went with it, they didn't like the fact that their private lives were often left open for rumors and gossip. That was one aspect of their popularity that they hadn't anticipated. There was a big country music show being sponsored in connection with the race and an old friend of the Duke family, Waylon Jennings, was the headliner. That was one show the boys were determined to see.
They left their trailer and headed back towards the arena where a stage had been set up after the race for the big show. It was still a couple of hours until show time and the boys hoped to get backstage to talk to Waylon before he went on. Being the winner of the race did have its advantages after all and one of them was being able to get back stage in the first place without any trouble. The boys found Waylon's bus and Bo knocked on the door. The door was opened by Waylon's road manager, who looked at the boys questioningly.
“Hi, I'm Bo Duke and this is my cousin, Luke.” Bo told him with a grin “We're old friends of Waylon.”
“Let ‘em in, Charlie” The boys heard Waylon himself call from inside the bus.
The other man stepped aside and allowed the two boys to enter the bus. They found Waylon sitting in the living room area on the custom designed bus, strumming his guitar as he warmed up for the show. He grinned at the boys and gestured for them to sit down. “You boys want a beer?” he asked
“You bet.” Bo replied, answering for both of them. One of Waylon's road crew quickly got each of them a cold beer.
“I hear you two are really starting to make the NASCAR Circuit sit up and take notice.” Waylon told them “Congratulations on your win today.”
“Thanks.” Luke said with a grin “Bo likes showing ‘em all his fancy moves.”
“How's Uncle Jesse and Daisy?” Waylon asked as he tightened his G string just a bit. He strummed the guitar, listening closely, satisfied that he adjusted the string enough.
“They're great. We call ‘em every Saturday.” Bo replied, taking a swallow of his beer. “Daisy told us that she just got that new CD you sent her.”
“Good. I hope she enjoys it.”
“She will. She likes anything you do.” Luke told him.
“She still writing those songs of hers?”
“All the time.” Bo told him “She's still hoping Jessie might wanna record another one of ‘em.”
“Tell her to send me a tape and I'll make sure Jessie gets it.” Waylon said with a grin. His wife, Jessie Colter, had recorded one of Daisy's songs after the boys and Daisy had helped break up a piracy operation that was ripping off legitimate artists, including Jessie.
The boys visited with Waylon for around forty five minutes then left when he had to start getting ready for the show. They wandered around back stage, finally finding a place near the side of the stage where they could watch the show unobserved by the audience out front. The opening act was sitting up on stage and getting ready to start their part of the show. They would perform for an hour and then Waylon would come on. As the boys waited for the show to begin, Luke noticed a girl standing a short distance away watching the activity on the stage just like they were.
She would have been hard to miss. She was the most beautiful girl he had seen in a long time. She had waist length golden brown hair that hung in soft curls and a full lush mouth that was just made for kissing. She wasn't very tall, not much over five feet if Luke was any judge at that distance, but she had a figure that any woman would envy. She was dressed in boots, blue jeans, and a black western style shirt with red stitching on the yoke. Luke found himself wandering if she was part of the show, she sure didn't act like a groupie or one of the road crew.
Noticing that Luke's attention was elsewhere, Bo turned his head in that direction to see what Luke was so interested in. He grinned broadly when he saw the young woman that had captured Luke's attention. Leaning over towards his cousin, he whispered “Ten bucks says you can't find out who she is.”
“You're on, cousin.” Luke said with a grin “Cause that's one wager you're gonna lose.”
The band out front started playing their opening number so the boys lowered their voices and turned their attention back to the stage to watch the show, even though Luke kept stealing glances at the girl across the way. The band did four numbers and then the lead guitar player stepped up to the microphone and said “Alright everybody, here's the little lady you been waiting for….the one and only, Miss Jackie Crawford1”
From the sound of the applause from the audience the crowd seemed to recognize the name. Luke was only mildly surprised when the girl he had been stealing glances at went out on the stage with a big smile on her face, waving to the audience.
“Pay up…” Luke whispered to his cousin with a grin. “I just found out who she is.”
“Cute, Luke…real cute.” Bo said sarcastically as he pulled a ten dollar bill out of his billfold and pressed it into his cousin's hand. They turned their attention back to the stage as the young woman started to sing an old Loretta Lynn number The Home You're Tearing Down. She had strong clear voice that held haunting echoes of Patsy Cline and Norma Jean. Luke watched with a critical eye as she worked the crowd. She had the audience in the palm of her hand the minute she opened her mouth. The trademark of a born entertainer. He found himself wondering why she was still playing shows at places like this as an opening act. She was good enough to be in Nashville.
Chapter 2
Luke found himself totally caught up in watching the pretty lady singer. She put on a high energy show, singing mainly the older songs made famous by Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton and so on. The emotion and feeling she put into her music was extraordinary. She could make you wanna cry with a sad song and then turn right around have the place rocking with fast upbeat number. And it was easy to see that she was enjoying herself and doing something she loved. When her portion of the show ended, Luke was disappointed when she left the stage on the opposite side from where he was still standing. He was determined to find a way to meet her if he could. This was one girl he definitely wanted to get to know better.
The boys remained in the wings as Waylon did his part of the show. Luke kept glancing around occasionally hoping to spot Jackie again but to no avail. She seemed to have vanished somewhere back stage. After Waylon did his final song, he came off stage and gratefully accepting the towel that one of the road crew handed him. He used it to wipe the sweat from his face. He put on a high energy show too and those stage lights were hot. He grinned at Bo and Luke. “How'd ya like it?” he asked in that gravelly voice of his.
“Terrific as usual.” Bo told him grinning back. Waylon noticed that Luke seemed to be distracted and he arched an eyebrow at Bo questioningly. “Luke's trying to spot that little lady that opened the show…” Bo answered Waylon's unspoken question, ignoring the dirty look he got from his cousin.
“Jackie?” Waylon said with a chuckle “Yeah, she's something else, ain't she?” He threw the towel back to one of the road crew and turned to the boys “Why don't you come on back to my bus for awhile…some of us are gonna get together for a little jam session.”
“That'd be great.” Bo said enthusiastically, answering for both of them
“Besides…” Waylon added with a sly smile as the boys started to follow him back towards his bus “Jackie's gonna be there. I'll introduce ya.” Luke ignored the jab Bo gave him in the ribs with his elbow as a slow smile spread across his face at the notion of meeting Jackie Crawford.
Back at the bus, the jam session was already going on. Waylon's band was playing and his backup singers were singing. As the three of them stepped onto the bus, one of Waylon's crew members hurried to get each of them a cold beer. Luke's eyes swept across the room. Jackie was there. She was sitting with the band, trading licks with Waylon's lead guitarist. She had changed out of her western shirt into a yellow tank top and her hair was pulled back into a single braid that fell down the middle of her back.
Waylon spotted her too. “Jackie, darling…” he called, getting her attention. He motioned for her to join them. As she stood up, sitting her guitar aside, and walked towards them, Luke felt a funny fluttering in his stomach. Up close she was even more beautiful than at a distance. She had a natural golden tan, high cheekbones and the greenest eyes he had ever seen with the thickest dark lashes. Her eyes sparkled with interest as her gaze swept over the two young men standing alongside Waylon.
“Jackie,” Waylon said, slipping an arm around her shoulder, “I'd like you to meet a couple of old friends of mine from Hazzard , Georgia . This is Bo and Luke Duke.”
“Howdy, Ma'am.” Bo said with a big grin “It's really nice to meet ya.”
“Same here.” Luke replied with one of those killer smiles that the girls back home just loved.
“Nice to meet both of you too.” She said in a rich sultry voice that sounded like fine aged whiskey being poured over ice at the end of a long hard day. “Duke? You're the ones who won the race today.” She noted
“That's right.” Bo told her proudly
“Well, congratulations. I heard that it was a great race.”
“Ya know, y'all are gonna be seeing a lot of each other in the next few weeks.” Waylon said “Jackie's gonna be traveling the circuit too putting on shows at the different arenas.”
“That's great.” Bo said happily “That'll give us a chance to get to know each other better.”
“You got that right.” Luke said with a suggestive smile on his lips.
“Yeah, it's some kind of promotional thing my manager worked out with the circuit.” Jackie said with just a hint of a smile. These guys were cute, especially the dark haired one. And her woman's intuition told her that he was attracted to her.
“Hey, come on.” Waylon said “Let's jam. ” He glanced across the room “Hey, Scott….get Bo and Luke a couple of guitars. I wanna hear them do a couple of songs.”
They walked all walked over to the couches and chairs sitting in the living area of the bus and found seats. Bo and Luke sat together on one of the couches with Waylon relaxing in a chair to their right and Jackie made herself comfortable on the floor directly across from Luke. She picked up her guitar, a black Gibson flat top with the name Jackie etched in the fret board. As Bo and Luke started singing their version of Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys (playfully changing the word cowboys to Duke boys), she started playing along her fingers sliding smoothly over the strings.
Jackie smiled to herself when she glanced up a couple of times and found the dark haired Duke looking at her. Whenever she caught him watching her, he quickly lowered his eyes and concentrated on his guitar playing but she caught the subtle signals he was sending loud and clear. For the next two hours they all enjoyed themselves, taking turns singing songs and laughing.
Jackie was the first one who had to leave. She smiled warmly as she said her goodbyes. Waylon had to pull out soon in order to make it to his next show on time, so the jam session broke up shortly after Jackie left. Bo and Luke each gave Waylon a handshake and a brotherly hug as they prepared to leave.
“Y'all give ‘em hell now, ya hear?” Waylon told them with a grin “Next time I see ya, I expect you two to be the new stars of the NASCAR circuit.”
“We'll sure give it our best shot.” Bo told him with a chuckle
“Hey, y'all had the best teacher in the world….you do Uncle Jesse proud.” Waylon told them with a laugh as the boys said their goodbyes and left his bus.
As the boys walked back across the deserted race track towards the trailer that the company they raced for gave them to use while traveling the circuit, Bo grinned at his cousin and said “At least it sounds like you're gonna get the chance to know Jackie a little bit better.”
“Yeah, I know.” Luke said with a pleased smile on his face. There was no denying his attraction to her. It had been a long time since he had been so strongly attracted to a woman so quickly. There was something very special about Jackie Crawford and just thinking about getting to know her better did funny things to his stomach.
Secretly, Bo had been attracted to the pretty singer too but Luke had seen her first. There had always been an unspoken agreement between the two boys that they wouldn't go after a girl that they knew the other one was interested in. And it had been a long time since Bo had seen Luke so interested so quickly. That wasn't usually Luke's style, Bo was the one who usually fell in love right away not Luke. The last girl he had felt that way about so quickly had ended up hurting him badly and Bo hoped that didn't happen this time. Somehow, he didn't think that would happen in this case. Unless he read her signals wrong, Jackie was interested in Luke too. Bo had a feeling that things could get very interesting in the next few weeks.
Chapter 3
Luke finished making the adjustments to the engine and then listened carefully as Bo revved up the car. He gave him a thumbs up and grinned. He stepped back as Bo pulled out of the pit area and started his practice run around the track. Luke hit the button on the stop watch to time the lap, watching carefully as Bo pushed the car up to speed.
“Come on, Bo…” he said under his breath “Punch it!” Almost as if he had heard Luke, Bo did just that. Luke grinned as Bo finished the lap and he punched the button on the stop watch again. Bo had beat his own best time by almost three seconds.
Bo pulled the car back into the pit and climbed out of the window, grinning broadly. “How'd I do?” he asked, even though he already knew that he had done well.
“You beat your own time by almost three seconds.” Luke told him in a pleased voice.
“Yeeehawww….” Bo yelled, letting out his trademark rebel yell that caused a nearby spectator to jump slightly and glare at him angrily. Pulling off his crash helmet, Bo said “Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving.”
“You're always starving.” Luke said good naturedly teasing his cousin. The two cousins started walking towards one of the concession stands that were set up for the racers. Actually Luke could use a cup of coffee himself and a bite to eat. The qualifying laps for the race weren't until later that day, so they had some time to kill until then.
When they reached the food stand, Bo ordered fries, two hamburgers and a coke. Luke looked at the menu and decided on a cup of coffee, fries and one hamburger. As he finished giving his order to the man working behind the counter, a familiar sultry voice said from behind him “That's sounds good. I'll have the same thing.”
Luke looked over his shoulder into the smiling eyes of Jackie Crawford. “Here…let me get that.” He said courteously as he dug enough money out of his wallet to pay for both orders.
“Thank you.” Jackie told him with a smile. She was casually dressed in jeans, a pink tank top and a cowboy hat but she was still drawing stares from passersby. She didn't even seem to notice.
“Did you just get here?” Bo asked. They had been here for two days and this was the first time they had seen her.
“Yeah, about an hour ago” she told them as the man behind the counter handed each of them their order.
“You just missed Bo's practice lap.” Luke told her, wanting to find a way to keep the conversation going so she wouldn't leave.
“Sorry I missed it.” She said as they walked over to one of the picnic tables setting in front of the concession stand and sat down. Bo and Luke sat across from each other and Luke was secretly pleased when Jackie sat down on the bench beside him.
“So, Jackie” Bo asked “Where are you from?” he had detected the same slow southern drawl that both boys had but it was slightly more pronounced and slower than theirs.
“ Dunkirk , Alabama.” She told him “It just a little one horse town in the middle of nowhere. If ya blink your eyes you'll miss it on your way through. Where abouts is Hazzard?”
“About fifty miles from Atlanta .” Bo told her “It's a mite bigger than Dunkirk from the sounds of it but it's still small enough that everybody knows everybody else.”
“And everybody else's business.” Jackie said with a laugh acknowledging a common factor in any small town.
“You got that right.” Luke said with a grin “Especially if your last name is Duke.”
“Why? Are you two the local bad boys in town?”
“Some folks might say that.” Bo said with a laugh “But you can't believe everything ya hear.”
“So where did you two learn how to drive so good?” she asked as she took a bite of her sandwich.
“From our Uncle Jesse.” Luke told her and then he added with a grin “And from running moonshine.”
“Ah…you were ridge runners.” She said using the term used for the drivers who delivered the orders of shine to their customers.
“Two of the best in three counties.” Bo bragged
“Till we got caught and got put on probation.” Luke added with a chuckle
“Oh…you two were the local bad boys, weren't ya?” Jackie teased him “You two still on probation?”
“Yeah, for another two years.” Bo told her “We had to get special permission from out probation officer to come out on the circuit.”
“That wasn't too hard to do…he was glad to get us out of his hair for awhile.” Luke said with a laugh
“I bet the girls back in Hazzard were sorry to see the two of you leave.” Jackie said, her eyes dancing playfully.
“A few.” Bo said with wicked smile.
“Hey…are you guys doing anything for the next couple of hours?” she suddenly asked as she took a careful sip of her coffee.
“No…what do ya need?” Luke asked, answering for both of them.
“When I finish up here…I have to do a sound check and a rehearsal for tonight's show and a couple of my guitar players aren't here yet. Would you guys be interested in sitting in and helping me out?”
“We'd love to.” Bo said enthusiastically. Next to racing, his second love was music. Both boys had even played with a local band before Luke left for the Marines.
“Good…..cause from what I saw on Waylon's bus the other night, you too are pretty good pickers too.”
“Oh, we're good at a lot of things, darling.” Bo told her with huge grin
“I'll take your word on that….” Jackie told him with a teasing smile as she finished her sandwich. After they had all finished eating, the boys followed Jackie to the other end of the arena where a makeshift stage had been made out of a flatbed truck. The band was already set up and checking out the speakers when they arrived. The boys climbed up on the stage and Luke turned, holding out his hand to help Jackie climb up on the platform.
“Hey, guys…” Jackie said to the band members in general “This is Bo and Luke Duke. They're gonna be helping us with the sound check.” She looked at the boys “You can grab those two guitars over there and find a place to sit.”
Bo and Luke both grabbed one of the extra guitars leaning against the side of the stage and sat down on a couple of vacant stools. They each strummed the strings softly, checking the tuning and making a few minor adjustments. Jackie stepped up to the microphone and said “Check, Check. Check. One, two three.” She glanced at the sound man who was sitting at a table about twenty feet from the stage “How'd that sound, Tony?” she called
He gave her a thumbs up signal. Turning back to the band, she said “Okay, let's try Coal Miner's Daughter first” The band started playing as she started singing the Loretta Lynn standard. About half way through the song, she stopped and turned to the band “Jerry, bring your bass down.” She instructed, then she called to her sound man “Tony, turn the sound up on speaker three.” When the adjustments she requested had been made, she started the song over, doing it all the way through this time. When she had finished she announced to the band in general “Okay, guys…that sounds real good. Let's run through a couple of more songs to make sure.” She sang You Ain't Woman Enough and Don't Come Home A'drinking both Loretta Lynn songs. Then she did two more current numbers Independence Day by Martina McBride and Dear Me by Lorrie Morgan. When she had finished, she turned to her band and grinned “Okay guys…sounds good. See y'all at the show.” As Bo and Luke put down the guitars they had been using, she smiled and said “Thanks a lot for helping out guys.”
“Any time.” Luke told her with a warm smile.
“Y'all coming to the show after you qualify?” she asked
“Wouldn't miss it.” Bo told her
“Good cause if my other pickers don't show up I might need your help again.” She told them with a laugh.
“All you gotta do is ask.” Luke told her sincerely. He had enjoyed playing backup for her. He could listen to her sing all day. She had the kind of voice that could reach out and wrap itself around you and pull you right into her universe. She could make you laugh, cry or sing right along with her. She had more talent wrapped up in one little package than anybody Luke had ever met before.
Chapter 4
Bo qualified for the race and won the right to start in third place in the lineup. After the qualifying laps were over, the boys changed out of their jump suits and went to catch the rest of Jackie's show which had already started. As they found a place to stand at the side of the stage, she saw them and threw a smile in their direction. During a musical break in the song she was singing, she bent down and whispered something to one of the crew members standing in front of the stage.
As she started singing again, the crew member walked over to where the boys were standing and said “Which one of you is Luke?”
“I am.” Luke said in a surprised voice
“Jackie wants to do a couple of duets but doesn't have her regular singing partner here tonight. She wants to know if you'd be willing to fill in.”
“Uh….yeah, sure.” Luke agreed surprised by the request but looking forward to sharing the stage with Jackie.
“Good. She wants to do a couple of Johnny Cash and June Carter numbers Jackson and Long Legged Guitar Picking Man . Do you know ‘em?'
“Sure do.” Luke told him. He nodded and walked back over to his position by the stage. Catching Jackie's eye he nodded his head to let her know that Luke would sing with her and that he knew both songs. She finished her current number and then addressed the crowd “Thank you all very much. I hope you're enjoying the show so far.” A loud round of applause told her that they were. “Okay….usually this is the part of my show where I do a couple of duets. Now my regular singing partner isn't here tonight so Luke Duke, whose cousin just happens to one of the drivers in the race tomorrow, has graciously agreed to fill in. Come on up here, Luke.”
Luke climbed up on the stage to stand beside Jackie, who grinned at him slyly. In a whisper that only he could hear, she said “I knew I could get ya up here one way or the other.” To the audience she said “Alright, Luke's gonna help me out on a couple of Johnny Cash and June Carter songs we hope you'll enjoy.” With that the band kicked off the intro for Jackson . Luke started it off and Jackie jumped in. Even though they had never rehearsed the songs or even sang together before, their voices complimented one another and blended together perfectly. The audience loved it as they sassed their way through the first song and then the second one. Jackie was laughing as they finished. She surprised Luke by giving him a quick kiss on the cheek “Thanks, Luke. That was fun…I just might have to replace Ernie with you. Don't run off….I'll see ya after the show.” Luke nodded and climbed off the stage to another round of applause as Jackie started her next song.
“Looking good, cousin.” Bo told him with a grin as Luke rejoined him at the side of the stage. “I think she likes ya.”
“I hope so…” Luke said, his gaze focused on Jackie as she sang “Cause I sure like her.”
“Look…uh…why don't I go back to the trailer and leave the two of you alone so you can get a chance to know each other better?” Bo suggested
“Thanks, Bo.” Luke told him with a pleased grin “I'd appreciate that. I'll catch ya later.”
“Good luck.” Bo said with a laugh as he walked away.
“Thanks.” Luke said under his breath as Bo disappeared into the crowd “I hope I don't need it.” He focused his attention on the rest of the show. Jackie did several more numbers and then closed the show with a gospel number Peace in the Valley. She did it with so much feeling that by the time she finished, several of the older ladies in the crowd had tears in their eyes. Waving at the crowd, Jackie threw them a kiss, as she climbed off the stage. She walked over to a small table set up at the other side of the stage where she sat and signed autographs for the next two hours while Luke waited patiently for her to finish.
When she was done, she rejoined him. “Where's Bo?” she asked when she noticed that he was alone.
“He went back to the trailer.” Luke told her offhandedly “Would you like to go for a walk?”
“Yeah, I'd like that.” She said. Luke reached for her hand, holding it lightly in his as they started walking into the darkness and away from the stage.
“So what are you still doing shows like this for?” Luke asked her as they walked through the empty fairgrounds. “As good as you are, you should be in Nashville .”
“I'm not sure I'm ready for the big time yet. And I do have a song writer's contract with Bluebird publishing in Nashville . I've even had a couple of my songs recorded by Tanya Tucker. They were just album cuts but they were still recorded.”
“That's all that matters.”
“There's nothing quite like hearing somebody else sing one of your songs.”
“Yeah….my cousin Daisy writes songs too.” Luke said, smiling fondly as he thought about his cousin and home. “She's just never had any published yet.”
“How about you? I already know that ya race, you pick a mean guitar and you got a great voice. Do you write songs too?”
“Don't know…I never tried.”
“You should try sometime. You might surprise yourself.”
“Maybe I will.”
“I should get back to my trailer….but I'm always so keyed up after a show that it takes awhile to wind down.”
“Yeah, I know. I remember the feeling.”
“You've sang with a band before haven't you? Not that I'm surprised as good as you are.”
“Yeah…in high school. We used to sing at church picnics, private clubs…just about anywhere they'd let us set up our equipment.”
“Yeah, I used to do that too. Then I got hooked up with this management company and they started booking me on gigs like this.”
“You sure know how to work the crowd.”
“It's not hard if it's a good crowd.
“Hey, you wanna get something to eat?” Luke suggested
“Yeah…I'm starved but where are we gonna get anything to eat this time of night?”
“There's a little bar just across the street from the fairgrounds. They got terrific pizza.” Luke told her with a grin. For once he was glad that Bo's stomach always seemed to find the good places to eat whenever they hit a new town.
“Sounds good. Let's go.” Jackie agreed. Luke kept hold of her hand as they walked back towards the main gate of the fair grounds and across the street to the little bar. The bar was small with a family like atmosphere. In some ways it reminded Luke of the Boars Nest back home. They found a small booth near the back of the room and sat down. When the waitress came to take their order Luke ordered a medium pizza with everything, a mug of beer for himself and a coke for Jackie after she told him that she didn't drink alcohol.
They spent two hours talking, laughing and just getting to know each other a little better. Luke leaned that she was an only child and that both of her parents were dead. She had been singing since she was seven and on been working on the road for the past two years. He also learned that her father and grandfather had run moonshine too so that was just one more thing they had in common. And since she was from Alabama she had picked more than her share of cotton, a chore they both agreed that they hated. Finally, around two in the morning, Jackie reluctantly told Luke that she needed to get back. She hated to see the evening end. She hadn't had such a good time in a long time and neither had Luke.
He walked her back across the street and through the darkened fairground to her RV. Pausing at her door, he gently pulled her into his arms and lightly brushed her mouth with his lips. It was a tender, almost chaste kiss, but it still sent a chill down his spine. She whispered good night and went inside, quietly closing the door behind her. Luke turned and smiled all the way back to the trailer that he shared with Bo.
Chapter 5
Bo placed second in the race the next day. He would have claimed first if he hadn't blown a tire on the last turn. He was disappointed but he didn't stay that way very long when the trophy girl whispered in his ear, asking him if he wanted to get together that night. Informing Luke of his plans, he grabbed the trophy girl by her hand and headed back to his trailer to change.
Luke lingered around the track a little longer, checking over the car just to kill some time and then headed back to the trailer to change clothes himself. Life on the circuit was fun but he still missed the farm and Hazzard. And he missed being able to drive the General Lee. He longed to tear around the back roads again with Bo by his side, running from Rosco and jumping everything in sight. And he missed hanging out at the Boars Nest, flirting with all the girls and just having a good time.
With no plans for the evening, he found himself wondering if Jackie was busy tonight or not. He knew she didn't have a show scheduled. He decided to take a chance and walk over to her RV to see if she wanted to go to a movie or something. As he got closer to her RV, he could hear the sound of loud voices coming from inside. Just as he raised his hand to knock on the door, it swung open and one of Jackie's band members stormed out, his eyes flashing with anger.
Jackie appeared in the doorway behind him, her eyes brightening with pleasure when she saw Luke standing there. “Hi, Luke.” She said warmly “What are you doing here?”
“I just thought I'd come by and see if you wanted to go to a movie or something.” He told her
“You bet. Sounds like fun. Come on in while I change.”
Luke stepped into the RV and closed the door behind him. “I didn't interrupt anything did I?” he asked self consciously.
“That? No, I just had to fire Ernie that's all.” She told him “He's had three warnings about being late for a show…and he didn't show up last night at all so I told him he's outta here.” She looked at Luke with an impish grin “He was also my duet partner…….you want his job?”
“I'd like that…” Luke told her with a grin “I had fun singing with ya last night.”
“Are you serious? Will you really sing some songs with me in the show?” she asked in a pleasantly surprised voice. She had been half joking. She didn't think he would really agree to do it.
“Yeah…” Luke told her “I told ya I would.”
“Great…then we'll have to get together so we can figure out which songs we both know that we can do as duets.”
“Sounds good to me….just name the time and place.”
“How about tomorrow afternoon at three?” She suggested
“Works for me”
“Great…now that that's settled, let me change so we can go.”
Luke smiled as she disappeared into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Things were working out better then he could have hoped for. Singing duets with her in her show would give him just one more reason to spend more time with her. As if he needed much of a reason to do that. He wasn't really sure what was happening here but he knew that the more time he spent with Jackie, the more he liked her.
She came out of her bedroom in a few minutes dressed in jeans, sandals and a sleeveless yellow blouse with the top three buttons undone showing a small amount of her cleavage. Her hair was pulled back in the loose ponytail at the back of her neck. She wore just a trace of lipstick because that was all she needed to enhance her natural beauty. And as far as Luke was concerned, she didn't even need that.
“You look great.” Luke told her with an appreciative glance up down her dynamite body, his eyes lingering momentarily on her cleavage.
“I'm glad you like it…..” She said with a soft laugh. She couldn't help noticing where his eyes had lingered momentarily. She had deliberately left the third button undone on her blouse. His tender kiss the night before had ignited a fire deep inside of her that she knew only he could put out.
They left her RV and left the fairgrounds. They decided to go back to bar across the street. It was quiet and private, a good place when you wanted to be alone with someone. They ordered drinks and another pizza. When a George Strait started playing on the jukebox, Luke asked her to dance. Standing up, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close as they started to sway to the music. Jackie relaxed in his embrace feeling safe and secure in his arms. She could feel the strength in his body as he held her close and smell the scent of his aftershave. It suddenly felt as if the temperature in the room had gone up a few degrees.
. Looking deeply into her eyes as they danced, Luke suddenly bent his head and kissed her, a real kiss this time. His heart pounded as he felt her soft lips yielding to his kiss. He gently ran his tongue across her bottom lip, feeling her mouth open in silent invitation so he could deepen the kiss. He gently slid his tongue into her mouth, exploring its sweet depths. When the kiss ended simply because they had to breathe, Jackie just looked at him in amazement and whispered “Wow…”
“Yeah….wow.” Luke whispered with that killer smile. He knew that she had felt it too, a rush of pleasure that made him hungry for more. Unable to resist, he leaned down to catch her mouth again in another long, lingering kiss. In that moment something passed between them that changed their relationship, a connection that would not be severed by time but one that would bind them together even closer. Breaking the kiss, he looked at her and said softly “Am I going too fast for ya?”
“Darlin', you ain't goin' fast enough…” she told him with a wicked smile.
“You wanna take this some place more private?”
“How about my RV?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Luke led her off the dance floor and back over to their table. He pulled some money out of his wallet to pay for their bill and left the money laying on the table. Taking Jackie's hand he led her out of the bar and back across the street to the fairgrounds. When they reached her RV, they went inside, locking the door securely behind them.
Luke pulled her into his arms for another more passionate kiss, as he let his hands gently caress her back. He felt her hands gently rubbing the muscles in his shoulders as she leaned against him, returning his kiss just as passionately. The fire that had been smoldering between them since the day they met suddenly burst into flame. Luke continued to kiss her as he picked her up in his arms and carried her into her bedroom.
Chapter 6
Luke watched from back stage as the man in the cowboy hat stood by the stage talking to Jackie. He didn't know what they were talking about but every once in awhile Jackie would smile and nod as if she were agreeing with something he said. They had been talking for the last twenty minutes and although Luke was curious, he didn't want to interrupt. He saw the man hand Jackie a business card which she tucked into the pocket of her jeans. Then the man walked away and Jackie joined Luke back stage.
“What was that all about?” he asked
“That guy was a record producer. He wants me to come to Nashville and do a showcase.” Jackie told him.
“Hey, that's great!” Luke said happy for her because he knew just how talented she was. He grinned as he pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug. When she didn't seem to share his enthusiasm, he took a step back and looked at her closely “This is what you want, isn't it?”
“I'm not so sure anymore.” She told him quietly “Not since I met you…..”
“What's that suppose to mean?”
“It means that I don't know if I wanna go…..not if it means leaving you….”
“Are you crazy? You can't pass up a chance like this.” Luke told her “Your career means everything to you…I know that. And I won't let you give up something so important to you …not because of me. You're too damn talented to just throw everything away that you've worked for your whole life.”
“And you can't come with me, can you?”
“I wish I could….but we're booked solid for the rest of the season…and I can't break my contract or Bo and I would never be able to race on the circuit again.”
“I know….and I don't wanna mess anything up for you and Bo either….”
“When would you have to leave?”
“The end of the week. He's already talked to my manager and my manager talked to the promoter that set up this deal….he'll let me out of my contract if I decide to do the showcase.”
“Then there's no reason why you can't do it. I ain't going anywhere…..I'll be right here waiting when you get done doing what you have to do in Nashville ….” Luke told her. They had only been together for a little over a month but in that time Luke knew that he had found the woman of his dreams. He had fallen in love with her even if he hadn't said the words to her yet. But he knew that he would never be able to live with himself if he let her pass up this opportunity just because of him. If he did, he knew that someday she could resent him for it and he didn't want that to happen. Even if it hurt like hell to see her go he loved her enough to let her follow her dreams and pray that those same dreams would bring her back to him.
“I don't know….” Jackie said still hesitating.
“At least promise me that you'll think about it.” Luke encouraged her
“All right….I'll think about it.” She finally agreed
“I have to go back to the trailer so I can go over some stuff with Bo before the race tomorrow.” He told her reluctant to leave but knowing he had to.
“That's okay….go ahead. I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Bo I said good luck in the race.”
“I will. Come on….I'll walk you back to your RV.”
After a final good night kiss at her RV, Luke went back to the trailer that he shared with Bo. Bo took one look at his face as he walked into the trailer and said
“What's wrong? You didn't have a fight with Jackie, did you?”
“No, nothing like that.” Luke said with a deep sigh. “There's a record producer that wants her to come to Nashville to do a showcase. She's supposed to leave at the end of the week.”
“That's terrific.” Bo said with a huge grin that slowly faded from his face when he saw the look in Luke's eyes “Isn't it?”
“Yeah….but she doesn't know if she wants to go. She wants to stay here with me.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I wanted her to do it. That'd I'd still be here waiting when she got done doing whatever she needed to get done….”
“But you don't want her to go either, do ya?”
“No….but it's not about me. I can't let her give up her career just because of me….”
“Have you told her how you feel about her? That you love her?”
“Yeah….in front of the mirror about a hundred times.”
“Maybe you need to tell her face to face.”
“No….I can't tell her right now….”
“Why not?”
“Because if I do….then she won't go….and I won't be responsible for something like that.” Luke said
Bo knew that there was no use arguing. Once Luke had his mind made up about something, it was impossible to chance it. He wisely let the subject drop as their conversation turned to the details of the race the following day.
The following week passed much too quickly. Although Jackie continued to be reluctant to accept the offer to do the showcase in Nashville , Luke finally convinced her to go, promising that he would be waiting for her when she came back. But the morning she left, he almost begged her to reconsider and to stay with him after all. It took all the will power he had to watch her get on her RV and drive away without stopping her, even though inside his heart was torn in two.
Chapter 7
Bo frowned as he watched Luke working on the car getting it ready for the race that afternoon. It had been three weeks since Jackie had left for Nashville and Luke hadn't heard anything from her. Of course since they were in a new location every week or so while traveling the circuit, it might be hard for her to catch up with them. Bo hoped that Luke heard something from her soon he had been distracted and withdrawn ever since she left. He didn't even know if the showcase had been a success or not. He didn't have any way of finding out or even contacting Jackie on his own.
“How's it look?” Bo asked walking over to the car and leaning down on the opposite fender to look at the engine.
“Fuel mixture was a little lean but it should be okay now.” Luke told him. Luke straightened up, wiping his hands on a rag lying on the bumper. “Did you call Coy to find out what he wanted?”
“Yeah…..him and Vance got a letter from Aunt Bessie. Uncle Albert's in the hospital and it looks like he might be there for awhile.....with the kids and all, it looks like Aunt Bessie's gonna need some help around the farm.” Bo told him “Cuz…I think it's time we went home. Don't you?”
“We still got the race next week.” Luke reminded him
“Yeah and that's the end of the season so our contracts are up.” Bo said “So there ain't no reason why we can't go back then.”
“Does Daisy or Uncle Jesse know what's going on?”
“No, Coy and Vance don't wanna tell them anything until we got home.”
“Then we go home.” Luke agreed “After the race in Atlanta .”
“Uh…Luke…”
“Yeah?”
“What about Jackie? I mean if we leave the circuit….how's she gonna find you?”
“I'm sure somebody will tell her we went home.” Luke said. A slight smile tugged at his lips “And if I'm in one spot for more than a week or two maybe she'll be able to find me.”
“She'll be back, Luke….I know she will.” Bo said trying to sound reassuring
“Yeah…I know…” Luke said but he didn't sound so sure of that anymore and Bo hated the discouragement and the pain he could hear in his cousin's voice.
Bo went to his cousin's side and gently laid his hand on his shoulder. “Luke, she loves you….I know she does…that's why she didn't wanna go in the first place….and that love will bring her back to you. I really believe that. You have to keep believing it to.” He said softly “I mean we don't know what's going on down there in Nashville . I'm sure if the showcase wasn't a success she would have been back by now. The fact that she isn't has to mean that things are happening right now that she has to tend to first.”
“I guess you're right. I just miss her….ya know?” Luke said in a deceptively calm voice but Bo knew him well enough to hear the underlying tension in his tone that betrayed his true emotions.
“Yeah, I know.” Bo squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Hey, let's go get something to eat. I'm starved.”
“You're always starved.” Luke said with a chuckle. The two boys put their arms around each other's shoulders as they walked towards the concessions stands to find Bo something to put in his stomach.
“It'll be good to go home, won't it?” Bo said after he'd gotten himself a sandwich and found a place to sit down so he could eat.
“Yeah, it will.” Luke admitted with a grin “I never thought I could miss anything as much as I missed Hazzard.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Heck, I even miss Rosco chasing us all over the place.”
“I miss the General.”
“Yeah, me too. Sure be good to get behind that wheel again.”
“And hang out at the Boars Nest.”
“And go fishing at the pond”
“Among other things.”
“And Boar hunting….shoot, I wish we could just go now. Just talking about it's making me homesick.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Sides we can always come back out on the circuit latter on.”
“I don't know about you, cuz…but once I get back to Hazzard, I ain't leaving again.” Luke said
Chapter 8
Luke threw the last bale of straw on the back of the pickup and stopped to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The boys had been back in Hazzard for almost a month and had fallen back into their old lives without any problem. They were both glad to be back home but Luke was still bothered because he hadn't heard anything from Jackie. He was beginning to wonder if he had misread the signs and if she hadn't cared as much as he had thought she did. The thought that she didn't care after all hurt and it hurt bad. But Luke kept his feelings to himself. That was his nature. The only one who really knew how he felt was Bo and that was only because he had been there and knew just how hard Luke had fallen for Jackie.
“That's the last of it. Let's get it back to house and get it unloaded.” Luke said to Bo. The two boys grabbed their shirts from the back of the truck and slipped them on without bothering to snap them up. They climbed into the cab of the truck and headed through the field back to the farm house.
As they pulled into the barnyard, they noticed a strange vehicle they didn't recognize parked beside Daisy's jeep. It was a black Mercury Sable with Georgia plates.
“Wonder whose car that is?” Bo said in a puzzled voice
“Don't know.” Luke said “Let's find out.”
The boys climbed out of the truck and headed towards the back porch. As Luke started up the steps, the back door opened and Daisy stepped out blocking their path. With a grin, she said “It's about time you two got back.”
“Whose car is that?” Bo asked from where he stood behind Luke who was standing on the top step.
“Just somebody here to see Luke.” Daisy said with a grin, stepping to one side. As she did, Jackie suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway and threw herself into Luke's arms. Surprised but pleased, Luke grabbed her around the waist as he stepped back off the steps. Laughing happily, he spun her around before setting her back down on her feet. Ignoring his two grinning cousins, he bent his head to give her a deep soulful kiss. When they came up for air, Jackie looked at him with a grin and said,
“Do you know how hard it was to find you?”
“Looks like you did a good job finding me.”
“After I finally found somebody that told you that you and Bo came back home…then all I had to do was figure out how to get to Hazzard, Georiga.”
“I'm glad you're here…..I missed you.” He said, leaning down to give her another long lingering kiss.
“Hey, you two…” Bo said with a chuckle “Get a room.” Luke broke the kiss and grinned at his cousin. He kept his arms tightly wrapped around Jackie's waist as if he were afraid she'd disappear on him if he let go. She didn't seem to mind as she continued to lean against him. Uncle Jesse had appeared in the kitchen doorway and had been watching the reunion with a pleased smile on his face. It was good to see his oldest smiling and happy again. He had been down in the mouth ever since he came home because he missed the pretty girl singer he had met on the circuit so much.
“So how did things go in Nashville ?” Luke asked Jackie, finally letting go of her waist but keeping hold of her right hand tightly.
“Great. I got offered three different recording contracts after the showcase and a new management contract. That's the reason I was gone so long…..it took awhile to do some negotiating before they'd agree to my terms.”
“Your terms?” Luke asked her with a puzzled smile
“I'll tell ya later.” She said “Right now, I'm just really glad to see you again. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.” Luke admitted
“I can vouch for that…” Bo told her with a grin “He's been like acting love sick calf at feeding time without you around.”
“Bo…” Luke said, a slight warning tone creeping into his voice but no real anger.
“Luke, won't don't you show Jackie around the place while we fix something real special for supper?” Jesse suggested knowing that Luke wanted to spend at least a little time alone with her.
“Okay…come on.” He said starting to walk across the barnyard with Jackie. Bo climbed the steps to the porch and joined his cousin and Uncle. The three of them watched as Luke and Jackie headed for the path that led around behind the barn. “They make such a cute couple.” Daisy said with a wistful smile.
“Yeah, they do….and Luke really loves her.” Bo said “I'm just glad she finally showed up. He was beginning to think she'd forgot about him.”
“Not likely.” Jesse said “Come on, let's get to fixing supper.”
Luke led Jackie around to a secluded spot behind the barn where nobody would bother them. Pulling her back into his arms, he couldn't resist kissing her again. Smiling as he looked deeply into her eyes and said “Okay….now tell all about Nashville .”
“Well, I got offered three recording contracts within a week after the showcase.”
“That's great….I knew you could do it. You did sign one of them didn't ya?”
“Yeah….that's what took so long….I had some terms of my own that I wanted put into my contract and it took some negotiating before they finally agreed. But now I officially have a recording contract with MCA.”
“What kind of terms?”
“The biggest one was that I told them I wouldn't spend half my life on road touring. So, I only have to go on the road ten days out of each month and never more than four days in a row. “
“And they agreed to that?”
“Yeah….they weren't really happy about it but they agreed.”
“What else?”
“I told them that I wouldn't live in Nashville .”
“Where do you plan on living?”
“I was kinda hoping wherever you were.” She told him with a grin.
“I think that can be arranged.” Luke told grinning back happily.
“I kinda figured it could.”
“Sounds like you drove a hard bargain.”
“I had to….I wasn't gonna sign any contract unless they agreed to what I wanted.” She smiled and reached out to gently run her fingertips down the side of his face “What I have with you means more to me than any career in Nashville .”
“It means a lot to hear you say that.” Luke whispered pulling her close in a tight embrace. Leaning his cheek against the top of her head, he finally said the words he'd been holding inside for so long “I love you, Jackie.”
“I love you too, Luke…” she whispered back. Unable to see her eyes, he didn't notice the tears that she quickly blinked away when he finally told her that he loved her.
If he had said those words before she left for Nashville , she knew that she never would have gone. And it was her love for him that had made her negotiate the terms concerning touring and other aspects of a career in Nashville . She was determined to have both a career and Luke Duke in her life. And he would always come first even over her career.
“How long can you stay?” Luke whispered, hating to ask the question but needing to know the answer.
“I have to go back to Nashville next month to lay down tracks for my first single but that should only take a couple of days. Maybe you can go with me this time.”
“You can count on it.” Luke said “In the meantime you're staying right here with me.”
“Your Uncle Jesse already invited me to stay.” She told him with a soft laugh
“Good….cause I ain't letting you get away this time.” He gently cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head so he could look deeply into her eyes. In a husky voice, he whispered “Marry me….”
“I thought you'd never ask.” She whispered back, her words cut off by his kiss.
Chapter 9
Luke smiled as he took a final look around the bedroom he had shared with Bo since childhood. After today, this would no longer be his room. In a few hours, he would take Jackie for his wife and they would start their new life together. They would be staying at the farm using the spare bedroom downstairs until they could build their own house on the 40 acres of land that Jesse had given to them as a wedding present.
It was two weeks to the day since Jackie had come to Hazzard to be with Luke. They had both agreed that they wanted to get married as soon as possible so the past two weeks had been busy putting together their wedding on relatively short notice. Daisy had taken over most the planning. The service would be held at the Baptist Church in town where Jesse had gone his entire life and there would be a reception afterwards at the Boars Nest. Most of Hazzard had been invited to the wedding. Word had spread like wildfire that Luke Duke was getting married and everyone was anxious to meet the woman who had finally caught one of the infamous Duke boys.
Bo was Luke's best man, Daisy was Jackie's maid of honor and Uncle Jesse would be giving her away. The rest of the family had fallen in love with her too and she had fit into the family as quickly and as easily as if she had been born a Duke. And Luke found out they had one more thing in common the first time he took her for a ride in the General Lee. She loved to go fast and she could drive almost as good as he could. Her daddy had taught her a few old ridge runner tricks too. She was going to fit right into Hazzard County .
When Boss Hogg found out that she was going to recording with a major label in Nashville , he had immediately offered her a job singing at the Boars Nest on the weekends. She had agreed but only after making Boss pay for her services and pay very well. She was a tough negotiator when it came to her career. She was already scouting local talent for a band she was putting together, a band that both Bo and Luke would be a part of. And since she had made it part of her contract that she did not tour more than ten days a month and never over 4 days in a row, Bo and Luke would be able to go on tour with her. Cooter, his two cousins and Enos had all agreed to help out on the farm whenever the boys were on tour with Jackie. Life was good and Luke was happier than he had ever been in his life.
Luke was pulled away from his thoughts when Bo opened the door to the room and said “It's time to leave for the church. You ready for this?”
“I've never been more ready.” Luke replied with a huge grin. He was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rockers but excited to finally be marrying the girl of his dreams.
Bo and Luke were riding to the church in the General while Daisy and Jesse followed in Dixie . After the reception, Luke and Jackie would be leaving to spend the weekend at a motel in Capital City , compliments of Daisy, Uncle Jesse, Cooter and Enos who had all chipped in to pay for the room.
At the church, Bo and Luke took their places at the front of the church. Luke felt the butterflies in his stomach as the familiar strains of the wedding march began and Daisy came through the archway, smiling brightly as she walked down the aisle towards the two boys. A moment later, a gasp went up through the crowd as Jackie appeared in the archway with Uncle Jesse. It was the first time that a lot of the folks in the gathering of family and friends had seen Jackie.
Luke felt his eyes brimming with happy tears as he looked at his bride. She was so beautiful, especially today. She was dressed in Aunt Martha's wedding gown with the veil attached to a garland of sweetheart roses in her hair, which fell loosely around her shoulders just the way Luke liked it best. Uncle Jessie beamed happily as he led her down the aisle towards his oldest nephew.
Luke didn't remember much about the ceremony except saying his vows and hearing the preacher pronounce them husband and wife. He kissed her tenderly and then they turned to face the congregation as the preacher said “Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you….Mr.and Mrs. Lucas Duke.”
Taking her hand, Luke led her down the aisle and outside the church where a receiving line was set up so they could officially greet their guests as a couple before going on to the Boars Nest for the reception. Everyone was happy and laughing, most of the men…even Boss Hogg….made sure they got a kiss from the pretty bride and more than one of the local girls used the opportunity to get their last kiss from the handsome groom.
Luke laughed when he led Jackie over to the General Lee after they finished in the receiving line. Bo and Cooter had decorated the General with streamers, old shoes, tin cans and balloons. They had written Luke and Jackie's names on the windows with shoe polish and hung a big Just Married sign on the rear bumper. Luke picked Jackie up in his arms, giving her another kiss, as he helped her climb in through the window on the passengers side which took a little effort because of the full skirt on the wedding gown she was still wearing. They led the way to the Boars Nest with the cars following behind blowing their horns to celebrate the happy event.
Daisy, Lulu and some of the ladies from the church had decorated the Boars Nest for the reception and Miss Millie from the bakery had made them a beautiful four layer wedding cake which was set up on a table along with the wedding gifts. Lulu had even made Boss donate the alcohol for the reception free of charge and Jesse had supplied a couple of jugs of his finest.
Luke, Jackie, Bo, Daisy and Uncle Jesse all sat at the table at the front of the room which was reserved for the wedding party. Luke's cousin, Jeb Stuart Duke, had brought his own band and was providing the music for the reception as his gift to the happy couple. When the music started, Luke and Jackie danced the first dance by themselves together as man and wife. As they swayed to the music, Luke leaned down and whispered in her ear “Let's leave as soon as we can without being rude. I can't wait to get you alone, Mrs. Duke.”
“What do you have in mind when you do get me alone, Mr. Duke?” Jackie teased back, a sparkle in her eyes as she looked at her new husband.
“How about keeping you in bed for the next two days?” Luke growled
“Why? You getting tired of making out in the hayloft?” she giggled. Even though she and Luke were engaged and both adults, Jesse still wasn't going to bend his rules and let them sleep together under his roof without being married, so they had been sneaking out to the hayloft after everyone else had gone to bed to make love for the past two weeks.
“No….but you gotta admit a bed is gonna feel a lot more comfortable.”
“Not to mention the fact that I get to wake up in your arms from now on.” Jackie told him, silencing him with a kiss that held promise of the things to come later. The future lay ahead of them for the taking. Together forever, joined for eternity by a deep and binding love that would only get stronger through the years as they started on their journey together as husband and wife.
THE END (AND THE BEGINNING)