Old Flames Burn the Brightest
by
Chapter 1
Hazzard County , Georgia . There's no place quite like it in the world. The people are friendly, you can always count on a helping hand, and everybody knows everybody else. You don't need a newspaper to know what's going on, just call your neighbor. And even when people leave Hazzard, they seem to always come back sooner or later.
There isn't a whole lot to do in Hazzard. The local hangout is The Boar's Nest, a typical southern honky-tonk where good ole boys (and girls) gather to drink, have a good time and raise hell. The most popular waitress at the Boar's Nest was Daisy Duke.
Daisy was the prettiest girl in Hazzard County . In her early twenties, she had long chestnut colored hair, big blue eyes and a smile that could melt the heart of any man. She also had more beaus than she could shake a stick at. But anyone who wanted to go out with Daisy knew they'd better toe the line or they have to deal with her cousins, Bo and Luke Duke. And nobody in their right mind (at least in Hazzard County ) would tangle with the Duke boys.
It was a typical day at the Boars Nest. Even though it was still early afternoon, the regular power drinkers were already gathered getting an early start on their evening of fun. Daisy was busy serving drinks, flirting with the customers and keeping an eye out for trouble. From the corner of her eye, she saw a woman walk in and take a seat at the end of the bar. Finishing with the order she was taking, she walked towards the bar to wait on the new arrival.
There was something vaguely familiar about the woman for some reason but Daisy couldn't quite put her finger on it. She was casually dressed in jeans and a yellow tee shirt and appeared to be in her mid twenties. She had a deep golden tan, waist length honey blonde hair and big brown eyes. She smiled as Daisy approached her and said, “Hi, Daisy.” She had a rich sultry voice that sounded like fine whiskey being poured over cracked ice at the end of a long hard day. A voice that Daisy recognized immediately.
Daisy's eyes lit up when she realized who the woman was. “ Lynn !” she exclaimed in an excited voice. Lynn Conway, one of the most popular former residents of Hazzard County . In her younger days, Lynn had raised hell with the best of them including Daisy and her two cousins. She had left Hazzard seven years ago when she was 18. “What are you doing back in Hazzard?” Daisy asked as she quickly embraced her old friend.
“Got tired of the big city.” Lynn told her with a laugh. “Decided to come back home.”
“For good?” Daisy asked in a surprised voice?”
“For good.” Lynn told her
“A lot of people are gonna be surprised to see you again….especially Bo and Luke.”
“How are those two cousins of yours?” Lynn asked “Still getting in trouble and raising hell?”
“Of course. They're Dukes, ain't they?” Daisy told her with a laugh “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Just a coke.”
Daisy went behind the bar and took a can of coke out of the cooler. She sat it on the bar in front of Lynn along with a glass. “Where are you gonna be staying?”
“My grandmother left me her house when she died so I figured that's as good a place as any.”
“Great! We'll be neighbors again.” Daisy said with a pleased smile. Although Lynn was two years older than Daisy, they had been close friends throughout their younger years. Lynn had spent as much time at the Duke farm as she had at her own house. “You know that Uncle Jesse's gonna want you to come out to the house for supper. How about tonight?”
“I can't tonight but tell Uncle Jesse that I will real soon.”
“I still can't believe that you're really back”
“Neither can I. I thought about coming back before but it just never seemed like the right time until now.” She glanced around the Boar's Nest “I can remember singing in here when I was a kid. Does Boss Hogg still own this place?”
“This and most everything else in Hazzard County .” Daisy told her “And what he doesn't own, he holds the mortgage on.”
“Is he still as crooked as ever?”
“As crooked as a dog's hind leg.” Daisy said with a laugh “I'd be careful if I was you. Once Boss finds out you're back in town he'll be having Roscoe ticket you every chance he gets just Boss can git you to sing for free.”
“Well, Ole Roscoe will have to catch me first. I still remember how to drive like a ridge runner even if I haven't had much practice since I left Hazzard.”
“You are gonna shake things up around here.” Daisy told her with a laugh “I can see that right now.”
Cooter Davenport , the local mechanic in Hazzard, and a close friend of the Duke family, came in and walked up to the bar. “Hey Daisy,” he said with a grin “Give me a beer, darling.” He glanced at Lynn and then did a double take when he recognized her. “Lynn Conway!” he exclaimed in a pleased voice “What are you doing here?”
“She's back to stay.” Daisy told him before Lynn could answer for herself.
“Well, I'll be…how about that?” Cooter glanced at Daisy with a huge grin on his face “Does Luke know she's back yet?”
Daisy shook her head and grinned broadly “Not yet.”
“Oh man, I'd give anything to see his face when he finds out.” Cooter said with a hearty laugh. Everybody in Hazzard knew that Lynn and Luke had gone steady all through high school. They even talked about getting married after they graduated. Then Lynn up and left and nobody really knew for sure why. All Luke had ever told his family was that they'd had a fight. When graduation came, Luke joined the marines and left Hazzard too for four years. With Lynn back in Hazzard, sparks were bound to fly.
“The boys'll be here later tonight.” Daisy told Lynn “Why don't you come back then and we'll have a little Hazzard style reunion.”
“I just might do that.” Lynn said finishing off her coke. “Right now I gotta go. I need to check out the house and see how bad a shape it's in.”
“Well, if ya need any help fixing anything up ya just give me a holler.” Cooter told her
“I'll keep that in mind.” She slid off the stool and turned to leave. As she disappeared out the door, Cooter looked at Daisy and shook his head “There's gonna be fireworks.” He said with a crooked grin “And it ain't even the fourth of July.”
“Especially once some of these good ole girls that have their eye on Luke find out that Lynn 's back in town.” Daisy said with a giggle.
“Oh, Lord…” Cooter said “Things are gonna heat up around here.”
“You got that right.” Daisy agreed. “I better git back to work before Boss tries to fire me again.” She grabbed a tray and went to clear off some tables. The place would start filling up soon and she'd be so busy she wouldn't have another chance to take a break until after closing time.
Chapter 2
Bo and Luke Duke. The Duke boys. Rowdy as hell, charming as the devil and favorites with all the local girls in Hazzard. Closer than brothers, the two boys were usually together, fighting, chasing women, or cruising around Hazzard in their custom build stock car The General Lee. The General Lee was well known as the boys. With its distinctive orange paint job, the large black 01 trimmed in white on each door, the rebel flag painted on the roof and the name General Lee written above each door, the car was the fastest thing on wheels in three counties and the boys were the best drivers around. Some folks even swore that The General was half human the way the boys could make that car do just about anything they wanted it to.
In his mid twenties, Luke was the oldest of the Duke Boys. He had a lean muscular build, sapphire blue eyes and was ruggedly handsome. He was the one who usually thought up ways to get them out of the trouble that his younger more impulsive cousin got them into. 5 years younger than Luke, Bo had boyish good looks, baby blue eyes, blonde hair and the same lean, muscular build as his cousin. While Luke tended to be quieter and more laid back, Bo was more outgoing and impetuous.
The two boys and Daisy lived on a farm with their Uncle Jesse. Luke had come to the farm when he was only four years old after his parents were killed in a fire in their home. Bo came a year later when he was only a baby after his parents were killed in a car accident. And Daisy had joined them 2 years later when she was 6 years old. Her parents had also been killed in a car accident. Jesse and his wife Martha were the only parents any of them could remember.
For over two hundred years, the Duke family had made moonshine. It was a family tradition that the Dukes had perfected to an art. Everyone in 4 counties knew that Jesse Duke made the best sipping whiskey around. But that had all come to an end six months ago when Bo and Luke were caught while making a run. With his boys facing up to ten years in prison, Jesse had swallowed his pride and made a deal with the government agreeing not to make any more moonshine if they would let the boys go on probation instead of sending them to prison. The Government agreed and Jesse had kept his promise. The boys had ended up with 5 years probation and time served. Since then, the farm had become their sole source of income for the family other then the money Daisy contributed from her job at the Boar's nest or the money the boys made racing the General Lee.
With their days work done on the farm, the boys were ready to let loose and have some fun. They were meeting a couple of local girls at The Boar's Nest and they were looking forward to spending the evening having real good time.
“Hey, Luke….” Bo said with a big grin “You think we can talk Cindy and Mary Lou into going up to the lake later?”
“They went the last time didn't they?” Luke replied with a grin of his own.
“Yeah…they did.” Bo said, his eyes lighting up as he remembered how much fun they'd had that night with the two girls. They'd went skinny dipping and both of them got lucky.
The Boar's Nest was jumping when they arrived and the parking lot was crowded with cars and pickup trucks. Bo managed to find a place near the back of the dirt lot where he could park The General. The boys slid out the windows (the doors were welded shut to keep them flying open during a race) and headed for the front entrance. Several of their friends yelled out greetings as they went into the bar.
They quickly spotted their dates for the evening, Cindy Rogers and Mary Lou Carson, sitting at a booth near the back of the room. Daisy saw the boys come in and quickly filled four mugs with the watered down beer that Boss served at the Boar's Nest and sat the glasses on a tray. The boys made their way through the crowd and sat down at the booth with the girls. Bo sat with Mary Lou, a pretty little brunette with a Dolly Parton figure, and Luke sat with Cindy, a pretty blonde who was almost as tall as Luke and he was six foot tall. Bo was even taller. He was six foot four. They were already making time with the girls when Daisy brought their drinks over to the table.
Daisy smiled as she walked away from their table. She loved her cousins, even if they did treat her like overly protective older brothers sometimes, and she was used to seeing them with one girl after another. (Sometimes even two different girls in the same night) Neither one of them had any inclination towards settling down but then neither did Daisy.
The boys were both experts when it came to sweet talk and it wasn't long before the two couples were getting really cozy. Bo had just lifted his beer to take a drink when he saw the front door open and Lynn came into the bar. Hell, every red-blooded good ole boy there saw her come in and started drooling. She was dressed in blue jeans and a pink tank top that left little to the imagination with her hair falling down her back in a mass of tousled curls.
Bo almost choked on his beer when he saw her. He kicked Luke under the table to get his attention. He had his back to the door and hadn't seen her entrance. “Luke, you ain't never gonna believe this….” he told his older cousin “But look who just walked in the door.”
Luke looked over his shoulder and felt his stomach do a flip flop. Lynn Conway was the last person he expected to ever see again. He quickly turned back around hoping his sudden discomfort didn't show on his face.
“Hey,” said Mary Lou, noticing Lynn too. “Ain't that Lynn Conway? What the hell is she doing back in Hazzard?”
Cindy's eyes narrowed at the mention of Lynn 's name and she quickly looked around in time to see Lynn take a seat at the bar. Turning back around, she leaned in closer to Luke, as if to mark her territory. She knew that Luke had a history with Lynn and she automatically felt a sharp pang of jealousy.
“I wouldn't worry too much about it…” Luke said, trying to keep his voice light and casual. “She probably ain't sticking around.” Shoving himself to his feet, he walked over to the jukebox and put in some change. After making his selections, he walked back over to the booth and pulled Cindy into his arms to dance.
Lynn smiled as she ordered a coke from the bartender, Jim, who helped out when the bar got busy. She knew that Bo and Luke had both seen her when she came in. She also knew that they were making a conscious effort to ignore her. But that didn't bother her. They couldn't ignore her forever not when she was back in Hazzard for good.
Luke held Cindy close, nuzzling the side of her neck with his lips as they danced. He could feel her pressing against him, sending clear signals that they were going to have a real good time later when they were alone. But no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, he couldn't forget that Lynn Conway was sitting at the bar. He didn't know what she was doing back in Hazzard but he knew it was bound to cause trouble (probably for him). Besides the fact that she was his old high school sweetheart, whenever the two of them got around each other they tended to mix like fire and water.
When Luke finished dancing with Cindy, the two couples decided to leave and go some place a little more private. As they were leaving the bar, for just the briefest of moments, Luke locked eyes with Lynn . An amused smile tugged at her lips as if she could sense his discomfort with her being back in Hazzard. Pulling Cindy a little closer then necessary, he followed Bo and Mary Lou out into the parking lot.
Chapter 3
It was almost three in the morning before the boys finally made it back home. The evening had turned out pretty much the way they had planned and they hated to see it end. But five thirty came early on the farm and they still had to get up and do their chores no matter how late it was when they got in from a date. Uncle Jesse didn't cut them much slack even if they were both grown men. He made it clear that as long as they lived under his roof they still had to live by his rules.
Quietly and without turning on any lights, the boys made their way through the darkness to the bedroom they had shared since childhood. Stripping off their clothes, they crawled into their separate beds.
“Hey, Luke…” Bo's voice said in the darkness “What do you suppose Lynn 's doing back in Hazzard?”
“I don't know.” Luke said shortly. He wasn't really in the mood to talk about Lynn . It had been enough of a shock seeing her at the Boar's Nest. “But I bet Daisy does.”
“Well, then I guess we'll just have to ask her in the morning.” Bo said sleepily. He rolled over onto his side and was soon sleeping soundly.
Sleep didn't come so easily to Luke. He could have done without Bo bringing up the subject of Lynn Conway. Restlessly, he punched his pillow trying to get more comfortable. He knew that it was his fault that she had left Hazzard in the first place. He had acted like a real jerk and accused her of cheating on him because of a misunderstanding. They had gotten into a big fight both of them saying things they should never have said. Things that neither one of them could take back. Luke had figured they could work things out in a few days after they had both cooled down. They always had before. But it didn't work out that way. Lynn had left town two days later without even saying goodbye or telling anyone where she was going. Luke never got the chance to tell her that he was sorry. And after seven years it was too late to say it now.
It seemed as if Luke had barely closed his eyes when Jesse knocked on the door to get them up. Groggy from a lack of sleep, Luke swung his legs over the edge of the bed and automatically started pulling on his clothes. On the other bed, Bo was doing the same. When they had dressed, they took turns in the bathroom and then went downstairs and into the kitchen where Daisy was busy fixing breakfast. They both mumbled something that sounded like “Good morning” on their way outside to do their morning chores.
A few minutes later, Uncle Jesse came into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table to enjoy it while he waited for the boys to finish their chores and for Daisy to finish breakfast. Jesse was a bear of a man with snow white hair and a beard to match. He was in his early sixties but he had the strength and the stamina of a much younger man. But beneath his rough exterior there beat a heart of gold.
“Morning, Daisy girl.” He greeted his niece with a warm smile.
“Morning, Uncle Jesse.” Daisy said brightly. She looked at her uncle with a big smile, bursting to tell him the news “Guess what? Lynn Conway's back in town.”
“ Lynn ?” Jesse said with a pleased smile. He didn't really seem to be that surprised by Daisy's news. He chuckled softly “It'll sure be nice to see that little girl again.”
“I invited her to supper tonight.” Daisy told him as she turned her attention back to the eggs she was frying so they wouldn't burn.
“Well, good….I'll make some crawdad bisque.” Jesse volunteered. Jesse's crawdad bisque was a rare treat that he only made on special occasions. He looked at his niece's back and asked in a mildly concerned voice “Does Luke know she's back?”
“Yeah, she came into the Boar's Nest when the boys were there last night.” Daisy told him “But they didn't talk to each other. The boys were with Cindy and Mary Anne.”
“Maybe now her and Luke will be able to work out whatever happened between them.”
“If they don't kill each other first.” Daisy told him with a laugh “You know what it's like when them two get together sometimes.”
“Well Luke's matured some since she left and I sure Lynn has to.” A smile tugged at his mouth “But you're right. Them two can go at it sometimes…especially when they both think they're right.”
“Which is most of the time.” Daisy said as she put some bread in to toast. She turned her attention back to finishing breakfast.
Just then the boys came in from doing their chores. They quickly washed up at the kitchen sink and took their places at the table. Daisy dished up eggs, bacon, and toast and sat a plate on the table in front of each of them. Then she served Uncle Jesse and herself. As she sat down at the table, Jesse bowed his head and they said grace before they started eating.
“Hey, Daisy…” Bo started to say, earning himself a stern glance from Uncle Jesse for talking with his mouth full. Hastily, he swallowed what he had in his mouth and smiled an apology. “Daisy,” he said trying again “What's Lynn Conway doing back in Hazzard?”
“Why don't you ask her yourself?” Daisy answered with a grin “She's coming for supper tonight.”
Luke had just taken a drink of his coffee when Daisy answered Bo's question and it went down the wrong way making him cough. “Sorry…” he apologized, coughing one more time to finish clearing his throat. .
“You alright?” Jesse asked eyeing his oldest nephew closely.
“I'm fine.” Luke told him, lowering his head to avoid the directness of Jesse's gaze. He hoped it didn't show on his face how uncomfortable he was with the idea of Lynn coming for supper.
“Uh huh…” Jesse said, turning his attention back to his own breakfast. Luke wasn't fooling him for a minute. It was obvious that his oldest nephew wasn't looking forward to Lynn having supper with them. He was acting as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers.
After they had finished breakfast Jesse sent the boys into town to pick up some fence posts so they could fix a fence in the back field. The boys climbed into the General and took off for town. Bo was only a couple of miles from the farm when a Hazzard County patrol car pulled in behind him with the siren screaming and the lights flashing.
“Dang it.” Bo said, glancing over his shoulder “Where did Roscoe come from?”
“We ain't got time to mess with him right now.” Luke said “Lose him.”
“You got it.” Bo said with a grin stomping the accelerator to the floor. The General jumped forward with a burst of speed and the chase was on. As Bo swung around a curve in the road, Luke saw a yellow Torino in their lane directly in front of them.
“Watch it, Bo!” he warned his cousin, using one arm to brace himself against the dashboard.
Bo jerked the steering wheel sharply to the left and swung out into the other lane, passing the other car. As he swung back into his own lane, Luke glanced over his shoulder and watched with a surprised expression on his face as the yellow car deliberately did a U turn in the middle of the road, and then skidded sideways across the road, directly in front of the pursuing police car. Roscoe was forced to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the other car.
“Who the heck's in that yeller car?” Bo asked as he glanced in his side mirror in time to see Roscoe screeching to a halt. The patrol car spun sideways, stopping just inches from the other car.
“I don't know but we owe ‘em one.” Luke said with chuckle. “They stopped Roscoe for us. Lets git out of here while we got the chance.”
The boys made it into town without any further problems and picked up the fence posts. When they got back to the farm, they spent most of the day repairing the fence that needed mending. When they finished that they gave the General an oil chance. They were just finishing up when a yellow Torino with tinted windows pulled into the driveway. The boys both recognized it immediately as the same car that had stalled Roscoe for them that morning.
The door on the driver's side opened and Lynn slid out from under the wheel. Bo laughed and looked at Luke with a grin “Guess we know now who saved our butts from Roscoe this morning.”
“I should've known.” Luke said, shaking his head ashamed of himself for not thinking of it sooner “I taught her that trick.”
Lynn smiled brightly as she walked across the barnyard towards the boys. She looked at the General, admiring the powerful stock car. Looking at the boys, she smiled and said “I should've known it was you two running from Roscoe this morning. There can't be two cars that look like that in Hazzard County .”
Her eyes met Luke's gaze for a few moments. Luke was the first to look away unnerved by those big brown eyes that could still do funny things to his stomach even after all this time. Unfazed by his cousin's obvious discomfort, Bo wrapped his arms around Lynn in a big bear hug and picked her up off her feet, twirling her around with both of them laughing. Sitting her back on her feet, Bo grinned and said “It's good to see ya again, Lynn . Welcome back to Hazzard.”
“Thanks, Bo. It's good to see you again too.” She told him with a warm smile. She let her gaze run up and down his lean muscular frame “You sure did some growing since the last time I saw ya.”
“And he still is.” Luke said in a teasing tone that was directed at Bo. “He'll eat ya out of house and home.”
Luke glanced over his shoulder as the back screen door slammed and Daisy came out on the porch. “Hey, Lynn !” she said brightly “Come on in. Supper's almost ready and Uncle Jesse can't wait to see you.” Exchanging glances, the boys followed Lynn into the farmhouse.
As they entered the kitchen, Jesse greeted Lynn with a huge hug and a warm smile. “Welcome home.” He said in a pleased voice. He motioned for everyone to sit down so they could say grace. Automatically, Lynn took the seat she had always used when she ate with them as a child, beside Daisy and directly across from Luke.
“So what have you been doing since you been gone?” Daisy asked Lynn
“A little bit of everything. I've been in Savannah mostly.” Lynn replied
“So what made you decide to come back to Hazzard?” Jesse asked, taking a bite of his crawdad bisque and washing it down with his coffee.
“Got tired of the big city and I missed Hazzard. When Grandma died and left me the house, I figured it was time to come back.”
“That house has been empty for awhile. It must need some work done to it.” Jessie said
“It does but luckily nothing major.”
“Well, I'm sure the boys here wouldn't mind helping you out if you need a couple of strong backs.” Jesse said volunteering their help.
“Uh…yeah” Bo said with a grin, embarrassed because he had been staring at Lynn . He had only been 13 when she left and he had forgotten just how pretty she was. “Be glad to.”
“Me too” Luke said automatically but not as enthusiastically as Bo. He had been staring at Lynn too but unlike Bo, he had never forgotten just how pretty she was. He had never forgotten anything about her. Whenever she glanced at him and caught him staring at her, he quickly lowered his head. From the faint smile that kept tugging at her mouth, he knew that she knew just how uncomfortable she was making him and he had a feeling that she was enjoying every minute of it.
“What are you gonna do about a job?” Daisy asked
“I figured I'd see if Boss needed any help at the Boars Nest.”
“Boss always needs help.” Daisy told her with a grin “He can't keep anybody very long.”
“I bet ole J.D. is gonna have a fit when he finds out you're back.” Jesse said with a chuckle. “You used to get in about as much trouble as the boys here did.”
She glanced at Luke with a wicked smile “Yeah, I used have a little help most of the time.”
“Like the time you drove old man Walker's tractor into Hazzard Pond.” Daisy reminded her with a laugh
“I almost forgot about that.” Lynn said with a laugh “Except I never did tell anybody that I wasn't the one doing the driving” She glanced at Luke with a grin “Was I, Luke?”
“Not that time.” Luke admitted with a thin smile “But you were the one who stole the sheriff's car.”
“But it was still your idea.” Lynn reminded him sweetly. “Just like it was your idea to have a party in Seminole Canyon on prom night and everybody got drunk on Uncle's Jesse's shine.” Luke gave her a dirty look, flushing with embarrassment. That was one stunt Uncle Jesse hadn't known about. Until now.
“You did what?” Jesse growled frowning at Luke “You're lucky I didn't know about that back then or you'd been eating your meals off the mantel for a month!”
Luke had finished eating and Bo was almost finished. Pushing aside his plate, he said “I'm gonna get started on my chores.” He looked at Jesse “May I be excused?”
Jesse nodded and Luke shoved himself to his feet, going out the back door before Lynn decided to reveal anymore embarrassing secrets from the past. As he stepped outside, he took a deep breath of the cool night air to soothe his ragged nerves. He was in no mood for a walk down memory lane. Most of his memories from the time he was eight years old until he was eighteen years old involved Lynn in one way or another. Both the good ones and the bad ones.
Chapter 4
Luke took a drink of his beer and scowled darkly. He was at the Boar's Nest sitting in back booth with Cindy. Bo and Mindy Anderson sat in the booth across from them. Mindy was looking at Bo with a dreamy expression on her face, eating up his sweet talk. Cindy was pressing up against him, running her hand up and down his thigh but Luke barely noticed.
He had been trying to avoid running into Lynn and now she had gone and got a job at the Boar's Nest. Luke had been watching for the past hour as she served drinks, flirted with the customers and laughed. He knew he had no right to feel jealous of all the attention she was getting from the other good ole boys in the bar but he couldn't seem to help it and that irritated the hell out of him.
He tensed when he saw Pete Cochran grab Lynn 's wrist as she served him a drink. Luke had to restrain himself from bounding to his feet to intervene. He couldn't hear what was being said but he watched through narrowed eyes as Pete reached out with his other hand and grabbed her by the rear end and tried to pull her down into his lap. A thin smiled crossed his lips as he watched Lynn calmly pick up a pitcher of beer sitting on the table and pour it over Pete's head. Pete sputtered angrily and let her go. He started to bounce to his feet but was restrained by one of his friends who wisely decided to keep Pete from getting into any more trouble.
“Luke…” Cindy said in a sharp voice, poking him in the ribs with her elbow. Luke jerked his head to look at her, startled. He suddenly realized that she had asked him something but he hadn't been paying attention. “I said do you wanna dance?” she repeated emphasizing each word slowly. She looked at him her eyes flashing with anger. She knew he had been watching Lynn ever since they got there instead of paying much attention to her and she wasn't happy about it.
“Yeah….okay.” Luke muttered, sliding out of the booth. Cindy walked over to the jukebox with him. Luke dug some change out of his pocket and dropped it into the machine. Cindy punched in her selections and then slid into his arms as the first song started to play. Luke pulled her close and held her tightly as they started to sway to the music. He could feel Cindy rubbing up against him suggestively as they danced. He responded by giving her a long, slow deep kiss a move that was out of character for Luke. He generally didn't get quite that affectionate in public.
When the music ended, they walked back over to the table. Cindy excused herself telling Luke that she was going to the ladies room. Luke shrugged and slid into the booth. He picked up his beer and finished it in one long swallow, signaling Daisy to bring him another one.
Daisy poured a beer and carried it over to Luke. She had just sat it down on the table when Luke muttered “Oh crap…” Daisy turned her head and saw Cindy talking to Lynn . Instinctively Daisy sensed trouble and so did Luke. Just as Luke slid out of the booth and stood up, Cindy suddenly shoved Lynn . Caught off balance, Lynn stumbled back a couple of steps and then glared at Cindy with her eyes flashing fire. Daisy and Luke both knew the warning signs and tried to make their way across the room towards the two women before all hell broke loose. When Bo realized what was happening, he jumped to his feet too and hurried after his two cousins.
Cindy made the mistake of taking a swing at Lynn, who easily ducked out of the way, then swung back her arm and punched Cindy in the jaw. Cindy fell to the floor but quickly staggered back to her feet. Before she could go after Lynn for punching her, Luke wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and restrained her from continuing the fight. In the meantime, Bo did the same thing to Lynn , getting himself a sharp kick in the shin from her boot heel and her fingernails dug into his arms as he tried to restrain her. “Hey,” he objected loudly “I'm on your side!”
Cindy glared at Lynn and snapped “Stay away from Luke, you bitch! He's mine!”
Lynn smiled thinly at Cindy's words and said in cold deadly voice “Luke might have something to say about that.” She glanced at Luke briefly, her eyes plainly amused at his embarrassment at the scene Cindy was creating. “You wanna have a pet, Luke…then keep her on a leash.”
“You bitch!” Cindy yelled again, struggling to get out of Luke's grip.
“Cool it, Cindy!” Luke warned her sharply, tightening his hold around her waist. He knew from experience that Cindy didn't stand a chance against Lynn in a fight. And if Cindy didn't shut her mouth, then Bo was going to have a hard time keeping Lynn away from her.
“Yeah, cool it, Cindy…” Lynn said in a mocking voice. To avoid any further arguing, Luke grabbed Cindy's arm and led her away. He took her outside and away from Lynn . As the door closed behind them, Bo finally let go of Lynn . Glancing back at the booth where he'd been sitting before the argument started he sighed in disappointment. Bo wasn't surprised to see that Mindy had disappeared.
Now that the excitement was over, the other customers resumed their conversations and their own carrying on. Fights happened at least once or twice at night at the Boar's nest. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary and a fight between two women was usually more entertaining than a fight between two men (unless the Duke boys were involved) As Lynn and Daisy returned to waiting on their customers, Bo went outside to find Luke.
He found him sitting on the hood of the General and obviously in a foul mood. “Where's Cindy?” Bo asked noticing for the first time that Luke was alone.
“She went home.” Luke said sullenly
“She mad at you?” Bo asked in a surprised voice
“Yeah, she thinks I was taking Lynn 's side because I wouldn't let Cindy go after her.”
“ Lynn would have beat the hell out of her.” Bo said with a grin
“You know that and I know that.” Luke said in an annoyed voice “But trying telling Cindy that.”
“So you wanna go back inside or what?”
“No” Luke muttered “Just take me home….then you can come back if you want to.”
Bo climbed in beneath the wheel while Luke slid across the hood to climb in on the other side. He was unusually quiet all the way back to the farm. Bo dropped him off and then decided to head back to the Boar's Nest for a couple of more hours. Luke quietly let himself into the house. It was shortly after midnight and he knew that Jesse would be sleeping. The last thing he wanted to do was wake up Jesse. Luke didn't feel like talking to anyone right now.
He walked over to a closet in the kitchen where Daisy stored canned goods and opened the door. Reaching up on the overhead shelf, he ran his hand along the board until he found the jug he knew was hidden there. Smiling thinly, he pulled it down and carried it back to the kitchen table. Getting a glass out of the cupboard, he opened the jug and poured himself a healthy glass full of Jesse's finest. Putting the jug back in it's hiding place, he turned off the kitchen light and carried the glass with him as he went upstairs to his room.
Sitting down on the edge of his bed, he took a drink of the shine, feeling the liquid fire burning the inside of his mouth and throat and then exploding into his stomach. At 150 proof moonshine is a lot more potent than regular alcohol and even if you are used to it, it still packs one hell of kick and it doesn't take much to get you drunk in a hurry. And right now that was what Luke intended to do.
Chapter 5
Bo came home shortly after one and was surprised to find Luke lying face down on his bed sleeping. He hadn't even bothered to get undressed. Then Bo noticed the empty glass overturned on the floor beside the bed and he realized that Luke wasn't just sleeping. He was passed out. He'd been in Jesse's shine.
Bo smiled faintly and tugged off his cousin's boots. Luke mumbled something but didn't wake up. Luke was the cousin with the most self control and he seldom drank more than a few beers. He'd gotten drunk a couple of times as a teenager but not that often that just wasn't his style. Bo knew he'd regret it in the morning. A moonshine hangover was worse than a regular one. Getting an extra blanket from the closet, he covered Luke with it, then stripped down to his boxers and climbed into his own bed.
Luke's bed was empty when Bo woke up the next morning. He quickly dressed and stepped out into the hallway. He smiled faintly when he heard the sounds of someone getting sick in the bathroom. He knocked lightly on the door and then opened it to find Luke standing at the sink, splashing water on his face.
“You okay, cuz?” he asked in a slightly amused voice
“I've been better…” Luke muttered quietly, glancing over his shoulder at his cousin with a feeble smile. His head was pounding and his stomach felt queasy. Luke knew that he'd pay for drinking that much moonshine for the rest of the day. He just hoped that Uncle Jesse didn't have anything too strenuous planned for them to do today.
“We better get downstairs to breakfast.”
Luke's stomach churned uneasily at the mention of food. He knew it would never stay down even if he did eat. Hopefully, he could by with just drinking some coffee this morning. He just hoped that would stay down. He followed Bo downstairs and into the kitchen where Uncle Jesse was already sitting at the table. The boys sat down and bowed their heads to say grace.
Luke held up his hand and shook his head when Daisy started to set a plate of pancakes in front of him. “Not this morning, darling…” he said “I'm just not hungry….I'll just have some coffee.” Daisy looked at him closely but didn't say anything. She sat the plate in front of Bo instead.
Jesse looked at him sharply and Luke quickly looked away. He wasn't fooling Jesse none. He knew that Luke had a hangover but he kept silent. He figured that being miserable most of the day would be punishment enough for Luke's foolishness. The only concession he made to Luke's condition was to tell the boys that after they finished their regular chores he didn't have any extra work for them to do that day. Bo grinned happily at that news and Luke breathed a soft sigh of relief.
After the morning chores were done, Bo decided to go fishing. Luke begged off. He still didn't feel up to par. He went back to the house and flopped down on the couch, throwing one arm up over his eyes to block out the light which hurt his eyes and only made his headache worse. Daisy ignored him as she went about her daily chores inside the house. She knew that it was out of the norm for Luke to get drunk and she felt sorry for him because he had such a lousy hangover.
She was hanging some wash out on the line when Lynn 's car pulled into the driveway. She had almost forgotten that Lynn was stopping by to pick up some of Daisy's candied peaches. Lynn climbed out of the car and walked over to where Daisy was hanging up clothes.
“Where is everybody?” Lynn asked noticing that Jesse's truck and the General were both gone.
“Uncle Jesse went into town to get some things and Bo went fishing.” Daisy told her as she picked up her empty basket and headed for the house. Lynn followed her into the kitchen. She glanced at Daisy, arching an eyebrow questioningly when she saw Luke lying on the couch with his arm up over his eyes. “Luke isn't feeling too well today.” Daisy said with a slight smile.
Unable to resist, Lynn walked into the living room and walked around behind the couch. She leaned her arms on the back of the sofa and looked down at Luke. “What's wrong, Lukas….haven't you learned to handle your alcohol yet?”
“Very funny…” Luke muttered without moving his arm from over his eyes
“Go away.”
“Why? You mad at me cause your little girlfriend took off on you last night? I didn't start anything, she did and I would have finished it too if you hadn't interfered.”
Muttering something unflattering under his breath, Luke shoved himself to his feet and went upstairs to his room. Lynn smiled faintly and went back out into the kitchen with Daisy.
“Are you doing that on purpose?” Daisy asked her, as she sat four jars of her candied peaches on the kitchen table.
“Doing what?” Lynn asked innocently
“Trying to piss Luke off.”
“Would I do something like that?”
“Yeah, you would.” Daisy told her in a mocking voice “Cause you do it so well.”
“That's cause he's so easy to piss off.”
“Only by you. You know exactly how to push all of his buttons.”
“Hey, he pisses me off too.” Lynn said defensively, crossing her arms across her chest and looking at Daisy as if daring her to tell her she was wrong.
“But not as much as you do him and he doesn't do it on purpose. You do.”
“You think I really do it on purpose?” Lynn said in a surprised voice
“I know you do….” Daisy told her “At least sometimes you do.”
“What the hell are we fighting about?” Lynn asked trying to lighten the mood so she wouldn't have to admit that what Daisy was saying was true. Sometimes, she did deliberately try to piss Luke off.
“I don't know.” Daisy said with an exasperated look. She smiled at her lifelong friend “I guess all I'm saying is take it easy on him, okay?”
“Okay… I'll try.” Lynn promised. She grinned as she picked up the jars of peaches “I'll see you later. I gotta get home. Mr. Lumis is bringing over a calf this afternoon and I gotta get a stall ready in the barn.” She turned and let herself out.
Daisy sighed and got a glass out of the cabinet. She poured herself a glass of lemonade and sat down at the table. She needed to finish the laundry but she decided to take a short break first. She thought about checking on Luke but quickly decided against it. He was already in a bad mood and Lynn had probably only made it worse. She had an uncanny knack for knowing just what to say and how to say it to get underneath Luke's skin. And since she'd been back she seemed more determined than ever to piss him off every chance she got. But Daisy hoped she'd back off a little. Lynn needed to talk to Luke instead of trying to bait him all the time. If they talked without arguing, they might actually be able to work things out and make it right again. Daisy couldn't but wonder if that was what Lynn was afraid of and maybe Luke too.
Chapter 6
Luke sat at the end of the bar, his eyes slowly drifting across the room. It was still early in the day so the Boar's Nest wasn't that crowded yet. Ernie Ledbetter had come in but he was keeping his distance from Luke. The last time they'd gotten into a fight, Ernie had ended up with a couple of broken ribs so he was in no hurry to tangle with Luke again. Bo was off in the corner with Mindy whispering sweet talk in her ear and Daisy was working behind the bar. Lynn was working too but so far she'd been avoiding him. Luke wasn't sure if he should be grateful for that or not.
“Hey Daisy,” Lynn called to Daisy from across the room “I'm going out to the shed out back for a bucket.”
“Okay.” Daisy called back, going back to counting the forks.
Luke watched Lynn go out the front door. His eyes narrowed suspiciously when he saw Ernie follow after her. Sensing possible trouble, he shoved himself off the barstool and followed them outside. He didn't see anyone out front so he walked around the side of the building. That was when he saw Lynn and Ernie. Ernie had Lynn pinned up against the wall and was trying to put his hand under her shirt. Lynn was trying to get away but he had her pinned too tightly for her to move very much. Luke immediately saw red. “Leave her alone, Ledbetter!” he said in a loud angry voice as he walked towards them.
Startled, Ernie looked up at the sound of Luke's voice and the warning it carried. For a moment, he let Lynn go and she took immediate advantage of Luke's distracting him. She raised her knee and slammed it firmly into Ernie's crotch. Instantly, he doubled over holding himself and cursing at Lynn . Without a second thought, Luke stepped in front of Lynn so that she was behind him and he was between her and Ernie.
“You bitch!” Ernie snarled at Lynn , straightening up with some difficulty. He glared at Luke but didn't get too close.
“Get lost, Ernie.” Luke told him in a cold deadly voice “Or I'll have to teach you some manners…...”
“You want her so bad, you can have her!” Ernie growled “You're both crazy!”
With that final parting shot, Ernie stomped off. The anger faded from Luke's eyes as he turned to look at Lynn , surprised to find her eyes smoldering with anger.
“Will you stop trying to protect me, Luke?” she snapped “I can take care of myself!”
“Well, it didn't like you were doing for good job of it.” Luke said trying to keep his own anger in check
“Well, I still took care of him didn't I?”
“After I distracted him enough that he let go of you for a minute.” Luke pointed out.
“What's your problem, Luke?” Lynn said sharply “You pissed cause he was trying to cop a feel instead of you?” Instantly she regretted her choice of words when she saw the hurt look in Luke's eyes followed quickly by anger.
“Fine…the next time I'll let you handle it yourself.” He said, turning quickly and walking away.
“Don't do me any favors!” Lynn yelled after him, angry now because he was angry. Making a fist, she slammed her hand against the cinder block side of the building to vent her frustration. Damn it! Why couldn't I just say thanks instead of pissing him off again? Lynn sighed softly. She felt guilty because she knew that Luke was only doing what he would have done for any other girl Ernie had been trying to manhandle. And she knew that her anger should have been directed at herself for letting herself get put into that position in the first place instead of at Luke for trying to help her. Lynn cursed softly under her breath as she walked to the back door of the Boar's Nest and entered the bar that way.
When she went back in the main room, she saw Bo still sitting at his booth with Mindy but Luke was no where to been seen. Frowning, Lynn walked over to the bar where Daisy was still busy counting silverware.
“Where'd Luke go?” she asked trying to keep her tone light and casual. She didn't especially want Daisy to know what had happened.
“He wanted to go home so he took my jeep. I'm gonna catch a ride home with Bo.” Daisy told her. She looked at Lynn closely “Did something happen while you two were outside? Luke wasn't in very good mood when he came back in.”
“I kinda pissed him off again.” Lynn admitted
“You trying to set a new record for that?” Daisy said, shaking her head and sighing soflty.
“This time I really didn't mean to.” Lynn said without elaborating.
“I'm not the one you need to be telling then. Luke is.”
“I'm not sure if he'd even talk to me right now. I didn't just piss him off I said something that hurt his feelings too.” Lynn admitted.
“You know sometimes being around you and Luke when you two get together makes me feel like I should be a referee.” Daisy looked at Lynn and decided to ask what was really on her mind “Do you think you and Luke will ever work things out?”
“I don't know. I hadn't really thought much about it.”
“And if you think I believe that then I got some ocean front property I'll sell ya out in Hazzard swamp.” Daisy told her with a laugh. Lynn joined in the laughter.
“I better get back to work.” Lynn said deciding to let the subject drop for now. As she went about her various duties, she found herself wondering exactly what she did want from Luke now that she was back in Hazzard. He was her first love and her first lover. She couldn't forget that no matter how hard she tried. What was the worst thing that could happen if she let down her guard and let Luke get close to her again? She decided not to think about that right now.
Jesse was sitting at the kitchen table when Luke came into the house slamming the door behind him causing Jesse to look up at him sharply. “Do I need to make you go back out there and close that door right?” he said sternly
“Sorry, Uncle Jesse.” Luke said as he grabbed a cup from the cupboard and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“You wanna tell me what's got you so riled up?”
“ Lynn .” Luke muttered, sitting down at the table “She aggravates the hell out of me.”
“Watch your language young man.” Jesse told him automatically
“Sorry”
“What'd she do this time that's got your nose out of joint?”
“What doesn't she do?” Luke said angrily “We can't even talk without her saying or doing something that pisses me off.” Jesse ignored Luke's profanity and let him vent. Luke tended to keep things bottled up inside and not talk to anyone about his personal feelings much. So if he wanted to talk now, Jesse was going to listen. “It's almost like she's trying to start a fight on purpose.”
“Maybe she is. Have you thought about that?”
“Yeah….but I'll be damned if I know why.”
“Have you tried asking her?”
“No…..” Luke admitted with a tight smile. “She'd probably just take my head off again.”
“Maybe you should try. It couldn't hurt.” Jesse told him “And you might be surprised. She might actually tell you what's got her acting this way.” He looked at his oldest nephew closely “Luke, do you know what you want from Lynn ?
“I used to.” He said quietly “Jesse, did you ever have a woman get under your skin like that? I mean one that could make you so mad….but at same time…” Luke‘s voice trailed off and he left the rest unsaid.
“Yeah…once.” Jesse said as he shoved himself to his feet. He started to go outside. At the door he paused and looked back over his shoulder at Luke, adding “I married her.”Luke smiled ruefully as Jesse went outside. Somehow he didn't think that was the answer to his problem with Lynn .
Chapter 7
Luke started avoiding going to the Boar's Nest when he knew that Lynn would be working. He knew he couldn't avoid her entirely, not when she still dropped by the farm to see Daisy fairly often. But at least when she showed up to see Daisy, he could find an excuse to go to another room or outside to do some chores. Which was why he was outside making some minor adjustments to the General Lee's engine.
It was a hot day so he had stripped off his shirt and thrown it down on the picnic table. He didn't realize that he was no longer alone until someone rapped sharply on the General's fender. Startled, he straightened up too fast and cracked his head on the hood latch. “Ow!” he yelped, grabbing the back of his head where it had slammed into the raised hood on the car.
Lynn stood off to the side laughing at him for not paying attention. Glaring at her, he said as he rubbed the aching spot on the back of his head “What are ya trying to do? Give me a headache?”
“You're the headache, Luke Duke.” She said dryly, crossing her arms across her chest and staring at him “Why are you avoiding me? And don't try to tell me you haven't been because I know you have.”
“I figured that's the way you wanted it.” He told her as he grabbed his shirt and slipped it back on.
“What ever gave you that idea?” she asked in a genuinely surprised voice.
“Maybe because whenever we get around each other you always wanna to start a fight.” He told her
“Okay, so I've been a total bitch. I'm sorry.” She said, catching Luke by surprise with her apology. “Maybe we could call a truce?”
“Maybe…” Luke said without answering her directly.
“Oh come on, Luke!” She said in an annoyed voice “You know I hate saying I'm sorry!”
“Yeah, I know.” He told her, baiting her for a chance. He couldn't help laughing which only made her mad..
“Have it your way!” she snapped. As she walked away, he heard her mutter “And they call me stubborn…”
Luke sighed and went back to working on the General. It wasn't that he wasn't willing to accept her apology but she had to mean it first. And he knew her well enough to know that she had only apologized because he had been avoiding her. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Besides after all the grief she'd been giving him since she got back, it didn't hurt to give her a little payback.
Daisy looked up in surprise as Lynn stormed back into the house, cursing under her breath and slamming the door. “What's got you so riled?” Daisy asked mildly curious about Lynn 's outburst even though she had a suspicion about what caused it.
“Luke!” she growled “What else? Oh…he makes me so mad sometimes!”
“What did he do this time?”
“I tried to tell him I was sorry and he just ignored me.”
“Well, can you blame him?” Daisy asked her with a chuckle “You haven't been very nice to him since you got back.”
“I haven't, have I?” Lynn admitted with a thin smile. She leaned back against the sink and crossed her arms across her chest.
“No, you haven't.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“Start playing nice with your friends.” Daisy told her with a laugh “Didn't your mama teach you any manners?”
“Well…” Lynn said with a wicked smile and a twinkle in her eye “I always did have a lot of fun playing with Luke…”
“ Lynn !” Daisy exclaimed unable to keep from laughing at Lynn 's suggestive remark about her cousin.
“Sorry, Daisy. I couldn't resist.” Lynn told her with a chuckle.
“Well, I have to get to work.” Daisy said “Are you off today?”
“Yeah….I got some stuff to do at the house so I'm gonna git out of here too.” The two girls walked outside together. Luke was still working on the General and didn't pay any attention as they got in their separate vehicles and left. Twenty minutes later, Lynn 's voice came over the CB. “Hey, Luke….you got your ears on?”
Luke leaned in the window on the drivers' side and grabbed the mike to the CB. Pressing the transmit button, he said “Yeah, this is Luke. What do ya need?”
“Some help. Some idiot just ran me off the road over here on route 36.” Lynn told him “I need pulled out of the ditch.”
“I'm on my way.” Luke told her. He climbed beneath the wheel and turned on the engine, heading in the direction of Route 36, one of the main highways leading into Hazzard. Ten minutes later he pulled up to the scene of the accident. Lynn was leaning against the side of her car which was sitting in the ditch, nose first. Luke pulled the General over to the edge of the road and cut the engine, climbing out of the car.
“What happened?” he asked as he climbed into the ditch and crouched down to inspect the undercarriage of the car.
“I ran into ole Hoby….literally.” She told him. Hoby was the town drunk. He was menace when he got behind the wheel of a car but that didn't stop him from driving. Trouble was ole Hoby could never decide which side of the road he wanted to drive on, so he ended up driving on both of them.
“Welcome back to Hazzard, Darling.” Luke told her with a chuckle. He straightened up, brushing his hands off on the seat of his jeans. “I got some bad news. It looks like you broke an axel. I'll give Cooter a call to tow ya to the garage.”
“Terrific that's all I need.” Lynn muttered. She sighed and watched Luke as he walked back over to the General to call Cooter to bring his tow truck. She couldn't help smiling faintly. Luke always did look good walking away. He had nice hitch in his giddy-up. Finishing his call to Cooter, he walked back over to Lynn.
“He'll be here in about ten minutes.” Luke told her, leaning against the side of the car to wait with her.
“Thanks….”
“You gonna need a ride home?”
“Kinda looks that way.” Lynn told him with a smile. An uneasy silence fell between them. It was almost as if neither of them could think of anything to say to each other. Finally, Lynn said “Luke, are you doing anything this afternoon?”
“No. Why?” he asked cautiously not sure why she was asking.
“How would you like to go on a picnic?”
“Why?” Luke said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice “So we can fight the whole time? That's all we ever do.”
“No fighting. I promise.” Lynn told him “I was hoping maybe we could talk.”
“I'm not sure there's anything to talk about anymore.” He told her his words sounding harsher than he intended.
“I really am sorry, Luke. I thought maybe we could try and start over….” Lynn told him, her voice soft and gentle for a chance. “Unless you don't want to…..”
Realizing that she was sincere this time, Luke smiled faintly and nodded his head “I'd like that.” He admitted.