The Joy's of Fatherhood

by

Marty Chrisman

Chapter 1

Jesse Duke opened the mail box and pulled out a handful of letters along with the newspaper. He walked through the gate and up the cobblestone walk to the front porch of the old two story farmhouse and opened the screen door, stepping inside. He crossed over to the archway between the living room and the kitchen, sitting down in his usual spot at the head of the kitchen table.

He started sorting through the letters. Most of them were bills along with a letter from his sister, Pauline, who lived in Ohio along with her husband and three children. There was also a letter for his oldest nephew, Luke. Jesse frowned slightly when he glanced at the return address on Luke's letter. It was from the Department of Human Services in Atlanta . He laid Luke's letter down in the middle of the kitchen table and opened his letter from his sister, Pauline.

He had just finished reading Pauline's letter when he heard the sound of a powerful engine filling the air. The boys were home. A few moments later, the back door opened and Bo and Luke came into the kitchen. Jesse and his wife, Martha, had raised the two boys since they were babies and they were just like Jesse's own sons. They had also raised a niece, Daisy. Jesse and Martha had never been blessed with children of their own but the three cousins had made their house a home and filled it with love. Martha had been gone for over ten years and Jesse still missed her desperately.

Luke was the older of the three cousins and the most responsible. He was a ruggedly handsome young man with sapphire blue eyes and dark brown curly hair. He had a lean muscular build from his years of working on the farm and an easy, laid back manner. Four years younger than Luke, Bo was the youngest of the cousins. He had the same lean muscular build as his older cousin but there the resemblance ended. Bo had feathered blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and more of an impulsive nature than his cousin. The boys were closer than brothers and were inseparable.

Luke grabbed a cup out of the cupboard and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot sitting on the back of the stove. Bo walked around the table and went to the refrigerator, opening the door and rummaged through it looking for something to eat. With Bo, his stomach always came first. He found a plate of ham and started making himself a sandwich. Luke sat down at the table beside Uncle Jesse and took a sip of his coffee.

“There's a letter for you, Luke.” Jesse told him

Luke picked up the letter lying in the middle of the table and glanced at the return address with a puzzled expression on his face. He tore open the envelope and took out the single sheet of paper. Unfolding it, he read through it and then looked at his Uncle with a frown. “It's from a Miss Wilson from the Department of Human Services in Atlanta .” He told Jesse “She wants to see me at her office at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon.”

“What for?” Jesse asked

“It doesn't say. It just says that it concerns a confidential matter of great importance.” Luke said, as he handed the letter to his Uncle for him to read.

“That sounds like them government people.” Jesse said gruffly, as he examined the letter for himself. “They use all these big fancy words instead of just coming right out and telling ya what they want.”

Bo finished making his sandwich and sat down at the table across from his cousin to enjoy it. “Hey, if we're going to Atlanta tomorrow we can stop and check out that new Pro shop on the way back.” Bo said enthusiastically, grinning at his older cousin.

“You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here and helping me in the back forty tomorrow.” Jesse told him firmly, his tone of voice warning Bo that there would be no arguing about it.

“Yes, sir.” Bo said in a disappointed voice, looking crestfallen at not being allowed to accompany Luke to Atlanta . Luke hid a smile. Bo was an expert when it came to trying to get out of his chores when there was something more exciting to do. Jesse owned 160 acres of the best bottom land in the county. The family raised corn and cotton, two of the primary crops in the state, and the two busiest times of the year was planting season and harvest time. It took Jesse and both boys working together to keep the farm going.

For two hundred years the Duke Family had made the best moonshine in the state. It was a Duke family tradition. That had all changed last year when Bo and Luke had been caught making a run. To keep them from going to prison for five years, Jesse had made a deal with the U.S. of A. government not to make or sell anymore moonshine if the government would agree not to send the boys to jail but put them on probation instead. Since the government had been trying to shut down the Duke family moonshine business for years, they readily agreed to Jesse's terms. Since then Jesse had kept his word and everybody knew that a Duke's word was binding. Unfortunately, losing the moonshine trade had seriously depleted the family's income and they had become even more dependent on the farm to make a living.

The three cousins did everything they could to help supplement the family income. Daisy worked as a waitress at the Boars Nest, the local honky-tonk in Hazzard and the boys entered the stock car they co-owned in every race they could. The boys were the best drivers around but then they had learned from the best. In his day, Jesse had been the best ridge runner in the state. He had taught the boys all of his tricks and then some. Some people even claimed that their stock car, The General Lee, was half human the things that car could do with either of them boys behind the wheel.

The Dukes didn't have much in the way of material possessions but as long as they had each other, that was all that mattered. Jesse had always taught them that the family was the most important thing and they were bound together by a love that couldn't be shaken. They protected each other and gave each other their strength. And sometimes, the family was all they had to see them through the hard times. None of them knew that an event was about to happen that would test their patience and change the family unit forever.

Chapter 2

Shortly before two P.M. the next afternoon, Luke pulled the General Lee into the underground parking garage at the building that housed the Department of Human Services in downtown Atlanta . He found an empty slot and parked, climbing out of the car through the window. Since the General was a stock car the doors were welded shut to keep them from flying open during a race. It made it awkward getting in and out of the car but Luke was used to it and to him it was second nature.

The General Lee was a hard car to miss. With its bright orange paint job, the big black 01 trimmed in white painted on each door, and the confederate flag painted on the roof with the name General Lee painted above each door frame, it stood out in a crowd. With it's powerful racing engine and modifications, it could go from zero to ninety miles an hour in a matter of seconds. To the Dukes, the General was just like a member of the family.

Luke walked across the parking garage to the elevators and stepped inside, pushing the button for the sixth floor. He was curious as to what this meeting was about but he wasn't worried, figuring it couldn't be anything that important. He got off the elevator and found himself in a large lobby with a long counter at one end. He walked up to the counter and waited for the woman working behind it to notice him. She finally glanced up with a harried smile. “May I help you?” she asked

“My name is Luke Duke. I have a two o'clock appointment with Miss Wilson.”

“Please have a seat and I'll let her know that you're here.” The woman said, turning her attention to the ringing phone.

Luke walked over to a row of plastic chairs and sat down to wait for his name to be called. The waiting room was crowded with men, women, children and elderly couples all waiting to be seen by someone. It was almost an hour before a woman finally came into the waiting room and said loudly “Lucas Duke?”

Luke stood up and made his way across the room to the woman, who appeared to be in her late forties with upswept blonde hair and a warm friendly face. “I'm Luke Duke.” He told her.

“Mr, Duke,” she said with a warm smile “I'm Gloria Wilson. Would you come with me, please?”

Luke followed the woman down a long corridor lined on either side with offices. She finally stopped and went into one of the rooms. As Luke stepped in behind her, she turned to shut the door behind them. She motioned for Luke to have a seat in the chair facing her desk. After he had settled down into the chair, she picked up a file that was lying on her desk and began glancing through it.

“You are Lucas Kristopher Duke from Hazzard County , Georgia . Correct?” she asked

“Yes, Ma'am.” Luke told her politely “If you don't mind my asking, what's this all about?”

“Mr. Duke, did you used to know a woman named Victoria Burke?”

“Yeah….she used to live in Hazzard.” Luke told her with a frown trying to figure out why this woman would be asking him about Vicky. He had not seen her since he left to go to basic training when he joined the marines and that had been over eight years ago.

Shortly after he got sent to Viet Nam , Daisy had told him in one of her letters that Vicky had left Hazzard and nobody knew where she had gone.

“Mr. Duke, I know this is a very personal question and please forgive me for asking but I need to know. Were you sexually involved with her?”

“I'm sorry, ma'am….” Luke told her with a slight edge to his voice, his eyes narrowing slightly “I don't mean to be rude but I don't think that's any of your business.”

“I'm afraid that it is, Mr. Duke.” The social worker told him “Miss Burke died a couple of months ago in a car accident. She left behind an eight year old daughter and she named you as the father of that child.”

“What?” Luke exclaimed in a stunned voice, his eyes widening in alarm.

“I take it that you didn't know.”

“No….I didn't know. If Vicky was pregnant, she never said anything to me about it.” Luke said firmly

“So you're not denying the possibility that you could be the child's father.”

“I'm not denying or admitting anything until you tell me what the hell this is all about.” Luke told her with a sharp edge to his voice.

“As I told you, Miss Burke was killed in a car accident and she left behind a daughter and you have been named as the father of that child. The child is presently in foster care and we need to determine if you are the biological father or not. To do that, I need for you to agree to a DNA test.” Miss Wilson calmly explained “If the test determines that you are the father, then we need for you to sign papers terminating your parental rights so that we can release the child for adoption.”

“How did I get named as the father?” Luke asked, still trying to absorb the information she had just told him.

“Miss Burke left behind a sealed letter with an attorney with instructions that it was to be opened if anything ever happened to her. In that letter she named you as the father. She also provided all the information on how to contact you.” Miss Wilson took a sealed envelope out of the file on the desk in front of her and handed it across the desk to Luke “She also left this letter addressed to you.”

Luke took the envelope and stuck it in his jacket. He would read it later when he could do it in private. “How soon do I have to take this DNA test?”

“We can do it today. Then we should have the results back in a few days.”

“Well, why don't we start with that and find out if I am the father or not before we discuss anything else….” Luke said

“Mr. Duke, all we want is what is in the best interest of the child and I'm sure if you do turn out to be the father, then that's all you want too.”

“Let's take your test first and see what it has to say.”

“Very well.” Miss Wilson said, quickly realizing that this may not be as simple as she had thought that it was going to be. She stood up and motioned for Luke to follow her. She led him down the hall to another office which looked similar to a doctor's office. A pretty redhead with a big smile greeted them warmly.

“Mr. Duke is here for a DNA test.” Miss Wilson told the young redhead. She handed the other woman a slip of paper. “This is the case number.” She turned to Luke “This is Karen and she'll be taking a swab of your mouth for the test, along with some blood. I'll be in touch as soon as I have the results and we can talk some more.” With that, she turned and left the office leaving Luke alone with the young technician.

“This will only take a couple of minutes.” The redhead said cheerfully “And then you're free to go.” She got out a tray with some cotton swaps, test tubes and a syringe lying on it. Slipping on a pair of plastic gloves, she took Luke's left arm and tied a rubber strap just above his elbow. Gently tapping on a vein so it would pop up, she deftly inserted the needle and drew two vials of blood. When she had finished with that, she marked the vials and discarded the used syringe. Then she opened a pack of swabs and asked Luke to open his mouth. She ran both swabs around the inside of his mouth, collecting a sample of saliva. When she was done, she smiled and said “You're free to go….that's all there is to it.”

Without bothering to thank her, Luke turned and left the office, walking back down the corridor to the main lobby. Almost in a daze, he stepped back into the elevator and pushed the button for the parking garage. This was not what he had expected at all. He needed to talk to Jesse about all of this.

Chapter 3

When Luke climbed back into the General, he sat there for several minutes without attempting to start the car. His mind was still reeling from his meeting with Miss Wilson. Remembering the envelope she had given him, he pulled it out of his jacket and

tore it open taking out the letter he found inside.

Dear Luke,

If you are reading this letter than something has happened to me and I'm no longer around and you have been told about Tiffany. I'm sorry you had to find out about our daughter this way. I know that I should have told you about her a long time ago but I couldn't. I didn't even find out that I was pregnant until after you had already left for basic training and somehow it didn't seem right to tell you at that time that I was stupid enough to get pregnant. So I decided to leave Hazzard and have the baby on my own without anyone knowing about it. I intended to give her up for adoption when she was born but somehow I just couldn't do that. So I decided to keep her and right or wrong, I also decided not to tell you anything about her. We never made each other any promises and I knew you well enough to know that if you found out about Tiffany, you'd want to do the right thing and I did not want to force you into something that neither one of us wanted or was ready for. But if something happens to me, Tiffany doesn't have anyone else. You're the only family she'll have left and I can only hope and pray that you will make the right decision and choice when it comes to her future.

Vicky

Luke refolded the letter and put it back into the envelope stuffing it back into his jacket. He had been seeing Vicky before he left for basic training and they had a good time together but it had never been anything more serious than a casual fling. Luke had only made love to her one time and that had been the night before he left for basic training. Vicky had assured him that she was on the pill and Luke had been careless enough to not take any additional precautions of his own. That was his own fault and now he had an eight year old daughter he'd never even known about until today.

He turned on the ignition and the General's powerful engine roared to life. Backing out of the parking slot, Luke drove out of the garage and headed for home. He was lost in his own thoughts wondering what he was going to do and trying to make sense out of everything he had learned in the past few hours.

When he arrived home at the farm, he was relieved to find that nobody else was home except for Jesse. That was who Luke needed to talk to about all of this. Jesse was sitting in the living room in his favorite chair when Luke came in. He took one look at the expression on Luke's face and knew that something was wrong. He motioned for Luke to have a seat and then he waited to hear what Luke had on his mind.

Instead of saying anything at first, Luke simply handed Jesse the letter that Vicky had written to him. He watched Jesse's face carefully as Jesse read what the letter had to say. When he had finished reading it Jesse folded it back up and put it back in the envelope, handing it back to Luke. Looking at his oldest nephew solemnly, Jesse said,

“Is this what that Miss Wilson wanted to see you about?”

“Yes, sir. Apparently, Vicky was killed in a car accident and the little girl is in foster care.” Luke stuffed the letter back into his pocket. “This Miss Wilson said that Vicky left a letter with an attorney naming me as the father and she had me take a DNA test to find out if I was or not.”

“And what does this Miss Wilson expect you to do if this test says that you are this little girl's father?”

“She wants me to sign papers giving up my parental rights so they can release her for adoption.”

“I assume that this could be your child…” Jesse said. It was not a question but more of a statement of fact.

“Yes, sir.” Luke admitted, lowering his head and avoiding his Uncle's eyes. Jesse had always taught the boys that if they were old enough to have sex then they were old enough to take responsibility for what could happen. And that included taking precautions to prevent an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. But he had also taught them that if a pregnancy did occur then it was their responsibility to do the right thing and either marry the mother or provide support for the child.

“I'm not going to ask you how something like this could have happened.” Jesse said dryly “I think we both know how it happened. So I guess the question now is what you plan on doing about it if this is your child.”

“I don't know.” Luke told him “I'm still trying to get used to the idea myself.”

“Well, it seems to me like you have two choices.” Jesse told him gruffly “You either sign the papers to give her up and probably never see her again…..or you take her yourself and finishing raising her.”

“If she's my child…how can I just sign some paper and give her up?” Luke said, raising his eyes to meet his Uncle's gaze. Jesse could hear the indecision in Luke's voice. Under the circumstances, he was handling the situation pretty well but then with Luke it was always hard to tell. He tended to keep his feelings to himself and not open up very much to anyone. And the decision that he was faced with would be a hard one for any man to make without doing some serious thinking.

“If she's your child…then she's a Duke and she has the right to be raised as one.” Jesse told him, voicing his own opinion.

“I don't even know if they would let me have her. This Miss Wilson didn't say anything about that.”

“If you're that girl's father, you still have certain rights as long as you don't sign any of their papers.” Jesse pointed out. “Maybe you need to go have a talk with that new lawyer in town and see what he has to say about all this.”

“Maybe I should.” Luke agreed.

“Then you better get to it.” Jesse told him “We can talk more about it this after supper.”

Luke nodded and rose to his feet, leaving the house. A few minutes later, Jesse heard the sound of the General Lee pulling out of the barnyard. Jesse leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. He knew that Luke would make the right decision. Jesse had raised the boys and Daisy to be responsible and honest. Truthfully, as wild as those boys of his were sometimes, Jesse was surprised that a situation like this hadn't come up before now. He didn't approve of Vicky keeping something like that from Luke in the first place but what had happened in the past couldn't be changed. Right now there was an innocent child's future at stake and Luke had to make a critical decision that would affect not only her life and his, but the lives of the entire Duke family.

Chapter 4

Tony Collins was new to Hazzard County . He had only lived there for a couple of months. When he passed the bar he chose to open his practice in Hazzard because he had an Aunt who had lived there for years and it had always sounded like just the type of place that Tony wanted to live in. So far he'd liked everyone he had met, even though the political system in Hazzard was as corrupt as he had ever seen. Everyone he had met so far seemed to have their own personal story about Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg, the County Commissioner . Not only did he own half the county, he also controlled the local sheriff who also happened to be his brother-in-law.

It had been a slow day and Tony was thinking about calling it a day and going home when the young man came into his office and introduced himself as Luke Duke. Tony had not met any of the Duke family yet but he had heard about them. They were well liked and respected in the County. He knew that they were a family of ex-moonshiners but Tony didn't hold that against them. Everybody in these parts had made moonshine at one time or another it seemed. (including Tony's Uncle George)

“Have a seat, Luke.” Tony said with a warm smile “And tell me what I can do for ya.”

“I got this letter yesterday.” Luke told him, handing him the letter he had received from Miss Wilson the day before. “When I met with her today, she told me that I had been named the father of an eight year old girl that I didn't know anything about. The mother was killed in a car accident and the little girl is in foster care in Atlanta . This Miss Wilson wanted me to take DNA test to see if I really was the father and if I am, she wants me to sign this paper giving up my parental rights so they can release the little girl for adoption.”

“And you don't know if you wanna do that. Right?”

“I wanna know what my rights are concerning the child if the DNA test proves I'm the father.”

“Did mother name you as the father before she was killed?”

“She left a letter with an attorney with orders that it was to opened if anything happened to her. She named me as the father in that letter and gave instructions on how to contact me.” Luke pulled the letter from Vicky out of his pocket and handed it to the other man. “She also left this letter for me.”

Tony read the letter from Vicky and smiled faintly. Handing both letters back to Luke, he said,

“All right…this is really a pretty simple case. The little girl was obviously put into foster care until the Department of Human Services could see if they could locate any family that could take her. Since the mother had named you as the father and left instructions on how to contact you, they had no choice but to have you come in so they could request the DNA test to prove paternity. If they hadn't been able to identify the father or locate you, then they would have simply petitioned the court for custody on the grounds that they could not locate or identify the biological father or any existing family.

Now, as to your rights….If you are the biological father, you have the right to ask for custody of the child and the Department of Human Services has to give the child to you unless they can prove that you would not be a fit parent and that would be pretty hard to do. In most cases like this, they would claim that you had never had any contact with the child since she was born or shown any interest in her but in your case, the letter from the mother proves that she deliberately withheld that information from you and that you never knew the child existed until the Department of Human Services contacted you. So that's in your favor.

If you do take the child, the Department of Human Services will probably do a home investigation and place her with you on six month trial period. During that time someone will come to your home and see how the child is doing, how she's being cared for and stuff like that….and then they will submit a petition to the court granting you permanent custody and the case will be closed as far as they are concerned.

Depending on this Miss Wilson's attitude, she may try to convince you that it would better for the child to remain in foster care and for you to terminate your rights so she can be adopted since you had no knowledge of the child before now. However, since the little girl is eight-years-old, you need to be aware of the fact that it would probably be very difficult to find someone willing to adopt a child that old and she could very end up in the foster care system until she turned eighteen.”

“But they can't force me to give up my rights if I decide not to.”

“No, they can't and they can not keep her in foster care any longer then it takes to approve your home for her to go to if you decide to take her.”

“Could they decide not to let me have her because I'm not married or because I'm on probation?”

“You're not being married is something they can't take into consideration in this case. What are you on probation for?”

“Running moonshine.”

“That's not considered a violent offense….so no, they may not like the fact that you're on probation but they can't use that against you either.”

“Thank you for your help. How much do I owe you?” Luke asked feeling that all of his questions and concerns had been addressed.

“Nothing. My initial consultation is free. But if you need any help later on with anything….I'm sure we can work something out.”

“Thanks again. I appreciate it.” Luke said with a grin, shaking Tony's hand firmly. He turned and left the young lawyer's office to head back to the farm. He still had to make a decision and before he could do that, he had to talk to Jesse and the rest of the family first.

When he got back to the farm he found that Bo and Daisy were both home. Daisy was in the kitchen fixing supper when he walked in. The aroma of fried chicken filled the air making Luke's mouth water. Daisy's fried chicken was his favorite. Daisy was the prettiest girl in Hazzard County . She had big blue eyes and shoulder length chestnut colored hair that hung in soft waves. With her long legs and curvaceous figure, she had more beaus than she could shake a finger at. But most guys knew better than to get too fresh with Daisy unless they wanted to tangle with the Duke boys. Or with Daisy with herself. She could throw a pretty right hook. Both boys had made sure that she knew how to fight and to defend herself if she needed to. She smiled warmly at her oldest cousin as he walked into the house.

“You're just in time. Supper's almost ready.” She told him. “How did that appointment go in Atlanta ?”

“I'll…uh…tell you and Bo all about it later.” Luke said with a lopsided grin “Where is Bo?”

“Out in barn with Uncle Jesse. The mare is about ready to foal.”

“I'm gonna wash up.” Luke said, going through the archway and climbing the stairs to the second floor so he could use the bathroom and get cleaned up before supper.

Chapter 5

During supper, the conversation inevitably turned to Luke's appointment that day in Atlanta . Bo and Daisy were both naturally curious as to what it had been about. Luke filled them in on what Miss Wilson had to tell him concerning Vicky and her daughter. Then he filled them all in on what the attorney in town had told him when he got back.

“I can't believe that Vicky never told you she was pregnant.” Daisy said in a surprised voice when Luke had finished explaining everything to them. “How could she do something like that?”

“I agree with, Daisy.” Bo said “You had the right know if she was gonna have your baby.”

“All right you two.” Jesse said “What's done is done and it can't be undone. Vicky did what she felt she had to do no matter what her reasons were for doing it. Right now, Luke needs to make a decision about this little girl if it turns out that he's the father.”

“I don't think there's much doubt about that, Uncle Jesse.” Luke said “Vicky wouldn't lie about something like that.”

“So what are you gonna do, Luke?” Daisy asked “Are you gonna keep her and bring her here to live?”

“I want to….” Luke said making the only decision that he felt he could live with. “But only if that's okay with the rest of you.”

“It's okay with me….I'll be glad another girl around here.” Daisy said with a soft laugh “Even if she is only eight years old.”

“It's the only thing you can do.” Bo said “It's the right thing to do. If she's yours then this is where she belongs.”

“I agree.” Jesse said with a smile “And it'll be kinda nice to have a young'un around here again.”

“Thanks ya'll” Luke said in a grateful voice glad that he had the support of his family but he had never doubted that they would support him no matter what his decision was. “I just hope I can handle becoming a father to an eight year old….especially one that I never knew anything about until now.”

“You'll do fine.” Daisy reassured him. She glanced at her uncle with a grin “I think we all had a pretty good teacher when it comes to that.”

“Yeah…and Uncle Jesse will still be around to help you over the rough spots.” Bo said with a grin. Everyone laughed at Bo's comment but Luke knew that he could depend on Uncle Jesse to help him to learn to be a good father to his daughter.

“You'll be just fine….” Jesse told him. He chuckled “And then you'll find out for yourself why I have all these gray hairs.” They all laughed again.

Finished with their meal, Daisy started clearing the table while the boys went outside to do their evening chores. Once they were alone, Bo looked at his oldest cousin and said, “Are you scared, Luke?”

“Are you kidding? I'm terrified.” Luke admitted ruefully “But it's the only right thing to do. Now that I know about her, I can't just turn my back on her.”

“Hey, what's her name anyway?”

“Tiffany.” Luke answered

“Tiffany.” Bo repeated “That's a pretty name. I guess her last name ain't Duke though is it?”

“I don't know….I guess I'll have to find out….and if it isn't then find out what I have to do to get it changed. If she's a Duke than that's the name she needs to go by.” Luke frowned. He had a feeling this father bit was going to take some getting used to. He was sure glad that he was going to have Jesse's help to rely on.

“Bet Boss won't like finding out there's gonna be another Duke in Hazzard.”

“Probably not….but I don't think he's gonna have to worry about this one causing much trouble for now.” The boys both laughed as they continued with their chores. The next three days passed uneventfully. The call Luke had been expecting came early Friday morning.

“Mr. Duke, this is Miss Wilson at the Department of Human Services.” She said when Jesse handed the receiver to Luke after answering the phone. “I have the results of the DNA testing and I'd like to talk to you about them. Can you meet me in my office at three o'clock this afternoon?”

“Can't you tell me the results now?”

“I'd rather talk to you in person.”

“All right…I'll be there.” Luke said in a resigned voice. He hung up the phone and looked at the anxious faces of his family. “The DNA results are in but she won't tell me anything over the phone. She wants to see me in her office at three o'clock this afternoon.”

“Do you want Bo to go with you?” Jesse asked his oldest nephew

“No, I'd rather go alone.” Luke said, shaking his head. Although he was positive that the tests would show that he was the child's father, he didn't want anyone to accompany him to Atlanta . This was something he needed to do alone.

Three o'clock found him sitting in Miss Wilson's office. She shuffled through some papers on her desk and then said, “The tests show that there is a 99.8 percent probability that you are the child's father.”

“Her name is Tiffany.” Luke said

“Yes, I'm aware of that. Now, if you will just sign the necessary papers….”

“I'm not signing anything.” Luke told her firmly

“Surely you aren't seriously considering taking the child yourself.” Miss Wilson said in a startled voice

“She's my daughter. I'm taking her.” Luke replied, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“Mr. Duke, I wouldn't be doing my job very well if I didn't try to convince you that that may not be such a good idea under the circumstances.”

“What circumstances? That I didn't know that she existed until a few days ago? That wasn't my fault.”

“No, I realize that it wasn't. But we're talking about an eight year old child who doesn't even know who you are.”

“And I don't know who she is so we'll get to know each other together.”

“And I can't get you to chance your mind and reconsider your decision?”

“No and I have talked to a lawyer so I know my legal rights.” Luke told her “She's my daughter and I want custody.”

“Then I'm sure that the lawyer you spoke to told you that we have to do a home investigation first before we can approve the placement.”

“He told me and he also told me that you would have to leave the case open for 6 months before permanent custody would be granted by the court.”

“That's correct. And you're sure you still want to go through with this?”

“I'm sure. Do your investigation so that I can take my daughter home.”

“Fine. I'll send someone to your home Monday. If she approves the placement you can pick up your daughter sometime next week.”

“Thank you.” Luke shoved himself to his feet and started to leave. Miss Wilson's voice stopped him before he reached the door.

“Mr. Duke…” When Luke paused and looked back over his shoulder at her, she smiled and said “For what it's worth….I hope you're making the right decision.”

“I'm making the only decision I can make and still live with myself.” Luke told her as he went on out the door.

Chapter 6

When Luke returned home from Atlanta , Jesse suggested turning a spare room downstairs into a bedroom that could be used for Tiffany when she came to live with them. With Bo's help, Luke moved out the boxes and other miscellaneous items that had been stored in the room. When they had the room cleaned out, Daisy swept and mopped the floor while the boys got down a single bed that was stored in the attic. While the boys were putting the bed together, Daisy found some curtains to hang at the window. She also brought in sheets and blankets for the bed along with a pillow. Jesse remembered that there was an old dresser in the barn that could be used too so the boys brought that in. When they were done, the spare room had been transformed into another bedroom.

Monday morning the woman from the Department of Human Services arrived around noon . She talked to each of the family members and took a tour of the old farmhouse. She made several notes and told the family before she left that she was going to approve the house. Luke would be able to bring Tiffany home with him sometime later that week. Miss Wilson would call within the next day or two with the details. The following afternoon, Miss Wilson called and asked Luke to meet her in her office that Thursday at one o'clock . They would go over some final details and then Luke would be able to pick Tiffany up at her present foster home and take her back to Hazzard with him.

The entire family was anxious and excited about the arrival of the newest member of the Duke clan. When Luke went to Atlanta that Thursday, he took Jesse's pickup and this time Bo went with him for moral support.

When he arrived at Miss Wilson's office, Bo waited in the lobby while Luke went back to her office with her. She smiled as she sat down at her desk. “As you already know, this office will keep an open case on Tiffany for six months. During that time, a case worker will make routine visits to your home to see how things are going. As long as her reports are favorable in six months you will be granted permanent custody of your daughter and at that time, a new birth certificate will also be issued naming you as the father and giving her your last name.” She handed Luke a large manila envelope. “Here is her shot records, her birth certificate, social security card, the results of the DNA tests naming you as the biological father, and your temporary custody papers. I believe her medical records are in there too. The address of the foster home where she is right now is written on the front of the envelope and they are expecting you. Do you have any questions?”

“No, ma'am.” Luke told her shaking his head

“Good luck…I'll be keeping eye on the case and I really do hope it works out. We'd much rather keep a child with a family member if at all possible.”

“Thank you.” Luke said with a smile as he stood up. He reached out to shake her hand and then left her office to go and meet his daughter for the first time.

With only a little difficulty, Luke found the house where Tiffany was currently staying. A woman in her mid-fifties with gray hair and pleasant smile opened the door when he rang the bell. She looked at the two young men standing on her porch and instantly focused her attention on Luke. “You must be Luke.” She said with a warm smile “Tiffany looks just like you. She's out back right now playing with the other children. I thought maybe you would want to load her stuff up first before I go and get her.”

“Thank you, ma'am. That would probably be best.” Luke told her with a grin.

She motioned to two boxes sitting in the front hall. “She doesn't really have a lot the poor thing…..just a few clothes ….she doesn't even have any toys.”

“Well, I'm sure we can fix that.” Bo said with a grin as he picked up one of the boxes and Luke picked up the other one. They carried the boxes out to the truck and put them into the back. Then they returned to the house. Luke shifted nervously from one foot to the other as the older woman went out back to get Tiffany and bring her in. With a smile, Bo put a comforting hand on his older cousin's shoulder and whispered “Relax, cuz…I don't think she bites.”

“If she does…I hope her shots are up to date.” Luke whispered back with a nervous smile.

The older woman came back leading a girl by the hand. Both Luke and Bo were startled to see just how strongly she resembled Luke. She had the same skin coloring, the same color hair and the same sapphire blue eyes. And the same set stubborn set to her jaw that Luke got when he was determined to get his way about something.

“Can't deny that one.” Bo said quietly so that only Luke overheard him “She's a Duke all right.”

“Tiffany, this is your father, Luke.” The older woman said giving the girl a slight shove towards Luke and Bo. Ignoring Luke, she looked at Bo and said,

“Who are you?” she even sounded a lot like Luke with the same slow drawl to her voice.

“I'm your Uncle Bo.” Bo told her with his most charming smile. “I'm your daddy's cousin.”

“Then you're not really my uncle.” She said finally turning her attention to Luke “Can we go now?”

“Yeah….sure.” Luke said taken back by her directness, even though Luke shared the same trait himself.

The three of them walked out to the truck and Luke climbed beneath the wheel. When Bo reached out to take Tiffany's arm to help her into the cab, she shook off his hand and said firmly “I can get in by myself. I don't need any help.” Bo smiled and threw up his hands in mock surrender letting her climb into the cab by herself. This was a feisty one all right just like her daddy. Bo grinned at his older cousin as he climbed into the cab beside Tiffany and closed the door.

The boys tried to include Tiffany in their conversation on the way back to Hazzard but she pretty much ignored them both. She was good at tuning out people when she didn't want to listen to them. And she was in no mood to listen to these two strangers talking about a place she'd never heard of and sure didn't want to go to. She refused to look at either one of them directly, even though she did steal a glance now and then out of the corner of her eye at the man who was supposed to be her father. Like it or not, she had to admit that there was a resemblance. She sure looked more like him than she did her mother. But that didn't mean she had to talk to him or even like him. She listened to them talking about the farm, their cousin Daisy and their Uncle Jesse. Not she cared. If she had her way, she wouldn't be there very long anyway.

She finally saw a sign that read WELCOME TO HAZZARD COUNTY . There was a picture of a fat man in a white suit with a big cigar in his mouth on the sign. She had no idea who he was but she didn't like the looks of him at all. He had phony smile pasted on his face and just looked like he was thinking up a way to cheat you out of something. She leaned back in the seat and wished they'd hurry up and get to wherever they were going. She was tired of riding in this old truck. It smelled funny but then she realized it wasn't the truck that smelled funny, it was the air. It sure didn't smell like the air in Atlanta . She wrinkled up her nose in distaste and hoped that nobody noticed.

Finally, the truck turned off the main highway onto a dirt road. God, they must live out in the middle of no where. It was another ten minutes before the truck finally turned into a driveway beside a two story frame house that looked as if a good wind would blow it down. Tiffany's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the two other vehicles parked in the barnyard behind the house. A bright orange car with a big 01 on the door and a confederate flag on the roof and white jeep with a golden eagle emblem on the hood and the name Dixie written in elaborate script on each side of the Eagle. Tiffany found herself wondering who the vehicles belonged to. As Luke parked the truck beside the jeep and turned off the engine, she braced herself to meet the rest of the family.

Chapter 7

Jesse and Daisy both looked up anxiously when the back door opened and the two boys came into the house along with Tiffany. They were both surprised too when they saw the strong resemblance to Luke. There was doubt in their minds that she was his daughter. Jesse wondered if he was the only one who noticed the fire and the defiance in her eyes. If she was a stubborn as her father, this could turn out to be a difficult adjustment for all of them.

“Hi, honey.” Daisy said with a warm welcoming smile. “I'm your Aunt Daisy.”

“Are you another cousin?” Tiffany asked looking at the pretty brunette curiously.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am.”

“Then you're not really my aunt.” She said making the same response that she had made to Bo when he called himself Uncle Bo.

“No, but there's nothing wrong with calling me that.” Daisy said without taking offense at her comment. “We all grew up together so your Dad is just like my big brother.”

“And I'm your Uncle Jesse.” Jesse told her with a smile. “And I am your dad's uncle so that makes me your great Uncle.” He added with a chuckle.

“I just made some cookies.” Daisy told her “Would like some and a glass of milk?”

Tiffany nodded shyly and sat down at the table. Luke turned and got a glass out of the cabinet. He walked around the table to the refrigerator and poured a glass of milk while Daisy sat a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table. Bo grinned and helped himself to a couple of cookies and handed two to Tiffany with a wink. Luke sat the glass of milk down on the table in front of her. She took a sip of the milk and made a face. “It tastes funny.” She said

“It's not the same kind of milk you buy in the store.” Jesse told her “It's from our cow, Bessie. You'll get used to it. Drink up.”

“You have your own cow?” she asked with a giggle as she took a bite of her cookie.

“You bet.” Bo told her “And a couple of pigs, some goats, and chickens too.”

“And a mule, a draft horse and a mare that just had a baby.” Jesse told her “Luke can show you if you want.”

“Maybe later.” Tiffany said hastily. She still wasn't comfortable with the idea of being alone with the man who she'd been told was her father. It was bad enough that she had to come here to live with a bunch of strangers in the middle of nowhere. She looked at Luke, her eyes narrowing with an expression on her face that looked so much like Luke that Bo had to hide his grin. “What am I suppose to call you?”

Luke looked surprised by the question. He really hadn't given it much thought. “Uh…whatever you feel comfortable calling me I guess.” He said hoping that was the right answer. He didn't want to force her to call him dad unless she wanted to and until she was ready to. He still wasn't sure that he was ready himself to hear her call him Dad. She simply nodded accepting his answer without comment.

While Tiffany was finishing her snack, Bo and Luke got her boxes out of the truck and took them into the bedroom that they'd made up for her. Sitting them down on the bed, they went back into the kitchen. Luke realized that this whole situation was going to take some getting used to. They were all felt awkward with Tiffany and she obviously felt just as awkward with them.

When she had finished her cookies, Daisy volunteered to help her to put her things away and she nodded, standing up and going with Daisy into the room that would be her bedroom. A few minutes later, Luke was relieved to hear her laugh for the first time since she had arrived. He grabbed a cup and poured himself a cup of coffee, sitting down at the table.

“How'd things go on the way here from Atlanta ?” Jesse asked the boys, keeping his voice low so that he wouldn't be overheard by Tiffany.

“She wouldn't even talk to us.” Bo told him “I don't think she's real happy about this whole idea.”

“She's just scared.” Jesse said “Just give her a little time to get used to all of us….especially Luke.”

“I didn't think it'd be this hard.” Luke admitted “I don't know what to say to her or if I should even say anything.”

“I'd let her be the one to ask the questions when she's ready too.” Jesse advised “And I'm sure she'll have plenty.”

“I wasn't sure what to say when she asked me what she should call me….” Luke said “I mean….I don't wanna make her call me Dad unless she wants to.”

“I think you handled it alright.” Jesse reassured him “I don't think she's ready to call you dad yet either. She needs to get to know you first.…..she needs to get to know all of us.” He shoved himself to his feet to get himself a cup of coffee “And don't forget, she's still grieving for her mother.” He added “It's only been a couple of months and her whole lives been turned around. Something like that would be hard enough for an adult to handle and she's just a little girl.”

“Dang it….” Luke said “I left that envelope in the truck. I'll be right back.” He went outside and grabbed the manila envelope that Miss Wilson had given him containing the various documents relating to Tiffany. He walked back into the house and sat back down at the table.

“What's that?” Bo asked

“Her birth certificate, the results of the DNA tests, temporary custody papers…stuff like that.” Luke told him

“You'll need that to get her registered for school.” Jesse reminded him “You best plan on doing that tomorrow. The sooner you get her back into a normal routine the better.” Luke nodded absently. That was another detail he hadn't thought about. He was finding out in a hurry that there were a lot of little details he hadn't thought about when it came to being a parent. He wondered how you were supposed to remember everything. To Uncle Jesse it all seemed to just be second nature. Luke wondered if he would ever feel that confident when it came to being a parent. He smiled to himself as he reminded himself that most parents didn't start out with an eight year old.

He opened the envelope and pulled out the various papers and documents it contained. Jesse helped him look through them, sorting out the ones he would need to get her registered for school. He put her birth certificate, the temporary custody papers, her social security card, her shot records and her records from her previous school in Atlanta in a separate pile. Those were the ones he would have to take with him in the morning.

He glanced through the remaining papers and documents and found her medical records from a doctor in Atlanta, her dental records from a dentist in Atlanta, and another letter from Vicky that carefully listed out her favorite foods, what kind of things she liked and didn't like, the kind of activities she liked, and some of her habits, both good and bad. Luke couldn't help smiling as he read the detailed information that Vicky had provided. It would help save time getting to know some things about his daughter. He chuckled when he read what Vicky had written about her being stubborn with a quick temper and how she tended to keep things to herself and not talk about her feelings. Those were all traits that Luke himself possessed. When he had finished reading the letter from Vicky, he passed it over to Jesse for him to read. Jesse smiled too when he read it and realized just how much his daughter sounded like Luke. There was denying that the child had Duke blood running through her veins.

Chapter 8

By early evening it was apparent that Tiffany was getting tired. When Daisy suggested a warm bath and then bed, she nodded shyly and followed Daisy upstairs to the bathroom. She hadn't said much to the male members of the Duke clan all evening but she seemed to be getting along well with Daisy. Luke was glad she seemed to be at least getting along with one member of the family. She wouldn't even talk to him.

When she came back downstairs dressed in an oversized tee shirt she went straight to her bedroom and crawled into bed. After a moment's hesitation, Luke walked over to the doorway and knocked lightly on the doorframe. Tiffany looked at him with those eyes that looked just like his own but didn't say anything. Luke smiled and said,

“I just wanted to say good night and tell ya that I'm glad you're here.”

“Whatever.” Tiffany said, rolling over on her side so that her back was to him. Luke exhaled deeply and blew it out slowly. She wasn't going to make this easy that was obvious. Sighing softly, he walked back into the living room and slumped down on the sofa, stretching his legs out in front of him.

“Still not being very friendly to ya?” Jesse asked with a knowing look at his oldest nephew.

“Nope.” Luke told him flatly. “I'm the last person she wants to talk to.” He looked at his Uncle and said it before Jesse could “I know….she just needs some time.”

“I remember when you first came here. You didn't exactly wanna be here either.” Jesse told him “You did nothing but cry for four days straight. Didn't want me coming anywhere near ya. The only one you'd let touch ya was Martha.”

“I have a feeling it might take a lot longer than four days for her to warm up to me.”

“It'll be okay, sugar...” Daisy said crossing over to the couch and giving Luke a comforting hug “You'll see….she just has to get used to the idea of having a daddy.”

“And a home here with us.” Bo added with an encouraging smile.

“I suppose.” Luke said “Excuse me, ya'll.” He shoved himself off the coach and walked out onto the front porch. Bo started to follow him until Jesse caught his eye and shook his head slightly.

“Best let him be for awhile.” Jesse told Bo quietly “There's some things a man's gotta work out for himself.”

“Yes, sir.” Bo said reluctantly returning to his chair.

Luke sat down on the porch swing, the wood creaking under his weight. He stared out at the horizon listening to the gentle sounds of the night. He wondered if he was really ready to be an instant father overnight. It might be a little easier if she'd at least make an effort to talk to him. He decided to give it a couple of more days and if she didn't start coming around, then he'd have to figure out some way to get through to her. After all how hard could it be to get an eight year old girl to like him?

The next morning, Luke gathered up the documents he needed to register Tiffany for school. After breakfast, Tiffany reluctantly followed Luke outside to head into Hazzard. She looked at him with a strange expression on her face when he walked over to the General Lee. Before she could protest, he picked her up in his arms and slid her into the orange stock car through the window. As she settled down into the seat, he slid across the hood of the car and climbed in under the wheel.

“Is this your car?” Tiffany asked as Luke turned on the ignition and the powerful engine roared to life.

“It belongs to me and Bo both.” Luke told her, hoping they were at least going to have some kind of conversation on the way into town.

“What'd you climb in through the window?”

“Cause it's a race car. The doors are welded shut.” He explained with a grin

“You race this thing?” Tiffany asked starting to show some interest.

“Every chance we get.” Luke said with a grin “And don't insult the General by calling him a thing.”

“The General?”

“That's his name, darling. The General Lee.” He looked at her with laughter in his eyes. “General, meet Tiffany. Tiffany, meet the General Lee.”

“Nice to meet ya, General.” She said with a giggle as she reached out to pat the dashboard. Luke smiled. At least she seemed to be talking to him this morning. Suddenly, her eyes darkened and she looked at Luke with a pout. “Why do I have to go back to school today?”

“Because you have to be in school. It's the law.” Luke told her patiently.

“Well, why can't I wait a couple of days?”

“Because the sooner you're back in school the better.”

That ended their conversation. Tiffany stared out of the window, ignoring him the rest of the way into town. It was obvious that she had more than little of that Duke stubbornness in her. Luke managed to get her registered in school without any trouble even though the principal was surprised to find out that she was his daughter. Luke knew that by the end of the day it would be all over Hazzard that Luke Duke suddenly had an eight year old daughter.

When Luke picked Tiffany up from school at three o'clock , she was pouting when she got in the car. “How was your day?” he asked

“It was terrible….I don't wanna go to this stupid school.”

“It's the only school in Hazzard so you don't have any choice.” Luke told her “It's only your first day….it'll get better.”

“How would you know?”

“Because I went to that school too and so did your mom.”

At the mention of her mother, she looked at him and her eyes turned the same icy blue that his did when he was angry. “Don't you talk about my mom!”

“Maybe we should.” Luke told her with a sigh, trying to be patient “We're gonna have to sooner or later.”

“I don't have to talk to you about nothing.” She hissed, turning to stare out of her window again.

“Okay, you don't have to talk to me if you don't want to.” Luke said trying to keep his voice calm “But you won't use that tone of voice with me either. Is that clear?”

“Yeah, whatever.” She snapped falling into a sullen silence the rest of the way home.

Luke struggled to keep his temper in check, reminding himself that she had been through a lot in the past two months and still needed time to adjust to being with him. But regardless, she was still a child and he was an adult and her father. It was quickly becoming obvious that one of the first lessons she was going to have to learn was about respect. So far they were not getting off to a good start. It was time to lay down the rules.

When they got back to the farm, Tiffany ran into the house and went to her room, slamming the door. Jesse looked up at Luke with a questioning glance when he came into the house. “It's okay,” Luke told him “I'm taking care of it right now.”

Luke went to her bedroom and knocked on the door lightly. When she didn't answer, he opened the door and stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Tiffany was lying face down on the bed with her face buried in the pillow. Taking a deep breath, Luke said his peace,

“Alright, I think we need to get some things straight. You're here because I want you here, no matter what you think. I don't know what your mother told you about me or about us….we can talk about that when you're ready to. But there are some rules in this house that you're gonna have obey and one of them is that you will respect your elders. And another one is that you won't go around slamming doors just because you're mad or upset. And if I catch you talking to Uncle Jesse, Bo or Daisy the way you talked to me on the way home, then you will be punished. Is that clear?”

“Yes.” Tiffany said in a muffled voice refusing to look at him.

“I think you need to stay in here for awhile and think about what I said. Daisy can come and get you when she's ready to start supper. That's gonna be one of your chores.”

“Chores!” Tiffany said, turning her head to glare at him. “Why do I have to do chores?”

“Because all of us have chores to do and that includes you. You can help Daisy in the kitchen and with anything else she needs you to help her with. You can also water the animals in mornings and in the evenings.” Luke told her firmly. Without giving her time to answer back, he tuned and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Walking into the kitchen he slumped down at the kitchen table and looked at his Uncle with a thin smile “I see what you mean about those gray hairs.”

“Welcome to fatherhood.” Jesse told him with a soft chuckle.

“Does it ever get any easier?”

“No, the problems just get bigger and usually involve bail money.” Jesse said, ignoring the dirty look his oldest nephew threw in his direction at his comment.

Chapter 9

Supper was a strained affair with Tiffany being pleasant and talking to everyone but Luke. All of her anger seemed to be directed towards him and it was already starting to wear on his nerves. Jesse noticed but chose not to say anything about it just yet. This was something Luke was going have to work out by himself with his daughter. But from Jesse could see so far, they were so much alike that it was going to be an on going battle between the two of them until Luke figured out how to get the upper hand. And the first step was getting her to talk to him about how she felt about the whole situation. But since they both had the tendency to keep their feeling locked away and not open up that easily, that could be challenge.

After supper the boys went outside to do their evening chores while Tiffany helped Daisy clear the table and wash the dishes. Daisy felt sorry for Luke. He was trying but this was hard on him, especially when Tiffany didn't seem to want to have anything to do with him. She felt that she had to speak up on her oldest cousin's behalf “You know, Tiffany, your dad is trying really hard….why don't you try to cut him some slack?”

“Why? I didn't ask to come here.” Tiffany said with a hint of defiance in her voice

“No…but if Luke hadn't taken you, then you'd have stayed in foster care. Is that what you wanted?”

“What difference would it make? One place is the same as another.”

“The difference is that we're your family and we want you here with us.”

“My mom was my family and we did just fine by ourselves until she died.”

“I'm sure you did. But she did die and we're your family now. Give your dad a chance. You owe him that much.”

“ I don't owe him nothing.”

“You owe him respect because he is your father.” Daisy told her “And he's my cousin and I won't let you disrespect him when I'm around. Do we understand each other?”

“Yes….” Tiffany said with a sigh.

“Then start showing him some respect and give him a break. He doesn't wanna fight with you all the time. Will you at least try?”

“Okay…I'll try….” She said reluctantly. Like any Duke, she didn't like to be told that she had to do something. But she liked Daisy and didn't want to make her mad so maybe she should try to be nicer to her dad.

After the evening chores were done, Daisy did some mending and Jesse read the newspaper. Tiffany asked if she could watch TV and Luke told her that she could until bedtime but only the family channel. The boys became involved in a game of checkers which Luke easily won so they decided on the best two out of three. Although Tiffany acted like she was watching TV, she was actually watching and listening to the normal family activities going on around her. She had often been lonely living with her mom and spent a lot of time by herself because her mom worked two jobs. She didn't know how to be part of a family like the Dukes. She envied them. Even though she knew that she was supposed to be part of their family now, she still felt awkward and out of place. And she felt like the only reason she was here was because Luke felt that he had to take her once he found out about her.

Her mother had never told her about her father and even when she asked about him, her mom would refuse to talk about him. And now she found herself wondering why. He seemed nice enough. Even he was laying down rules and talking about punishing her, he wasn't mean about it. And Tiffany knew mean. Some of her mom's boyfriends through the years hadn't been very nice. Maybe she could give this family thing a chance. At nine o'clock , Luke told her it was time to get ready for bed. He insisted that she tell everyone good night which she did but only because he told her to.

After Tiffany had gone to bed, Luke slipped out to the front porch for a breath of fresh air. He glanced over his shoulder as the screen door opened and Daisy came out on the porch to stand beside him. Smiling at him, she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

“It's gonna be okay, Luke. She'll come around.” She reassured him “She just needs some time.”

“Yeah, I know. That's what I keep telling myself.”

“I don't think Vicky ever told her anything about you.”

“Did she say that?”

“No, it's just a feeling I have.” Daisy told him

“I'm trying, Daisy…”

“I know you are, sugar….and believe it or not, you're doing a good job. It may not seem like it right now…but you are.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Luke told her with that crooked smile that she loved. “It's a lot harder than I thought.”

“Well, most people have a lot of practice being a parent by the time their kids are eight. You never had that chance.”

“I guess we were all pretty lucky when our folks died….we had Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha.”

“And we had each other.” Daisy reminded him “She's never had anybody up till now except her mom.”

“I'm gonna have to talk to her about her mom.”

“I'd wait for her to bring that subject up.” Daisy advised “That's still a pretty touchy area.”

“Yeah, I know.” Luke said “All I did earlier today was say that me and her mom both went to the school together and it almost started a fight.”

“I'm going in. You coming?”

“Naw, I think I'm gonna talk a little walk before I turn in.” Luke told her

“Okay. See you in the morning.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and disappeared back into the house.

Luke listened to the screen door shutting softly behind her and then stepped down from the porch. He walked around the house to the barnyard and then started following the worn path that led around the side of the barn and towards the back of the Duke property. He did his best thinking at this time of night, walking by himself in the dark. He'd made some of the most important decisions of his life doing just what he was doing right now. In just a matter of a few days, his life had been changed dramatically and he felt like he was still trying to play catch up. He was glad that he had the support of his family and the wisdom of Uncle Jesse to help get him through this. He knew that he couldn't do it alone. Even though he knew that there were certain things involving his relationship with his daughter that he was going to have to do on his own. And getting her to talk to him without arguing or having an attitude was one of them. He walked for almost an hour lost in his own thoughts before heading back towards the farm and his bed. Tomorrow was another day. Maybe it would be better than today.

Chapter 10

Tiffany lifted the bucket of water and poured it over the fence into the water tank for the livestock. She didn't mind the chores inside the house but she hated the outside chores. The new colt came up to the fence and pushed her nose through the railings to be petted. Tiffany gently rubbed the velvety nose, giggling as the colt tried to nibble at her fingers.

“She's looking for sugar.” Luke's voice said from behind her. Tiffany looked over her shoulder at her father. He smiled and pulled a cube of sugar out of his shirt pocket. “Hold palm out flat.” He told her. She did as he said and he put the sugar cube in her hand and showed her how to give the sugar cube to the colt. She laughed as the animal's muzzle tickled her hand.

“What's her name?” she asked

“She doesn't have one yet. Why don't you name her?”

“Can I?”

“Sure. As a matter of fact, you can be responsible for taking care of her.”

“I can?”

“Yes. Then when she's old enough, I'll teach you how to ride her.”

“How soon will that be?”

“Not for awhile…she's still just a baby.” Luke told her with a grin. As the colt's mother came up to the fence to check on her baby, Luke took another cube of sugar out of his pocket and gave it to Tiffany to feed to the mare. “Make sure and keep your hand flat or she could nip ya.”

“What's her name?”

“ Midnight .” Luke smiled as an idea suddenly occurred to him since Tiffany seemed to like the horses. “Would you like to go for a ride?”

“Could I?” Tiffany asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Sure.” Luke told her “Come on.” She followed him into the barn where he took the big draft horse out of his stall. “This is Charlie.” He told her “Me and Uncle Bo used to ride him all the time when we were kids.” Luke patted the big horse's neck and then picked Tiffany up putting her on his broad back. “Just hang on tight to his mane.” He told her. He watched as she grabbed two handfuls of the horse's mane and held on tightly. She looked comfortable without any sign of being afraid. Luke had a feeling that they had found at least one thing they could agree about. Luke loved the horses and was an excellent rider. Once he was sure Tiffany was securely settled on the horse's back and holding on, he grabbed the halter and led Charlie out of the barn. He opened the gate to the pasture and led Charlie inside so that he could lead him around the field.

Daisy happened to glance out of the kitchen window in time to see Luke leading Charlie into the pasture with Tiffany sitting on his broad back. She smiled happily. It looked like Luke and his daughter had at least found something they could do together without arguing. Tiffany had been at the farm for almost a week. She was starting to relax more but she still avoided talking to Luke any more than she had to. Daisy knew that it bothered Luke but he was willing to give Tiffany as much time as she needed to warm up to him. Maybe a mutual interest in the horses would do the trick.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work out that way. Ten minutes later, Tiffany climbed over the gate to the corral and came running into the house. She ran past Daisy and into her room, slamming the door behind her. Five minutes later, Daisy saw Luke leading Charlie through the gate and into the barn. He put Charlie in his stall and then came into the house. Daisy looked at Luke questioningly as he sat down at the kitchen table, obviously upset.

“What happened now?” Daisy asked, pouring him a cup of coffee and sitting the cup on the table in front of him.

“All I did was tell her that she couldn't ride any of the horses unless someone was with her.” Luke said “And she got mad at me for telling her what she could and couldn't do.”

“Well don't beat yourself up over it. She has to learn that she can't always do what she wants and that the rules are there for a reason.” Daisy told him “Do you want me to talk to her?”

“No…I'll take care of it. I just need a few minutes to myself first.” Luke said. He finished his coffee and then crossed the living room to Tiffany's room. Knocking lightly on the door, he opened it and went inside. Tiffany was sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up against her chest, sulking.

“No shoes on the bed.” Luke told her automatically. Giving him a dirty look, she pulled off her shoes and threw them on the floor beside the bed. “Come off the attitude, young lady.” He said “We already had a talk about respect. Didn't we?”

“Yeah…” she muttered

“Yes, sir.” Luke corrected her

“Yes, sir.” She repeated sullenly.

“Just because I tell you that you can't do something, doesn't give you the right to yell and take off running. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I think you need to stay in your room until supper time.”

She looked at him like she was going to say something but then changed her mind. Tilting her chin defiantly, she said “Yes, sir.”

Luke sighed as he turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. As he walked back into the kitchen, Daisy looked at him and said,

“Is everything okay?”

“Other than an eight year old that's mad at me right now…. yeah.” Luke muttered

“Don't worry. She'll get over it. We always did.”

“And I'm beginning to wonder who's gonna break first….me or her.”

“Oh, I'm betting that you win in the end.” Daisy said with a grin “You've had more practice at being stubborn than she has.” Luke couldn't help but laugh which was exactly what Daisy was hoping he'd do. He needed to lighten up a little and stop being so hard on himself.

Chapter 11

Tiffany laughed as Bo stomped on the accelerator and pushed the General Lee up to ninety. In true Duke fashion she loved it. The faster the better. Since Luke was busy that morning helping Uncle Jesse with a cow that was having trouble delivering a calf. Bo had volunteered to drive her to school.

“I don't see why I have to go to this dumb school anyway.” Tiffany said “Especially on a day as pretty as it is today.”

“I know how you feel, kiddo.” Bo told her “I used to feel the same way on days like today.” He looked at her a grinned “Your dad and me used to play hooky so we could go fishing till we got caught and Uncle Jesse tanned our butts good for it.”

“You and my dad played hooky?”

“Every chance we got…” Bo admitted with a chuckle. “But don't you go getting no ideas or your dad will be tanning my hide.”

“I won't tell. I promise.” She said with a giggle. She liked Bo and she liked Daisy. She liked Uncle Jesse, and even though she hated to admit it, she liked her dad too. She just didn't feel comfortable around him and wasn't real sure why. Maybe it was just because he was her dad. The idea of even having a dad still seemed foreign to her.

When school got out for the day, she was disappointed to see that it was Luke behind the wheel of the General Lee and not Bo. She'd been kind of hoping that Bo would be the one to pick her up. As she climbed into the car, Luke smiled at her and said,

“How was your day?”

“Same as usual. It was school…nothing much changes.” She said. Then she stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye “Except I did kinda get into a fight…..”

“You got into a fight?” Luke said looking at her closely “With who?”

“With another kid…who else?”

“Okay…what did you get into a fight about?”

“Something stupid…..can we go home now?” she said in an annoyed voice, waiting for him to start the car.

“Am I going to get a call about this from the principal?'

“No…..” she said. She hesitated and then said “I got a note for you from the principal.”

“Give it to me.”

“I knew you were gonna say that.” She said. She reached into her book bag and pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it to him. Luke tore it open and read it, his eyes widening in surprise. “This says you got suspended for three days for pulling a fire alarm…it doesn't say anything about a fight.” Luke said with a confused frown.

“Oh….well, maybe you will be getting a phone call about that then.” She told him

“Young lady, you are grounded for the next three days. No TV and you will have extra chores to do.” Luke said in an irritated voice

“That's not fair.”

“You wanna try for a week?” He told her in a warning tone.

“No.” she said sullenly, folding her arms across her chest and staring out of the window.

They made the drive home in silence. When they reached the farm, she went inside ahead of Luke and to her room. When Luke went into the house, Jesse, Bo and Daisy were all sitting in the kitchen. Jesse looked at Luke and said “What happened this time?”

“She got suspended for three days for pulling a fire alarm.” Luke said in a frustrated voice “And apparently got into a fight so I'll probably be hearing about that sooner or later.”

Daisy tired to hide a laugh but was only partially successful. Luke threw her a dirty look and said, “It's not funny.”

“It seems that I remember you and Bo getting suspended a couple of times for pulling the fire alarm.” Daisy reminded him with a giggle

“But we weren't eight years old.” Luke said somewhat defensively.

“No, the first time you did it…Bo was eight and you were twelve….you were old enough to know better.” Jesse reminded him with a chuckle

“So what did you do to her?” Bo asked with a grin

“I grounded her for three days. No TV and extra chores.”

“Spoken like a born father.” Bo said doing his best to hide a smile. He ignored the dirty look he received from his older cousin.

“All right….” Jesse said in a mildly but with a clear warning in his voice . “Knock it off.”

When Daisy started to fix supper, she went to Tiffany's room to get her so that she could help. Opening the door, she looked inside and yelled into the kitchen “Hey ya'll…Tiffany's gone!”

Everyone came running to see for themselves that she wasn't in the room.

“Come on” Jesse said “She couldn't have gotten that far. She doesn't even know her way around very well yet.”

“I'll check the main road.” Daisy said

“And I'll check the barn and around here.” Jesse said

“I'll take the General and check the back road.” Bo suggested

“And I'll check the woods” Luke said

Once they had decided who was going to check where, everyone hurried out of the house to begin their assigned search for the missing eight year old girl.

Chapter 12

Luke slowly made his way through the woods surrounding the Duke farm. He paused every few minutes to yell Tiffany's name. He knew that Bo had taken her to the pond hidden in these woods deep on Duke land so he thought that she might have gone there. But when he arrived at the pond, there was no sight of his daughter. Cupping his hands around his mouth so that his voice would carry farther, he yelled her name again. Still no answer. Slowly, he made his way deeper into the woods.

He searched for almost two hours with no success, finally he decided to head back to the farm to see if anyone else had had any luck. As he walked through the woods, he continued to call her name. He was about half a mile from the farm, when he thought he heard someone calling in the distance off to his right. Pausing, he listened intently. Then he distinctly heard the cry “Help!” He hurried in the direction of the sound, yelling Tiffany's name. As the cry for help became louder, he slowed down trying to figure out where it was coming from.

Suddenly, he remembered that he was on the section of Duke land that passed over top the old Rainbow mine, a coal mine that had been deserted for years. There were underground tunnels and shafts all over the place. Some of those shafts were covered only by overgrown weeds and rotten out boards. Tiffany could easily have fallen into one of the old shafts or tunnels. He started looking on the ground and it didn't take him long to find exactly what he was looking for. The entrance to a hidden shaft with rotten boards covered the hole. And the boards were caved in. Dropping to the ground on his stomach, he peered over the edge of the hole and down into the shaft. It was too dark to see too far down but he could sense a movement at the bottom of the shaft.

“Tiffany?” he said loudly

“I'm down here. Help me…I'm scared…” the child's frightened voice drifted up out of the shaft.

“Hang on, Darling…” Luke told her reassuringly “I'm coming down there with you. Are you hurt?”

“I hurt my ankle when I fell” she called back up to him, the tears sounding plainly in her voice.

From the sound of her voice, Luke estimated the shaft to be approximately 12 to 15 feet deep. If he could lower himself over the edge without falling himself, then he would only have to drop about six to nine feet. He hoped he wasn't wrong. If it was any deeper than that he could break something himself when he landed. Slowly he began lowering himself over the edge, keeping himself from falling by bracing his arms against what was left of the boards that had covered the hole. After several long minutes, he was hanging over the edge, holding on by his fingertips to the rotted boards above him. Taking a deep breath and hoping for the best, he called down into the shaft “Watch yourself, I'm coming down.” With that he let go and let himself drop into the shaft.

He landed with a thud, losing his balance and falling on his butt. He could hear Tiffany's soft crying somewhere just to his left. “It's all right, honey…” he told her as he dug his lighter out of his pocket and lit it “I'm right here.” He saw Tiffany crouched against the wall just a few feet away. Slowly he scooted over towards her until he was sitting right beside her. He had to let the lighter go out because it was getting too hot to hold. Stuffing it back in his shirt pocket where he could find it again if he needed it, he reached out in the darkness and gently put his arms around Tiffany, pulling the frightened child close to him in a comforting embrace.

“Shhhh…” he whispered soothingly “It's okay….I'm here now….”

“I'm sorry I ran away….” Tiffany whimpered, laying her head against his chest as she crawled into his lap.

“We can talk about all that when we get you back home.” Luke told her, shifting his position slightly so that they were both more comfortable.

“How are we gonna get outta here?”

“We'll just have to wait until Bo and Uncle Jesse find us.”

“How are they gonna find us?”

“Because they know where I was looking for you at so when I don't come back to the farm, they'd come looking for me.”

“I'm scared….”

“I know…..but I'm here now…so you don't have to be scared anymore.”

“I'm sorry I've been so mean to you.”

“It's okay….it hasn't easy for any of us….and this being a daddy is all new to me.” Luke said quietly. For the first time since Tiffany had come to the farm, Luke felt like they might actually be making a connection with each other.

“Did you love my mommy?'

Luke paused before answering. He didn't want to lie to her but he didn't want to upset her either by telling her no. Finally, he simply said “We thought we were at the time.”

“Why didn't you get married?”

“Because I left to go to Marines and your mama left Hazzard. She never told me about you…..she never told anybody about you.”

“Why not?”

“I don't know….I guess she had her reasons.”

“She never told me about you. Whenever I'd ask she tell me I didn't need to know till I was older.” A tiny sob escaped her throat “I miss my mama….”

“I know you do, honey.”

“How do you know?”

“Cause I lost my mama and my daddy when I was real little too.” Luke told her

“How old were you?” she asked with a sudden spike of interest.

“Four. That's when I came to live with Uncle Jesse.”

“Do you remember them?”

“No…..not really….”

“What about Uncle Bo and Aunt Daisy?”

“Bo's mommy and daddy died when he was just a baby and Daisy was real young too when she came to live with Uncle Jesse.”

Tiffany snuggled up closer. She liked being in his arms, it made her feel safe and protected. She could smell the scent of his aftershave and another unique scent that was his alone. From that day forward, she would always associate certain scents with images and memories of her father. She let her eyes close as she felt herself drifting off to sleep. Luke heard the change in her breathing and knew that she had fallen asleep. He leaned his head back against the stone wall behind his head and closed his own eyes, still alert and awake, simply resting and waiting.

Finally, he heard the shouts in the distance. He waited until the voices were closer before yelling back. A few moments later, Bo's voice yelled down from the top of the shaft “Luke? You down there?”

“Yeah…Tiffany's here too. You're gonna have to lower a rope or something to get us outta here.”

“Hang on, cuz….we'll have the two of you out of there in no time.”

“Uncle Bo?” Tiffany murmured sleepily, her voice muffled against Luke's chest.

“Yeah, baby…it's Uncle Bo.” Luke told her soothingly. “We'll be out of here in no time.”

Ten minutes later, Bo dropped a heavy rope down the shaft to Luke. Tiffany tightened her grip around his neck when he tried to put her down, refusing to let go. So, he held her weight in one arm, while he used his other hand to tie the rope around them both so that Bo could pull them back up and out of the shaft. “Okay, Bo!” he yelled up when he was finished “Pull us up.”

It took awhile, but finally they were out of the shaft and back on solid ground. When Uncle Jesse tried to take Tiffany out of Luke's arms, she shook her head and held on tightly “No, I wanna stay with Daddy.” She whimpered. Luke smiled at his cousin and his Uncle in surprise when Tiffany called him Daddy for the first time.

“It's okay, sugar.” He whispered against her hair “Let's go home.”

When they got her back to the house, Jesse called Doc Applebee who came out to the farm. After checking Tiffany over, he reported that she had a badly sprained ankle and some bruises but other than that she was uninjured. Luke sat with her until she finally went back to sleep, then rejoined the rest of his family in the other room.

“I think everything is gonna be okay now.” Jesse said with a smile

“So do I.” Luke agreed with a grin, relieved that he finally seemed to be making some headway with his daughter.

Over the next few weeks, Luke and his daughter did get close and Tiffany opened up more to the entire family. She became a happy, well behaved child who listened and soon fit into the family like a true Duke. And Hazzard County had to learn to live with a Duke in town.