Author's Note: Here it is, the long awaited final chapter. Thanks to all who review! I have two other stories ready to post, but I can't promise anything until after August...stuff is just too busy.
This chapter was extremely difficult to write...it was really hard to tie up all the loose ends. I apologize for any mistakes in plot...this thing took several weeks of on and off writing to get out, and sometimes my proofreading isn't up to par. It's been a long ride, but I'm very proud of this story and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Now without further ado...
Chapter 14: Easier on the Soul
Luke felt bad about their argument. It was stupid, of course. Bo was always one to speak his mind; if he thought something was funny, he laughed. It was just that this time, (and many times before) the butt of the joke happened to hit a nerve with his older cousin. Luke never liked to kid around where girls were concerned. Relationships were serious stuff to him, and not something to take lightly. Bo on the other hand was a jester at heart, and had a sense of humor that both charmed and repulsed the opposite sex. While all of Luke's relationships had lasted for months or more, Bo's 'flings' usually only lasted a week or so, and ended with some angry papa chasing him through a cotton field with a shotgun in hand.
But this thing with Cindy and Nancy Jane, this was serious, and Luke wasn't in the mood for jokes. So he got angry. And now he and Bo weren't talking.
Bo drove in silence, staring out the windshield with a set jaw and eyebrows furrowed in the familiar manner Luke recognized him having whenever he was mad. Luke slumped low in the passenger seat, lazily watching the scenery fly by, and wondering why he had such an uneasy feeling in his gut. He'd had many fights with Bo before, whether it be over girls, games, or whose turn it was to muck out Maudine's stall. But he'd only ever got this kind of feeling when they were in imminent danger. It was something he'd picked up during the War, a sort of sixth sense. Sometimes Luke swore that he could smell trouble coming. And right now the air reeked.
"You gonna stay here?" Bo asked curtly. Luke hadn't realized they'd stopped. He leaned forward, looking about. They had parked in the middle of the cemetery road, surrounded by weathered tombstones on either side. Not a car nor a person was in sight as far as Luke could see. Maybe his gut feeling was wrong...
"Well?" Bo prompted impatiently.
"Naw, you go ahead, I think I'll stay here," Luke said, waving with his hand. If there was trouble coming, Luke figured he'd have a better view of it from the car.
"Suit yourself." As Bo slid out of the driver side window, Luke realized he was still angry with him, or at least he thought Luke was being mean when he didn't offer to go. But the younger boy was already stalking off through the graveyard before Luke had a chance to explain himself.
From his view in the General, Luke could clearly see Bo's back as he searched for the right grave marker less than thirty yards away. Something still didn't feel right...
A shadow suddenly fell over him, blocking the sun. As he turned his head to see who or what stood behind him a blunt object struck him in the head, and he fell back on the seat, stunned and fighting blackness.
Balladeer: Ya know, it's a wonder that boy can think straight after all the times he's got hit in the head. I'm bound to feel a mite sorry for him. Somethin' tells me Bo ain't much better off, though.
It was Tom that stood over him, a piece of slate rock from a tombstone in his fist. He pulled a line of sturdy rope from his back pocket and swiftly tied Luke's hands up and behind him to the roll bar behind the passenger seat. He looked up and grinned as his part of the plan was accomplished. Now it was up to Jake...
Bo had never minded visiting cemeteries. There was a certain peace about it (in the daytime), all the tombstones with the names of the quietly resting dead. Couples buried together, whole families even listed on one big slab of stone—forever a testament to their unity and love. That was how Bo preferred to picture death—all of his family and him being together in heaven someday.
His mind wandered back to a church service where the pastor was describing heaven as a place where there was "no crying, no sickness, and no pain". Bo smiled as he leaned down next to Robbie's grave. He didn't know whether or not his father had accepted the Lord before he died, but he liked to think that Robbie was in heaven, looking down on him without sadness or pain.
It was a pretty tombstone, a light and shiny gray, with black lettering listing his full name and dates of birth and death. It read:
Robert James Johnson
February 16, 1940 - April 22, 1984
May he Rest Peacefully with the Angels
Tears stung Bo's eyes as he thought of what the tombstone could have read—Beloved Father.
"You missed out on so much..." he whispered to the earth. But with the tears also came forgiveness, and for the first time, Bo felt a great weight lift off of his shoulders. He felt something in his heart...love. He could now love his father, though he'd never known him. Love him even though he may have been a bad man, and even if every bad thing he'd ever heard about Robbie was true, Bo could still love him. Inwardly he thanked God...it was so much easier on the soul to love than to hate. For the first time since he'd learned the truth about his dad, Bo felt free.
Suddenly he jumped, as the familiar sound of the General's 'Dixie' horn echoed off of the hills surrounding the cemetery. Whirling around, his mouth dropped open in shock and horror as Jake stalked toward him, a menacing look in his eye and a pistol in his hand.
For a moment, Bo was frozen with fear...
Balladeer: Ya know, if I were God I'd just reach down from heaven and turn them handguns into bananas or somethin'. Just to give the boys a break. An' then I'd send some lightnin' down and give those baddies such a shock that they'd never bother anybody again...they'd be a-shakin' so hard they wouldn't be able to hold pencil much less a gun. But...I ain't God. An' I'm just as curious to see how the boys get outta this as y'all are.
Luke watched through his pain-filled haze as Jake slowly made his way over to Bo's kneeling form. He knew he had to do something, but there was no way he could get his hands free in time. Then, as Tom stepped away from the car to watch what was about to happen to Bo, and despite the terrible sluggishness of Luke's aching brain, he came up with a plan. With a slight grunt he lurched his body up and sideways so that he could reach the steering wheel with his foot. He could see Jake getting closer to Bo by the second. 'Come on, come on...' He kicked once—no dice. Again he tried—nothing. Finally, on the third attempt, the sweet notes of 'Dixie' whistled through the air. Victorious, Luke slumped back, and thanked his Maker for small miracles. If that didn't get his half-deaf cousin's attention, nothing would. Just then his happy thoughts vanished as he heard a gunshot...
Bo did not remain frozen for long. Taken off guard by the sound of the General's horn, Jake pulled the trigger, and Bo leapt out of the way as the bullet embedded itself into the stone grave marker. Rolling to his feet, he charged forward and tackled Jake, fortunately making him drop his gun.
Seeing that his partner was now engaged in a losing fistfight, Tom started making his way up the hill to help. He still had his gun. And Luke knew that he had to find a way to get free and even the odds. Try as he might though, he could not loosen the ropes. So he did the only thing he could do. He leant as far as he could toward the driver side window and screamed.
"BO! LOOK OUT! HE'S GOT A GUN!" Bo didn't hear him, but Tom did, and he angrily turned and shot twice at the General Lee. One of the bullets whizzed right past Luke's ear, so close he could feel the wind from it, and that was enough to shut him up momentarily.
A half-second later he felt himself being cut loose, and quickly turned to see who had released him.
It was Daisy.
Balladeer: How is it they keep showin' up at exactly the right time? I guess I'll just chalk it up to good old Duke family luck. I'm just glad they're finally there.
Bo was hardly aware of what he was doing. His punches were often and landed everywhere, frantically trying to get the upper hand in this battle. Jake's blows were few but heavy, the very first one leaving Bo with a bloody lip, and by now he had a black eye and a few bruised ribs to boot. He desperately tried to stay on his feet; he went down once and Jake had kicked him hard enough to break bones, and he knew that if he went down again he might not come back up.
He faintly heard yelling in the distance, but dared not turn his head. He ran toward Jake again, taking him to the ground, and tried in vain to pin him. But Jake rolled under him and jammed his knee down into Bo's side. Pain shot through Bo's mid-section, taking his breath away, and he knew then that he had lost.
Balladeer: Uh-oh. Friends, I can't watch.
BAM!
A single gunshot made Jake look up.
"Dang, it's that old man!" Bo turned his head to see Uncle Jesse standing just down the hill, raising his shotgun high in the air. Daisy was helping Luke out of the driver side window of the General Lee, and Cooter (what was he doing there?) was literally sitting on top of Tom.
Jake cast a glance over where his pistol lay just a few feet to his right, but a steely voice stopped him.
"Don't even think about it, mister," to Bo's shock and amazement, it was Enos!
"Enos? How'd y'all get here?" he asked, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice.
"Uncle Jesse had himself a feelin' that y'all was in trouble, so he took off with Daisy here to find ya. I decided to follow, seein' as it was my beholden duty as a swore-in lawman to make sure they didn't get pulled over for all them speed laws they broke. An' then Cooter decided to follow us, too. He dropped old man Jessop's old clunker right in the middle of the road as soon as Uncle Jesse told him what was happenin'," Enos explained as he cuffed Jake's hands behind his back.
"Bo!" Daisy's arms engulfed him as he remained on the sun-scorched grass of the cemetery. "Are you alright, suga'?"
"Yeah...just bruises, I think. How's Luke?"
"He got hit in the head again. We're gonna take him over to the hospital here again, an' you should get checked out too."
"Alright..." Bo's eyes traveled to where Uncle Jesse stood down the hill. Right where Enos was leading Jake.
"Stop Enos," he ordered in a gruff voice. Stepping in front of Jake like he had before, he pressed the barrel of his shotgun into the man's chest.
"Uncle Jesse..." Enos said, but his voice trailed off when he saw the look in the old man's eye.
"Now I told ya once not to mess with my boys. An' here ya are today, with murder in your eye. You disgust me. An' you're lucky I'm a God-fearin' man, 'cuz it's takin' all of the Lord's angels to hold me back from tearin' you apart right now." With that, he lowered his shotgun and turned away. "Get him outta my sight, Enos. It's over."
THE NEXT DAY...
After yet another long day and night for the Dukes, they all were sleeping in.
The doctor at the hospital had said that Luke had a concussion, and ordered that he stay mostly (he added the 'mostly' after a mean glare from the elder cousin) off of his feet for at least three days. And then he still had to take it easy for a week.
Bo was treated for various cuts and bruises, and was warned to take it easy for awhile because of three bruised ribs. They checked his ear again and confirmed that he could still only hear about 40 out of it. This greatly disappointed the boy, but he was too tired to complain.
Once they finally got home, they both collapsed on their respective beds and fell into deep, dreamless slumbers.
The next morning Jesse was the first to awaken in a cold sweat. He'd had a nightmare for the first time since his wife, Martha, died ten years before. He couldn't remember what it entailed; all that was left was the feeling—the fear for his boys.
He slipped out of bed and hurriedly tiptoed down the hall to the bedroom the boys had shared since they were kids. Peeking inside, he first saw Luke, sleeping in the bed nearest to the door. He was sleeping with his eyes opened again, something that would've unnerved Jesse a year ago. Now he knew that it just meant that Luke was in the deepest and most restful sleeping stage.
In the bed close to the window slept Bo, sprawled out haphazardly on the sheets, clothes in a heap next to him on the floor. He was snoring softly, and every now and then a part of him would twitch, whether from dream or restlessness, Jesse couldn't know. All that mattered was that they were safe.
As he made his way back to his own bedroom, he stopped and paused by Daisy's door. Sticking his head inside the room, he smiled at the sight. There lay Daisy; moonlight falling across her face, sleeping peacefully like the angel she was. She was safe too; and now he could sleep.
Hours later the breakfast table was filled with talking and laughter as the Duke family got back to what they were good at—being a family. Just as Jesse was folding his hands to say the prayer, a car pulled up in the driveway.
"Now who could that be?" Jesse wondered aloud as Luke got up to see.
"It's Enos," he said, moments later opening the door. The humble deputy walked in and pulled off his hat.
"Enos, if you've come here to give us more bad news I'll...I'll eat Uncle Jesse's cap!" Daisy cried. The others laughed nervously, aware of the somber expression on Enos' face.
"Well I just come to tell y'all...Jake Fowler an' Tom Griffin got put in the Atlanta State Pen today. Looks like they gonna be there for a long time too—years even." There was a short silence, broken by a loud and unanimous rebel yell from both boys, loud enough to rattle the windows.
"YEEEEE-HAWWWW!"
"Enos—that's the best news you coulda given us this mornin'!" cried Daisy, jumping up to give him a peck on the cheek.
"Now you kids just hush up a minute," Jesse scolded. "It ain't right to get glad over other people's misfortunes. Now sit down so I can finish the prayer here an' we can get to eatin'." The boys immediately mumbled their "Yessirs" and quickly sat down.
"Enos, you're welcome to join us to. There's plenty to go around," Jesse added, motioning for the deputy to take a seat. Enos looked longingly at the table filled with steaming breakfast foods: grits, pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and hashed potatoes. He looked with even more longing at the empty seat setting right across from Daisy. He sighed.
"Sorry, Uncle Jesse. I just come by to give y'all the news. I'm on duty, an' if sheriff Roscoe catches me out here he'll have my badge. See y'all later." The Dukes chuckled as Enos made a hasty exit, listening to his patrol car as it rumbled out of the drive.
"Lord, we thank ya for bringin' us all together so's we could share this meal this mornin'. An' we thank ya that we're all safe...an' that your justice was done so's we could all be together again."
Bo shot Luke a small smirk behind is folded hands. Jesse might've told them not to be happy over other's misfortunes, but he knew right from wrong, and he was just as glad as the next person was when justice was served.
"Daisy, this is delicious!" Luke exclaimed through a mouthful of eggs, voicing their collective thoughts. She beamed—it had taken many years of nearly burning the house down before Uncle Jesse trusted her in the kitchen alone, and even longer before the boys trusted her cooking enough to put a full spoonful of it in their mouths on the first bite. They talked and joked a little more, something they'd been unable to do as a family in almost a week. For the first time in a while, things seemed like they were getting back to normal.
Then came a soft knock at the door.
"Now who could that be?" Jesse grumbled, never liking his meals interrupted. Luke again got up to answer, and to everyone's shock, Brenda and Cindy Wheeler timidly stepped into the kitchen.
Bo stood up immediately, unsure of what to do. Luke shut the door behind the two women, trying his best to be welcoming despite his own surprise.
"We're sorry to barge in on you like this but...we had to know that you were okay..." Brenda said, breaking into a sob. The boys shared a look; they'd had no idea Brenda and Cindy knew about what had happened at the cemetery.
Cindy wrapped a comforting arm around her mother, as Luke pulled out a kitchen chair for her to sit on.
"What happened?" Bo asked quietly, noticing how she wouldn't look at him. It took her awhile to compose herself before she could speak.
"J-Jake came to the h-house after Cindy left yesterday. H-he said he'd go after her if I didn't tell where you boys were. I-I thought I had no choice. I didn't know what to do! And after he left I called Cindy, and we tried to drive here but Jake did something to my car...we hitchhiked...we was afraid that we'd be comin' up here to you boys' funeral." Silence followed, broken only by Brenda's shuddered breaths as she tried to calm herself.
"Boys, uh...why don't y'all get started on your chores. Go on," he added when they hesitated. After Bo and Luke had left the house, Jesse leaned forward on the table to talk to the Wheeler women.
"I want to thank ya for takin' in my boys when ya did. I'm much obliged." Brenda gave a quavering smile.
"It was the least I could do. I feel like they're family." She thought about that statement for a moment, then sat up straighter as she prepared to voice something that had been on her heart ever since she'd met Bo and Luke.
"I wanted to discuss somethin' with you. Uh...I know that Bo an' Luke are like sons to you. You've raised 'em since they were little...and you've done good by them. An' I know that I was never married to Robbie...but we might as well have been, and I consider any family of his like my own. I guess what I'm tryin' to say is that...I feel a responsibility for Bo now, and I can't just let him walk out of my life after everything we've been through."
Jesse listened patiently with an unreadable expression on his face. As patriarch of the Duke clan he took it upon himself to decipher people as friends or foes, and he'd become darn good at it, too.
"Are you sayin' what I think you're sayin'?" Jesse asked slowly, studying her closely.
"I'm sayin' that...I'd like to be a...well, a mother...to Bo. I know I can never take the place of Annabelle, and I know that I ain't blood kin...but I can't just walk right out of his life." Jesse tried to hide his surprise, and to suppress the inevitable feelings of jealousy that arose within him. He thought hard about what she'd said, and came to the conclusion that she was honest and trustworthy, despite her past. And she really did seem to care about Bo.
"Well, there's a lot more that goes into motherin' than just responsibility," was the first thing Jesse could think of to say.
"Oh, I understand that. I do care about Bo...about all of you. I just have stronger feelings for Bo because he was Robbie's son, and if Robbie would've kept Bo...I might've been a second mother to him." She tried to choose her words carefully; fully aware of the protective and skeptical looks she was receiving from Daisy.
"Look, I don't want to intrude. And I don't want to take Bo away from you. But I do want to be a part of his life. All I ask is that chance. I guess "mother" was a bad way of putting it..."
"I understand what you're tryin' to do," Jesse interrupted. "An'...I respect ya for it. But it's up to Bo, not me. He's eighteen years old now, an' old enough to make decisions on his own. You need to discuss this with him."
"I think they went out to the barn," Daisy said kindly. Of course, it was never her way to be rude.
With one last look toward Jesse making sure it was okay with him, Brenda headed off to look for the boys.
"Quit pacin'," Luke grumbled from his seat on the hay bale in the loft of the barn.
"I can't help it," answered Bo, continuing to walk back and forth, kicking up tufts of hay with his boots.
Luke shook his head. He was nervous too, but not because of Brenda, because of Cindy. But he dealt with anxiety differently than Bo.
When Bo was upset, his adrenaline coursed through his veins on overdrive. If he didn't do something, anything, it would all bubble over and his emotions would explode out of him like pressured groundwater shooting up from a geyser.
Luke, on the other hand, tended to fold into himself whenever he was distressed. He kept his emotions locked up tight as a mason jar, deep within, and only those who knew him best were able to get him to open up. For him it was all about control, and part of that came from being in the military. Luke was a sergeant in Vietnam, and being in command of a group of men in a life and death situation meant that without the ability to stay calm when things got tough, somebody under him got killed unnecessarily. There was just no living with that for Luke, so he took utmost care to shut off the panic valve in his brain. And it worked too; in the four years Luke served in the war, he never lost a man due to carelessness or ignorance.
It took Luke nearly two years after he was discharged from the marines before he could finally let his guard down enough that he allowed himself to feel again. Bo was a big part of that, being that he became so close to Luke that they were able to talk about anything, and Bo would keep asking questions until he either had to dodge a fist or listen as Luke finally told him what was wrong.
This past week had been a rollercoaster for both boys, and they couldn't help but wonder when and if life would ever get back to normal again.
Their thoughts were interrupted as Brenda entered the barn.
"Bo?" She called, voice still shaky from her earlier sobs.
The blonde boy stopped mid-pace and strode over to the railing of the loft.
"Up here," he called, looking down at her. "You can use the ladder here," he instructed, answering her next question. She climbed up easily enough, brushing her hands off on her pants once she reached the top.
"Hi," she said, not knowing how to start the conversation she so desperately wanted to have with Bo.
"Hi...wanna sit down?" Bo pointed to a nearby hay bale.
"Sure. I uh...I wanted to talk to you, an' it's real important." Bo frowned, watching her hands fidget in her lap and not understanding why she would be so nervous.
"You want me to go?" Luke said, getting up quickly after a long uncomfortable silence.
"No, Luke. You can stay. What I have to say will involve you too." Taking a deep breath, Brenda began the difficult task of explaining herself.
"Bo...when you boys first came to Savannah...I was a very lonely woman. I had Cindy, but she's growing up now, and is going to be out on her own soon. And I have a few friends but, when it came to family, I had no one. Robbie was the closest thing I'd had to a husband since my John died years ago, and now he's gone.
Then you came. And at first it was hard...every time I looked at you I had a reminder of Robbie, and it hurt. But then when you boys left...it felt like I'd lost somebody all over again. And then when Jake and Tom went after you...I'd thought they killed you for sure, and it was more than I could take. I just...I can't let you just walk out of my life again." She paused, lowering her head as she spoke again, fearing rejection.
"Bo, I want to be involved in your life. If things had been different I would've been a stepmother to you...and...I know it's a lot to ask for but—I want to have that chance."
Balladeer: Ya know how it is when somebody drops a book on the floor right in the middle of a prayer at church service? That's kinda what's goin' on here...uh, minus the preacher.
Brenda was silent, waiting to be reproached. After all, what right did she have after all these years to be a part of the boy's life? Just because she needed somebody. Boy she could really be insensitive. After everything she'd put him through, how could she possibly expect him to let her be a part of his life?
A gentle hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. She looked up slowly, into kind, baby blue eyes.
"I never had a chance to know my mom...but I'm sure if she could be here now she'd be proud if you was to be a part of our family." Luke, who was now standing right behind him, cleared his throat.
"Yeah, an' Uncle Jesse would love it if ya'd stay for dinner tonight." Brenda smiled in disbelief as the boys led her down the ladder and back into the house.
"Uncle Jesse, I'd like ya to meet a new member of the Duke family," Bo said as they walked into the kitchen, and for the first time in a long time, joy entered Brenda's heart. She felt like a new woman.
Later that night, after a hearty meal of Jesse's finest crawdad bisque, Brenda announced that she and Cindy had to be getting home.
"Are you sure? It's awful late; we wouldn't have any problems with ya stayin' here—as long as ya need," Jesse offered sincerely.
"Yeah, an' how do ya expect to get home anyway without a car?" Daisy asked.
"Oh, I have enough for bus tickets—that is, if you don't mind driving us to Capitol City. But we really do need to leave tonight; Cindy has to work tomorrow and...speaking of which, where is Cindy?"
"Um, I think I know," Daisy said with a small smile. She led them over to the kitchen window overlooking the porch. Bo began laughing, stopping abruptly when Uncle Jesse stepped down hard on his foot.
"They snuck off right after dinner," Daisy whispered. And there they were, sitting together on the porch swing and talking the night away.
"Well, I better go break this up," Bo said with a mischievous grin.
"No Bo!" Daisy hissed, muffling a giggle behind her hand. She knew what was coming.
Bo waited until he saw Luke's head move close to Cindy's for a kiss to make his move.
Kneeling behind the swing, he cupped his hands around his mouth and started making guttural noises from deep within his throat.
"What is that?" Cindy asked, pulling away from Luke.
"Uh...it ain't me..." Luke said nervously, looking around for the cause of the noise.
Bo could no longer hold it in and fell on the porch laughing.
"Bo! I'm gonna kill you!" Luke yelled when he saw him, and leapt over the back of the swing, landing on top of the younger boy.
"Ow! Luke! Watch the ribs!" Bo yelped, trying to wiggle out from underneath him. Instantly Luke was on his knees and looking guilty.
"Geez, I'm sorry Bo..." He said, remembering Bo's injury.
"You'll both be sorry if ya ain't on your feet in the next second!" Jesse rumbled, walking out onto the porch. "Neither of ya's in any condition to be wrestlin' around like that, an' if I catch ya again I'll tan your hides. Now, I gotta take Brenda and Cindy down to Capitol City so's they can catch the bus home. I want you boys in bed by the time we get back."
"Yessir," the boys mumbled in unison. Jesse's voice was hard, but there was no mistaking the twinkle in his eye. He just didn't want any more trips to the hospital.
Brenda stepped forward, putting her hand on Bo's arm.
"Is it alright if I write to you?" Bo nodded.
"Sure, an' I'll write to ya too...but I can't promise it to look good. I was never a good speller." Brenda just smiled.
"That's fine. You just keep in touch." They hugged, and when they let go, there were tears in Bo's eyes.
"You'll be back to visit?" She nodded, lightly touching his face in a motherly gesture.
"I promise I will. I'll even call every once in a while." As she turned to leave, he grabbed her coat sleeve.
"Brenda...I just wanted to say thanks...for everythin'." She smiled again.
"No, thank you, Bo. Goodbye."
She went over to stand next to Cindy, who was saying goodbye to Luke.
"You'll write to me?" She asked, looking into his eyes. He nodded.
"You bet. Maybe I'll even drop by sometime. Ya never know." She pecked him quickly on the lips before hopping up into the pickup next to Daisy. Brenda followed, and they waved as Uncle Jesse drove slowly down the drive.
"Well," Luke said, slapping Bo on the back. "That's that." When Bo didn't answer he turned to him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah...listen, I'm goin' to bed." Luke didn't press the issue. If Bo wanted to talk, he'd spit it out sooner or later.
Late that evening, Jesse pulled up into the drive. As soon as he parked the pickup and shut it off, Daisy hopped out and bounded into the house, straight to bed. Jesse stopped on the first step, though, noticing a form sitting on the porch swing, barely illuminated by the moonlight.
"Bo? What're you doin' up so late?" He heard a sigh, and sensed that the boy was feeling down. Taking a seat next to him on the swing, he tried to get him to open up.
"Nice night."
"Yup."
"How's the ribs feelin'?"
"Okay." Jesse sighed. Reflecting on that first day when "the letter" came in the mail, his heart still ached from the fact that his desire to protect the boy from a painful past just led to hurting him.
"Bo, I know ya been through a lot. An' I don't blame ya if your mad at me...I was wrong. An' I just want ya to know that I never meant to hurt ya in any way..."
"Uncle Jesse it's okay. I know why ya did what ya did. You an' Daisy an' Luke are the only family I've ever known an' wouldn't trade y'all for nothin'." Tears burned suddenly in the old man's eyes.
"I'm proud to hear that, son. I'm right proud of ya. Always have been." They sat silently for a moment, before Jesse broke in.
"Ya don't...regret anythin'?" Bo turned to look at him, as if he'd read his mind.
"Ya know, when this all started, I would've given anythin' to go back to the way things was. But now...I guess knowin' the truth was worth it all." He paused, looking Jesse straight in the eye. "Uncle Jesse, I don't regret a thing. It's just...those gamblers...I can't get 'em outta my head...my dreams. Robbie too. An' they ain't good dreams, neither." Jesse nodded slowly, finally understanding what Bo what going through and why he was sitting on the porch swing so late this night.
"It'll take some time to heal. Ya know, the Good Book says there's a time for everythin'. Even hurtin'. You'll move on an' someday you'll look back an' be able to say ya made it through somethin' hard, an' you'll be stronger for it." Bo nodded. They sat quietly for awhile longer before going inside, each with lighter hearts.
The lights went out one by one 'til all the farmhouse windows were dark. The bright moon shone down, sending rays of light splashing onto the house, its occupants sleeping peacefully for the first time in a long while.
Balladeer: The Good Book also says that "the truth'll set ya free". I reckon 'ole Bo experienced that first hand. He felt mighty blessed to have a family that loved him, even if he didn't have a mom or a dad.
The Dukes kept in contact with Brenda, an' Luke began writin' Cindy regular. They're testin' the water for a long distance relationship.
Roscoe an' Enos were offered a reward from the FBI for arrestin' the Jake Fowler an' Tom Griffin, though they really didn't do much. An' sure enough, Boss yanked it from 'em, barely givin' them their 10. He was so happy with the money that he dropped any an' all charges against the Duke boys for violatin' their probation when they left for Savannah. He even forgot about Bo breakin' into his office. 'Course, he was too dang busy workin' on his new Hogg General Store.
An' the Dukes were bonded closer than ever by the one thing that threatened to tear 'em apart—the truth.
See, in Hazzard County we tend to like happy endin's...
THE END
Author's Note: It's over...it's finally over! Please tell me what you think...constructive criticism is welcome.
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." –John 8:32
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven...a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance..." -Ecclesiastes 3