The next day, Bo and Kira headed out together to the Thanksgiving Day Weekend Festival that Daisy and Lulu Hogg had put together. The rest of the family figured that the twins could use a little time together so Jebb rode out on his bike while the others all rode to the old fair grounds in Daisy’s Jeep. Jebb would be willing to bet that Kira was rethinking all those things she learned in college about Physics right about now while riding in The General Lee. He had considered pulling Kira aside this morning to tell her about his talk with their Uncle Jesse during the night but decided against it. She was having too much fun picking and joking around with Bo that he didn’t want to ruin it. No sense in spoiling her fun for right now. After all, she’d missed a lot of years with her brother.




‘Bo!’ Kira put her hands up against the dashboard to brace herself, knowing that it was really a useless gesture.

‘Hang on!’

‘To what?’ Bo laughed without really responding. Bo flipped the stock car onto two wheels as he slipped The General through the boulders like he was threading a needle. Kira looked behind them as the landed back on all four tires and saw one of the boulders tumble down into the small opening that they had just passed through. ‘Do that on a regular basis, Bo-Bear?’

‘Somewhat. And here I thought that you were used to pulling off stunts.’

‘I am. WHEN I’M IN CONTROL!’

Kira smiled at her brother as they sped off towards the fairgrounds using his Short Cuts. She wondered how long it would have taken if they had driven the scenic route like the others, instead. Something told her that the rest of the Dukes would be waiting for them once they finally joined them for the day. Kira leaned back into the seat and enjoyed the ride, watching Bo do things with the car that she wasn’t aware COULD be done with a car.




Once at the festival the twins ended up separated so Kira was wandering though stalls at the festival that resembled a lot like a county fair. In fact it was held at the old fair grounds at the edge of town. Several of the local merchants and craftsmen had set up to take advantage of the Thanksgiving Day Festival to kick off the Christmas shopping season. There were dozens of stalls selling everything from baked goods to knick-knacks. Ordinarily, Kira did not like shopping for anything. Typically she would shop as quickly as possible unless she was with Sam. She’d long since learned that shopping to Sam was more like therapy. She loved to take her time and when Kira was with her, so did she.

Today, though, it didn’t seem like shopping as she went from stall to stall. It was exploring. She was able to tell a lot about the county by the wares that it sold. She was currently at one of the stalls trying to find a present for Sam. Kira was debating between two music boxes. One was a light lavender, the other a pale pink. Even though Kira personally didn’t care for the color pink, she knew that Sam loved it so much that her room practically looked like a Pepto-Bismol bottle had exploded. Well, you are supposed to buy the gift for the person, not for yourself. So she told the nice woman running the stall that she’d take the pink music box that played Some Where Over the Rainbow. That was when Bo came up behind her and threw his arm across her shoulders. Seeing the box, he chuckled.

“Didn’t really picture you being the powder-puff type. You never liked pink if I recall right.”

Kira rolled her eyes. “I don’t, but I thought Sam would like it. Her room is practically a nightmare of pink. Plus she loves watchin’ old Judy Garland movies. So she’ll like the song too.” Looking around, Kira tried to decide what to do next. “What’s everyone else up to?”

“I think Daisy is over at the tilt-a-whirl with Enos. Luke met Rebecca Ann over at the Ferris Wheel last I saw. Not sure about the others. You want to ride any of the rides?”

“Are you kidding? After that ride here in The General Lee, they all seem just a bit tame in comparison. Not to mention, I doubt that the female half of the Hazzard population would forgive me if I monopolize your day.” Kira had noticed the looks she had been given by many of the women in town since arriving at the festival. She’d bounced between annoyance and finding them hilarious. She knew that no one but Boss, Rosco, Brody and Cooter knew who she was. With the fact that she’d already been seen twice at the Boar’s Nest with the Dukes and she was a stranger in a town where everyone knew most everyone else and their families, tongues were wagging. Gossip spread like a wildfire in small areas like Hazzard.

“Why would spending the day with my sister be a problem for anyone?” Kira looked at her brother and saw he really hadn’t put things together. Could he be so dense? So as she answered, she popped her palm against his forehead.

“Because, Bo-Bear, no one KNOWS I’m your sister.” Okay, she couldn’t help it. She had to laugh as Bo realized just WHAT the townsfolk had assumed about him and Kira.

“So that’s why Mary Jo gave me the cold shoulder earlier today.” Mary Jo was Bo’s latest fling. In fact, he was supposed to have taken her out last Saturday. In everything that had happened Bo had stood her up and forgotten all about her last week. “Oh No! Dang-it. How am I gonna explain this without it sounding like a Shuck ‘N Jive? She ain’t gonna believe me.”

“You’ll think of something.” Kira answered as she continued to chuckle at her brother’s predicament. “I’m sure this ain’t the first time you’ve gotten in hot water with a girl only to bail your way out.” Kira took her wrapped present from the lady at the stall as she began to walk towards the center of the festivities. Across the square, Bo saw Mary Jo walking arm in arm with Ernie. Scowling, Bo got ready to head over.

“Doesn’t look like I’ll have that chance.” Following Bo’s gaze, Kira saw the two heading over to one of the rides together.

Looking back at Bo, knowing exactly what he had in mind, she put a hand up on his chest to stop him. ‘You sure that’s a good idea. After all, you already can’t see out of one eye. Plus Jesse wasn’t too happy about last night. You really want to get into it again so soon with Ernie?’

Bo looked back and forth between his sister and the couple across the square before blowing out a breath. Turning away with Kira, he figured that she was right about letting this one go. Jesse would tan him good for sure if he started anything here at the festival.

“Well, how about I start to introduce ya around. The looks we get ought to be entertaining enough.” Bo tried his best to grin at her even though he’d rather be putting his fist through Ernie’s teeth right now.

As the twins wandered in the opposite direction, they came across Emma Tisdale. As she walked up, she looked like she was on a mission and Bo was pretty sure WHAT that mission might be. “Well Bo, how are you?”

“Just Fine Ms. Tisdale, and you?”

“Fine, fine. You plannin’ on introducin’ that young lady to me or should I just go back and listen to the gossip floatin’ around instead.” Well, she’s always been a bit forward and direct.

“Yes ma’am. Kira, this here is Emma Tisdale; our post-mistress. Ms. Tisdale, this is my sister, Kira.”

“Well, I remember something about how you had a sister, but I didn’t know YOU knew. Why, let me look at you, child.” Emma squinted through her glasses as she studied Kira. “Well, you seemed to have done pretty well for yourself,” she said as she noticed that the green sweater that Kira was wearing didn’t seem to be an ordinary wool or cotton blend. Cashmere if she guessed right. Folks in Hazzard didn’t bother wasting their money on expensive sweaters like that one. “Well welcome back to Hazzard. Where you been keeping yourself lately?”

“I live in Atlanta, ma’m,” Kira answered.

“Atlanta, huh? What do you do in Atlanta?”

Time for them odd looks, Kira thought to herself. “I’m a Defense Attorney.”

Emma looked Kira up and down, then over to Bo. “Good, maybe you can help keep your brother and cousin out of trouble. They’re good boys, just a bit high spirited.”

“I can try. They’ll even get the family rate.” Kira winked at Bo as she grinned at the elderly woman. “Of course, that’s providin’ that they don’t keep me so busy I can’t take on PAYIN’ clients.” The three chuckled a bit as they all knew just how often the Dukes just MIGHT need legal help given the fact that J.D. Hogg had a vendetta on the Dukes.

“Well, I hope you’ll be around Hazzard more often now. I have ta get goin’ but y’all tell y’alls handsome Uncle Jesse I said hey. They’re gonna start the cake walk without me if’n I don’t get movin’.”

“With Miss Tisdale knowing who you are, word will get out fast. Everyone in Hazzard has to see her to get their mail. Now if we can just find Maybelle, the operator at the telephone company, the whole county’ll know by night fall,” Bo said with a chuckle.

Walking towards the band stand at the center of the square, Bo saw that folks had been setting up instruments and now the towns’ folk were all taking turns getting up and singing their favorite songs. He hadn’t been able to get his sister to play her keyboard out at the house yet but maybe he could convince her to sing on stage instead. Grinning, he turned to Kira who stopped him before he could suggest anything.

“You wanna go up there, be my guest but I AIN’T gettin’ up there Bo so forget it.”

A little disappointed, Bo didn’t push it. Instead, he went and signed up to be put on the list. Already, Becky Ann had sweet-talked Luke into getting up on stage and was singing Up on Cripple Creek. Bo chose to sing In the Driver’s Seat. He even saw Jebb walk over to the list and wondered what he’d sing. About an hour later, both he and Kira were applauding Daisy as she finished singing a song that she had written when Boss went to read the next name off the list.

“Alright, let’s see who we have up next. Well, well, well, and well. It seems we have another Duke wantin’ to croon a little. Next up is Miss Kira Kyle DUKE.”

“BO! You didn’t!” Kira swung around to her brother with eyes flashing. She had told him specifically that she did NOT want to go up.

“I didn’t! I swear!” Bo saw the look that Kira gave him that said she didn’t believe him so he added holding up his hands, “Cross my heart, hope to give up women! I didn’t!”

Okay, despite the fact that she was peeved that made her have to bite the inside of her cheek so she wouldn’t laugh. “Well if you didn’t, then who?” Taking a quick glance around, her eyes landed on the only other person that she could think of that would have signed her up then stormed over to where he was watching the stage. “Jebb! You did it, didn’t you? I’m not going up there.”

“Why not? You were great in Mobile last year.”

“I only did it then for a couple of reasons. A) It was for charity. B) I did it on a dare. C) I’d known most those people for a couple of years-”

“D) You’ve known me for years,” Jebb added with a grin.

“E) I’m beginning to wish I haven’t,” She answered in a huff.

“Well I suppose I could take your place but given the chance, I’m just not sure WHAT I’d start to sing out.” Jebb moved his eyebrows up and down suggestively. As if saying that he just might get up and tell the world about them from the grand stand if he got up there instead of her.

Looking around, Kira saw that people were waiting on her. Reluctantly, she headed up to the band stand as she did her best to calm her nerves. Once at the microphone she looked directly at Jebb before beginning to speak. “Before I start, I’d like to invite ya all out to the wake of the soon to be late Jebb Stewart Duke. Never let it be said that he died a WISE man.” Kira paused as a few laughs went out at Jebb’s (and hers) expense. “Well, I guess I should say that this song could never be done as well as Dottie West does it, but since I’ve been VOLUNTEERED, I guess I’ll give it my best shot.”

With that Kira started to sing A Lesson in Leavin’ with just enough sass that made everyone who was listening to forget the fact that she hadn’t wanted to go up in the first place. When Kira left the stage, she walked over to Jebb and spoke quietly but harshly to him. Bo tried to get over to them fast enough to over hear what his sister would say to their blond cousin, but by the time he reached them both were silent. Kira still looked annoyed with Jebb while he was just grinning at the reaction he’d gotten from his fiery-tempered girlfriend.

Walking up to Jebb, Bo clapped Jebb on the back as he went to say, “Better you than me. I actually considered pullin’ that same stunt but thought better of it. Want to share with the class just what she said to ya when she came over?”

“Nope. She’ll get over it though. She just inherited one minor flaw that most Dukes don’t get a fair share of. Modesty. She doesn’t think she’s any good at it is all. As far as the stunt goes, I kind of thought that you DID sign her up when I saw the two of y’all talkin’ before you went over to sign up on that sheet.”

Grinning, Bo just said, “Why bother when she can get mad at you instead of me. It’s nice to not be the one stickin’ my foot in my mouth for once.” Both men laughed as they saw Kira had nearly gotten out of sight before they both decided to follow her. With any luck, the two of them will have the red-headed Duke laughing and joking around again in no time.




A short time later Kira had indeed forgotten the incident with Jebb and had once again, begun to enjoy herself at the festival. Making her way to a huge bulletin board, Kira saw that this must have been the project that Daisy had been working on last weekend. Scanning the board, it must have had hundreds of pictures on it. There were baby pictures of nearly everyone in town posted on it. And of course, Kira wouldn’t know any of them but some of them were funny enough to look at anyway.

‘Thought I’d find ya here.’ Kira turned around to spot Bo walking over. He was still several feet away when he had seen Kira at the “Who’s who?” game. The game that Daisy had been digging through pictures for this time last week that had turned the world upside down. Not that he’d want it right-side up no more. But looking at the board, he had mixed feelings about it all the same. ‘Eventually anyway.’

With so many people around, Bo didn’t really want to be over heard so he fell back on to his and Kira’s link instead of speaking. Luke had pointed out to him that he and Kira seem to do that a lot already, though he hadn’t really noticed until after Luke had said something about it.

Kira turned and saw Bo eying the pictures. She didn’t have to say what she’d been thinking. He’d been thinking the same thing too. Not really sure of what to say, Kira just didn’t say anything. After a few moments, she heard Bo curse under his breath. Following Bo’s gaze on the board, Kira saw what he had.

“He’s goin’ ta kill her.”

Kira looked at the picture that had drawn Bo’s attention. She recognized the young child in the photograph as being none other than Luke Duke. Looks like Daisy was good to her word. Luke hadn’t helped her find a picture to his likin’ so she used the one that had been found of him as a toddler right after he had been given a bath.

Laughing, Kira leaned into Bo before saying, “I’d defend ‘em. I’ll say its justifiable homicide.” That got Bo to laughing too until he looked back and saw Luke was coming their way.

“Uh oh. I think we’d better see if we can keep him from coming over and seein’ this.” Looking to Kira, they both did their best not to laugh as they approached Luke and turned him as they walked with him, one on each side. Kira slipped her arm through Luke’s and Bo tossed an arm across his shoulders. “Hey Luke, you already runnin’ from Rebecca Ann? I thought we’d be lucky to see you again before preachin’ tomorrow. What’s wrong, can’t keep up with her no more in your old age?”

Kira grinned as he ribbed Luke. Though it wasn’t strictly because of Bo’s antics. The way those two interacted was a class act. Worthy of any stage. And it appeared that they were succeeding in leading Luke AWAY from the pictures.

Luke looked back and forth between his cousins as Bo continued to kid him. Truth be told, Becky Ann’s brothers showed up and hadn’t been too happy to find their baby sister with one of the infamous Duke Boys. He couldn’t read Kira as well as he’d like yet but he could definitely tell that Bo was up to something. He couldn’t really figure out what. He had been coming to find them to see if they’d had enough when he found them over at the ... GUESS WHO’S WHO GAME! She wouldn’t.

Luke turned around so fast that Bo and Kira hadn’t been able to stop him. Luke ran over to the board and before the twins caught up to him they heard, “DAISY! DANG IT!”

Luke went off in search of Daisy as he ignored the eruption of laughter from his two cousins behind him. As Luke went in search of Daisy, the remaining two cousins came over to find out just what he was now going on about. Showing Judd and Jebb, Bo explained that that had actually been the first picture that Daisy and he had kidded Luke over, last week, and that Daisy HAD warned him.

“Just how did you avoid the same embarrassment, Bo?” Judd asked still smirking at his older brother’s baby picture on display to the whole town to see, protected by a plate-glass covering.

“Simple, I gave her a picture to use.” Bo pointed to the picture he’d handed Daisy. It was the photo that had been hidden in the brown envelope for more than two decades. “Judd, do you think we should go warn Daisy?”

Judd looked over at the picture again before responded, “No. But I’d sure like to watch when Luke finds her.”

With Bo agreeing, they both took off to follow Luke as he went in search of his cousin that had put that embarrassing picture up on display for the whole town to see. Now that Jebb and Kira was left alone (as alone as two people can be at least with the whole town milling about) Jebb figured he might as well pull Kira aside to tell her that he’d already spoken with Uncle Jesse about them. They made their way to the edge of the lined up booths and slipped behind them out of sight. Jebb explained how he’d ended up in the living room the night before and how Jesse had come down to talk to him. When he’d finished, Kira couldn’t believe what she’d heard.

“So Jesse really doesn’t have a problem with this?”

“Nah. He said it’d’ve been one thing if it was just a fling, but ...” Jebb pulled Kira closer to him now that he figured that they were away from prying eyes. “Since I told him that we’ve been serious for a while now, he was cool with it.” Jebb slipped his hands into her back pockets as he pressed her closer to him. “So you see nothing to worry about.” Kira wrapped her arms around him as he leaned down for a long, passionate kiss. Tongues dueled as hands moved about a bit more boldly. In fact, they had nearly forgotten entirely just where they were when they heard movement from the corner that they had just come around. Coming up for air, they saw Daisy’s back as she headed back around. “Dang it Daisy! Wait!” Jebb let go of Kira to try to catch up to her through the busy crowd.

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