by: Kristy Duke
A thick air of silence quickly hangs above us as emotions slowly begin to settle upon their faces, allowing us to see the anger and resentment that crawls through their bodies. The same anger and resentment continues to thrive within me, anger towards Hogg for what he has done. This time he’s gone too far by arresting the boys falsely. It is one thing to arrest them for a fake crime, but to arrest them for such a violent beating?
“How much he’s asking for bail, this time?” Cooter rolls his dark brown eyes as he breaks through the thick silence while he nervously wipes his grease stained hands upon his old greasy yellow rag that he had pulled out of his back pocket only a moment ago, “I mean that is a pretty harsh accusation he’s placing in there. Beating Ethan and Garrett?”
I slowly nod in agreement as I anxiously glance down at my old pocket watch to watch the second hand slowly tick around the small circle. Five minutes until the sheriff and the commissioner will be accepting bail money for the boys, bail money I don’t have. I sigh heavily in frustration as I silently struggle on what I should do, of what the best choice would be. The only true decision I have is whether to give up the farm for the bail, but that’d leave us out of a home and upset Bo greatly. But I can’t leave them locked up, healthy or not.
“Eight hundred and fifty dollars to bail both the boys out,” Daisy slowly speaks up as I catch her looking at me before she slowly looks up at Cooter and over at LB who stands quietly in the dark corner, “eight hundred and fifty dollars we don’t have.” She pauses a moment as she steps back to sit down on an old blue milk crate that rests against the wooden wall. “Our only choice is to auction off the farm to Hogg to get them out…Hogg will love that.”
“Not necessarily,” Cooter slowly speaks up as he eyes LB who steps into the bright morning light that shines through the open garage door, “LB and I got some extra money stored away somewhere around here plus the money I get monthly from Kristy,” he pauses as he slowly walks past me to his wooden desk and slowly opens the top door to pull out a gold metal box that is locked shut. “That all should add up to at least that if not more.”
A wave of excited relief floods through me at hearing that before it is cooled off reality, reality of my prideful ways. “That’s real kind of you, Cooter…LB,” I slowly speak up as I watch him take a small key to stick it into the small hole, “but I can’t accept your money.”
“Why not?” LB abruptly breaks the silence he had been holding since we had walked into the garage, while waiting for visiting hours at the jail to open, “Look Jesse…Cooter and I would be real honored if you accepted the money! We’re not about to stand and just allow you to give up the farm y’all have worked so hard to keep for so long nor are we about to just allow them to be stuck in there for something they didn’t do!”
“LB’s right,” Cooter responds as he opens the box to find it filled with money, the money organized by the amount of the bill, “we would be real honored if you would take our money for them. They’ve…y’all have saved us out of trouble numerous times. It’s our turn to help out.”
Silence once again floods in as the garage seems to increase with each passing moment, promising us another hot day. “C’mon Jesse,” Daisy slowly stands up, “let go of your pride and accept it, for the boys. They’d be really let down if you were to lose the farm…especially Bo. He loves the farm.”
I slowly nod as what they all are saying slowly sinks in with rising relief at being able to find money to bail them out, life would never be the same without the farm. “OK, this one time,” I slowly agree and Daisy lets go a breath of relief, “but once they clear themselves, you’ll get it back.”
Cooter shrugs as if in defeat as he slowly pulls out the money to slowly begin to count through it. “If that’s what you want…that isn’t important now,” Cooter finally says as he hands LB a stack of money, “Count this.”
“Sure,” LB smiles crazily as he stands over Cooter and starts counting his share of the money, “but I thought you already had it counted?”
“Count again,” Cooter quickly responds as he returns to his counting and LB shrugs before doing the same.
A short moment passes as Daisy and I watch them counting before Cooter finishes and LB finishes soon after. “I got four hundred and twenty-five,” Cooter shrugs, “what you got?”
“I counted five hundred and fifteen,” LB hands Cooter his money who sets it besides his pile while he silently does the math.
Silence fills the room before Cooter slowly counts a few dollars off the bigger pile before handing us the rest of the money combined. “There you go,” he grins at me, “eight hundred and fifty dollars.”
“Thank-you Cooter, LB,” I force a smile at them, “this means a lot to all of us. Thanks.”
“Not a problem Jesse,” Cooter stands up, “as I said, y’all has saved us or helped us plenty of times. It’s our turn.”
I slowly nod as I glance at LB and Cooter. “As I said, y’all will get it back,” I motion towards Daisy, “let’s go bail the boys out.”
***SHERIFF ROSCO COLTRANE***
Fear continues to grow raggedly within me as I stare in disbelief at the news article of Whinston’s escape from jail to force more vivid memories to flood through me. How could this happen? He was sentenced to life in jail and yet he is now running free thanks to his old friends that had escaped being seized by the cops. Whinston’s powerful threat in the court house the day that I had testified echoes in my mind, telling me he’d one day repay me for killing his baby brother. Warren. His young and handsome face flashes clearly in my head as I had laid wounded in the summer warm grass, staring up at his black metal hand gun as I struggled to aim my gun at him. I had killed a damn kid. A kid that could have changed for the better, could have became someone. That is if he hadn’t killed Rachel. He had killed his future by killing an innocent person and yet guilt remains built within me all these years. Who am I to say who should die or not? I had taken a life with my own gun, killed out of protection of my self and out of anger.
My thoughts are slowly interrupted as the audible squeaking of the front door comes from the front door before hearing Enos saying, “Mornin’ Uncle Jesse, Daisy.”
“I ain’t your Uncle Jesse,” Jesse’s angered voice quickly follows Enos perky attitude, “and so far, nothing good about it.”
Hearing Jesse’s voice I am quickly reminded of the boys downstairs, of Bo’s wheezy breathing and of Luke’s sincere worry for his cousin. ‘Damn it Rosco…you should have stood up to JD. Them boys are innocent.‘ Guilt swarms me for not doing anything, for going through with the plan and arresting them of what everyone knows they didn’t do. Bo doesn’t seem to be in condition enough to be beating up his healthy, strong cousin nor would he if he was healthy. Luke wouldn’t either, whether or not if he had fought with Garrett at the Boar’s Nest. Yet I had arrested him as planned due to Hogg’s pressure and authority. If everything had went as planned, I wouldn’t feel guilty because I’ve did it several times in the past. But nothing has went as planned due to Levi and the rest of the hired help took matters in their own hands when Trent pulled the gun on Ethan and when they beat Ethan and Garrett harshly while hijacking the truck. Not only has Hogg lost control of the situation, he has opened a can of ornery, violent worms into Hazzard County. My county.
“Rosco!” Jesse angrily yells out in the other room and I slowly stand up, continuing to think of the past couple of days. Glancing down at the older picture of Whinston smiling up at me, my thoughts seem to collide with each other to cause a terrible sinking feeling with me. What if their connected? What if Levi and Trent and the others at the store are the ones that had helped Whinston escape? Sharp chills rush across my stiff body as my imagination takes me away, struggling with thoughts of what I would do if they are connected. If so, Hogg has brought some unbeatable criminals into Hazzard. FBI and other police agencies had difficulties at capturing Whinston and at finding him. I had accidently walked in on him and surprisingly arrested him to bring me attention from news and entertainment around the world for my so-called bravery.
“Rosco!” Jesse yells out with impatience and I slowly shake my head, struggling to lose the haunting thoughts.
“I’m comin’,” I hesitantly respond as I open the door to find Jesse and Daisy staring at me, concern and anger etched into their faces. “Jesse, Daisy.”
Jesse continues to silently take me in as his angered face slowly fades away into worry with a hint of surprise, as if he is something new for the first time. “You OK Rosco?” he slowly asks and I quickly look up at him in surprise at his question, “You are looking pretty pale. Can I get you something? Water perhaps?”
“No Jesse,” I slowly swallow hard as I glance from Daisy to Jesse, “I’m. . .I’ll be fine.”
He looks questionably at me for a moment before shaking his head in disagreement before reaching into his back pocket to pull out a lengthy white envelope. “Well if you say so,” he slowly comments as he hands me the envelope, “That there is our bail money for Bo and Luke. Eight hundred and fifty dollars as suggested by J.D. Hogg there. Though we all know this is all hogwash! My boys would never do such a violent thing as beat someone up with baseball bats not alone their own cousin!”
I numbly nod as my thoughts returns to Whinston and the theory I had stumbled across only a few moments ago to send fear rushing thickly through me. Slowly my thoughts drift from Whinston to the Duke boys locked up downstairs, knowing that once they are free, they’ll attempt to clear themselves, as normal. What if they stumble across Whinston? Whinston won’t be afraid to use violence to keep the truth hidden, I may give them chase and follow through with Hogg’s schemes against them, but I’d never forgive myself if any of them got hurt.
“We’ll have to see about that, Jesse,” I slowly speak up as I force myself to redirect my attention back to them who silently watches me with wonderment in their eyes, “meanwhile the boys are downstairs. I say we go let them out.”
“Yeah, OK Rosco,” Jesse slowly nods as eagerness once again flows through his wise bright blue eyes as he slowly begins to follow me to the stairs that leads to the downstair jail cells, “Are you sure you’re feeling alright, Rosco? You aren’t acting yourself and you seem rather jumpy.”
I allow a moment of silence to filter between us as I quietly begin to walk down the steep stairs, pondering on what to tell him. “Yes, Jesse, I’m fine,” I slowly answer as I reach the small landing before walking the rest of the two steps down. Walking to their cell, I find Bo lying upon the old cot, his eyes closed while Luke sits upon the cold cement floor in the upper left corner, quietly watching his cousin with worry. Seeing me slowly walking towards him, Luke slowly takes his eyes off of Bo to slowly stand up, eyeing me before taking in his uncle and cousin. “Y’all have been bailed,” I break the silence and Luke sends accusatory looks at his uncle.
“How?” he asks, motioning with his thick muscular hands as I slowly grab the thick large key ring that holds their key to freedom, “Please say we’ll be going home after this…and not to pack up either.”
Jesse shrugs as his attention falls onto Bo who slowly stirs with the commotion before he glances over at Luke. “No…we didn’t give up the farm,” he slowly responds, “Cooter and LB helped loaned us the money from miscellaneous money they’ve earned…said they wouldn’t accept no for an answer.”
I slowly take the Dukes in for a short, silent moment as I recall the past events of falsely arresting them, of the pattern that took place. Finding the real culprit of the crime in order to free themselves, now won’t be any different. “Well there y’all go,” I sigh as I quickly yank the key around to open the heavy metal door that squeaks open to awake Bo completely.
Silence begins to build once again as Bo slowly forces himself to sit up, his attention falling onto Luke first before seeing the open door. His eyes brighten up at seeing his uncle standing behind me. “Uncle Jesse,” he smiles, the pain that had been so apparent last night has seemed to faded a bit.
“Let’s get going,” Jesse says from behind me and Bo excitedly nods as he slowly stands up to meet up with Luke at the open door.
“Sounds good to us,” Luke speaks up for his cousin as he inches his way past me while sending me angry looks, “you haven’t heard the last from us, Rosco.”
“Ghee, ghee,” I stutter as I watch Bo walks past, his attention remains on his uncle and cousins where they slowly begin to head up the stairs.
***LUKE DUKE***
For a short moment silence continues to linger between the four of us as we follow each other out of the sheriff’s station and into the narrow, lengthy hall. Anger flows rapidly through me as I silently recall the events that has lead us to being bailed out of jail, of Garrett and Ethan in the hospital. Hogg may have lost control of the situation, of the men he has hired or the plan he had thought of, but he still isn’t backing down either. He’s continuing with his plan as if nothing is happening, as if the violent beatings were planned, as if he doesn’t notice what his men are doing to his town. Dangerous men loose and free running around Hazzard to do as they wish to do, spreading fear among everyone, while awaiting to see what will happen next. Which leaves us to prove ourselves, prove our innocence, unless we’ll be finding ourselves in the state pen with hardened criminals.
“How you feel, Bo?” Jesse abruptly breaks the silence as he glances over at Bo who seems to be looking a little better despite the circumstances, “You don’t sound as bad as you did last night.”
Bo shrugs as he glances up at the front door as the door is quickly thrown open and Kristy comes into view through the harsh bright morning sun. “I feel a little better,” Bo slowly responds before fading into silence, fear wrote upon his face, “How you get us out? You didn’t sell the -”
“No,” Jesse smiles briefly at Bo’s concern towards the farm, “LB and Cooter gave us the money they had saved up…they did that five minutes before we came to visit you. Life savers.”
“Yeah,” I slowly nod as Kristy grows closer to us, her eyes remain downward with her shoulders hunched over. Her hair and outfit seems to be of a quick job, her hair loosely thrown back and her outfit is of loose light blue jeans and a red t-shirt tucked into her pants. “Mornin’ Kristy,” I say as we come within a foot distance from her, “how you holdin’ up?”
She slowly glances up at us, eyeing us individually at us before coming back to me, her face is red and swollen with tears of sadness and fear for her brother. Her green hazel eyes that is normally soft and friendly are now hard with anger and grief. “I’m holdin,” her answers are short as she eyes me uncertainty, “you boys out on bail?”
“As of a minute ago,” I slowly nod and she slowly sniffles as she struggles to remain strong, “Hogg has you working under these conditions? He should at least give you -”
“Rosco told me to stay home…or with Garrett,” she interrupts me, “but I came in on my own. I still need the paycheck and my kids still need food. So here I am.”
Her voice quivers with anger that she has stored within her the past day or so, anger that she seems to be aiming at us. “OK,” I place my hands up in surrender, “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
She shrugs silently to herself as she eyes everyone for a long moment, silently calculating a personal decision of some sort. “Yeah,” she slowly responds as she glances over her shoulder at the sheriff’s closed door, “look, I’m already late for work. I need to get going.”
I slowly nod while watching her as Daisy calls after her, “Talk to you later, Kristy.” We watch her walking into the sheriff’s station on her way to work in silence before slowly moving towards the large glass doors that shows Main Street and Cooter’s Garage on our way out. “I feel so bad for her…caught in between all of this. Has to be hard.”
“Hard for everyone now,” Jesse nods as he slowly opens the door to hold it open for everyone before following me out into the hot day, “especially her. She came down here with him…I don’t know how close they are with each other, but she depends on him to be there. Now he’s not.”
Outside several cars are parked in front of the court house as well as parked in front of stores that line the street that has opened early while other cars drive busily past, on their way to work or on an errand. Life seems to continue despite the current issues, despite our problem and the problem that may involve all of Hazzard. “Thanks Jesse, Daisy,” I nod as I place a protective hand upon Bo’s tense shoulder as I glance over at Cooter’s to find a couple of old cars parked out front awaiting work, “I think Bo and I will have a word with ol’ Cooter and LB themselves. Show them our appreciation and perhaps see if we can find anything out, some sort of a plan.”
Jesse glances unsurely at Bo, his over protectiveness is thickly apparent as he stares at me in disapproval and over at Bo, knowing he’ll argue if he says no. “Look Luke,” he slowly speaks up as we reach the curve next to an parked patrol car, “I don’t think that is such a good idea. I mean with his breathing, he’s may not be up to that…perhaps you can go and -”
“No, I’m fine,” Bo quickly interrupts him, thick stubbornness laces each word as he glances over at me and then back at Jesse, “I’m going with Luke.”
Jesse glances over at me, sending me a thanks a lot look before struggling with patience with Bo’s stubbornness pride. “Dr. Applebee says it would be best if you would rest,” Jesse argues, “and I know you want to go with Luke, but that wouldn’t be best for you.”
“I’ve already rested,” Bo quickly remarks as anger slowly begins to intertwine with his stubbornness, “as I said, I am fine. . . I won’t gain anything by staying home while he’s out by himself. What if Luke runs into something and needs back up? It’s not only him that’s accused for all of this…they found my damn wallet near Garrett!”
Jesse gives up a sigh of defeat as he nervously readjusts his red hunting cap upon his head, anxiously glancing around the small town we’ve all spent most of our lives in, as if expecting danger within each crack and corner. Glancing back at Bo to say, “OK Bo, you can go. But I want you to be honest with Luke,” he pauses to glance over at me, “you’re responsible for him, Luke…he starts having -”
“I’m twenty-four years old! I ain’t a damn baby!” Bo quickly snaps, “I can look out for my own self!”
Jesse sighs heavily in anger and in impatience. “I know how old you are and I know you can look out for yourself,” Jesse pauses, “and that’s not how I meant. Once you start not feeling good or having problems, y’all come home. End of story…if not, well then, Luke’s gonna hafta depend on Cooter and LB for his back up. Understand?”
Silence fills between us as I look over at Bo, sensing his temper flaring up at the situation and then over at Daisy who pats Jesse on the lower arm. “Yes sir,” Bo sighs heavily, his wheezing continue, but not as bad as it was last night.
“Alright then,” Jesse nods as he falls back into worry, “then good luck to you both, don’t do anything stupid or get in over your heads with this. By what they did with Garrett and Ethan, I take it they aren’t afraid of violence in order to defend their secret or whatever their here for. I don’t want you two looking as bad as them. You find anything out or find them, call for back up. Call Rosco…just don’t play hero.”
“Yes sir,” we simultaneously answer as I glance over at Bo who slowly smiles at me, a hint of excitement floods within his dark blue eyes; excitement at another investigation.
Jesse nods once again as he looks back at Daisy and says, “Well then, I guess we’ll be at home if you need us.”
“OK,” I slowly nod as I glance across the street as LB steps out to grab something before eyeing us, “I don’t plan on staying here all day…perhaps talk to Cooter and see what they say and then head over to the new sports store in town.”
“The one that opened yesterday?” Jesse questions as he glances down the street at the store’s colorful and bold sign.
“That’s the one,” I shrugs as I follow his attention, “I find it too coincidental that they came into town just as trouble started. Find it too coincidental that Garrett and Ethan were picking up cargo for them…and with the beatings of a blunt object? A baseball bat would fit that description. Too much coincidence there for me not to believe they didn’t have a part in this…and I imagine if we look around enough, we just may find Hogg as co-owner of the store.”
“Well, good luck boys,” Jesse slowly responds as he stare questionably at the store, silently pondering my theory, “you’ll sure need it. You better be certain before pointing fingers at them…I’ve only heard good things about them so far.”
“Yeah I know,” I slowly reply, “they helped donate Hazzard’s baseball team with new equipment…but too much coincidence.”
“I see your point,” Jesse nods as he takes Bo in and glances over at me, “well don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”
“Yes sir,” Bo speaks up as Daisy and Jesse slowly turn towards Jesse’s old truck. Silence slowly follows their path as we watch them buckling up before taking off towards the quiet town square.
“Let’s go see Cooter and LB,” I pat Bo on the shoulder to grab his attention away from Jesse’s departing truck and he slowly nods. Together we slowly cross the lightly busy street towards the slanting slope parking lot, walk around the gas pumps and in through the open garage door.
“Hey boys,” Cooter grins under his grease stained yellow ball cap as he looks up from under an green rusty hood, “see our money was good enough for Boss.”
“Any money is good for Boss,” Bo quickly picks up to pick up laughter from Cooter and LB, “thanks for bailing us out.”
“Any time,” LB says as he steps through the darkness and into the summer sun light, “as Cooter tol’ Jesse, you’ve helped us out plenty of times. It’s our turn now.”
“Yeah thanks,” I nod in agreement.
“As LB said, it’s our turn,” Cooter smiles crazily as he pulls a part out of a small box to begin examining it, “Now what?”
“Well Bo and I figured we’d go down and have a look at the new sports store in town,” I answer as I glance over at Bo, ” see if it’s all that they say it is.”
“Too much coincidence, huh?” Cooter rises an eye brow as he takes us all in before he sticks his head back under the hood.
“You got it,” I reply as I look over at Bo, “you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be, cuz,” Bo smiles as the excitement races the pain out of his eyes as he glances at me and then over at LB, “we’ll be seeing you boys around.”
“You got it,” Cooter waves from under the hood, “need any help, just give us a holler, ya hear?”
“That’s a big ten-four,” I smile as Bo and I walk out into the hot early morning sunshine.
***BO DUKE***
Questions slowly begin to rush within me as I stare up at the white painted brick building that stands taller than the two buildings that surrounds it, standing sturdier with bricks than the chipping and old wood buildings. A plastic thick sign reading “Hazzard Sport’s Store and More” upon a white sign, the thick letters in bright colors to attract attention, making the whole building stick out amongst the rest of Hazzard. Four large windows line the front of the building with a glass door lying in between the four windows, hanging at eye level on the clear glass door is the hours of the store. “What you think?” I ask as we cautiously step up to the building and I slowly glance in to see bright lights hanging from the cheap ceiling to shine upon the bright white linoleum flooring. Thick metal shelves line in rows to make wide isles on the left side of the store while on the right side is a thick counter with the cash register, a few feet from the end of the cash register more isles of shelves begin. In the middle of the shelves thick and bold clothes rack line with different types of sport gear, sport jerseys that are plain for personal use while others hold professional sport team emblems on them, some with famous names. A rack is filled with hunting clothes, child sizes to big adults, to any sort of hunting or fishing.
“I don’t know, you’re the one lookin’ in,” he slowly responds and I glance back at him before glancing at the expensive, brand new looking cars that line the parking places, “what you see?”
“Bright lights and a lot of equipment,” I respond as I place a hand upon the silver door handle, “shall we go in and take a look?”
Luke shakes his head in disbelief for a short moment before glancing in besides me and then back up at me. “Sure wish we knew what we are up against, for all we know, we’ll be walking into a heap of trouble,” he responds as he grips onto my shoulder, “but we will never know by standing out here. Let’s go.”
I nod as I slowly pull open the heavy door to cause a silver bell upon the top of the silver framed glass door to jingle and a thin, muscular man behind the counter looks up at us. “Mornin’,” he dryly states, boredom screams from his dark eyes, “anything I can do for you two?”
I glance over at Luke who shrugs as a young woman with two kids slowly steps in behind us, smiles at us before guiding the two kids into the nearest isle. “Not at the moment,” Luke smiles at the young clerk, “we just figured we would stop by and give ourselves a look at what everyone is talking about.”
“Well I’ll be here if you have any questions,” he eagerly yells out after us as Luke points down the middle isle and we make our way through the clothes and near a shelf filled with hunting gear.
“Wow,” Luke gasps beside me as we reach the back wall where a glass locked case is nailed onto the wall, the case covers the whole back wall from the right corner to the closed door that lies in the far left corner. The case has three shelves in it, the shelves are neatly arranged with hunting guns and knives of all sizes and colors, including handguns with designs engraved into the butt of the guns. The knives look as wicked as the guns do with different shaped and sizes of blades and handles as well as pocket knives. “All these legal?”
“They sure don’t look it,” I shake my head as I take in the rifles and hunting guns with the handguns and knives. The most weapons I’ve seen together in my life all priced expensively with options of monthly or yearly fees. “They seem to have about everything here from hunting to football. What you think?”
“I think we are up against something way bigger than us,” he responds as he glances back across the large room as the door in the left corner is thrown open and older clerk walks out carrying a couple of heavy boxes.
Seeing us, he slowly sets the boxes upon a shelf to walk over to where we stand in front of the guns and knives. “May I help you with something?” he asks eagerly, “Perhaps you’d like to have a look at one of ’em? One catch your eye?”
“Uh, not in particular,” Luke looks over at me as he places another protective hand upon my shoulder before glancing back at the clerk, “but we do have a question for you. These all look pretty sharp and wicked, they legal to sell like that?”
He bites his lower lip as he glances from me to Luke, skeptically taking us in with darty green eyes before saying, “Uh yeah for the most part…but we’ve got more bigger and more wicked weapons in the back if you’d wish for something more daring than that. Course with the danger there is in selling those, the fee and charge is more than these beauties. What ya say? Wanna look?”
A hint of fear slowly eases it’s way within me as the reality of the situation quickly sinks in, if they got worse weapons than these, we are over our head with dealing with the likes of them. “Ah well,” Luke runs a hand through his hair, “perhaps we make a rain check on that, huh? I . . .we were just asking to get something to think about. An option.”
He stares at us momentarily with worry in his eyes as he glances towards the front before looking back at us. “An option? For what?” he asks, “What are you looking for?”
Luke shrugs. “An option for an ideal weapon,” he smiles as he glances at me and then at him, “perhaps a good hunting weapon plus something that’ll give us both good protection, something to make people run away at the sight.”
He smiles with ease now as his worry slips away at Luke’s answer. “Well we got plenty of those in the back,” he persists as I slowly glance around to find security cameras strapped into the corners of the building, “why don’t you two boys follow me out back? I can show you the perfect gun.”
“Thanks again, sir,” Luke responds as he notices the cameras as well, “but we’ll have to come back to get a closer look. Now we have to go on your word…me and my cousin are in a bit of a hurry right now.”
He smiles. “No problem,” he shrugs at us as a couple of customers seem to inch forward, making him nervous, “always glad to help. Hope you see stuff you like here…we ease to please.”
“We can see,” I pipe in and Luke glances over at me, “Thanks again.”
He waves at us as we slowly walk down the farthest isle on the left wall that contains fishing poles, lures, and other fishing gear. We slowly walk down the isle looking at the items until we reach the counter and we slowly walk across the room to walk down the nearest isle that is filled with baseball and football equipment. Hard balls are lined in a shelf while metal and wooden baseball bats are stored on the bottom shelf and Luke slowly bends down to pick up a silver metal bat, measuring the weight and the handle. “It’d be perfect,” he whispers to me as he slowly puts it away and we stand up, “I think we seen enough, let’s go.”
“OK,” I nod as I slowly follow him out of the isle and to the glass door.
“Have a good day,” the clerk behind the counter says after us as we open the door to cause the bells to ring as we step out into the humid summer day.
“Damn it Bo,” Luke nervously runs his hand through his hair as he takes in the expensive cars as we walk past them, “why I let you talk me into that? You see the trouble you got us in?”
“Me?” I ask as I glare ahead at Cooter’s garage that looms ahead, “It wasn’t my idea, it was your’s, genius. In case you forgot.”
“You weren’t suppose to support the damn idea,” Luke says, his voice quivering, “you see them damn guns and knives? And to think they have bigger and more illegal guns in the back…it’s got to be them. Now what?”
“Dunno, you got me there,” I shrug as we slowly walk up the slope to Cooter’s Garage, “we’re faced with a bunch of weapon maniacs that beat them that badly. Just think what they could do to us if they found us snooping around.”
“That’s the problem,” Luke shrugs, “I don’t want to think about it.”
“Hey, hey they’re back,” LB grins largely at us as Cooter stands up besides LB, “what y’all find?”
“Trouble,” Luke quickly responds, “they’re the ones behind it all…just we don’t have anything to prove it. Y’all should drop by sometime…they got a whole wall dedicated for hunting rifles, hand guns, sharp knives, big knives. You name it, they got it. If that’s not enough, one of the clerks was trying to sell us weapons they’ve got hidden in the back…bigger ones than the ones they were showing. Illegal weapons I got the impression of.”
Cooter whistles with surprise at the news. “Illegal weapons? What a sport store need illegal weapons for?” he asks.
“Exactly my point,” Luke shakes his head in disbelief, “we’re way out of our league now. I mean, he didn’t just pinpoint guns or knives…he said weapons. Right Bo?”
“Sure did,” I sigh heavily as I think of what they are saying and all that we had seen, “plus they got the bats that could do the damage that Garrett and Ethan have.”
Silence soon begins to grow within the heated garage as we all look at one another, everyone struggling through emotions of all that we had learned with the last half hour. “I’ve got to ask it again,” Cooter breaks through the silence, “now what? LB and I are here to help any way we can.”
“You got that right, cuz,” LB pats Cooter on the back to prove his point, “we could go rattle their cages…tell them we know what their hiding, force them to show us.”
“You out of your mind?” Luke asks in disbelief, “He was persistent to show us what we had, I told him no, once you see that, you are either in their circle or you’re out of the picture completely. I’m surprised he opened up and said what he did…he opened it all up to us.”
“Probably figured we were seeking something illegal when you asked him if all that was illegal,” I slowly answer as I slowly take a seat in an old metal fold up chair, “they know we ain’t the law around here, so what else could be our concern if it’s legal or not -”
“Unless y’all wanted something illegal,” LB finishes my thought for me as he readjusts his hat, “and no, I’m not out of my mind. Guess I wasn’t thinking of it that way.”
“Guess not unless you’ve got a death wish,” Luke responds looking at Cooter and LB before glancing back at me, “and to answer your question, Cooter. I don’t know what we are going to do…I mean we can’t just sit back and do nothing, who knows what else they’ll do next. Besides I’m not about to go to the state pen due to them. But the second we try anything, find anything else out, we’re gonna have to deal with them…them and their guns.”
“Perhaps you can go to Rosco,” Cooter suggests looking through the open door as Rosco stiffly steps into his parked patrol car.
“You kiddin’?” Luke responds, “Rosco may not be in the loop here or know everything that is going on, but I can’t see what going to Rosco will do. Rosco may be the sheriff here, but most of all, he responds to Boss. Boss may not know about the illegal guns, but he’s not going to do much about it. He hasn’t pulled back when they beat Garrett and Ethan as they did.”
“He won’t now either,” LB shakes his head, “y’all are stuck. We could make a team…us vs them?”
“That’s the best we can do now,” Luke answers as he looks worriedly at me, “but for now I’m gonna get him home and inform Jesse and Daisy. We’ll get back to you.”
“Alright,” Cooter nods as he moves closer to his car, “y’all take care.”
“You do the same,” I wave at them before stopping Luke, “you mind telling me how you plan on going home? Walk?”
He gives me a frustrated smile as he looks back at the two mechanics and back at me. “Damn you’re right,” Luke rolls his eyes, “hey Cooter, could we -”
“Here’s the keys to the truck,” he smiles throwing Luke his key ring, “we’ll be by to pick it up later.”
“Ten-four,” Luke nods as he climbs into the driver’s seat, “let’s go cuz.”
***UNCLE JESSE***
Old memories silently flow through me as I stare numbly at the old photos that line upon the scratched wooden shelf that hangs a foot above the fire place. Pictures of the kids growing up, together, separate, with friends, and a couple with me in it, all bringing back memories that hold bold emotions. The photo in the middle sits in a gold framed picture frame, the picture is of Bo and Luke on a hot summer day eighteen years ago, Bo was six years old and Luke was eleven. In the photo both boys are shirtless and in light blue jeans and covered deeply in mud from the head down as they sit in a large mud hole, Bo sitting on top of Luke. Old memories flood through me as I stare at the picture, it had rained the night before the photo was taken to slightly cool off the hot humid air that had lingered around dry-less for weeks, it had rained enough to fill the large pot holes in the dirt drive way. We had just gotten home from late morning church and I had began working on the day’s lunch while I had sent them out to get a few eggs and to feed the chickens. When I had finished making sandwiches, I had went to get them to find them wrestling in the mud. Despite the momentarily flash of anger at seeing them covered in mud, I had grabbed the camera from a drawer in the kitchen, ran out and called their name, and took the picture just as they both looked up at me.
At the age of six he was forced to consider everyone’s time table the doctors had given him when he was born, that he wouldn’t make it to be six years old. He had proved them all wrong to everyone’s surprise, including me. At the age of six, he was aware of his situation, aware of the odds that was stacked against him, even if he had outlived their predictions. Though despite the harshness of the illness, a lot like today, each day or week is different from the next. One week he would look almost healthy and playful while the next he is pale and suffering in undesirable amount of pain. The pain and the effects of his weak heart depended from day to day, from week to week. Giving him at least a little relief, a little preview of what a normal day would be like to a normal kid, a normal person.
When I had taken the photo, eighteen years ago, Bo had been looking as healthy as he could get with his condition and had been running strong for a week or so. Which was why I wasn’t as upset as I would have been if it had been one of his weak and painful days, despite the worry it caused me, I had also realized his need to just be a boy. Even if it was for a day. Just like now with allowing him to go with Luke. Bo is right, he is now twenty-four years old and is able to take care of himself. Deep down I realize the truth to his statement, that I do need to let go and let him live his life, my worry and concern continues to rip at me. Only last night he was in so much pain and struggling for air as I had been ushered out of the jail, his rest must have eased some discomfort he was having last night. But still . . .
“You OK, Uncle Jesse?” Daisy’s sweet voice breaks through the silence that had built within the stuffy living room, catching me by surprise.
Slowly turning around to face her I slowly nod. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I take another long look at the photo of Bo and Luke covered in thick mud, love and devotion filled in their eyes for each other, “I wonder what’s taking them so long…the dang store can’t have that much to look at.”
Daisy shrugs as she walks up to me to give me a comforting hug. “My friend Sally took her nephews there on opening day and she says they had a big selection,” Daisy sighs as she pauses to take me in with her own concern, “maybe they found something.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I sigh as I pull my way back into the kitchen to glance up at the clock, “we’ve been home for an hour and yet no word.”
“Ah Jesse,” she smiles as she takes a seat at the table, “don’t worry, they’ll be fine. They can look out for each other.”
“Yeah, I hope so,” I sigh heavily as I struggle to fight back the nagging feeling continuing to grow within me, the feeling that something bad has happened or is about to happen, “but until they get them guys who did all this, I’m gonna worry. Their facing major jail time or dangerous men who isn’t afraid to use violence to get what they want…which probably makes them outnumbered plus weapons of some sort.”
Daisy slowly nods as she slowly turns her attention out through the open window that lies over the kitchen sink, displaying the dry drive way. Her shoulders hang tightly up as her own anxiety screams from her body language while she fights to hide her worry from me. A short moment passes before she straightens up before turning around with a slight look of relief wrote upon her face. “Here they are,” she smiles and I let go a deep sigh of my own relief, “in one of Cooter’s tow trucks.”
“I forgot they didn’t have their car,” I dryly state as a powerful engine quickly goes quiet outside of the window before I hear their footsteps crunching upon the dry dirt and onto the old wooden porch.
“Uncle Jesse,” Bo smiles at me as he is the first one to step into the house, quickly followed by Luke who stares seriously at me and then at Daisy.
“Bo, Luke,” I force a smile at them as silence begins to settle, “find anything out?”
“A load of trouble,” Luke sighs as he slowly sits down across the table from me, “the store has a lot of sporting goods, including baseball bats, metal and wooden. Both would do the job perfectly upon the beatings they did on Garrett and Ethan.”
“Damn it,” I sigh heavily as I eye them warily.
“Oh that’s not it…I’ve saved the best for last,” Luke runs a trembling hand through his thick dark brown hair, his baby blue eyes searches me for an reaction, “their whole back wall of the store is of a glassed in shelf filled with guns and knives. Big ones, small ones. Hand guns and rifles. Hunting knives, sport knives, pocket knives…sharp and wicked. If that’s not enough, we were stopped by a clerk when we were looking at them,” he pauses as he glances up at Bo who slowly takes a glass from the cupboard to walk over to the fridge to pour cold water into it, “and he asked us if we were looking for something worse than those…I take it as illegal weapons. Not just knives or guns, he said weapons.”
Shock radiates through my numb body as the information sinks in: baseball bats and illegal weapons. “Damn,” I shake my head as I struggle to erase the picture he had created in my head, “they mean business.”
“Damn right they do,” Luke response, “it has to be them. We didn’t find anything to prove them guilty, but they got it right there in their store there. Rosco or Boss won’t do nothing about it -”
“Which leaves us,” Bo interrupts Luke before taking a sip of his water, “to do it for them.”
“You’ve got to be crazy!” I yell, jumping out of my chair, “You go messing with guys like that you’ll most likely find yourself headless thanks to one of their illegal weapons they were planning on showing you! There is no way I’m about to allow you go out and -”
“We don’t have a choice Jesse,” Luke calmly responds as he glances up at Bo again, “I mean if we don’t, me and Bo will be finding ourselves locked away for years in the state pen. We go down, that means they’re still free; free to do as they wish. Free to tear apart Hazzard, who knows who else they’ll hurt if they’re not stopped in time.”
Silence slowly filters through as their argument backs up the information that is known to us at this time. “Yeah,” I dryly respond as fear grows steadily within me, fear for my nephews and what they are up against, “but why you? I’m not losing you to the likes of them…I can’t.”
“Either can I,” Daisy pipes up, her voice quivering in her own emotions, “they’ll tear you two to sheds.”
“Not if we’re careful enough, which we’ll have to be,” Luke persists, “Cooter and LB both agreed to help…form teams and all that. All we have to do is find that stolen truck and see if we can trace it to them and -”
“You get caught and -”
“I know Jesse…we know,” Luke interrupts my fear-filled argument, “but it’s something we’ve got to do. For ourselves and for our town.”
“Heros, huh?” Daisy asks, her voice filled with anger now, “So you plan is to go play heros?! Damn it Luke! You’ll get you and Bo killed doing that…perhaps tortured before hand!”
“As I said, we know,” Luke pauses to take everyone in before pointing at Bo, “if my argument isn’t enough, why don’t y’all turn around and look at Bo,” Bo watches with uncertainty as everyone faces him, “you think he’d last long in jail with his condition? Huh? Trust me, they’d pick up on his weakness and beat him to death within the first five minutes they place him in a cell filled with criminals. I won’t be there to protect him, because there is no way they’d place us in the same cell or even close to each other…he’d have to defend for himself against five large and dangerous criminals that has most likely have done what they’re accused of.” Luke pauses once again, taking everyone in with seriousness edged into his face, “Because that is where he…where we both will be going if we don’t prove ourselves…and fast. I’m not going to sit back and allow that to happen…not to him and not to me.”
Silence erupts within the stuffy kitchen as he finishes his argument and the truth he holds within it, forcing my mind show vivid pictures of what he has said. “Damn it,” I finally say as I weakly stand up to take Bo who just kind of shrugs at me, “Luke’s right. We have no choice but to face them…ourselves. At least until you find some hard core evidence that we could take to the FBI…we could call into Frank Mills again, see what he could do.”
“Right,” Luke states, “but to find the evidence is where our problem lies now. They seem to be as smart as they are dangerous, so far the only thing they’ve got going is a sports store that happens to sell illegal guns, of which I have no proof of.”
“What y’all planning on doing then?” Daisy asks, eyeing person to person.
“Well first we plan on forming teams and then going and snooping around I guess. There isn’t much places they could hide the damn truck,” Luke responds, “so far we got LB and Cooter agreeing to help out, maybe Brodie and Dobro could jump in as well. That’d be six of us. We could go in twos or threes.”
“Bo going too?” I ask worriedly, my thoughts remaining of them going to jail.
“Of course I’m going,” Bo quickly as he steps into the conversation, “why wouldn’t I be going? I mean they are-”
“Also accusing you, I know,” I sigh heavily, “I’m just not so sure about you leaving with your infection and getting too involved with it all. When do you plan on doing all this?”
“I don’t know,” Luke shakes his head as he eyes Bo and me, “perhaps as early as this afternoon, tomorrow morning at the latest. The sooner we get started, the better…first we have to get together and get a plan of sorts created.”
***KRISTY DUKE***
Pulling into the old drive way of the old farm house we have been renting from Cooter, I am surprised to find Daisy’s dusty jeep parked in front of the chipped wooden porch. My thoughts instantly leave Garrett’s beaten and still body at the hospital for a moment to rethink the encounter I had with my cousins at the court house this morning. I had treated the boys with hostile anger at seeing them free after being arrested for Garrett’s beating and yet Daisy had said bye to me, kindly as usual, as if she had understood.
Guilt pours deeply within me for how I had treated family as I force myself to think of my other brother and our cousin who had spent the night in jail for the beating. Who stands accountable for the beatings of Garrett and Ethan. Would the do such a thing? Once again I begin to ponder their innocence or guilt as I stare blankly at her parked jeep. Logic screams with their innocence while deep within, my emotions yells out at me, accusing them of guilty. Luke had gotten into the fight with Garrett the night before and Bo and Garrett had never seemed to get along from day one. Then again, Garrett and Ethan had both gotten into the fight with the two men from out of town, the ones they had gotten arrested for fighting with. The fight that had started it all. Logic detects the irony of the two men had gotten away, that the fight had been the way Hogg had gotten them to drive for them, it all adds up. What about Bo’s wallet? Ethan’s confession of all that he had seen and heard?
“Damn it,” I silently mutter as I stare at her parked jeep that I had parked along side of, struggling to hide the emotions that rush through me. Biting my lower lip, I slowly glance up to find LB standing at the steps of the porch holding Shay in his hands while a strong hand gently rests upon Jamie’s shoulder to holder her back from running to me before I get out. A smile slowly escapes at seeing them together on the porch, at detecting the love and affection within LB’s green eyes, at seeing the excitement of my children at seeing me home. A life I had never expected to have. He is so good with the kids and with me, it is almost scary. After years of abuse with Trevor, I had grown to accept that I deserved what I got, the beatings he had given me. Do I deserve the love and affection of someone as kind as LB? A shiver of doubt runs through my tense body as I slowly turn the engine off of my powerful truck while struggling with the realistic answer. Logical, says of course I deserve him, if I had deserved the abuse, why don’t I deserve what I have now? Doubt yells it is too good to be true.
“Mommy!” Jamie yells as LB slowly lets go as I open the door to be greeted by the afternoon summer heat. She smiles excitedly at me as she throws herself onto me and I hug tightly onto her, gathering comfort from her hug.
“Me too, mommy!” Shay giggles as he slowly walks over to pull onto Jamie’s dress, attempting to get room in for him.
“Of course,” I smile as I pick him up and hug him as I walk up onto the porch with LB who smiles worriedly at me.
Pulling me into a tight hug, we kiss momentarily to force Jamie to make a gross looking face up at us. “How was he?” LB asks, knowing I had spent the last hour in my brother’s hospital room.
I shrug. “About the same,” I slowly answer, “doctors say it is still too soon to know. I guess that is better than getting worse. Garrett’s strong,” I try to convince myself, “he’ll fight it until the end.”
LB nods as he takes Jamie’s hand to slowly walk towards the door. “How are you?” he slowly asks, his hand upon the door handle, while he looks back to take me in with worried light green eyes.
“I’m…I’ll be fine,” I shrug again, “Daisy here?”
“Yeah,” LB slowly opens the door for me and he follows us in, “she’s in the kitchen. I told her you should be home soon. I hope that is ok?”
“Of course,” I sigh as I look at Shay who continues to watch me with his big blue eyes before I slowly hand him over to LB, “you take the kids and I’ll go talk to her. Perhaps we’ll join you in awhile.”
“Yes ma’am,” he smiles crazily at me as he looks down at Jamie, “well Miss Jamie, you want to play tea party or dolls?”
She looks up at me with her green – blue eyes begging me to go in with her, to play with her as I normally do after getting home from work. “I’ll be in, in a moment,” I smile down at her as I give her another hug in the hall way, “I have to talk to Daisy for a moment. Go with LB, it’ll be ok.”
“Yeah sure,” she shrugs as she looks uncertainty up at me before turning to LB, “then I want to play both…tea with dolls. Kasey can join us, can’t she?” She asks about her favorite Cabbage Patch Doll that Rosa had given to her when we had first moved in with my dad.
“Oh of course,” LB smiles at her, forcing an _expression of child-like excitement, “Kasey is always welcomed to join.”
“Oh great…she’ll love it!” Jamie takes his hand to lead him down the hall to turn right at the end into their play room.
I stare momentarily at the pictures of the kids upon the end of the hallway’s white wall, regrouping my thoughts before I slowly walk towards the end of the hall. Turning left into the kitchen I find Daisy sitting at our circle shaped chestnut table with a clear glass of water, staring out through the glass sliding doors that lead into the back yard. “Daisy,” I force a smile as I catch her attention and she forces her own smile, “I’m sorry to make you wait.”
“No wait at all,” she grins at me, her blue eyes expresses her sympathy with her own emotions, “I enjoyed talking to LB and playing with the kids. They are getting so big!”
“Tell me about,” I slowly take wooden chair across the table from her as silence begins to settle upon us.
“I am sorry about Garrett,” she says awkwardly, her eyes attached to me to underline her sympathy, “if there is anything we can do for you, name it. We’re here in any way you need us to be.”
“Thanks,” I smile appreciatively at her, “I think all we can do, is pray. Though I don’t think that would be Garrett’s response.”
“No, but it’s a good place to start,” Daisy nods in agreement as an awkward silence once again begins to build and I can tell Daisy is torn by emotion of what to say or where to start. “I don’t blame you for being upset at the boys,” she starts out as she stares into her half full glass before glancing back up at me again, “if I was in your place, I think I’d feel the same way.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I state but by the look on her face, I can tell that she knows differently, “Ok maybe I was upset this morning and still am. I don’t know…one moment that is all I can see. The evidence against them…having them in jail last night was at least some peace. Though logic clearly states they wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Daisy stiffly nods in understanding. “No, they wouldn’t,”she finally responds as Shay giggles loudly in the other room, “but the evidence against them don’t look good either.”
I shake my head in disbelief as tears rush to my eyes once again, tears that I have been struggling to hide ever since walking into Garrett’s hospital room, knowing what I would see. “I’m sorry,” I struggle to say as I forcefully wipe my eyes, “I shouldn’t -”
“Kristy,” Daisy leans over and places a caring hand over my hand on the table, “don’t worry about it. It is natural to cry, you have the right to cry at a time like this. Your brother is in the hospital struggling for his life…you have the right to cry, the right to be worried and afraid. Trust me, I know. With Bo,” she pauses as she bites her lips, wondering if she should go on or not, “With Bo and his problems,” she pauses once again, this time seeming to struggle for words to express her feelings properly, “we have been to that hospital, more times that we can count. Either for tests or emergencies. He has faced death several times due to a cold, cardiac arrests; you name it. He’s been in several comas for the most simplest things…a cold, chicken pox. His immune system couldn’t, can’t fight properly as ours can. He’d fall and bruise instantly no matter how hard he hit.”
Silence slowly fills the room and I slowly watch my cousin struggling with her own emotions, with her own memories. “Look,” she stiffly speaks up once again, “I didn’t mention all that to place the attention onto him and his past. That has nothing to do with this or with Garrett. I just want to say, that I understand how you feel and what you are going through. . .we all do. And we are all here for you.”
Her words swiftly echo within me as I take them in while thinking of the childhood Bo must have had, of the worry Jesse, Daisy, and Luke must have had for him. “Thanks Daisy,” I smile weakly at her and she smiles kindly over at me, “why?”
“Why, what?” she asks slowly.
“Why are you here?” I slowly answer with a question, “I mean this morning I had been rude to the boys and deep within I still can’t fight back the accusation towards them. Of the evidence, of Garrett’s behavior towards them. I don’t deserve -”
“Of course you deserve it…you deserve the best Kristy,” she interrupts me, surprise in her face, “you can’t help how you feel. I mean the emotions must be tearing you apart…not only is Garrett in intensive care, but Bo and Luke is accused of the beatings. The evidence is there and in your position it is easy to point fingers, in fact it is necessary to find blame to someone. Someone is to blame here, but I can tell you one thing. The blame shouldn’t go on Bo and Luke, they would never do such a thing, fight or not. Hogg has his hand in there somewhere…it is just a matter of time at finding where,” she pauses for a long moment, “and give the boys time, they’ll find the real guys who did that to Garrett and Ethan. They won’t get away with it…trust me.”
“Thank-you, Daisy,” I smile at her as LB laughs out loud in the other room, “you are too nice. And deep down I know that you are right,” I pause as I think of what to say, “I just can’t help but to think that Garrett didn’t want to come down here, he wanted to stay in Knoxville with his so called friends. He had fallen into a bad group a while back, before I got into town, he caused a lot of trouble. . .anyway, dad insisted he came here with me. Get him away from the people he called friends and look what -”
“Don’t blame yourself or your dad for this, Kristy. This isn’t your fault,” Daisy says firmly, “the only ones to blame are the real men that beat them, the ones behind everything. Most likely Hogg’s new business partners. Not you.”
I stiffly nod. “I know, but I keep thinking if we hadn’t talked him into coming down, he wouldn’t have been available for the beating. Of course, a lot worse may have came to him in Knoxville by the way he was acting,” I shrug, acknowledging the truth, “so I don’t know.”
Daisy nod as she quietly takes me in for a long moment, allowing silence to intervene while she takes a long drink of water. “Well all we can do is go from where we are at as of now. Bo and Luke plan on proving their innocence and in doing so they need to find the real men who did that to Ethan and Garrett. As I said, they won’t get away with what they did…Bo and Luke will make sure of it,” Daisy slowly speaks up, pausing momentarily again, “Talking of your dad, have you called him?”
Her question throws me off in surprise, of her asking about my dad. “Well I’ve tried,” I slowly respond with uncertainty, “he was gone…the guy at his garage said they left on some sort of vacation to Florida or something. They wouldn’t answer their cell phone…I’ve attempted to leave a message. They haven’t called back, yet.”
Daisy nodded slowly. “Didn’t mean to interfere with personal business,” she smiles numbly at me, “just figured I’d ask. Jesse was worried that he wasn’t here due to the past…or something like that. Jesse really hasn’t explained what happened there other than to leave clues of some sort of fight or struggle between the two. I suppose it has something to do with Bo, but I wouldn’t know. Jesse doesn’t talk about it.”
I slowly nod, not knowing what to say. “Thanks again, Daisy. It means a lot to see you here and to have this conversation,” I slowly say as silence fills the kitchen for a moment as Jamie and Shay both laugh loudly, “how about we go see what’s so funny in there?”
“Sounds great!” Daisy says, standing up quickly after me and follows me across the hall and into the kids play room where we find LB lying upon the old carpet. He lies on his back while Jamie has covered him up with Shay’s baby blue blanket and a couple of her play blankets while she has stuffed a baby under his arm.
“Shhhh LB sleeping,” Shay giggles as he drops to his knees to crawl over LB’s stomach who struggles to pretend to sleep under the pressure of Shay’s sharp knees. Jamie continues to work out the wrinkles of the blanket that covers LB’s greasy boots, concentrating deeply. “LB’s taking nap.”
“Not any more, I’m not,” LB abruptly sits up to grab Shay who jumps in surprise before laughing hysterically as LB begins to throw him in the air, catches him before lying him on Shay’s back and tickles him.
“LB!” Jamie complains at her messed blankets, “You were suppose to be sleeping…it is your nap time! Now lay down!”
“Gee you’re a tough teacher, Jamie,” LB smiles at her, “I want recess.”
“Too bad! It’s nap -” Jamie starts seriously before looking up at me. “Mommy!” she squeals as she drops the blankets to run to me and both Shay and LB slowly stand up to greet us at the entry way.
“Oh don’t stop playing, LB,” I force a grin at him, “it was too cute watching you sleeping with that doll there. Too bad I didn’t grab my camera, that would have been a great picture! Cooter would have loved to see it!”
LB rolls his eyes as he drags me into a comforting hug for a short moment before stepping back to take in the messy room and back at me. “Good thing you didn’t, because I’d be owing you a new camera after I broke that camera.”
Daisy laughs silently as she picks up Shay who makes his way up onto LB’s shoulders, his small arms hugging onto LB’s forehead.