by: Jax

“Hey Luke, you know what day’s coming up next week?” Bo Duke asked as he brought his hands up and out of the sink full of dirty dishes and glasses. He shook his hands out and then carefully rolled up the sleeves on his hunter green shirt higher, trying to keep them from getting wet. He turned and looked over his shoulder at his cousin sitting at the small table reading a newspaper.

“Luke?”

Both cousins had been living in their own apartment now for over a year. Since the death of their beloved uncle and the subsequent purchase of Cooter’s garage; the Duke boys were doing what they did best…building, fixing and racing cars.

“Hmm?” Luke grunted in reply as he lowered the paper and carefully turned a page.

“What’d you say Bo?” He asked as he met his cousin’s gaze.

“I said do you know what important day it is next week? And you best have the right answer Luke or you’ll be in the doghouse plenty with Donna.”

Both of Luke Duke’s dark eyebrows went up in contemplation then he shrugged.

“Not really. Something I should know about?”

“Luke!” Bo shook his head exasperatedly and grabbed a dishtowel, he threw it at his sitting cousin; the white and blue stripped towel landing on his grey button down shirt.

“What? I’m not a walking calendar Bo!” Luke wadded the cloth back up and returned fire at Bo, who caught it and set it back on the counter.

“Luke Duke I don’t know what Donna sees in you!”

“So are you going to tell me what day it is or not?” Luke folded the paper back up neatly and set it on the table’s smooth surface.

“Valentine’s Day–” Bo motioned with his chin to the calendar tacked to the wall, the day in question framed buy a large red circle. The calendar’s picture bore Cooter’s garage; though the building remained relatively the same, there was one noticeable difference, instead of Hazzard Garage over the door the sign read, Dukes Custom Racing. Parts-Motors-Rebuilds.

“Oh–” Luke gave a shrug then got up from his chair. His white coffee mug sat in front of him and he picked it up.

“You’re asking if I’ve got any plans?” He went to the coffee maker and lifted the decanter, pouring himself another cup.

Bo scoffed at his cousin’s lack of interest and shook his head. “I wouldn’t let Donna hear you say that.” He went back to his dish washing.

“Why not?”

“Because most women expect something on Valentine’s Day, flowers, candy, jewelry, going out to dinner…”

Replacing the decanter, Luke took a sip of the black coffee then turned and leaned his back to the counter, watching Bo washing dishes.

“What about you and Michelle?”

“Don’t know yet, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, see if you had any suggestions.” Bo washed and rinsed the last dish then stacked it in the drain board. He pulled the plug from the drain, rinsed his hands then picked up the dishtowel and began to dry them.

“But you’re no help seeings how you don’t have any idea either.”

“Guess I better get one fast if I want to keep Donna happy.” Luke turned around and got a mug from the cabinet and poured his cousin a cup of coffee then handed it to him.

“Here you Bo.”

“Thanks–” Bo went over to the fridge and opened it; he got out the container of milk and poured some into it.

“If neither of us have a plan, we best come up with something.” Luke sat down once again, his elbows resting on the table. He stared down at the surface of the table in contemplation.

Grabbing a spoon from the drain board, Bo sat down across the table from his cousin and added two spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee.

“This ain’t our first Valentine’s Day Luke; it shouldn’t be too tough to come up with something.”

“No its not our first Valentine’s Day Bo, but it is the first with someone that we were both pretty serious about.”

Bo nodded as his expression grew solemn. “Michelle is the first person I’ve gotten close to since…” His words trailed off, unable to say talk about the death of Uncle Jesse.

Luke saw his cousin’s face and nodded. “Yeah, me too.” He said low then sighed sipping his coffee again.

“Well I suppose we can always get it straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“Luke Duke are you crazy?” Bo said in astonishment.

“If we ask the girls what they want they’re going to know we ain’t got no ideas and skin us!”

“It was just a thought Bo.”

“Well keep thinking Cousin.” Bo scoffed, shaking his head. “I’d rather face a grizzly bear then Michelle when she’s angry.”

Luke looked at his cousin in surprise. “Michelle’s got a temper?”

“Don’t know but I don’t mean to find out, don’t forget she’s armed.”

“Wouldn’t be much of a Revenuer if she didn’t have a gun Bo, it’d make her job a whole lot tougher.” Luke got up to put his cup in the sink; he put his hands on the edges of it and leaned over still trying to think about what he and Bo could do for the upcoming special occasion. A sudden thought made his spine straighten and he raised his dark head then turned around to face Bo.

Bo saw the look on his cousin’s features; his mouth opened slightly then closed as he exhaled through his nose.

“I know that look.”

Having not heard Bo’s words, or pretending not to, Luke nodded to himself then shifted his attention to Bo. “You and Michelle got a date tonight don’t you?”

“We’re going juking over in Chickasaw.” Bo’s brow creased as he watched Luke.

“What if I was to tell you that we were going to give Donna and Michelle the best Valentine’s Day ever?” Luke put one hand on Bo’s shoulder then braced the other on the table.

“How are we going to do that?” Bo glanced skeptically at his cousin; both boys weren’t exactly romantics, Luke least of all.

“I’m going to need a little time with that Cousin; you just meet up with Michelle and leave the rest to me.” Luke gave Bo’s shoulder a pat then straightened up.

“Well, all right. I best get changed.” Bo scooted his chair back and stood up.

“You be careful out there in Chickasaw, off probation or not we’re still number one on Sheriff Little’s most wanted list.”

“He ain’t the forgiving type is he?” Bo chuckled as he headed out of the kitchen.

 

***********       *****************

 

“I want you to want me…I need you to need me…”

Michelle Greenwood wandered from room to room as the CD player in her living room atop her mantle blasting Cheap Trick. The willowy young woman wiggled and shook her hips from side to side. Preparing for her date, she slipped into a pair of black jeans and a maroon long sleeved shirt. She snagged her blue brush and fixed her straight blond hair, cropped to just below her ears, as best she could.

“I love you to love me…I’m begging you to beg me… Bo Duke!” Michelle added then snickered to herself. The two of them had been dating for almost six months; the unlikely pair had tongues wagging all over Hazzard, the ex- moonshiner and the Revenuer agent.

“We sure showed them, didn’t we Bo?” She said to herself as she set down her brush and picked up a small bottle of perfume and lightly sprayed her neck. Just the thought of seeing Bo mad her pulse jump and she couldn’t help but smile.

“I think it’s safe to say you’re in love Michelle.”

 

Bo closed the door to his apartment; locking it he buttoned the sleeves on his teal green chambray shirt. His boots thudded as he walked down the single strip of tan carpeting that ran down the middle of the parquet floor.

His mind still raced from his conversation with Luke, trying to think of what he could possibly come up with for Valentine’s Day. Stopping in front of Michelle’s door, he raised his hand to knock when the rock music reached his ears. Creasing his brow he lowered his hand and pressed his left ear to the wood. His confusion melted into a grin as he recognized Michelle intermixed with the lead singer of Cheap Trick.

Chuckling to himself he reached down and tried the knob, it turned in his hand and he gave the door a light push as he entered the apartment.

The modest space draped in varying shades of blue, Bo quietly closed the door. Tiptoeing past a variegated blue couch, he continued down the hall and carefully peered around the bathroom doorframe.

Standing in front of the round mirror, Michelle ran her hand down her shirt then unbuckled her belt and tucked the ends of her shirt in. Fixing her belt again she turned from one side, then the other making sure she looked just right.

“I want you to want me…I need you to need me… I love you to love me…” Michelle sang again and the grin on Bo’s face only broadened. Finally unable to contain himself anymore he called out.

“And I do!” Then quickly ducked back behind the wall.

Michelle gasped, startled at the additional voice added to the song. She could feel her face flood with heat, embarrassed at having been caught.

“Bo Duke are you spying on me?” She asked as she stepped out of the bathroom, her hands on her hips as her blue eyes gazed at him.

His back to the wall, the blond man only shrugged.

“I was just answering your question Darling.” He said as he took her hand and tugged her up against him, then wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

“You’re wearing my favorite perfume.” His voice muffled as he pressed his face into the side of her neck.

Acting indignant she simply stood there, but the warm press of Bo’s form weakened her resistance and she smiled as she entwined her arms around Bo’s neck.

“I know that’s why I wore it Bo, but you’re still a brat for scaring me.”

“I would have knocked but you’ve got your music on.” Bo inhaled her perfume deeply then nuzzled at her neck.

“You do have a point.” Michelle kissed Bo’s cheek then pulled back to see his face.

“So are we ready to go?”

“Yeah…” Bo held Michelle’s waist then gazed into her eyes. Again he thought of what he and Luke talked about and he opened his mouth then closed it and exhaled through his nose.

“Michelle you know what next week is right?”

“Next week?” She thought a moment then finally nodded.

“It’s Valentine’s Day.” Michelle’s fingers played with the back of Bo’s hair. She saw the questioning in his eyes and shrugged.

“I’m sure it’ll be a special night for us both.” She kissed his lips gently then smiled.

“We should go, you know how crowded Buck Nekked’s gets when its dollar beer night.”

She said as she took Bo by the hand and tugged him away from the wall.

 

 

***********       *****************

 

 

Luke stood in the window of the kitchen and watched as the General Lee shrunk to the size of a matchbox car. Turning away he dumped his now cold coffee into the sink and rinsed out his mug. Setting the blue mug upside down in the drain board he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Got to be something special we can do.” He said to himself then raised his chin.

“How would Uncle Jesse have handled this?” Turning around Luke leaned back against the counter crossing his arms over his chest as he began to think. He gazed shifted to stare down at the pale kitchen tile, his dark head bowing slightly.

Finally after a few moments of quiet contemplation Luke’s head rose up and the edge of his mouth quirked up in a half smile; his cool blue ice reflected determination as he marched across the tile floor through the kitchen and into the living room. He snagged his denim jacket off the back of the tan plushy couch as he exited the apartment, the door slamming behind him.

 

The Hazzard Heights apartment complex had been built just outside of Hazzard Square. Within walking distance to all the shops, the red brick and glass building with its sculpted lawn and neatly trimmed bushes had been the first of many changes that the small Georgia town had gone though. With Boss Hogg having passed on, the spot of County Commissioner had been up for grabs, after much discussion and debate Cooter Davenport had been chosen as a candidate and had won the election thereafter by a landslide.

With the job of County Commissioner too hectic, Cooter had decided to close his garage and had offered it to Bo and Luke at a fair price.

The boys had accepted and the garage with hard work and a few changes had turned into a success and had even grown beyond the limits of Hazzard.

Luke walked down the sidewalk that ran in front of the building, his thumbs tucked into the belt loops of his jeans. Heading into the back end of the town square, Luke paused a moment before he stepped down onto the asphalt.

“So many changes…” Luke whispered as he walked up the sidewalk heading for the Hazzard Emporium. The empty shop beside one of the oldest stores in Hazzard read, Coffeehouse coming soon….

The sign made Luke stop and he nodded, impressed.

“Cooter you have been busy.”

Continuing down the sidewalk Luke passed the movie theater, the sound of construction from inside it as it got updated into six new screens and amphitheater seating. Finally coming to the end of the block, one last sign made him smile.

Long, D.S. DVM.

Recognizing the older blue truck parked in the alley, Luke’s simple grin bloomed into a look of affection and admiration.

“The doctor is in.” Walking down the garbage-can strewn alley, Luke went into beige backdoor and came face to face with Hazzard’s one and only veterinarian.

Donna Sue Long stood at a tan counter, decked out in her green scrubs she wore her dark chestnut hair up in a small bun. Leaning over, she jotted down notes mumbling to herself as she wrote.

“Recommendations are for extensive treatment for skin problem and regular allergy medication.”

Grinning in admiration, Luke quietly walked up to the petite woman. Too busy concentrating on her clipboard, she didn’t notice the man coming up behind her and gasped loudly when a pair of hands slid along the tops of her shoulders.

“Oh my God Luke Duke! Are you trying to kill me?” Donna said over her shoulder as she gazed into the cool blue eyes of her boyfriend.

“Sorry Honey, didn’t mean to scare you.” He replied as he gazed into her hazel eyes and a smile came to her full lips.

“I’m sure you didn’t.” She leaned forward and gave him a light peck on the lips.

“What brings you here? I thought we were going to meet at the Busy Bee after work?”

“We are, just thought I’d come say hello first.” Luke studied Donna’s little button nose and the slope of her face.

“Well hello then Mr. Duke.” Donna gave Luke another kiss then stepped away from him and closed her clipboard. She watched him a moment then an eyebrow arched high.

“You sure there isn’t something else on your mind?”

Luke sighed and shook his head. “You do know me pretty well don’t you?”

“After being together for almost six months Luke you’re surprised?”

Shrugging Luke closed the distance between them, his hands tucking into his back pockets.

“I wanted to talk to you about Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh!” Donna nodded. “Well it’s next week.” She saw the look on Luke’s face and her brow creased.

“Are we doing something special that night?”

“That’s kind of what I wanted to ask you.” Luke said feeling rather awkward and he shifted his stance.

Donna set her clipboard down on the counter and ran her hands up the back of her head fixing her bun.

“I don’t know Luke; I can’t really say I’m expecting you to go to a lot of trouble. But I’m sure we can do something that night.”  Bringing her hands back down, Donna checked her watch.

“I better go; I have a few patients before the office closes.” She walked up to the counter and touched Luke on the shoulders and kissed him gently.

“I’ll see you at dinner.” Picking up her clipboard again, Donna smiled gently at Luke before she opened the door that led to the rest of the clinic, stepped through it and closed it behind her.

 

 

***********       *****************

 

 

The doorknob to the small apartment jiggled before it turned and the door swung back on its hinges. Way past midnight, Bo stuck his head in and looked left and right as he quietly came into the darkened apartment. Seeing nothing but darkness he sighed audibly, grinned then quietly closed the door.

“Bo?” A voice answered from the bedroom as a light came on and there in the doorway stood the silhouette of Luke in his light blue pajama bottoms.

Groaning, Bo nodded and brushed his hand across his mouth. He wanted to come in quietly and avoid waking his cousin.

“Sorry Luke, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Nah its okay, I was kind of waiting for you to get home.  How was Buck Nekked’s?”

“Good, Michelle loves to dance.”

“Yeah, why don’t we get something to drink?” Luke headed for the kitchen and flipped on the light as he went to the fridge and got out the brown pitcher of milk.

Bo followed and snagged two glasses from the drain board and set them on the table.

“Thanks Cousin.” He pulled out his chair and sat down, then had a long pull on his milk.

“Sure…” Luke put the milk back then took the big glass cookie jar and set it in the middle of the table.

Lowering the glass back to the table, Bo took off the lid to the jar and stuck his hand in retrieving two cookies.

“What about you? You and Donna have dinner?”

“Yeah after her last patient.” Luke had a sip of his milk watching his cousin. He then a quiet smile came to his face.

“How many nights did we stay up like this after a date? Just talking?”

Grinning Bo nodded. “More times then I can count Cousin.”

Luke nodded then sighed as he took a hold of the jar and tipped it forward, then reached in and got a handful of chocolate chip cookies.

“I think I might know what we can do for Donna and Michelle, Bo.”

“You do?” Bo sighed in relief and raised his gaze heavenward for a moment.

“Luke you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.”

Chuckling, Luke shook his head at his cousin’s reaction. “I only came up with a present for the girls Bo, I didn’t solve world hunger.”

“Either one will make people happy.” Bo grinned then took a bite of his cookie.

Luke snorted and shook his head. “Well I didn’t solve the great mystery of life but I think in order to make the women in our lives happy, we have to give them something straight from the heart.”

Bo stopped chewing and looked at his cousin with confusion. Finally swallowing down his bite of cookie, he washed it down with milk then cleared his throat.

“Straight from the heart? What does that mean Luke?”

“Well…do you remember that story that Uncle Jesse told us about the first Valentine’s Day with Aunt Livinia? How he didn’t have any money and he wanted to come up with something special?”

Leaning back, Bo’s wooden chair protested as he braced his weight against its back. He had remembered the story well and gave a solemn nod as Uncle Jesse had talked about the best gifts were one that came from the heart.

Bo nodded, his gaze becoming far away as he remembered sitting around the table drinking milk and eating chocolate cake, listening as Uncle Jesse wove his tale like a tapestry.

“Yeah…I remember Luke.”

Seeing the look in his cousin’s eyes Luke nodded. “So do I Bo, which got me thinking about what Uncle Jesse did.”

Hearing Luke snapped Bo out of his stupor and he felt his face flush. He tried to shrug it off as he had another bite of cookie and washed it down with some milk.

“I figured we can do the same thing, course I think we should do it someplace special.”

Finally finished with his snack, Bo got up and put his glass in the sink.  He turned around and leaned on it, bracing his hands on either side of it as he watched his cousin.

“What do you have in mind cousin?”

A grin came to Luke’s face as he leaned back in his chair.

“You’ll see cousin, you’ll see.”

Picking up his glass, Luke drained the last of the milk. He stood up then and replaced the lid on the cookie jar.

“We just need to pick up a few things before that day and arrange to have that day off from the shop.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Bo picked up the massive glass jar and set it back on the counter.

“I’m sure Mike and Stan will cover things for us.”

“Yeah, they can handle things for one day.” Standing up Luke stretched his bare torso, the muscles rippling and flexing as he raised his arms over his head then rubbed the back of his neck.

“Man I’m tired.”

“I didn’t mean to wake you; I was trying to be sneaky.” Bo said as he tugged the end of his shirt out of his jeans. The two cousins headed for their bedroom and Luke shrugged.

“Nah it’s all right Bo, I was waiting for you. You know I can’t really sleep till you get here.”

Bo grinned at his cousin’s concerned. “I’m the same way cousin. The nights you and Donna go out I start watching the clock.”

The bedroom door already open, Luke stepped in first and flicked on the light. The medium size room had two twin size beds in the center, a pair of tan dressers at the foot of the beds, and a single ancient looking beige nightstand between them. The walls were painted gray and posters of cars, racing flags and banners from previous races hovered around the sleeping areas.

Luke sat on the edge of his mattress and rubbed his hand back and forth across his mouth.

“What time is it?”

“Almost half past midnight.” Bo parted the ends of his shirt and slid it down his arms. He tossed it towards a wicker basket in the corner of the room and got a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms out of his dresser.

“When are we going to shop for Valentine’s Day?”

“Probably on Monday, in case we run into problems.” Luke said as he turned and laid back on his bed, pulling his covers up to his waist.

Finally dressed for sleep, Bo tossed his jeans and socks in the hamper then peeled back his bed. He climbed into it with a sigh, the long night of dancing finally catching up with him.

“Night Cousin.”

“Night Bo.” Luke murmured as he settled into sleep.

Turning towards the edge of his bed, Bo reached out and flicked off the lamp.  As darkness enveloped the room the sound of Luke’s deep even breathing made Bo smile as he too closed his eyes and settled down for the night.

 

 

***********       *****************

 

 

“God I’m so not ready for this!”  Michelle mumbled as she parked her white Monte Carlo along the sidewalk in front of the Drug City store. Silently kicking herself for waiting until almost the last minute to go shopping, she got out and walked around the hood then stepped up onto the sidewalk. Putting the keys to the car in her jean pocket, she pulled the sunglasses off of her face and tucked them into the front of the blue plaid shirt she wore.

With things at the ATF being hectic and a major bust looming on the horizon, the Revenuer had forgotten all about Valentine’s Day. Now with the holiday only two days away, Michelle rushed up the walkway and practically ran through the automatic door.

Excusing herself as she weaved through the aisles, she finally found the seasonal section and stopped dead in her tracks.

“Oh no.” She muttered as she saw the high shelves on both sides of the aisle lined from top to bottom with cards, candy hearts and brightly colored stuffed animals.

“How the heck am I going to make up my mind?”

“Overwhelming, isn’t it?” A voice asked from behind Michelle’s left shoulder. Turning around, Michelle saw a brunette woman in blue scrub pants and a white shirt with dogs and cats covering the surface of them. At first Michelle creased her brow, not recognizing who it was but then realization dawned on her and she smiled.

“Hi Donna, been a while.”

Donna smiled as she took the shades from the top of her head and slipped them in the tan hand bag that dangled from her arm.

“Yeah sorry about that, I’ve been flooded with patients now that Dr. Kendall has retired.”

“Getting all the patients from him?”

“All his Capitol City patients plus Sweetwater, Chickasaw and of course Hazzard.”

Michelle nodded then glanced back at the Valentine covered aisle. “Let me guess, you’re here for Luke’s gift?”

“And you’re here for Bo’s.” Michelle then gazed down the aisle and shook her head.

“What do you think? Any ideas?”

“I just got here so I haven’t had a chance to look.” Her expression brightened and Michelle touched Donna’s arm.

“Since we’re both in the same boat, let’s see if we can figure out what to get the boys together.”

Donna’s eyebrows went up and she smiled. “I really like that idea Michelle.”

Walking together, the two girls started at the display of cards.  Donna picked up one that had a brown gorilla on it and read it. She wrinkled her nose at the words.

“What is it?” Michelle asked as she saw the face Donna made. She took plucked a card from the display and glanced at the inside text.

“Too mushy, Luke isn’t a mushy kind of guy.” She replaced one card then picked up another.

“Bo is, he tends to be very romantic.” Michelle read another card then replaced it then finally shook her head.

“None of these are right, it’s either too smart assed or dripping with oatmeal.”

“You’re right.” Donna put her card back and sighed.

“Maybe a card just isn’t the right gift. Let’s see what else we can find.”

“All right.”

Going further down the tall shelves, Donna came to the beginning of where the candy began. From the bottom up there were bags of foiled covered candy and conversational hearts then the candy filled hearts began, some were the size of saucers and then progressively got bigger. The ones that were at the girls’ eyelevel were the size of dinner plates and the ones above them were as big as manhole covers.

“Wow, talk about sugar heaven!” Shaking her head Michelle looked at all the variety of candy; some were chocolate covered cherries, chocolate coated nut clusters, coconuts, caramels, toffee and dark chocolates and even chocolate covered mints shaped like little hearts. She reached out and snagged a red velvet heart filled with a sampler box.

“Bo likes candy, I wonder if he would like something like this.”

“Luke isn’t a big candy eater, just an occasional candy bar. I think I’ve seen him eat cookies or cake before chocolates.” Donna glanced up at the bigger hearts and shook her head at one in particular that boasted five pounds of pralines.

“I can’t imagine eating that much candy.”

Michelle replaced the heart then touched Donna on the arm to get her attention.

“You said that Luke likes baked stuff? Well maybe we can go to a bakery and order a special cake or something.” She paused a moment then shrugged at Donna’s puzzled gaze.

“Bo isn’t a bon-bon kind of guy either.”

“All right so maybe a special dessert, what else?”

“Umm well let’s see what else they have.”

The girls then moved towards another further down the aisle; towards the middle section were animals of every shape and size. Some of the stuffed creatures held hearts, candy or sang songs and danced when their paws were pressed. Donna picked up a small furry gorilla with a heart in his arms and she shook her head.

“You drive me bananas, Valentine.” She read the word embroidered on the heart in the center of the gorilla’s chest.

“You drive me bananas?” Michelle repeated then wrinkled her nose. She spotted a Bassett hound with floppy ears, a red heart attached to its collar.

“Valentine, you make me howl.”

Donna rolled her eyes at the white words on the heart and put the gorilla back on the shelf.

“That’s it, I think we need to think about what we’re gong to get them Michelle. Everything we’ve seen so far is cheesy, mushy or overloaded with calories! Nothing I’ve seen is good enough for them.”

Michelle nodded. “I love Bo Donna; I want a way to show him that doesn’t involve silly animals or diabetes in a box.” She said as she put the hound dog down.

“I know how you feel, I’m absolutely crazy in love with Luke and this is our first Valentine’s Day together. I really want it to be memorable.” Donna crossed her arms over chest as she looked at all the merchandise; her face reflecting disappointment.

“I don’t think we’re going to find what we want here.”

“Probably not, but it’s not the only place here in Capitol City we can go.” Michelle walked to the end of the aisle; she stared out of the front doors seeing the other stores the shopping center had to offer. She saw something else and a smile came to her face.

“Donna, I think I know what we can do.” Turning back to the brunette veterinarian, she curled her finger at her.

Puzzled, Donna joined Michelle then looked at where she pointed. A grin lit up her features as well and she nodded.

“I see where you’re going with this and I think its perfect!”

“Yeah we better hurry; Valentine’s Day is the day after tomorrow. Let’s just hope something is still available.”

Both women quickly walked to the exit of the store and headed across the street.

 

 

***********       *****************

 

Bo gazed in the bathroom mirror as he wiped off water from his face and chest. Having just freshly shaved, he dabbed at his cheeks with a towel then picked up a dark blue bottle from the edge of the white sink.

“Luke, you almost ready?” He called out as he poured some aftershave in the palm of his hands, rubbed them together and patted his face. The slight burn of the alcohol on the skin made him hiss through his teeth.

“Yeah just give me a minute!” Luke answered back from the bedroom.

“A minute’s all you got Cousin!” Bo said as he picked up the towel and wiped his hands. He draped the towel over the grey shower curtain. A maroon shirt hung from the doorknob; Bo turned around and took the shirt and shrugged it on then began to button it.

“We have to pick up the girls in fifteen minutes.”

“I hear ya.” Luke stood in the doorway; the brunette man in a black shirt and a brand new pair of dark blue jeans.

“So what do you think? Think Donna will approve?”

“Yeah, you look good Cousin.” Bo then spread his arms. Along with the maroon shirt that made his blond hair stand out, he had decided on black jeans.

“And me?”

“You stud you.” Luke chuckled at the face Bo made then patted his back.

“We best go Bo, the girls are waiting.”

Smiling appreciatively, he nodded. “Can’t wait to see how they like our gift.”

“Me either.” Luke walked out of the bathroom with Bo following.

“Course they might find it strange we’re going to Hazzard Pond.”

“They might, but I’m sure they’ll catch on when they see what we got planned.” Luke plucked the keys to the General Lee from the hook by the door and tossed them to his cousin.

“Here you go.”

Bo caught the keys then glanced down at them. “You got everything loaded in the back?”

“All set.” Luke checked his watch and opened the door.

“I just hope that it’s not too cold out there or we’ll have to build a fire.”

“That’s not a problem; we’ve been camping plenty of times.” Bo waited till Luke stepped out of the apartment before he closed and locked the door behind him.

“Yeah we’ve been camping Bo but not with the girls.”

They headed down the hall towards the elevator when Bo stopped.

“There’s always a first time Cousin.”

Luke scoffed at Bo and shook his head as the elevator dinged and the wood paneled doors parted.

 

 

***********       *****************

 

The General Lee’s headlights splashed across the open field. Taking an unpaved country road, the big stock car jostled lightly as the tires went over the rough ground. The boys had gone and picked up the girls; both of them had dressed up for the occasion, Michelle in a knee length red dress with a light sweater over it, while Donna had chosen a red silk shirt and matching skirt. To keep the element of surprise, each woman had been blindfolded.

“So what are we doing here?” Michelle asked from the backseat as a rough spot and got thrown a little forward. Beside her in the backseat Donna shrugged; she took recognized that they were out in the middle of nowhere.

The boys turned and looked at each other, exchanging a knowing grin. They drove further on until finally a familiar spot came into view.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Bo said as he brought the General Lee to a stop then leaned to one side and gripped the roof as he climbed out. He took Michelle by the hand and grasped her waist, lifting her out of the passenger window.

“Bo, what’s going on?” Michelle took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

Luke helped Donna out and put his arm around her waist.

“I really don’t like this Luke; you two are being way too quiet.”

“You’ll get those blindfolds off in a minute.”

Exchanging glances again, Bo looked pointedly at her cousin.

“Now Luke?
“Now Bo.”

The blindfolds were taken off and after a few moments of adjusting eyesight, both Michelle and Donna gasped.

The boys had driven to Hazzard Pond; beside the body of water a large white tent had been set up, the ends of it pinned back with a pair of tiki torches set up to offer light. Inside the tent sat a single table with two red roses, two chairs and a bottle of white whine chilling in a silver bucket.

“Now before you two think this is your gifts, there’s more.” Luke said as he and Bo walked the girl into the tent, then pulled out their chairs for them.

“You both have a seat and have a sip of wine.” Bo picked up the bottle, the cork had already been removed and he poured them each a glass.

Donna picked up the rose and sniffed it, then smile at Luke as he pushed in her chair.

“Thank you.” She said to Luke and then to Bo as he handed her a glass.

“Give us a moment.” Luke rounded the table and motioned with his chin for Bo to join him outside of the tent.

“What do you suppose they’re up to?” Michelle asked her companion; she picked up the glass and sipped the wine.

“Not sure, you never know with those two.”

“You got the–”

“Oh yes.” Donna smiled then she tried her wine.

Part of the tent rustled and got moved aside as Bo and Luke came back in. Both men had smiles on their faces; each one carrying a beige guitar.

Now it was Donna and Michelle’s turn to trade glances, both of them puzzled. They watched as the boys brought two stools from outside and set them down near the table. Sitting down, Bo and Luke each set their guitars in their laps and their fingers danced along the taut strings as they began to play. The dual guitars formed a sweet yet haunting melody.

Bo glanced down at his guitar a moment, he played a little clumsily at first but then began to relax and get into the music. He glanced at Luke once, who gave a nod.

Facing forward again, Bo took in a deep breath and together, the Duke boys began to sing…

 

Born together,

Drifted apart,

The two remained joined,

At the heart,

Separate lives,

Separate dreams,

Not meant to reunite,

It seems…

 

And then one day,

Destiny stepped in,

And revealed to them both,

They had a twin,

Closing a hole,

Ending the pain,

 

 

Born together,

Drifted apart,

The two remained joined,

At the heart,

Separate lives,

Separate dreams,

Not meant to reunite,

It seems…

 

The two have joined formed a bond,

That will forever remain,

And now my Darling,

I want you to know,

Our love means everything,

And it will only grow,

You are my love,

My life, through and through,

You are the best,

And I am so blessed, to have you……

 

The boys stopped playing, the notes from the guitar still hung in the air when they both gazed at the two women that sat at the table.

Donna and Michelle had tears rolling down their faces, but amongst them were smiles.

“Bo that was beautiful–” Michelle wiped her cheeks as she stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Bo whispered in her ear as he held her close.

Donna watched Michelle and Bo then looked at Luke. He had a small sheepish grin on his face.

“What did you think?”  He asked almost shyly.

Curling her finger at him, a smile came to Donna’s face. “Come on over here Duke and you’ll find out!”

Luke walked around the table and Donna put her hands on his shoulders and drew him into a hug.

“Let me show you what I thought of it Luke.” She whispered as she pressed her lips to his in a slow, gentle kiss.

“We weren’t sure what to get you,” Bo said as he gazed in Michelle’s face, his arms around her waist.

“Funny because Donna and I had the same problem.” Michelle stared into the dark blue eyes. “But it was beautiful Bo, I’ve never had anyone ever serenade me before.”

The kiss finally broken, Luke took in a deep breath. “We thought this would be the best gift to give you, something that Bo and I wrote together.”

“It was special and I’ll never forget it Luke.” Donna touched his cheek gently then gave him another kiss.

“Didn’t want to get you just anything.” Bo added. “We remembered a story Uncle Jesse told us about his first Valentine’s Day with our aunt and he did something like this for her.”

“Michelle and I went shopping together for gifts for you both but we couldn’t find anything we like.” Donna looked at Michelle who nodded in agreement.

“Unless you wanted a heart-bearing gorilla and five pounds of pralines.”

Bo cringed at the thought then shook his head. “Luke and me don’t need anything really, long as we have the two of you.”

Donna heard that then suddenly grinned. “Oh so we can take your gifts back?”

“Gifts?” Luke piped up and she nodded as she raised a hand and combed her fingers through Luke’s dark hair.

“Yeah that’s what I said…gifts.”

“Oh you didn’t have to get us anything.” Bo gazed down at Michelle who only shrugged.

“We wanted to.”

“We did, and we thought about something that would really make you two happy.” Donna said then stepped away from Luke. She went over to the table and picked up her small red handbag.

“Now its you and Luke’s turn to close your eyes.”

“Come on, we let you two blindfold us.” Michelle said when she saw the boys’ expressions turn skeptical.

Glancing at Luke, who shrugged, Bo reluctantly closed his eyes. Luke did the same and Michelle stepped close to each one and waved her hand in front of their faces.

“Okay Donna, they can’t see.”

Opening the purse, Donna pulled out two envelopes and gently pressed into each one of the Duke boys’ hands.

“Go ahead, open them.” Michelle stood by Donna waiting to see their reactions.

“You go first Bo.” Luke said as he held his envelope but didn’t dare open it just yet.

“Chicken–” Bo tore open and end and reached inside.  He pulled out a folded piece of paper, opened it and read what it said.

“This entitles you Bo Duke to a romantic week of fun in the beautiful hills of Tennessee–” He stopped then read the rest silently. Gazing over the letter at Michelle, he scooped her up in a hug.

“Aw Sweetheart! Thank you!”

“Tennessee?” Luke said, a tinge of excitement in his voice as he tore open his envelope and read the letter.

“Holy Smokes! A week in Nashville!”

Donna started to open her mouth then gasped when Luke lifted her off the ground in a hug

“Ah! Luke!” She laughed as she put her arms around his neck

“Man I’ve been wanting to go! I just ain’t had the time!”

“I know that’s why Michelle and I did it, that way we can have a nice vacation.”

“So when do we leave?” Bo asked again then looked at the letter.

“Next week.” Michelle answered then showed him where it mentioned the flight.

“We fly out of Atlanta in the morning and get to Tennessee in time for lunch.”

“The itinerary is there somewhere.” Donna looked through the papers then found it and showed it to Luke.

“Shouldn’t be a problem, we can get the boys to cover us.” Luke sighed then tucked the papers back in the envelope. He gazed at Donna and his expression softened.

“Thank you.” He whispered then kissed her softly.

Bo nodded as he gathered Michelle in another hug. “You didn’t have to do this, but thank you for it Michelle.”

Michelle sighed as she hugged Bo, leaning her head on his shoulder. “We’re going to have so much fun, I can’t wait to go. I can’t wait to see Nashville together.” Michelle whispered and Bo nodded.

“It’s going to be great.”

Luke kissed Donna again and went to the table. He got the bottle of wine and poured another glass.

“Well let’s celebrate!” He said as he handed one glass to Bo and got another for himself.

“Now you’re talking Cousin!” Bo took the glass and sipped the wine then smiled.

“Well it ain’t Uncle Jesse’s shine but…”

“Oh it ain’t so bad Bo.” Luke held his glass up.

“To Uncle Jesse, who made this a special Valentine’s Day.”

“To Uncle Jesse!” They all touched glasses then had a sip of their wine.

Everyone drank, the two couples staring at one other. The love and affection they held clear in their gaze.

 

END.