by: Marty Chrisman

           The next day Jesse noticed that Luke seemed to be distracted. He acted like a man with a lot on his mind. Jesse knew not to push, if Luke needed to talk to him than Luke would have to be the one to come to Jesse. Luke wasn’t like Daisy or Bo, he was reserved and reluctant to share very much of himself with others. The only one he really talked to about how he felt was Bo.

            Even Bo noticed Luke’s preoccupation that morning as they were doing their chores. “You got something on your mind, cuz?” he asked, as he poured a bucket of grain into Maudine’s feed bin.

“Yeah, kinda.” Luke admitted

“You wanna talk about it?”

“I don’t know.”

Bo sighed and rolled his eyes. Sometimes getting information out of Luke could be like pulling teeth. “Well, if something is wrong than maybe I can help.” He looked at his older cousin but Luke remained silent. So Bo added “If you tell me what it is that’s bugging you.”

“I got a letter yesterday in the mail.”

“That’s how letters usually come.” Bo said in a feeble attempt at humor but Luke didn’t even smile. After another long silence, Luke finally said,

“From Shelby.”

“Oh…” Bo said momentarily at a loss for words. He knew that Luke had been sweet on Shelby and that their relationship had turned more intimate just before she left.

And he also knew that Luke had been deeply hurt when she left town without even saying goodbye.  “Is that good or bad?” Bo asked cautiously.

“She wants to see me so we can talk. She said it’s important.”

“So what’s the problem? Don’t you want to see her?”

“I don’t know. Part of me does I guess.” Luke admitted

“Well, then go see her and find out what she wants.”

“Maybe…” Luke said turning back to his work. Bo frowned. He recognized the gesture. Luke didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Luke was like that sometimes. He’d shared enough to identify the problem, now he’d figure out the solution by himself. Bo turned back to his own chores.

Luke mulled things over all morning. Finally, he decided that he needed to talk to Shelby. She had written him a letter when she left town and in it she had promised that she would be back someday. Luke realized that in order to protect himself from being hurt, he had convinced himself that he would never hear from her again.

After lunch, he told Jesse he was going to be gone for the rest of the day but he didn’t tell him where he was going just that he’d be back sometime later that night. Bo glanced at him and smiled. He knew what Luke was up to. Luke took the black mercury Sable that was parked in the barn. It had been Kelly’s car and he seldom drove it because of the memories associated with it but he didn’t want to take the General since he didn’t know how long he would be gone.

He waited until he got to Atlanta before pulling into a gas station and using the payphone to call the number that Shelby had given him in her letter. The phone on the other end of the line rang three times, then Shelby answered.

“Hello?” her voice still sent a chill down Luke’s spine. Rich as honey with that slow southern drawl.

“Shelby? It’s Luke.”

“Luke.” She said in a mildly surprised voice “You got my letter.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“I’m glad you called. I was scared that you wouldn’t.”

“You said you needed to talk to me about something important.”

“Yeah, I do. I thought maybe we could meet somewhere.”

“You name the place. I’m in Atlanta right now.”

“You’re in Atlanta?” she said a trace of anxiety creeping into her voice “I thought you were calling from Hazzard.” Quickly regaining her composure, she said “How about coming over here? I’m staying with some friends but they’re gone for the day.” She suggested

“Tell me how to get there.”

Shelby gave him directions and then Luke hung up. Climbing back into his car, he followed the directions she had given him. Twenty minutes later he pulled up in front of a one story apartment complex with an enclosed courtyard. Parking the car and locking the doors, he walked through the courtyard and to the apartment on the far left hand side of the complex. Pausing for a moment he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Shelby opened the door and smiled at him, the same slow easy smile that always seemed to melt the ice around his heart. “Come on in” she said, stepping aside so he could enter the apartment.

Luke found himself in a small but well cared for apartment. A breakfast bar divided one large room into a living room and a kitchen area. He turned his attention to Shelby. She was dressed in jeans with a blue denim shirt and her sun streaked dark blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She looked back at him with those jade green eyes that seemed to pull him in against his will.

“You want some coffee? A beer? Anything?” she asked graciously

“No, thanks. I’m fine.” Luke told her. Never one for much small talk, he got directly to the point “Why don’t you tell why you wrote me that letter? What did you need to talk to me about?”

“You don’t waste any time, do ya Luke?” Shelby said. She locked eyes with his and after only a moment’s hesitation, she said “I’m pregnant, Luke.”

Luke tried to keep his face impassive but he felt his heart jump in his chest. This was not what he expected. Shelby watched his reaction carefully. In a slightly amused voice she said “You sure you don’t want that beer now?”

“Yeah,” Luke said “That doesn’t sound like such a bad idea after all.”

“Have a seat and I’ll get it.” Shelby told him walking into the kitchen.

Luke walked over to the sofa and sat down. His mind was still reeling from the news that Shelby had just told him. When she handed him an ice cold beer, he took it gratefully and took a long, deep swallow. Shelby sat down in the recliner sitting beside the sofa and just looked at him. Finally, she said,

“Say something, Luke. We can’t just sit here and stare at each other.”

“I’m not sure what to say.” Luke said carefully controlled voice

“Well, at least you didn’t ask me if I was sure it was yours.”

“I know better than that.” Luke said in a slightly offended voice “I know you wouldn’t lie about that.”

“I’m not asking you for anything, Luke. I just thought you had the right to know.”

“I guess I should thank you for that.”

“It’s not just my baby, it’s yours too.”

“My baby…” Luke repeated “That’s gonna take some getting used to.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t exactly thrilled when I found out either.” Shelby admitted starting to relax a little. She hadn’t been sure what to expect when she told Luke about the baby but at least he didn’t walk out or try to deny that it was his. She realized that somehow she had known that he wouldn’t. Luke wasn’t that kind of man. Uncle Jesse had raised him better than that. “I didn’t know until after I left Hazzard.” She looked at Luke with a ghost of smile “I’ve had almost three months to get used to the idea.”

“I wanna do the right thing….” Luke said swallowing hard even as he spoke.

“Don’t say you wanna get married, Luke.” Shelby said cutting him off before he could finish his sentence “I’m not ready for that and neither are you. Go back to Hazzard. You need some time to get used to the idea too.”

Luke sat his unfinished beer down on the coffee table and stood up. He looked at Shelby intently “Are you gonna disappear on me again if I leave?” he asked putting into words the question that nagged at his mind.

“No…not this time.” Shelby told him “My disappearing days are over. I promise.”

“I’ll be back.” Luke told her as she walked with him to the door “You can count on it.” He opened the door and let himself out.