by: Marty Chrisman

Shelby had just finished taking a load of laundry out of the dryer when she heard a knock on the front door. Sitting the basket of clothes on top of the dryer, she went into the other room to answer the door. She was startled to find Luke standing there.

“Luke, what are you doing here?”

“I told you I’d be back.” He told her

“Yeah, but I wasn’t expecting you back this soon.”

“Can I can come in?”

“Be my guest.” Shelby said with an elaborate wave of her hand, stepping aside to let him into the apartment. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked at Luke questioningly. “Alright, Luke..…what’s this all about?”

“I want you to come back to Hazzard. Uncle Jesse said you can stay at the farm.” Luke told her

“Let me guess..…this is your idea.”

“Kinda.” Luke admitted. His expression turned serious “Look, Shelby, that’s my baby your carrying and…well…I wanna be there…I wanna be part of its life.”

“No strings?” Shelby said narrowing her eyes suspiciously

“If that’s how you want it…..”

“Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?”

“I got a pretty good idea.”

Shelby shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I’d have to be out of my mind to even consider it……” she said

Luke stepped closer and put one hand on Shelby’s shoulder. Looking deeply into her eyes he said “It’s gonna be okay. We’re in this together now.” Jade eyes locked with sapphire blue as a silent understanding passed between them. No matter what had happened between them or what may happen in the future, they were bound together now by the child that Shelby was carrying.

“Give me a couple of days.” Shelby told him “Then I’ll let you know.”

Luke left and drove back to Hazzard. He had one more thing he needed to take care of when he got home. He had to tell Daisy and Bo about the baby. Bo was in the barn doing the evening chores when Luke pulled into the barnyard. He parked the black Sable under the makeshift carport at one side of the barn and climbed out from beneath the wheel. Bo came from around the corner of the barn and started helping Luke to pull the heavy tarp up over the car.

“It’s about time you got back.” Bo grumbled “I thought I was gonna have to do all the chores by myself.”

“Sorry. I had something I needed to take care of.”

“Did you see Shelby?”

“Yeah…I did”

“How is she?”

“Pregnant.”

Bo stopped what he was doing and stared at Luke as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard him right. “Pregnant?” he repeated in a stunned voice “And it’s yours?”

“”Why is that always the first question anyone asks?” Luke said with a thin smile “Yes, it’s mine.”

“Does Uncle Jesse know?”

“Yeah, I told him yesterday.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m trying to talk Shelby into coming back to Hazzard and staying here.”

“Are the two of you getting married?”

“No….Shelby made it real clear she doesn’t wanna get married.”

“Daddy Luke…” Bo said with a huge grin “That’s gonna take some getting used to.”

“Yeah….tell me about it.” Luke said, as he finished fastening the tarp in place. “Is Daisy in the house?”

“Yeah…she’s getting supper.”

“I’ll be out in a minute to help ya with them chores.” Luke turned and walked across the barnyard towards the house. In the kitchen, he found Daisy at the stove cooking.

“Hi, sugar.” She greeted him with a warm smile “You’re just in time for supper tonight.”

“Yeah, I was….uh…in Atlanta.”

“What were you doing in Atlanta?”

“Seeing Shelby.”

“Shelby?” Daisy said in a surprised voice. A look of understanding settled in her big blue eyes “Is that who that letter was from you got a couple of days ago?”

“Yeah…”

“Is she coming back to Hazzard?”

“Maybe and she might be staying here…Uncle Jesse already said she could. She’s pregnant.” Luke said waiting for Daisy’s reaction to the news.

For the briefest moment, Daisy looked shocked and then she smiled at her oldest cousin warmly. “That’s some news…..are you okay?”

“Yeah…” Luke told her with a grin “Still getting used to the idea, ya know?”

Daisy nodded and turned her attention back to the food she was cooking. “At least she told you…..a lot of women wouldn’t have done that.”

“I know….well, I better help Bo finish the chores.”

Daisy nodded as Luke turned and went back outside. Glancing out of the window above the kitchen sink, Daisy walked him walk across the barnyard towards the barn. Luke seemed to be handling the news that he was going to be a father pretty well but then with Luke it was hard to tell sometimes, he was such an expert at hiding his real feelings. Daisy smiled faintly as her maternal instincts surfaced. She wondered what it would be like to have a baby around the house.