by: Marty Chrisman

Luke glanced up, mildly surprised when Doc Applebee opened the door to the inner office and motioned for him to come back there with him. Luke shoved himself to his feet and followed Doc to his private office. Shelby was sitting in a chair facing the doctor’s desk and Luke noticed immediately that she seemed to be agitated about something.

“Is everything okay?” Luke asked trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice, suddenly worried that Doc had found something wrong.

“Everything’s fine.” Doc assured him with a smile “I just want Shelby to go to the hospital in Capital City for an ultra sound.” He smiled again at the confused look on Luke’s face “I think she’s having twins.”

Luke’s expression changed from one of confusion to shock and he slumped down in the chair next to Shelby. “Twins?” he repeated in a stunned voice.

“Luke, didn’t you know that twins ran in your side of the family?” Doc asked him “Jesse has brothers who are twins and they tend to skip a generation.”

“I guess I forgot about that…” Luke said when he finally found his voice again. He couldn’t help smiling. Shelby noticed and said sullenly,

“Wipe that smile off your face, Luke Duke, before I slap the tar out of you. One was bad enough….now I’m having two.”

“Having twins shouldn’t change anything.” Doc told her, ignoring her outburst.  “You’ll just need to be more careful about your weight and you could go into labor a little earlier than expected.”

“Can I kill the father?” Shelby said, giving Luke another dirty look

“Well, I think that’s a little drastic, don’t you?” Doc told her with a chuckle

“No, I don’t.” Shelby said. Luke looked at her but wisely decided it was best to keep quiet. Shelby was in no mood to be pleasant or to be pacified. And the truth was he was still trying to get used to the idea of her having one baby, now he had to get used to the idea of her having two.

“Here’s the order for the ultra sound.” The doctor said, handing Shelby a slip of paper. “And make an appointment for next month before you leave.”

Shelby stood up and left the office. Luke started to follow her but stopped when Doc said, “Hang in there, Luke. Things will get easier……but right now I think you better give her some space…..she’s not very happy at the moment.”

“Thanks, Doc” Luke said with a self conscious grin. He turned and went out into the waiting room where he found Shelby making an appointment with Laurie. Ignoring the questioning look in Laurie’s eyes, he waited until Shelby was finished, then they left the office together.

Shelby stubbornly refused to talk to him until they were almost to Capital City.

“I’m sorry.” She finally said “This is just more than I bargained for.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting this either.” Luke reminded her

“Twins….lord help us.” Shelby said, rolling her eyes.

“You can say that again.” Luke said which earned him another dirty look from Shelby.

“I still oughta slap the tar out of you” she told him

“Is it gonna make you feel any better if you do?”

“I don’t know…..it might.” She said. Then she looked at him and smiled “But then I wouldn’t want to mess up your pretty face…..that receptionist back at the doctor’s office was sure scoping you out.”

“Laurie?” Luke said in a surprised voice “She’s just a girl that hangs out at the Boar’s Nest. I’ve never gone out with her or nothing like that.”

“Maybe not….but she sure wishes you would.” Shelby told him, her tone turning light and teasing.

“I think that’d be a little awkward right now, don’t you?”

“Why? Because I’m staying at the farm and because I’m pregnant? Don’t let that stop you. No strings, remember?”

“Yeah….I remember.” Luke said quietly

“I’m serious, Luke.” Shelby told him “You’re free to come and go as you please and do what you want. My being pregnant shouldn’t change anything…..at least not for you.”

“Maybe I want things to change.” Luke said

“Don’t go there, Luke…..” Shelby said in a faintly warning tone. Their conversation was cut short as she pulled into the parking lot of the hospital in Capital City. She went in through the doors marked Outpatient Clinic and gave her paperwork to the receptionist. Half an hour later, she and Luke were in a room with the technician who was preparing to do the Ultra sound. Luke was standing beside the exam table where Shelby was lying. Shelby had wanted him to stay in the waiting area but Luke had insisted on going back with her. Finally, somewhat reluctantly, she had given in.

The Technician pulled up Shelby’s shirt, just far enough to expose her stomach and applied some kind of gel to her skin. For the first time, Luke saw the gentle slope of her stomach where she was just starting to show. The technician gently ran her paddle over Shelby’s stomach while keeping an eye on her monitor. After a few minutes, she smiled and said “It’s definitely twins.” She looked at Luke and Shelby “Do you want to know the sex?”

“You can tell that?” Shelby asked in a surprised voice

“Yes, pretty clearly in your case. I always ask but it’s up to you if you want to know or not.”

Without asking Luke or even waiting for him to say anything, Shelby said “Yes.”

The technician grinned and told her “It’s one of each. A boy and a girl”

Shelby looked at Luke and smiled genuinely for the first time all morning. Luke smiled back and took her hand, squeezing it encouragingly. He was going to be a father that reality was finally sinking in. And he was going to have a son and a daughter both, that reality would take some more getting used to. In the past week, his whole life had been turned upside down but whenever Shelby was around he was starting to get used to that.