by: Essy Jane

Jose and Jesse got out of the General Lee. They were about to go into the Boar’s Nest when Bo stopped them. “Hey, it’s time to get married. Why are you holding us back?” Jose asked.

“Well after all the bad luck y’all have been having, I don’t think you need anymore by seeing your wives in their wedding dresses,” Bo answered.

“Oh come on, do you really believe in stuff like that?”

“Not usually but today I’ll make an exception.”

“Well check out the scene, Bo.” Bo nodded. He saw both girls at the front in their wedding dresses. Luke was up there singing with Maria. They were doing a pretty good job at it too. The preacher was dancing with the girls. Bo went back out.

“The girls are up there.” Jesse snapped his fingers. “What? You have got a plan?” Jesse nodded.

“Go and get Mom and Maria,” Jesse commanded.

“Huh?”

“If we are going to have a wedding, it might as well be Hazzard style.” Bo shrugged and told Nancy-Lou and Maria to come out. He told Luke to sit down. The girls stood up there, out of ideas.

“Looks like they’re not coming,” Laurel whispered to Paige.

“They’ll be here,” Paige whispered back. Essy ran into the room and got up at the front. She pushed her red hair back and began playing a beautiful melody. The flower girls began walking down, throwing their pedals. Laurel and Paige looked at each other.

“What is going on? Shouldn’t we be down there if they’re throwing the petals?”

“I have no idea.” The bride’s maids walked down with their escorts. Now the preacher straightened up.

“All rise,” He said as the wedding march began to play. Everyone stood up. Out came the two grooms, holding the flowers meant for their wives. Everyone looked confused. Jose had a sour look on his face.

“Jesse, do I have to carry the flowers?” Jose asked softly.

“Shh, just walk and look pretty,” Jesse whispered back. The two brides took their husband’s arms and took them up to the front.

“Ah we are gathered here to join these two couples in holy matrimony. Who gives away these uh…these Gentlemen?” The preacher asked.

“His father and I do with all our hearts,” Nancy-Lou said. Perry was in the back crying away with Boss Roscoe.

“Yes, I give away my son also with my husband Luke,” Maria added. Luke and Bo smiled and shook hands.

“Let it be known to everyone in this room and the world of the love and sanctity of these bonds which these young people are about to make. Would you, Jesse Vernon Duke Junior take Laurel Rhuebottom as your lawfully wedded wife to love and to hold…in sickness and in heath until death do you part?” The preacher asked.

“I do,” Jesse replied.

“Jose Beauregard Duke, do you take Paige Rhuebottom as your lawfully wedded wife to love and to hold in sickness and in health until death do you part?”

“I do,” Jose replied, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Do you, Laurel Rhuebottom take Jesse Vernon Duke Junior as your lawfully wedded husband to love and to hold in sickness and in health until dead do you part?”

“I—I—I do,” Laurel cried. Jesse wiped the tears out of her eyes and smiled at her. She began crying harder. “I love you Jesse Duke.” He nodded.

“And do you, Paige Rhuebottom, take Jose Beauregard Duke as your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold in sickness and in health until death do you part?”

“I do—oh I do,” Paige replied, pushing the tears back from her eyes.

“Then by the power invested in me by the state of Georgia, I pronounce you husband and wife. Jose, Jesse you may now kiss your brides.” Jesse and Jose weren’t going to complain about that command. They both dipped their wives and kissed them. “Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand and say hello to the happy couples.

Everyone began to cheer as Jose and Jesse kissed their wives again. “Hey brother,” Jesse said to Jose.

“Yeah brother?” Jose asked.

“Friends forever?”

“Forever ain’t long enough.” They both smiled at each other and gave each other a high five that ended up in a hug.

“Come and visit.”

“You know it. We’re never going to be strangers.” Bo and Luke looked at their sons, freshly married.

“Does this remind you of something Bo?” Luke questioned.

“Well yeah, your wedding…I never thought I would see you again. I found out I can’t get rid of you,” Bo answered.

“You know, LA is a lot further.”

“I don’t care if it takes a century to get there, I would come and see you. We’re as close as those two are.” Bo shook his head and looked his cousin in the eyes.

“We’re closer.”

“Not a chance.”

“Uh huh.”

“No way.”

A few hours later, Jesse and Laurel watched as the plane went in the air. His father was gone. His new brother in law, Jose, had gone on a Greyhound bus about an hour before. Goodbye Dad…good luck, Jesse thought to himself. He held Laurel close to him with every bit of himself. Jesse and his wife headed over to the General Lee.

Jesse and Laurel were driving back from the airport quietly. It was weird seeing Laurel sitting beside him instead of Jose. Still, it was a nice feeling to have her beside him. He continuously touched her hand making sure Laurel was real. After they had gotten married, he truly wondered.

Laurel just watched her husband drive. She put a hand on his shoulder.“Are you going to miss him just as much as I am going to miss her?” Laurel asked. Jesse nodded. “You know Mister Duke, I love you a lot.”

“I love you too Misses Duke,” Jesse replied.

“I was thinking of children’s names.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I want our first son to be named Tom.”

“Why Tom?”

“I don’t know, it just seems right.”

“If we have a second boy, how about John?”

“I like that name but we need to think about girls names too.”

“Uh…Catherine has a nice ring to it.”

“We’ll talk about it.” They continued driving as the sun set behind him. Well everything was getting back to normal in Hazzard County—if there is a normal in Hazzard.

THE END