by: Susan Porter

Rosco hugged Daisy when she end Enos entered the
Capital City hospital a hurried four hours later. His
eyes were red–rimmed and showed bags from lack of
sleep. “Daisy, Enos, I’m so glad you’re here. Jesse
scared me.”

“He scared us too. Rosco, are you all right? You
look dead on your feet.”

“Between trying to run the county, being sheriff,
spending time at the hospital and splitting farm
chores with Cooter I haven’t had much sleep. I was
due at a meeting… somewhere… ten minutes ago.
I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

As Rosco shuffled off Daisy and Enos exchanged uneasy
glances. Together they entered Uncle Jesse’s hospital
room and found him sitting up in bed, a tray of
half–eaten food in front of him. “How do these
people expect a body to eat food that can’t be
identified? Which is the meat, the brown stuff or the
tan stuff?”

Daisy smiled at Cooter as Enos spoke. “The brown
stuff is the meat, Uncle Jesse. the tan stuff is
supposed to be gravy.”

“Daisy! Enos! About time the two of you showed up!
I’m gettin’ tired of looking at Cooter and Rosco.”

daisy laughed at her uncle’s blustering then hugged
him. “There’s not a thing wrong with you, you had me
worried!”

“I would have been out of here and back at the farm
last night if those fool doctors didn’t insist on
running more tests. Now the nurses say I’ll be here
until tomorrow.”

“Now Uncle Jesse, Enos and I are here and Bo and Luke
are on their way. the time will fly by.”

“I got work to do at the farm.”

“Rosco and I have been doing your chores Uncle Jesse.”

“And now that we’re here,” Enos assured him, “we’ll
help too. You need to rest.”

*******************************************************

Several hours later Rosco returned to the hospital and
stayed until the night nurse came in and kicked them
out. Exchanging good nights they left Jesse to sleep,
Rosco to his office to finish paperwork, Cooter to the
Hazzard hotel and Enos and Daisy, with Sarge, returned
to the Duke farm where, working as a team, they
completed the night chores and prepared dinner.

Midway through dinner the phone rang. Daisy answered
it and listened for a few minutes, her expression
getting increasingly sour. When she hung up she
refused to face Enos, instead running out onto the
porch and hiding in the shadows. Enos followed her.

“Daisy, are you all right honey?”

Daisy looked up at Enos through tear swollen eyes.
“I’ll be all right in a minute. I guess the stress is
just getting to me.”

He moved to stand behind her, his hands massaging too
tense shoulders. “Tell me, maybe I can help.”

She leaned against him. ‘The call I just got was from
the university. They want me to write a paper for the
scientific journal. It would involve a lot of time
and research but it would also mean a lot of prestige.
The EPA wants me to do research for them, Uncle Jesse
needs me and to top all of that off, my ex–husband
called my attorney, he wants to get married again and
needs his alimony payments reduced.” she sighed.
“It’s been a long week.”

Enos was silent for a monet, massaging. “I know the
perfect stress reliever.” he said at last. “Wait
here for a minute.”

He disappeared into the house for a minute then
returned, dangling the keys to the General Lee. “Come
on, honey, let’s take a ride.”

Enos was mysteriously silent as he drove them through
the back roads of Hazzard and up to Blindman’s Bluff.
He pulled up to the cliff, turned on the radio and got
out of the car, beckoning for her to join him as he
lay back on the hood. Daisy lay beside him, her head
nestled against his shoulder, her eyes closed, her
breathing even. Enos had begun to think she was
asleep when she whispered, “So, when does this stress
relief begin?”

“As soon as you let it. Look out there, honey, the
way the stars shine on Hazzard Pond. It all looks so
calm, as if nothing in the world could disturb it.
It’s all so peaceful, Daisy. This is my favorite
place in the world, and now I’m sharing it with you,
the love of my life.”

Daisy smiled against his neck. “You’re right, it is
peaceful, but I don’t know what’s helping me more,
being here or being in your arms.”

Enos snuggled closer to her, kissing her forehead.
They were quiet as the night and the music from the
radio moved around them. Daisy was nearly asleep
against him when the disc jockey came on the radio and
announced, “This song goes out to our favorite couple,
Enos and Daisy who are out there somewhere tonight
falling in love all over again and, hopefully,
planning their wedding.”

“May I have this dance,
my you’re lookin’ pretty,
Is there somethin’ wrong
Did he leave you hurtin’,
I don’t mean to pry but
those tears in your eyes,
gave you away…”

Enos looked down at her, amused, “Shall we dance?”

She gave him her hand and allowed him to guide her
into the moves of a slow, intimate dance.

“You have
the right to remain silent,
anything you say as I hold you against me,
will forever remain a secret,
between us two.
I’ve been wanting you,
but you didn’t know it,
and now that he’s gone
at last I can show it…”

(The song is You Have the Right to Remain Silent by
Perfect Stranger)