by: Marie E. Roach

Author’s Note: This story is a concept story. It takes place obviously sometime after 1995. It was one of those things that come to you so clear on a whim at 3 a.m. I had to write it once the characters started giving it to me.

Her painted red finger nails tapped on the marble sink in the bathroom as she stared back at her reflection in the mirror. He should have been home about thirty minutes ago. Their reservation to the Painted Moon, their favorite fancy Chinese restaurant in Capital City, was for seven. It was quarter after six now and he wasn’t home yet. Daisy sighed as she finished putting her dark brown locks up in the hair chopsticks. It was two days after Valentines Day and she was looking forward to finally having some peace and alone time with her husband during this season of romance.

Life had been so hectic for them both lately. She was busy teaching at the college in Capitol City. Her department just asked her to create a new Botany class for advanced students, that was all internet based. She accepted the challenge with eagerness at first but then realized the heavy work load often cut into her family time. However it wasn’t like it was totally her fault for not being availed for her husband. Enos was currently campaigning for Hazzard County Sheriff. He juggled his work schedule against luncheons, meetings and social gatherings. There were many nights she was busy in the study, grading the online work from her students and he was in the living room practicing his speeches in the big Victorian mirror that hung on the wall. Scott, their son, would often be his audience just for a human body to look at. Scotty really couldn’t give any feed back or criticism beings he was only two. However the toddler would laugh and clap, which was enough some nights for the Sheriff candidate.

They had wanted to go out on Valentines Day, but she had tests that needed grading and he had to make a speech for the Ladies Aid association. So again, the holiday was spent apart. Yet they promised each other they would plan to make time for one another. She slid into her panty hoes and her red evening gown. Walking from the bathroom into their bedroom, Daisy took a seat on the bed and put her stiletto red sequined sandals on. Glancing at the clock on the night stand she frowned, even if he got here now, he wouldn’t have enough time to change. They were going to be late…

She marched out of the bedroom and into the small hallway where the phone was. She dialed up the number for the restaurant and got a hold of the owner a personal friend of theirs.

“Howdy, Kim Lee… yeah, it’s Daisy Strate… Um, Enos and me aren’t going to make the seven o’clock reservation. Can you bump it back about a half hour?” She asked over the phone, “Uh huh… Oh, ok… Yeah that will be great. Thank you so much Kim.”

Hanging up the phone she turned to glance at her toddler playing with his wooden block set in the living room that Luke had made him for Christmas. She stood there watching the little boy, finding some peace in her sea of worry. As a smile tugged at her lips gazing at her son’s tower he just built, when the pantry door opened. Quickly, turning her head to the doorway she spotted her rain soaked husband coming into the house. He sniffled and coughed slightly as coming into the house and having a seat in the kitchen chair.

“Where ya been?” She asked in a sharper tone than she intended.

Taking a ragged breath he answered taking his deputy’s hat off and wiping the moisture from the sweat and sideways rain from his brow, “There was an accident out on Old Mill Pond road.”

Daisy’s eyes went wide at the mention of her cousin’s address, “Are they…”

“Daisy, honey… they’re fine. It was some kid out joy riddin’… Ran into a telephone pole and had to be pried out from the car.” He answered pinching the bridge of his nose, wondering if it was stress that was giving him a headache or he was coming down with something from being out in the cold rain.

“So you had to stay and do accidents report?” she asked.

“Yeah… I did… I’m sorry. I know I should have called but I really didn’t have time and when I did have time I figured I could get it done quick enough…” Enos explained as he then stood up and looked at her dress, “Why you all dressed up?”

“What do you mean why am I all dressed up?” Daisy exclaimed, “Don’t you remember we got reservations at the Painted Moon tonight?”

Enos smacked his forehead with his palm then winced remembering the reservations and his headache. Then he turned and looked to the clock it was six thirty. There was no way they could make it by seven.

“Look, I got Kim to push the reservation back a half hour. If ya hurry up and get changed we can probably still make it.” His wife explained, “Your suit is on the bed, already pressed.”

He nodded then rushed into the bedroom franticly changing his clothes to go out to dinner with his beloved wife. He felt guilty about not calling now. Plus, if he was getting sick he seemed to ignore the symptoms because all that was on his mind was making it to the restaurant. As he was in the bedroom with the door closed, a knock on the pantry door was heard. Daisy rushed to the door with her heels clicking on the wood kitchen floor. There in the doorway was Enos’s twin sister Valerie.

“Hey Daisy… How come you guys haven’t dropped Scotty off at my place yet and headed to the Painted Moon?” her sister – in- law asked.

Daisy motioned Val to come inside while she complied, “Enos had a last minute accident to go to. He was busy with that. He just got home.”

“Oh… Well it’s raining like cats and dogs. I hope you guys didn’t get a balcony table at the Painted Moon.” Val mentioned hugging her jacket around herself standing with Daisy in the kitchen.

Daisy sighed knowing Valerie had a point. A lot of times Enos did reserve the balcony table for them because it had a great romantic starry view. He proposed for the third and final time to her on the balcony of the Chinese restaurant/supper club. Hopefully, Kim Lee had changed the seating for them due to the weather. She watched Valerie come over to Scott and scoop him up to take him back to her house with her.

“We’ll probably pick him up tomorrow mornin’.” Daisy smiled then picked up the little overnight bag that was sitting on the couch and handed it off to Valerie. She made it up for Scotty before she got dressed.

Val gave a sly grin, “Yeah, don’t be in any rush to pick him up… You and Enos just go have a good time. You two deserve it. See you tomorrow.”

With that Val carried the bag and the little boy out the door to her car. Daisy followed her to the door then waved as her sister-in-law and her son were in the car. Watching the red Chevelle pull out of the drive and head down the road back to Valerie’s farmhouse, Daisy felt a hand touch her bare shoulder. She turned around to see her husband standing there.

“Hey… You ready to go?” He asked her softly.

“Yeah, just let me get my coat and purse.”

Enos smiled then extended her dress coat out to her and the purse in his other hand, “I seen your purse sittin’ on the couch. So I picked it up and figured you needed your coat yet.”

Daisy grinned and hooked her arm around his, leading him out the door. After stepping out on to the porch he turned back, “Got to lock the door.”

“Enos, its Hazzard. We’re gonna be late Honey…”

“Daisy, ya never know what dangerous criminals could be out there!” He insisted and pulled out his house keys and locked the door. He was always anal retentive when it came to security. Daisy gave a heavy breath of aggravation then kept proceeding to the red Sunfire that sat in the driveway. She didn’t want to stand in the rain and wait for him. She got into the passenger side and sat down, then watched him jog down the steps to the car. He sat down in the driver’s seat and put his seatbelt on then put the key into the ignition. Soon they were on the road and on their way to Capital City. Daisy looked at the dash clock and sighed. They were still going to be late.

“Enos, we’re barely gonna make it…” Daisy replied with the worry lacing her voice.

“It’ll be fine Daisy. We’ll get there in about twenty minutes.” Enos explained.

“Honey, we only got about fifteen before they give our table away.”

“Daisy, we’ll get there!” Enos protested. He wasn’t going to let this go. He wasn’t going to just let this Valentines season go by without spending a nice evening with her at Painted Moon; to him it was a tradition, an omen, a pilgrimage. It was the place they went to when he proposed, and every Valentines Day since they’ve gone there for the last five years of their marriage. This year seemed like the hardest of all and he knew it was trying on both of them. Somehow this simple dinner date had more meaning inside to him that just being with his wife for some time out.

As the red Pontiac sped down the wet highway, the wipers whipped water back and forth off of the windshield. It was getting close to twilight and harder to see the road. Yet his determination to make it back to the place where Daisy finally accepted his heart seemed like the only place he wanted to be. Nothing seemed to matter at that moment to him as he was driving fiercely to their Mecca of love, not the fact that it was raining, he wasn’t feeling well, and he was going eight miles and climbing over the speed limit. Wait! Eight, now nine, TEN miles over the speed limit, Enos what are you doing!

Just as he realized what was happening and began to slow the car down, the right front tire hit a nail that was in the road. Suddenly the car bucked and pulled to the right. Enos kept the wheel as steady as he could while they slowed into the ditch.

Daisy relaxed her grip on the door’s arm rest and the dash board when the car came to a stop. She slowly turned her head to look at him, “Dang…”

Taking a slow deep relaxing breath taking his hands off the wheel, Enos glanced back at her, “I’m sorry Daisy…”

“Well… we best see what’s wrong.” She sighed.

Enos nodded then opened the door, “I’ll check it Daisy. Just sit tight sugar…”

With that Enos got out of the car and shut the door. The rain poured down onto his jacket soaking his hair. As he jogged around to the front of the car, he kneeled down to look at the right tire. It was flatter than a pancake. The water dripped off his nose and he bowed his head and hit his fist into the hood of the car, “Ding dang it! A flat!”

He rushed around to the driver’s door and opened it to retrieve the keys to get the spare from the trunk, “We got a flat…”

Daisy looked back at her husband, seeing he was soaking wet then glanced at the dash clock, “Enos honey… we might as well just get Cooter to help us out and forget about Painted Moon. We ain’t gonna make it now.”

“No, Daisy… If I can just get this flat changed…” he protested reaching for the ignition to the keys. He coughed a little from having the cool moisture revive his congestion.
She grabbed his forearm and looked back into his blue-green eyes, “Enos… just come in here and sit with me for a moment honey… It’s pouring out and you’re sick. C’mon just sit with me… Please…”

Sighing in defeat he slid back behind the wheel and closed the door. Silently he stared forward. The guilt and disappointment kept him from looking at her because the evening was now ruined.

“Enos… please don’t be upset sugar…” Daisy pleaded and put her hand over his, “Look we just weren’t supposed to go tonight.”

“I’m sorry I ruined your evening Daisy. I just wanted it to be prefect ya know… Like the night you said ‘yes’ to me…” He bowed his head and swallowed hard thinking about that night.

“I know, honey, I know… But it’s just how it is tonight. There’ll be other nights and more Valentines Days to come.” She answered tilting her head and gazing at him, then lifting her hand from his and brushing her fingers through his dark hair.

He lifted his eyes to her and glanced her way. Lifting his hand to cover her’s curling his fingers around and lower it to look at her and speak, “It’s just… every year we do this… and to me, it’s a special place ya know… I know it sounds silly but I feel like if we don’t go, I’m gonna lose you again…”

“Enos… what are ya talking about? You’ll never lose me sugar.” Daisy answered him with astonishment.

“It’s just that we’ve been through so much. I know it’s silly. I know I won’t lose you Daisy. I know you love me, but it’s like a superstition, that if I don’t take you there and renew that moment… we’ll fall apart.” He sighed then subconsciously gripped her palm not wanting to let go of her, “I love you…”

She could tell how bothered he was. Bringing the other hand over their clasped hands she cupped his and lifted her head to gaze deeply back at him, “Enos… You will never lose my heart. I gave it to you the day we stood up in front of all of Hazzard and said those vows… To love honor and cherish each other, us missing this Valentines Day is not going to take my heart away from you. It’s yours to keep Enos Strate, I love you too…”

With that she leaned forward in her seat and brushed her full painted red lips to his. With closed eyes slowly parting her lips, which let him to follow suit she gave him a deep lingering romantic kiss. Finally she broke the kiss and opened her eyes to see him sitting still with his eyes still closed and lips still parted almost as if he was lost in the moment. She grinned; it satisfied her to know after five years of marriage she could still affect her husband this way.

Coming back to earth, his mouth closed and he blinked a moment. Then bowing his head in confession he took a deep breath, “Daisy… that’s probably the best Valentines gift you could have ever given me…”

“Enos, being alone with you right now is the best Valentines gift I could have.” She answered back, as he lifted his head. Their hands were untwined but they still seemed tied to one another by the invisible force between them, husband and wife, each the other’s best friend and lover.

The warmth creped up into his cheeks giving them a slight blush, he paused and just admired her beauty for a while then chuckled, “Oh how you get to me… You want to go to the back seat and sit with me for a bit?”

Daisy flashed a mischievous grin, “Why Enos Strate! Are you askin’ me to go parkin’ with ya?”

“Well we already are parked Daisy. We might as well make the best of it.” He explained plainly but the fool hardy smile was still painted across his face.

“And what would the Sheriff say if he caught us…” She chuckled as she opened her door to move to the back passenger door.

Enos followed suit and open his door then going to the door behind him getting in the back seat with her from his side. The rain pattered down on the car’s hood and they we both slightly moist from the move. Looking at her like a lion hungry for steak, Enos leaned forward toward his wife and pulled her into his lap. She gave a little yelp then giggled childishly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and put her forehead to his. Then borrowing a line out of the handbook of his superior officer Rosco P. Coltrane, he grinned and said with a little bit of attitude to impress, “Aw shoot Daisy… I’m the law in Hazzard County.”

“Correction… You will be.” She smiled then gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. When it ended she smiled, “You know, I can remember when you were so vanilla that you were afraid to kiss me. Now look at us…”

He gave her a dreamy gaze back linking his fingers together at the small of her back holding her on his lap, “That’s when happens when you add chocolate to vanilla, you get swirl.”

“Enos, stop it… You’re making me hungry!” she snickered, and then leaned into him and whispered into his ear, “You know… we could just skip dinner and go straight into desert.”

Enos’s face turned about five more shades of red while gazed back dreamily into her big brown eyes. He was just about to say something when a small tapping noise was heard on the window. They both jumped slightly, startled by the intrusion. Unlocking his fingers and breaking the hold around her waist he leaned back to roll down the window. There stood the friendly Hazzard County Mechanic Cooter Davenport, lifting up his cap and scratching his head, “Um… I don’t mean to be intruding’ on ya’ll but I seen the car here with a flat and figure you could use some help. But, maybe I was a little wrong on that…”

Flustered by the interruption, Enos went from red to white seeing Cooter there. However Daisy didn’t miss a beat, “Actually, Cooter we do need some help… but could ya give us about an hour or half hour. The Sheriff elect and I got some important business to discuss.”

She then winked to Cooter, and then put her arms back around Enos’s shoulders, “He was just going to give me the best Valentines Day gift I’ve ever had.”

Cooter taking the cue from Daisy nodded curtly and tipped his hat, “Yes ma’am, I’ll be back in about an hour and a half… Give you extra time to talk about your campaign strategy.”

With that he headed back to his truck and left. Daisy smiled, “Roll the window up.”

“Uh… Ok…” Still a little flabbergasted but slowly coming around he leaned back and rolled up the window to keep the rain from coming in. Then looking back at the woman on his lap cluelessly asking, “Daisy… I didn’t know we had a campaign strategy we needed to talk about? I thought we were talking about Valentines Day and desert…”

“Oh Enos…We are and you’re gonna give me the best gift I ever had…” She giggled then placed her hands on either side of his face and gave him a kiss.

The End… (For now ?)