The Fortune Tellers is, fortunately, the last episode in which Bo doesn't (much) appear.


A fully-grown man was not designed to handle such small things. Like Daisy, all fragile, emotionally wounded, worried. Luke would have liked to leave her with Jesse, who was actually quite good with little things like newborn calves and the occasional human baby they found on the side of the road. But no, Daisy threw herself into the General (she never had to worry about how to fit her little shoulders through that tight opening) and insisted on staying by his side.

Little things, like being accused of petty theft, seemed to upset the girl. And that was just silly; he and Bo got framed for grand larceny about every other week. But if she was going to get all tied up in knots about it, well, Luke was roped into it, too. He'd always protected the smaller members of his family.

Then there was that Three-Pack, who really wasn't even much of a two-pack, not when Luke was hankering for a six-pack. Too small to hit even if they did ever catch up to him.

But first he had to deal with tiny problems like Rosco's burning desire to lock him and Daisy up. Little predicament: with an assist from Enos, the sheriff managed to get them stopped and eventually cuffed to one another before Jesse blustered in and let them escape.

Daisy's skinny legs weren't meant for this kind of tandem running. She was practically flying off the back of him like a flag in a stiff breeze. Really, a full sized man like Luke couldn't help but let small things slip through his fingers, even if they were the tiny hands of his girl cousin.

Back to chasing after that Three-Pack that had started this mess. Him and his Madame Delilah, cruising along in their van of illusions that managed to fool small-minded people like Lulu Hogg. Didn't know what he'd do if they caught the fortune tellers; one was a woman and the other too small to defend himself. Then again, with the little handicap of Daisy hanging from Luke's arm, maybe they were even after all—

Turned out to be a moot point, when Three-Pack flipped the van side over side and end over end. For all the crashes Luke had seen, this was one of the more spectacular, the kind that people didn't walk away from unless they were very lucky and very quick.

Neither of which Three-Pack and Delilah were going to be unless Luke could help them. So he dragged his too-tiny cousin behind him through the General's window and straight into danger. Engine damage in a van, where there was smoke there would be fire followed by an explosion.

He did his duty, barely. Protected those smaller than him, then delivered two little packages to Rosco for the arresting. Managed, finally, to grab the tiny key from the sheriff's belt that would unlock him from Daisy.

And finally after sorting through all that piddling nonsense, got to the big event of his day.

"Hello, Boar's Nest." Nearly yanked the silly little phone off the wall in his efforts to get the handset to his ear.

"Hello, Boar's Nest, yourself," came that booming, cheery voice.

"Hey, it's good to know you're alive." Which was just pathetic, not even code words. Just fumbling around and making small talk, instead of what he wanted to say.

You big idiot, come home, plant your oversized carcass into my twin bed, smile one of your giant goofy grins, give me a big kiss. Maybe even three little words with big meaning: I love you.