Reunited
Chapter 3 Will You Marry Me?
Later that afternoon Daisy, Angela and Jessica went shopping. Vance went to visit Cooter. Coy and Uncle Jesse were the only two home. Uncle Jesse looked at Coy and said, "When are you going to ask Angela to marry you?"
"What makes you think I'm ready to get married?" Coy said with a curious look on his face.
Uncle Jesse smiled and said, "I know you love her just as much as she loves you. I know she was gone for six years but she came back, didn't she? That ought to account for something. Come with me, I want to show you something." Coy followed Jesse to his bedroom. Coy stood in the doorway while Jesse opened his dresser drawer looking for something. When Jesse found what he was looking for, he picked it up and closed the drawer, "this here is the ring I gave your Aunt Martha when I asked her to marry me. We didn't have much money back then and I know that you don't have any money saved to get one, so I want you to give this to Angela. The two of you belong together."
"Uncle Jesse, I can't accept this from you."
"Nonsense," Jesse said, "it gets passed to the next Duke to give to his future wife."
Coy said, "What about Daisy? What if she was the one getting married?"
"Then I would have given it to the man who was going to marry her."
Coy took the small box and said, "Thank you." Not sure what else to say, he accepted the ring.
Uncle Jesse said, "I know that you are going to make her happy. I know you'll take good care of her."
Later that evening Coy and Vance were outside doing their chores. Angela was helping Daisy with the laundry since Angela didn't have a washing machine yet. Daisy said, "Do you think you will ever get married again?"
"I don't know. Since I've been divorced twice I really don't know. When I got married the first time I was only eighteen. But if I ever got the chance again I want to make sure it is with someone who won't cheat on me and won't abuse me." Angela said.
Daisy smiled and said. "Coy would never do those things."
Angela said, "Has Coy talked to you about getting married?"
Daisy said, "He told me a long time ago he wanted to wait till the right girl comes along."
Angela said, "Oh." She looked the other way.
Daisy said, "Did I say something wrong?"
Angela said, "No, I know that I have only been back a short time. I am glad that Coy is in Jessica's life again. I was afraid that he would be upset with me for not telling him."
Daisy said, "Coy loves you, I would love to see the two of you get married and raise Jessica together."
Angela said, "I would, too."
A little while later Coy and Vance came inside to get ready for dinner. Angela was sitting in the living room with Uncle Jesse and Jessica. When Coy came in the living room he noticed that Daisy was setting the table for dinner. Coy pulled the small box out of his pocket and took the ring out of the box. Daisy looked at him and started to open her mouth to say something. Coy put his index finger to his lips to make sure she didn't say anything out loud.
Daisy whispered and said, "I'm proud of you."
Coy whispered and said, "I think it's about time I show Angela just how much she means to me." He folded up a napkin used the ring as a napkin holder. He layed it on the side of the plate Angela was going to use
Daisy came in the living room and said, "Supper's ready." Everyone came in the kitchen and sat down at the table. Coy pulled out the chair he wanted Angela to sit in. she scooted her chair up to the table. They all held hands and Jesse said the prayer, "Lord, bless this food that we are about to eat, amen."
Everyone filled their plates with food. When Angela went to get her fork she noticed that her napkin was rolled around something. Angela looked at Coy and started crying. Coy took the ring off the napkin and got down on one knee, looked her in the eye and said, "Angela, you and Jessica mean so much to me. I lost you once and I thought I lost you forever. Then you came back into my life filled it with meaning. I want you and Jessica to spend the rest of your lives with me...will you marry me?"
Angela had tears running down her cheeks and said, Yes, yes, yes." Coy kissed her and put the ring on her finger.
Jessica said, "This is the best day of my life. Mommy and daddy are getting married." Coy and Angela hugged Jessica.
For the next two weeks Coy and Angela were budy trying to pick out a place for the wedding, they knew they wanted the reception to be at the Boars Nest. Daisy helped Angela with the flower arrangements. They were sitting in the living room talking and Coy said, "Vance, will you be my best man?"
Vance smiled and said, "Yeah, I would love to."
Angela looked at Daisy and said, "All I need is a Maid of Honor, Daisy will you do that for me?"
Daisy said, "Honey, I would be glad to."
Angela said, "Uncle Jesse, I need someone to give me away, will you do that?"
Uncle Jesse said, "I would be honored to give you away."
The day before the wedding Angela went into town to pick up her wedding dress. When she left the store she headed back to her house. Roscoe was sitting in his car behind a tree waiting for someone to speed by. Roscoe's dog, Flash started barking, "Oh, you're right, Flash, we got them." Roscoe pulled out of his hiding spot and turned on his lights. When Angela pulled over, Roscoe got out of his patrol car and walked up to Angela's car. "All right, Roscoe, what do you want?"
Roscoe looked at her and said, "You were speeding, that's what."
Angela said, "You call going 55mph sppeding!"
Roscoe said, "It is when you're in a 15mph zone, obviously you didn't see the sign back there." He pointed to the white sign. Angela looked at the sign too.
"I just passed that sign Roscoe and it was 55mph."
Roscoe said, "I'm going to have to arrest you."
Angela said, "Arrest me, for what?"
"Well it seems that I've run out of tickets to write. Let's go." He guided Angela to his patrol car.
Back at the farm everyone was starting to get worried about Angela. It had been three hours since she left to get her dress. Coy said, "I'm going to call her on the CB," Coy picked up the CB and said, "Lost sheep to Blossom, are you out there?" no answer, "honey, pick up the CB we're starting to get worried about you."
Vance said, "Do you think maybe she had an accident or something?"
Coy said, "No, cause if she did Cooter would have call us." No sooner had Coy said that, Cooter called on the CB. They were all waiting to see what he had to say. "Hey, ya'all, this is Crazy Cooter, I've been trying to reach you. I saw Roscoe put Angela in his patrol car. I'm sure he arrested her for something stupid. I'mm going to pick up her car and bring it back to the farm."
Coy said, "Thanks, Cooter."
Daisy said, "I wonder what Roscoe would have arrested her for?"
Jesse said, "It doesn't matter what for, you boys get down there, I'll go inside and get my checkbook and meet you down there." Coy and Vance ran over to the General Lee and drove off.
Meanwhile Roscoe got back to the police station with Angela. Roscoe let her make one phone call, she called the Dukes. Daisy answered the phone and said, "Hello."
Angela started crying and said, "I need to talk to Coy."
Daisy said, "Coy and Vance are on their way to the jail."
Angela said, "How did you know where I was?"
Daisy said, "Cooter saw Roscoe put you in his car, so Cooter is picking your car up and bringing it back to the farm for you."
Angela said, "Okay, thanks."
When Coy and Vance got to the jail they went inside to see Angela. Coy said, "Here's the bail money, Roscoe, now let her go."
Roscoe opened up the cell, Angela came out and gave Coy a hug and kiss. Coy took her by the hand and said, "We've got a wedding to get ready for." They went back to the farm.
Daisy packed a bag and spent the night at Angela's house. Coy stayed at the farm and spent one last night in the bedroom he shared with Vance. Uncle Jesse walked past Coy and Vance's room and heard them talking.
"Well cousin, this is the last night, we're going to be sharing a room, this time tomorrow you will be sharing a bed with your wife."
Coy said, "I gonna miss you."
Vance said, "I'm gonna miss you, too."