That night, Ross and Bo talked for a few hours, kissed and fell asleep on the couch. Luke came downstairs in the middle of the night and checked on Bo and Rosalyn. He smiled at the sight. Bo was stretched out all the way on the couch asleep, and Ross was nestled against him and the couch, their hands entwined together. Both of them slept with a somber smile. He thought again about that sick feeling he was having, and prayed to God that he just ate some bad meat at the Boar's Nest the other day.
The next morning Ross woke up far before Bo and had headed out to help Daisy do some grocery shopping. Luke walked down the stairs buttoning his shirt and saw Bo still asleep on the couch and laughed to himself. He walked poured himself a small glass of water then walked over to the couch, giving the younger Duke a chance to escape. He took no such chance however, and Luke proceeded to dump the liquid on the sleeping Duke. Bo sprang to life and followed it up by a playful punch to Luke's right arm.
"Mornin', sunshine." Luke laughed as he headed back to the kitchen to clean the glass and put it back in the cupboard. Bo grabbed a hand towel and wiped off his face and scrubbed his hair dry.
"Well what the heck was that for? You coulda just shook my arm or somethin'."
Luke put his hand on Bo's shoulder and quizzically replied, "Bo, if more people in life did it like that then the world wouldn't be a very interesting place."
"Huh?" Luke laughed again and grabbed a clean shirt from a stack of laundry on the chair and tossed it to his cousin.
"Don't worry about it. Get changed into that and meet me out in the General." He started to the door.
"Why?"
Luke stopped at the door and turned around. "I just wanted to go for a nice mornin' drive, that all right with you?" He turned back to the door and headed outside. Bo's mind began to churn – he knew what was about to happen. Whenever Luke wanted to go for an early morning drive, there was a whole lot more on his mind than the beauty of a misty summer morning.
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It was silent for a few minutes as the General steadily combed its way through the back roads of Hazzard. Both Dukes knew something was bothering Luke, and both knew it would be out in the open before this drive was over. Bo, deciding to be the one to break the tension for once, started in on what he knew would be a heavy conversation.
"Luke, we both know you ain't out here to see flowers and butterflies. Somethin's got to ya." Luke was silent and kept looking at the road as he drove. Another sign to Bo that it was serious was the fact that Luke was drivin'. Whenever his cousin gets nervous or ancy about something, he can't stand just sittin' there and usually asks to drive. Bo always obliges, of course. "I'll take that as a yes." Luke switched hands on the wheel and leaned his elbow out the window. "You gonna make me guess all day or you gonna get on with it?"
"Will you just hush for a second, Bo? I'm tryin' to figure out what I gotta say… I still ain't got it quite straight in my own head."
Bo thought for a few moments about what Luke could possibly be so bothered about. It had to be something to do with himself… but what? "Oh, I get it. You're worried about that race next weekend in Chickasaw County, aren't ya?"
"Bo-"
"You're worried I'll hurt myself again, ain't ya? Look, Luke, I'm all better. My wrist and leg are all healed up – I ain't gonna make the same mistake twice. I never do!"
"Bo, be quiet." The remark was serious, intense, and abrupt. Bo shut his trap faster than the General passin' a finish line. "Let me talk. I been noticin' a lot of strange things lately…"
"Like what?"
"There wasn't no patrol car in the street."
"Huh?"
"Did you ever find out why Ross was so on edge yesterday?" Bo was silent for a moment… He hadn't really thought about it. He was just glad nothing had happened to her. "I didn't think so. Bo, somethin's wrong with her. These past 2 days she's been really jumpy, more than her usual self. I'm real worried about her. She hasn't said anything to you, has she?"
Bo was silent. He couldn't believe he had let himself ignore it all. He saw the signs that something was up, but he was too blissfully satisfied to do anything about it. "Luke… I have absolutely no idea. What kind of boyfriend am I?"
Luke pulled over and looked at his increasingly panicking cousin. "Bo-"
"No! Dang it, Luke, I told her I'd be there for her and I ain't even tendin' to her worries."
"Bo, you just didn't wanna see it. I know, it's okay. Believe it or not, I've been in this position before. All you have to do is talk to her, Bo. If she wants to let it out, she will. If she don't then she don't. If it seems serious though, get it outta her 'fore she gets herself in trouble. Got it?"
Bo closed his eyes and leaned against the seat, then looked out the window. "I guess so, Luke… I hope you're right."