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-Jordy

"Ya wanna tell me what's wrong, sugar?" asked Daisy resting her hand on Luke's shoulder as he leaned on the rickety fence rail.

Luke sighed. "Just tired, I guess."

"Are you sure that's it? You hardly ate any dinner."

"I'm sure, Daisy."

Daisy nodded, although she was not convinced. "Well, try and get some rest. You look like you just lost your best friend." She turned and headed back into the house.

"I did" thought Luke. "I lost Bo"Luke slammed his fist into the rail, shattering it. He turned and walked off towards the barn. Swinging the barn door open, he climbed up into the hay loft and flopped down into a bed of fresh sweet smelling hay.

Looking down from his perch, Luke could not help thinking about his cousin. He hadn't joined them for dinner, although he had never gone to sleep. Daisy had even offered to bring his dinner in to his room, but Bo refused, saying he was just too sore. The medicine the doc gave him didn't seem to help much at all. Luke frowned as he remembered the look on Bo's face when Charlie dislocated his shoulder. Bo had been so scared and was doing his best not to show it. "Looks like I lost my best friend," mused Luke. "Some best friend I turned out to be anyway. Lettin' Bo get hurt like that! He won't drive no more. He's so sore he can't sleep much less eat. And he never even spoke to me once he was out of the hospital. Dang it! It just ain't fair!"

"Yer right, it sure ain't fair."

"Oh, Uncle Jesse... I was uh just 'bout t' leave," said Luke, climbing down the ladder and blushing slightly at the knowledge that Jesse had caught him talkin' to himself.

"C'mon over here, Lucas. We need t' talk."

Luke swallowed hard. Uncle Jesse didn't call him Lucas often, but when he did, Luke knew he meant business.

"Yes, sir?" asked Luke, sitting on the bench beside his uncle, nervously picking strands of hay out of his dark hair.

"Now, Luke. I know you would never do anything t' hurt Bo intentionally," began the old man, putting his calloused hand on Luke's head and turning it towards him.

"No, sir," said Luke quietly.

"Why are ya blamin' yerself for this mess?"

"Jesse, it was all 'cause of me! I just let 'em hurt him. No wonder Bo ain't talkin' t' me. I could've done something…instead I just stood there watchin' the whole thing… like a coward," scowled Luke.

"Luke Duke, you may be a lot o' things but a coward ain't one o' them."

"Jesse, I …"

"That's Uncle Jesse to you, now ya listen here. Like I said, I know you would never hurt Bo intentionally. But ya beatin' yerself up like this is hurtin' him more than it's hurtin' you. Ya wonder why he ain't said two words t' ya? What would he say? He feels bad 'nough as it is…"

Luke sighed. He knew what Jesse said was true.

"If I were ya, I'd go on in and talk t' Bo. Ya know he ain't sleepin'. Ya need to get this all out in the open, Luke, or those two will 've harmed ya far more than they ever imagined."

He sure hit the nail on the head that time.

A lone tear escaped Luke's eye. He brushed it away quickly. He got up and sauntered into the house. Jesse stared after him, his pale blue eyes brimming with tears. "That boy keeps so much inside… just like his daddy."

Now friends, I sure hope Luke takes Jesse's advice and talks with Bo… y'all stick around.