Ashley Jo Rite stood before me for the first time in 7 years. Beside the New Jersey plates on her rusty Ford, she hadn't changed all that much. In fact, she was so damn near the same I'm surprised I didn't recognize her right on the spot.
Bo and Daisy were quick to wrap her in a warm embrace. I followed my cousins and did the same. Uncle Jesse invited her in the living room to warm up with coffee. She looked just as beautiful as ever. Her honey blonde hair had changed to a dark auburn over the years she'd been gone. Her blue eyes, that once showed so much happiness, were now filled with pain and misery. But nonetheless, she was the same Ashley Jo from my childhood.
"So Ashley Jo…" I started, "What brings ya all the way back to Hazzard County"
"Well…" she said; I noticed the twinge of pain in her voice, "I'm sure ya'll heard bout my parents death a few weeks ago. I came back for the funeral and my parents left me the house so…"
"You're gonna live in that big ole house all alone sugar?" Daisy asked her kindly.
"For a while anyways," she told us all, "I gotta get it all fixed up and painted before I have the wake. So it'll be at least a few days till I can even start planning anything."
"Well…me 'n Luke'd be happy to help," Bo volunteered, "Wouldn't we Luke?"
"Of course," I told her, "So you must have up and married by now…"
"Actually I was engaged for a while but Erik….he said I was different after my folks died. He didn't have much patience for me moping and grieving. He eventually left me for some secretary at work," she told us with tears forming in her eyes, "I'm sure none ya'll are married!"
"You guess right," Bo said giving me a playful slap on the shoulder.
"Are you kiddin?" Uncle Jesse said, "The chances a these two perducin' a family is up there with hogs perducin' beef!"
"Thanks Uncle Jesse," I said; I couldn't help grinning. Ashley let out a small friendly chuckle but soon went back to sipping her coffee.
"Oh my goodness!" Daisy shouted, "I gotta get to work! Hey Ashley, why don't you come by? See all yer old friends…it'll be loads a fun. What do ya say?"
"Yeah, that would be fun," she said with a grin spreading about her face. Her smile was so beautiful. I couldn't help but fall for her. I knew she wouldn't be too keen on me makin' a play on her when her folks just died and her fiancé left. Since she'd be stayin back in Hazzard for a while…the time would present itself.
Well….there's gonna be some commotion now that Ashley Jo is back in Hazzard County. She was just about as well known as Dukes. Ya see, way back when she was a lil tyke a just 5 years old, her an her folks moved down ta Hazzard from Tennessee. They all took a real likin' to the Dukes and all became fast friends. Ashley Jo left for college a while after and she aint talked to the Duke since. I reckon Hazzard County's gonna be one bustlin' place!