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POT SHOTS
CHAPTER 17
LYING HEARTS
Uncle Jesse knew that all of the kids were excited about Sandy's visit, the youngest of his clan just had more at stake. Thinking of his baby, he smiled. God had given Bo back to them. Now, he hoped that Sandy could make him happy, remembering how much his beloved Lavinia had made him. He wanted that for all his kids, but none of them had found that special person, until now. Bo and Sandy had a lot of things to work out between them. It would have been much easier if she didn't live several hundreds of miles away, but she did. They only had a few days, so there wasn't much time to spare. Monday, the chores would still be there; Sandy might not.
"Git out of here," he told them, pretending to grumble.
The first thing Bo wanted to show Sandy was the General Lee, and just how he could drive it.
"Oh you're well all right, if you can climb in and out of a window like that every time you need to get in and out," she said, not understanding why anyone would want to do that to a vehicle.
Her words were a little racier when he jumped Dry Creek, reminding him that if he hurt himself, she could not come back again as a therapist. The Dukes assured her that jumping the General was safe, guns were their nemesis.
It wasn't surprising that they ended up at the pond. There wasn't really anything going on in town until the next day, and this had been a place they'd always enjoyed. Daisy had their lunch all ready, and the guitars were packed away as well as the blankets. The guys had even brought swim trunks, though Bo really thought skinny dipping was a better idea.
"Not on your life, country boy!" Sandy snapped.
"What? You guys don't do that in Texas?" he asked, thinking that it was more a rural thing than a geographical one.
"No!" she snorted. "We have clothes in Texas!" she said, diving head first into the water.
Bo shrugged, diving after her, and soon they were all splashing around like little kids.
Later, Sandy was laying out on a towel, drying off when Bo plopped himself down beside her.
"You're dripping on me," she told him.
Leaning over her so that there faces were only inches apart, he shook his head so that the droplets from his hair would land on her. "Didn't think you'd mind," he told her.
She was going to make a wise crack, but she looked into his eyes and something stopped her. "I don't," she admitted.
Bo closed the gap between them, finding her lips and tasting them. Had they been alone, there's no telling what would have happened, but Daisy and Luke were just a few feet away.
"You know, before you left you said that I might have formed a dependency on you. You were right about that darlin," he stated, and her eyebrows shot up. "I am addicted to you, so I guess that means I have a dependency," he told her before he kissed her again.
"Oh Bo," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck, no longer plagued by doubts or voices.
That night the Duke cousins finally got to show her what a Boar's Nest was. She thought the place was quaint, but still couldn't quite find the words to describe her impressions regarding a Boss Hogg. Cooter and Enos joined them, complimenting her on a job well done with Bo, and welcoming her again to Hazzard; this time as a guest. They hadn't been there too long before several of the local fellas started showing a lot of interest in the Texas Twister. Many of them didn't know her personally, but they knew of her. She'd been Bo's therapist, but there hadn't been any rumors of a romance. Seeing her sitting with the Duke boys didn't mean she was off limits. If that were the case, there wouldn't have been a woman within a fifty mile radius available for anyone else in Hazzard. In less than an hour, Sandy had received more drinks and invitations to dance than she had in the past few years. She'd even received one proposal of marriage, but not from a Duke. Bo was starting to regret bringing her there, but Sandy took care of all potential suitors, politely telling them no. There was only one beau she was interested in. Becoming secure in the knowledge that she was with him, Bo started up the juke box. The dance of the day was the Texas Two-step.
By the time they got home, it was late, but Bo suggested that they sit on the swing for a while. It wasn't that he couldn't have thought of better things to do, but he didn't want to push her. They were really just getting acquainted again after a twelve month intermission. Though their feelings had crossed the line a long time ago, the last time they saw each other they were still therapist and patient. A totally personal relationship was something that they hadn't shared before; it was brand new. No map had been plotted, and they hadn't really even talked.
Sitting down, Bo slid his arm around her. "I missed you so much, Sandy."
"I missed you, too. I can't tell you how many times I picked up the phone."
"Me too," he confessed. "Why didn't you call?"
"I don't know. Why didn't you?" she asked.
"I guess I was too afraid to find out that you didn't even remember me," Bo confided.
"You are not easily forgotten Bo Duke."
"Nor are you. Are you happy Sandy?" he asked her.
"I'm very happy to be back in Hazzard," she told him.
"No, I mean, I'm glad that you're happy to be here. I'm happy you're here, too," he told her, raising her hand to his lips. "What I meant was have you been happy since you left?"
"I've been busy," she replied.
"Sandy!"
"No, I haven't been all that happy."
"You miss your job?"
"Yeah, I do," she whispered, "and I missed you and your family. Guess I got a little bit too personally involved in this case," she chuckled.
"You still think this is a therapist-patient kind of love, cause I do love you Sandy Maverick."
"No," she confirmed, shaking her head. "And I love you."
Bo took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately, not sure what his next move should be. He wanted more, but didn't know what she wanted. The circumstances weren't exactly ideal. He couldn't take her back to his room, Luke was there; and she couldn't take him back to hers because she was sharing Daisy's. It didn't matter anyway, Uncle Jesse would have never allowed it. He thought about taking her to the barn, but didn't want to let her go long enough to walk there, and he wasn't positive how she'd react anyway. For the moment, it seemed that what they were sharing was going to have to be enough. Bo reminded himself that it was more than he'd had just twenty-four hours ago. Although it wasn't exactly what he'd dreamt about, eventually they fell asleep on the swing, in each other's arms.
Saturdays were the big day with all the main events taking place. Every year Uncle Jesse entered and won, the barbeque cook-off contest. Since he was the only one entered in anything that year, they decided to start at that booth.
"They should have a chili cook-off," Sandy informed them. "My mama's recipe wins every year back home."
"I bet I can talk the Homecoming Committee into that, but you'd have to promise to be here to win. They got rid of it years ago because every year, the judges got sick on J.D's," Uncle Jesse joked.
"You got it!" Sandy stated, sticking out her hand for an official commitment. The old man couldn't help but grin when he saw the smile spread across his youngest nephew's face. He'd just gotten her to agree to a return visit without even realizing it.
Leaving Jesse behind, they strolled leisurely through the square, Sandy quickly discovered that Bo couldn't pass a concession stand without stopping. Passing on the corn dogs, she accepted his offer of a sno cone.
"Grape?" he asked, trying to guess.
"Cherry!" she told him. "Wonder what they're doing down there," she said, pointing as Bo handed her one paper cone filled with ice chips and flavoring.
"That's the rattlesnake catch," Bo told her, forgetting that he shouldn't speak with his mouth full.
"Yuk!" she replied.
"Bo wins that every year," Luke added.
"You're joking?" she asked, looking at Bo in a whole new light. Seeing him shake his head, she wondered exactly what else she didn't know about one Beauregard Duke.
"What's the big deal?" he wanted to know, thinking that anyone growing up on a ranch should be used to all sorts of varmits.
"I hate snakes!" she shuddered.
"Aw, c'mon, they're not the bad," he told her, trying to imitate the sound a rattler makes.
"Yes, they are. The only good snake is a dead one," she stated, hoping that someone would change the subject.
The main event for the afternoon was a Derby race. Some people returned for the Homecoming to see family. A few returned just for that competition. It was one of the biggest events of the year, and this was being touted as one of the biggest ever.
Sandy had been told that the General Lee was the fastest car in Hazzard, maybe in the state of Georgia, and that Bo was the best driver. They'd only lost one race that they'd ever entered, but had never been defeated in the Homecoming Derby. The only blemish on that record was from the year before, when they hadn't entered. Bo hadn't been able to drive, and no matter how much he tried to push Luke into driving without him, his cousin refused. He told Bo that until the day came when he was back behind the wheel, his own racing days were over. They were a team, and if they ever drove again, it would be together. This was the event they'd been waiting for. It was their first race since before the shooting, marking the return of the famous Duke boys.
When the General Lee crossed the finish line first, things in Hazzard finally felt normal. Bo and Luke had always been the crowd's favorite, but this year, it almost seemed imperative that they win. Climbing out of the windows, the crowd converged on them. Everyone wanted to offer their congratulations. Their family and closest friends had a difficult time reaching them, and they couldn't even get to each other. Luke finally gave up and used the hood of the Charger to get to his cousin. Looking at each other, they shared a fierce embrace. It really was over.
As the boys were presented with the trophy and the prize money, Bo found his feelings mixed. Now, he had his life back, and that felt great, but for the first time, winning a race wasn't his entire world. He had lots of trophies and there'd been better monetary rewards. The prize he wanted this weekend didn't have anything to do with cars, but in a way, there were some similarities. Tornadoes were measured by speed and velocity, and Bo considered himself to now be a storm chaser. There was one in particular he aimed to catch, a Texas Twister.
For all the fun they'd had that day, what they were really looking forward to was the concert and dance. Somehow, Hazzard always managed to attract big name entertainment, and that night was no exception. As an added bonus, Sandy's friends were back in town, opening for the headliner again. The people of Hazzard remembered how good they were the previous year, and were just as excited to see them as the recording stars. Many of the residents remembered Sandy and assumed she was back in town with the band. She tried to explain that she wasn't there to perform, but gave up. "If they're waiting on me, they're gonna be waiting a long, long time," she said.
"Hey, you gonna play with us tonight?" Tracey asked her when they finally found him.
"No! And don't you pull that come on up here crap neither," she told him. "I came to see you guys."
"Ah shoot, darlin, you been listening to us most of your whole life."
"And you been listening to me, so ain't no reason for you to be calling me up there, got it? Besides, I want to spend my time enjoying the music with Bo," she said, smiling sweetly at the man who still had his arm around her.
"Boy! You done bit her like a rattlesnake!" Tracey told him, much to Bo's delight.
"What is it with the rattlesnakes, today?" she asked. "Well, we're gonna go get a seat. You guys break a leg."
"Ten four," Tracey told her, giving her a mock salute.
"Over and out," she shouted back to him.
Sitting in the bleachers, Sandy was exactly where she wanted to be, enjoying the show with Bo and the rest of the town. About half way through, Tracey grabbed the microphone and looked in her direction. She shot him a dirty look.
"Sandy! Now I know you told me not to pester you into coming up here, and I wouldn't dream of going against your wishes," he said.
"Uh-huh," she muttered, wondering what the catch was.
"But I got someone here that might be able to change your mind," he told her, pretending to shoot a gun toward her. Turning to the side of the stage, he motioned with his hand. "Get on out here, boy."
A very good looking cowboy stepped onto the stage from the side. Sandy's hands flew to her face. "Timmy," she said, her eyes filling with tears, as the two friends on stage hugged each other. In a strange twist of fate, the first song that the two did together was one of Bo and Luke's favorites, and a tune that Sandy had played with them many times. When they were done, Tracey moved away.
Tim walked to the center, calling to his sister. "Sandy, get up here," he told her, and she didn't even hesitate. She flew out of her seat so fast that the people around her thought a cyclone had touched down, making it on stage in one hop that almost knocked her brother over. The Duke family looked on, knowing what it felt like to love someone as much as she loved him. They wondered what kind of relationship she had with the other two brothers, cause this one was pretty special.
The guys obviously liked doing duets with Sandy, because just like Tracey had done the year before, she and her brother were about to perform one again. Tim had written it, the way he wrote many of the songs that the band did, but they didn't get to indulge in male-female lyrices too often since they didn't have a female lead singer. They'd never really looked for one, always leaving the spot open for Sandy should she someday want it. Every day that passed, the odds of that happening seemed to be dwindling, so now they could only get their songs in when she was around, and that was usually at home when they were just goofing off. The song was called Lying Hearts,' and it was even a more powerful performance than the one she and Tracey sang. Bo closed his eyes, thinking that the words just about summed up his own feelings.
When it was over, it took a moment for the audience to even respond, they were so touched. While their efforts were applauded, Timmy hugged his sister again as a few stray tears rolled down her cheek. Then Tracey joined them, Sandy picked up a guitar, and the three of them rocked the house down.
Timmy got to close their show with a solo number that once again, he'd written himself, but Sandy didn't even know about this one. He'd penned it quite a while back, but never shared it with her, wanting to find the perfect opportunity. She'd been the catalyst in encouraging him to go for his dreams and to follow his heart. He doubted there'd ever be a better time to thank her. Being able to tell it would be a slow song, Sandy laid her head on Bo's shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his waist, listening to her brother's latest. She wasn't the only one that was surprised when he got to the chorus and started singing about his little Texas twister.
"I love you sis'," he announced to the entire audience when the music stopped.
As the evening ended, Bo's mind was on overload. The last two days had been wonderful, and they had one more to look forward to, but they hadn't resolved anything. He couldn't help but wonder about Monday morning. What would happen then? She loved him, but was she gonna get in the car and go back to Texas? Then what? She comes back every year for the Homecoming? Bo didn't think that sounded very promising, but he didn't exactly have a solution to it either. He told himself he better think of one, fast. He only had a little over twenty-four hours.
When they got back to the farm, Bo told Sandy that he had some place he wanted to show her, one of his favorite places. She watched him scramble up the ladder, thinking back to twelve months ago when the mere thought of that move seemed virtually impossible. She followed him up, and he extended his hand pulling her over the top.
At first, there seemed to be a little tension between them, but Bo suddenly turned his attention upward. There was a hole in the roof through which you could see the stars.
"I like to come here and look at the stars," he admitted a little sheepishly, pointing to the heavens. "So many times I've wondered if somewhere in Texas you weren't doing the same."
"Like having your very own planetarium?" she joked. He nodded, but didn't laugh. "I'm sorry Bo. It's wonderful up here, and yeah, I was looking at the stars thinking about you, too."
"I love you, Sandy," he told her, crushing her to him as he kissed her. This kiss, however, didn't end as the others. It went on forever, and their lips weren't the only things that were busy. A long time later, they laid in each other's arms, feeling something that neither of them had ever felt before.
"I love you," he whispered again.
"I love you, too."
Suddenly, Bo knew exactly what to do. "Marry me," he said, rather than asked.
"What?"
"Marry me. Make me the happiest man on the face of this earth."
"Bo, don't you think this is a little sudden? You know, when it comes right down to it, we don't even know each other that well."
"I know all I need to know," he said, and when she started to reply he laid his finger over her lips. "Last year, you told me I was confusing love with gratitude or dependency. I assured you I wasn't and I was right, the same way that I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you now. Shoot darlin', you've already seen me at my absolute worst and you still love me. I promise you that things can only get better from that."
Sandy couldn't help but smile at that analogy.
Bo pushed himself up so that he was looking down at her. "Do you love me?"
"Yes."
"Then marry me. I know this isn't the way it's usually done, and this ain't exactly the most romantic way to propose. Shoot, I don't even have a ring." He paused, running his fingers through his hair, "but I wasn't planning on this happening when I brought you up here." When she gave him a sly look, he defended himself, "I wasn't, I swear. I've been thinking about Monday morning, and I can't just let you get in that car and drive off, not knowing if I'll ever see you again, or knowing that it'll be for a couple days here and a couple days there. The only time that things feel really right is when you're with me. I know that should have clued me in a little sooner, but it didn't. I told you, I do my best thinking up here."
"That's not all you're good at up here, darlin," she said, and Bo blushed.
"I'm being serious, pouring my heart out, and you're making jokes!" he said indignantly.
"I'm sorry. Sometimes, that's just the way I handle things. It's beautiful, and romantic, not to mention you look sexy as hell," she told him.
Bo grinned, then turned serious again. "This may be sudden, but I know that it's right. Now, I can't offer you much, at least right now. All you gotta do is look around to see that we don't have a lot of worldly things, but I can give you more love than you'll ever know, and I will do my very best to provide a good life for you."
"Bo, you're family are the richest people I've ever met. Money's not what makes a person rich, love is. Besides, when people love each other and get married, they work together to provide a good life."
"Then if we love each other, we're already rich, so marry me and make it permanent and legal."
Pushing herself up, she was now looking down at him. Taking his face in between both her hands, she bent down and kissed him hard and long. When they broke apart, she looked into his eyes. She saw more love there than she had ever seen in her life, and she knew that he was right, they were right. "Yes," she said.
It took a minute to sink in, but when it did, he rolled her over and showed her again just how much he loved her.
The newly engaged couple snuck in the house right before everyone was supposed to be getting up. Bo was a little nervous that Uncle Jesse wouldn't take too kindly to them spending the night together, even if it was in the barn, but he didn't say anything. When they were dressed, they headed off to town. They were meeting her brother and his friends at the Pancake Brunch after church, planning on sharing their news then.
When Bo and Sandy's family and friends were finishing their flapjacks, Bo told them that they had an announcement to make. Sandy went to stand next to him, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. "We're getting married!" he yelled, and everyone else eating pancakes heard it, too. Congratulations spread like wildfire. The residents of Hazzard were surprised. Someone had finally caught one of the ellusive Duke boys, but they hadn't even heard that he'd been serious about anyone. For as sudden as it was, the people closest to the couple didn't seem to be shocked at all.
Tim Maverick couldn't have been happier for his sister. He'd found his dream, and she'd found hers. He wished he could stay longer, but they had to be on their way. Pulling her away from the crowd that was bombarding them, he took her hand. "Walk with me for a minute, sis."
Strolling away from the local mob, he looked down at her. "I don't even have to ask if you're happy. I can see it all over you."
"Yeah, I sure am," she said, beaming.
"So, what's the game plan?"
"I don't know that there is one yet, except that I'm still going back to Texas tomorrow." She saw the look that her brother gave her, and quickly clarified what she meant. "Bo's going, too. I want to show him the ranch, and I've got things I've got to get, and..."
"And you need to tell Tommy," he finished for her, understanding why she was so nervous. He'd been scared to death when he told him that he'd quit his day job, too.
"Yeah, and Bobby! Ya know, there might be a double wedding," Sandy reminded him. "I don't know, I just gotta go back, say goodbye to the kids and Louisa, but I gotta admit, I don't know how Tommy's gonna react. I feel guilty leaving him with the everything."
"Tommy can hire as much help as he needs, or we can sell it."
"Oh that would go over real big."
"Sandy, the Southern Comfort is a big part of our past, but it can't continue to dictate our futures. Bobby followed his dream years ago. It's time that we all did. Someone once told me that we can't live our lives in order to please old ghosts." Tommy smiled as he used his sister's own words. "Besides, I don't think that Tommy's gonna be as upset as you think. Last time I saw him, he looked happier than he had in years. I think he forgot how much he used to love that ranch."
"I hope you're right."
"I take it Bo's not interested in living in Texas?" Tim asked her.
"Don't know. I didn't ask him. I love Hazzard, and I love his family. I guess I'm the one that wants to live here."
"As long as your happy, you got my blessing," he told her, wrapping his arms around her. "Love ya."
"I love you, too."
They were interrupted by someone clearing their voice. "Look you two, I hate to break this up, but we really gotta get going," Tracey announced.
Sandy kissed her brother goodbye, then each of her other friends. They shook hands with Bo, who had come in search of his fiancee. They were standing in front of the closed Hardware store, and the rest of the Dukes were crossing the street. Someone called Sandy's name from behind.
She and Bo turned to see who it was. A loud noise and a small puff of smoke filled the air. Sandy stumbled backwards, but Bo grabbed onto her, preventing her from falling down hard. Instead, he gently eased her to the ground, cradling her in his arms. She looked up at him with an expression of surprise.
Pandemonium broke out in Hazzard Square.
Luke reached Billy Ray first, flattening him and knocking the gun out of his hand. Hearing the shot, Rosco and Enos came running. A few other local boys helped Luke contain the man until their local law enforcement officials could reach them and take him into custody.
Jesse and Daisy ran to Bo and Sandy, and after the culprit was in Rosco's possession, Luke joined them. He kneeled next to his cousin, trying to help in any way he could.
Tim and his friends turned to see what was going on. They took off in full stride, and Tim Maverick slid to his knees.
"Sandy," Bo cried. "You just hang on, help is on the way. I love you."
"Sandy, you do what Bo's telling you now. I love you, too," her brother added.
