(Honestly, we're getting close to the big event. Just one more chapter to get through, hopefully.)

Well, the days leading up to Lulu's charity auction passed by quicker than the Duke men woulda wanted, till before they knew it, the big day arrived. Daisy kept her promise to polish up the General Lee, and by the time the boys was done with their own chores, they couldn't hardly believe the difference.

"Hey, how 'bout that? There really was a car under all that clay!" Luke said, impressed by the change. "The General looks great, Daisy!"

"Don't he, though?" Daisy laughed. "If General Lee looked any prettier, I'd have to tie a ribbon around him!"

The boys shared a look of alarm. "Now, don't go doin' that to him!" Bo said quickly, trying to protect the General from such dishonor.

"Relax, fellas, I was just kiddin'." She smiled, taking pity on her cousins and wrapping an arm around each boy's waist. "C'mon, it's time y'all got ready, too."

Both boys cast one last worried glance back at General Lee, as if to ensure that the car wouldn't suffer through the indignity Daisy had suggested. Only then did they relax enough to allow her to guide them back inside the old farmhouse.

The next few hours were spent getting last-minute details taken care of: ties straightened, boots shined, lint brushed from suits. Daisy did most of the inspections and was about to critique her cousins' efforts when they all heard a knock at the door. Daisy paused in what she was doing to answer it, and discovered Deputy Enos standing there, shyly holding hat in hand.

"Hey, Enos, what can I do for you?" she asked with a big smile, which began to fade as he continued to stand there without speaking, playing nervously with his hat and avoiding her eyes. "You ain't here to arrest Bo and Luke again, are you?" Daisy asked anxiously, glancing back at her cousins, who threw her a questioning look in return.

Enos ventured a quick glance into Daisy's worried eyes. "Oh no, Daisy, it ain't nothin' like that. I—can I talk with you a minute?" He waved to the other Dukes inside, who by this time had also dropped everything to come see what the deputy had come for. "Oh, hey, Bo, Luke, Uncle Jesse; is it all right if I talk to Daisy? It won't take but a minute."

The boys and Jesse nodded their understanding and left Daisy and the deputy standing alone in the doorway. "So, what is it you need to talk about, Enos?" Daisy asked once her family had gone. Enos had politely declined an invitation to come inside.

Enos hesitated a moment before answering quietly, "Look, Daisy, it was real nice of you to make me that promise the other day, but I been thinkin' about it an awful lot since then and…well, I know y'all ain't got a lot of money, and while it's real unlikely anyone would really bid all that much on me, they might since this is for the orphanage and I just wanted—"

Daisy held her hands up in confusion, interrupting the man. "Enos, honey, what are ya tryin' to say? Just come right out and say it, ok?" she said gently, trying to work through his speech and getting a headache for her efforts.

"I just wanted to say I'll understand if ya can't keep that promise ya made me, Daisy," he finally answered. "Just the fact that you was willing to say all them things the other day was enough to make me the happiest fella in Hazzard. I just don't want to put you through all that trouble."

Daisy listened patiently while the deputy spoke. Then she said firmly, "Now Enos Strate, are you sayin' you don't want to go to that dance with me?"

Enos stammered in surprise, "N-no Daisy, I ain't sayin'—"

"Cause if you don't want me to bid on you then I ain't gonna bid on nobody else. I got my heart set on you takin me to that dance, and I ain't gonna settle for nobody else." Daisy smiled fondly at the endearing man who stood dazedly in front of her, trying to process why his attempt to back down gracefully was meeting with such resistance. She knew what it had cost him to try to talk her out of her promise. She added, "Besides, my Uncle Jesse raised me to keep my promises, and I made you one, and that means I'm gonna bid on you tonight and get you to take me to that dance." Daisy tossed her head decisively, sending strands of light brown hair whipping around her face. "So I guess you're stuck with me whether you like it or not, honey!"

Ain't that boy learned by now you can't talk Daisy outta nothin' she got her mind set on? Shoot, he coulda asked Bo and Luke. They'da told him that. Course, she can't exactly starch old Enos' boxers…

Enos stared at Daisy Duke for a moment, then grinned shyly, still not knowing what to say.

Daisy took the deputy's hat from his unresisting fingers, set it gently on his head, then placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Enos, I gotta run. Me and my cousins still need to finish getting ready and I'm guessin' you still got some things to get done, too. I'll see you tonight at the auction, ok, sugar?"

"Ok, Daisy," Enos answered mechanically, still grinning like a fool, still a little dazed by the kiss. "Bye, Daisy." He turned to leave, without even realizing he'd done so.

Ol' Enos was so throwed off by Daisy's kiss he missed the porch steps completely and ended up landing in the dust next to the chickens. Well, I guess there's worse places to land, on a farm. Hope he's ok drivin'.

The Duke boys stood at attention, all decked out in their Sunday best, while Daisy looked them over critically. She straightened Luke's collar, brushed Bo's hair out of his eyes, and then gave them both a big grin.

"You fellas look so good!" she exclaimed. "If we wasn't cousins, and I didn't already promise Enos I'd choose him… Oh, I don't know which one of you I'd pick!"

"Now Daisy," her uncle said gently, turning her attention away from her two squirming cousins, "About that promise ya made to Enos…"

"Yes, Uncle Jesse?" she asked.

"Now I know you intend to keep it, and I want ya to keep any promise you make—ya know that—but I don't want ya feelin' too bad if ya can't this time. I mean, you ain't the only young lady there that's gonna be biddin' and there may be someone out there that's just as determined as you are to get Enos to take her to that dance. And I know Enos ain't gonna want ya feelin' bad if ya can't keep it through no fault of your own. Ok, Daisy?"

Daisy nodded. "I understand, Uncle Jesse, but I ain't just gonna give up on a friend! I'll remember what you said, though," she added, thinking over her conversation with Enos a few moments earlier.

Jesse gave his niece an affectionate hug. "That's my girl." He looked around at his family, all of whom stood by listening. "Now, we all best get out to the Boars Nest before Rosco forms a posse to hunt us down. It'd prob'ly be the one time he'd wind up catchin' us Dukes!"

A/n: so, what do you think? Let me know, please! I'm not completely sure on a few details. Should I put Luke and Mabel together? Should I be mean and let Miz Tisdale get Uncle Jesse? I think I already know what to do with Bo…hmmm, wonder why he turned so pale all of a sudden?