Ch. 3

As Luke and Cooter drove along the road he couldn't help but wonder what Cooter wasn't telling him. Cooter had this look on his face of confusion mixed with fear; but the question is who was causing it and what did that person say or do? He learned not to ask what was causing it, because all he ever got was to wait until they got there.

Cooter wished he could say something, but he was afraid that if he did Luke wouldn't come with him or maybe even punch him. Since that day Luke has been protecting Daisy from the world when she couldn't take it anymore; including hiding her pain from their own family. Which he thought was crazy.

Luke looked around, "Why are we heading here? We haven't been back since that race."

"You will see."

"Cooter…."

"Please Luke, you can scream at me later if you, but just wait."

"Okay."

He heard the truck and looked out the window. Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves he waited until the truck was stopped and they were out before even opening the door. As he heard Luke demanding what was going on he stepped out into the light and waited.

Luke heard the cabin door open and heard footsteps. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were robbed out of him along with his breath. Luke couldn't believe his eyes and felt himself getting angry.

"Hi, Luke. I imagine you want to hit me right now and I don't blame you. In fact, I feel like asking you to do just that. Cooter told me how much she has changed and I am am to blame. I am sorry. You must know I didn't know. I couldn't call or talk to anyone of you."

"Why not?!" Luke shouted. "She's in pain! I can't fix it!"

"At first I took job after job so people wouldn't find out that I indeed have a weakness. One that the enemy could use against me. You and your family were the closest thing I ever had to real family outside of the rangers or the military. I HAD to protect y'all. It would have killed me if something had happened to y'all."

"Military?" Luke asked as he could hear pure honest truth and pain coming from the man before him.

"I was in the army for awhile before joining the rangers. Took time off to think, and found myself back here."

"What are you doing here?"

"Truth, I don't know. Maybe I was trying to find that family togetherness i felt before, but maybe I shouldn't have even come."

Luke watched him and saw a man so tired of being on the move, so uncertain of what he was do to do next. Calming down he said, "I have a couple of questions."

"Ask away."

"What do you want to be called? I doubt you want anyone to know you are here; though I'm sure the one who really know you will recognize you right away. "

"Call me Rick." He doubted his old buddy would mind the use of his name.

"Okay, Rick. Second, I need to know how you feel about Daisy. Please, I don't know how well she'd handle seeing you again; only for you to leave."

"I've never been able to forget her, and lord knows how much I have tried. Thought shed be better off without a broken man. I promise you I won't go near her if I decide not to stay. I just have to know if I stay, would I even be welcome?"

"I doubt they will turn you away. Just don't come around unless you are staying."

"I promise." Rick answered as he turned away. "Am I doing wrong by your family even by being here?"

Luke heard the weariness in his old friend's voice, wishing he could give him the answer however he knew he couldn't. So, he simply kept his mouth shut as he sent a prayer upward.

~/~

Daisy was sitting out on the steps watching the sun go down when Cooter dropped off her cousin. She wondered where he had disappeared to, and why he never answered any calls they made trying to get a hold of him. What was wrong with him? Did he run into some trouble he didn't feel like telling his family?

"Hi, Daisy." Luke spoke as he sat down beside her.

"Where were you? Why didn't you answer our calls?"

"I was out of range, I'm sorry." Luke lied. He had heard their calls though he couldn't answer them. At the time too many emotions were running through him and he needed time to get them under control. He knew she would have picked up on any emotion coming from him and he didn't know if he could have kept the secret. Luke knew he needed to give Rick time to figure out what he was doing and where he was going. No matter what the cost was he wasn't going to let her know he was back in town.