Chapter 4
Cooter watched from the doorway as Bo lay sleeping on the bed he had offered him. The boy had sped into the yard of his farm, upon not finding him at the garage, and had clearly been in a temper just from the way he was treating the General. Usually, even his skidded stops were smooth and fluid but this time the orange stock car was abruptly halted in its charge and the furious driver slid out, kicking the front tyre as he walked past.
He was so angry, and also Cooter could see, upset that when Cooter immediately asked what was wrong all he received in reply was a barrage of yelled garbled feelings that he guessed was to do with, from what he could catch, Luke and his friend Jason. As Bo kept speaking, he had lead him indoors and gently sat him on the couch, letting him blow off the built up steam until the young boy looked completely exhausted and emotionally drained.
That was when he suggested Bo take a rest and let his head clear a little bit. Trying to talk sense into Bo when he was as emotionally tense as he was was a recipe for disaster and he knew it, especially when he couldn't understand what the heck was going on anyway. And so here he was, watching confusedly as Bo slept deeply in the guest room of his farm, getting a feeling that unlike any other argument the boys had….this one was bound to cause a rift that might take a little longer to heal, if it healed properly at all.
The thing with Luke was, he was very touchy about the Marine and 'Nam subject with many people, his family being no exception to that. You ask him something about it and you'd be lucky if you got a sentence out of him about it before he changed the subject to something related going on in the present day. Luke was never one to share his feelings but Cooter guessed with a Marine on the scene now….maybe Luke was sharing more with him than with Bo…which would explain the flash of hurt and jealousy he saw in Bo's eyes when he was babbling on about something Cooter couldn't make hide nor hair out of.
Sighing, he shook his head and shut the door, going back to the living room and making himself a drink before heading to bed. He had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a long day….and not just with his work in the garage either.
Now as Cooter says, he maybe Crazy but he sure ain't dumb…and he knows his friends like the back of his hand….once all the dirt washes off anyway.
As night fell across the county, and everyone tucked up into bed, Luke found that no matter how many sheep he counted, how many times he tossed and turned and thumped his pillow he just couldn't sleep. Sighing, he looked up at the ceiling for the umpteenth time, before looking to Bo's empty bed beside him. Jason had gone to stay in the hotel in town and now Luke was alone and able to think things through, something was bothering him.
He had of course told Jason everything that happened between him and Bo, having come in slightly slamming the door and getting a reprimand from his Uncle. Jason confirmed what he already believed, that Bo was just jealous and couldn't accept that fact that Luke had other people he could talk to. When he had confronted Jason about what Bo had heard though, the change in his friend was slight but noticeable enough for Luke to see it. His posture tensed slightly and his eyes became a fraction darker even though his voice remained light. The laugh he gave though sounded slightly angry and frustrated at something, even though it was very cleverly disguised.
"Luke…come on...he's jealous and he's gonna make up bad things about me just to turn ya against me and keep me away from you."
Luke had nodded in agreement with a smile and a murmur of thanks, guessing at the time that Jason was right. However as he got out of bed and walked through the kitchen, getting himself a glass, and the milk and cookie jars as he sat down at the old table, he recalled the look in Bo's eyes when he had basically called his younger cousin a liar….the unmistakeable shine of hurt and disbelief that no one could fake. It came straight from his heart…he wouldn't react like that if he had been telling a lie.
He sighed and hung his head, dunking his cookie in his milk and taking a bite. Someone was lying to him….and while his head said that it was probably Bo based on all the evidence he could gather as to why his cousin would….but his heart told him different. Bo had never, ever lied to him about something so serious and especially not about someone Luke felt so strongly about. He guessed he could understand how Bo felt when the Carnival of Thrills had rolled into town, bringing with it the one person who had ripped them in two for the longest time Luke could remember. Being torn between two of the most important people in your life….it was definitely being stuck in between a rock and a hard place.
And in all sense…Bo was the rock…the foundation on which Luke's life was built. Since they were very little, Luke had been Bo's protector…then they had grown into friends, then cousins and then brothers all very quickly so by the time Luke was leaving for the Marine's they were calling each other brother and made the blood brothers connection. Slowly he traced the scar that still resided there; smiling a little at the one scar he never regretted having. A permanent symbol of his and Bo's special brotherly bond.
Hard places could be moved…rock's couldn't…and Bo never had. Through everything, Bo had stuck with his older cousin and visa versa. Sure they had arguments and disagreements, with personalities as alike as ice and fire there always would be…but they always made up and never after a physical fight had Bo gone away and not come back for dinner, except when Diane was involved.
Was Jason really to Bo what Diane was to Luke…an intruder up to no good with only harmful intentions for the two cousins?
Looking up, his heart thumped painfully as he realised he had also gotten a glass out for Bo's milk too….their night time shared ritual of talking when they were bothered about something being firmly imprinted into Luke's mind. Luke would get the glasses and milk, decided when they were younger where Luke could reach the higher places in the fridge and cupboards and Bo could just about reach the cookie jar. Luke would of course push it forward a little on the side to help him.
Shaking his head, he got up and put everything away, his mind made up. Tomorrow, he would find out once and for all who was lying to him…and he found himself praying to god that A/ It was Jason…but also B/ That it wasn't too late to make up with Bo.
Glad Luke is beginnin' to see sense…now ain't that a sentence you never thought you'd hear me say….
Jason paced the room with a deep scowl on his face, furiously throwing darts at a picture of the Duke boys on the wall as he passed it.
"Dang my plans….gonna take care of him….take care of him real good…"
He couldn't believe Bo had heard what had been said in the barn, he just didn't understand it. As far as he knew Bo had been throwing things around angrily…apparently that wasn't the case and now Luke was starting to get suspicious…well that could be easily settled. Remove Bo and there was no one to tell on him and then he could get his revenge on Luke once and for all.
Smirking he picked up the phone and waited for the operator.
"Yes…can you tell me where…uh...what was his name…oh yeah…where a Cooter lives?"