Hello! Well, it's been an interesting couple of days with ff working so wonderfully:) I'm trying to catch up to everyone, and if I've missed anyone I apologize. Between the site and life, I've been swamped – trying to get caught up.
Thanks for the feedback and reviews. Special thanks to Samwiseatheart, TS Blue, and beej96 – they've been holding my hand throughout this:) Anyway, the action/adventure part to the story will be starting in the next chapter. Just thought it might be a challenge to explore a different type of girl/relationship for Bo. It probably mirrors what would happen in real life – it would be a challenge!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes and no infringements intended.
BALANCING THE BOOKS
CHAPTER 8
THE REAL WORLD
Bo's elbow was planted on the bed, his head being supported by his palm. He was unaware of how long he'd been in that position, gazing down at the woman lying beside him. Bo had never found himself in a situation quite like this before, but then, he'd never met anyone quite like Special Agent Johnson before, either.
Smiling, Bo remembered their night together. Despite not being able to remember exactly how they got inside the room or who had opened the door, Bo remembered every detail that followed. Starting with a sense of urgency, they found a comfortable pace, taking the time to really explore and enjoy each other. That alone was a new experience for Bo.
He certainly wasn't a stranger to being with a member of the opposite sex, but he had never been with one who had her own place; even if it was just a room in a boarding house. Beds, privacy, and time were luxuries he'd never been afforded. Curfews and the fear of being caught had a way of hurrying him along. Always having wondered if those elements didn't add to the excitement, Bo discovered how wrong he'd been.
Glancing over at the glowing numbers, the Duke boy sighed. He hoped that he wouldn't be in trouble for staying out the entire night, but he knew better than to push his luck by missing the beginning of the work day. Wanting nothing more than to stay right where he was, he knew he couldn't. Reaching out, he traced his finger along Jackie's face before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.
Slowly awakening, Jackie tugged him closer.
"Oh, I'd sure love to, but I can't. Uncle Jesse and Luke will tan my hide if I don't get back in time for morning chores."
"Okay," she mumbled as she continued to kiss him.
"I'll get back as soon as I can, though. I promise. Maybe I can talk Daisy into fixing us a picnic lunch."
"Mmmh, that sounds wonderful," she murmured, trying to wake herself completely. "Tell you what. Don't bother Daisy. I'll fix it. You just get back as soon as you can."
"Don't have to ask me twice," he grinned, showering her with another kiss before dragging himself up.
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Pulling up to the farm, Bo knew that his plan of quietly sneaking into the house had been foiled. The lights were on, and that meant someone was up. Trying to appear as normal as possible, Bo slid into his chair at the kitchen table.
"Morning," he greeted them, wondering what type of a response he would receive.
"Morning, sugar," Daisy said, sounding as chipper as she always did.
To Bo's surprise, Jesse did little more than to look him over carefully. Satisfied that his youngest was in tact, he said no more or no less than he normally would. Bo doubted that he approved, but whatever he was thinking, he wasn't inclined to share those thoughts, just yet.
Relieved that his uncle wasn't as upset as he feared, it was Luke's reaction that surprised him the most. Returning the greeting that Bo had extended him, the brunette said nothing else throughout the morning meal.
Working side by side on the projects they'd been given, Bo couldn't remember his eldest cousin ever being so quiet. Not the talker that Bo was, he wasn't normally mute, either. At first, Bo couldn't understand Luke's odd behavior. Though he had never stayed out all night before, Luke had. Luke Duke was much more experienced in many areas so Bo doubted that Luke disapproved of actions he had done himself. Glancing at his cousin from the corner of his eye, Bo finally understood.
Since running an orange Mustang off the road barely over a week ago, Bo's behavior had been eratic and self-centered. He'd been so moody that he hadn't noticed what was going on around him. He knew that Luke liked Jackie, too, but without so much as giving his cousin's feelings a second thought, he'd acted on his own impulses. While a part of him was busting at the seams, discovering something he had never felt before, another part was now fearful. Bo could only describe what he felt for Jackie Johnson as love, but he loved Luke, too. Luke was his best friend, and in many ways, his brother, and he wouldn't have traded him for anything in the world. He only hoped that his actions hadn't done something that couldn't be fixed. Tossing down the tools in his hand, Bo straightened to his full height, then slowly made his way to his cousin.
"Luke……I……ah," Bo stammered, not knowing what exactly to say.
"Huh?" Luke asked, without looking at the blonde immediately. Only after he did could he see that something was bothering the boy. Concerned, he tossed his own implements down and stood straight up, too. "Bo? What's the matter?"
"Luke, I……I ain't never felt this way before….but, well you know……how I feel about……you…….and I'd never want to……do anything……to lose ya."
Luke wasn't quite following his baby cousin, something that happened on occasion. "Bo, what are you talking about?"
Looking the brunette in the eye, Bo simply asked, "Luke, are we ok?"
Seeing the fear in Bo's eyes caused Luke to not hear the question right away. As the words slowly registered, Luke began to understand. He had obviously given his youngest cousin the impression that he was angry, something that always bothered the baby of the family. For a second, Luke thought about teaching him a lesson, confirming that he was upset. Yet, looking into the blue eyes that he knew almost as well as his own, Luke saw something in them that he'd never seen before. The apprehension was still there, but something else was, too. He, himself, liked Jackie Johnson, and would have liked the opportunity to have gotten to know her better; Bo, however, loved her in a way that he had never loved any other woman. Luke could no more be mad at Bo for feeling that way than the man in the moon. "Yeah, Bo, we're ok," Luke told him, saying the words with as much conviction as he could, lest he knew that Bo wouldn't believe him.
"I love you, Luke," Bo told him, throwing his arms around his cousin.
"I love you, too, Bo," Luke assured him. "And, I'm happy for ya."
"Thanks Luke, that means a lot to me."
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With a basket by her side, Jackie was waiting on the steps of the boarding house when she heard the General Lee approaching. Smiling to herself, she couldn't believe that she was already able to distinguish its engine from all the others. Pretending to be reading the book in her hands, she didn't want to give the impression of being overly anxious, even if she was.
Bringing the General to a skidding stop, Bo leaned toward the passenger side window. "Hey sweetheart! You waiting for me?"
Resisting the urge to laugh or look up, Jackie maintained a poker face. Forcing her eyes to remain on the pages, she couldn't have recited one word of what she was supposed to be reading. I was all she could do not to give herself away. "No, sir! I like my fellas tall, blonde, and good looking."
Smiling at the compliment, Bo replied. "Well then, here I am."
No longer able to continue the façade, Jackie couldn't stop from laughing. Shutting the book with a thud, she grabbed their lunch and hurried to the waiting car. Assuring Bo that she didn't need help, she demonstrated that she had mastered the art of crawling into the window, though she still wasn't positive that it wouldn't get annoying at times.
Barely in the seat, Bo grabbed her and kissed her. "I missed ya," he told her.
"I missed you, too," she admitted.
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Having allowed Bo to select the perfect picnic area in all of Hazzard, several hours later, they were enjoying each other's company on the spread out blanket which he had provided.
Twirling a strand of her fine, blonde hair, Bo asked, "so, what do you want to do tonight?"
A grin spread across Jackie's face, as she wiggled her eyebrows in response.
Bo felt his cheeks getting hotter, and he knew they were scarlet. "Well yeah, that's a given," he chuckled, "but that's not what I meant and ya know it."
"I know," she replied, lightly brushing her lips against his. "Whatever you want is fine with me."
Thinking for a minute, Bo suggested jukin again, and she agreed.
Spending their second Saturday night doing the same thing they'd done their first, this time there was no doubt that Bo and Jackie were a couple.
"Does your cousin always have to get the girl?" Cooter whined to Luke.
"Feels that way, don't it," Luke replied, glad that misery loved company.
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It wasn't until Sunday afternoon slowly started turning to early Sunday evening that reality began to replace fantasy for Jackie Johnson. Having experienced the best forty-eight hours of her life, she slowly began to wonder what it really meant. The following day was a work day, and that meant, it was time to get back to business; business may have led her to Hazzard, but that business was drawing to a close and her time with Bo was almost up. She loved a good fairy-tale as much as anyone, but she reminded herself that's all it was; a dream. Hazzard wasn't her home, and she'd spent years working to get where she was. She was happy with her job, and proud of it. She was a realistic girl, and giving up years of hard work and her home weren't something that she a practical girl would do. Hazzard just didn't have anything to offer her, except for Bo Duke.
Bo sensed the change, too, and didn't need a college degree to guess at the cause.
"You said you'd be here about a week. I guess that week's up," he observed, hoping that she wouldn't confirm what he was thinking.
Unfortunately, all she could do was agree. "Yeah."
"When are you leaving?" he asked, holding his breath for an answer he didn't want to hear.
"Tuesday," she replied.
"I don't want you to go," he confessed, turning pain filled eyes to her.
Jackie hated the position she was in. She'd spent the late afternoon reasoning with herself that this had just been a little interlude. When she'd convinced herself to stand firm, a simple utterance by Bo was enough to tear her heart into shreds. It tore her apart. Laying her palm against his cheek, all she could do was whisper that she knew.
"Can't you stay?" he asked, sounding very much like a child.
"No, I can't," she said. Debating with herself as to whether to tell him the rest of the story, she knew that it would have been easier if she didn't. The smart thing to do was to go back to Chicago, finish her assignment, and have another auditor come back. It wasn't the normal procedure, but had she asked, they would have granted her request. She'd already completed the difficult portion; the rest a rookie could do. Making a quick and clean break before things got even more out of control was the only logical answer. Before she was even aware she had done so, she told Bo something she felt they'd both regret. "But I will be back."
"When?" he asked, his demeanor brightening visibly.
"In about a week," she replied. "To finalize everything."
"For how long?"
"A couple of days."
"Jackie, then what?" Bo asked, glad that she'd be returning, but not happy about the length of her stay.
"I don't know, Bo."
Hoping that actions could convince her of something that words hadn't been able to, Bo pulled her close. The urgency that they'd felt that first night after stepping into the room was back in force, only this time it didn't diminish. Time was no longer a luxury, and Bo found himself praying for some small miracle that would keep Jackie Johnson in Hazzard.