Luke's Match

A Dukes of Hazzard fan fiction

Disclaimer: I own no characters of Dukes of Hazzard. Only the story is mine

Chapter Three

The wedding that almost was

The next afternoon, saw another bleak and black day for the town of Hazzard. Angel looked out the window of the church. The weather matched her thoughts. Dark and depressive. Mrs. Sanderson, Don's stepmother, was helping or at least attempting to help, her get ready for this sorry excuse of a three ring circus.

"Come now, dear. This is a joyous occasion!"

"You'll forgive, Mrs. Sanderson, if my heart isn't in it."

"Well at least wear another color besides this dark blue. Shouldn't you wear white?"

Angel sighed. The gown Daisy had helped her pick out was hanging in the back of the closet of her room at Hogg's boarding house. The gown she knew, would cause a huge smile to grow on Luke's ever handsome face. Now, Luke would never see that gown. She didn't want to marry Don. But it was the only way to keep Luke out of jail.

"This isn't a wedding, Mrs. Sanderson. It's a funeral. I'm burying my happiness. That dark blue pantsuit is as close to black as I can get. I refuse to wear white."

"Well at least let's remove those tags."

Her cheeriness was grating on Angel's nerves. Angel grabbed Mrs. Sanderson's hand before they could touch Luke's dog tags. "Touch the tags and lose a hand," she growled.

Mrs. Sanderson sighed. Don was going to have his hands full with this one. However, maybe she was the one to help her step son grow up.

Boss Hogg was none too pleased with Angel's choice of color. It was down right depressing.

"I thought I told you to wear something bright and cheery."

"Yeah, well I intend to defy you every step of the way, Uncle J.D. You're forcing me into something I don't want."

"You look like you're going to a funeral."

"I am."

"Could you manage a smile?"

"Why?"

The wedding march began to play. Boss Hogg took Angel's arm and walked her down the aisle. Angel thought how ironic it was. She wanted her Uncle Roscoe to give her away when she married Luke. Now she was being given away by a greedy uncle who was only kin to her thru marriage, and to a man she barely knew. She knew the only reason Boss Hogg walked her down to the alter, was to secure that ten grand.

Angel noticed that only the groom's side of the church was full, where there was only one person seated on the bride's side of the church. Angel was horrified to see that it was Luke. She had wanted to spare Luke this agony. She saw anger, fear, and hurt in those beautiful blue eyes. That's when she decided that the move she was about to make, would affect a lot of people. It would break a heart, and make the day of another.

As the preacher began his long drawn out speech about how marriage wasn't to be entered into lightly, Don was literally drooling over his prospective bride. She was gorgeous. Then his eyes spotted the dog tags. Duke, L. He wondered who this Duke person was to have merited this heavenly creature wearing his dog tags.

The preacher looked at Angel. "Angela McCormick, do you take Donald Sanderson as your lawful wedded husband?"

Boss Hogg turned three shades of white when Angel replied, "Hell no!" She turned to Don. "Don, I'm sure you're a great guy, but I'm being forced into this."

"Being forced into this? What do you mean?"

"Your father offered my uncle ten grand if he could get me to marry you. I broke the heart of the man I love because my uncle threatened to throw him in jail and foreclose on his farm. I did this to keep him safe. But I can't marry you, Don. I love Luke."

Everyone looked at Sanderson and Boss Hogg. Don barely got out, "Dad? Anything to say about this? What about you, Boss?" Don was visibly shaken. "And I was told that it was love that brought you here." He glared at Boss Hogg and his father. "Not ten thousand dollars." He turned around and faced the congregation. "Sorry folks. No one is getting married." With that, he left the church.

Sanderson glared at Boss Hogg. "Hogg! When I get my hands on you!"

Boss Hogg, who'd been chased after for most of his life, made a quick exit and got into his chauffeured white car and headed to a safe place, namely the backroom of the Boar's Nest.

Sanderson, meanwhile, was trying to contain the roar that had erupted from the crowd. All this was due to that vile woman doctor. Now he was short ten grand and he had a son who resented him. He walked over to Angel. "Why? You just had to open your mouth!"

"I'm not a possession, Mr. Sanderson. I can't be bought. I refuse to be bought."

"I expect to get something out of that ten grand! You will marry Don!" With that, Sanderson grabbed Angel's arm.

"Let go of me! You're hurting me! Let go!"

A voice behind him said, "I'd be much obliged if you did as they lady asked."

Sanderson turned around and sized the man up. "Who the hell are you, plowboy?"

"The name is Luke Duke and that's my fiancée that you've got your hands on! Either let her go or deal with me."

Sanderson wasn't used to be threatened. Especially by a redneck hick who thought he was tough.

"Get out of my way, or I'm going to send you back to the tobacco farm you came from!"

Luke punched Sanderson, who hit the floor, out cold. Luke shook his head. He said, "I'm sorry, Uncle Jesse. You always said that violence didn't belong in the church."

"Luke?"

Luke turned around. He saw Angel. "Are you okay?"

"Let's get out of here."

As Luke was helping Angel into the General Lee, he heard Boss Hogg's grating voice. "Angel! I have no problem arresting Luke!"

Luke was about to walk towards Hogg's car to give him a piece of his mind, when Angel grabbed his arm.

"Don't Luke! Let's get out of here! Please, let's just go."

Luke looked at Angel. She'd braved the fury of her greedy uncle and the likes of Nathan Sanderson. "Okay, Angel. Let's get out of here."

When the two got to the Duke farm, Angel stopped Luke from getting out. "Why did you come to the church, Luke?"

"I was going to stand up and say something, but you beat me to it. Where did you get the courage to say what you said back there?"

Angel smiled and fingered Luke's tags still around her neck. "I was wearing the dog tags of a man who was brave enough to fight for his country's freedom." She pulled the tags off and put them around Luke's neck. Where they truly belonged. She fingered the gold chain that held the engagement ring. "Ask me again."

Luke looked confused.

Angel fingered the ring. "Ask me again, Luke."

Luke smiled as he unclasped the chain and removed the ring. He placed the ring on Angel's left hand. "Angel McCormick, will you marry me?"

She passionately kissed him. "Yes. A thousand times yes." She hugged this man that stood in between her and a life time of misery.

The two walked into the house and was met by Luke's family. Bo, Jill, Daisy, and Enos.

As the family talked, Angel realized something. "Luke, Uncle J.D. promised that he would arrest you and Bo."

"He'd have to do it himself," Enos chimed in, "Your Uncle Roscoe is no longer on the payroll."

"Do what?"

"He retired."

"I'm so tired, mentally I mean. I imagine that I'll be asked to leave the boarding house."

Daisy spoke up, "Well, you can stay with Enos and I until you and Luke get married. We have that spare room."

"I don't want to put you two out."

"No problem, Angel. I'll help you get your things."

Later that evening, Angel was packing up her clothes that were in the closet when she spied an old book. She opened it and gasped. This book was written in her father's hand writing. The things she read was enough to put her in a better mood. She stuck the book in her suitcase and left.

The next morning, Bo and Jill had left for Atlanta. Daisy was working, while Enos was in Macon putting in an application as a deputy.

Angel had just finished a house call, when she decided to meet Luke for lunch. He wasn't expecting her.

As she turned into the drive, she smiled as she saw his shirtless back leaned over the General Lee. He was talking to someone. She grinned. He was talking to Cooter.

"I'm telling you, Cooter, I don't need a bachelor party!"

"Yes you do, Luke! I've got it all planned. We'll have fried chicken and moonshine at the garage."

Angel spoke up. "That doesn't sound like much of a party, Cooter."

Luke smiled. "Well there's the Angel that Heaven's missing." He leaned down and kissed her.

"Smooth, Luke. Very smooth. Got a postcard from Uncle Roscoe."

"Oh yeah? What's he up to?"

"Just entered Florida. Said he's on his way to Miami. I guess that's where all retired people go. I figured you'd be with Cooter, so I brought lunch with me."

The trio walked into the house and sat down at the table. As Angel unpacked the basket that she'd packed at the General Store, Cooter had sparked a conversation with Luke about how he, Luke and Bo had pulled a fast one over on Boss Hogg during their younger years.

"I got a question for ya'll. How would you two like to join me in one more round of shucking and jiving?"

Luke and Cooter looked at her.

"What do you have in mind?"

"A plan to put the fear of God in Uncle J.D.."

She leaned in and told Luke and Cooter the plan she's put together while trying to sleep last night. A plan that included the book that she'd found.

After laughing themselves silly, Cooter said, "Luke. You'd better keep a hold on her. She fits right in with this family!"