CHAPTER 14
"We're goin' to the town, see you later," uncle Jesse wore his hat and walked to the door.
"Bye uncle Jesse," Daisy smiled, "ask Lulu…"
"I know, I know," uncle Jesse glanced at Daisy, smiling, "Lulu is really excited 'bout your wedding."
"And not just Lulu, but the whole town too," Bo wore his jacket and followed uncle Jesse outside the door.
"Especially Rosco. He's really happy to be Enos' best man," Luke gently patted Daisy's shoulder, "but, despite Rosco's happiness, it seems Enos is working hard lately. Boss is Boss, and Rosco is Rosco, no pause for Enos."
Daisy folded her arms, "It's because Enos stayed in L.A. for two days and Boss doesn't want to pay those days, so Enos has to work more hours now," she sighed, "in the last week I barely met him, just a couple of times, and just for few minutes."
Staring at the door after her cousins' and uncle's leaving, Daisy sighed again: everybody in town knew about the wedding, but she couldn't find the time to meet Enos because of Boss' ordering Enos to run here and there, and also because a bad case of flu confining her to the farm.
She missed the time spent in that little room in L.A., talking openly, as never before,… and not just talking. Shaking her head, Daisy pushed back some images surfacing to her mind, vivid images making her blush. Or, maybe, her cheeks were burning because of fever.
Uncle Jesse, Bo and Luke in town, she was going to spend some hours alone, just the silent farm around her, but she was happy of that calm and silence, especially because of her headache.
She sneezed and walked to the kitchen: hot milk and honey, her magic for flu.
Sitting at the kitchen's table, her cup of milk in front of her, she slowly sipped the white sweet liquid while she looked at the cloudy sky: it was going to rain.
Just one week before she was having a hot bath in a L.A.'s Hotel, the rain ticking against the window. A blackout: was it real or a dream?
Enjoying the warmth and taste of milk, she closed her eyes and she listened to the rain's noise: it was raining, finally, and she confessed herself she liked that noise.
She stirred, she stood up, she washed her cup and she put it in the cupboard. When she walked back to the living room she heard someone knocking at the door.
"Enos!" she stared at the man in front of her after she opened the door, "You are drenched!"
"It's raining," his simple answer, but he wasn't smiling. He wasn't joking.
"Come in, Enos, or you're goin' to catch a cold," she let him walk in and she closed the door, "what's up?" her voice soft as she realized his tight features.
Enos sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, he added some wood to the fire and he stretched his arms to the flame, trying to warm himself up and to stop his trembling, "A bad day, Daisy, sorry, but I need to stay here for a while and calm down," he looked around, "where are Bo, Luke and uncle Jesse?"
"In town," Daisy walked closer him and she sank into the couch, her eyes on his trembling shoulders, "what's happening, Enos?" her voice softer and softer.
He turned his head to her, "How's your flu?"
She shrugged, "Better. I still have headache and fever, but I'm feeling better and better. At least I'm able to get up instead of spending the most part of the day in my bed with the feeling my bones are broken. Pesky feeling," she shook her head and smiled, "thanks for asking how I feel, honey, but… what 'bout you?" She stretched out her right arm and she caressed his wet hair.
"A week passed since … the funeral, and I can't help but thinking of it. Last night I had a nightmare, that kind of nightmare I talked to you 'bout, some time ago. You remember it, don't you?" he glanced at her and then he turned again his face to the fireplace.
Daisy nodded, "Terrific shadows around you, watching and touching you with their cold hands while you can't move. Yeah, I remember it," her hand slid from his hair to his right shoulder, "You know, after we came back from L.A., uncle Jesse told me you were probably going to realize what happened, slowly, day by day. So, you're now moving from surprise and shock to awareness and pain. It's pretty normal."
"It seems uncle Jesse knows everything," he smiled sadly as he stared at the flame dancing in the fireplace, "he's right, as usual."
"Uncle Jesse is uncle Jesse," Daisy smiled and squeezed his shoulder, "and he would tell you to dress some dry clothes if you don't want to catch a cold," she sighed, she stood up and she walked to the bathroom, coming back with a wide towel in her hands. She knelt by his side and she gently rested the towel on his hair, starting to wipe him, "Why are you so drenched?"
"I was in my patrol car and I suddenly felt like if I was goin' to die: my ears buzzed, I couldn't breath, I was trembling. I came out the car though it was raining, and I needed some time to calm down before to go back to the car. I drove to your farm without even realize it."
"Oh Enos," she removed the towel from his head, she touched his chin and she turned his face to her, "how do you feel, now? Do you want me to cook you something while you have a hot shower?"
"I'm not hungry, but thanks for your offer, Daisy," his forehead touched her forehead and he closed his eyes, "I just want to have some rest, now, if you don't mind."
Forehead against forehead, Daisy closed her eyes and caressed his nape, enjoying his presence by her side, "OK, but you can't rest with your wet uniform on, or you'll catch a cold," she parted from him, "wait for me, I'm going to take some clothes for you."
Entering her cousins' bedroom, Daisy had a deep sigh and she knelt in front of the dresser; she took a pair of jeans, a blue shirt and a pair of white socks, she stood up and she walked back to the living room: she was both happy to spend some time with Enos and sad because of his visible pain.
Walking to the fireplace she couldn't help but smiling when she saw he was already undressing his shirt and trousers, resting his drenched uniform on the floor and then wiping himself with the towel.
"Here some dry clothes for you, sugar," her eyes moved from his wet shirt and trousers to his bare chest and long legs, too much attracted to that vision to realize she was stumbling in the carpet, his chest and arms fortunately stopping her embarrassing and goofy fall.
Laughing in his arms, she buried her face against his chest until she managed to stop her clear laugh. When she looked up at his face he was blushing and he was looking at her with a mix of surprise, amusement and confusion.
"Sorry Enos, don't think I'm fool or insensitive, but it's so embarrassing. I'm not used to stumble this way. Maybe it's because of fever." His skin was so cold she couldn't understand if he was really cold because of his staying under the lashing rain or if she was burning because of fever.
"I'm usually the one who stumbles this way, Daisy, especially when you're nearby," a pitch of amusement in his tone, then worrisome when his hand gently touched her forehead, answering her doubt, "and you're burning with fever." He took her in his arms and he walked to her bedroom, "I suppose you need much more rest than me," he lay her on her bed and he sat down by her side, taking her shoes off.
Staring at the ceiling, Daisy listened to the rain ticking against the farm's windows; it recalled her of another rain and of another ceiling.
"Don't go away, please, Enos," she grabbed his wrist when she felt the mattress gently swinging because of his moving away, "I missed you along this week." She closed her eyes and she enjoyed the new swinging when he lay by her side, "Sleep a bit. You want to have some rest, don't you?"
A sigh by her side and then his voice, "OK."
Her eyes still closed, Daisy felt Enos' calming presence. Remembering why he was there and how he came to the farm, she tried to relax him moving his thoughts to something positive, just life, simple life in Hazzard, "Next week I'm goin' to help Miss Smith at the orphanage."
"Miss Smith is doin' a great job with the orphanage. I hope I'm goin' to find some time to help her. It's really important, for you, I know. Those children have lost their parents but they haven't been so lucky to have someone like uncle Jesse and aunt Lavinia taking care of them."
"Yeah, and it's why I want to give those children my help. I've been more lucky than them, you're right," Daisy smiled; Enos was both a friend, knowing everything of her, and her fiancé: perfect union.
When Daisy woke up, she was lying naked under the blankets, Enos' head on her chest, his arms around her and her arms around him.
She knew how it started: they were talking about the orphanage, and then about children, and finally about their future children. She kissed him and he kissed her, and then the farm faded, replaced by a different and distant room.
The farm slowly recomposed itself around her, and, with the image of the farm, also the idea of uncle Jesse, Bo and Luke coming back from the town.
She opened her eyes wide and she tried to move, but Enos' motionless body was too much heavy… and pleasant. She glanced at the clock on the night table and she sighed in relief: just one hour since her family' leaving, and it meant she had some time before their coming back.
She yawned, "just another hour and then we'll get up." She caressed Enos' nape and she closed her eyes, "Just one hour, just a nap."
"Enos is here," Bo entered the kitchen and rested some bags on the table, "he's probably visiting Daisy because of the flu."
Walking past Bo, Luke headed to the living room, "They are not here. Enos' patrol car is parked outside the farm, and Dixie too. Daisy can't go out because of fever, so, they should be here, but…"
"… but… what?" Uncle Jesse came closer Luke.
"Why Enos' uniform is on the floor?" Luke knelt down and took the deputy's uniform, "wet uniform… I guess because of the rain."
"And why my shirt and jeans too are on the floor?" Bo pointed at his clothes scattered near the couch.
The young cousin looked at the older one, then they looked around the living room, their eyes finally converging to the half-closed door of Daisy's bedroom. They stared at the door and their mouth opened in unison as they looked again at each other, "NAAAAAHHHHH"
Uncle Jesse coughed in embarrass, making Bo and Luke be quiet.
Uncle and nephews slowly and silently walked to the half-closed door, glancing at each other.
"Too much silence, maybe something wrong happened and they're unconscious… maybe injured," Bo's whispered words placated their sense of guilty, transforming their controversial action into a protective and innocent check.
In front of the door, they had a big sigh.
In the light entering the room after the rain, Enos and Daisy were simply sleeping: Enos' head, partially covered by the blankets, was resting on Daisy's chest, and Daisy's arms were wrapped around Enos, her right hand on his nape the way a mother supports her baby's head.
The Dukes closed the door, glancing at each other with a mix of embarrass because of that intimate scene, sense of guilty because of their spying, and sweetness.
Uncle Jesse coughed softly and walked to the kitchen, "Help me with the shopping and the dinner," in his voice surprise and affection.