Thanks for all the reviews. Also thanks to Bethie88 for her additions in Bold print.

Chapter 23

Sunday after church, the Duke farm was getting ready for lunch and company. They expected Aunt Pauline and Cousin Jeb anytime. Jesse wished that his brother would have brought Jeb. He knew he'd be busy with his own farm but his and the kids' life would have been a sight easier if he came instead of his wife. Jesse knew he had been hard on Luke the day before and would try to convince Pauline that she did not need to go see Luke, however, if past history counted, Jesse knew that wild horses would not keep her away from Luke once she learned where he was at, and especially with him being in jail.

It was that exact moment the powerful Chrysler engine was heard coming up the drive way. Bo looked from the sound to his uncle, "Uncle Jesse, it's gonna be bad enough with her going on about this, " He held up his casted right forearm, "Do you really have to tell her about Luke?"

Jesse sighed, "I hope not but don't count on it." he said as he waved at the approaching car that was parking in front of the Duke house.

Bo let out a sigh of relief, 'At least Jesse wasn't gonna feed Luke to the sharks just because he could.' He thought.

Bounding from the driver's side was Jesse's brother's wife, Jeb's mother, "Jesse! It is so good to see ya'll! I wished that we could get over here more often, I just know that you will keep Jeb so busy this summer that he won't be getting into any trouble over here! Oh my goodness just look at the way ya'll grown, ... " she managed in one breath, then realized that her favorite nephew was no where to be seen, "Where is Luke? I've got his graduation present and everything. I'm so sorry that we couldn't make it over for his graduation, ..." She stopped in mid rant as she saw Daisy go pale, then looked to Jesse for direction.

Bo grimaced, then turned ghost white. Jesse wiped his face with his hand, Jesse suggested, "Why don't we go on in the place and have a nice glass of tea. I'll explain everything."

Pauline nodded, but then saw Bo's casted wrist, "OH! MY! What in the world happened to you?"

Bo frowned and looked to his uncle for a rescue.

Jesse turned to Bo waiting for him to answer his aunt.

Bo seen that Jesse was not going to help him or bail him out. He stuttered but finally answered, "I lost my temper and hit the pick up."

"Oh MY DEAR Boy!" Pauline said. "What on Earth could make you do something like that?" She never paused to take a breath before looking at Jesse, "Surely you have taught these children of evils of anger and having a temper."

Jesse jumped in before she could continue, "Yes, I have indeed. Let's get out of this sun. Lunch is ready and been waiting on ya'll to get here." He hoped that would distract her from her original rant.

"Oh, I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting," Pauline said honestly she said as the group began to move to the already set table. She immediately spotted that the table was set for five, not six. That would be Jesse, Daisy, Bo, Jeb and herself. She couldn't help but wonder where Luke was.

As they gathered around the table for the already prepared lunch, Jesse began grace, "Lord, thank you for the this family, those that are gathered, as well as those that are absent. Bless the ones who prepared and those that will benefit from your wondrous bounty. In Jesus name, Amen."

The rest of the family 'amened' Jesse's grace. The boys began to quickly dig in while Daisy waited her turn. Pauline again brought up the subject of Luke, "So, Luke won't be joining us? Is he working?"

Jesse began honestly, "Well, Luke has been helping out at the local wrecker service and garage for a year or so. No, he won't be able to join us for lunch."

Both Daisy and Bo's eyes went wide. Their uncle had told the absolute truth, but had left out a bunch of information.

Jeb seen their reaction and couldn't wait to hear the 'rest of the story'.

Pauline never wavered, "Oh, that is such ashamed. What time will he be off work? I had planned to head on back after lunch, but I'm not leaving until I see his face when he opens his graduation present."

Jesse had a heard time swallowing the bite of sandwich he had just taken.

Daisy and Bo both dropped their heads.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

At the jail, as Peggy handed in Luke's lunch, he asked, "Yesterday. How deep am I?"

Peggy knew what Luke was talking about and had not moved Ralph back downstairs because of it. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to find the words to best tell the young man that he had made a big mistake at the worst possible time. "Luke you physically attacked another inmate..."

"But, he, ..." Luke began.

Peggy shook her head, "No. What he did was bait you in, push your buttons. You are the one that leaped head long into a situation that had to be 'handled'. Worst of all, the Judge not only heard about it but was here."

Luke started to reply but seen the lady hold up her finger to 'hush' him.

"I assure you that I will put in the report what I heard of Ralph trying to push you, but I didn't hear it all." Peggy said.

Luke nodded. That was fair. "I understand." Suddenly Luke wasn't very hungry.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Daisy served up a homemade peach pie with coffee after lunch. She had just poured the last coffee when Pauline looked at her brother-in-law, "So, ... you never did say when Luke would be home today."

Jesse sighed and pushed his pie away from him, "Kids." He said as he motioned for them to head outside.

Bo was ready to retreat. He stood up quickly as did Daisy. Jeb, however, wanted to hear what Jesse had to say, but he saw the look Bo gave him. Knowing that Bo and Daisy would fill him in he followed them outside.

Jesse waited until the kids to clear out before he began to speak, "Pauline, ...Luke won't be home today. ... And no, he's not at work." Jesse paused.

Pauline started to say something, when Jesse held up his hand to silence her.

"And, ... it would likely be better to give Luke his graduation present when you come back to get Jeb." Jesse concluded.

"When I come back? Jesse, that won't be for awhile. I want Luke to be able to enjoy his graduation present this summer. What do you mean that he won't be home today if he isn't at work?" Pauline ranted.

Jesse knew he had no other choice and knew where this conversation would lead, "Pauline, ... Luke is not comin' home because he's in jail."

"JAIL?" the woman repeated, eyebrows raising so fast Jesse couldn't help thinking they were going to fly off of her forehead. "And just HOW on earth did you manage to let that boy get arrested, Jesse? You answer me THAT right now! I'm sure the Duke name has just been dragged through the dirt in Hazzard County." The fussy woman shook her head in shock... and a little bit of pride that HER Jeb had never been in such trouble.

Jesse counted ten before repling a bit louder than he planned, "Pauline, I didn't LET Luke get arrested!" he tried to lower his voice, "I'll worry about the Duke name in Hazzard, like MY brother will in Placid County!"

Pauline was known to ruffle feathers but she did respect her husband. Just the same, she couldn't believe her nephew was in the Hazzard County Jail. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to go visit Luke..." she said, her tone firm.

Jesse grimaced, then rubbed his temples, "Now Pauline, ..."

"Jesse, nothing you can say is going to keep me from going to visit. I'm within my rights, and I'm going." Pauline said.

Jesse knew how determined Pauline could be, but still...

He sighed loudly, "Alright Pauline, but, ..."

Pauline cut Jesse off, "Just exactly what was he arrested for?"

Jesse gritted his teeth in anticipation of her reply, "He was racing a car, got into a fight, and he had, ... been, ... drinking."

"Drinking and driving? Jesse Duke, Dukes have never shied away from alcohol, but drinking and driving? Luke should know better by now! How on earth did this happen?" Pauline demanded.

Jesse's patience was wearing thin, but he hated the idea of yelling at a female. "First of ALL! Luke was NOT drinking and driving. I said he was racing, got into a fight and was drinking." Jesse wasn't happy.

"And how exactly does one race, if not by driving? He was behind the wheel, and drinking in the same night... I suppose he raced, then decided to drink?" Pauline shot back.

Her high and mighty tone was wearing on Jesse quickly. Jesse's voice was raising quicker than he intended, "Exactly. He raced a fella who from what I understand went in a ditch. While working to get him out, Luke drank a bit. Then, they got into an argument over the out come. That's when the Sheriff showed up because he had a call about them racing."

Pauline obviously didn't believe Luke and Jesse's story, but knew better than to accuse Luke of lying to his Uncle. "That Luke's temper is going to get him into more trouble than he can handle someday, Jesse Duke. You mark my words."

At this point, Jesse was really wishing that his brother had brought Jeb instead of his sister in law, but he bit his tongue, "Pauline, Luke is NOT the first Duke to spend a night in jail. I'll remind you that my brother, your husband, and Jeb's father has had to call me to come get him more than ONCE from the Iron Bar Hotel."

Pauline blushed beet red, "Jesse, I'll not have you changing the subject to avoid addressing the important thing here, which is Luke," she said, eager NOT to talk about her husband's wild younger days.

Jesse seen her discomfort, "Now Pauline, you knew when you married my brother that he, nor none of us Dukes were Saints. So, why do you act like we should be Saints now?"

Pauline shook her head. It was true. And when she was a younger woman, it had been those wild ways that had attracted her. But Luke was just a boy. He should be being protected, and kept from this kind of trouble as much as possible. Shaking her head, she stated once again, "I'm going to talk to Luke." She headed out past Jesse before he could try to talk her out of seeing Luke.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Outside, Jeb couldn't contain himself any longer, "Alright. GIVE!"

Bo began, "Luke's in the poky!" He shook his head. "That dang Ralph Green wrecked his own dang car and started a fight with Luke... And ol' Rosco showed up just in time to catch 'em in the middle of it."

Jeb had been around Hazzard enough to know good and well who both Ralph and Rosco were, and to know the bad blood between Ralph and Luke. "Ah, man! How could he be that lucky?"

Bo frowned, "He's not without being called. He had the call about them racin'."

"Good grief," Jeb groaned, shaking his head. "When they was handin' out good luck, Luke musta missed it."

"He was behind all us other Dukes." Bo said.

Daisy nodded in agreement.

Jeb looked up just in time to see his mother walk out the door. Bo and Daisy had told him what had happened, and Jeb whistled low. "I wouldn't trade places with Luke right now for BOTH of the Miller twins." The Miller twins being Placid County's equivalent of the Johnson twins.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Luke was lying on his cot when he heard a voice upstairs that he would've known anywhere say, "Now, Rosco Coltrane, you best let me down to that cell right now!"

"But, Miz Pauline, it ain't visitin' hours..." Luke heard Rosco say.

"I don't care one way or another, either you let me in there, or I'll just have to have a word with your mother."

Luke groaned, knowing how Rosco felt about having his mother mad at him... Not to mention the fact that Rosco's mama and Pauline's were first cousins, and he knew that Pauline had some pull where his mother was concerned. Luke squared his shoulders, straightened his back, checked his tounge and prepared himself to greet his aunt. He would have welcomed a visit from any other aunt much more than one from Pauline at this point. He took a deep breath and waited, ...

Pauline walked down the stairs, a disapproving glare on her face.

Luke forced a welcoming look. "Hey, there, Aunt Pauline," he said, trying to avoid the talking to he knew was coming.

She began even before Peggy could open the gate for her, "Lucas DUKE! I happen to KNOW that you have been taught better, ..."

Luke held the curse words he wanted to say. "Aunt..."

She didn't even let him get started. "You've been raised by a good man, Luke, and this is how you repay him? Spending time in JAIL?"

Luke promptly looked at his socked feet in the orange flip flops that he had been provided.

"Luke, do you have ANY idea what this is doing to your family name in Hazzard County? You're a Duke. Take a little PRIDE in that!"

Even Peggy felt sorry for Luke at the moment.

Luke gulped. He really felt for Jeb havin' to put up with her on a daily basis, "Aunt Pauline, I DO take pride in being a Duke. That is why I wouldn't stand to be called a cheat in a fair race. Especially when I helped get him out of the ditch that he tried to stick ME into."

Pauline's eyebrows shot up. Luke's reply was calculated, but respectful, so she couldn't call him out for disrespect. That annoyed her more than his disrespect would have. She looked at him pointedly. "You can talk when I have finished, Luke."

Jesse had made it to the bottom of the stairs after parking the truck just in time to hear the last bit of Luke's reply to his aunt. Jesse didn't like his tone at all and gave him a look as Pauline dressed him down.

Luke locked his jaw in order to keep his mouth shut. Bars or not, he knew Jesse could and would shut it for him if he opened it again before Paulline had her say.

Pauline glanced up at Jesse. "I was just telling Luke here just exactly what a mess he's making of his life."

Jesse had dealt with the woman for years, every since his youngest brother started dating her. She had been a overbearing then and had only managed to get worse through out the years. Jesse simply nodded in agreement with her comment.

Luke inwardly swore. He knew that only left the door open for Pauline to continue which she did ...

"I have NEVER understood the obsession that you boys and even John David and Jesse have with fast cars and the need to see who is the fastest! Lordy, I can remember when I first laid eyes on John David, he had this old 58 Chrysler and it seemed he had to try to out run everything on the road. Can you believe that he even had a name for that thing? Never could figure out why he called it Traveler cause he never went any farther than here in the County."

Luke immediately looked at Jesse, who gave him a sharp look. Luke had never known that Aunt Pauline wasn't "in on" the family business.

Pauline continued, "Even after we married and moved to Placid County he didn't want to part with that old car. He even used to slip back over here from time to time just to make sure it could still out run his friends, ..."

Luke had heard some stories about that car. Hoping to change the subject, Luke jumped in while she took a breath, "Was that the car that they got at the auction at the Mason's Lodge?"

"Now just you don't worry about a car. I don't even know where he got it. But all that racin' around like his tail was on fire only got the nice policemen watching that car every time it moved. He wouldn't even let me drive it. That is why we moved don't ya know. Now surely you want to meet a nice girl and settle down now that you are out of school. But, nice girls don't like such Tom foolery as you have been up to. Good Lord, I couldn't imagine what would have happened if my Father, God rest his soul, would have done if he'd ever heard of John David getting into a fight, or drinking and heaven forbid if he was EVER arrested." Pauline declared.

Luke gave Jesse a look. He had heard Jesse and his Uncle John telling stories from the 'good ole days' but it seemed to him that Pauline had been left a bit in the dark. Of course with a mouth like hers he could see why. Then too, he felt she may have been changing the truth a bit to benefit her or himself, to keep him from knowing the truth of the business that he already knew, but couldn't call her on it right now.

Luke and Jesse shared a look, but didn't let Pauline see. Which wasn't too hard, since she was far more concerned with fussing at Luke than actually paying attention to him. "Lukas, how could you do this to your family?" she said.

That was the final straw. Now Jesse's feathers were ruffled a bit too much.

Jesse took a breath and tried to have restraint as he began to dress down his younger brothers wife. "Now Pauline, I'll give ya your Daddy may not have known a lot of what went on, but surely you did. I can NOT count the times on BOTH hands that I've had to go get John from right here in that there cell after he'd shown himself the night before. JUST so your Daddy wouldn't find out. So don't go gettin' all righteous on MY boy!"

Behind Jesse and Pauline, Bo and Jeb gave each other a look. They had heard some of the stories but had never seen Jesse talk like that to Pauline.

Luke hadn't either, and regretted that he was the cause of it now, but surely she shouldn't act so if she knew better.

Pauline's mouth snapped shut in pure shock at Jesse's outburst.

Luke, too, was in shock. He'd never seen anyone shut Pauline up so quick.

"Well! Jesse Duke I've never in all my life!" She stormed over to gate to be let out, then stomped up the steps.

The three Duke boys nearly couldn't contain their laughter until they saw the look Jesse shot them.

"Y'all just listen JUST a minute!" he exclaimed. "Pauline may have been out of line, but y'all best respect her just the same."

Luke had the good sense to give the other boys a look. He truly felt bad about whole situation but seeing Pauline get it from Jesse was nearly worth the trouble he was in. He asked Jesse, "So was the car she was talking about the one that came from the auction?"

Jesse nodded, "Yes it was."

"I know I've heard the story before, ..." Luke paused to think of how to say this in front of the law without giving too much information.

Jeb was looking interested. He'd never heard the story before.

"Didn't it come from a Sheriff's department?" Luke asked.

Jesse frowned at Luke, he didn't want to get into this story here. "Yes, it actually still had the 'Johnson County Sheriff' still painted on the sides. But, this will have to wait since it's about time for us to go."

This was enough information to get Bo and Jeb real curious. As Peggy came over and told them time was up.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Please send reviews good or bad.