Daisy wasn't one to judge others, that was only for the Almighty as Uncle Jesse used to tell her when she was a little filly. But, she couldn't help but be a little curious. There was so much about Ennis that she didn't understand. He barely every spoke, and he had to be the only person in Hazzard who wasn't interested in Nascar. And, not that Daisy wanted to sound vain, but most of the time, Ennis Del Mar wouldn't even glance her way. If Daisy Duke had a penny for every guy who she caught staring at her, she'd have enough cash to buy Boss Hogg's bank. But Ennis...that man couldn't seem less interested in flirting or courting if he had tried.

And, truth be told, Bo and Luke weren't the only Dukes on the farm who were curious about that letter. A whole month of quiet solitude, and then a letter from nowhere? Who wouldn't be curious?

So, when the sun had set beneath the horizon, and the chores on the farm where all good and done, Daisy sauntered up to Ennis, his gloved hands grasping at a rake, batted her eyes, and smiled.

"You're gonna have supper with us this evenin'," she said, "And that's not a request. I'm tellin' ya." It wasn't any wonder how their ranch hand could get so much done in such a short time. He was build like a bear, with a solemn countenance to match. His jaw was locked in place, and his nose twitched to the left as he pondered Daisy proposal. He was handsome, and anyone with eyes could see that. "I don't know how long it's been since you've had a home cooked meal, but I'd say you're overdue."

"Well…" Ennis began, "I don't w-"

"And don't you try to weasel out of this, ya' here? We'll be expecting you. You go home and shave up, and we'll see you back here for supper at eight. Alright?" Daisy smiled her Daisy-smile, and turned away. "And if you ain't there, I'm commin' after ya."

And that was the end. Daisy must have taken conversation lessons from Uncle Jesse.

"Well what did he say?" Bo asked. The entire Duke clan was shoved up in the kitchen trying to pump Daisy with as much information as possible.

"What about that postcard?" Luke said, "And Jack Twist? Who's that?"

Daisy had been working in the kitchen all evening, cooking ham and greens and cornbread. This was probably going to be Ennis' first real meal in a long time, and she wanted it to be special.

"Now I dun told ya'll, he'll be here any minute and you can ask him all the questions you like then." She took out the ham and basted it once more with the same honey glaze her mother had used when she was a girl. "That man's private and it's obvious he doesn't like to talk 'bout himself much. So go easy on him."

Uncle Jesse nodded, "That's true. Poor guy probably doesn't get out at all."

"And that's what's so suspicious," Luke said. "Who the hell spends so much time in their room just sittin' there, starin' at the walls?"

"Too true," Bo said, "Ya know, there are times when I catch him just lookin' off into the distance. For no reason, like he's trying to catch a glimpse a' somethin' far away."

"He dodges every question we give him 'bout his family, his life in Wyoming, why he became a rancher. The man's got more secrets than friends." Luke stomped his foot on the kitchen floor. He was excited as he was nervous. He had been meaning to learn more about this Ennis character, and tonight's dinner was the perfect time to do it.

At 8 o'clock sharp, there was a knock at the door. "That's probably Ennis now," Daise said as she placed a freshly baked ham on the kitchen table. "I'll get it."

Ennis Del Mar stood on the Duke family porch like a statue with a bottle of champagne in his hands. "Evenin' ma'am." Ennis Del Mar tipped his hat, and then removed it as Daisy welcomed him inside. "I hope you don't mind, I was taught that it's rude to come to dinner empty handed." He handed Daisy the bottle.

"Aw shucks, we don't mind at all." She pointed to the kitchen table and grinned, "You just have a seat right across from Bo there, and we'll get started."

Ennis smiled and sat down across from the younger Duke boy. Daisy passed out the plates, they prayed and began their meal. The clank of dishes and the smell of fresh biscuits filled the whole house, heck it might've filled all of Hazzard county.

"So…" Luke began, "You say you worked as a ranch hand up in Wyoming?"

Ennis noded.

"Well shoot friend," Bo said, "You came all the way out here from Wyoming just to be a ranch hand?"

Ennis nodded again, "Wasn't much work up there." Ennis sliced his fork into some honey soaked cornbread.

"Don't your family miss you?" Luke asked.

"I ain't really got no family," Ennis said without looking up from his plate.

And Daisy turned to Uncle Jesse, and Jesse frowned like a kid who just discovered his puppy had been run over. "N-no family?" Jesse asked.

"Uh, my parents died. All I had was my sister and brother. Sister went off and married some redneck, and my brother did the same. I haven't seen or heard from 'em since then."

Bo blew a stream of air from his mouth, and Daisy saw Luke rubbed the back of his neck.

"Aw...I'm really sorry," Luke said, suddenly feeling like the bottom end of a horse's shoe.

"No need to be," Ennis said, and for a brief second, Daisy saw an emotion flash across Ennis' face that she could not recognize. It wasn't sadness, nor regret, for those were all feelings Daisy had seen on every person who passed through the doors of the Boar's Nest. Not, what Ennis had wasn't regret, just a quiet, solemn resignation. A chilled indifference that seemed to say "Ain't nuthin' no one can do, so no need to feel sad."

And Daisy felt her heart break.

"So...who's Jack Twist?" Jesse asked, trying to change the subject.

And Ennis' face lit up like the sky on the Fourth of July, even though he tried desperately to hide it. "He...was an old fishing buddy. He's kind of a rodeo cowboy." Ennis chewed and swallowed, trying to seem as un-interested as ever "Why?"

"We're awful sorry," Daisy interjected before the conversation could continue, "We saw that postcard of yours this morning and we got curious."

"You're buddy sent you a postcard all the way from Wyoming?" Jesse asked, "That's gotta be some pal."

Ennis smiled and shoved another fork full of ham into his mouth. "Yeah. He just wanted to drop a line...make sure everything was alright. I haven't seen him since…" Ennis trailed off, and his eyes took on a lucid color, as if his mind were too far away to be coherent. And Daisy waited, watching Ennis' nose twitch, and his eyes glaz, and his mouth gape open, and then slowly close as if it lost the courage to move. "...since Brokeback Mountain," Ennis said at last.

Brokeback Mountain. And for Daisy...there was something wistful about Ennis' words. Something dipped in a tragic beauty, like a broke chandelier or a forgotten song.

"Well," Ennis said as he grabbed his plate, "How about I help you guys clean the kitchen, and then I'll head out."

"Oh," Daisy said, "Ennis it's far too late for you to walk home right now. How 'bout you stay the night?"

"Oh," Ennis began, "I wouldn't want to impose none."

"Won't be no imposition," Uncle Jesse said, "We're invitin' ya. Come on, what do ya' say? We've already got the bedroom fix up for ya."

And Ennis scowled, scratched the back of his neck, and finally relented. "A'right. If you're insistin' and all."

And Daisy looked at Luke and Bo, and all three smiled. At least tonight, Daisy thought, he won't be alone.