General Discussion

sorry to hear that  Cousin!

Early the next morning, Cooter decided to slip out for coffee and maybe a bit of breakfast. He dressed, eased open the door and slowly and quietly shut the room door. He saw movement to his right, looked up and saw LB gently shutting a room door about three rooms down. “LB!” Cooter said, surprised to see his cousin there and just three rooms away. LB turned equally surprised, “Cooter!” Neither asked what the other was doing there, there was only one reason people came. BALLADEER: Folks that one reason is why it’s called the no tell motel Cooter and LB got in their pickups and headed out in search of breakfast and coffee at one of the all night places, nowhere else was open this early on Sunday morning. Cooter grabbed the bag with breakfast in it, then the coffees. He was just unlocking the room door when he saw LB also pulling back in. Cooter shook his head and continued inside. He sat the food on the tiny table and sat down on the bed, "Crystal, honey. It's time we start moving so we are back home and ready for church." Cooter looked up heavenward even as he processed his previous statement.  Crystal slowly woke up and sat up.  Cooter handed her coffee, "I got coffee and a bit of breakfast for us." Crystal took the hot coffee. It smelled wonderful. She took a drink, swallowed and found that it nearly headed right back up. After a couple seconds, she handed Cooter the coffee back. "That is not gonna work this morning. It smelled wonderful, but that one drink was enough." LB came back to find Lori Mae was somewhere deep under the covers, he sat everything on the room’s small table then went over and sat on the bed, peeling back the covers to reveal Lori Mae’s face. Leaning over he kissed her lips saying,  “Lori Mae, time to get moving so we won’t be late for church.” Lori Mae’s eyes fluttered; she wasn’t ready to get up but she’d told LB she’d go to church with him. Sitting up, eyes still blurry with sleep, her stomach rumbled. “I got us some breakfast and coffee,” LB said, handing her a bacon and egg biscuit. “Thanks, I feel like I could eat a horse,” Lori Mae said, taking a bite. The biscuit lost its appeal though when her stomach threatened to rebel. Normally Dixie would have got to see Dr. Quinn on an off day, but with the festival coming up she had used a sick day for her appointment on Thursday and took Friday off as well. She had checked over Luke's list with him before he left for work. She had showered and was trying to decide on something to wear. She put on a loose pair of black pants and grabbed a light weight long sleeve shirt from the closet. Once on the shirt came right back off. It looked as if it had shrunk the way it rode up. It looked like a belly shirt. She had been wearing newer larger shirts but had not realized that the increased size of her breast and just general weight she had picked up would make that much difference in a shirt from last year. She then put on a short sleeve t-shirt and found a flannel shirt of Luke's as an over shirt. She rolled the sleeves up a bit and rolled the tail up to tie the ends around her waist. From habit she had brushed her hair and put it in a ponytail. Yelling across the hallway, "BL are you about ready?" Across the hall BL was having her own wardrobe issues, kicking off another pair of jeans that wouldn’t quite button, BL went across the hall wearing only her bra and panties saying as she came into Dixie’s bedroom. “Help!! Not a single pair of my good jeans want to button! I need a pair of the pants I gave you that were big on me, bet they fit now.” Dixie looked at BL, "Alright, but you don't look like you have gained an ounce." She went to a box by her dresser with pants that no longer fit and tossed them to BL.  "Try those. We can move this box to your room anytime." BL offered, "Just have Luke put it in the hallway so we can both get to it." "Good idea. Who is Sadie staying with while we are gone?" Dixie asked. “The farm I reckon if it’s ok with Uncle Jesse, so she can play outside. If she stays with Daddy and LB at the cabinet shop, they hafta stop work and take her out to potty,” BL said, trying on a pair of pants that buttoned easily. “Sounds good, I’ll call Uncle Jesse while you finish getting ready,” Dixie replied. “Be right down,” BL said, going back to her and Bo’s bedroom putting on a long sleeve button up shirt, then brushing her hair, pulling the sides and top back into a flat barret.  Once Sadie was playing fetch with Uncle Jesse, the girls were headed off to their appointments and then to shop for the festival.  Dixie said to BL as they were heading out of Hazzard, "Remind me to get some table and booth decorations for us and the fire department. You know those guys will never think of decorations." “Soft crochet yarn and booth decorations for us and Luke, got it” BL said, remembering Dixie said something about crocheting yarn the other day. As they crossed the county line BL asked with a sweet look, “are you gonna crochet double of whatever baby stuff you make?”   "I just might. Or maybe I teach you how to crochet?" Dixie gave BL a bit of a grin.  “You can try. Grandmother taught me a little but I couldn’t get the hang of it,” BL replied. Dixie replied with a giggle, "Yeah, I remember but maybe you were more interested in chasing Bo than learning. Now, you have a reason to learn." "I reckon I do but I caught him didn’t I!" BL grinned.  "When grandmother made me stay in and learn such things, I could have thought of a hundred different things I'd rather be doing, but I've got to admit that knowing it has come in handy at times. I've made a couple baby blankets for people I've worked with and I've made some stuffed bears for people I've known kids. Now, I can do it for my baby." Dixie said.  At  the farm, Jesse figured he had better start the chili for the hotdogs and nachos. He got out his large pot and put the seasoned hamburger on to start to cook slowly while he diced the onions, canned banana peppers and the fresh garlic. In no time at all the house smelled of the cooking concoction. Daisy was in her room getting ready to be picked up by Darcy. They planned to spend the afternoon together. Daisy heard Darcy's car coming up the driveway. She gave her hair another brushing, checked her outfit, makeup and slid on her high heels.  Darcy knocked on the backdoor of the Duke home. Jesse wiped his hands and called, "Come on in, Darcy. What brings you all the way out here in the middle of the day? Darcy came into the kitchen, "Afternoon Mr. Duke. Daisy and me was..." He was cut off by Daisy entering the room.  Daisy opened her bedroom door and bounced down the hall, through the living room. As she entered the kitchen she began to talk, "Hey Darcy, Sugar. Uncle Jesse, Darcy and me was just going to ...." Suddenly she stopped talking, stopped smiling, stopped in her tracks all together. Her eyes went wide. Her entire being turned green and she bolted back out of the room racing toward the bathroom. The door closed with a bang!  “I’ll be right back Darcy,” Jesse said, following his niece. Knocking on the bathroom door, Jesse called,” Daisy, baby are you alright?” Daisy splashed some cold water on her face and took a few deep breaths before opening the door, “yes I think so, tell Darcy I’ll be right there, I need to fix my makeup.” Dixie made the last turn that took them by the tri counties jail. “You may have learned all the ‘ladylike’ hobbies such as crochet but I learned the practical stuff like sewing on buttons, patching holes and making clothes from a pattern,” BL said. "Oh, I did that too, but the only thing I ever made from a pattern was a wrap around skirt. Well, I mostly made it.  Everything else usually got taken back away from me before I could mess it up too badly." Dixie admitted. “You teach me to crochet and I’ll ‘hold your hand’,” BL made air quotes then continued “and we’ll make baby things. Mistakes will be made by both of us no doubt but neither of us is giving up or correcting and taking over each other's project, we goof, we fix it ourselves…deal?” “Deal,” Dixie replied.  Daisy fixed her makeup then went back to the kitchen saying, “see ya Uncle Jesse, we won’t be late. Come on Darcy honey let’s go,” Daisy made a beeline to the back door before whatever it was that had made her queasy could do it again. Darcy said once they were in the car, "Are you alright?" The fresh air had helped a lot, "I'm fine now." As Darcy pulled out he said, "Whatever your Uncle was cooking sure smelled wonderful." That was it. It was the smell of something cooking. Just the memory made Daisy retch. She put her hand over her mouth and barely got out, "Pull over." Darcy had barely hit the main road off Duke property but pulled into a wide spot.  Daisy threw the car door open and quickly got out trying once again not to toss her cookies. Breathing in deeply she tried to remember the smell of flowers, perfume, anything but whatever that smell in the house had been. At the Tri Counties Medical building, Dixie parked in front of the building. Going inside Dixie and BL signed in and told the receptionist Sara Jane one room together would be fine, so that there was room for other patients besides they had been undressing in front of each other all their lives so there was no need for privacy. They were told to sit down and wait to be called back. ”You think Luke will ever want to come with you to one of these appointments or is it going to be just us?” BL asked then chuckled adding “or do you think he’d hyperventilate like Bo did?” "You know Luke. He's trying to be practical, sort of like me. If there weren't other reasons to be off today, I would have just met you here when I got off. If there is something going on or the important ones like hearing the heartbeat he'll be here but he wants to save his time for around closer to the birth or afterwards." Dixie said, then added, "Yes, I know. He has a ton of vacation saved up." “Practical with Bo went out the window when the doctor said ‘you’re pregnant.” BL giggled then added “makes sense, he can take off afterwards and just be Daddy not Luke Duke Sr. Smokejumper.” The nurse Ellie opened the waiting room door and called them back to get their weight and vitals, then put them in an exam room. “I may not look like I’ve gained weight to you but that scale was in agreement with my jeans that wouldn’t button,” BL said when they were alone.  Daisy once again willed herself not to throw up.  Darcy had joined her outside the car, "Daisy, Honey are you sure you are alright? I mean we don't have to go out if you are feeling badly." Daisy gathered her composure, "I feel great, well felt great until .... look let's not talk about it right now. Just the memory of it almost ruined our plans. Let's just go have a good time today." Darcy walked her back to the car, "Alright, if you say so. I just hope you aren't coming down with the flu. They say we are gonna have an early flu season." Doctor Quinn came into Dixie and BL's exam room, their charts in her hands. “Hello ladies, I’ve looked over both your charts and everything looks good. Dixie you are a little bit heavier than I’d like but I’m not overly worried, you’ll probably be showing by your next appointment" Dixie said with a grin, "At least then everyone will know why I'm eating like a horse." Dr. Quinn suggested, "Healthy snacks often and small meals tend to keep you more balanced. Dixie reminded, "You know where I work. Some days are boring and I could snack all day long, others are so busy that I'm lucky to snack on the go." Doc nodded, "Try." "Alright." Dixie replied. "Your next visit will be an exciting one, you’ll get to hear your little one’s heartbeat so bring your husband,” Doc said. As Darcy and Daisy drove through town, men with ladders were putting up banners and decorations for the upcoming festival. In the mix of putting up decorations, none other than Huey Hogg had sent a couple of his own men to get themselves hired to put up the decorations. Not that Huey especially wanted the town to look good for the festival but he also had cameras being installed all over Hazzard where he could sit back and watch all the upcoming fun and never have to be anywhere near Hazzard. He checked the lists of ordered medications from the Hazzard pharmacy. There it was another order for more birth control pills. He smiled wickedly as he reboxed all the discount birth control pills up for the next shipment into Hazzard.  Cameras were going up in the most strategic places for Huey’s viewing pleasure such as the courthouse across the street from the garage, there was one catching action at the post office and the comings and goings at the drugstore.Huey even wanted cameras inside the drugstore but they might have to wait until tonight. Last but certainly not least, Huey’s cohorts were instructed to somehow get ‘eyes’ on the Duke house in town even though it had nothing to do with the festival’s location in town square.  Cooter had been watching the decorations and banners going up all day when he pumped gas or took a break. Everything looked on schedule and nothing amiss as far as he could see.  Elmo reminded Jack, "Make sure you get those things where they won't be seen once all these decorations come down. The boss wants them to stay up." Jack remarked, "It's a good thing that they are so tiny." Elmo added, "The smallest, best quality money can buy." "Why does he want to record the goings on in this hick town anyhow?" Jack asked.  Elmo explained, "We get paid good money to do as we are asked. I don't know or care why.” After leaving the Tri County medical clinic, BL and Dixie went over to K-Mart to get a few things before going to Winn-Dixie to get the food for the Fire Department and the concessions booth. “Ok you're the expert, what do I need to start crocheting with? Yarn and a hook I know but what size hook?” BL asked, there were big fat hooks all the way down to tiny ones. Back in Hazzard, Lori Mae was getting ready for her shift at the Boar’s Nest, she could hardly wait for the festival. Boss Hogg closed the Boar’s Nest because most everybody that normally would be there on a Saturday night, would be on the hayride. Dixie grinned, "I am no expert, but a "H" hook is pretty much in the middle. Are you wanting to try a blanket first? It's the same steps over and over with a blanket." BL replied, "Whatever you say." "Alright here's the hook, get a couple of skeins of a color you like or two that go together." Once the yarn and decorations were bought it was time for the girls to find something to eat.  Crystal was dressed and about to head into the Bluebird cafe for the lunch rush. She was working a double shift today to be able to trade off her shift the day of the festival in Hazzard. She took her birth control pill and headed out to the diner. She really wasn't as up for such a long day as she should be but she had to work it to get the whole day off later for the festival in Hazzard.  Once at the diner, she poured herself a coffee and set into work. About half way through the second cup of coffee with nothing to eat yet a sudden wave of nausea came over her. A couple breaths later it was gone but she thought out loud, "What was that all about?" She grabbed a bag of plain chips and ate a few. The feeling was gone. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks, she knew that feeling. 'Oh, God. No, no, no, no. It couldn't be. It just couldn’t be that!' She thought to herself. The last time she felt that way was when she was pregnant with Kathy Mae. “No, it couldn't be that I've taken birth control regularly for months now. Even before I started seeing Cooter. Oh, no. I haven't even told him about Kathy Mae yet. Please, no.” She said trying to will herself not to be pregnant.  "Hey? Are you alright? You look pale as a ghost." The other waitress Ruby Mae said. "I'm fine." Crystal said.  Dixie asked BL, "So where are we eating?" “How about the Bluebird Cafe,” BL replied. “Ok with me,” Dixie said. At the Bluebird Cafe they took a seat in a booth about halfway from the front. Crystal gathered a couple menus and some silverware, taking it over, a bit surprised at seeing Cooter’s sister and cousin at this time of day on a weekday. “Well hi there, wasn’t expecting to see the two of you here,” Crystal smiled and hoped the other two women couldn’t see her worry/fear that she might be pregnant. “Hi, we had doctor’s appointments and things to get for the festival but decided to get lunch before we went food shopping for the festival,” BL replied. “What can I get ya’ll to drink?” Crystal asked, giving them each a menu. “Tea, please.” BL replied. “I’ll have tea too,” Dixie said. Crystal left to get the drinks while BL and Dixie looked at the menu. "You know, I think I'll have breakfast." Dixie said to BL.  Crystal returned with their drinks, "Here we go. I hope ya'll ain't sick or anything." Dixie patted her stomach, "No. We ain't sick. It was just the prenatal check ups." Crystal’s heart pounded hard in her chest at the words prenatal visits, taking a couple of calming breaths, Crystal asked, “what can I get for ya’ll?” “I’ll have the breakfast platter,” Dixie said. “I’ll have the meatloaf plate with fried potatoes and butter beans,” BL replied. Dixie stopped Crystal, "That comes with biscuits and gravy, but can I get toast for the eggs and leave off the biscuits and I'll take some fried potatoes to eat with the gravy." Crystal replied, "I got you. Leave off biscuits, add toast and a side of fried potatoes." "Thanks. Normally, I like to eat later but the past few months, after the morning sickness went away, if I go past 11 am for lunch I am just starved." Dixie explained, while being social with her brother's girlfriend. "Well, I'll get your orders in so they can get started." Crystal said. After putting the ticket in, she turned to the other waitress Ruby Mae, "After we get cleaned up from lunch can you cover me for ten minutes before the dinner crowd comes in?" "Sure, Honey." Ruby Mae replied.  Crystal brought the food a few minutes later, “hope ya’ll enjoy, if you need anything else just let me know,” Crystal said before going to another table. BL took a bite of her meatloaf, closing her eyes and smiling,”this is great.” Dixie nodded agreement  while chewing, the food was great. When they were done BL said to Dixie, “lunch is on me, you still got to pay for food for the fire department. I know you’ll get reimbursed but I got this, why don’t you leave Crystal a tip.” “Alright Dixie replied, putting a $5 bill under her plate, then went to the restroom while BL paid the bill. After everyone had cleared out, Crystal and the other waitress set about cleaning up. “I’ll be back in ten minutes,” Crystal said, putting on her jacket. The drugstore wasn’t far, afraid she might lose her parking place Crystal walked to the drugstore to get a pregnancy test. Back in Hazzard LB was helping at the cabinet shop to get the stuff done for Saturday.  But across town, Lori Mae just was not feeling anywhere near like working today but with Daisy off until later, she really didn't have much choice.  Lori Mae felt like she was going to throw up if she had to stay much longer, the smell of the popcorn she usually liked but today not so much. Lori Mae suddenly remembered she could call the other part time waitress Bessie Lou Perkins. Going over to the payphone, putting in a quarter she said, “Mabel will you get me Bessie Lou Perkins please?”  Mabel put the call through to Bessie Lou’s trailer at the Hazzard Mobile home park. Lori Mae explained she wasn’t feeling well but Daisy wasn’t due in until later. Within ten minutes Lori Mae found herself in her car headed home. A bit later, LB had to run an errand that took him by the Boar's Nest, so LB decided to stop just long enough to say 'Hi.' to Lori Mae and get a cold beer to cut the dust in his throat.  As he parked and went inside he was a bit surprised when Bessie Lou was the only waitress he saw. "Afternoon, Bessie Lou." Bessie Lou drooled, "Hey there, LB, Sugar. What can I get you?" LB moved his chair just a bit further back, "A beer and do you happen to know where Lori Mae is? I thought that she would be working." “She called me to come finish her shift, said she wasn’t feeling good, Something I can do for ya?” Bessie Lou cooed. “No, I’m good,” LB replied, finishing half his beer in one swallow. Paying for his drink, LB headed out back on his errand, maybe he’d have time to check in on Lori Mae after. In Placid County Crystal was trying to serve the early dinner crowd with a smile and not to be too distracted by thinking about the pregnancy test in her purse. Dixie and BL picked up Sadie and dropped off the stuff they’d got for Uncle Jesse now they were at home putting up the food and booth decorations they had got for the festival. “I’m gonna take this crocheting stuff upstairs,” BL said. "Leave 2 of the yarns and the hooks down here." Dixie said as she poured a glass of tea and headed for the couch, kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet up to get comfy. After a drink of tea she sat the glass down and waited for BL to return.  At least that's what she had planned but a couch pillow under her head and reaching back for the afghan on the back of the couch was all Dixie remembered as she promptly fell very sound asleep.  Once Lori Mae was home and changed into house clothes she was still feeling nauseous and very very weak and tired. She figured to lay across her bed to see if that helped any.  Normally, she heard LB's truck coming before he ever parked. Not today. LB went to Lori Mae's door. Usually she opened the door just as he was about to knock but that didn't happen, so he knocked. Knocked again. Finally knocking a bit too hard to just be an unexpected visit. BL decided to get comfy while she was upstairs so changed into some track pants and a baggy pullover lightweight long sleeve. Taking 2 crochet hooks and 2 skeins of yarn from the shopping bag and leaving the rest on Dixie’s bed BL went back downstairs to find Dixie sound asleep,  “I reckon lesson one is postponed until after naptime. A nap don’t sound half bad,” BL said, curling up on the loveseat. Stroking Sadie’s head was the last thing she remembered doing. Lori Mae awoke with a start when LB knocked harder, “Hold your horses I’m coming!” Lori Mae grumbled on her way to the door. “LB what are you doing here?” Lori Mae was surprised to find LB at her door this early in the afternoon. LB had been getting really concerned before Lori Mae opened the door, "Are you alright? I went by the Boar's Nest expecting to see you. Bessie Lou said you called her in to finish your shift, so I came by to check on you and when I knocked a couple times, you didn't answer. I was getting really worried about you.  “I’m ok must be getting the flu. I was feeling a bit nauseous and when I got home I layed down across the bed and fell asleep and didn’t hear you knocking. I’m sorry I worried you,” Loti Mae smiled. Some girls said LB was almost as bad as Bo and Luke but she thought it was sweet that he’d been concerned enough to come check on her when he found out she’d left work early. Lori Mae said, "I'd invite you in but I don't want you to get sick." LB bragged, "It's been said the plague would curl up and die on us Davenports, so the flu wouldn't stand a chance, but I've got to get back to work. How about I come check on you about 7? If you are up to it, maybe we can go for a drive and if not, I'll just come visit for a spell?" Lori Mae smiled, "That sounds good to me." After LB left, she set a clock for 5 and laid back down. Bo turned in the Boar’s Nest parking lot, expecting to see that BL and Dixie had got there first since they’d had the day off but he didn’t see either the thunderbird or the GTO.  Parking he headed inside to their usual table figuring the girls were just running a mite late. Luke saw General Lee as he was passing, taking the road just past the bar, Luke circled round and came in from behind, driving around front he didn’t see the girls cars or the wrecker but Cooter was usually last to arrive.  “I’ll be back soon, ya’ll take a nap. It was a busy day,” Luke told Scrapie and Trixie before going inside. “Where are the girls?” Luke asked, sitting down. “I don’t know, thought they’d be here by now,” Bo replied. Bessie Lou came to get their orders and Bo asked, “Bessie Lou have you seen Dixie and BL today?” “No Bo honey I ain’t but I only been here a couple hours. Lori Mae had to go home, she wasn’t feeling good, maybe she seen them,” Bessie Lou replied. Crystal opened the door to her small two bedroom apartment over the hardware store. She stepped inside and closed the door. She was home finally. She let out a sigh of relief at being home alone even if it would be short lived. She headed to the bathroom, took off her waitress clothes and wasn't certain what to change into at the moment her night shirt worked. She dug around in her purse for the test. She read the directions maybe three times. Sat down and held the test to get the needed sample. Now she looked at her watch and began to pray, beg and bargain with the powers that were that the test be negative. The more her mind raced, the more she wanted to throw up. She checked her watch again and swore the hand ticked backwards. Crystal checked her watch again and held her breath without realizing it as the second hand seemed to be moving at a crawl but finally time was up. Crystal looked at the test and this time she did throw up, the test was positive. Getting her stomach under control, Crystal wiped tears from her cheeks, “what now, Cooter don’t even know about Kathy Mae,” Crystal said aloud to the empty bathroom. Before she chickened out Crystal picked up the phone and dialed the garage, nearly losing her nerve and about to hang up when Cooter answered, “Hazzard Garage.” “Cooter we need to talk, can you pick me up in front of the hardware store, in about 45 minutes,” Crystal said. “Sure, are you alright Crystal?” Cooter asked, a little worried  because Crystal sounded strange. “Not exactly, I’ll explain after you pick me up,”  Crystal replied, hanging up before Cooter asked more questions. Cooter put his tools up quickly. Washed his hands and face and changed shirts before heading toward Placid. Luke finished his beer as Bo was about to order them another. Luke shook his head 'no'. "I'm heading out." Bo really wanted a second beer, but Luke was right, "Never mind Bessie Lou." He said following Luke outside.  Luke cut Scrapie and Trixie loose in the back yard. As he opened the back door he found Sadie waiting to go out, "Well, hello Miss Sadie. You wasn’t exactly who I expected to be met by, but you can go play." Luke said as he opened the screen door. Sadie ran out with her tail wagging. Luke came into the kitchen, the house was quiet. In the living room he saw part of the reason for the quiet. He saw Dixie asleep on the couch. He quietly went back to the kitchen, grabbed a couple beers and sat on the back steps watching the pups play as Bo came around the house. "What are you doing out here?" Bo asked.  Luke extended a beer to Bo, "Drinking a beer and watching the pups play. Dixie's asleep on the couch. The house is quiet so I figure BL is asleep upstairs." Bo took the beer Luke offered and sat on the steps beside him, “why don’t we eat supper out at the farm and bring the girls back a plate when we go do chores, that way the girls don’t have to cook,“ Bo suggested. “Ok sounds good to me,” Luke replied. Cooter was getting closer to the Placid County line but he could almost swear it had moved since the last time he was in Placid, two days ago. Darcy dropped Daisy off at the Boar's Nest with a kiss and promised to be back way before closing so that he could drive her home.  Inside, Daisy asked Charlie and Bessie Lou, "Where is everyone?" It sure don’t look like most Thursdays after work.” Charlie replied, "Bo and Luke stopped in for a beer, then headed right out." Bessie Lou replied, "Lori Mae wasn't feeling well. She said she thought she may be getting the flu." Cooter pulled up in front of the Placid hardware store and Crystal wasted no time getting in the old beat up pickup he was driving. “Hey sugar what’s wrong, you sounded upset on the phone,” Cooter asked as he pulled away from the curb. “Can we go somewhere private we need to talk?” Crystal replied. “Sure ok, I know just the spot,” Cooter said, heading back toward Hazzard. Crystal didn’t say one word the whole ride, she was trying not to cry or throw up as she imagined Cooter’s reaction to what she had to tell him. Cooter didn’t have much to say anyway, he was thinking his relationship record was about to continue the same as before Crystal. “Here we are Johnson's Hollow,” Cooter turned down a side road and off into a secluded hollow hidden by dense woods. Cooter let the tailgate down as he went around to help Crystal out. “Come on back here and let’s have a seat and you tell me what’s on your mind,” Cooter and Crystal sat on the tailgate, Crystal summoning all her courage. "Cooter." Crystal's voice cracked as tears welled up in her eyes. 'Well, at least she's acting like this is a hard thing to do.' Cooter thought. It had to be an act. If breaking up with him was so hard for her and she didn't want to do it, .... then why was she? His thoughts continued down the wrong trail.  Crystal looked at the sky to try to contain her tears as she tried again, "Cooter, I got something real hard to tell you." “It can’t be that bad, so just tell me,” Cooter may have said, tell him but his mind wasn’t sure it agreed with his mouth. Crystal swallowed hard, clearing her clogged throat to try again, Cooter I...,” Crystal stalled out again. “You what?” Cooter asked, patient and gentle. He didn’t get why Crystal was dragging it out. Was she enjoying watching him squirm? “Cooter please don’t hate me…I’m pregnant. I swear I’m not trying to trap you, I’m on birth control, it just failed.” Crystal couldn’t hold it in any longer, she burst into tears. Cooter heard her words. Words that he certainly wasn't expecting to hear. He had expected Crystal to be breaking up with him. Her words hit him with such surprise it was as if he heard them but didn't understand them almost as if someone told him something in a foreign language. He tried really hard to wrap his mind around the words but he wasn't having any luck at all. "You ain’t breaking up with me?" Crystal said, shaking her head, “I am pregnant with your baby. I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to trap you into marriage, I can raise the baby by myself. I’ve already been raising one for two and a half years.” "Pregnant? My baby?" Cooter managed to get out still in surprise or maybe even shock. Cooter took a minute to pull himself together, something else Crystal had said stuck out in the front of his mind, “You have another kid? Cooter asked.  Crystal nodded ‘yes’ “Yes, a two and a half year old little girl named Kathy Mae,” drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly Crystal continued, “her father was a slick tongued devil. Split as soon as I told him I was pregnant and I ain’t heard from him since,” Crystal replied. Cooter felt bad for Crystal and her daughter but at least his Mom hadn’t completely abandoned him, she’d just taken Dixie and moved to the city but his parents still remained married.  “I’m sorry Crystal, I’d never do that to a kid of mine. I know what it’s like to have an absent parent, well mostly absent my mom had issues with some of my Dad’s business dealings so she took Dixie and moved to the city but even though her and Dad couldn’t live together, they stayed married and Dixie visited me and Dad and when she got a little older she spent her summers in Hazzard. Moved here for a while when she was a teenager,” Cooter said, then asked, “What about you? I just told you about me but I hardly know anything about you.” “I don’t know my father, he left as soon as found out about me. Mama had to work 3 jobs just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table, Mama still raised me right at least she tried,” Crystal replied. Cooter wrapped his arms around Crystal. As she snuggled in closer he felt her relax a bit. Both sat quietly and held each other deep in thought for a long while. LB hurriedly cleaned up after work and headed out to Lori Mae's. He knocked more gently than he had earlier.  Lori Mae had washed her face and pulled herself together a bit ago but she still felt horrible as she answered the door. "LB come in if you dare but I'm warning you that I'm likely coming down with the flu." "The flu don't scare me none, Darlin." LB said.  Lori Mae nodded as she let LB inside. They took seats on the couch before LB asked, "Can I get you anything?" Lori Mae replied, "If you don't mind, can you get my comforter off the bed?" "Sure thing. Do you need anything to drink or eat?" He offered. The thought of food sent her stomach into flip flops. She shook her head, "Not now. Just the blanket." LB got the blanket and tucked Lori Mae in beside him as he sat back down with her.  “I don’t think you have a fever,” LB said, feeling Lori Mae’s forehead. “I’m still cold,” Lori Mae replied to which LB’s response was to hold her a little closer. In Johnson’s Hollow, Cooter and Crystal sat talking still as the moon rose in the sky. At the Boar’s Nest, Daisy was glad it wasn’t packed, for some reason she felt exhausted, even though she didn’t seem to have any other symptoms she thought she might be coming down with the flu. “Daisy, can I get another beer when you get a minute?” Darcy asked. “Sure can sugar,” Daisy replied.    In town at the Duke residence Bo, Luke, Dixie and BL were at their kitchen table, each one had a piece of poster board making signs for the Hazzard Volunteer Fire Department booth and the concessions booth.  BL asked, “How does it look?” Holding up a poster board with a bright red fire truck she had drawn at the bottom, leaving plenty of room in the middle for pricing and a menu. Bo replied, "It looks great, Honey." Luke and Dixie agreed. Dixie decided it was time for a snack. As she opened the fridge to see what looked good, she grabbed two beers for Bo and Luke. "You are a mind reader." Luke said.  "No I'm not. I just know you two." Dixie said as she got out the strawberry jelly, then the peanut butter and bread. "Anyone else want a sandwich?" Luke and Bo both declined. "I'm good." They said in unison. “I’ll take a sandwich,” BL replied. Dixie made two sandwiches and poured two glasses of tea then brought it all over to the table and then they all got back to work, so the girls could have the posters when they decorated the booths tomorrow. “Why don’t we head on back to Placid and go get Kathy Mae?” Cooter suggested, anxious to meet the little girl he hoped would be his stepdaughter. “You’ll have to wait until tomorrow Cooter, she’ll be in bed asleep by the time we get there,” Crystal replied. Cooter frowned at himself. It wasn't late to him at all. He was going to have to adjust his thinking if a child, well children, were going to be a part of his life. "Alright.Tomorrow it is. What time do you want me to pick you two up?" Crystal was working the breakfast shift tomorrow so she could be off Saturday for the festival. “I’m working the breakfast shift and the dinner shift but I have the afternoon in between free, how about 2? ” Crystal replied. “Alrighty 2 o’clock it is then,” Cooter said. "If you are working the breakfast shift, should we be heading home?" Cooter asked Crystal replied, " Most likely." She paused before asking, "Cooter? Will I see you tomorrow or ever again?" “Of course you will 2 o’clock just like I promised,” Cooter pushed a strand of hair behind Crystal’s ear, “Honey I’m not going to run out on my baby before it’s even born, like Kathy Mae’s father.” Crystal sniffed and looked upward to contain the tears that were threatening to fall, but she willed them not to. She only managed to get out, "Alright." “Hey, it’s gonna be alright, I promise,” Cooter tilted Crystal’s face up  and kissed her tenderly. At Lori Mae’s, LB put his arm around Lori Mae‘s shoulders, holding her as her head rested on his shoulder. Her breath on his neck came in soft light puffs in her sleeping state. LB for a change was content to hold Lori Mae while she slept. It was a rare thing for him to actually enjoy an evening that didn’t involve drinking or just being with a woman to have a bit of 'fun'.  After Daisy got off work she and Darcy had gone to the farm for a change. Darcy held Daisy close as he swung them, his foot pushing against the porch floor to keep them moving.  In Johnson’s Hollow, Cooter looked into Crystal's eyes, saying “we better get going so you can get some sleep before work.” “Yeah, I reckon so,” Crystal replied, sliding off the tailgate. Cooter helped Crystal into the truck then headed back toward Placid County. It was past supper time when Lori Mae stirred, "LB, I'm sorry I fell asleep." "Don't be sorry. You must have needed to sleep. Do you feel like you can eat anything yet?" LB asked.  "Not really." She replied. LB offered, "Why don't I run over to the diner and get some chicken soup or something like that?" "I'll try it." Lori Mae wasn't normally really fond of chicken soup but for some reason it sounded good.  Once LB returned with the soup. Lori Mae ate then he insisted on helping get her settled in bed then kissed her on the cheek before he left with a promise to call and check on her the next morning.  

Don't worry cousin! I think most people in here would be too busy being overwhelmed by your modesty!        * Oh...by the way, haven't we tried this before Roger? Anyway, I'm all for it!  I vote for THE DOH time.....7:00  p.m. central on Friday!!  ( the original time!  )

Knots

I'm thinking about making a DOH Beer brand!  ......Hobie's Finest?  ( My fav. is Ice beer so....HAZZARD ICE...??  ....with a big Confederate flag on the can !! YEA! That's it!) ....any other ideas??