DaisyMaeDuke

Luke nodded a little before his face brightened. "Oh...I forgot...I brung yas presents!" he exclaimed running to his backpack and digging in there to find his gifts.

Darcy Kinkaid Big Jim Mathers of Hatchapee County Money to Burn

Luke nodded a little. "I didn't mean t' scare him..."

Luke bit his lip. "I didn't mean t' scare him Auntie...he...he walked to me..." said Luke, more upset over making Bo cry than excited about what Bo had done now.

Luke ran him picking him up and hugging him close. "Ya walked Bo...ya was walkin!"

Luke turned just in time to see Bo walking towards him. "Bo?!" he asked in surprise.

Luke looked over. "Hey Bo! Hang on while I take off my coat an stuff an I'll come see ya..." he said beginning the chore of taking off his back pack and boots and hanging up his coat.

****Flashback**** Luke waved goodbye as Cooter's dad dropped him off at the farm. He had been gone for a whole weekend, and though he had had a good time, he was glad to be back to the farm. "Unca Jesse...Auntie! I'm hoooome!"

Luke nodded. "That' fer sure...like when ya learned to walk...though...you kinda surprised yerself too..."

****present**** "But that wasn't the only time you surprised everybody..." said Luke reflectively.

Jesse nodded tears in his own. The boy who doctors had said wouldn't live to be 6 months old had surpassed expectations and more. It was a big feat , though no one but Jesse and lavinia understood just how big. Luke hugged him close. "He must like me a lot, huh?"

Jesse grinned big. "Well I'll be..." He looked at Luke who wore a bigger smile than had been seen on his face for some time. "I'm his first word..." said Luke with a mixture of pride and awe in his voice.

Jesse came bustling in. "What in tarnation..." he exclaimed as he came inside quickly surveying te room expecting to find broken cookie jars, peanut butter smeared on the wall, or worse still, Bo in yet another asthma attack. He found none of this however and looked from Lavinia to Luke holding Bo on his lap. "What's goin' on?"

Iron Mountain Tri-County Amusement Park Goodbye General Lee

"See...I toldja..." said Luke proudly, picking up Bo again.

Luke just kept flipping through the magazine despite the little tugs on his pantleg.

Luke sighed. "Okay." He then set Bo on th e floor and picked up a car magazine thumbing through the pages though he couldnt read a lot of the words yet.

"Bo...Bo say it...say Luke...Luke..." persisted Luke not wanting to look like he was lying in front of Auntie.

Luke nodded almost bouncing with excitement. "Yeah! Watch...Bo...Bo say Luke...Luke..."

"Bo said my name!" exclaimed Luke happily.

Luke nodded a little but brightened as he thought of something. "Auntie! Guess what?!" he said the blue eyes on the verge of tears a moment ago now sparkling with excitement.

"Auntie...will Bo ever be able to play with me?" asked Luke his lip quivering a little.

Luke sighed again, holding the little boy carefully in his arms. "Why's Bo gotta be sick?"

"It ain't fair," said Luke miserably.

Luke sighed and looked at Bo. "Sorry Bo...no more tickles today."