DaisyMaeDuke

"Why would you be glad I said somethin' like that?" asked Luke, a confused look on his face.

The thought did not comfort Luke much. "I never meant to hurt you," he said quietly looking down.

Luke looked at him, his lip quivering. "I didn't....I...oh God, Uncle Jesse...I'm so sorry!" He hugged his uncle close, burying his dark curly head against his overalls, the memory coming back to him and the realization that he had most likely hurt his uncle as much as Jaime had just hurt him.

Luke shook his head. "No...I would never say that about you...never..."

Luke swallowed hard. "I don't know what I'm doing...I don't. You heard her in there. She wouldn't have said it if there hadn't been a grain of truth to it. I ain't a dad....I'm a guy who adopted her."

Luke found himself hugging into his uncle, tears finding their way from his eyes as he said that. "Was...a time...that was all I wanted Jesse...I dunno...why...it hurts so much any more...I always missed him...but not like this...never like this.

The action caught Luke off guard, so much so that he didn't pull away as he normally would have. The soft circular movements on his back seemed to be rubbing away the walls around his heart, encouraging him to cry, which he refused to do. Not here...not now.

Luke sighed. The last thing he wanted was to have a "talk" with his uncle about what was going on in his mind. He'd rather Jesse march him to the woodshed. It would be easier and quicker.

Luke pushed himself up, never one to stay still for long. Bo had always been on him to open up, not keep it inside...and the minute he tried to...no, it wasn't worth it. He took a stone and threw it far into the distance walking in that direction , not caring where he was going , just wanting to get away.

Luke said nothing. He knew he had upset Bo with his honesty, but he had never lied to Bo. He had hoped that maybe Bo would understand the longing or at least try to. But he didn't. Luke shook his head sadly feeling as if the whole family was turning against him.

Luke shook his head* "No Bo...No...I love being here...with Jesse...and Daisy...and havin you...I just...I miss my Dad Bo..."

Luke nodded. "More now...than ever."

Luke sighed. "I can remember my Daddy Bo. I don't remember much...but I remember words...hugs...my life...before the farm..."

"It ain't the same..." said Luke with a sigh, not knowing how to explain how it was different for Bo. "I love Uncle Jesse...and I'm grateful for all he done fer me...and if I hadn't already had a daddy, I'd be proud to consider him mine....but it ain't like that..." he choked a little ashamed of the way he was carrying on.

"I don't know what I'm doin! They made a mistake!" he cried out from behind his hands. "I ain't a dad...I've never even had a dad!"

"She's right Bo..." he choked out. "I ain't a dad...what was I thinking....I don't know nothin bout raisin a daughter...and she knows I don't." He slid down beside the towering oak tree beside him and hid his face in his hands.

Luke didn't laugh at the comparison. He didn't even agree or make a witty comment. He just looked at Bo with tearfilled eyes.

Luke heard Bo from behind him but shook his head. The last thing he wanted to hear was Bo tell him how wrong he was for walking out. His heart was breaking and he just wanted to get away.

To say you could hear a pin drop was putting it mildly. As happy as Luke had been 2 hours before, he fell from his cloud and fell hard. Without another word, he set down his napkin and walked out the door.

Flushes embarrassed that Daisy would confront him in front of Jaime. "She is NOT your daughter Daisy! She's mine!"

"Course not..not to you...ain't your daughter... maybe if it was you wouldn't be so anxious to go around in short shorts and low cut tops either..." It sounded mean and he knew it, but he didn't take it back.

"I s'pose, " answered Luke though he wasnt much comforted by that.

Luke shook his head. "Negotiate..." He didn't like the sound of that. "No girl of mine is gonna dress like that. When she is Daisy's age I can't do nothin' bout it but right now..." He chuckled almost catching himself saying the "as long as you live under my roof you'll do as I say "speech that Jesse had given to him so many times.

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Wasn't he Phillip Banks from Fresh Prince?