Jesse looked at him asmile behind his beard. "An why is he mad?"

"Because I was tellin' the truth...." Bo answered innocently

"About...?" asked Jesse raising an eyebrow.

"Him and Jenni...he's been scribblin' in his notebook that he loves her..."

Bo answered.

"And you're teasin him bout it?" asked Jesse.

"No...I just walked out the room sayin 'Luke love Jenni' and he chased after me..."

Bo's bottom lip wobbled a little. Even at 11 years old he still had the skills to pull that off..

Jesse looked at him. "Uhu...well...Luke might be a bit sensitive about his love life...he's at that age...you best just eave him be youngin...you'll be where he is fore long...an' you wouldn't want anyone teasin you..."

"But I wasn't teasin'!" Bo protested, even though he knew full well that he was. "You always said I should tell the truth so I was! You said we shouldn't keep secrets from anyone in the family unless it was birthday surprises or somethin' so I wasn't!"

Jesse looked at the youngster sternly. "I also said there's a time an' place fer teasin'...and I recon that this is not somethin Luke wants t' be teased about."

Bo sighed, wondering if he should protest again that he wasn't teasing but knew it probably wouldn't do much good so he didn't say that, instead only mumbling.

"Still don't give him the right to try an' drown me..."

Jesse looked at him. "I think you better apologise...don't you?"

Bo frowned, looking to him.

"No..."

"Then I recon you take what he gives ya," he said with a smile before walking off.

Bo scowled a little, watching Jessie walk away before deciding on another course of action. He turned tail and ran out the farmyard and down the road.

Luke for once didn't do anything. His mind was too absorbed with Jenni to think about retaliation.

Bo continued to run, not knowing where he was going, just wanting to get away for a while. To be honest he was a little annoyed that he always got told off when he teased Luke but Luke never got told off when he teased Bo.

Luke stared dreamily at his ceiling, wondering why Bo hadn't come in yet when he could smell that supper was near done.

Eventually has to stop, having asthma meant he couldn't run for very long. He took a quick puff of his inhaler and waited before carrying on walking, just looking around as he walked.

Eventually Luke pulled himself out of bed and walked to the kitchen. "Dinner ready yet?"

Lavinia looked over from where she was cooking at the stove, smiling to Luke with a nod.

"Yeah almost..."

It wasn't obvious she was sick...but everyone in the house knew she was.

Luke gave her a kiss, not something he normally would do, but knowing she was sick he had gotten into the habit of showing her affection whenever he could. "I'll go get Bo..." Withhat he left the house.

Lavinia smiled gently as Luke did, ruffling his hair softly and nodding as he left to get his younger cousin, starting to lay out the table.

Luke looked around for Bo calling out his name but nt finding him. Finally he went to his Uncle. "Uncle Jesse you seen Bo?"

Jesse looked up from where he was brushing Maudine the Mule, frowning.

"Well yeah...we had a talk out there in the yard before I came in here...last I saw he was still standin' in the yard..."

"He ain't there now...I looked all over for him..." said Luke a hint of worry in his voice.