The next generation

[Jamanda]

Lily bobbed her head to the music of her headphones. Lucas was playing with a handheld video game. Tommy was sitting in the middle of the backseat singing at the top of his lungs.

"On the road agaaaaain! I can't wait to get on the roooooad agaaaaain!"
"You're gonna be off the road if you don't keep it down," their mother snapped from the front seat.
"Sorry Mommy," said Tommy. "I'm trying to drown out Lily's music."
"Turn your headset down Lily," said their dad.
"She's not listening," said Tommy, poking his sister.
"Wha?" asked Lily.
"Turn it down," said her father.

Lily rolled her eyes and turned the music down. The 16 year old could care less about what her father thought. She had wanted to stay in L.A. with her friends and, sigh, Johnathan Braddock. But no. Now that Mom was expecting again, there was no question.

Little Tommy was only five and was excited about moving to a small town in Georgia. He loved the stories his father would tell about fast cars, boar hunting, and turkey shoots. He was also anxious to meet his mothers cousins, who were the heros of most of the old stories.

Lucas was ten and didn't really mind either way. He'd go anywhere as long as he could play baseball. He liked rooting for the Dodgers, but now he could root for the Braves too.

Daisy sighed and rubbed her belly. She was glad to be going home at last. Her husband had promised her that if the family got too big for their suite in L.A., they could go back to Hazzard County, where both of them grew up, met each other, fell in love, and finally married. He had to give in when she told him that she was pregnant again, especially when they found out it was twins.

Enos gazed at the mile marker, which showed that they were halfway across Texas. He too, was glad to be going home. The only reason they had stayed in L.A. was because he made more money there. But they had enough savings, and if he won the run for sherriff, he'd be able to support everyone. Besides, there were the other Dukes to help them out as well.

[Julieduke]

I like it.

[Jamanda]

Lily jerked back into reality when Tommy pulled on her headset.

"We're here!" he squealed. "We made it!"

Lily groaned and got out of the car, rubbing her backside and Tommy jumped out and ran up to the new house. If you could call it new.

It was a somewhat battered old farmhouse with holes in the roof, broken shutters, a front door off its hinges, and paint chipping off at every corner. Okay, it was a VERY battered farmhouse. Tommy squealed, Lucas stared, Lily made a face, Daisy looked at Enos, and Enos just sighed.

"This...is where we're supposed to live?" Lily said, clearly disgusted.
"Cool!" said Tommy.
"Now I know it needs work," said Enos, looking over the house. "But eventually..."

Enos didn't want to look at his family. This was the house where he had grown up, and it hadn't been in much better condition then. But it was all he had left in Hazzard County. There was no way a family this size could fit in the boarding house.

"Can we go in?" asked Tommy.
"Go right ahead," said Enos.

To a little boy like Tommy, the house was an adventure. He couldn't wait to look for secret passageways, hidden cubbyholes, and buried treasure. Lucas followed him, mostly to see if the backyard was big enough to practice hitting. Lily sighed and went in to see if the inside was as bad as the outside.

"It'll be just fine Enos," said Daisy, stroking her husbands arm.

He looked at her and she smiled.

"I know it's not much but..." he started.
"I think it's wonderful," said Daisy. "We're not too far from the farm or from town. There's plenty of room for the kids. And it's here in Hazzard."
"Well," sighed Enos. "It'll take a lot of work."
"So will raising twins," said Daisy.
Enos grinned.

"Wow," said Tommy. "Look at all these rooms! I bet I can have my own room! You think I will Lucas huh huh?"

Lucas shrugged and went out on the back porch. He smiled to himself to see the wide space surrounded by woods. One thing they never had in L.A. was a backyard.

Lily turned her nose up at the filthy kitchen and the funny smells in the front room. She cringed when she saw cockroaches scurrying across the hallway into the small bathroom. She glanced sideways into three other doorways, each leading into smaller rooms. At the end was the master bedroom, which was fairly large, but also poorly kept.
Lily sighed to herself.

"Is it too late to go back to L.A.?" she said to no one in particular.
"Yep," said Tommy, coming out of the bathroom. "Too late!"
"Ugh," Lily said, moving back to the front room.
"Don't go outside," said Tommy. "Mommy and Daddy are kissing again. Yuck."
"Thanks for the warning," said Lily, brushing some plaster out of her hair that had fallen from the ceiling. That's when she looked up and saw it.

[Jamanda]

Lily was thinking of pointing it out to Tommy when her parents came in.

"Well," said her father. "What do ya'll think?"
"It's gross," said Lily.
"It's cool," said Tommy.
"Where's Lucas?" Daisy asked.
"Probly out back," said Enos. "Can't keep that boy inside for a minute."
"Did you really live here Daddy?" asked Tommy.
"Yep," said Enos, looking around. "I remember it being a lot bigger."
"Well you're a lot bigger than you were then," said his wife.
"True," said Enos. "But I have added on to it since then."
"You did?" asked Daisy.
"Yeah," said Enos. "I had this hallway, all the bedrooms, and the bathroom put in when I came back from California."
"Which time?"
"The first time."
"I didn't know that," said Daisy. "What were you doing adding on to this house back then?"
"Well," said Enos, blushing. "I was hoping to get married and move into it."
"Oh really," said Daisy.
"Oh no," said Lily. "They're gonna get mushy again."
"It took a long time Daisy," said Enos, ignoring the groans from the kids. "Longer than I expected. I had to go back the second time to get enough money to finish it."
"And when it was finally done..." said Daisy.
"You wanted to live in California with me," Enos finished.
"Oh Enos," said Daisy. "I didn't know you did all that!"
"Well," he said. "I had wanted it to be a surprise. But with all the rush of moving and getting married...I'd kinda forgotten about the house."
He looked around.
"Really forgotten about it."
"Oh Enos," said Daisy. "It's here now just when we need it. And with Bo and Luke and Cooter helping out, we'll have this place in shape in no time."
"You think so Daisy?"

Daisy smiled and kissed him. Tommy made a face and went out the back door. Lily studied what she found on the ceiling. Suddenly...

"Phoo!" said Lily. "What is that?"
"If I didn't know better," said Enos, looking up and slightly annoyed that he'd been interrupted, "I'd say that was a good old fashioned pole-cat."
"A what?" asked Lily.
"Mommy! Daddy!" called Tommy, running in. "Lucas got squirted by a black kitty!"
"That wasn't no kitty," said Daisy.
"You mean...?" Lily asked in disgust.

Lucas walked up to the back door and the stench filled the room. He was none too happy about running into the skunk by the old outhouse in the backyard.

"Come on Lucas," said Enos, taking his son to the bathroom. "Daisy, do we have any tomato juice?"
"I'll have to run out and get some," said Daisy.
"I'm coming too," said Tommy. "Lucas stinks."
"Tommy," said Enos. "To us country folks, that smells a tiptoe through the tulips."
"Speak for yourself," Daisy laughed. "That was one part of country life I didn't miss one bit. Come on Tommy."
"You comin' Lily?" Tommy asked.
"Might as well," said Lily, glancing at the ceiling. She'd have to investigate that later.

[Jamanda]

Cooter was working in his garage when he saw the familiar face coming out of the general store.

"Why Daisy Duke!" he called out. "I was wonderin' when you folks'd get to town!"
"Hey Cooter," she said, shifting the bag of cans to one arm to give him a hug.
"Or should I say," said Cooter. "Mrs. Daisy Duke Strate?"
"You should," said Daisy. "If Enos wins sherriff he'd give you a ticket."
"He better win sherriff," said Cooter. "With ol' Rosco retired now, the only one runnin' against him is ol' Hughie."
"Cooter," Daisy said. "If Hughie beats Enos, then we've made our trip for nothing cuz we'd just go on back to California."
"We would?" Lily asked.
"Don't you worry," said Daisy. "Enos is gonna win. He's got to."
"And he will," said Cooter.
"Oh these are our kids Cooter," said Daisy, nodding to them. "Lily and Tommy."
"And another on the way I see," said Cooter. "Ol' Enos's been busy."
"Cooter!"
"Ain't got that reputation no more," said Cooter, shaking his head. "No sir..."
"Oh cut that out," said Daisy.
"How far along are ya?"
"Three months."
"Is that all?" Cooter asked. "Don't mean to be rude but, you look about five."
"Well I should," said Daisy. "Seein' as it's twins."
"TWINS!" Cooter laughed. "You didn't tell us it was twins!"
"You're the first to know," said Daisy. "Now don't tell Bo and Luke. We'll do that later tonight at dinner."
"My he HAS been busy."
"Cooter..."
"Done hit a double..."
"COOTER DAVENPORT!"
"So that makes four?"
"Five," said Daisy. "We have another one, but he got sprayed by a skunk as soon as we got here."
"Well ain't that a typical Hazzard county initiation," Cooter laughed. "That explains the tomato juice. I better let you go rescue him eh?"
"Yeah we should get going," said Daisy.
"Hey tell Enos I said Hey!" said Cooter.
"I will," said Daisy. "Come on Tommy."
"Wait," said Tommy, following his mother but looking back at Cooter. "Is that the same Cooter that crushed the fancy car into a box? An' drove a motorcycle through a door? an..."

"Braggin' on me eh Enos?" Cooter said to himself as a kid drove up on a dirt bike.
"Who's that Dad?" asked the teenage boy, taking off his helmet.
"Oh that's an old friend," said Cooter. "You know the guy who came out from California to run for sherriff? That's his wife and kids."
"Oh," said the boy, looking after them.

Lily looked back at the garage and saw the boy on the dirt bike. His face was dirty, his hair was too long, and it looked like he was missing a tooth. The boy saw her too.

"You looking at that girl ain't ya son?" Cooter grinned.
"Huh?" said the boy. "Dad! Naw, I ain't got time for no girls!"
"Sure ya don't," said Cooter.
"Aw leave me alone," said the boy, getting off the bike and going into the garage.
"Yeah you're right," said Cooter. "Sherriff's daughter'd be way out of your league anyway."

Daisy drove on home with Tommy jabbering on.

"An painted three cars the same to fool the bad guys? An painted an ice cream truck with naked babies on it that was full of guns? An kept havin to pull the sherriff out of the lake? An..."

[Jamanda]

Daisy stood outside the bathroom door as Enos dumped tomato juice over Lucas' head.

"Hee, you look like a gingerbread man," Enos laughed.

Lucas retaliated by getting a mouthful of tomato juice and squirting it in his dad's face.

Enos blinked a bit and grinned, "I guess I deserved that. Boss and Rosco didn't like it either."

"Think ya'll will be ready by five?" Daisy asked through the door.
"Should be," said Enos.
"Did you burn the clothes? Skunk don't come out."
"Yes dear, but he didn't like it none. That was his favorite Dodgers shirt."
"We'll get you another one Lucas."
Lucas licked tomato juice off of his face.
"I'm going out back to check on Tommy. I think he wants to find that skunk."
Lucas shook his head frantically, spraying Enos with tomato juice.
"You better find him Daisy," Enos said.

While Daisy went out back to find Tommy, Lily went back to the front room and gazed at the ceiling. She finally looked around and saw and old chair that looked sturdy enough to stand on. She moved it to the right spot, stood on it, and could just reach it.

It was a small metal ring with a hook in it. Lily pulled on the hook, and had to twist it a bit to get it out. Once it was free, a small section of the ceiling swung down on hinges that had been covered with plaster. Lily was a fairly strong girl and with a bit of a jump, was able to hoist herself up into the small opening. When she looked around at what was up there, all she could say was...

"Whoa!"

The attic was drafty, as the sloping roof had some shingles missing, and the window down at the end was stuck slightly open. The floor was littered with rocks, pieces of paper, some broken pencils, sticks, and a lot of dust. Several metal traps were hanging on the sloping wall. One had some small bones in it. In the far corner was a pile of old dusty quilts, piled up on an old stained matress. Next to that, was an old wooden crate with an oil lamp on it and some books inside it.

Lily went over to the crate, pulled out a book, and brushed the dust off of it. It was an old-fashioned primary reader, featuring Dick and Jane. She opened it and saw that on the inside cover, someone had scrawled out with a dull pencil...

This book belongs to Enos Strate.

[Jamanda]

"No Tommy," Daisy told the little boy as they came into the house. "You are NOT going to catch that pole-cat!"
"Awwww Moooommm," Tommy whined.
"Lucas is ready now," Enos said.
"Where's Lily?" Daisy asked.

Enos grinned and pointed up. There were some rather defined thumping noises coming from the attic.

"Lily!" Enos called, banging on the ceiling. "Come on Lily, get down from there!"

Lily crawled over to the trapdoor to see her father grinning up at her.

"I see you found my old room," he said.
"You actually slept up here?" she asked.
"Sure did," he said, holding his hands up to her. "One of the few places I had where I could be alone."

Lily slid down into her father's arms. He lowered her to the floor like she didn't weigh a pound.

"Can that be my room?" she asked. "Please?"
"Fine by me," he said. "I always liked it."
"Oh thank you Daddy!" she said, kissing his cheek and running out to the car.

Enos grinned and touched his cheek. Kisses from his daughter had been getting fewer and fewer as she grew up. He sighed and latched the door in the ceiling.

"Are ya'll ready to go now?" Daisy said, smiling. "Bo and Luke are waiting."

[Jamanda]

Cherry sat in the old oak tree out in the back of the farm and watched the old station wagon drive up.

"Dad!" she called, scrambling down. "They're here!"

A man in a blue plaid shirt with short black hair a goatee ran out the back door.

"Daisy!" he called. "Enos!"
"Hey Luke!" called Daisy, getting out of the car.
"Wow Daisy," said Luke after giving her a hug. "Prison food really puts on the weight don't it?"
"LUKAS K. DUKE!" Daisy laughed, slapping his shoulder. Then with a grin. "Luke, I've only been here overnight."

Luke laughed as Enos and the kids gathered around.

"Hey Enos ol' buddy," Luke said. "Now you can tell me...any change?"
"Change in what?" asked Tommy.
Enos nodded over to his wife.
"What do you think?" he grinned. "The evidence speaks for itself."
"Huh?" Tommy said.
"Enos!" Daisy scolded.
"Sorry," said Luke. "I just had to ask."
"Ask what?" Tommy asked.
"Never you mind," said Daisy.
"Sure you did," said Enos. "Where's Bo?"
"Picking up the womenfolk," said Luke. "They'll be here in a minute. In the meantime...I take it the pretty one's Lily."
"That she is," said Enos.
"Hi," Lily said, shaking Luke's hand.
"Howdy," said Luke. "Now which is my namesake?"
"Yer wha?" asked Tommy.
"This is Lucas," said Daisy, putting a hand of Lucas's shoulder.
"Howdy Lucas," said Luke, shaking the boy's hand.
Lucas smiled weakly.
"So you must be Tommy," said Luke, looking at the smaller boy.
"Dat's me!" said Tommy. "Who're you?"
"Ain't you figured it out by now?" Luke laughed. "I'm Luke Duke, your mama's cousin."
"LUKE DUKE!" Tommy squealed. "The same one that won the Hazzard Derby? An' hijacked a fertilizer truck of slot machines? an..."
"There he goes again," Enos said, rolling his eyes.
"I told you to quit telling him those stories!" Daisy scolded.
"But he likes those stories," said Enos.
"an' stole a rolls from a mad dog? ..."
"I think you just like tellin' them," Daisy said.
"When most of them make me look like an idiot?" Enos asked.
"an' tied Daddy up on a wall?..."
"My case rests," said Enos.
" an' drove an 18-wheeler backwards?...an'..."
"That's enough Tommy," said Daisy.
"You're quite the storyteller I take it," Luke told Enos.
"It's the only way to get him to go to sleep," Enos sighed.
"Oh," said Luke. "My daughter's here somewhere. Probably in that tree again. Cherry! Get down here!"
"Mom's coming Dad," said the girl, jumping down from the tree.
"Wow," said Enos. "She has an easier time with that tree than I ever did."
"Is that the same tree that..." Tommy started.
"Tommy!" said Enos. "Will you hush?"

Luke introduced Cherry to her kinfolk. She was about Lily's age, but looked a lot younger. She wore a red checkered shirt under dirty overalls and she had a lot of curly red hair that stuck out from under a black bandanna. She didn't wear shoes at all as she stood by her father and chewed on a toothpick.

Another car drove up and several people came out to hugs and introductions. Luke went over to kiss his wife, Amy Creevy Duke, who proceded to scold her daughter for not wearing shoes. The tall and handsome Bo hugged Daisy and naturally teased Enos in the same way his cousin had. Bo's wife, Jill Dodson Duke, stood behind him shyly while holding a little girl.

"Oh here honey," said Bo, taking the girl. "Daisy, this is little Daisy Mae."
"Oh she's so adorable," said Daisy. "Hey there Daisy Mae."

The little girl looked at Daisy with big blue eyes, giggled, and hid her face in Bo's yellow shirt, which matched her mop of curly hair.

"She's a little shy," said Bo.
"Isn't she the cutest thing?" Daisy said.
"Sure is," said Enos.
"Well come on now!" said Amy. "Let's quit jawin' so we can go eat!"
"That's my woman!" said Luke.

Amy stepped on his foot.

"Some things never change," Enos said, grinning to himself.

[Jamanda]

Dinner took place outside at the picnic table. At least that's where Daisy, Jill, and Amy sat down to eat. Bo, Luke, and Enos wound up sitting on the hoods of the cars, talking about old car chases. Cherry sat in her tree while Lily sat under it. Lucas sat on the porch, where little Daisy Mae kept trying to steal his peas. Tommy was content to run around the yard, taking food from anybody, and asking his usual run of questions.

"Did you really win the Hazzard Derby?" he asked Amy. "Even though your ol' boyfriend was tryin' to get ya?"
"Well yes," said Amy. "But..."
"Wow!" said Tommy, looking at Jill. "An' you got all that money from Sherriff Rosco to save an orphanage?"
"Sure did," said Jill. "You have heard a lot."
"Too much if you ask me," said Daisy, giving Tommy a buscuit. "Run along now."

Tommy skipped over to the porch where little Daisy Mae was pulling on Lucas's shirt.

"I think she wants to sit on your lap," Tommy said, taking a big bite of his buscuit.

Lucas held his plate up and the two year old sat down between his knees.

"She likes you Lucas," said Tommy. "Good thing you don't smell no more."

Lucas threw a pea at Tommy and Daisy Mae laughed and clapped her hands. Tommy laughed and ran over to the girls.

"So how old are ya?" Cherry asked.
"Sixteen," said Lily. "You?"
"Fifteen."
"Really? You look younger than that."
"It's the overalls," said Cherry. "Ever wanna look younger, just wear overalls. Pigtails work great too, but my hair's too short."
"I think I'd rather look sixteen," said Lily.
"To each his own," said Cherry, taking a big bite of fried chicken. "I figure boys'll leave me alone if I look like a kid."
"I suppose," said Lily, raising an eyebrow.
"Lily likes boys," said Tommy.
"Shut up Tommy," said Lily.
"Especially Johnathan Braddock," said Tommy.
"I said shut up!"
"She's got pictures o' him," Tommy teased.
"Is he cute?" asked Cherry.
"Waddya think?" asked Tommy, snatching a picture out of Lily's pocket.
"Give me that!"

But Cherry already grabbed it.

"Not bad," she said. "Varsity Letter Jacket...Football...good hair...all city slicker though."
"Well we are from L.A.," said Lily, grabbing her picture back.
"Won't find a lot of those around here," said Cherry. "Just smelly country boys."

At that, Lily remembered the boy on the dirt bike by the garage. Tommy, having lost interest in teasing his sister, ran over to the men by the car.

"I told you," said Enos. "You ask me that fool question one more time..."
"All right all right," Luke laughed. "We'll give it a rest."
"The answer's too obvious anyway," Bo grinned.
"You fellas are something else," Enos laughed. "Remind me again why I ever left."
"Better pay," said Luke.
"To see the city," said Bo.
"And so people'd stop asking you that fool question," Luke grinned.
"Not really," said Enos. "Turk somehow found out about that and he was almost as bad as you two."
"Almost?" asked Bo.
"But not quite," said Enos. "He never tied me up and hung me on a wall for a week."
"They really did that Daddy?" Tommy asked.
"Where'd you come from?" asked Bo.
"We just went over that," said Luke.
"Will you give it a rest!" Enos laughed, picking Tommy up. "Yes, they really did hang me on a wall. Poor Sherriff Rosco thought I'd gone AWOL, but he finally found me when the nail broke."
"It broke?" Bo asked.
"Yes," said Enos, glaring at them. "Broke after I'd fallen asleep for the upteenth time and I crashed to the floor. Sherriff Rosco busted in, saw me lying there and said 'Enos you dipstick you mean you've been hanging on that wall this whole time!'"
"And what'd you say?" asked Bo.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"I had a gag in my mouth remember? You put it there!"
"Still bitter huh?" Luke said.
"I am NOT bitter," said Enos. "And I'm never sarcastic either. You're just lucky I was in love with your pretty cousin or I might've locked you up for good."
"Nah," said Bo. "Boss and Rosco never succeeded. Why would you be any different?"
"You're probably right," said Enos, while Tommy ate the rest of his pecan pie. "But you're still lucky..."
"You married our pretty cousin," said Bo and Luke together.
"I married your pretty cousin," said Enos, opening his mouth so Tommy could shove the rest of the pie in it.

Well After Supper Bo , Luke , Daisy , and Enos all sat around a Bonfire
told Stories of the past Enos was teasing Luke about his love life and saying " Between Bo and Luke Luke tried the hardest to find a Soulmate Bo was no help on accont of the fact that he was always the one who got the girl ."

Then Luke jumped in and said " Yep that's how it was back then I can't tell y'all how many times it hurt me to see Bo with a girl i wanted to hurt him but i didn't i just acted like it didn't bother me.
Then the stories got a little more personal and Sexy

Then Bo said " Hey Y'all remember that time when Luke and Ruby was going out back then Luke wasn't as skilled in the Love department She took his heart she broke it at Grad he just couldn't stand it i remember when Me , Enos , Cooter was trying to convience to come to the Graduation party at the Boars Nest so he could drown his misery so he said " Nah Bo i think i just stay here at the farm and get drunk " Then I said "!! Luke Duke is you nuts you what Jesse gonna say if he finds out you been sneaking into the Shine Cabinet.!! everybody started cracking up and saying " :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: Luke started blushing and put his head on his lap he said " Oh Lord Please help me i can't take this treatment Bo started laughing and giving his Cousin a hard time Then Luke gave Bo a look then Bo stopped and said " Luke i didn't mean to hurt your feelings but your Love Life before Amy was rather funny.

[Jamanda]

"But you remember what you said a few years ago?" Daisy asked Bo and Luke. "About why you two were finally able to settle down?"
"Sure do," said Luke, slapping Enos on the shoulder. "We owe it all to you buddy."
"Me?" asked Enos. "What'd I do?"
"You waited," said Bo. "That's what you did."
Enos didn't get it.
"You see Enos," said Luke. "Bo and I were always running around after women, thinking that that was what love was all about."
"We never did understand why none of them would stick around," said Bo.
"But then you left for California," said Luke. "The second time, and gave Daisy your word that once you had the money, you'd come back for her."
"And you actually kept it," said Bo. "That's when Uncle Jesse sat us down, pointed at you and said..."
"You boys see that," Luke said, in his best imitation of their dear Uncle Jesse. "That's what love really is. Being willin' to wait all these years for the right one."
"Shucks fellas," said Enos, turning red.
"They're right though," said Daisy, snuggling up to him. "No matter how many times I flirted around, dated other guys, tried to run off with other guys, Enos was always there waitin'."
"You were worth waiting for Daisy," Enos grinned.
"Oh Enos!" Daisy sighed, melting into his arms.
"How is it he always knows the right thing to say to a girl?" Luke asked.
"Beats me," said Bo. "You're supposed to be the smart one."

Jill and Amy came outside carrying Daisy Mae and Tommy, both asleep. Lily, Cherry and Lucas followed them.

"We'd best get on home," said Enos, taking Tommy from Amy.

[Jamanda]

Lily slept in the next morning. She had surprised her dad by insisting on sleeping in the attic, even though it hadn't been cleaned yet. But she didn't care much that it was dusty. She liked the idea of being isolated from everyone else.

She woke to the sound of voices below. She could hear clearly when she put her ear to the floor.

"But why does she get to sleep up there?" Tommy was whining.
"She found it," said Enos. "Besides, she's tall enough to get up there."
"You weren't that tall when you used to sleep up there," Daisy reminded him.
"No," he said. "But I had other ways of getting up there. I usually used my fishing pole...

Lily rolled over and looked in the corner. There was an old fishing pole there with a lot of tangled line, a fishing basket, and a tackle box. Despite the evidence, she was having a hard time of picturing her father living up here.

[Jamanda]

Later that morning, the Strate family spent some time in town. Enos met with the county officials in the courthouse while Daisy did some shopping. Lily was left in charge of the other two and the three of them explored the square. The first thing Lily found was a phone booth.

"Hey ya'll," said Cherry, crossing the square. "Whatcha doin?"
"Lily's calling her boyfriend in L.A." said Tommy.
"Oh," said Cherry. "Hope she's got a lot of change."
"She does," said Tommy. "She says if there's any left I can get a soda."
"Right," said Cherry, looking at Lucas. "Don't he say nothin'?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"No," said Tommy. "Only if you talk about baseball."
"Oh," said Cherry, shrugging. "To each his own I guess."

Then there was a scream.

"I don't believe it!" Lily cried, bursting out of the phone booth. "Janice went out with Johnathan! My best friend! How could they forget about me!?"
"So what?" Cherry asked, patting her back. "Who needs them?"
Lily stared at her in disbelief.
"The only man a girl can trust is her daddy," said Cherry. "I heard that in a movie once."
"But it was my best friend," Lily wimpered. "How could she do that to me?"
"Because girls are even worse," said Cherry. "Come on. I'll buy ya a coke."

The nearest drink machine was in front of Cooter's garage, which was where Luke was doing business with the local mechanic.

"I can have it out of here by Thursday," Cooter said. "It'll sure be nice if you can get it back on the road."
"I aim to," said Luke. "Nothin'll give ol' Enos more satisfaction than chasing this car. Now where's that girl?"

"Hey," said Cherry, handing out the drinks. "Ya'll met T.J. yet?"
"Who?" asked Lily.
"Him," said Cherry, nodding to the street.

A kid on a dirt bike was popping wheelies and skidding across the pavement around the square.

"I've seen him before," said Lily, realizing who it was. "But we haven't really...met."
"He's a card," said Cherry, waving. "Hey T.J.! Over here!"

The kid drove up and skidded to a stop right in front of them.

"Wow," said Tommy.
"Lil," said Cherry. "T.J. Davenport. T.J., this is Lily Strate."
"Hi," said Lily.
"Uh hi," said the boy, taking off his helmet. "Your dad's running for sherriff right?"
"Uh yeah," said Lily, glancing over at the courthouse.
"Is he really as honest as Abe Lincoln?"
"Yes he is," Tommy piped up. "Daddy wouldn't lie if his life depended on it."
"So I heard," said T.J. "But is he fair?"
"Too fair," said Tommy. "I wanted to sleep in the attic."
"Huh?"
"Never mind," said Lily. "We'd better go. I think I see Mom."
"Okay," said Tommy.
"Nice to have met you," said T.J.
"Yeah," said Lily.
"Hey," said Cherry. "Where'd your brother go?"
"I'm right here," said Tommy.
"Oh drat!" Lily said, looking around. "I hate it when he does that!"
"Oh," said Tommy. "I think Lucas went that way."

[Jamanda]

Lucas had a bad habit of wandering off on his own. But even when he suffered the consequences last time by running into a skunk, he still slipped away when his sister started going on about losing a boy to her best friend.

He hadn't gone far at first, just to the other side of the square where a couple of kids were playing catch. Lucas watched them for a while, when one of them asked if he could hit. Lucas nodded and the kid handed him a bat.

"Okay kid," said the boy, who was a lot taller than him and had a lot of curly hair. "I've been wanting to try out my curveball, but Cliff here can't hit the side of a barn."
"Ain't my fault Jethro," said the other boy, who was short and stocky and wore glasses. "Your bat's too heavy."
"Whatever," said Jethro. "Back up. Let's see if he can hit it."

Lucas grinned and gave the bat a couple of swings. The tall boy threw his curve ball, which was a lot like other curve balls Lucas had dealt with before. Lucas swung hard, as he always did, and the ball flew through the air.

"Woah!" called the other boy, running after it.

The ball flew out of the square and into a nearby residential area...right into...

"OH NO!" Cliff groaned. "Not that window!"
"Oh we're dead," said Jethro. "Remember what he said last time?"
"He's gonna bury us alive for sure," Cliff whined.

Lucas shook his head, shoved the bat over to Jethro, and started towards the house.

"Wait!" said Jethro. "Are you crazy!"
"Don't do it man!" called Cliff.
"I can't watch," said Jethro.
"Maybe he'll let him off easy since he's new," said Cliff.
"I doubt it," said Jethro. "That old man never lets ANYONE off easy."

[Jamanda]

Lucas walked up to the front of the house, where a fat basset hound was lying on the porch. The dog looked up when he approached, sniffed him a little, and then put its head down and went back to sleep. Lucas took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

There was some shuffling inside the house and the sound of someone muttering.

"Them dang kids again...I'll give 'em what fer this time."

Lucas was thinking about running for it when the door opened.

A tall man with a lot of gray hair and wrinkles stood there with the ball.

"Oh," he said, a bit taken aback. "Yer a new one."

Lucas held up a $10 bill. He usually carried one with him just in case.

"You've done this before haven't you son?" said the man, taking the money. "I supposed you kin have yer ball back."

Lucas grinned as the man tossed him the ball. He was about to leave when the man said...

"Wait a minute. Come back here."

Lucas turned around and looked at the man, who seemed to be studying him closely.

"Well I'll be," said the man. "I know who you are! Your daddy's running for sherriff!"

Lucas nodded.

"Well come in!" said the man, suddenly excited. "Come on in son!"

Lucas wasn't sure about this old man, but he didn't want to be rude either so he let himself be shuffled into the house.

"Tell me son," said the old man, sitting down in an easy chair. "Your daddy ever tell you about ol' Sherriff Rosco P. Coltrane?"

Lucas grinned.

[Jamanda]

Jethro and Cliff ran over to the garage at full speed.

"You'll never believe it man!" Jethro called out. "That kid just went into the Coltrane house!"
"No way!" said T.J., his eyes wide. "What kid?"
"Some short kid," said Jethro, gasping for breath. "Didn't say nothin'. We just wanted to see if he could hit..."
"Yeah," said Cliff, catching up. "He hit a long fly right into the ol' man's window..."
"NO!" T.J. gasped.
"Yeah," said Jethro. "And then he walks right up to the front door...and...and...it's just to horrible..."
"And what?" T.J. asked.
"The old man took him into the house!" Cliff wimpered.
"He's dead," said T.J. "Ol' man Coltrane never leaves survivors."
"Wait a minute," said Lily. "A short kid who wouldn't talk hit a long fly ball?"
"Yes'm," said Cliff, who hadn't noticed she was there.
"LUCAS!" Lily yelled. "Where is this house?"
"Over there," said T.J., pointing to the area. "But I wouldn't go after 'em Lily. You don't know what Ol' Man Coltrane does to kids that break his window."
"Remember what happened to Harvey?" Cliff wimpered.
"IT AIN'T NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I'M GONNA DO TO THAT KID WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM!" Lily yelled. "Come on Tommy."
"Don't mess with her when she's mad," Tommy told the guys as Lily grabbed his hand.

The three boys stood there gaping at her as Lily stormed off towards the house.

[Jamanda]

The boys all stood back as Lily stormed up to the front door of the house, Tommy cowering behind her. The basset hound of the porch lifted its head, sniffed, wimpered a bit, and then went back to sleep. Lily rang the doorbell and the man answered.

"Is my brother here?" Lily asked, looking into the room around the man.
"Well uh," said the man, looking behind him. "There was a boy here but uh, you don't see him now do ya?"
"I think he saw ya coming," Tommy said softly.
"Thank you," said Lily, storming off and dragging Tommy with her.

Rosco closed the door and looked behind him again.

"It's okay boy," he said. "She's gone."

Lucas peeked out from under the couch.

"You in trouble ain't ya son?"

Lucas nodded.

"Well boy," said Rosco. "That's some spunk in that sister of yours. Got that from Daisy no doubt. It'd be cruel and unusual punishment to hand you over to a snapdragon like that."

Lucas nodded again and wimpered a bit.

"You don't say much do you?"

Lucas sneered.

"Just like Enos," Rosco said, mostly to himself. "He was quiet like that when he was kid. Then he done grew up and you couldn't get him to shut up half the time."

Lucas smiled.

"You certainly have his grin," said Rosco. "That's for sure. But I'll tell ya what I'll do. So as I don't get charges for kidnappin' or nothin', I'll just take you to your daddy."

Lucas nodded as Rosco grabbed his old black Stetson.

"Yep," said Rosco, opening the door. "He's a dipstick. But he's fair. Bruno, guard the house."

Lucas followed Rosco outside and saw that the basset hound handn't moved.

"Lazy mutt," Rosco mumbled. "They just don't make 'em like they used to. Flash would've at least moaned or something."

[Jamanda]

Rosco took Lucas to the police station, where Enos was just about to leave.

"Enos you dipstick!" Rosco scoffed. "Why didn't you tell me you were back already?"
"Howdy Sherriff!" Enos grinned, shaking his hand.
"I ain't Sherriff now," Rosco said. "Hopefully you will be."
"Sherriff," said Enos. "I'm always gonna call you that."
"I was afraid of that," said Rosco. "Once a dipstick, always a dipstick. Oh, is this yours?"
"Lucas," Enos sighed. "You run off from your sister again?"
Lucas nodded.
"You know she's gonna have a fit when she finds you," said Enos. "You'd best get it over with."
Lucas wimpered.
"Don't give me that now," said Enos, shaking his head. "You have to learn to take what's coming to you. Maybe then you'll stop wanderin' off like that."

Lucas sighed and gazed out the window where his sister was storming up the sidewalk. Frankly, he'd rather be back with that skunk.

[Jamanda]

While Lily gave her brother an hour of lecturing about wandering off and getting her in trouble, the other boys were across the street, amazed that Lucas got out of that house alive.

"He did it," Jethro mumbled. "I dunno how, but he did it."
"Maybe he's psycho," said Cliff. "You know, reads peoples minds."
"That's psychic you dummy," said Jethro. "Maybe he bribed him..."
"Or maybe he's just used to grilling," said T.J., watching Lily. "I mean he seems to take it from his sister fairly well."
"Yeah," said Jethro. "That must be it."
"Is she done yet?" Cliff asked. "We wanna see if he'll join up with us and cover second. Ever since Bubba moved, we ain't had a full team."
"I think we'll have to wait," said T.J. "I ain't ever seen a girl that mad before, but I think it'll be a while before she's done."
"We'll just have to catch him later," said Jethro. "I gotta git. Mom wants me to watch the little guys again. See ya later."
"Bye Jethro," said T.J. and Cliff together as the tall skinny boy took off on a skateboard.
"Sure glad I ain't got brothers or sisters," said Cliff, looking over at Lily. "Seems to me you either gotta look after 'em or they yell at 'cha."
"Yeah," said T.J. "I gotta older sister somewhere, but she don't live with us so she's more like an aunt or something. She's never around long enough to yell at me for anything."
"Does your dad yell at 'cha?"
"Nah," said T.J. "He tries to when I mess up real bad, but he ain't real good at it. I can pretty much get away with anything...not that I would."
"Oh yeah," said Cliff. "My dad leaves all the yellin' to Mom. He can do the lecture thing if he wants to..."
"Isn't that him?"
"Uh huh," said Cliff, looking at his watch. "He's always late picking me up. See ya later."

T.J. continues to watch Lily from the garage as Cliff scuttles across the street where his father gets out of a car in front of the courthouse.

"Hey there Sport," said the man. "You mind if I go see an old buddy of mine real quick."
"Sure Dad," said Cliff, following him into the police station.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day," Cliff's father laughed.
"Cletus!" Enos grinned, shaking his hand. "Cletus Hogg! How are you buddy?"
"I thought we'd never get you out of L.A.," Cletus said. "How's Daisy?"
"Oh she's fine," said Enos. "Very pregnant. But fine."
"Yeah I heard about that," said Cletus. "You really having twins?"
"How'd you know about that?" Enos asked. "We've only told Cooter..."
Cletus nodded.
"I am a dipstick," Enos said, slapping himself on the forehead. "If Cooter knows, EVERYBODY knows! He's almost as bad as Maybelle."
"But you did tell Bo and Luke already right?" Cletus asked.
"Um," Enos said. "Possum on a gumbush! We didn't! I mean, they know she's...but they don't know there's two!...Oh man Daisy's gonna kill me."

Enos rushes out of the police station and grabs Tommy, who was sitting back and enjoying Lily's tirade at Lucas.

"Come on," Enos said. "We gotta go."
"But Dad..."
"No 'buts'," said Enos. "Where's your mother?"
"Over there," said Tommy, pointing across the square.

Enos looked up and saw his wife talking to a very large lady in white, County Commissioner Lulu Hogg.

"I'm doomed," said Enos.
"ENOS!" Daisy yelled from across the square. "YOU DIDN'T TELL BO AND LUKE!!!!!"

Lucas grinned and poked his dad in the back.

"Yeah yeah," said Enos, walking sheepishly towards his wife, who was looking more and more like Lily. "I gotta take what's coming to me."

[Jamanda]

Daisy was still telling her husband off as they drove home. Bo and Luke were waiting for them.

"Uh oh," said Enos.
"What'd I tell you?" Daisy scolded.
"Daisy Duke Strate!" Bo laughed. "We just heard a rumor that..."
"It ain't a rumor," Daisy said, glaring at Enos.
"I was gonna tell you guys last night," Enos said sheepishly. "Honest I was...I just forgot."
"How could you forget something like that!" Daisy ranted.
"Oh give him a break," said Luke.
"We were teasing him so much as it was," said Bo. "I mean...if we'd have known he done hit a double..."
"Okay Bo..." said Luke. "Leave the poor guy alone."
"Thanks," said Enos, disappearing into the house.
"And you could've told us just as much as he could," said Luke.
"But I wanted him to tell you," said Daisy. "You've been his best friends forever...even if you did hang him on that wall."
"I would've liked to hear it from ya'll," said Bo. "Instead of just overhearing Dobro and Brodie talking about it at the Boar's Nest."
"But the point is," said Luke. "What's done is done and it ain't no use beating a dead horse."
"What's that mean?" asked Tommy.
"It means your momma should let bygones be bygones and stop yelling at your daddy," said Bo.
"Oh," said Tommy.
"Oh all right," said Daisy. "Anyway, was there any other reason you two are here?"
"Oh yeah," said Bo. "We've been patching the roof."
"Oh good," said Lily, forgetting she was mad at Lucas and running into the house.
"Thanks for getting that roof fixed," said Daisy. "Lily's been sleeping in the attic and I've been worried about her catching cold."
"You let her sleep in the attic?" asked Luke.
"Enos let her," said Daisy, rolling her eyes. "He seems to think that if it was good enough for him, it's good enough for a young girl."
"Shucks Daisy," said Bo. "He's got a point. He done slept up there 'til he was eighteen and wouldn't fit no more."
"Yeah," said Luke. "It was the only place he had to get away from his dad and Rufus."
"Not the only place," said Daisy. "I imagine he's using the other one now."

[Jamanda]

Lily inspected the ceiling of her room. Bo and Luke had done a good job of patching up all of the holes. They'd even fixed the window so it would open and shut properly. Lily flopped down on her mattress and looked at the books in the crate. She pulled out a different one.

Hazzard High School - 1972

Lily grinned and opened the yearbook. It fell open to the section of sophomore pictures. A heart was drawn around one of the girls. It wasn't a particularly pretty girl. Her hair was pulled back into pigtails and she wore overalls. Lily looked at the caption.

Daisy Duke

Lily was taken aback at how much her mother looked like Cherry, at least in how she dressed. However, she had to giggle at what was written in pen over the picture.

Possum on a gumbush. Prettiest girl in Hazzard County.

"You must've had it bad Dad," Lily said to herself. "She doesn't even look that good in here."

Lily flipped back to the freshmen page and found a picture of a much younger Bo. Lily giggled at this as well.

"He sure had a lot of hair back then," she said to herself.

She also recognized the picture of a particularly messy fellow who was missing a tooth.

Cooter Davenport

She turned to the upperclassmen and found cousin Luke Duke among the seniors. He too, had a lot more hair back then. She then found another picture in that section. Someone with a dirty face and a huge smile.

Enos Strate

"You ain't changed much," said Lily. "That grin is the same as ever."

She turned to the back of the book where several people had signed it.

Enos,
Thanks for the good times. Be sure to tell me if there's any change.
Luke Duke

Lily still didn't get what that meant.

Enos,
Keep driving like a mad man! Good luck!
Cooter

Lily couldn't picture her dad as a crazy driver.

Enos,
Don't do anything I would. Don't lose your reputation without telling me first.
Bo

"What reputation?" Lily asked herself.

There were several others that were written by people Lily didn't recognize.

Enos,
Some day you'll put us all to shame. Good luck.
Dobro Doolin

Enos,
You're a good boy. Good luck.
Mabel Tillingham

Strate man!
Keep on truckin!
Brodie

Enos honey,
Don't forget about lil ol' me cutie.
Love,
Emily Hogg

Enos,
Good luck in Atlanta. We'll miss you buddy.
Cletus

Lily then found the one she'd been looking for.

Dear Enos,
Thanks for always telling me I'm the prettiest girl in Hazzard, even though it isn't true. Make me proud.
Love,
Daisy

Beneath that was written...

It is too true. I never lie.

Lily laughed and shook her head. She wondered if she should show it to her parents.

"Nah," she said. "Not yet anyway. I wonder who these other people are?"

She looked them up in the index. Dobro Doolin was a sophomore with curly hair. Brodie was actually a black student's last name, who was a junior. Cletus Hogg was also a junior, a heavy set fellow with a perplexed look on his face. Mabel Tillingham was a very pretty senior and Lily wondered why her dad didn't have a crush on her or the other girl, Emily Hogg. Emily was a dashing blonde in the junior class with several pictures in a cheerleading outfit.

She looked in the index to see if there were any other pictures of her parents or cousins. Daisy had one of her winning the girl's turkey shoot. Bo and Luke had some pictures with the football team. Luke also had another picture.

Best Looking

"He is pretty cute," said Lily.

There was also one of her father next to it. Lily read the caption and bust up laughing and rolled across the floor.

Most likely to appear in a Colgate commercial

[Jamanda]

Daisy walked out through the woods, trying to remember the way. She managed to find the clearing, next to a small pond, beneath a large willow tree.

"I keep forgetting you know where this place is," Enos said, sitting beneath the tree.
"Oh honey," said Daisy. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."
"It's okay," said Enos. "I'm used to being yelled at."
"Oh Enos."

Daisy sat in the grass next to him and leaned on his shoulder.

"Do you remember the first time I followed you out here?" she asked.
"How could I forget?" Enos laughed.

[Jamanda]

<FLASHBACK TO 1961>

A seven-year-old snuck out through the woods. He made his dad really mad this time, getting home late from school. It wasn't his fault. His older brother had been picking on the other kids again and he went over to their house to apologize for him, again. But his father didn't understand. He hardly ever did. So once again, the boy found himself at his secret hiding place.

He climbed the tree to the nook between the branches. Everything he needed was up there. A slingshot, a half-empty bottle of Coke, an Eagleman comic book, and a fishing pole. Sometimes he kept his squirrel gun up there, but he liked to keep it in his room in the attic most of the time, just in case.

"Enos!" called a girl's voice. "You out here Enos?"
"Ding dang it," said the boy. "Daisy! What're you doing here!? Go on home!"
"But Enos," said the little girl, looking up at him. "You forgot your book."

She was holding up his primary reader.

"Leave it by the tree and git," said Enos. "This ain't no place for a kid."
"You think you're so big just cuz you're in school," said Daisy defiantly. "I'll be in school next year you know."
"Go on home," said Enos, settling back down in his tree.
"No," said Daisy. "Bo and Luke went swimming again and I ain't got nothin' to do."
"Go bug somebody else then," said Enos.
"I'd rather be buggin' you," said Daisy.
"Oh good grief," said Enos. "Will you please go away?"
"No," said Daisy, grinning. "Not 'til you come down."
"Fine then."

Enos lowered himself from the tree and jumped down next to her.

"Will you git now?" he asked.
"No," said Daisy. "I just said that so you'd come down."
"Well what in tarnation do you want then?" Enos asked, a little annoyed.
"Have you ever kissed a girl?" Daisy asked.
"Yuck no!" said Enos. "Girls give you cooties and hives and all sorts of nasty things."
"Can't be anything more nasty than Rufus," said Daisy.
"Well no," said Enos. "Nothin' is more nasty than him."
"Then you won't mind then."
"Huh?"

With that, Daisy reached up and kissed his cheek.

"Aw yuck!" Enos groaned, wiping his face.

Daisy just giggled and ran off.

"I hope I ain't gotta do that every time I wanna git rid of a girl," Enos said, climbing his tree again. "Disgusting."

[Jamanda]

<Back to present>

Lily sat on the front porch at the Duke farm, watching Lucas and Tommy play catch. She and her brothers were hanging out there while the men were making repairs back at home. Cherry came out of the house and sat next to her.

Cherry: So?
Lily: So what?
Cherry: How do ya like Hazzard?
Lily: <shrugs> Frankly, I'd rather be in L.A.
Cherry: Wouldn't we all? I wouldn't mind going to the beach.
Lily: <grins> I dunno. I'm having a hard time picturing you in a swimsuit.
Cherry: <laughs> Yeah, you're right. Out here we usually go skinny dipping.
Lily: What's that?
Cherry: You never been skinny dipping?
Lily: No.
Cherry: I'll have to take you sometime. I'd take you now but...
Lily: But what?
Cherry: I imagine T.J.'ll be here in a minute.
Tommy: Hey look!

T.J. rides up on a dirt bike and stops next to Lucas.

T.J.: Hey. Ya'll wanna play ball?
Lucas nods.
Cherry: Okay.
T.J.: Don't he ever say nothin'?
Tommy: That's right. He says nothin'.

Lucas grins and grabs his bat while Cherry grabs her bike. Tommy runs in to tell Amy and Jill where the others are going.

Cherry: You wanna play?
Lily: Not really. But I guess I can come watch.
T.J.: Hop on.
Tommy: I gotta stay here, but they say you can go. Just be back at 4.

Lily gets on the back of T.J.'s dirt bike and waves to Tommy. Lucas is small enough to ride on Cherry's crossbar. The bikes take off to an old ball field where two other boys are waiting.

T.J.: Hey ya'll! I got us a second baseman!
Jethro: A real pretty one.
Lily: (getting off) Not me! Him!
Cliff: You gotta be brave man. Ol' man Coltrane didn't kill ya.
Lucas shrugs.
Jethro: What's your name kid?
Lily: His name is Lucas. Didn't you hear me yelling at him yesterday?
Cliff: Oh yeah. You mind playing second?
Lucas shakes his head.
Jethro: Don't you ever talk?
Lucas grins and shakes his head.
T.J.: At least he can hit. Now, this here's Jethro Doolin, pitcher and team captain.
Jethro: Howdy.
T.J.: That's Cliff Hogg, the catcher.
Cliff: And T.J. there is the shortstop and Cherry plays center.
T.J.: Where's everyone else?
Jethro: They're coming.

Other boys soon arrive. Sam Brodie, first base; Ernie Potter, left field; and Otto Avery, third base;

T.J.: We've almost got a full team.
Jethro: Base up guys. Lucas, you're up first. Blast one like you did yesterday.

T.J. covered second while Lucas took a crack at Jethro's pitch. He hit a line drive to left field and took off. Ernie threw it to Sam, who almost tagged Lucas out.

Sam: Hey, you're fast too.

The boys (and Cherry) played ball in the old field for a while as Lily watched from an old bench. She managed to catch several foul balls and acted as an umpire on several questionable plays.

Cherry: Sure you don't wanna play?
Lily: I don't play. I've just had to watch enough of Lucas's games to know what's going on.
Ernie: Oh ****.
Sam: What?
Ernie: Louie's coming.
Lily: Who?

Lily turned and saw a tall young man in a white convertible driving by slowly. He had sandy blond hair and blue eyes and reminded her of Johnathan Braddock. He parked the car and walked up to the fence.

Louie: Well well, still playing with the kids are ya?
T.J.: Buzz off Louie.
Louie: Still sore that you didn't make the school team?
Jethro: We don't need the school team. We got our own.
Louie: Oh sure. A bunch of loser kids and a girl.
Cherry: I can take you on anytime bucko.
Louie: Oh I'm real scared. Still a loser short ain't ya?
Jethro: We'd invite you, but we can't stand the smell.
Louie: Ya'll wouldn't last one inning against the school team.
Cliff: Wanna bet?
Louie: I would. But seein' as you ain't got a full team...
Lily: Oh yes they do!

The others turn and look at her. Louie hadn't seen her before.

Lily: You name the time and we'll be there.
Louie: Well how about that Dog Doolin? You done got another girl on your team.
Jethro: That's right. She makes nine and for once, you'll have to follow through...unless you're chicken.
Louie: Oh yeah...the school feild. Noon tomorrow.
Lily: Hope you don't mind being beat by a bunch of kids and a couple of GIRLS.

Louie glares at her, gets in his car, and drives off.

Cherry: Lily, welcome to the team.
Lily: Thanks.
Jethro: That was some fast talking but...can you play?
Lily: Lucas...gimme your bat.
Lucas grins and tosses her his bat.
Lily: Watch this...

They play some more and discover that not only could Lily handle baseball pretty well...

Otto: Man! That girl can run!
T.J.: We got a base stealer there!
Jethro: And we got a game! Finally! A chance to get old Louie to shut up for good!

[Jamanda]

That night, Lily is beginning to wonder if she should've stepped in. Lucas was so excited, he almost said something in front of the other kids, but it turned out it was just a burp.

"Now what do I do?" Lily said to herself, lying on her back in her room.

She rolled over and stared at the old lamp, which she managed to light after 14 matches. She stared at the books in the crate again and pulled out the last one.

The Holy Bible

"Oh," said Lily. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Her parents encouraged them to go to church, and Lucas and Tommy went all the time, but they let Lily decide for herself if she wanted to go. She didn't care much for church in California, as there weren't a lot of people her age there. She didn't know if she'd start going out here or not.

She opened the Bible carefully, as it seemed to be falling apart in the middle of Proverbs. Nearly everything in it was underlined, circled, or had chicken-scratch markings next to it. The only thing legible was the front page.

This Bible was presented to Enos Strate
On the occaision of baptism
August 5th, 1964
From Pastor Phillips

"He certainly used it a lot," Lily said to herself, flipping through the pages. It was falling apart in Proverbs again and Lily tried to hold the pages together. The verse right above the rip was circled and underlined.

"Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes..."

In the space next to it was written...

"I'm trying not to! Honest I am!"

"Dad," Lily said, laughing. "You are pathetic."

She managed to put the Bible back together and put it back. She thought of her father, trying not to lust after girls, and then her mind wandered to the attractive boy that challenged them to a game.

"We gotta win," Lily said. "He was so rude...but he is cute."

[Jamanda]

Of course, everyone's parents had to watch the big game. Luke and Amy sat with Enos and Daisy and little Tommy. Bo and Jill also watched while holding onto Daisy Mae. Cletus and Avery showed up with their wives. Dobro Doolin also came with his wife and five other kids, all girls except the youngest, who was just a year old. Cooter arrived with Emery and Mabel Potter. Ol' Brodie came last with his wife and two daughters.

On the other hand, a lot of other parents were there to watch the school team. Louie was the son of Honest John Ledbetter, who was the campaign manager for Hughie Hogg. Hughie was also sitting in the stands with a blond teenage girl next to him.

Jethro didn't let the school team intimidate him and told the others to play as best they could, if only to "wipe that smirk off of Louie's face for good!"

It was a really close game. Lily managed to catch Louie's fly ball, which would have given the school team the lead. Then Lucas was able to get on base for the tying run. Lily was up to the plate with Lucas on second. She winked at her brother.

One thing the Strate kids had in common with each other was speed. Lily hit a fast line drive down the middle and took off. The kid out there didn't catch it right away and she kept going, as did Lucas.

"She's stealing second!" Louie shouted.

But Lily slid into second just as Lucas ran home. The game was tied and T.J. was up.

"Atta girl Lily!" Enos cheered.
"Go get 'em!" Cooter crowed.

T.J. looked at Lily, who winked at him. He swallowed hard and waited for the pitch.

CRACK!

It was gone.

"He did it!" Cooter yelled, jumping up. "It's outta here!"

T.J. cheered as he ran the bases after Lily. Then he caught up with her and cheered.

"Lily Strate I could kiss you!" he laughed. "What a play!"
"Watch it now," said Lily. "My dad's a cop remember?"

T.J. watched Lily calmly walk away and wanted to kick himself for saying that out loud. Everyone else was jumping up and down. Lucas was shaking soda cans and squirting everybody.

"Hey wait a second," someone called.

Lily turned around and saw Louie Ledbetter.

"What?" she asked.
"You know," he said. "You're a good ball player."
"For a girl?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
"For anybody," he said. "I bet you could make the school team."
"No thanks," she said. "I really don't care to play that much."
"Well," said Louie. "What do you care to do?"
"Right now," she said. "I wouldn't mind being left alone."

She turned and walked off leaving yet another boy looking after her. She didn't see the other girl going up to him.

"Louie," she said. "You just got beat by a bunch of kids and two girls."
"I know," he said. "And I don't aim to take it sitting down."
"I know you won't," she said. "But if getting back means making a play for that one, let me remind you that her dad is running for sherriff against mine!"
"Regina honey," said Louie, putting his arm around her. "Don't tell me you're jealous."
"Should I be?"
"Of course not," said Louie, watching Lily. "I don't intend to fall for some girl after she makes a fool out of me. I'm just gonna do enough damage to make sure she doesn't do it again."
"Oooh Louie," Regina giggled. "I like it."

[Jamanda]

The excitement of the game died down fairly quickly as election day rolled around. Hughie ran a rough campaign, but since he couldn't find any dirt on Enos, he wasn't able to discredit his opponant except by saying that Enos hadn't lived in Hazzard county for the past 17 years.

On the other hand, Enos didn't discredit Hughie at all, even though everyone else said he should have. Instead, he focused on telling the people about how he was going to use his experience, both from Hazzard and L.A., to fulfill the office of sherriff as best he could. He didn't know it, but Bo and Luke also had a secret campaign going on behind his back that reminded everyone of Hughie's past attempts to gain power for his own profit and that Enos was the only lawman who had ever served in Hazzard that couldn't be bought.

On election day, Emery Potter ran the polls, and despite Hughie's demands for a recount, Enos won by a landslide. He stood up in the square and made his first speech as the Hazzard County Sherriff.

"I just want to thank ya'll," he said. "For using your right to vote and letting me serve ya'll as sherriff of this fine county. I give you my solemn promise that I will do my best to uphold the law and establish justice here in Hazzard. Now a lawman's job ain't supposed to be makin' speeches, so I'm gonna hand it over now to your county commissioner, Ms. Lulu Coltraine Hogg."

"Thank you Enos," said Lulu. "Let's give our new sherriff a hand!"

Everyone clapped and cheered. Lulu gave a nice speech about how she was supportive of the new sherriff and encouraged everyone to welcome him and his family. After the speeches, there was a large potluck dinner and a square dance. Enos stuck close to his wife while everyone congratulated him. Lucas wandered off with the other boys to play ball in the street. Tommy and Daisy Mae ate cake under the bandstand while Amy and Jill looked frantically for them. Cherry climbed a tree to eat her fried chicken in peace.

"I guess this means we're staying," Lily said to no one in particular.
"Is that a bad thing?" asked T.J., who was munching on potato chips.
"I guess not," said Lily. "It's not so bad."
"You gonna play ball again?" asked T.J. "Or was that a guest appearance?"
"Maybe," said Lily, looking at him sideways. "I may not mind filling in until someone else comes along."
"Well I 'preciate that," T.J. grinned. "Course you know, it may be a while."
"Don't matter none," Lily sighed. "I may be stuck here a while."

Lily walked away and T.J. looked after her. Then he shook his head and ran off to play ball with the others.

Lily sat down by the bandstand with a piece of watermelon. She was trying to figure out how the other kids were spitting out the seeds when someone sat next to her.

"Hey there," said Louie.
"Oh hi," said Lily.
"I guess I should congratulate you," he said. "Your dad's the sherriff now."
"Congratulate him," Lily said, not looking up. "It's his job."
"I'd rather congratulate the pretty one in the family," said Louie.

Lily gave him a look, the one she used when she was trying to figure out the difference between flattery and a sincere compliment.

"So what grade are you in?" asked Louie. "School starts next week you know."
"I'm a junior," she said. "You?"
"Senior," he said, with a hint of cockiness in his voice.
"At least you can leave in a year then," said Lily.
"True," said Louie. "But then, why would I want to leave when suddenly staying is all the more appealing?"

Lily gave him that look again, trying to figure the guy out. She'd heard plenty of lines before, but not from anyone this good-looking.

"Who's that Lily's talking to?" Enos asked.
"Louie Ledbetter," said Cooter. "Honest John's boy."
"Should I be worried?" Enos asked.
"Dunno," said Cooter. "I never had to raise girls."
"Wasn't he on the school ball team?"
"Yeah?"
"Hmmm," Enos muttered.

Enos didn't like to be judgemental about people, but he never liked to take chances where his daughter was concerned either.

[Jamanda]

Lily didn't care much for her first day of school. First she had to walk Tommy down to start kindergarten (Tommy wanted to run). Then she couldn't get her locker to open and Cherry had to help her (this one ya gotta kick it in the left corner). She was late to class and the teacher introduced her to everyone as "The Sherriff's Daughter", which Lily found particularly embarrassing. Then at lunch, she couldn't find anyone to eat with and had to sit by herself.

"This town really bites," she muttered to herself.
"Hey there," someone said. "Mind if I join you?"

Lily looked up and saw Louie Ledbetter.

"I don't care," she said.
"You know," he said, sitting next to her. "Some things in life just don't make any sense at all."
"Like moving away from L.A. to a puny podunk town like this?"
"Like a pretty girl sitting by herself," said Louie.
"Right," said Lily, poking at her food.
"It's not that bad," said Louie. "Just be sure to bring your lunch on Thursdays."
"What's on Thursdays?"
"Roadkill on a stick," he said.
Lily almost spit out her milk.
"You've got to be kidding!"
"I am," said Louie.
"Of course I wouldn't be too surprised," said Lily.
"Oh we ain't that bad," said Louie. "But I was serious about Thursdays. I think the cooks just throw everything together from the week before and call it tuna salad."
"But all schools do that," said Lily. "You sure there's no roadkill involved?"
"Scouts honor."

Louie was also in Lily's next class and continued being perfectly friendly. However, T.J. was also in that class and didn't seem to care for it.

"Hey Lily," he said, after Louie was off to his next class. "Wait up."
"Oh hi," said Lily. "What?"
"I'm just gonna warn ya," said T.J. "Be careful around Louie Ledbetter. He's bad news."
"I think I can take care of myself," said Lily coldly as she walked off.

T.J. stared after her.

"You're not jealous are you?" asked someone from behind him.

T.J. spun around and saw Regina Hogg.

"Shouldn't you be?" T.J. sneered.
"Oh I broke up with Louie last week," said Regina. "She can have him for all I care."
"He's not good enough for her," T.J. muttered.
"So you are jealous?" Regina teased.
"I am not!" T.J. snapped, turning red.
"Although I can't say I blame you," Regina said smoothly. "I mean what's a little grease monkey like you compared to Louie anyway?"
"Better a grease monkey than a pot-belly pig," T.J. sneered.
"Tsk-tsk," said Regina. "Such language. But then one can't expect anything clean to come out of a garage."

She flounced away, leaving T.J. madder than a hornet trapped in a jar. He kicked the wall, stubbed his toe, said a few curse words, got a detention when the hall monitor heard him, and stormed off to class.

[Jamanda]

As T.J.'s day was going downhill, Lily's was already there. Tommy kept jabbering on and on about kindergarten when she picked him up. She had to hunt Lucas down as he forgot which door he was supposed to meet her at. Then they got picked up on the corner in the sherriff's patrol car.

"So how was it?" Enos asked.
"That was fun!" said Tommy. "We got to play with play-doh an' crayons an'..."
"How about you two?" he asked over Tommy.
Lucas shrugged and looked at Lily.
"You don't want to know," Lily scowled.
"That bad?" Enos asked, raising an eyebrow.
"An' we had a snack an' we got to nap an' play outside an'..."
"Is it to late to move back?" Lily groaned, mostly to herself.
"Sorry," said Enos, starting the car. "The votes are in and the people have spoken. We stay."

Lily went up to her room as soon as she got home, saying she had homework. She really only had two small assignments, which she'd already finished, but she didn't want to be disturbed.

"Why did we have to come here?" she said out loud. "Why?"

[Jamanda]

"So how was Lily's day?" Daisy asked after she got Tommy to go play in the backyard with Lucas.
"Bad," said Enos. "She didn't want to talk about it."
"How bad?"
"Remember your first day of high school?"
"That bad?"
"I think so."
"I don't believe it," said Daisy. "I don't think anybody's first day could be as bad as that."
"She's got a lot of you in her Daisy," said her husband. "I wouldn't be surprised."
"She's your daughter too," said Daisy, stroking his hair.
"I know," said Enos, sighing. "I just...I just don't understand teenage girls you know? I ain't ever had to deal with this before."
"Sure you did," said Daisy. "You were just a teenage boy at the time."

She put her arms around him and he had to smile.

[Jamanda]

<FLASHBACK TO 1970>

Everyone was staring as the new freshman came into class. She wore overalls, had her hair in braided pigtails, and carried worn second-hand books. But that wasn't what everyone was snickering at.

"Hey Daisy," sneered a pretty blond girl. "What'd you do? Walk into a door?"
"Leave her alone Emily," said another girl.

But even those trying to be nice were staring. Daisy slid into the back row and tried to hide behind a book, but it was no use. Everyone had seen her lovely black eye.

It was like that all day. Emily Hogg seemed to appear everywhere, taunting her and coming up with different ways that she had hurt herself.

"She stepped on a rake," said Emily. "It swung up and smacked her right in the face. Watch where you're going Daisy!"

It was hard to tell where she was going between crying and trying to hide her face. Daisy did her best to ignore Emily Hogg, but it never seemed to do any good. She couldn't even escape in the girl's room.

"What did happen Daisy?" Maybelle asked.
"Bo and Luke were horsing around," Daisy sniffed. "One of them hit me by accident."
Maybelle tried not to giggle.
"Did they get it from Uncle Jesse?"
"Oh yes," said Daisy. "He tanned both their hides, but I still had to come to school today. What a way to start high school!"
"Oh there you are Daisy," said Emily, coming in. "I was just telling my cousin Cletus how you tripped over a pig and hit your eye on a hog trough."

Maybelle tried not to giggle as Daisy rushed out in tears. She was so adamant about getting away from Emily, she ran into someone else.

"I'm sorry Daisy," he said. "Are you okay?"
Daisy was too busy crying and trying to hide her face to even see who it was.
"Possum on a gumbush Daisy," he said. "What's wrong? Your cousin Luke told me what happened to your eye, but it can't be that bad."

Daisy sniffed and looked up at him. The boy was the same age as Luke, but shorter and thinner. He also had a black eye, as well as a number of other bruises and scratches on his face and arms. But then again, he usually looked like that.

"See now Daisy?" he said. "It ain't that bad. It'll clear up by tomorra if ya just put a little bit o' cold hog fat on it before ya go to bed. Best thing for shiners like that."

Daisy sniffed a little more and managed to smile and the boy did too. He had a huge grin, despite the fact that two of his teeth were missing, and it made Daisy laugh.

"I'm sorry Enos," Daisy giggled.
"Shucks Daisy," said Enos. "As long as I kin git you ta smile again."

He helped her up and picked up her books.

"Is it okay if I walk you home Daisy?" he asked shyly. "Luke's at football practice and I wouldn't want you ta walk home all by yourself."
"Okay Enos," said Daisy.

They were about halfway to the Duke farm when they heard a lot of yelling.

"What the...?" Daisy asked.
"Oh not again," said Enos. "Stay here."

Of course, Daisy followed him to where a large senior was intimidating a group of Junior High kids. One with blond hair was trying to stand up to him.

"Bo!" Daisy gasped, running over to them.
"Well what have we here?" said the senior, looking Daisy over.
"Leave her alone Rufus!" Enos said, getting between them.
"Butt out pipsqueek," said Rufus.
"Make me."

Rufus took a swing at him. Enos took the punch while yelling out at the same time.

"RUN!"

Daisy grabbed Bo and took off. The other kids dispersed just as quickly. Daisy glanced back only to see Rufus pummeling Enos.

"You run on home," she told Bo.
"But Daisy..."
"Git!" she said and Bo ran off.

Daisy snuck back around. She waited until the bully had jumped into a car and driven off, leaving Enos on the ground.

"Oh Enos," she cried. "Why'd you do that?"
"I had to," he moaned. "He was going to hurt those kids."
"But..."
"Daisy," said Enos, sitting up. "I don't want you to worry about me. I'm used to Rufus beating me up by now."
"But it's not right," Daisy cried.
"It ain't," said Enos. "But that's just how he is. And I'd rather he beat me up than a bunch of little kids who can't take it."
"Oh Enos," said Daisy, helping him up. "I don't know how much more of him YOU can take."
"Please don't worry about me Daisy," said Enos, trying to turn away. "I'll be okay."
"Well where you going?," Daisy asked. "Ain't you gonna finish walking me home?"

Enos looked at her.

"Oh yeah," he grinned. "I almost forgot."

He walked her back to the farm, but didn't want to stay.

"I gotta go now Daisy," he said.
"But Enos..."
"I told you not to worry now," he said. "I'll be fine. I'll uh...see ya Daisy."
"Hold oh Enos."

He paused as Daisy touched his arm. Then she lightly kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks," she said.

Enos blushed as Daisy ran into the farmhouse.

[Jamanda]

<Back to present>

Cooter pulled up at the garage and found his son sulking by the gas pumps.

"Hey there boy," he said. "How was your first day?"
"I got a detention."
"That bad huh?"
"Dad," T.J. said. "What do you do when someone you know is hanging out with someone rotten, but they won't believe you when you tell 'em so?"
"Hmmm," said Cooter. "Well...If it's someone I really care about, I keep warning 'em."
"And when they won't listen?"
"Well," said Cooter shrugging. "Sometime ya gotta let yer friends learn stuff the hard way."
"But Dad," T.J. protested. "I don't want her to learn the hard way! She's gotta know now!"
"Oh so it's a girl," Cooter grinned.
T.J. cursed under his breath.
"Don't think I didn't hear that," said his dad. "Now you listen to me. If this girl is the one I think she is, I wouldn't worry."
"Why?"
"Cuz her dad would make life downright miserable for anyone messing with his daughter," said Cooter. "Believe me. I'd be more worried about Louie."
"How'd you know it was Louie?"
"Well I know for sure now," Cooter grinned. "But believe me...The Sherriff ain't gonna stand by and let Lily be taken advantage of."
"I guess not," said T.J. "I just wish she'd listen to me."
"Give her time," said Cooter. "She's still getting used to being here."
"She certainly warmed up to Louie fast enough."
"Course I think somebody's a little jealous."
"I AM NOT!"
"Sure kid," said Cooter. "Sure y'ain't."
"Hey," said T.J. "How'd you know I was talking about Lily?"
"Just cuz I'm old don't mean I'm blind boy," Cooter laughed. "I seen the way you look at that girl. Yessir...that's the same look ol' Enos used to have whenever Daisy went by..."

Cooter strolled into the garage to get back to work, leaving T.J. with his own thoughts.

"I'm not jealous," he said to himself. "I just don't want to see Louie do to her what he's done to other girls. Maybe I should warn her dad..."

[Jamanda]

The rest of the week was a little better for Lily. Louie was perfectly friendly with her, although she kept getting annoyed whenever T.J., Jethro, and Cherry would try to warn her about him.

"I can take care of myself," she kept saying.
"Don't say we didn't warn you," Cherry said.

T.J. was tempted to tell the sherriff about Louie, but his dad beat him to it.

"Bad character eh?" Enos asked.
"He's ol' Honest John's kid," said Cooter. "What do you think?"
"I'll keep an eye on Lily," said Enos. "She's not gonna like it though."
"Ya'll two don't get along?"
"We just don't...connect," Enos said. "She's trying to be own person and I'm having trouble letting her...She's so much like Daisy."
"Well you're the one who married a Duke," said Cooter.
"I know," said Enos. "Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing."
"Course you did," said Cooter. "You wouldn't have lasted much longer if you didn't."
"I know," said Enos. "I know."

[Jamanda]

After Math class, Louie caught up with Lily in the hallway.

"Hey," he said. "You got any plans this weekend?"
"No," she said. "Why?"
"Well," he said. "I was wondering if you'd like to come to a little get-together at my house Friday night?"
"I dunno," said Lily. "I'd have to ask."
"I sure hope you can come," said Louie. "See ya later."

Lily had to think carefully. Her dad didn't like parties as he'd made plenty of arrests for underage drinking and drug use among other things.

"Hey Mom," she said when she got home. "Is it okay if I go out with some friends tomorrow night?"
"You know the drill," said her mother. "As long your dad knows about it, where it is, the phone number, and that you're home by midnight."

Lily tried not to grumble out loud. She really didn't want to tell her dad.

"Oh," she said. "I was just gonna go to the movies with Cherry and some other girls."
"You know the drill," said Daisy.
"Oh I'll be home on time," said Lily.

The next evening, Lily left the house in the direction of the Duke farm, but then a convertible pulled up.

"Well hey there," said Louie. "Need a ride?"
"Cute and punctual," said Lily, getting in the car.

[Jamanda]

<Warning: PG-13 for adult situations>

Louie's house was a spledid affair and his parents were gone. Guys were sitting around playing guitars and banjos. Girls were dancing to the music in short skirts and tank tops. And Lily didn't know any of them.

"You'll fit right in," said Louie, handing her a glass. "Here. Try this."
"Water?" asked Lily.
"Oh that ain't water," said Louie. "Just take a small sip."
"Woah," Lily coughed as she tasted it. "That's strong! What is it?"
"Whiskey," said Louie. "Moonshine whiskey. Great stuff."
"Isn't it illegal?"
"What?" asked Louie. "You gonna squeal to your daddy?"
"No," said Lily, frowning. "He'd kill me if he knew I was here."

Louie took her around and introduced her to the others. Most of them were from other counties and she didn't remember any of their names. The whiskey was already getting to her head.

"Hey Lily," said Louie. "How 'bout we go upstairs?"
"Sure," said Lily. "What's upstairs?"
"My room," he said, leaning closer to her.

Suddenly, one of the other kids burst into the room.

"THE COPS ARE COMING!" he shouted. "EVERYBODY OUT!"

Everyone yelled and ran out of the house through various methods, the front door, back door, front windows, wherever they could. Louie was also running, but a deputy grabbed his collar.

"Another shindig eh Louie?" asked Cletus. "Good thing your dad told us to stop by. He gave us permission to hold you too until he got home."

The other kids had jumped in thier cars and sped off, but the law was ahead of them. Enos just radioed the other counties with the makes, models, and liscense numbers to round them up. Then he looked over the rest of the house.

"Looks like they're all gone," he called out to Cletus. "You go on and take him."
"Right Sherriff," said Cletus. "Come on Louie."

Once they left Enos went over to the couch, where a girl had passed out. He tenderly picked up his daughter and carried her out.

[Jamanda]

Daisy was about to throw a fit when she saw them.

"What happened?" she asked.
"Don't worry," said Enos. "She's just passed out from drinking."
"And I'm not supposed to worry about that?"
"It could've been worse," said Enos. "I'm gonna put her to bed."
"What about...?"
"We'll think about that tomorrow," said Enos.

Lily woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. Remembering the events of the night before, she groaned.

"Oh I am so dead."
"You're not that lucky," said her dad.

Lily jumped to see him sitting at the foot of her bed. His head almost touched the ceiling.

"Drink this," he said, handing her something hot.

Lily took it and sipped it. It tasted terrible.

"Aw yuck," she spat.
"I wouldn't complain if I were you," Enos said. "Drink it."

Lily drank the strong coffee as her dad watched her. He didn't look angry. Just sad.

"You lied to us Lily," he said finally.
"I know," she said. "But I didn't think you'd let me go."
"Oh you're right about that," he said. "I wouldn't have."
"You never let me do anything."
"Because I can't trust you," said her dad. "Now you're grounded for two weeks."
"Two weeks!"
"Do you want to make it three?"
"Okay," said Lily.
"Now get up," he said, climbing down. "You've got chores to do."

Lily didn't speak to her dad the rest of the day as she painted the house, cleaned the kitchen, and looked after Tommy.

"You've been bad," said Tommy.
"Oh shut up," said Lily.
"Were you really drunk?"
"Do you want me to lock you in the outhouse?"
"I'll shut up now."
"Good idea."

[Jamanda]

Now Lily didn't just get grounded for going to that party. Her parents believed in old fashioned discipline, which meant she had some quality time out in the woodshed with her father and a switch. But she didn't tell anyone else about that when she went back to school.

"Grounded?" Louie asked.
"Yep," said Lily. "What about you?"
"Oh I just had to clean up," he said. "My dad's a pushover."
"Mine's not," she said. "Sometimes I wish he'd at least get mad, but he just gives me that disappointed look that makes me fell guilty."
"You don't fall for it do ya?" Louie asked. "Cuz you know, that's just something they do so you stay under their thumb."
"Right," said Lily, not sure what to believe. "Right."
"So how long you grounded for?"
"Two weeks."
"Well," said Louie. "Once those two weeks are up, maybe we can do a little something different...something the ol' man won't be able to catch."
"Like what?"
"You'll see."

[Jamanda]

Lily stayed on good behavior for the next two weeks, if only to see if Louie's plan would work. She hang out with Cherry, but still didn't listen when they tried to warn her.

"You sure you're not hanging around with Louie too much?" she asked.
"We just talk in class," said Lily. "I don't intend to go to any more of his parties."
"Well that's good," said Cherry.

But Lily didn't say that she wasn't going to see Louie elsewhere. After the two weeks, she waited a couple of days, and then asked if she could go to the movies with some girls.

"They'll come pick me up," she said. "You can even meet them first if you want."
"Good," said her father.

The three girls were friends of Louie's from Choctaw county and passed the parent inspection. They agreed that Lily would be back at a decent hour and took her to the movies, where Louie met up with them.

"Louie," said Lily. "You're brilliant. He doesn't suspect a thing."
"Come on," said Louie. "Let's sit in the back."

Louie and Lily didn't see much of the movie. Afterwards, he took her out to a remote area.

[Jamanda]

<Warning: Rated PG-13>

Cletus was on night patrol. He didn't care for it much as it usually involved breaking up make-out sessions in parked cars, which is what he saw going on now. He pulled up and rapped on the window.

"All right," he said. "Get on out of there."

He opened the door and wasn't surprised at all to see Louie stumble out of the car and zipping up his pants. He was surprised to see the girl, who was frantically trying to cover herself.

"Buzzards on a buzzsaw!" he gasped.

He had a hold of Louie and ordered Lily to get in the police car. Lily managed to do so while getting her shirt back on.

"You get home now son," Cletus told Louie.

Louie jumped in his car and drove off.

"Young lady," said Cletus, as he got in the car. "You are in a peck of trouble."
Lily wimpered.
"We didn't do anything," she said in a small voice.
"But you were about to," said Cletus, picking up the CB. "I hate to do this to ya but..."

Lily sank down in the backseat.

"Deputy Hogg calling Sherriff Strate...Come in Sherriff."
"What is it Cletus?"
"Are you driving?"
"Yes...Why?"
"You might want to pull over."
There was a pause.
"All right...what is it now?"
"I just apprehended a couple of kids parking."
"Yeah...so?"
Cletus held back the CB.
"One of them was your daughter."
Lily covered her ears as the yelling came over the other end.
"WHAAAAT???!!! WHO IN THE NAME OF SAM HILL DID YOU CATCH WITH MY DAUGHTER!!!?????"
"Louie sir," said Cletus. "I sent him home."
"Where's Lily?"
"In here with me."
"Take her home...I'll take care of the boy."
"Yes sir."

Cletus hung up the CB as Lily uncovered her ears.

"I take that back," said Cletus. "You ain't in trouble, you're dead where you stand. Then again, I wouldn't wanna be Louie right now."

Lily wimpered as the car took her home.

[Jamanda]

The next day, Lily was rubbing her backside again at school. She was trying to find Louie to explain that she was grounded again. Oh but her dad had been mad.

Lily turned the corner and saw Louie talking to a blond girl, whom she recognized as Regina Hogg.

"So what happened?" Regina was asking.
"I told ya," said Louie. "The Sherriff was practically threatened me. Said if I ever touched his daughter again that he'd make sure I got sent to a military school."
"But the sherriff can't do that right?"
"Nah," said Louie. "My ol' man's been giving me that line for years, course the sherriff had it out with him too."
"You didn't do anything with her right?"
"No," said Louie, holding his fingers and inch apart. "I was this close when the cop showed up."
"Good," said Regina. "You told me you wouldn't get too involved with this girl."
"Well I gotta get involved," said Louie. "You gotta get their hopes up before you come back and crush 'em."
Lily gasped.
"I know," said Regina, fluffing his hair. "I'll just be glad when you're done dealing with her and we can get back together."

Lily snapped and stormed right up to them. Without saying a word, she drew back and...

POW!

Louie was on the ground, squealing like a stuck pig.

"YOU TWO-TIMING, DOUBLE-CROSSING, DECEITFUL PILE OF COW DUNG!" she yelled, along with some other words not fitting to be written down.

Unfortunatly, the principal was right there and Lily was sitting in his office in two-seconds flat. Even more unfortunate was that her mother wasn't home.

"They're calling your father," said the secretary.
Lily groaned. She was REALLY in for it now.

Enos came in and was silent as the principal explained what happened. Lily was suspended for three days.

"All right," said Enos. "I'll take her now."

Lily followed her father outside to his police car with half the school watching. It wasn't until they were inside that he said anything to her.

"It was that boy wasn't it?"
Lily nodded.
"He was playing me Dad," she wimpered. "He was using me to get back at me."
Enos nodded and started the car.
"You can say it," Lily said.
"Say what?"
"I told ya so."
"You said it," said Enos. "I didn't. But I'm sure glad it was you and not me."
"Why?"
"I would've shot him," said Enos.

Lily could've sworn she saw a slight grin on his face.

"Did you hit him good?"
"He's gonna have a black eye."
"Good," said Enos.
"But I got suspended."
"I'll admit," he said. "It wasn't too smart to hit him right there in front of teachers...should wait 'til school's over...then hit him."
"You ever hit anybody Dad?"
"You have no idea."

Lily smiled and her father put his arm around her as they drove home.