| Blind Man's Bluff |
| Friday evening found Bo and Luke safely tucked away at the garage with Cooter, finally givin' the General Lee that pre-race tune-up they'd started on Wednesday. Uncle Jesse had gone in to the Boar's Nest and was sittin' and talkin' with some of his old buddies. As to Daisy, she was nowhere to be found �
A real pretty blond girl was sittin' with all the race drivers, and they were all vying for her attention. The one who seemed to be winning was one Dusty Martin, come all the way from Dayton Ohio. But just barely; lots of the other guys thought they had a chance. Toward the end of the evening, Sally made her challenge. "OK, fellas. Here's how it goes. Whoever wins the race tomorrow night, wins me for the night." Not surprisingly somebody piped up, "What if it's that local guy, the sissy boy?" "Aw, that ain't never gonna happen! Not with a bunch of he-men like y'all racin' against him! And besides, now you got even more incentive to win!" That got an appropriate chorus of cat-calls and whoopin' an' hollerin'. Shortly after that, the party began to break up; these guys knew how to party, but there was a race tomorrow after all. As they left, Sally followed one of them out. "Hey, Dusty. Can I ask you somethin'?" Dusty Martin turned around and smiled at her. "Anythin' you like, darlin'!" Sally got up real close to him, pinning him against his car. "Dusty's not your real name, is it?" "Now what makes you say that?" He raised one eyebrow. Sally grinned. "I recognized your voice. You're Rusty Dawes, ain't you?" She looked up at him eagerly. "I always thought you was the hottest thing on the NASCAR circuit. Don't worry, I won't tell no one." Now if there was one thing Rusty Dawes was known for, besides cheatin', it was his weakness for pretty blond girls. It never even crossed his mind to be suspicious of this one. He was too busy being flattered by the recognition. "Well, you are one sharp little lady, Sally!" His arms slipped around her slender waist, sliding upwards towards the firm breasts. She pressed close to him, her hands wrapping around him and burying themselves in his hip pockets. "I know what I like. You're gonna win that race tomorrow, ain'tcha?" He laughed. "Well, I sure intend to. Especially if you plan to make good on your promise �" Sally lifted her face towards his and let him kiss her. "You can count on it, Rusty . .." And with that, she sashayed away, giving him a good long look at her departing backside. Dawes watched until she was gone, then climbed into his car to head back to the hotel. He was so busy thinking about the pretty girl he didn't notice the car following him, especially since it kept on going after he pulled into the no-tell motel just outside of town. But when he reached for his key, it wasn't there. Grumbling, he realized that girl Sally must have knocked it out of his pocket when she was feelin' him up. He headed toward the office to get a replacement. Once Bo and Luke knew where he was staying, they turned around and headed back to town to pick up Daisy. She met them at Cooter's, where they traded the plain blue car they'd borrowed for the General. "You get it, Daisy?" Grinning, she held out a small key as she shook her hair out from under the blond wig. "Yup. You see which room?" "He parked in front of Room 11." "We got him then!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saturday morning, while all the menfolk headed toward the racetrack, Daisy headed out towards the motel Dawes was staying at. She parked around back, then checked to make sure his car was gone. She was just about to make her way over to Room 11 when she saw the hotel maid come out of Room 10. Not surprisingly, she went straight into Room 11. Daisy frowned, but there was nothing she could do about it. She'd have to wait until the maid was done. After what seemed like forever but was actually only 15 minutes, the maid moved on to Room 12. Daisy decided she'd better wait until the maid was done there before she started tearing Dawes' room apart. This time, it took a little longer, but finally the maid moved on. Daisy crept out of her hiding place and just walked right up to Room 11 like it was hers. She let herself in and looked around. She wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for; something to prove that Dusty Martin was really Rusty Dawes. Without it, it was his word against hers, and since he was workin' for Boss, you knew who would win that game. She checked the drawers of the dresser for his dirty clothes, going through the pockets. Nothing. Then his suitcase. Nothing in the main section. But it had an outside pocket, the kind of place where you tended to stuff things like receipts. Sure enough, there was a receipt from a hotel in Charlotte, NC. And a driver's license � his REAL license. // Gotcha, Mr. Ringer! // Daisy tucked the receipt and license into the pocket of her shorts and headed out. What with waiting for the maid, it was getting awfully close to race time � ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the race track, Bo was getting nervous. They had gotten some ugly looks from the other drivers and pit crews. Several guys had made rude comments about the 'pretty boy' driver. A few of the more local guys came over and wished him luck, but they were definitely in the minority. An hour before race time, Daisy still hadn't shown up with the proof about Dawes. Luke wasn't sure what to do. He knew all the drivers were in danger with Dawes in the race; a pro driving against amateurs was bad enough, but Dawes' dirty tricks made it doubly dangerous. They'd planned to 'out' Dawes at the pre-race conference with the officials, but had hoped to have proof, not just Daisy's word. Where the heck was she? Daisy was just about ready to pitch a fit. The traffic heading toward the racetrack was jammed up a mile back, and wasn't getting anywhere. She knew the boys were counting on her to get them the proof to back up their allegation against Martin. But there wasn't even any place she could cut cross-country to get there. She sat in the jeep, fuming, wishing she could somehow get there. The pre-race conference started a half-hour before race time. All the drivers and crews gathered in the center of the track as the Race Official � his name tag said Danvers - reviewed the rules. "Now, I want this to be a fair race. I know there's been some grumbling going around about one of our drivers." He glared at Bo. "Whatever your personal feelings, keep them OFF my racetrack, gentlemen! I want a clean race! Do I make myself clear?" There was a fair amount of grumbling, but just about everybody nodded. Luke decided that even if nobody believed them, they had to warn the rest of the drivers. He stood up and addressed the official. "Excuse me, Mr. Danvers. I think everybody ought to know we got us a ringer here. The man calling himself Dusty Martin is really Rusty Dawes." That set off the crowd. Hoots and cat-calls. "Sounds like the sissy-boys are tryin' to get rid of the competition!" Danvers shouted down the crowd. "That's a serious allegation, Mr. Duke. Do you have any proof of this?" "He admitted it to our cousin Daisy last night." Dawes was about to explode. // That bitch! She set me up! Hey � she stole my room key! // He was almost mad enough to drop his cover � almost, but not quite. "Hey, the broad thought I was somebody famous. Like I was gonna deny it?" That got a laugh from the crowd. It was obvious that nobody believed them. But Luke knew that he'd at least warned them. If they got hurt now, at least he'd tried to help them avoid it. As the meeting broke up and the crews headed toward their cars, Luke could see that Bo was wired tight. He pulled his cousin off to the side, ducking under the bleachers. "Bo, you all right?" Bo shook his head. "No, but don't think you're gonna talk me into quittin' this race, Luke. I know there's every reason in the world to walk away. Almost everybody out there is against me, not just Dawes, although now that he knows we know, he's got even more reason to target me. But I can't quit now. I gotta go out there and win this thing, fair and square. Otherwise I'll never be able to show my face in this town again." Luke sighed. "Bo, you ain't got nothin' to prove." Bo shook his head. "You're wrong, Luke. I do. If not to them, to myself." Luke reached out, placing his hands on Bo's shoulders. "Bo, listen to me. If anything happened to you �" As Bo gazed into Luke's pale blue eyes, he suddenly realized how much Luke was afraid for him. For just a moment, he considered backing down, skipping the race. But his pride demanded that he stick it out, even knowing things weren't exactly fair. The fear in Luke's eyes had done one thing, though; reminded him that he needed to be at his best to do this. Bo reached out, putting his hands on Luke's waist, drawing strength from the physical contact. It quieted his mind, let him focus. Finally, he looked back into Luke's eyes. "Ain't nothin' gonna happen to me, Luke. I can do this. Believe in me. Please." Luke looked deep into Bo's sapphire eyes and knew that Bo was right; this was something he had to do. He saw something shift in there, as Bo calmed down. It reassured him. So he swallowed his fear and nodded. "I believe in you, Bo. I'm right beside you, all the way." Bo leaned in and kissed him, drawing strength from Luke's quiet support. When they separated, he felt calm, not tense anymore. Nobody was going to stand between him and that trophy today. Nobody. He smiled, the smile of a predator, supremely confident in his abilities. "Let's do it, cousin!" Luke nodded, grinning at him, and they jogged toward the General. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Daisy heard the crack of the starting gun from the parking lot as she made her way toward the Racing Commission office outside the racetrack. Her heart sank as she realized she was too late; the race had started. She hoped that Bo had had the sense to withdraw if they couldn't disqualify Dawes, but she had a sinking feeling that there wasn't a chance of that happening. With a heavy heart, she knocked on the door of the trailer. Danvers, the official who had given the pre-race briefing, answered the door. "May I help you, miss? The office is officially closed �" Daisy glanced at the official badge he was wearing. "Mr. Danvers, sir, my name is Daisy Duke. My cousin Bo is driving in the race � did he or Luke say anything at the briefing?" Danvers frowned. "In fact, they did. Mr. Martin asserts that he simply went along with your assumption that he was Mr. Dawes in order to impress you. I have no reason to believe otherwise." Daisy fished the driver's license out of her pocket. "How about this? It was in his suitcase. Look at that picture; he just dyed his hair and grew a beard. It's him, Mr. Danvers." Just then there was a collective gasp from the crowd as one of the drivers spun out, crashing into the boards. Daisy's heart leapt into her throat. They could barely hear the announcer. "That was car number 32, David Wilkins. Wait a minute � yes, it looks like he's all right." Daisy glared at Danvers. "I wonder why he wrecked, Mr. Danvers? This early in the race?" Danvers frowned. "Miss Duke, you'll have to excuse me; I need to look into this. Thank you for sharing this information. I'll have to ask you to leave now." Knowing she'd done all she could, Daisy headed out toward the stands where she'd agreed to meet up with Uncle Jesse and Cooter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Boss Hogg watched gleefully as his 'ringer' set the pace right from the start. He'd have been happier if he hadn't seen that dang blasted orange nuisance out there right behind his man, but as long as Dawes was in front, that was all that mattered. One of the young guns made a run on the outside, trying to catch up with the two leaders, but Dawes easily cut him off, sending him into the boards. The crowd let out a collective gasp. Boss smiled. That was why people liked to watch racing; the hope for a spectacular crash. Dawes was just giving them what they'd paid for! In a moment of overconfidence, Boss turned to his companion, Commissioner Beauregard Smith of Chickasaw County. "I told you you'd be sorry you backed that Duke boy, Smith. You heard what came out yesterday? He and that cousin of his, Luke, they're lovers! They even admitted it!" Smith, a tall, thin black man, couldn't have been a greater contrast to Hogg. His voice came out as a deep bass rumble. "I don't care who a man sleeps with, Hogg. Duke is one hell of a driver." Boss scowled. "So you say. We'll see who crosses the finish line first. You care to double that bet?" A slow smile crossed Smith's lean face. "You've got a bet, Hogg." They shook on it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Daisy made her way to the place she'd agreed to meet Uncle Jesse and Cooter. "I didn't make it in time, Uncle Jesse! I'm sorry! But the race official said he'd check into it �" Jesse put his arm around her. "You did what you could, Daisy. I guess it's up to Bo now �" They focused on the race, their hearts in their throats. Dawes was in the lead, with Bo right behind him. But every now and then one of the less experienced drivers would make a run at the leaders, only to be cut off by Dawes. Cooter watched the race with a frown. "That Dawes is one crafty S.O.B. He ain't doin' anything technically illegal, just what ya might call overly aggressive. It's just that he's got so much more experience than mosta these boys that he can run rings around them, make them make stupid mistakes!" The Dukes cringed with the rest of the crowd as yet another car went skidding into the boards. But after a while, Dawes tired of toying with the kiddies. He wanted a real challenge. And much as he hated to admit it, that sissy-boy Duke was the only driver on the track who was staying even close to him. In fact, that rankled him so much, it made it imperative that he take Duke out. Dawes accelerated, pulling away from the pack, and Bo followed. It soon became even more obvious that this was a two-car race. They were running head-to-head when Dawes intentionally bumped the General Lee as they sped around the far turn. But Bo was ready for him, knowing he'd try something sooner or later, so he was able to maintain control, even though he fell behind. The crowd cheered wildly as 'Martin' put the sissy-boy in his place. Including Boss Hogg. Smith frowned at his opposite number, beginning to suspect there was more to this than met the eye. Bo was able to jockey for the inside track around the next curve, slipping ahead of Dawes by pure skill alone. Infuriated, Dawes slammed right into him, not even being subtle about it. Now the crowd was rumbling; that wasn't a gentlemanly move. And when Dawes made three more attempts in quick succession to push Bo off the track, they started to change their allegiance. Even if Bo Duke was a sissy boy, he played fair. Nobody likes a bully, and they were starting to realize that's what 'Martin' was. Luke watched from the pits with his stomach tied up in knots as Bo and Dawes continued their game of cat and mouse. So far, Bo's driving had been good enough to keep from losing control. His face was set in a mask of concentration, driving like he'd never driven before. Luke prayed silently that Bo's skill and luck would hold out for the rest of the race. Watching from the stands, Daisy gasped as Dawes made yet another attempt to take Bo out on the final lap of the race, this time coming up right behind him, bumping him from the left rear. She clung to Uncle Jesse's arm, grateful to feel Cooter standing close behind them both, his hand on Jesse's shoulder. The hit was just enough to nudge Bo off course, letting Dawes slide up the inside track. And then there was the checkered flag, ending the race, Dawes ahead by half a car-length. The crowd roared, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. As soon as the race was officially over, Bo pulled into the pits and scrambled out of the car, the calm that had marked his driving vanished. Luke could see that he was madder than a nest of hornets. Throwing aside his racing helmet, he stalked towards 'Martin's' pit area. Luke tried to stop him. "Bo, wait, don't �" But Bo just pushed past him. "Stay outa my way, Luke �" A hush fell over the crowd as they realized what was happening in the center of the oval. 'Martin' was celebrating his victory with his crew. "See? Told you I'd beat that sissy-boy!" "Who you callin' a sissy-boy, Dawes? Seems to me cheatin's more a sissy-boy way of doin' things, like you do!" Now that just pushed Dawes over the edge. He took a swing at Bo just as Mr. Danvers entered the pit area. Bo ducked it, and managed to get in a good hit of his own before Danvers and a couple of State Police Troopers pulled them apart. "Enough, Mr. Duke! We'll take care of this." He eyed 'Martin' suspiciously. "Mr. Martin, if that's really your name, you are hereby disqualified from this race for the several illegal actions you took during the race. In addition there have been serious, substantial allegations that you lied about who you are. These officers are here to place you under arrest for Fraud." Now, out in the stands, Boss Hogg was just about to lord it over Smith and demand payment of their doubled bet when the track announcer came on line. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Car number 18, driven by Dusty Martin, has been disqualified. The winner of today's race is Bo Duke, Car number 01!" That set off a huge roar of appreciation from the crowd. With the exception of one J.D. Hogg, whose face did a 180 from smug superiority to panicked loser in a matter of seconds. Smith just smiled. "It seems you owe me a large sum of money, JD. I presume you're prepared to pay up?" Boss scrambled for an out. "Well, now, Beauregard, you know I wouldn't be carryin' that kind of money on my PERSON at an event like this!" Smith frowned. "No, I didn't think you would. I'll be in touch, Hogg. Don't think you're getting out of this bet just because your man got disqualified. I wouldn't be surprised to find out you hired a ringer. It serves you right if he got caught!" Boss took off his hat and fanned himself with it as Smith walked off. This was not turning out to be a good day. All the other drivers had gathered in Martin's pit area, wanting to see what was going on, and they joined in the cheer. Bo suddenly felt himself lifted up onto their shoulders and carried off in triumph. He was so happy he felt like he was going to burst. The only thing that was missing was Luke � The drivers carried him over to the winner's circle, finally setting him down on the podium next to the trophy. The crowd cheered, but Bo didn't care. His eyes searched for Luke. And then there was a strong pair of arms around him and he spun around to look right into Luke's sparkling eyes and without thinking, they fell together in a kiss. The crowd fell silent for a moment, not sure what to do. But their joy and triumph and above all their love was just too powerful to dismiss, and a new roar surged through the crowd, cheering them on. Finally, they broke apart and realized just what was going on around them. Smiling and laughing, they felt the crowd's acceptance wash over them. Bo thought that this had to be the best day of his life, second only to the day he'd first loved Luke. They waved to the crowd as Bo hoisted the trophy. Boss couldn't believe this was happening. Not only had Bo won the race, he'd won the hearts of the crowd. Even if he was gay. Not a good day on any front. At least he knew he could count on Jesse to keep his word to keep their secret to himself. Although at some point, he was going to have to get his hands on that tape recording � ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It had been a long day by the time Bo and Luke settled into their familiar favorite spot on the back stairs to watch the sunset. Sure enough, Jesse had been right. After the race, Boss had come to Daisy, hat in hand, and begged her to come back to work at the Boar's Nest. And she'd gotten that raise, too. Cooter had invited Jesse over for a quiet evening to recover from the day's excitement. And, Bo suspected, to give them the evening alone. With a sigh, he settled back against Luke. Everything was right with the world. Luke's arms held him close as they watched the sunset paint the sky. It was a beauty he'd been afraid for a while that he'd never be able to share with Luke again. Luke could feel a subtle shift in Bo's mood, something he really couldn't define. Maybe his shoulders slumped just a little bit. Maybe there was just a tiny difference in that last sigh. He couldn't pin it down, but he knew. He leaned forward and kissed Bo's cheek. "What's on your mind, Bo?" Bo gave a soft laugh. "You know me too well, Lukas �" Now that worried Luke; Bo didn't often use his full name. His arms squeezed in a gentle hug. "Not well enough � come on, tell me." Bo wrapped his hands over Luke's arms, hugging him back. "Aw, it ain't nothin', really. I was just thinking how close I came to never sharing another sunset with you." "Oh, no, that's nothing at all!" Luke's voice came back, sarcastic. "I ain't never been so scared as I was watchin' you today, Bo." Bo shook his head. "I didn't mean that. I can handle myself in a race, Luke. Even against a cheater like Dawes! I'm talkin' about bein' blind. What woulda happened if my sight hadn't come back?" Luke chuckled. It was so like Bo to worry about the little things instead of the big ones. "We'd have managed, Bo. Like Daisy reminded me that first night, I'd've taken care of you, just like I always do." Bo sighed. "Even if I couldn't hold up my share of the work around here?" Luke hugged him. "Even then, Bo. Don't you know nothing could ever tear me away from you now?" Bo turned so he could look up into Luke's eyes. The love he saw there was so deep, so strong that he knew he was crazy to have doubted it. He reached up, his fingertips brushing Luke's cheek. Luke smiled softly and kissed his hand, then bent down to claim Bo's lips. It was sweet and tender at first, but quickly escalated, deepening with passion and need. Bo twisted around so that he was kneeling on the step, facing Luke, his hunger growing as he pulled Luke close. Bo's lips left Luke's, tracing down his jaw, his throat, his neck. He felt Luke's hands tugging his shirt out of his jeans, then the warmth of those hands sliding up his back. Clothing suddenly seemed in the way. Bo's hands pulled at Luke's shirt, glad today he was wearing one with snaps, not buttons. One good tug and the whole thing was open, baring Luke's chest to Bo's hungry mouth. Bo pushed him back so that he was lying on the porch, Bo almost laying over him as he worked his way across Luke's chest. Luke groaned happily. Bo knelt between his outstretched legs, his hands and mouth seeming to cover Luke's entire chest with the sweetest torment while Bo's lower body brushed tantalizingly against his hard-on. He buried his hands in the wild blond hair, savoring its softness. He glanced downward, taking in the sight just as Bo paused to look up at him. Bo was so beautiful, his face flushed with passion, lips swollen, eyes flashing with an inner fire. His. To protect. To love. It was almost too much to bear. Bo seemed to feel it too, that moment of connection. Of belonging. He laid his head against Luke's chest, feeling the pounding heartbeat so perfectly in synch with his own. Felt Luke's fingers twining into his hair, holding him close. In that moment, he knew what he wanted. To let Luke possess him totally. To give himself in total surrender. "Luke?" Bo's voice came in a whisper. "Make love to me tonight �" Luke smiled. "Not out here �" Bo laughed softly. "What, you don't want splinters in your knees?" "Or anywhere else!" Still chuckling, Bo got to his feet and offered Luke a hand up. They fell together into a kiss that was as sweet and hot as cinnamon candy. When they came up for air, Luke took Bo's hand and led him back inside to their room. Bo couldn't resist pausing for a few moments to admire the huge new trophy sitting on his dresser. "You know, that thing's not gonna keep you warm on a cold winter night �" Luke's voice brought Bo out of his reverie. He turned to see Luke, naked, waiting for him in their bed. The trophy forgotten, he quickly skinned out of his jeans and dived in beside Luke, who already had the bottle of lube out of the nightstand. Gently settling Bo back onto a nest of pillows, it was Luke's turn to worship his lithe body, his teeth teasing at those so-sensitive nipples as his hands softly stroked Bo's hardness. Bo groaned with the pleasure Luke was giving him. And then Luke's hands gently pushed his legs apart, working down and back, teasing at his opening. He gasped at the first touch of the cool lube as Luke's finger worked its way inside him, preparing him for what was to come. This was it; when he felt most complete. This satisfied him like nothing else ever had. He watched Luke's face as his lover worked, focused solely on his pleasure for the moment. The dark hair was mussed, tangled, sexy as all get out. His cock jumped as his desire grew. "Come on, Luke! Enough teasing already!" Luke looked up at him with a devilish grin. "All you had to do was ask!" Bo bonked him on the head with a pillow. "Dang it, Luke!" Laughing, Luke removed his hand and leaned over to kiss Bo. "All right, all right, little cousin! I'm comin!" Bo raised an eyebrow at the long abandoned term of affection. "Who you callin' little?" He had to laugh as Luke's eyes focused on a part of him that definitely didn't fit that description � Then he couldn't say anything because Luke was there, inside him, filling him, body and soul. Laying over him, kissing him, hands caressing. They moved together as one, riding the growing pleasure, taming it, caging it, until it couldn't be contained any longer. Bo felt Luke's hand on his dick, knew his lover was close, so he stopped holding back, let the waves of pleasure wash over him. Luke felt Bo's body clamping down on him, holding him so tight, beyond pleasure, beyond pain, fusing them together into one being. He cried out as his seed burst from him, buried deep inside Bo, then collapsed on top of his love. Luke slowly became aware of Bo's heart beating solidly somewhere beneath his ear. It was a wonderfully reassuring sound. Bo's arms were around him, those long fingers stroking his hair. He felt safe and warm and loved. He wondered how Uncle Jesse could have lived so long without ever experiencing this. Not the physical act; he knew that wasn't the key. But this emotional union that seemed to come with the physical. It was precious beyond anything else in this life. Knowing his full weight had to be a bit much even for a big man like Bo, he gently slipped away, rolling off to the side before parking his head on Bo's shoulder. Bo sighed happily and pulled him close. All was right in the world. Or at least, in Hazzard County. Continue on to Dance Hall Days Send me some feedback Back to the Other Fandoms Index Back to Jade Palace Home Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
| Ch 9 |