It was a typical mid-summer's day in Hazzard County. The workday was long, the sun shone hot and a stray thunderstorm had left an outdoor sauna in its wake. It was just the type of day that would pack a place like the Boar's Nest to the gills, and Bo and Luke Duke went there intent on contributing to the packin'.

"Hey Luke, you know Uncle Jesse's gonna be mad when he finds out we ducked out of the chores to come to the Boar's Nest." Bo told his cousin after he had roared into the parking lot of the watering hole and they began sliding out of their beloved stock car, the General Lee.

"I'll take my chances." Luke replied, hitting the ground with his feet. "If I had my druthers, I'd work the field at midnight with a flashlight rather than take another minute of this heat."

"Me too." Bo had to agree.

"Besides, I doubt Uncle Jesse will even know the difference. He ain't been home enough to speak of in the last two weeks."

"I know. He's been gone so much I'm actually startin' to miss him. It's almost like he's gone on a trip or somethin'."

Luke nodded in agreement. "We'll get Daisy to fix him a sandwich while we're in there. 'Least it'll give us an excuse to go out and see him for a few minutes."

"But then he'll know we're not doin' chores!" Bo pointed out.

"I think he'll forgive us when he sees his lunch. You know how he likes those hero sandwiches."

Bo nodded and the pair headed inside the Boar's Nest. Once they entered, they were greeted with the roar of chatter and looked around in amazement. The crowd was so thick there was standing room only. Only those who were truly concentrating on hearing the song realized that 'The Devil went down to Georgia' was the current jukebox selection. Cigarette smoke filled the air as the locals, both sitting and standing, enjoyed drinks that were refilled by Daisy and even by Lulu, who had been commissioned by Boss Hogg to assist the slender brunette as she frantically tried to fulfill orders.

"Bo!"

Bo and Luke looked through the smoke for the source of the greeting and spied one of Bo's girlfriends, Becky May, waiving them over. Glad that she had managed to reserve a booth, they went to join her.

"Hey Becky." Bo announced, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek as he slid over in the rounded booth to make room for Luke. "Whatcha doin' sittin' here by yourself with all these people around?"

"Saving seats for Suzanne and Lily." Becky replied, looking toward the door in search of her girlfriends once again. "They's supposed to meet me ten minutes ago. I'm glad ya'll came along. I'm getting plenty of evil stares in having the booth to myself."

"Hey ya'll." Daisy announced, appearing at the table holding a tray with one hand and fanning herself with the other. "Ya want beers?"

"Yeah, and one for Becky May too." Bo replied.

"And a hero sandwich to go……for Uncle Jesse." Luke added.

"A hero sandwich?" Daisy asked. "Does that mean he's finally come home?"

"Not yet. Last time we heard anything from him he was over at the Sanderson place, and that was early this morning." Luke replied.

"Oh no, not the Sanderson place too." Daisy groaned.

"'Fraid so. George Sanderson's got three heifers sick. Even got a bull that's actin' peaked too."

Daisy shook her head. "I wish Doc Appleby could get on top of what's causing all the livestock around here to get sick."

"Me too." Bo agreed. "Don't look like we're gonna see much of Uncle Jesse until he does."

"What does sick cows have to do with not seeing Uncle Jesse?" A confused Becky May had to ask.

"Well, the livestock sickness has spread so quick that as soon as Doc Appleby started getting more calls than he could handle, he sent for Uncle Jesse to help him answer some of them. That's why we ain't seen enough of him lately."

"I didn't know Uncle Jesse was a veterinarian." Becky May mused.

"Well, he ain't officially, but there ain't many people that knows more about carin' for ailin' farm animals." Luke replied.

"I'll go get that sandwich." Daisy announced as another table summoned her for refills.

"Say fellas." Becky May began, turning to more cheery subjects. "Ya'll gonna be able to go to the Benson Barbecue this weekend?"

"Well I don't know." Bo replied, rubbing his chin with a sly grin. "Ain't nobody asked me yet."

"That's odd." Becky Mae replied mischievously. "I thought Bob Benson was a friend of yours."

"I meant nobody's asked me on a date there yet." Bo smirked as he turned his attention to Luke, who laughed in response to Becky's teasing. "You see, I was tryin' to be funny."

"Well you know what they say, if at first you don't succeed……" Luke teased with a grin.

"Oh very funny, Luke." Bo smirked.

"'Least one of us is." Luke smiled, sipping the beer Daisy had just sat in front of him.

"I'd love to go with you Bo." Becky Mae piped up, trying to ease Bo's unintentional temper as Daisy served his beer as well.

Turning back to look at her, he managed a smile. "Well great! What time you want me to pick you up?"

"Hey Becky." Daisy interrupted as she handed her a beer. "Suzanne just called. She wanted to let you know that she and Lily couldn't make it. Seems her Ma's got her at the house cannin' today and won't let her get away."

"Oh that's too bad." Becky May replied. "But thanks for letting me know, Daisy."

She sighed as Daisy disappeared into the crowd again. "Well since I've been abandoned, how about we discuss that pickup time while you drive me home, Bo?"

"Well that suits me just fine!" Bo grinned, all cheery again as he downed half the beer. "You ready Luke?"

"That depends. Am I gonna have to drive whilst you two sit in the back exchangin' saliva?"

"You might." Bo grinned.

"Then no thanks." Luke replied. "I think I'll just sit here and cool off by the air conditioner awhile. You can just swing back by and pick me up after you're done."

"Well gosh, Luke, you might be near froze to death by then." Bo replied, giving Becky a suggestive grin.

"Bo….." Becky Mae trailed off, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"It better not be long. Remember? Hero sandwich? Uncle Jesse?"

"Oh yeah." Bo replied, his jovial grin disappearing. "C'mon Becky."

"See ya later, Luke." She added, pushing her untouched bear toward Luke before they made their way to the door.

XXXXXXXX

"I wish you could stay awhile." Becky May admitted when they were close to her house.

"So do I. But trust me, if you ever have to sit and listen to even one of Luke Duke's boring lectures on irresponsibility, you wouldn't blame me for hurrying back to pick him up."

Becky May giggled as she looked toward the house. Suddenly, the giggle- and grin- disappeared. "Bo, it looks like your Uncle Jesse is here."

"Well that's great!" He said, following her gaze. "I'll get to see him twice today."

"No, that's bad!" Becky May replied, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Why?" Bo asked as she bolted from the General just as soon as it has stopped.

But he quickly realized the answer when he saw her headed straight for the barn, yelling for her 'Ma' the whole way. A feeling of dread came over Bo as he remembered who was in that barn, and he began to run after her.

"Oh Ma!" Becky May sobbed when he arrived to find her seeking comfort in her mother's arms.

"Now dry it up Becky May." Her mother scolded, lifting her chin and wiping tears from her face. "Found her near death when I come out to pour her vittles this mornin'. Cryin' ain't gonna do her a bit of good no more."

Bo looked at his Uncle Jesse, who stood nearby with a black bag, watching the exchange. "Uncle Jesse, don't tell me it's Dorothy."

Jesse nodded. "Becky May's pet cow for ten years now, dead, due to this mysterious illness."

I betcha that right about now ole' Bo's wishing he'd hung out under the air conditioner too, don't you?