Things have changed at the
Duke farm, there are ramps all over the place so Candy can get around and a
brand new addition to the house for the honeymooners.
“Hey Bo, honey, it’s time to get
up. We’re got a lot to do today.”
“Well the first thing I’m going
to do is kiss my beautiful wife, good morning.” Bo kisses her on the lips.
“You’re the sweetest talking man
I’ve ever known.” Candy kisses him back.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Daisy
says to Luke. “You better go wake Bo up or you’ll be late for the tryouts.”
“Okay.” Luke says and goes over
to knock on the door to the new addition. He hears Bo and Candy but they aren’t
sleeping, so he heads back to the kitchen.
Daisy looked at him. “Are Bo and
Candy still sleeping?”
Luke grinned sheepishly. “Let’s
just say Bo is doing what he likes to do best.”
Daisy laughed, then smiled. Both
her and Luke knew how much in love Bo and Candy are.
A few minutes later, Bo comes
out of the addition he shares with Candy and says, “Hey Luke we’d better get to
those tryouts.”
Luke teased. “Oh, you remembered!”
“Sure, cousin why wouldn’t I?”
Bo smiled as Candy came out of the room and joined them. “Bo Duke, you just be
careful, we just got married and I’d hate to be a widow so soon.”
“Candy, you don’t let it worry
your pretty little head.” Bo said before he bent down and kissed her on the
lips. He stood up. “I’ll see you later, my sweet Candy Cane.”
Candy smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I feel like I’m on the Days of
our lives.” Luke said.
They all laughed.
Candy turned to Daisy after Bo
and Luke left for the tryouts. “Could you please take me to the doctor’s? I’ve
been feeling a little under the weather, so I thought I’d better get checked
out.”
“Sure sugar, but shouldn’t you
tell Bo?”
“I don’t want to worry him, in
case it’s nothing.”
“We’ll leave when you’re ready!”
Daisy said with a smile.
Doc Applebee stood in front of
Candy after examing her. “I’ve got some news for you.”
Candy asked, “What is it?”
“You’re going to have a baby.”
“Oh my god, that’s great!”
“Under normal circumstances, it
would be good, but in your case, I’m not so sure. “Because of your condition,
you and the baby may not survive.” He paused for a second.
“You might want to consider…”
Candy shook her head. “No, I
will not kill Bo’s baby even if it means my life. I love him too much to do
that.”
“Well then if you’ve made up
your mind, you need to be very careful, get plenty of rest and above all else
pray.”
“I will,” Candy smiled and the
nurse helped her back out to the waiting room.
“Are you alright?” Daisy asked.
“Honey, I’m sure God won’t let anything happen to you or that baby or he’ll have Bo and the rest of us Dukes to answer too.” Daisy said. They both smiled.
Later that afternoon…Bo and
Luke arrive back home safe and sound.
“Where’s my sweet little Candy
Cane?”
Candy smiled. “Right here,
darling.”
Bo gently pulled Candy to him.
“Sweet Candy Cane, I love you.” Then he kissed her tenderly.
“I’ve got some news.”
“What is it?”
Candy smiled. “We’re going to
have…”
Bo instantly let out a big YEA
HAW, knowing what Candy was going to say. He looked at her with deep concern.
“Oh, I’m sorry, honey. Will it be safe? I couldn’t stand it if anything ever
happened to you.”
Candy’s eyes filled with
tears as she told Bo what Doc Applebee had, about what they should do and how
she couldn’t think of harming a child made of their love.
Bo said, “Candy, the good Lord will
watch over us.” Bo held her tighter to him and they kissed deeply, neither of
them wanting to let the other go.
Six months went by quickly as
the boys prepared for the race and Candy’s time neared. About a week before the big race, Luke and Bo were working
on the General.
“Everything has been fine so
far,” Bo said when they were done. “I hope it’s a good sign.”
Luke knew his cousin was talking
about Candy and the baby. “All you can do is pray.”
Bo smiled. “I do every day.”
“Bo, I think it’s time!”
Half asleep Bo replied, “Time for what?”
Candy giggled. “Our baby.”
Bo jumped put of bed, ran around the house calling for Luke and Daisy, then he went back to Candy and gently lifted her up. He grabbed her suitcase and carried her out to the General. Luke and Daisy helped him get her comfortable in the orange Dodge.
As he started to pull out of the driveway, Daisy said “Don’t worry, he’ll get you there on time.”
Candy smiled.
Thirty minutes later after a ten minute drive, registering, and being prepped, Candy was in the delivery room.
“Bo, I’m sacred.”
“I’m right here.” He said and squeezed her hand.
Candy let out a yell as the labor pains began again. Bo hugged her as best as he could and told her how much he loved her before she lost consciousness.
Bo glanced toward Doc Applebee. “What’s wrong?”
A few minutes later after checking Candy over, Doc Applebee replied. “We can either save Candy or the baby.”
Tears welled up in Bo’s eyes. “I can’t lose her but if we lose the baby it will break her heart. Please try to save them both.”
“I’ll try.”
A few minutes later, a beautiful little girl was born.
Bo looked at her and then turned towards Candy. “Please wake up, honey.”
Doc Applebee patted his shoulder. “It’s in the good Lord’s hands now.”
Bo nodded and went down to the chapel. He stood in front of the altar with tears, “Lord, I know that I have done a lot of things I shouldn’t have but please don’t let my Candy Cane die. I love her more than anything and our baby needs her momma. Amen.”
Three days later, Bo and Luke in the waiting room of the hospital, Candy had not woken from the coma yet.
“I don’t know how I’m gonna drive in that race. I can’t leave Candy, what if something happened…”
Luke tried to comfort him. “Candy loves you and you know that she’d want you to do it, mo matter what.”
Bo nodded. “Yeah, I’m going down to see her and the baby.”
He walked down the hall and to the room where Candy was. He held her hand as he told her how much he loved her, then he kissed her tenderly on the lips. His jaw dropped as her eyes opened. He ran to the door of the room, “Nurse, get Doc Applebee, I think Candy is waking up.”
He ran back to the bed when he heard, “Bo, oh darling. I love you.”
“You heard me?”
Candy smiled. “My heart heard you and it woke me up just like in Sleeping Beauty, my handsome prince.”
Bo let out a yee haw and kissed Candy on the lips as Doc Applebee walked in the room.
After checking Candy over, he said “You’re a mighty, lucky young woman. Everything seems to be fine.” He paused and smiled. “I think it’s time you seen your new baby.”
Bo took the little pink bundle from the nurse who had walked in and placed her in Candy’s arms.
Candy had tears of love and tenderness in her eyes looking at the little girl. “She’s so pretty.”
“Just like her momma.” Bo smiled and kissed Candy. “What should we call her?”
“She’s as sweet as honey…”
“I’ve got it! Let’s call her Honeybee. I’m sure all of the boys will buzzing around her.”
Candy agreed. “Honeybee Duke it is. Now you get going to that race.”
“You sure you will be ok?” Bo asked with all the love and tenderness he felt expressed in his voice and smile.
“Yes, Bo. Now you go win that race. Honeybee and I will be watching the tv.”
“I love you Candy Cane and my little Honeybee.”
Well folks, a few days after the General won the race, Mr. & Mrs. Bo Duke brought Miss Honeybee Duke home.
Written by Juanita Ford
Copyright 1999
All Rights Reserved
Send email to juanita@musicfromtheheart.com
