Edited by Cathy on 5/19/2015, 12:09 pm
After the new stable was up and organized, ranch life slowed down a bit leaving Bo with more time to spend with his “girls”. Thanksgiving came and went, and it was nearly Christmas. So, one afternoon Bo and Nora left Lilli in Maggie’s care and headed to town for dinner, a movie, and some shopping.
Bo’s truck was rumbling down the lane toward the highway when Nora put a hand on his arm.
“Bo, stop,” Nora said suddenly.
He pressed on the brake. “What’s the matter? Did you forget something?”
“No,” she said abruptly, “but I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I want you to teach me to drive.”
Bo’s eyes widened. “To drive? What brought this on?” he asked.
“I just think I can do it,” she said. “I’ve been watching you as you push the pedals up and down and move this little handle majigger here. I think I can do this! Besides...Lena can drive and Rita is driving now and...I just think it would be a good thing to know...and I want to learn, so...will you teach me?” she finished with enthusiasm.
“Well…” Bo began…
“Oh good!” Nora said excitedly giving Bo a quick kiss. “I knew you’d say yes!”
She jumped out her side, hurried around the truck, and was scrambling to get in before Bo could move across the seat. She looked at the dashboard eagerly, ready to begin her first lesson. Bo grinned at her enthusiasm but shut off the truck.
“Okay, before we actually drive, I’m going to show you how to shift gears and use the clutch. Once I feel you can do that, we’ll practice with the truck actually moving.”
Bo gave Nora a lesson on shifting gears. Once he was confident that she could shift and downshift properly, he taught her how to work the pedals.
After some time, he said, “Very good! Ready for the real thing now?”
“I think so,” she answered.
“Okay...when you’re ready, go ahead and try it.”
Bo let Nora “drive” on the lane from the ranch to the main road. Although she stalled several times, he commended her efforts and promised she could drive on the lane when they returned home.
They decided to get their shopping done first finishing everything except their gifts for each other. They especially had fun buying for Lilli now that she was nearly three. They bought her a tricycle, a wagon, and a stuffed unicorn, the closest they could get to her wish for the real thing.
They had dinner at Calpurnia’s Diner, a local restaurant famous for it's steak. Then they went to see Bogie and Bacall’s recent release, Dark Passage. It was a wonderful evening of much-needed time together.
Nora snuggled close to Bo on the seat on the way home, then traded places with him for more practice driving on the lane. This time she only stalled once on the very long lane to the ranch house. It was a bumpy stop when he had her park the truck, but she was very proud of herself.
She turned to him with sparkling eyes. “Well, how did I do?” she asked him, smiling.
Bo nodded his head. “You did very well...great for your first time…”
She threw her arms around his neck and smothered him with kisses. “I’m so excited!” she bubbled, “Thank you for teaching me...thank you, thank you, thank you…” she said between kisses.
Bo pulled her closer, laughing. “I love teaching you things. You’re always such a grateful student,” he said looking at her longingly.
“And you’re always such a patient and rewarding teacher,” she teased finding his mouth again. She melted into his arms and slowed her pace into more seductive kisses.
“Mmmm,” he murmured running his hands the length of her body and then lingering on her breasts where he fingered the buttons on her cashmere button down sweater.
Nora burned Bo’s neck with kisses as he continued his quest inside the cashmere. The windows grew steamier as things heated up between them. She ran her hands through his hair and then loosened his belt as he ran his along her breasts beneath the sweater. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and then on her chest as he pursued her.
It was soon obvious that the truck cab was too small. Breathlessly, Nora suggested they go to the house.
“And waste this beautiful moonlight?” Bo asked quietly. “No...I’ve got a better idea...let’s go back there,” he said motioning his head toward the truck bed.
“Kind of cold out there, Bo...it’s only in the 50’s…”
“You won’t be cold. I promise,” he said kissing her thoroughly again.
When the ended the kiss, he whispered, “Come on…” and pulled her out the passenger door. She was giggling as she clung to him. It was then that Bo noticed lights on in the stable.
He instantly became alert. “Why would anyone be here this time of night?”
he asked suspiciously.
Nora sighed seeing an end to their current mood. “Bo, it’s probably nothing. If someone was up to no good, they certainly wouldn’t turn the lights on and announce it to the world. “Let’s go…” she murmured wrapping her arms around him and pressing her mouth against his neck again.
Bo looked at her, then at the stable. “I’m sorry, honey...but, you know I have to check this out after what happened with the old stable...”
Suddenly the lights went off and two men appeared. It was the Palmer brothers.
Nora straightened her hair and turned to button her sweater as Bo shouted at them, “Why are you two here so late?”
Chet answered, “Cattle got out the east gate by the lake. Mr. Buchanan asked us to round them up and fix the gate.”
Tate added, “We brought in fourteen head, but there still could be some unaccounted for. It’s too dark now to see. But, we brought in what we could find, fixed the fence, and just put the ropes away.”
Nora felt Chet’s eyes upon her as Tate and Bo discussed the cattle situation. She busied herself getting the bags from the truck.
When the Tate brothers finally pulled away in their truck, Bo wrapped his arms around Nora from behind. “Now, where were we?” he whispered.
She glanced at him and said, “Let’s just go home.” It was then that he knew their moment was lost.
* * * * * * *
Bo hoped to recapture that moment when Nora came to bed. It was not to be. When she finally joined him, she laid down quietly beside him rather than snuggling close to his side as usual. He rolled over to face her.
“Are you angry with me for some reason?” he questioned.
“No,” she responded as she pulled the blankets up.
He wrapped his arm across her and tried to pull her close. “I thought maybe we could...pick up where we left off tonight….before we were interrupted…” he whispered against her neck.
She stared at the ceiling.
“What’s the matter, Red?” Bo asked quietly.
Tears started trickling from her eyes and down her cheeks. “I started my period again.”
“Oh. Okay...” Bo responded. “I’ll just hold you then...can I do that?” he asked gently.
She nodded briefly as he held her close. “Oh Bo…” She wiped at the tears that were falling steadily now.
“Honey...we’ve talked about this...I know it’s disappointing, but we’ll just keep trying…”
“But...seriously Bo...how can I not be pregnant? I know there is a narrow window, but we had to have hit that window...we’ve certainly had enough sex!”
He remained silent.
She looked at him and ran her hand along his cheek. “I’m sorry...I know that sounded really bad. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I love making love to you...you know that. I never tire of that...it’s just…” She shook her head briefly. “...I just don’t know how I couldn’t be pregnant after all the effort we’ve made this month...and then I was two days late, and I just thought...I thought for sure I was pregnant,” she cried, “ and I was going to tell you on Christmas...it was going to be my present to you…”
Nora’s body shook with quiet sobs. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me…”
He held her tight and brushed away her tears with his thumb.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Red…” Bo began.
“Then why is this happening? Why am I not getting pregnant? Why was it effortless before? and now...I just don’t understand…” She wiped the tears and clenched the arm he had draped across her belly.
“Maybe it isn’t you,” Bo said quietly.
She gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
Bo shrugged. “I mean….what if it’s me?”
“Why would you even think that? You’re...very virile…”
He hesitated a moment before continuing not wanting to give her any more reason to doubt their ability to conceive. Then he went on.
“We were exposed to a lot of toxic gases and chemical agents in the war. It just makes me wonder if anything like that could affect reproductive abilities. No one has told me that...in fact, it’s really too early for any studies about it to have been done...but...I just wonder…”
She caressed his cheek.
“Now...I hesitated to mention that,” he went on, “because I don’t want you to worry about it. I have no facts to prove it’s so. I just have wondered. But...if you really want to, we can talk to a doctor after the holidays are over and find out if there’s a problem somewhere and what we can do about it…”
She remained silent.
“I just want you to know though…” Bo stopped to pull his thoughts together before going on, “I just want you to know that...I love you with all of my being, Red. And Lilli…” Bo smiled thinking of his little girl. “Lilli is just an added bonus to that love. Would I like another child? Yes...maybe even more. But...if that prayer isn’t answered for us...I want you to know that I’m happy. You make me happy. You and Lilli are all I need.” He stopped a moment. “Now...am I enough for you?” he finished quietly.
She looked at him silently then rolled over to face him. Heads pillowed next to each other, she answered him, “Yes. My answer is an emphatic yes. How can you even ask me that?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know...just seems like you’re so preoccupied with another child...that it’s so important to you...”
She placed a hand against his cheek. “I thought another child would make you happy. I feel like I’m failing you. That’s part of the reason I’ve been so anxious about it…”
“And here I am feeling like I’ve let you down,” Bo said.
She drew closer and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you, Bo Buchanan. Don’t you ever feel like you’ve let me down or that you’re not enough for me. You are my life…”
He looked into her deep brown eyes. “And you’re mine,” he whispered. They shared some gentle kisses, then he pulled her close and rolled to his back.
“Come here. I want to talk with you about something,” he said. She snuggled close and rested her head on his shoulder.
“This was going to be a surprise, but I am telling you tonight. I think it will lift your spirits and give you something to look forward to.”
“Oh?” she asked. “What is it?”
“How would you feel about ringing in the new year...in Chicago?” he asked.
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