Posted by hummingbird on 12/20/2013, 12:49 pm VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
CHAPTER TWENTY
“There is so much to see and do in Boston, Matthew. You really need to come visit me some weekend. It would be great.”
“I’ll do that….maybe in the spring when the weather is nice. We could take in a Red Sox game while I’m there,” Matthew said with enthusiasm.
The house was finally peaceful again. All the guests had gone home. Nora was snuggled close to Bo on the couch while Matthew and Rachel lounged on the floor with pillows. Rachel had been sharing news of her move to Boston...her new job, new friends… Nora thought it wonderful to sit by the fire and the glow of the tree enjoying her own little family.
“And, Mom, you haven’t been back since you helped me move. You need to…” Rachel stopped mid-sentence. “Really, you guys,” she said referring to Bo and Nora.
Nora stopped mid-kiss. “What…?”
Rachel continued, “You haven’t heard a word I just said…you’re too busy over there…”
“Yeah, get a room,” Matthew spouted. He and Rachel burst out laughing.
“Hey,hey,hey. We’re listening too. We’re...multi-tasking,” Nora said smiling at Bo.
Bo laughed. “I think the kids are right,” he said pulling her closer. “I think we should get a room.”
She sat up quickly giving him an exasperated look, “Bo Buchanan!”
“What?” He laughed again. “They aren’t babies anymore, honey. They…”
“They want to help me take these dishes to the kitchen,” Nora interrupted standing and redirecting the conversation.
“Seriously, Mom. You’re tired. Matthew and I can clean up. Go on to bed,” Rachel offered.
Nora glanced around. “You sure?” she asked.
“Yes,” agreed Matthew. “We’re going to be up awhile anyway. We have a lot to catching up to do.”
“Okay..,” said Nora. “But don’t be up too late...Santa won’t come if you’re still awake,” she winked.
“Speaking of Santa,” Bo mumbled, rising and heading unnoticed to the garage.
Nora hugged her grown children. “It’s so good to have both of you here this Christmas. My babies…I’m just so happy to have you both home. Lovin’ you…”
“Meanin’ it,” they responded at the same time. Then pointing a finger at each other, “Jinx!” they both said laughing.
At that moment Bo came back from the garage stomping snow off his feet his arms laden with packages. To their questioning looks, “Ho Ho Ho,” he said jovially. “Rachel’s presents...I never sent them...hid them in the trunk of my car.”
* * * * * * *
Nora slipped the new nightgown over her head. The dark green satin was silky soft and set off her dark eyes and auburn hair. It fit snugly in the right places and flared a bit below the waist stopping on her upper thighs to reveal the long legs Bo loved. She pulled on the matching robe and tied it loosely. Then she ran her fingers through her hair one last time, spritzed herself with his favorite fragrance, and took one more look. This should make him happy, she thought, smiling to herself. The new lingerie, which had started out as a surprise each Christmas Eve, had now turned into tradition. Bo looked forward to it, and she never disappointed him.
When she opened the door to their bedroom, Bo had not disappointed her either. He always created the Christmas Eve ambience. A warm fire crackled from their bedroom fireplace. Candles graced the furniture and cast their shimmery glow over the room. Soft music played while wine chilled near two glasses by their bedside.
Bo turned from adding another log to the fire to see her standing there. She smiled at him.
“It’s beautiful,” she said softly, indicating the room with her eyes.
He approached her, put his hands around her waist and pulled her close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You're beautiful,” he whispered to her. She kissed him softly, then buried her face in his neck as they started to sway to the music. Bing Crosby’s I'll Be Home For Christmas quietly crooned from the radio. There couldn’t have been a more appropriate song for their first Christmas Eve dance back in their old home.
They danced quietly for several minutes. He could feel her sweet breath on his neck. She was so warm and soft in his arms. No words were necessary between them.
Finally she leaned back a bit to look into his eyes. “Have you figured out the answer?” she asked him quietly.
“The answer…?” he said, with a questioning look.
“Yes.”
“Well...right now I have several questions running through my head...so I’m wondering which one you might be referring to.”
“How many years has it been since we danced in this room on Christmas Eve?”
He smiled. She could read his thoughts. “I was just trying to figure that out...I decided the answer is simply ‘too many’.
She snuggled more deeply into his arms. “I just can’t get close enough,” she murmured kissing him again and again and again. He untied her robe to slip his hands beneath it and draw her closer.
She leaned back and looked into his eyes again. “I am just so...overwhelmed tonight,” she said quietly...then quickly added with a giggle, “overwhelmed in a good way.” Her finger traced it’s familiar path along his jawline as she continued seriously, “I’m in your arms, we’re back in our home, both my kids are downstairs, Drew is safe, and…”
She stopped a moment.
“And….?” he prompted.
“.....and...I don’t think I’ve ever slow danced to Jingle Bells before,” she said with a puzzled expression and a laugh. Indeed the song had switched from the crooning voice of Mr. Crosby to a lively rendition of Jingle Bells.
Bo laughed with her. “Me neither. Maybe it’s time to find another station…”
“Maybe it’s time to stop dancing,” she whispered seriously an inch from his lips. She slipped her hands under his robe as well and lured him with an enticing kiss.
“This leads me to my second question,” Bo said between kisses.
“What’s that?” she asked playfully pulling him slowly toward the bed.
“Well...you keep going from serious to a little giddy….just how much eggnog did you have?”
She giggled again. “I don’t know. I lost count. It was…very good,” she said drawing close to him and dropping his robe to the floor. She pulled him close again. “Very, very good...perfect in fact.” She kissed him again...slowly, sweetly, then more passionately drawing his tongue to meet hers. She dropped her robe to the floor and pushed him backward onto the bed crawling above him and planting kisses on his neck.
“Mmmm...I have a present for you,” Bo murmured.
“It’s probably the same present I have for you!” she said smiling. “Wouldn’t that be something if we had the same idea?” she asked happily straddling him.
He laughed at her again. “Do you want my present now...or later?” he asked completely intrigued by her.
“Wellllllll...do you want to give it to me now or later,” she asked him with a throaty laugh.
She leaned down and began kissing him again. Between kisses he said, “Honey, I really do have a little present I was going to let you open tonight…. But...it...can wait,” he said pulling her down on top of him. He held her face between his hands and kissed her hungrily...until she drew away from him and sat up again.
“Wait, wait...wait, wait, wait, wait,” she said. “So you have a present for me? A real present? Something to open? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Mmhm,” was Bo’s brief and distracted response.
“OOoooo. Where is it? I want it now, Buchanan.”
“Really?” He grinned shaking his head. “You’re killing me tonight,” he said reaching to turn on the bedside lamp and drawing a box with a silver ribbon from the nightstand drawer. He held it up to her.
“Merry Christmas,” he said.
“Merry Christmas,” she responded softly, eyes gleaming.
“So...open it,” he said caressing her thighs as she sat atop him.
She untied the silver ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a tear-shaped crystal charm.
“Oh Bo, it’s beautiful...” she began.
“Now wait,” he said. “There’s more to it than that. Hold it up and look at it through the light.”
She took the crystal out and held it up facing the light. Her eyes lit up. “Oh Bo…”
“You see it?” he asked.
“Yes...that’s so amazing…” she said softly, her voice full of emotion. As she peered through the charm she could see an etching. “It’s us...with Drew. Where did you ever find it?”
“I was at the jewelers and saw them making one for someone. I thought it would be a perfect gift to celebrate Drew...and us...and all that we went through together to get him back…. We make a great team, don’t we Red?,” he finished, smiling.
“That we do,” she said kissing him. “Like Bogie and Becall.”
“Like Tracy and Hepburn,” he responded.
“Like Romeo and Juliet,” she said raising her eyebrows.
“Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,” he nodded.
“Like Bonnie and Clyde.”
“Samson and Delilah,” he winked.
“Scarlett and Rhett.” You can’t win this Buchanan.
“You think not?” he asked. “Gable and Lombard.”
“Marc Antony and Cleopatra.”
“Tarzan and Jane” he said raising a brow.
“Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty,” she said in a sultry voice.
“Um...Uh…….FRED AND WILMA” he said quickly.
“You hesitated...You lose!” she said laughing. “And the best you could come up with was ‘Fred and Wilma’? Pathetic, Buchanan,” she said shaking her head. They laughed together, then quietly she said, “Thank you for my gift. I love it.” She laid the box on the bedside table and turned off the light. The winter moon gleamed into the room casting it’s glow over them. She stretched her body the full length of his and held him in her arms.
“I guess this leads me to my next question,” Bo said quietly.
She raised her eyes to peer up at him. “And what’s that?” she asked.
He looked into her eyes and hesitated a moment before asking, “Do you have any idea how much I love you, Red?”
She glanced over his shoulder at the full moon, then back at him. “To the moon and back?” she whispered.
He smiled, then rolled her beneath him. “That doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about you,” he said huskily. “I love you so much, Red.”
She held his face in her hands. “And I love you, Bo Buchanan,” she whispered.
Then, in each others' arms, they shared the most precious gift of all.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful story with us! I do miss Bo and Nora - so this was a real treat. I wish they moved back into the Barn on the show - instead of the Garrett.
Oh well..it happened in your story and that's great!
I really enjoyed writing this story. It gave me the chance to tie up some loose ends and to change things that I wished the writer's would have changed...Bo and Nora back in the old house (hated having them in the garret where he lived with all those other women!),Matthew attempting to accept his responsibility toward Drew, and getting rid of Michelle! Thanks for all of your encouragement along the way.