Chapter One: Back In Your Arms Again

The snow was coming down in sheets now and she was beginning to wonder if she would make it back before all the roads closed. She tried to turn on the heater but it wasn't working and she chanced a look back in the car seat behind her. Her baby girl was still sleeping soundly; unaware of the drama she was going through.

"It's okay sweet girl," she whispered softly. "I'm going to get you that donor if I have to personally knock on every door."

She let out a blood-curdling scream when she had to swerve to avoid the car pulling out in front of her. They were in the middle of a snowstorm and still people didn't know how to drive. When she tried to pull her car out of the ditch, her engine died.

"Oh for the love of…something holy," she swore. The baby was crying now and she was too cold to believe they could survive in this run down car for long.

"Hold on baby; mommy's coming," she said, as she used her hand to break the window when the door wouldn't open. She reached into the back seat, pulled her baby girl from the car seat, and cradled her in her arms as she climbed out through the window.

"I know its cold sweetheart but we won't survive in that car with no heater."

She pulled the blanket tightly around her daughter and began to walk.

He nearly crashed his car into something in the road. He couldn't even tell what it was with the snow coming down so hard but he stopped anyways and pulled open the door. His heart nearly stopped beating when he saw her lying there with a baby pulled against her breast, covered in snow. Somehow, the little girl was still warm in her blanket.

"Nora," he yelled. "Nora, wake up."

He was patting her face as gently as possible but she wouldn't budge so he had no choice but to pick her up, and put her in the car. The baby began to scream a moment later, so he rocked her on his knee with one hand as he drove. He knew he was probably breaking all sorts of laws here but the moment he saw his ex-wife unconscious, he knew he had to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible.

"Come on Red; don't die on me," he prayed.

She began to come out of it hours later mumbling something incoherent as Bo sat by her bedside. She was in and out of consciousness.

"Is she going to be okay," he asked the doctor.

"She has an extreme case of hypothermia but she'll be okay. If you hadn't found her when you did."

"I don't even want to think about that," he said, and the doctor nodded his head in agreement. The baby was now resting comfortably in a little crib the hospital staff had brought into the room. She must have been no older than six months.

"Who do you belong to," he wondered. Nora started to shiver so he walked over to her bed. Her breathing was shallow and she was trying to pull at her clothing. He knew she was barely conscious so he needed to keep her warm and stable.

"It's okay sweetheart; you're okay."

She was still mumbling but he couldn't understand her any better than he had before. Why wasn't her hypothermia getting any better? It had been hours. He checked her vitals and noticed no change, so he did the only thing he knew he could do to save her life.

"You're not dying on me," he said, as he removed his clothes and climbed under the covers with her. He knew that body heat was the only thing left to try so he pulled off the remainder of her clothes and held her as close against his own skin as he could. The feel of her naked body against his caused a raging hard on he hadn't felt in years but he forced the emotion aside as he held her in his arms. He hadn't seen his ex-wife in over a year and though he dreamt of her often, he never thought he would see her again and still feel so much love. How was he ever going to let her walk out of his life for a second time?

He had convinced himself for too long that his feelings for her consisted of nothing but hatred but he was wrong. If he truly hated the woman then why was he so desperate to save her life? He could tell himself a thousand times that it was just the decent thing to do but he would be fooling himself…

The decent thing to do would have ended at him bringing her to the hospital…He wouldn't be praying that she woke up and hoping she didn't notice something hard pressing into her back when she did. He wouldn't have bothered climbing into her hospital bed with her…

"Bo?"

He heard her voice now. He wasn't dreaming.

"Red…Red, are you really awake? Am I dreaming?"

"If you are then so am I...I've...I've been looking all over for you," she whispered…"Wait…Is that what I think it is," she asked, a smile spreading across her gorgeous lips.

"What," he asked?

"Don't play dumb with me Bo Buchanan…I can feel it…Are you…Oh yes, you are…you are very erect."

Her fingers were rubbing his swollen shaft now…Oh God, what was she doing? Did she have any idea what her fingers had the power to do to him?

"Nora," he started to say but she put a finger to his lips. "You saved my life…how about I take care of you now," she asked. "I missed you cowboy…you have no idea how much I think about you…I just thought you would hate me forever."

"I wish I could," he said, before her lips claimed his.

He was done for…completely and utterly finished...Because a year away from her hadn't quenched his hunger for her… He was still her fool.