Seeing You Again
PROLOGUE
"It was all so real, Bo," Nora relayed quietly, staring at the bedroom ceiling and noisily blowing her nose on another tissue.
"Sounds like quite a dream," Bo replied after listening to her recount a vivid dream about living at the Buchanan Ranch in Texas. "Those must be some pretty strong drugs Larry prescribed for you, honey."
"I guess so," she murmured rolling to her side. "You really shouldn't be sleeping with me, you know," she whispered. "You may catch what I have…Oh, Bo...I'm so tired…"
"Get some more rest then, honey. I'll be right here if you need anything."
But Nora didn't hear his comforting words. Already her mind was drifting into a heavy swirl as she fell back into the world of slumber…
A heavy fog surrounded her…
She glanced at the sleeping, tousle-haired girl beside her as she heard her husband say, "There's the sign, honey. Llanview PA. We're finally home…"
Chapter One ~ April 4, 1948
Nora stumbled through the kitchen door and unloaded her arms on the countertop.
"Bo?" she shouted removing her hat and heels. No answer.
"Bo! Anybody home? Lilli?"
She followed the smell of fresh paint and made her way into the living room to see how much progress Bo had made. It looked like the living room and the foyer were finished. She smiled as a sense of relief swept over her.
They had moved into their new house just two weeks before...a large two-story with a spindled porch in an established neighborhood on the historical side of town. A tall wooden door opened to a welcoming interior with hardwood floors, full-length windows, and a wooden staircase leading to an upstairs boasting four bedrooms and a bath. It was old, homey, and just waiting for Bo and Nora to make it their own.
Already the downstairs painting was nearly done. When the painting was complete, they would get serious about shopping for furniture. At the moment, all they had were a few old chairs that Viki had loaned them from Llanfair...a few old chairs that Nora noticed were suspiciously covered with sheets.
It was then that she heard giggling and a little voice saying, "Shhhhh...be quiet Daddy…"
Nora decided to play along. "Well...I wonder where they could be…hmmmm…maybe they're outside...or upstairs…" She walked to the foot of the stairs and shouted again, "Anybody home? That's so strange," she muttered, "I just can't find them anywhere!"
Finally, Lilli popped out of hiding, "Hi Mommy!" she shouted, grinning all over, then giggling.
Nora held a hand to her chest, "Lillikins! You scared me! Where have you been?"
"In my house! Come see my house, Mommy!" she shouted with excitement. "Daddy's in dere. We're havin' a tea party! Wanna come?" she asked, blue eyes shining.
"Well sure...I suppose I could use a cup of tea…" Nora replied hoping Bo hadn't allowed her to bring anything to drink into the living room.
"I'll get you a cookie," Lilli said, running with pattering bare feet to the kitchen. "Be right back."
As Lilli ran to retrieve a cookie, Nora cautiously lifted the 'door' to the sheet house. She burst into laughter at the sight of her husband who was wearing a colorful scarf about his neck and a feathered hat!
She edged her way into the tent and rubbed her shoulder against his. "Sweetie, you look so handsome..." she teased, playfully fingering the scarf. "You think you could...wear this for me later... maybe?..."
He grinned and raised his eyebrows, "Whatever it takes," he teased back, quickly rolling her to the floor and smothering her with kisses.
A moment later, Lilli lifted the tent flap, cookies in hand, to witness mommy pinned down and giggling, her Daddy's beautiful hat drooping off his head.
"Daaddy!" she sighed, exasperated. "Stop dat! You're gonna wreck my house and your hat is coming off!"
Bo sat up quickly and rearranged his costume. "Sorry," he said, "I don't know what came over me…"
Lilli handed them both a cookie. "Here ya go. I juss made them today," she said in a prim manner. "Would anyone want some more tea?" She pretended to pour the make believe tea into their cups.
"Mmm...these cookies are homemade," Nora said, "where did they come from?"
Lilli volunteered the information. "Two ladies came today, Mommy. They brought 'em. One lady was preetty."
Nora raised her brows and looked at Bo for an explanation.
"Two of the neighbor ladies came by to introduce themselves and welcome us to the neighborhood. They not only brought cookies but a full meal. It's in the oven," Bo explained.
"Really?! That's so nice! I wish I had been here."
"They said they would come back sometime when you're here and introduce themselves again…"
"That's what the preetty one said, Mommy," Lilli interrupted.
Bo continued, "Anyway...they said they'd like to meet you, and they invited us to play cards sometime...or for a dinner party or something. Now...I want to know how your day went," he said changing the subject. "Did you get registered?"
"Yes, I'm registered," Nora said. "I just have to go back for some entrance exams and to pay the tuition. But it's official," she said smiling, "this fall I'll be a student at the Llanview University!"
Bo was acting suspicious...he had been all evening.
After eating dinner, Nora wanted to go upstairs to change clothes, but he stopped her as she put her foot on the bottom step.
"Just let me run up and get your clothes, honey. You said your feet were hurting from wearing those heels."
"Well, they're not that bad. Don't be silly…"
"I insist," Bo argued. I'll be right down...just wait here," he said hurrying past her and up the stairs.
As if that wasn't strange enough, throughout the entire evening he was disappearing for various tidbits of time. Nora thought it really odd when he told Lilli he couldn't push her on the swing...he was always willing to play in the yard after dinner with Lilli. But "not tonight, maybe Mommy can," he had told her.
When she went into the bathroom later to draw water for Lilli's bath, she noticed that her own nightclothes were in the bathroom alongside Lilli's...as well as towels and washcloths for the both of them. She and Lilli took a bubble bath together before Nora told her a story and tucked her in for the night. Then she proceeded to their bedroom where Bo seemed to be hiding out.
"Bo?" she said quietly outside their bedroom door.
No answer.
"Bo?" she repeated. Still no answer.
She tried the knob and was surprised to find it opened easily...her mouth dropped open as she stepped inside. The room was illuminated by candlelight... a few on the fireplace mantel and some on the floor. Music played softly from the radio while wine chilled in a bucket nearby. But what really caught her eye were the mattresses, complete with sheets and pillows, on the floor near the far wall…
She heard the door open and close softly behind her. Turning, she saw Bo wearing nothing but his boxers...and the scarf and feathered hat from their earlier tea party. A laugh rumbled from Nora's depths.
"So this is what you've been up to all night!" she said through her laughter.
Bo nodded. "I told you...whatever it takes," he said grinning.
She smiled into his eyes. "We have a mattress," she said in wonder.
"We do," Bo responded. "I, for one, was tired of sleeping on the hard floor. It was delivered today while Lilli napped...otherwise she would have spoiled my surprise. I didn't buy the bed, though. I wanted us to choose that together." He waved an arm toward the mattress. "Soo…aren't you going to try it out?" he encouraged.
Nora mosied to the mattress. Then leaning over, she felt its softness with her hand. She lowered herself down into it's depths and rolled from one side to the other side, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. A red rose graced one of the pillows. She picked it up and inhaled it's sweet fragrance.
"Oh Bo...it's wonderful," she murmured, opening her eyes to peek at him. "What are you waiting for? Come join me," she said invitingly over the red rose she held in her hand.
"I thought you'd never ask," he said sauntering to the mattress and laying himself in her open arms. She giggled again as he pursued her in his colorful scarf and hat, planting warm kisses along her neck before finding her waiting mouth.
"I love you," she whispered, laying the rose aside and pulling him closer by the scarf for more kisses. "But I don't really think you need this," she continued, removing the hat and flinging it into the corner, "or this…" she murmured between kisses as she untied and tossed the scarf to join the hat, "or these either for that matter," she said seductively, tugging at his boxers.
When she had completely relieved him of his boxers, he slipped her gown over her head and laid her deep in the mattress. He ran feather light hands over her body, touching her and kissing her until she was fully ready for him. Then she pulled him closer and wrapped herself around him. Skin to skin, they finally christened the new mattress by candlelight while music crackled from the old radio in the corner.
To be continued...