Chapter Thirty-Eight ~ May 12, 1949
"I can't believe how fast he's growing," Nora said peering at the baby nestled snugly in Laura's arms.
"I know. They change so fast," Laura agreed. "Just three weeks old and already he's getting chubby."
"Have you seen Audrey's baby?" asked Nora. "He's a little chunk. I teased Audrey that he'll be able to carry her around soon."
They laughed as Nora refilled their coffee cups. Then Nora sobered.
"I'm glad you stopped by. I've been meaning to come over, but I've been so busy with finals…"
"So you're finished?" asked Laura. "I was wondering."
"Yes, two semesters done. Now I'm going to take a break and start again with the kids are a little older."
"That's probably a good idea. You're going to find that two kids will keep you much busier than one."
"I'm sure they will...but enough about me. How are you doing, Laura...really?"
Laura looked down at the baby. "I'm doing okay. I have to. I have Jackson here and three others at home depending on me. It's trying at times, but Jack was never one to help much with the kids anyway. I'm used to dealing with things on my own. Actually...that's one of the reasons I stopped by. I wanted to tell you. I'm putting the house up for sale. The kids and are are moving closer to my parents in Harrisburg."
"Oh, Laura...I'm really sorry to hear that," Nora said sadly, "...although, I can understand why. I'm glad you've patched things up with your parents. You need your family's support, and I'm sure the kids love having the grandparents in their lives."
"Yes, they do. And Mom and Dad have been great. We're putting our past disagreements behind us and rebuilding our relationship. I'm thankful to have their support."
"Still, I'll miss you," said Nora, "and Lilli will miss your kids…"
"I'll miss you too," Laura responded with tears in her eyes.
They heard rustling on the back step and Bo's voice. "Step in here and I'll get that for you," he said opening the wooden screen door to the kitchen. He stepped inside followed by Caroline Talbott. Immediately the atmosphere grew tense as all eyes met.
"I...um…" Caroline began. "I'm sorry...I'll get that later, Bo... I need to go…" Caroline exited the screen door which snapped back with a bang.
Bo looked at Laura. "I'm sorry, Laura...I didn't realize you were here."
Laura sighed. "Don't worry about it...I was bound to run into her eventually. Another reason why I'm moving, I might add," she said to Nora. "I don't want my kids growing up in a neighborhood full of rumors about their dad. This will be a fresh start for all of us."
Nora nodded in silent understanding.
Bo peeked over Laura's shoulder at the sleeping baby. "He's really growing," he said. "Mind if I hold him?"
"Sure, you can hold him," Laura replied, smiling again, "you need to get back into practice."
Bo held the little bundle against his chest, "You're getting to be a big boy, aren't you? Goodness, your Mommy must be feeding you well. Look at those chubby knees. Are you waking up?" he said in his baby voice. "He's waking up, Mommy," Bo said to Laura.
The baby squirmed against Bo's chest. Nora smiled at her husband's antics with the baby. "Be careful. Don't jostle him around too much," she told Bo, "he just ate."
"Ah...he's fine," Bo replied. "He…" Bo stopped suddenly and grimaced as he looked down at his shirt front where little Jackson had just deposited his latest meal."
Nora laughed as Laura took the baby from Bo, "I'm so sorry," she told him, looking at the mess on Bo's shirt.
"That's why I wasn't holding him," Nora said, laughing at Bo's disgruntled look.
"Don't suppose you want to go to dinner with me looking like this?" he asked Nora.
"Afraid not," she replied, still smiling.
"And I thought we were friends," Bo said to the baby who was now bright-eyed and content.
The ladies laughed as Bo made his way upstairs to change.
"Well, guess I'd better go," Laura said, "since you're going to dinner. Special occasion?" she asked.
"Yes," Nora replied. "It's our anniversary...five years."
"We have the entire night alone and you're ready to go home?" Bo asked as they drove away from the theater.
"Well, Viki is dropping Lilli off on her way to the office in the morning...it can't be a late night, Bo."
"I guess you're right," Bo agreed a bit resignedly. "We should have planned another weekend anniversary trip," he remarked. "You know...a year ago we were playing strip poker."
"I remember," Nora said, glancing slyly at him. "I won, as I recall."
"We both won as I recall," Bo responded silkily, placing a hand seductively on her knee.
Nora laughed. "Well, I'm sorry, Buchanan, if I'm a boring date...I'm just a tired, fussy, pregnant woman this year."
"I didn't say you were a boring date," Bo chided. "It's just that five years of marriage deserves more than dinner and a movie...even if that movie did have Ingrid Bergman in it," he added with a grin.
"And that was totally unfair...not only was the movie a creepy Hitchcock story, but you got to drool over Ingrid while her leading man was a bore."
"It's not my fault the Cary Grant movie was sold out."
"I know…" Her voice wandered off as she gazed out the window. "Hey…" she said slowly, "I've got an idea...turn here...let's go down by the Llantano."
"By the river? Why would you want to go down there? We can't see anything in the dark."
"Who says we have to see anything," Nora replied, squeezing the hand still resting on her knee.
"Mmm...to the river it is then," Bo agreed turning onto Old River Road. "Mrs. Buchanan...what exactly do you have planned for me?" .
"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" she teased alluringly. "It would be a shame to waste this moonlit night when you know what the full moon does to me."
"Those words don't sound like they come from a tired, fussy pregnant woman…" Bo replied.
"Are you going to drive around forever or find a place to park?" Nora asked a little impatiently. "There's a lane...pull in right there."
Bo whipped the car into the lane, put it in park and shut off the lights. Immediately their eyes adjusted to the view ahead of them...milky moonlight peered through the woods casting shadows of the trees in it's silvery glow, leaving the ripples on the water illuminated with it's light.
"Beautiful…" Nora sighed, taking in the view.
Bo wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Like it? I ordered this just for you…"
"Oh you did, huh? Well...thank you, sir...seems you know what I like…"
"Oh...I know what you like…" he whispered against her neck.
Nora smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "It's been a long time since we've done this...when was the last time anyway?" she asked him quietly.
"Mmm…I don't remember…" he replied softly, planting hot kisses under her earlobe and along her neck.
"I remember," Nora responded suddenly. "It was about a week before our wedding and we parked by the lake...remember? It was a night like this…"
"I do remember," Bo replied. "I also remember that...we didn't talk so much that night…"
Nora grinned. "I remember that too...we were...busy...as I recall…" she murmured against his mouth.
Her lips finally met his with kisses warm and soft. Bo's arms pulled her closer as his hands traveled over her body. Her breasts, which were firmer and more sensitive from pregnancy, ached with longing from his touch. His hands traveled downward over her swollen belly as their kisses grew in intensity...tongues probing and tangling with shared desire. He unbuttoned her bodice and let his mouth wander closer to her breasts as he struggled to unclasp her bra behind. She ran her hands through his hair drawing him closer, their breaths coming faster…
There was a scraping sound.
Nora was suddenly tense and alert. "What was that?" she breathed raggedly to Bo.
He sat up and glanced out the window.
"Oh...I see. There's another car across the woods there...probably somebody with the same idea we had," he said breathlessly pursuing her once again.
"Bo? Are they close?" she asked, feeling immediately uncomfortable and pulling her bodice closed as she tried to sit up.
Bo sighed knowing their moment was quickly dissipating. "No honey, see? They're way over the hill there…" He stopped suddenly. "What the hell...?"
Nora followed Bo's eyes to where he was peering through the woods. A man was carrying a body over his shoulder and stumbling along the river bank. As he got closer to the river, the body over his shoulder started flailing...it was a woman and she was fighting to get away. The man threw the woman to the ground and sat on top of her as she struggled to get up and run. Looking around, the man grabbed what appeared to be a large river rock and struck her in the head. She fell back to the ground and remained motionless.
"You stay here," Bo told Nora.
"Bo...what are you going to do?"
He was stretching into the backseat where he had some old twine from a recent day of fishing.
"BO...NO!" she said in panicked realization of what he intended to do. "You can't go down there! We need to go somewhere and call the police!"
"And let him get away?! No! I can tie his wrists and ankles with this while you drive to the police station. If we start the car to leave, this guy's gonna panic and leave the scene...then the police will never find him. You stay here…"
"NO…" Nora said shaking her head. "No, Bo please. This guy is dangerous! What if he has a gun? Please, don't do this…"
"Shhh...Red, listen. He doesn't have a gun. He obviously doesn't have a weapon if he used a rock to hit the girl."
"He could do the same to you, Bo!"
"I'll be fine. I'm wasting time, Red...I need to do this before he realizes we're here…"
"Bo, please…" she begged.
But he refused to listen to her pleas. "You stay here until I have him tied up. When I give you a signal, you go to the nearest house and call the police. Under NO circumstances do you come down to the river bank! Understand me? Wait for my signal."
"BO!"
She grabbed his sleeve in a futile effort to detain him, but Bo slid quickly and quietly from the car. Then she watched helplessly as he stealthily crept to the river bank...
To be continued...