Chapter Eighteen:

They walk through the front door, wrapped in each other’s arms, their mouths once again locked in a passionate kiss. Bo drops his keys on the floor by the door, her purse and briefcase follow suit. He turns her, backing her against the front door as he reaches around her to lock it. She runs her hands up his chest, quickly pushing his jacket off his shoulders as she fights with the buttons on his shirt.

He reaches between them, making quick work of the buttons on her silk blouse, finally freeing them, allowing her blouse to glide down her arms and onto the floor. His lips travel down her neck, caressing the skin above her breasts as she runs her hands over his chest. He runs his hands down her side, stopping on her hips. He pulls her away from the door, his mouth still assaulting her chest as he walks her towards the couch.

They stand in the middle of the living room, the colors of the sunset pour through the large windows, casting the room in a hue of reds and oranges. He reaches behind her unhooking the clasp of her bra, as their tongues begin another passionate duel. He breaks their kiss, his fingers slipping beneath the straps of her bra lowering them down her arms. His hands slip around her waist and begin to unzip her skirt, letting it fall to the floor at their feet. She reaches between them and grabs his belt, and soon his pants join her skirt

They stand together, their mouths locked once again in a passionate kiss, as the last rays of the sun reflect off their bodies. He slowly lowers her onto the couch, their bodies becoming one.

A few hours later they’re still lying on the couch, a throw blanket draped haphazardly across them.  His back is pressed against the arm, her back against his chest. He runs his hands up and down her arms, her breasts and down her round abdomen, loving the feel of her warm soft skin under his hands.

She has her eyes closed, reveling in his touch when suddenly she sits up and lets out a small gasp, “Did you feel that, Bo, his first kick.”

A smile spreads across Bo’s face, “Yeah…” was all he was able to say as a tear slowly rolls down his face.

She turns halfway in his embrace when she feels his tears fall onto her bare shoulder. She reaches out and runs her thumb across his cheek, brushing the tears from his face. She then presses her lips onto his cheek, kissing the fresh tears away. Her simple touches and kisses set their insides on fire once again and they finally give into their passion, just as the sky opened up and a late summer thunderstorm rocked the house.

Another hour later they lay in the darkness, the only light coming from the occasional streak of lightening and the candles on the mantle. He lowers the blanket, uncovering her stomach. He runs his hands across her stomach, memorizing once again how she feels when she carries his child. He almost missed out on this by letting his obsession take a hold on him. They had almost lost so much, but tonight with her lying in his arms, the sound of her slow rhythmic breathing filling the air as she sleeps, he says a silent prayer thanking God for giving him this amazing woman and the life growing inside of her.

The next three months fly by in a flurry of activity. Bo’s suspension from the LPD was lifted and he was once again sitting behind his desk, a pencil tapping against his teeth as he poured over the latest budget. He looks up when he smells her familiar scent; a smile spreading across his face as he closes the distance between where he stands behind his desk and where she stands leaning against the doorjamb.

He finally reaches her, his hands immediately going to rest on her very swollen abdomen as he leans in to place a kiss on her lips. He breaks their kiss and brushes a strand of hair out of her eye, tucking it behind her ear, “So, what’s the Police Commissioner’s extremely beautiful, very pregnant wife, doing here when she’s supposed to be at home taking it easy?”

“Well, the Police Commissioner’s wife was going crazy all alone in that big house and is in need of some major distracting, so she thought she would stop by the police station to see if that certain extremely sexy Police Commissioner husband of hers was available to take his wife out for lunch before their doctor’s appointment this afternoon,” she looks around the station behind her, “Can you tell me where I can find this certain Police Commissioner?,” she says, trying to make light and cover her nervousness.

Bo closes the door, running his hands over the blinds before he reaches around her and locks the door. He takes her hand and leads her over to the couch where they lose themselves in each other. An hour later she’s sitting on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. He kisses her hair, laying his head against hers, “So are you distracted enough now, cuz I’m hungry,” he says with a laugh.

She nods her head and smiles, “Well I could go for another round of that kind of distracting, but I think we may have already aroused suspicion about what we’re doing in here. I just wish I could shake this feeling I have about the test results.”

He leans in and kisses her before she slides off his lap. He stands up and pulls her close, “It’ll be alright, Red.” She just nods and takes his hand as he leads her out of his office.

Three hours later, after a long lunch at Rodi’s and a few dances to pass the time, they sit outside Dr. Conklin’s office waiting for their appointment. Nora’s foot shakes nervously as she flips through the magazine, barely paying attention to what she was looking at. Bo reaches down and grabs her foot around the ankle stilling it. She looks up at him and smiles, “Honey, what’s with you?,” he asks, “You were fine at lunch.”

She closes the magazine and lets out a sigh, “I’m just nervous.”

He takes her hand and places a soft kiss on her knuckles before setting it down on his lap, “We talked about this at lunch. It’s not like it’s our first sonogram, honey. We’ve had plenty of them with this pregnancy and with,” he pauses for a moment, “with Sarah.”

She looks up at him, a few tears brimming in her eyes, “I know, it’s just between the genetic testing they did and them wanting another ultrasound,” she pauses for a moment trying to compose her thoughts, “I just couldn’t bare it if they told us something was wrong,” he squeezes her hand, “I just….we can’t….” she was about to say something when the nurse stuck her head out the office door and called them in.

They both stand up, never letting go of each other’s hand. They walk towards the door but before they enter the doctor’s inner office area Bo stops and turns her around, “No matter what Red…no matter what they tell us, we face it together.”

She nods her head, as he places a kiss on her forehead, “Together,” she whispers.

In the exam room down the hall, Bo paces nervously back and forth while Nora lies on the bed, her legs covered by the paper gown, her hands clenched tightly at her side. She looks over at him, reaching out to grab his arm as he passes close by the examining table. He stops and looks down at her, a sheepish smile on his face, “I guess I’m the one who’s nervous now, huh?”

He leans down and kisses her softly on the lips before taking a seat beside her. He pulls the chair closer to the bed and takes her hand. A moment later there is a soft knock on the door and Dr. Conklin peeks her head in, “Everyone ready?”

Bo and Nora exchange nervous glances before turning and looking at Dr. Conklin, “Yeah, Doc; we’re ready,” he says as he reassuringly squeezes her hand.

Dr. Conklin nods and slides the small stool over to the side of the bed. She opens Nora’s chart and lays it across her lap, holding it open with one hand, putting her glasses on with the other. Nora and Bo look at each other once again as Dr. Conklin sits, silently reading the chart on her lap.

Bo clears his throat and shifts in his seat, “Um…Doc, we’ve been waiting for days to find out the results of those tests and well needless to say your silence is only adding to our nervousness.”

Dr. Conklin smiles and glances between the expectant parents, “Well I’m happy to say you two have nothing to worry about. All the tests we ran on you, Nora and the baby are fine. There are no genetic abnormalities, no genetic diseases. Nora and the baby are in perfect health.”

Bo leans over and kisses Nora, their eyes brimming with tears. Bo sits back in the chair and squeezes her hand, “So then why another ultrasound?”

Dr Conklin closes the file and places it on the counter behind her. She turns back around and gives them another reassuring smile, “Just chalk it up to an overly cautious doctor,” she notices the looks on their face, “Honestly, you have nothing to worry about.”

Twenty minutes later they were walking out of the hospital, two new pictures for the scrapbook, and a heavy weight lifted from their shoulders.

TBC…