Chapter Twenty:

Nora awakes early Valentine’s Day morning. She smiles as she stretches, reaching across the bed, finding it empty. She rises up on her elbow and looks around the room, “Bo…” she calls out in the silent room. She looks back down on the bed and notices a folded newspaper with a red rose lying across it. She pulls herself up against the headboard and brings the rose to her nose, inhaling its scent. She places it on the bed beside her and picks the newspaper up off his pillow.

She unfolds the paper and reads the headline across the front page, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Red. Love, Bo.” She smiles through the tears forming in her eyes. Bo had had Viki print a special edition of the Banner just for her. She read through the article under the headline, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, sometimes both at the same time, as she reads their love story.

She turns the paper over and finds a crossword puzzle designed just for her. She reaches into the nightstand drawer and pulls out a pen. She grabs Bo’s latest mystery novel off the table and begins working on the puzzle, “Okay let’s see, one across: ____ Blind Mice. Three,” she says as she fills in the squares. “Three across: Robert Frost’s _____ To Go Before I Sleep. Oh that’s easy,” she says to herself as she fills in the word ‘miles’ in the appropriate squares, “now five across: Where the sun rises, another easy one, Buchanan, east.” She taps the pen on her teeth and continues, “seven across: The surname of a popular Llanview legal couple,” a smile spreads across her face as she fills in each block, “B.U.C.H.A.N.A.N. Okay, now for nine across: a dwelling place among woods,” she thinks for a moment, “Oh…lodge,” she says out loud, “eleven across: If it’s not old it’s ____, new” she quickly answers, “Hmmm, Tahaiti, Hawaii, Bermuda, 8 letters. Islands, no that’s only seven letters, OH, vacation,” she says with a smile, “A house is not a ____, four letters, another easy one, home.” She shifts in her seat, trying to get comfortable, “okay next clue, The King and ___, I,” She places her hand on the side of her stomach as the baby makes its presence known. She takes a deep breath and continues, “Amor (eng), love,” another smile spreads across her face as she reads the next clue, “Happy Birthday to ____. you” She grabs Bo’s pillow and the paper and heads downstairs. She sits down on the couch and stretches out, “Okay back to my puzzle, “A legal document to settle one’s estate. Well that’s easy enough, will.” She pushes her glasses back on her nose, “Four more clues, so let’s see, a female sheep, three letters, ewe.” She laughs when she reads the next clue, “A buzzing insect, bee,” She begins to hum, “Oh ____ Darling Clementine, my.” She smiles through her tears, “last clue, construction paper card given in February, valentine.”

She laughs, “What are you up to Buchanan?” She reads the clues all together, “Three miles east Buchanan lodge new vacation home I love you will ewe bee my valentine.” She picks up the phone and dials his cell.

In his office Bo is sitting behind his desk finishing up the last of his reports before taking the next few days off. He picks his phone up off the desk, smiling when he sees their number appear across the display, “Buchanan…”

“Yes, Bo Buchanan, I’ll be your Valentine,” she says, placing her hand across her stomach.

Bo’s smile deepens, “Ahh, so I see you’ve already done your crossword for the day.”

“You are by far the most romantic man I’ve ever known, Bo Buchanan.”

Bo shakes his head, “Nah, I’m just a man in love. So Red, did you figure out where we’re going?”

“You bought us our own little getaway didn’t you?”

“Well I’ve always wanted a place that we could run away to, just you and me and our child, when we need to shut the world out, and I thought it would be the perfect place to spend Valentine’s Day.”

Nora brushes the tears off her cheek, “I love you, Bo Buchanan.”

“I love you too, Red. I’ll see you in one hour.”

“I’ll be here.”

Nora hangs up the phone and makes her way upstairs to get dressed. Fifty nine minutes later Bo was walking through the door. He takes the stairs two at a time and rushes into their bedroom. He stops in the doorway and stares at the reflection in the mirror as she puts the finishing touches on her makeup.

He walks up behind her and begins to kiss her neck. She smiles and lays her head back, enjoying the attention. She turns in the seat and stands up, wrapping her arms around his neck. They begin to dance in their bedroom, to music only they can hear.

An hour later they’re on their way to their new vacation hideaway in the mountains. Nora looks out the window, the snow covered landscape, the backdrop to their getaway. They pass the Buchanan Lodge, turning right as they head three miles east. Five minutes later Bo is pulling up in front of a log cabin, nestled amongst the elms and evergreens. There’s smoke billowing from the chimney and the candlelight can be seen from the driveway. Bo stops the car and runs around to the passenger side. He opens her door and offers her his hand. They walk hand in hand up to the cabin. Bo inserts the key in the lock and steps aside, allowing her to enter first.

The sight before her takes her breath away. Her attention turns to the door off to her left. She tilts her head to the side, “Nigel…I should’ve known.”

Nigel bows slightly, “Welcome Mrs. Buchanan,” she walks over and kisses him on the cheek, “Thank you, Nigel,” she whispers in his ear.

“You’re most welcome,” he says with a smile.

Nigel leaves them alone. Nora turns and looks at Bo, all the love she has for him reflecting in her eyes as she looks at him from across the room.

If there were no words
No way to speak
I would still hear you

If there were no tears
No way to feel inside
I'd still feel for you

Bo holds out his hand and she slowly makes her way towards him. She stops in front of him, taking his hand. He brings her hand up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her wedding ring. She reaches out lays her hand on his cheek.

And even if the sun refuse to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart
Until the end of time
You're all I need
My love, my valentine

He steps closer to her, placing his arm around her, resting it on the small of her back. He pulls her close and kisses her. Their kiss soon turns passionate and an hour later they’re lying in front of the fire, a single blanket covering them.

All of my life
I have been waiting for
All you give to me
You've opened my eyes
And showed me how to love unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times before
In my dreams I couldn’t love you more
I will give you my heart
Until the end of time
You're all I need
My love, my valentine

She leans against the couch the blanket still wrapped around her; he sits in front of her, feeding her the meal the Palace staff had prepared for them. He reaches out and wipes the sauce from her face; she licks the sauce from his finger.

La da da
Da da da da

And even if the sun refuse to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart
Until the end of time
Cuz all I need
Is you, my valentine

You're all I need
My love, my valentine

They lay together on the couch; Bo spooned behind her, his hand moving in a circular motion over her stomach. A smile spreads across his face, “Our little Buchanan is awake.”

Nora smiles, “Tell me about it.”

Bo glances out the window, “Wow the snow is really coming down.”

Nora looks out the window, “Do you think we should head back to Llanview?”

Bo climbs out from behind her, “I’m going to go out there and check on things.” Bo pulls on his jeans, zipping them up as he leans in and kisses the top of her head. He grabs his jacket, “I’ll be right back,” as he slips on his shoes.

Nora sits up and begins to gather up her clothes. She is almost dressed when she has to sit back down on the couch, a pain in her back taking her breath away, “Whoa, there, little one,” she whispers.

Bo looks around the driveway and looks at his buried car, “Should’ve brought the Bo mobile,” he thinks to himself.

Nora stands up and begins to pace around the room, the pain in her back having moved to her stomach. Bo walks into the room a moment later, stomping the snow off his boots, not noticing her pacing around the room. He shakes off his jacket and turns to hang it up, “Well Red, doesn’t look like we’re going anywhere for a while,” he says, his back still towards her.

“Well then it looks like you’ll be assisting Buchanan Jr. here in making his or her appearance,” she says, grabbing onto the mantle for support as another pain hits.

Bo turns around and looks at her, “Now…”

Nora looks up at him, “Now…” is all she manages to say before another pain hits.

TBC…