Saying I Do…Again

Bo sits at the red light on Main Street, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. The people that pass by his car laugh and poke the person walking beside them when they hear the Commissioner of Police singing “Good Golly Miss Molly” at the top of his lungs. In a town the size of Llanview news spreads fast and most knew the reason behind the Commissioner’s happiness, and why shouldn’t he be happy, today was his wedding day.

Bo continued to sing as he crossed the intersection a permanent smile on his face, a smile that he thought he’d never wear again after that fateful New Year’s Eve a year in a half ago. There were two people responsible for putting that smile on his face and the light back in his life. The first, a little boy with his brown hair and her intense brown eyes, the brown eyes he’s spent so many years getting lost in, the other with flaming red hair who stole his heart with just one spill, all those years ago.

*~*

Nora paced back and forth in the dressing room in the back of St. James’ church. She would glance quickly at her reflection in the full length mirror each time she passed it. Renee and Viki stood off to the side, trying to stifle their laughter at their friend, her nervous energy obvious as she wore a hole in the carpet.

Renee looked over at Viki who nodded her head in Nora’s direction. Renee nodded and walked over to where Nora was standing looking out the window. She placed her hand on Nora’s arm, causing her to jump for a moment, “Renee…”

“Nora darlin’ if you don’t relax you’re going to wear the heels of your shoes right down to tiny little stumps.” She turns Nora around, “What’s up with you? Are you having second thoughts about marrying Bo?”

Nora looks at her shocked, “Of course not! If there’s one thing I have no doubts about, it’s marrying Bo again. I love him so much, Renee.” She looks down at her engagement ring on her right hand and smiles, “I never thought we would be here again.” She looks back out the window.

“Then what is it that has you pacing a hole in the floor?”

“It’s just all of this,” she says waving her arms, “The church and the guests, the flowers…”

“The trappings,” Renee finishes for her.

“Yeah, we did that once before.”

“And you’re afraid of…”

She turns and walks over to the mirror, running her hands over the ivory satin dress. She shakes her head, “Not afraid…I don’t know I’m just being silly.” She turns and looks over at Viki, changing the subject, “Have you talked to Carlotta today?”

Viki smiles, “Yes, the cake has already been sent over to The Palace for the reception. Everything’s set.”

Nora glances over at the clock on the mantle. Just a half hour before they were going to be standing before everyone and vowing to love honor and cherish each other for the rest of their lives, and just the thought of what they were about to do again, brought a smile to her face. She wanted this more than she’s ever wanted anything else…so why was she so nervous?

Bo walks through the side doors and waits until he sees Renee and Viki leave the room to take their seats. Bo quickly ducks into the closet and pulls out his cell phone, “Everything set?...Perfect…No, she has no idea.” He said with a smile.

Nora looked over at the clock again. Matthew was supposed to be there to escort her out to the sanctuary. She stood up and decided to go look for him. She opened the door and was greeted by her soon to be niece. She jumped back for a moment startled, “Jess, you scared me.”

“I’m sorry, Aunt Nora,” she said with a sheepish smile, “I have something for you,” she hands her an envelope.

“What’s this?”

Jessica shrugged, paying dumb, “It’s from my Uncle. He told me to give it to you and make sure you opened it before the wedding.” Nora walked back into the room and sat down in front of the dressing table. She opened the envelope, her heart pounding, afraid he was calling the whole thing off. She looked up at Jessica who just smiled, “Go ahead.”

Nora nodded and opened the envelope. A smile spread across her face when she started to read it, “Dear Nora, I bet you thought I was getting ready to call the whole thing off. Well there’s no way that’s going to happen. I can’t wait to make you my wife again, so do you trust me, Red?” ‘With all my heart,’ she whispers to herself, “I want you to do everything Jessica says and no questions, okay. Trust me, sweetheart and I promise all your dreams will come true.” Nora looked up at Jessica who was walking towards her. Nora smiled, “Your uncle never ceases to amaze me.”

“He loves you so much.”

“I know he does”, she looks down at the ring on her finger, “and I love him.”

Jessica nods and looks down at her watch, “We have to go.” She walks over and takes the satin wrap that Bo had given her. She walks over towards Nora, “My uncle said you would need this for where we’re going.”

Nora smiled thought about the note, ‘Do you trust me, Red?’ She took the silk wrap from Jessica and wrapped it around her shoulders. She picked up her bouquet and followed her out the door. Matthew was waiting at the end of the hallway. Nora walked up to him and he held his arm out to her. She placed her hand against his cheek, and then took his arm. Matthew looked up at his mother and smiled, “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Matthew and Nora walked out the side door where there was a limo waiting. Nora looked over at Jessica who just smiled and then down at their son, “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Nora nodded smiled as she climbed into the back of the limo. She looked around and shook her head, ‘What are you up to, Buchanan?’ she thought to herself. Nora looked out the window and realized that the windows were tinted and she had no idea where they were going. Jessica and Matthew kept looking at each other and smiling. Their exchanged did not go unnoticed by Nora, “Okay, you two, what’s up?”

Jessica looked at Matthew and back over at Nora, “Up…nothings up?” she shrugged.

Nora looked over at Matthew, “Matthew, are you going to tell your mother what’s going on?” Matthew looked over at his mother and smiled before running his fingers over his lips in a zipping motion. Nora laughed and shook her head, “Like father, like son.”

*~*

Bo glanced at his watch and smiled, ‘Just a few more minutes,’ he thought to himself. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder, “You ready for this, Bo?”

He smiled at her daughter, “Oh, I’m more than ready, Rach.”

The limo came to a stop a half hour later. Matthew and Jessica exchanged another look as they waited for the driver to open their doors. Matthew climbed out first and held his hand out for his mother. Nora placed her hand in his and carefully slid out of the limo. Her breath caught in her throat when she looked around her. She walked with their son down a side path. Matthew walked proudly with his mother, happy to be a part of this special surprise his father had for his mother. Matthew stopped halfway down the path when he saw his father standing at the far end. He looked up at his mother and smiled. She was staring at his father with their special smile on her face. Matthew let go of her hand and she began to walk towards Bo.

Bo held his hand out to her and she placed her hand in his. He leaned in and kissed her softly. She looked around at their surroundings and back at Bo, “What’s going on, Bo? Why are we on top of Llantano Mountain instead of at St. James’?”

“I knew you didn’t really want a wedding with all the ceremonial trappings or the huge amount of guests that comes with being the Police Commissioner and ADA. So I gathered a few of our friends and family, the ones we really want to share this day with and I brought them up here.”

A tear fell onto her cheek, “You know me so well, Bo Buchanan; so well.”

He leaned in and kissed her before taking her hand, “I have another surprise for you but right now I need to get up there with Hank and Andrew.” He looks around her and down the path, “Our son is waiting to escort you down the aisle.” He smiled and kissed her quickly, “See you in a few minutes, Mrs. Buchanan.”

Bo walked back up the path as she walked back the way she had come and took Matthew’s hand. A few minutes later they were standing at the end of the ‘aisle’ with Bo and Hank standing side by side. A movement up front caught her eye and the tears began to well up in her eyes when her daughter appeared. Rachel blew her mother a kiss and nodded as the music began to play.

They made their way up the aisle as the music played. Asa winked, Renee smiled through her tears. Viki nodded letting her know that this was definitely a day they had all waited for. Nora looked at Bo’s nieces and nephews, soon to be her nieces and nephews once again.

Matthew placed her hand in his father’s. She leaned down as he placed a kiss on her cheek and went to stand beside his father. They turned and faced Andrew, their hands intertwined between them, and as the sun began to set on the horizon they vowed their hearts to each other once again, ten years to the day that they first said “I do.”

THE END!!!