Chapter One

Jack quietly opened the door to their little house of a year. He enjoyed watching Elizabeth work candidly. At the moment she was stirring a pot of soup on the stove with her right hand while reading a book for teaching in her left. Her face was flushed from the heat of the stove and loose tendrils of hair clung in damp curls around her face. Jack's observance was interrupted by Rip's greeting bark, which startled Elizabeth from her concentration.

"Jack." She put the book down and went to greet him with a hug.

"Something smells good." He commented. In the year that they had been married, Elizabeth had worked hard to improve on her cooking skills by taking notes from Abigail, Rosemary, and even Jack himself. He knew that she put a lot of effort in to please him.

Elizabeth moved to return to the stove, but Jack held her firmly, causing her to look up in surprise.

"12 hours is too long to go without kissing my wife." His voice was deep with desire and he cupped her chin and brought her face in for a kiss.

"You're such a goof, Jack." she laughed and playfully pushed his chest away. "Anything interesting happen today?" She asked from the kitchen area.

Jack fingered the telegram inside his coat pocket.

"Yes, actually." He came up behind her and rested a hand on her soft waist.

"You sound serious. Is everything ok?"

"Well, you know how you told me you'd eventually like to move to a more remote place further north? And teach children there?"

Her eyes widened. "Yes. What are you saying?"

He pulled the telegram from his jacket. "I got word today that I'm being transferred north."

She grasped the letter and eagerly read its contents.

"Oh, Jack! I don't even know what to say. I...I've come to love Hope Valley so dearly."

"So have I." He took her hand and wove his calloused fingers through hers. "But this is the next chapter in our lives. A new adventure; new people I'm sure we will grow to love just as much."

Elizabeth tried to picture another Abigail, but couldn't. She had come to this town at such a pivotal time in these widows' grieving and had been there for them just as they had been there for her first time on her own. How could she leave such a bond?

Jack watched the sorrow pass over her eyes.

"Don't worry, Elizabeth. We'll make it through this together."

That night Jack felt a space wedge between them as they lay in bed. Elizabeth had rolled away from him to face the wall. She had been quiet and thoughtful all night. As Jack rolled onto his back to face the ceiling, his heart continued to sink. He was responsible for this pain that his wife was experiencing. He was used to the routine moves – they were part of being a mountie. The force did not want the constables to get too attached to one place – but it was hard on women. For the umpteenth time, Jack wondered if he had made the right decision in giving in to his feelings and courting and marrying Elizabeth. He would have a constant, loving mate by his side – but what had she gained? A life of hardship and heartache? Constantly building close relationships only to be torn away from them? A life of being denied the comforts and luxuries she was used to? He had taken on the responsibility to care for her when he married her – and now couldn't help but feel that he was failing her miserably. "If the force wanted us to have wives they would have issued them to us." His old words flashed though his mind.

By the time Elizabeth turned in her sleep and reached for him out of habit, he was so worked up that he stiffened to her touch. Thank goodness she was asleep so that she could not be hurt by this as well.