It seemed to Jack that he had been waiting for this day for forever. He was a fresh Quantico graduate, ready to start his FBI career. He had scored top on every one of his assessments, and he would be leaving his rundown Brownsville to the sunny Honolulu field office. Sunshine, surfing, and beautiful girls. All of my hard work at Quantico led to me getting my first pick of assignment, and I am so damn excited to get out of here. He grabbed his one duffel bag and headed out of his cramped apartment to the awaiting taxi. Jack was looking up the best restaurants in the Honolulu area, hoping he could get some good food as soon as he landed. Suddenly, his FBI issued phone began to ring.

"Special Agent Jack Thornton."

"Thornton - it's Deputy Director Mattson. Where are you right now? It's my understanding that you are headed to your assignment, correct?"

"Yes sir, I'm leaving Brownsville now, heading to the airport for my flight to Honolulu. What is the matter?"

"Special Agent Ian Brandon has requested a leave of absence; he needs a replacement in Hope Valley to relieve him in the next twelve hours and you are the only one we have available."

Are you kidding me? All that work and I'll be stuck in a tiny field office? Why do we even have an office there? This is ridiculous.. But I can't say no to the deputy director. This is my job. Honolulu will still be there.

"Yes sir, I will report to Hope Valley within twelve hours. I will have to change all of my travel plans once I get to JFK, and I will keep both you and Brandon updated."

"Thank you, Thornton. You are doing us a great favor and we won't forget it."

Jack looked out the window and let out a great sigh. He knew very few things about Hope Valley: it was a small town in the midwest, the population was under two hundred, and the office was built years ago as a small communications hub. He looked up directions on his phone and saw that he needed to take three different flights and an hour long train ride before he would get there. He took a quick look at his phone - the background was a photo taken over twenty years ago, with a young Jack wearing an FBI hat on his dad's shoulders. The photo was taken two weeks before the tragic bomb that had taken Thomas Thornton's life, leaving behind his wife and two sons. He had done all of this to be an FBI agent just like his father. And now he was going to the suburbs to play security guard to a town of two hundred.

At the ticket counter, Jack managed to sweet talk his way into changing all of his flights. He learned that only one other passenger was on the last connecting flight to a tiny airport. At least I'm not the only one going that direction. I hope that somebody else from the city is heading there and I won't be feeling left out.

He boarded the flight, plugged in his headphones, and hoped that the flight would be smooth. He touched his sidearm and badge - making sure he had both just in case something went wrong. As he looked around the fairly full flight, he saw a few families, student athletes, suits, and one girl who caught his eye. Her long brown hair was falling loose over her shoulders, and her eyebrows were furrowed as she focused in on her book. I wonder what she is reading that has got her looking so confused. She closed the cover and frowned, probably thinking of the storyline. Jack saw that it was a cookbook and laughed. That would confuse me too.

The plane began its descent and Jack groaned at the thought of two more flights. Once the flight landed, he grabbed his duffel and made his way out. He turned around to get one more look at the girl, who was now looking at her phone and watch repeatedly as she stood in line to get off the plane. Maybe she has a connecting flight too. She's beautiful. Too bad I'm going to Hope freaking Valley. He looked at her face, a very gentle and pale face surrounded by her brown curls. Then for the first time, she looked right at him and he thought that her clear blue eyes were looking right through him. She smiled at him, and he instantly smiled back. Well there goes the most beautiful girl I've seen.

He made it to the next terminal and sat in the back of the plane, dozing off before it took off.

"Sir? We've made it. It seems like you fell asleep before we took off and now you will be the last to deplane!"

Shit. I slept the whole time and now my next flight leaves in fifteen minutes. I hope it's close. The plane was already empty and for a second, he thought about those piercing blue eyes.

He got on his final plane, a tiny one that could probably only fit forty people, max. One more flight. One more train ride. Then it's home. The whole plane was empty, except for one girl sitting in the middle row, looking tired but beautiful. Are you kidding me? Maybe my luck is turning around. She locked eyes with him and smiled, gesturing for him to sit next to her.

"It looks like we're the only ones heading this way, might as well sit next to each other! My name is Elizabeth, Elizabeth Thatcher. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm guessing you are also from New York? I saw you on the first flight out."

"Yes, I am from Brownsville. My name is Jack, Jack Thornton. I noticed you on the flight reading a cookbook." Elizabeth giggled and her small laugh made Jack feel giddy too.

"I'm a teacher heading to my first job, but I'm hoping to learn to cook by the time I get there."

"Where's there?"

"I'm sure you haven't heard of it. It's a small rural town called Hope Valley." Jack's heart stopped. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad of an assignment after all.

"I have indeed, and that's where I'm heading too." They spent the whole flight talking about their New York lives, and the whole train ride talking about their childhoods.

They shared a cab ride from the train station into the town, and Elizabeth fell asleep on his shoulder. Her hair was soft and smelled of flowers, and he smiled. Hello Hope Valley. I think I'll like it here.