Nathan hugged Rebecca at the Airdrie station, and shook hands with Charlie. "I'll write you tonight, Mom, to let you know all is well."

Rebecca handed him a large cloth bag. "There's bread in here, the sourdough one Elizabeth likes so much. She has the recipe now, but... well, I just wanted to make it for her. And cookies for Allie, the sugar ones she loves. And a toy for Jack, and some of that applesauce we made together."

Rebecca faltered a little, and Nathan put his arms around her. "Mom," he said softly, "You're good to do all this."

"Well, I wanted to," she said, taking a deep shuddering breath. Then she shook her head and exhaled. "How did I fall in love with all of you so fast? That week was just heaven, Nathan."

He smiled at his mother and said, "Good. Maybe you'll come visit Hope Valley." Looking at Charlie, he said firmly, "Both of you."

Rebecca put her chin up. "Maybe we will." She sniffled and said, "I should know where you're living anyway. Now that you seem to have planted yourself somewhere."

"I'm planted, Mom. Well and truly," he said. "I told you, we're going to try to get the house built before winter."

Rebecca threw her arms around him and gave him a bone-crushing hug. "I couldn't be happier, Nathan."

Nathan held her tightly. "I love you, Mom. Thanks again for welcoming Elizabeth and Jack the way you have. It means a lot to me."

Rebecca took his face in her hands. "It's easy, Nathan. I love them too."

Taking a deep breath, Nathan said, "Okay, so I'll get this all worked out with Elizabeth and Allie, but the plan is that we'll come here for the wedding a couple of days before June 23rd." He smiled at Rebecca. "Elizabeth doesn't know yet that the 23rd is your birthday. She'll like that she chose that date." He rolled his eyes just a little. "You two both believe in signs."

Rebecca grinned at him. "And you're starting to. I can tell. From skeptic to believer. Amazing."

"Can you talk with Pastor Grady about performing the ceremony? Very simple and not too long. We'll write to him once we decide on some scripture passages and our vows."

"We'll get it all set up. We're going to stop in and see him before we leave town," Rebecca said.

The whistle blew and Nathan said, "Gotta go, Mom."

This time, he hugged Charlie and said, "Thanks for taking such good care of her, Charlie."

Charlie gave him a big smile and said, "It isn't hard to do, Nathan." He slapped him on the back and said, "You be safe, son."

Nathan turned back. "Oh, and please don't forget," he said quickly. "There should be three more letters coming from Elizabeth. Please mark them return to sender."

Rebecca laughed. "You've told us that about four times, Nathan. We're not senile yet."

Nathan was very mobile now with his cast. Except for not bending at the knee, he was walking just the way he always did. He put his suitcase up on the step, threw the bag with the food over his shoulder and stepped up.

Waving to them, Nathan thought, Now, only eight hours before I see them. He loved Airdrie and his mother and Charlie, but he had never wanted to get home so badly.

Nathan slept some on the train, then gazed out of the window for a while, and then re-read all of Elizabeth's letters a couple of times, lingering on the parts he liked the best.

One of his favorite pastimes these days was designing their house in his head. Now it was houses, plural. But he wasn't worried about the cost.

Since he was a half-owner of the ranch with his mother, he not only had his income from NWMP, but also half of the profits from the ranch sales.

Nathan knew where Charlie kept the best stock, far at the end of their land where the butchering shed was located. He thought his mother probably knew about it too, but she tried not to think about it.

They sold beef, pork, lamb, chickens, eggs, goat's milk, cow's milk and cheese. Nathan smiled. He didn't know what his mother thought three full-time ranch hands did all day, but she hardly ever saw them. What showed to the house was no more than a petting zoo of sorts, with a couple of goats, a pig, four chickens, a rooster and about ten cows.

This was one of the reasons Nathan had to come home now and then, to do the books. It had been a good year, and Nathan's half of the profits would easily pay for the materials for their house in Hope Valley.

The number of bedrooms was what had him stumped. Nathan and Elizabeth had talked to each other about everything concerning their marriage except one: how many, if any, more children they wanted to have. It was an important conversation, but it was a minefield of sorts.

Nathan was naturally terrified of Elizabeth giving birth. Women died every day in childbirth, and his experience with Sarah had been horrific. He could still replay it all in his head now, though he tried desperately to push it away.

On the other side of that was his deep love for Jack and Allie, and his wonder as he watched them grow. Nathan was very clear on the fact that, no matter how much he loved them, neither one was biologically his. When he thought of creating a child with Elizabeth, a little person who would be a part of both of them, it made him so happy he could hardly breathe.

It was simultaneously his deepest desire and his greatest fear. So he had never brought it up. But they would have to talk about it soon.

Nathan looked out of the train window again. One more station; then he would be in Hope Valley. About fifteen minutes. When he thought about seeing the people of the town, Nathan smiled. He missed them. He missed walking the streets and riding Bear on his rounds. He missed Abigail's and the saloon, Bill Avery's growl and Clara's laugh. Fiona's sophistication, Carson's seriousness, Faith's sweetness and Lee's way of smiling at Rosemary as if the sun rose and set in her.

And just as he thought of that, there they were. Lee and Rosemary watching the train pull in slowly, peering through the windows, looking for him. When Rosemary saw Nathan, she broke into a huge smile and waved expansively. He put his head out the window and called to her, "Hello!"

Nathan was home.

"Bear is all saddled up and ready to go out at your row house, Nathan. We'll take you there now, and you'll be on your way," Lee said.

Nathan smiled gratefully. "I can't thank the two of you enough."

"Oh, don't be silly, Nathan," Rosemary said. "I, for one, would have felt left out if you hadn't contacted me. This is so much fun!"

"Happy to do it, Nathan," Lee said.

"And Lee," Nathan said, leaning toward the front seat, "I want to talk to you sometime soon about lumber, for the house we're going to build."

Lee smiled, "Any time. It's what I do."

Rosemary's eyes widened. "Oh, a house!" She whispered, "It will need decorating. I can't wait to talk to Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth usually walked home with Allie after school, but Allie knew that Elizabeth would be going to check the mail, and there would be a letter there. Then she would go with Jack to the dock to read it.

Elizabeth always invited Allie along, but Allie had so many friends in school that one or the other, or a group of them, would be going to someone's house to play, or they would play jacks on the steps to the school, or hopscotch in town. And Allie was glad to give Elizabeth the time to read her Uncle Nathan's letters.

On Thursday, Elizabeth decided to ride Sergeant out to the dock after picking up the letter from the Mercantile. Jack was constantly asking to ride the horsey now, and it would give Sergeant a chance to graze on the spring grass out by the pond.

Nathan's letters were many splendid pages long, and Elizabeth knew to get herself completely settled on the dock after getting Jack set up with his toys.

It was a beautiful day, and Elizabeth raised her face to the afternoon sunshine and closed her eyes. She had learned the fine art of cultivating anticipation; there was always the little let-down when she'd finished reading, knowing that there wouldn't be more news until tomorrow. So with her eyes closed, she did what Nathan had told her; she imagined him riding up as he had that day, saying, well, not exactly saying, it was more like stuttering, "Sorry, I... I didn't... I didn't know you were busy."

She'd learned over time when Nathan was kidding her, and this was one of those times. He'd said it when he saw that Jack was industriously and very seriously throwing rocks into the pond. Nathan was actually talking to both Elizabeth and Jack.

Elizabeth laughed to herself. Strange how little some men understand women. Men who talked smoothly, like Lucas, for example, might think that slick, easy way of speaking to women was attractive. It never was for Elizabeth. It actually made her a little suspicious. She would take Nathan any day.

She opened her eyes and finally looked down at the letter in her hands. She frowned a little, feeling how thin it was. They did write to each other every day, perhaps he had run out of things to say to her? The letter yesterday had been a full seven pages of his strong, compact handwriting.

Elizabeth opened the envelope.

"Oh," she said softly, and that one small sound was filled with profound disappointment. Only one page, and sparsely written at that. No formality, just a few lines. For a moment she was afraid to read it, for fear it would tell her something she didn't want to hear. Was he having second thoughts? No. Not my Nathan. Finally, she steeled herself and began to read.

Elizabeth,

My angel, my love.

I am always with you, you know.

And just to prove it to you...

Look up.

Elizabeth frowned. Then, confused, she did as he asked.

Her breath caught. Okay, it's finally happened. I've lost my mind.

Nathan sitting on Bear in his full red serge uniform. Minus one boot and with the calf laces on his jodhpurs undone on the right side and a cast peeking out from below them. But everything else was in place.

"Hi," the apparition said. That's his voice, her mind said. His sweet wonderful voice. So I'm not only imagining I'm seeing things, but also that I'm hearing them.

"Nathan?" Elizabeth wanted to believe, but it made no sense. She got up from her perch on the dock, her heart pounding. "Nathan?"

He jumped down from Bear, knowing that she couldn't leave Jack on the dock alone. And anyway, he had to hold her.

If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up, she thought as they ran into each other's arms. He was kissing her, but she had to keep her eye on Jack, so she turned. But Jack was running toward them with his little arms up and saying Nathan's name.

Swooping him up, Nathan said, "Hello, little man," and unabashedly kissed Jack on the cheek and then, of course, had to make a face. Jack giggled and said, "'gain!"

But by then, Nathan had pulled Elizabeth to him tightly and was lost in the fragrance of her hair and the warm feel of her in his arms. "I never thought I could miss anyone so much," he said softly in her ear. "What's it been, a year?"

Elizabeth laughed, close to tears, and kissed him, her hands on his face. "At least that, maybe two."

"Uncle Nathan!" They all turned around, and Allie was running to the dock. Behind her, smiling, with tears in her eyes, Rosemary stood, her hands clasped in front of her.

Elizabeth laughed. "Were you all in on this?"

Allie was hugging them now and she said, "Mrs. Coulter just told me we should walk out here and she said it was a surprise." She looked up at Nathan, grinning. "You came home early! This is so great!"

Rosemary watched as the four of them stood on the dock; Jack in one of Nathan's arms, and Elizabeth in the other. Allie stood and hugged them all. When Nathan bent to kiss Elizabeth, Rosemary would have given anything to have had Fiona's little camera. Instead, she etched it in her memory, and unselfconsciously let the tears roll down her cheeks.

If she had been shown this picture two years ago, would she have believed it? That tragedy and grief could be turned into this kind of happiness? Elizabeth had been such a good soldier, Rosemary thought. She had borne the unthinkable and had come out on the other side.

Of course they all still honored and missed Jack; but who on earth wouldn't want this for Elizabeth? This joy, the obvious love these four had for each other.

Rosemary watched as Elizabeth buried her face in the collar of Nathan's tunic, and then she looked up at him and both of them laughed out loud, full of undiluted joy.

Rosemary couldn't know that Nathan had asked Elizabeth if she could detect the traces of perfume there. Because he had noticed it the minute he'd put it on.