The people of Hope Valley always knew where to find Elizabeth and Nathan right before sunset. Their closest friends knew why they spent their evenings in various spots alongside the trees in camp chairs with Allie and Jack playing nearby.

Daylight savings time took a little while to be put into place in Hope Valley after it came to Canada in 1908, and it arrived mostly because of the train and stage schedules. Although confused at first about how one could simply turn the clock back, play God as it were, the people of the town began to look forward to enjoying the longer days of spring and summer.

So Elizabeth and Nathan would either have an early dinner and then venture out, or they would take a picnic dinner and watch the sun go down, sometimes with Bear, Sergeant and Sarah, sometimes on foot with Jack in his favorite place on Nathan's shoulders and Allie and Elizabeth holding hands.

They were looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunset. A spot with the trees behind them and the pond in front of them. Close enough to town, but far enough for privacy. Once they had found that spot, Nathan would go to the Land Office, which was a part of Bill's office, and start the process of purchasing a couple of acres for their house.

They had decided to build the wrap-around porch and have the porch swing delivered before beginning the rest of the house. Nathan's grandparents' marriage had lasted over sixty years based on this formula, and since Elizabeth was wearing the family ring, it seemed like a good place to start.

Tonight they were in a spot they'd tested a few times, and they kept coming back to it. It was the last week in May, with spring in full bloom in the meadows on the far side of the pond. They could see the town buildings in the distance on the left, the church spire to their right and the dock centered in their field of view.

Elizabeth pointed. "You see there?" she said to Allie. Elizabeth's chin was almost on Allie's shoulder so they could have the same sightline. "How when the sun goes down, it creates a reflection on the pond? We're not out here late enough so we can't see it, but when the full moon is in sight, it will cause a reflection as well."

Allie turned, her eyes wide and excited. "We should do that!" she said.

"Do what?" Nathan asked, looking up from where he was lying on the quilt with Jack riding horsey on his stomach.

"We should spend the night out here!" Allie said, "Camp!"

Elizabeth looked at Nathan, her eyebrows raised. "That is something we haven't done yet. I love camping. We could make a fire and roast marshmallows. I got a recipe for marshmallows from Abigail once, but I haven't made them for a long time. Allie and I can make them together." Her eyes were bright, thinking about lying out here all night listening to the sounds in the trees, hearing the hoo-hoo-hoo of the mourning doves in the early morning.

Ever practical, Nathan said, "Do you have a tent?"

Elizabeth frowned, "No, do you?"

Nathan smiled at her. "Yes."

"And it's big enough for all of us?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

He watched as it dawned on her. "Oh. We'll need two, won't we?"

Nathan laughed. "Unless you want to scandalize the town of Hope Valley. As it is, we probably will anyway with two tents unless they're pretty far apart."

Tilting her head, Elizabeth said, "But we're getting married in less than a month."

Moving Jack between them and raising himself up on an elbow, Nathan said, "So do you think they'd be any less scandalized?"

Finally laughing, Elizabeth said, "No."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "It's silly to buy a second tent just for a month. You think we could borrow one?"

Nathan smiled. "You think Rosemary and Lee have one?"

Trying to imagine Rosemary camping made Elizabeth laugh out loud. "Oh, I don't think so," she said. She turned to Allie. "We'll work on this. It sounds like fun."

Allie had been listening to the back-and-forth conversation and was shaking her head. She was old enough to understand why they were having the discussion but it still didn't make a lot of sense to her.

She turned to Elizabeth. "You know how you're always telling me to follow my heart and not listen to what other people think?"

Elizabeth nodded cautiously. She sensed another minefield coming with their bright, inquisitive thirteen-year-old and her nearly photographic memory. Elizabeth also noticed that Nathan was suddenly completely absorbed in playing with Jack.

"How is this different?" Allie asked. When Elizabeth paused, Allie said, "I mean, I know how it's a little different. I have friends and they have older brothers and sisters and they talk about this stuff. But why is it that we worry about what other people think sometimes and not other times?"

Elizabeth had absolutely no good answer for this question, and she said so. "I don't know, Allie. It's a good question."

Finally, Nathan spoke, and Elizabeth was truly grateful. "Allie, you know how Mounties do their jobs? There are rules and regulations. Laws, right?"

"Yes," Allie said. "But Constable Covington followed the same rules and regulations you do, and the town was mad at him for it. But they're not mad at you."

Now Nathan seemed to have lost his train of thought.

Allie said to Elizabeth, "It just seems that sometimes we do things a certain way because of how it looks, not how it is. Like how your skirts are long and Fiona's are shorter. I heard Mrs. Cooper say it was wrong because Fiona's ankles show, but my ankles show all the time."

Elizabeth had always staunchly avoided the you'll understand when you're older argument with children. She felt it was an evasion of the question, and that children's questions were important and valuable. But Elizabeth had never raised a girl like Allie.

"Allie, do you know what the word propriety means?" Without being conscious of it, Elizabeth was using her teacher voice.

Allie frowned. "It's doing what other people think is right?"

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "Yes, sort of, but it has to do with the rules of society. Conforming to accepted standards of behavior. It's what keeps us civilized, like the laws your uncle Nathan was talking about."

Allie nodded as Elizabeth continued. "So though at times we might think these standards make no sense, they are there for a reason, and we try, when we can, to follow them."

Frowning, Allie said, "So tonight, it wouldn't be proper for us all to share a tent, but in a month, it will?"

Elizabeth laughed. She noticed that Jack was bouncing a little higher on Nathan's stomach as well.

Sighing, Elizabeth said, "Yes, Allie."

Shrugging, Allie said, "I guess we could wait." And with that, she stood up and began to gather rocks to throw in the pond.

Nathan and Elizabeth looked at each other and both exhaled. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and said softly, "I am way out of my depth here."

Laughing softly, Nathan said, "Welcome to my world. I think you did very well." He reached over and took her hand, sighing. "I'm so glad you're here. Because I think it's only going to get worse."

Elizabeth laughed, "Thanks a lot!" she said, punching him softly in the arm.

They sat for a time, watching Allie search for rocks in the fading light. Bear, Sarah and Sergeant grazed nearby.

Elizabeth sighed. "I think this is it, Nathan. This is the spot. We keep coming back here."

Moving Jack on to the quilt with his toys, Nathan got up and sat next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I think so too." He called out to Allie, "Family vote!"

She ran back and said, "Finally! I like this one best."

Elizabeth raised her hand. So did Nathan. Allie jumped on to the blanket and lifted Jack's little hand in the air.

Elizabeth laughed and said, "You won't be able to that for long, Allie. Pretty soon he's going to have his own opinions." She leaned down and said to Jack, "Do you like this spot for our new house, Jack?"

Behind her, Nathan crossed his eyes and Jack laughed. Elizabeth turned and said, "That's cheating!" but she kissed him quickly, saying, "It's settled, then."

Nathan said, "I'll go to Bill's office in the morning and see how the parcels are laid out. Then I'll see Henry Gowen and work out a price."

Elizabeth said softly, "You know I can help with that."

"I know you can, but you don't need to. The ranch did very well last year," Nathan said. He took a deep breath and looked out at the faint moon as it rose in the twilight sky. "Our own land. Our own house." He shook his head softly and pulled Elizabeth closer. "If you'd told me a few years ago that I'd be doing this, I never would have believed it."

Elizabeth turned to him. "But it's what you want?"

Nathan looked at her, his eyes soft. "More than anything in the world."

"When can we start building?" Elizabeth asked.

"I already have the lumber ordered with Lee for the porch. We'll just get the plans approved with Bill and we start clearing the land. Next week?"

Elizabeth threw her arms around him. "And I'll order that stand-alone porch swing with Ned." She kissed him softly. "It's all happening, Nathan," she said happily. "I can put in the vegetable garden before the house is built, can't I?"

"Yes," he said, brushing back the lock of hair that had escaped her comb. "I can't make any promises, and it won't be completely finished inside by any means, but I think we'll be able to stay here once we get back from Airdrie." He whispered in her ear softly, "After we're married."

Elizabeth had to catch her breath. She was simultaneously nervous and she couldn't wait; and she realized that all the best things in her life had started that way. Her trip out west, her introduction to Hope Valley, every new school year, and now, this new life with Nathan.

Things moved quickly from there. Within a week, as promised, the land was being cleared and the foundation for the porch was being laid.

There was nothing but promise in the air.

Approximately one hundred and sixty-three miles north, in Edmonton, things were not looking so sunny for Caleb Butler. With the war in Europe heating up, he'd known that he would be one of the first called up to fight by the new conscription law. As Caleb sat in his small, dirty room in the poorest section of the city, he held the still-sealed envelope from the Conscription Office in his hands, turning it over and over again.

He took another good swallow from the glass of whiskey beside his bed. Why he should be asked to die in a war half a world away was beyond him, and whatever the letter said, he wouldn't do it. But considering he had been moving farther west every time trouble found him, he was running out of real estate. And he'd run out of money a while ago.

The last time he'd seen Nathan Grant or his little girl, Allie, had been nine years ago at the ranch in Airdrie. Sarah hadn't looked too good, and he knew she'd lost the baby, so he'd jumped on a train to Montreal before somebody blamed him for it. The high-and-mighty Grants always blamed him.

Caleb had gone to the ranch once after that, but he'd been stopped by Charlie. He knew that Sarah had died, and Charlie had said that Allie was with Nathan and that he'd better not think he could mess with a Mountie, especially Nathan.

Caleb had been there when Archibald Grant was carted off to prison, and he and Sarah had been in the room for part of the discussion when they decided to sign the ranch over to Nathan so it couldn't be taken by the bank. He'd piped up that it should really be signed over to Nathan and him, as Sarah's husband, but of course they'd said no to that. After he'd given up and started on the whiskey, he'd missed the rest of the conversation.

But Caleb had never forgotten about that ranch. He'd kept that information in his back pocket through good times and bad, but the times had never gotten bad enough for him to go get his due.

He'd be damned if he'd go off to get shot in Europe, but Caleb needed money so he could disappear in the far west, or maybe he'd cross the border south. He knew Nathan was a Mountie still and that he was in some backwater town in Alberta. It shouldn't be too hard to find out where.

Taking another swig of whiskey, Caleb opened the envelope.

"You are ordered to report for duty at the Headquarters of the Edmonton Depot Battalion in one week. Failure to obey this Order will render you subject to be taken into custody as a military offender..."

Caleb exhaled loudly. Well, that's that, he thought. He was already behind in his rent. He started to throw his few pieces of clothing into his carpet bag. First thing, find out where Constable Nathan Grant was stationed. Then ride the freight cars there and see about his daughter. Alice Rebecca Butler must be thirteen by now.

As he ran his fingers through his hair in the cracked mirror, he thought he might be developing some tender feelings toward the girl. If Nathan had to choose between his stake in the ranch or Allie, Caleb hoped he would choose Allie. But if he didn't, Caleb thought she would be old enough to start work and pay her own way.

Either way, he'd win.