"Julie!" Elizabeth called out as her sister stepped down from the train. Elizabeth ran to her and hugged her so tightly that she nearly dislodged Julie's hat. Julie was wearing a blouse with more lace than silk, and a bright yellow skirt and jacket. Her hat was the same cheery yellow with flowers abundantly scattered across the brim.

"Oh, Elizabeth," Julie said, putting her sister at arm's length, "You are positively glowing!"

Elizabeth laughed. "That's what people tell me," she said. "I'm so happy to see you! You've come such a long way for this, and it means everything to me."

Julie was looking over Elizabeth's shoulder while she spoke. "I wouldn't have missed it. You know me. I'm not one to miss a good party!" Her eyes lit up and she inclined her head toward Nathan, who was standing back on the platform, giving the sisters a chance to reunite. "Is that him? The tall, dark and devastatingly handsome one?"

Laughing, Elizabeth said, "Julie!" Then she turned around and looked proudly at Nathan. "Yes. That's him."

Nathan and Julie had been in the church together at Jack's christening and in the saloon at the reception after. Of course Nathan had seen Julie as she stood up as Jack's godmother, and he recognized her now. Julie had met so many people that day, but not Nathan. At the time, they'd had no idea that they would someday be related through Elizabeth.

"Well," Julie said, straightening her hat, "Introduce me to my new brother-in-law."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, "Brother-in-law-to-be," she said. "For two days, at least." She took Julie's arm and started to lead her over to Nathan.

"Wait!" Julie said, "My trunk!" She turned and there was a young gentleman in a dark suit and vest still standing on the step of the train holding a very large steamer trunk and smiling at her. Nathan walked forward and took it from him, surprised at the weight of it.

Julie waved playfully. "Thank you ever so much, Dr. Hudson. I do hope you enjoy your stay in Powell River!"

The young doctor tipped his hat to her. "Is this the happy couple?" he asked, looking at Nathan and Elizabeth.

Julie nodded, and Dr. Hudson said, "My congratulations." Then he said to Julie, "Here's hoping that our journeys back east coincide, Miss Thatcher. I've never spent a more enjoyable train trip."

Julie blushed prettily and smiled at him. "Nor I, Dr. Hudson." She waved again and turned. Elizabeth and Nathan were both just staring, slightly open-mouthed.

Julie looked at Elizabeth and said, "What? It was a long trip." She took two strides and put her hand out to Nathan. "Julie Thatcher."

Elizabeth watched Nathan's face as he considered how to greet her. Then he smiled his crooked smile, raised his eyebrows and bent to kiss Julie's hand. "Nathan Grant," he said in his most formal and resonant voice. "I'm very glad to meet you, Julie."

Suddenly, the plaid cotton shirt, the suspenders and work pants, the plain brown jacket and ranch boots transformed, and Julie and Elizabeth could envision the red serge. Both women sighed a little. It wasn't the uniform that made the man. Clearly, it was the man that made the uniform.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Julie said. Then she wrinkled her nose lightheartedly and hugged him. "Oh, we're practically related!" She looked over his shoulder at Elizabeth and said silently, He's gorgeous!

Elizabeth shook her head and laughed. Nathan picked up Julie's trunk and put it, with some effort, into the back of the wagon.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at the size and weight of the trunk. "Three days, Julie?" Her sister shrugged and said, "You know me, I like to have choices."

Nathan liked Julie immediately, for the same reasons that Elizabeth loved her so much. Julie was a very specific combination of a wealthy city girl who could fully see the value and charm of a more austere country life, at least temporarily. She could blend into almost any surrounding and with all types of people. She would go back to Hamilton to the parties, the charity balls and the many suitors; but for the next three days, Nathan felt she would fit perfectly into Airdrie's life.

The three of them sat across the front bench with Nathan at the reins, Julie in the middle and Elizabeth on her left. It was a warm midsummer day and Julie soon had removed her hat and her jacket and was already enjoying the freedom of the country.

"And where is my godson?" Julie asked. "I was looking forward to giving that little peanut an enormous auntie hug."

Elizabeth said, "Not so little anymore. He's growing like a weed." She smiled at Julie. "It's not easy to get him out of Rebecca's kitchen, and he's Allie's shadow these days. But he'll be so glad to see you," Elizabeth said, hugging her closer.

Julie turned to Nathan, "So, Rebecca is your mother, and Allie is your... niece?"

Nathan nodded and smiled. "Yes. And the ranch is where I grew up."

Julie closed her eyes and put her face up to the sun. "Well, this looks like a glorious place to grow up, Nathan."

"It was," he said, looking out at the road ahead.

Julie tilted her head at him. "Elizabeth said you were a man of few words." She put her arm through his on the bench. "That's good for me. It leaves me lots of room to talk." She turned to Elizabeth. "I like him already," she said brightly.

The two sisters talked all the way to the ranch while Nathan enjoyed just listening, and occasionally commenting when asked. As always, his head was full of thoughts, and the truth was, he found himself missing Sarah a little. He could see that Julie and Elizabeth, though seemingly so different, had that unbreakable bond of memories - of growing up together, of long talks deep into the night, of sharing hopes and dreams. They had an ease about them that Nathan found very appealing.

Julie said to Elizabeth, loud enough to be sure Nathan could hear, "He's smiling at us. I think he likes me too."

Nathan laughed softly. "I do," he said, still looking at the road.

Julie said, "Oh! Keep saying those two words, Nathan! You're going to need those on Saturday!"

When they heard the wagon, Rebecca, Charlie, Allie and Jack came out to meet them. Julie went right for Jack and dug into her purse for the small wooden horse and rider she had brought him. He sat on her hip looking happily at it while she met Rebecca and Charlie.

"And you must be Allie," Julie said. Jack wanted to get down, so Julie bent down to let him stand on the porch. Jack pulled on Allie's culottes and said his usual, "Lee."

Julie's eyes went wide. "Oh, he's talking!" she said to Elizabeth. She turned to him and said, "Joo-lee," pointing to herself, but he was too engrossed in showing his new toy to Allie.

"I remember you," Allie said to Julie. "From Jack's christening."

"Oh, of course!" Julie said. "There were so many people there, I felt like I met the whole town."

"We didn't meet. I just saw you," Allie said, matter-of-factly.

Julie nodded. "Well, we're meeting now. And I'm going to be your Aunt Julie in just two days, so I'd like to give you a hug if that's okay?"

Allie said, "Yes, that's okay." Julie enveloped her in a frilly, perfume-filled hug and Allie grinned happily.

Julie looked at Allie and said, "You are just precious. I hope we'll have time to get to know each other better."

Allie said, "Do you ride horses?"

Julie smiled. "Probably not as well as you do, but I can stay on a horse pretty well. Maybe you can teach me?"

Allie grinned again. "Sure."

Julie finally stood up and she looked over to Nathan and Elizabeth, who had been watching the whole conversation with their arms around each other's waists. Nathan smiled warmly at her. Elizabeth knew he already liked Julie, but she could see that now, with her sweetness to Allie, Julie had won his heart.

Nathan pulled Elizabeth closer and said, very softly, "I guess I'm a brother again. Sort of." She smiled up at him and he said, "It feels good."

It took both Charlie and Nathan to get Julie's trunk up the steps and into her bedroom. She and Elizabeth would share the room where Elizabeth had stayed before, at least for two nights.

Elizabeth had written to Julie about some of Nathan's story, leaving out the very personal and painful parts of it. Again, it wasn't her story to tell. But Julie knew that Nathan had a twin sister who had died in childbirth, and when she saw the photo on the wall of Sarah and Nathan, Julie stood for a long time with Elizabeth's arms around her, looking at it.

"I can't imagine how I would feel if I lost you," Julie said softly, "And we're not even twins."

"It's still hard for him. There's a piece of him that died with her, I think," Elizabeth said. "But he works through it and finds joy everywhere. And when he cares for Allie, he does it for Sarah too, so there's still a bond there."

Julie turned to her. "He's a very good man, Elizabeth." She smiled. "And so different from Jack. And oh, my, does he love you," she said.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "You've known him for, what? About an hour?"

Julie laughed. "I didn't need to know him for a minute to see that," she said, starting to open her trunk. "The sun rises and sets in you, and you're the same with him." Julie sighed. "How on earth have you already found two great loves in your life, and I'm still flirting with doctors on trains?"

Elizabeth smoothed Julie's hair back from her face gently. "You'll find yours. Believe me, it happens when you least expect it."

Julie frowned. "Maybe I need to move to Hope Valley. It seems the men out west are more inclined to commit themselves to a good woman."

Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "Don't tease me. You don't know how much I would love to have you close."

Tilting her head, Julie said, "I might consider it, you know. Hamilton society is starting to wear a little thin, and I'm not getting any younger."

Elizabeth laughed and said, "I have two words for you, Julie. Indoor plumbing."

Julie laughed out loud. "Ha, there is that!" She smiled. "In any case, I'm going to visit more often, so you need to get that little house built out back. I'm not waiting this long again to see you. And Jack is enormous! I can't let him grow up without his Auntie Julie."

"No, you can't," Elizabeth said. She looked at Julie's now-open trunk and raised her eyebrows. "Julie. You know this is a country wedding, very informal?" She lifted the skirt of a silk taffeta gown in a lustrous shade of magenta.

Julie smiled sweetly. "You never know what you're going to need. I like to be prepared!"

But when Julie washed for dinner and changed out of her traveling clothes, she chose a simple white cotton blouse and a robin's egg blue skirt with a modest lace trim at the hem. She wore her hair long with a bow in the back, and Elizabeth liked the look of her sister at the ranch. Julie liked it too, and she eased into life there comfortably.

Rebecca had made a huge pot of her beef stew with freshly-baked bread and new butter churned out at the far barn. There was a rhubarb-strawberry pie and the cookies that Rebecca had made with the children the day before. The conversation at the table was lively and full of laughter, with Charlie telling embellished stories of the wild west while Julie listened intently.

After dinner, Rebecca and Charlie sat in front of the fire, while Elizabeth, Nathan, Julie, Allie and Jack all piled into the porch swing. Julie told Allie all about growing up in Hamilton and Jack fell asleep on Nathan's chest.

Elizabeth snuggled under Nathan's arm and gently rubbed Jack's warm back, listening to Julie talk about their childhood. She had come west alone and had been fully prepared to leave her family, but hardest of all was leaving Julie. There was something very right about her being here now.

Finally, the combination of the fresh country air and Nathan's slow rocking of the swing put Allie to sleep, too. Julie was snuggled in the corner of the swing and Allie had her head on her shoulder.

"This is kind of a magical place," Julie said softly. The moon was not quite full but it still sharpened the edges of the trees, the barn, and the paddock in the distance. Every now and then one of the goats would bleat, or a horse would whinny. One of the barn owls was keeping up a steady hoo-oo up in the rafters far away.

Elizabeth smiled. "Wait till you see where we're getting married. In fact, people aren't arriving until late afternoon, so we'll have time to take a ride out there tomorrow morning. Rebecca has banned me from the kitchen. She keeps telling me I need to rest up for my big day. She calls me The Bride."

Nathan laughed softly. "Don't even try to argue with her. You'll lose."

"I know," Elizabeth said. "I started to dish up dinner for the kids and she nearly smacked me with a wooden spoon!"

Nathan nodded, remembering. "That's her weapon of choice. She used to do that with me. At sixteen I'm nearly four inches taller than she is, and when I wouldn't mind her, she would hold up that wooden spoon and wave it in my face like she meant to take my nose off."

Elizabeth and Julie laughed softly.

"One time," Nathan continued, "I sort of saw the humor in it and laughed, which did not sit well with her. I found out that spoon could hurt when it hit my rear."

Giggling, Elizabeth reached up and ran her fingers lightly through his hair. "Well, I'm glad she didn't take your nose off. It's a good nose." They looked at each other for a long moment while Julie gazed at them.

"You two," Julie said quietly, "Are absolutely adorable."

Then she said to Elizabeth, smiling, "And he does talk, doesn't he?"

Elizabeth looked up at Nathan with pure love in her eyes. "Yes. But only when there's something to be said."