From the train window the banner seemed to be floating in mid-air, but soon it was clear that it was being held up on one side by Molly Sullivan, on the other by Florence Blakeley and in the middle by Robert Wolf, who was now nearly taller than either of them. Most of the other students and their parents stood waving nearby as the train pulled into the station.
Elizabeth clapped her hands from the window and waved back, with Nathan behind her.
"WELCOME HOME MR. AND MRS. GRANT" had been painted on a long piece of muslin, and Elizabeth had a feeling that it might have been the school arts and crafts project that Florence and Molly had talked about for Friday.
Elizabeth laughed, enjoying the many handprints, and some perhaps accidental shoeprints, that graced the banner. The lettering was painted in all different styles and colors, and there were various animals and objects painted on the outside edges. One purple paint spill had simply been turned into a dog with legs, a tail and a head. In the back of her mind, Elizabeth was hoping this had been painted on the grass outside and not on the schoolroom floor, but right now she was simply full of gratitude for Florence and Molly.
They gathered up their things, and Elizabeth and Nathan, Allie and Jack, Julie, Rebecca and Charlie were almost the last to get off the train. By the time they did, it felt as if the entire town was waiting with handfuls of rice, provided by Gustav from a large canvas bag, to shower the newlyweds with love, good fortune and prosperity by the time-honored ancient tradition.
Nathan wanted to go immediately to their new house, but Bill told him he first had to formally relieve Constable Patrick O'Reilly and thank him for covering for him. That required good wishes and hand shaking at the Mountie office. And just getting there was a challenge – it seemed everyone in Hope Valley wanted to congratulate him on the way.
Elizabeth took Rebecca up to Nathan's house to drop off her bags, and Kevin had already arranged a bunk for Charlie at the livery where Charlie said he would be happiest. Julie put her things in Elizabeth's house.
Then they all started out to the pond. But first, Julie needed to send a wire to her parents explaining what she was doing and asking them to have her things sent to Hope Valley.
"That should cause quite a stir," Julie said to Elizabeth after locating Ned and dictating the telegram. "I'm not sorry I'm so far away right now."
Finally, after what seemed like a very long time, they all started out toward the house.
Nathan was pointing out the lot lines to Charlie when he noticed that something was different. He was still far away, but he was pretty sure that the porch was no longer raw wood. It looked like it had been painted in the light tan they'd chosen to blend in with the soil out there. And the outside of the house was painted too. In just the colors they'd chosen. Even the forest green trim.
"Hey, wait up!" Lee called out from behind them.
Nathan turned and said, "Lee, is the porch done? And the outside paint? I know your guys only had Friday to work. I thought we were leaving that for last."
Lee smiled and nodded. "Yep. We were. Not sure what happened there."
Nathan frowned and said, "I was hoping we could use them inside the house first so we can stay out here maybe end of this week?"
Lee just kept nodding. "That's what we decided. You're right. Not sure about that now."
Nathan looked over at Elizabeth, who was also gazing at Lee. Nathan said, concerned, "I don't see any of the materials out front, Lee."
Squinting out to the house which was coming ever nearer as they walked, Lee said, "Nope. I don't see anything either. That's a problem."
Confused, Nathan said, "So, did everything get here on Friday? All the interior paint, the doors, the floor stain, the... " he lowered his voice a little, "... special things I ordered?"
Lee raised his eyebrows as if he was thinking. "I don't know. I wasn't here."
Nathan was frankly getting a little impatient with Lee's attitude. Nathan had paid for all the supplies and for two men to work on Friday and then again starting tomorrow. Now that Rebecca and Julie were here, he and Elizabeth had essentially lost both of their houses.
Nathan turned to Lee, disappointed. He spoke softly so no one else could hear. "Sorry. I just thought we'd be further along. The outside looks great, Lee. Just what we discussed. So thanks for that."
They were only a little way from the front steps now. Lee was silent.
Nothing to do but make the best of it, Nathan thought. Lee must have misunderstood that the interior had to come first. He reached down and touched the porch to be sure the paint was dry. Then he took Elizabeth's hand and led her up the steps.
There was a beautiful woven welcome mat at the front door and both Elizabeth and Nathan looked down, then at each other. "Did you?" Elizabeth asked. "No," Nathan said. "And you didn't?" Elizabeth shook her head. They looked at Lee, who shrugged and looked around for Rosemary.
Nathan laughed and turned back to Elizabeth. He was remembering Clara's advice saying that things would definitely go wrong. He would take the rest of her advice and look for the silver lining; and the most precious gift of all was standing in front of him.
Nathan raised his eyebrows and said, "Are you ready?"
Elizabeth said, "For what?"
And with that, Nathan scooped her up into his arms and she let out a little yelp, laughing. Nathan said, "Number two of one hundred," and kissed her. Then he opened the front door and crossed the threshold with his bride.
They stood there for a long time in wonder. All the floors were stained and varnished. All the interior walls were painted in the colors they'd chosen, and all the doors were in.
Nathan had ordered a harvest table just like the one in Rebecca's house as a surprise for Elizabeth. It was supposed to be coming from the furniture shop, along with six rustic wood chairs – but not until next week.
Yet there they were, table and chairs. Just exactly what he wanted.
There were flowers everywhere, and when they looked into the kitchen, they could see that a combination of their dishes, pots, pans, and muffin tins were all in place. The kitchen looked ready to be cooked in tonight.
"Oh, Nathan!" Elizabeth said, putting her hands over her mouth. "How did you...?"
Nathan was as dumbstruck as she was. "I didn't..." he said. He set her down carefully and they both turned to Lee, who stood behind them.
He was grinning. "I... might of put the boys on a little overtime..." he said.
Rosemary was standing next to him smiling from ear to ear. "We wanted to surprise you. This is your wedding present from all of us."
In one swift move, Elizabeth hugged Lee and Nathan folded Rosemary into a bear hug. They were both full of joy and thanks.
Rosemary giggled and straightened her hair. "Well, you're so very welcome, you two!" She started to walk around. "This is everything you ordered, all the colors you wanted, we didn't make any decisions for you."
"It's just how I imagined it," Nathan said. The house didn't have the personal touches, like pictures on the walls, that they would add - but it was completely ready to move into.
There was only one piece of furniture in the living room. Nathan looked closer, and then turned to his mother. "Mom," he said softly, smiling and shaking his head.
There in the corner to the side of the large stone fireplace was the loveseat that Elizabeth and Nathan had sat in just two nights ago. Rebecca smiled and said, "I thought you two might want to use that again," she said, coming forward to hug them both.
Elizabeth's eyes were wide. "How on earth did you get that from Airdrie to here without us seeing?"
Julie stepped forward and said, "Well, I did have to send that wire to Mother and Father..." She winked at Lee, and said, "How'd I do?"
"Perfect timing, Julie. Thank you." Lee said.
"And did you notice, Nathan," Rosemary said, winking, "That it took you a little more time to get to your office than it usually does? And that Patrick O'Reilly was very enthusiastic about your recent marriage?"
Nathan laughed. "It took forever. Every time I'd finish shaking someone's hand there was someone else right behind them."
Nathan was now leading Elizabeth down the long hallway. As he looked in each bedroom, they were finished and only in need of furniture. Later they could bring Nathan and Allie's beds from his house and Jack's crib from Elizabeth's and they could all stay out here together tonight. Nathan thought, That is, if... but if the harvest table was finished, maybe...
Nathan opened the door to the master bedroom, and there it was. The large bed that he had ordered – long enough so that his feet wouldn't hang over the edge as they did in most beds, and big enough for children to jump into on Saturday mornings. It had a Mission-style head and footboard with the simple vertical design of multiple posts of oak. The wedding ring quilt from their night in the Summer Cabin was on the bed.
The large windows on either side of the bed looked out on one side to the vegetable garden and on the other to where the paddocks and small barn would be. And beyond that, to the endless stands of trees.
Rosemary came up behind them saying, "Lee had to keep me from choosing curtains. He said you would want to do that yourself." She put her arm around Elizabeth and waved her hand from top to bottom of one of the windows. "But don't you think that a white eyelet lace in the summers and then perhaps a bright gold for the winter..."
"Rosie..." Lee said in warning.
"Oh, well, of course you'll do just the right thing, Elizabeth. But perhaps I could help? This was such fun, planning all this out!" Rosemary said.
Elizabeth had tears in her eyes and she hugged her friend tightly. "It's perfect. Everything is perfect." She looked across the room at Nathan and said again, "Just perfect."
Nathan turned and shook Lee's hand vigorously. "I don't know what to say, Lee. I have no idea how you did all this in three days, but I'm so grateful."
Lee clapped him on the back. "You know what they say, Many hands make light work. Everyone wanted to help. If they couldn't be there for your wedding, they wanted to do their part to welcome you back to Hope Valley."
It seemed that a few people had walked out to the house to join in the surprise. Elizabeth was now hugging Molly and Florence in the hallway and hearing that yes, the banner was made on the grass. Lucas had joined Julie and they were looking at the view from the side windows in the living room, where the town was visible in the distance. Nathan and Rebecca were in the kitchen, as she heartily approved of the stove and oven he and Elizabeth had chosen.
The two of them looked out at the rest of the house from the kitchen. Rebecca put her arm around Nathan's waist and said, "This should be the best view in a house, Nathan, and you've made it a fine one. You can see the front door as people walk in, you can see out back to watch the children, over to the fireplace when you have company, and through the front windows you can even see the porch swing." She hugged him tightly and nodded, smiling. "It's a very good house, son."
"Come look, Mom," Nathan said, putting his arm around her shoulders. He walked her to the living room and the window on the other side of the freestanding stone fireplace. He pointed to a spot just past the vegetable garden.
"That's where the guest house will go, Mom. It'll be yours whenever you want it. We're planning to build it in the spring."
Rebecca was a stoic person, not one to cry often, and Nathan was surprised to see a tear move slowly down her cheek. "Mom?" he said softly.
"That you would think of me now in a time of such happiness for you. And this town that has just folded you into its loving arms." She looked up at him in pure joy. "It's a mother's wish, sweetheart." She turned to him. "And what else this tells me is what good people you and Elizabeth are here in this community. They give to you because you give to them."
Allie ran up and took her grandmother's hand. "Grandma, can you help me choose my bedroom? I thought Jack's crib should be in the one closest to the end of the hall, and maybe mine should be across?" she said excitedly.
Rebecca laughed and quickly wiped the last of her tears away. "You show me, Alliebeck, and we'll choose it together."
Jack had found Elizabeth and was now happily up in her arms. Elizabeth walked silently up to Nathan and bent down to point at the sky through the front windows. Without a word, he took her hand and led her out to the front porch. There were more people now, wandering through the house and seeing how their small part of helping had combined to make the whole.
Nathan and Elizabeth smiled and thanked people, hugged a few here and there, but their destination was clear and they kept moving toward it.
They walked through the big front door and miraculously found the porch swing empty. Just as they were about to sit down, Allie came out and said, "Jack, you need to help us decide!" Elizabeth put him down and he immediately raised his hand for Allie to take. She walked him back through the front door, and the new Mr. and Mrs. Grant were alone.
Nathan and Elizabeth sat on the swing. The sun wasn't down yet, but it was coloring the pond and the sky in mirror reflections of each other. They snuggled close, listening to the laughter and conversation behind them.
Elizabeth suddenly shook her head, smiling. "Nathan, it's like we never left Airdrie!"
Nathan sighed and leaned his head back, holding Elizabeth closer. "Best of both worlds."
They sat in silence for a moment and then Nathan smiled. He looked at her and said, "There's just one thing missing."
Elizabeth frowned and said, "What could possibly be missing?"
Grinning, Nathan said, "We need a rooster."
Narrowing her eyes, Elizabeth said, "Don't you dare!"
She had more to say about the subject, but Nathan leaned down and kissed her. As she melted into her happiness, she thought a rooster might actually be a fine idea.
