Elizabeth opened her eyes to sunshine slanting across the bedroom. She reached her arm out, hoping again that it was a dream, but Nathan still wasn't there. Releasing a heavy sigh, she felt the familiar welling up of emotions that seemed to be her constant morning companion these days.
She knew this time would pass. She had thought when she was expecting little Jack that this was grief, but now she knew it was just her body's way of coping with the changes it was going through.
Elizabeth would have to warn Nathan that she would wake up, and soon after, the tears would come. Then they would go away, and she'd be relatively fine until the next morning.
She held the corners of the sheet up against her eyes and just let the moisture soak into the soft cotton. Her analytical mind was wondering if this was only a result of being alone in the mornings. It would be interesting to see how she reacted when she reached over and touched Nathan's warm skin instead of the cold sheets.
Oh, how I miss Nathan. Especially now. Even though they had the telephone calls, Elizabeth had to admit that this reminded her of those long days when Jack was in places unknown. She didn't think she would ever be able to forget that Jack died when she thought he was most safe. She'd let her guard down, and when she'd seen the Mountie on his horse in the middle of the street that night, she'd been laughing with Abigail. Carefree. Unaware. And Jack was already gone, and had been for almost two days.
Elizabeth pulled the sheet completely over her head. Stop it. This is irrational fear talking. That and the baby that is changing everything inside you. Just stop. Get up. Do something useful.
She threw the covers off and vowed that she would get the final panels of the curtains done today. Stretching her arms over her head, she ran her fingers through her disheveled curls.
It was Saturday, and Elizabeth and Allie had no school. Allie was invited to Hattie's birthday party in town, and Elizabeth had weeding to do in the vegetable garden with Jack. Plus, it was laundry day. No time for moping.
Also, the last of the fencing was going in today, and Elizabeth was grateful there would be a real enclosed backyard that Jack could roam freely in. With it all open to the trees in the back of the house, she had never felt comfortable putting him down for too long out there.
Speaking of Jack, she heard him stirring in the bedroom just next to theirs. He sounded happy, and the truth was, he'd figured out how to escape the crib all on his own. Elizabeth was meaning to ask Nathan about the possibility of a small bed for him instead.
Then they could move the crib into the next bedroom... Elizabeth smiled. Another baby. Jack was growing so fast, and she had been feeling lately that she was losing his childhood. He'd outgrown all of his little sweaters and winter was coming. Maybe Molly could teach her how to knit.
She washed and dressed quickly, always aware that at any moment Jack would bump up against his bedroom door, wanting her to open it. He wasn't tall enough to reach the door handle yet, but it wouldn't be long, she thought, laughing softly to herself. Then they would really be in trouble.
There were times when she and Nathan would just watch Jack sleep. One night, Nathan had whispered, "What do you think he'll be? What kind of man?" and they'd pondered the question for a moment before Elizabeth had whispered back, "I think he'll be part his father by nature, and part you by nurture. And that will make him a very, very good man." Nathan had hugged her tightly and said, "Thank you for saying that."
Elizabeth opened her bedroom door and she could hear Jack talking to himself in his room. She opened his door carefully, saying, "How's my sweet boy? Did you sleep well?"
Jack looked up at her from his spot on the floor arranging his blocks, cloth horses and the ever-present Mountie which was a bit the worse for wear but still his constant companion.
Elizabeth laughed softly, trying not to wake Allie. "You escaped again, didn't you, little monkey? One of these days I'm going to hide and watch how you get out of that crib."
Smiling up at her innocently, Jack let his mother know very clearly that he wasn't giving up any secrets. Then he stood and raised his arms, saying, "Mama." And then, as he did almost every morning, "Nathan."
Elizabeth showed him a little pout. "I know. He's not home yet. I miss him too!" She pulled his pajama top over his head. "And you're getting very good with your H's, smart boy. Yes, it's Nathan."
Elizabeth smiled, again appreciating Nathan's understanding of how important it was to her that Jack stay a Thornton. Changing Allie's name to Grant made sense, and ultimately it was what Allie wanted. And until Jack was old enough to decide for himself, he would remain Jack William Thornton.
That meant that Jack would call Nathan by his first name, instead of Dad. Nathan had the utmost respect for the fact that Jack's father was and always would be Jack Thornton.
Allie called Elizabeth Mrs. Grant at school, and Mom everywhere else, and Allie had been very good about making that clear distinction. She called Nathan her dad, though every once in a while she'd slip and call him Uncle Nathan. Now they would be adding a new child to the mix, with the last name Grant and a definite mother and father.
Modern problems, Elizabeth thought, finishing up getting Jack dressed for his day. In formal households, children were simply told what they were to call parents and siblings. It had always been Mother and Father in the Thatcher household. But neither Elizabeth nor Nathan wanted to raise their children with that kind of rigidity.
Life was messy. And Elizabeth loved it.
"Morning," Allie said sleepily, opening her door across the hall.
"Oh, did we wake you? I'm sorry, I should have been quieter," Elizabeth said. She liked to let Allie sleep in on weekends.
Allie smiled and came into Jack's bedroom. "No, it's okay. I need to get ready to go to Hattie's anyway. I still need to wrap her present." She nuzzled up to Jack and he giggled, putting his arms out for her.
"Your dad is calling at about ten," Elizabeth said. "Can you watch Jack while I talk to him?"
Allie smiled and rolled her eyes a little. "It depends on how long you talk. I need to be at Hattie's at eleven-thirty," Allie said, picking Jack up.
Elizabeth laughed and pulled the two of them into a hug. "We're not going to talk for an hour-and-a-half, Allie!"
Heading toward the door, Allie said, "I don't know, you two get pretty wordy..." She raised her eyebrows at Jack, "Don't they? And mushy too... You want some juice?" And they were gone down the hall and out to the kitchen.
Elizabeth laughed softly and pulled Jack's clothes together for the laundry. Another surprise from Nathan had been a washing machine with a wringer that made the job go so much faster. With four sets of clothes, plus sheets and towels, Elizabeth felt lucky they were able to afford such a thing. Once they connected into the town's power supply, they could get an electric one. It wouldn't be until the Coulter's house was finished, but Elizabeth was perfectly content to wait.
Gathering Jack's things and adding them to her own basket, Elizabeth took it out to the back door and set it down.
"Bring out your laundry basket, please, Allie," Elizabeth said, taking Jack from her. "Maybe you can help me hang it when you get back from Hattie's?"
"Yes, ma'am," Allie said cheerfully, heading down the hallway. She emerged from her room about fifteen minutes later ready for the party, and by then, Jack had finished his breakfast and Elizabeth had a cup of ginger tea brewing.
Just as Allie came back into the kitchen, they both stopped and listened. The telephone was ringing.
"There he is!" Elizabeth said.
Allie smiled and said, "I've got Jack."
Hugging her, Elizabeth said, "Have I told you what a wonderful, capable girl you are, Allie?"
Allie nodded self-consciously, "About a hundred times..."
"Good," Elizabeth said, kissing Jack on the cheek. "And I'll say it a hundred more... Thank you," she said, running to the sunroom carefully so she didn't spill her tea.
"Hello? Hi, Fiona. Yes, I'll hold..."
Nathan was frustrated today, feeling like he'd hit a dead end. "I don't know what else to do, Elizabeth. Edmonton is such a big city. I've been through Dad's things fifty times, and there's nothing. Except for the fact that his winter coat is here and it's starting to turn cold."
Elizabeth could hear the near desperation in Nathan's voice. He'd talked to Jessie's friends at her school, had enlisted the help of the Spruce Grove Mountie office, and talked with his father's co-workers, but he still had no clue about where to start in Edmonton.
Nathan had called Constable Sam Hughes and talked with him about where a thirteen-year-old girl on her own would go to try to start a new life, and everything they'd tried had come up empty. At this point, Nathan had no idea where to turn. Until he found the missing piece connecting Jessie to Edmonton, he was baffled.
"Dad and Stella are probably going through the same thing, if they haven't found her yet," Nathan said. "At least I have a picture of Jessie now," he said, pulling the envelope out of his pouch. Now the picture of Jessie was safe with the one of his father.
"You won't believe it when you see it, Elizabeth. She could be Allie's sister, she looks so much like her. It's no wonder Dad was drawn to them..."
Nathan had eaten breakfast in the booth at the Café for three straight days now and every time he did, he got a little more information out of Helen as she remembered things. There were Saturdays and Sundays when Stella had to work and Jessie would sit in a booth and do her homework. Helen remembered that Archie would help her with her math sometimes.
Elizabeth listened to these stories with a pain in her heart. "He misses Allie so much. So, one day Stella tells him that Jessie has run away and she's going after her. Archie doesn't think twice. All he knows is that he doesn't want Stella and Jessie in a city like Edmonton alone, and the only way he knows how to help is to go with them. Leaves his job and doesn't even go back to the boarding house. It all makes sense, Nathan."
Nathan exhaled. "Yes, but how do I find them?"
"You keep asking questions and something will turn up," she said softly. "Which I know is easy for me to say from down here. I wish I could help you somehow."
"You have a very good brain, Elizabeth," Nathan said, smiling. Try to put it into a thirteen-year-old girl and ask yourself what you would do. That's the key here. If we find Jessie, we find Dad and Stella. But as far as anyone knows, none of the three of them has any money."
Elizabeth sighed. It always came back to that. Nathan's fear that his father would be desperate enough to go back to stealing.
"Trust him, Nathan. From what I saw of Archie, he was determined not to disappoint you and Allie again. He'll find a way," Elizabeth said. "People do change."
Nathan laughed softly, "So you keep saying."
They talked for a few minutes more about Hope Valley and how Jack and Allie were doing. Elizabeth could tell that Nathan didn't want to get off the call, and neither did she, but the longer it took him to find his father, the longer he would be away from her. So, reluctantly, they said goodbye.
"I love you, Nathan. Please try not to get discouraged," she said.
"I will. And I know how investigations like these work. That one puzzle piece is out there. We just have to find it. I'll be here at the office for a while if you think of something." Elizabeth could hear the busy Spruce Grove Mountie office in the background. Nathan lowered his voice. "My second biggest problem is how much I miss you. I'm having trouble concentrating."
Elizabeth closed her eyes. "Me, too. And I don't sleep very well without you here. There's a big cold spot where you usually are," she said, laughing softly.
Nathan sighed. "I'll fix that when I get home. I love you, Elizabeth. I'll call tonight."
"Love you, too. I'll be waiting."
Allie needed to get to her birthday party, so Elizabeth and Jack waved her goodbye and watched until she rounded the corner in town. Elizabeth scooped Jack up to go out to the vegetable garden.
She'd gotten baskets for Allie and Jack, much like the ones that Rebecca had used in the garden with Sarah and Nathan when they were little. Jack took his job very seriously, and as Elizabeth weeded, she filled his basket and then he took it over to the pile to separate for compost. He even helped her by pulling some of the weeds, although she had to keep a sharp eye that he didn't pull up entire healthy tomato plants.
The only disadvantage to being outside these days was that Elizabeth couldn't hear the telephone from here. But since she'd just hung up the phone with Nathan, it felt like she had a lot of time before the next call.
So when Fiona came running up to the house and then found her around back, Elizabeth was surprised.
"Elizabeth!" Fiona called out.
Shading her eyes, Elizabeth said, "Fiona, I'm so sorry, is there a call? I just got off the telephone with Nathan..."
Fiona put her hands on her knees and caught her breath. "No problem. It's good exercise! And it's not Nathan," Fiona said, breathing deeply.
She looked up at Elizabeth and said, "It's Archie Grant."
