Sitting in front of the warm fire, Grace was getting one last cuddle with Violet before she and Chuck left for Brookfield.

Smiling, Grace said, "She's clearly thriving, Rosemary. Happy and healthy. We miss her, but I'm so glad she's found a good home with you."

Rosemary frowned slightly and moved closer, whispering, "Any word?"

Grace shook her head. "Lillian has asked Gabe, but he says until he's finished up, he won't be sharing any details or speculation regarding an ongoing investigation." Seeing Rosemary's face, Grace said, "I know this is hard, but we have to hope that Violet will be yours someday soon. Lillian and I are looking at this investigation as a way to be sure there won't be anyone contesting an adoption."

Rosemary's eyes softened as she looked at the little girl. "We love her so much already, Grace. I can't imagine loving her more, so I suppose time doesn't matter." She smiled at Violet and touched her finger gently on her cheek. "And Lee... oh, my goodness, my husband is positively besotted with her."

Grace nodded. "It's how it should be." She sighed, reluctantly handing Violet over to Rosemary. "And now, much as I would love to sit here with you and Violet in front of this warm fire... we have to get on the road."

Elizabeth was in the kitchen, finishing up the last of the sandwiches and leftovers she was packing for Grace and Chuck's trip.

Grace laughed. "Elizabeth! Is this for a passing regiment? We can't possibly eat all this food!"

Elizabeth handed the package to Grace. "There's cake in there too. Take it to Lillian and the children if you don't eat it. We have so much food left over, I have no idea how we're going to finish it all!" she said, walking Grace to the front door.

Rosemary gave Grace a warm hug. "Be careful. And come back to visit soon."

"We'll have to come back to check on Lizzie, of course," Grace said, laughing. She turned to Elizabeth. "We've had the most wonderful time here."

Elizabeth opened the front door and they walked out to the porch. "Is there any way we can convince you to stay?" Elizabeth asked. She looked up at the sky and it was clear that snow was coming again.

Grace shook her head. "Chuck has to get back to the ranch before the snow falls in Brookfield. His mother is already upset with him for coming all this way for one cow." She hugged Elizabeth, "Tess is a challenge."

Elizabeth fixed Grace's coat collar and smiled. "You and Chuck seem to be well-suited for each other."

Grace nodded, looking down shyly. "We are." Then she looked back up at Elizabeth. "But Tess doesn't think so. There's a girl that Chuck used to know, Lucy... Tess is pushing pretty hard for her. She's even hired her on at the ranch so they have to see each other every day."

Elizabeth smiled. "I don't see that Chuck has eyes for anyone else but you, Grace. No matter who he sees every day."

Sighing, Grace said, "I've watched the last couple of days, how you and Rebecca get along. She loves you. You're lucky, you know?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I do know. And I've had some experience with parents thinking they know better who is right for you. My mother wanted me to marry a man who couldn't be more different from Nathan." Elizabeth put her arm through Grace's and walked her out to the wagon.

Grace raised her eyebrows. "Obviously your mother didn't get her way." She smiled at Elizabeth. "And I can't imagine any two people being better matched than you and Nathan."

"In the end, Grace, it's your choice. Yours and Chuck's. So, stay hopeful," Elizabeth said brightly, "Chuck is a good man, and he clearly cares for you. Sometimes it's just time that heals things."

Grace and Elizabeth were standing next to the wagon now, and they looked up at the canvas that Nathan and Chuck had just rigged to create a cover. "Looks good," Grace said. "Fancy!"

Chuck smiled down at her affectionately. "Practical," he said. "If it starts snowing like I think it will, you'll be mighty glad to have a place to shelter."

Grace handed up the package of food to Nathan and he packed it away with the blankets they were sending with Grace and Chuck.

"We'll get those back to you next time you visit Brookfield," Chuck said. "It's just a precaution."

Nathan nodded. "A good one. I think you're right about the snow. And thanks again for bringing Lizzie. It was a lot to ask."

Chuck smiled and leaned down so that only Nathan could hear him. "I've never enjoyed a stock delivery more. Two full days and a night with Grace, plus your party, great food and company, and..." he laughed softly, "...my mother is miles away." He shook Nathan's hand. "I should be thanking you."

Nathan smiled and whispered back. "Let us know if you need another excuse. I'm sure we can think of something."

Nathan jumped down and gave Grace a quick hug. "Take care of this guy," he said, angling his head up to Chuck.

Grace rolled her eyes slightly, "Oh, he definitely needs some taking care of," she said, looking up at him.

Nathan helped her up and Chuck and Grace settled on the front bench of the wagon with a blanket tucked around their legs.

Elizabeth said, "Wire us when you get there."

"We will," Grace said as Chuck turned the wagon.

Elizabeth and Nathan stood with their arms around each other and watched until the wagon turned the corner into town.

"Are they going to make it before the snow?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not a chance," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I'm going to wire ahead to Gabe to keep an eye out for them. But there was no stopping Chuck. And his mother is a force to be reckoned with."

"You know her?"

"Yes. She was connected to that bank fraud case I worked on with Gabe. I don't know her well personally, but I've sure heard about her, and I can tell you there's a fine line between good business and bad dealings in the way she looks at the world."

"Grace says she doesn't approve of her friendship with Chuck," Elizabeth said, as they walked back to the house.

"That doesn't surprise me," Nathan said. He gazed at Elizabeth. "Kind of like your parents wouldn't approve of me?"

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Which only proves the point I was just making to Grace. That parents don't always know what's best for us, and we ultimately need to make our own decisions."

Nathan laughed softly and placed his hand gently around her waist. "And we'll revisit this conversation when Allie, or Jack, or little Ty Cobb put us in that position."

Elizabeth laughed too, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm sure we won't have any opinions!"

Hearing a noise behind them, Nathan and Elizabeth turned. Allie was running up the road to their house, and just behind her was Robert Wolf.

"Race you to the treehouse!" Allie called out, speeding past them. "Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!"

"You're way too slow to beat me!" Robert said, passing Nathan and Elizabeth. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Grant!"

As Allie and Robert rounded the corner to the backyard, Nathan looked at Elizabeth with wide deer in the headlamp eyes. Elizabeth looked back at him with a slight frown.

Nathan said slowly, "Allie's thirteen, Robert is fifteen. Just the two of them in the treehouse?"

"They're friends, Nathan. They've been friends for a long time," Elizabeth said cautiously.

Nathan narrowed his eyes slightly. "You and I were friends for a long time too." He took a deep breath and looked around the corner of the house. "You know," he said, nodding. "We've used up most of our wood for the stoves. I should probably..." he said, looking further toward the backyard, "...chop some more."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "And where you chop wood just happens to be right by the treehouse."

Looking at her, Nathan laughed too, raising an eyebrow. "Might not be a bad idea for Robert to see me with an axe in my hands."

Elizabeth reached her hand up and put it on the side of his face. "Please don't be too terrifying, my love. You already have the red serge on your side," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "Allie's a good, smart girl. You can trust her."

Nathan nodded and kissed Elizabeth back, quickly. "It's not Allie I'm worried about." He started around the side of the house. "Go inside and get warm, angel." Elizabeth looked at him from under her lashes and Nathan laughed again, "I'll be nice. I promise."

"Good," she said, smiling at him. "Let me know when you want lunch."

"I will, and then I'm going over to help Lee with the doors. He's got Archie, Hickam and Jesse helping, but I'm sure they can use another pair of hands."

He blew her a kiss as he rounded the corner, and Elizabeth went inside to the warm house.

Rebecca and Charlie were staying another day and would be joining them later. Charlie wanted to spend some time with Kevin to talk about new methods of shoeing horses, and Rebecca was buying fabric at the Mercantile while she was in town.

Julie and Lucas would be coming out for dinner as well, and Bill had said he would drop by if he could finish up the reading he needed to do for a case he was working on. Elizabeth had so much food in the icebox in the kitchen, and the storage box outside was filled as well. She was worried they'd have to throw it out if they didn't have people over for dinner, and soon.

She was counting in her head as she hung up her coat. Twelve, she thought, with Rosemary and Lee. Just right for the harvest table.

"How's the work going next door?" Elizabeth asked Rosemary. She walked into the living room and sat on the stone hearth to warm herself by the fire.

Rosemary looked up from where Violet and Jack were playing. "They put the windows in this morning, and now they're working on doors. I'll feel better once the house is all closed in."

Elizabeth smiled. "I remember that time with this house. It really makes it feel like a home somehow when you can close a door."

Rosemary checked to make sure Violet was okay and then she stood up. "Do you mind if I take some of those leftover sandwiches to Lee? They're probably hungry by now."

Elizabeth nodded. "Please! Lucas and Bill definitely overestimated the food for yesterday. Take whatever you want. We're having the rest of the ribs and chicken for dinner. I need to bake some more bread this afternoon, but that's all that's on my list."

"So you don't mind watching Violet for me for a little while?" Rosemary asked.

Elizabeth tilted her head at her friend as if to say are you kidding? "I would love to. Take as long as you want."

Taking a quick look outside, Elizabeth could see Nathan working at the wood block. She smiled. They did need the wood for the stoves and fireplace, but she wondered how Nathan would fare as Allie got older. She thought the reason fathers were so worried about fifteen-year-old boys is that they had been fifteen once.

Rosemary started putting sandwiches together in the kitchen while Elizabeth took her place on the floor with Jack and Violet. Jack was rubbing his eyes and she could see they would both be going down for naps soon. Since Jack was escaping the crib every morning now, they had him on Allie's old rollaway bed for the time being, and when Violet was over, she got the crib.

Maybe she could get some writing done while they napped. It had been so busy that she hadn't written in her journal in two days and she missed it.

When all the commotion died down a little, Nathan would be spending time in the woodshop making the bookshelves for the sunroom and also making a bed for Jack. Then the crib would go in the fifth bedroom for the new arrival.

"Nathan is chopping more wood?" Rosemary said, hearing the steady thwack in the back yard.

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes. We need it, but also..." She looked over at Rosemary and raised her eyebrow. "...Allie is in the treehouse with Robert."

Rosemary's mouth formed a perfect O. "Oh, I see." She laughed softly. "You and I will talk again when Violet is Allie's age. We'll see how Lee handles that."

Elizabeth looked softly at Rosemary. "You're a natural mother, you know. You're so good at it. As if you've been doing it for years."

Rosemary laughed, "You should spend some time inside my head, Elizabeth." She waved the knife around, making her point. "Actually, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I second-guess myself a hundred times a day."

"Only a hundred?" Elizabeth said, laughing. "There's no instruction manual, Rosemary. I don't know what I would have done without all of you when Jack was a baby. It really does take a village to raise a child."

"Amen to that," Rosemary said softly. "And speaking of children, how are you doing? I notice you're off the ginger tea?"

Elizabeth exhaled, "Finally. Yes, I'm good. And..." She checked to be sure the children were playing and she stood up. "...come feel."

Rosemary wiped her hands and walked over to Elizabeth, who put her hand on her stomach.

"Too much dinner last night?" Rosemary said, laughing. "I can feel it. Already?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Three and a half months. I just don't remember showing with Jack this soon." She pulled on the waistband of her skirt, trying to loosen it. "I'm going to have to get my maternity clothes out of storage because nothing fits anymore."

"It does seem soon..." Rosemary's eyebrows went up, understanding immediately. "Oh. Nathan is a twin."

Elizabeth nodded. "We've already discussed it with Carson and he's going to keep a close eye on me. He says it's absolutely possible." Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Two at once? Now that you have Violet, can you even imagine?"

Rosemary hugged her tightly. Then she pulled away and smiled. "What did you say about a village?"