Hello! :-) I'm here with another chapter and more gratitude for your lovely reviews and views which let me know you are taking the time to check out and read this story, which pleases me very much! :-) As always, I hope you will enjoy this chapter! :-) Thanks again to all of you for taking the time to read and review! :-) Enjoy!

Chapter 27

"I'm calling it a day," Hickam said to Lucas, as he rose from his chair. "I need to eat and freshen up before the meeting. I'll see you there, right?"

When Lucas looked up, Hickam saw panic on his boss's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"The meeting! I totally forgot about it. I never did tell my uncle Rosemary wanted the saloon. I've got to head over there. Thankfully, she needs only beverages, but still, my uncle needs to know there will be a lot of people coming. How could I have forgotten?"

Hickam gave a small laugh and shook his head. "I'm amazed you remember anything these days. If you need me to stay, I will."

"No, it's fine. I'm going to call it a day, too. I haven't been able to concentrate or accomplish much."

"I noticed you've been antsy. Kept leaving and coming back. Did you send whatever it was you were working on the other day?"

"I did. Yesterday."

Lucas's thoughts turned to his father, and he admitted he was dismayed, but not surprised, he had not heard from him. He thought he might receive a return telegram, even if it was just to acknowledge receipt of his, but so far, nothing. Maybe tomorrow, Lucas reasoned, trying not to give up hope that easily.

"I know you didn't say anything," Hickam said, "but by your look of dread and how much you were struggling with whatever it was you were trying to write, I thought it might have something to do with this company."

"You are very observant, Mike," Lucas acknowledged. "I was trying to write a telegram to someone regarding this business. I haven't received a response, but I hope to hear something soon. I will keep you informed."

Hickam smiled. "Thanks, Lucas. I appreciate that. Well, I'd better let you get to the Queen of Hearts."

"Yes. I need to let my uncle know what's going on."

As Lucas covered the short distance to the saloon, he could not believe this meeting had completely slipped his mind. Being forgetful was so unlike him, and it bothered him that he had let himself become so distracted to the point of not remembering important events.

When he entered the Queen of Hearts and saw how well set up the saloon looked, he immediately sought out his uncle to ask what was happening. He could only hope another event had not been booked.

"Uncle Ernie," he said, spotting him near the kitchen and quickly reaching him, 'I am so sorry. I forgot to tell you…"

"About Rosemary's meeting tonight? I know. She told me."

Lucas couldn't help but to breathe a sigh of relief. "So this is why the saloon is set up this way. When I walked in, I thought we had been double-booked."

Ernie smiled and patted his nephew's shoulder. "It's okay, Lucas. Everything is on track."

He looked around and returned his uncle's smile. "I can see that. Thank you. I can't believe this evening totally slipped my mind."

"I can, but it's fine. Why don't you go to your room and rest for a while. This could be a long night."

"I can't. When Mike said he was heading out to get ready, my adrenaline kicked in. I panicked because I remembered I had not told you I saw Rosemary yesterday. I should have had her come talk to you…"

"Son, slow down. There is nothing to worry about. But speaking of Rosemary, I will tell you she is worried about you."

Lucas gave his uncle a questioning look. "Is that good or bad?"

"It's good for you because it means she cares about you and your well-being, but bad for her. I think she will be very happy and relieved to hear your announcement on Friday night. She is beside herself that you are not here and wants to know what is going on."

"That's interesting because Lee knew I was ready to give up control, but I agree. It will be nice to introduce you so everyone knows who they will see and who they should come to with any needs."

"I'm starting to think you had the right idea to do this since almost everyone will hear the same message from the right people. I think that will put some people's minds at ease."

"I wish I could say something more reassuring about Gowen Petroleum, but I don't have anything concrete to tell people other than I will be at the helm for the time being."

"You did send that telegram yesterday, right?"

"Yes. I wanted to let you know that, too, but the day got away from me. I haven't heard anything. Yet."

"You will, son. Have faith."

Lucas gave a slight nod and smile to let his uncle know he appreciated his words.

"I'm trying."

"You will hear," Ernie assured him. "Soon."

As the meeting got underway a short time later, Lucas remained standing near the entrance. He wanted to see Elizabeth when she arrived so he could say hello and maybe sit with her. He had seen Julie earlier and after greeting her, he asked if Elizabeth would be coming. Julie said she thought so. She said her sister was taking a bit longer to get ready and had told Julie to go on without her. Laura had agreed to watch Little Jack until they returned, so Julie assured Lucas that Elizabeth should be arriving soon. Thirty minutes later, however, and Elizabeth had not made an appearance. Concern began to grip Lucas, even as he tried to listen to what Rosemary was saying because he knew questions would be directed at him. Seeing how quickly night had fallen, however, he did not like that Elizabeth was not present.

Growing anxious, he stepped outside to look around and saw Carson approaching the saloon.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to finish some paperwork. Is everything all right?" he asked, when he saw the tension clouding Lucas's face.

"Elizabeth hasn't arrived. I'm getting worried."

"What about Julie?"

"She's here. She said Elizabeth was taking longer to get ready and told her sister to go on without her, but Julie thought she would be here by now."

Carson gave Lucas a serious look. "Elizabeth came by the Infirmary earlier to talk to me. I have to admit she looked weary."

"Was something wrong? Did she need medical attention?" Lucas asked, his muscles tightening and his pulse quickening at the thought Elizabeth could be ill.

Carson laid a hand on Lucas's shoulder to calm him. "She came to give me some news about Henry. She received a letter from Abigail. But I have to say, as a doctor observing her during a casual conversation, she didn't look good. I asked her if she felt all right; she assured me she did. Said she'd been running around and that was the reason she looked flushed. She did admit to being somewhat tired."

"What if she's not all right?" Lucas asked, trying hard not to let his imagination run wild. "I need to go to her."

"I think that's a very good idea. Why don't you take Henry's car?"

"I am. Please let Rosemary and Julie know. And my uncle if you see him. I'm heading to Elizabeth's."

"I hope she is fine. Let me know if you need me for anything."

"I will. Thank you."

When Lucas arrived at Elizabeth's home a few minutes later, he took a moment to compose himself and then rapped gently on the door in case she was sleeping or not feeling well. He didn't want to startle or scare her or Laura with a loud unexpected knock this time of night. He was relieved when Laura answered the door.

"Mr. Bouchard," she said, speaking quietly. "Hi. What are you doing here? I thought everyone was at the meeting."

"Good evening, Laura," he said, following her lead and speaking softly. "I came here because Elizabeth did not show up, and I was concerned. Is she here?"

Laura motioned for Lucas to enter quietly. Once inside, she pointed to the settee where Elizabeth lay, sound asleep, and then motioned for Lucas to follow her into the kitchen.

"Is Elizabeth all right?" Lucas asked, his voice low as they sat across from each other.

Laura nodded. "I think she's exhausted. She told me she was going to rest for a few minutes after playing with Little Jack and before leaving for the meeting, but she stretched out on the sofa and almost immediately fell asleep. I put the blanket over her and added some light to the dark room. She never moved. I think she's really tired. She wasn't even here when I arrived this morning. Julie told me she had been up before dawn and left super early to go to the school."

Elizabeth, my love, what is happening? You've been concerned about me when, obviously, I should have been more concerned about you.

"Is Little Jack asleep?" Lucas asked.

"Yes. He's upstairs. I just checked on him before I heard you knock."

"Did Elizabeth seem to be ill?"

"No, just tired. She said she'd had a busy day and wanted to rest for a few minutes. That was over an hour ago."

"If it's okay, I would like to stay until she wakes up."

"Of course. My father is picking me up after the meeting, so if Elizabeth is still asleep, would you mind checking on Little Jack?"

"No, not at all. Julie should be back by then, too. I want to make sure Elizabeth is all right."

Her smile let him know she understood his concern for Elizabeth. She found it endearing.

As the time for asking questions approached, Rosemary looked around for Lucas but didn't see him. She called for a ten-minute break so she could find him. She flagged down Ernie and asked him if he had seen his nephew.

"He was here earlier, but I haven't seen him since the meeting began."

Carson stood nearby, ready to let Ernie and Rosemary know what was happening.

"Elizabeth?" Rosemary whispered, not wanting the others to hear. "Is she all right?"

"We hope so. Lucas went to check on her, and I guess he's still there. I told him to let me know if he needs me."

"Should I send Lee to check on them?"

"No, I think it's okay. Lucas took Henry's car, so he could get here fairly quickly if he needed me."

"What about Julie? She's here."

"I'm going to let her know. She may want to leave."

"That's fine. Without Lucas, I'm not sure how much more productive this meeting will be."

"You're doing a great job, Rosemary," Carson encouraged. "I bet you can answer more questions than you think. Give it a try. It will keep your mind occupied until we know what's going on."

Rosemary nodded; Carson went in search of Julie.

When Julie heard Lucas was with Elizabeth, she decided to remain. She knew if anyone could help her sister, it was Lucas. She also knew Laura was taking care of her nephew, so she stayed to try to offer her assistance to Rosemary and others, but her thoughts were now elsewhere. She knew Elizabeth had not been sleeping well and that did concern her. Should she still plan to leave in six days? She suddenly wasn't so sure that was the best course of action to take.

Soundlessly, Lucas checked on Elizabeth several times during the next hour until there was another light tap on the door.

"That's probably my father," Laura said.

Lucas went with her and saw Laura's father, along with Julie, Rosemary and Lee. Lucas left the door slightly ajar as he stepped outside while Laura gathered her things.

"How is Elizabeth?" Rosemary asked quietly.

"She's still sleeping," Lucas said. "I'm going to stay here until she wakes up if that's all right, Julie?"

"Of course. I'm sure she will be happy to see you. I just hope she's feeling okay."

"Me, too. That's why I want to be here."

"If you need anything, let us know," Lee said. "I can be at Carson's in five minutes."

"Thank you, Lee. We will."

Laura said goodnight to everyone and left with her father. Rosemary hugged Julie and told her to let them know if there was anything they could do. She thanked both of them and said she would.

Once they were inside, Julie crossed to kneel in front of her sister who was sleeping peacefully. Her cheeks did not look warm, and she seemed to be in no distress. She motioned for Lucas to follow her into the kitchen.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked, as she put on a kettle of water.

"No, thank you."

"I am not surprised about this," she said, waiting for the water to get hot. "Elizabeth has not been sleeping well for a while."

Lucas did not like hearing that news. "Do you know why?"

"I think she's just had things on her mind, and then when Little Jack had his sleepless night, it seemed to throw her schedule off. She hasn't been able to fully recover even though he's been fine, thankfully."

"I remember how tired she was that day, but she would not sleep."

"She probably should have," Julie said, carrying her cup and saucer to the table where she joined Lucas.

"I agree. I tried to encourage her to rest, but she chose not to."

Julie stirred her tea and then took a sip before she spoke her next words.

"Did you know her first session with your mother did not go well?"

Lucas nodded. "Elizabeth left me a note to that effect, and my mother and I spoke this morning. I was very sorry and disappointed. I thought this would be a good thing for Elizabeth to help her get her book ready to go to the publisher, but if working with my mother is causing her anxiety, that concerns me."

"I think Elizabeth will be all right with your mother as her editor. She has been looking forward to this. The timing is bad, unfortunately. She and I talked about my returning to Hamilton sometime next week, but now I am reconsidering. I do want to make sure my sister is okay before I leave."

"I understand and agree. I would feel the same way."

Julie looked at him and smiled before taking another sip of her tea. "My sister will be very happy to see you when she wakes up."

Lucas lowered his eyes. "I will be very happy to see that your sister is okay."

Julie nodded. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on Jack."

"Of course."

They both rose from their chairs. Julie headed upstairs; Lucas stood near the divan, watching to make sure Elizabeth was not in any pain. He saw her eyelids flutter, but he did not move or make a sound. He wanted her to either wake up on her own or return to a state of slumber if she needed more rest. Silently, he took a few steps back to leave her be when he heard her whisper his name. He stopped and waited to see if Elizabeth would open her eyes. After a long moment, he saw her wake up and begin to look around.

"Lucas?" she asked.

Her voice sounded weak and a bit raspy.

When she sat up and removed the blanket, he acknowledged his presence.

"I'm here," he said, taking a couple of steps closer. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," she said, stretching her arms as she tried to wake up. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine thirty."

She gasped and then looked up at him. "I missed the meeting. I've been asleep for almost three hours."

"You must have needed it," he said. "Do you want to go to your room to get more sleep?"

"In a minute. How is Jack?"

"Sleeping. Julie is checking on him. Laura's father came and picked her up."

Elizabeth nodded. "She told me he was going to come by."

She looked at Lucas. "Sit with me for a little while? I'm not ready to go upstairs as long as Jack is all right. I've missed you."

Lucas gave a small smile as he took a seat right next to her. "I read about that in your note."

"Your note! I didn't even get a chance to read that before I fell asleep."

He gently brushed the hair from her eyes. "You are one beautiful but exhausted lady, Mrs. Thornton."

"Thank you for that compliment, Mr. Bouchard, because I certainly don't feel beautiful. I think you're right about my exhaustion," she said and sighed, still trying to clear her head. "But I had the most wonderful dream."

"Want to tell me about it?"

"Yes. You and I were at this fancy hotel in New York City to meet with my publisher. I was so excited, and you were so happy for me. We were at a restaurant, it kind of looked like the one in Union City, just the two of us, and we were dancing and laughing and enjoying ourselves. That's all I remember, but it was such a lovely dream. We both looked so happy and relaxed."

"Sounds like one of those dreams that could really happen."

"If I ever get my manuscript finished," she said dejectedly.

"I didn't want to be the one to bring up that subject, but Elizabeth, you will get your novel to the publisher, and your book will be published. I know both things to be true."

She leaned into him; he wrapped his arm around her and held her close.

"You're right, of course. I will. Thank you for saying my book will be published. I just have to figure out how to rewrite those first two chapters. Every time I think I have an idea, I don't like the way the words sound when I read them on paper."

"Maybe telling me your ideas will help if you feel up to it. Maybe you need to talk it out with someone before you write or type."

"I've never done that. Writing has always been solitary for me. Sometimes, I tell things to Little Jack, but I know he can't help, and maybe, on some level, that's why I tell him. Because he can't criticize me or my writing."

Hearing how hurt she sounded, he wanted to address her concerns.

"Elizabeth, if this is because of my mother, please know you do not have to continue with her as your editor."

Elizabeth looked up, realizing the impact her words had on him. She wanted to immediately correct the misconception she had been talking about his mother. "No, Lucas, that's not what I meant. Truthfully, I was not thinking about your mother when I said that. I was thinking about me and how I've been doubting myself and my writing."

Lucas nodded, feeling only slightly relieved. "I'm dealing with what may be somewhat misplaced responsibility that things aren't going well for you with my mother, so if I can help, I want to. I don't mind hearing your ideas, but only if you want to share them and feel comfortable doing so. I don't want to cause you more anxiety."

"This is not your fault," she hastened to assure him. "I asked you to contact your mother. I'm still pleased she is helping me. Your mother has so much knowledge and experience. I guess right now I'm flustered about how to proceed.

"And," she acknowledged quietly, "maybe I'm afraid the second rewrite won't be good either, and then what will I do? I'm doubting everything I try to write."

This was the first time she had expressed her biggest fear out loud, and she had to admit she felt better as soon as she spoke the words. Especially to Lucas who, in response, pulled away to look at her.

"Is that what this is about?" he asked, concern for her present in his eyes.

She nodded. "Yes. Now I'm scared to write anything, worried it won't be good enough. How do I get past this, Lucas?"

He pulled her close once more as he thought about her question and her fears. "I wish I had an easy answer or a magic trick I could perform that would make all of your anxiety disappear, but the truth is, I don't. Never having been in the position you are in as a writer, I'm not sure what you do when doubt takes over. But I know you have worked too hard and written such a fantastic story, you will prevail, Elizabeth. Maybe you just need a little time away from writing and thinking about writing."

"That's what your mother said, but I feel as though the scenes I need to write to improve my story are right there in my mind just waiting to come out, but for some reason, I cannot tap into my creative side. It's like the words are just out of my reach. This is so frustrating."

Lucas kissed the top of her head as he tried to think of something to say to encourage her.

"I don't know if this will help, but I remember one story my mother told me when she was editing a novel that, by the way, did get published to excellent reviews and sales. She said the author had relied too heavily on the protagonist in the first chapter and didn't give her a chance to grow and experience certain things in other chapters. I remember my mother saying if only the writer had let go of her vision for the heroine to be all-consuming, the story would have read better throughout later chapters. Apparently, my mother was able to convince the author to change that one thing in her first chapter, and then she was able to make the other chapters read that much better. My mother found the heroine to be a much more likable character, too.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is maybe you need to look at one thing in your chapter you can tweak, and then the words will come to you and you will be happy with your revisions."

"Would you look at the chapter with me?" she asked. "Maybe you will see something I am missing. I honestly don't know how to make this work."

"I don't know how objective I can be, sweetheart, because I loved your first chapter when I read it, but if you think it would help, of course, I will look at it with you. But not tonight. You need more rest. Your health comes first."

"It has to be tonight, Lucas," she pleaded. "I have to get these two chapters ready for your mother by tomorrow afternoon."

"No, sweetheart, you don't," he countered. "My mother will understand if you can't work on them. This has to be at your pace, and if you are having trouble writing, not to mention sleeping, you can't force yourself."

"We need five, maybe ten minutes, to look at chapter one with your mother's suggestions. That's all."

When Lucas started to protest, Elizabeth tried a different tactic. She needed his help. That night.

"You said you sat with your mother while she edited manuscripts. Maybe something will come to you that can help me. Please."

"Elizabeth…" he started to say, but her finger on his lips stopped him.

"We could already be looking at my chapter instead of fussing about this," she reasoned and then gave him the sweetest smile which did make him shake his head as he grinned.

Against his better judgment, but because he knew he couldn't truly refute her logic and because she looked so hopeful, not to mention adorable as she tried to get her way, he agreed.

"Thank you," she said and gave him an even sweeter smile that warmed his heart.

How could he ever say no to her?

He watched as she retrieved the papers from a nearby table, found pen and paper and then returned to the sofa. She seemed to be feeling all right for which he was thankful. He also noticed Julie had not returned and presumed she'd heard them talking and had decided to remain upstairs.

Elizabeth, sitting by his side, placed the pages of her first chapter between them. She held the pen, ready to take notes or write down anything she thought might be useful.

"Maybe it would help if I read my mother's notes first," Lucas said. "Then I might know what she's looking for."

"Good idea. I'll do the same. Maybe this time I won't be so confused."

"My mother's notes confused you?" Lucas asked, surprised.

He'd always thought of his mother as being fairly straightforward with her suggestions and edits and was surprised to hear Elizabeth voice her concern in that area. What he perceived as his mother's clarity was something he thought would be beneficial for Elizabeth while working with her.

"This whole process has confused me," she admitted. "Maybe you can help with that, too. See what you think of your mother's suggestions."

While Elizabeth waited, Lucas began reading the areas his mother had outlined with her edits. He started to see the pattern and had to agree with his mother's assessment. The story did start to lag after the initial introduction of the protagonist, but he had no idea what to tell Elizabeth about ways to improve her chapter.

"In reading just the areas my mother highlighted," he began, because he knew Elizabeth was waiting for an answer, "I do see where the action slowed down, and this doesn't read as well without your voice being present but, sweetheart, I don't know how to tell you what to change. This is your story. What were some of your ideas?"

She frowned. "I don't think what I had in mind will work."

Lucas sensed her reluctance and wanted to assist if he could.

"All right. How about this? Let me read the first part of your chapter where my mother noted she loved what you wrote, and then I'll read the second part where she started editing, and I'll see if anything jumps out at me."

"Okay. I'm going to make a cup of tea. Would you like anything?"

"No, I'm fine."

"I'll leave you alone to read. I'm going upstairs before I make tea. I'll be right back."

Lucas smiled. "Take your time. I'll be here."

Elizabeth returned a few minutes later after checking on Little Jack and speaking briefly with Julie and headed for the kitchen to make a cup of tea while she contemplated what to do if Lucas couldn't help her. She felt better having gotten some quality sleep, but she knew she needed to get her writing back on track. By the time she poured her tea and had almost worked herself into a frenzy, Lucas entered the kitchen, carrying her typewritten pages.

She sat down and so did he.

"Well?" she asked, bracing herself for the worst. "What do you think?"

"Here is my totally novice suggestion. What if you shortened the first chapter?"

Elizabeth shook her head, not understanding. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if my mother thinks some of what you wrote should not be in the first chapter, is there any rule of writing that says you can't delete what you wrote in the first chapter and use it somewhere else in your story? Maybe in the first chapter you can expand on your protagonist's problem or motives, have more meaningful dialog with her son or go into a little more detail about the setting you are using instead of what you wrote that my mother said was too passive for the first chapter."

"Maybe I could," she said, considering his advice with an open mind as she tried to assess how she could make this work. "You're right. Your mother said to revise, but she didn't say I couldn't reshape the second part of the first chapter. I'm sure I could expand on some of what I wrote that you and she liked and remove the parts that don't fit. Let me think about this for a minute. How can I add more to what's already there and take away what doesn't work?"

Lucas saw her thoughts churning and while he was grateful she seemed fine and ready to tackle her writing, concern for her well-being continued to plague him.

"What if you slept on this idea and tried to write again tomorrow or even the day after that?" Lucas suggested, truly hoping she would take his advice on this matter, too.

The look on her face, however, told a different story. He could tell the wheels were already turning. If she had an idea she thought could work and was already considering how to rewrite the chapter, that was one thing. But if she was trying to conjure up what she thought his mother wanted her to write and was struggling, he did not want her going through that agony and felt compelled to tell her and possibly his mother that Elizabeth needed more time and could not be rushed.

Seeing Elizabeth with a genuine smile on her face as some of the tension appeared to ease did wonders for Lucas. He wanted to smile, too, but first he had to ask her why she suddenly seemed so happy.

"I know what I want to write," she said, her relief palpable. "This is amazing. You're amazing."

From across the table, Lucas knew she'd had the breakthrough she needed and wanted to share in her joy.

"Tomorrow, right?" he asked hopefully.

"No, Lucas, right now. I have to get this down on paper while it's fresh in my mind. Oh my. I think I truly know how to make both chapters work. Thank you, Lucas. Thank you so much!"

She stood and so did he. She held on to him and thanked him again for his help.

"You're welcome," he said, returning her hug and holding her close. "But I don't want you to wear yourself out with this. You still need more rest, my darling."

"I know, but it won't take me long to do my rewrites. I'm tightening the chapters the way your mother suggested, but I know where I need to add my voice. I feel good about this, Lucas. I believe I know how to make those chapters so much better than they were."

He held her for a few moments longer, wishing she could remain in the comfort and safety of his arms, and then he reluctantly released her.

"I'd better let you get to it. I don't want you to be working past midnight, and I have another early morning."

"You're right. I'd better get writing. Thank you," she said again, her eyes shining with love and gratitude, "for being here when I need you. You always are."

"And I always will be," he assured her, his voice heavy with emotion, thinking about how much he loved and cared about the beautiful woman standing before him.

After advising her to get more sleep, which she assured him she would do and told him to do the same, he kissed her goodnight and left her to her typewriter and her ideas. Once she gave his mother her revisions, he knew Elizabeth's future as a writer would be in his mother's discerning but capable hands. She had to approve of the rewrites, he thought, as he drove back to the saloon. She absolutely had to.