The next few weeks went by fast. The restraining order seemed to work as far as Ray hanging around. He had called and protested the moment he was served the order. That was just once though. In the meantime, Elizabeth was able to focus on wedding planning.

Elizabeth, Harper, Jack and Dylan were sitting around the table after dinner. "So, kids, your mom and I have a question for each of you," Jack told them.

"Okay," they said in unison.

"Harper, I was wondering if you would be my bridesmaid," Elizabeth said, smiling.

"Really?! Yes!" she agreed, jumping up to hug her.

"That's great, honey. Tomorrow you and I, Aunt Vi, Charlotte and Grandma Grace will all be going to find dresses."

"Cool!"

"And Dylan, would you be one of my groomsmen?" Jack asked his soon-to-be son.

"Yeah! Of course I will, Dad."

"Thanks, bud. I'm so glad. Tomorrow, you and I, William and Grandpa Tom will be going to get fitted for new suits."

"Aww..do I have to wear a suit?"

"YES!" all three of them said.

"Okay, okay, geez."

Later, Jack and Elizabeth lounged on the couch while an old black and white movie played across the room. They weren't paying much attention.

"So, babe, if you could go anywhere in the world for…"

"Greece!" she interrupted with a laugh.

"I thought you might say that. We leave Valentine's night, after the wedding. Two weeks in Greece."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Completely."

She laughed and cupped his face in her palms, kissing him until they needed to breathe. "I love you, Jack Thornton."

"I love you too, Blue Eyes."

They separated slightly at the sound of Dylan's thundering footsteps coming up from the drum room.

"At least we always know when he's coming," Jack teased.

"For his sake, that is good. At least until he gets more used to us showing affection."

Dylan went straight to the fridge, pulling out a soda and a piece of cold pizza.

"I really like how easily at home he is here," Jack said wrapping his arm around Elizabeth.

"Just wait till you see what it does to your grocery budget. He ate three helpings of pasta tonight and now he's eating pizza."

"We'll manage. I remember what Tom and I were like."

By the time Dylan walked into the living room, the pizza was gone and the soda was half finished. Elizabeth laughed as he wiped the sauce from his cheek.

"Mom, Dad, can I go over to Zach's tonight? His mom says it's cool."

"I don't know, sweetie," Elizabeth said. "It's almost 8. How long do you plan on being there?"

"Till tomorrow. She said we could have a sleepover."

"You mean slumber party?" Harper teased as she came down the stairs in her sweats and hoodie, a Jane Austin book in hand.

"We're men. We don't do "slumber parties."

"You are so not a man, but whatever." She laughed at his look of irritation.

"Mom, Dad, please?"

"Sure, but you make sure to be on your best behavior there."

"Of course."

"I'll drive you over," Jack offered as he rose from the couch.

"I can just bike. It's not that far if I use the bike path."

"It's cold and snowy tonight. I'll feel much better if I drive you. You can even pick the music."

"Okay. I'll go grab my stuff."

Ten minutes later Dylan and Jack were out the door, leaving the girls to themselves on the couch. Harper was so excited to talk to Elizabeth about the book she'd just finished reading. It was Elizabeth's favorite as a teen, so she'd loaned her copy to Harper.

"I think this might be my new favorite book! Elizabeth and Darcy are hilarious. He's so grumpy and she's so stubborn."

"You know there's a few good movie adaptations of it. One has Kiera Knightly."

"Can we watch it?"

Elizabeth couldn't resist. This relationship with Harper was becoming stronger every day. Knowing that Jack wouldn't mind, she turned off the movie they had been watching. Sitting under a big quilted blanket with a bowl of popcorn between them, they started the movie.

"I'm glad you're here," Harper whispered.

Elizabeth kissed Harper's head. "Me too, sweetie."

In the truck, they were a mile away from the Coulter's home when Dylan realized he forgot something.

"Dad, can we run back home? I forgot the new Zelda. I said I'd bring it."

"If you want, I could bring it by tomorrow though. Or were you guys planning to stay up far too late to try to beat it?"

"Maybe…." Dylan grinned. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, I get it. Let's turn back."

Jack turned around at the next driveway. Dylan turned up the volume on the classic rock album they were listening to. This whole having a son thing was great for Jack. He wouldn't trade Harper for anything, but Dylan was a wonderful addition to his life.

"Dad, look out!" Dylan yelled.

Jack looked up to see a dark SUV swerving around the curve ahead of them at high speeds. There was almost no time to react. The next thing Jack heard was the sound of breaking glass and crushing metal.

….

Elizabeth glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. She'd thought Jack would have been back by now.

"You wondering where Dad is?" Harper asked.

"A little. I'm sure he and Lee just got to talking. Though, if Lee's at work, Rosie could be talking his ear off."

"That wouldn't surprise me," Harper laughed.

Elizabeth's phone rang. She paused the movie and answered. "Hey, Rosie, we were just talking about you."

"Good things I hope," she laughed. "I was just checking in to make sure Dylan was still coming over tonight."

Elizabeth felt her chest tighten. "He's not there right now?"

"No… Maybe they stopped at the market on the way. Growing boys and all." Even though Rosie's words were meant to be encouraging, Elizabeth could hear the worry in her tone. "I'll call Lee."

"Thanks, Rosie." She hung up.

"Elizabeth?"

"It's fine. Don't worry."

….

Only two miles from the house, Jack's truck laid on its side down a small embankment. The horn blasted, though no one was pushing it. The cold air blew through the broken glass, hitting Jack's skin like a knife.

"Dylan?" he called out with a groan. "Son, you okay?"

"Ow…" Dylan let out weakly. "Dad?"

"I got you, hang on." Jack unbuckled his seatbelt, bracing himself so he wouldn't fall with the angle the truck was at. "You okay?"

"My leg… it feels funny."

"But you can feel it?"

"Yeah. Kind of wish I couldn't though."

"No, trust me. Right now, that pain you're feeling is a good thing."

"There's this thing sticking in it. I think I can pull it out."

"No! Leave it be, Dylan." Jack moved to get a closer look. "Okay, that piece of glass is keeping you from bleeding too much. Whatever you do, do not pull it out."

"But it really hurts!" He winced.

"I know, son. I'm sorry. Hang tight, okay? I'm gonna check out what's happened and call 911."

"Can't you get me out?"

Jack examined the car. With Dylan's leg the way it was and the bruising already showing up on his neck, Jack worried about a spinal injury. At least Dylan could feel legs. That was a good sign. "Son, I need you to trust me. Moving you too soon could cause more damage. Just stay put."

"Okay."

Jack carefully maneuvered himself through the hole left from the broken windshield. The movement was too much for his shaken body to handle. As he stepped out onto the snowy ground, the world went dark and he fell with a thud.

"Dad? Dad!"

….

Two hours later, Elizabeth and Harper sat in a cold hospital waiting area waiting for an update. At this point, all they knew was that Jack and Dylan had been in an accident. Jack was suffering from a bad concussion and being monitored for a brain bleed, and Dylan was in surgery as the doctors tried to help his leg.

Both Jack and Elizabeth's parents were there, as well as Rosie and Zach. Lee and others from Jack's fire station had been the first to the scene. Right away Lee called Rosie and told her to get Elizabeth and Harper and meet them at the hospital. Despite her painful worry, Elizabeth felt blessed by friends and family.

Elizabeth stared at the TV screen mounted to the wall. It was on one of the late night comedy shows, but she comprehended nothing. Even her phone that was buzzing on the table beside her went unnoticed.

"Beth?" William walked over and knelt in front of her. "Your phone's ringing. Do you want me to answer it?"

She picked it up to look at the ID. "It's Ashley, I should answer. Hello?"

"Elizabeth, are you alright? I just got your message!"

This was the first time these two women had ever spoken. Once she'd arrived at the hospital and felt like she had some idea as to what was going on, Elizabeth called Harper's mom. She knew she'd want to know. When Ashley didn't answer, Elizabeth left a brief voice message.

"I'm… we're okay. No updates since my message earlier."

"Do we know what happened?"

"Police said it was a drunk driver."

"Oh my gosh! This is horrid! I don't know what to do. Should I fly up? Help you and Harper? Though that's probably weird for you. Forget that."

"Let me give the phone to Harper. And look, if she wants you here for support I won't stop you. We're all family."

"Thanks Elizabeth. Really though, I'm here for you. Whatever you need."

"Thanks."

Harper took the phone and immediately burst into tears. "Mommy! I'm so scared."

"Oh, sweetheart. Your dad is strong. He's going to be just fine."

"How do you know?" she sobbed.

"Because you need him and so does Elizabeth and Dylan. He won't let anything take him away from you."

"Yeah," she agreed. Elizabeth handed her a tissue and she wiped her eyes and leaned her head against Elizabeth's shoulder. "Thanks, Mommy."

"You're welcome. Now, do you want me to come up there?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, sweetie. I'll be there tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye, Harp."

Harper handed the phone to Elizabeth. "She'll be up tomorrow. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Positive. She's your mom, sweetie."

"But, you are too. I mean, you'll be like my step-mom. I don't want you to think I don't need…"

"Sweet Harper, I love you. It's okay to want your mom right now too. I know you have enough love in that big heart of yours for both of us."

"Thanks." Harper let out a sigh. "I don't know if I can sit anymore. Can I walk around? I'm just too nervous about Dad and Dylan."

"I don't know that I like the idea of you walking around on your own."

"I'll go with her." Zach stood. "Maybe the cafeteria is open. Would you like anything, Ms. Thatcher?"

"You're very sweet, Zach. I'm okay."

Rosie handed her wallet to her son. "Zachary, she likes black tea with a hint of honey and a splash of milk." She turned to Elizabeth. "You make the same thing every time you're in the teacher's lounge. Also Zachary, a cookie if they have it. She needs her strength."

"You got it. Anyone else?" He turned to the others. Some were hungry but had no idea what they wanted. Zach decided he'd just pick up a few snacks to bring back and they left.

"He's a good young man, Rosie," Elizabeth said.

"Thank you, but I can't take much credit. He's so much like Lee." Elizabeth nodded. "I should tell you though, your Dylan has been a wonderful influence on him."

"Really?" Elizabeth said, a little surprised. "I mean, I know he's a good kid."

"He sure is. Zachary was going through a rebellious stage a little while ago. Oh, so much sass, I couldn't stand it. I thought, if this is what the teenage years are going to be like, count me out!"

Elizabeth laughed. "This age can be tough."

"It truly can! Though once Zachary started having Dylan over, and saw the manners that just poured out of that boy, we saw a change. It was wonderful. That boy is a Godsend."

"Thanks, Rosie. He's always been the bright spot in my days." Elizabeth began to cry. "I can't lose him. Especially now. We're so close to having the kind of life I've always wanted for him. Jack is just… oh, Rosie, I can't lose either of them. I just can't!"

Before another tear could be shed, Grace was there, wrapping her daughter up in her protective arms.

"Shh, it's okay. We need to have hope. Stay strong. It's going to be okay."

Down on the first floor, Zach and Harper made their way through the hospital cafe.

Zach nudged her hand with his, causing her to look at him.

"You okay?"

She shrugged. She didn't want to cry again, especially not in front of the boy she liked.

"Its okay if you're not, you know? When my Grandpa died, I cried buckets. I'm not saying your dad's gonna die...I just mean, when you're scared, you don't always have to be strong."

She gave him a little smile and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Thanks, Zach."

His fingers softly touched hers, wrapping around them, making her heart beat faster. She was holding hands with a boy!

As they walked in the cafeteria, he kept her hand in his. Somehow it helped just enough.

They slowly walked back to the waiting room with all their snacks, talking along the way. It really helped Harper not to focus on bad thoughts.

"Maybe we should see a movie sometime," he suggested as they got back to the group.

"Yeah, maybe." She wasn't sure how her Dad would react but hopefully they could go.

Elizabeth wiped her eyes and nose, catching a brief glimpse of Harper holding Zach's hand before they let go. Harper brought Elizabeth's tea and a large oatmeal cookie. "Here you go, Mom. Hope you like oatmeal."

Elizabeth paused, new tears in her eyes.

"I can get you something else. I thought…"

"No, sweetie. You...called me Mom."

"Oh. If you don't want me to, I can just call you Elizabeth."

Elizabeth put her cup and cookie down and pulled Harper into a hug. "Harper, I love you like a daughter. I'd love for you to call me Mom."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely."

"Ok."

Elizabeth loosened her hold on Harper and picked up her tea. "So, you and Zach?"

"Shhh!" Harper whispered.

…..

Jack's head pounded as he struggled to open his eyes. He heard a loud moan and then realized the sound had come out of his own mouth.

"Easy, Mr. Thornton. Try not to move," a voice said, touching his shoulder.

"Dylan?" he managed to say. "Where's my son?"

"Dylan is in surgery for his leg."

"Is he okay?"

"I'll get more information for you." Jack attempted to raise his head but immediately put it back down because the room was spinning.

"Can I get some pain meds?"

"I'll get the doc to come look at you and then, yes."

"And Elizabeth? I need to see her."

"Who's Elizabeth?"

"My fiancé. And my daughter, Harper. I just need to see them."

"One thing at a time, Mr. Thornton."

He sighed and closed his eyes again. "Why do I hurt so much?"

"You have a concussion and some serious bumps and bruises."

"Feels like my ribs are broken."

"Actually just bruised. We did a full body scan. No fractures."

The doctor came in about an hour later. Somehow Jack had fallen asleep despite his pain levels. The doctor woke him up.

"Mr. Thornton? I'm Dr. Timm. How are you feeling."

"Terrible. Everything hurts."

"We can get you some pain meds in just a moment." The doctor shone a light in his eyes, causing more pain. After more examination, the doc ordered meds.

"I need to know about my son. Dylan Wyatt. Please. He was in surgery."

"Your son doesn't have the same last name?"

"His Mom and I are getting married soon. Please, doc."

"I can't give you any info on him since you aren't his family."

"I need to see Elizabeth," he pleaded. "Elizabeth Thatcher." He fought against the drowsiness that the medicine was causing.

Elizabeth looked up when someone in blue scrubs entered the waiting room.

"Charlotte Thornton?"

"That's me," Charlotte told the nurse.

"I have an update on Jack."

"Elizabeth, Tom, Harper, come here."

"Jack has a concussion and some bruised ribs and other lacerations. We are monitoring him for possible bleeding in the brain. Right now, he's on some pain medication that's making him drowsy."

"Can we see him?" Harper asked.

"How old are you?"

"Twelve."

"Since he is not in ICU at this time, we can allow it. Two at a time. He is also asking for Elizabeth."

"Harper, you can come in with me," she told her. Harper nodded, wiping her eyes. "He is okay. Let's go see him."

Elizabeth's nerves were making her shaky as she and Harper walked hand-in-hand into Jack's room.

Harper squeezed her hand and walked closer to Elizabeth as soon as she saw Jack.

"Its ok, sweetheart."

"He looks…"

Elizabeth hugged her, knowing what she was thinking. "He's not. Look at the screen. Hear the beeping? That's his heartbeat. He's asleep right now but he's alive."

Jack slowly opened his eyes. "Hey," he whispered, reaching for them. "How are my beautiful girls?"

Harper rushed forward and hugged him, causing a bit of discomfort, but he didn't care. "Oh, honey bee. I love you so much."

"Daddy! I'm so scared."

"I'm okay. I promise."

Elizabeth touched his face and smiled, mouthing the words, "I love you."

"I love you," he mouthed back, turning his face slowly to kiss her hand.

Elizabeth was so relieved to see Jack and know he was okay. Now she needed to hear about Dylan.

"How's Dylan?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. I haven't heard anything."

"They won't tell me anything since I'm not family."

"I'll make sure they do."

Dylan was out of surgery an hour later. He had broken his leg in two places as well as had internal bleeding due to the glass puncturing his thigh.

Elizabeth sat next to his bed once he was in recovery, holding his hand. Her little boy was sure growing up. Twelve years old but so much older at heart. Always wanting to protect her and with so much love inside him.

"Thank you, God, for saving my little boy. He's my world but you know that," she prayed. "Thank you for saving Jack as well and for giving me Harper. She's such a sweetheart. Please help me to always be what she needs."

"Mom?"

She lifted her head and smiled. "Dylan. Hi, sweetheart."

"Is Dad ok?"

"Yes. He's just fine. Everything is going to be just fine."