Hello, everyone! Sorry about the slower updates, but I had to complete my end of the school year things and couldn't write much. As always, thanks for the positive feedback!

***Sorry, this isn't necessarily an update! But I was told on June 1st, that the place I am renting is being sold, and we have 30 days to vacate. We weren't expecting this at all; the management company who rents the place didn't know that the owner wanted to sell. So, the time that I was looking forward to enjoying being able to read and write this summer, is being taken up by rental search and stress of having to pack up everything! My apologies, but both of my stories are needing to put on the back burner for this! My thanks for all of your support!***

Chapter 16

A Surprise Help

The next day. Elizabeth, Allie, and Jack were met up with the Coulters and the Canfields as they walked to church. Nathan was going in his uniform to be an official presence for the service so that the masses of people out of town didn't try anything. Archie and Ruth stayed inside the row house.

The people of Hope Valley were in the small church service. Joseph's sermon was about being kind and thankful to strangers, because everyone had a story to tell. They prayed for the general population to have healing and for any struggles to be dealt with swiftly. But everyone knew that the prayers were directed at Nathan.

After the service Nathan stood back to watch the citizens file out and away back towards their homes. Allie was walking back home with her friends in the row house. Cat Montgomery waved at him in goodbye. Elizabeth and Jack were in the car with Rosemary and Lee.

They all knew that he had a large job to do in being a presence and having people invade his personal space by asking personal questions.

"Constable, do you have a moment?" Lucas asked in a low voice once they were mostly alone.

Nathan raised an eyebrow in question back.

Lucas gestured to him to follow him away from the town.

Nathan followed.

Lucas led them to the roads outside of the town and in the trees where his car was parked.

Nathan looked at him in confusion.

"After last night, it seems like you should be able to have a quick get away," Lucas explained.

"I can't drive, Lucas," Nathan pointed out.

"I'm aware. I would like to teach you," Lucas admitted.

Nathan looked at him in surprise.

"Are you in?" Lucas asked as he gestured over his shoulder.

Nathan just nodded.

So, Lucas spent an afternoon teaching Nathan the ins-and-outs of driving. After an initial struggle, Nathan ended up being a fast student.

They eventually parted ways and then Nathan was back in the middle of main street, standing outside the Mountie Office as the reporters' flashes from their bulbs in their cameras flashed as they took pictures. A thousand questions were yelled at Nathan consistently. Nathan said nothing. He didn't do anything reactionary, letting his training take over. But it was wearing on his nerves and his patience. It would be another rough night.

As the story got further east and into larger cities, the more people began to crawl into the town. Gabe had received a few notes for Boyce about what the situation in Hope Valley was like. They decided to tell them the truth. With the increase of people, Nathan rarely left main street even to sleep. He slept in the small office. But he would make sure to escort Allie and Elizabeth home from school each day. It was during these walks that they were able to catch up. And both surprised him when they told him that Archie had continued with the Irish lessons while he couldn't.

The Mercantile, the Queen of Hearts, and Abigail's Cafe all kept him well fed, and just gave him a glare when he tried to pay the deliverer for the meals. The journalists and gawkers, were getting impatient. Nathan could feel the unrest in their behaviors. It was late at night when he was returning from one last walk around that Nathan was given a huge surprise.

"Good evening, Constable Grant," a very wealthy man said from behind his desk. He was looking at his pictures of Allie.

"Sir? Can I help you?" Nathan said tiredly, but knew that if he needed help he needed to be present.

"Actually, I'm here to help you. My name is William Thatcher," the man introduced.

Nathan looked at him in surprise.

"Elizabeth has been a bit remiss in speaking of what has happened here, at least to her mother and me, but if we need to know something we go to Julie. Julie is shockingly honest. She is the one who handed over the articles and what Elizabeth told her about the events this past year," William started to explain. "What I came to realize in that entire thing is that she would be in danger because of her association with you."

Nathan nodded.

"Sir, I…" Nathan started to explain.

"I know that Elizabeth will have chosen to be with you despite everything. I know that this is her choice, and we are respecting that, but that doesn't mean we can't help," William Thatcher said.

Nathan looked at him.

"The only reason a constable was sent here was because I asked for it," William explained. "I can easily put pressure on them again."

Nathan shook his head.

"We're in the middle of something big. If it gets back to the people involved, it could blow our cover and risk the lives and reputations of good people," Nathan explained.

William raised an eyebrow.

"What do you need, then? What is your plan when they attack the people you love?" William asked.

Nathan looked at him in surprise.

"I may not be a Mountie, but I am a businessman, I know how humans work. They're getting restless. Your family will be in danger. The people close to your family will be in danger. You're not the type of man to not have a plan," William said.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. Then he began to think about what he had been afraid of, and he knew that the people involved would all be in danger. Nathan had several contingency plans, that was the type of person he was, but some of them were out of the question due to lack of resources or the people involved.

"Actually, sir, my request will seem a little weird," Nathan admitted as he began to explain his points.

William Thatcher smiled as he realized that this man was all about family and community, and to people who weren't.

They began to haggle and organize their points.

The next day, each family in Hope Valley found a packing trunk on their doorstep with instructions to pack away anything that had sentimental value to their families. Things that were irreplaceable, a father's dead watch, a husband's mining shirt, pictures, items that meant something to each of them. When they were done, they needed to have someone take it to the Hope Valley Train Depot.

Many of the people were hesitant to do so, until they saw Nathan enter his own row house and began to have his family collect their sentimental items and that started with his things in the Mountie Office.

Nathan went to Elizabeth's as the rest of the family was packing things that mattered.

Elizabeth looked surprised to see him.

She looked down at the trunk.

"Your idea?" she said.

Nathan nodded.

"But I have help implementing it. The trunks are going to a house your parents bought in Calgary," Nathan whispered.

"My parents?" Elizabeth asked in surprise.

Nathan nodded. He explained about his late night visitor, and their conversation about the issue. Elizabeth beamed at him.

"My mother and Julie are in Calgary?" Elizabeth said in shock.

Nathan nodded.

"And it seems like William had to convince them both that it was too dangerous to come here," Nathan added.

Elizabeth looked surprised.

"I love you," Elizabeth said with passion when she was finally able to process what he was doing for the people of Hope Valley.

"I love you, too," Nathan said just before Elizabeth pulled him down to kiss him passionately.

"I can't stay long, but will you make sure everyone knows?" Nathan said as they pulled away.

Elizabeth nodded.

"I will just let Rosemary and Florence know," Elizabeth said with a smirk.

Nathan gave a smile as he left.

Elizabeth was soon able to let the families know, and soon there were trunks lining the porches. Henry, Lee, and Lucas were all using their cars to pick them up and move them to the train depot, all without anyone in the town seeing the unusual activity. Nathan had stood watch outside the Mountie Office to be a distraction, which worked.

William had taken time to dress down and walk around to see if anyone noticed him. No one did. This gave him the opportunity to walk to Elizabeth's house. When he knocked on her door, Elizabeth had just gotten rid of her trunk and was surprised to see someone else at her door.

"Father," she said with happiness as she let him in.

"I take it that Nathan told you," William said as he entered.

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. The place was lacking a lot of the photographs of Constable Thornton, and the things he had given to her.

"I'm glad you're here," Elizabeth said.

"Me too," William said in response. "How have you been?"

"Alright. It's been an adjustment," Elizabeth admitted.

Just then, Jack cried out.

"There's someone I want you to meet," Elizabeth said softly.

She went upstairs to grab Jack and came down smiling and hugging her son.

William smiled at that image.

"Jack, this is your Grandfather, Grandfather William," Elizabeth said as she pointed to the strange man. Jack smiled and waved. William noticed that Jack had his father's smile.

"Hello, Jack, it's nice to meet you finally," William said with a smile.

Jack leaned over. William took him into his arms.

"Grandpa!" Jack said happily.

"Do you want him to call you Grandfather?" Elizabeth asked.

William shook his head.

"He can call me whatever he feels comfortable with," William said as they took a stroll around the living room. Jack's toys had stayed. Many of them looked hand made with wood.

"Nathan made those for Jack's birthday," Elizabeth explained.

"Why didn't you put them in your trunk?" William asked knowing they would be exactly the type of thing that would be missed if something happened.

"They're Jack's favorite toy. He would have had a tantrum without them," Elizabeth said.

William smiled in understanding.

He was about to say something, when they were interrupted by another knock on the door.

"R'Chee! Awwie!" Jack said excitedly as he pointed at the door.

William looked at her in confusion.

"Nathan's father and daughter," Elizabeth explained.

"Daughter? I thought he had a niece?" William asked.

"He formally adopted her this past summer," Elizabeth explained.

William nodded in understanding.

Elizabeth walked to her door and opened it.

"Dia duit, conas atá tú?" Archie greeted from the doorstep.

"Uh...ta..ag erie go maith liom," Elizabeth fumbled through her response.

"Close, it's éirí," Archie said, correcting her pronunciation.

Elizabeth repeated it and then Archie nodded. Jack also repeated the greeting in Irish.

William looked at them in surprise.

"Father, I would like to introduce you to Archibald Grant and Allison Grant, Archie, Allie, this is my father William Thatcher," Elizabeth introduced.

Archie and Allie both smiled politely.

"It is very nice to meet you," William said with a smile and a handshake to Archie.

"Likewise," Archie said.

"Forgive me, but I was under the impression that Constable Grant didn't have family here," William asked as he looked at Archie.

"Ruth and I don't live here permanently. Although, it is beginning to feel that way. No, we are for Allie," Archie explained as he looked at Allie.

"I can totally understand that desire," William said. "Where do you come from?"

"Calgary," Archie said in response, not wanting to get into their entire past.

William gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Well, Allie, how do you like Hope Valley?" William asked kindly.

"I love it! It's the best place in the world," Allie said enthusiastically.

William laughed at her exuberance.

"We didn't know ya had company, Elizabeth. We wouldn't have interrupted if we knew," Archie said.

"I didn't know he was coming," Elizabeth gave a slight glare to her father.

"The less people who know, the safer it is for everyone involved," William defended his actions.

"You sound like Nathan," Elizabeth said.

"I will take that as a compliment. He's incredibly smart," William said.

Everyone in the room dropped their jaws.

"Would it be possible to meet Mrs. Grant?" William asked.

"She stays in the row house due to her ill mobility," Archie said as an explanation.

William nodded in understanding.

"I would be willing to go to her," William added.

Everyone looked at each other in surprise. But Archie nodded in agreement.

"Would ya like to see Ruth, Jack?" Archie asked.

Jack started clapping.

"Gran'ma Roof," Jack said excitedly. William looked at him in surprise and laughter.

"She's the only one he does that for," Elizabeth explained.

"Well, I definitely need to meet her now," William said.

They all walked quickly down to the other end of the row houses and went inside. Ruth Grant was sitting in a chair attempting to knit, but her hands were shaking and she kept losing the stitches. She looked up in surprise when they all entered.

"Ruth, Grandpa William," Jack said as the introduction.

"Hello, I'm Elizabeth's father, William Thatcher," William said as he stepped closer. Ruth gave him a calculating look.

"You're one of those Thatchers," she said without taking her gaze off of him.

"I am, yes," William admitted.

Ruth just continued to gaze at him. It felt as if she were reading his soul.

"What brings you to Hope Valley at this particular moment?" Ruth asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"To help Nathan," he answered.

Ruth processed that statement.

"I can't deny that what you've done is very generous, but I don't trust big men of business," Ruth said.

William nodded.

Ruth was definitely very shrewd and observant, and protective, much like Nathan.

"I don't blame you," William said. "But I want you to know that I'm here to help. Grace and Julie are also in Calgary. They wanted me to offer to take Jack in until this whole thing is over. I'm extending that invitation to all of you as well."

The Grants looked surprised and Elizabeth looked surprised as well.

"Thanks, but we decided to stay here for the time being," Archie said as he looked at Allie. William understood that it had been Allie who had decided this.

William nodded in understanding.

William walked Elizabeth and Jack back to their rowhouse, the Irish lessons skipped for the day.

"I like your constable, Elizabeth. He's a good man," William said once they were in privacy again.

Elizabeth looked truly surprised.

"You've been able to read him that quickly?" Elizabeth said in surprise.

"I didn't need a minute. His request for the trunks told me everything I needed to know about him."

Elizabeth smiled.

"I'm so glad you like him," Elizabeth said.

William smiled back.

"I'm sure Grace will too," William reassured her. But he had a lot of luggage on a train to organize and would be gone again soon. "Keep us updated."

"I will," she hugged him.

Nathan was approaching William Thatcher again later that night as the last of the trunks were loaded onto a train to Calgary.

"I bought the car I drove here in. It is a little less grand than the ones I normally drive, but it is less noticeable in Hope Valley. I'm giving it to you," William said as they shook hands.

Nathan gave William a handshake.

"Thank you for all of this," Nathan said.

"Happy to do it. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask," William said as he boarded his train.

They waved goodbye.