Your weekly post! This wasn't my goal length, but my time to write kept getting interrupted. Thanks for your patience and kind words.

Chapter 35

Nathan's Space: or a Relationship Grows

What Elizabeth and Nathan didn't know was that while Elizabeth was on bed rest, and Nathan was taking his husbandly duties to not leave her side very seriously, the rest of the town had decided that Nathan deserved the space that Elizabeth had been trying to encourage before her fall. So with the help of Charlotte, Allie, Jack, and Bill, Elizabeth's small shed in her backyard was slowly being turned into a woodwork shop.

Lee was donating some wood for him to work with. The Yosts had also special ordered the best woodworking tools that their catalog could buy. Florence had it wrapped up in a gift basket.

When Elizabeth was given the all clear to go back to walking around from Dr. Carson, Charlotte and Bill had the shed ready and organized.

The Grant family were having a celebration about Elizabeth being able to return to walking and moving around, and that also meant that Nathan was able to move around with her. He hadn't left her side much when she had been on bedrest. Faith had insisted that she stay on bedrest for a few more days after learning that both parents had heard the heartbeat.

So, Bill was cooking and baking, for the Grant family, the Coulters, Charlotte, the Yosts, The Montgomery's, and the Weises in the Grant row house. It was very packed as Nathan led Elizabeth down their stairs.

Everyone was smiling widely and cheering as Elizabeth and Nathan reached the bottom. Elizabeth was smiling in thanks. Nathan instantly stiffened as he did a head count. Elizabeth squeezed his hand as she noticed his tension.

"You don't need to be right beside me. This crowd won't let me fall down," Elizabeth whispered softly as she smiled back at Nathan. He met her look, smiled down at her, then he pressed his lips forward to kiss her head as he left her to Rosemary's enthusiastic hug.

Nathan stayed to the edges as Elizabeth was pulled to the center. Rosemary was on one side. Florence and Cat were on the other. All three were leading Elizabeth to her sofa, and just like she predicted, she was soon surrounded by females making sure she didn't strain herself.

Eventually Bill showed up next to Nathan.

"Your recruits are doing a fine job," Bill added.

Nathan looked at him.

"You've trained them well," Bill complemented.

Nathan gave a slight nod of embarrassment.

"I haven't done much," Nathan said.

Bill gave him a look of complete disbelief.

"Your green horn was greener than green. He can now handle his duties with confidence. And Brooks has tamed his 'shoot kill shots first, ask questions later' instinct," Bill pointed out. "You and I both know, personally, how that type of growth isn't easy to obtain, especially in only three months."

Nathan gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Still…" Nathan protested.

Bill shook his head.

"Don't even try and make this seem less than it is," Bill said firmly.

Nathan blushed and crossed his arms. He was saved to respond by Lee walking up to them.

"I think it's safe to say that we are all excited that Elizabeth and the baby are getting better," Lee said as he shook Nathan's hand.

Nathan thanked him.

"Charlotte is an excellent teacher. I'm surprised that she ever stopped. It seems like she gets the same glint in her eyes that Elizabeth does," Lee said in observation.

"Ranch work was easier for her to do and be around to raise Jack and Tom. But I know that she missed being in a classroom," Bill explained softly, as the men had all shifted their gaze to Charlotte who was holding Jack and standing next to Allie (who was chatting about Summer).

Charlotte felt their gaze and glared over at them for staring.

Nathan smiled as Bill and Lee laughed.

Charlotte gave them one last look before turning her attention back to Allie.

Bill eventually went back into the kitchen to finish preparing the meal. Since there were so many people in the house, the dinner was served buffet style and the guests found places to eat around the living room and small table. Elizabeth was served first, but Nathan waited to be the last and stood leaning against the wall from where he had observed everything.

It was only when everyone was sitting down that Nathan noticed the addition to the downstairs. His guitar was placed on a hook on the far wall. Nathan glared at Bill when his eyes met the elder man's eyes. Bill was looking smug.

"Seems like a better place for it," Bill said loudly as he gestured behind him.

Everyone turned to look.

Elizabeth had a small look of surprise before she nodded in agreement.

Nathan's eyes narrowed further.

"I brought my own guitar. We haven't exactly played together, I thought it wouldn't hurt to try," Bill said as he looked at Nathan.

Nathan sighed heavily as he looked around the room at the pleading faces. Allie and Jack both had pouting lips. He nodded in agreement–albeit begrudgingly. Cat, Rosemary, and Florence soon had organized their children to clean up and wash dishes in such a way that is very quickly done and efficient.

Bill had gotten his guitar out and was tuning it in challenge to Nathan as he looked between Nathan and Nathan's guitar. Nathan was walking slowly to the wall where the guitar was hung up. He grabbed his guitar, pulled the strap over his head, and began tuning his own.

"How about we make this a competition?" Bill asked with smugness.

Nathan just nodded.

"Whomever is able to play the most songs correctly wins," Bill suggested.

Nathan nodded in agreement.

"What will I win?" Nathan boasted which shocked everyone present. It made Allie and Bill laugh, though.

"I will win a wood plaque saying I'm Hope Valley's Best Guitarist," Bill said in return.

Nathan shook his head, but smiled at him.

Then each person in attendance was tasked with writing down and thinking of the songs they knew and wanted Bill or Nathan to play. Bill started. Nathan went next. Back and forth. Back and forth. Both men held his own in the competition, but the breaking song was when Bill pulled out the song Suantrai Si and looked at it with confusion.

"This isn't even in English," Bill grumbled.

Allie smirked.

"Sue-an-trai?" Bill stumbled over the unfamiliar word.

"Don't, Bill. Just don't," Nathan glared at him.

Bill raised an eyebrow.

"I suspect you know what this is?" Bill added.

Nathan nodded, "It's Allie's favorite lullaby."

Bill looked over at Allie who was just smiling broadly. He sighed heavily, but allowed Nathan to take the lead with this song.

After Nathan finished with the song, both Nathan and Bill were rubbing sore fingers and hands as neither had played in a long time.

"How did you learn so much?" Florence asked, still surprised by Nathan's range.

"Have you met my dad?" Nathan asked back with an eyebrow raised. "When he was around, he was constantly playing and singing. He loves music."

The people in the row house were all nodding agreement.

As the families were taking their leave of Elizabeth and Nathan, leaving only the Coulters and Bill and Charlotte, Julie arrived with a large basket.

"Julie?" Elizabeth questioned.

"I know I was supposed to be here for dinner, but I felt that it was better if the house didn't test its weight limits by adding one more person. Besides, Lucas was only able to help at the time of your party," Julie explained.

Elizabeth nodded and smiled.

"This is for you," Julie said as she passed the basket to Nathan.

Nathan grabbed it and turned to put it on the kitchen counter.

Everyone who had been in on the surprise, were all shaking their heads at Nathan.

"That's for you, stupid," Bill growled out as he glared at Nathan.

Nathan looked at Elizabeth, but she just shrugged her shoulders. He looked at everyone else in the room. All of them had wide smiles. Nathan almost didn't trust opening it, but he took away the wrapping around the basket. Inside was a chunk of pine. He looked at the others.

"Thank you," Nathan said softly as he put it back inside the basket.

"Daddy, go outside wif me?" Jack asked and tugged at his pants.

Nathan just smiled at him and followed him.

"Bring bwock," Jack insisted.

Nathan's instincts immediately went on high alert, but he grabbed the block before they both went out the back door. His instincts went up to high when Rosemary and Julie made sure to help Elizabeth out the back door, and everyone else followed. Nathan turned to glare at all of them.

"Whatever you're up to…" Nathan warned.

Everyone just smiled more brightly.

"Hey, Dad, come see my fishing lures," Allie said as she stepped up to the shed. Nathan narrowed his eyes at her, but followed tentatively. Allie opened the shed, but instead of their normal shed items, there were new shelves with new tools. Nathan's jaw dropped. He walked inside to look around. Everything he needed to set up a small wood workshop was ready to be put up to his standards and his height. On the desk that someone had inserted, Allie and Jack had etched in "FOR BEST DAD! LOVE ALLIE AND JACK."

Nathan gently rubbed his hand over the etching and smiled. Allie had been the hand to work it, but he could tell they had both been present when they had made it.

"Thank you," Nathan said breathlessly as he hugged Allie and Jack.

Everyone was beaming at him. Elizabeth was crying tears of happiness. She had wanted to create Nathan's space when she had fallen, and yet their every growing Hope Valley family had done what she couldn't in the short amount of time that she had been bed ridden. She really shouldn't have tried to start by herself. Everyone else would have volunteered their help even if she hadn't been pregnant.

"Your husband is a good man, Sister," Julie whispered as she stood next to Elizabeth and watched the others greet Nathan with pride and happiness.

"The best," Elizabeth nodded.

"What you and Jack had was special and inspiring. But you and Nathan are also unique and people just love watching your family together in town," Julie commented.

Elizabeth smiled at her sister.

"I really don't know if the men I've courted would be okay with my mother-in-law to my late husband living with us. How is Nathan doing with all of that?" Julie asked in a low whisper.

"He's just proven again how truly special he is. He's never been threatened by Jack's memory or the relationship we've had. He respects Charlotte too much to be bothered by her presence. And to be perfectly honest, Charlotte respects him as well," Elizabeth whispered back. "I think Nathan and Charlotte have more in common than Charlotte and I have."

Julie giggled and nodded in agreement with that deduction.

As the people who weren't living in the house had finally dwindled away, Charlotte had volunteered to read to Allie and Jack, but Jack started crying for Nathan and clutched his neck tightly.

"I'll take them," Nathan said as he stood up. Jack immediately stopped crying and looked at Nathan with happy eyes. Allie smiled as well.

"What do you want to read?" Nathan asked.

Allie and Jack looked at each other.

"The fae queen story," Allie requested.

Nathan raised an eyebrow at them both. He knew the story by heart, but that book hadn't survived the fire.

"I know you know it," Allie protested putting one hand on her hip.

"Aren't you getting a little old for fairy tales?" Nathan asked.

Allie stopped in her path to give him a withering look.

"No one is too old to hear fairy tales. And even if I were, Jack is most certainly not. So now you need to tell us the fae queen story," Allie demanded.

Nathan shook his head as he turned into Jack's room. Allie went into hers and got changed into her nightgown before coming back to Jack's room.

"Are we ready?" Nathan asked as he held Jack in one arm and Allie in the other on Jack's bed.

Both nodded eagerly.

"Once upon a time, there was a fae queen…" Nathan went into telling the story.

Charlotte and Elizabeth were both sitting near the stairs to hear the story better.

Eventually, the story was complete and both children were sleeping in their own beds. Nathan returned downstairs. He met Elizabeth's eyes and looked around for Charlotte.

"Charlotte went out for a walk," Elizabeth said softly.

Nathan nodded in acknowledgement.

Elizabeth was rubbing her stomach gingerly.

Nathan sat beside her and pulled her into his arms to hold her.

They both enjoyed being together.

"What's the first thing you're making after you get your space set up?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan shrugged.

Elizabeth gave him a skeptical look back.

Nathan sighed and ran a nervous hand through his hair before answering, "A cenotaph."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement next to him.

"She deserves one," Elizabeth said in a sleepy voice.

Nathan nodded again.

While Lucas had been worried about Elizabeth and her baby, he felt it wouldn't have been welcomed if he had tried to stop by. He always sent his regards and well wishes through Julie. And if Lucas were honest with himself, Julie Thatcher was ever more attractive to him than Elizabeth had been. Julie lived and thrived on the high life, and while Elizabeth was grateful for his grand gestures, she had always insisted they be friends. Julie had a way of fitting in everywhere she went, something Lucas had always had to fight for on a deeper level, and she made everyone around her feel at ease and calm. As Lucas was helping her build her business plan for the hotel (she had been right, they've needed it for a while and Lucas was worried that it would end up on him to expand The Queen of Hearts), he had grown more impressed and more attracted to her intelligence and pluck. He had quickly learned that Julie often put on an air of being silly and unintelligent, but Julie was actually not silly, she was a serious person, and highly intelligent. Lucas truly believed she would be successful.

They had been rehearsing her proposal to town council to get the permits necessary and then be able to ask for funding.

"Therefore, this hotel will bring much needed accommodations and add to the charm of the town," Julie said from her note cards.

Lucas was listening intently.

He gave her a look.

"What?" she completely deflated.

"You sound like you're reading from a card," Lucas critiqued.

"But I am reading from a card," Julie protested.

Lucas nodded. "But during your presentation, you need to know your product and what you are selling in and out, and you'll need to sound like you believe in the product, or they won't."

Julie nodded and tried again before seeing Lucas' flinch. She sighed heavily.

"That was worse," Lucas said.

"How do I make it better?" Julie argued.

"You use the same enthusiasm you came to me with when we first discussed this. You smile and use your numbers as facts, but you tell them long term benefits of having this hotel," Lucas said.

Julie glared at him.

"I don't want them to think I am smiling at them to flirt," Julie protested.

"I smile when I do business, especially new business, it makes me seem more trustworthy," Lucas said.

Julie rubbed her forehead.

"Use the cards to memorize your numbers, but don't stop being you when you are presenting," Lucas said.

Julie nodded as she put them away safely.

"How's your sister?" Lucas asked, trying to get her mind off of the presentation.

Julie brightened considerably.

"Doing much better. She has said she feels like this one is a girl. They've already decided to name her Colleen," Julie said happily.

Lucas smiled back at her.

"A good name for a strong little girl," Lucas said.

Julie nodded with the enthusiastic gleam of a very proud auntie.

"I can't wait to hold her! Part of the reason I picked Hope Valley was to be around more often. It's hard to babysit from Hamilton," Julie admitted.

Lucas laughed at her admission.

"Somehow, I already knew this about you," Lucas said lightly.

"Do you want children?" Julie asked him.

Lucas froze.

"I'm afraid I haven't had too much experience with children to say if I can handle them," Lucas admitted.

Julie gave him a look.

"And you decided to stay in Hope Valley, land of widowed mothers?" Julie said back.

Lucas looked quickly down at his hands.

"Yeah, I wasn't originally planning on staying," Lucas admitted.

"Yeah, we all got that funnily enough," Julie winked.

"Well, I do believe that if you continue to be around me, you'll be filling in and helping with baby sitting," Julie said.

Lucas started choking on his own air.

"Just as Uncle Lucas for now," Julie said with a wink.

Lucas and Julie left Lucas' office as the dinner rush was about to begin.

"Miss," Lucas escorted her into the dinning room.

She smiled at him. As he sat her in her seat for dinner, he gently raised her hand to give it a small chaste kiss.

"Je pense que je peux supporter d'être oncle Lucas," Lucas said in French.

Julie's breath caught in her own throat. As their eyes met there was a lot of hope for the promise of their future.