It had been a busy weekend and Sarah was looking forward to the peace and quiet of a Monday at the store. Mondays were typically slow and it was a good time to catch up on the ledgers and work on store displays. Today was going to be Sarah's first dress fitting and she was anxious to see how her wedding dress was coming together. Anna and Betsy had been keeping it under wraps not wanting Sarah to see it until it was more than pieces of fabric pinned together like a puzzle.
Sarah and Nathan had taken Allie and Archie to the house Sunday afternoon to check on the progress. Nathan had gotten a lot accomplished in his few days off and though the main house still needed a few finishing touches Nathan was pleased with how it was coming along. Archie and his crew were now were working on the barn and Nathan's workshop. Allie and Sarah walked around the property deciding where they would put their vegetable garden and told Nathan they wanted to have a place for chickens so they could have fresh eggs every day. Nathan's to-do list kept expanding until he finally told them some of it would have to wait until after the wedding. The three of them mapped out how the wedding ceremony and reception would be set up and after some discussion they thought they had a good plan in place. Nathan and Allie did some fishing and Sarah walked from room to room in the house making a list of furniture and other items they would need. Over dinner Nathan told Allie and Archie that Caroline had agreed to come for the wedding. Allie was excited beyond words to see her grandmother while Archie sat silently. He knew it would be difficult for Caroline to see him so he told Nathan he should move into a room over the saloon while his mother was in Hope Valley. Nathan told him that there had to be a better solution and that's when Sarah suggested that Caroline stay with her at her apartment. She could continue to stay there when Nathan and Sarah were gone on their honeymoon and Allie could stay with her so she had more time with her grandmother. Nathan thought she should think it through a bit more but Sarah said she'd made up her mind and it made the most sense. "It will give me time to get to know her better and for her to get to know me.
Arriving at the store Sarah found a note slipped under the door with a barely legible message from Jesse Flynn letting her know that Clara had their baby the night before. Clara gave birth to a little boy late Sunday night and mother and baby were fine. Sarah flipped the note over to see if there was any more information but there was nothing and judging by the handwriting Sarah suspected Jesse was too excited to remember all the details. Before opening the shop Sarah headed to Rosemary's new Valley Voice office hoping to get more information.
Rosemary filled Sarah in on the details. Clara hadn't been feeling well at church and when they got home the pains started coming. Faith was able to be with her all day until she delivered as was Rosemary. "The baby finally came late in the evening. Jesse was a nervous wreck so Lee stayed with him but I'm not sure if he was much help." Rosemary laughed wondering how Lee was going to handle their baby's birth. "He is a beautiful baby and has a head full of dark hair. They're still trying to figure out what to name him." Sarah remembered Clara saying they couldn't agree on a first name though the middle name was Franklin after Pastor Frank who had been in Hope Valley years ago and was a big influence on Jesse.
"I'm so happy it all went well but poor Jesse. I'm sure he was beside himself. I'll stop over in a couple of days and take them some dinner. Rosemary, I have a favor to ask you. I 'm supposed to have my first fitting today for my wedding dress and I was hoping Clara would be there but obviously she can't be. Since you were such a big part of the design, would you mind coming by later today and helping Anna and Betsy? I trust that they can do the alterations, I just know that you'll notice if anything isn't how we designed it."
Rosemary said she would love to help with the dress fitting and would come by later in the afternoon. She also invited Sarah and Nathan to dinner on Saturday night. She knew that in a few weeks she would be occupied with the baby and wanted a chance to see friends before that happened. Sarah told her she was having lunch with Nathan and would check with him and let her know later.
At the Mountie office Steven had begun catching Nathan up on what he'd missed during his almost two week absence from the office. Steven told him Lucas had stopped by late last week and wanted to talk to him. When he told Lucas that Nathan was taking some time off he asked Steven to send him to the saloon when he got back. After their last conversation, Nathan couldn't understand why Lucas insisted on talking to him rather than telling Steven what his plans were. The other issue Steven needed to talk to Nathan about was with regard to the factory on the edge of town. There had been some damage to the exterior of the building and signs that someone was trying to break into it. Nathan thought they had security people but Steven said they hadn't seen anything. Nathan questioned the competence of the so-called security people. He asked Steven to leave him all his notes on the case so he could review and see if he noticed anything unusual.
Nathan reluctantly made his way over to the Queen of Hearts to talk to Lucas. He noticed the sign announcing that they were re-opening this coming Friday. Walking in Nathan noticed the tables and chairs were back in place and the place was starting to return to normal. He found Lucas behind the bar. "Lucas, you asked to see me?" Nathan braced himself for the usual contempt Lucas always had for him.
"Thank you Nathan for coming by. I'm sure you saw the sign outside. You asked that I keep you informed. I wanted to forewarn you that I won't have any additional security for the time being until I can afford it." Lucas's voice still had the air of formality Nathan was familiar with but for the first time in a very long time Lucas's words didn't come with a condescending tone to them.
"Well, okay, thanks for letting me know. I guess Steven and I will plan to keep an eye on things for now but I can't guarantee we'll always be available to patrol the saloon on busy nights." Nathan turned to leave but stopped in his tracks and turned back to Lucas. "I'm sure the decision to stay wasn't easy."
Lucas took a deep breath. "No, it wasn't. I was very close to leaving and actually had an offer to sell but I realized I had more good memories of Hope Valley than I had bad ones which was a surprise given all that transpired with Elizabeth. Ultimately I realized Hope Valley is the only place in my life that has actually felt like home." Lucas's honesty wasn't lost on Nathan. It was the most sincere Lucas had ever been with Nathan.
Nathan nodded his understanding. "It's a good place to call home I hope it works out for you."
With his stomach rumbling Nathan realized it was past his usual lunch time. He made his way to the dress shop hoping Sarah hadn't eaten yet and she could join him. He found her back in a corner trying to move a display case. He dropped his hat on the table and went to help her. "Didn't I tell you once before that you shouldn't be doing this by yourself? Where are Anna and Betsy?"
"They are at lunch and I've told you before that I'm perfectly capable of moving a little furniture around but thank you for your concern. To what do I owe this nice surprise?" Sarah intended to give him a quick kiss of thanks for his help but Nathan couldn't resist drawing it out. Sarah found herself incapable of resisting Nathan's kisses and lost herself in the feel of his lips on hers. She ran her hands over his red serge appreciating the feel of the uniform. When the kiss ended they stood holding each other's hands, fingers intertwined, until they heard the bell on the front door and Anna and Betsy came into the store. "Perfect timing ladies, my handsome fiancé has asked me to lunch." Anna and Betsy couldn't help but smile when they saw Sarah with Nathan together. They loved working for Sarah and thought of her as a friend more than a boss. She was the first to sing their praises to customers and frequently told them how much she respected their talent. The end result was that Anna and Betsy were as invested in the store and its success as Sarah was.
At lunch Nathan asked Sarah if she had thought anymore about having his mother stay with her. "I have thought about it and my mind is made up. I think it will be a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know each other. Maybe she'll want to spend some time at the store with me." Nathan thought his mother would enjoy that very much. He told Sarah that his mother was a talented seamstress who had made most of their clothes growing up and had taught him enough to sew on buttons and darn his own socks. Sarah smiled at this. "Well aren't you a surprise? I'm trying to picture you darning a sock." Nathan told her it wasn't a favored chore but it was a necessity.
Later in the afternoon Rosemary arrived at the dress shop looking a bit tired so Sarah had her sit down as soon as she arrived. Rosemary admitted that she was having a harder time getting around as she was in the last few weeks before the baby was to arrive. Sarah made her a cup of tea and told her to stay put and they would come to her. Sarah went to the dressing room and with Betsy's help slipped on the dress. She stepped out into the front room where Rosemary and Anna were waiting. Both of them gasped when they saw her. Rosemary was the first to speak. "Oh, Sarah, It's absolutely perfect. I can't imagine anything more beautiful." Sarah turned toward the mirror and had the same reaction the others had. For the first time she felt like a bride. Everything about the dress was perfect even if it was still unfinished. Anna and Betsy got to work pinning areas where Rosemary told them needed more fitting. Once they were finished they helped Sarah out of it carefully. Rosemary asked her if she had a veil and Sarah told her she hadn't decided yet if she was going to wear one and would decide closer to the wedding day.
Sarah told Rosemary that she wanted Nathan's mother to stay with her. Rosemary applauded her courage. "Honestly, I'm a bit nervous about it but I want her to feel comfortable here and she wouldn't be at Nathan's house and we definitely don't want her in a room above the saloon. Rosemary agreed that a room above the saloon wouldn't be a good idea and told Sarah it would be a good opportunity for her and Nathan's mother to get to know each other.
Sarah told Rosemary that she had no family that she knew of and her greatest sorrow was that her parents wouldn't be there to see her marry Nathan. "I know my dad would have loved him and respected him. My memories of my mother have faded since she has been gone so long but I feel her with me and know she would only want my happiness."
Rosemary took Sarah's hand and told her she was sure Sarah's parents would be thrilled for her and Nathan. "You are marrying a truly honorable and selfless man and I've never seen anyone so in love with someone as Nathan is with you."
Sarah thanked Rosemary for her support thankful for her dear friend.