"Lily," Rosemary announced. "Lily Maree Coulter."
"That's a beautiful name for a beautiful child," Quinn said, smiling down at the little bundle in Rosemary's arms.
"Would you like to hold her? Now is the perfect time; she has just been fed and changed."
Quinn held out her arms so fast Rosemary laughed. As Quinn took the baby in her arms, she lifted her so she could place a light kiss on her forehead. "What is it about how babies smell that's so wonderful?"
Rosemary didn't respond, knowing Quinn wasn't really asking her. She relaxed back into her seat, content to watch Quinn nurse her daughter. She had barely been able to take her eyes off Lily; even when she knew she should be sleeping, she just sat, watching her. Lee had tried to convince her to rest but ended up staring at his daughter too. Rosemary couldn't believe how blessed they had been to welcome a child into their family.
Nathan followed Lee inside the row house; they had been outside checking the engine of Nathan and Quinn's car. When Lee offered to show him how to do routine servicing, Nathan jumped at the chance. Lee had shared his daughter's name with Nathan as they worked. Now he glanced at Quinn, seeing the look of love and adoration on her face as she gazed at Lily. He didn't want to admit how much he hoped Quinn was carrying their child.
Quinn glanced up as she felt her husband's hand on her shoulder, felt him bend over to look at Lily in her arms.
"Isn't she precious," she whispered, stroking a finger over the baby's soft cheek.
"Would you like to hold her?" Lee asked Nathan, recognising the longing in his eyes. He knew he had that look in his own eyes many times.
"It's been a long time since I held such a small baby; I wasn't even around Allie that much when she was born." Nathan hesitated. He would love to hold Lily, but what if he dropped her?
"It's never too early to start practising," Lee teased. "I'm glad I had so much practice with Jack."
Nathan walked around and sat next to Quinn, breathing in as she passed the little bundle to him. He waited, frozen to see if the movement would wake Lily, only relaxing when he realised she wasn't going to wake.
Nathan copied Quinn, gently running one of his large fingers down her silky cheek. She was a beautiful baby.
Nathan looked at his wife, startled to see tears in her eyes as she looked at him and Lily. He was pleased when she slid closer to him, putting her hand on Lily's little body, the two of them enthralled with the child in his arms.
"I cannot wait for this to be us," Quinn whispered. She discreetly placed a hand on her stomach as she felt his lips on her head. It wouldn't be long until they knew for sure if only she weren't so impatient.
Judge Joshua Lachlan looked around Hope Valley as he pulled up his car. Sam Madison and Bill Avery had been very persuasive when convincing him to travel to Hope Valley, so he was interested to see if the Town lived up to their promises. Joshua had been happy to go to Coal Valley when he realised how close it was to Brookfield. Judge Walker was presiding over his final trial there, and Joshua wanted to thank him for all his advice and mentoring over the years.
"Excuse me," a voice called out, and he turned toward it as he realised they were talking to him.
"Can I help you, Ma'am?" Joshua politely asked the blonde woman who was trying to get his attention. She stepped to the veranda's edge, standing in front of his car before speaking.
"Could you move your vehicle, please, you have parked outside the Medical practice, and I like to keep the space clear in case a patient needs it." Faith wondered at the stranger before her. He was tall, with dark hair, prematurely peppered with silver. He was well dressed and had an aura of authority about him.
"Of course, I wasn't paying attention when I parked the car." Joshua smiled as he spoke; he certainly didn't want to upset the locals and not someone committed to helping the sick or injured. He looked over her head and saw the medical practice sign. "I can't believe I missed the sign," he said, shaking his head.
"It's okay; it's clear you're not from Hope Valley, so you couldn't be expected to know." Faith smiled as she spoke, glad the man was being so understanding. "I could give you directions if you tell me who you are here to see."
Joshua smiled gratefully, "I'm here to see Sam Madison and Bill Avery." Joshua could see his statement caught the woman's interest. He stepped around his car, "I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself. I am Judge Lachlan."
"Doctor Carter pleased to meet you." Faith smiled, pointed down the street toward the Judge's chamber, and said, "you will find Bill and Sam together in the Judge's chambers."
"Thank you, Doctor," Joshua said, looking to the building she indicated. "I appreciate your help, and I promise not to park here again." Joshua smiled widely at the pretty Doctor, hand on his heart.
Faith laughed, "thank you, one day; I will get a sign to say medical parking; there haven't been enough cars to worry about until now."
"I hope to see you around Town, Doctor?" he said, smiling at her.
"I'm sure you will," Faith replied with a wide smile.
Joshua got back into his car, driving it the short distance to the Judge's chamber. As he parked his car for the second time, he glanced back at the Infirmary. Faith was standing where he had left her, and he waved to her before entering the building.
Faith turned and went back inside, slowly thinking about the man she had just met. Judge Lachlan was young to be a Judge, but Sam and Bill had been pleased to find out he was coming to conduct the trial. She had been there when they told Quinn what they knew of him. He was renowned for honesty, integrity and fairness. Sam and Bill had failed to mention his good looks and dark, chocolate brown eyes, Faith thought, blushing.
Joshua was pleased to see Sam and Bill; the Judge's chambers were more than suitable for his needs. The office space at the Coulter Sawmill also turned out to be perfect. The office was close to everything, including the Judge's chamber, so he would waste little time commuting. The accommodation at the Saloon was acceptable too, and he would eat well between the meals there and at Abigail's Cafe.
Over the next several weeks, Joshua took some time to settle it. He knew Isobel's transfer to Hope Valley had taken place, and she was now residing in a cell in the Mountie office. Sam would request that she be released into her care as soon as the trial began. He didn't want to pre-empt the request, but he thought he would grant it. Joshua trusted Sam implicitly.
Bill and Sam had invited him to eat with them several times, but he had declined. He wanted to establish himself as a separate entity, one that was impartial. Joshua accepted his first invitation to lunch when Quinn asked him to lunch; the Town was celebrating the birth of the Coulter's baby with a christening during Church services, followed by a buffet luncheon at the Saloon. Because it was a Town event, and because he was grateful to the Coulters for his office space, he had agreed to attend.
Joshua had met many of the townspeople, including Lee Coulter, Nathan Grant, Lucas Bouchard and his fiancé Elizabeth, and the Yosts. He had met Fiona, the barber, but much to his dismay, had no reason to spend any time with the lovely Dr Carter. He had seen her in passing, of course, in a Town the size of Hope Valley; it would have been impossible not to. On the odd occasion, he drove past the Infirmary, and she was out the front; he had earned himself several chuckles from her as he made a point of not parking.
In a Town the size of Hope Valley, he was sure he could discover more about the beautiful Doctor and her history. That didn't feel like the right thing to do. He should put her from his mind and concentrate on the trial but not thinking about her was proving more difficult than it should.
"Come on, Faith, we are going to be late meeting the others," Quinn exclaimed. For some reason, Faith was dithering around. Faith had cornered Quinn after the Christening and insisted she examine her again. Quinn smirked as she wondered if it had anything to do with Joshua Lachlan, who had approached them and offered to walk back to Town with them.
As soon as the offer had left Joshua's lips, Faith had immediately hurried Quinn to the Infirmary, leaving a surprised Nathan to walk back to Town with Joshua.
"So, this examination was unexpected?" Quinn questioned Faith.
"Well, I think it is time we will be able to tell for sure if you're pregnant and assumed you would want to know." Faith stopped talking and looked at her friend, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Quinn, I snapped at you, and I am not sure why."
"Really?" Quinn asked, one eyebrow cocked, lips twitching as she tried not to smile. "He is very handsome."
"I don't know who you're talking about," Faith retorted quickly, her cheeks reddening with her lie.
"No, of course, you don't. I suppose it wouldn't interest you to know that he is also a very nice man. Intelligent, caring, concerned about getting justice for those who are wrongfully accused...I could go on."
Faith shook her head; she was interested in hearing those things and was upset by it. Her relationship with Carson seemed like it had only just ended, even though it had been over a year since he had left her. Since he left her, it was interesting she thought of it that way. She still wondered why she hadn't gone with him; she could have, she had loved him, but it wasn't enough.
Quinn decided to let her friend off the hook; with a grin, she said, "Okay, fine. You don't want to talk about you; let's talk about me."
Faith smiled at her friend, "yes, let's talk about you. Tell me about the symptoms we discussed before. Has anything changed?"
"I'm not as nauseous as I was, and the headaches are gone. I do get tired still. I have felt this strange sensation, like bubbles inside me." Quinn shrugged her shoulders as she tried to explain the feeling she had. Looking at her friend, she saw her eyes light up at her description and asked, "Does this mean I am having a baby?"
Faith nodded, watching as Quinn's eyes filled with happy tears.
"I need to find Nathan and tell him," she exclaimed, jumping out of the chair. "Are you coming to the party, or will you hide out here, avoiding one very handsome Judge?"
"I am coming; I don't want to miss the celebration for Rosemary and Lee." Faith tried to glower at her friend, but Quinn winked and made her laugh. "Let's get going; I want to make sure I get to hold Lily before she gets too worn out."
Nathan hadn't realised he was looking for Quinn until she walked through the door. He was standing talking to Joshua Lachlan, Bill, and Lee, but the moment he saw her, he lost track of their conversation. He knew Quinn had seen him and was heading toward him, so he stepped away from the three men to greet her.
"Is everything okay?" he asked softly. "I didn't realise you were having a check-up with Faith?"
"Neither did I. Faith used me as an excuse to avoid a certain someone, Quinn said with a teasing smile as she flicked her eyes to Joshua."
Nathan didn't say anything; he just raised his eyebrows.
"Yes, that's going to be interesting," Quinn said with a soft laugh. "The visit wasn't totally wasted, though."
Nathan's mouth went dry, and he couldn't speak. He didn't want to place too much pressure on Quinn, so after his initial excitement, he tried to downplay how much he hoped for a baby. He inhaled, long and slow, before he said, "oh?"
Quinn grinned at him as she shook her head and said softly, "please, Nathan, this is me you're talking to. I know it's been killing you to pretend you're not excited about the possibility of us having a baby, and I love you for trying." Quinn placed her hand on his cheek and said, "it's time to be excited."
Nathan closed his eyes slowly, sending a silent prayer of thanks. "I cannot wait to tell Allie."
"Me either."
Hope Valley embraced Lily Maree Coulter the moment they laid eyes on her. The townspeople were all very keen to take turns holding Lily, and she was content to visit with them. Lily would be as sociable as her mother if her early days were anything to go by. Quinn and Nathan took their turns, although given they spent a lot of time with her anyway, they let others have a longer time with her.
As the afternoon went on, Rosemary and Lee started to feel the effects of sleepless nights with Lily. Quinn and Nathan noticed and started gathering the things Rosemary and Lee needed to take home. Lily had been spoiled with presents, and there was no way it would all fit in one vehicle.
"Allie," Nathan called to her. "You need to say goodbye to your friends; we are helping the Coulters get some of their things home and will head home from there."
"Can I ride with the Coulters?" Allie begged.
"I know what you really mean, Allie. You want to ride with Lily," Lee teased her, having overheard her question.
Allie nodded, not even pretending to deny it.
"Of course, you can, Allie," Rosemary agreed. "We need the two of you bonding so that when she needs babysitting, you are already friends."
The adults laughed as Allie's eyes widened at the thought of being trusted with Lily.
When they got home to their cabin, Nathan suggested both women get ready for bed while he prepared hot chocolate for them all. With the hot chocolate in his hand, and the girls back from changing, Nathan looked at Quinn, who nodded. Nathan was excited to be able to tell Allie finally. Nathan indicated Quinn and Allie should sit and join him on the lounge.
"Allie, you seemed pretty taken with Lily today?"
"She is so cute. I can't believe how tiny she is." Allie commented. She and Opal had spent a lot of time with Lily; neither girl had siblings, so they were excited about the baby.
"She sure is, although I am not sure Mr and Mrs Coulter are enjoying the sleepless nights." Nathan was stalling; now the time was here; he wasn't sure how to tell Allie. He didn't want to just blurt it out.
"She will have to sleep through the night eventually, right?" Allie checked.
"Yes, she will," Quinn answered. "How do you think you will cope with sleepless nights, Allie."
"Won't she be sleeping more when Mrs Coulter asks me to mind her?" Allie asked, confusion on her face.
"I don't think we are doing a very good job explaining what we are trying to tell you," Quinn laughed. Quinn put her hot chocolate down and reached out to take Allie's hand. "What if the sleepless nights were happening here; when our baby is born?" Quinn let the hand not holding Allie's drop softly onto her stomach.
Nathan watched his daughter, waiting as what Quinn was saying sunk in, and she realised she would be a big sister. Her face lit up with a beautiful smile before she threw her arms around Quinn.
Allie looked at her father, reaching out to take his hand, tears welling in her eyes and spilling over her cheeks.
"How do you feel about this, sweetheart? It's a big change for all of us." Nathan squeezed her hand, and Allie moved from Quinn's arms to his.
"This is the best news I have ever had. I mean, after my adoption, you two getting married, the house, and Sunburst, of course. They were pretty special things too, but a baby..." Allie ran out of words and squealed instead.
"That's exactly how I feel, Allie." Quinn laughed at the young girl's antics before continuing. "There is one thing that you should know, though," Quinn said, her voice serious.
"What is it?" Allie asked, concerned.
"When it comes to babysitting, you must mind your brother or sister before you agree to mind, Lily."
Allie burst out laughing, "of course. I might even give you a family discount."
Allie lay awake that night, saying her prayers, sending a special thank you to the Lord for granting her wish for a brother or sister. She couldn't believe how full of love her heart was for someone she had never met. She couldn't wait to see if she would have a little brother or sister, but she would be happy either way. She promised the baby to be the best big sister there had ever been.
Once Allie had permission to tell her friends about the baby, the news of Quinn and Nathan's pregnancy spread quickly. Everyone in Hope Valley was excited about their growing family, Nathan and Allie had long been Town favourites, and Quinn had quickly become one. Quinn was relieved when she could tell people about the baby; keeping it a secret had been hard.
As she started feeling better, Quinn focused on Isobel Manning's Trial. Quinn had visited the young girl many times, trying to offer comfort and support to her. Isobel had started to open up to her, realising Quinn was someone she could trust. When Quinn visited the Jail to see her, she included Nathan in their conversation, and Isobel eventually opened up to him too.
Quinn couldn't wait for the trial to begin; she knew Sam's first motion would be for Isobel to be released from Jail. Quinn had gotten to know Joshua Lachlan a little since his arrival in Town and believed he would grant the motion. His reputation was for fairness, and she had seen that in him. Thinking of the Judge made her think of Faith and her reaction to him.
It was time for a girl's lunch, Quinn decided.