AN: Alrighty folks, so this story's main focus will be the love story between Rachel Quinn and Constable Tyler Randall. These are two original characters that I introduced in The Start of Our Journey Through Life. The WCTH heart characters of course are no mine, they belong to Hallmark and whoever else produces the tv show (I know horrible disclaimer but I tried). Other Hope Valley characters will have sub plots such as Ned/Florence, Nathan/Elizabeth, and of course I need to get Lucas and Fiona engaged in here somehow as they get married before When Worlds Collide happens. So for those following the other stories in this little universe, this story picks up right after The Start of Our Journey Through Life and will probably overlap the events in For The Love of a Mountie (When Hope calls fanfic that is rated M so switch your filters to find it).
Current goal is to have a chapter ready to update once every two weeks. (I probably should not even start posting another story but apparently I enjoy having open stories!).
Thanks to the lovely ElizabethB88 for the lovely cover for the story!
"Mama, I don't want to be late!"
Rachel sighed even as she forced herself to sit up on the side of the bed. Even the late start was difficult today. It was ten o'clock in the morning and all she wanted to do was stay right where she was, though she had managed to make Autumn's breakfast that morning. When her six-year-old had told her she would handle the dishes and that she should lay down, Rachel realized she must look as tired as she felt.
"I am coming, Autumn," Rachel called back as she stood from the bed, having left her shoes on. Reaching her feet these days was harder than normal.
Rachel stepped to the dresser and quickly fixed her hair. She then left her room. Autumn was waiting by the door, anxious to leave. Rachel smiled, glad that her daughter had something to look forward to this summer. Not only had Autumn made several friends in Hope Valley, but Elizabeth Grant was conducting a summer reading program for the children. The plan was for them to read and discuss the books they had chosen from eleven to twelve. Abigail was the providing lunch for the children at the library before the children dispersed for other summer activities.
For now, Rachel would help out at the café over the lunch rush and early afternoon. It allowed her to walk into town with Autumn for the reading program and then Elizabeth had promised to walk Autumn over to the café once the other children had either been picked up or left. In total, Rachel would be at the café for a four hour shift. Though financially she knew she should be working more, physically even the four hour shifts was a struggle to get through these days. Part of her wanted to ask Abigail and Bill for time off until after the baby came but then how would she support Autumn, let alone the baby when it came. She had a little money saved but she knew it would quickly be used when she stopped working. If it wasn't for the planned baby shower at the end of the week, Rachel knew there would be no savings at all as she would have needed to buy more baby things. She was grateful to Elizabeth and Rosemary for planning it, especially given the proximity to Elizabeth's recent wedding.
Leaving the room, Rachel found Autumn standing excitedly at the front door. Though her daughter's excitement made her feel tired just seeing it, Rachel grabbed her handbag from the table and followed Autumn into the warm June day.
Rachel didn't bother trying to keep with her six-year-olds pace as they started the walk toward town. The important thing was to get there, even if her daughter did double the distance as she hurried forward, came back to Rachel, and hurried forward again.
More than being tired though, Rachel had to admit that she missed having Constable Tyler walking by her side. Her late husband's friend had been there to walk her into and out of town unfailingly during his temporary posting in Hope Valley. Even yesterday, when he had been leaving to help out in Rock Creek while the Mountie there recovered from a sprained ankle, Constable Tyler had still walked her and Autumn to the café for her shift. Though Rachel had known that Tyler's time here had been limited, she had not been prepared for the empty feeling that his leaving had left. An empty feeling that she did not quite understand. It was not like she was alone here in Hope Valley. She had made friends that would support her.
Still, as she made the now familiar walk into town, Rachel found she missed having Tyler at her side.
They reached the library shortly before eleven. Most of the other children had already arrived and were chatting animatedly when Rachel followed her daughter into the library. Just watching the children made her feel more exhausted. Though she knew she would need to head over to the café soon. Abigail had already told her she would understand if she showed up a little after eleven. Though she did not want to start off on the wrong foot with her new boss, Rachel also knew she just needed to sit for a few minutes.
"Sit."
The concerned command came from her left. Looking that way, Rachel found Elizabeth standing there behind a chair she had brought over, a concerned look on her face. Rachel didn't protest as she sank into the chair.
"Do I really look that bad?" Rachel asked as she leaned back in the chair and rested her hands on her protruding stomach. She didn't remember being this tired when she had been pregnant with Autumn. Then again, she wasn't tying to keep up with an energetic six-year-old on top of everything else back then.
"You just look tired and I remember what it was like right before Jack was born. Walking into town was exhausting and I was living in the row houses at the time," Elizabeth told her. "Let me go get you a glass of water."
"Don't you have a program to start?" Rachel asked, not wanting Elizabeth to go to any trouble for her.
"This is just a summer program I am doing for fun and not school. If I start a few minutes late no one will mind," Elizabeth replied. She glanced to the kids, gathered in small groups around the table in the library. None of them were watching the clock. "Not even the children."
Rachel smiled. Elizabeth had a point. As excited as Autumn had been to get here, Rachel knew her daughter was no longer watching the clock as she talked animatedly with Ivy.
"There you go," Elizabeth said, having returned from getting a glass of water.
"Thank you," Rachel told her, putting the glass to her lips and taking a sip. The cool water felt soothing slipping down her throat.
"I can stop by and pick Autumn up for the program from now on if you would like," Elizabeth told her.
"Thank you, but I would still need to walk in for my shift at the café," Rachel told her.
"Perhaps it is time that you take a break from working," Elizabeth said softly. "I know it is ironic coming from me, as I worked past when Carson wanted me to when I was pregnant with Jack, but I am concerned about you. So are Bill and Clara."
"I need to keep working, Elizabeth. I am going to have two children to feed, cloth and put a roof over their head," Rachel replied. She glanced toward the children to make sure none of them were paying attention to her and Elizabeth. "I lie awake more often than I care to admit worried about how I am going to manage it."
Elizabeth rested a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "I know that fear well," she told Rachel sympathetically. "Rosemary, Abigail and my other friends were there for me. They even conspired together to get the nursery ready for me as I couldn't bring myself to do it after Jack's death."
Rachel rubbed a circle on her belly with the hand not holding the glass. "Gilbert wanted another child. He loved Autumn, but I know he wanted a child that was biologically his. He would have been excited about this child. Raising a child with him would have been a joyous occasion. Doing it alone seems daunting."
"You are not alone, Rachel," Elizabeth told her new friend.
Rachel smiled. As she stopped rubbing her belly she reached up and rested her hand over top of the one Elizabeth had rested on her shoulder.
"You are right. You, Clara and Rosemary have been wonderful. Abigail sounded like my mother yesterday during my shift. I think she is with you and thinks I should stop working until after the baby arrives. However, Carson thinks that won't be until the beginning of August. That is almost two months away Elizabeth. The thought of not working that long is terrifying, even knowing I have friends here."
"I can understand that. Just don't put you or your baby's health at risk."
"Carson said we were both healthy just last Thursday," Rachel informed her friend quickly. Much too quickly. Even Rachel realized that.
"That is good," Elizabeth said, encouragingly. "Just make sure you keep it that way. You should be just about set for the baby after the baby shower on Friday. Nathan, Rosemary and I will be out on Saturday to make sure everything is organized and put away that you get on Friday. Your neighbors will make sure you and Autumn have whatever you need until you are back on your feet after the baby comes. Pastor Zeke has already been organizing a group to provide meals when you need to take a break from cooking. As for the roof over your head, I can assure you, Lucas will not evict you for lack of rent."
Rachel chuckled at that knowing that Elizabeth was right. Her landlord was already very generous with the rent to begin with. If she did not have the money for the rent, Rachel knew Lucas would wait patiently until she could pay him back.
"I am very aware of that. Lucas has been very generous since the moment I walked into the Queen of Heart looking for a room and a job to pay for it," Rachel conceded as she dropped her hand from Elizabeth's and used it to help sit up straighter in the chair. "Thank you for the water and the pep talk, Elizabeth," Rachel said as she handed back the glass. "I really should get over to the café," she added, not wanting to take advantage of her employer's generosity.
Elizabeth took the glass and nodded. "Thank about what I said," she told Rachel.
"I will keep it in mind," Rachel assured her. She glanced toward Autumn. Her daughter and Ivy were absorbed in a book together. "I don't think I will disturb her," Rachel commented to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth laughed. "I will walk her to the café when the other children have left or been picked up," she told Rachel.
"Thank you," Rachel said. "Your friendship has been invaluable to me these last few months."
Elizabeth smiled and nodded but left it at that.
Leaving the library, Rachel made her way slowly toward the café. As she walked, she thought perhaps everyone was right. Perhaps she should stop working. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind then she felt panic rising. She needed to be able to provide for her kids. They had no one else to do so.
The train car swayed back and forth as it made its way to Hope Valley. By the window of one of the seats, Dylan Parks sat quietly, staring at the paper in his hand. The paper informing him that Nathan Grant was seeking official adoption of Alyssa Rose Parks and giving a deadline of when any disputes of the adoption could be filed with Judge William Avery. That deadline had past but Dylan finally felt he was ready to seek out Nathan Grant after all the years that had past.
Looking up from the paper, Dylan looked out the window. In the distance, mountains rose providing a lovely back drop. Farms dotted the countryside. This truly was a lovely area. Though he had once considered himself a city only guy, Dylan had come to appreciate the natural beauty of rural areas during his time up north. Going north had seemed to perfect way to escape all of his problems and all of his heartaches. It had not worked the way he thought it would, his problems, grief, and bad memories following him up north. Though alcohol had been harder to come by up north, it had still consumed a lot of his times. The alcohol had numbed him to the pain. However, there had been periods when he had been forced into sobriety due to lack of availability. Those periods had led to him facing his demons and being aware of the world around him. Those experiences had led to a healing within.
A healing that still seemed incomplete, though he was hoping he could finish that process here in Hope Valley.
"Next stop, Hope Valley," the conductor called as he entered the car. "Next stop, Hope Valley."
The conductor's voice faded away as he passed onto the next car. Dylan folded the paper up and tucked it into its envelope. Placing the envelope safely into the breast pocket of his shirt, Dylan reached down for the carpet bag at his feet. Picking it up, he placed it in his lap. The bag held all of his current belongings.
Time seemed to crawl as Dylan waited for the train to pull into the Hope Valley station. However, finally the train stopped rocking as it came to a stop. Dylan and his fellow passengers got to their feet and began to disembark. As he stepped from the train, Dylan asked for directions to the NWMP office. The conductor gave him directions and Dylan was on his way.
After stopping briefly at the nearby sandwich shop, Dylan continued toward the cluster of buildings that made up the center of the town. He ate the sandwich as he walked, options of what to say going through his mind. Nothing sounded right. Dylan wasn't even sure there were correct words for a situation like this. He wasn't sure anything could make things right but he knew if he were to ever find peace, he needed to at least try.
Reaching the Hope Valley Mounted Police office, Dylan found it empty. Clearly, his brother-in-law was elsewhere. Dylan turned his back on the office and glanced at the buildings around him. Seeing the sign for the Queen of Hearts, Dylan quickly looked elsewhere. That was the last place he needed to go.
"Can I help you?"
Dylan looked in direction of the question and found a man had stopped his car along the boardwalk of the saloon. The man, got out of his car, and Dylan noted that the fancy clothes made the man stand out from the other, more casually dressed townsfolk. The dark beard and mustache gave the man a distinguished and mysterious presence.
"Your Constable appears to be out of his office?" Dylan ventured.
The man nodded. "Nathan is probably out on rounds. You could wait for his return or perhaps Judge Avery could be of assistance. The office of the judge is right down that way," the man told him, pointing to a line of buildings perpendicular to the main street.
"Thank you," Dylan replied with a nod as he headed in that direction. Perhaps it would be better talking with Judge Avery before approaching his brother-in-law first anyway.