Chapter 114

William came downstairs early. He couldn't sleep and just decided to get up and have a cup of coffee. He was thinking of sitting outside on the back porch to admire the view. As he stepped off the last step, he could still hear his daughter snoring. He peaked over the couch to see her still laying down. There was a small sheet just over her feet. Jack wasn't there.

He walked into the kitchen and prepared himself a cup of coffee. He also took the last two chocolate chip cookies that was on a plate sitting on the edge of the kitchen island. He was a little surprised at how good the cookies were. He knew Elizabeth could cook a little, but he didn't know how well she was getting at cooking and baking. It was another reminder at how much he didn't know.

As he stepped through the French doors onto the back porch, he noticed Jack was sitting on a rocking chair with Rip at his feet. Rip or Jack did not notice William's presence.

"Ok boy, here's the deal. Elizabeth needs us to step up our game. When the babies come, it's your job to protect them. It is also your job to play with them. That will give Elizabeth some time to herself as the babies grow into toddlers."

Jack laughed when Rip let out a small bark. It was as if Rip was answering him and agreeing with him.

"Good boy." Jack stated as he rubbed Rip's ear. "We are all in this together."

William cleared his throat, hoping to make his presence known.

Before looking up, Jack sighed. He was still struggling with his father-in-law. He greatly enjoyed not seeing him the last few weeks. Even at James and Viola's wedding, he was able to avoid William. He was ok with Elizabeth having a relationship with her father, but that doesn't mean he wanted one. Every time he looked at William, he saw the person responsible for his wife's and his babies' pain. He couldn't get that image of her lying motionless on the patio out of his head.

"Good morning, Mr. Thatcher. You're up early."

William sighed. Each time Jack would call him Mr. Thatcher, it was a another reminder of the last few months. "I am. I couldn't sleep."

"I'm sorry. Is the bed uncomfortable?"

"No, Jack. It's perfect. As a matter of fact, the room is perfect."

Jack leaned down and patted Rip's head. "Well, I need to get ready for church."

"Jack before you go…may we talk?"

Jack sighed. He wasn't avoiding William, but he was grateful his work has kept him busy over the last couple of days. He wasn't hesitant to have this discussion, but he was a little afraid his frustration with William would come out. He was very willing for Elizabeth to have a relationship with her father. He was just as willing for him not to have a relationship.

"Mr. Thatcher, if this is another 'I'm sorry' speech, you can save it. I'm not interested in hearing another half attempt at a I'm sorry apology."

"Why would you say that?"

"Mr. Thatcher. You are a very successful businessman."

William nodded his head. "Yes, I am."

"You have made a fortune because you read people and situations well?"

William nodded his head.

"You read those people and situations quickly? I mean, almost immediately you know if this is something you're interested in or not?"

"Yes, I can. It's actually one of the secrets to my success."

"Without sounding prideful…sir, I'm the youngest police chief in the state. I was the youngest investigator in the state. I was told by my superintendent that I would have been the head of the investigator's office in time."

"Yes, I have heard that from numerous sources."

"I didn't get here because I'm stupid. I can read people and situations rather quickly too. I know when I am being lied to and when I'm being told half truths. As great as you are as a businessman, I am just as good at being a cop."

"Yes, I would assume you are right."

"You only apologized to me because you wanted your daughter back." Jack took a moment to let the information sink in with William. "Mr. Thatcher, I know you don't want a relationship with me. I've spoken with Grace. I have heard you talk about wanting to remove the distance you formed with your daughter. You never mention me. I remember my father talked about his friend, Marcus. How great a man he was and how much he loved his family. He spoke very fondly of you."

"He was a good man. But Jack…"

"Mr. Thatcher…you don't like me and to be perfectly honest with you, I don't like you. You hurt my wife and my kids. You placed them in danger. They could have lost their lives. You are not the Marcus I have heard so much about."

"Jack, I'm sorry about that."

"I don't want to hear your empty apologizes. I have heard enough of them."

William sighed. Up until last night, that would have been true. He did honestly feel bad for creating a huge distance with his daughter, but now he was wanting a friendship with Jack.

"Jack, that was very true until last night."

"Mr. Thatcher, you are here, and you will be welcomed here as Elizabeth's father and Ig and Iggy's grandfather."

"Thank you for that, Jack. I appreciate that more than you will ever know."

"Great. Now with that settled, I need to go and wake up my wife for church."

"But Jack, that's not what I want anymore."

"Mr. Thatcher, I may be the only person in the world who doesn't care what you want." Jack's eyes were growing cold. He was tired of his father-in-law's attitude. "You're here, you're welcomed here, and you have a relationship with your daughter. That's exactly what you wanted. Now, I need to go."

"Jack, that was what I wanted. I want a relationship with you."

"Why now?"

"I overheard you two talking late last night when you got home. I heard a noise and went to check on it. I heard you and Elizabeth talking. I sat on the top step listening to you two. You two are so great together. You talked things through and worked them out. You two are a team. That's what I have always wanted for my daughter."

"Your daughter has always had that. You were too busy being upset because you didn't get what you wanted. Now you have it. We can coexist for Elizabeth, Ig, and Iggy's sake."

"I don't want to coexist."

"Mr. Thatcher…I simply don't care. I've tried with you, and I'm done. Now, please excuse me while I go and wake Elizabeth up for church. If you and mom would like to ride with us, you are welcomed." Jack stood and patted his thigh for Rip to follow him. As he walked into the house, Elizabeth was standing just inside the door. She smiled at him, and he walked into her open arms.

"Let's get ready for church. I will need help with my dress."

"After lunch, I need to call Superintendent Johnson along with the FBI director in Fort Worth. The conference call is scheduled at two."

"Sounds like you have a busy day."

"I do. I would like for you to be on that phone call if you don't mind."

"Why me?"

"It was your initial idea on how to catch Miranda. They would like to hear your idea."

"Jack, I don't know. I'm a schoolteacher. I'm not a police officer."

"Maybe so, but it was your idea of looking at this from a different angle. Without you, I would still be looking for Miranda."

"Jack, you're good at what you do. You would have found her with or without my help."

"Maybe, but I found her with your help. They want to hear how and why you thought the way you did."

"I'll think about it." She hesitated for a moment. "How did it go out there?"

"You should know." He smirked. "You heard most of it."

She huffed at his insinuation of her snooping. "What do you mean?"

Jack gave her that knowing look that he has when he is right. She didn't always like that look and today was one of those times.

"Fine." She relented. "It sounded a little tense."

"Maybe. I'm just tired of his apologies without his changed behavior. What was it he said at the hospital? 'An apology without changed behavior is manipulation.' I feel like he is manipulating the situation. I'm done with him."

Elizabeth nodded her head and hugged him a little tighter. "I'm sorry Jack."

"It's ok, sweetheart. As far as I'm concerned, everything we have talked about and agreed on is still in place. I'm sorry we don't get along. It was never my intention for this division to be in our family. I'm just sorry."

The ironic thing about this whole situation was the fact that hearing Jack's and Elizabeth's conversation last night changed William's attitude. He really was moved and his desire to know Jack was intensified. However, his attitude and his half apologies has burned that bridge a long time ago. When a bridge is burned, the only thing to do is to build a new one. William was at the very beginning of that decision.

…

Jack, Elizabeth, Grace, and William walked into the church looking for Charlette and Adam. With so many people coming up to Jack and Elizabeth, it took them a little while to make it to the front of the church. Jack was carrying his and Elizabeth's bibles along with her bag. Elizabeth just knew her belly was growing by the second.

She leaned toward her husband and whispered. "Thank you for carrying my things. If this belly gets any bigger, just roll me where you wish to take me." She smirked.

Jack tried to muffle his laugh but couldn't completely. "I'm not sure I'll do that. I would create too many enemies by doing that."

Frank stood to open the service with a huge smile. He was a great pastor. His genuine love for people was infectious and people were drawn to that. The church was growing slowly, and lives were changed.

After the service, Abagail invited the family to her café for lunch. Everyone agreed.

"We can leave there and go to the station after lunch for the phone call."

"Jack, are you sure you want me to be on that call?"

"Yes. Now, let's enjoy our lunch."

During lunch, Tom and Julie joined the group along with James and Viola.

"Since you four wasn't at church this morning." Frank began. "It's customary to pay for the pastor's lunch when you see him at the restaurant after church." He teased.

James pulled out his church bulletin. "Oh, we were there. We had to sit in back because it was full. You may need to think about going to two services or build a bigger sanctuary." He sassed.

"Us too. We may have arrived during the first hymn, but we were there." Julie stated as she pulled out her bulletin.

"I think they're on to your little game, sweetheart. You may need to come up with something new." Sassed Abagail.

Frank pretended to be hurt but couldn't hide the smile forming on his face. "Give it up dad, it's not working anymore." Sassed Henry.

"Listen here, young man." Frank teased as he picked Henry up and began to tickle him.

The group pulled the tables together in their corner and enjoyed a perfect lunch. The conversation flowed freely and there was laughter that filled the air.

Jack leaned toward his bride. "In all of my dreams about my future, this is better than any of them."

She patted his thigh. "I agree. It's almost perfect."

"Almost perfect?" Jack questioned as he tilted his head slightly. "How could it get better than this? We have a whole corner of the café filled with family. Hear the laughter? This is perfect."

"All except for my father."

"Oh…" Jack stated softly. "I'm sorry Elizabeth. I really tried with him. It's just…" Jack began rubbing he back of his neck looking toward his lap.

"That's not what I meant Jack. I hate that he created this division and his half attempt to fix it."

She made sure Jack looked into her eyes. This wasn't a conversation that needed words. She wanted him to look into her eyes to see what she meant. After a few seconds, he gave her a small smile. "Thank you." Stated Jack.

…

"Charlie, what do you say about ice cream?"

"And eating it on our bench in the park?"

"You have the best ideas." Smile Adam.

"You're wasting time young man. Let's go."

As Charlette and Adam sat on the bench in the park in front of the fountain, they enjoyed their cups of ice cream.

"Charlie, I'm going to miss my work partner."

Charlette gasped. "What do you mean?" Charlette was loving working with Adam on the projects through the church. She learned so much and enjoyed every moment of it. She loved the challenge of figuring it out and then being able to do something to fix it. She felt a sense of accomplishment. She also enjoyed the time with Adam.

"Well, I thought you would spend most of your time with Elizabeth once the babies are born."

"Oh…I haven't talked with you about that."

"Charlie, you don't have to talk to me about that. I already know."

She loved this man for many reasons. One of them was that he knew her. He loved her and supported her in anything she wanted to do. She also loved how he stepped in and became the leader of their family. He just didn't know that yet.

"Yes, I would like to help as much as she needs and will let me. I don't want to overstep but I know she will need some help to begin with."

"I know." He smiled and leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"You better not get used to working without me. I will be there when I'm not with Elizabeth, Ig, and Iggy."

Adam laughed.

"What?"

"You use Jack's nicknames for the babies."

"Don't you dare tell him that!" She pointed her finger at him.

"What's in it for me if I don't?" He sassed.

They enjoyed their ice creams for a few minutes. She's been wanting to tell him something for some time now, but just haven't.

"Adam…thank you for stepping in for our family and becoming the leader of it."

Adam sat back. "What?"

"Thank you."

"Charlie…I'm not the leader of this."

"Adam, you most certainly are. You are the leader of this marriage and this family. We all depend on you. Jack and Tom come to you for advice and their questions. You are the head of this family."

Adam sat frozen. He didn't know what to say.

"When Elizabeth had the trouble with her pregnancy in Hamilton, you stepped up immediately. You called your son and arranged for a flight. Emma talked to you to organize everything. You were the level headed one when we were all losing ours. You reminded us that God was in control. You were the rock. Jack comes to you when he needs a father's advice, so does Tom."

"That wasn't my intention…"

"That's why you're the head of our family. You didn't come storming in and taking control. You were present for us, and we learned we can rely on you. Thank you for stepping up for us."

Adam remained silent. That was one of the greatest compliments he as was ever given. He looked toward his wife with a tear in his eye.

"Now, young man. Let's go home. I would like to spend some time with my husband.

…

Jack took Elizabeth's hand after she took his arm. He noticed she was leaning into him a little more than normal walking.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes. Just a little tired but I'm ok."

"The babies wearing you out today?"

"A little. It's been a busy morning, but we're good."

Jack thought of the card he had in his desk at his office. Rosemary gave it to him a couple of weeks ago. He had forgotten all about it. When they walked into his office, he sat her in his chair and quietly got the card out of the top drawer.

"I need to make one phone call and then we'll get on the zoom meeting."

"I thought it was a conference call?"

"It was, but I received a text stating that it turned into a zoom call."

Jack stepped out of his office and called the number on the card. A nice woman answered the call and they spoke for a few minutes making a reservation. Jack was surprised and excited that she had an opening later today. He scheduled it and gave her their address.

When he stepped into his office, he gave his wife a bottle of iced tea and a water. She smiled when he pulled a chair beside her and turned on the computer.

"Jack, do you have anything to snack?"

"Check the top drawer on the left. I usually keep a few things in there."

She opened the drawer and was surprised to find her favorite snacks. She looked at him and noticed his smile.

"I knew you would be here today, and I wanted to make sure you had something here to snack on if you were hungry."

"So, you got Emma to get them." She sassed knowing he got them and not Emma.

"You are not Emma's responsibility. You are my priority and I wanted to take care of you."

Elizabeth blushed a little at his words. She loved him and she has missed him over the last few weeks. She leaned forward the best she could and gave him a loving kiss on his cheek. Her eyes told him how much she loved him. She saw the same love in his eyes.

When the alarm on his cell phone buzzed, he turned his laptop enough for him to sign into the zoom call. Much to his surprise, there were much more than two men. There was a total of nine individuals looking at him. His first thought was that he made a mistake and joined the wrong zoom conference.

"Chief Thronton, Chief Jack Thorton?" An older man asked.

"Yes, sir. I am Jack Thorton from Hope Valley."

"Nice to meet you sir. My name is Jack Thompson. I am the field director of the FBI office in Fort Worth."

"Nice to meet you sir. I was impressed with the FBI agents I worked with yesterday. They were on top of their game. Thank you for your help."

"They were impressed with you. I hope you don't mind, but I invited several other people on this zoom call?"

"No, sir. That's fine. My wife, Elizabeth Thorton is here with me as well."

"Great, I was hoping she would be joining you."

Elizabeth looked shocked at Jack. She shook her head and mouthed, "Why?" toward her husband. He shrugged his shoulders but had a smirk on his face.

"Chief, Mrs. Thorton, let me introduce everyone on the zoom meeting."

Each person on the screen introduced themselves and gave their title. Jack and Elizabeth smile and said hello to each person.

"Chief," Field Director Thompson began. "Would you please walk us through the process of Miranda from the beginning?"

"I will, but please call me Jack."

Thompson nodded his head. Jack quickly realized that he was the senior person on the call. Jack began from the very beginning when the call came into the office of something strange at the farmer's barn. As he relayed the entire story, he noticed several people taking notes. When the second person stopped Jack to ask a question or to gain clarity, Thompson stepped in and asked that all questions wait until Jack was finished. He didn't want to interrupt Jack's description.

As Jack continued with his story, Elizabeth sat amazed at some of the things Jack stated. She knew most of the story, but there were a couple of things she didn't connect like he did. She knew Jack was special in his profession, but this left no doubt in her mind.

Jack shared every aspect of the search for Miranda and Elizabeth's, Emma's, and Lee's assistance in finding her. He gave them credit for all of their work.

When Jack was finished, Thompson stepped in and spoke. "Before we open the floor to questions, I have one. Jack, how did you connect the day at the barn when you met Jimmy by coincidence to a huge shipment coming in?"

"It came down to a gut feeling along with a few clues. His story was good, but it was a little too good. He was a little too young to be thinking of retirement property. Along with that, there were numerous tracks leading into the barn. Some looked old while some looked new. There were also dually tracks too. In and of itself, none of this lead anywhere, but looking together as a whole, they added to something."

"In all honesty Jack, that doesn't add up to much."

"No sir but add Jacob to the mix. The day before I found a man taped to my chair. A man that oversaw a human trafficking group that no one, including you, knew about. Miranda had him delivered after weeks of setting that trap of sharing a case with her. If it took weeks, why this particular Friday. She would also know that I was involved with some of the local high school football players and Friday night was their senior night. She knew I wouldn't miss that for anything. Being tied up with the football boys and with Jacob, it would have been perfect timing to bring in a huge shipment."

Thompson thought about it for a moment. "When it's all added together, it does make sense. Does anyone have any questions for Jack or Elizabeth?"

"Hello Jack and Elizabeth. My name is John. My question is for Elizabeth. Elizabeth, what made you think that way about Miranda?"

Elizabeth cleared her throat. She wasn't used to speaking to a bunch of cops. "I thought that way when she came to Jack's swearing in ceremony when he became chief. She walked around freely. She didn't have a concern in the world about being caught or recognized. I would think a normal criminal would have been extremely nervous. I couldn't imagine any other criminal in the world coming to a place that was filled with cops and not being concerned."

John shook his head. "That's true."

"With that thought, I knew she was different. When we spoke, she was well spoken and very knowledgeable. She was just different."

"Did you think she was a criminal?"

"Oh no. She was very nice and genuine. But there was just something off with her. She knew too much about events in Hope Valley for someone who didn't live here. She was very comfortable."

A lady named Joyce asked Jack a question. "How did you follow the link to the different properties? I know you mentioned it earlier."

"She had too much money for it not to be on the radar screen if it was illegally obtained without being cleaned. I leaned toward property by a gut feeling and by some information that was given to me by Emma. She was always handing me information she had gathered. While it was a feeling, I had nothing concrete to build on. However, when she told Elizabeth about being in Fort Worth, we were able to narrow it down. That's when Lee made the connection."

A couple of follow up questions were asked and answered. Then a lady named Jane asked her question.

"Jack, I've read Lee's detail report about the stake out and arrest of the four men in the barn, including Jimmy. He stated that the state police were eager to get going, but it was you who held them back. He mentions that one state trooper was very upset with you not being present from the onset. How did that work?"

"I needed to keep up the appearance of me being at the football game." Then he cut his eyes to Elizabeth. It was her idea for Jack to go for the first part of the game and for senior night. "That was Elizabeth's decision. I was against it at first, but Elizabeth convinced me to keep the schedule. I was grateful because I didn't want to miss senior night with my boys."

"Our boys." Clarified Elizabeth.

"When Captain Fisher handled the issue along with Superintendent Johnson concerning the one state trooper, I felt confident in the men. Captain Fisher handled everything as a true professional."

The questions came at a hurried pace for the next forty five minutes. Many questions were for Jack and his thought process during the investigation and arrest of Jimmy and Miranda, there were numerous questions for Elizabeth as well. Jack could see that his wife was getting tired.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe it is time to end this zoom meeting. We have been here for over an hour."

"Just one more question." Stated Field Office Thompson.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect, but my wife is pregnant, and she is exhausted. I am taking my wife home."

Thompson nodded his head.

"Sir, you're wanting a formula that simply doesn't exist. This wasn't done by one person. Elizabeth played a huge role in this. She brought forth ideas that challenged my way of looking at this. Lee did a lot of leg work and made connections with some of his ideas. His work was impeccable. Emma brought me a lot of information over several weeks that helped bring some of those connections. She always had something for me that Lee and myself were finally able to connect. The state troopers were essential in the arrest of Jimmy. They were professional and worked as a solid unit. Through that, we were able to gain entry to Miranda's home without her knowledge. Chief Bill Avery allowed me to bounce ideas off of him. He walked me through countless thoughts and narrowed down the focus. This wasn't done by one person. Many people played important roles in the investigation and the arrest of Miranda."

"Jack, you're forgetting one important person."

Jack looked confused. He was running through his mind everyone that was involved. "I don't think so sir."

"Jack, you're forgetting about your part in this."

"My part was insignificant."

"I don't think so. Elizabeth and Jack, we would like to use this as a study piece in our training in our FBI training school."

"And we want to use it in our training too." Stated both Superintendent Johnson and the state trooper's representative."

"Fine with me." Stated Jack and Elizabeth at the same time.

"We need you two to write it up. Would you two be open to come to some of the classes and teach this section for a class or two?"

Jack looked at Elizabeth. Their conversation flowed easily between them without any words.

"My wife is about to have our children. I'm not sure of the timing we would be able to finish it, but we will write it up when we can. As far as traveling for study purposes, I'm not sure."

"When you can we would love to have you visit and share this information with the classes. We want both of you. We would also pay for travel and hotel."

"We will have to see with the babies."

"That's fine. They can come too. We have daycare at some of our training session."

"I'll get back to you."

After saying goodbye, they disconnected the call, Elizabeth leaned back in Jack's chair and let out a deep breath. "That was more in depth than I thought it would be."

"It was intense. What do you think about writing it all out in a paper and then visiting?"

"I would like to do it. It could be a good teaching tool for future law enforcement officers to learn from."

"Would you write it?"

"I can. I don't know when, but we will work on it."

"You write it, and I will make suggestions if needed."

"Deal. Are you ready to head home?" She asked hopeful. She was tired.

"I am. May we make one more stop before we go home?"

"Sure, if it's quick."

…

Jack pulled the car into the parking lot of the park. It has been a little while since they have been to the park and their bench. Elizabeth smiled when she noticed where they were. She was tired, but she found her second wind. With her parents at their house, she wanted a moment alone with her husband.

Jack helped Elizabeth out of the car and offered her his arm. When she took it, he began walking her toward the bench they have shared so much time sitting together.

"Is there a reason for this walk, officer?"

"It's chief, and yes."

They walked a couple of minutes until they were standing in front of their bench beside the water fountain. It was a little cold, but Elizabeth was a heater, so it felt good to her. Jack zipped up his jacket a little bit more.

"Elizabeth, may I have this dance?"

Elizabeth looked into her husband's eyes. They're last few days have been busy. He just wanted to connect with his wife.

"Jack, there are people here and there is no music."

"Elizabeth, if you need music to dance then you are dancing with the wrong person." He flirted with her.

She rolled her eyes. She said it before she realized what she was saying.

She gasped as he stepped into her presence. He stood slightly to the side of her because of her pregnant tummy. He placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer. He placed the other hand on her stomach and laughed when he felt the babies kick his hand. Elizabeth placed her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"I hope that's a good sigh."

"It's the best sigh."

They danced with each other for a few minutes. There were other people in the park, but Jack and Elizabeth did not notice them. They were in their own world lost in each other. Their intimate time as been nonexistent for weeks now. This has been the longest they have been apart since their wedding day. Both could feel the tension it was causing. They both let out a long, slow breath. They were enjoying this closeness.

Jack was surprised when he looked up and notice that there were several other couples dancing.

"Elizabeth." He whispered. "Look around us."

She giggled when she noticed other people dancing around them. "I believe we may have started something."

"I believe you're right, but this is our spot."