The Coulters and the Grants stayed after the rest of the wedding guests had gone home to help with clean up. Those who had lent chairs or tables, loaded the furniture up on wagons to take home so no one would need to deliver them. The older children pitched in with the cleanup while the younger ones helped Eleanor in the kitchen. After a late dinner at the orphanage, Nathan, Elizabeth, and Jack climbed into the back of Lee's car for the ride back to the hotel. While Nathan and Elizabeth would leave for Hope Valley the next morning, Lee and Rosemary planned on waiting until Monday to head home.
Despite the short drive, both Jack and Elizabeth had fallen asleep by the time Lee pulled to a stop in front of the Royal Brookfield. Jack had been sitting in Nathan's lap and Elizabeth had fallen asleep leaning against him. Nathan was thankful that Rosemary had put Nate's crate up front with her.
Lee smiled as he looked in the mirror. "Let me come get Jack from you," the man offered.
"Thank you," Nathan replied.
"I've got the duckling," Rosemary assured him, climbing from the car as Lee got out on the other side.
Lee took Jack, cradling the little boy against him. Tuckered out from the excitement of the day, the boy did not even stir. With Jack out of his lap, Nathan turned his attention to Elizabeth.
"Beth, we are at the hotel," Nathan said softly, as he gently moved her to free his arm from her.
"Hmmm . . . " Elizabeth murmured, sitting up and blinking her eyes.
Climbing from the car, Nathan hurried around and opened Elizabeth's door. His wife still looked half asleep, as he helped her from the car.
"I am just suddenly so tired," she murmured as she let Nathan get her to her feet.
"It has been a busy few days for you. Traveling and then helping to get ready for the wedding," Nathan told her, a supportive hand around her waist. "I probably should have allowed more time for this trip when you and Jack joined it. Ally and I are more use to traveling then the two of you are."
"No," Elizabeth replied sleepily, her head resting on Nathan's shoulder as she let him guide her toward the hotel. "We really could not afford more time away. The town needs you there and you also have projects in your wood shop to work on. Besides, Ellen and I need to start the girl's with their studies. I just need a good night's sleep."
"Well, we will get you and Jack upstairs and tucked in bed," Nathan promised her,
As they approached the hotel, Hank stepped out with Lucy Clay. Seeing that everyone in the group had their hands full, Lucy stepped aside as Hank held the door for them all. Lee, Rosemary and Nathan all said a thank you as they passed by the ranch hand.
"You're welcome," Hank replied. "Have a good night."
By the time they reached the Grants' hotel room, Elizabeth was more awake, though she still stayed at Nathan's side. Nathan opened the hotel room door, and motioned Lee and Rosemary inside, before following with Elizabeth.
"I should get Jack ready for bed," Elizabeth said, still sounding sleepy as she stepped away from Nathan.
"I will take care of Jack," Nathan told her as Lee laid the boy down on the cot. "You get yourself ready for bed."
Having placed the crate with the sleeping duckling down in a corner of the room, Rosemary turned to her friend.
"Listen to your husband and Lee and I will see you for breakfast," Rosemary told her friend, giving Elizabeth a hug. "It has been good seeing you so happy this weekend. I hope it continues," she told her friend.
"I have been happy," Elizabeth confirmed. "Thank you for your friendship, Rosemary," she told her friend as Rosemary took a step back. She looked over at Lee. "Thank you both," she added.
"You are welcome," Lee replied, keeping his voice low in deference to the sleeping boy. "I will go pick Ally up for breakfast tomorrow morning. It will allow you two a little more time to sleep in the morning."
"I will not turn that offer down," Nathan told him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Lee told him. Moving to Rosemary's side, he looped his arm around his wife's waist. "Good night," he told them.
The other three echoed the sentiment as Lee and Rosemary headed for the door. Nathan walked them to the door and then locked the door behind him. He was happy to see that Elizabeth was gathering her things to get ready for bed. She removed Jack's nightshirt from the suitcase as she retrieved her own nightgown.
"Are you sure about getting Jack ready?" Elizabeth asked.
"Go get changed. You look exhausted," Nathan told her.
Elizabeth nodded and headed for the small bathroom. Nathan picked up the nightshirt and moved to the cot. The tuckered out boy barely stirred as Nathan got him into his nightshirt and tucked him in as Elizabeth came out clad only in her nightgown. Standing up, Nathan let his eyes linger on Elizabeth. Only when he noticed the color rise in Elizabeth's cheeks did he realize what he was doing.
"Sorry," Nathan murmured, forcing himself to look away.
Elizabeth came over to him. She placed a kiss to Nathan's cheek. "Do not apologize," she told him. "It is flattering to know that you find me attractive."
"I am going to go change for bed myself. We have a long ride home."
"All right," Elizabeth said, leaning over the cot. Nathan watched as she pressed a kiss to the sleeping boy's forehead.
Yes, Elizabeth had made mistakes, but there was no doubt that she loved her son.
Finding his own nightshirt, Nathan headed for the bathroom. Coming out, he expected to find Elizabeth already in the bed. Instead, his wife was laying out clothes for the next day. She looked up as Nathan entered the room.
"I know you want to get an early start," Elizabeth told him. "I figured I would put out our clothes for tomorrow and make sure everything is already packed and ready to go."
"That sounds like a good plan," Nathan replied, as he went about helping out.
Gabriel placed the tray with their empty dinner dishes out in the hallway. He then hung the Do Not Disturb Sign on the doorknob. Stepping back into the room, he locked the door and turned. Expecting to see Faith pouring glasses of wine from the bottle left in a bucket of ice, Gabriel was surprised to instead see her pulling the heavy curtains across the windows. He stood and watched her silently, taken in her beauty and her grace.
Finishing her task, Faith turned from the window. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of pink, which contrasted against the white of the dress she still wore. Though she still wore her wedding dress, she had removed the pins from her hair and it now fell in soft curls around her face and behind her shoulders.
"I was thinking perhaps the wine could wait," Faith said timidly as she met his gaze. She had her hands clasped in front of her.
"I am fine with that," Gabriel replied, thinking that drinking Faith's beauty in was much more satisfying anyway.
Both of them walked forward. Meeting in front of the bed, Gabriel reached out to frame Faith's face with his hands. "I have never seen anything more beautiful than you were today," he told her softly before he pressed his lips against hers. If Faith was going to answer, the reply was lost in the kiss as Faith returned the gesture.
Wrapping her arms around Gabriel, Faith ran her hands along the strong back muscles, the fabric of his Henley between her fingers and his skin. Though he had removed the jacket of his dress uniform, Gabriel still wore the rest of it, just like Faith still wore her wedding dress.
Sliding his hands from her cheeks and into Faith's hair, he relished the soft feel of her curls. Breaking the kiss for a quick breath of air, when Gabriel pressed his lips against Faith's skin again, he explored the soft skin under her chin. He heard the soft sigh from Faith even as he felt her tug his Henley from the waistband of his jodhpurs. Soon, Faith slipped her hands under the fabric of the shift, her fingers creating pinpricks of sensations on his skin. Seeking out her lips again, Gabriel deepened the kiss even as he took his hands from her hair. He ran them gently down her neck and then the bodice of the dress, his fingers sliding easily down the smooth material of the dress. Faith's fingers continued to dance along his back, making his knees grow weak. Slipping his arms around her waist, Gabriel held her against him as he maneuvered himself in the direction of the bed. Feeling the mattress against the back of his legs, Gabriel sat down even as he broke from the kiss, gasping for air. His hands on the small of her back, Faith stood in front of him between his legs.
"You are turning me to putty, Faith," Gabriel whispered, looking up at her.
"Good," Faith returned, a soft smile on her face leaning down to find the skin of his neck with her lips. Gabriel tilted his head back with a groan, letting her lips explore his skin. Reaching back, she removed his hands from her back and then slipped the suspenders from his shoulders. When she stopped kissing him, her fingers had the hem of his Henley and was pulling it up. Gabriel raised his arms above his head, allowing Faith to pull the shirt up over his head. Placing her hands on his now bare chest, Faith pushed gently. Reaching for her waist again, Gabriel lay back against the soft mattress gently pulling Faith with him.
Despite all the sensations of his body, Gabriel kept his actions slow and full of passion. Though there would be other times, never again would it be their first time. He had no need to rush that experience, instead simply desiring to make the experience last as long as possible.
Both Faith and Gabriel were tired the following morning, but it didn't bother either one of them. As soon as they were on the train, they knew they could get some more sleep if they wanted. The time they had spent with one another the night before had been far more important then sleep.
In Brookfield, Lee went out to New Hope Orphanage to pick up Ally. Bringing her back to the hotel, the Coulters and the Grants had breakfast in the hotel dining room. True to his word, Nathan had Nate's crate on the floor beside his chair, not leaving the duck unsupervised. Noticing the crate, Ronnie looked about ready to say something but as Nathan met his gaze, the hotel owner seemed to change his mind and simply retreated to the desk.
After breakfast, Lee helped Nathan load his wagon. By the time the Grants were ready to leave, the folks from New Hope Orphanage had made their way into town to see them off. Also, in the crowd were the Canfields. Though he would soon be starting church service, Joseph took a few moments to say a prayer over the Grants for safe travels on their way home.
The trip home was uneventful and the Grants came home Monday evening to find that Archie had dinner ready for them.
"I will admit that the cooks at the Amaryllis are responsible for it. I have simply kept it warm for you all," Archie told Nathan and Elizabeth as the children hugged their grandfather.
"The fact that neither of us has to cook is what is important," Nathan said. "Thank you, Dad."
"You are welcome, son."
"You are eating with us, right?" Elizabeth said as Nathan helped her from the wagon.
"Yes. Gustav said he had everything under control at the Amaryllis for tonight," Archie said. "I was hoping I would get an invitation. I want to hear all about your trip."
"We can eat as soon as I get Cosmo settled in the barn. It doesn't look like rain, so I will unload the wagon after we eat."
Archie looked at Elizabeth. "If you can keep an eye of the food, I will give Nathan a hand."
"Can I help too?" Jack asked.
Elizabeth was about to come up with some reason to keep Jack with her but Nathan spoke first.
"Of course you can, Buddy," Nathan told the boy. "Ask your sister to take Nate inside the house for you."
"I thought Nate was going to have to start sleeping in the barn?" Jack said.
"We'll try him in the barn tomorrow night," Nathan told the boy.
Jack smiled and then turned to his sister. "Ally could you please take Nate inside?" the boy asked.
"Yes, Jack. I can do that," Ally told him, already reaching over the side of the wagon to retrieve the crate.
As Elizabeth and Ally headed toward the house, Nathan started leading Cosmo toward the barn. Archie had taken Jack by the hand and walked alongside, keeping the boy away from the horse and the wagon.
Nathan had to admit, it was nice to have family to welcome him home, whether it was his father after a trip with his wife and kids or just coming home to his wife and kids after a day of work.
Life fell into a new routine in the days that followed. Though the first couple of days of teaching again felt nerve-wracking and awkward to Elizabeth, she soon realized how much she had missed teaching. Even just two students awakened a sense of purpose in Elizabeth. Though his interest in school work was limited to about an hour, Elizabeth even humored Jack wanting a school assignment. When Jack got restless sitting at the table, she let him go play while school still went on for Ally and Opal.
Ellen kept an eye on Jack and observed Elizabeth while teaching the children. She also supervised the girls so Elizabeth could get some of the housework done. Their lunch break was from eleven until noon and they ended the school day by one thirty. Homework was limited to reading assignments to prepare for the lessons for the next day, and an occasional writing assignment.
As Sargent needed exercise, Elizabeth and Ally alternated days for an afternoon ride. While one rode, the other would stay home with Jack. Knowing that Allie's birthday was coming up the following month, Elizabeth brought up the idea of getting Ally her own horse for her birthday. Admitting that he had already been considering it, Nathan started looking for the perfect horse for his daughter. He also shared with her that Archie was planning a birthday celebration for Ally at the Amaryllis. He planned on inviting all of Ally's old school mates and their families. The Coulters, Bill and the Kinslows would also be on the invitation list.
Nathan was gone most of the day. In the afternoons, the children would run to meet him and go to the barn with him while he settled Newton. He would then come in and spend time with the family, Nate coming in from the barn with them. Though the duckling spent the nights in his pen in the barn, Nate had free roam of the yard during the day, and more often then not, the duckling ended up in the house with Jack at some point during the day. After dinner, Nathan would go out and put in work in the wood shop. He always made sure he came back inside for time for Jack's bedtime. After Jack was in bed, Elizabeth would spend time at her typewriter while Nathan and Ally spent some father and daughter time.
Elizabeth was content with the way life had settled for her. She might not have all the same luxuries that she'd had with Lucas but she was happier than she had been in years. There was one afternoon that Nathan did not come home at his usual time. Knowing that being delayed by work was always a possibility for her husband, Elizabeth tried not to worry. In the back of her mind though, she was reminded that this was what had made her run from Nathan a few years ago.
Hearing approaching hoof beats, Elizabeth rushed to the door, hoping it was Nathan. Ally and Jack were right with her as she stepped onto the porch to find that it was Bill, on Hero, approaching.
"It is Grandpa Bill!" Jack said, having picked up on Ally's name for the judge. He was just happy to see Bill, too young to connect the man's visit with his Dad not being home yet.
Elizabeth did not have her son's innocence though. Fear gripped her and her knees felt weak. She reached out for the porch railing, attempting to stay on her feet. She couldn't do it though, and she sank to her knees, praying for Nathan to please be all right. A light weight around her shoulders caused her to look to her side to find Ally standing beside her.
"He is all right, Beth. I know he is," Ally told her, with a confidence that Elizabeth thought went well beyond Ally's almost fifteen years.
Bill had dismounted Hero, and picked up Jack. "Nathan is fine, Elizabeth," the man stated as he made his way to the porch.
Those four words made Elizabeth start crying in relief even as she hugged Ally to her. Bill did not try to talk her out of her tears. Instead, he knelt beside her, one hand on her shoulder and Jack held in his other arm. Unsure of what was going on, Jack was quiet as he clung to Bill.
After a bit, Elizabeth got her tears under control and let go of Ally. "I'm sorry," she said embarrassed by her reaction.
"It is all right, Beth," Ally said. "I have only ever been told that Dad was hurt and after that I use to fear the worst for the longest time. This must have been hard after you have been through being told your first husband was not coming home. But Dad is fine and it will not be long before neither one of us has to worry about this again."
Elizabeth smiled. Ally was growing up and she was a very mature young lady.
"You are right, Ally," Elizabeth said.
Ally reached out for Jack. "Jack, come help me check on dinner, all right," she told the boy.
"All right," Jack said, going easily with Ally though he still looked confused.
As the children, headed inside, Bill helped Elizabeth to her feet and led her to the porch swing on the far end of the porch. "Nathan sent me to tell you what was going on so you would not worry," Bill said as he settled beside Elizabeth. He held a handkerchief out to her as he rested an arm across his shoulders. "I was not anticipating this reaction."
"As soon as I saw you, all I could think of was the Mountie who came into town to tell me that Jack was gone. I never wanted to face that again. That is why I ran from my feelings from Nathan a few years ago. This is just proof that I am not brave enough to be married to a Mountie. Just like I told Jack back before he proposed."
"All this proves is that you care for Nathan more than your heart is ready to admit to yet, Elizabeth," Bill told her gently. "Just like that day on the street after the prisoner transfer. No one faults you for your reaction."
"Ally handed the situation better than I did," Elizabeth told him.
"Ally has had much more experience at dealing with this situation than you have," Bill told her. "She was just as worried as you were. I could see that. She is just better at concealing her feelings. Probably something she learned from Nathan."
Elizabeth looked to Bill. "Nathan is really all right."
"He is just fine. There was an accident with Lee's lumber crew up on the mountain this afternoon. One of the lumber workers was injured while cutting trees. It seems like it is only a broken leg but they were in an area that they couldn't get a car or wagon. Logs were being pulled out by horses, which meant that the man had to be carried out a few miles to get to where Lee's car is waiting to take him to Union City. Nathan is supervising that effort. He insisted that I come tell you why he was being delayed. He wanted for you and the children to not wait on dinner for him."
"I'll feed the children, but I am not sure I can eat until Nathan is home safely."
"Would it help if I stayed with you?" Bill asked.
"They don't need you on the mountain?" Elizabeth asked.
"They will make do without me. I think you may need me more."
"I would really appreciate you staying with us," Elizabeth admitted. "Staying with me."
"Consider it done. Perhaps you can try at least nibbling on something. I am sure Nathan would enjoy your company while he eats, but I don't want you to faint while waiting for him to get home."
Elizabeth managed a weak smile. "I will try," she told him. "Bill, I have been meaning to ask you, what would it entail to let Nathan adopt Jack?"
Bill paused. "You do realize that if Nathan adopts Jack and the two of you decide to dissolve this marriage later on that Nathan could have a claim on Jack. I am not saying he would go that route, but it is something to consider. Nathan did say that if you found love elsewhere that he would let you go."
"I am not going to do that to, Nathan. I may not be able to tell Nathan that I love him but I do not want to hurt him. I have seen him with Jack, Bill. He loves that boy as much as he does Ally. I could never leave and take Jack away from him. I want Nathan to adopt Jack if he wants too. What would it entail?"
"As Jack's father is deceased, and you are the sole surviving parent, you would just need to sign the papers giving your permission for the adoption. There would be no need to make the announcement of the pending adoption in case next of kin wants to contest the adoption because you are Jack's next of kin."
"Can you draw up the paperwork?"
"I would be happy to," Bill said. "What about Ally? Have you and Nathan discussed the possibility of you adopting her?"
Elizabeth looked to the house where the children were. "No. We have not discussed it. I am not even sure Ally would want me to adopt her. She is still struggling with accepting me as her mother. Perhaps that is a discussion Nathan and I need to have with her at some point."
"You probably should. Especially if Nathan adopts Jack. You do not want her to feel left out."
"You are a wise man, Bill Avery," Elizabeth told him.
"I know," Bill said, a wry smile on his face. "Are you ready to go inside?"
Elizabeth nodded. Bill helped her to her feet and they headed inside. Ally had moved the food off the heat and helped Jack set the table. Forcing her voice to steady, Elizabeth told the children that their Dad did not want them to wait on dinner for him but that Grandpa Bill was going to eat with him. While the others ate a good dinner, Elizabeth nibbled on a biscuit to satisfy Bill. When Ally questioned it, she simply told the girl that she planned on eating more when her Dad got home so he would not need to eat alone. Ally accepted the answer without further questions.
When Nathan did finally get home, Elizabeth met him outside. She gave him a hug as soon as he had dismounted.
"I am glad you are home," Elizabeth told him.
"I am sorry to worry you, Beth," Nathan told her, kissing the top of her head. "It will not be much longer though," he told her.
"I will be fine," Elizabeth told him, feeling much braver than she had earlier even as the children came to join them. Nathan hugged both the children as Bill joined them.
"I will take care of Newton before I head home. You all go inside. It has been a long day."
"Thank you, Bill," Nathan replied.
"I will help Jack get ready for bed while you and Beth eat, Dad," Ally offered.
"Thank you," Nathan told his daughter. "Have you not eaten yet?" he asked directing the question to Elizabeth.
"Bill made me eat a biscuit but I wanted to wait and eat with you," Elizabeth told him, her arm around his waist.
"That is much more pleasant than eating alone," Nathan told her, kissing the top of her head again.
As she walked inside with her family, Elizabeth said a silent thank you to God for bringing her husband home to her.