Jack burst through the front door, startling Elias, who began to cry.
"Jack Thornton!" Elizabeth picked up Eli, trying to console him. "What on earth is going on?"
"Sorry. I just had to come tell you as soon as I could." He put his hands on her arms, trying to catch his breath. "They caught him."
"Hughes?"
He nodded, a smile stretching across his face. "They found him in Point Roberts. They were able to surround him, so he couldn't flee. He surrendered when he realized there was no way out."
"He can't get us?"
"He's going to be locked up very far away from here if I have anything to say about it."
She breathed a sigh of relief, gently rubbing Eli's back as he snuggled into her chest. "Thank God."
"I'll have to testify when he goes to trial, but it might be a week or two before that happens."
"Okay. Just as long as you're back before the baby comes."
He gave her a dimpled grin, moving his hand to her stomach. "There's no way I'm missing the birth of our baby. Don't worry." Turning his attention to Eli, he held out his hands.
The little boy leaned toward him. "Daddy."
Jack took him from Elizabeth. "Sorry I scared you, buddy." He kissed his cheek. "I'm just so happy today. Maybe we should celebrate." He bounced Eli on his hip, making the little boy giggle. "What do you think? Should we all go to the café for dinner tonight? I think you and mama and your brother deserve some pie."
"Yeah," he said quietly.
"By the way, where is your brother?"
"He didn't want to get up from his nap yet, so he's still upstairs."
"Did he have a rough night? I didn't hear him wake up."
She shrugged. "I didn't hear him, either, but his blankets were all over the floor this morning, so he may have been tossing and turning a bit."
"Poor guy."
She touched his arm. "Do you have to go back to work for the rest of the day?"
"Oh." He chuckled. "Probably. I told Bill I was going to run home to tell you the news, but I'm sure he's expecting me back. I still have some paperwork to finish up."
"Don't forget I have an appointment with Faith this afternoon."
"I know." He passed Elias back to her, kissing her on the cheek. "Just bring the boys to the jail, and then we can head over to the café for dinner after."
Elizabeth smiled. "It's a date. I love you, Jack."
...
Faith took a seat beside the bed where Elizabeth was reclining. "So, just a few more weeks to go. How are you feeling?"
"Mostly excited, but a little nervous." She rubbed her belly. "I know this baby is okay, because he's still moving around a lot, but I'm worried that I'm going to be overwhelmed by the memories of last time once I go into labor."
"We'll just take everything one step at a time. If the memories start creeping in, we'll figure out how to deal with them. Jack and I will be there for you, whatever you need."
She gave a timid nod. "Okay."
"Now, let's do a quick check on you and this baby and get you back to your family."
Faith got out her stethoscope, placing it against Elizabeth's chest and back as she instructed her to breathe deeply. After checking her blood pressure, she turned her attention to the baby.
She gently felt around Elizabeth's stomach. "The baby's head is down, so we'll hope he doesn't turn around before it's time for him to come."
"What if he does turn?"
"If that happens—which it's unlikely this close to delivery—we can try to turn him back around, or we can deliver him breech. Either way, he'll be fine." She placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "I know you've been through this all before, but there are a lot of things about birth that can't be controlled. We just have to do our best to make sure you and the baby are safe and healthy."
"Okay." She nodded, trying to convince herself that all would be well.
"Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"
"Yes, please."
Faith maneuvered the stethoscope around her stomach until she detected the heartbeat before passing the instrument over to Elizabeth.
A smile played on her lips as she heard the muffled thumping. "It's so fast."
"The heart rate is exactly what we want it to be. If you'd like, you can keep listening while I take a few measurements. Then, I just need to do a little examination to make sure you're ready for the birth."
A few minutes later, Faith placed her instruments to the side, and Elizabeth sat up.
"Well, everything looks great. You're dilated a bit already, but that's not abnormal this close to your due date. Chances are, this baby still has a few more weeks before he'll be ready to come out."
"So you don't think he'll come early? Because Jack has to go out of town soon, and I'm worried about him leaving so close to when the baby is due."
"It's hard to say for sure, but I'm not seeing anything that indicates early labor for you. But if anything changes, don't hesitate to come see me."
"Thank you, Faith."
...
Jack smiled when Elizabeth came into the café. "There she is."
"Hi, mama!" Maxwell climbed down from his chair, running over to her.
"Hi, sweet boy. Have you and Eli been having fun with daddy?"
"Uh huh." He nodded. "We eat now?"
"Yes." She chuckled. "We can eat now." She followed Maxwell to the table, smiling as Jack stood to pull out her chair for her. "Thank you, Jack."
"How's the baby?"
"Doing great. Faith said everything looks really good, and we should be ready to meet this little one in a few weeks."
"That's wonderful. And speaking of babies," he pulled out an envelope, "we got a letter from Julie and Tom. I bet Julie had the baby."
"Why didn't you open it?" She slipped her finger under the flap, opening the envelope and removing the papers from within.
"I was waiting for you." He rested his elbows on the table. "What does it say?"
"We have a niece." She smiled at Maxwell and Eli. "You boys have a little cousin. Her name is Rachel Alexandra."
"When was she born?"
Elizabeth scanned the page, looking for the information. "The fourteenth, around noon."
"So she's a Valentine's baby."
"I'm so happy for them." She glanced back at the papers. "Oh. Apparently, my parents are talking about coming out this way for a visit. They'd spend a few weeks with Julie and Tom, and then come here when our baby is born."
"That would be nice. Maybe we can talk to Tom and Julie about having Rachel baptized at the same time as our baby."
"Good idea. Let's see if your mom can get away for a little while, too. We have plenty of space for everyone to stay."
"I'll send her a letter first thing tomorrow." He reached over to poke Maxwell in the side. "What do you think, Maxwell, Eli? Do you boys want your grandparents to come visit?"
"Yeah," Maxwell answered. "Daddy, I hungry."
He laughed. "Okay. Let's go see what Aunt Abigail has to offer."
...
A grin lit up Jack's face as he felt the baby's foot push against his hand. "He's really moving around in there today."
"Mhmm." Elizabeth nodded. "You still think it's another boy?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I'll be happy either way, but something tells me it's a boy."
"To be completely honest, I'm kind of hoping it's another boy. I just," she sighed, "after losing Marjorie, I don't know that I'm ready for a daughter."
Jack's face grew serious, and he took her hand in his. "Why haven't you mentioned this before?"
"I guess because it just seems silly for me to feel this way. I'm grateful that we're having another baby, and of course, I'll love this baby, boy or girl, but I don't know. And I thought that maybe I'd feel differently by the end of the pregnancy, but it hasn't happened."
"Hey." He touched her cheek. "Losing Marjorie was hard. You're allowed to feel that way."
"You don't think I'm crazy?"
"Of course not."
She put her hands on her stomach. "I suppose I shouldn't borrow trouble. After all, you could be right and it could be another boy."
"Well, we'll find out in just a few weeks." He touched her cheek. "Are you ready to be outnumbered?"
"Not really. But we'll figure it out."
"We always do. But now," he sighed, "I need to go pack."
"Are you sure you have to go?"
"I won't be gone long. This case is pretty cut and dry. Hughes and his men will be behind bars for a very long time. He's not going to get you, or Maxwell, or Eli." He smiled, returning his hands to her stomach. "Or little Jimmy."
She laughed. "I thought we decided against naming the baby James if it's a boy."
"We did. I just like having something to call him, other than 'the baby.'"
"Well then you should call him by the name we actually chose."
He narrowed his eyes. "You mean the name you chose."
"You liked Theodore!"
"I'm kidding." He chuckled. "If this is another boy, I am fully on board with naming him Theodore. We do need to settle on a girl's name, though."
"Why don't we think about it and talk more when you get home?"
"Okay." He leaned in to kiss her. "Now I really need to start packing. The sooner I head out, the sooner I'll be back here with you and the boys."
...
Elizabeth waddled into the back room of the café and was greeted immediately by a shout of "mama!" from Maxwell. She smiled, putting a hand on his back when he ran over and hugged her legs. "Hi, sweet boy. Did you and Eli have fun with Aunt Abigail today?"
"Yeah. We go home?"
"Yes. We'll go home soon." She took his hand and made her way to the sofa, taking a seat.
Elias wandered over, climbing up beside her and wordlessly leaning into her side.
"Hi, Eli." She ran her fingers through his hair.
Abigail came through the curtain that separated the dining room and kitchen. "Hi, Elizabeth." She smiled at her friend. "The boys were great today."
"Thank you again for watching them."
"You're welcome. I love having them here, especially now that they're old enough to help out in the kitchen," she joked.
Maxwell giggled. "We ate cookies!"
"You did?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "I hope it didn't spoil your appetite for dinner."
Abigail chuckled. "They had half a cookie each, after they had finished their lunch."
"Good."
"Elizabeth, are you sure you three don't want to stay here until Jack gets home?"
"Thank you for the offer, but we're just fine out at the house. Besides, we have Wolf to alert us if anything is amiss."
"Okay," she relented. "I just worry about you being away from town when you're so close to your due date."
Elizabeth put a hand on her belly, rubbing gently where the baby kicked. "Faith said it's unlikely this baby will be born early, and Jack is supposed to be home in just a few days. He sent a telegram today that he should be home by the end of the week at the latest."
"Well, I might check in on you until he gets back."
She smiled. "I expect nothing less."
...
Wolf let out a low bark at the shape creeping toward the house.
"Shh, girl. It's just me." Jack came onto the porch, giving the dog a scratch between the ears. "Have you been keeping watch? Good girl."
Assured they were safe with their faithful watchdog, Jack entered the house.
"Elizabeth?" He whispered, closing the front door behind him. He quietly tiptoed through the house, not wanting to startle her.
It was early morning, still dark outside; he didn't expect her to be awake yet. He had ridden all night to get home to her, not wanting to be away for longer than necessary.
When he climbed the stairs, he was surprised to see their bedroom door open, dim light streaming into the hallway.
"Elizabeth? It's me." He padded into the room, finding her standing at the foot of the bed, hands gripping the footboard. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
She blew out a breath, looking up at him. "The baby's coming."
"Two weeks early?"
She nodded. "Apparently. I started having contractions just after midnight. My water broke about an hour ago."
He rubbed her back. "Why didn't you go get somebody to help?"
She relaxed her grip on the bed. "I couldn't leave the boys alone. Can you go get Faith?"
"You're sure you'll be okay? I don't know if I should leave you."
"Unless you want to be the only one here to help me deliver this baby, please go get her. I'll be fine. Hurry, please." She groaned as another contraction seized her.
"Elizabeth…"
"Jack." She glared at him. "Go."
She paced the hallway after he finally agreed to leave, peering into the boys' room, where Maxwell and Elias were still sleeping soundly, completely unaware of what was happening across the hall.
She returned to the bedroom, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, trying to relax while she could. She had run a whole gamut of emotions over the previous five hours. Shock when she was awakened with the pain of her first contraction, hope at the thought of meeting her newest child very soon, fear when she realized she was alone with no way to get help, joy when she saw Jack arrive.
Now, she prayed he would make it back with Faith before things progressed further. Her contractions were quickly growing closer together, and the urge to push was growing stronger.
"God, please don't make me deliver this baby alone."
...
"Elizabeth?" Jack appeared in the bedroom again, breathless, as though he had run the entire way home. Elizabeth was down on all fours on the bed, her jaw clenched. "I ran into Bill before I got to town. He said he'd get Faith and send her over."
"She isn't going to make it in time."
"What do you mean?"
She rolled onto her side, breathing deeply while she waited for the next contraction. "This baby is coming right now. I have to push."
"Oh. Uh." His eyes widened. "So what…what can I do?" He looked around the room, feeling helpless.
"Get a blanket."
The next few minutes passed in a blur. Jack retrieved a blanket and stood at Elizabeth's feet, encouraging her as she pushed, wishing he could take away her pain. Having given birth before, Elizabeth knew just what to do, and it wasn't long before the baby's head emerged, followed quickly by the rest of his body.
Jack let out something between a laugh and a cry as the baby slipped into his hands. "It's a boy." He held up the wailing infant. "We have another son."
Elizabeth held out her arms. "Let me see him."
Jack lowered the baby to her chest, covering him with the blanket. She immediately wrapped her arms around him. "He's beautiful, sweetheart. And he certainly sounds like he has a healthy pair of lungs on him."
"He's alive," she breathed, stroking the baby's cheek. "Hi, Theodore."
Jack crouched down so he could look into the baby's face. "Welcome to the world, son."
...
Jack hurried downstairs when he heard Wolf barking. Opening the door, he saw Faith dismounting Bill's horse.
"Jack." She came through the door, bag in hand. "How is she?"
He updated her as they headed upstairs. "Well, everything started progressing really quickly after I got back here, and now we have another son. It all seemed to go well, as far as I know. He was born about ten minutes ago."
Faith smiled when she entered the bedroom and found Elizabeth cradling the baby against her chest. "Well, hello there. Jack told me there's another Thornton boy in the world."
"This is Theodore Thomas Thornton." A dreamy smile played on Elizabeth's lips as she looked down at her newest son, his lips pursed as squinted up at her.
"Do you mind if I do a little checkup on him? I'll make it quick."
Sighing, Elizabeth handed the baby over to Faith, watching as she gave him a quick once over before weighing him and checking his heart and lungs.
"He looks perfect, Elizabeth." She passed the baby back to his mother. "Now, let's check on you, and then see if we can get this little guy to eat."
An hour and a half later, Faith left after giving both Elizabeth and baby Theodore clean bills of health. Elizabeth and Jack had sat side by side, arguing about who the baby looked most like—Elizabeth insisted he looked like Jack, while Jack assured her that her features were present in the infant's face—until Maxwell and Eli started shifting around across the hall.
"Is Theodore ready to meet his brothers?"
Elizabeth looked up at Jack's voice. He stood in the doorway, Maxwell and Elias standing on either side of him.
"Come here." She grinned, waving the boys into the room. "Come meet your baby brother."
Maxwell eagerly climbed onto the bed, while Eli waited for Jack to help him up. They crowded around Elizabeth, trying to get a glimpse of the bundle in her arms.
"Boys, this is your brother, Theodore."
Maxwell smiled, touching the baby's hand, "hi, brother."