CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
"Leland Coulter, you are certainly going to have to step up your game. Just look at these earrings. I have never seen anything so beautiful! And Lee, they're a 'just because present!' And just how long has it been since you've given me a 'just because present?' It's been forever, I'll tell you how long it's been!"
And with that little tirade, Rosemary burst out crying!
"Rosie, you know that's not true!" and Lee took her in his arms, and started patting her softly on the back, but she was stiff as a board!
Over Rosemary's shoulders, Lee said, "Let's see, Elizabeth. Wow, Nathan, making it tough on us old husbands!"
"Sorry, Lee," mouthed Nathan.
"My Darling Rosie, after you shop, there's nothing left to buy you for a 'just because present.' I'd buy you a hundred 'just because presents' if you ever left anything for me to buy!"
"Men!" choked out an exasperated Rosemary, as she pulled herself away from Lee and started heaving and sobbing.
Nathan and Elizabeth looked at each other with expressions that clearly said, "Gracious! What do we do?"
"Now, you two know you're the perfect couple and probably the only example in Hope Valley that Bill and Tess would ever consider following! It's because of your love and expertise, we are hosting those very same two people for dinner tonight. This is never going to work between Bill and Tess unless you two kiss and make up."
As Nathan was speaking softly, yet firmly, he was taking Rosemary's arm and leading her back toward Lee, and Elizabeth was taking Lee's arm and leading him back toward Rosemary.
Rosemary and Lee stood there for a full two minutes staring at each other without saying a word.
Elizabeth broke the ice, "Lee, remember when Rosemary stayed by your bed around the clock because she was terrified of losing you and remember when she hosted your sister and helped get you two back together?"
"Rosemary, remember when you had the Chicken Pox, and Lee wouldn't leave your side. And remember last Sunday when you picked out the most glorious, most expensive sleigh on the lot, and Lee agreed to buy it for you?" For good measure, Nathan added, "And Lee's getting ready to build you your very own dream house, with everything you want in it!"
Elizabeth and Nathan waited patiently.
Rosemary was the first to finally break the couple's silence.
"Well, you and Nathan did buy us the sleigh I wanted..." she admitted in a rather persnickety voice.
"You were key in getting my sister and me back together, but Rosemary, you are my family, and you're all I'll ever need. No amount of money in the world would mean anything to me if I didn't have you. And you know I'll buy you anything you want, whenever you want it!"
Rosemary stood there like she was made of stone.
"Here, Rosemary, let's go upstairs and fix your face, Tess and Chuck will be in Hope Valley soon, and we need you and Lee to be at the Cafe in order to welcome them when they get there."
Somehow Elizabeth managed to get Rosemary upstairs but had to halfway push her for most of the way.
"Well, I suppose so...and Elizabeth, you know I'm not jealous over your gorgeous earrings. I'm just so mad at Lee. He's said the wrong thing every time he's opened his mouth since we went to Buxton. And he didn't even make it home for dinner last night."
"All I could do was cry. And Lee took his break...fast with him to the office this morning!" she wailed.
"Rosemary, you know Lee has to work late a lot, and you told me yourself that you don't even like breakfast that much."
"But, he's never done that before...well, maybe once or twice."
"My sweet Rosemary, you do know that Lee loves you more than life itself, don't you?"
She sniffed and nodded her head, but she had a huge frown on her face.
"Rosemary, are you feeling okay?"
"Uh, huh, I'm just tired, and I've not really been very hungry since we ate with Chuck and Tess at the Cafe."
"Rosemary, you and I are going to see Carson in the morning," and Elizabeth said that in her Teacher's voice, making sure Rosemary couldn't object. "Perhaps you're low on iron." But, from experience, Elizabeth knew this had nothing to do with iron, and everything to do with hormones!
"Here, let's get you cleaned up. Look at this dress, Rosemary! It's beautiful, and you'll feel like a million dollars in it! Let me help you out of the one you're wearing, and we'll get you changed into this one."
Downstairs, Lee was at a complete loss.
"Nathan, I don't know what to do. I haven't a clue!"
"Wish I knew more about the matter, Lee. But I'm afraid you're the one with the experience here. I would say this, from my experience with my Mother and Colleen, whatever she's wearing when she comes back down those stairs, needs to be the most beautiful dress you've ever seen her in. And it wouldn't hurt to mention how nice her hair looks. Mentioning something about her being the most beautiful woman in the world wouldn't hurt either!"
"Got it, if she doesn't bite my head off first!"
"Lee, my sister got manic, just like this, when she first became pregnant, could Rosemary possibly be pregnant?"
Lee's eyes got as big as saucers. And he plopped himself down. Nathan had to scoot the chair to catch him.
"Are you sure, Nathan?"
"No, I just know this is an exact repeat of a conversation Mother, and I had with Colleen before we knew she was pregnant. Come to think of it, the same type of thing happened with both her pregnancies!"
"Lee, look at me. Are you alright? Sit here. I'll go get you some water!"
"Here...sip it slowly," directed Nathan. "That's good. Nice and slow. Come on, Lee! You've got to pull yourself together before the Ladies come back down. It may not be that at all but sure looks like it to me. You can't say anything to her, though. I would hate to be wrong, and it would just kill her, Lee."
"Oh, I know, Nathan! She's wanted this for so long. We've wanted this for so long. How are we going to get her to go see Carson?"
"Lee, I'm sure Elizabeth is thinking the same thing as I am, and I'm sure she'll figure out how to get Rosemary over to Carson's. Everything's going to be okay. I promise, Lee. Just breathe."
"Nathan, Rosemary has her dramatic moments, but I've never seen anything like this! It started the day we got back from Buxton. She took a nap and woke up in a tirade. Of course, she didn't let the children know. She was herself again for our Dinner with Tess and Chuck, pouring on the charm. But boy, did I get it when we came back here and went to bed! I couldn't believe she was back to her normal self again when you stopped by the Office. But, boy, you should have seen her when we got home! I mean, it's been like Jekyll and Hyde around here!"
"Lee, I promise, if it's what we think it is, it will get a lot better soon!"
"In like nine months? Nathan, I can't last that long. I'll have to get me a room at the Saloon!"
Nathan couldn't help but let out a little laugh.
"No, Lee, it gets better long before that. You're not going to need a room at the Saloon. Maybe a shoulder to lean on, and you've already got that right here! Now, let's get you together. Remember, lots of loving compliments! And not a word about what we think it is, till we know for sure!"
"Got it!"
By some miracle, and thankfully, there had been a couple of prayers sent up by both Nathan and Elizabeth, Rosemary came down the stairs, acting and looking like Cinderella, ready for the time of her life at the Ball!
Lee let out a sigh and took Nathan's advice.
"Darling, I've never seen you in a more beautiful dress! Your hair looks perfectly gorgeous! Rosie, you do know you're the most exquisite woman in the whole wide world. I'm the luckiest man alive!"
Nathan touched his thumb to his index finger and raised his hand so Lee could see it.
Rosemary smiled lovingly at Lee and gave him a huge hug and kiss!
"Come, Lee, Darling. We mustn't be late for our guests!"
Nathan and Elizabeth were at Sargent's side in his stall while Chuck did a very thorough once over.
Nathan had paid Seth to be right by Sargent's side when he couldn't be there himself. Seth had spent the night with Sargent last night, giving Nathan a break, and was going to spend the night tonight, as he had told Nathan he really needed the extra money.
Since Sargent was definitely better and Nathan had trained Seth enough to know what to look for, Nathan felt comfortable to allow Seth to cover for him. But Seth was under strict instructions that if anything at all looked the slightest bit different, to immediately come and get Nathan, even if it was in the middle of the night.
Nathan was also concerned that Newton wasn't being ridden enough, but thankfully, Aaron and Gabe had filled in the slack and taken him out on rounds each day. Nathan missed his daily rounds, and especially riding Newton. But just a few more days, and hopefully, he'd be back in the saddle again.
"Nathan, how's his diet been?"
"Just like you told me, slow and easy. But Sargent's kept everything down, and he always wants more, no matter how much he's given."
"I think we're ready to give Sargent a clean bill of health."
"Does that mean I can start riding him again," asked Elizabeth excitedly.
"Yes, I think so. But only for short periods the rest of this week. By next Monday, he should be back to his regular rides. For now, you'll be able to tell when you should bring him back here. He's going to tire easily until he gets his stamina back. And that's a gradual thing. You'll see him get stronger each ride, and you'll actually feel it."
Elizabeth threw her arms around Sargent's neck, "Oh, Sargent, you're going to be okay! We get to ride again, Sargent. And I can't wait."
Sargent got a little restless and nestled into Elizabeth like he knew exactly what she was saying.
"This horse is officially ready to ride, and I think he's chomping at the bit. Remember, just take it easy. Start out with ten minutes and gradually add an extra five to ten minutes when you think he can handle it. As I said, you'll be able to tell. Sargent will let you know!"
"Chuck, we can't thank you enough. You must know what your coming here twice has meant to both Elizabeth and me. Thank you so very much, and I insist you send me the bill."
"Well, I don't like that part. Let's just say we're even, okay? Between us, I'm not sure what's going on, but I've never seen my Mother so excited about anything in a long time. She's even smiling at the ranch hands, and it's scaring them to death!"
The three of them laughed together.
"I'd say that's an excellent sign," smiled Elizabeth.
"I think you might just be right, Elizabeth. I hope tonight goes as well! But I must say, I've been a little puzzled. Mother's gotten a call both Monday and Tuesday night from a gentleman friend. At first, I thought it was Bill, but then I overheard her say "Goodnight, Harlow!" And she's had that same smile she had Sunday night when she was talking to Bill, both times she was on the phone with this Harlow. I can't figure it out."
"Do you know who Harlow is, Chuck?" asked Elizabeth thoughtfully.
"Haven't a clue, Elizabeth. Never heard the name before! But whoever it was, he sure made her awfully happy!"
"Well, at least it's a good thing the calls were happy ones, Chuck. We'd better get a move on for dinner and since both Elizabeth and Rosemary will be there, you can rest easy things will go fine. Although, we maybe should warn you, if Rosemary seems a little off, pay it no mind," assured Nathan.
"Let's just say, she's a little hormonal right now, and to be truthful, I am a little worried what might happen tonight!" admitted Elizabeth.
"Is she pregnant?" asked Chuck, ever the Vet, who had seen lots of hormonal animals.
"Well, we think so, but we don't officially know so, and Rosemary, herself, hasn't a clue. I'm taking her to our Doctor tomorrow morning, so we can find out something more definitive," answered Elizabeth. "I suggested she might be low in iron, just so I can get her there!"
"Poor Lee is getting the brunt of it!" added Nathan. "Just consider yourself warned, and if anything unusual happens tonight, you can explain it to Tess on the way home. Now, Bill has no idea as he hasn't seen Rosemary since our last dinner, which may prove interesting. Just consider yourself fully warned!"
"Duly noted," laughed Chuck. "I'm ready for another fabulous meal. I tell you, Ronnie's food grows worse and worse with every meal, in comparison to Bill's food!"
They all laughed and started on their walk to the Cafe. Chuck had already dropped Tess off there when they came into town. Chuck had let Nathan and Elizabeth know his Mother had insisted on that.
By the time they got to the Cafe, Bill and Tess were in deep conversation, and Rosemary and Lee were sitting close with their arms around each other, looking very happy.
Laura was staying with the children tonight, at Elizabeth's house, to give the adults a night out.
"There you three are, and it's about time! All my food's getting cold!" chastised Bill as he seemed to tear himself away from Tess's gaze.
"So sorry, Bill. But Chuck just gave Sargent a clean bill of health, so Elizabeth gets to start riding him again!" announced Nathan.
"That's great news! Now here, get yourselves seated, so I can start to serve you!" and by the tone of his voice, the three knew Bill meant business.
Chuck walked over to Rosemary to give her a quick kiss and gallantly complimented her.
"Rosemary, you look as lovely as ever! So nice to see you again. Lee, great to see you!" And Chuck firmly shook Lee's hand.
Rosemary beamed and Lee, well let's face it, Lee just looked relieved that Rosemary seemed her usual self again!
Nathan and Elizabeth went to welcome Tess, with both of them kissing her on the cheek.
Bill rushed out of his kitchen with a huge platter that held a beautiful Stuffed Pork Loin in the center, surrounded by stewed apples and cranberries. Clara followed him out, carrying Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce and a Yam Casserole that looked out of this world.
Bill went back into the kitchen and brought out a tray that held Pickled Vegetables, including Carrots, Cucumbers, Radishes, and Parsnips. These were displayed beautifully around a collection of delicious looking Herbed Deviled Eggs.
He then returned to the kitchen, once more, for his famous Yeast Rolls and Roasted Corn Salads for all.
"My goodness, I don't even have to taste anything to know, you've done it again, Bill. You've created another culinary delight for all of us!" complimented Tess.
Elizabeth glanced up at her and noticed there was something very different about Tess. In addition to the beautiful smile on her face, Tess was wearing a gorgeous antique lace blouse with pearl buttons and striking pearl earrings. Elizabeth couldn't remember ever seeing her in lace or in such dressy earrings. Both made Elizabeth smile, but then her smile turned into a tiny frown. '
'Had Tess done all this for Bill, or had she done it all for a different reason entirely, a reason that might have something to do with this Harlow person, whoever he is,' thought Elizabeth.
Nathan noticed Elizabeth being deep in thought, along with her smile followed by the tiny frown. Ever thoughtful, he gave Elizabeth a reassuring smile back while reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips.
Rosemary glanced over, and taking her Hostess role very seriously asked, "Nathan, will you please lead us in Prayer?"
Everyone joined hands and bowed their heads.
"Our Dear Heavenly Father, How can we ever begin to thank You for the many blessings You have given us this week? Blessings known and blessings unknown. We give our deepest thanks for the friends and family around this table, and for the food, Bill has lovingly prepared. We Pray You will bless our Fellowship together tonight. We thank You from the depths of our hearts for keeping Sargent safe, and we pray You will protect Chuck and Tess this evening as they return to their home. We pray that You keep Your mighty Hand on each and every one of us and that You will always give us the Wisdom to do what is right. In your Blessed Name, we pray. Amen!"
And everyone said a strong "Amen!"
Bill served Tess first, just as he had done before. She smiled up at him as he was doing so. And if you looked very closely, you might have caught the wink Bill gave her.
When he finished serving the others, it was clear that Tess was happy to have him back at her side, and they were deep in conversation in no time.
Rosemary kept the rest of the table's conversation going brilliantly, but to be honest, it would have done so anyway.
Everything just felt comfortable, and there was a lot of love represented around this table: a Mother's love, a Son's love, the love of a Husband and Wife, and the love of a brand new Couple who were newly courting. And though it was probably much too early to say, it certainly felt like something else was beginning to take seed at this table.
But after her conversation with Chuck, Elizabeth was more confused than ever as to what exactly that something was.
Whether this new relationship turned out as friendship or something more, it was going to be quite an extraordinary thing for all to see, and even more so given this new information.
Especially, if indeed, a new love was taking flight!
But unknown to both Elizabeth and Rosemary, the consummate matchmakers, love was definitely taking flight.
Just not exactly as they had planned.
In fact, it would be more accurate to say two loves were taking flight, instead of the single one they planned.
And if that were the case, how could anyone call that a matchmaking fail?
Perhaps the matchmakers were more successful than they knew...