Chapter 3- Family and Friends
"You two know each other?" Lucas asked, looking from one to the other.
John leaned in and kissed Fiona's cheek and said, "Ona and I are old friends," not taking his eyes off of her as he spoke.
"Ona! I haven't heard that name in so many years," Fiona said. "What were you…sixteen? When you and your family moved away?" Fiona asked, and John nodded. She then looked at Lucas. "I'm sorry, Lucas. Johnny and I grew up together in San Francisco. Until he moved away and broke my heart," she teased. "You look awful, Johnny. What happened? And what are you doing in Hope Valley?"
"It's a long story. One I will tell you over lunch tomorrow, if you will be my guest at the hotel," John said with a smile. "I promise I'll be a lot cleaner then. My cousin will take good care of me."
"Cousin?" Fiona inquired. "You two are cousins?" Fiona looked from one to the other and noticed some resemblance. "It is certainly a small world, isn't it?"
"Yes, isn't it," Lucas said with a laugh. "Let's go get you cleaned up, Johnny."
"I'll see you tomorrow Ona. You look great, as beautiful as ever," John said as he and Lucas began walking away.
Lucas smiled at Fiona as they continued toward the mercantile.
"Imagine that. I found an old friend and a cousin in the same small town," John said, shaking his head in disbelief.
John looked over and saw Lucas was distant. "I think we have a lot of catching up to do. By the look on your face, there must be a woman in your life. And it must not be going well," John stated.
Lucas looked over and gave a slight laugh. "You could always read me like a book. Here's the mercantile. You need to get you some clothes. Then I have to get to work while you clean up. There is a saloon below the hotel and Saturday is one of our busiest days. You can come down for a bit if you feel like it. Or just rest in your room. But yes, we have a lot to catch up on."
"I better get some rest this evening. I'm sure I will feel much better tomorrow. A saloon too? You are really moving up in the business world, cuz," John said proudly, slapping Lucas' shoulder.
"Wait untiI I tell you the rest of it," Lucas said as they entered the mercantile.
Lucas introduced John to Ned, asking Ned to make sure his cousin got back to the hotel all right, with his recent injuries. He then left them to get to work. It was good to have family in town. He would catch up with John later. A busy night was exactly what he needed to get his mind off of Elizabeth, at least for a little bit.
###
Nathan was just leaving the office when Bill came back.
"Well you look relieved, Bill. I guess you figured out who the stranger was," Nathan said.
"As a matter of fact, I did. His name is Jonathan and he just so happens to be Lucas' cousin," Bill responded, waiting to see Nathan's reaction at the update.
"So, now we have two Bouchards in Hope Valley?" Nathan sounded appalled at the news. Bill had to fight off a laugh.
"No. His last name isn't Bouchard, it's Davis. Seems like a nice guy. Remember those men that ambushed two people the last few days? Sounds like the same guys that took his horse and beat him up pretty badly coming out of Benson Hills a couple of days ago. You need to call the sheriff over there and let him know there's another victim. Also, they took his identification. Might try to use that in some way, so make sure you tell the sheriff to watch out for a Jonathan Davis," Bill thought for a moment to see if there was anything else he needed to tell Nathan before they both left for the day.
"I'll call over there right now," Nathan said, walking back into the office and picking up the phone. "Hopefully they can catch them before anyone else gets hurt," Nathan added before placing the call.
###
Elizabeth walked in to find Rosemary and Jack playing on the floor of Rosemary's living room. Her friend always looked so happy while playing with Jack that Elizabeth hoped she would be able to have children of her own. She knew that her next-door neighbors would make great parents. Maybe someday soon they would get the chance to prove it.
"There's Mama!" Rosemary said as Jack looked up at Elizabeth and smiled.
"I told you I wouldn't be long," Elizabeth said as she smiled at Jack then flopped down on the couch, getting Rosemary's attention. Her friend got up and sat down next to Elizabeth, placing her hand on Elizabeth's arm.
"By the look on your face I'm guessing you ran into someone in town that you didn't expect to," Rosemary said. "Lucas or Nathan?"
Elizabeth looked at her and frowned, "Lucas."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Rosemary asked.
"No. Yes," Elizabeth said. "Rosemary, he saw me hug Nathan. And it hurt him."
"Did he tell you that?" Rosemary questioned.
"No. We didn't get the chance to talk. I don't know what to say to him anyway. But I saw it in his eyes. He was coming in the library as I was going out. Just as we started to speak, Bill came in looking for him. Apparently, there was some man at the infirmary looking for Lucas," Elizabeth stated.
"Really! How intriguing! Do we know who it is?" Rosemary asked excitedly.
"No. I didn't want to leave you for too long, so I came home. And I didn't want to seem too nosy…" Elizabeth said with a shrug.
"Well, as we know, gossip spreads pretty fast around here," Rosemary said, just as her telephone rang. "Hello?" she said as she picked it up. "Oh, hello Florence," Rosemary said nodding her head and smiling at Elizabeth. "Is that so? …What do we know about him?...Really?...Oh, I see…Well, thank you Florence…Yes, we were wondering about the strange man…Talk to you later, goodbye."
Rosemary hung up the telephone, and slowly walked back to the couch, not saying a word.
"Well?!" Elizabeth said, feeling very anxious to hear all the news.
"You won't believe it," Rosemary said in dramatic tone. "Get this, apparently this strange man is Lucas' cousin! He's been looking for Lucas and got robbed near Benson Hills on his way here. He's lucky to be alive. Florence said he is very handsome. And surprisingly, he somehow knows Fiona too."
"Wow, really? So, Lucas has a cousin that knows Fiona. How interesting. I'm sure Lucas will like having family around," Elizabeth replied. "Thank you, Rosemary for watching Jack. Come on, little man. Let's get home and have some dinner. It's almost your bedtime."
Rosemary gave Jack a hug. "Okay, I will see you both at church in the morning. Have a good sleep Jack. We will talk more tomorrow about the new stranger in town. Perhaps he will be at church. Goodnight Elizabeth."
Elizabeth walked home with Jack, glad to be in for the night. She would put him to bed after dinner and spend some time thinking.
She had a lot of things to think about.
###
John had a bath and a shave and started to feel more like himself again. But, oh how his ribs hurt! And that bump on his head was quite sore. He was sure he would feel better after a good night's sleep on a soft bed. But first, he needed to get some food in his belly. Just as he had the thought, there was a knock on the door. When he opened it, there stood Lucas with a tray and some clothes over his arm.
"It's like you are reading my mind, cuz. I appreciate you bringing it up to me," John said, inviting Lucas in.
Lucas entered the room, setting the tray on the small table in the corner. "Well, I have to say, you look much better than you did earlier. Smell better too" Lucas said with a laugh. "You look like we still wear about the same size, so I brought you a change of clothes until you can get to Benson Hills. I see you found something to wear at the mercantile."
"Thank you, Lucas. I bet you are wondering why I was looking for you after not seeing each other for a few years. I know you need to get back to work, but I hope we get the chance to talk about it tomorrow," John said, taking the clothes from Lucas.
"Church is in the morning if you feel like going. Then I'm pretty sure you have lunch with Fiona. Let's plan to have dinner tomorrow. Sunday evenings are slow around here. And yes, I am very curious why you are here, but I am also glad that you are. Just leave the tray outside the door. Sleep well, cousin. See you tomorrow," Lucas said as he walked out the door and closed it behind him.
John walked over to the tray, smiled and looked at the closed door. "Fried chicken. I'm so glad my cousin loves me. I guess tomorrow we will see how much."
He sat down and enjoyed every bite.
###
The next morning Fiona grabbed her bag as she walked out her hotel door. "Oh shoot," she said to herself. "I forgot to read my letter last night. Oh, well, guess I will get to it tonight." She walked down the stairs and saw John smiling up at her.
"What a sight for sore eyes, Ona," he said, taking her hand and kissing it as she got to the bottom. "May I escort you to church this morning?"
Fiona smiled back at him, "Yes, of course you may."
They walked side by side, drawing attention as they went. Everyone was curious about the handsome stranger that Fiona was smiling at.
When they reached the church, Lucas greeted them outside the door. He had arrived a few minutes earlier, but hadn't entered the building yet. He reached out and shook John's hand, "Well cousin, you are looking more human this morning. Good to see you out and about. I didn't know if you would feel like coming this morning or I would have waited for you. Good morning Fiona." Fiona said good morning.
Nathan and Allie walked up about that time. Nathan nodded at Lucas and introduced himself to John, "Nathan Grant, Constable," he said as they shook hands.
"John Davis, nice to meet you Constable," John said with a bright smile. "And who is this beautiful young lady?" Allie stood there and stared, suddenly unable to speak.
"This is my niece, Allie," Nathan responded. "She isn't normally this shy."
"It is so nice to meet you Allie," John said, flashing another smile.
"Nice to meet you too," Allie finally managed to say quietly, her eyes wide.
Nathan turned and smiled at Fiona. "Good morning, Fiona. You look lovely today," Nathan hesitated then briefly looked at Lucas. "Bouchard," he said, not offering to shake his hand. Lucas just smiled at him.
"Thank you, Constable," Fiona said, a little embarrassed.
"If you will excuse us," Nathan said as he and Allie went inside to find a seat. Lucas, John and Fiona soon followed. "You'll have to tell me what that was about later," John leaned over and whispered to his cousin.
John was causing quite the stir from the congregation. Many people were looking at him and whispering to each other. Elizabeth spun around and briefly looked at John before turning her eyes upon Lucas. He met her gaze and held it, then smiled. She shyly smiled back, then turned back around in her seat, blushing. Then she felt someone's eyes on her, and turned to her left to see Nathan watching her from across the aisle. She tipped her chin in his direction, and he did the same.
It had been two days since she had hugged him in the street, and she still wasn't sure exactly why. She fidgeted in her seat, hoping anyone that noticed would think Little Jack was wiggling around.
Elizabeth was never so happy to see Pastor Zeke step up to the pulpit.
###
When church was over, everyone dispersed to the beautiful sunshine outside. Elizabeth just so happened to walk out next to John. As they reached the outdoors, he turned toward her, noticing her eyes on Lucas, walking in front of them. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure. John Davis, I'm Lucas' cousin. And you are?"
Elizabeth smiled. "Elizabeth Thornton. I'm the schoolteacher. And this is my son Jack. So nice to meet you."
"Always a pleasure to meet a beautiful lady. And a handsome young man. Perhaps we will get the chance to chat later, but I have a lunch date and I don't want to keep her waiting. Have a nice day Mrs. Thornton," John said as he tipped his chin with a smile and caught up with Fiona who had walked ahead.
Rosemary walked up to speak to Elizabeth. "Wow, he is handsome, isn't he?"
"Yes, quite. Charming too. And he seems to have eyes for our Fiona," Elizabeth responded as she watched them laughing together. "They do make a nice-looking couple."
Nathan had walked up, hearing Elizabeth's words and watched Fiona and John for a moment, wondering how they seemed to know each other. "Come on Uncle Nathan, I'm hungry," Allie said, grabbing his hand and pulling him away. He glanced at Elizabeth and then they went on their way.
###
Lucas heard the laughter and looked over at Fiona and John, enjoying their lunch. He was glad that John had shown up in Hope Valley. As he wiped the bar, he thought of the past, when he and John were young.
John and his parents lived in San Francisco most of John's childhood. His mother, Suzanne and Lucas' mother were sisters. Lucas didn't get to visit John very much when they lived there, but John came to visit him during the summer quite a few times. They were close in age, only a few months apart, John the oldest. Everything John ever did seemed to prosper- much like his father Mark- and everyone loved him. He was very outgoing, popular with the girls, great in sports and academics. Had a great mind for business. Lucas had tried to learn from watching his cousin, and was always excited when summertime rolled around so they could spend time together. He emulated John as much as possible and wanted to be just like him.
When John was 16, his parents decided they wanted to move to Montana and breed horses. Soon they were running a very prosperous horse ranch. John stayed and worked the ranch, never leaving his parents side over the years to start his own family. Lucas got to visit it a few times and loved the area, thinking perhaps he would move there one day. He had always loved horses and cattle and thought his head for business would do him well at running his own ranch. When he was about 20, he once mentioned it to his father who talked him out of it, preferring a more cultured lifestyle. So, Lucas never pursued it. And grew to love a more refined life along with its benefits.
Lucas traveled abroad a lot throughout his life but he returned to Montana 5 years ago after his aunt and uncle were killed in an accident. John was so distraught over the loss of his parents that he sold the ranch and left the state. That was the last time Lucas saw him until yesterday.
Lucas didn't know what John had been up to since that time. He was hoping they could catch up tonight at dinner.
He was still reminiscing when he heard a voice, "Well boss, here I am. Put me to work."
Lucas looked up and saw Albert standing there with his saddlebag in his hand. "Hello Albert. I'm glad you decided to take me up on my offer. Let's get you settled in a room, then I will show you the lay of the land," Lucas replied, leading Albert to the staircase.
His thoughts of the past would have to continue at a later time. He had an employee to train.
###
"I can't believe you did that!" Fiona laughed as John told the story. "But then again, that sounds like the Johnny Davis I know," she added.
"Well, I was double dog dared! You should have seen my dad's eyes when he saw me standing on the saddle as I rode in. First, I thought he was going to whip me. Then he burst out laughing. When I got down, he told me I better never tell my mother or there would be heck to pay. I never did tell her," John said, laughing.
"How old were you when that happened?" Fiona asked.
"Seventeen," John replied. "About a year after we left San Francisco."
"You know you broke my heart," Fiona said, smiling. "It took me a while to get over you leaving after we grew up together. Of course, you only had eyes for my older sister, Marie. You both used to yell at me for following you around. But I was a girl with a crush. I had silly little girl dreams of us marrying one day. Then you moved away."
"It wasn't like I had a choice. Besides, I had a lot of growing up to do before I could ever think of settling down…with anyone. As you see that still hasn't happened," John said, staring into her eyes. "You have only gotten more beautiful since I saw you last. You still take my breath away." John reached over and took her hand and squeezed it.
Fiona gave a slight laugh, "You always were a flatterer Johnny Davis. I could never believe a word you said."
John let go of her hand and chuckled. "I guess I haven't changed much. But I stand by my compliment. You always were the prettiest girl in the room."
"Next to my sister Marie, that is," Fiona said.
"How is she, by the way," John asked.
"Happily married with two children. Still living in San Francisco," Fiona responded.
"I'm happy for her," John replied, with a big smile to prove it.
Fiona was glad for the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend. She just had a feeling he wasn't planning on sticking around for long.
###
Lucas spent some time with Albert and found him to be a quick study. He would be very helpful around the saloon. Lucas wondered how much business sense he might have. With Albert's knowledge of oil, he might be better served to use him in the petroleum office. He would watch and see if he thought that was a good idea.
Lucas glanced over at John and Fiona, still sitting in the saloon and now drinking coffee. He couldn't help but wonder what John wanted to talk to him about at dinner. He left Albert in charge and grabbed his book to head to the library. When he ran into Elizabeth the day before, he was distracted and ended up grabbing the wrong book off the shelf. One he had already read. So, once again he spent his evening thinking about her. That wouldn't happen tonight.
Lucas watched the white clouds up in the blue sky as he walked to the library. When he entered, he noticed a few books that needed to be shelved. He carefully put them in their places, and turned when he heard the door open.
Elizabeth stood there with her arms loaded with books.
Lucas paused only for a second then walked over to take them from her.
"Thank you…Lucas. I didn't expect to see you here- again," she said uncertainly.
"I just came to get another book," Lucas replied. "I got the wrong one yesterday."
"I see. I was just bringing some back that I took home to read to Jack. I'll just be going."
"Elizabeth…" Lucas began, his dark eyes piercing through her blue ones.
"Lucas, we need to talk…soon. Can you give me a few days? I have some things to work through."
"Yes, of course…Elizabeth. Take all the time you need," Lucas said, then smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Thank you, Lucas. I just… I'll see you later," Elizabeth said then turned to leave.
Lucas watched her leave then began shelving the books he was holding. When he was finished, he walked over and took a book from the shelf, checking the title. He was glad tomorrow was Monday and he would be too busy to think. He only hoped the book would occupy his mind this evening instead of the beautiful woman that just left.
###
Fiona sat down in her chair, smiling to herself. She had enjoyed her day with Johnny. He hadn't changed much, more mature, still devastatingly handsome and charming.
She remembered the letter from her family that was in her purse and went to retrieve it. Sitting back down, she opened it and began to read. "Oh no," she said, her eyes widening with horror as she read.
She lay the letter on the desk, then stood up and paced. She picked it up once again, rereading part of it, then crushed it in her fist.
Tears filled her eyes as she once again sat down and spoke out loud to herself.
"Now what am I going to do?"
###
Lucas finished up his work when he saw John come back down the stairs. He motioned to Gustave that they were ready for dinner and went to join his cousin at a table.
"So, you finally have a little time for your cousin that you came to see," he teased, bringing a smile to John's face.
"Well, you know I am a sucker for a pretty face," John said. "It was good catching up with Fiona."
"It must be nice coming to a small town to not only find a cousin, but an old girlfriend as well," Lucas responded.
"Fiona was never my girlfriend, just a good friend. Besides, you are the reason I am here," John said seriously.
"Why exactly were you looking for me, John?" Lucas questioned.
John paused for a moment, then spoke, "I know you have built a life in Hope Valley, but as far as I can see you aren't in a relationship that would hold you here. And you may be wearing a three-piece suit, but I'm hoping that boy that loved the ranch is still in there somewhere." John hesitated, then spoke again.
"There's a cattle ranch for sale in Montana and I want you to come with me and help me run it."
