Chapter 14—
Lucas had spent most of the morning getting Henry caught up on the new business procedures. As he left the office, he saw John walking his way from the livery.
"Well, hello cousin. The prodigal returns to Hope Valley," Lucas said with a smile as he gave John a hug. "Everything work out the way you had hoped?"
"Yes! You have time for lunch? I need to go see Lee this afternoon to place an order, but I'd love to go over everything with some fresh ears and see what you think of my ideas."
"Actually, I'm headed to the saloon right now to see my new manager. I think I can probably do lunch in about an hour. How does that sound?" Lucas asked.
"New manager? Hmmm. Can't wait to hear all about that. I'll just stretch my legs a bit and meet you in an hour."
"Sounds good," Lucas said as he continued to the saloon.
John decided to walk around town. He thought he might as well since he had some time to kill. He moved up to the walkway and just ahead he saw none other than the princess herself walking into the sheriff's office. He sped up and stood just outside the door acting nonchalant as he listened to the conversation inside.
"Well, hello Nathan! Good to see you again," Lucy said.
"Hi…Lucy. Have you met our judge, Bill Avery? Bill this is Lucy Jones. She has been in Hope Valley for a few days now."
Lucy put on a bright smile. "Nice to meet you Judge Avery," she said as she put her hand out.
Bill smiled and gently shook her hand. "Always nice to meet a beautiful young lady. Are you visiting? Or putting down some roots?"
"My original plan was for this to just be a short visit on my way through town. But I am so enjoying the people I have met since I've been here, I think I will stay a bit longer. Nathan here has been so kind. How long have you been here, Judge?"
John listened outside, curious if Lucy was interested in the constable.
"Oh, about 6 or 7 years now."
"So, tell me Judge Avery, is there a lot of crime here in Hope Valley? It seems like such a sweet little town.
"Actually, Nathan does a great job keeping the criminal element in its place," Bill replied.
"I'm sure he has a lot of help from you. Well, I'll let you gentlemen get back to work. It was nice meeting you Judge. See you later, Nathan," Lucy said with a bat of her eyes.
Bill looked at Nathan after Lucy left the office. "Pretty girl. Don't you think so?"
Nathan looked over at Bill, "Yeah. She is a cute girl. Bubbly personality."
"She seems to have taken a shine to you."
"What? Me? No. I just met her last night at the saloon. My affections lie elsewhere."
Bill smirked, "How's that working for you? I haven't seen any evidence of a romance going on."
Nathan laughed, "Not my best attribute. Perhaps they should have classes."
Bill cocked his head. "That's not a bad idea."
"What? What are you thinking?" Nathan asked.
###
John had rushed off before Lucy came out of the sheriff's office. The last thing he wanted was for her to catch him spying after what happened the other day. It certainly seemed she was flirting with the constable.
Did she like Nathan?
John hadn't seen where Lucy had gone as he had hidden until she got out of sight. Then he walked over to the mercantile. He took care of his order with Ned and saw it was time to go and have lunch with Lucas.
He entered the saloon and saw Fiona behind the bar. She looked wonderful- her bruises had faded and were barely visible. John believed she had feelings for him. He still had to figure out how to talk to her about it. But he was glad to see that she was healing.
"Hello, Ona. Long time no see."
Fiona smiled cheerfully, "Oh hi, Johnny! It's good to see you. I hope your trip was productive?"
"It was. I am now the proud owner of 20,000 acres of beautiful ranch land. I also have the option to buy more, depending on whether someone snaps it up before I have the opportunity. You are looking stunning as always. I am having lunch with Lucas. He said he had a meeting with his new manager, I was hoping to get a look at him," John said as he scanned the room.
"You're looking at her," Fiona said with a laugh.
"You're the new manager? That's awesome, Ona! I am so happy for you."
"I knew she was the best person for the job," Lucas said as he walked out of the kitchen. "Let's have a seat, John, and we can catch each other up."
They sat down and Fiona brought them each a beer, "It's on the house," she said with a smile and a wink.
"I already ordered you a steak, medium rare, just the way you like it," Lucas said to John.
"That sounds great, Cuz. I want to tell you all about my plans for the ranch, but before I do I want to run something past you. When we checked it out last week, we didn't take a close look at the buildings on the property. The last few days I have inspected the barn that the former owner built. It is only a few years old and in great shape. All the buildings are wired for electricity, including the barn. I was surprised to discover that."
"Sounds good so far. What did you want to run past me?"
"So, I'm inspecting this barn, and I thought to myself, wouldn't it be wonderful to have a barn dance out there on Christmas Eve?"
Lucas furrowed his brow. "A barn dance sounds good, but what about the weather? It has turned pretty cold lately."
"Well, I have an answer for that-surprisingly. I'm not sure why, but when the owner built the barn, they put in a couple of large stone fireplaces. I'm sure it was done on a whim. In fact, I'm not sure it was built with animals in mind at all, even though it certainly looks a barn on the outside. I guess the former owner was a bit eccentric, I mean, who puts a fireplace in a barn? Perhaps one day I can research the history of the former owner and find out why they built it that way.
"Anyway, I've checked the almanac and we may just have a mild Christmas this year. But even if not, we could warm up the barn for that day, as long as we are careful to put it out when we are done. And I was thinking we could have a large bonfire outside, and a hayride for the kids. Perhaps a few more fun things too. What do you think of all of that?" John leaned back and took a drink of his beer, waiting for Lucas to respond.
"It sounds like you have it all thought out, John. And with all the things I've had going on, I haven't had any time to devote to organizing a festival like we had last year. Activity planning must run in the family," Lucas said with a laugh.
"The property is only an hour away, and it would be fun for everyone. We could put up a sign in the mercantile and get volunteers to help run things. I think it could work."
"Me too. I'll run it past Elizabeth and see if she has any other ideas. And, of course, Rosemary will want in on the action," Lucas replied.
"Great! I was thinking Christmas Eve, so families could be together on Christmas Day."
"Perfect."
"Ok, enough of that for now. Let me tell you all about the ranch."
Their food came and they talked and ate, John's eyes lighting up when he discussed his plans. Lucas was happy for him and got excited just watching him. Lucas wasn't the same person as when he was a younger man, and he knew that ranching wasn't for him, but just hearing all of John's plans made him want to be at least a small part of it.
"It sounds like you have thought of everything, and already have a good start. How many men are you planning to hire?"
"I have already hired 5 and they start Monday. One is a cook. They will stay in the bunkhouse. Until I grow my herd, I think that will be sufficient."
Lucas nodded. "I will be happy to help in any way I can. Of course, my time is limited."
"I think I have this. But I will need help with planning this Christmas…extravaganza."
"Bill might be willing to do the food. I think a barbecue would be fitting for a barn dance," Lucas replied.
"I will ask him before I go back on Sunday."
They finished eating and parted ways, both men thinking of other things they could do for the Christmas get-together. Lucas went back to talk to Fiona and finish up some business.
John decided to go check on Outlaw. He had been a little feisty when he left him at the livery, and he wanted to make sure the horse had calmed. John had bought some sugar cubes at Ned's when he was in earlier.
He saw the groom in the corral, but not Outlaw. John was certain that he was still inside. Before he left him, he had asked the groom to put him in a stall to try to settle him down. John didn't want him hurting anyone.
When he entered the livery, he heard a woman's voice. He perused the area and located his horse. John was surprised to see Outlaw was much calmer than when he left him. What really surprised him was the reason Outlaw was so composed. There was a woman petting his face and talking to him. And not just any woman, it was Princess Lucy herself. She hadn't seen John yet, so he decided to lean against the wall and listen.
"You know, I think you just might be the most beautiful horse I've ever seen," Lucy was saying. "The groom said your name is Outlaw, but I'm not sure that name fits you. I wonder what you would name yourself if you could talk. You look more like a…King Arthur or a Lancelot. Wouldn't you prefer one of those?" Outlaw nodded his head as if he understood, bringing a laugh from Lucy.
John's heart clenched as he stood there watching. No longer was she the conceited, uppity, woman that he had met in the saloon. When she laughed, she was transformed into the most beautiful lady he had ever seen. He watched as she threw her head back in abandon, so amused at the horse's response.
John smiled and shook his head. He was stunned. Not only to see a woman talking to his horse, but at Outlaw's reaction to her. And at his own reaction to her if he was honest. John had never seen Outlaw be so calm with anyone other than himself. He watched as the horse seemed to listen to every word Lucy said. Perhaps she had cast a spell on Outlaw. John wasn't so sure that she wasn't a w…
"Well, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black," Lucy said, crossing her arms across her chest when she finally noticed John standing there.
"I beg your pardon?" John asked.
"The other day you accused me of eavesdropping and I just caught you doing exactly the same thing," Lucy accused.
"I just came to see my horse. I didn't want to interrupt your private conversation," John said sarcastically.
"I see. And which one of these old nags belongs to you?" Lucy asked, looking around the livery.
John slowly walked up to Outlaw, never losing eye contact with those enchanting green eyes. He removed a handful of sugar cubes from his pocket and held them out to Outlaw getting the desired response. Outlaw quickly ate them and laid his head on John's shoulder. John lovingly petted his face in response.
Lucy looked shocked. "There is no way a bartender could afford a horse like this."
"Careful Princess, your pretentiousness is showing."
"You don't know me. I am anything but pretentious."
"You certainly don't act like a genteel lady. More like a spoiled brat," John said.
"Well, you are no gentleman. You haven't even introduced yourself."
"John Davis, barkeep, at your service," John said with a melodramatic bow and a terrible accent.
Lucy shook her head in frustrated as she brushed past him and rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
John laughed and watched as she flounced out the door, then turned back to Outlaw. The horse let out a loud whinny, showing his teeth. John laughed as he rubbed the horse's neck. "You like her, don't you boy?" The horse nodded his head in answer.
John looked back at the door. "Much as I don't want to admit it, I'm starting to like her too."
###
Elizabeth decided to drop in at the library hoping to see Lucas before heading home. When she opened the door, he lifted his head from the book he was reading. Then he closed the book and stood. "Hello, my love. I hope you had a wonderful day."
Elizabeth's face beamed as she saw him. She shut the door behind her quickly and rushed over to wrap her arms around him. Laying her head on his chest, she exhaled. "I have wanted to do this all day," she said as she caressed his back. Lucas put one hand on the back of her head and wrapped the other arm around her. "I have missed you so much today," he whispered then leaned down to kiss the top of her head.
They stood there in one another's arms for a moment before Elizabeth leaned back. Lucas looked down locking eyes with her, then leaning down to kiss her softly. "I have something I want to talk to you about," he said as he pulled away, taking her hand and leading her to a chair at the desk. Then he took a seat across from her.
"What's going on?"
"John is back. I had lunch with him today and he told me all about his plans for the ranch."
"That's wonderful. I'm happy for him," Elizabeth responded.
"He may have solved our Christmas problem."
"Oh?"
"He mentioned how he would love for us to have a barn dance on Christmas Eve at his ranch. He sounded pretty excited about it," Lucas replied.
"Really? Wow, that is something different."
"He thought we could have a bonfire and a hayride, maybe some other activities. Perhaps we could get Bill to do the food. So, what do you think of all that?" Lucas asked.
"It all sounds very exciting. We would need a lot of volunteers I would think. I can talk to Rosemary tonight and see what she thinks about it. We only have a few weeks to get things all planned out," Elizabeth replied.
"I was hoping you would like the idea. And of course, I would love to escort you if we decide to do it."
"Well, I need to check my schedule and see if I'm busy," she teased.
"I hope you are free," Lucas teased back. "I would love to show you off," Lucas replied.
"Oh! I definitely need to talk to Rosemary. I will need a new dress. And I am sure many others will also. She is going to be very busy." Elizabeth stood and Lucas did also. "I need to get home so Laura can leave. Will I see you later?"
He walked around the desk and took her hand. "Try to keep me away," he said, then kissed the back of her hand.
Elizabeth walked out the door and saw Rosemary coming her way. "You are just the person I wanted to see. Are you headed home?"
"Yes, I am. Walk with me," Rosemary replied.
As they fell into step together, Elizabeth spoke. "So, John wants to have a barn dance on Christmas Eve at his ranch. I think it's a great idea." Elizabeth filled her friend in on all the details she had just discussed with Lucas.
Rosemary was thrilled, "Oh it just sounds wonderful! We were deliberating what to do for Christmas and now we know." She clapped her hands. "I know just the dress I will wear."
"I'm going to need something new…no, actually I want to wear that blue dress you made for me except I need a few alterations to fancy it up for dancing. I'm sure you will get several orders. It's three weeks away. Can the dress shop handle that on such short notice?"
"We will do what we can. But we need to come up with some more activities for this party."
They chatted all the way home, batting things off of each other. Elizabeth told Rosemary what she had in mind for her dress. They parted ways when they reached home, but decided they needed a planning party the next day at the saloon. Elizabeth would tell Lucas when she saw him later. Hopefully John would still be in town so he could attend. Rosemary was going to call several people this evening and see if they were available for the meeting.
Elizabeth started getting excited just thinking about something fun for the whole town. And she would get to be with Lucas which made it all the better.
###
Lucas left the library and headed back towards the saloon. "Lucas! Can I talk to you for a minute?" Nathan said as he walked in his direction.
"Of course. I'm headed to the saloon…"
"No, not at the saloon. Can we go to my office? We can talk in private."
Lucas nodded as he followed Nathan to the office. When they entered, Nathan shut the door. "Please, have a seat."
Lucas sat and Nathan leaned against the edge of the desk.
"What's this about, Nathan? You seem a bit anxious."
Nathan laughed nervously. "You might say that. I'll be honest, I never thought I would be asking you for a favor. Especially, not this kind of favor. It was Bill's idea…"
Lucas sat there patiently waiting.
"This was a bad idea. I mean, we aren't really friends," Nathan said.
"Nathan, I think we could be friends…in time. But it sounds like you need something from me. What's going on?"
Nathan took a deep breath. "I guess there is no easy way to say this. I need your help."
"What do you need my help with?"
"I need you to help me to romance Fiona."
Author's Note: I love the idea of Nathan asking for Lucas' help. Perhaps that will never happen on the show, but I'm exploring it. Hope you enjoy!
