Nathan slowly came to consciousness as the first rays of morning sun hit his face. He shifted a little, aware that something was different from his usual waking. His eyes opened, taking in the room that was so different and yet similar to his. Blinking, he became aware of Elizabeth next to him, and it all came back in a rush.

They were married.

A grin crossed his face, and he watched her sleep for a few moments. It felt so intimate to be able to just gaze at her as she was dreaming. His arms were wrapped around her, and her head was resting on his shoulder. Nathan thought he would be happy to stay like this forever.

Elizabeth's eyelids began to flutter. Nathan pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, coaxing her into wakefulness. She buried her face in his shoulder, shaking her head. "Mmm. Five more minutes."

Nathan chuckled lightly. "I didn't realize you weren't a morning person, Elizabeth."

His voice caused her eyes to pop open, and she looked up at him from her spot on his shoulder. A shy smile spread over her face, but she didn't move. "Good morning." She snuggled closer to him. "What time is it?"

"I'm not sure, but the sun is coming up," Nathan said, letting himself run his hand through Elizabeth's hair, smoothing her curls. She sighed, turning her head to press kisses to his neck as her fingers toyed with the buttons on his nightshirt. Suddenly she started laughing, burying her face in his neck.

"What?" Nathan asked, feeling slightly bewildered at how quickly she had gone from intimacy to hilarity. Still laughing, she touched his buttons again. "You even have the first few buttons on your nightshirt undone!"

Nathan felt a smile lift his lips. "We've established that I don't like my shirts buttoned up all the way."

Elizabeth wiped her eyes, grinning at him. "I think it's adorable. And so you."

"Oh, do you?" Nathan said, impulsively tickling her ribs. Elizabeth squealed and giggled, the sound music to Nathan's ears. He couldn't resist leaning over and kissing her, moving from playful to intense in a matter of seconds. By the time he pulled back, his heart was beating much faster and he took a few deep breaths to calm it. Elizabeth smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you," she said softly, her hands playing with the hair at the base of his neck.

"I love you too," he whispered, cupping her cheek in his hand. "So very much."

Elizabeth pulled his head down to kiss him once more, then let go with a sigh. "I suppose we should be getting up," she said.

Nathan settled her back in his arms. "Should we?" he asked lazily. "I don't think there's a rule saying we have to be up by a certain time." He grinned at her. "And I'm pretty comfortable being right here with you. In fact, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

"Maybe a few more minutes," Elizabeth said, snuggling against him once again. They were quiet for a few moments, just resting in each other's presence. Then Elizabeth spoke again. "Allie said something interesting to me at the reception yesterday."

"Oh? What's that?" Nathan asked. He couldn't remember ever feeling so relaxed as he did in this moment with Elizabeth laying in his arms.

"She asked if we were going to have kids."

Nathan blinked. He'd always just assumed that he and Elizabeth would have children together, but as he thought about it, he realized something. "We've never talked about that, have we?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I kept meaning to bring it up, but I figured since our wedding wasn't until Christmas, we had plenty of time. Then with the wedding being moved up, I forgot to ask how you felt about having kids."

Nathan ran a finger down her cheek. "I want as many kids as we're blessed with," he said, meaning every word. "It doesn't matter to me if we have one or a dozen. I just know I want to have children with you." He felt a sudden flash of vulnerability. "If that's what you want."

"It is," Elizabeth said immediately, looking deeply into his eyes. "I want to have your children, Nathan. However many we have will make me happy."

A rush of joy filled him. "So you don't have a set number in mind?" Nathan asked with a smile. "I've heard some women have very specific ideas about that."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I always thought it would be fun to have a big family," she said. "But I would also be happy with a smaller family." She laughed. "Although, we already have two children between us. We've got a head start." She went quiet again, and Nathan could tell she was thinking, so he simply held her and let her gather her thoughts. When she did speak, it was slow and deliberate. "Do you care if it takes a while? Or do you want kids right away?"

"It doesn't matter to me," Nathan said. "I'd be happy either way."

"I kind of think it would be nice to have a little time before welcoming a baby," Elizabeth mused. "I conceived Jack very quickly, and then I was going through that pregnancy on my own. It might be nice to have some time for you and me to get used to being married, and to get used to raising Jack and Allie together before we have one of our own."

Nathan nodded. "That's fine with me. We can take this slo-"

Elizabeth clamped a hand over his mouth. "Don't say it!" she said, a twinkle in her eyes and a mock serious look on her face. "If you say it, the chances that I conceived your child last night go up astronomically."

Though she said it in jest, Nathan's eyes widened at the thought. And though they had just said they wanted to wait a little while, he couldn't help picturing her carrying a baby. Their baby. His hand went to her stomach, and he felt a little awed. "Is that even possible? That fast?"

Elizabeth was watching him, a tender smile on her face. "Yes, Nathan. It's possible."

"A baby," he said in amazement. "Our baby." The wonder of it coursed through him, and he found himself suddenly hoping that Elizabeth was indeed already pregnant with their first child. He blinked, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. You just said you were hoping to wait, and here I am picturing you with a baby."

Elizabeth kissed him gently. "I said it might be nice to wait," she said. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't be thrilled if in a couple months we find out we're having a baby." She winked. "Just please don't say anything about 'taking it slow', okay?"

Nathan laughed. "Deal." Kissing her one more time, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked, sliding his feet into his house slippers.

Elizabeth propped herself up, her nightgown poofing around her lightly as she moved. "You're going to cook?" she asked, raising a brow. "I thought I'd make you breakfast this morning."

Nathan walked around the bed, then took Elizabeth's hand and helped her up. "Why don't we cook together, then?" he asked.

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked, following him out of the room.

"Yes, really," Nathan said with a laugh. "It'll be fun. What should we make?"

"I've been really craving biscuits and gravy," Elizabeth admitted. "But I don't have the first clue how to make them. How about eggs, bacon, and pancakes?"

Nathan grinned. "It turns out I do know how to make biscuits and gravy," he said.

Elizabeth stared at him, mouth hanging open. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," Nathan said, chuckling. "That was the one thing I got really good at making because it was my mother's favorite breakfast. She even said mine got to be as good as hers."

"Oh, this I've got to see," Elizabeth said, grinning at him. "You make those, and I'll make some eggs and a fruit salad."

"Perfect," Nathan said. They moved around the kitchen in perfect harmony, cooking and laughing together. They had only been married a day, and already Nathan was having trouble remembering his life without Elizabeth. As the gravy cooked, he watched his wife scramble some eggs. She was so beautiful, inside and out. Nathan had to catch his breath as he watched her, and giving in to an impulse, he sidled up behind her, sliding his arms around her and resting his hands on her stomach. He started raining a trail of kisses down her cheek to her neck, and he felt her shiver in his arms. She glanced back with a mock stern look. "You're distracting me, Constable."

He smiled his crooked smile, his lips touching her cheek once more. "Have I told you yet today that I love you, my darling wife?"

Her stern look disappeared, and she turned in his arms. "Yes, you did. But one can never hear those words too much," she said, eyes glowing.

Nathan kissed her forehead, then gazed into her eyes. "I love you, Elizabeth Grant." He pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. "Now and always."

"And I love you," she said, returning his kiss. Waving her spatula in the air, she pushed him toward the stove. "Now, shouldn't you stir that pot? The gravy is about to boil over."

Nathan quickly stirred the gravy, bringing it back to a gentle simmer, then checked the biscuits in the oven. "Almost done," he announced.

Elizabeth covered the eggs to keep them warm, then started slicing fruit and placing it in a bowl. "Me too," she said. "This salad will come together quickly." Within five minutes, they were ready to eat. After saying grace, Elizabeth looked at the dish in front of her. She grinned at Nathan with a jaunt of her brows. "The moment of truth," she said dramatically, making him laugh. She took a bite of the biscuits and gravy, and her mouth dropped. Chewing quickly, she looked at Nathan wide-eyed. "These are the best biscuits and gravy I've ever had!"

He laughed. "I told you I learned from my mother. She's the best."

Elizabeth tilted her head. "About your mother. I'd love to meet her."

Nathan nodded slowly, thinking for a moment. "It's been a while since I've visited her," he said. "And she hasn't seen Allie since we came to Hope Valley." He smiled. "Maybe we could take a family trip to see her. She's too old and frail to travel, but she would love to meet you and see her granddaughter and her new grandson."

"I'd like that," Elizabeth said. "School lets out in a couple weeks. Maybe we could go after that."

A jolt of excitement went through Nathan at the thought of visiting his mother. It had been too long since they had seen each other, and he missed her. He also knew without a doubt that she was going to fall head over heels in love with Elizabeth and little Jack.

Just like he had.

He reached out and took Elizabeth's hand, holding it lightly. "I'll arrange the details," he said. "I have quite a bit of leave saved up. How does a two week trip sound?"

"Perfect," Elizabeth said. She smiled at him. "And you don't think your mother will mind us all being there?"

"Not at all," Nathan said. "She's going to be thrilled to have family surrounding her. She might be older, but her mind is sharp as ever, and she's going to just love you. You can count on that." He took a bite of his food, then glanced at her. "What about your family?"

A guarded look filled Elizabeth's eyes. "What about them?"

Nathan raised a brow. "When am I going to meet them?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Soon, Nathan. They weren't exactly...warmed up to the idea of us getting married. They still hadn't gotten over the fact that I was engaged to another Mountie. Julie was thrilled, of course, but my parents and Viola questioned my decision. I don't know if I'm ready to face that yet."

Nathan nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. What if they were to come here?"

Elizabeth laughed in surprise. "Julie would come in a heartbeat, but my parents wouldn't. My father only came because I was getting married to Jack. He's never been in Hope Valley otherwise." Her eyes took on a faraway look. "Which is too bad, because he was almost as down to earth as the other men in this town while he was here."

An idea started to form in Nathan's mind. He smiled to himself as Elizabeth changed the subject and they continued eating. As they started to plan out their day, he made a mental note to place a call to the Thatcher estate in Hamilton that afternoon.