"Mom, how are we supposed to eat all this?" Nathan asked, staring at the mountain of breakfast food on the table.

Eva smiled at him, still holding Jack in her arms. She hadn't put him down since they'd arrived at the train station. "You've been traveling for hours, and I'm betting you haven't had a decent meal since breakfast yesterday. You must be hungry."

"I am!" Allie exclaimed, sniffing the air. "This smells delicious, Grandma!"

Jack clapped his hands in excitement. "Pancakes!" he said, his eyes shining. "Wuv pancakes!"

Eva chuckled, finally relinquishing her hold on Jack to sit him in a chair next to Allie. "Sit," she ordered Nathan and Elizabeth. She smiled happily. "Our first meal all together! I can't tell you how much I've missed having family around."

Nathan felt a twinge of guilt smite his heart. He wished he could have visited his mother more. He wished Allie could have grown up around her grandmother. He wished…

"Stop it, Nathan," Eva said gently. "I didn't say that to make you feel guilty. I was simply observing a fact."

Nathan drew in a breath and hugged his mother. She knew him well. "I know, Mom. But I'm sorry I haven't been around more."

She patted his back. "I know, son. But it's fine. I'm very happy here." She kissed his cheek, then pushed him toward a chair. "Now, eat!"

Nathan chuckled, sitting obediently in the chair next to Elizabeth. She smiled at him and leaned closer. "I like Eva," she said softly. "She reminds me of you."

"Does she?" Nathan asked, giving his mother a fond look. "That's what I would consider a high compliment. I always wanted to be like my mom." He smiled wryly. "She's a way better person than I could ever hope to be."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Don't sell yourself short, sweetheart."

"Alright," Eva announced from her place at the head of the table. "Let's pray and then eat." She said a short blessing over the food, then encouraged everyone to dig in. Nathan was transported back to his childhood years as the laughter and conversation flowed around the table. Even with all the uncertainty that had surrounded them regarding his father, Eva Grant had made sure that Nathan and Colleen knew they were loved and cared for. Nathan knew his father had hurt his mother deeply, but she never held on to bitterness. She continued to love.

That didn't mean she allowed herself to be a pushover or a doormat. Archie still didn't know where Eva was, and Nathan intended to keep it that way as long as his mother wanted. Though his relationship with his father had mended, he knew his mother wasn't yet in a place to see Archie again.

"So, Allie, tell me all about Hope Valley," Eva said with a twinkle in her eyes. "I want to know all about the town that you and your uncle love."

"He's my dad now," Allie announced with a huge grin. "Jack and I both call him Dad, and we call our mom Mom."

Eva smiled. "Is that so? I'm happy to hear it." She smoothed Allie's hair. "You're one big, happy family."

Allie nodded. "And hopefully they have a baby soon. I want a sister."

Elizabeth laughed in surprise. "I don't remember you mentioning that before, Allie."

Allie looked at her seriously. "I didn't know I wanted a sister until a few days ago. But Jack and I talked it over, and we both want a baby sister." She tilted her head. "How soon can we get one?"

Nathan and Elizabeth looked at each other, both trying not to laugh. "I'm not sure, Allie," Elizabeth answered. "These things take time."

"Hopefully not too much time!" Allie exclaimed around a mouthful of eggs. "I'm not getting any younger, you know."

That made all three adults laugh. Jack finished a pancake and then looked up at Elizabeth. "Want sister!" he said clearly. "Kafween!"

Allie nodded. "We decided her name should be Kathleen."

Nathan's brows rose. "Oh you did, did you?"

Allie and Jack nodded in unison.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Well, that settles it." She smiled at their children. "But what if the first baby to come along is a boy?"

Jack shook his head emphatically. "Girl!" he stated as if the matter was settled.

Eva laughed merrily. "Colleen was so convinced that you were a girl, Nathan," she said, amusement ringing in her voice. "It was the shock of her life when you came out a boy."

Nathan blinked. "I didn't know that!"

Eva nodded. "Oh yes. She was so sure she was getting a sister, she couldn't look at you for a full three days after you were born. But once she accepted the fact that she had gotten a brother, she fell in love with you."

Nathan laughed. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" He grinned at Allie. "Would you be okay with getting another brother if that's what happens?"

Allie shrugged. "Of course. But I still want a sister."

Elizabeth smiled, a light in her eyes. "I'd be happy with a boy or a girl."

Eva looked between Nathan and Elizabeth. "I don't suppose the two of you have something to share with the rest of us?"

Nathan blanked for a moment before realizing what his mother meant. "Mom!" he exclaimed. "We've only been married a little over three weeks! I think it might be a little soon to know something like that."

Eva smiled innocently. "I was just wondering. I love the idea of grandbabies. I'll have to come visit Hope Valley when you two do end up having a baby."

Elizabeth's eyes lit up again. "Oh, yes! You must visit us in Hope Valley, Eva. We would love to have you."

Nathan's heart leapt with happiness at the thought of his mother coming to visit them, though he knew she was too frail to travel much. "We would love to welcome you to our home," Nathan said gently. "And you could stay as long as you wanted. We're building a house on a beautiful piece of land. You would love it, Mom. It sits on a small lake and is surrounded by trees and forest. It's a good-sized house, and we will have a room with your name on it anytime you want to visit."

Eva's eyes teared up, and she patted Nathan's hand. "I would love to visit," she said softly. "The time would just have to be right."

Nathan studied his mother silently for a few minutes while she moved the conversation along with Elizabeth, Allie, and Jack. Her hair had turned completely white, and she looked every bit her age. She was more hunched over than Nathan remembered her being, and though it wasn't even 9:30 in the morning, she looked tired.

He hated that she was living on her own. As she and Elizabeth talked about the home that the Grant family was going to build, a thought began to take root in his mind. He mulled it over, thinking it might just be the solution they needed. He knew he would have to talk to Elizabeth about it first, and he determined to do that as soon as possible.

Maybe even tonight.

"Lucas, why all the secrecy?" Fiona asked with a giggle as he walked her through town with a blindfold on. She took cautious steps, but she was glad he was guiding her. She knew Lucas would never steer her wrong.

"Because I want to surprise you," he said. "And you have a tendency to guess what's going on before it happens. So this time, I'm not taking any chances."

It felt like they were walking for some time, and Fiona felt the ground under her feet change. "Are we walking on grass?" she asked.

"Maybe," Lucas said, chuckling. Soon he brought her to a stop. "Ready?" he asked.

"Absolutely," Fiona said, wondering what he had planned. Lucas untied her blindfold, and Fiona took in the scene in front of her with a gasp.

He had laid out a picnic blanket and basket, with rose petals scattered over the blanket. It was much simpler than his usual gestures, but Fiona found she liked this a lot. It somehow seemed more personal, more intimate. She squeezed his arm with a grateful smile. "This is perfect, Lucas."

He smiled, dipping his head. "I'm glad you like it. And I hope the food is to your liking as well."

Fiona laughed. "Gustav has never made something I don't like," she said. "I'm sure it's wonderful."

Lucas helped her sit, then settled himself beside her, an unusually vulnerable look on his face. Before Fiona could ask, he said, "Actually, Gustav didn't make the meal."

"Oh?" Fiona said. "Did you ask Bill to cook?"

"Um...not exactly."

Fiona tilted her head, studying him. "Not exactly?"

He cleared his throat, opening the picnic basket. "I made it. Bill gave me his fried chicken recipe, along with recipes for the sides."

Fiona's mouth dropped. She stared at Lucas, feeling a sudden well of appreciation. "You cooked for me?" she asked, tears springing quickly to her eyes. "No man's ever done that for me before."

That earned her a smile. "Don't get too excited," he cautioned. "Despite owning a saloon, I've never actually prepared a meal before."

Fiona peeked into the basket, taking in the fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. It was a downhome, comfort food meal. She couldn't wait to try it. "I'm sure you did a fine job," she said.

Lucas laughed out loud. "Cooking has never been my forte, obviously. But Bill seemed confident enough to let me use his kitchen, so I hope it isn't too bad." He started plating the food, then held one out to her. "Oh, and there's lemonade too," he said, producing a canteen and two cups from the basket. He poured her a glass, and she accepted it gratefully, taking a sip. "Mmm, this is wonderful. Did you make this too?"

"I did," he said, taking a sip himself. He smiled. "Not bad."

Fiona chuckled. "It's better than 'not bad,' Lucas, and you know it. This is delicious."

He shrugged modestly. "It's Bill's recipe. I simply followed directions."

"Then you are an excellent direction follower," Fiona teased. She took a bite of the fried chicken, and her eyes widened. "This is amazing as well!" She placed her chicken back on the plate and stared at Lucas. "And fried chicken is an art! It can go from perfect to burned in seconds...and this is perfect!" She eyed him. "You may very well have a gift for cooking, you know. I tried frying chicken exactly once, and ended up with a mangled mess. My house smelled like smoke for hours." She took another bite of the chicken and sighed. "This reminds me of my mom's fried chicken."

"Your mom liked to cook?" Lucas asked, digging into the food on his plate.

Fiona nodded. "With so many of us kids, she cooked enough food to feed an army, and she loved every minute of it. I think cooking us food was her love language. Anytime one of us was feeling down or hurt, she would make our favorite meal. Or our favorite dessert." She smiled, remembering the many times her mom had shown love through food. "I wish I had inherited her talent for cooking. But alas, that's not my gift."

"You have lots of gifts," Lucas said sincerely, giving her a heart-melting smile. "I've never seen someone with a head for business like you. You took to the oil company like a fish to water. That company would have gone under without you."

"It was a team effort," Fiona said softly. "You and Hickam had a lot to do with Gowen Petroleum staying afloat. All three of us kept it going." She smiled. "And now you've brought Henry back, and he's being quite the team player, isn't he?"

Lucas nodded, a look of relief on his face. "I'm very grateful for that," he said. "I wasn't sure how it would work out, but Henry has been invaluable. And I think he's glad to be back."

"Your relationship with him is mending, isn't it?" Fiona asked. "I can see that the two of you respect each other at a level that wasn't there before."

"I think so," Lucas said reflectively. "He's become open to everything being even between us, and that has led to mutual trust and respect. I'm glad he's on board."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Fiona marveled over the rest of the food; it was just as good as the chicken. She watched Lucas surreptitiously as she ate. He was constantly surprising her. He was so much more than the image he projected to the town. He was full of warmth and emotion and humor. And hidden talents. She could just imagine the conversation he had with Bill when he told him he wanted to learn to cook. The thought made her laugh, which got Lucas's attention.

"What?" he asked.

She smiled, placing a hand on his cheek. "I was just thinking that it's sweet you asked Bill how to cook. And then you made all this." She leaned forward, kissing his cheek. "Sometimes the little things are more meaningful than the big things. I think this just might be my favorite time with you yet."

He looked at her for several long moments. "You really mean that?"

She nodded, looking deeply into his eyes. "I really mean that." Lucas leaned toward her, giving her a kiss that started out tender and soon became full of passion. She was breathless when he finally pulled away. Cupping her cheek, he smiled tenderly. "You have know idea how much that means to me, Fiona. I've been so used to winning people's admiration and respect through grand gestures or wowing them. The fact that you see the real me and love me anyways means the world to me." He kissed her once more, then leaned back, his hand holding hers tightly. "I love you, Fiona Miller."

Smiling, she ran a hand gently through his hair. "And I love you, Lucas."