A month passed, October making an appearance and the leaves changing colors to remind everyone that autumn had arrived. Genevieve settled into life in Hope Valley seamlessly. Bill kept a careful eye on her for the first two weeks at the cafe, but soon realized that she was a hard worker, an excellent cook, and a cheerful server. The people in town fell in love with her immediately, none more so than Hickam. Elizabeth had noticed he was at the cafe bright and early each morning before work, and she'd caught him staring at Genevieve with a look that could only be described as longing. She knew he hadn't asked her out yet, and she wondered what in the world he was waiting for.

Gowen Petroleum had struck oil quickly on Mr. Wolf's land, so much so that their company was suddenly doing better than ever. Robert's father was thrilled, and the extra money he received from his twenty percent allowed him to build a new house that was more convenient for his family of four.

Hickam had talked to Lucas, and Lucas had talked to Bill about paying off Genevieve's debt, allowing her to have a clean slate. Bill had readily agreed, and Genevieve was as yet unaware of the arrangement. When she received her paycheck next week, she would find out in a hurry. Elizabeth couldn't wait to see her reaction.

Fiona had asked Elizabeth to be her matron of honor at the wedding, which Elizabeth had readily agreed to. She had laughed when Nathan told her Lucas asked him to be the best man, teasing her husband about how she had known the two of them would become friends. Nathan had chuckled and wrapped her in an embrace, telling her how right she was.

Rosemary was now proudly sporting a baby bump. It was smaller than Elizabeth's, but it was obvious. At five months along, both women were starting to feel the back aches from carrying their babies, but neither one complained. It felt like a small price to pay to grow a new life in their wombs.

Elizabeth pressed a hand to her back as she walked into the house, trying to relieve some of the pressure. She was feeling unusually tired this afternoon, and she rolled her neck to alleviate some of the knots. She came to a halt when she saw Nathan in the living room, talking with Allie and Jack. "Nathan!" she exclaimed as he rose to give her a hello kiss. "What are you doing home?"

"Just taking a little break, and then I'm going back to the office," he said, smiling at her. "I thought I'd come say hi to the kiddos and see how you were doing." He studied her, noticing the circles under her eyes and her hand at her back. "Is your back hurting again?" he asked softly.

She nodded, but tried to wave away his concern. "It's alright," she said brightly. "It's a part of pregnancy...what are you doing?"

Nathan was guiding her to a chair as Allie and Jack built a tower out of blocks on the floor. "I am going to give my wife a backrub," he said, seating her on the chair and methodically beginning to knead her muscles.

Elizabeth let out an involuntary moan as Nathan's hands loosened the tight muscles in her back. "Where did you learn this?" she asked, closing her eyes as his hands moved over her back.

"Well, I am a Mountie," Nathan said in a serious voice, but Elizabeth could hear the smile on his face. "They do train us in massage therapy."

"Oh, really?" she said, laughing. "Somehow I doubt that."

Nathan continued to his massage, and Elizabeth let out a sharp hiss as he tackled a particularly tight muscle. Jack wandered over, putting a hand on her leg. "Mama hurt?" he asked, looking concerned.

Elizabeth shook her head, placing a kiss on his little cheek. "Mama's fine, baby. Go play with Allie."

"'Kay," he said, walking over to his big sister.

"Seriously, though," Elizabeth said when their son's attention was diverted, "how did you learn?"

"Colleen taught me," Nathan said. "She was really good at massage, and she taught me a little bit. She learned so she could work on our mom to alleviate some of her back pain."

"That's sweet," Elizabeth said. "I'm glad she taught you. This feels amazing." She winced as Nathan found another knot. "Though also painful."

Nathan chuckled. "This is good pain," he said. "It heals." He rubbed her back for another five minutes, then helped her stand. "You look exhausted," he said, leading her to their room and sitting her on the bed. "Why don't you take a nap?"

"A nap?" Elizabeth asked with a tired smile. "I can't nap. I need to watch Jack and Allie, and then get dinner ready…"

"Don't you worry about that," Nathan said. "I'll take Jack to work with me for the afternoon, and Allie already said she's going to play at Opal's. You focus on you and our little baby." He kissed her gently, then tucked her in.

Elizabeth smiled. "I haven't been tucked into bed since I was a child."

Nathan tapped her nose with his finger. "Consider yourself swaddled, my dear. Don't you leave this bed until you've had a nice long rest." He kissed her forehead, then quietly left the room. She heard him tell Jack he got to go to work with Daddy, and Jack shouted his approval. They left the house with Allie, and silence reigned. Elizabeth smiled sleepily, thankful for her husband and his caring ways…

She woke slowly a couple hours later, feeling much better. She could hear Nathan and the children, so she pushed the covers back and padded out of the room to find them.

All three of them were in the kitchen, where something delicious smelling came from the stove. Jack turned when he saw her, a giant grin on his face. "Hi, Mama!" he said loudly. "We making 'paghetti!"

Allie came over to give Elizabeth a hug. "Dad helped us make spaghetti and meatballs," she said. "And there's salad and breadsticks too."

Elizabeth teared up a little, touched at her family's thoughtfulness. "Thank you," she whispered, hugging her daughter closer, her eyes meeting Nathan's. "This means the world to me."

It was the little things like this that showed her how much Nathan loved her. Rubbing her back when he noticed she was sore. Letting her take a nap. Making dinner with the kids. She went to him, reaching up to give him a long, slow kiss. Allie shrieked and Jack giggled while Elizabeth held Nathan close and showed him with her kiss how much she loved him. When they pulled back, Elizabeth laughed as she took in Allie, who was standing with her hands over her eyes. Without pulling them away, she asked, "Are you done yet?"

Nathan ruffled Allie's hair. "For now," he said, winking at Elizabeth. He looped an arm around Allie's shoulder. "But no promises, Allie girl. I might start kissing your mother again before dinner starts."

Allie made a face. "Oh, gross!" she said, rolling her eyes. "I never want a boy to kiss me!"

Nathan raised his brows. "Promise?"

Elizabeth nudged him. "No you don't," she said with a chuckle. "One day in the not too distant future, Allie is going to develop a crush. Who knows, her first kiss might happen sooner than we think."

"Eww!" Allie squealed, wrinkling her nose, while Nathan looked aghast.

"First kiss? I don't think so. She's not allowed to kiss anyone until she's at least thirty," Nathan said emphatically.

"Kiss?" Jack asked, holding his arms out to Elizabeth. She swept him up and started showering kisses over his little face. "Lots of kisses for you, my sweet boy," she said, nuzzling his cheek. Elizabeth set him down, watching as he got back on his chair to help Allie stir spaghetti sauce. She felt tears form in her eyes and slowly slip down her cheeks.

"Sweetheart?" She felt Nathan at her side. He slid an arm around her, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

"He's going to be three in a couple months, Nathan," she whispered, watching Jack. "My baby boy is going to be three years old. He's not so little anymore. How can he be growing up this fast?"

She knew the tears were because of her pregnancy hormones, and Nathan must have known too. He simply wrapped her in his arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I know, Elizabeth," he whispered against her cheek. "I know."

She cried in his arms. Allie turned from the stove with a confused look on her face. "Mom,are you okay?" she asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm fine. The pregnancy is just making me more emotional than usual."

"Oh," Allie said, coming over to join in the hug. "It'll be okay, Mom. Whatever it is."

Elizabeth laughed. "Thank you, Allie," she said, leaning down to kiss her head. "I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, Mom," Allie said. She pointed to the table. "We're ready to eat. I'll serve the food. You and Dad go have a seat."

Elizabeth sat down, holding tightly to Nathan's hand. Jack climbed into the seat next to her, taking her other hand in his little one. Allie brought the food to the table, looking so grown up. Elizabeth felt surrounded by the love of her family, and the tears in her eyes turned to happy ones.

These were the moments that mattered most.

Nathan watched Carson and Faith walking down the street, arm in arm and whispering to each other. Their faces were animated and excited, making Nathan hide a smile. They claimed they were going to Benson Hills for a couple days to pick up medical supplies.

Everyone in town knew better. Carson and Faith were terrible liars.

They were about to elope. Everyone knew it, but everyone let them keep their cover story. The town was already in full planning mode to have a surprise celebration for the couple when they got back from their "medical supply run" trip.

Nathan chuckled as Carson helped Faith into the wagon before jumping up onto the seat beside her. Faith was radiant as Carson urged the horses into a walk. Both of them waved at Nathan as they drove past.

"Have a good trip!" Nathan called after them, grinning as they turned the corner. He doubted they even heard him; both of them were so wrapped up in each other and their imminent wedding.

He walked to the cafe, wanting to pick up some scones for Elizabeth. He entered through the kitchen door to find Genevieve in shock, staring at Bill by the stove. She didn't notice Nathan's entrance, but Bill gave him a greeting nod.

"There must be a mistake!" Genevieve exclaimed, looking from the check in her hands to Bill. "I'm only supposed to get a small percentage of my paycheck each week; this is a full week of pay."

"Yes, it is," Bill said, calmly flipping some pancakes.

"But...but how?" Genevieve asked, confusion wrinkling her brow. "You must have gotten this wrong."

Bill chuckled, placing the pancakes on a plate before turning to face her head on. "Your debt has been settled," he said matter-of-factly. "You have nothing left to pay back."

"Nothing left to…" Genevieve trailed off, shaking her head. "I calculated the cost. It was going to take a year for me to pay back what I'd stolen. It's impossible that it's paid back after a month!"

Bill took the plate of pancakes in one hand and leveled another calm look her way. "A benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, paid it for you. Your checks are now yours, free and clear." He nodded and then disappeared into the dining room to deliver the pancake breakfast.

Genevieve looked like she was about to faint. Nathan hurried over to her and gently led her to the settee, carefully helping her to sit. "Let me get you some water," he said, going over to the sink to pump some water into a cup. He came back and handed it to her, which she took with a faint "thank you."

Bill came back into the kitchen, and Genevieve looked at him. "Why?" she asked, only able to get out the one word.

"Because you're a part of Hope Valley now," Bill said, coming to sit next to her. "And in the short time you've been here, you have made an impression on the people of this town. We consider you to be one of us." He squeezed her hand. "Someone wanted you to be able to have a clean slate, a fresh start with nothing hanging over you."

"Was it you?" she asked in a whisper.

Bill smiled, shaking his head. "Not me. But that's all you're going to get out of me. Now," he said, standing and clearing his throat, not used to sentimentality. "Let's finish getting people their breakfasts."

Genevieve slowly smiled, then laughed. She stood, throwing her arms around Bill's neck. "Thank you for believing in me," she said, happy tears in her eyes.

He patted her back a little awkwardly, then pulled back. "Of course," he said gruffly. Genevieve wiped her eyes and returned to the stove, getting another batch of pancakes together. Bill glanced over at Nathan. "Was there something you wanted?" he asked.

"Yes, actually," Nathan said. "A three scone assortment, please. Elizabeth has been craving them lately, so I thought I'd bring her some before she goes to school."

Bill packaged up the scones, handing them to Nathan. "And how is Elizabeth doing?" he asked.

"Very well," Nathan said. "She's a little more emotional than usual lately, but that's to be expected."

Bill chuckled. "I'll say. At least she's not over the top. Lee was in here yesterday hiding from Rosemary for a few minutes. Apparently she was in a tizzy over him leaving his shoes by the door instead of on the shoe rack."

Nathan pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. "Poor Lee," he said, amused. Holding up the bag, he smiled. "Thanks for these, Bill. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Nathan."

Nathan walked home, thinking of Genevieve's reaction to essentially being pardoned. He knew Gowen Petroleum had paid her debt, Lucas agreeing to it after Hickam suggested it. Neither one of them wanted Genevieve to know it was them, so they had told Bill to keep it anonymous. Nathan knew Hickam had asked in part because he cared so much for Genevieve, but he also knew it was something that would have been suggested anyways. That's how things worked in Hope Valley. Neighbor cared for neighbor, intent on making their lives better.

Genevieve was surrounded by that care, and it made Nathan happy to see that she was slowly starting to trust her fellow townspeople and let down her walls.

He smiled to himself. He hoped the next wall she let down brought her and Hickam together. It was already obvious how perfect they were for each other.

"I have a surprise for you," Lucas said as he and Fiona walked back to her apartment arm in arm. They had just finished celebrating Faith and Carson's new marriage at the saloon. The Shepherds had been surprised at the surprise party, but they welcomed it happily. It was so obvious that they were over the moon about their marriage, and the entire town was happy to celebrate it with them. Fiona couldn't be happier for her friends, and she was glad that they had finally tied the knot.

"A surprise?" Fiona asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lucas. "What kind of surprise?"

"A gift," Lucas answered. "A gift that I think you'll like." He smiled. "I had a conversation with Robert the other day about gifts girls like, and then I noticed him watching Allie as she passed by with Elizabeth and Nathan. I think the young man is developing a crush."

"Uh oh," Fiona said with a laugh. "Has Nathan noticed that yet?"

"Nope," Lucas said, joining in her laughter. "And I, for one, can't wait to see how he reacts when he realizes someone likes his little girl." He led her up the stairs to her apartment, then reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a wrapped package. "For you," he said, holding it out to her.

Fiona felt as giddy as a child on Christmas morning. She giggled and carefully opened the paper, then gasped out loud as she took in the gift. Several hair combs lay there, each glittering with a different set of gems. Emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds blinked back at her. She looked up, eyes wide. "Are these real?" she asked in astonishment, already knowing the answer. They were shining too brightly in the soft light to be faux gems.

"They're real," Lucas said softly. "I noticed you like wearing combs in your hair when it's down, and I thought you might like these."

"I love them!" Fiona whispered, looking up into Lucas's eyes. "Though I don't think I've ever worn something so expensive in my life!"

Lucas smiled, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers. "You deserve it," he said. "And you might have noticed the oil company is doing exceedingly well lately."

Fiona laughed, nodding. "It sure has." She placed her free hand on his face. "Have I told you that I fell even more in love with you when I found out what you did for Genevieve?" she asked, her eyes soft. "I've always known you're a good man, Lucas, but that showed your character more than anything else has. You put up a lot of money for someone you hardly know, and you did it because you wanted a young woman to have a fresh start." Tears sparkled in her eyes. "That says a lot about the man you are."

In the dim light she couldn't be sure, but she thought a blush rose to his cheeks. "It wasn't my idea," he said, trying to deflect the praise. "I doubt I would have thought about it myself if Mike hadn't mentioned it first."

"That's not the point," Fiona said, looking deeply into his soulful eyes. "You did something for someone when you had no need to. You did it out of the kindness of your heart and at a loss to yourself financially." She placed the combs on the small table outside her door, then turned back to Lucas and wrapped her arms around him fully. "I love you so much," she said, "and I can't wait to marry you."

His arms slid around her, pulling her close, and he pressed his lips to hers in a kiss full of passion and love. When they pulled back, he pressed her head against his chest as they both caught their breath.

"I love you with all my heart, Fiona," Lucas said, his voice trembling. "I'm so thankful we found each other."

Fiona smiled against his chest. "Me too," she whispered. "Soulmates."

Lucas ran a hand through her hair, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Soulmates."