About a week later….

"This my bed, Dad?" Sammy asked Jack as he put the sheets on the bed.

"Yep, this one is yours, Sam. Do you like it?"

"Yes. Thank you. I too big for a baby bed." He was referring to his crib and he was certainly too big as he was almost four now.

"Yes, you are."

"Where Mama?"

"She is making cookies with Helen. Want to go see them?"

"Yes." Jack held out his hand and Sammy grabbed on, happy to finally have a home for good.

"Mama!" Sammy said as he attached himself to her leg.

"Hi, sweetheart. Did Dad get your bed all made?"

"Yes, big bed! Not baby bed."

"That's wonderful, Sammy."

Sam went to play with Helen in the living room, leaving Jack with Elizabeth.

Jack put his arm around her back and whispered, "You look beautiful."

She blushed and turned to hug him. "You're sweet."

"You smell like cookies," he told her, his lips kissing their way to just behind her ear.

His mouth found it's way to hers, completely distracting her. Then she smelled smoke a moment later.

"Oh gosh! The cookies!" He grinned, watching her pull the pan of almost burnt cookies out of the oven. "Scoot, husband. I never burn cookies. Just one kiss from you and they're ruined."

"I guess that's a compliment to my kisses."

"Mmhm. Now, scoot." She shooed him away from the kitchen but couldn't stop herself from smiling. Definitely a compliment to his kisses.

….

It was Saturday night and neither of them had to work the next day so they made a decision to all stay home for a family day on Sunday.

Therefore Saturday night was filled with baths and stories and the kids trying to delay bedtime as much as possible. Finally, they were both asleep and Elizabeth and Jack could concentrate on themselves.

As she walked into the living room, he turned. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Will you dance with me, Elizabeth?"

He held out his hand and she slipped her fingers into it, placing her other hand on his chest. Before she could ask about music and the lack of it, he pulled her closer and started singing softly in her ear.

As they swayed, she felt his love for her in his words and the touch of his hand on her back.

When he stopped singing and they stopped dancing, time stood still for a moment. "Jack, I'm nervous." She wasn't sure why. She had been married before so she wasn't a stranger to romantic feelings between a wife and her husband.

"We don't have to do this tonight. We can just go to sleep. Or if that makes you uncomfortable, I can sleep out here."

She shook her head and stepped closer, her hands resting on his strong arms.
"You don't make me uncomfortable, Jack. Let's just maybe drink some tea in our room and see what happens." He nodded and gave her a soft kiss.

"You go ahead and get ready for bed and I'll make the tea," he told her.

When he walked in ten minutes later, she had lit one lamp and now sat in bed against the headboard, her dark curls covering her shoulders. He gave her a cup of tea.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He walked to his side of the bed and set his cup down before changing in the shadows. When he slipped into bed, he seemed comfortable so that helped her with her nerves. He reached for her hand and held it on top of the covers. "Did I ever tell you what I thought when I saw you walking towards me at our wedding?"

She sipped her tea and then set the cup down on the table. "No."

"I thought that I had never seen anything so beautiful. You were like an angel, Elizabeth, and somehow, you were coming to marry me. To be Helen's mother." He raised her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on her knuckles. "We are so fortunate to have you in our lives and I love you very much."

"I love you too." She leaned toward him and gave him a kiss. "Thank you for being so patient and waiting for me to be ready, Jack. Not a lot of husbands would sleep in separate rooms from their new wife, let alone wait two months to be intimate."

"I'm not a lot of husbands, Elizabeth."

"I know you're not." She moved closer and leaned her head against his chest and listened to his heart.

"I was wrong though. What I said before. Walking in here and seeing you sitting there waiting for me….you were breathtaking. Somehow even more beautiful than on our wedding day." He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her, resolving to just hold her. That's all he would do until he was positive she was ready for more.

….

Elizabeth woke up in the middle of the night confused for a moment. She was warm, warmer than usual, but comfortable. Then she heard Jack take a deep breath in his sleep and she remembered.

What a wonderful, extremely patient man he was. He just held her, not pushing her to do anything more than that. Now, he slept, against her back, his lips resting on her shoulder.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Love you," he mumbled, kissing her shoulder.

Just a few months before, she would never have seen herself a mother of two children and a wife again. After losing Paul, she couldn't fathom it, but now, she couldn't fathom not being those things.

The next morning when she awoke, Jack was still asleep as he had been all night, right at her side. She slid out of his grasp, and carefully made her way out to the kitchen to make breakfast for her family. Looking in the icebox, they had some sausages and milk. That with the leftover biscuits on the counter she had everything she needed for a hearty meal of biscuits and gravy.

Jack came out a little while later and was greeted by both kids running full speed at him. Sammy jumping at him yelling, "Morning Daddy!" Helen not far behind yelling, "Dat! Dat!"

"Good morning, you two!" He hugged them and walked into the kitchen to Elizabeth. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he leaned in kissing her temple. "And good morning to you."

"Good morning." She blushed. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have in a long time. I love having you with me. How'd you sleep?"

"Wonderful." She turned to kiss him on the lips. "I made breakfast."

"I can see that. Smells amazing."

As soon as the food was ready, they all sat down and ate together before Jack headed off gather wood for the stove. This was their routine every morning for the next two weeks. They'd put the kids to bed at night, reading them stories, sometimes together, then after tea and reading themselves, they curled up in their warm bed.

One night, Elizabeth rolled over to face Jack, his arm still wrapped around her slender form as he slept. She stared at the shadows made by the contours of his handsome face. She was in awe of him in so many ways. Her fingers rubbed softly against the light stubble of his cheek.

Something was changing inside her. She'd been feeling feelings she hadn't felt in a long time. A longing for the man right next to her. It started small, but was swiftly becoming stronger than her ability to resist.

The next day after breakfast, she took the kids to see Abigail. She needed some advice from her friend. The children played while Elizabeth and Abigail folding the laundry from the line outside.

"How are you and that handsome man doing? You've got quite the family now."

"We do. It's more than I ever thought I'd have. Jack is a wonderful father and husband, and the kids… well they're just a dream come true."

"I'm glad. I had a good feeling about that man when he walked in. Especially for how he looked at you. I think you had him mesmerized from that first day."

"Oh, I don't know about that…" she blushed. She thought about Abigail's words. Jack had certainly been gazing at her with a loving desire more and more. She was feeling it too. "May I ask a personal question?"

"Of course! Anything at all."

Instead of asking, she sat fumbling with the linens she was trying to fold.

"Elizabeth, it's just you and me here. I mean, it. Ask me anything."

"Alright. You and Noah were married like Jack and I. How long was it before you and Noah… came together?"

"I assume you mean intimately?" She nodded. "Well, I was young, and had never been married before. Same for Noah. It took us till our first anniversary."

"Really?" Elizabeth's jaw dropped.

"Shall I assume you're asking me this because you Jack have not yet?"

She shook her head. "He's been so patient, but lately I feel he may be… too patient."

Abigail gave a knowing grin. "So you're ready?" She nodded. "And he's ready?"

She nodded again. "Jack is a wonderful man. The last thing he will want to do is pressure you. Given your situation, you may need to be the one to initiate."

"Me?"

"Mhmm." She saw her friends nervousness. "Just love him Elizabeth. Let everything fade away and focus on you and him. The rest will come naturally."

Once the laundry was folded and all the beds in the orphanage were made, they sat down for tea. Abigail was thrilled to tell Elizabeth all about the two children that had been adopted recently though the meeting at the church, and two more families were seriously considering opening their homes and hearts.

"I've sorry I haven't been here as much." Elizabeth reached out her hand.

"Elizabeth, you have your own family now. Besides, you're still working here with the kids when you can."

"I know. Thank you for understanding."

"Of course!"

The front door opened and both Sammy and Helen ran to the guest.

"I wonder who that is?" Abigail asked. Before they managed to get up from the table, Jack walked in with both kids in his arms.

"Afternoon, ladies."

"Jack! Hi." Elizabeth stood, greeting him with a kiss on the lips.

"Hi." He smiled, pleasantly surprised by her public display of affection. "I've been given the rest of the day off. I wondered about us packing up a lunch and heading to the river to go fishing with the kids."

"Yay! Fishing! Can we, Mama?" Sammy pleaded.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. You don't mind if I scoot, Abigail?"

"Not at all. Enjoy the day together! In fact, I'll even pack you a lunch."

"Oh, you don't have to do that!" Elizabeth stated.

"Nonsense, we have more than enough right now. I'm happy to share."

Before long the Thornton's were walking hand in hand down to the calm, wide part of the river where the fishing was great. Jack had discovered this place shortly after moving to Hope Valley. They settled in, Elizabeth and Helen on a blanket, Jack and Sammy down at the water's edge with their lines in the water.

"You know this was my favorite spot when I first moved here. It's just so beautiful and peaceful."

"I can see that. It's really nice, Jack." Elizabeth smiled.

"It's better with you here. All of you."

"We've got a wonderful family, don't we?"

"That we do." He wrapped his arm around Sammy, who gazed up at his father with admiration and love. Jack looked back at Elizabeth who had Helen sitting in her lap as she re-braided her hair. He loved that woman with his whole heart.

That was something he knew would never change. She looked up, catching his eyes as she mouthed the words, "I love you." He mouthed, "I love you too."

That's when he noticed something different. She'd never really looked at him that way before. It was that look that lit and stoked the fire that was burning in his soul.

Two hours later, Helen was asleep on Elizabeth's chest, and Jack and Sammy had caught enough fish for a yummy dinner. Jack had caught most of them, but with some help, Sammy was able to contribute to the haul as well.

"I hate to tell you, gentleman, but I don't know a thing about preparing or cooking fish."

"That's alright. My brother and I used to catch dinner all the time back home. Nothing beats a fresh fish dinner."

"Maybe with some red potatoes on the side? I think we have some in the cellar."

"Ooo, I like that sound of that. What do you say, Sammy?"

"Yummy dinner!"

"Alright, its a plan."

Dinner was wonderful. While Jack cooked, Elizabeth set the table. Complete with a table cloth she'd made and topped it all off with a couple candles.

"Pitty," Helen giggled at the table.

"Yes. Now don't touch the candle, okay? Hot."

"Hot. No touch."

"That's right." Elizabeth smiled.

Jack placed the food on the table as they all sat down. "Shall we say grace?"

"May I tonight?" Elizabeth asked her husband.

"Of course."

"Dear Lord, thank you for all the wonderful blessings you've given our family. Thank you for our two little angels. Thank you for this wonderful man, husband, and father and of course, the yummy food that we are about to eat. Amen."

"Amen!" The kids cheered.

"Now we eat?" Sammy asked.

"Yes, son." Jack laughed.

"Okay, what one's my fish?"

"Oh… um, that one I guess."

"Good. I eat it." The kitchen filled with laughter.

After dinner, Jack offered to take care of the kitchen while Elizabeth tended to the kids. The fishing expedition had tired them out, making bedtime easy. By the end of the first book, both kids were asleep in the same bed. Elizabeth decided that was okay. She wrapped a blanket over them and kissed them each goodnight.

In the kitchen, Jack stood, sleeves rolled up with a dish towel over his shoulder, finishing up the last of the dishes. He was singing an old tune as he did, completely oblivious to Elizabeth watching him.

"Hi," she softly called over, getting his attention.

"Hi, there." He smiled brightly. "Tea?" He handed her her favorite cup with her favorite tea inside, made just the way she liked it.

"Thank you." She walked over to the settee and waited for him to finish.

"There!" he sighed coming towards her. "I forgot how messy fish could be to cook."

"You did wonderful. Best dinner I've had in a long while."

"Glad to hear it. You know I'll cook for you anytime."

"I just might allow that, Mr. Thornton," she flirted.

"So, where did we leave off?" Jack grabbed the book from off the mantle and headed towards the settee, thinking getting lost in a book might distract him from the other thoughts his wife's gorgeous smile brought to mind. Before he sat down, Elizabeth stood, taking the book from his hands and placed it on the cushion.

"I was thinking maybe we should do something else tonight."

"Oh?"

"Something, I'm very ready for now."

"You mean…you are?"

She nodded.

Jack wrapped her arms around her, holding her as close as he could. It wasn't close enough. "I love you, Elizabeth. With all my heart."

"I love you Jack. I'm so glad I'm your wife."

With grace and ease, Jack lifted Elizabeth up in his strong arms and carried her off to their room, ready to show her how much.