"What do you mean they are missing?" Charles asked.

Jack pulled him aside. "According to William, Abigail said that she and Charlie went to Mrs. Potter's house this morning and never came back.

"Judith Potter?"

"Yes. I am going there next. I thought I would stop by here and let you know."

"I'm coming with you."

Charles placed a closed sign on the door of the bank and followed Jack into the August sunshine.

"Daddy!"

"Charlie?" Charles bent down and picked him up. "Where's Mama?"

"Don't know. Where?"

Charles looked up at Judith Potter. "Do you know where my….where Julie is, Mrs. Potter?"

"No, sir. Julie brought me some strawberry preserves this morning. I asked her if she wouldn't mind heading to see my friend Bonnie. She can't get to town so I asked her to take her some food since she had her horse. I told her I would take care of little Charlie here so she could go and get back…."

Mrs. Potter started shaking and crying. Jack put his arm around her. "It's alright. We will find her."

"I can tell you where Bonnie lives if that will help."

"It will, yes."

"Why she crying, Daddy?" Charlie asked as he watched Jack walk away with Mrs. Potter.

"She's a little upset, son."

"Why?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"Want Mama. Pease?"

"Soon, son. Hopefully soon." Charles watched Jack help Mrs. Potter up into his wagon and drive off toward the edge of town. "Please let her be safe," he whispered heavenward.

…..

Jack drove Mrs. Potter past her house and down the road a bit. "How much farther, Judith?"

"A mile or two. I didn't think it would be that bad since she had a horse."

Back in town however, there was a horse without a rider.

"Someone stop that horse!"

Charles looked up quickly. "Julie's horse," he whispered. "Oh, please let her be safe," he prayed again.

There was no way he was going to make it through losing his best friend or Charlie's "Mama." She had to be okay.

….Late that evening at Jack and Elizabeth's

"Daddy?"

"Hey there. Why aren't you sleeping, Charlie?"

"Don't know. See Mama?"

Charles lifted him up and cradled him in his arms. "Time for quiet now."

"Sing, Daddy?"

"Oh, you don't want me singing to you. Daddy isn't a good singer."

"Mama sing." Not too well, Charles thought with a chuckle.

He sighed and looked at his little man. He loved him so much. He was such a wonderful bright spot in his life. "Close your eyes," he told him gently before he started humming a hymn he had learned as a child.

"That's a very somber hymn," Elizabeth whispered.

"It's the only one I could think of. I don't think it matters. Its working."

William watched his son-in-law tending to his son. He was doing well. He was comforting him and that's what Charlie needed. But, Charles himself needed companionship. Could Julie be the one for him?

…

It was getting dark out and Jack was getting nervous that he wasn't going to find her before it was pitch black and nearly impossible.

"JULIE!" Jack yelled again, listening for any sound of a shout or scream. Finally he heard it.

"JACK!"

"JULIE, WHERE ARE YOU?"

He listened as she yelled, her voice raspy, likely from yelling too long. He approached a steep hill and looked down, taking care not to lose his footing. "Julie?"

"I'm down here!" she yelled, much weaker now. "Please help me."

Jack looked down. It seemed pretty easy to navigate, but due to the rain the few days before, maybe it was slippery.

"I'm coming, Julie!"

"Be careful. It's muddy!"

He slid down the hill carefully, losing his footing and balance only once. "Where are you hurt?" he asked her.

"My ankle. My horse threw me, Jack, and I slid down here. I think it's broken."

"Alright, Jules. This is how we are going to do this. I'm going to help you up and you can lean on me instead of your bad leg."

That plan was a good one, but it didn't work. She was in a lot of pain and both were causing the other to slip.

"Okay, hang on," Jack told her. "We have to try something different." He thought for a moment. "Alright, I think if I carried you on my back this could work."

….

Back at the house….

Charles stood out in the night air, his thoughts, fears, and frustrations being sent to the Father above.

"Why? Why send me Julie just to have her snatched away? I can't lose her. My heart can't handle it." He knew now, with certainty, that he loved her. It was killing him to think of her being ripped away. "Please, help me through whatever happens. I can't do it alone." He wiped his cheeks when he heard Jack walking up.

"She's at the clinic, Charles. She wants to see you."

Charles nodded. "Thank you!" He ran off down the street toward the clinic, thanking Him as he went. "I'll be good to her, all our lives," he promised.

When he opened the door to the clinic, Carson looked up and smiled. "She's in the room down the hall."

"Thank you."

He walked slowly down the hall and peeked in the door. "Julie?"

"Hey," she said, opening her eyes. He sat on the side of her bed and took her hand. "Have you been crying?" she wondered, wiping his tears.

"I thought I was going to lose you, Julie. I can't lose you."

"I'm here. I just broke my ankle."

"I love you so much, Julie. As soon as you are healed, I want to marry you."

"Are you sure?" She knew, despite what he had told her, that he hadn't been ready.

"One hundred percent. I don't want to wait anymore."

"Alright. We will get married soon." She moved over slightly and patted the bed. "Come here."

He didn't hesitate. He just laid down and wrapped his arms around her. "I was so worried," he whispered into her hair.

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is you are here now."

"I love you too, Charles."

A short time later, William walked into the clinic room where they were laying. At first, it took him a moment not to feel angry that Charles was sleeping right next to Julie without the benefit of marriage.

Then he took note of their position. Julie had a cast on her foot and had her foot propped up on a few pillows. Charles was lying on his side, his left arm holding her around her waist, his forehead on her cheek. He loved her. He could see it plainly.

He quietly backed out of the room and walked to his room above the saloon. He couldn't stand in their way now. He would give them his blessing the next day.

…..

Charles made sure that she was comfortable the next afternoon in her room at the orphanage. Doc Shepherd told her she would need to rest for at least six to eight weeks to allow her ankle to heal.

"Anything else you need?" Charles asked, sitting on the side of her bed.

She smiled and slipped her fingers into his grasp. "You."

"You've got me. I'm yours, sweetheart."

"Is this what married life will be like with you?"

"It's my job to see to your needs. Make sure you are happy. Take care of you."

"That's new for me."

He gave her a soft kiss. "I think job is the wrong word. Job makes it sound like work. I think that I should say privilege."

"You are very sweet." He smiled. "And very late. You need to get to work, hon."

"Yes, ma'am." He stood and walked to the door. "Picnic right here tonight. You, me, and Charlie."

"I look forward to it."

Nothing was going to break the good mood that was now Charles'. Admitting and knowing he was in love again with someone that he knew would be a great mother to Charlie, made him feel whole again. It wasn't that he would forget what he and Viola had. He wouldn't ever. But his heart was now allowing him to live again and that was a wonderful feeling.

He whistled as he walked to the bank, listening to the sounds around him. He almost didn't see William before he bumped right into him. "Oh! I'm sorry, William."

"Charles. It's a nice day, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir."

"How's Julie this morning?"

"Doing well. I have a feeling though that after a few days of being confined to her room, she is going to go crazy."

"I, um….I came to see her last night at the clinic."

"You did? We didn't see…."

"You were asleep."

"I suppose we were….I'm sorry, sir."

"Don't be sorry, Charles. I realized that she is who you need now. Charlie needs her."

"It's true. I never thought I would ever feel like this again. Vi was everything to

me."

"I am not going to pretend to fully understand what you went through, Charles. I have never lost my wife but I know it must have been unbelievably difficult."

"Yes."

"I do understand how much a wife is needed in someone's life, especially if there is a child involved."

"I appreciate that, sir."

"I'm giving you my blessing, Charles. I know that from past experience you take care of your family. I know you will take care of Julie now too."

Charles put his hand out to shake William's hand. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"You're welcome. Now, I'm off to see Julie."

Charles walked the rest of the way to the bank, finally at peace with everything.

…..

Hope Home

Julie had been in her own room for an hour and she was already going crazy. The one thing that kept her sane was knowing Charles and Charlie were bringing her a picnic later. What better way was there to spend an evening?

She heard a knock on her door. "Come in."

"Julie?"

"Hello, Father."

"You don't seem surprised to see me."

"Charles told me you were in town."

William sat on the edge of her bed and looked at his daughter. The last thing he knew, she was five years old and climbing up on his lap after he got home from work, asking for a story. Now, she was a beautiful twenty one year old who had fallen in love with a little boy and his father.

"Where did all the time go?" he asked, tucking her stray hair behind her ears.

"Father…."

"I love you, Julie. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do."

"I came here to take you home with me."

"I figured but this is my home now."

"With Charles and Charlie."

"Yes, wherever that might take us."

"You love him?"

"With all of my heart. He's a wonderful man, you know that."

"Yes, I just never thought he would fall in love with both of my daughters."

"Me either."

"I gave him my blessing earlier and now I am giving it to you. I think that you two will be good for each other and for Charlie."

Julie reached for her Father and gave him a hug. "Thank you. I love you so much."

"And I, you, dear."

…..

"Mama! Pick-a-nick!"

Charlie climbed up on her bed and sat next to her. "I see! Did you have fun today?"

"Pay with Sammy and Helen!"

Charles leaned down and gave her a kiss. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hey, yourself."

Charles opened the picnic basket and handed her a plate. "I have fried chicken, cold potato salad, and cherry pie for dessert."

"That sounds wonderful."

"But first." He pulled out a little black box and opened it. "I just wanted to make it official." He took her left hand and smiled. "I know that the last year has been hard on both of us but I am so grateful that you have been there for me and Charlie." They chuckled as they looked at him, cherry pie all over his hands and face.

"Yum!"

"He definitely needs a Mama and I definitely need a wife."

"I definitely need both of you too," she told him as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"Marry me."

"Soon, Charles. As soon as I can walk down the aisle."

*** Well, everyone. There is one chapter left in this story. Stay tuned!***