May, Hunter Creek, Montana

"I think we have everything," Elizabeth muttered after triple checking the bag for Finlea. It wasn't like they would not be able to buy whatever she needed if they forgot something, but she felt better knowing she packed it in the first place.

"Da Da Da," Finlea babbled from her crib.

"Hi, sweetie. Did you wake up from your nap?" She could see her angel face through the slats in the crib. She was just keeping herself entertained, grabbing her feet which were bare. She loved to rip off her socks the second they put them on.

"Don't forget the guitar," Jack told her as he walked in the room, cute as ever in his EMT uniform.

She watched him walk over and pick up Fin, kissing her cheeks and making her giggle. "Hi, love. I missed you this week." Jack had been on call until just a few hours before. He had been training someone to take over for him and Mike while they were both away.

"Da Da," she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Her bag is packed, I just need to finish ours. Oh! I forgot to pack the breast pump. How could I forget that?"

She had quite the stash of milk set aside so they wouldn't run out when she started teaching again in the fall. It helped also so that she and Jack could continue their weekly dates, either in or out, if they decided to have Fin stay with someone.

Jack watched her rush out of the bedroom to go grab it. "Mama seems stressed, don't you think?"

He took her out of their bedroom and into the nursery to change her diaper and her clothes. He remembered Elizabeth wanted her to wear a certain outfit to travel in. He wasn't sure why, he just wanted to do what she said. He didn't see anything set out though.

"Elizabeth?" he called out the door.

"Yeah?"

"Where's the outfit you want her in? I don't see it."

"She was wearing it but then she spit up all over it. She can just wear what she is wearing." Elizabeth walked in and pulled open the dresser drawer, searching.

"What are you looking for?"

She stopped and looked at him, her expression blank. "I don't remember." She swore she never had that much trouble remembering things before Fin. Now, things just flew right out of her head two seconds after she thought them.

Jack finished changing Fin and laid her on the bed. "Babe, take a breath." He took her hand and squeezed to stop her momentum.

"Jack we have to leave in twenty minutes and neither of us are changed or ready. I have so much to do."

"The plane won't leave without us. Just let your dad know to tell the pilot we will be an hour late. It's one of the perks of flying on his jet."

"I guess."

He pulled her closer and kissed her softly. "I missed you this week too, you know."

She melted into his arms and sighed. "Me too."

"Da Da Da," Fin said from the bed. She was laying there looking at them, a smile on her face.

"Hi! Did we forget about you?" He picked her up and kissed her cheek. "Honey, let's go change and then we can go on vacation."

….

Jack and Elizabeth were only ten minutes late for the plane surprisingly. Mike and Julie were waiting in the plane but had no clue that anyone had even joined them. Elizabeth looked over at Jack and smirked.

"Remind you of anyone in particular?"

"Yep. Those were the days, huh?" he teased.

"Hmm…we need to see if we can get those days back."

"I was totally joking, babe. We are still like that."

"I don't remember just sitting somewhere and making out for at least the last few months."

"We can change that any time you want," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Ahem!" Jack said, clearing his throat loudly.

Mike and Julie shot apart like shrapnel. "Uh, hi guys."

"Mike, Julie," Jack said, trying not to burst into laughter at the embarrassment on his friend's face.

"Oh! Let me hold, Finny!" Julie squealed, rushing over to grab the car seat. "She can sit by me."

"Unless you are magically able to nurse your niece, she will need to be by me," Elizabeth told her.

Elizabeth picked up Fin and sat and buckled herself in, still a bit nervous on the plane.

Fin immediately laid down thinking she was going to get to eat but Elizabeth wanted to wait until they started climbing in altitude so the nursing would help her ears. She started to whimper and look up at her. "Babe, can you wait a few minutes?" She cried louder when Elizabeth made no effort to feed her.

Jack held his arms out, hoping to distract her until Elizabeth fed her. He flew her around the cabin, making her giggle as he zoomed toward Mike and Julie and then back toward Elizabeth.

…..

"Two more days, Mike," Julie told him, weaving her fingers through his as they waited to take off.

"Thank goodness."

"Julie Hickam has a nice ring to it."

"So does, "my wife"," he said, kissing her fingers. He was very ready to spend some quality time with her in Hawaii and get far far away from their potential money issues.

"So, we have a pond on our property with a nice place for building a campfire. I was thinking that we should spend some time out there."

"Sure."

"Babe, try not to worry. The next few weeks, don't even think about money."

"Julie, it's not that easy, but I will try."

"I'm hoping to distract you thoroughly." He looked forward to that immensely.

A couple hours later, they landed in Madison and all piled into William's new Escalade to be taken to the Thatcher Estate.

Jack watched Mike taking in the SUV and the Estate as they pulled up. He knew what he was going through with his job and he knew that he was probably feeling overwhelmed and inadequate to be marrying Julie, just like he had with Elizabeth.

As soon as Elizabeth and Julie headed in the house, Jack pulled Mike aside. "Hey, bro. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." He started lifting bags from the tailgate.

"Mike, this is Robinson. Robinson, this is Michael Hickam, the groom."

Robinson stepped forward and shook his hand. "Congratulations, sir. I'm happy for you and Miss Julie."

"Thanks."

"Mike, let Robinson do his job and come take a walk with me for a minute."

Mike looked at the chauffeur and then back at Jack. Then he followed Jack away from the house.

"I know how you feel, Mike."

"Do you? You have the same job you've always had."

"Mike, you will get through this. Don't forget that you have Julie and she will support you."

"Jack, look at this! A chauffeur and a mansion! How can I compete with this? Why does she want me?"

"That was my mistake too. Forgetting that Elizabeth wanted me, not all of this. She moved to Hunter Creek to get away from it. She fell in love with me, not what I could give her."

"I don't know if I can do this."

"You can do this because you love her. She will be your wife the day after tomorrow and she will be with you until you're a hundred years old and you will have all the kids you want. Don't give it all up because what she used to have makes you feel inadequate. Trust me, Mike. She is worth more than all of this."

"I need to be alone. Where is the gazebo that Julie mentioned?"

Jack pointed out past the tree line and watched him go and then went to find Julie.

He walked in the house and listened for the squealing and cooing that was sure to be happening over Fin. He found them doing just that in the study.

"Hey, Julie. Can I talk to you?"

She looked up at him, a worried expression on her face once she realized Mike wasn't with him.

"Where is he?"

"Gazebo. He needs some time, but not too much. He is a bit overwhelmed with everything."

"Thanks." She kissed Jack's cheek and walked slowly out of the room.

She walked out the door down through the trees to the gazebo. She saw him staring out at the land, his shoulders drooping. She gave him another minute and then she walked quietly to his side.

"Babe?"

He turned, not surprised in the least that she found him. He had known Jack would tell her to come once he went inside. "Yeah."

"You know that none of this matters, right? If I didn't know how badly Dad wants to walk me down the aisle, I would suggest taking Jack and Elizabeth and heading to the courthouse."

"Why me, Julie?"

"What do you mean?"

"You could have had this and I am sure that you could have had your pick of men from around here. Why me? I can't give you this. I can't give you much."

"You give me your love and your heart. That is all I want." She kissed his cheek and just snuggled into his body. "You are an amazingly kind and thoughtful man, Mike. I fell in love with your gentleness so quickly. I knew from the beginning that you were the one I wanted to be with forever."

…..

That evening…..

Jack sat on the bed and tuned his guitar as Elizabeth fed Finlea. Elizabeth smiled when she heard him start playing "Wonderful Tonight." She remembered the first time he played that for her downstairs in that very house.

Then came his gentle smooth voice that drove her crazy every time he sang.

It's late in the evening

she's wondering what clothes to wear

She puts on her makeup

And brushes her long blonde hair

And then she asks me, "Do I look alright?"

And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight"

We go to a party

And everyone turns to see

This beautiful lady

That's walking around with me

And then she asks me, "Do you feel alright?"

And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight"

I feel wonderful

Because I see the love light in your eyes

And the wonder of it all

Is that you just don't realize how much I love you

It's time to go home now

And I've got an aching head

So I give her the car keys

She helps me to bed

And then I tell her as I turn out the light

I say, "My darling, you are wonderful tonight

Oh my darling, you are wonderful tonight"

She placed Fin in the crib by the window and went to sit by the gently burning fireplace to wait for Jack.

"I'm ready for my lesson, Mr. Thornton." Instead of sitting behind her like usual, he sat facing her and handed her the guitar. "Aren't you going to sit behind me?"

"I don't think you need me to anymore. You can play without my guidance."

She took the guitar and held it like he had taught her. She hadn't needed him there for a while but she wanted him there. It was like their thing. "You know as well as I do that you didn't sit here for the last few weeks because I needed you to."

"I suppose not, but I'll watch from here tonight. Make sure you have your fingers in the right spot." She looked at him and smiled.

"Ok." She didn't understand but she went with it.

She started playing the song she had been learning, Need You Now, by Lady Antebellum.

She stared down at her fingers as she played but Jack stared at her. There was something about watching her concentrating, biting her lip, that drove him nuts. Then she started to sing the lyrics and it made her virtually irresistible.

…..

The next morning…..

Elizabeth put the milk she had just pumped in the freezer in the kitchen and then sat down with a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, dear," Grace greeted as she walked in to the kitchen, looking polished as always.

"Morning, Mom."

"Where's that beautiful granddaughter of mine?"

"Jack has her in our room. They're taking a bath."

"It feels like forever since I've seen you."

"Six months is a long time. We should be back for Christmas this year. I won't be nine months pregnant this time."

"Are you pregnant?"

Elizabeth laughed at the excitement in her voice. "Uh no. Not for a few more years probably. I just meant, we should be able to come."

"Oh."

"Sorry, I just want to teach more and I can't do that if I have another baby that soon."

"That's true. No need to be sorry, dear. I'm grateful for any grandchildren we have. Finny is a gem."

"She certainly is."

"So tell me what's new, Beth."