AN: So, here is chapter 9. I got one more chapter to write. Thanks to FnFicJunkie for looking over this so quickly so I could post it. She is also responsible for giving me the idea for the flour scene which tied back to one of Katie's prompts again! Double happy for that! Hope you enjoy!
As Jack had predicted, the tree hunting group made the Thornton home their next stop after the trees in the café were up. Not wanting to overwhelm Elizabeth or the baby, Grace herded all of her children into the Coulter's home where Lillian fed them all. Meanwhile, the proud papa showed off his son to Bill, Gabriel, Abigail, Cody, Allie, Lee and Avery. Jack even let Nathan tell the newcomers the child's name. Jack and Elizabeth had already asked Lee and Rosemary to be their child's guardians. Though they had discussed god parents, who they had in mind had not yet been asked. Jack remedied that now while Avery held a still sleeping infant in her arms.
"Nathan, Avery, Elizabeth and I were talking, and we were wondering if you would be our son's God parents."
Both Nathan and Avery were surprised at the request. It took a few moments for either one of them to respond and even then it was with tears in their eyes.
When Jack took Jarrick back upstairs, he found Elizabeth awake. As he settled the infant in the cradle, he asked Elizabeth if she was up to visitors. As she was, the adults made their way up in pairs to see and congratulate the new mama. Abigail offered to stay with Elizabeth while Jack helped the other men with the last two trees. Finding some of the extra ornaments he had promised to lend to Allie, Jack put his coat and gloves on along with the others. As the others were leaving the house, Abigail was taking some warm soup and a biscuit up to Elizabeth.
At the Coulter's, Gabriel volunteered to help Lee with the tree. Cody also went in with them to hang out with the other children while his mom was with Elizabeth. Bill drove the other wagon, with the tree, Jack, Nathan, Avery and Allie in the back, down the row of houses to the Grant's home. There, Jack helped Bill put the tree up and then headed home to Elizabeth. Bill had been invited by Allie to help them decorate the tree. With a little encouragement from Nathan and Avery, Bill agreed.
While Bill and Nathan helped Allie start decorating the tree, Avery set about making hot chocolate for all them. Bringing out the tray of hot chocolates and some cookies, Avery joined in on the decorating. It was Nathan who started singing "Silent Night" while he worked but by the second verse everyone else had joined in.
Though he would have denied it to anyone who asked, decorating the tree with his daughter and soon to be son-in-law and granddaughter was the most fun Bill had experienced in a long time. Though Clara and Jesse had been decorating the tree in the diningroom of the café when they had left, Bill was suddenly looking forward to decorating the tree in the parlor with Abigail and Cody tomorrow.
Carson had gotten Ned's message, and upon returning to Hope Valley checked in on Elizabeth and little Jarrick. The doctor gave both mother and baby a thorough exam and declared both healthy. Being early, Jarrick was smaller and weighed less than most newborns but Carson was confident he would soon make up for that. He did suggest that Elizabeth keep the infant indoors for the first couple months of his life, letting visitors come to her.
Though she had spent Saturday evening with Nathan and Allie, Avery spent Sunday with Elizabeth while Jack was working, giving her time to rest and heal from the birthing process. When Jack got home, Avery accompanied Nathan and Allie to the café where Abigail, who kept the café closed on Sundays, had invited them all to dinner with her, Bill and Cody.
On Monday, Jack assisted Elizabeth downstairs, so she could spend the day relaxing on the settee. Once again, Avery was nearby if she needed anything while Jack was at work. Allie was spending time with the children from the orphanage, Lillian and Grace happy to watch her. When Gabriel checked in with Kevin on the wagon repairs, the blacksmith assured him that he would be finished with the repairs that afternoon. With that assurance, Gabriel started making plans for the final two-day drive to Brookfield, double checking supplies and getting what they might need. Holly's gifts from them were given to the Coulter's.
Both Lillian and Grace had explained to Holly that she would be remaining with Rosemary and Lee. Once she got the concept that their home would be her new home as well, she became less clingy and started exploring the home. She loved to hear Rosemary sing and would climb up on the settee next to Lee for a story in the evening. Though Lillian and Grace knew it would be hard to leave the girl behind when they moved on, they also knew that Holly would be in a loving home.
Monday afternoon, after stopping by Bill's office to sign adoption papers, Nathan rounded up Gabriel and Jack to help him get the rocking chair he had been working on for Elizabeth from his home to hers. At Allie's insistence, a bow had been tied to the rocking chair to make it more festive. As his niece had also wanted to see her teacher's reaction to the chair, he picked Allie up from the café where Lillian and Grace had their charges.
Reaching the Thornton row house, Jack and Gabriel got the chair out of the borrowed wagon. Nathan and Gabriel then each took one arm of the rocking chair, while Jack headed for the house. Peeking in, he made sure that Jarrick and Elizabeth were prepared for the cold air. Jarrick was already tucked in the cradle, which Jack had carried downstairs that morning, on the far side of the settee. After tucking an extra afghan around Elizabeth, to his wife's amusement, Jack went to the front door and held it for the two carrying the rocking chair.
"What is this?" Elizabeth asked.
"Uncle Nathan granted your wish from the Wishing Tree, Mrs. Thornton!" Allie exclaimed happily presenting the rocking chair that Nathan and Gabriel had carried in and placed down just inside the door. The girl looked to Jack. "This still doesn't convince me of the Wishing Tree being magical," she told him.
"It will make a believer of you yet," Jack assured her as he reached out and picked the girl up. "And Elizabeth," Jack began as he headed to the rocking chair with Allie. Sitting down, he placed Allie in the chair beside him and rocked. "When Jarrick gets a little older, he'll be able to sit beside us while we rock his little brother or sister."
"This is cozy," Allie said, snuggling against Jack.
"I think that might be a hint for you to build a chair for your home," Gabriel said, nudging Nathan with his elbow.
Gabriel left shortly after. He had arranged to meet up with Lee who was going to help him pack the toys Coulter lumber had donated for the orphans in the wagon to keep them from being discovered. He would then have dinner with Lillian, Grace and the kids. Nathan and Allie were invited to have dinner with the Thorntons and Avery. Seeing that Allie was comfortable with her Uncle Jack, Nathan accepted and headed to the kitchen to help Avery with the dinner preparations. While dinner was being prepared, Jarrick woke up, wanting his own dinner. Picking him up, Elizabeth draped a small blanket over one shoulder as she nursed him. Jarrick suckled hungrily and was easily burped. She then handed the little boy over his father, who rocked the infant, holding him in one arm. Jack's other arm was around Allie, holding the girl close to his side.
"Looks like I may be fighting for the rocking chair I asked for," Elizabeth said wryly.
"That is a distinct possibility," Jack replied, to a chorus of laughter.
Jarrick had gone back to sleep by the time Nathan and Avery put dinner on the table for the little group. Jack tucked the boy back in the cradle and then, ignoring Elizabeth's protests, helped his wife to the dinner table, ignoring the "I'm not an invalid" comment.
The five of them shared a pleasant dinner, after which, Avery, Allie and Elizabeth set about baking cookies, as Elizabeth had wanted to put together some cookie assortments for a few people. By sitting at the table, Elizabeth could help mix dough and get the cookies on the baking sheets. Allie helped her teacher while Avery manned the oven. Allie had refilled the flour canister from the bigger sack of flour, when she tripped sending the canister flying. Though she managed not to fall, the canister clattered to the ground and flour flew up into the air, covering Allie, the floor, the wall and also the Christmas tree.
Looking close to tears, Allie uttered an apology.
Elizabeth opened her arms to the girl. "It is all right," she told Allie hugging her student close. "Accidents happen."
"Besides," Jack interjected from where he and Nathan were playing checkers, the board on Elizabeth's desk. "Your Aunt Elizabeth said she wanted snow on the tree. Kind of looks snowy to me now."
"That is not what I meant," Elizabeth said, laughter in her voice.
Abandoning their game, Nathan and Jack set about helping clean up the flour while the women went back to their baking. The group even managed to decorate the flour-dusted Christmas tree, before Nathan said goodnight and led his sleepy niece down the snow-packed road to their own home.
After breakfast the next morning, a group gathered in front of the café to see their guests off on their journey to their new home. Though the toys had been packed the night before to keep them from prying eyes, Ned presented his Christmas gift of food staples to the sisters as they gathered to leave. Elizabeth had packed a tin of the cookies that had been baked the night before for them to take and she wasn't the only one. Many of the women of Hope Valley showed up with baked goods for the sisters to take. Lillian and Grace, accepted the gifts graciously, knowing that it would allow them to give the children a Christmas feast as well as allow them time to get settled and ready for Christmas without having to worry as much about cooking.
The children presented to their hosts the wreaths that had been made and decorated for them. Each was praised and the children hugged and thanked, even Cody and Allie who had lent a hand to the endeavor during parts of the endeavor. Then it was time to leave. Everyone in the group gave Holly one last hug, the little girl having been convinced to come say good-bye to everyone despite the cold. Gabriel and Jack helped everyone up in the wagon. Grace got in the back, positioning herself so there was no chance the kids could go snooping and find the gifts for them. Gabriel helped Lillian up onto the front seat, and then climbed up beside her, tucking furs around the both of them. Apollo was hitched to the wagon alongside their second horse.
"Send a telegram when you get there, Gabe," Nathan instructed, looking up at his friend.
"I will. Thank you for your hospitality," Gabriel told his friend specifically before letting his gaze sweep over the entire group gathered. "Thank you, all," he added.
"Yes, thank you," Lillian chimed in. "This has been a very delightful delay in our trip." Looking to Gabriel she added, "and, you all made a dream come true. That is priceless."
"Having you in my life from now on is what is priceless," Gabriel told her, leaning in for a quick kiss to the delight of those gathered.
Giving a command to the horses, Gabriel started the wagon forward. There was a lot of waving from those in the wagon and those remaining in Hope Valley until they were out of sight. As soon as the wagon could no longer be seen, Holly, held securely in Lee's arms, looked up at him and said, "Home, p'ease."
Lee smiled and placed a kiss on her temple. "Yes, Holly. Your mama can take you home," he told her. Lillian had said that Eve had referred to herself as mother with the child, her daughter managing to call her 'mot'er,' and he and Rosemary had felt the need to make a distinction between Rosemary and Eve for the child. Though they wanted Holly to think of them as mother and father, they did not want the child to think they were trying to replace Eve. Lillian had even passed along a small journal that Eve had written down things for her daughter to remember her by. Some of the last entries were in the doctor's handwriting or Lillian's own. They planned on reading from that journal to Holly until the girl learned how to read herself and in that way keep Eve alive for Holly.
Handing Holly over to Rosemary, he gave them both a kiss before heading toward his office as others dispersed. Though heading out on rounds, Jack walked Rosemary home, leading Sargent. Allie had brought paper and colored pencils with her and headed to the Mounted Police office with Nathan to spend the morning with him while he worked. Bill gave Abigail a quick kiss, earning an 'oooo' from Cody and Robert, who stood nearby. Abigail told her son and friend to run off and play, a smile on her face, as she headed toward the café. Bill turned and made the walk to the office of the judge at the end of the street, whistling "Deck the Halls."
Reaching his office, Bill took off his coat and put on a pot of coffee. Though he had happily let himself be distracted with adoption processes, he supposed he should get back to looking over that business dispute. He had just poured himself a mug of coffee, and added a dash of cream, when he heard the door open. Turning, he saw Henry Gowen and Tom Trevoy.
"What can I do for you gentlemen?" Bill asked, taking a tiny sip of the too hot liquid as he walked to his desk. Placing the mug on the desk, he motioned to the chairs across from him as he sat down.
"We need you to draw up the paperwork so I can sell, The White Stallion to Henry," Tom began as he and Henry sat down in the chairs across from Bill. "Now, Henry can't buy me out directly but he does have a down payment and then I was thinking he could pay me the rest out of the profits from the place, with a little interest of course."
"You know, as judge I can deny a sale of a business if I do not believe it is in the community's best interest," Bill began, letting his gaze drift from Tom to Henry. "You were running the mine at the time of the collapse and was sent to jail for embezzling funds when you were this town's mayor. Why should I let you get control of one of this town's biggest businesses?"
"I am not going to be able to say anything to change your opinion about me, Bill," Henry said with a small smile. "However, I think if you talk to Lee, he will tell you I have been a model employee since he hired me. Also, Tom is set to sell whether I buy The White Stallion or not. If you don't let this deal go through, the place may sit closed for months, hurting this town's economy. Eventually some stranger will buy the place but isn't there some kind of saying about better the devil you know than the devil you don't know."
"You make a very compelling case," Bill told him. "What are your plans for it, if you buy it?"
"I was thinking on renaming it the Hope Valley Hotel. There is room in the back to expand and I was thinking on creating a separate gaming area, and make the main dining area more family oriented. I will still sell alcohol, there is too much of a profit not to, but I will leave the piano there and build a stage." Henry pulled out an ornament from the wishing tree. "Mrs. Coulter would be very happy to hear about those plans."
Bill looked at the ornament. I wish for a stage in town for performances so I can give this town a little culture, was clearly written. The talk about bringing culture to Hope Valley left him no doubt it was Rosemary's wish.
Bill sighed. Personally, he would rather run Henry out of town, but sometimes being judge meant putting his own personal feelings aside.
"Let's work out the arrangement," Bill told the men, reaching for a pencil and notepad to make notes.
Nathan took Allie to the café for lunch. His niece was thrilled to be spending the day with him at work. It had been awhile since she had been allowed to do so. As they walked back from the café to the Mounted Police office, Nathan spotted a Mountie with two horses coming to a stop in front of the office. Even from this distance, Nathan knew the Mountie was not Jack. Besides, he was riding a light brown horse. Dismounting, the Mountie turned and Nathan recognize now Superintendent Patrick O'Reilly. The man smiled when he noticed Nathan and Allie walking toward him.
Recognizing O'Reilly, Allie let go of her Uncle's hand and hurried forward. "Mountie Pat!" Allie exclaimed.
Holding both horses reigns in one hand, O'Reilly embraced Allie in a one-armed hug.
"Merry Christmas, Allie," the man told the girl.
"Merry Christmas!" she returned.
Reaching his niece and his superior, Nathan put the cane in his left hand so he could salute. O'Reilly returned the salute. He then took a few moments to secure the reigns of his own horse to the rail and brought the other horse around.
"What brings you this way, sir?" Nathan asked.
"Heard you were riding again, Grant," O'Reilly said.
"That might be an overstatement," Nathan said. "I was on a horse once and needed help mounting."
"That sounds like riding again to me," O'Reilly says. "And given the state I saw you in when Jack and your squad first brought you in, something I doubted I would see."
Nathan looked down at the ground as he looped a hand around Allie's shoulder as she had moved to his left side.
"I have talked to Constable Thornton and Dr. Carson," O'Reilly continued. "Both have stated that you having a mount to ride for routine purposes will further your healing from what you went through. So, I brought Newton here," he said nodding to the horse whose reigns he still held. "Newton is healing emotionally himself. His former partner was one of the Mounties we lost up north. While Newton is docile and is perfectly content to be ridden, he has not shown interest in another human. The force was ready to sell him over spending more time working on that bonding issue. However, perhaps you and Newton are just what each other need."
"He's pretty," Allie chimed in.
"He is," Nathan agreed, releasing his hold on Allie and stepping toward the horse, one hand held out. "Hey there, Newton," Nathan said calmly to the horse. "You missing someone?" he asked as he petted the horse's nose.
Newton stood stock still, showing no sign of even hearing Nathan's words. But he could see what O'Reilly met about the horse being docile. There was no shying away from his touch.
"Why don't we go for a short ride," O'Reilly suggested. "Allie, can ride with me. You would like that, wouldn't you?" he asked the girl.
Allie nodded, an excited smile on her face.
Nathan hesitated, not sure he wanted his superior or his niece, see him struggle to mount the horse. He had turned his back to Newton to face O'Reilly as Nathan tried to think of a polite way to decline, and the horse nudged his shoulder slightly from behind as if offering encouragement. Surprised, Nathan looked back at the horse who looked back at him.
"That is the first interaction with a human that horse has initiated since coming out of the field," O'Reilly commented.
Nathan smiled. He couldn't very well let Allie and Newton both down. He looked back at O'Reilly. "You will need to help me into the saddle, sir."
"Not a problem," O'Reilly replied. "I never rode before joining the Mountie academy, and I remember how hard learning to mount the horse was. Had a few instructors give me a leg up in the beginning myself."
As O'Reilly moved to assist Nathan onto Newton, Allie bounced up and down in excitement. Soon enough, Nathan was astride Newton. He reached out and patted the horse's neck as O'Reilly helped Allie onto his own horse and then mounted behind her.
"There is one patch of woods I would like to avoid," O'Reilly said. "Had enough excitement in that area caused by one miss Julie Thatcher during the short time I served here in Hope Valley."
"Can we ride out to see where Uncle Jack is going to build Aunt Elizabeth's house in the spring?" Allie asked.
Nathan glanced at O'Reilly. He knew where the land was. He had driven out with Jack and Lee as Jack had been excited to share his plans with anyone who would listen. Besides, he knew the land surrounding Jack's was still open for sale. This would give him a chance to look it over again before suggesting to Avery that they build their own house nearby.
"Lead the way, Grant," O'Reilly told him.
With a nod, Nathan urged Newton forward in a fast walk. There was something right about feeling the power of a horse beneath him. He thought of Elizabeth's look of pure joy as he had placed little Jarrick in her arms for the first time. It was something he would recall every time he held the god son who shared part of his name. Perhaps he did have something to contribute as a Mountie still, despite his injury.
As he rode out of Hope Valley, Nathan was grateful that life had brought him here. Yes, he could have done without some of the pain, but there truly was something special about Hope Valley. Avery, Allie and he would be very happy here and perhaps this time next year, they would be expecting someone new to join their family.