Elizabeth came downstairs to find Abigail busy in the kitchen doing more than her usual breakfast baking. Bowls lined the table filled with chopped vegetables.

"What is all this Abigail?" Elizabeth poured herself a cup of coffee.

"I'm making an extra pot of soup today," Abigail wiped her hands on her apron.

"Oh, I see," Elizabeth took a sip from her cup, "for Bill?"

"Yes, but not just for Bill. I suspect he won't be the only one sick."

"You're right, I know several children have been home sick this week and that usually means it will be passed around to the other children." Elizabeth put her coffee cup down, "I'll help you after school."

"Thank you Elizabeth. I'll walk with you and stop at the jail, I've made some breakfast and tea for Bill," Abigail put dishes in a basket.

As Abigail approached the door to the jail, she could hear Bill coughing. She tapped on the door.

Jack opened the door, "Abigail, good morning…come in."

Abigail lowered her voice, "Hello Jack, how is Bill, I hear he's still coughing…"

"Well, he's been up most of the night, again," he looked over his shoulder toward Bill. "I have to go make my rounds, please tell him to rest."

"I'll do my best," Abigail walked in and placed the basket on the desk.

Jack arrived at the mine to find a small crowd outside the office; he made his way to the office door, "What's going on here?"

"Good morning Constable, what's going on here is that I have a dozen miners that are claiming to be too sick to work today. This is unacceptable." Gowan stood and pulled on his jacket.

"Can they go home?" Jack looked over the men gathered in front of the small office.

"Yes, but frankly this illness will rush through town faster than a wind storm. The company doctor can't take care of everyone."

"Has the doctor identified the illness, is it influenza or something worse?" Jack asked.

"He seems to think influenza, but we need a second doctor to care for all these men and more medicine."

"I agree, I'll wire for a doctor in Cooperton," Jack nodded to Gowan.

Back in town, Jack sent the wire and headed back to the jail where he found Bill sleeping. He was sitting at the desk when the door opened and Elizabeth came in, "Jack..."

"Elizabeth, is everything okay?" Jack could see she looked a bit frantic.

"I'm worried Jack, I had more children out today. I hope we don't have an epidemic." She looked at Bill, "is he feeling any better?"

"He seems to be coughing a bit less," Jack stood closer, "I wired for the doctor in Cooperton to come here and to bring medicine, there are a lot of miners not able to work."

"They're that sick that they can't work?" Elizabeth asked concern evident in her tone.

"Yes, according to Gowan and I am worried about it spreading further," he gently took her arm and headed to the door, "why don't we take our walk, I need the air."

Once at their special grove of trees, Jack stepped in front of Elizabeth, "Elizabeth, I wish I knew a way to protect you from getting sick. I don't want to see you catching this."

"I know. I don't want to see you catch it either Jack," she reached for his hand, "I wish we could hide, out here… away from it all."

"I like that idea," Jack smiled and brushed a piece of hair from her face, "if we could run away from here, where would you like to go?"

Elizabeth looked up, "Jack, what a question…..hmm, how about San Francisco!"

"Why there?" Jack smiled softly at her exuberance.

"Well, it's on the ocean and I'd like to be near the sea. I'm sure they have wonderful restaurants….."

Jack held back a chuckle, "You'd do anything to get out of cooking wouldn't you?"

"No…," she moved her shoulder, "well maybe."

Jack leaned and kissed her cheek. "I bet one day you'll be a great cook."

"So you're a betting man are you?" she teasingly asked.

"Yes, if it's a bet I can win…"

"What's the risk in that?" she asked, eyes twinkling.

"It's called betting on a sure thing. Like us courting," he squeezed her hands.

"Oh? You think that was a sure thing, do you?" she teased. "Don't you remember when we met?"

Jack cleared his throat, "Oh yes, you called me a 'second rate Mountie' if I remember correctly."

Elizabeth gasped, "I was wrong, very wrong."

"But I knew you were crazy about me," Jack smiled and winked.

"Jack!" Elizabeth's eyes grew wide, "I was not crazy about you. In fact you were impossible. You even called me a princess!"

"You are a princess," he put his hand on her waist.

"Oh no you don't, Jack Thornton," she pushed gently on his chest, "You said I wouldn't last here, you can't deny it."

He was amused at her defiance, "I'm not denying it, you were a princess when you first came here, but you've adjusted…..you've adjusted very well." He tried to pull her closer.

"I've had my share of difficulties," she looked to the right.

"Getting on a horse…..." he brushed his lips across her ear.

"Well, I wasn't used to that….." she whispered.

"You really showed everyone how strong you are by going into that mine," he touched his forehead to hers, "You saved the houses for the widows."

Elizabeth bit her lower lip, "I tried."

"You went back into the mine to save Rosaleen, I was so proud of you…." He put his cheek against hers.

"Hmm, thank you," she sighed and pressed against him.

"Look at the help you've given to the kids…." He went back to her ear.

"Jack….." Elizabeth gently rolled her head, enjoying his playfulness at her ear.

"Elizabeth….." Jack held her arms, pulled her close and kissed her lips. Elizabeth placed her hand on the back of his head. Jack gently held her face in his hands.

"Jack, you take my breath away," she said barely above a whisper.

"I would have bet that would happen," he teased.

She flicked her finger at a button on his shirt, "Let's go back, I want to help Abigail make soup."

Jack shook his head, "Okay, but does she know that?" He put his hands up I protection, laughing.

"Very funny Jack," she headed off without him.

When they entered the café, Abigail rushed toward them from the dining room. "Thank goodness you're both back. Gowan was here; apparently the company doctor wants to use the saloon to isolate the sick. Gowan went back to mine to tell everyone."

"He thinks it's that serious that he wants to isolate the sick?" Jack asked, "I'm going to check if we received a wire from the doctor in Cooperton and check with Ned about his stock of medicine."

Elizabeth helped Abigail brings pots of soup to the saloon. Men were already clearing the tables and setting up cots.

"This is not good," Abigail said under her breath as she surveyed the work being done in the room.

"It's frightening, but we'll get through it," Elizabeth said.

"With a lot of prayer," Abigail replied.

To be continued….