"This little town certainly seems to come all together in times of crisis, doesn't it, William?"

"Yes, it's quite...touching." Mr Thatcher agreed.

They stood among the crowd at a prayer vigil for the injured sawmill worker.

Elizabeth was amazed and thrilled to see her parents join in. Just a week ago she would have never imagined her parents setting foot in Hope Valley. Now they had been here for several days and were participating in a town prayer vigil. My how things had changed since she came out West.

She looked at Jack, remembering how not that long ago she sat by his beside while the town prayed for him. It had worked. God had rescued Jack from near-tragedy and brought him back to her. She had known where her heart was before that night, but when Jack broke the silence with his words, "but not to take too much time" - she knew without a doubt that this handsome, rugged Mountie was the man God had sent for her. The mix of relief, joy, thankfulness, and love that stirred in her heart at that moment let her know without a doubt that, not only was Hope Valley now her home, but so was Jack Thornton.

She saw a worry in his eyes. She knew he was worried about James, but something else was there, too.

"Jack, are you alright?"

Elizabeth's words snapped him out of a daze. He turned to look at her.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"You're worried about something. Something more than just James."

Jack sighed. He had a lot on his mind at the moment.

"Tom's leg didn't look so good. I'm worried that it might be worse than we think."

"Faith will take good care of him," Elizabeth reassured him.

"I know, but I'm worried he should have gone to Union City, too. He might need more than Faith can do here in Hope Valley."

"I'm sure if he needs more attention, Faith will let us know. Here," she said, taking his hand into hers. "Let's pray for Tom, too."

Jack gave her a little smile and nodded, bowing his head to pray with her.

...

After the prayer service, Abigail had invited the Thatcher's back to the cafe for coffee and pie.

"I think we'll be heading home tomorrow, Elizabeth," Mr Thatcher announced.

"Why don't you stay for the Christmas pageant? It's tomorrow evening. You could leave the day after that," she suggested, not expecting them to accept.

"Oh, William, I would enjoy seeing what Elizabeth has done with the children," Mrs Thatcher pleaded. "It's only one more night here."

Elizabeth was excited by her mother's plea, and looked to her father with hopeful eyes.

"Alright. We'll stay for the pageant, I suppose. One more night," Mr Thatcher agreed.

Elizabeth was thrilled, and Jack could see the happiness in her eyes.

"I'm going to go check on Tom," Jack said, rising. "I'll come back to walk you home in a bit, Elizabeth."

"Alright, Jack," she replied. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Before he could answer, Mr Thatcher stood up. "Why don't I come with you? If you don't mind, that is."

Jack looked to Elizabeth who was a puzzled as he was and stammered, "No...I...of course not. You're welcome to."

"Fine, then. Grace, wait here. I'll be back in a bit."

"Alright, darling," she said with a knowing smile. Elizabeth gave her a puzzled look.

As the two men walked out the door, Elizabeth turned to her mother.

"What in the world is all that about?" she asked.

"I'm sure I don't know," Mrs Thatcher replied, taking a sip from her coffee cup.

Elizabeth stared at Abigail who shrugged her shoulders.

...

The two men walked towards the clinic in the brisk night air.

"You seem concerned about Tom," Mr Thatcher noted. "I thought he was fine. Just a cut on his leg."

"The cut was deep," Jack replied. "It was starting to redden. I'm worried about infection. He should have it taken care of before he rode off to get Faith."

"That was a brave thing he did," Mr Thatcher offered.

"I suppose," Jack said. "Assuming it doesn't cause his leg any harm."

"Well, even so, I think it was a brave thing. Now...about that talk we had earlier..."

"Yes, sir," Jack replied. He was starting to see why Mr Thatcher had insisted on coming with him.

"The truth is Jack, when my daughter first mentioned you in her letters I assumed it was a passing flirtation that would pass soon enough."

Jack nodded. He didn't like the sound of this.

"When Charles returned from Hope Valley this last time I was more than disappointed to learn that he had proposed to Elizabeth and she had turned him down. Even then, I still hoped she might come around."

Jack was feeling more and more like this conversation would not end well the closer they got to the clinic.

"Even as I came here to Hope Valley, I thought perhaps I'd be able to convince Elizabeth to stop this nonsense and come home. I only came because my wife would have come without me if I hadn't," he smiled at Jack. "She can be quite stubborn sometimes."

"I think that just might run in the family," Jack joked.

"Ah, I think you're right," Mr Thatcher agreed, smiling. "I thought I'd appease her and follow along, but be able to convince Elizabeth, in person, what nonsense it was for her to continue this frontier life."

Jack just nodded, not sure what to say. After a long, uncomfortable silence, Mr Thatcher finally spoke.

"You make her happy, Jack. I can tell. The first time she came home - I could see it in her eyes. I tried to deny it, sure. I tried to convince myself that this whole life she'd made for herself here was simply a schoolgirl fantasy and most unfit for a woman of her upbringing. But in letter after letter I saw a maturity and growth in Elizabeth that I would have never imagined. And coming here...well, coming here..." he paused, clearing his throat before continuing. "I see a whole different side of my daughter. I see a woman who has very different plans from the ones I've made for her."

"She certainly makes her own path, doesn't she," Jack smiled.

"Yes, she does," Mr Thatcher agreed, with a small smile of his own.

He stopped suddenly and turned to face Jack. He held out his hand to Jack and slowly, Jack held out his own.

"Jack Thornton, I'm glad Elizabeth has found a man like you. You make her very happy and I know you will take very good care of her," he said as he shook Jack's hand firmly.

"Th...thank you, Mr Thatcher...I..."

"As I told you, it's William. We are to be family now, after all," Mr Thatcher said, straightening his tie and continuing his walk.

Jack couldn't stop grinning. In that one moment, his whole world had just changed. His happiness seemed to carry him on wings towards the clinic and his smile diminished only when he saw the concerned look Faith wore on her face.

"Oh, Jack. I'm glad you're here. Tom has taken a fever. Faith is concerned," Julie greeted Jack in a whisper as soon as she saw the Mountie enter. Tom was sleeping and she was careful not to wake him. "Father...I...I wasn't expecting you to visit."

"Jack was coming this way so I thought I would go along with him to check on you," he replied, softly. Then added, "And Tom."

"Oh, thank you, Father," Julie cried, forgetting her whisper and enveloping her father in a hug. Mr Thatcher, taken aback, took a minute to gather himself and put his arms around his youngest daughter.

Jack turned his attention to Tom, who managed to still be sleeping through Julie's outburst, and then glanced at Faith. He went over to her and motioned for her to follow him out of the earshot of Julie and her father.

"What's happening?" Jack asked her.

"He's developed a fever," Faith began. "I've cleaned the wound again and given him medicine for the fever. I brought back some antibiotics from the hospital, so I started those, as well. If he doesn't get better, though, we'll need to take him to Union City."

Jack nodded, understanding the situation.

"Julie?" a distant voice called.

"Tom, I'm here, I'm here," Julie answered, rushing back to his side. "Oh, I didn't mean to wake you. You need your rest."

"I'm fine, I told you. I don't know what all the fuss is about anyway," Tom said, stirring, trying to sit himself up in the bed.

"Oh, no you don't. You lie right back down in that bed this minute. Enough playing the hero. I need you to be a good patient and get better."

"Yes, ma'am," Tom grinned, obeying his wife's stern admonition.

"Julie is right, Tom. You need to rest. It will help the healing," Faith agreed.

"Fine, fine. I'm not cut out for this lying in bed mess. I have work to do. Lee needs me at the mill."

"I think he'll manage," Jack interjected. "He said to tell you he's coming by in the morning to check on you."

Tom nodded.

"Glad to see you're feeling better," Mr Thatcher interjected. "If there's anything you need please don't hesitate to ask."

Tom looked from Mr Thatcher to Julie to Jack. He wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Uh, thank you Mr Thatcher," he finally replied.

"We should head back to Abigail's. It's getting late, Julie. Why don't you come with us?" Jack asked.

"I'm staying here with Tom, of course," she replied.

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but he could see determination in Julie's eyes and knew it wasn't worth the fight. Faith noticed, and reassured Jack.

"I think Julie would make an excellent nurse," she smiled. "She is very stern with her patients. I'm sure she will take excellent care of Tom."

Jack gave a grin and nodded.

"I'm sure you're right," he agreed, putting on his hat and heading for the door.

"You'll come get me if you need anything?" he asked, pausing at the door.

"We will be fine, Jack," Julie assured him.

He and Mr Thatcher headed back to Abigail's. The Thatchers headed back to the hotel and Jack took Elizabeth to her house on his horse.

"So, how was Tom," she asked, once they arrived at her house. Jack dismounted and held his arm out for Elizabeth.

"He's started to run a fever, so Faith started antibiotics and cleaned the wound again. Hopefully, it doesn't get worse. He's very stubborn, though. Doesn't want to follow 'doctor's orders'," he grinned.

"My, oh, my, I can't imagine a Thornton man being stubborn," she smiled back, taking Jack's hand and lowering herself from the mount.

"Something you Thatcher women know a great deal about, as well," he said, taking Elizabeth into his arms.

"Perhaps," she said. She stared into Jack's eyes and then asked her question, "What is going on?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with a puzzled look.

"You've been acting strange ever since you arrived back in Hope Valley. I know with the accident and all you've been preoccupied, but it's...it's something else I just can't put my finger on."

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Elizabeth," he said, a gleam in his eye.

"Oh, I think you do, Constable. But that's fine," she smiled, easing out of Jack's arms and up the stairs to her door. "If you don't want to let me in on your little secret."

Jack now stood holding air where Elizabeth was just seconds before.

"Elizabeth, I told you..."

"Yes, I am aware of what you told me. And what you didn't tell me," she winked.

She opened her door, and in almost a sing-song voice, she said softly, "Good night, Jack."

"Elizabeth?" Jack called as she shut the door behind herself. He smiled. Elizabeth knew him better than anyone, and she could tell he was keeping something from her. But it wasn't time to reveal his surprise just yet. He mounted his horse and smiled again as he headed back to town. Elizabeth would just have to wait a little longer to find out what surprises Jack had up his sleeve.