A/N
I have been asked this a couple of times…
This story was never supposed to see the light of day. I was writing it for me. It was a creative outlet. My daughter was the one who talked me into submitting the story to be read by others. When she convinced me to do it, then I placed two conditions on it.
First, I would post a new chapter a week. Stories that take weeks to be updated are difficult for me to follow. Weeks would pass, maybe even months, and then a new chapter would appear. More than not, I forget the previous chapter's story line. Personally, it's just frustrating to me and I would quickly lose interest. My goal was to upload a chapter a week. I just didn't want to have long periods of time between chapters. When the first chapter was posted, I was working on chapter twenty three. I am still several chapters ahead.
Secondly, if I was going to post, I wanted to post a story that I would be a fan of. I enjoy going back and reading this story. It amuses me. My silly sense of humor and romantic side comes out through the story. This story will never make the list of the most favorite or the most read story in the Fanfiction universe, but I hope these words are entertaining and make you laugh.
One of my daily goals for the last three years is to leave people better than when I found them, or at the very least no worse than when I found them. May this story bring a smile to your face and a laugh to your soul. This story won't change lives, but maybe the new chapter will leave you better than when it found you.
With all of that said, we continue on with this little story.
Chapter 80
"I'm doing well. I'm sorry…do I know you?" Jack asked.
"No Detective Thorton, or should I say Chief Thorton?" She offered him a small grin. "We have not met before today."
Jack took a moment to size up this woman standing in front of him. His training taught him to size up individuals quickly. This woman had brown hair that was halfway down her back. She stood about five foot four inches tall. She was petite in stature. Her eyes were brown, and she had a nice smile. However, Jack also got the gut feeling she wasn't someone you would want to cross. She stood with confidence and had an aura of authority.
"I can see your training has kicked in." She chuckled just above a whisper.
Jack simply nodded at her. He realized she was a confident woman because she knew what was happening. She was no fool. His senses were on high alert now. He raised his right hand closer to his handgun that he had under his shirt that wasn't tucked in.
"Now Chief. There is no need for that today." She gave him a smile. She began to slowly walk around the tactor that was in the middle of the main isle in the barn. She ran her finger over the big back tire but didn't touch a metal surface. Jack was hoping he could recover a fingerprint if she touched a hard surface.
"I feel like I am at a disadvantage. I don't know your name."
This beautiful woman smiled at Jack. "Please, Chief, call me Miranda."
"Ms.?"
"Miranda is fine." She answered. "Chief Thorton, please excuse my ploy in getting you out in the middle of nowhere for our little meeting. I wanted to have a few private moments so we could discuss a few things."
"Miranda," Jack began. He was matching her actions by walking in the opposite direction keeping the same distance between them. While she may have been a beautiful, petite woman, Jack knew she wasn't one to be tried. "What can I do for you?"
"Chief Thorton…"
Jack cut her off. "Please, Miranda. Call me Jack."
She gave him a thoughtful look and then a smile came across her face. As much as Jack was measuring her, she was reconciling everything she heard about this man with the man standing in front of her. She was quickly realizing that he surpassed everything she has heard about him.
"Jack." She emphasized his name. "Of the countless things I have heard about you, I do believe you to be the true gentleman I have heard about."
Jack nodded his head.
"I would like to discuss a business opportunity."
…
Elizabeth sat down at her desk in her classroom. She loved the thought of being pregnant, but the babies were tiring her out. She sighed. "Peanuts, you are making me very tired. How am I going to survive being pregnant and teaching at the same time?" She mentioned to herself.
Mary, whose classroom is next door to Elizabeth's, heard her statement as she walked past her door. She knocked on Elizabeth's door. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Elizabeth,"
Elizabeth jumped slightly with Mary's presence. "It's ok, Mary. I was just lost in thought."
Mary offered her a smile as she walked into the classroom toward the desk. "May I offer you a piece of advice?"
"Sure."
"When I was pregnant, I was able to teach until the last month of my pregnancy. You have to listen to your body and do things that will help you."
Elizabeth sat back in her chair and moved it so she was looking at Mary. "Like what?" She was intrigued in Mary's advice.
"Well, for me, I used a stool to sit on during my lessons. I didn't use it all the time, but I kept it close. The further in my pregnancy, the more I used it. My feet just wouldn't let me stand like I used too."
Elizabeth nodded her head. "That's a great idea." She was making metal notes in Mary's advice.
"I also had to rely on my class neighbor to watch my kids for a few moments throughout the day so I could use the restroom. I struggled with dehydration and had to make sure I drunk a lot of fluids. That meant going to the bathroom more often. I hated to use my neighbor to watch over my kids, but I didn't have a choice."
"That makes sense." Elizabeth rubbed her hands together. "I am only into this pregnancy for a couple of months now, and the peanuts are already kicking my butt."
"Peanuts?"
"Yes, I'm having twins."
"Oh, Elizabeth. That's great."
"Yes it is."
"But that also means you really have to watch yourself."
Mary and Elizabeth spent another thirty minutes talking about pregnancy and teaching. Mary gave her several pieces of advice that will benefit Elizabeth in a few months. Her due date was in January. She was hoping to last to Christmas break and that would give her more time off for maturity leave. She also knew that twins usually don't last to the due date.
She was quickly learning that she must learn to depend on others later on in the pregnancy. This just wasn't who she was. She was always independent. That's why she worked during her college years even though she didn't have too. She sighed at the though of depending on others.
"Elizabeth, just remember that you are not a burden to others. They offer to help you because they care for you. You have always been very helpful to others, it's time that you allow them to return the blessing."
Elizabeth sighed. "I know."
Mary reached for her hand and gently squeezed it. "Elizabeth, allow others to love on you as you loved on them." With that, she stood and walked back to her classroom.
Elizabeth took a few moments to process everything Mary said. "She's right. This changes everything." She looked down at her baby bump and placed her right hand on her belly. "I will do anything for you two. Now, let's get this done so we can go and grab lunch with Auntie Abagail.
…
"A business opportunity? If you knew me, you wouldn't be asking about a business opportunity." He laughed under his breath. "I believe you should find new sources."
Miranda smiled at him. Everything she has heard about this man is true. He was a stand up guy and he would never turn his back on his beliefs. "Jack, I don't think you will come over to the dark side, I just wanted to meet you."
Jack nodded his head. "Miranda, I don't think we have anything in common."
"Jack, we have plenty in common. We just are on different sides." She gave him a smile. "Lawrence is not the boss."
"No ma'am. That would be you."
She gave him a nod of agreement and a slight smile but didn't say anything.
"And I believe you are a person who should not be tested."
She smiled at Jack. "Jack, I have no intention of destroying Hope Valley or changing it. This is only a place of convenience for me. I will use it as a pit stop if you will, you will have no problem with me.
"Miranda, I will up hold the law here. If you are doing anything illegal, I will pursue you."
"I understand, Jack."
"So, this Lawrence guy…"
"Jack, Lawrence is only a pawn, he is a dime a dozen. Don't worry about him. He has strict orders not to touch you or your family."
When she mentioned Jack's family, he tensed up and stood tall. He squared his shoulders toward her and raised his head with authority. She immediately took notice of Jack's posture and thought he grew a foot instantly.
"Miranda, if you go after my family, I will not rest until I…"
Miranda cut him off. "Jack…Elizabeth, Ig, and Iggy are not to be touched. I promise you that."
"Miranda," Jack continued without acknowledging Miranda's statement. She needed to hear his words and she needed to see his facial expression. "If you go after my family, I will not rest until I fully and completely avenge my family. I will come after you with everything I am, and I will not stop until I am satisfied with the outcome. I will not be coming after you as a police officer or as a Chief. I will be coming after you as a husband and a father."
Miranda looked into Jack's eyes and knew he was telling her the truth. She had no doubt that Jack would stop at nothing to honor his family. "Jack, I give you my word, you and your family will not be touched by any of my people."
Jack stared at her. This woman had just captured all of Jack's attention. He was studying her and noticing everything about her. She stood and talked confidently. She was left handed. She favored her right leg when she stood still. For the first time, he saw a little hesitation when he was talking about avenging his family.
She knew she pushed her limits too far. "Jack, it was great to meet you. I doubt I will see you again. However, I reserve the right to text you in the future if the need arises."
Jack stood like a statue. He didn't acknowledge her. He simply looked into her eyes and watched her every movement.
"Jack, it was great to meet you. You are everything I have heard about and more." She nodded at him and slowly backed into the closest stall without taking her eyes off of Jack. He saw a light come inside the barn and then go dark again. He heard a car door close and then speed off. Jack ran into the stall and quickly found the hidden door in the wall. When he stepped outside, he noticed a dark SUV but couldn't read the license plate or even get an accurate color of the SUV due to the dust the vehicle was making.
After a few moments, Jack called Bill. "Hey Bill. I'm sorry to bother you on your vacation, but do you have a moment to talk?"
"Sure Jack. What's up?" Amy has been keeping Bill up to date with what is going on in the office.
Jack shared with him about his encounter with Miranda. "Jack, I don't know anything about her. LJ always seemed like the boss. I'll be back tomorrow to help out."
"Thanks boss. I think I will call Superintendent Johnson to see if she is on his radar on the state level."
"Great idea, Jack. I'll see you tomorrow."
Jack quickly took his phone and opened his note app. He wrote down all the metal notes he had about Miranda, from her appearance to her being left handed and her favoring her right leg.
…
Jack calls Superintendent Johnson from his old office.
"Hello Jack. I hope this is the phone call informing me you are coming back to the investigator's office."
"No sir. I may need you help however."
"Sure Jack. What's going on?"
Jack shared the same message to Johnson as he did with Bill. After listening to everything Jack was telling him, Johnson took a couple of moments trying to remember if anything came to mind.
"Jack, I do not know the name or description. Let me make some phone calls to see if she is on anyone's radar here."
"Thanks, Superintendent Johnson. I appreciate all the help you could give me."
Jack spent about thirty minutes to look over the area outside of the barn and the barn itself for any clues. He found nothing except tire prints. He took several pictures of the tracks just in case something would come from it.
…
Vi and James was enjoying their lunch together. They laughed together and at each other. Their time together was going by quickly.
"James, what's next?"
"There is a meeting of suppliers beginning at one. They usually gather together to discuss projects and future projects."
"Yeah? Is this helpful?"
"It is. During this meeting, they also share information about contractors for potential jobs. I have obtained several contracts out of this meeting."
"Great. Let's hurry so we won't be late."
"We?"
"Well, I saved you a lot of money. I'm invested now."
"Wait, I thought the deal was that I paid for your lunch." He sassed her with a nudge of his shoulder and a grin.
"Yeah, that was only part of it."
"Well, let's go woman. We have jobs to get."
They held hands as they walked back to the conference. They were quickly becoming closer as the day went along.
…
Jack texted Elizabeth to check on her.
J – How are you, beautiful?"
E – I'm good. A little tired. The peanuts are wearing me out.
J – Are you still at school?
E – I am. Almost done and about to head to the café to eat lunch with Abagail.
J – That sounds great.
E – I love you
J – I love you
Jack was grateful Elizabeth was doing well and safe. As he sat in his car, he called SRO Henry.
"John, this is Detective Jack Thorton. How are you?"
"I'm good, Jack. How are you?"
"Good. Hey, do you have a moment to talk?"
"Sure. I have all the time you need."
I'm heading back to town. Could we meet at noon? There are a couple of things I need to discuss with you."
"No problem Jack. I'll call in a pizza for us."
"Perfect John. See you then."
Jack wanted to discuss a couple of the programs they were starting, but he also wanted to share with him about his morning and what steps they could take with Elizabeth while she was at school.
…
After a successful meeting with SRO Henry, Jack sat at his desk. He kept replaying his interaction with Miranda. He tried to replay the entire time together to see if he missed something in their contact. He was growing frustrated with the lack of information.
He decided to take a few moments to do what calmed him down the best. He pulled out a small sketch pad and a few pencils. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the love of his life. As soon as his eyes closed, the image of his wife standing tall with her hand on her belly. Her hair was flowing in the breeze, and she was standing in front of a flower bed of daises. He opened his eyes and instantly began the task of sketching his love.
Jack concentrated on the piece of paper in front of him. Like always, sketching was calming him as he took his mind off of everything else. He simply enjoyed focusing on Elizabeth. While Jack usually took his time during the process of applying pencil to paper, this sketch was coming together very quickly. He finished in no time. He sat his pencil down and looked at the piece of paper. It was as if he was looking at a photo of his wife. He had to admit that this was his best sketch.
…
Vi walked around the conference with James following the supplier's meeting. James was able to secure two contracts building prefab warehouses and the potential of three other projects. By all means, this conference was a success and there was still one day remain.
"Viola, would you like to go out to eat and maybe catch a movie?"
"Dinner sounds great, but can we just go back to our rooms and watch a movie"
"Perfect. Would forty five minutes be enough time for you to get ready?"
"Give me an hour." She smiled. She wanted the extra time to make sure she looked her best. As she picked up her suit case to look through her cloths for options, she laughed at the thought of his teasing her for not unpacking her bag.
…
"How is Ig and Iggy?" Asked Abagail.
She shook her head. She didn't really like those nicknames, but she smiled each time they were said.
"They are good today."
"Did Jack do his magic?"
Elizabeth shook her head. Her phone buzzed. Then immediately buzzed again…and then again.
"Do you need to check your phone?"
"No." She stated with a laugh while her phone kept buzzing.
"It sounds like an emergency or maybe it's important."
"It's just Jack."
Abagail gave her a confused look.
"Here." Elizabeth stated while she handed the phone to Abagail.
Abagail laughed as she began to read the messages.
J – I
J – Miss
J – You
J – Elizabeth
J – I
J – love
J – you
Jack hand sent each word as individual texts.
Abagail let out a loud laugh as she handed the phone back to Elizabeth. She accepted the phone and sent off their quick text to Jack – 831.
That man is silly.
"Yes." Laughed Elizabeth. "I love that goofy man."
"How are you feeling about the upcoming doctor's appointment?"
"I feel good about it. We are still trying to decide if we want to know the sex of the babies."
"How are you leaning with that?"
"It depends on the day. One day we want to know and then the next we don't. We haven't decided yet."
"That makes sense."
Abagail and Elizabeth took some time to just sit and chat. With the pregnancy and everything else going on, her life has been busy. Abagail stayed busy with Henry being added in her life. She was grateful for the addition, but it was a change. The two honorary sisters haven't had as much time to just sit and talk. They enjoyed this time to just talk and catch up on each other's life.
Abagail caught up Elizabeth on Henry and all that has been going on with his baseball games and his new budding relationship with Emily.
"They have a relationship?" Asked Elizabeth.
"As much as new sixth graders can have I guess." She laughed at herself thinking of all the times the two little ones have hung out together. "They talk and she attends many of his games. Nothing serious. They do seem to laugh a lot."
"Well, that's great. I'm happy for them."
…
James and Viola had just finished their dinner at a nice Indian restaurant just down the street from the conference center. They were walking back to the hotel hand in hand.
"Did you have a good day?" James asked.
"I did. I didn't know what to expect, but it was a good day. What lies ahead for us tomorrow?"
"The first part of the day is a repeat of today. Around ten or so, the committees begin to meet. Lunch is usually around noon. More committees following lunch. I always cut out around three or so. Everything after that doesn't apply to me or my business. I don't stay for those meetings."
Viola nodded her head.
"We could be back in Hope Valley late tomorrow night."
"That's nice."
The two continued their walk back to the hotel stealing glances at each other. Their relationship has continued to grow closer even with the busy day.
The couple stopped outside of Viola's door. He tucked a little bit of stray hair behind her left ear. "Thank you for hanging with me today. I know that couldn't have been too fun for you."
"I enjoyed it. It was nice to be with you."
"I agree. Are you ready for bed or would you like to watch a movie?"
"A movie sounds great. Give me ten minutes and come on over?"
He gave her a smile and a gentle kiss on her lips. "Ten minutes."
…
Jack and Elizabeth were cleaning up after their dinner. It was a simple dinner, but a good dinner. He could see how tired she was.
"Hey beautiful, go get changed for bed. I'll do the same after I finish these. I'll get us something to drink and a small snack ready and you can find us a movie to watch."
"Oh, Jack. That sounds perfect."
"Meet you on the couch in a few minutes."
He watched her leave the kitchen and head toward the bedroom. He smiled watching her walk away. He loved his wife and he also thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He took a deep breath trying to control his desires. He knew she was tired and needed to rest.
As Jack walked into the bedroom to changed after finishing cleaning the kitchen, Elizabeth walked out of the bedroom in her favorite pair of sweetpants that were two sizes too large and one of his t-shirts. She had on her favorite fuzzy, pink socks that he hated so much. She gave him a smirk when she saw his face. She knew he hated the socks.
"I'll get us something to watch."
"Perfect. What ever you want is fine with me."
"Are you sure? You always complain when I pick."
"Well, you always pick a chick flick. What ever is fine with me. I have snacks ready."
After coming out of the bedroom wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt, he sat on the opposite end of the couch. He patted his lap and asked her to put her feet in his lap. She smiled as she scooted herself down on the couch and placed her feet on his lap. Before she even was comfortable, he began to softly run his hand over her foot.
Before she began the movie, Jack started to tell her about his morning. "On my way into the office this morning, Amy called me, and I went out on a call…" He took time to tell her everything about the surprise meeting in the barn. He shared his thoughts on his impression of this lady and everything that she said.
She took a few moments to make sure everything sunk in. "What do you think? What is your feeling about it?"
"She was a very confident woman. I don't think she was there by herself. I do believe she had at least a driver present. I didn't get a feeling that I was in danger or anything. I think she was trying to feel me out."
"Why would she do that?"
"I'm not sure. I think since I am taking over as chief soon, she wanted to get a sense of who I am."
"That makes sense."
He hesitated for a moment. He told her about the portion of the conversation about his family. "She assured me that me and my family are off limits to her people."
Elizabeth inhaled a quick breath. He could feel her tense up just by touching her foot.
"I think we are safe. For some reason, I don't think she would do something stupid like coming after you or me."
"Are you sure." She asked with a little nervousness in her tone.
"I think so. I made it very clear that if she came after you, I would stop at nothing to come after her."
She nodded her head, but he could tell she wasn't completely comfortable.
"Elizabeth, I will do whatever I have to do to protect you, Ig, and Iggy."
She smiled at her husband. "I trust you. If you think she wouldn't do anything against us, I will try to be ok."
She sighed when he switched to her left foot. "I don't know why, but I do trust that she wouldn't come after us or allow anyone who works for her to do that. She knows that would be a huge mistake on her part. She would lose everything."
Elizabeth sat quietly for a few moments with both of her hands on her baby bump. He tapped her on her foot to get her attention. "I will protect you with everything I am."
She gave him a smile knowing he was telling her the truth. A smile came across her face. He knew she was going to be cautious with everything, but she was also going to be ok. "Jack, would you like to have boys? You know, carry on your name and all?"
Jack stopped for a moment and thought about her question. "Honestly, I don't think I have a preference. Growing up with a brother, I know how to do all the guy things. If we had boys, I could take them camping, hunting, fishing, but I can do that with girls too."
"That's true. I want our children, boys or girls, to know they can do anything."
"I agree, sweetheart. Girls are typically more emotional than boys, I don't know how to handle that."
"That's true. I bet they would have you wrapped around their little pinkies." She laughed knowing that statement to be true.
Jack chuckled. "I bet they would." He thought for a few more minutes. "I don't think I would prefer one or the other. I think I just want healthy. Healthy babies and a healthy momma would be perfect."
She sighed at his response.
"What about you? Would you like little princesses to chase after or little pirates?"
She laughed at his statement. After giving it serious thought for a moment, she answered him. "I can imagine little girls running around with your sassiness in pony tails ordering you around, but I can also imagine little carbon copies of you running around getting dirty every few seconds."
"So…boys or girls?"
"I think I'm praying for healthy. It doesn't matter if they are boys or girls, they are ours and we will love them."
Jack gave her a reassuring smile. "Very true."
Jack continued to lightly rub the top of her foot and her calf thinking about her dream. "Nani, you could have a boy and a girl like your dream."
"That's true." She has been thinking about her dream a lot lately. "What's the chances of that actually happening?"
"I'm not sure, but we do have the house of your dreams."
"True…" She would never admit that she was hoping the dream would play out in real life. She loved the thought of it and the dream seemed perfect in her mind.
"So, now the big question, do you want to know the sex of the babies?"
She sighed. "Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. What about you Jack?"
"I'm the same way. I would like to know because we could get the nursery in order and personalized for the babies. But then, I would like to be surprised too."
"I'm the same way. We go in a couple of weeks. We need to make that decision soon."
"Should we flip a coin?" He teased.
As Jack sat on the couch rubbing her feet and legs, the movie was long forgotten. It had become background noise. They discussed finding out the sex of the babies without ever coming to a conclusion. They discussed how she was feeling and her job. She wanted to work as long as she could before taking maternity leave. She wanted as much time with the babies after the birth as she could get. She also wanted to return to teaching after a good amount of time.
"Work as long as you comfortably can, then why don't you take the spring semester off? You can go back after summer break. That will give you a few months during the summer with the babies."
"I was thinking that. Do you think we can afford it?"
"You are the one who does the checkbook. What do you think? I think we can."
"I think we can too. I just didn't want to put us in a financial trouble."
"If that is what you want to do, we will make it happen. Whatever it takes."
She smiled at her husband. He was willing to do whatever he had to do to make her dreams come true. She wanted the first few months with her babies, but she also didn't want to turn her back on her calling as a teacher. She just needed to find the middle ground between the two.
"When you go back to school, maybe ma could watch the babies? Your mother too when she is visiting."
"I wouldn't be surprised if she buys a small house and moves here."
…
James knocked on the door that separated their two rooms and walked in without waiting for a response. He looked up when he heard Viola.
"I'll be right out. Why don't you go ahead and find something to watch? Nothing too gory or a superhero type of movie."
"Got it."
As he began to look through the channels, he heard the bathroom door open. He glanced up and then back to the TV. After a second, he quickly looked up again. Viola was wearing a matching sleep outfit. It wasn't meant to be sexy, but it defiantly was. It was a silky pair of shorts and a top that covered her completely, but the outfit was absolutely beautiful on her. The color was perfect and showed just enough to make him wonder what was hidden under the fabric.
"Viola, you look beautiful."
"Really? It's just shorts and a top."
"I know, but…" He trialed off. He couldn't speak.
"Did you find anything?"
"Huh…find anything?" He asked confused.
"Yeah silly. Did you find a movie?"
"A movie?" He asked again. His mind just wasn't working. He never took his eyes off of her.
"James…what's wrong with you?" She laughed until he stood up. That was when she noticed what he was wearing. It was a pair of athletic shorts that fit him perfectly. They showed off his muscular legs. His shirt was sleeveless and loose fitting. She could see his biceps and forearms. They were the arms of a man who wasn't afraid of working. She inhaled a quick breath.
"Oh boy…" they both stated as they stared at each other. The first day or so away with each other brought them closer together. Spending the day with each other at the conference and interacting with others as a couple brought them to a deeper aspect of their relationship. They were mesmerized with the sight of each other.
…
Jack continued to look at his wife as he rubbed the top of her foot. She was asleep. Her hair was sprayed across the little pillow and her mouth was open. She was in complete snore mode at this point. It wasn't obnoxious yet but was certainly louder than normal. He let out a small laugh knowing she would argue with all of her might that she didn't snore. He still didn't understand why she was so adamant that she didn't snore.
He reached for his phone when it buzzed. He was hoping he could answer it before it woke his wife. "Thorton" He responded as he pressed the accept button.
"Hey Jack. How are you and Elizabeth doing?"
"We're great Grace. She is napping."
"Did she fall asleep watching a movie again?" She laughed knowing her daughter has been needing naps lately.
"Actually, we were just talking. How are you and Mr. Thatcher?"
"We are good. You know Jack, you can call him William."
While William has apologized for his actions during their wedding, his attitude toward Jack would be considered cold.
"I'm sorry she is sleeping. Do you want me to have her call you tomorrow?"
Grace noticed that Jack skipped the last part about William. "That would be great, Jack. How is your job going?"
"It's great. Bill will be retiring in a week or so and I will officially take over."
"Are you ready for that?"
"Absolutely not. But he feels I am ready."
"You will do a great job, dear. I believe in you."
"Thank you, Grace. That's very kind of you to say."
"What is that I hear in the background?"
"Oh, that's your daughter who is snoring who says she doesn't snore." He laughed.
"Wow!" Grace laughed. "Does she still say she doesn't snore. She always did as a teenager when she was sick or really tired but nothing too loud."
"Yes, she does. Why does she say that? I have mentioned to her a few times, and she always denies it with everything she is."
"Well, that comes from Ms. Furgeson."
"Ms. Furgeson?"
"Yes, she was the girl's governess when they were younger."
"Governess?"
"Well, I know it sounds a little pretentious. Ms. Furgeson was the girl's tutor for school and how to act proper for social functions. She told them that true ladies don't snore."
"Oh…well that makes sense why she always argues."
"How is she doing? Is she doing ok with the pregnancy?"
"She is doing really well. Ig and Iggy take a lot out of her, and she is always tired. Morning sickness comes and goes but is getting a little better I believe. All three are heathy and happy. We go to the doctor in a couple of weeks."
"That's right. Any idea if you two would like to find out the sex of the babies?"
"We are still talking about that. One day we want to know and then the next day we don't. It's still up in the air."
Grace and Jack spoke for the next thirty minutes about the pregnancy and Elizabeth. It was a good conversation and flowed easily. That was until she brought up William at the end of the conversation.
"Jack, I hope you give William a chance to be a grandfather."
"Grace." He huffed a little bit in frustration. "I will never keep Mr. Thatcher away from his grandchildren. He is welcomed to visit and spoil as much as you are."
"Jack, there's more to being a grandfather than just the grandbabies."
"Grace, I have tried with him. I may not have been perfect in our relationship, but I think it lies all with him. He was unhappy with our decision to marry so quickly, and he always brings it up or has a snide comment about us or me. I refuse to live in that negativity. He is Elizabeth's father and I respect him for that. He will be the kid's grandfather and I respect him for that. I do think he needs to respect me for being Elizabeth's husband and the father of these babies and he hasn't done that."
"I know Jack." She stated softly.
"Grace, my issue with William does not interfere with my relationship with you. You have always been open with me and very supportive of us. You have been the perfect mother-in-law. There is nothing I would ask to change between us. You are always welcomed here. As a matter of fact, I was asking Elizabeth if you were moving in with us when the babies were born."
She laughed, and it relaxed her. She was afraid the issue with William was going to deflect to her. She was greatly looking forward to being a grandmother. "I may move in for a short period of time just to help Elizabeth out in the beginning, but I am not moving in permanently."
"We will have a guest room with your name on it."
"Thank you, Jack."