As Elizabeth and Jack started clearing the dinner dishes, Nathan led Ally out onto the front porch. He wasn't sure how his daughter was going to react to the news he was about to give her. However, if Ally decided to run instead of hearing him out, the porch limited her options in choices of direction. Nathan wanted Ally to at least hear him out. After that, if she wanted time alone, he would grant it to her without her having to run off. The last thing he wanted was for Ally to be God only knew where and upset.
"What is going on, Dad?" Ally asked as they took seats in the two chairs on the front porch. The girl met her father's gaze with a nervous expression. "Is there a problem with my adoption?"
"Not exactly," Nathan told her, marveling at how close she had come to the topic. Dylan certainly could have caused a problem with her adoption if he had shown up before the deadline on the letter. The man could still cause an issue with Elizabeth adopting Ally. "My adoption of you has been finalized. Nothing can change that," he assured her, reaching out for Ally's hand.
Ally let her father take her hand, letting that connection give her comfort. "What about Mama's adoption of me?" she asked, the worry clear in her voice. "That is what you went to see Judge Avery about today, isn't it? Mama adopting me and you adopting Jack."
Nathan gave the small hand he held a reassuring squeeze. "It was. We signed the necessary paperwork. That process is underway," he told her.
Ally nodded but she didn't relax any. Nathan could tell she knew something more was happening. His daughter was very observant when it came to her surroundings and reading people. He knew it was his influence on her over the years, and it filled him with a little bit of pride.
"However, there was also a visitor waiting for me at Judge Avery's office," Nathan admitted. "Dylan Parks, your birth father, was there waiting to see me."
Nathan watched as Ally's confusion gave way to panic. "You won't let him take me from you will you? If Judge Avery makes me leave Hope Valley, I will never forgive him!"
Nathan was shaking his hand as he kept hold of Ally's hand. "That is not going to happen. The deadline for a protest to be lodged against my adoption for you is already past. You are my daughter now. Judge Avery will not let anything change that," Nathan told her.
"You promise?"
"I promise," Nathan told her.
Ally moved from her chair and threw her arms around Nathan. Remaining his hold on her, Nathan settled Ally on his lap. Perhaps she was too old for the action but Nathan thought she could use the extra comfort at this time.
"Ally, remember I told you that the last time I saw your father he had a problem with alcohol. Remember that I told you that I told him if he came back to see you and he was sober that I would allow it."
"I remember," Ally replied, her arms around Nathan's neck as she sat in his lap.
"Well, he was sober today. Dylan claims that he has not had a drink of alcohol for a year, and I have not proof that he was not telling the truth. Though he has no protest against the adoption, he would like to see you, Ally."
"Do I have to?" Ally asked, tilting her head back so that she could look at Nathan.
Nathan shook his head. "I will not make you," he told her. "However, this may be a good opportunity for you to ask him questions."
Ally sat quietly, her arms still around Nathan's neck. Nathan let her sit and contemplate his words. It was a good five minutes later before she spoke. "Part of me just wants him to leave me alone. He chose to leave when I needed him most."
"That is true," Nathan agreed. "What about the other part, Ally?"
"I would like to ask him questions and tell him how his actions made me feel," Ally told him. "I also know that this is my family. I have a dad, a mom and a little brother now. I don't need him."
Nathan kissed the top of her head. "You are right. You don't need him, Ally. However, talking to him today, I got the feeling that perhaps he needs you."
"So you think I should see him."
"I want you to do what you want to do," Nathan told her.
"Where was that attitude when Grandpa came to Hope Valley?" Ally muttered.
Nathan chuckled. His father tracking them down had cause quite a bit of contention. "Maybe I just don't want to repeat the mistakes I made then," he replied.
"Do I have to decide tonight?" Ally asked.
"I can tell him you want time to make a decision," Nathan told her. "What I cannot promise is what Dylan's reaction will be. I do not know if he will stay in Hope Valley or not, though perhaps we can stay in touch if he leaves."
"If he can't give me time to sort my feelings out then he does not deserve my time," Ally proclaimed.
"You make a very good point, My Little Rose," Nathan told her. "You take your time figuring out what you want to do. Your Mama and I are here if you want to discuss the situation. I will tell Dylan tomorrow that you want time to think about seeing him and we'll go from there."
Ally nodded. "What should I call him?" she asked. "You're my Dad. I don't want to give anyone else that title. Should I just call him Mr. Parks? That seems a little silly."
"Why don't you use his first name for now, like I do?" Nathan told her. "If you do decide you want to talk with him, the two of you can figure something out then."
Ally nodded. "Can we just sit here quietly for a bit?" Ally asked.
Nathan held his daughter a little tighter even as he leaned back in the chair. "We can sit here as long as you want."
At that reassurance, Ally placed her head on Nathan's shoulder. With Ally in his lap, Nathan watched as twilight gave way to the darkness of night.
Tyler laid in the bed at the boarding house and stared up at the ceiling. Despite the late hour, sleep would not come. His mind was on Rachel and Autumn back in Hope Valley. More than anything, he wanted to support, comfort and protect those two but he was limited in his ability to do so, and not just because the job was keeping him away. Quitting the Mounties would not solve the issue. Not only would he lose his source of income by doing so but there would still be the issue of Rachel being a single woman living alone. Propriety would limit what he could do for them and he knew Rachel's pride would put further limits on his involvement.
Rachel was determined to take care of her two kids. He admired her for that.
Tyler just wished she didn't believe that she had to do it on her own. However, he also knew that it was too soon to ask her to even consider a courtship. Rachel needed time to grieve. He had no problem waiting patiently to give her that time.
How did he look out for Rachel, Autumn and the unborn baby in the meanwhile?
One thing he had done was talk to Pastor Zeke about trying to convince Rachel stop trying to do so much. The woman was exhausted. Working at the café in her condition was too much. When he had broached the subject with her though, she told him that she needed to work so she could support her children. After losing the only father she had really known, Rachel wanted Autumn to know that her mother was strong enough to care for her alone.
Tyler could sympathize with all of that, but he also did not want to see Rachel risk her health, or the health of the unborn child. He had hoped that the suggestion coming from Pastor Zeke might be taken differently.
For now, it seemed the best he could do, especially as his current assignment took him away from Hope Valley. Nathan had promised to keep him looped in on what was going on in Hope Valley while he was out of town. Tyler hoped that whatever assignment came after Rock Creek that he would be able to at least check in on Rachel before heading off to it.
In the meanwhile, Tyler let his thoughts trail off into a prayer for Rachel, Autumn and the community that was rallying around the single mother and her children.
Nathan left home the following morning while Elizabeth was starting breakfast for her and the children. As it was the summer months, they had been allowing the kids to sleep in. Elizabeth and Nathan enjoyed the quiet moments in the mornings together. Some mornings they even ate a breakfast for two, the kids eating when they wandered downstairs.
This morning though, Nathan had told Dylan he would meet him for breakfast at the café. He made one detour on his way to the café. Even so, Nathan walked into the café ten minutes before eight. Dylan was already seated at a table, a coffee cup in front of him. Nathan nodded to the other patrons already in the café as he made his way to where his brother-in-law sat.
"Good morning, Nathan," Dylan said as Nathan sat down in the chair across from him.
"Morning," Nathan returned as he sat down, hoping that the surprise he felt was not visible. If he were honest with himself, Nathan had expected to show up at the café and Dylan being nowhere in sight. He knew his brother-in-law was good at leaving.
The two sat in an awkward silence for a few moments. The silence was broken by Bill that showed up with a coffee cup and pot of coffee. Bill placed the cup on the table in front of Nathan and filled it. He then refilled Dylan's coffee cup before taking their order.
As Bill headed for the kitchen, Nathan looked across the table at Dylan. He knew that postponing breaking th news to Dylan would accomplish nothing.
"I talked to Ally last night," Nathan said, jumping right into breaking the news. "She's been so happy since the wedding. She is getting the family that she has always wanted."
"I told you. I am not here to ruin any of that. Ally belongs with you, Nathan."
Nathan took a small sip of the hot coffee. "Well, at least the two of us can agree on that," he said, placing the mug back on the table. "Still, this is unsettling for Ally. She is worried about losing the family that she just got. The fact that I was at least able to assure her that my adoption of her cannot be contested at this time, reassured her a little."
"She doesn't want to see me, does she?" Dylan stated, deciding to just let Nathan off the hook of delivering the bad news.
"Right now, Ally is not sure what she wants. She's confused, Dylan. You left her at a time when she needed you. It has been she and I for so long and now that she finally has the family she has long for, suddenly you are there. She wants time to make her decision," Nathan told him.
"How much time?" Dylan asked.
The question gave Nathan hope. The old Dylan would probably have gotten angry and stormed out. The fact that he asked that question, indicated that Dylan was willing to stick around at least for a little while.
Unfortunately, Nathan could not answer the man's question.
"I do not know, Dylan. I cannot even say for sure which way she will decide. What I do know is I sat with her for almost an hour last night after I broke the news of your arrival to her. The news was not easy for her. I will not pressure her for a decision. I told her to come to me when she had made a choice."
Dylan sighed as he slumped back in his chair.
"I guess I should not be surprised," Dylan conceded. "I did abandon her. She has every reason not to want to see me."
"You are right, she does," Nathan replied, in a no nonsense tone. "However, I think she also needs to meet with you once even if it is simply to ask the questions that she has. I think if you stayed in Hope Valley and waited for her to make her choice, Ally might come around quicker than if you simply left again. Show her that you are serious about wanting to make a connection with her."
Dylan gave a quick snort of laughter. "Who would have thought you would be helping me make a connection with your daughter," the man said.
Nathan did not miss the term 'your' that Dylan used. It gave him further confidence that Dylan had indeed made peace with his adoption of Ally.
"I quit my job to come here, though my boss said he would hire me back if I went back, so there is not a time frame that is limiting my choices. However, I only have so much money. Eventually I need to get a job somewhere, though perhaps I can find one in a nearby town."
"Or one in Hope Valley?" Nathan suggested.
"There might be work for me here?" Dylan asked. "And you would be all right with that?"
Nathan nodded. "As I think it is best for Ally if you hang around for now, yes I would be all right with that."
"Don't think I won't be watching you like a hawk if you do though," Bill told Dylan as he placed the plate with his breakfast order down in front of the man.
Dylan looked up at the judge. "You are very protective of my brother-in-law and his family, aren't you?"
"They are family to me," Bill replied, as he placed Nathan's food in front of him. "Now, can I get you gentlemen anything else," he asked politely.
"I think we're good, Bill," Nathan replied, a small smile on his face. He rather liked having Bill in his corner than being at odds with the man. "Thank you."
Bill nodded and disappeared and Nathan continued, looking across the table at Dylan. "Ally needs to see that you really do want to make a connection with her. My job has moved her around so much. She didn't make friends easily. Elizabeth figured out when we came here that it was because Ally resisted making connection with people because she feared having to leave them behind. I think she is hesitant to see you because she anticipates you simply leaving again."
"That makes sense."
"I talked to my friend Lee. He runs the lumber company here in Hope Valley and is also currently finishing building a house for him and his two girls up next to mine. A worker got hurt a couple of days ago, nothing serious, but he can't work right now. You said you worked for a builder so you should be able to handle helping with the house. The position would just be for the duration of the project but it would give you a job while Ally sorts through her feelings."
"I am surprised you would do something like that for me, Nathan."
"I am more doing it for Ally than you," Nathan informed him.
"Of course," Dylan said. "When could I start?"
"I told Lee that if you were interested that I would bring you by his office this morning to introduce you. He already knows about your struggles with alcohol Dylan. He will be watching you, and I've told him not to treat you any differently just because you are my brother-in-law."
Dylan nodded. "I understand, Nathan. I also understand that I am going to be proving to you as much as to Ally that I really have changed. I am going to do that."
"I hope so," Nathan replied. "Working up by my house, you probably will see Ally. I want you to promise that you will not seek her out. I plan on letting her know that you are staying in town and are working on the Coulter's house. If she comes seeking you out, fine. However, don't approach her. She needs to work this out on her own timing, Dylan."
"You have my word," Dylan told him. "Thank you, Nathan."
"Just don't make me regret this choice," Nathan replied.
Dylan nodded and both men fell into a more comfortable silence as they went about eating their breakfast.
"Dishes are done! I am going to go find Timmy!" Paul announced turning from the sink. Florence and Ned were sitting at the table, enjoying a final cup of coffee before heading into the mercantile to open it for the day.
"Be careful," Florence told him.
"I will," Paul said grabbing the mitt and ball that were near the door. "Bye, Mom! Bye Ned!"
The adults echoed his good-bye as the boy disappeared out the front door.
"I think I missed the morning commotion living alone," Ned commented, a smile on his face.
Florence gave a small laugh. "I am sure you will be cured of that within the first week of marriage," she commented. "Which will probably be before Evelyn and Eric come to live with us," she added.
The comment made her look around her row house. Though it had three bedrooms, and Eric and Paul would be able to share a room, the house looked tiny at the thought of the five of them living together. Yet, it had been her home for so long now. She and Ned had discussed it. His little home just outside of Hope Valley had more room. Ned had shared with her that he had built it for his wife, with the hopes of having at least three children, but they had only been blessed with Katie. After Katie had left town, Ned had move to the apartment above the mercantile but had been unable to sell the little house. Molly and a few others had been helping her spruce the place up. Jesse and a few of the guys were making the minor repairs that it needed.
Moving there made sense, but it still didn't mean she would not miss the memories she had made here.
"Are you sure you want to move, Florence?" Ned asked, catching her hand in his as he gazed at her. Florence stopped looking around and focused on her fiancé. "This home would be a tight fit for us, but we could make it work."
Florence shook her head. "I am just being sentimental," she said. "Your home has four bedrooms. None of the kids would need to share and when Katie comes to visit it will be easy to accommodate her."
"It will be our home," Ned reminded her. "I stopped by yesterday evening to check on the progress. You and Molly are doing a lovely job of putting your influence into it. It feels like a different place already."
"And you are all right with that?" Florence asked.
Ned leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Yes," he informed her. "In fact, it is making it easier to think about living there again. It will always hold old memories for me, but the fact that you have put your influence into the house will make creating new memories easier. I love you, Florence."
Florence smiled. "I love you, too," she replied before leaning toward her betrothed and pressing her lips against his.