At the end of her shift at the café, Abigail gave Rachel a hug instructing her to take care of herself and the baby. Abigail promised to be out to check on her periodically and Rachel didn't bother trying to tell her it wasn't necessary. In the short time she had gotten to know Abigail, Rachel had gotten the sense that her way of dealing with the loss of her own son was to be mothering to those around her.
Autumn had been reading a book on the settee, and Rachel now asked she was ready. The raven-haired girl nodded yes as she closed her book. Sliding from the settee, Autumn tucked her book under one arm and reached for her mother's hand with her other hand. As she led her daughter out of the café, Rachel wondered how to ask Henry for a delay in her ride home. The man had his own business to run after all.
Henry was right outside the café, leaning against the hood of his blue car. Seeing Rachel and Autumn step out of the café the man straightened up.
"You know, I have been having a craving for something sweet this afternoon," Henry ventured as they approached him. "Would you ladies mind if we took a short detour to get ice cream before I drove you home? Somehow, ice cream always tastes better with company."
Autumn looked up at her mother expectantly. "Could we, Mom?" the six-year-old asked.
Rachel smiled, both because of her daughter's excitement and for the opening that Henry gave her to visit the infirmary without alarming her daughter.
"You know, I remembered an errand I need to do before heading home," Rachel replied. She looked over at Henry. "Would you mind taking Autumn for ice-cream while I complete it?"
"I would be happy to," Henry told her, giving Rachel a knowing look. "What do you say, Autumn? Would you make an old guy happy buy having an ice cream cone with him?"
Totally unaware that it was about more than ice cream, Autumn happily agreed, letting go of Rachel's hand and reaching for Henry's.
"You come find us when you are done, ma'am," Henry told Rachel, touching fingers of his free hand to the brim of his hat. "There is no hurry. I can make my own hours."
"Thank you," Rachel told him, once again amazed at the kindness shown by the people of Hope Valley. She'd had helpful neighbors in Landsdale but somehow it just wasn't the same as here. Henry asking Autumn about what kind of ice cream she wanted brought a smile to Rachel's face as she walked toward the infirmary. Apparently she had worried for nothing. Not only had Henry given her the time to check in with a doctor but he was keeping her daughter from being worried as well.
Stepping into the infirmary, Rachel found Carson and a group of three boys in the room. One of the three boys was on one of the cots, the doctor on the stool in front of him. Carson was pulling down the boy's pant leg on the left leg. From the look of the pant leg, Rachel figured the boy had fallen while playing.
"Well, the knee is clean and bandaged, Timmy. Your Mom is going to have to take care of the pant leg," Carson told the boy.
"She is not going to be happy but she'll just mutter something about boys being too rambunctious and patch the pants up."
Carson chuckled. "Mothers are very understanding of youthful antics," Carson told him. "The three of you be careful though. I would rather none of you, have need of my services again today."
"Yes, Dr. Shepherd," Timmy's two companions replied.
"Thank you, Dr. Shepherd," Timmy said, hoping down from the bed and following his friends out the door. All three boys gave her a polite "good day, ma'am," as the hurried past.
Rachel smiled as she watched the boy's leave. Yes, the ruined clothes would be a bit of a worry for his parents but Rachel knew Timmy's mother would just be thankful he was all right. Clothes could either be mended or replace. There was no replacing a person.
"What can I do for you, Rachel?" Carson asked, gaining the woman's attention. The doctor had moved to the sink to properly clean his hands after patching up the scrapped up knee.
"I had some cramping while at work and felt light headed for a moment. It only lasted a short time but I wanted to get examined," Rachel said. "Is Faith around?" Rachel asked, hoping the question seemed casual. The other times Carson had examined her, Elizabeth had been present. Since Faith had come home, the female doctor had done her exams.
"Faith went to Benson Hills for some supplies today," Carson replied as he dried his hands. "I offered to go but she said she wanted to do some shopping over there as well. Would you like me to find someone to come be with you during the appointment? Perhaps Rosemary could spare a few moments from the dress shop?"
Rachel was silent for a moment. Carson clearly sensed her concerns correctly but did not seem offended by them. She was grateful for that. It also made her realize that she had nothing to fear from the man. He was a professional. Carson's calling was to help people, not hurt them.
Rachel shook her head and forced a smile as she met Carson's gaze. "It isn't necessary. I am just being silly."
Carson held her gaze with a serious but tender expression on his features. "You are being a woman who has gone through a trauma. There is nothing silly about that."
Rachel nodded but was going to insist again that getting another woman present was not necessary when the door to the infirmary opened. Both she and Carson looked to the door to see Elizabeth walk in.
"Can I help you, Elizabeth?" Carson asked the woman who walked through the door.
"It is nothing serious," Elizabeth said, giving Rachel a welcoming smile. "However, I was reorganizing things in the library to make room for a new batch of books my father sent and I managed to find a splinter. Don't ask me how, as those shelves are as smooth as one could get them. Perhaps it was from the shipping crate, but I could not get it out myself."
Carson nodded and looked at Rachel. "Seems as if God sent your support system to you through the use of a splinter," the doctor told her.
"Are you all right, Rachel?" Elizabeth asked.
"I think so," Rachel told her, telling her friend about the experience at the café briefly. "I guess I just wanted a doctor's reassurance that everything is all right."
"Well, let Carson give you an exam and provide that reassurance," Elizabeth told her, putting her hand on Rachel's arm near the elbow and leading her toward one of the cot's. "My splinter is not going anywhere," she added as Carson drew the curtains around the cot.
Rachel smiled, once again saying a silent prayer to the God who had led her here to Hope Valley.
Later that evening, Rachel and Autumn sat at the dinner table eating their evening meal. Much of the talk after the blessing had been said had been about the summer reading group and her time spent with Ivy Coulter. Rachel was thrilled that Autumn had made such a good friend since coming to Hope Valley. It had really made the transition easier for her daughter.
"Mama, what are we going to name the baby?" Autumn asked as she stabbed a slice of carrot with her fork.
Rachel's breath caught. She really had not been doing much thinking about names and she certainly hadn't thought about including Autumn in the process. However, it made Rachel happy to know that her daughter was excited enough about the coming baby that she wanted to be a part of naming her new baby sister or brother.
Rachel's left hand, which was not currently holding her fork, went to her swollen belly. Carson had examined her and the baby. The doctor had assured her that everything seemed fine with the baby, though her blood pressure was slightly elevated. The doctor told her it could just have been from her anxiety from the contractions earlier, or even just working, but that he wanted her to take things easy for the next couple of days. He told her that he would send Faith out to check in on her in the morning. He had told her to try not to worry but that he did plan on monitoring her closely. Carson had also told her that while he didn't think bed rest was necessary at this point that he did want her to stop working at the café. The doctor had been happy to hear that she had already made those arrangements.
"Well, I guess if it is a boy, we could name him Gilbert Paul after your Dad," Rachel replied. "Would you like that?"
Autumn nodded, a smile on her face. "Dad should be remembered that way," she said. "I miss him, Mama."
Rachel moved her hand from her stomach and reached across for her daughter's right hand, as Autumn was left-handed. Rachel could not think of anyone in her family that was left-handed and James hadn't been. However, her daughter had naturally picked up her crayons in her left hand and Rachel saw no reason to try to change it.
"I miss your Dad, too," Rachel told her. It had been a long time since she had thought of Gilbert as Autumn's step dad. Though he had not been a part of conceiving her, Gilbert had been more of a father to Autumn than James ever had been. "And while he would want us to remember him, your Dad would rather we remember the good memories we had with him rather than to remember him with sadness."
"Like looking for the Christmas Tree last year," Autumn replied. "Playing hide and seek among the trees was fun and we found a tree as tall as Dad. Then he put me on his shoulders so that I could put the Angel on the tree for the first time!"
Autumn paused briefly in her memory.
"Who will help us with a tree this year, Mama? Do you think Constable Tyler might be able to help us during one of his visits? He said he would try to stop in often."
"Perhaps Constable Tyler will help us," Rachel told her daughter. "But it is too early to ask him to make any promises. Constable Tyler's job could take him away from Hope Valley by the time Christmas comes around."
"Ally said that knowing her Dad could miss a holiday or her birthday always makes her uneasy around those events. Though she told me he always made them special for her in some way even if he could not be with her. No matter where he is, I am sure Constable Tyler won't forget us this Christmas."
"I am sure he won't," Rachel replied.
"So if I have a baby brother, we name him Gilbert. What if it's a girl? Ivy said Bridget told her that her sister was hoping she would be a baby brother before she was born because Bridget wanted to be the only girl in the family. I think I would rather have a sister but I would love a brother as well."
"Well, what would you like to name a baby sister?" Rachel asked, not about to admit to her daughter that she had not considered names yet. This far into the pregnancy, she really should have been considering names.
"I remember Mrs. Thornton, I mean Mrs. Grant," Autumn said, correcting herself, "talking about mountains in the United States. They were called the Sierra Nevada. Wouldn't Sierra be a pretty name?"
"Sierra," Rachel said quietly, trying the name out loud. It was pretty. "I like it," she told her daughter with a smile. "So if the baby is a girl, we name her Sierra?"
Autumn nodded happily.
"Good that is one less thing for me to worry about," Rachel said. She kept her tone light so as not to worry Autumn but Rachel had to admit she worried about a lot of things lately. As she had confessed to Elizabeth, the prospect of being a single mother to two children was daunting. She was not sure how she was going to do it alone.
Drying the dinner plate he had washed, Dylan put it away in the cupboard. Bill had told him to help himself to whatever he could find for dinner though he expected Dylan to help buy food once his first pay check came in. The judge also said he expected his boarder to clean up after himself as he was 'not a maid'. Knowing the requests were not unreasonable, Dylan had quickly agreed to them. Though Bill's motivation of letting him stay in his home had to do with keeping an eye on him for Nathan's sake, Dylan welcomed the judge's scrutiny. Somehow, it was easier to stay sober when his reason for doing so were not simply his own desires - like up north with the trapper's widow and his boss in Saskatchewan.
If only he had figured that out when Colleen was still alive? Dylan knew his life could have been happier if he had.
He couldn't change the past though. His counselor had him that many times. Counseling had taught Dylan that he had to accept his past, mistakes and all. After that, it was up to him to choose whether to learn from those mistakes or continue to make them.
Every night, Dylan prayed to God for the guidance and strength to learn from his mistakes.
Dylan folded the towel and put it down. Looking around, he decided the kitchen was as clean as it was before he made himself dinner. Satisfied that Bill would be happy with it when he returned from working at the café tonight, Dylan headed to the room Bill was letting him use. He hadn't bothered unpacking last night, not knowing if he was going to be staying or not. Now, with his job for Lee Coulter and the blessing of Nathan, Dylan would be staying put in this little town for the foreseeable future.
As he put away his few belongings, Dylan thought of the day. Nathan had introduced him to Lee after breakfast as promised. After introducing him, Nathan left to do rounds. As for Lee, Dylan had found the lumber mill owner was affable, though he had wasted no time in laying out his expectations. They had placed a call to his old boss in Saskatchewan, giving Lee the opportunity to verify his work credentials. After filling out paperwork, Lee had then driven him up to the work site.
Nathan had told him his home was next to the one being built, and as there were only two homes up in this area, Dylan had no problem spotting his brother-in-law's home. Though not fancy, Dylan noted that it was a spacious home with room for a growing family. No one seemed to be around the home, and Dylan found he felt disappointed. He supposed he had been hoping to get a look at the girl that Alyssa had become.
He had not been able to dwell on the disappointment for long as Lee had driven past the completed home to where the framework of a house just a large as the first one was taken shape.
"Rosie and I adopted to girls last autumn and while we have had trouble having children of our own, we do hope that Bridget and Ivy are not our only two children," Lee was saying as he pulled off the road. "If they are, then perhaps the house will be filled with the sounds of grandchildren playing one day. Bridget and Ivy have an older brother who is with the Mounties. He obviously didn't need me and Rosie to adopt him, but he is still part of the family."
Unsure of what to say, or if he was expected to say anything, Dylan had simply nodded his acknowledgment of the words. He had been grateful when the talk had changed to the topic of the work itself.
Though he had not done any work today, Dylan had appreciated being shown the work site and meeting the men he would be working with. Curt Lawson, who was in charge of the work site, seemed like a friendly and fair man. Though Lee had not brought the subject about his past drinking issues up, Dylan had done so himself. He was finally through denying he had a problem. Besides, like he had told Lee and Curt, away from his old boss and his counselor, Dylan had a feeling that he would need the scrutiny of others to help keep him on the wagon of sobriety.
With his bag unpacked, and put away neatly, Dylan picked up the bible he had placed on the bed. Opening it up, he looked first at the words written on the inside cover.
My Dearest Dylan,
I know you struggle much of the time with your demons. That you are more likely to find comfort in a bottle than in God's words. However, I pray that is not always the way. I pray every night that the man I fell in love with will conquer his demons and seek comfort in the words within these pages and not a bottle.
All my love,
Colleen
Dylan was not even sure how this bible had come to be in his things when he had left Calgary. He had gotten through Colleen's funeral by depending on the alcohol to numb the pain. He had known he couldn't stay. The day after he had laid his wife to rest, Dylan had simply grabbed a bag in the middle of the night, threw some things in it, and slipped out of the house. He had not bothered saying good-bye to anyone. It had been almost a week later when he had finally been sober enough to take inventory of what he had with him. The photograph of Colleen and him, holding baby Ally and the Bible were the only two things of sentimental value he had managed to pack. His reaction to finding them had been to put them in the bottom of the bag and find the closest saloon.
Up North, as he had watched Ave shake off her own mantle of grief, and run the trapline her husband had used to support her, Dylan had finally been able to take comfort in those memories.
Running his fingers over the script, Dylan spoke quietly to the wife he had lost. "I am finally managing to do what you prayed I would, Colleen. I hope you are happy about that."
A few moments later, Dylan had flipped the pages of the book open to Psalms, looking to the words to calm his swirling emotions.
Between returning from town and making dinner, Elizabeth had managed to wash the bedding and hang it out to dry. As the sun began to set on the day, Nathan and Ally went out to gather the bedding from the lines. They worked in silence for a bit before Nathan spoke.
"So, I told Dylan that you wanted time to think about meeting him this morning," Nathan finally ventured as they worked.
"Was he mad?" Ally asked.
"No," Nathan replied easily, and with a bit of gratefulness. He was glad that Dylan had not gotten upset with how things were progressing. There was a time that Nathan had no doubt he would have and then immediately sought out a place to drink. "If I had to put a word on his reaction, I would say it was regretful that his past actions have caused this type of relationship with you."
Ally nodded in acknowledgment. Nathan was silent for a few moments, waiting to see if Ally would express her feelings. When she didn't, Nathan continued.
"Dylan had been working for a builder in Saskatchewan, so I introduced him to Lee. He's going to be helping the crew working on the Coulter's house for the duration of the project, so you have time to sort things out Ally. There is not rush and if you choose not to meet him that is perfectly acceptable."
"So, he's staying this time," Ally commented, a hint of bitterness in her voice.
"He is," Nathan confirmed. "I truly believe he has been able to get his drinking problem under control, Ally. Just like Grandpa has finally conquered his gambling problem."
Nathan draped the folded sheet he had taken from the line on top of the others in the basket they had brought out. When he straightened up, Ally surprised him by throwing her arms around him.
"I think I understand how you felt when Grandpa came to Hope Valley, now," Ally told him.
Nathan responded by wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Grandpa had never hurt me, so I didn't understand why you would not let me get to know him. Even when you told me, he had hurt you and Mom when you were younger. Mama tried to make me see that, but I just couldn't grasp it. I get it now. I know what it felt like to have my Dad walk out on me before. It scares me to think he might do it again. It seems easier just to keep him out of my life, like you wanted to do with Grandpa."
"You know, giving your grandfather this final chance has been a blessing for me," Nathan told her, as he held Ally close to him. "I have you and your Mama to thank for that. Your encouragement and support gave me the strength and courage to open my heart one final time. Yes, there was a risk. There is still a risk. Though your Grandpa has been doing well, there is always a chance that something could cause him to slip up. The same will always be true with, Dylan. Keep that in mind while you sort through your feelings, Ally. Remember, I love you and there is now right or wrong choice in this. It is about what you feel is best for you."
Ally held onto Nathan for a little while longer before taking a step back. Silently, the two returned to the task of collecting the bedding from the lines.