Gabe tapped his pen against the desk, eying the mountain of paperwork that never seemed to end. He stifled a sigh. His gaze turned to the beautiful vista outside. The first day of July was here, and it was a lovely one. The sun shone brightly without a cloud to mar the blue sky. Children laughed as they played in the streets. People smiled as they called greetings to one another. Gabe's tapping intensified. He wanted nothing more than to be with his wife and daughters.
Well, why not?
He paused, the pen stilling in his hand. The paperwork wasn't going anywhere, and there was no pressing deadline to process it. His eyes traveled from the window to the papers and back again. It wasn't a hard decision. He jumped to his feet, wrote a quick note to place on the office door in case anyone needed to find him, then planted his hat on his head and strode from the room. After a stop at the cafe, he was on the road toward his house.
When it came into view, he saw Colleen sitting on the porch steps while the girls played in the yard under her watchful eye. Fluffy and Misty romped in the yard beside Allie and Daisy. The cats seemed happy to be reunited. The Kinslows had agreed to watch Misty while Nathan and Elizabeth were on their honeymoon. Allie was thrilled. Gabe had a feeling the new Mr. and Mrs. Grant would have a tough time talking their niece into returning the cat when they got home.
He slowed Apollo to a walk, smiling as he took in his family. His wife looked up and saw him coming. A smile spread over her face. She rose to her feet, a hand automatically going to her rounded stomach. The sight always warmed Gabe's heart. She held their babies unconsciously, telling him just how much she already loved them. He did too. One of his favorite things in the world was laying beside Colleen each night with a hand on her belly, feeling their children move within her. He couldn't wait to meet them.
October felt like a long way away.
Allie saw him and shrieked. "Daddy!" She rushed toward him. He swung down from Apollo, letting the reins drop to the ground as he held his arms open to his daughter. She giggled, leaping into them. "You home!"
Colleen walked down the porch steps, lifting Daisy into her arms before settling the little girl on her hip. She came toward Gabe with a smile. "To what do we owe this surprise?" She placed a hand on his chest and reached up to kiss him.
Gabe enjoyed the feel of his wife's lips, only breaking from her when Allie giggled again. He turned, pointing to the basket nestled in his saddlebag to answer Colleen's question. "Abigail was kind enough to provide us with sandwiches and fruit. I thought we could have a family picnic in the front yard."
Her eyes lit up with delight. "You came home from work to have lunch with us?"
He nodded. Colleen pressed one hand to her lips. Moisture welled up in her eyes. "How was I so blessed to become your wife?"
Her murmured words warmed him inside. He smiled, taking the basket from the saddlebag. "I feel like I'm the one who's blessed."
Her smile and the tenderness in her eyes spoke volumes. She slipped her free hand into his. Together, they set up the picnic as Allie pranced around them, chattering a mile a minute in her sometimes understandable, sometimes unintelligible speech. She giggled as Gabe settled the picnic basket in the middle of the blanket Colleen spread out. He was squatting as he did so, and his daughter launched herself at him, effectively knocking him flat onto his back. Allie giggled again from her spot on his stomach. "Fly me, Daddy! Fly me!"
Gabe laughed, happy to oblige. He took her hands in his, then planted his feet in her stomach before lifting her into the air with his legs. Allie shrieked with joy while he "flew" her around and around, making swishing noises as he did. Colleen watched them, a gentle smile on her face while she rubbed small circles on little Daisy's back. Gabe was so involved in his game with Allie, he didn't realize they had company until a deep voice interrupted.
"Looks like a fun afternoon."
Still on his back, Gabe's eyes traveled upward to see Superintendent Patrick O'Reilly standing over him. The older man wore a grin. "Family life agrees with you, Kinslow."
Slightly embarrassed at being caught in such a position, Gabe cleared his throat. "Uh … sir … I …"
O'Reilly chuckled. "Don't worry, son. I have kids of my own. I know what it's like to play with them."
Gabe nodded, though the heat in his cheeks didn't abate. He gently lowered his daughter to the ground before scrambling to his feet. "What can I do for you, sir?"
Allie tugged on his serge, eying O'Reilly with misgiving in her eyes. Gabe picked her up, quietly reassuring her that everything was okay. Allie's brown eyes didn't leave the man in front of them, though she rested her head on Gabe's shoulder and stuck her thumb in her mouth.
O'Reilly started to speak, then stopped abruptly and looked down. He laughed. "I would have taken you for a dog person, Kinslow."
Gabe's cheeks heated further as he looked down as well, seeing Fluffy standing on her back legs while her front paws kneaded O'Reilly's pants. Misty wove herself in and out of his boots, meowing for attention. The superintendent crouched down, scratching each cat under the chin. Both of them purred in approval.
Allie lifted her head from Gabe's shoulder. "He nice?" she whispered, looking at her father.
Gabe smiled gently. "Yes, sweetie. Superintendent O'Reilly is nice."
He felt her little body relax. O'Reilly finished petting the cats, then stood once more. He inclined his head toward Colleen. "Mrs. Kinslow, how are you?"
She smiled, walking up to Gabe's side. "I am doing well, sir."
He glanced at her stomach. "Looks like your family will be expanding soon."
Gabe wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "Yes, sir. The twins are due in October."
"Congratulations to you both." O'Reilly smiled. "Cherish these moments. They grow up so fast."
"Yes, sir." Gabe cleared his throat, wondering what his superior was doing in Hope Valley. "Not to sound blunt, but what's wrong? Why are you here?"
O'Reilly chuckled. "Nothing is wrong, Kinslow. I come with good news."
Gabe heard Colleen let out a soft breath, telling him that she was relieved. He was too, truth be told. The last thing he wanted was to leave his family for any reason. "That's good to know, sir."
The man stood straighter. "Constable Kinslow, you are long overdue for a promotion. I'm here to remedy that."
Gabe stared at him. "A … promotion?" That had been the last thing he expected.
O'Reilly nodded. "Indeed. How would you like to be a sergeant?"
"A … sergeant?" Why couldn't he string together more than two words? Usually, that was Nathan's problem. This felt like new territory for Gabe. His tongue wouldn't unstick from the roof of his mouth.
His superior grinned. "Cat got your tongue, Kinslow?"
Allie tilted her head. "How would cat get Daddy's tongue?" She looked at Misty and Fluffy still vying for O'Reilly's attention. "They down there."
Colleen and O'Reilly laughed. Gabe shook himself from his surprise. "It's just a saying, Allie. It means Daddy is having a hard time talking."
"Oh." Allie put her hand on his cheek. "It okay, Daddy. Just talk."
He chuckled, kissing his daughter's cheek. "Stay innocent, Allie-girl."
A tiny wrinkle formed in her brow, telling him she was puzzled. He hugged her close before looking at O'Reilly again. "I assume you have details on this position, sir?"
The man nodded. "I do, indeed. Let me assure you, it would not take you from your home more than it does now. You would still spend most of your time in Hope Valley." A smile tugged at his lips. "And it comes with a hefty pay raise."
Gabe didn't know how to respond. O'Reilly studied him for a moment, then gave him a nod. "Come on down to the office once you're finished here. We'll talk over the details, and you can give me your decision later. Does that sound reasonable?"
Relief swept over him. He nodded. "Thank you, sir."
They shook hands. "You deserve this, Kinslow. No hurry in getting back to town. Enjoy this time with your girls."
Gabe smiled. "I will."
The man nodded, then swung onto his horse. "See you later." He tipped his hat to Colleen. "Ma'am."
As he rode away, Gabe shook his head. "Wow."
His wife smiled. "Sergeant Kinslow has a nice ring to it."
Gabe knew what being a sergeant entailed. He would oversee several towns around Hope Valley, traveling to them occasionally to see how the Mounties there fared. If they had disputes, they would take them to him. He would have more paperwork to do, but it also meant another Mountie would be sent to town to take care of the smaller day-to-day responsibilities. He'd have more time for his family and could set up a home office if he so chose. A telephone would probably need to be installed in town as well as in the towns he would oversee. This job would provide a new challenge, but a rush of excitement went through him at the thought.
He loved a good challenge. And if this meant he could be close to his family, especially as his wife got ready to birth their twins, he was all for it.
He smiled at Colleen, acknowledging her words. "You think I should take the position?"
She nodded. "I do. I'm happy you're getting the recognition you deserve."
Gabe pulled her into his arms, carefully not to squish their two daughters between them. "Thank you for your support, Colleen. It means the world to me."
"That's what family does." Her simple words, spoken with a smile, made his heart soar. He pressed his lips to her forehead. In response, she placed a hand on his cheek. "Now, let's eat. There will be time for processing what just happened once you talk with Superintendent O'Reilly." She took his hand, pulling him toward the blanket. He followed willingly, Allie wiggling happily in his arms.
Somehow, it felt fitting that his promotion came while he had been surrounded by his family.
On the final day of their honeymoon, Elizabeth woke and immediately knew something was different. Every other morning, she'd woken up in her husband's arms. This morning, he was nowhere to be seen. She sat up, pushing her tangled hair out of her eyes before quickly plaiting it into a braid. She tied the end with a ribbon, then went in search of Nathan.
She found him in the living room. He stood at the balcony door, looking out over the ocean. He held a mug of coffee in his hands as he leaned against the doorframe taking long, leisurely sips.
Elizabeth quietly crept up behind him. When she drew close enough, she slid her arms around his waist and rested her head on his strong back. "Good morning, my love. You're up early."
He placed his mug on the balcony table before turning and taking her into his arms. They stood for a minute in the quiet, simply holding each other. Elizabeth loved these moments. There was a tender intimacy about being together and not saying anything, just being. She rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and watching the waves crash against the sand.
Eventually, he pressed a kiss to her head. "For some reason, I didn't sleep well last night. I gave up trying about an hour ago." He cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke."
She smiled. "I don't expect that we'll always wake up at the same time." She gave him a mock frown. "But don't you dare leave the house in the morning without first saying goodbye, you understand?"
He chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it." Slipping an arm around her waist, he turned toward the kitchen. "Let's get you a cup of coffee."
Several minutes later, they were seated on the balcony, each with a coffee mug in hand, enjoying the warm ocean breeze and the gradual lighting of the sky. Eventually, coffee finished, they leaned against the railing. Elizabeth's head rested on his shoulder. She loved that they could spend moments like this in comfortable silence, not needing to fill the space with words.
Nathan was the one to break the quiet minutes later. He smiled, touching the ruby necklace that rarely left her neck. "I love seeing this on you."
Elizabeth reached up to cover his fingers with her hand. "I'm honored to wear it. I often wonder what your great-grandmother must have been like, and why this particular piece of jewelry was so special to your family."
He blinked, looking surprised. "I didn't tell you the story?"
She shook her head. His brow furrowed, concentrating, before relaxing once more. "The night I gave it to you, I was so intent on promising you forever, even though I wasn't asking you to marry me yet. The tale behind it must have slipped my mind."
Always happy to hear a good story, Elizabeth looked up at him expectantly. He didn't disappoint.
"My great-grandparents had something of a forbidden love. My great-grandfather was a tradesman, while my great-grandmother came from high society."
Elizabeth gaped. She stared up at him. "She did?"
He chuckled. "She did. Her name was Theodora, and my great-grandfather was Joe." He shook his head. "Their names alone showed the difference in their stations. Apparently, intermarrying between classes was frowned upon."
"Classes?"
He nodded. "Theodora was from the British aristocracy. Her father was an earl." A wry smile lifted his lips. "Joe was a working class nobody from Ireland."
Her eyes widened. "Not just a class discrepancy, but English and Irish, huh?"
He chuckled. "Yeah. You can see why that wouldn't have been smiled upon."
She grimaced. "That's for sure. They're not exactly known for getting along."
"That's why my family came to Canada." Nathan looked out over the ocean. "They got married, much to their parents' horror, and Theodora was cut off immediately. Joe's family wouldn't talk to him because he married an Englishwoman. They had no one to turn to. So they decided to start a new life in Canada where no one knew who they were or what their history was. They tried living in Toronto for a while, but neither liked it. They ended up traveling across the country and settled in the northwest territories, in the province that is now Alberta. Joe got a job in one of the mines, and Theodora set up their home. My great-grandfather rose up in the ranks quickly, gaining a management position in less than a year. One day, he told Theodora he had to go on a work trip. It took several weeks. She was newly pregnant, but didn't realize it yet, and she felt a bit lonely. When he returned, he had the ruby necklace in hand. He told her he'd been saving up to buy her something special, something worthy of an earl's daughter." He smiled. "Do you know what she told him?"
Elizabeth all but held her breath. "What?"
Nathan smiled, looking deeply into her eyes. "She told him she loved it, not because it signified her past, but because it represented their love for each other and the sacrifices he'd been willing to make so they could be together." He touched the necklace gently. "It's been passed down through the generations, a sign and symbol of love."
She gazed at him, touched by the story. "Now I'm even more honored to wear it."
He kissed her, taking his time while their fingers entwined over the ruby. When they pulled apart, they simply looked into each other's eyes, blue staring into blue. After an indiscernible amount of time - whether it was seconds or minutes, Elizabeth never knew - Nathan softly caressed her cheek with his work-worn hand.
"What would you like to do on our final day here?"
She smiled up at him. "Can we spend it on the beach? It's so beautiful and peaceful."
He nodded, a smile of his own growing. "Absolutely. That sounds perfect."
They went to the bedroom to change into their swimsuits, matching articles created by Rosemary specifically for their honeymoon. Elizabeth slipped a beach dress over her suit. Nathan reached out for her hand, a smile on his face. "Ready?"
She nodded, returning his smile. Together, they headed out onto the warm sand for one more day in the sun and water before their honeymoon came to a close. As they walked, Elizabeth reflected on their time together. It had been perfect, a week of getting to know each other more deeply and enjoying time away from the routine of daily life. Though she knew settling into life as a married couple might take some balance and compromise, she was looking forward to being back in Hope Valley and starting that everyday life together.