Chapter 22: Making The Most Of Their Time

Elizabeth smoothed the folds of her skirt once more. This was silly. Why was she so nervous? This is Nathan for goodness sake! She had nothing to be worried about. And it wasn't so much of a worry as an excitement—an overwhelming feeling of anticipation like being at the edge of a cliff, getting ready to jump. Knowing full well that the water below was cool and inviting, but feeling the butterflies all the same.

This was a beginning—a wonderful beginning of her future playing out before her. Everything finally fitting into place. It all felt so right…and at the same time there was a fear that it could all be taken away before it even started. She had lived that once before, and although she knew that was unlikely to repeat—the thought still taunted her from the recesses of her mind.

Instinctively, she reached for the rings around her neck, caressing the gold band and diamond from her first love. She still hadn't taken them off. Rather than feel pressure to put them away, she had found unyielding support from Nathan to pull them out and look at them. He was always supportive to talk about Jack—getting the same far-away look in his eye when he reminisced about Colleen. He truly understood.

Elizabeth smiled a watery smile at her reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath. Loving Nathan was both easy and hard. On one hand, it was like breathing. The man attracted her on every level. On the other hand, it was hard—like learning to walk again.

She had spent so many years running and suppressing her feelings, that having his piercing blue eyes bore through her was… scary. He truly saw her and read her like a book. Her façade was just that—a mere mask she put on for others to appear strong and brave.

Lucas proudly played along with the charade, enticing her further into deception. Everything was safe and surface level, and she could continue to suppress and skim over her pain simmering just below the surface.

But the heart is a powerful muscle, and it can only survive on the syrupy sweetness of platitudes and tea parties for so long. Her relationship with Lucas was built on a house of cards. The first real wind would have blown the whole deck down.

Her heart longed for something real and lasting—a solid foundation in the quiet presence of a friend who stole her heart with each breath and yet remained patient and steadfast, respecting her grief and healing. Her times with Nathan brought her deeper into feeling again which made her feel alive, and yet feeling again also revealed the pain that she had been numbing and pushing down.

She turned the diamond in her hand, and the sunlight caught it, casting beams of sunlight across her wall. Though she couldn't explain it, learning to love again was a lot like that. Her heart was bursting forth with not only love, but dozens of emotions that had long lay suppressed during the darkness of her grief.

"You look beautiful." Rosemary's voice broke through her thoughts. The blonde leaned in the doorway with Jack at her side, holding her hand.

"Pretty Mama." Jack repeated reverently.

Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears, thankful for her son's and friend's support. "Thank you." She sunk to Jack's level and held her arms out to him. Within a second, he was snuggled into her hug, and she was overtaken by how very grown up he was becoming. She had such peace in the moment, and inexplicably it felt like she was hugged by more than one Jack.

She looked up at Rosemary who was still leaning in the doorway, smiling warmly at the mother and son pair.

"He would be proud of you, Elizabeth." Rosemary spoke softly, and Elizabeth didn't need to ask whom she meant. She knew it too. This was what Jack had wanted for her, and she knew without a doubt that Nathan was the caliber of man Jack had hoped for should this exact scenario ever come to pass.

She leaned her cheek against Jack's downy hair and breathed in the sweetness of her young son's love. Her hands slid from his back to cradle his chin before she leaned back and kissed the top of his forehead. "Thank you, Jack."

A knock at the door suddenly sent the little boy in her arms scrambling for the stairs. Elizabeth chuckled at his quick reaction, and Rosemary raised her eyebrow wryly.

"Oh, like you wouldn't scramble down the stairs too if your shoes let you!" The blonde teased her friend with a knowing smile.

Elizabeth's mouth opened in protest. "Oh I would not!" Her blush told otherwise.

A fumbling of the knob, the squeak of the door, and "N'atan!!" could be heard from downstairs.

—-

"Hi Buddy! How are you, Jack?" Nathan warmly greeted the little boy in his arms.

"Good. Mama's pretty. You gonna watch Mama tonight? Auntie Rosemary is gonna watch me," Jack asked innocently as he stepped back.

Nathan bit back a laugh. Elizabeth came to his rescue from the top of the stairs. "Nathan and I are going out to dinner, Jack. Remember?"

The sound of her voice drew Nathan's eyes up to the top of the stairs. There she stood in a white blouse with a ruffled sleeve and scalloped collar. Her rose pink skirt accentuated her soft hourglass figure and pink tinged cheeks. She floated soundlessly down the stairs towards him, and Nathan's mouth went completely dry.

Elizabeth smirked at him—playfully placing a hand on his arm, "Cat got your tongue, Constable?"

He looked down at her touch and back up into her eyes—his own sparkling with amusement at the memory. "Something like that." He covered her hand with his own and whispered in her ear what he wished he could have said back then. "You look so beautiful, Lizbeth."

She smiled and leaned into his touch. "You clean up nicely yourself, Nathan." Her warm breath tickled his ears. He couldn't resist quickly pecking her on the cheek with a little kiss.

Rosemary cleared her throat as she descended the stairs, "Jack? Why don't you give your Mama a hug and kiss good night?"

Jack nodded dutifully to his auntie and raised his hands up to his mother who swooped him up onto one hip before smothering him in kisses. He squealed with laughter even as his cheeks became lightly coated with pink lip prints.

"Night Mama. Night night N'atan. See you tomorrow."

"G'night Buddy." Nathan leaned over and hugged the boy before kissing his forehead.

"Good night, Jack. I love you. I'll give you a kiss when I get home, and I'll see you in the morning."

Jack leaned over with his arms held out to his auntie who accepted him gladly and perched him on her hip.

Nathan helped Elizabeth into her tan wool coat as Elizabeth blew a kiss to her waving son. He opened the door for her and let her pass through before waving to Jack and Rosemary as he closed the door behind them.

———

She slipped her arm through his and stepped out into the cool fall air. The sun was just beginning to set as they walked down her steps.

"So…are you going to tell me where we are going or is it a secret?" Elizabeth whispered, nudging his side playfully.

Nathan laughed, "You're not very patient…are you?" He asked with a lop-sided grin.

Elizabeth's eyes danced with delight before she shook her head. The scent of lavender from her shampoo permeated the air.

"Well…the weather this time of year is too unpredictable for anything I wanted to do outside…" He paused their walk and took her other hand in his, looking deeply into her eyes so she understood the sincerity of his words. "And I wanted to respect your memories with Jack so I didn't want to do the cafe, the jail, or even the church…"

Elizabeth smiled at his thoughtfulness. "You really did your homework, Constable…I guess Jack and I took all of the easy spots…"

"Well, it is a small town." He teased as he squeezed her hands.

"I've noticed that." She said with a wink.

Nathan kissed her knuckles and continued, "I wanted tonight to be something new…for both of us. I asked around town and Henry was willing to loan us his office."

"Henry? Really? How did you pull that off?"

"Remember when I helped him out a year or so ago clearing his name in a business deal? Maybe he considered this payback…or maybe he just values you."

Elizabeth blushed at the way he stressed the phrase. The way he rubbed his thumbs across her knuckles as he said it felt a lot like Nathan's declaration after the windstorm that she mattered to him. He tucked her hand back into the crook of his elbow, and they continued towards town at a slow pace—just enjoying their time together.

The sky was glowing with warm pinks and oranges as the sun sank further under the horizon. The colors reflected perfectly in the pond as they neared the long end by the road.

As they approached the water tower, the trees gave way to a clear view of the little white schoolhouse. It was a favorite sight for Elizabeth—even though she saw it daily. The building was a regular reminder of Jack's love and care for her even years ago. A cool breeze had her pull her wool coat closer and Nathan held out his arm, inviting her under the warmth and safety of his arm as they walked along the dirt road.

"I've thought of you with every sunrise and sunset while I was gone. I kept wishing I could enjoy it with you." Nathan admitted softly.

"Instead of Gabriel?" Elizabeth turned her head to catch his gaze with her eyebrow arched in jest.

Nathan narrowed his eyes in playful irritation, "As sparkly as his eyes are…I'd much rather look into yours."

She audibly laughed—her eyes dancing with delight at his joke. "Well, I'm honored. He seems awfully close to you."

"He is. He's like the brother I never had."

Elizabeth smiled at his admission and squeezed his arm. "I hope I can meet him at some point."

"Well you can…he'll be here tomorrow night. Will you and Jack have dinner with us?"

Elizabeth pulled back in mock surprise, "Are you asking me on a second date before we've even had our first?"

Nathan blushed and looked down at the road before looking back into her eyes, "I'd ask you on a third if you'd say yes…"

Elizabeth paused mid-stride and placed a hand on his cheek, turning his face gently towards hers. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him—leaving no question about her answer. Nathan stood dazed for a moment with his eyes still closed, and a slow smile creeping across his lips. "I could get used to that."

She leaned in again—kissing him quickly, his eyebrows raising in surprise before he opened his eyes at last to take in her tender expression mere centimeters from his face.

"Sorry. I wanted to make the most of the time that we have." She whispered. He leaned forward automatically to reconnect their lips, before he paused and spoke low with a look of regret.

"Not that I mind, but we should probably get to town or Bill might send out a search party."

"Good point." She rocked back on her heels and slid an arm around his back, resuming her place at his side as they continued their walk.

"So…was that a yes?"

Elizabeth smiled at him. "That's a yes."

"I really like your yes." He whispered with a playful nudge.

As they neared The Mercantile, townspeople could be seen milling about on their evening errands. Most of the shops and offices in town were closing for the night, but the Yost's kept The Mercantile open for an extra hour to meet the needs of the families who worked during the day and needed to shop at night. Florence typically sat at the switchboard until 7:00, but with their apartment above the store she remained available for emergency calls through the night—which thankfully were rare.

The dress shop was closed and the infirmary was dark with only a light glowing from the side windows upstairs—in what was now Faith's apartment.

As they approached the cafe, a stagecoach slowed to a stop at the platform. Nathan froze and subconsciously tightened his hold on Elizabeth's shoulder.

In response, she looked at him, perplexed, until a blonde exiting the stagecoach brought the events of their last attempted family date to the forefront of her mind. Determined to put his mind at ease, she reached up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. With one hand, she gently turned his face towards hers. "Nathan, I'm not going anywhere. I'm exactly where I want to be…with you."

Like magic, he melted into her touch. His furrowed brow softened and his eyes turned tender again. "Ok," He whispered with eyes now on her alone.

The blonde continued down the boardwalk and out of sight, but Nathan and Elizabeth continued forward again arriving at last at their long-awaited first date.

——-

The windows of Henry's office were softly glowing with the light from a few oil lamps—creating a warmer ambiance than Elizabeth had ever experienced in his office. The fireplace roared with a stack of logs inside already crackling.

Henry's desk was transformed into a buffet of sorts with large covered dishes from the cafe, a basket containing fresh bread that was wrapped in linen, a glass cake stand with a coarse sugar encrusted cherry pie, and a kettle filled with water staying warm on the edge of the fireplace.

There was a Victrola perched on a chair softly playing the melodies of a modern orchestra.

A white linen tablecloth was draped across a small corner table that had been carried over from the cafe with two chairs—one on each end. The center of the table held a small glass vase with a single lavender colored flower, which looked curiously like an aster.

Elizabeth reached out to touch it in surprise. "Nathan, how did you…?"

"It's just a simple carving. I only had time to make one. I wanted to pick you a whole bunch of real asters, but the frost beat me to it. I'm sorry it's not more…"

"Nathan, this is incredible." Elizabeth breathed as she touched the delicate wooden petals. "Thank you."

"Allie helped paint the petals with her watercolors."

"It's perfect."

Nathan came around the table and helped her out of her coat. "They've always been your flower in my mind. I thought you needed one that wouldn't wilt."

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "Allie told you about my desk, didn't she?"

"Yeahhhh maybe." He shrugged adorably.

"Some Little Bird….must be nice to have a little bird telling you everything."

Nathan chuckled and removed his own coat, placing them both on an extra chair. "It really is. Allie is my everything."

"I can tell. You're her everything too. You've really changed her life, Nathan. It's remarkable."

"She's changed mine. I don't know if I could have kept going without her after I lost Colleen. We really needed each other. She and I were like two broken parts that somehow fit."

"I can't imagine suddenly caring for a four-year-old. It has taken every bit of Jack's toddler years to prepare me, and I still don't know if I'm ready for four soon…..but I also think that I know what you mean about being able to keep going. In so many ways, my pregnancy with Jack kept me breathing. I had to go on for him."

Nathan quietly reached over and took her hand, squeezing it supportively. "You are raising that little guy well. He's one of my favorite people."

Elizabeth smiled warmly at the praise, "Well, he adores you. Thank you for always making time for him."

"I love Jack. I can't help it. He's a highlight of my morning. I can always count on him to be in your window."

"Better the window than out the door…" Elizabeth smirked, biting her lip.

"Well, I always hope for that too." Nathan rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, "Then it gives me a reason to have to stop…security of one of my citizens and all…"

"You never need a reason to stop, Nathan. You're welcome any time."

Nathan took a deep breath and released it, his face relaxed, and the corners of his mouth upturned slightly in a contented smile.

Elizabeth glanced around the simply decorated office. Sure, there were more common oil lamps and lanterns instead of dozens of pillar candles, but the soft glow of the room had a romantic feel nonetheless. It was practical, and yet the thought and intention displayed by the man before her transformed an oil office into the most special place in town tonight.

"Nathan, thank you for doing all of this for me." Her stomach grumbled loudly, and she clamped a hand over the offending sound with rounded eyes. "Aaaand…the food smells great." She choked out in a higher-pitched voice.

Nathan smiled at her unexpected reaction, but graciously didn't comment. "Well the food was mostly Bill's doing." He walked over to uncover the dishes lined across Henry's desk. "He made a glazed ham, peas and carrots, mashed potatoes, ham gravy, and Rosemary made some fresh bread. Then for dessert, Minnie made us a cherry pie."

"You remembered about the pie ….or did Jack remind you?" She asked, joining him at the desk.

"I remembered, but Jack is turning out to be a handy Little Bird to have around as well."

Elizabeth's eyes flared, "What did he tell you?!"

Nathan deadpanned, "Mountie secret. Keeping confidences is part of my job."

"Is interrogating toddlers your job too?" She asked dryly.

"It could be." He retorted—his loving gaze holding a lot more meaning than the simple phrase suggested.

"It could be." She repeated with a soft smile, taking his hand.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead before taking a plate and offering to fill it for her.

"I'm not Jack, silly. I can do it myself..." She took the plate from his hand playfully.

"I'm well aware of that," Nathan replied with a twinkle in his eye, "but I also know that as a single parent, it's nice to have someone care for you every once in awhile."

Elizabeth's breath caught at his thoughtfulness, and surrendered the plate back to him. "Thank you," she whispered.

With their plates filled, Nathan led her back to their table, and pulled out her chair for her to sit. Before returning to his own seat, he offered her a cup of tea from the kettle, pouring both their cups. Taking his place across from her, he handed her the cup and then held her hand—saying grace over their meal.

They ate several bites before Nathan broached a new topic. "Lizbeth, I want you to know how much it meant to me that you sent me those telegrams. I've read them over and over again…always keeping them close to my heart in my serge pocket."

Elizabeth smiled at his admission. "Nathan, I feel like I should really be thanking you. Every single message was a surprise and a balm to my heart. It couldn't have been easy to send me messages and call while on assignment."

She looked down at her fidgeting hands on her napkin-covered lap before looking up again tenderly into his bluest eyes emanating with love. "I just want you to know….I noticed. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I wanted to." He reached across the table and took her hand gently in his. A wry smile crept across his face, and her eyebrow raised in question.

"Aaaand…you're a lot more enjoyable to talk to than Bill."

She sputtered a laugh before teasing, "Well I should hope so, but you two are awfully close."

He scrunched his nose and narrowed his eyes in a teasing glare, "Not that close."

She giggled silently at his antics before he released her hand, and they returned to eating. Elizabeth let out a delighted groan as she put another bite of ham in her mouth. "The ham is really good, and I can never get enough of Rosemary's bread. Sometimes I can smell it cooling in the mornings."

Nathan laughed, "Me too. I've noticed it many times when I ride by early on rounds. It's torture. You'd think citizens would do nice things for their Constable." He joked with a smile.

"Well…I'm a citizen. Maybe I should do something nice for you." Elizabeth said, sounding awfully like Nathan had before he made her the wooden plaque.

"Maybe you already do." His eyes twinkled, and a soft blush crept across his cheeks as he held her gaze.

As they finished their meals, Nathan stood and cleared their plates. He changed the record on the Victrola to Joseph C Smith's album with the first song, "Smiles" playing softly and filling the office. It was a cheery symphony, and Nathan held a hand out to Elizabeth. "Would you do me the honor?"

Elizabeth nodded with a shy smile, stood slowly, placed her napkin on the table, and approached Nathan offering him her hand. Anticipating a simple swaying to the music from the quiet Constable, Elizabeth was surprised when he instead raised her hand in his and placed his other hand just behind her shoulder with his elbow out in classic foxtrot position.

He smiled down at her raised brow, "What? I've waited my whole life for this moment."

With her heart in a puddle, she reached up and kissed his cheek tenderly before he expertly whisked her around the room. Their feet floated soundlessly around the tight space of the office floor. The fire crackled steadily and the orchestra played on through the scratchy sounding charm of the Victrola, transporting them to their own little world where it was just the two of them.

Her wonder quickly collapsed into their laughter. "I shouldn't be surprised that you, Nathan Grant, know how to foxtrot."

"One of my many secrets. It's not exactly a conversation starter you know." He stepped forward as she stepped backward, completely in sync together.

"I suppose not. You leave quite a stir wherever you go as it is." They took two steps forward looking outward in promenade, before snapping their heads back to each other.

"I do not." Nathan retorted with an eye-roll.

"You do too. You had the Hope Valley ladies talking on your first day. I was told that you're 'quite a dish."

"I don't even know what that means. Sounds fragile." He said with a laugh, turning her under the promenade arch he made with their raised arms.

"Try priceless." She whispered in his ear as they floated along. He turned her effortlessly in a tight circle, tracing his hand across her back in a promenade arch.

"Priceless, huh? Well I've never had a dish like that, but I hope to be that…for you." He whispered as she turned forwards again to face him, their hands clasped together.

Elizabeth seized the opportunity to sweetly capture his lips, communicating his value to her. The music changed into a slower paced tune and Nathan broke their kiss and slowly moved them into the box steps of a waltz. They both caught their breath and relaxed further into their movements, enjoying the time simply together—alone with the music.

After the song ended, Nathan caught her gaze and led her back to their table, serving them each a slice of pie. As her fork sliced through the golden brown crust, Elizabeth looked up at Nathan who was watching her carefully instead of digging in himself.

"Are you just going to let me eat this alone, Constable?"

"No, but I couldn't resist watching you delight in something simple. It was better than pie."

She put the forkful in her mouth and closed her eyes, savoring the sweet flavor. With one bite, it transported her back in time to the slow childhood moments as a young girl when she would sneak downstairs to the kitchen to watch their cook bake.

Her mother preferred the formality of miniature tarts to be served at her dinner parties. So naturally when fruits were in season and plentiful, the waitstaff benefitted from a pie made from the leftover scraps from the upstairs desserts or from jelly-making.

Young Elizabeth often disappeared for hours at a time following her nose to the kitchen, and finding warmth and acceptance from their staff in addition to tantalizing treats considered too common for upstairs.

Perhaps it was a precursor for her life on the frontier that Elizabeth desired the beauty of simplicity over the stringent formality of the upstairs world she was born into.

She slowly opened her eyes to find Nathan smiling at her. His own pie merely half-eaten, still enjoying her revelry.

She blushed and glanced at her disappearing pie before looking up again into his piercing blue eyes. "Well this isn't fair. You know my love for cherry pie, but I don't know your favorite dessert…besides cookies it seems."

Nathan smiled at her and placed his fork down. "My favorite dessert is dessert." He responded with a lop-sided grin.

"Not so fast…I want a real answer."

Nathan raised his brow in amusement. "Cookies, but I love cinnamon. Actually…I've come to like cupcakes too."

"Cupcakes? Or frosting?" Elizabeth countered, leaning forward against the table.

Nathan laughed and looked to his lap as a blush settled on his cheeks. He looked up at her amused gaze and answered charmingly, "Doesn't everyone eat cupcakes for the frosting?"

"I've come to enjoy it more." She spoke softly, blushing at the thought of Allie's sleepover.

"Me too." He whispered.

Elizabeth smiled and enjoyed another forkful of pie. They sat comfortably in silence finishing their desserts with only a few flirty glances between them.

After finishing dessert, Nathan gathered their plates and invited Elizabeth for one more dance to end the night. The music was slow and he held her close as they waltzed through their last song together.

Nathan let out a heavy sigh, stifling a yawn. "As much as I don't want to, I should probably get you back home to Jack. I don't want to keep you out too late on a school night." Their box step slowed to a sway as he dropped their arms and held her close.

Her lower lip stuck out as she looked up at him. "Are you sending the teacher to bed?"

He laughed soundlessly at her pout, kissing her forehead sweetly. "I guess so, Mrs. Thornton, but thank you for coming tonight."

"Nathan, this was wonderful. Thank you for planning it, and for doing all of this for me."

"You're welcome." Her arms slid around his neck, loosely draping over his shoulders as she stood on tiptoe. Taking her cue, he bent down and captured her lips with his, kissing her reverently.

Pulling back before they were ready, Nathan put some distance between them and grabbed her wool coat. He banked the fire and turned down the oil lamps before donning his own coat and taking Elizabeth by the hand.

"Can I help you clean up?"

He merely shook his head in response. "You are my date, I'll come back and handle the rest."

"Are you sure? There's a lot to do here. I don't mind…"

"Bill has already offered. Thank you though. I'll walk you home, tuck Allie in, and clean the rest of this up with Bill." He grabbed a lantern with his free hand.

"Ok…thank you, Nathan." She looped her arm through his and he led her out into the star-filled night. The streets were quiet with only The Mercantile and Abigail's Cafe still showing signs of life with light softly pouring through the windows.

As they rounded the corner leaving Main Street, Elizabeth leaned into Nathan's arm, placing her head against his shoulder as they walked. An owl hooted in the distance, but the world was quiet except for the soft padding of their feet on the dirt road. Elizabeth sighed, committing the moment to memory for her journal pages later.

"Is it too early to ask about dinner tomorrow?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan kissed the top of her head, "No. It's never too early to plan more time with you."

Elizabeth squeezed his arm gently, bringing a smile to his face. "Can I bring anything?"

"Well…Allie and I are fishing after school for supper so if you want to bring a side dish you can. Gabe usually picks up dessert from the Cafe on his way through town."

"Alright. I'll do that then." They continued to walk and chat, pointing out the constellations, and sharing many memories across the years under the starry skies.

Before long, their pacing slowed further as they approached Elizabeth's row house. The upstairs rooms were dark indicating that Jack was likely asleep. A single shadow passed by the window, and Elizabeth swallowed down her sadness that the date had come to an end.

She looked up at Nathan who had a similar sadness in his eyes, though he smiled compassionately at her. He turned to face her, setting down the lantern, and taking both of her hands in his before her stairs. "Lizbeth, I had a great time with you."

"Me too. Thank you for all of this. I'll see you tomorrow?" She lifted her chin slightly, hoping he would get the message, her stomach already filling with butterflies of anticipation.

"Looking forward to it." He took a half step closer and slid his hands around the small of her back and leaned forward to claim her lips. She reached up in response and sunk her hands into his hair, deepening their kiss.

Warmth radiated from her heart as the familiar butterflies took flight. Each kiss held a new sensation for her that was entirely Nathan, and unlike any kiss she had experienced before. She had long wondered what it would be like to kiss this Mountie, and if it would evoke memories of her first love, Jack. But like a signature, kissing Nathan was it's own unique experience, and she was relieved to find that there was, in fact, room for both Jack's memory and Nathan's future.

Nathan pulled back and gazed shyly into her eyes. "Sorry. I…"

Her lip upturned in a smile, "Me too."

He released her slowly, tracing his fingers down her forearms to reclaim her hands. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night." She whispered, stepping onto her first step and further into the dim porch light.

He picked up the lantern and stepped back, continuing to watch her safely into her home. Elizabeth recognized the familiar sound of Rosemary's footsteps behind her, and smiled at the darkened silhouette of Nathan raising a silent hand—though if it was a greeting to Rosemary or waving goodbye to her, she wasn't sure. Rosemary's reassuring hand on her shoulder gave her the courage to close the door on a wonderful night knowing full well that her future was just beginning.

A/N:

Thanks for your patience with the update! We've had a revolving door of friends & family here the past 5 weeks my older son's 7th birthday so I've barely had time to write. I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it. I didn't have the heart to break it anywhere.

@nebula2 has used hand carved wooden flowers in one of her stories before so I wasn't going to use it, until I met a man at a bluegrass music festival this past month in southern Missouri who was sitting on the grass churning out these delicately carved wooden flowers. He was incredible to watch and his wife was weaving his creations into hair barrettes and wreaths. It seemed like such an N moment.

Special thanks to @pn1thrasher and Krista Petrie from Jamestown Movie Set for their patience with my billion questions as I wrote the walk to and through Hope Valley.

Thanks to Lynn for her extensive editing on this bear of a chapter!