Allie lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. Tears trickled slowly from the corners of her eye, leaving a shiny trail on her skin before disappearing into her hair. She had never been so lonely in her life. She had finally arrived at Bethany Madison's home that afternoon after travelling for several days. The hustle and bustle of travelling and Cody's company had distracted her from missing her family. She was finally alone and had to face the dull ache of loneliness which had settled in her chest as she said goodbye to her family in Hope Valley.
Hugging the pillow, she buried her face in it to stifle her sobs. The last thing she wanted was to seem ungrateful because Miss Bethany, as she had been asked to call her, had been so gracious and warm. Allie knew she would like living with Miss Bethany and her two fellow students and didn't want to start off on the wrong foot. While the other girls hadn't arrived yet, they would reach them by the end of the week to settle in, and Allie hoped to be in a better frame of mind by then.
Cody had shown her where Mrs Montgomery lived as he escorted her from the train to her new home. It was close by, and he assured her he would see her often. She knew he meant it and was pleased he was there; she felt less lonely when he was around. Allie couldn't wait for classes to commence; she knew they would help distract her. If the study requirements were indeed what Sam and Judge Lachlan described, she wouldn't have time to miss her family.
She lifted her face from the pillow and positioned it under her head; this was the last time she promised herself. She would allow herself this one moment, this night, to feel miserable, and then she would embrace her life as a student. She would not let herself or her family down by wasting the opportunity she had been given by feeling sorry for herself.
Looking at the table beside her bed, she picked up one of the photographs she had placed there earlier. Her Father, Quinn and the twins stared at her from within the heavy silver frame. Her parents had given it to her as one of her going away gifts, along with a picture of Sundrop. Her friends had also taken a photo, and the third frame held an image of Robert, Anna and, most importantly, Cody.
Quinn and Nathan sat close together on the lounge, snuggled up as they read the latest letter from Allie.
"Will it sound terrible if I say I am glad her letters have slowed down?" Nathan asked. "Am I making sense?"
"Perfect sense," Quinn said with a chuckle. "She posted a letter every day when she arrived, adding to it two or three times each day before sending it. Now she writes every couple of days, and its all one letter, not her adding to it repeatedly. It means she is busy and not as miserable as she was."
Nathan nodded, pleased Quinn understood what he was trying to say. "It's not that I don't want to hear from her."
"I know, Nathan. You've worn a path from the Mountie office to the Mercantile from how often you check for or send letters." Quinn grinned before frowning, "Hang on, your frequency of sending letters hasn't decreased. Does that mean you're miserable?"
Nathan laughed at her teasing, knowing she didn't mean a word of it. Nothing about his wife and family made him miserable, except for the distance between Allie and them.
Kissing her head, he said, "I love you, Quinn, and I know I have said it before, but I really couldn't have done this without you by my side."
"There is nowhere I would rather be," she whispered, smiling. "Every day I wake beside you, the twins, and until now, Allie down the hallway, I have had to pinch myself, wondering how I got so lucky." She took a deep breath and said, "I think I might send the twins to Isobel a couple of days a week, just for a few hours in the morning."
"So, you have decided to have Isobel watch them?" he asked. Quinn had been going back and forth while she tried to decide if that was what she wanted.
"Yes, for a little while," she replied.
"Are you going back to work? Does Bill need you for a case he's working on?" Nathan wondered what could be so pressing that Bill would ask Quinn to return and how he didn't know about it. Bill would have let him know if there was a trial about to take place in Town.
"No trial," she said briefly as she took his hand. "I'm more tired with this pregnancy than with the twins. If Isobel minds Avery and Sam, it will allow me to pace myself while I get everything I need to done."
Nathan stared at Quinn, confused.
Quinn placed the hand she held on her stomach and covered it with hers, emphasising what she had said and hopefully clearing up Nathan's confusion. Quinn laughed when the realisation hit, watching as his beautiful blue eyes flicked between her face and their hands, where they rested on her stomach.
"Are you sure," he asked, incredulous. His voice was thick with emotion. "When did you find out?"
"Faith confirmed it today, amongst other things,"
Nathan raised his eyebrows, "other things? Is it twins again?" His eyes were wide as he looked at her still-flat stomach
"Let's just say our baby will have friends very close to their age, not a sibling," Quinn replied with a broad smile. "but promise not to say anything to anyone; I am not sure if the dad knows yet."
"Joshua or Adam?" he asked, knowing either would be thrilled. "Wait, did you say our baby would have friends? Plural?" Tilting his head, he exclaimed, "Not both of them. A double wedding and now pregnant at the same time!"
"I'm not saying anything else; I am not telling you who. There are other married people in Hope Valley, you know."
"True, and right now, the only married people I care about are us." Nathan rubbed his hand lightly over her stomach, his palm moving in small circles. "Are you feeling all right, Quinn? Please tell me I haven't been oblivious to morning sickness."
"I'm very well, just tired. Other than that, I feel amazing. I must admit I am very pleased there is only one baby this time; three children under two is quite enough."
"Three children under two!" Nathan repeated, gulping at the thought. "You might want to consider having Isobel look after the twins for full days, not just the mornings."
It didn't take long for Quinn and Nathan's news to spread through Hope Valley. Nathan couldn't help looking for signs of similar news in Adam and Joshua. Both had approached him and offered congratulations; both had identical silly grins on their faces. Nathan understood why they didn't share their news with him; Quinn explained her pregnancy was more advanced than theirs, and they didn't want to announce until they were sure everything was going well.
Allie had responded to their news with joy and delight; although she did grumble, she wouldn't be there when the baby was born. While she couldn't be there for the birth, she would be there shortly afterwards during a study break. Quinn and Nathan were already planning trips to see her before it got too uncomfortable for Quinn to travel, and these plans kept all of them from being too sad.
Allie's letters continued to arrive, and with each one, it became evident that she had fully settled into her life at university. She was doing well in her studies, consistently placing at the top of her classes. She had made friends with the other women boarding at Bethany Madisons and others at school. She mentioned Cody often in her letters, and it was clear they were growing closer. Quinn could always tell when Nathan was reading about Cody in Allie's lessons; it was the only time her letters made him frown.
As the weeks and months passed, Quinn, Nathan and the twins settled into their new routine. Quinn would drop the twins off at Isobel's nursery several mornings a week and spend time at work with Bill. The twins enjoyed playing with the other children at the nursery, but Lily Coulter remained their favourite. Quinn would have lunch before collecting the children and returning home. When he was available, Quinn would meet Nathan for lunch; other times, she would meet with the ladies in Town, Rosemary, Fiona, and Faith.
Quinn worried about Rosemary when the four of them lunched together and tried to steer the conversation away from their pregnancies. Rosemary had waited so long before falling pregnant with Lily, and it appeared she would be an only child. Today Quinn and Rosemary were the only two catching up, and she was glad her friend wouldn't be surrounded by pregnant women.
The two women chatted easily over lunch, Quinn shared Allie's latest update, and Rosemary talked about the latest edition of the Valley Voice and the search for a replacement for Faith.
"Faith can't very well deliver her own baby!" Rosemary chuckled. "It's difficult finding someone willing to come to Hope Valley; they all seem to want to spend their time in the big city."
"You don't have any candidates?"
"A couple. I hope more applications will arrive in the afternoon mail. Faith has contacted some of her classmates and lecturers to see if there is any interest. I have my fingers crossed that we can find someone soon. Hope Valley is experiencing a baby boom, so it would be good to have someone who could get to know us all before the babies are born.
"Us?" Quinn asked, trying not to let her excitement show in case she had misunderstood.
"Us," Rosemary said with a broad smile. "I was starting to believe it wouldn't happen again for Lee and me."
"Rosemary, that's wonderful news! I am so happy for you both and Lily." Quinn exclaimed, grasping her hand.
"Thank you, Quinn, and thank you for considering me these last few months."
"I don't know what you mean," Quinn replied.
"Yes, you do. You have a terrible poker face, Quinn Grant. Every time our lunch conversation turned to babies or pregnancy, you changed the subject soon after, and I knew why." Rosemary gave her a teary smile, "Please don't ever think I wasn't happy for all of you; I just wanted it to be me too. It was hard to listen to sometimes, but I never wanted you to feel bad."
"Well, I'm glad I can stop thinking of ways to change the conversation now," Quinn said, pretending to wipe sweat from her brow. "Finding something new to talk about was a challenge." Laughing, Quinn said, "maybe we should start looking for an assistant for Isobel as well as a doctor; she's going to need one."
"One job at a time!" Rosemary said, laughing.
Rosemary was disappointed when she received the mail that afternoon. Only one application had arrived, and she wasn't sure Faith would find it suitable. Dr Riley Langdon was young, with little experience but great enthusiasm. He was interested in coming to Hope Valley and hoped to make his home there. Rosemary knew Faith intended to return to her practice eventually, but only part-time. Brookfield would like to share a doctor with them, which made sense. Rosemary decided Dr Langford sounded their best choice and hoped Faith would agree.
After several letters, back and forth, telephone calls between Dr Lachlan and Dr Langdon, and calls to some of his associates, Faith decided he was the right choice to replace her. It would be good to share the patient load with someone else as her pregnancy advanced and for Brookfield to have greater access to a Doctor. Faith breathed a sigh of relief when the decision was made and when he was willing to start immediately.
Faith was pleased that the space she lived in above the Infirmary was still vacant. Living space in Hope Valley was running out as the Town grew as more people called it home. The Saloon wasn't appropriate for long-term residents, and Faith was pleased consideration was given to building a hotel like the one in Brookfield.
One week, that's all the time Dr Langford said he needed before he arrived in Town. Faith saw his early arrival as a good sign; he was enthusiastic about coming to Hope Valley and being a Doctor in a small Town. Faith had been honest in describing her home and the facilities available, although she worried her affection for Hope Valley and its residents clouded her portrayal.
Sighing, Faith stood up and stretched. Her pregnancy had been smooth sailing, with minimal morning sickness, but she was tired. Her growing waistline was causing muscle strain in her back, and she needed to change position throughout the day and soak in a hot bath in the evening. Fiona hadn't been so lucky. Her friend had suffered terrible morning sickness in her first trimester. Fiona had given up work in the Barbershop in the morning, staying home to rest. She crammed appointments into the afternoon and was overjoyed when it finally eased. Faith grinned when she thought of Adam; the poor thing had been distraught at Fiona's condition. He spent most days working from home, doing whatever he could to ease her misery.
Dr Langford couldn't arrive at a better time between Quinn, Fiona, Faith and Rosemary; he would be busy delivering babies. At least there weren't any surprise twins this time.
With her replacement arriving, she would be free to travel more with Joshua when he went to Brookfield. She missed him when he was away, and this way, she could travel with him without worrying about Hope Valley being left without medical care. Brookfield residents would be pleased, too, and Maggie, the Town nurse, would finally get her wish for Faith to be there more often.
It was quiet in the clinic for now, and she headed upstairs to assess her old flat. There wasn't much time to ensure the living space was ready for the new Doctor. Although he had advised her, he was happy to live simply, the more comfortable he felt, the more chance there was he would stay.
Quinn stood beside Nathan on the Verandah outside the Mountie office. They were there to see Dr Langdon arrive but didn't want to overwhelm him at the station. Any newcomer to Town was interesting to the residents, but a new arrival in such a prominent role was significant.
Faith had organised an afternoon tea at the Cafe for him, and Quinn planned to attend with the children. Nathan was hoping to join them but was waiting for Gabriel's call regarding a case they were working on. He hoped it would be resolved without needing him to travel to Brookfield. He hated leaving Quinn alone. He knew it wasn't just because she was pregnant and alone with the twins; he missed her when he was away. He found it difficult to sleep without her now.
Isobel approached the Verandah, flanked by the twins whose hands she held as they made their way unsteadily to their parents. Quinn turned as she heard her daughter's excited voice as she spotted her parents. Her face lit up when she saw her children, and instinctively she stepped toward them, laughing when she realised Nathan had done the same.
As they got closer, Isobel released their hands and watched in amusement as they waddled to Quinn and Nathan. As always, Avery made a beeline for her Father; she was definitely a Daddy's girl. Sam, on the other hand, headed straight for Quinn. It was always the way.
"Thank you for bringing the children to us; we could have collected them, you know," Quinn said as she lifted Sam into her arms.
"I know, but I wanted a chance to get some fresh air anyway, and they were the only two left. Rosemary has already collected Lily and is at the Cafe helping Minnie." Isobel explained, grinning.
Nathan snorted, "You mean Rosemary is at the Cafe to ensure she gets a seat on the new Doctor's table."
"Nathan," Quinn exclaimed, swatting him on the arm. "Rosemary often helps Minnie."
Nathan cocked an eyebrow at his wife and waited.
"Fine, Rosemary wants to interview him, and it's easier to do that if she is at his table." Quinn conceded.
"She is out of luck then," Bill said as he walked up to the group, having heard their conversation. "I spent the morning with Minnie setting the Cafe up buffet style to get more people inside."
"Oh well," Quinn responded. "I'm sure she'll get to grill him anyway."
"As long as she doesn't scare him out of Town. The way this Town keeps growing, we need him more than ever."
Nathan and the others smiled at Bill, knowing he was teasing. It didn't stop Nathan from gently touching the swell of Quinn's stomach as he reached out to tickle Sam.
Their conversation stopped as Henry drove into Town with Faith Lachlan and Dr Langdon in the car. Mike Hickam followed in Lee's car, having used it to collect the Doctor's belongings from the Train. As Henry pulled up outside the Cafe, Quinn craned her neck, curious about the Doctor who would deliver her baby.
Riley Langdon stared around him as Henry Gowan drove him into Hope Valley. It had been a long trip, and he was glad to have arrived. Dr Lachlan, Faith, as she asked him to call her, gave a rundown on the Town as they approached. Faith had explained there was an afternoon tea organised for him to meet the 'Townspeople.' later that day, which would allow him to settle in and freshen up first. He appreciated her consideration; he felt dusty and wrinkled from the trip, hardly the first impression he wanted to make.
Riley could feel eyes upon him as he climbed out of the car, and as he looked around, he noticed many people standing around. Staring. At him.
"You'll get used to it," Henry said with a laugh. "You won't be such a novelty after a day or two."
"Maybe a week or two," Faith corrected with a smile. "Once everyone has a chance to meet you, expect things to settle down, but until then, I imagine you will be very popular."
Riley smiled at them, glad he hadn't imagined it. As he reached in to get his medical bag which he had travelled with, he heard a child squeal with laughter, and he turned to find the source. Riley loved children; growing up, the oldest of five children, surrounded by younger cousins, he was used to being around them and missed it.
He watched the group with the child; a tall man in a Mountie uniform held the child in his arms while a woman with honey-blonde curls tickled her. Observing the family as discreetly as possible, he recognised the woman was expecting and guessed from his conversations with Faith; they were the Grant family and their twins.
Riley didn't know who the woman with them was, she was younger, and while she joined in with their laughter, she seemed to hold herself apart from the group. As he watched, she turned to face him as though she could feel his scrutiny. She was beautiful. Her long dark hair hung in waves down her back and was pulled back from her face with two silver combs. Her skin was pale, and her cheeks were full in her heart-shaped face. Riley couldn't be sure from this distance, but he thought her eyes were dark. She stared back at him; her full lips curved into a smile.
"I'll show you upstairs," Faith offered, breaking the connection between the two. She smiled at Riley Langdon's bemused look. Isobel was a stunning-looking girl, so she couldn't blame him for being captivated. First things first, though, he needed to settle in and meet the rest of the Town.
Riley breathed a sigh of relief when he finally settled into bed that evening. He felt like the day had gone well with the Townspeople. When the gathering had finally worn down, after he had been introduced to everyone and answered their questions, he had been exhausted. He was looking forward to living and working in Hope Valley, getting to know the people better, and helping to care for them. If only he didn't keep getting distracted by thoughts of Isobel Manning.
Riley thought about their introduction by Quinn Grant. Isobel had been shy when introduced, a flush of colour on her cheeks. Up close, he could see the dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks and confirmed her eyes were dark, a deep warm brown he could get lost in. When meeting the dark-haired beauty, he had been lost for words and was grateful for Quinn's intervention. Nathan Grant had helped, too, offering to escort him when he visited those who lived out of Hope Valley, introducing him to them. Quinn had also suggested he visit Isobel's Nursery school to meet the children in a friendly environment. Isobel had blushed at the suggestion, which he had taken as a good sign and something he had agreed to do soon and often.
"You were a bit obvious; don't you think?" Nathan asked Quinn as they drove home.
"I don't know what you mean," she said teasingly.
"Isobel might not appreciate your meddling. What if she isn't interested in Riley?"
"She is," Quinn said emphatically. "I was watching her; she couldn't take her eyes off him." Quinn shrugged, "and even if she isn't interested, I am sure she will understand. I want what's best for her." Sliding across the seat, she rested her head on his arm, "I want everyone to be as happy as us, and she deserves happiness."
"No one can be as happy as us, Quinn. I have everything I ever dared to dream of." Nathan said sincerely, reaching down to place his hand on her thigh and squeezing gently.