Author's Note: This one has a bit of two alert in a spot. I have marked the spot if you want to skip it.
Chapter 233 – Early Friday
It had been a nice evening at the house, where the guys had gotten some paperwork done and Elizabeth got some writing done for her stories. Even though Elizabeth didn't like that Jack was working, she saw the smile on his face and therefore didn't say anything. She knew that she would always struggle with his need to push himself and make sure everyone was taken care of. But Elizabeth also recognized that Jack's caring side was one of the things that attracted him to her. She knew even if she struggled, she wouldn't want to change Jack. She also hoped that Jack knew how much he meant to her and their child she was carrying. She wanted nothing more than for Jack to have a safer job, but she could no more ask him to give up being a Mountie then she could give up teaching. Elizabeth also knew that there would come a time, depending on how close the children were, that she might have to give up teaching for a bit. As much as she loved children, she was hoping to have some time between them, but if she got pregnant as easily, she was afraid they would be one after another. Elizabeth pushed that thought from her head. She wasn't going to borrow trouble as Abigail would say.
Other people also had a nice evening, especially those who had supper at the cafe. The ladies had made a lovely meatloaf with mashed potatoes and steamed early spring vegetables. Of course the fresh bread with fresh churned butter was always a hit. Abigail was glad for the help as she had been able to sit and have supper with the kids and Frank. She loved watching him with Cody and even now Becky. After supper, Abigail and Frank sat with Andrew and went over more legal papers. Andrew made sure that no matter what happened, the cafe, Abigail and even Frank would be protected. Andrew promised to file the paperwork in Buxton when he headed home the following week. He had written a better business contract for the cafe, giving Abigail fifty-five percent, Bill the twenty-five percent he previously had and the remaining twenty shares were split between Frank and the Delaneys. Frank, Wynn and Elizabeth Rose all signed papers that their share of the profits were either to go back into improvements for the cafe or an account for the future needs of the children. Andrew also agreed to set that account up in Union City on his way. He drew up the paperwork making the account a trust that Abigail and Frank could deposit into and the proceeds would go to the children, specifically their future educational needs. Abigail was happy and Frank was also glad the children would be taken care of. It also would show the courts that Abigail was taking steps to ensure a future for the children.
It had been a busy week and people were looking forward to finishing up the work week and having a nice weekend, so most had turned in early. Even the saloon had quieted down at a very reasonable hour. Bill, Jacobs and the others were glad that people had gotten the message that they wouldn't put up with loud and disorderly behavior. They didn't mind people having a good time at the saloon and playing cards and darts, but there had been no more fighting or problems since Bill had made clear the consequences. Him throwing Charlotte in jail for a few hours also helped, showing that Bill didn't play favorites. Word had spread quickly to the new men to not push the Mounties or the town sheriff. Most didn't know that Bill was a former Mountie inspector, but they did know that it was wise not to push him. Sam had been grateful for the business after having been shut down for almost a week. He was running mostly full on rooms and was doing well at nights. He knew that the town expanding was good for him, so he considered expanding the saloon as he had room. He knew that the rooms would be needed at some point in the future. He also knew that finding a crew right now was going to be hard given that Lee was having trouble finding enough men to fill out the crews he needed for the new houses, expanding the mill as well as the other few projects that he had taken on, such as his and Thornton's new homes.
Friday morning dawned bright. It was an early morning for many in Hope Valley. The men were up before sunup to get a last full day of work done. They had one house completed to the point it just needed furniture, two more close to being done and two more framed out. They also had cleared the area of the entire row and marked them all off, so it would be easy to set the foundations and put up the fences. About a third of the men would be staying on to continue working on the houses as they had been hired by Lee. Ian McGlen had been hired by Sam at the saloon. The other men were looking forward to heading back to Union City. Most had families that they wanted to see and the others would move onto another construction crew or even the railroad. They were people that moved with the work and didn't stay in one place long. Some had considered applying with Coulter Lumber, but they heard that he was running background checks and some knew that they had had problems with the law in the past and would prefer to just move on. The only reason that they had taken this job for two weeks was because the money was good and it was temporary.
Abigail was up early as well. She was in the kitchen just about the time that the sun was trying to break the horizon. She had been awakened by a dream and couldn't get back to sleep, so she thought she would get a head start on the baking that needed to be done. The cafe had several orders for bread that day and that was on top of the bread and biscuits that would be needed for the regular cafe customers. She was halfway through making bread when there was a knock on the back door. She figured it was either one of the Mounties or Frank. She wiped her hands and opened the door to Frank.
"What are you doing here this early?" Abigail asked.
"I was worried about you." Frank said. "I was up early praying and got the overwhelming urge to pray for you. So after praying and still feeling off, I decided to come check on you. I saw the stove was already going so I figured you were up."
"I woke up early." Abigail said. "I had a dream and it was a bit unsettling and when I couldn't get back to sleep, I figured I might as well get a jump on the baking."
Frank gave Abigail a quick hug and then checked the wood supply. He brought some in along with pumping more water. He then washed up and went over to the prep table and started kneading the bread dough.
"Care to talk about it?" Frank asked.
"I don't know." Abigail said. "I was trying to work it out in my head."
"Maybe I could help." Frank said. "But if you really don't want to talk about it, I will not push. I am however not going to leave you right now. I am up and might as well help you."
"Fine." Abigail said. "We need a dozen loaves of bread and three pans of biscuits. The Mounties are getting biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Give a little bit to work it out in my head and I will try to talk to you."
"That is all I am asking." Frank said.
Frank and Abigail worked in silence only talking when needed.
The other group that was up early was Jacobs and the cadets. He had a long list of things that he wanted them to get done that day and depending on how the weekend went, he might be sending some of them back to where they had come from. Jacobs was just about to get the group going on a run when Doug showed up.
"I thought I would go for a full run with you all this morning." Doug said. "That is if they can keep up."
Some of the cadets laughed, which earned them a glare from both Jacobs and Doug.
"Burke." Jacobs said. "Then you set the pace and I will bring up the rear. Anyone who can't keep up with Burke will have extra chores since you think that you are all so smart."
"Fine with me." Doug said with a smirk.
McGinty just smiled. He knew that Doug was probably one of the fastest men when he had been at the academy and maintained that by running five to seven miles every day. They headed out from the jailhouse and by the time that they were past the cafe, Doug had set a pretty fast pace. Most of the cadets didn't think he would be able to maintain it, but they would be surprised as Doug wasn't even going as fast as he normally did.
By halfway through the second loop, many of the cadets were struggling to keep pace. It seemed that the more that Doug ran the faster he got. He had a good twenty paces on everyone else and Jacobs was pushing them to catch Doug. They knew not to fall behind Jacobs or they would really be in trouble, but they didn't know if they could do the normal five loops. Just to give the cadets a chance, Doug ran the entire fourth loop backwards and they were still having a hard time. He took no pity on them. Jacobs and McGinty just exchanged a look. McGinty shook his head and went to catch up to Doug. They ran the entire fifth loop carrying a conversation. By the time that they finished, all of the cadets collapsed, gasping for air.
"What?" Doug said.
"You run like that every day?" One of the cadets asked between gasps for air.
"I run between five and seven miles at full pace every day." Doug said. "I have since I was thirteen years old, with the exception of the seven months I was injured and recovering when I was fifteen. I have been known to run alongside my horse just to get my miles in."
The Cadets' eyes were wide. Jacobs and McGinty just laughed.
"Ten minutes." Jacobs said. "I expect you to be washed up and ready for breakfast."
"Yes, Sir." The Cadets said.
Doug headed back to the house and Jacobs headed back to the hotel to get ready. Some of the cadets realized that they had pushed too far and were wondering what their punishment was going to be, they knew that Jacobs wasn't going to let go. They just hoped that it wasn't too bad. They had also been looking forward to an easier weekend.
-Steamy section-
Jack had been up earlier than Elizabeth, but he decided not to disturb her. She just laid there and watched her sleep. He prayed and softly talked to their little one. He was still convinced that she was carrying twins, but he had realized that Elizabeth wasn't excited about that, so he chose to keep his thoughts to himself. As Elizabeth stirred, he leaned over and gave her a kiss. Not awake yet, Elizabeth thought she was dreaming and quickly deepened the kiss. She also let her hand roam over Jack's torso and down past his waist. It was only when she brushed his manhood and Jack gasped that Elizabeth woke. She looked at Jack who pulled her closer.
"Don't stop." Jack rasped.
Elizabeth wasn't sure, but she continued to play with Jack as he cupped her breast and kissed her neck. When Jack's hand strayed under her nightgown and down between her legs, Elizabeth wasn't surprised. They had to stop a couple of times as Jack started coughing, but after he coughed whatever up, he went right back to the pleasure that Elizabeth was providing. He had missed their time together and was going to take as much time as they could that morning, while still being fully aware of the time. Jack knew that they had plenty of time to fool around without Elizabeth being late for school. Jack was more worried about Doug or Dee knocking on the door.
Elizabeth had checked with Jack each and every time he needed to stop because of his coughing. She had missed their time together just as much as he had, but she also didn't want to push him too much. She was worried that he would have a setback. As good as it felt at the moment, Elizabeth knew that if Jack had a setback, that she would feel so guilty. The last thing that she wanted to do was to hurt him. Jack had assured her that he was doing okay and that the pleasure he was getting was greater than any discomfort he was feeling. So as he pushed for more, Elizabeth had responded in kind. The passion continued to grow between the pair pushing them both closer and closer to the edge of no return.
Finally when she couldn't stand it anymore, she pushed Jack onto his back, pulled his pajama pants down and lowered herself onto him. She watched his face and only saw pleasure, so she continued. It didn't take long for Jack to reach the point of release. He saw that Elizabeth was close and quickly pushed her to the edge so they could fall over the cliff together. He grabbed her hips and thrust up in rhythm with her, pushing both of them over the edge. As Elizabeth rode the waves of pleasure she continued her motions on Jack, pushing him over the edge again. Elizabeth fell back into the bed after riding the wave of pleasure as far as she could. She rolled over and looked at Jack who was still gasping for air. She watched him. She his eyes were closed and his chest was heaving. She put her hand on Jack's chest. He grabbed it and lifted it to his mouth, giving her a quick kiss. He then rolled over to face Elizabeth.
"Thank you." Jack rasped between breaths.
"You are welcome." Elizabeth said. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I?"
"Fine." Jack said. "Not the pain I am feeling."
They both laid there for a few minutes before Jack heard the downstairs door open. Elizabeth quickly got up and started to get dressed. Jack pulled his pajama pants back up and watched Elizabeth get ready. Once she was ready, Jack had her get some clean pajamas for him. He wanted to wash up and put on some clean clothes. Elizabeth put Jack's clean clothes on the bed, made sure that he had some water to wash up and put the basin on the chair by the bed where Jack would be able to reach it. She then headed downstairs to get breakfast ready. She promised to send Doug or Dee up to help Jack.
-End of steamy section-
Doug wasn't surprised to see Dee at the table with a cup of coffee when he walked in. Dee got up and got a cup for Doug and set it before him as he sat down.
"So where did you go so early this morning?" Dee asked.
"I went for a run with the cadets and Jacobs." Doug said.
"How did that go?" Dee asked.
"Fun." Doug said. "I love running and do it every morning. I was missing it while I was here. I am glad that I was able to get back into it. Those cadets need to learn that they are the best in the world at everything. Jacobs let me set the pace after they were teasing me. They had trouble keeping up and I wasn't even pushing it. If I had run full speed like I had wanted to, I probably would have left them in the dust."
"Really?" Dee said.
As Doug and Dee were talking, Elizabeth came downstairs.
"Jack up?" Doug asked.
"Yes." Elizabeth said. "He was going to wash up and change into some clean pajamas."
"I will go help him." Doug said, finishing the last swig of his coffee.
"Thank you." Elizabeth said. "I will get breakfast going."
Elizabeth got French toast going as she spoke to Dee for a bit. Dee didn't say anything, as he didn't want to embarrass his cousin, but he had heard her and Jack that morning. He wondered if they were aware that they made that much noise. Elizabeth was whistling as she made breakfast and listened to Dee talk. Jack and Doug came down and Doug looked at Elizabeth.
"You are in a good mood this morning." Doug said. "You must be feeling better."
"I am." Elizabeth said. "Besides it is Friday and I am looking forward to the children's science fair and then a nice weekend. If I do it right, there won't be much grading this weekend other then to catch up on the essays. Also why shouldn't I be in a good mood. Jack is feeling better and things are looking like they will be getting back to more normal around here."
Dee looked at Jack and shook his head. Jack saw the look that Dee gave him and turned bright red. Jack realized that Dee had heard them but he was trying not to embarrass them.
"Don't forget." Elizabeth said, as she set a plate of French toast down. "I am staying at the school all day. I promised the children I would be there for the science fair and I need to be there to talk to the county official that is coming."
"Thank you for reminding me." Jack said. "I won't worry about you. Please take it easy and don't push yourself if you are feeling tired. No one will fault you for sitting."
Elizabeth smiled at Jack. She knew he was just worried about her, but she was feeling good, especially after their morning activities.
"Lunch will be taken care of." Doug said. "One of the ladies is supposed to drop something off later this morning."
"They don't need to do that." Elizabeth said.
"I told Cat that." Jack said. "But they want to. Cat has arranged for meals for Mary Graves as well since she is on bed rest until the baby comes."
"How is she doing?" Elizabeth asked. "Caleb hasn't said much at school. I know that he is worried, but as a young boy I don't think he knows what to think and I don't want to ask something to embarrass him."
"I don't know." Jack said. "Cat didn't say much. I am sure that you are doing what you can for Caleb, but remind him that he can talk to any of the Mounties. Let him know that Bill might be a good person for him to seek out or even Pastor Frank."
"I will." Elizabeth said. "I forgot, you see people less than I do."
"Don't worry about it." Jack said. "It will get better."
They four had a nice breakfast. Jack still didn't have a great appetite, but he did eat one piece of French toast and two pieces of bacon that Elizabeth had heated back up. Just as they were finishing, Jacobs and Faith knocked on the door. Elizabeth got her stuff ready, including an extra large lunch. She then said goodbye to Jack, who insisted on kissing her belly. Elizabeth didn't really mind as the people in the house had seen him do it before. Then Elizabeth left the house. She had a lot she needed to get done that day. She was feeling good and had plenty of energy, even after her early morning romp with Jack. She also had realized that morning as she was getting dressed, that she was really showing and that there would be no way of hiding it any longer. If anyone else had noticed they hadn't said anything. Elizabeth knew that she was going to face a mountain of questions from the children. She had been able to put them off, but she had promised to answer some of them today.