But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
Thursday, December 23, 1920
Everyone met at the Queen of Hearts at 7 am the next morning for an early breakfast prepared by Gustav before setting out for Eagle Creek at 8 am. He also provided three thermoses filled with hot coffee as well as two thermoses of hot chocolate for each team, though he provided a third for the children along with marshmallows.
Joseph and Minnie would be in the first wagon with the children: Allie, Jack, Cooper, Angela, and Scout. Their load consisted of everyone's luggage for their overnight stay and their food, including snacks for the trip, plus the emergency supplies and extra blankets, if necessary, just in case. Though they wore their heavy winter outerwear, Joseph, Nathan, and Lee had engineered a covering over the back of the wagon to help shield the children from the cold with a flap covering the back entrance to keep the wind out. Extra warmth would be provided by heated bricks. Joseph and Minnie would share a blanket with heated bricks at their feet. There was still room in the back should Elizabeth, Faith, or Minnie need to warm up out of the wind.
In the second wagon, Harry and Faith would be bundled up, similarly to Minnie and Joseph, with hot bricks at their feet. They would haul some supplies donated by Benson Hills and a few things ordered by Eagle Creek Mercantile through Ned. There were also a few boxes of clothing donations, donated quilts, as well as some medical supplies that Faith wanted to have on hand for when she worked there.
Bill and Elizabeth would be in the final wagon that was loaded with bags of seed, canned goods, donated books, toys, and dry goods, as well as the rest of the donations and the trunk with the items for the nativity play. To keep everything dry in case of snow or sleet, there was a tarp covering Harry's and Bill's wagons. Luckily, the air was dry and relatively mild, though they could smell moisture in the air. They were also bundled up similarly to the other couples, and a hot brick would be at their feet.
Nathan was to ride Newton and wore his Serge to act as a deterrent for anyone who might seek to rob them, though it really was a long shot as the roads were well traveled, and there weren't many places for bandits to ambush unsuspecting travelers. Plus, as an added precaution, Bill, Harry, and Joseph were also carrying a gun. At 745 they finished breakfast and headed to the livery where three of the distinctive green Coulter lumber wagons were waiting for them to climb up and get on the road.
The plan had been great, except they hadn't taken Jack and his affinity for Newton and Nathan into account. If there was one thing that could pry Jack away from Allie's side, it was Newton and Mountie Nathan. Nathan took one look at Jack's puppy dog look and caved. Bill bundled Jack into a blanket and then passed him up to Nathan. Nathan sat on the edges of the blanket so there was no chance of him falling off. Jack was in heaven as they rode out of town.
As they passed the Wishing Tree, Bill noticed Elizabeth had a worried look on her face.
"Something wrong, Elizabeth?"
"I just hope Jack put a wish on the tree. I went looking for it but couldn't find it."
"Well, I can put your mind at rest on that score. I helped him do it."
"Oh! What was his wish?"
Bill shook his head "Sorry, but I'm sworn to secrecy. Besides, you are not supposed to know your child's wish."
"I know, but with him starting to ask about Jack, I worry what it might have been. You know as well as I do that kids can really ask for tough, almost impossible wishes that would take a miracle to grant. What if he asks to spend Christmas with his dad?"
"While I can't reveal the wish, I can tell you it wasn't related to his father. If you couldn't find it when you looked, then someone is already working on it. He is important to a lot of people so whoever got it will move heaven and earth to make it happen. So, stop worrying."
Elizabeth didn't say anything but then said, "You are right. In fact, I bet Rosemary grabbed it."
"Maybe so. It would be something she would do." Bill said, trying to keep his face neutral and not give anything away.
An hour later, Bill noticed out of the corner of his eye that Elizabeth was looking over at Jack and Nathan with a dreamy look on her face, completely focused on the pair. He decided it was the perfect time to plant a seed.
"Have you ever seen anything as cute as that!" Bill said, pointing at Jack leaning against Nathan as he looked up, attentive to what Nathan was explaining about whatever current wildlife they had just seen. "I think about the only thing cuter is watching him and Allie."
Elizabeth smiled softly as she watched them. Then sighed as she said, "They really are, aren't they? Too bad I messed things up not only for myself but for my son."
"Why do you say that?" Elizabeth didn't respond, so he added, "Have you ever thought about the situation from Nathan's side? Maybe the reason Nathan hasn't said anything is because he has the same concerns you do. Maybe he isn't aware of how you feel. Maybe he has the same hesitancies that you have? If you truly want to be with Nathan, you may need to get out of your own way and be the first to break the standoff by revealing your heart to him."
"You really think that, Bill?"
"I do. I think that with some encouragement from you, everything you want will be within your grasp. I imagine it would make Jack's Christmas since he would also be getting Allie as a sister. In fact, I would say the same could be true for Allie."
"Now you are sounding like Rosemary."
"Bite your tongue," Bill responded with a smile, happy to be on the receiving end of Elizabeth's teasing. "I'm just making an observation that seems to have hit the mark."
Elizabeth chuckled, watching as Nathan laughed at Jack's imitation of a moose.
"Look, you are right about all of it. Discovering that Nathan loves me and wants a relationship would make my Christmas, too," Elizabeth said wistfully. "But every time I get the courage up to do it, we either get interrupted, or I chicken out at the last minute, and my mind starts creating worst-case scenarios when it comes to his responses. Not to mention that he hasn't indicated anything, either. What if I say something, he doesn't feel the same way, and I put him in an awkward position?"
"True, that is a possibility. But from what I've seen, that man is in love with you, and many in town agree with me." Bill thought some more about how he could urge Elizabeth to take a step towards Nathan. Maybe he needed to put it a different way. "Look, Elizabeth, wouldn't you rather have a full, happy life with Nathan if possible? You need to take the chance of discovering if it is possible. Wouldn't it be a shame to go through life as you are now and find out 15 years from now that Nathan does love you and wants nothing more than to create a family with you? But you wasted 15 years? You need to take that risk. Though, I personally don't feel like it's a big risk at all. That man loves both you and your son."
He could tell his words hit home, so he was content to let her be for the rest of the trip. Before they knew it, they were pulling up to the Hennings Homestead, where Harry's dad waited on the porch to welcome them all.
Allie scrambled over to receive Jack from her dad so he could dismount. Seeing Elizabeth trying to step down, Nathan rushed over, offering his hand to Bill's amusement. Elizabeth went to take a couple of steps as the blood rushed back to her legs, causing her to stumble. Nathan chuckled, and she grabbed onto him to prevent herself from falling.
"Having a little trouble?" Nathan teased, grinning at her, practically holding her upright. For a moment, they were transported back to yesterday and the brief moment of being in each other's arms.
"I'll be fine once the feeling comes back in my legs. You would think Lee would have padding on the seats."
"Welcome! We thought it might be better if we went directly to the café and set it up for tonight. Gertie and the girls are already there preparing lunch." Harold said, coming down off the porch. "Then you can get settled in where you are sleeping for the night. "
After the introductions were finished, Elizabeth took one look at the wagon seat, grimaced, and asked, "Is it close enough that we can walk there?"
"Sure, Gertie and I walk it every day. Since you're staying with Dr. Faith you can drop your stuff off as we will pass it on the way. I have already unlocked it for you, Dr Faith. If you are hurting from the ride, Ma'am, Gertie can send one of the girls back for some liniment. Though you might want to wait until later because it doesn't smell too good, but it will do the trick!" Harold said.
"Thank you. Please just call me Elizabeth," Elizabeth said with a smile as she followed Faith. "I will definitely keep that in mind for later. I think just stretching my legs with a little walk will be all I need."
Seeing Elizabeth looking around, Nathan said, coming alongside her, leading Newton. "I'll keep an eye on them, Elizabeth. I already put yours and the kids' things in Harry's wagon. He is going to drop them off at the house along with Faith's. So, if you want, you can just go straight to the café."
I'm going to stop off at the Mountie office and change out of the Serge, and then I will be along. That will give Allie and Jack time to run off the excess energy before we eat."
Elizabeth gave Nathan a grateful smile. Placing a hand on his arm, she softly said, "Thank you, Nathan."
"You are welcome, Lizbeth," he said, giving her a warm smile.
While the wagons went on ahead, Harold walked with Faith and Elizabeth, keeping the conversation flowing by answering questions and talking about the town. He even entertained them with amusing and embarrassing stories about Harry, which Faith loved.
Finally, they reached the café, and Bill, Harry, and Joseph had managed to unload while Gertie took Minnie over to the parsonage to freshen up and get settled. By the time Nathan arrived with the kids, everything was unloaded, the horses settled, and lunch ready.
As they ate the robust Chicken Noodle Soup and fresh bread that Gertie had prepared, they came up with a game plan of getting everything ready for the service and afterward.
Gertie and Harold were humbled by the amount of donations that were brought. It was decided that they would separate everything by families to make distribution easier. The roasts were put in the ice box until the town could figure out when they wanted to prepare them and come together for a community meal. Gertie mentioned the family of the 4-year-old twins wasn't going to be there because they were spending Christmas with family in Benson Hills. Gertie said they would ensure they received their gifts upon their return.
The early afternoon was spent preparing. Janice and Faith were in charge of working with the children to decorate the tree. Joseph headed over to the church to set up for the service and arrange the props for the play. Nathan and Harry helped move the heavy stuff around under Harold's supervision.
Once the tree was decorated Janice went back inside to help set up for the reception while the kids played in the snow in the area in between the café and the Mountie Office.
Combining some of the food Minnie brought for them, along with some already there, she and Gertie prepared food for their supper.
Finally, when all was complete, they headed towards their homes to freshen up and change. As Elizabeth, Nathan, and Faith headed over to round up Allie and Jack, they were greeted by a strange sight just outside the Mountie office. The children had fashioned not only a snowman but a snow dog. But it wasn't just a regular snowman because it currently sported Nathan's Mountie hat.
Elizabeth and Faith giggled as Jack called out, "Mama, look what we made!"
"I see son," Elizabeth said.
"Uncle Bill said we should make it a Snow Mountie and his Mountie dog," Jack added.
"Really!" Nathan said, looking over at Bill. Bill just smirked as he stood there with crossed arms.
Scout came bounding from around the building and stopped by the snowmen, sniffing curiously around it. Then he cast a look over at Nathan, who just shrugged his shoulders in response.
Elizabeth chuckled. "Why don't we leave Mountie Nathan to admire your fine work and get ready for the service? We don't want to be late."
Once they were out of sight, Nathan rescued his hat from the snowman, giving Bill a mock glare. But his grin wouldn't stay hidden as he thought about how cute it really had been. He knew that Bill wasn't fooled one bit since he was chuckling as he turned back into the Mountie Office.
A moment later, he came out smirking, holding Nathan's "You can put it back. It's not yours. I found it when I was looking for bedding. It must have been left by the other Constable."
An hour later, everyone was assembled at the church and excited about the rest of the night. A light snow had started to fall just as people began to arrive. Harold came up to Bill frowning, carrying what looked like a telegram. A bad winter storm was expected by early evening, with heavy snowfall predicted, which was expected to last until tomorrow afternoon. It would make traveling back in the morning impossible, and they would have to wait to travel back on Christmas Day. Rather than be upset, they decided to focus on the service, and they would figure out what to do about the storm later.
The service went off as planned. The atmosphere for the evening was set as the choir, under Minnie's direction, sang It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.
Faith read the story while the rest of them acted it out. Some played more than one part by holding up the appropriate mask for the character they were at that time.
Jack's enthusiasm as he sang Away in A Manger was noted as his voice rang out above the rest of the children, including Harry's younger sisters. They were gathered around the piano as they sang as Angela accompanied them.
Finally, the story was finished, and Joseph approached the podium. "I don't have a sermon prepared for you tonight. It's hard to follow the greatest story ever told, so I won't even try. But I do want to remind everyone that the greatest gift that we receive is God's love. The greatest gift that we give is the love that we have for one another.1 With that in mind, we invite everyone to join us after the service at the town hall for some refreshments provided by the town of Hope Valley.
"We'll close with a solo by Mrs. Thornton singing O, Holy Night." Everyone took a seat as Elizabeth joined Angela by the piano. From start to finish, it was obvious that Elizabeth sang from her heart, and it stirred each person the same way. As she sang the last note, you could hear a pin drop as the congregation was filled with awe, not for the singer but because of the true realization of the precious gift they had been given by a loving God to a fallen world.
The Eagle Creek residents were awed by the care the people from Hope Valley had in bringing them the story of Christ's birth and that it was the greatest story ever told. They were also amazed by the talent of Angela. They were even more amazed to discover she was blind.
The snow was still falling lightly as people began to make their way to the café from the church. Janice had arranged for the children to stand by the tree singing a couple of Christmas Carols as people admired the decorations, allowing the others to get in place.
Harold had the people gather in the area outside the main dining room so that he could prepare them.
"If I could get your attention for a moment. The good people of Hope Valley have prepared some refreshments, as Pastor Joseph said, as we fellowship with one another. The children have also made all the decorations for the tree that you passed on the walkover. But in the spirit of brotherly love, the towns of Hope Valley and Benson Hills have donated items as a gift to remind us that we are not forgotten and alone nor without hope. Inside, you will see items stacked on tables in the back sorted by families that have been made lovingly or donated in the hopes that it might make your Christmas this year just a little brighter.
They brought them here with the intention of returning tomorrow, but we have received word that a severe winter storm is imminent, and heavy snowfall is expected to start around 8 pm tonight and last until mid-morning or noon. This means they won't be able to travel back until Christmas Day. Please be sure to stop and show appreciation for their efforts on our behalf. Without further ado, there's coffee, tea, and hot cocoa, as well as Christmas cookies. '
Once everyone was situated, the group from Hope Valley sat down and came up with a plan. A call was placed to Rosemary, letting her know where everyone's wishing tree gifts were so she could ensure they were received by the recipients and when the group expected to be home on Christmas Day. Once that was handled, they settled in and enjoyed mingling with the town. A festive atmosphere presided over the town as laughter rang out. By the time people started to leave, a plan was already in the works for a Christmas feast featuring the roast for the following night and a day of fun in honor of Jack's birthday during the day. Snow had begun to fall heavier, and the wind picked up as everyone made it back to their homes. Harry brought the wagon from home to transport his family home. He dropped Elizabeth, Faith, and the children off at their temporary home while Nathan and Bill went to check on the horses before retiring for the night. Everyone was excited about tomorrow, but the Hope Valley group was ready to get a good night's sleep.
Little did Nathan and Elizabeth know, but they were the topic of discussion among the ladies all evening as it was noticeable how they interacted as if they were a family, along with the longing looks they would send when the other wasn't looking. Nathan's solicitous behavior and preference for Elizabeth's company also didn't go unnoticed. To add fuel to the fire, Allie and Jack had made a few comments within hearing of some of the Eagle Creek matchmakers, and strategies were already forming with Gertie Henning leading the way.
Shortly after they arrived at the house, Jack and Allie changed for bed and were already cuddled up. Elizabeth and Faith could hear Allie telling Jack another story from the Brownies Adventure book. The giggles revealed that Jack was reenacting it with his Brownie and Chloe figurines. They sipped their tea and listened in content to just relax.
"Okay, just one more, and then we need to go to bed. We have a busy day ahead of us, all right?"
"Okay, Allie, I promise to go to sleep after one more. What is it called?"
"Well, this one is entitled Christmas Eve. I think you'll like it because it involves some things we are going to be doing."
"It's Christmas Eve! It's Christmas Eve!" I sang as I wrapped the last present.
I walked over to the Christmas tree and saw a big package with my name on it. I wondered what it could be.
I looked out the window and was really excited. "It's snowing!" I called out!
Chloe and I slid on coats, boots, hats, and mitts. Then we ran outside. "Brownie, make a snow angel!" Chloe cried.
We both plopped down on the snow and made snow angels. Our snow angels were cub and kitten angels. They were so cute!
"Look, there are people sledding!"
We watched the people sliding down the hill, it looked like so much fun. "I wish we could go sledding." I told Chloe.
"Me too," she said.
"Brr. It's cold, let's go inside." We went inside and ate cookies and candy canes and drank hot chocolate.
We got in our matching pjs and crawled into bed. I dreamed about whizzing down the hill on a sled.
Ten minutes after Allie finished it was noticeably quiet in their room. Elizabeth and Faith tiptoed over to look in on them and saw both fast asleep. Scout, of course, was on the bed and only looked over at them before closing his eyes, making it plain that he had no intention of moving from his comfy spot with his two favorite people.
Faith sighed as they headed towards their shared room. "I can't wait until I get married and have children of my own. I see how cute Goldie is and then Jack and the others, and it makes me long for a child of my own."
"Well, don't tell Rosemary because you know she will say…"You are not getting any younger," Faith said at the same time as Elizabeth.
As they settled under the covers, Elizabeth asked, "How are things going with you and Harry?"
Faith sighed heavily. "Great relationship. He is such a good man despite his rather auspicious beginning with Nathan,"
"But?"
"He won't even think of anything serious until he has a way to contribute financially."
"That is a hard place to be in." Elizabeth was silent for a moment before thoughtfully adding, "I imagine Jack would have felt the same, and Nathan too, for that matter."
"Speaking of Nathan, I heard about the hug last night."
"How did you hear?"
"Well, Mei happened to be locking up the Pharmacy last night and saw you. Though you should know that Florence was with her, and by now, everyone knows."
"It was strange because I'm usually the one running to him. But I have to admit it was nice, and the look in his eyes, well…." Elizabeth dreamily said. Not finishing the sentence.
Faith giggled, "I can only imagine. Not to mention how attentive he was with you today. Does that maybe change things between the two of you?"
"After last night, I'm really starting to think about it. But every time I feel like I can admit my feelings to him, I chicken out at the last minute. How do you even do something like that."
"Maybe if you are lucky, they will have some mistletoe that you can maneuver him under," Faith suggested. "Tell him you have to uphold the tradition and let nature take its course." They both giggled as they tried picturing that.
"Too bad I can't put him on my Christmas list," Elizabeth mumbled before wishing Faith goodnight and turning over.
Faith giggled and said, "Maybe he already put you on his Christmas list," Faith teased as she rolled over, too.
Before long, both were sleeping and dreaming of their special guys decorated in big red bows waiting by the tree.
Meanwhile, nearby, as Harry lay in his bed in the loft and Nathan lay listening to Bill snore, both men were thinking of their special ladies, thinking similar thoughts of maneuvering them under the mistletoe.
1 The words Joseph shared are the exact words that Pastor Frank shared that Christmas where the backdrop and props were used the first time.