Chapter 46 – Waiting
It started to lightly rain again that afternoon and it only heightened Jack's concern. Even though it wasn't raining hard, any rain at that point was more than they could handle. Jack just hoped that things wouldn't get too bad. He was worried about the Silverton Mine and what would happen if the road was washed out. He also worried about a flash flood through the settlement. Jack really wanted to evacuate the settlement, but he also didn't want to disrupt their lives if it wasn't needed. The thing was, Jack was almost sure that an evacuation was going to be needed sooner rather than later. Jack looked at his watch and saw that it was getting to be the time that Elizabeth would let school out and also that the stagecoach would be arriving soon. He wanted to check on Elizabeth, but he was also concerned about the stagecoach and what would happen with Faith.
Jack decided that he would go and try to meet the stagecoach before he headed to the school to check on Elizabeth. Jack stood and stretched before he slipped his coat on and put his hat on as he left. When he stepped out of the jail and looked toward the cafe, he saw Faith waiting on the platform. She looked to be wringing her hands and pacing slightly. He headed toward her using the boardwalk and avoiding the mud. He made his way to the platform to wait with Faith. She seemed lost in her own thoughts and Jack startled her when he called her name. She took a deep breath and looked at Jack.
"Are you waiting for someone?" Faith asked.
"No." Jack said. "I thought that I would meet your fiance before I headed to the schoolhouse. If that was okay?"
"I don't mind." Faith said. "But I am not sure how he will react to seeing you first thing."
"Not a fan of law enforcement?" Jack asked.
"Something like that." Faith replied quietly.
Jack and Faith didn't have to wait long and they heard the stagecoach before it pulled into town. Jack waited for it to stop at the platform before he stepped up to talk to the driver. He wanted to know what the road conditions were and when they ran into the rain. Since Jack had his red serge on, the driver was more than willing to share that information. He let Jack know that the roads were pretty muddy, but passable still. He also told Jack that it started raining before they got to Buxton. Jack thanked the driver for the information and let him go on his way. The driver let Jack know that he was headed to Jamison. Jack told him to be safe and watch the roads north because they were worse than the coming. It might be better to go the long way around through Benson Hills.
After talking to the driver, Jack stepped down and waited on the platform for Faith. Faith saw that Jack was waiting, so she took the time to introduce Adam to Jack. Adam wasn't impressed with Jack. Jack could tell that Adam looked down on him, by the way he looked him up and down, then didn't quite meet his eyes when shaking hands. Adam just wanted to get out of the rain and out of Hope Valley as soon as possible. Jack shook Adam's hand, then excused himself and headed to the schoolhouse. Jack thought about the exchange as he headed to see Elizabeth. There was something that was off about Adam. Jack couldn't place his finger on it, but he knew that he would have to keep an eye on him. At first Jack thought Adam reminded him of the way that Elizabeth's father and sister had treated him, but there was something more. Something that put Jack on edge. He knew that he was going to have to keep an eye on things and wondered if he could get a quick background check, but then realized he didn't have a reason to ask. Jack's gut was screaming at him that there was something wrong, but Faith hadn't said anything. He also knew that his gut instinct was sometimes more important when meeting new people. It wasn't always what was said, but wasn't said. Jack knew that Faith had been worried about Adam arriving, so that was enough for Jack to be on edge.
Faith watched Jack head off before she turned to Adam, letting him know that he could get a room at the saloon and then they could get something to eat at the cafe. Adam made a point of voicing his displeasure. He wanted to know where Faith was staying and she indicated that she was staying in the quarters above the infirmary. When he asked to stay with her, she let him know that it was a one bedroom and it would be inappropriate since they were not married and people knew that she wasn't married. Adam huffed that they lived together in Union City, but Faith reminded them that it was a two bedroom and it was different. Adam didn't like it, but he followed Faith to the saloon and he was able to get a room.
Jack made his way to the schoolhouse and waited for Elizabeth to let the children out. He heard her talking to the students when he was at the top of the stairs. He stepped back when he heard the bell. He didn't want to get run over by the children. When the last of the students had left, Jack entered the schoolhouse. When Elizabeth heard his boots on the floorboards, she turned to face him. He could see that she was tired and he had heard it in her voice when she let the students go for the day. Jack wanted to pull Elizabeth into a kiss right there, but also didn't want to in case one of the students had come back into the schoolhouse. They were married, but Jack still wanted to be respectful of the children so the parents didn't complain.
Jack really wanted to suggest that she head home, but he also didn't want to upset her. Instead, he just asked her how she was doing. When she said that she was tired, Jack asked if she wanted him to walk her home. She agreed and gathered her stuff and got ready to leave. Jack asked her more about her day as they walked toward the house. Jack was glad that Elizabeth didn't put up a fight about heading home. He was still concerned because she had been sick and looked so tired. When they got to the house, Jack went in with her. He pulled her close for a kiss and let her know that he had to head back to town. He told her that he would be home in a couple hours and he would pick up something from the cafe for supper. Elizabeth just agreed and kissed Jack again before he left. He had wanted to ask her, but he figured that she would tell him when she was ready. Jack left and headed back to town. He really hoped that Elizabeth would rest some that afternoon. Jack knew that he really didn't have to head back to town, but he wanted to give Elizabeth a chance to rest.
Jack got back to the jail, stoked the fire to dry off and warm up a little. For once, Jack was glad for his high riding boots as they kept him warm and dry when walking. As much as he and Elizabeth had tried to avoid the mud, it was almost impossible. Once Jack was warmer, he went over the disaster plan and the supply lists again. He just hoped that they were ready for whatever happened. He knew that the more rain that they got, the worse things were going to be. When Jack was done with his lists, he headed to the mercantile to check for any messages before heading home. He then headed to the cafe to order some supper and talk to Abigail for a moment. When he got to the cafe, Faith and Adam were there. He nodded a greeting to them, but continued through the dining room and into the kitchen. He found Abigail and let her know what he wanted. He also asked if she had a moment to talk. She said that she could talk while she fixed his order. Jack let Abigail know about the river levels and what he had learned from the stagecoach driver. She showed her concern about the water, but didn't voice anything to Jack. There wasn't much that she could say that he hadn't already thought about. When she handed Jack the to go order, she reminded him to be careful and to keep her updated. Jack thanked Abigail and headed home.
When Jack got home, he found Elizabeth resting on the couch. She only stirred slightly when he entered the house. He sat down, pulled his boots off before heading to the kitchen and putting their food on the stove to heat back up since it had cooled slightly. He then went and woke Elizabeth up. It took her a moment to realize her surroundings. Jack helped her to her feet and they headed to the kitchen to enjoy their supper. After they ate, Jack sat on the couch with his guitar and plucked at the strings. He hadn't really touched it since his birthday and he knew that he was out of practice. He wanted to get into playing more regularly and maybe even learn a few new songs. Despite not liking his birthday, he loved that Elizabeth would go to the trouble of trying to find him a guitar exactly like the one his father had given him. While Jack was playing with his guitar, Elizabeth tried to work on her stories, but she was having trouble focusing. She decided that it was probably better that she just head up to bed and get some sleep. She let Jack know and he let her know that he would be up shortly.
Wednesday morning Jack and Elizabeth woke to another overcast day. Jack was up and out of the house early because of the supply wagon coming in later that morning. He wanted to ride out and check the river right away. He didn't even wait to walk Elizabeth to school. Jack had left in such a hurry that he forgot his lunch again. Elizabeth knew that Jack needed to check the river, but she missed him walking her to school most morning. She wasn't going to say anything because she didn't want him to feel bad for doing what he needed to do. She knew once they were past the danger, Jack would work to get back into a routine. Elizabeth decided to leave a little early so she could drop off lunch at the jail for Jack. She got both of their lunches together and headed out. She dropped off Jack's and then headed to the schoolhouse.
Jack made good time riding out to check the river. Despite it being muddy, it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. The river was still pretty high and running fast, but it didn't appear to have risen any overnight. Jack wanted to take that as a good sign, but he also knew that it wouldn't take much for things to get bad. He took a slightly longer way back to town because he wanted to check a couple of other spots. Jack got back to town ahead of the time the supply wagons were due so he headed to the jail. When he walked in he saw that Elizabeth had left his lunch. Jack smiled at how Elizabeth took care of him when he was so focused on other things. While he waited, Jack filled in the log book about the river.
Before the wagons got to town, Jack went over to the infirmary to get Faith so that she could help him with the supplies. Jack found Adam there and Adam wasn't happy that Faith wanted to stay and help. Jack let Faith know that he would be waiting for the wagons and then heading the house if she wanted to join him. He wasn't sure that she would, but he hoped that she would so he could talk to her while they went through the crates.
Jack headed to the mercantile to wait for the wagons. He didn't have to wait long and learned that most of his stuff was in a single wagon, so he directed that driver toward Gowen's house so that they could unload it. The driver followed Jack and they unloaded the wagon. Jack knew that there were a few crates missing, but he figured that they might be in one of the other wagons so he wasn't all that worried. When Jack got back to the mercantile to check about the missing crates, he saw a wagon there loading supplies and Ned let him know that it was the Silverton mine and he was sending the last of the extra supplies in case of a washout. That made Jack feel a little better. Jack was able to locate the three missing crates and move them to Gowen's house. He then let Ned know he would be over there going through the crates. Faith came over to help Jack and they made quick work of the crates. Jack didn't get much of a chance to talk to Faith, but he tried. She shut him down saying she needed to focus on what she was doing. Jack knew that she was avoiding talking about things. He wasn't going to push her, at least at the moment.
Elizabeth had a pretty good day with the children despite them being a little restless because they had been indoors so much. At one point after lunch, she had the children push the benches to the side and they played an interactive game inside and it helped some. When the children put the benches back it was a little easier to sit for the rest of the afternoon and work on lessons. Elizabeth was tired, but glad that she was starting to feel better. She was also glad that she was able to get the children to focus on their lessons. She knew that there were going to be times that she would have to change things up, but she was starting to be more okay with that after everything that they had been through. Elizabeth didn't think much more about what Abigail had said. She had pretty much dismissed the idea as she didn't feel like it was true. She still hadn't had her regular cycle, but that wasn't unusual for her when she was stressed and not feeling good. She figured that it would show up when things slowed down and then she would get back on a schedule.
By the time that Jack and Faith were done with the crates, it was raining again. Jack headed to the jail to compare what he had just gotten to the master list of supplies. He had planned on riding more that afternoon, but with the rain he knew that would change. Faith headed back to the infirmary. The rest of the day was pretty quiet for the town. Most people chose to stay inside because of the rain. Jack once again went to meet Elizabeth after school and they chose to stay in town and eat before heading home. Jack wasn't surprised when they got to the cafe that Adam and Faith were there. Jack and Elizabeth took a table away from Adam and Faith, but they could hear them arguing. Jack was concerned, but there wasn't anything that he could do at the moment. He did remain on alert for any signs of trouble. Elizabeth could see that something was bothering Jack, then she noticed that he was trying to discreetly keep on eye on Faith. Elizabeth wasn't really jealous, but she wondered why. It didn't take long for her to realize that Faith was arguing with the man that she was sitting with. Elizabeth figured that was why Jack was concerned.
When Faith stormed out part way through their meal, Jack went after her and caught up to her near the infirmary. Jack grabbed her arm to stop her and she spun around hard with her hands up ready to hit. When she saw it was Jack, she lowered her arms a little. Jack took a half a step back and put his hands up to show that he meant no harm. Despite the light rain that continued to fall, Jack could see that she had been crying. Jack wrapped his arm around her and led her to the jail so that they could talk. He wanted to know what it was that had upset her so bad that she would run out of the cafe in the rain and almost hit him when he caught up to her. When they got to the jail, Jack pulled out a chair for her and went to stoke the fire so it warmed up the room. He offered her coffee, but she didn't want any. Jack poured himself a cup and sat on the edge of the desk. He looked at Faith and just waited until she was ready to talk. Faith knew that Jack was waiting for her, so she took a moment to compose herself before she spoke.
"I know you have questions, but I really don't want to talk." Faith said.
"Yes, I have questions." Jack said. "But more importantly, I wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"I will be okay." Faith said. "I just don't want to deal with Adam right now, he made me so mad with what he said."
"I know that you don't want to talk about it, but maybe I can help." Jack said.
"I don't think that you can." Faith said. "Adam said that he doesn't want me to continue to be a nurse when we get married and I told him that it wasn't just what I did but who I was, so he told me to choose what I wanted more – to be his wife or a nurse."
"All I will say about that." Jack said. "If he doesn't respect you enough to respect that you have a life's calling then he is not the person for you. I would never ask Elizabeth to give up teaching just because we are married, just like she would never ask me to give up being a Mountie. She may not like the danger that is associated with my job, but she understands that being a Mountie is more than a job for me. She understands that it is a calling for me and I understand that teaching is a calling for her. You have said that nursing is a calling for you and if anyone doesn't understand that then they are not for you. Please don't compromise yourself for anyone."
Elizabeth knocked on the door when Jack finished talking. She had been standing there for a few moments but waited until Jack was finished before she knocked. She didn't want to interrupt him while he was talking. She had heard what Jack had said about her, but she tried not to show it. When Jack answered the door, he was not surprised to see Elizabeth standing there. He ushered her inside and shut the door. Faith stood up to go, but Jack stopped her.
"Don't go." Jack said.
"It is okay." Faith said. "I have taken up enough of your time, besides I interrupted your supper as well."
"It is okay." Elizabeth said. "I just wanted to let Jack know that I was headed home and that he should stop at the cafe before he headed that way. If you need to talk, please stay. I understand. Also you left your coat at the cafe and I brought it for you."
"Was Adam still at the cafe?" Faith asked. "Thank you by the way. I didn't even realize I didn't have it."
"He left shortly after you did." Elizabeth said. "I don't know where he went, but he wasn't happy."
"He has a room at the saloon." Faith said.
Elizabeth looked at Jack and then at Faith. She was also worried about Faith, but she also knew that Jack had things in hand. Elizabeth turned to go, but Jack stopped her, pulled her into a hug and let her know that he wouldn't be long. Then ask if she would wait at the cafe for him. She nodded and then left the jail to head back to the cafe. Jack had wanted to kiss her, but he didn't want to embarrass her or Faith for that matter. He watched Elizabeth for a moment and then Jack shut the door, he turned back to Faith.
"Are you going to be okay tonight?" Jack asked.
"Yes." Faith said. "I have been staying above the infirmary and the door has a lock on it. Adam does know that is where I am staying, but I am not worried about anything. He wouldn't hurt me, I don't think he would anyway."
"I would feel better if you stayed somewhere else, but I can't make you." Jack said. "As far as what Adam would do, I don't know him like you do. If you feel safe next door, I can't argue with you. I will ask you to think about what you want to do. Please be safe and I will check on you in the morning before I ride out to check the river."
"You don't need to do that." Faith said.
"I know I don't." Jack said. "But as long as you are staying in town, it is my job to make sure that you are safe. I will stop by in the morning. In case you need anything, Bill will be here at the jail. He sleeps in the back room. You can knock on either door if you need something. You can also knock on the cafe door and talk to Abigail if you need. She is very understanding and she won't say anything to anyone."
"Thank you." Faith said.
Faith stood up and slipped her coat back on. Jack insisted on walking her to the infirmary even if it was just next door. He was headed to the cafe anyway. Once Jack made sure that Faith had gotten upstairs safely, he headed to the saloon to see if Adam was there. Jack saw him drinking at the bar. The saloon wasn't that busy, but enough that Jack was justified in stopping to check if Sam needed anything. Bill was in the saloon as well. Jack took a moment and talked to him about keeping an eye on Adam. He quickly explained that he was worried that he would go after Faith again. Bill promised to keep an eye on Adam and would be right next door. Jack was still worried about Faith, but he knew that Bill could handle it and there was no point in both of them sitting there. Jack also wanted to confront Adam, but he wasn't sure that would be a good idea. Adam had been drinking and Jack was upset, the last thing that Jack wanted was to pick a fight.
