Author's Note: Another Steam alert. Jack and Elizabeth are enjoying their time together while Jack recovers. Guarded and safe, with uninterrupted time has lead to quite the steam filled afternoon. If this isn't your cup of tea, feel free to skip down to the second section.
Chapter 191 – Abigail Plans
After an early supper, Jack finished his medicated tea while Elizabeth cleaned up. Then they got one of the guards to help Jack upstairs. Elizabeth banked the fires, locked the front door and then joined her husband upstairs. When Elizabeth walked into the room, she gasped. Jack was sitting up in bed in only his underwear. He had no shirt on, but his chest was wrapped. Jack looked up when he heard Elizabeth gasp.
"Come join me." Jack said, holding his hand out.
"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked.
"Absolutely." Jack said.
Jack gave Elizabeth a full dimpled smile. She slid her robe off her body and then walked over to the dresser. Jack's eyes followed Elizabeth as she walked across the room. He couldn't believe how sexy his wife was. He watched as Elizabeth turned around and slipped the cotton nightgown off over her head and slipped into the smaller silky one that she had gotten Jack for his birthday. When Elizabeth turned around, it was Jack's turn to gasp. The silky nightgown was tight across her baby bump and as Jack's eyes traveled up, he also noticed that it was tight across her chest. Jack smiled and patted the bed.
Elizabeth walked over to Jack's side of the bed and leaned down to kiss Jack. As Jack went to pull her closer, she caught his hand and held it, not letting Jack touch her. Finally, she pulled back just a bit as she figured Jack needed air.
"God, you are gorgeous, Mrs Thornton." Jack rasped.
"You aren't that bad yourself, Mr Thornton." Elizabeth coquettishly.
As Elizabeth was talking, she moved to straddle Jack's legs and sat back on his tights.
"It is Corporal Thornton." Jack rasped.
"Oh really." Elizabeth said coyly.
Once she was settled, Jack cupped her face and then slowly ran his finger down her check, neck and finally across the tops of her breasts. The action caused Elizabeth to shudder. Elizabeth responded by leaning forward and slowly kissing Jack's neck and nibbling on his ear lobe. Jack's hand finally came to rest on Elizabeth's hip and he slowly slid it around her back and pulled her closer to him as she continued to kiss his neck. Jack danced his fingers across Elizabeth's back and he had pulled her so close, that she could feel his growing excitement. In response to Jack dancing his fingers across her back, she reached up and was playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
Finally, Jack leaned his head back, closed his eyes as they rolled back in his head some. Elizabeth had been watching and feeling Jack's reaction to her ministrations. She knew he was getting close. She could feel her own body getting close as well.
"I want you, now!" Jack finally rasped.
"Okay." Elizabeth said, softly.
Jack lifted his hips up and Elizabeth helped to slide his underwear down. He then helped her to allow him to slide into her. Once Jack had fully entered her, Elizabeth waited a moment as she watched Jack's face. She knew he was close as he tilted his head back, again. After a moment, Jack looked at Elizabeth and smiled.
"I love you." Jack rasped.
"I love you, too." Elizabeth said.
Slowly, Elizabeth rocked back and forth. Jack leaned forward and kissed across her collarbone. Finally, Jack leaned forward and captured Elizabeth's lips. His motion caused her to moan with pleasure as he pushed deeper into her. It wasn't long and they came together. Elizabeth rolled off Jack and sat next to him on the bed as their bodies calmed down. As they lay there in post love making bliss, Jack laid his hand on her baby bump. He danced his fingers across it and Elizabeth could have swore she felt movement. She felt the same weird feeling that she had felt before, but in the haze of her brain she couldn't put it to words.
Elizabeth couldn't wait until Jack could feel the baby move, she knew that he was so excited and she was excited for him. After a few minutes, Jack slid her nightgown up and pressed his lips to her belly. After kissing her belly, he spoke to the baby telling him or her how much he loved them already and couldn't wait to meet them. Elizabeth laid there smiling as she watched Jack.
When Jack laid back, she turned on her side to face him. He was still propped up on the pillows, so Elizabeth started playing with the bottom of the wraps on his chest. They would come together twice more before Elizabeth snuggled down in the bed happy, but exhausted. Jack slid down to hold her for a bit, but fell asleep as well.
Jack didn't care that it hurt or that Elizabeth had to do a lot of the work, he had enjoyed being intimate with his wife. He had missed it. He knew that once the baby was born, that they were going to have to wait again, but he hadn't wanted to think about that at the moment. He was going to get as much of Elizabeth as she was willing to give him until that time.
…. …. ….
Elizabeth Rose went across the road and knocked on the door, then walked in. Wynn looked up when his wife walked in. One he was surprised that she was alone, but more than that, he realized what time it was.
"Hey." Elizabeth Rose said. "We are past the rush at the cafe. The cadets and other Mounties have eaten. Abigail was wondering if you wanted to come over."
"Give us a couple minutes." Wynn said.
"Come to the kitchen." Elizabeth Rose said. "Then you all can go check on Jack and Beth."
"Okay." Wynn said. "Was Andrew in for supper?"
Elizabeth Rose turned around and looked at her husband.
"Andrew?" Elizabeth Rose said.
"Yes, he and his brother David came in this afternoon." Wynn said. "Apparently, David was personally asked to do this audit. He asked Andrew to be his partner. From what I have gathered it was Sophie's idea."
"I will have to talk to him later." Elizabeth Rose said.
"I am sure he will be in for breakfast." Dee said. "They will be working over here tomorrow. I would like to sit down and have a family meal with him at Jack and Beth's this weekend. We will have to talk to Beth about that tomorrow. I don't think she even knows that Andrew is here."
"I will see you in a few minutes." Elizabeth Rose said. "We can talk more about things later. I will talk to her tomorrow about supper."
Elizabeth Rose turned and headed back to the cafe. As she walked back to the cafe, Elizabeth thought about what she had just learned. Why wasn't sure surprised that Andrew would come out here knowing that they were here and it was Wynn that had asked for the audit. She was sure that her daughter was behind him coming, but she also knew that that knowledge wouldn't make it any easier for her husband. Even married, he was still very protective of his daughter and more so since their grandson had been born. She knew that Sophie was well cared for and was capable of quite a bit. There were times that Elizabeth Rose swore that Wynn still saw the girl that was lying in the hospital bed who looked so small at that moment in that big bed. She knew that there wasn't anything Wynn wouldn't do for their children, but she also knew that he could be quick to anger when they did things that he deemed reckless. Elizabeth Rose said a quick prayer for both Andrew and Sophie.
The men quickly organized their paperwork and cleared part of the table. They grabbed their mugs and put the fire out, before headed across the street to eat. When they got there, they weren't surprised to see a few people still sitting there. Nor were they surprised to find Frank in the kitchen as well. The guys took a seat and Elizabeth Rose put plates in front of them. She then made a plate for herself and sat down.
"Want me to pray?" Wynn asked.
"Please." Elizabeth Rose said.
"Heavenly Father." Wynn prayed. "Thank you for this day and bringing all the Mounties here safe. Thank you for everyone else that arrived safely as well. Please watch over the Mounties as they continue to move prisoners and make arrests in this case. Thank you for this food and the hands that prepared it. Please bless our time together. Amen."
"Amen." Elizabeth Rose said.
Other than the background kitchen noise, the four people at the table were quiet.
"Abigail, have you eaten?" Jacobs finally asked.
"Yes." Abigail said. "Frank and Elizabeth made me sit and eat with Cody and Becky."
"Good." Jacobs said. "I take it that they are in bed, already."
"Cody is." Abigail said. "We got Becky upstairs, and she was working on a sketch. I told her it was fine."
"Did she walk today?" Dee asked.
"She walked up and down the steps at school." Elizabeth Rose said. "I don't know if she did anymore then that, but she was out of her chair today."
Dee nodded and continued to eat.
"Thank you all for helping her." Abigail said.
"You are more than welcome." Jacobs said.
The group was almost finished when Elizabeth Rose looked at Abigail as she and Frank sat down after sending Ann home.
"There was something that you wanted to talk about earlier." Elizabeth Rose said. "Do you want to talk about it now or wait."
"We can talk about it in detail later." Abigail said. "But there are two things actually."
"Okay." Elizabeth Rose said. "I am assuming one was what Patty was talking about earlier."
Wynn looked between his wife, Patty and Abigail. Patty finished wiping down the counter and came over to sit as well.
"Yes." Abigail said. "She mentioned that if we get any more families that we are going to need another classroom and teacher."
"I would have to agree." Frank said. "I know that the plans that Jack and Adam drew up will allow for the sides to be expanded and then the wall inside removed. From what I could tell, it would allow for a row of benches on each side."
"Yes." Abigail said. "I remember that, but it won't solve the problem for school. It would help for the church, but I think we need a second classroom and divide the kids into two age groups and have two teachers. I figured that we would have to do that at some point, but I didn't realize it would be so soon."
"You also didn't plan on Lee doubling the size of his mill in the first year." Frank said. "Nor did you think that the mine would reopen."
"True." Abigail said. "Very true."
"What I suggested." Patty said. "Was to use one of the buildings here in town as a classroom for a while until money could be raised to build another classroom or even a two or three room schoolhouse by itself."
"I think Patty's suggestion is a good idea." Wynn said. "We can talk about it more next week. But I am thinking that a bigger schoolhouse is a good idea. Just before you decide anything, talk to Jack. That building means a lot to him and Beth."
"I agree." Abigail said. "I don't want to make plans until we see how the audit goes."
Wynn nodded.
"What was the other thing?" Dee said.
"After tonight, I realize that Bill is right." Abigail said. "I need a large dining room. I was going to talk to you about what you think. I was thinking of doubling the dining room if I can talk to Lee and he can do it."
"I think that would be a good idea." Dee said. "I can draw something up for you or maybe I should just ask Becky."
"If you would please draw something up, please." Abigail said. "That would be helpful."
"In that case." Wynn said. "I am giving you something and I won't take no for an answer."
Abigail started to protest and got a Mountie glare from Wynn and a scary teacher face from Elizabeth Rose. Frank leaned over and loudly whispered.
"You won't win." Frank whispered. "If you don't take the money, he will just give it to Lee and tell him not to charge you."
Abigail huffed, but finally held up her hands in surrender.
"Fine." Abigail said. "But I will not let you pay for all of it."
"We will see about that." Dee commented.
Abigail just shook her head.
"Thank you for supper." Jacobs said. "But I really should get out and check on Jack."
"Go." Abigail said. "We can talk more about things this weekend, I know that we all have a lot going on, but let's try to sit down some time Sunday."
"We should be able to do that." Wynn said. "I am sure that Beth will want to have Andrew and David out when she learns they are in town, but we can find some time."
"Thank you."
Wynn, Dee and Jacobs got up and took their dishes to the sink.
"Please let Jack know that I will try to be out to see him sometime tomorrow morning." Frank said.
"I will." Jacobs said. "He will like that. After ten is usually the best. He sleeps for a while after the morning treatment."
"Got it." Frank said.
With that, the guys left and headed to the house to check on Jack. While the guys left, Frank helped the ladies finish up in the kitchen and reset the dining room for breakfast. He then walked Patty and Elizabeth Rose to the saloon, before taking a seat with Bill and Charlotte.
