"Of course you'll stay here," Abigail said, holding Clara's hand.

"I don't want to impose," Clara said, still reeling from her deep relief at Abigail's welcome and the warmth she was feeling.

"Nonsense," Abigail said. "Charlotte just left yesterday and there's an empty bedroom upstairs. "Where are you going to sleep at Nathan and Elizabeth's?"

Clara looked at Elizabeth, who was just putting the last basted ham back into the oven. She raised her eyebrows apologetically and said, "On the couch downstairs, I'm afraid. As it is, Rebecca is now with Allie in her room. Once our house is built, we'll have lots of room, but right now, it's pretty cramped."

"That settles it," Abigail said. "Bill and Nathan can bring your things down when they finish their work this afternoon."

Elizabeth came and sat down with them. She hadn't touched her coffee and of course now it was completely cold. "I think I'll get tea instead, Abigail," she said casually, picking up the cup. Abigail was so consumed with Clara that she didn't even notice.

Elizabeth was getting used to the morning sickness and had learned that fresh air and tea worked best to keep it at bay. She and Nathan had agreed that they would keep her condition just between them until she was a little further along. Finding out about Rosemary had only firmed their resolve on that decision.

Everyone now knew that Rosemary wasn't having a baby after all. News travels fast in a small town like Hope Valley, and especially fast when someone like Rosemary wants people to know something, but doesn't want to have to talk about it. Abigail and Bill told a few specific people and that was all it took. And that was exactly the way Rosemary wanted it.

Rebecca had told Nathan and Elizabeth at the table after breakfast while Allie played at her dollhouse. The news had sent a cold chill down Elizabeth's back, and she'd looked at Nathan next to her and had seen the same look she imagined she was wearing. Nathan reached under the table and squeezed her hand, and they both knew they'd made the right decision.

Right now, the two of them were the only ones who knew. And it would stay that way until they felt it was safe. In a month, Elizabeth would see Dr. Sommersby to confirm, and they would all decide when to share the news.

Now, as Elizabeth sipped her tea, she looked over to the sofa where Abigail and Clara were deep in conversation. Not only did she feel the need for some fresh air, but Elizabeth knew the two women had so much to talk about. At a break in the conversation, she walked over and touched Abigail's arm. "I think I'll go see Rosemary. Is she still at Lee's?"

Abigail looked up and smiled. "Yes, I'm sure she is. She never leaves unless I give her a chance to come back here and change. They've rolled in a bed for her." Abigail squeezed Clara's hand to let her know she would be right back, and she stood to walk Elizabeth to the door.

"Thank you for bringing Clara to me," Abigail said, her eyes shining. "What a gift she is."

"Clara was afraid you'd be upset with them for not telling you they'd gotten married," Elizabeth said, squeezing her hand. "I told her I didn't think that would be the case."

Abigail took a deep breath. "Of course, I would have loved to have known. To have been there." Her eyes grew wistful. "But I won't be greedy. She says that Peter brought you and Nathan to her, and I believe that, too. I'm so grateful."

Elizabeth wrapped her in a hug and they held that way for a moment. Then, remembering something, Elizabeth stepped back. "I have your wedding dress, Abigail, but I need to tell you something."

"How many buttons did you lose?" Abigail said, laughing softly.

Elizabeth's cheeks went pink and she laughed. "We found them all, but I may not have sewn them back on perfectly. I just felt I should tell you."

Abigail squeezed her arm. "I would have been disappointed to hear anything less," she said. "I love that you wore it, Elizabeth."

"It made the day even more special." Smiling, Elizabeth said, "I'll see if Rosemary wants a break. I can sit with Lee for a bit."

"I don't know if Rebecca told you everything," Abigail said softly, "But Rosemary and Lee seem to have... found each other." She smiled and put her arm through Elizabeth's. "In fact, I think they're both head over heels."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "I think some of us have seen that coming for a while." She turned to Abigail and looked seriously at her. "How do you feel about it?"

"I'm happy for her. Honestly. And I've told her that people aren't meant to be alone." Abigail looked back toward the kitchen and lowered her voice even further. "Do you think I would wish a long, solitary life on that beautiful sweet girl in there, just because she was married to Peter? What a terrible waste that would be."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and was silent, but the corners of her mouth were beginning to turn. "It's a good thing you feel that way. Because I think Mike Hickam is half in love with her already."

Her eyes going wide, Abigail said, "Hickam? Does Clara know?"

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth nodded and said, "I don't think she minds..." Holding Abigail's hand, Elizabeth said, "I'm only telling you this because I know this is all new to you, having a daughter-in-law. I wanted you to have a chance to process it a little. Clara wants to start a life here. Are you going to be okay with watching her fall in love? Get married and start a family?"

For a long moment, Abigail simply stared, but Elizabeth could see her mind working. Finally, Abigail said, "Yes. Because Peter would want that." Then Abigail surprised herself by saying, "And Noah would want it for me."

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to raise her eyebrows with wide eyes. She smiled and said, "Bill?"

Abigail had the good manners to blush a little and Elizabeth laughed. "Oh heavens. We may have to rename this town Love Valley!"

Nathan had two priorities now that they were back in Hope Valley. To build their home out on the meadow, and to adopt Allie.

The last he'd heard of Dylan Parks, he had moved up north to the Yukon Territory and then on to Alaska in some get-rich-quick scheme, mining gold on a piece of land he'd won in a card game.

Dylan had never spoken to Nathan after Colleen died. They'd hardly spoken while she was alive, but Nathan had done everything he could to reach him. At first it was because Dylan was Colleen's husband and needed to be notified of her death. But then, as time went on, Nathan wanted to see if he could get Dylan to sign away his rights to Allie so Nathan could become her guardian. When he couldn't find him and it seemed clear that Dylan wasn't coming back, Nathan had reported him as a missing person, and in that way was able to become Allie's formal and legal guardian.

But Nathan knew that would mean nothing if her father returned and wanted his daughter back. As long as Dylan could show that he was fit to be Allie's father, he would win every time. And that fitness wasn't determined by Nathan, who had pretty clear ideas on the matter. It was taken in front of a judge. A stranger.

Nathan leaned forward onto his desk. He took a deep breath and stood, taking his hat from the peg. He thought he'd go see if Ned had a wire back from the Dawson City Mountie Headquarters about what they'd learned. The city had been founded in the early days of the Klondike Gold Rush and had more thorough records of gold claims and their owners than even the Fairbanks Land Office in Alaska. If Dylan could be found, they would find him.

Nathan had only walked a short way down the street when he saw Elizabeth coming toward him, probably from Abigail's. They both began to smile as they came closer, and they met almost exactly at the Mercantile.

"Hello, Mrs. Grant," Nathan said with his crooked smile. They hadn't been married long enough yet for him to tire of how that sounded.

"Good morning, Constable," Elizabeth said sweetly, looking at him from under her lashes.

They moved closer and Nathan took her hand and held it in a fold of her skirt. Pulling her slightly closer, he said softly, "I got spoiled, seeing you all day long in Hamilton and on the train." He wanted so badly to kiss her that he thought he might just do it here in the street. They were married, after all.

"Nathan! Elizabeth!" Cat Montgomery's voice caused them both to move reluctantly apart as they turned to greet her.

Emily waved to them. "Is Allie home?" she called out.

As they all walked toward each other, Nathan said, "She should be. She and her grandma are starting a vegetable garden."

Cat frowned a little. "But you're building a new house," she said, ever practical.

Elizabeth smiled and hugged her. "We won't be in it for a little while. They're starting all the seeds indoors, and Rebecca thinks we can get in a quick harvest before we move."

Cat took Elizabeth's hand and looked at her rings. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "I know why you did it, but shame on you both for denying us a wedding. Don't suppose you'd be willing to get married again, just so we can all join in?"

Nathan laughed. "I told Elizabeth that I'm never getting married again, but I guess if it's to her again, I could manage it." He turned and looked at Elizabeth and Cat smiled and shook her head. Still so completely in love they hardly know we exist.

"Well, you two think about it. The least we can do is put together a party to celebrate." She leaned over and gave Nathan a hug. "Anyway, congratulations. We're all so happy for you." She took Emily's hand and started toward the row houses. "We'll go see if Rebecca and Allie need any help."

Elizabeth and Nathan watched them walk up the path, and after taking a quick look around, Nathan inclined his head toward the Library. Elizabeth nodded.

Like a couple of teenagers, they walked in very conspicuous fashion up to the boardwalk and through the door. There was no one inside, and Elizabeth remembered that she had no idea where the children stood with their lessons at this point. Charlotte had left so quickly, she hadn't been able to find out; but clearly none of the students were working on reports in the Library.

Nathan raised an eyebrow and reached behind him to lock the door. He barely had a chance to get his hat off before Elizabeth had pressed him up against the door and had her lips firmly on his. He reached one hand up through her hair and finally he just dropped his hat to free up the other hand. Not protocol to let a campaign hat hit the floor, but the ones who make the rules don't have this woman in their arms, he thought, pulling her closer. "I can… never… get enough of you…" he said, his lips on hers.

Elizabeth laughed softly against his cheek. "You may not feel that way when I'm big as a house," she said.

Nathan moved his lips down to her neck and buried his face in her curls. "It won't matter," he said, his voice low.

"You say that now…" Elizabeth put her hands on either side of his face and gently pulled him up so that she could kiss him again. She wondered how she had survived all that time at the beginning, being with him and not kissing him. Right now Elizabeth couldn't tell where she ended and Nathan began. Their bodies were molded so completely to each other up against the door, their breath each other's breath, deeply entwined in a way that, were they at home alone, both knew where it would lead.

Nathan must have been reading her mind, because he moved his lips from hers and whispered, "I need to take you home…"

Elizabeth laughed softly against his chest. "And we'll just wander upstairs past your mother, our neighbor, and two little girls, and close the door?"

Nathan laughed too, holding her tightly. "We need a bigger house," he said.

"You need to build it," Elizabeth said, looking up at him with her eyes twinkling.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "I mean to. Very soon."

Elizabeth stepped back and took a deep breath. She smoothed her skirt and tucked in her blouse where it had come free of the waistband as she gazed back at her tall, handsome husband, resplendent in his red serge, but with his hair quite a bit more disheveled than it was when they had first entered the Library.

Elizabeth reached up and tenderly ran her fingers through his hair. Nathan didn't move; he simply gazed at her. Her cheeks were brightly pink and her eyes were dancing, her lips slightly parted and her breath not yet completely calmed.

"You are so beautiful…" he said, leaning down to touch his lips lightly to her warm cheek.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh, please don't start that again," she said. "We'll never leave this Library."

"Fine with me…"

The doorknob rattled and they both went perfectly still with eyes wide.

"Must be closed today," they heard from the other side of the door. "You shouldn't have left your report to the last minute, Emma. I hear Miss Thatcher… Mrs. Grant, will be back in school on Monday. She won't be…" The voice traveled away and Elizabeth's eyes stayed wide.

"She won't be… what?" Elizabeth said, again combing back the curl at Nathan's forehead with her fingers. She leaned down and picked up his hat from the floor, making a show of dusting it off.

Nathan gave her a crooked smile. "She won't be… pleased, I think. You must be quite the taskmaster at school, Mrs. Grant."

Elizabeth arched one eyebrow ominously. "And at home, as you'll find out soon enough, Constable Grant."

She placed his hat on his head and straightened his serge jacket. "There! Now we can be seen in public again." Elizabeth reached around him and opened the door, only to jump back from Ned, standing with his hand ready to knock.

"Oh! Ned…" Elizabeth said in surprise.

"Sorry," Ned said, looking a little alarmed. "I saw you come in here, I assumed you were um… organizing books?"

Nathan nodded, trying to look serious, but being given away by the right corner of his mouth, threatening upward. "Yes, exactly what we were doing, Ned."

Reaching in his apron pocket, Ned pulled out a wire. "Thought you might like to see this right away," he said, narrowing his eyes slightly at Nathan. "It seems important."

Nathan raised his eyebrows and took the envelope. "Thanks, Ned. I was just coming to see if this had arrived."

"Well, I'll… um… leave you to it," Ned said awkwardly. He turned and was on his way back across the street.

Nathan closed the door and opened the envelope.

"What is it?" Elizabeth said.

Scanning the page, Nathan exhaled. "From Dawson City. They found Dylan."

"Oh, Nathan!" Elizabeth said. "That's good, isn't it? Maybe he'll sign the papers?"

Nathan dropped the wire to his side and leaned back against the door, closing his eyes.

"That won't be possible," he said softly, almost to himself.

"Nathan…?" Elizabeth said softly, reaching her hand up to his cheek.

Nathan opened his eyes and sighed. "Dylan died last spring from injuries sustained in a bar fight. They're sending the death certificate."

"Oh, Nathan," Elizabeth said quietly. "Allie is a true orphan now." She reached up and touched Nathan's cheek. "We can adopt her right away."

Nathan closed his eyes again and Elizabeth watched as a tear made its way down his cheek and into her fingers. She wiped it away gently as Nathan reached out and enveloped her in his arms.

Abigail heard noises outside the front door and looked up at the clock. "Goodness! I'm five minutes late opening!" She stood quickly and put her apron on while she talked to Clara. "We'll have lots of time to finish that conversation with you living here." Abigail grinned and came back to hug Clara. "And I'm so glad you are."

The front door rattled and Abigail pulled away. "They'll be wanting their coffee. Five minutes is like five hours to that crew." Abigail started to go toward the door when she saw Clara putting on one of the aprons that hung from the pegs. "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping you," Clara said, matter-of-factly. "I need to earn my keep somehow." She gave Abigail a dazzling smile, and both women stood a little taller. Abigail linked arms with her and they walked down the aisle to the front door.

"Together," Abigail said, happily, as she unlocked the door. She and Clara stood aside as the men, mostly the Saturday workmen from the Coulter Mill, rushed to find their favorite tables. The same tables, and the same orders every day. There were a few women who sat down by the pot-bellied stove for warmth and as far away from the raucous men as possible.

Last through the door was Mike Hickam, and Clara realized quickly that he had his own table as well, which made sense since he was the manager of the mill now. While they'd sat at the kitchen table at Nathan and Elizabeth's, he'd told her about his boss and what had happened, and about how he was now in charge until Mr. Coulter came back.

She smiled at him and he smiled back. "Coffee?" Clara asked, her eyes sparkling.

Mike nodded and then raised his eyebrows and leaned toward her. "So I take it everything went okay? Abigail wasn't mad?"

Clara laughed softly. "Oh, no, she's wonderful. Not mad at all." Clara looked around at the now-full cafe and realized that there were a lot of people wanting her attention. She leaned down and said conspiratorially, "I'll tell you later."

Mike had to take a deep breath just at the sound of that. "I'd like that. When do you get off work?"

Laughing as she turned, Clara said, "I have no idea. I just started five minutes ago!"

Mike said quickly, "I was thinking that you might like a tour of Hope Valley… since you're new here… and I…" Mike was rapidly losing steam. It had sounded so much better in his head early this morning.

Clara smiled brightly. "I'd love that," she said. "Let me help some of these people and I'll come back."

Mike just beamed at her and nodded back. His eyes never left her as she walked down the path between the tables taking orders. It was a little like watching her at the train station in Benson Hills, but so much better. Because Clara was no longer a fantasy. She was real.

"Let me know when the papers come through," Rebecca said, her voice full of emotion.

Nathan looked down at the train platform and again had trouble stifling the grin that he seemed to be wearing all the time now. "I will. And when it's official, the three of us will come visit you in Airdrie. We'll have a celebration with Colleen up on the hill."

Rebecca looked at him with tears swimming in her eyes and he could see her visibly take hold of herself. She breathed deeply and squeezed Nathan's hand.

"Allie has never been an orphan. She's had you and she's had me, and Colleen knows that. She's got to be so pleased with how you're raising Allie." She reached her long arm up and put her hand on her son's cheek. "I know she's so proud of you, Nathan."

Nathan put his hand over hers on his cheek and gave her a soft smile. "I see her every day in Allie. As time goes on, I'll see her more and more." Taking a deep breath, Nathan said, "It's a comfort."

The conductor called out again, and Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "I might start talking to Charlie about running the ranch for me." She grimaced slightly and shook her head. "This little town has taken hold of me, and I don't think it's letting go."

Nathan laughed. "It has a way of doing that."

"I'm glad I said goodbye to Elizabeth and Allie at the house," Rebecca said. "It would be too hard for me to let go of all four of you at once."

Nathan frowned. "You mean three," he said, looking confused.

Rebecca gave him one of her signature brilliant crooked smiles, so like his own. "Nathan. You two aren't fooling anyone. You're right not to tell anyone yet, but don't think your mother was born yesterday."

Nathan's eyes went wide and he laughed. "You never cease to amaze me."

Rebecca winked and started moving toward the train. "And I hope that's always true," she said, laughing as she stepped up into the car.

"And I heard Julie scream, so I ran down the hall in my robe. And Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher were standing there in the doorway with their mouths open looking at Julie sitting on the bed between Elizabeth and Nathan. Then Mrs. Thatcher looked at me and said, 'And who are you?'"

Clara's spot-on rendition of Grace Thatcher made Hickam lean forward and double over, he was laughing so hard. "Oh, gosh, what did Nathan do?" he asked, wiping a tear from his cheek.

"He let go of Julie and fell back on the pillows and pulled the covers over his head," Clara said, laughing again at the memory of it.

"Well, that's sure one way of meeting your new in-laws," Mike said, catching his breath.

"It all turned out fine in the end," Clara said, "But it was a good thing they were both wearing their wedding rings."

Hickam and Clara were sitting in the back pew of the empty church. They'd walked all through Hope Valley and Clara had already been introduced to so many people that she had no idea what anyone's name was anymore.

What she did know is that she loved this little town deeply already. She thought it didn't hurt that she'd been with Michael and that he was so well liked.

She'd been calling him Michael all afternoon, because she thought it fit him better than the nickname she heard most people use. Those who didn't call him Mike simply called him by his last name. Clara thought he deserved to be called Michael.

And it may have been that she was with him when she met all these new people, but Clara had a feeling that even without him there, people would still be welcoming her with open arms. And they didn't even know about Peter yet. To them, she was just a stranger who had come to town.

For a moment, Clara and Hickam sat looking forward, enjoying the silence of the church and each other's company. If they had shared their thoughts, they would realize that neither of them had ever felt this easy so quickly with another person.

"I like laughing in church," Mike suddenly said.

Clara turned to him and smiled. "I do too," she said. "And this feels like a church you can laugh in."

"I remember growing up, my brothers and I were taught that we needed to show reverence in church. That it was a sacred place that needed to be respected." He turned to her, nodding. "I agree with that too, but… I think God likes it when we laugh here."

Clara blinked and just looked at him for a moment. She had learned today that Michael Hickam was not only a very nice person, but he was also a very deep thinker. She had a feeling that not many in Hope Valley knew that about him.

"Sometimes it's hard to move past the things our parents teach us. And to realize that they're not always right," Clara said.

Mike nodded, and before thinking, he said, "And we won't be right with our children when we're parents." He'd meant it as a general statement, but as he looked into Clara's almond eyes, what he'd said suddenly took on an intensely personal meaning.

The blush that transformed his entire face made Clara smile. It almost made her laugh but she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"I… meant… I… oh..." he stammered, his eyes wide.

Clara reached over and put her hand over his to calm him down. "I know what you meant, Michael."

Both of them looked down at her hand over his, and now it was Clara's turn to blush. She pulled back her hand as if she'd been burned, which from the feeling in her fingers it appeared she had. "I'm sorry… that was…"

Mike smiled at her. "It's fine," he said. Then he looked forward to the blackboard, unable to gaze into her eyes again. "I liked it."

Now they both needed a little breather, though their hearts were hammering in their chests. Clara found herself focusing on the words that had been left on the blackboard by Charlotte before she had summarily left town. It was a quote from Mark Twain: "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

Clara smiled. "So this is also Elizabeth's school room? How did that come about?"

Mike exhaled, glad that Clara had landed on safer ground. "She used to teach in the Saloon." He smiled and looked over at Clara, getting just the reaction he hoped for. Clara's eyebrows were raised and she had a look of surprise.

Laughing softly, Mike said, "It was the only space big enough for all the kids. Obviously there was no drinking while school was in session. Then the church burned down."

Clara looked alarmed. "Not with anyone inside, I hope."

Mike shook his head. "It's pretty complicated. I'll tell you all about it sometime. But Nathan and the town rebuilt the church and made it a school room too."

"The town?" Clara said, a slight frown on her face.

"Yes, all of us." He looked at her, his face open, and Clara could see the deep pride that went with that statement.

"I'm going to love it here," Clara said simply. They gazed at each other, allowing the word love to hang heavily in the air between them. The sun was setting outside, and the church was getting chilled. Clara shivered a little, but she didn't think it was from the cold.

"We either have to light the stoves in here, or I need to get you back home," Mike said quietly.

Clara took a deep breath. "I've enjoyed this afternoon very much."

Mike stood and put out his hand to help her up. "Then... we should do it again," he said, amazed at his own bravery.

Clara gave him a dazzling smile. "I'd like that," she said.

They walked out into the approaching twilight and Mike closed the doors firmly behind him.

"No locks," Clara said.

Mike nodded. "We think the church should always be open for whoever needs it. And whenever they need it."

Clara tried to imagine a door in Cape Fullerton that didn't have a lock on it.

Yes, she was definitely going to love living here.

"I won't be gone long." Rosemary looked at Lee and narrowed her eyes. "Don't you move out of that bed, Lee Coulter," she said, her voice lowering ominously.

Lee smiled and put up his hands in surrender. "Not a muscle," he said, his voice still rasping and a little breathy from the pneumonia that had ravaged his body. He was slowly but surely gaining strength and mobility, though of course it wasn't fast enough for him.

Rosemary was still only allowing Hickam a half-hour to update him daily on the sawmill. Lee had to admit that Mike was doing a bang-up job of running the place, and already Lee had given him almost double the pay he'd been making before he'd gotten sick.

There was a new set of parcels that Lee had his eye on, and he wanted Hickam to run them, crew and all. But when Hickam had tried to give him the mapping they'd done of the area, Rosemary had snatched it out of his hands and taken it to the living room. "You can spend your half-hour tomorrow talking about these," she said, scooting Hickam out the bedroom door. "Today's time is up."

Rosie was putting on her hat and gloves. It was almost April, but there was still a morning chill outside. "So you want the molasses ones, not the ones with the raisins, right?" she said, straightening her hat.

Lee laughed. "I'm allergic to raisins, Rosie. If I ate those, I'd puff up like a sausage."

Rosemary raised her eyebrows and said, "Molasses then. No puffing." She moved toward the door and turned sharply. "Not a muscle," she said firmly. Lee just nodded mutely, trying to look as innocent as possible. He heard the front door close and waited a few seconds more, and then swung his legs around and placed them in his slippers on the floor.

Quietly, he moved from the bed to the door, still feeling the slight disorientation of weakness and the lack of movement during the last week. Lee reached the door and looked both ways down the hallway. Not a sound, so he ventured out and peered around the corner and into the living room.

There they were. Lee recognized Hickam's scribbles, each one estimating the volume-per-acre of the parcels. He reached his hand out and lifted the stack of papers from the table, flipping pages and searching for the bottom line.

"LEE Coulter!"

The shock of Rosemary's voice and Lee's weakness caused him to finally lose his balance and he landed on the sofa with a thud. "Rosie!" he rasped, his voice hoarse. "You scared me half to death!" She came around from her hiding place behind a screen and walked toward him, shaking her head.

"Is this what you call not moving a muscle?" She took the plans from his hands and pulled him up. "There's no stove lit out here and it's freezing, and you without your robe?" She took his arm, circled it around her neck and started walking him back down the hall. "What are you thinking? Do you know how sick you've been?"

Lee sighed deeply, finally giving in to his injured vocal cords and barely whispering. "Yes. You keep telling me…"

Rosemary stopped and turned, her eyes stricken. "Do you know how close I was to losing you?" she said softly, her eyes darting back and forth between his. "I almost lost you." Her voice finally broke as her eyes began to fill.

Lee smiled softly at her and moved a dark blonde curl from her forehead. "I know," he said. "You saved me, Rosie." He kissed her gently on her lips, quivering slightly with emotion. "I'm sorry. I should have stayed in bed."

"Yes, you should have," she said, looking sternly at him. She walked him into the bedroom and sat him down on the side of the bed, removing his slippers and helping him lie down again. Tucking the blankets up under his arms, she kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll be right back," she said.

Lee smiled at her. "I love you, Rosie," he said in a whisper.

Rosemary smiled and put her hand on the side of his face. "And you know I adore you," she said quietly. Raising an eyebrow, she stood and said, "No raisins."

Lee nodded and smiled back. He listened as she went into the living room, but he didn't hear the door close. A moment later, Rosemary came back into the room and laid a sheaf of papers on his chest.

Lee looked down and saw that it was the volume report of the new land. Rosemary narrowed her eyes. "Because I know you'll go out and get it anyway the minute I leave," she said with a resigned smile.

"You're a good woman, Rosie," Lee said, grinning up at her.

"And don't you forget it," she said as she disappeared around the corner and went out the door.