Though the warmer days of summer had faded away with the coming of October, the sun shone down brightly the following day. Between the sunshine and the light coats they all wore, the Grants were comfortable despite the crisp autumn air.

Elizabeth sat on a log, in the sunshine. A straw hat on her head provided a little shade from the sun. That shade made writing in the journal, she had on her lap, a little easier. Reaching the end of a sentence, Elizabeth looked up from the page. Her eyes fell on Nathan and the children sitting at the lake's edge. Nathan had spread a couple of blankets on the bank of the lake he had brought them to. The lake was up in the foothills of the mountains and Elizabeth had never been there before. It was a beautiful spot, even now as trees lost their leaves for the winter. Though the area was open around this side lake, sporadic trees would create pools of shade in the spring and summer months. On the far side of the lake, pine trees lined the landscape, hiding the ground as it started gaining in elevation. Nathan and Ally, having both fished here before, assured her that a multitude of wildflowers made the grassy areas bright with color during the warmer months. "There are also some good saskatoon patches over that way," Ally had gestured as they had clamored from the wagon.

Elizabeth looked down at her journal. Dipping her pen in the ink jar sitting next to her, Elizabeth began to write again.

When I woke up late this morning, I was sure that it was going to be one of those days - the kind of day where you feel rushed trying to catch up and even if everything goes smoothly you still can't enjoy it because you are stressed from trying to make up time. There had only been twenty minutes until Ellen, Opal and Vincent would arrive before school lessons. Hurrying downstairs with my hair hanging loose, I had hoped, Nathan or Ally had cooked breakfast at least for them. Getting Jack ready for the day before the others arrived had been my first priority.

A priority that suddenly became moot when I got downstairs. There was my family at the breakfast table. Jack, neatly dressed for the day, was sitting in his chair beside Nathan happily eating the scrambled eggs, home fries, and bacon that was in little pieces on his plate. Nathan and Ally were at the table eating their own breakfast. Both wished me a good morning and Nathan stood saying he would get me a plate. I remember wondering if perhaps it wasn't as late as I thought and my eyes went to the clock sitting on a shelf on the hutch at the side of the room. No, I was right about the time.

"I don't have time to eat, I need to be ready to start lessons when the others arrive," I had told Nathan.

"I already informed both Ellen and Faith that you were not available for lessons because we needed family time. There won't be too many more chances for a picnic so I thought we could do that and the kids could fish or we can just explore," Nathan had responded.

At first annoyance had risen up. Here he was making decisions without my input. Cancelling my classes without my consent. I was reminded of Lucas writing my resignation letter and getting mad when I wouldn't sign it. As soon as I thought about it though, I realized this was different. Nathan had not made the choice because 'no wife of his was going to be teaching' but out of compassion for me and the kids. After the news yesterday and the restless night for us all, well except maybe Ally, it made sense to spend time as a family.

"Mama, I caught one!"

Jack's excited squeal broke through Elizabeth's thoughts. Looking up from the writing on the paper, her eyes sought out the boy. He was standing up now, eyes focused on the water in front of him as the end of his pole bent toward the water. Though the reeling action was not smooth, Nathan did not try to interfere. He had passed his pole to Ally and was kneeling next to Jack.

"Reel it in, Jack!" Elizabeth called out, feeling excitement for her son's sake. She closed the pen, its tip poking out the top, in the journal and set it aside. After quickly capping the bottle of ink, Elizabeth walked toward the lake. Jack was still struggling with the fish, though the aquatic creature was now visible at the surface of the lake.

"You almost have him, Jack. Keep reeling," Nathan encouraged still kneeling on the bank of the lake, though he was now leaning over reaching toward the fish on the hook with a hand net.

"He's getting heavy," Jack commented, struggling with the reel.

"I can almost reach him," Nathan told him leaning over the bank. "Just a little more, Jack."

Elizabeth thought Nathan looked a little precarious in his position. She had a feeling he was reaching out a little further than he normally would. "Oh, be careful, Nathan," she pleaded.

Nathan did not respond, as he concentrated on his task. Elizabeth found herself holding her breath as Nathan netted the fish. "Got him," Nathan said.

"I caught a fish by myself!" Jack exclaimed.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to correct him but Nathan spoke first. "You sure did reel him in all by yourself, Buddy," he told Jack. "Can you put the pole down and hold the net for me?"

Jack did as asked, reaching out with both hands with the net with the flopping fish in it. Nathan quickly undid the hook from the fish's mouth. With the fish now free from the line, Jack turned with the net toward Elizabeth. "Look at my fish, Mama!" he said happily.

The fish was still flopping in the net. As Jack got closer, water from the fish splashed on her hand, and though Elizabeth couldn't see or feel it, she imagined it was on her coat and skirt as well. She gave a squeal of surprise as the cold water touched her skin.

Jack laughed. "It is just water, Mama. Do you want to hold my fish?"

"No thank you," Elizabeth said quickly.

A sound that sounded much like a smothered giggle, came from Ally's direction. Elizabeth did not chance a look in the girl's direction. Nathan's smirk from where he still knelt near Jack was bad enough.

"That is a big fish, Jack! Congratulations!"

"He is," Jack agreed. He looked at Ally. "If I fish with you, maybe I will bring you luck," the boy told her.

"Well I am not catching anything alone," Ally said. She motioned Jack over. "Come sit with me," she told him.

Jack thrust the net in her direction. Acting on reflexes, Elizabeth grabbed the net to keep it from falling, as her son headed in his sister's direction. Though the fish had ceased its flopping, Elizabeth was still unsure what to do with the net and the fish.

"Let me take that," Nathan said softly, a hint of amusement in his soft voice. Elizabeth happily surrendered the net. Looking up at Nathan as she passed off the fish, she saw that the amusement was also in his eyes.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said, feeling relieved. She was starting to wish she had stayed on her log.

Nathan freed the now still fish from the net. As he put the fish on a string to keep the fish fresh in the lake water, Elizabeth looked toward the kids. Jack had settled in front of Ally and had his hands on her pole beneath her one hand. In her other hand, Ally still held her father's pole. The two kids looked very happy together. Jack chose that moment to look at her.

"Maybe you could be good luck for Dad, Mama," Jack said innocently.

"Oh, I don't know. I am not sure fishing is for me," Elizabeth protested.

"You don't know until you try, Elizabeth," Nathan told her. Having picked up Jack's abandoned pole, Nathan set both it and the net on the bank by the can that held their bait. He settled down on the blanket beside the children and took his pole from Ally. "I apparently could use some good luck. You already survived being splashed by a fish," he added, getting giggles from the children.

"All right," Elizabeth agreed, figuring holding a pole could not hurt anything. If there was a bite on it, she could let Nathan reel it in.

Walking forward, Elizabeth settled on the blanket between Nathan's drawn up knees. Nathan told her where to place her hands on the pole, his breath going gently across her cheek as he spoke quietly by her ear. He instructed her to start reeling in the line.

"Why are you reeling in the line if there is nothing on the end of it?" Elizabeth asked.

"I want to check the bait. It might need some more."

Elizabeth stopped turning the reel, her body tensing up, as she prepared to move from her spot. "I am not touching a worm. Nor am I sitting here while you do it," she told him.

Nathan's right hand moved from the pole to rest on her stomach, stilling her flight. "Relax, we are not using worms today," he told her, his voice gentle with that hint of amusement back in it.

"What else do fish like to eat?" Elizabeth asked.

Leaving Elizabeth holding the pole, Nathan reached for the can. Taking the lid off he held it in front of her. Peering inside, Elizabeth saw little off-white balls piled inside.

"Are those dough balls?"

"Yep," Ally piped up. "The fish like them just as much as worms and they're easier to come by too. Mixing the dough is much less work then digging the worms and hunting them sometimes."

"I like digging for worms!" Jack chimed in.

"I am sure you do, Sweet Boy, but Mama likes the dough balls much better," Elizabeth replied, going back to reeling in the line.

Following Nathan's instructions, Elizabeth put a dough ball on the hook. Though the casting part took her three tries to get the line back in the water, Elizabeth felt proud when she finally managed it.

"Now what?"

"Now we wait," Nathan told her.

Once again leaving the poles in Elizabeth hands, Nathan put his arms around her, his hands resting on her stomach. Elizabeth felt a warmth seep through her and butterfly dance in her stomach at the touch. Instead of fighting against the gesture, Elizabeth leaned back, letting herself rest against Nathan.

"Sometimes all you do is wait, without catching anything," Ally added.

"I think I would be just fine with that," Elizabeth commented, feeling a little breathless.

"I think I would like to see you squeal when another fish splashed you, Beth," Ally teased

"We can leave catching the fish to the two of you," Elizabeth replied, smiling at the girl's teasing.

"I will second that," Nathan chimed in, before pressing a kiss to the top of Elizabeth's head.

Yes, Elizabeth decided, this time together was exactly what they needed today.

The following day it was back to business as usual. Elizabeth conducted classes for the children while Nathan went to work in his wood shop. As he had lost time the last two days, Nathan planned on putting in some extra hours in the days to come. He knew Elizabeth would understand though he planned to make sure breakfast and supper were spent with his family. Nor did he plan on missing the bedtime routine with the children.

Nathan had returned to working on the project for Charles Mansfield after taking a break for lunch, when there was a knock at the door. He wanted to finish the sanding the table and the rest of the chairs today so that he could begin the staining process, knowing he would need more than one coat. He had promised Mansfield to ship on the fourteenth which was three days away, with Allys's birthday being tomorrow. He was going to be at his daughter's birthday party even if that meant staying up over night working on Mansfield's project. Hoping that it was not more news that would interrupt his progress on the anniversary dinning set, Nathan moved to the door. Opening it, he found Lee standing just outside. The lumber entrepreneur's trademark smile was firmly in place.

"Hello, Nathan," Lee greeted him.

"Hello, Lee," Nathan echoed. "What brings you out here at this time of the day?"

"I got a call from Charles Mansfield this morning," Lee began.

Nathan closed his eyes wondering what the problem could be at this late stage. Apparently his expression gave away his feelings as Lee continued on quickly.

"Relax, it isn't bad news," Lee told him. As Lee lay a hand on his arm, Nathan opened his eyes again. "However, Mansfield said that he was pleased with the chairs he received and wants to talk to you about carrying some pieces of yours in his furniture store. He also said a friend of his saw your work and wants to talk to you about making a couple of chairs to match a set he has that two of the chairs were damaged beyond repair. He wants to know if you would be willing to travel to Hamilton with his delivery so you can talk in person. Mansfield said he will pay for the train ticket and put you up in his home if you do not choose to stay with the Thatchers."

Nathan turned away from the door and found a stool, knowing he needed to sit down as his legs felt weak.

"Nathan, are you all right?" Lee asked, following Nathan into the workshop.

"Yes," Nathan said. "It just seems a bit overwhelming," he admitted looking up at his friend. "I figured I would do all right with area projects starting out. At least make enough to support my family. The idea of my work being sold in a furniture store in Hamilton is beyond what I imagined."

"Well, word got to the right guy and your work speaks for itself," Lee told him. He held up two sheets of paper. "I actually have two more orders for dining room sets wanted for Christmas. I told them I had to check with you before I could confirm the orders."

"I apparently either need to find a way to move my operation into town or convince them to run a phone line out here. You are playing secretary far more than I anticipated," Nathan told his friend.

Lee waved his hand dismissively. "I don't mind. The deal we have worked out is compensation enough. Now if you start getting the wood you need from another source, the use of my secretarial skills are not longer on the table."

Nathan chuckled. "Understood," Nathan said. "Did Mansfield give you a time frame for me to call him back?"

"He wanted to hear back sometime tonight. He said he would be at the store tonight until 8pm his time."

"Good," Nathan replied. "That will give me time to let Elizabeth finish school lessons so I can talk to her about me taking that trip east. It will leave her alone with the kids for at least two weeks. That is also time that I will lose on working on the orders I already have."

"That is true, but in the long run, that time lost could mean a lot for your business. You may even need to hire assistants sooner than you anticipated," Lee commented.

"Let us not get ahead of ourselves," Nathan told him reaching out for the two new orders. He scanned the information on the paper. "Though I probably already could use some help, the way the orders are coming in. I may need to start turning some down though you can confirm these, if you don't mind."

"I will do it as soon as I am back at the office," Lee assured him. "As for help before the holidays, Rosemary and I had supper with the Kinslows last night. I heard your family helped with the sanding and staining and from the look of that table, I would say you have some help there if they are willing. I could also lend you a hand. My grandfather taught me a few things when I was younger and I have dabbled with a few things these last few years. The carving would be all up to you, but measuring, cutting, sanding and staining are things I could give you a hand with."

"You have your own business Lee," Nathan reminded him.

"A business that Jesse is more than capable of running," Lee countered. "It would be nice to get out of the office some. Think about it. If you start feeling overwhelmed, the offer is there. Maybe I could even prep some projects for you while you're gone so you do not need to worry about the time spent in Hamilton so much, because I think that is a business opportunity you should not pass up."

"I'll think about it," Nathan told him, not about to make an important decision like that on the spot.

"Fair enough," Lee told him. "And now I will drive myself back to my office. I will call those two customers back and confirm first thing."

"Thank you, Lee," Nathan replied.

As Lee left, pulling the door shut behind him, Nathan got to his feet. Going over to the shelf that held his paperwork, he added the two slips of paper to the other orders that needed to be completed but were not in progress yet before returning to his previous task.

Elizabeth looked up from the sock she was darning to check the time. After helping to tuck Jack into bed, Nathan had told her he was going out to his work shop to make sure things were set up for the morning. Having finished sanding everything for the Mansfield order, Nathan wanted to put a coat of stain on in the morning, planning on spending the time after school lessons the next day with his daughter. As Ally's birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, Archie had planned a supper party for his granddaughter's birthday celebration with a start time of five o'clock this evening. After supper, they would open presents, cut the cake and play a few games before it got too late. Bill had promised to have Ally's horse waiting outside of the Amaryllis when the Grants came into town for the party. Nathan's goal was to have his family in town at about four thirty so Ally could have some time with her horse before the other guests arrived.

Now, it was almost Ally's bedtime and Nathan had not come inside. Setting the sock aside, Elizabeth got to her feet. After going upstairs to check on Jack, Elizabeth then asked Ally if she could listen for him while she stepped outside. Though Ally seemed far away, the teenager agreed. Elizabeth paused before stepping out of the room, wondering if she should ask Ally if everything was all right or not. She finally decided to let it go. She knew on most subjects Ally still opened up more to Nathan than she did her. She could mention her feeling to Nathan.

Going downstairs, Elizabeth grabbed her shawl. Wrapping it around her shoulders, she stepped out into the crisp night air. The night sky was cloudless and the moon and stars provided enough light for her to make her way to the wood shop. The lantern hanging on a hook outside provided a beacon for her destination.

Reaching the shop, Elizabeth reached for the handle of the door just as it started to open. The shop was dark inside but the lantern hanging outside allowed for Elizabeth to see Nathan standing just inside the doorway.

"I was just coming to see what was keeping you," Elizabeth told him, backing away from the door so that Nathan could exit.

"I'm sorry," Nathan told her. "After I got things set up for the morning I got to thinking about Lee's offer and whether there were things he could do to help keep the projects moving some while I took the trip to Hamilton. It would save me from having to put in crazy hours when I returned to get the orders ready."

"What did you decide?" Elizabeth asked as Nathan reached up to remove the lantern from the hook.

"I think it might work out, if Lee is still willing. With his lumber company providing the wood, he's got a vested interest in my little business as well. If he wants to get more involved in the process, I would welcome it," he told her, holding out his arm to her. "You are sure you are all right with me being away on this business trip?" he asked as he started leading them across the yard.

Elizabeth slipped her arm through his. "Making a long term deal with Charles Mansfield is a big deal. I will miss you while you are gone, but I understand the importance of this trip. At least I know where you are going, when you will be back, and can talk to you at least while you are at my folks place in Hamilton," she commented, as the details of the trip had been talked about over supper that night.

"I will call home every chance I get," Nathan promised her. "I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, but I ran into Robert when I was in town. He is staying with his folks for a few days before reporting to Headquarters in Union City before meeting up with his training officer at Fort St. John."

"Is he coming to Ally's party tomorrow night?" Elizabeth asked, knowing that Ally had assured him he was welcome when she found out he would be home.

"He is, though he plans on putting off his talk with her until Wednesday."

"Do you know what he is going to tell her?"

Nathan nodded. "Robert told me that being away at training helped him understand better what I had told both him and Ally before he left for training. He realizes that for now, their paths are not going to coincide and that neither of them should be hindered by commitments as they learn who they are."

"That might be hard for Ally to grasp. Hearts of fifteen year old girls sometimes do not want to be practical," Elizabeth said, her own childhood heartaches coming to mind. Julie had always said she was silly to be upset when a boy decided to move onto another girl, but then Julie still spent her time breaking young fellow's hearts. She hadn't thought about it before but perhaps it was her little sister's way of protecting her own heart.

"You would know better than I," Nathan conceded. "I seem to remember Colleen upset over a boy once or twice when we were young but my sister bounced back with our mother's love and support. Ally will too and I would rather this happen now then later. If she is meant to be with Robert, then they will find their way to each other when they are both old enough to make that commitment. I truly believe that," Nathan said, looking down at her.

Looking into his eyes, Elizabeth could read the words that he hadn't spoken - "just like you and me." She definitely could not argue about that sentiment.

The two finished their walk to the house in silence. It wasn't long before they were on the front porch. Elizabeth slipped her arm from out of Nathan's as he moved to open the door for her. Stepping into the house, she spotted Ally sitting on the bottom step. She was surprised by seeing the girl on the steps and her thoughts first went to her son.

"Did Jack wake up?" Elizabeth asked.

Ally shook her head. Relieved, Elizabeth remembered the feeling she'd had that something was on Ally's mind before she had gone outside.

"Is there something you want to talk about with your Dad and I?" Elizabeth asked as Nathan slipped the shawl from around her shoulders.

"Mostly you," Ally replied.

Aware of Nathan hanging up their outside garments, Elizabeth was about to suggest that they go sit on the settee when Ally continued speaking.

"I've shared with Dad that I haven't really felt a part of the family. The more I think about it, the more I understand that it is because I am not letting myself feel like a part of the family. I think I am protecting myself from the possibility of losing it kind of like I sabotaged being friends with the other kids when I first came to Hope Valley."

"Given all you have been through, I can understand why you would do that, Ally," Elizabeth told the girl, moving to sit on the step beside her as Ally had made no move to get up. "Now I can't promise you that nothing will never happen to any of us. That is out of my control. What I can promise you, is what I promised your Dad. I am committed to this family. I will never choose to walk away from you or your Dad."

Ally nodded. "The fact that you asked Dad to adopt Jack I think has helped me to believe that," she confessed. "I am sure my birthday present is already picked out but there is one more thing I would really like for my birthday."

"What is that Ally?" Elizabeth asked, not allowing herself to focus on what she hoped it was in her heart. She needed to wait to hear the words from the teen sitting next to her.

"Would you adopt me, Beth? I would like to be able to call you Mama for my birthday. I think Mom would approve of you sharing that title with her."

Elizabeth felt a lump in her throat. Though Nathan and Bill had both told her they thought this moment was just a matter of time, the fact that it was happening seemed surreal. "That is a birthday present I would love to be able to give you," she told the girl reaching out to gather Ally into her arms.

Elizabeth felt fully forgiven in this moment. Though she had thought of Ally as a daughter, the teen was finally ready to embrace that relationship. Thinking of the news Nathan had shared, she knew the mother-daughter bond would be tested in the days to come but Elizabeth vowed to herself to be there for Ally no matter how she took Robert's choice about his relationship with Ally.

Turning her head, Elizabeth's eyes met Nathan's as he watched the exchange with pride and joy. The only thing missing now was for her to find the courage to put voice to the love she felt for Nathan.

If Ally could be brave enough to accept her as her mother after the pain she had caused Ally, Elizabeth knew she could eventually find the courage to do just that.