AN: So, know that I am purposely revealing things about Tom bit by bit to help satisfy curiosity as we go along without repeating the same information over and over. I plan on geting the bulk of it out when Tom and Bill have dinner with the Grants so please be patient. In the meanwhile, here is Tom's reunion with the Coulters. Thanks for your help tweaking the chapter Katie. You make the chapters better! Lauralyn, even though you are not actively betaing the chapters you have gotten this story to this point and I always know I can bounce an idea off you via text!

Other than the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board as Elizabeth chopped vegetables for a salad and the sizzling of the venison from the deer Nathan had shot recently for their supper, the kitchen was quiet. Though she knew the kids were upstairs playing, Allie and Jack could not be heard. While when it was just Jack, silence use to worry her, knowing her son was with Allie set Elizabeth's mind at ease.

"Perhaps we should see if Tom and Bill would like to join us for dinner after Sunday services," Elizabeth commented, breaking the silence. A traveling pastor would be behind the pulpit of Hope Valley's little church this Sunday.

"I would be happy to ride into town and extend the invitation tomorrow," Nathan offered. "Just Tom and Bill?" he inquired softly.

Elizabeth nodded, as she focused on the cucumber she was dicing. "I think I need to handle one situation at a time," she replied, knowing that Nathan was referring to Harold. In all honesty, she was hoping to avoid Hope Valley's new Corporal for as long as possible. It was nothing personal against the man, but seeing him had stirred up memories that she had thought she had moved past. Memories that had made it feel like she was losing Jack all over again. Maybe if she hadn't just seen Tom in his Mountie uniform, it may not have been such a strong reaction. As it was though, she needed time to recover before seeing Corporal Harold Mayne again. "I know I need to go welcome Corporal Mayne to town, just like I did you, but I need some time to prepare myself," she said focusing her attention on the vegetable before her so that she wouldn't need to see Nathan's reaction to her words.

A soft touch on her arm made her stop her task. Looking up, she found Nathan standing beside her with compassion in his eyes. "You can do this on your own timing, Beth. No one is judging you."

She felt a smile creep to her lips. Nathan's reassurance was all the validation that she needed to be all right with the emotions she was feeling. Leaning in, she pressed a quick kiss to her husband's lips before returning to making the salad.

"Don't burn the meat," Elizabeth told her husband.

"I'll try not to, but cooking is so much harder when I have a beautiful distraction at my side," Nathan commented, returning to the pan on the stove.

Elizabeth felt the heat creep into her cheeks at the casually given compliment. No, perhaps it wasn't as poetic as the compliments that Lucas had used while they had been courting, but it felt more genuine in its simplicity. Nor was Nathan trying to impress her with it. He had said the words because they were what was on his heart at the moment. That alone made the words special.

Finishing with the cucumber, she picked up the cutting board and slide the diced pieces into the bowl with the lettuce and spinach mix. Even the simple task of cooking felt more fulfilling these days.

Tom was not surprised to find Rosemary standing on the front porch as he rode up to the Coulter home. Having not given him much of a chance to say no to the invitation in the first place, he had gotten the impression that his brother's old fiancé and friend wanted answers from him, which meant her father had probably been not as forthcoming as Rosemary would have liked. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. In one way it meant that he got to give out the information on his own terms. However, it also meant that he had to be the one to reveal what had led up to him going into the Mountie Academy. Like a lot in his life, it wasn't something he was exactly proud of.

At least graduating from the Academy had given him an accomplishment that he could claim pride in.

Approaching the front porch, Tom reined in Coal Dust and dismounted.

"Already out of the uniform I see," Rosemary commented lightly. She held Aster in her arms, the little girl, wrapped in a warm blanket, looked around in wonder.

"Well, as I am not officially on duty, I don't need to be in uniform. Besides, the one I was in was dusty from the trail. I would have needed to change it anyway. I did dress up for you," Tom added, a teasing tone in his voice.

"Don't tell me Tom Thornton consented to putting on a tie," Rosemary said dramatically.

"I had it on but couldn't get it tied properly so I gave up," Tom admitted, eliciting laughter from Rosemary. He shrugged his shoulders, taking the laugher in good grace. "And who do we have here?" he asked, his attention on the little girl.

Rosemary's smile got bigger. "This here is Aster," she said looking down at her daughter. The now nine month old girl was watching Tom with wide eyes. "Aster, this is your Uncle Tom, Can you give him a smile of hello?"

Aster looked from Tom to her mother and back again, clearly trying to figure out what was going on. Seeing a smile on her mother's face, the girl smiled as well, content that all was well.

"Rosemary, I am not expecting your children to call me uncle," Tom protested. He already wondered if he was really worthy of that title when it came to Little Jack.

Rosemary fixed him with a determined look which told Tom not to argue with the blonde. "Given the trouble I had conceiving her, it is likely she will grow up an only child. I know how lonely that can be even with loving parents. I enjoyed calling my father's close coworkers Uncle and their wives Aunt. It made me feel like I had more family. I want Aster to know that feeling of a big family, even if it isn't from bloodlines. Jack and I may not have worked out, but he was still special to me. He helped get me and Lee together. That made him family, and like it or not Tom, I consider you family too. Even my father considers you family."

"He does?" Tom asked, surprised. He honestly hadn't been sure what Pierre Leveaux had been thinking during his interactions eight months ago when the man had visited him in the Benson Hills infirmary. He wasn't sure if the former Mountie was acting on his own accord, simply doing a favor for his mother, or maybe had been convinced by Judge Avery to assert himself in matters as he had. Rosemary's fathers had been a huge source of support for Charlotte Thornton over the years. Even Tom had been aware of that.

"Yes," Rosemary confirmed. "All he would tell me was that he hoped this would be the last time he had to bail you out of trouble and if he didn't consider you like family, he wouldn't have bothered this time. He never mentioned you joining the Mounties though."

"Perhaps that is a story I can tell over supper?" Tom asked.

Rosemary nodded. "Lee is finishing supper as we speak," she said. "Let's go get your horse settled in the barn," she added, coming down the steps. Realizing for the first time that Rosemary was bundled up against the cold, Tom didn't protest her accompanying him. It was clear it was her plan to all along. Side by side, the two made their way to the barn. "So, what is your partner's name?" she asked, knowing that there was a special bond between a Mountie and his horse.

"Coal Dust," Tom said, an impish smile coming to his lips.

"Coal Dust?" Rosemary asked. "However did you decide on that name for a horse?"

"It is kind of my way of honoring Jack as only a sibling could. I remember Jack complaining about coming to Coal Valley. He was emphatic in his conversations with Mom and me that he was going to choke to death on the coal dust here if he couldn't arrange a quick transfer."

"I remember Elizabeth saying he was anxious to leave at first. By the time I arrived in Hope Valley, she had already cured him of that."

Tom nodded, debating on asking the question he wanted to know. Then deciding that other than asking Elizabeth and risk offending her, Rosemary was probably the only one who could ease his worries, so he decided to risk it. "I talked to Nathan briefly this afternoon. He seems like a good man," Tom ventured as the entered the barn. Rosemary pointed to an empty stall.

"Nathan Grant is about as good as they come," Rosemary told him. "Jack would approve of Nathan raising his son."

"Then Nathan genuinely cares for Elizabeth and Jack? They are in a good situation now?" Tom asked in a pleading tone as he met Rosemary's gaze.

Rosemary smiled sympathetically at him as she reached out a hand to rest on his arm. "Elizabeth and Jack are in the best situation they can be in, given that your brother cannot be here with them. Nathan loves them, and has loved them through everything that has happened these last few years. That alone should tell you that his love is true. Little Jack has come to adore Nathan as a father but we will all make sure the boy knows his Daddy Jack as well, Nathan included."

"I should have never given her away to Lucas. I failed her then and I failed my brother. He would have wanted me to look out for Elizabeth. Instead, I helped her into an abusive living situation."

"Listen to me, Tom. You did nothing wrong," Rosemary assured him. "If Bill, Lee and I couldn't convince her not to marry Lucas, she wouldn't have listened to you either. All you did was be there for her on her wedding day. You and Little Jack quite possibly were the only two there that day who truly loved her. She needed that."

Tom nodded his consent on that point. With her parents choosing not to come, and Bill, Lee and Rosemary refusing to attend anyway, Elizabeth had given into to Lucas wanting to have the wedding at the Yorkton in Union City. Tom had hoped Julie might at least attend, but a sprained ankle just before had kept her from traveling. In the end, the wedding had been attended by members of Lucas' family and his business associates.

Though they had refused to attend the wedding, Tom knew that Rosemary, Bill and Lee had done a better job at supporting Elizabeth afterwards. "I walked away back in March," he confessed. "There was shouting and when Elizabeth came out of the house she was crying and there was a mark on her cheek. I could have intervened then, but I ran. Like every other time life got difficult, I ran and tried to hide by acting irresponsibly. Jack would have intervened."

Rosemary nodded. "You're right. He would have but you are not your brother and intervening then may not have turned out well. Perhaps as hard as it all was, it happened just the way it was supposed to. Elizabeth is truly happy again, Jack is growing up in a good home, and you finally seem to have your life on track."

"Elizabeth wasn't too happy to see me earlier."

Rosemary waved her hand. "She was taken by surprise. She'll be fine once she has some time to sort things through," she assured him. "But why don't you get Coal Dust settled so we can go eat."

Tom nodded and turned his attention to his horse.

"Coal Dust," Rosemary murmured. "Jack would be so annoyed with you for that name."

Tom grinned. "That was kind of the point," he admitted as he went about taking off the saddle, easily able to picture his older brother's annoyed expression upon learning the animal's name. "Kind of like me calling you Rosie Posie," he teased.

"I am warning you Tom Thornton, if you use that nickname in public, I don't care what uniform you are wearing, I will slap you and then take my chances with the judge."

Tom grinned. "So it is only in public I can't use it?" he asked, an impish smile on his face as he placed the saddle down. The dagger-like glare Rosemary was giving him was pretty much the only answer he needed.

The food at the Coulters turned out to be some of the best Tom had eaten in a long time. Then again, after meals at Depot and quick meals over the campfire while traveling, perhaps any home cooked meal would have tasted good to him.

Tom was relieved to be able to keep the conversation on the Coulters and Hope Valley through much of dinner. He had Lee to thank for that, as he helped steer the conversation away from what they both knew Rosemary was dying to know - how was it that Tom Thornton found himself in the Mountie Academy.

By the time the meal was over, Aster was fast asleep. As Rosemary took her daughter upstairs to put her in her crib, Tom helped Lee clean up from supper. The two men worked in comfortable silence. Given Rosemary's tendency to chatter nonstop, Tom had a feeling quiet moments were hard to come by in the house.

Sure enough, Rosemary came downstairs already talking. Despite the dishes not quite being done, the woman took Tom's arm and led him to the sitting room. Lee mouthed 'good luck' to him, as Tom let Rosemary lead her away. They settled in chairs in front of the fireplace and Tom finally told Rosemary how he had found himself at Depot. Though he gave her the facts, he kept a lot of his emotions out of the story. He wasn't close enough to Rosemary to make some of those admissions. The confession of the trouble he had found himself in while in Benson Hills was bad enough.

"Your father made it very clear, the only way he was going to help bail me out of trouble this time was if I entered the Academy. He thought it might be the only way for me to finally learn some responsibility and self-discipline," Tom said, leaning back in his chair, his eyes watching the dancing flames of the fire rather than looking at his host and hostess, who sat side-by-side on the settee. "He made it very clear that he had called in some favors to make it happen. He had arranged for me to be with the program the whole time, whether I would technically graduate or not. I think he was as surprised as my mother to hear I would actually be graduating. Your father escorted my mother to Depot for my graduation, and hearing the words 'I'm proud of you' from both of them made everything I had gone through worth it."

Tom glanced from the flames to the Coulters. "I doubt that I will make a career out of the Mounties. I do not feel the same sense of obligation and calling that I know Jack felt. However, it has given me a better understanding of my brother and father. If I can just do a fraction of the good they did, then perhaps my life can actually mean something," Tom told them, his mother's words as he lay there in the bed at the infirmary coming back to him. It had basically been the same message Jack had tried to convey to him so many times, but for some reason, it actually got through that time.

"Your life does mean something, Tom," Rosemary told him. "You are the only one who has trouble seeing that. Those of us who care about you already knew that. It is why Jack never gave up on you."

Tom felt his eyes sting as his vision blurred. He tried to will away the tears, even as he reached up and wiped a few away.

"I wish I hadn't kept spurning his efforts to get my life in line," Tom admitted.

"I have recently been assured that you cannot really help someone until they are ready to be helped," Rosemary said, thinking of Bill and Nathan's words not too long ago. "You might feel like you weren't given a choice about joining the Mounties, but you did. You could have turned your back on the help being offered to you once again, but you were finally ready to take the helping hand being held out to you. Only you can determine why that was."

Tom didn't reply as he contemplated Rosemary's words. He knew there was truth in them. He could have refused Pierre Leveaux and Judge Avery's help. He could have done the jail time and gone on his life afterwards, continuing of his path of self-destruction, but he hadn't. He had finally decided that he was tired of traveling that road. Perhaps part of his reasoning was how unhappy Elizabeth had seemed that day back in March. He had seen a despair mirrored in her that had often been his companion.

That was what had made him run that day. Tom knew that until he could battle and defeat that despair in his own life then he was no use to his sister-in-law and nephew. You could hardly save a drowning person if you were drowning yourself. The Mounties were an opportunity to learn how to defeat that despair. To learn how to help others who were in that place. To find a way to save Elizabeth. He had owed Jack that much.

Maybe his sister-in-law didn't need saving any longer, but in wanting to save her, he had found a way to save himself.

"Tom, are you all right?"

Rosemary's question brought him out of his thoughts. "Yeah, I am fine. Your words just helped me put some things in perspective."

"Good," Rosemary replied. "Sometimes I feel like people are not really listening to what I am saying. It's nice to know some people do."

If her husband felt the comment was directed at him, he never let on as he asked, "Does Elizabeth know about any of this?"

Tom shook his head. "Not yet. I asked Bill not to say anything. I wanted to tell her in person. After her reaction today, I am thinking it might have been better for Bill to have said something rather than surprising her like I did, showing up in uniform. I thought she might not have been happy about it, but I did not expect that reaction from her."

"You are going to find that women can be emotional at times when we haven't had time to prepare for it."

"Rosie was even worse during her pregnancy," Lee said. "Some evenings I was afraid to even breath for fear I would do that wrong."

"Lee Coulter," Rosemary scolded lightheartedly, swatting her husband's arm. "Though sadly there is some truth in that. Lee was an absolute saint to put up with me during those nine months," she added, placing a quick kiss on Lee's cheek.

Watching them, Tom couldn't help but wonder if he might find that special someone someday or if his past antics had scared that person away already.

Like so much else - only time would tell.