"They're asleep?" Rosemary asked when Elizabeth came down the stairs after putting the children to bed.
She nodded. "Thank you again for watching them this evening."
"It was my pleasure. Now," she took a seat, looking up at Elizabeth expectantly, "tell me all about your not-a-date with Jack."
"I really don't know what to say about it." She lowered herself into the chair beside Rosemary, trying—and failing—to keep a smile from spreading across her face. "It was wonderful. I didn't want the evening to end."
"I think you're smitten." Rosemary raised her eyebrows.
"I am not!" she argued. "I enjoy his company, but that doesn't mean I'm smitten."
"Are you going to see him again?"
"We live in the same town. Our children are friends. Of course we're going to see each other."
Rosemary rolled her eyes playfully. "Very funny. You know what I mean."
"Yes. We didn't make any specific plans, but I did agree to go to dinner with him again." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "on a date."
"Oh, Elizabeth." Rosemary reached over and took her hands. "I'm so happy for you. He's a good man, and you absolutely deserve someone like him."
"I just hope I can be the kind of woman he deserves."
"Well, based on the way he looks at you, I'd say he's pretty happy with who you are now."
"I'm nervous, though," she admitted. "I've never really done any of this. Everything was planned for me before. I just did what was expected of me, regardless of how I felt about it."
"Just enjoy it," Rosemary told her. "Have fun with him, let him know what you like and don't like. He just wants you to be happy."
She sighed, fidgeting with her fingers.
"What is it, Elizabeth?"
"I just…there's a part of me that's scared, too. If I open myself up to Jack, I could get hurt."
"Elizabeth," Rosemary grew serious. "He isn't James."
"I know that—mostly. I just," she blew out a harsh breath, "I can't bring myself to trust him. Not fully."
"What more does he need to do to show you that you can trust him?" she questioned. "He saw to it that you and the children were safe, fed, and had a place to stay the moment you arrived in town. He built cases against James and the Spencers before he really knew you. He has done everything in his power to protect you."
"He's a Mountie," Elizabeth countered. "That's his job."
"Sure, but he's done more for you and your children than he has for anybody else. He cares for you, perhaps he even loves you."
"No, he doesn't." Elizabeth waved Rosemary off.
"He may not have said it yet, but I can tell," she assured her, taking her hand again. "He's not going to hurt you, Elizabeth."
"But what if he does?"
"He won't," she insisted. "And if he does, he'll have all of Hope Valley to answer to."
Finally, the smile returned to Elizabeth's face. "I'm so happy to have you as a friend, Rosemary."
...
Elizabeth lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had spent the previous few hours mulling over the conversation she and Rosemary had about Jack, trying to decide what to do, what to think.
What more could Jack do to earn her trust? He had done so much for her since the moment he met her, and he had never expected anything in return. And that evening, he hadn't pushed her; he was letting her set the pace.
Could she let herself trust him? Could she open her heart to him, knowing that she could be hurt again?
She sighed and rolled over. She hated that James still had an influence in her life, even after he was gone. He had turned her into someone she didn't recognize anymore, someone nervous and guarded. She needed to find herself again, who she was before James Spencer. Could Jack help her do that? Could she let him?
She thought back to their evening together. They had laughed a lot, and she felt more at ease with him than she had in a very long time. She was drawn to him in a way she never had been with anyone else before. If only she could follow her heart without her head getting in the way.
"Mama?" Emma's little voice rasped in the doorway, interrupting her thoughts.
"Yes, baby?" She sat up slowly.
"I don't feel good." She padded into the room, clutching her doll to her chest.
Elizabeth swung her legs off the bed, crossing the floor and crouching in front of her little girl. "Is it your tummy?"
Emma shook her head. "No. My throat." She coughed, bringing her arm up to cover her mouth.
"Come here." Elizabeth picked her up and carried her to the bed. "You lie down here, and I'll go get you a glass of water."
"Okay, mama." She snuggled into the pillows.
She covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Emma Jean."
...
Allie tiptoed across the hall, peeking into her uncle's room. In the early morning light, she saw that he was still sleeping, one leg stuck out from under his quilt, his arm up beside his head. She covered her mouth to suppress a chuckle at how silly the sight was.
She tiptoed into the room, curious about a book she could see laying open beside him. Getting closer, she noticed it was his sketchbook, and there was a familiar face drawn on the page. A smile spread across her face.
He had seemed different when he returned from having dinner with Mrs. Spencer the evening before, even happier than normal. When she pressed him on it, he just said they had a good time, but she thought there was more to it. She had seen them walking up to the house, and they had been holding hands. Her Uncle Jack never held hands with his other friends.
She quietly slipped into the bed with him, closing her eyes and dreaming of a day when she might have a real family—a dad, a mom, a brother, and a sister. Now, it seemed that day might not be so far off.
...
Elizabeth opened the door, surprised to see Jack standing on her porch. "Good morning, Jack."
"Is everything okay?" he said quickly, before he even greeted her.
"Yes, everything's fine." She furrowed her brow, confused. "Why are you asking?"
"I stopped by the dress shop and Rosemary said you weren't there today. I got worried. I thought—" He stopped himself.
"What?"
"Well, it seems silly now." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "But, uh, I thought maybe you were rethinking things with us. I was scared that you were trying to avoid me."
"No." She shook her head and gave him a smile. "Not at all. I just stayed home because Emma woke up sick in the middle of the night."
"Oh. Is she okay?"
"Yes. She has a fever, and she said her throat is hurting, but Faith came by this morning and said she should be fine with rest."
"Good." He let out a sigh of relief. "So, we're good?"
She took his hands, her smile widening. "Yes, Jack. We're good."
"Thank goodness." He stepped closer and dropped a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I thought maybe I did something to upset you."
"Not at all. Last night was wonderful, Jack. In fact…" She looked up, meeting his eyes. "When do you think we can do it again?"
"Well," he reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "There's the dance happening on Saturday."
"I thought you said you had to be there in an official capacity."
"I convinced Bill to take over my official duties, but that means I need a date. What do you say? Will you go to the dance with me?"
A smile played on her lips. "Oh, I don't know."
"You don't know about what?"
"Are you going to step on my toes?"
He laughed. "I'll try not to. So, is that a yes? You'll go with me to the dance?"
"I would love for you to escort me to the dance, Constable."
"Good. I should, uh," he took a slight step back before he did something to scare her off, like trying to kiss her. "I should get back to work now. Is there anything you need? For Emma, I mean."
"No, I think we're all set. Thank you, Jack."
He gave her a small grin. "Thank you for not changing your mind about us."
...
"Something going on at the row houses this morning?" Bill asked when Jack came into the jail a little while later.
"No. Why do you ask that?"
Bill shrugged. "I saw you head that direction and thought it was odd. You don't normally go there this time of day."
"If you must know," Jack tried to suppress a smile, "I went to check on Elizabeth. She wasn't at work when I went by the dress shop, so I just wanted to make sure she was okay."
"Ah." Bill raised his eyebrows. "So you are sweet on her."
"I'm not saying anything else about this." He took a seat at the desk. "Anything I missed while I was on rounds?"
"You got a letter." He handed him an envelope. "Not sure what this is all about."
Jack read the name, then slipped his finger under the flap of the envelope. "Oh, we reached out to a few people when we were looking for Dylan. This is one of the women we asked for information."
He slid out a folded sheet of paper and a small photograph.
"Who are you?" he whispered, looking at the little boy in the photograph. He looked young, maybe three or four years old.
He scanned over the words on the page, brow furrowing.
"What did she say?"
"Apparently," he set the paper aside, "Colleen wasn't the only woman swindled by Dylan. This woman says she was with him for a couple of years, but he left her when she was expecting."
"So Allie has a sibling?"
Jack nodded. "A little brother. He's three."
"Well. That's something."
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm going for a walk. Keep an eye on things around here, okay?"
Without waiting for an answer, he strode out of the building and down the street. His mind was reeling as he tucked the letter into his pocket. What he hadn't told Bill is that the young woman had asked to meet him; she wanted her son to meet Allie.
They had a good life in Hope Valley, him and Allie. Did he really want to invite possible complications into that life by meeting this woman and her son? Especially now that he and Elizabeth had decided to see where things would go with them.
But he was torn. Allie didn't voice it frequently, but he knew she longed for a sibling, for a family like those her friends had. The possibility remained that they would have that family in the future, perhaps with Elizabeth and her children. But to have a sibling related to her by blood could be a blessing.
He stopped walking, realizing he had made it all the way to the edge of the woods. Pulling the photograph from his pocket, he studied the little boy. He hated to admit that Allie inherited anything from her father, but he could see similarities between her and little August.
"Jack?"
He quickly stuffed the photograph into his pocket as Mike Hickam approached him. "Yes?"
"You're needed out at the mill. A couple of the men got into an argument, and Lee is worried that it's going to get out of hand."
"I'll be right there."
...
"Mama!" William exclaimed from his spot by the window. "Mr. Mountie is coming!"
"Jack? Why is he coming by again?" she wondered quietly. It had only been a few hours since he had stopped by the morning. She walked to the front door, opening it before Jack had even mounted the steps to the porch.
"Hi, Mr. Mountie!" William greeted him, standing in the doorway with his mother.
"Hi, William," Jack smiled at the boy. "I just thought I'd come by again to see how your sister is doing."
"Oh. She's sleeping right now," he explained.
"She's feeling much better, though," Elizabeth added. "Her fever broke, and before her nap, she told me her throat isn't hurting as much."
"Good. I'm glad." He shifted around, knowing he should head home now, but not wanting to leave Elizabeth just yet.
She sensed his hesitation. "Jack, would you and Allie like to join us for dinner tonight? I'm planning to make chicken soup, and it'll be way more than the three of us can eat."
"Well, I was thinking about taking Allie to the café for dinner, but I'm sure she'd rather come here."
"Great. How does six o'clock sound?"
He reached over to squeeze her hand. "We'll be here."