Chapter 9

Once the stagecoach stopped, Charlette and Elizabeth stepped off to receive their bags. Elizabeth wanted to see Abagail. She also knew she had to send Ms. P a telegram that she arrived safely. The first thing she had to do was the only thing that was truly on her mind…to see Jack. They needed to talk. Elizabeth stood on the stagecoach decking and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. She wanted to memorize all the smells of her town. All her senses were taking in the familiar smells sounds of Hope Valley. When she opened her eyes, they immediately fell on the jail.

"Jack…" She whispered. She quickly began walking toward the jail without saying anything or getting her bags or trunks.

"Hey…where is she going? Most of these are hers." The stagecoach driver stated.

"We'll set them over here and I'll get some help to take them to the café." Charlette stated as she watched Elizabeth walk away. She quickly prayed a short prayer for her and Jack.

…

Elizabeth opened the door to the jail excited to see Jack sitting at his desk. She had to see Jack. She had to tell him what happened and clear up the huge misunderstanding. She knew this was going to be a long process, but she had to take the first step. As she walked into the jail, there was no one there, not even Rip. She looked around the jail but didn't see anything that proved anyone was there.

She looked into the small room where Jack stayed. There were no signs of him anywhere, not even one item that belonged to Jack. The picture of his father was gone along with all his possessions. It was like he never was there. The worst thought entered her mind. Oh no! He left! If he wasn't here, then where is he? She began to panic.

With her mind running rampant, she walked to the mercantile to find Mr. Yost. As she waited for Mr. Yost to gather the proper papers to send the telegram, a beautiful young lady stepped up to the counter to ask Mr. Yost a question. Elizabeth noticed her beautiful, curly, blonde hair.

"Nurse Carter, I will be with you after I send this telegram."

Nurse Carter. Elizabeth paid closer attention to the person Mr. Yost was speaking to. She couldn't be the same Nurse Carter from Hamilton. Why would she be here? Thought Elizabeth.

Mr. Yost broke her thoughts. "Ms. Thatcher, here is the paper. Just fill in your message and I will send it immediately.

The young lady turned and stared at Elizabeth. After a few moments, she asked, "Ms. Thatcher? Ms. Elizabeth Thatcher of Hamilton?" Faith asked with great curiosity.

"Yes, I am Ms. Thatcher from Hamilton. Have we meet?"

"No, not officially. Hello, I'm Faith Carter. Jack has told me so much about you. I feel like I know you. You are royalty of Hamilton." Faith smiled. "I thought you moved back to Hamilton?"

Oh…My…Gosh… It is the same Nurse Carter. How? Why is she here? Thought Elizabeth. She took a quick breath to regain her composure. "No. I just arrived on the stagecoach a couple of minutes ago. I never moved back to Hamilton. I was just visiting family."

Elizabeth couldn't believe her luck. Here she was back in Hope Valley for less than five minutes and she ran into someone she never thought would be in Hope Valley, Nurse Faith Carter. She seems nice but why did she have to be so beautiful? Elizabeth thought to herself as she continued to stare at the attractive woman in front of her.

"Oh" Faith said. "Well, it's great to have you back home."

"How did you end up visiting Hope Valley?" asked Elizabeth. I hope it wasn't to visit Jack she thought.

"I was sent here a few weeks ago to look after someone who was injured when the doctor couldn't make the trip. Since then, I was offered the permanent nurse's job at the infirmary."

"The permanent nurse's job." Elizabeth said just louder than a whisper. Elizabeth's fear and jealousy was overtaking her thoughts. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She always questioned Jack and Faith's friendship, but she knew what Jack told her. Instead of letting her emotions control her thinking. She decided to trust what Jack said and reached out her hand to formally introduce herself to this beautiful young lady.

Air finally began to enter Elizabeth's lungs. She suddenly turned around and went straight to Abagail's. She had so many questions running through her mind. She could not settle on a single one of them. She didn't know where Jack was, but she had to find him, no matter what. She wasn't losing out on the life she wanted.

…

Within ten minutes of arriving back home, she found out that Faith has moved to Hope Valley and now Jack was gone. What else could go wrong? She thought. She walked into the café through the front door and saw no one except for one little boy. The little boy looked up when he heard the door open and then close. He gave her a big smile and she decided right then to like this little kid. She didn't recognize him, but he was old enough to be one of her students. He must be new to the area.

She smiled back at the young boy whose smile only grew bigger when she did. "Hello. My name is Elizabeth Thatcher."

"Hello. My name is JJ." The young boy replied.

"Are you new to the area?"

"Yes ma'am. I have lived here for about a week."

"Did you move here with your parents?"

The boy dropped his head at her question. "No ma'am. My parents were killed in an accident. I moved here to live with my daddy's best friend." The smile disappeared from his face.

Elizabeth's heart dropped at his statement. "I am so sorry to hear about your parents. That is so sad." A tear escaped her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to stop it, she couldn't. She wanted to reach out to the little boy but didn't know if she should.

Within the next moment, the boy ran to Elizabeth and wrapped his little arms around her waist. He held tight onto her for the longest time. By this time, Elizabeth's eyes were filled with tears. She wrapped her arms around the boy and just hugged him. She refused to be the first person to release the hug.

She wasn't sure how long they held each other, she just sensed he needed to be held. She felt the same way. With everything that has happened over the last month and the last ten minutes, she needed a hug too. The hug was as therapeutic for her as it was for the boy. She only knew the boy's name, but she felt her heart open to him. She knew she loved him in that moment. After meeting this kid for just a minute or two, there was a connection she couldn't deny.

They finally pulled apart but still in each other's space, their cheeks were stained with their tears, but the smile was back on his face.

"So, you moved here to be with your daddy's best friend?"

"Yes ma'am. He came and got me. He never had a kid before, but he is doing his best."

"Maybe his wife will help him know what to do."

"He doesn't have a wife. It is just the two of us."

Elizabeth was impressed with his speech. He spoke very clearly and seemed like a bright young boy. He wasn't shy or hesitant.

"What were you doing?" She nodded toward the table where he was sitting.

"Reading."

"You can read?"

"Of course, I can read…I'm five, almost six." He sassed. His smile was growing, and his dimples were beginning to appear.

This just made Elizabeth fall deeper. He had this way about him that just drew her in to him. JJ took a little more of her heart. He also had the same smirk that Jack had when he thought he bested her.

…

Charlette entered the saloon looking for Jack and a room to stay in for a few days. The bartender was happy to help her. "The constable is out of town for a few days. I do have a room available if you would like it but know that it can be a little noisy until about midnight or so."

"That's fine. I'll take the room."

"You name please ma'am."

"Ms. Charlette Thornton."

"Thornton?" Asked Mr. Trevoy.

"Yes. Constable Jack Thronton is my son."

"Oh…Yes ma'am. You will be in room eight. That is all the way down the hall. It's the quietest room we have.

"That will be perfect. Thank you."

…

Jack walked into the prosecutor's office that afternoon prepared to answer all the questions he had concerning the Tolliver case. On his ride to Bantif, his mind shifted between JJ and Elizabeth. He still couldn't believe how attached he was to JJ. The boy just entered his life a few days ago but it could have been years with how Jack was missing him. JJ just had this way about him. He could draw you in with his smile, his attitude, his laughter, or any other countless ways. Jack wasn't falling for this kid, he has already fallen for him. In Jack's eyes, he wasn't just JJ's guardian. He was becoming his father. He also made a mental note not to push that issue too much. JJ's father hasn't passed away too long ago.

Then he thought of Elizabeth. He was a little surprised with his thoughts concerning Elizabeth. It was usually accompanied with frustration or anger. He really hasn't thought too much about her since JJ entered his life. JJ has kept him busy, both mentally and physically. He thought the Tolliver case and Elizabeth's involvement was what made her come to mind. He just couldn't reconcile her leaving with Charles weeks ago. Without hearing from her and the letter she did write before she left that did not tell the full truth, he had to assume that she accepted his proposal. After all, he heard her say yes. "This is why mounties shouldn't get married!" he stated under his breath.

"Excuse me, young man. Did you say something?" asked the older lady behind the receptionist desk.

"No ma'am," he was embarrassed he was heard. "I'm Constable Jack Thornton from Hope Valley. I need to speak to the prosecutor for the Tolliver Gang trial."

"Yes, constable. He is expecting you. His office is the third door on the right down that hallway."

"Thank you, ma'am." As Jack walked down the hallway, he began to wonder if he did need a woman in his life since JJ was part of his life now. As much as he was going to work at being a good dad, he knew he couldn't be a mom.

Jack walked into the prosecutor's office after knocking on the door and being told to enter. The prosecutor was a no nonsense older man. After offering Jack a seat, he immediately began to question Jack concerning everything that happened that day.

After answering several questions from the prosecutor, the next question brought back all the emotions from that day. His emotions ran from fear of losing Elizabeth to a great desire to protect her. Much to Jack's surprise, he wasn't as sad about Elizabeth as he was a few weeks before. Jack has accepted the fact that he has lost her. He was saddened by the fact, but not to the point that it was cripplingly just like a few weeks ago. JJ has been a huge help in helping Jack accept the truth about Elizabeth.

"Constable, what made you follow through with this when you were heading to Cape Fullerton?"

"After speaking with a couple of other constables, I realized the suspect was hiding out. The horse that was found with blood on his saddle had to be his since the constable thought he shot him."

"Was that the only reason? While I read the file, it felt more personal."

"Well, it was. I was worried about my friend, Ms. Elizabeth Thatcher. Once I was back in town and talked with Constable O'Reilly and Abagail Stanton, I knew she was in danger. That's when I thought of the red tablecloths to fool the gang in thinking there were more than just the two of us."

"Are you sure this, Ms. Thatcher, is just a friend?" The persecutor knew this was a personal question, but he couldn't stop himself from asking. To him, this seemed like a love story.

Jack blushed. He really didn't know what to say. At that time their relationship, there were so many questions, but he couldn't deny what he felt for her. He just didn't know if he wanted to tell this stranger his story. "How is this relevant to the case?" Jack asked. Trying anything to change the line of questions.

"I guess it doesn't, but I find it very interesting."

Jack nodded his head. He was grateful the prosecutor moved on with another line of questioning. After the meeting, he walked across town to send a telegram to Abagail to let her know he should be finished by the end of the day. It was going faster than he thought it would.

…

Abagail walked down the stairs after finishing a small project upstairs. She stopped midway down the stairs at the sound of a voice, a certain voice. "Could it be?" A confused, yet excited Abagail asked herself.

She ran down the stairs and turned the corner to see her long lost sister. She wanted to yell at Elizabeth for leaving. She wanted to wrap her arms around her and hug her senseless. The latter won out after a few moments of staring and smiling at each other. They both ran toward each other and hugging as tight as they could to each other.

Elizabeth felt like she was home. The hug was a long, sister hug. They twisted slightly as they hugged to deepen the hold. They just didn't want to let go. Finally, they took a step back but still within arm's reach of each other. "Where have you been young lady and what took you so long to get back?" Abagail asked with a stern tone to her voice but a smile on her face.

Elizabeth just smiled and hugged her again. Elizabeth whispered into her ear, "Yes, we have a lot to talk about."

Before they knew it, they both felt small arms reach around their wastes. They both looked down to see JJ hugging them.

"Do you know Auntie Abagail?"

"Auntie Abagail?" Elizabeth asked. "Abagail, do you know JJ?"

"Yes" she looked confused at Elizabeth. "How do you know him?"

"I just meet him when I walked in the café a few minutes ago."

"Oh. Yes, Elizabeth, we have a lot to discuss." She ushered Elizabeth to a table and grabbed some tea and cookies on the way.

…

After a late lunch, Jack finished his questions with the prosecutor. It was late and he didn't want to ride home at this hour. So, he decided to stay the night and head home the next morning. If things go well, he will be home by midafternoon. Before dinner, he sent another telegram to Abagail to give her the latest update on his arrival.

Elizabeth sat down with Abagail and told her everything that had happen from the moment Charles stepped into the schoolhouse until she saw Abagail in the café a few minutes ago. She answered every question she was asked.

"Oh Elizabeth. What are you going to do now?"

"First, I need to speak with Jack. I have so much to explain. I went to the jail to see him, but he wasn't there. It was like he doesn't live there any longer. Where is he?"

"Oh Elizabeth. So much has changed since you have been gone. He's moved out."

Before she could continue, Elizabeth thought the worst. "He moved?" She gasped. "Where did he go? I must see him!" She placed a hand over her mouth and quickly stood up.

"Elizabeth, he moved out of the jail, but he didn't move away from Hope Valley."

"Why would he move out of the jail?" This wasn't making sense, but she sighed a big relief that he hasn't moved away.

"Didn't you meet JJ?"

"Yes, why do you ask. He said he moved here to live with his daddy's best friend."

"Elizabeth, that's Jack. JJ is living with Jack." Abagail paused for a moment to let the news sink in. "He is named after Jack. JJ's name is Jack. They call him JJ which means Jack Junior. That is what his daddy called him because Jack saved his life while they were at the academy together." Abagail couldn't help but grin at Elizabeth's confusion.

Elizabeth was speechless. She was trying to understand everything, but it was a lot to comprehend. "JJ is Jack Junior, and he is living with Jack?" She asked very slowly.

"Yes. JJ's daddy wanted his son to be with Jack if something would happen to him. His wife died at the accident too. So, Jack went to pick him up a few days after the accident. Jack knew he couldn't continue to live in the jail with a little boy, so he rented a row house to live in with JJ. He is renting my old row house. Jack stepped up to take care of JJ and he is doing an excellent job."

Elizabeth didn't know how, but she loved Jack even more knowing how he is taking care of that precious little boy.

"Elizabeth, what are you going to do about Jack and Charles? I know what you wrote in your letters but how are you going to convince Jack? He thinks you left here weeks ago engaged to Charles. You didn't write him while you were gone, and he thinks you just left him without being honest with him. I'm not sure how you will be able to change his thinking."

"I was never engaged to Charles."

"I know that, but Jack doesn't."

That is when Abagail told Elizabeth everything. Jack heard everything on the front steps of the schoolhouse. His feelings over the letter and her leaving without saying anything to him. Her extended absence without any communication only deepened his belief that he lost her to Charles and her old life in Hamilton. She told Elizabeth that Jack is away discussing the case concerning the Toliver gang's trial with the prosecutor. She even shared about Faith and how she came to Hope Valley and the potential job of the town's nurse. That Faith and Jack shared dinner about twice a week. This information did not deter Elizabeth's desire to have Jack in her life, but she realized for the first time how difficult that will be.

…

Elizabeth laid in her bed in her room above Abagail's Café. After reading to JJ, he finally fell asleep. She loved sitting with him reading to him. For some odd reason, it felt so natural. She loved every second of it. She loved the normal sounds of the café and the town of Hope Valley at night. She didn't realize how much she missed the sounds of her home. Her mind immediately turned toward Jack and his coming back to Hope Valley tomorrow. She knew she had a long road to regain his trust in her again. The talk with Abagail only showed her how much of an effort it was going to take.

Abagail even shared with her about the dinners Jack had with Faith. They had a friendship, but Jack wasn't interested in moving that friendship further along. Elizabeth was grateful he didn't pursue the relationship, but knew he also turned his heart off. She was growing more concerned that she may have allowed the separation with Jack to reach a point where she couldn't recover from.

Regaining Jack's faith would be a monstrous effort. However, Elizabeth was not afraid of the work she needed to put into it. She wanted Jack in her life as her husband and she is willing to do whatever she has to do to make that happen. She was not only thinking of a future with Jack, JJ was beginning to slip into the daydreams too. She could easily see all three of them together. Along with another baby. She just prayed it wasn't too late.

…

After breakfast the next day, Elizabeth and JJ were sitting outside on the café porch. It was a beautiful day and they just wanted to enjoy the sunshine and the nice breeze. Elizabeth was reading along with JJ. Every once in a while, he would ask her what a word meant, but, for the most part, he was doing a great job reading.

"Good morning, Ms. Thatcher."

"Good morning, Ms. Blakely."

"I must say, I am shocked to see you back. I thought you moved to Hamilton."

"No, Ms. Blakely. I did not move to Hamilton. I was only visiting family."

Both Elizabeth and JJ looked confused at her expression.

"I knew you left with Mr. Kensington. I saw you two eating together rarely close the night before. I also heard him say you two would be leaving early the next morning. He even kissed you before he went to his room. I thought you were engaged. I would be shocked if he wanted to move here."

"Ms. Blakely, this isn't the proper time for this discussion." Elizabeth slightly nodded toward JJ.

"Of course, Ms. Thatcher. Have a good day."

Elizabeth could tell a complete change in JJ's demeanor. Before Ms. Bakely arrived, their conversation flowed easily. Now JJ wouldn't look at her and would only nod his head. He wouldn't speak more than a word or two.

"JJ…are you ok?" Elizabeth finally asked.

"Yeah." He barely spoke.

"What's going on? You were in a good mood until Ms. Blakely came."

"She said you were engaged to Mr…Mr. Ken…"

"Mr. Kensington?"

"Yeah…Mr. Kensinnn…Mr. K."

Elizabeth chuckled at his attempt to say Charles' last name. She thought it was cute he called Charles Mr. K. "I was never engaged to Charles."

"Charles?"

"Mr. Kensington. I was never engaged to him. We were only friends."

"But Ms. Blakely said you two had dinner and sat close together. She said he kissed you at the end of it."

"We did have dinner together, but we are friends. He kissed me on the cheek."

"Ms. Thatcher, that sounds like a date to me. My mommy said that you only kiss the people you love. Robert said you were courting Mr. Jack?"

Elizabeth was taken back by JJ calling her by her last name. He has never done that before. He would always call her Ms. Elizabeth. She could see the confusion in his eyes.

"We were just friends." She told him again.

She didn't have to look very hard to see the confusion on his face. She wasn't sure how much she should tell a five year old. However, the confusion on his face was breaking her heart. She loved this little boy already and was hurt that he was hurting.

"Why would your friend travel here to propose to you if he knew you were courting someone else? That's not very nice!"

Elizabeth sat silent for a few moments. Instead of pushing aside JJ's feelings, she decided she needed to speak to him about this. He knew more than she thought he did. She began the story in an age appropriate manner. She told JJ that Mr. Kensington did propose but she went back as a friend to talk to her family. She told him about her friendship with Charles and that she was back home to hopefully continue her courtship with Jack.

"Ms. Thatcher, you shouldn't be dating two men. That's not very nice either. I was in trouble with mommy because I had two girlfriends in school last year. She made me breakup with both of them. She told me until I became mature enough to know not to do that, then I couldn't have any girlfriends."

Elizabeth felt like she was being scolded. To be honest, the little kid was right.

"I want to court Jack. I love him." Her heart broke over the little boy's confused expression. "I promise." She smiled. "Now, let's finish reading a little longer and we need to step in and help with the dishes."

With a cautious look on his face, JJ nodded his head in agreement.

…

Jack finally rode into town. He was exhausted. He was tired from the ride, but that wasn't the only problem. He was emotionally and mentally exhausted. He missed his new little buddy. His smile, his laughter, and his humor washed through his mind at the memories of the little boy. Discussing the Toliver gang brought back all the memories of Elizabeth. The trial may be about the Toliver gang, but for Jack, the story was all about Elizabeth and the feelings he recognized during that time. He realized he deeply cared for her. While he received his dream assignment, he didn't want that anymore. He wanted to be with Elizabeth. All the questions from the prosecutor and the memories of that time frame only reminded him of his lost love. He shook his head and turned off the Elizabeth section of his brain. He was becoming effective in doing that.

Jack's first stop when he rode into Hope Valley was at the livery. He needed to get Sergeant settled. His next step was to go and get his boy. It surprised him a little by considering JJ his boy, but the smile at the thought of JJ was imprinted on his heart.

Jack dusted himself off as he slowly walked up the steps of the café and opened the door. There were a couple of customers left over from the lunch rush crowd. He walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. JJ was standing on a chair helping a woman washing dishes at the sink. He didn't pay attention to the lady once his eyes fell on his little boy. Jack cleared his throat. JJ turn around. He yelled when he noticed Jack. "Mr. Jack! Your home!" he jumped off the chair and ran toward Jack. He leaped into Jack's arms for a huge hug. Jack was ready to catch his little boy.

Elizabeth froze when JJ yelled Jack's name. She dropped the plate she was washing into the sink. Then she heard Jack's voice. "JJ! I have missed you!" Elizabeth couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She heard the love in his voice. "Jack…" She softly whispered. She has longed to see him that she thought she may be dreaming. Slowly she turned around.

There he was, hugging the little boy she was quickly falling in love with. Her heart melted at the sight of them together. She thought that's how he would look holding their children when he came home from work. Her love for him grew in that moment. After a few moments, JJ began to tell Jack all about his activities while he was gone on his assignment. When Jack looked up and in the direction of Elizabeth, he quickly looked back down at JJ. It took him a moment for his brain to realize who was standing in front of him. She saw the instant he recognized her. He instantly looked back up and their eyes connected. His breath left his body in complete shock, and he froze.

He stood tall in his uniform. His hair was a little longer than the last time she saw him. He looked tired but was handsome as ever, even with the little bit of day old facial hair. He looked strong but his red serge was loose fitting on him. He lost a little bit of weight. But there was something missing. She looked him from head to toe trying to figure out what was missing. When her eyes returned to his face, she knew instantly. The smile was gone and therefore his dimples were gone.

"Oh, Dimples…" she stated just below a whisper.

Jack and Elizabeth stood staring at each other with his arms around JJ. There were no words spoken. Both Jack and Elizabeth were trying to work out the sight before them. While Elizabeth was looking over Jack, he couldn't help but look at his Bella. Secretly, he named her that nickname from the beginning while talking at the chalk board in the first few days in Hope Valley. He could not understand how a woman could be so beautiful. Three years later, he couldn't understand how a woman was even more beautiful. As his eyes examined her from head to toe, he was lost in emotions. She was beautiful. Her auburn hair flowed over her shoulders with a little bit of wave as her hair laid across her shoulders. I love her hair that way. What am I thinking, I haven't seen her with a bad hair day. Then he noticed the look of her blouse. It was a dark red color. She looks beautiful in red. Then…then Mr. Jaw came to mind. He shouldn't be looking at an engaged woman the way he was looking at her. He slightly shook his head trying to regain control of his mind.

When Elizabeth didn't notice his dimples, her eyes looked up into his eyes. It was there that she saw it. She saw what she wanted to see and then saw what she didn't want to see. She saw the love he had for her. He never had to tell her he loved her. His eyes told her every time she would look into them. It was as if his eyes screamed the fact from the mountain top. She also saw hurt. His look of love became a guarded look of love. Jack was protecting his heart and she could see it. She knew the misunderstanding and her recent decisions caused that hurt that was now showing through his eyes. That hurt make his dimples, the dimples that was just for her, disappear. There was so much she wanted to say, but she couldn't think of anything at that moment. As a matter of fact, if anyone asked her what she was thinking, she wasn't sure if she could think of anything. When the love disappeared and was replaced with hurt, Elizabeth's heart instantly weighed a ton. The weight was crushing her, and she was having trouble breathing. She wanted to run to him and wrap him in her arms and just hold onto him with everything that she possessed, but the pain in his eyes made her unable to move an inch.

Several long moments passed when they just looked at each other. Elizabeth opened her mouth a few times to say something, but no words escaped. Jack wanted to say something, everything, but didn't know how to begin the conversation. The staring between the two young people continued in a tense atmosphere of uncertainty.

Finally, JJ pulled Jack's arm and captured his attention. "Mr. Jack, the schoolteacher is back."

Jack looked up from JJ to Elizabeth. After a few moments, he returned his gaze to the little boy. Jack only nodded his head. Jack returned his gaze to Elizabeth. For the second time in only a matter of a couple of minutes, Elizabeth stole his breath. After opening his mouth, a couple of times trying to speak, words finally escaped on his third attempt to speak.

"I'm surprised you are here, Ms. Thatcher." His voice did not sound confident or as strong as she remembered. They were also not the words he wanted to say, but they were the words that he spoke.

Jack's lack of confidence in his voice and the use of her proper name broke Elizabeth's heart. She was so accustomed to his voice being strong and comforting. She was always put at ease with just the sound of his voice. It was always so strong and confident that it would instantly make her feel safe. She loved the sound of his voice and would often fall asleep with her head on his shoulders listening to him speak.

"Yes, we arrived a couple of days ago." She stated just loud enough for him to hear. She wanted to say more but her emotions had control of the situation.

With a cold tint to his voice, Jack asked. "I'm surprised Mr. Kensington brought you back here. Why are here? Did you forget something? I'm sure Abagail would have sent it to you instead of you traveling all the way back here for it." His cold voice also had a hint of anger and sharpness to it.

Oh no…he thinks I came back with Charles. "Jack, I…"

Elizabeth's statement was cut short by Frank running through the door of the café yelling for Jack. "Jack! Jack! We need you at the sawmill. Something is terribly wrong. Lee is injured."

Jack pulled his eyes away from Elizabeth and looked at Frank. He immediately saw the fear in Frank's face. He then turned his attention to JJ. "JJ, you stay here with Auntie Abagail. I'll be back as soon as I can." He kissed JJ on top of his head. Elizabeth thought it was a fatherly gesture. He turned to Frank and started following him out of the café as fast as they could run. He never looked back at Elizabeth.

She wanted Jack's attention. She almost yelled out to him or even ran after him once he left the café, but she knew he had a job to do. After looking at the door hoping he would magically reappear, she closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. She suddenly felt a small hand wrap around her pinky. She looked down to see a smiling little boy. She was amazed at how quickly this little boy captured a piece of her heart. His smile just magically pulled her in. She wasn't fighting the pull over the last couple of days. She just didn't understand it.

"He'll come back. Mr. Jack says he'll always come back and he doesn't lie."

Elizabeth smile at the little boy.

Abagail came down the stairs when Jack was leaving the café. She started to ask what was going on but stopped when she noticed the interaction between JJ and Elizabeth. Their conversation did not consist of many words. They were communicating through looks and smiles. If Abagail didn't know better, she would have thought that Elizabeth was that boy's mother. What's going on between those two she thought to herself.

Author's Note:

The long awaited talk is next chapter between Jack and Elizabeth.