Chapter 10

Frank matched Jack's stride as they ran down main street toward the sawmill. This gathered everyone's attention, but Jack and Frank didn't pay any attention to the people staring at them.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, Jack. One of the mill workers ran into town yelling for help."

There wasn't another word spoken between the two until they reached the sawmill. The ran toward the crowd of people. Jack took immediate charge of the situation.

There was a wagon filled with rough cut lumber against a large pile of lumber on the ground just in front of a the number two blade. The pile of lumber was pushed up against the blade. Lee was pinned between the pile of lumber and the blade. He was barely conscious. He was moaning but barely moving.

"You four, work the tongue of the wagon loose and turn the wheels the best you can. You two." Jack pointed at two men. "Get another wagon ready to move Lee to the infirmary. You, run into town and tell Nurse Carter that Lee will be in shortly with a severe leg wound."

"We'll start to move as much of this lumber as possible."

"Yes, but be careful. I'll move the lumber around Lee. Frank, please help me." Shouted Jack. "You." Jack looked at a man he did not know. "Get on one of the horses and get a large rope. We'll use the horse to help move this wagon just enough to get him free."

Each man went to work on the task that Jack assigned them. They worked very diligently and in no time, Jack thought enough lumber had been moved to attach the horse.

"Tie the horse to the tongue of the wagon. You don't have to move the wagon very far. Just enough to take the pressure off of the lumber and we can free Lee."

The horse was attached and the man began to encourage the horse to move forward. Several men jumped to the other side of the wagon to help push it. While it was fully loaded, the men and the horse moved it just enough. When the pressure was off Lee enough for him to be moved, Jack picked him up, and with the help of Frank, sat him a few feet away.

"Frank, grab a towel so we can stop the bleeding." By this time, Lee was unconscious. Jack was grateful so Lee wouldn't feel any pain. Jack took a couple of moments to removed any large splinters he could before Frank came back with the towel.

"You two, help us get him on the wagon."

The four men picked up Lee and carried him to the wagon that just arrived. They positioned him in the back area. Jack retightened the towel and told one of the men to told it tight. You two go with them and help get Mr. Colter in the infirmary. He looked at the man sitting on the bench seat holding the reigns. "Get him there in a hurry, but make sure you don't toss him out the back."

"Yes, constable." The man stated. Jack jumped off the wagon and the man instantly yelled for the horses to get going.

Everyone stood around for a few moments just looking at each other. No one said anything. They were trying to process everything that happened.

Jack stepped forward a couple of steps. "Did anyone see what happened?"

Jack noticed a lot of head shaking and shrugging their shoulders, but no one said anything. Finally, one man spoke up.

"That shipment was supposed to go to the railroad today. It's the lunch hour, no one should have been here, even Mr. Coulter."

"Yeah." Another man spoke. "No one is here at this time. Everyone was at lunch."

"Thanks. Alright, everyone goes home except for the foreman and lead man. Come back to work tomorrow at the normal time."

Slowly, the men began to disperse and grab their stuff to go home. The foreman and lead man stepped forward to Jack and Frank. "I'm Gabe, the foreman and this is Jess, he's the lead man. What may we do for you constable?"

…

"What are you two up too?" Abagail asked.

Elizabeth turned around and offered her sis a smile. "Jack left with Frank. Evidently there was an accident at the mill."

"Do you know what happened?"

"I don't know."

"Auntie Abagail, may I go out and play for a while? I want to read my book but I can do that later."

"You like to read?" Elizabeth asked.

"I love to read. My mommy was a teacher and she taught me. I still have trouble with the big words, but she always said I was doing really well."

"Thanks great. Why do you like to read?" Asked a surprised Elizabeth.

"Well, I can go on any adventure the book leads me on and I don't have to leave my bedroom. I get kind of lost in the book's story. It's exciting. I want to visit some of those places when I get older, but mommy always said a five year old can't travel like that."

Elizabeth's smile only grew at his statements. That was why she loved to read so much. She would get lost in the story and imagine that she was on the adventure along with the characters of the book. She was amazed at how much this boy and her had in common. It only cemented the place in her heart that he already occupied.

"Sure. Catch up with some of the boys but no playing in the pond this time."

"Awe man…" Elizabeth smiled at JJ's moaned.

When he quickly walked out of the café, Abagail turned to Elizabeth. "I forgot how rambunctious little boys can be."

"He seems like a great kid."

"He is, Elizabeth. How many stories did he trick you into reading to him last night?"

Elizabeth blushed. "Five."

"Jack tries to keep it to two."

"Well, let's not tell him then. How many do you read him?"

"Four, but I'm the auntie. I'm allowed." Laughed Abagail.

"I hate to hear the news about his parents."

"It was really bad. He is adjusting well. Jack is doing a great job of raising him. I know it's only been a week or so, but Jack loves that boy."

"You should have seen him when Jack came in. JJ just lit up like a firework."

"Did you and Jack talk?"

"Very briefly. He asked me why I came back. He said he was surprised Charles brought me back here. That if I left something behind, you would have mailed it to me."

"He still thinks you're engaged."

Elizabeth lowered her head. The look of hurt on his face and in his tone unnerved her. It felt like she was punched in the stomach. She just didn't sense the hurt, she physically felt it.

"Yeah…I have a long way to go before he will trust me again."

"Is that what you want?" Abagail prodded her younger sister and friend. Abagail smile grew when Elizabeth's body posture changed from defeated to strength.

"It's a start." Elizabeth raised her head. Her shoulders lifted with confidence. "I want his trust, his love, his companionship, his ring, and the rest of his life. Oh Abagail…I want to marry that man! I want to experience life with him. I want to face whatever this life throws at us with him by my side. I want his children, his laugh, his dreams…Abagail, I want everything with him!"

"How are you going to do that?"

"It's going to be a long process. I will begin with step one…we need to talk."

"I'm praying for you, but Elizabeth, you have to understand this is a mountain of a task."

"I'm a Thatcher, Abagail. I don't run or shrink from a challenge. I will love him until he figures this out."

"And if he doesn't?"

"He will…eventually."

Abagail shook her head slightly. Jack was hurt by her actions. She could tell he has begun to reshape his life without Elizabeth in it. She wasn't sure how Elizabeth could fix this.

"I hope so." She stated to herself.

…

"Frank and I are going to look around. Please stay close by in case we have any questions."

"I'll stay close to you, Constable. Jess can go with Pastor Frank."

"Perfect. Frank and Jess, would you look around where the wagon was parked before it began to move. Look for anything suspicious and let me know if you find anything. I want to look at the wagon."

"Yes." Frank stated. He and Jess walked to where the wagon was park and began to look around They saw several boot prints but that was expected with so many men loading the wagon. They spent thirty minutes looking around the general area hoping for something…anything.

Jack stood and stared at the wagon. Gabe stood beside him for the first few minutes. After that, he became a little uncomfortable just standing there. He didn't know what Jack was doing. Jack slowly walked around the wagon from a distance. Then he walked to the front of the wagon and began to closely look it over.

"Gabe, did you hear anything unusual?"

"No. We only heard it when it hit the pile of lumber. Then we heard Mr. Coulter yell."

"What would have happened if the wagon hit the blade?"

"Even though it hit the pile of lumber, the sheer weight of the wagon would bent the blade."

"Are they easily fixed?"

"No. It would have caused a lot of problems. First, we would fallen behind on getting the orders out. Secondly, that blade would have been ruined. They are costly to replace. It would easily take a week for a new one to come in."

"Does Mr. Coulter have any enemies?"

"No sir. He hasn't had to fire anyone in a few months now. We have a really good crew."

"Anyone quit in that time frame?"

"Just one guy, but the family moved away."

Jack nodded his head. He continued to walk around the wagon. Finally, he laid down on the ground and crawled under the wagon. Frank and Jess joined Gabe standing by the wagon.

"We didn't see anything out of the ordinary." Franks stated.

"Thanks. Gabe and Jess, go ahead and go home. Be here early in the morning and have things ready for the men to get to work. They need to stay busy."

"Yeah." Gabe stated. "We have a lot of orders to go out. This will put us behind."

"Business is good?"

"Yes, Pastor. We have about all the orders we can handle with the two blades going constantly."

…

Faith met the wagon at the front of the infirmary. "Get him inside on the first table on the left."

"Yes, ma'am. The men knew Nurse Faith and trusted her. She has seen many of them due to their injuries at the mill. She always thought they would be more injuries, but Mr. Coulter did well by his employees.

Once the men had Lee on the table, she turned her attention to the men. "One of you please stay with me for a little bit to help. The other three can go." She heard four voices say, "Yes, ma'am."

"How long has he been unconscious?"

"When we all arrived to where he was at, he was kind of in and out. He was moaning. He was unconscious when we moved him on the wagon."

Faith nodded her head. She took the towel off his leg. Lee's injury was mostly on his foot and ankle. He had plenty of splinters, two large cuts, and a broken leg. She took her time to make sure she got out all the pieces of wood out of his leg and foot. Then she thoroughly cleaned each wound. She didn't want Lee to have any infection later on. He was going to take some time to heal from this broken bones and cuts. With the help of the man who stayed behind, she made a splint for his leg. She wanted to keep it immobile. When all of that was done, she gave him two shots. One for the possible infection and the other one for pain. She knew he would be in pain when he woke up.

"Thanks for your help. He has some recovery to do, but he will be fine in time. You can go ahead and go back."

"Thank you for taking care of him."

…

"Hey Frank. Would you mind to crawl under here for a moment?"

"Sure. What do you see?"

"I'm not sure."

Frank looked at the break block Jack showed him. The wire that operated the braking system was broken. It wasn't a jagged break. It was a clean break, like someone cut the cable.

"Jack, with that not working, there was nothing that was holding the wagon back."

"That's what I'm thinking. I don't now that much about wagons, but when a heavy wagon doesn't have a brake that's working properly, there is a potential huge accident."

"I agree." Frank stated. "There are three wagons here including this one. The other three have wheel chocks. Jess and I didn't see any wheel chocks where this wagon was parked."

Jack took a moment to look around to see what Frank was saying. He was right. This was the only wagon that didn't have wheel chocks.

"You think it's intentional, don't you?" Frank asked hesitantly.

"I do, but let's keep that to ourselves. I can't get ahead of myself. I don't want to miss something if I'm convinced it's something else."

"I agree. Do you think it was against Lee?"

"I'm not sure. Lee is a good guy and I believe him to be a good boss, but there is always a chance someone didn't like him. Maybe an employee or a former employee? It could be a competitor?"

"That makes sense." Frank stated.

"Let's go and check on Lee. Faith should be finished working on him."

…

Jack and Frank were walking down main street toward the infirmary. JJ ran up to him with Robert and Cilas.

"Hey young man." Jack stated as he gave him a hug. "What are you doing?"

"Playing with my two friends. Auntie Abagail said I could play for a while and then read later."

"That sounds like a good day."

"I heard there was an accident."

"Yes. Mr. Coulter had an accident. Now, run along and have fun."

Before JJ ran off, Jack saw his mother walking down the sidewalk. "Hey JJ, before you run off, I would like to introduce you to someone."

"Sure." JJ said with a smile.

Jack and JJ walked toward his mother. "Hey, Ma. This is a surprise. It's great to see you."

"You too son. Who's this little one?" Charlette asked. JJ was standing beside Jack.

"Do you remember Steve from the academy?"

"Sure, he was your academy brother. He married a very nice young lady, but I don't remember her name."

"Her name was Joy."

"Was?"

"Yeah…Both her and Steve was killed in an accident."

JJ pulled on Jack's hand to capture his attention. When Jack looked down at him, he saw a huge smile on the boy's face. He knew what was coming.

"It's yes." JJ smirked while correcting him.

Charlette and Jack both laughed at the boy's correction.

"Yes." Jack corrected himself. "Anyways, JJ is their son. They had it in their will that I would be Jack's guardian if something happened to them. Steve called him JJ. It means Jack Junior. They named him after me."

"Wow!" She smiled. "That's awesome that you two have the same name." Charlette smiled at JJ. This little boy's smile made her think of Jack when he was a little boy.

"He's living with me now."

Charlette smiled at the two. She always thought Jack would make a good father. Everything was beginning to sink in.

"Has his cooking improved any?"

"No ma'am." JJ stated shaking his head vigorously.

"Hey!" Jack tried to sound offended.

"I'm sorry JJ. I can't cook either. He probably learned from me."

"That's ok. He's trying."

"JJ, this is my Ma." Jack interrupted their little conversation at his expense.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Thornton."

"Good afternoon, JJ."

"I'm sorry, but I must get going. I need to check on Mr. Coulter." Jack gave his ma a kiss on her check and ruffled JJ's hair. "You have fun young man and listen to Auntie Abagail."

"Yes, sir."

"Hey Jack…come by and see me later. Your hair is way too long. You need a haircut."

Jack rolled his eyes. "It's fine Ma."

"No son, it's way to long." She emphasized the word 'way'. "Come and see me later." She stated in her mother's voice.

…

Charlette walked into the café. She smiled at Elizabeth and Abagail as they sat at a table. There were only two other ladies drinking a cup of tea.

"Ms. Thorton, this is Abagail. Abagail, this is Jack's mother, Ms. Charlette Thornton."

"So, you are the famous Abagail." Smiled Charlette. "My son speaks so highly of you. It is great to meet you."

"You too. Jack is so proud of you."

The ladies spent a few minutes getting to know each other better. The conversation didn't take long before Charlette was asking Elizabeth what she was going to with Jack. Elizabeth shared her thoughts with Charlette that she shared earlier with Abagail.

"That's great dear. I must warn you, he will lose his tongue. You may have to draw things out of him."

"I remember that from when we first met." Elizabeth shook her head at the memories.

"He's always been that way with new people or when he is confused. He's confused with how you handled everything and then not contacting him. I bet he still thinks you are engaged to that other fella."

"He does."

"Be patient with him. At first, he will be quiet and try to avoid the conversation. Then at some point he will explode. If you can make it through his explosion, you are halfway home. Let him feel what he's feeling. Answer his questions honestly. Jack doesn't like it when he thinks someone is lying to him."

"Thanks for the insights."

…

Jack and Frank walked into the infirmary and witnessed Faith sitting at her desk working on paperwork. They noticed Lee sleeping on a bed close to the side wall. He looked peaceful.

"I hope I don't look like that when I'm doing paperwork." Laughed Jack.

"And what does that mean?" Sassed Faith.

"You look like you were mad at the world." Laughed Frank.

"Then I do look like that when I do my mountie paperwork." Jack laughed and shook his head. "How is Lee doing?"

"He'll be ok. It will take some time. He has a broken leg, two large gashes – one on the bottom of his foot and one on the side. It's going to take him some time to heal, but he'll be fine."

"That's great." Jack paused. "Was there anything strange about his injuries? Something that was out of the normal?"

Faith thought about it for a minute. "No. From my viewpoint, the injuries are consistent with what the guys told me happen. Mr. Coulter has some bruising around his foot, ankle, and leg but I would expect that with being pinned between the saw blade, the pile of wood and the wagon full of lumber."

"Thanks Faith."

"Jack, I don't want to think about what could have happened if the saw blade was running."

"Me too."

They talked with Frank for a few minutes. Faith shared all the information she had. Jack was grateful Faith was in Hope Valley. She would never admit to it, but she was a great nurse.

"When do you think I can speak with Mr. Coulter?"

"Maybe later today but probably tomorrow. He will sleep a while today. When he wakes up, he will be pretty groggy."

"Thanks Faith. You have been great."

…

"So, what are you thinking?" Frank asked as they walked to the jail.

"I'm not too sure yet. I'm grateful Lee is going to be ok. I hate that it will take a few weeks for him to get back to normal, but I'm glad he will."

"Do you think it's personal against him?"

"It's still way too early to tell. I'm certain it was deliberate. It would make sense that it was toward him, but I'm not at the point to say that just yet."

"That makes sense."

"I'm going back to the mill. I want to look everything over again while it's still fresh in my head."

"Want me to go with you?"

"No. I'm good."

They stopped on the top of the steps at the jail. They looked over the town for a few minutes. They nodded and spoke to a few individuals who walked by.

"So…"

"I just don't know yet. If Elizabeth left something behind, I don't understand why they would come back and get it. She could have just telegrammed or wrote a letter to Abagail. She would have shipped it back to her."

"What do you mean 'they'?"

"Her and Mr. Kensington."

"He didn't come back with her. Jack, I honestly don't think they are engaged."

"He shouldn't have let her travel by herself. What kind of man does that?"

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Frank…I know she accepted his proposal. I heard every single word. She left without telling me the truth. I didn't receive anything from her while she was gone."

Frank really couldn't say anything. If he was in Jack's shoes, he would have thought the same way. He knew Elizabeth was determined to win Jack back, but he didn't know if that was a possibility. He let out a deep sigh.

"JJ is with Abagail. I'll be by the café later. Take your time. He is taken care of."

"Thanks Frank."

…

Frank headed toward the café while Jack took another moment to look around the town. He stepped into the jail to pick up a sketch pad. He wasn't sure if he needed it, but he wanted to make sure he had something to write or draw on. When he came back out, he noticed Faith stepped out of the infirmary.

"Hey Faith," He stated as he stepped off the steps and walked toward her. "Any news on Mr. Coulter?"

"Nothing yet. I'm just heading to the mercantile to pick up some supplies."

"Care if I walk with you till then?"

"Sure."

They walked on the side of main street walking toward the mercantile. They really didn't talk about anything important. Just catching up on Lee's condition. She also shared with Jack that she was going to rent one of the row houses since she was moving to Hope Valley.

Unbeknown to them, Elizabeth walked by the front door of the café. She looked out and saw Jack and Faith walking down the street talking. A streak of jealousy ran down her spine. She took a deep breath to squash that emotion. She knew Jack had her heart. She also knew that, at one time, he knew he had her heart. Another deep breath calmed her, but she continued to watch the two of them talk. By this time, she wasn't noticing Faith. Her eyes were only focused on Jack. She turned as they passed the café and continued to watch him. When they reached the mercantile, she smiled as he nodded his head toward Faith and turned to walk down the street toward the sawmill.

Frank scared her when he knocked on the door. She jumped as she quickly turned her head to see his smirk.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she opened the door with her hand over her chest. He couldn't open it because she was standing in front of it.

"I could ask you the same question." Frank smirked.

"I was…I was…"

"Staring. You were staring. That's the word you were looking for Ms. Thatcher." He sassed. "Or maybe the word you're looking for was stalking?"

"That's enough from you, pastor." Elizabeth returned the smirk.

"He's going back to the sawmill to take another look. Faith stepped out of the infirmary as he stepped out of the jail."

"I wasn't concerned."

"You know it's bad to lie to a pastor, don't you?"

"Abagail is in the kitchen" Elizabeth quickly changed the subject.

…

Jack spent an hour walking the sawmill. He examined the other wagons and noticed firsthand the wheel chocks that was around each tire. The cables on their breaks were in good condition. Every wagon was in perfect working condition. Jack couldn't pass the feeling that this was intentional. However, he had basically no proof of it. He wanted to stay a little longer, but he knew it was getting late. He still had to fill out his reports and then pick up JJ.

Jack knew that JJ was with Abagail, but he didn't know where Elizabeth was staying. He was grateful for the busyness of the day. It kept his mind off seeing Elizabeth. As he walked back to the jail, he kept thinking how beautiful she was. Many things in life just doesn't live up to what you mind portrays. However, Elizabeth was by far more beautiful in person than his memories. He smiled at her, but he also felt remorse for his lost love. He scolded himself for feeling this. He prided himself on moving on. "How can she still have this effect on me?" He asked himself.

Jack lowered his head and forced himself to think about the case. He made himself tune Elizabeth out of his mind. He assumed she would be at the café staying with Abagail. He would just quickly pick up JJ and head home. If he was lucky, JJ was outside playing like he normally was.

…

"Sir," the man got the attention of the gentleman sitting at the table. After taking his seat, he began with the telegram he just received. "The first step was done today. There was a problem."

"What problem?"

"Everything went as planned. However, the sawmill owner, Mr. Lee Coulter, was injured."

"You told me that no one was going to get hurt!"

"He shouldn't have been there. Our man watched the operation for four days. Everyday, no one was there during that time frame. Everyone was on lunch. He shouldn't have been there."

"Will he be ok?"

"Yes. He has a leg injury but he will be fine."

"Should we pull back on this?"

"No sir. The ultimate plan is intact. The first step didn't damage the blade like we wanted. However. The injury to Mr. Coulter will have almost the same effect on the sawmill."

"You promised me nothing would happen to anyone."

"Yes sir. He shouldn't have been there. We will continue with step two in two days."

The plan was to increase the damage to the sawmill with each step until the sawmill would be so crippled it couldn't fulfill their orders. As a result, it would have to close. The first thought was to destroy the sawmill all in one step. After a little discussion, they thought that would bring too much attention. It wouldn't be easily explained. If the sawmill was destroyed over several days, through several accidents, it wouldn't bring too much unwanted interest by authorities. Everything would just be dismissed as several unfortunate accidents. Over time, the accidents would prevent the mill from completing orders in times. This would cause the mill to lose customers and eventually close.

"Should we wait until things die down a little?"

"No sir. The second accident is completely different that the wagon mishap. No one can connect the two. Our inside guy will do this in two days."

"Are you sure he is the right guy for the job?"

"Yes sir. Beginning with step two, we have to have a specialist. He is the guy. He will pay closer attention to his surroundings. Sir, you have to understand, this was a accident. Mr. Coulter shouldn't have been there. It was just a freak accident."

"Let's not have a reoccurrence of this again." The gentleman stated with authority.

"Absolutely."

…

Jack leaned back in his office chair and let out a long breath and a slight growl. He was tired. He glanced out the window and noticed it was dark. He didn't realize how late it was. He was just so concentrated on finishing his paperwork. Lee was his good friend, he wanted to make sure everything was in order to solve this case. Faith stepped in earlier in the evening to tell Jack it would be better to check on Lee tomorrow. He was just too groggy and in too much pain to be in any shape to communicate effectively.

Jack stood and grabbed his hat. He wasn't sure of the time, but he needed to get JJ home and in bed. He knew Abagail would have served him dinner. She was an auntie who absolutely spoiled the little boy. He was grateful for Abagail's help with JJ. He didn't think he could do this without her. He loved his job, but he was in love with that little guy. He knew he had to manage his time better so he could raise JJ like he deserved.

Walking from the jail lost in thought, he didn't see or hear his mother call to him. "Jack! Jack!" she finally reached him and touched his shoulder. This made him winch with her touch. "Are you still hurting?"

"Only after a long day and today was one of those days. I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you before now."

"That's ok Jack. I know you are busy. Do you have time to talk now?"

I would love to talk to you, but can we wait until tomorrow? I am exhausted. I still need to pick up JJ from Abagail's and get him home for bed. I am already past his bedtime, and I haven't even feed him yet."

"I'm sure Abagail took great care of him. I know she was busy and out of the café a lot of today."

"If she was out of the café, who took care of JJ?"

"I think Elizabeth did, but I'm not sure." Charlette knew she had taken care of JJ. The plan formed by Charlette and Abagail to bring Elizabeth and Jack back together was officially under way. They needed to get together and talk, but they didn't know how they were going to do that. Abagail had a plan after seeing how each Elizabeth and Jack were with JJ. She knew they both loved him. So, that was the common ground. JJ would be the way to bring them together. They wasn't going to have JJ do anything other than be the precious little boy that he already was.

"Elizabeth?" Jack sighed. "Why would she do that? When would she have time with that Mr. Kensington here?"

"What are you talking about? That Charles fellow isn't here."

"Mom, he came back to Hope Valley with Elizabeth. I just don't know why they are here. There is no reason for them to be here."

"Jack, I think you really need to talk to Elizabeth. You think you know what is going on, but you don't know the whole story."

"Mom, it's late. Can we talk about this tomorrow? I just need to pick up JJ, feed him, and get him home to bed."

"That's fine Jack. Be careful going home. I will see you tomorrow. I am staying at the saloon in room number eight." She smiled at Jack and gave him a quick hug and kiss on his cheek.

Jack was confused with his conversation with his mother. Walking to the café, he didn't know how his mom knew Elizabeth wasn't with Charles. How did she know who Elizabeth was? They have never met. Jack just laughed at himself. The women in his life had been very confusing lately. The more he tried to figure them out, the more he didn't understand. That's why Mounties don't marry he thought as he climbed the steps outside of the café.

Jack slowly opened the side door and slipped into the living area of the café. The café's front door was already locked. He scolded himself for losing track of time and being so late to pick JJ up. He turned around after closing the door. When his eyes focused, he instantly stopped and lost his breath. He tried to breathe, but air just didn't fill his lungs.

Before him, Elizabeth was laying on the couch on her left side. Her back was against the back of the couch. Her head was resting on a small pillow on the arm of the couch. JJ was laying on his left side with his back against her. Her left arm was under JJ's head and resting on his right side in a protective manner. Her right arm was laying across his stomach tucked in beneath him holding him in place. Jack immediately thought this was a very motherly act. Somehow, they fell asleep on the couch laying together and Elizabeth was holding onto him just like a protective mother.

Jack was lost in his thoughts. Secretly he would imagine Elizabeth with their children doing something just like this. The image in front of him was the same image in his daydreams. Elizabeth was stunningly beautiful laying on her side with JJ in her arms. Elizabeth looked so peaceful laying down holding his boy.

Jack closed his eyes. He could easily see the imagine in front of him inside their home. The home on the hill built to her specifications. The large mantle with her and JJ sleeping in front of it, maybe with a crib beside the couch with a little baby laying in it. Rip laying between the couch and crib. He inhaled and could smell the perfect smell of his home. The smell of Elizabeth's shampoo and perfume filled his nose along with the smell of books that lined a large bookshelf opposite the fireplace. He could see the bright colors of the walls that Elizabeth has chosen the paint colors.

When Jack opened his eyes, the image was still in front of him. His beautiful Elizabeth laying on a couch with JJ protectively in her arms. Jack's eyes were concentrated on her beautiful face. His smile grew. Then his attention slowly made their way down her body. Her body narrowed at her slender waist but he noticed her form began to increase when his eyes noticed her perfectly shaped hip.

Suddenly, Jack shook his head. He rubbed his eyes and let out a very long sigh. He should not be thinking of someone else's finance like this.

Author's Note:

In rewriting this chapter, I began to add a few things that I thought allowed the story to flow better and add to the story lines. I didn't realize how much I added until I looked when I was finished. The chapter was way too long with Jack's and Elizabeth's conversation. I also had trouble finding a natural chapter break. So, I made their conversation the next chapter.

I realized I needed to push back Jack and Elziabeth's conversation until the next chapter. I apologize for unintentionally misleading everyone in saying the discussion would be in this chapter. To make it up to you, the next chapter, which I promise will have the conversation, will be posted in a day or two.

I hope you are enjoying this story. Have a great day!