Chapter 37
Elizabeth sat at the table working on wedding items. She wanted to work at the school to be prepared for the beginning of school, especially with the wedding coming quickly. She knew they would be taking a honeymoon. She didn't know where or how long, but she knew that would eat into the time she had to get things ready for the children.
Elizabeth sat back at the table watching everyone plan the women's party and other wedding details. However, she just wasn't concentrating on the conversation that played out in front of her. She heard the ladies, but her mind was on the meeting between Jack and Abagail.
Jack and Elizabeth spoke about his job that morning. It was a good conversation. Both of them laid out their reasonings and expressed their thoughts. They didn't necessarily come to an agreement, but an understanding. She felt that being a mountie was always important to Jack and he shouldn't give up on his dream. Jack kept correcting her phrase 'give up on his dream' by saying that portion of his dream was already fulfilled. Her argument was that he was so good that he was being promoted a good five years early. His argument was that his dream had changed.
Jack made sense in his argument that his dream could change. Dreams can change and usually do throughout a person's life, but Jack was still young, and he was in the middle of his profession and doing exceptionally well. That was her argument. He shouldn't walk away in the middle of his success. She stated with conviction that she would handle being a wife of a mountie. She stressed that she was capable of taking care of JJ for the six to eight weeks that Jack would be gone. She tried to convince Jack that this was just temporary. Jack's argument was that if they would send him away once, they could very possibly send him away again and again.
Elizabeth did understand the fact that Jack wanted to be home. Honestly, she wanted him home too, but she did understand that was part of his job. Jack made an excellent point about his father passing away and he missed out so much because of his father's death. With JJ already losing his mother and father, Jack was concerned that something else would happen. By all means, JJ was his boy now. He thought like a father and loved like one too.
Elizabeth understood that JJ was the beginning of Jack's dream. When JJ came home with him, he almost immediately thought like a father. His desire to come home each evening grew daily. She remembered Jack's frustration concerning working too late to take care of his boy. They have had several conversations concerning that topic. Jack also insisted that she played a part of wanting to be home each night. She may not have been the primary catalyst in the beginning, but she certainly played a major role when she won Jack back.
Elizabeth remembered the conversation ending with her standing in Jack's embrace. It wasn't an intimate embrace, but she loved being close to him. She stated her point of view the best she could. Both of them made good points. She thought Jack was leaning in a certain direction. She truly thought he had his mind made up. The conversation was nice and in depth. She was heard and they bounced thoughts off each other. She was hoping this was how all their important conversations would go. Both spoke their mind and felt respected by the other. She stood in Jack's embrace, "Jack, you know what I think. However, ultimately this is your career, and you need to be happy with your decision. I will fully support your decision, no matter what you choose. We aren't married yet, but Jack, we are already one. Where you go or what you do, I go with you or do it with you." She smiled when his lips crashed on her.
Elizabeth sighed thinking about what Jack was going to do. She had her opinion and then her thoughts concerning it all. The ladies kept talking, but her mind continued to be on Jack.
"Elizabeth, what do you think?"
Elizabeth's head shot up at the mention of her name. "Oh, I'm sorry…what?"
"The flowers Elizabeth. What do you think?"
" I like flowers."
…
Jack left Abagail's office completely content with his decision. He could be a daily husband to Elizabeth and daily father to JJ. His smile only grew at the thought. The pay was a little more than what he was making with the mounties. He would still have use of the jail. He already knew most people in Hope Valley and got along with them well. The first two years were guaranteed. The next three years would be by vote of the city council. Then he would be up for election every five years. He didn't like that portion of the job but was confident that if he did a good job, that shouldn't be a problem in the years to come when he was up for reelection. If he wasn't reelected, then he and Elizabeth would figure out the next step together.
The discussions he and Elizabeth had over the last few days proved that thought to be very true. In their discussion on varies topics, they have handled things well. They each shared their thoughts and expressed them in a well thought out manner. Emotions were kept in check. They discussed it until they reached an agreement. Jack knew they could face anything that came their way.
Jack's smile grew when he heard his little boy's voice. He also heard his steps coming behind him. Jack turned to see his boy.
"Hey young man. What are you up too?"
"Just playing. You?"
"Just doing some work."
They fell in step very quickly. Jack watched his boy for a few seconds. Something was off. He was much quieter than normal. It was very normal for JJ to carry on the conversation. Today, his boy was quiet.
"What's on that mind of yours?"
"Nothing." JJ kicked a small rock in front of him.
"Let's try this again."
JJ let out a sigh. Jack was good at this dad thing. "When you and mommy get married, will she change her last name?"
The question threw Jack for a moment. He wasn't expecting that. "Well, we haven't talked about it. I'm assuming she'll change her name to Thornton."
JJ nodded his head. Jack could see his little boy's mind working. He knew the jail was full of prisoners and mounties. He assumed the café would be a little busy with people. So, he directed his boy to the back of the buildings. They ended up sitting on the back porch of the café. A couple of the mounties were on the back porch of the jail working on washing their laundry.
Jack and JJ sat down, and Jack placed his hand on his boy's shoulder. With a smile that comforted his boy, Jack told him to spill. JJ took a deep breath.
"Now, your last name is Thornton. Mommy's last name is Thatcher. My last name is Johnson."
"That's true." Jack lightly squeezed JJ's shoulder to encourage him to continue.
"My name is Jack Johnson. I've been called JJ since I can remember."
"I like it."
"Me too. But when you are married, you and mommy will be Thornton."
A few seconds after JJ made his statement, JJ's problem became very clear to Jack. He nodded his head.
"So, of the three of us, I will be the only one whose last name is different. If you and mommy have a baby, their name will be Thornton too."
"That's true, but that doesn't make you any less my son. Our last names are different now."
"True…" JJ's voice was soft. "…but when you two are married, I'll be the only one with a different last name."
"So, you want to change your last name?"
"Maybe…kinda…yeah…I don't know..." JJ stuttered through his words.
"We talked about this before, Mommy and I can adopt you if you want. You can change your last name or keep it as Johnson."
"I like Johnson. It's my daddy's name in heaven. I don't want to forget him."
Jack slid his arm around his boy and pulled him closer to him until they were touching. "You will never forget your daddy in heaven. Remember, he lives in your heart forever. He will always be with you. What if we adopt you and you keep your last name of Johnson?"
"Then I will still have a different last name." He sighed a long breath out.
Jack could tell that this was a huge struggle for his boy. He wanted the name of Thornton like his mommy and any potential siblings because he wanted to be part of this family. However, he didn't want to lose the connection with his daddy and mommy in heaven.
Elizabeth was standing in the back doorway. She saw her two boys walk toward the café and then around the café to the back. She wanted to check on them, but stopped when she heard the deep discussion the two were having. She wanted to step in and help, but she had a feeling this was a father and son discussion. She admired Jack for the father that he is.
"There is another option that we can do."
"Yeah…" JJ looked up. He believed in Jack. He has learned that over the time they have been together.
"Mommy's name is Elizabeth Marie Thatcher. My name is Thomas Jack Thornton."
"Ok…"
"We have three names. You only have two. Jack Johnson."
"That's true. I do like JJ."
"I like it too. What if we do this? We continue to call you JJ. What if we change you name a little and give you a third name?"
"What do you mean?"
"What if we call you Jack Johnson Thornton? You keep your parent's name and that connection with them, and you have the last name of Thornton. That will give you a connection to this family. So, you will belong to both families. Plus, that gives you three names just like us."
JJ thought about it for a moment. Jack watched his smile grow. "I like that. I have three names like you two and I have your last name like you and mommy. Plus, I keep the Johnson name like my mommy and daddy in heaven."
"That's very true. Plus, Jack Johnson Thornton has a nice sound to it."
"Yeah, I like it!"
"Me too. So, you want us to adopt you?"
"Yes. I want to stay with you and mommy and have your last name and a new middle name." JJ bounced with pride.
"We need to ask mommy, but I know she will want to do it. We just have to petition the court. That will take a little bit of time, but we should be able to do it somewhat quickly."
"May we ask mommy soon?"
"Absolutely." Jack offered his happy boy a smile.
Elizabeth wiped away a stream of tears that were overflowing her eye lids. The conversation touched her heart. She loved her family and couldn't wait to be a family. She was very eager to adopt her boy. That would make it legal, but in her heart, JJ was already her boy, with or without a piece of paper.
Elizabeth watched JJ give Jack a hug. He then jumped off the porch and ran toward the pond. She just knew he was going to get wet. She wiped another tear and then cleared her throat.
"I knew you were close by." Jack sassed.
"How did you know?"
"I just know you." Jack patted the floor beside him. Elizabeth quickly sat down beside her fiancé. They reached for each other's hand at the same time.
"So, how does it feel to be the first sheriff of Hope Valley?"
"It hasn't settled yet…wait! How did you know?"
"I think I know my future husband."
"Are you ok with it?"
"Are you?"
"I am. It's a little weird to think about it, but I am. I look forward to it."
Elizabeth settled with her head on his shoulder. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
"Jack…are you sure you will be ok with this? I don't want you to regret this decision and hold it against me later."
"I'm ok with it. I love the fact that I will be home with you and JJ every day. I won't have to travel very much, and I will not be transferred somewhere else for weeks or months at a time. We talked this through."
"I like that fact too, but Jack…"
"Elizabeth…I want to be a husband and father. To be the husband and father that I want to be, I need to be here, with my family. I've already accepted the position. You are stuck with me." Elizabeth smiled but didn't raise her head from Jack's shoulder. "I begin work after my end date with the mounties."
"When is that?"
"I'm not sure yet. I have a week off for our wedding and honeymoon."
"Will they transfer you before then?"
"They can't if I appeal the transfer. That begins the Process of Appeals. Once that begins, I'm to remain at my current post until it is decided. By then, it will most likely be after my end date or very close to it. My end date may move a little with the time I have built up. We'll have to wait and see what the final word is."
"Ok, I guess we just wait to hear final word."
"I love that you say 'we'."
"It's how I feel and think. Now, we just wait. Oh Jack…I wouldn't use the word 'stuck'."
…
JJ looked up from the pond and noticed Mr. P walking toward the hill. He ran and caught up to him.
"Where are you going?"
"Remember our little secret?"
"Yeah." He excitedly answered. "Can I go with you?"
"May I go with you?"
"That's what I said." He playfully smirked.
"Let's go young man. We are going to set out the stakes where the house will go. Mr. Coulter is sending out some men to Mr. Johnston's place tomorrow to begin cutting down some trees."
"The steaks show us where the house will be?"
"Yes. We will have to measure everything out and get some numbers together so we will know many trees to cut down."
"I'm really good with numbers."
"Great. You can help me with that. We have a bunch of river rocks that we need to sort out. Do you think you can help me with that?"
"Sure, when we know the size of the house, I can figure out how many rocks you will need."
"Can you really do that?"
"Sure."
"How old are you?"
"Five years and ten months."
"Well…Elizabeth said you were smart."
…
Jack and Elizabeth walked into the café. They were looking for Mr. Lewis. They needed to share with him Elizabeth's decision about the company. William and the other prisoners were scheduled to leave in the morning. They figured that Mr. Lewis would be leaving soon for Medicine Hat.
Jack opened the door and placed his hand on the small of Elizabeth's back to guide her into the café. To be honest, he loved how the small of her back felt. When Elizabeth walked into the café, she immediately noticed Mr. Lewis sitting at a table. He smiled and nodded for them to join him.
"Good afternoon Ms. Thatcher and Mr. Thornton. I hope you two are well."
"We are. You?" Elizabeth stated as Jack nodded.
"I'm good."
"Do you have time to discuss a couple of things?"
"Sure. What is on your mind?"
Jack nodded toward Elizabeth. He wanted her to go first since it was her business. She knew what he was doing, and she wasn't too happy about it. It was their business now not her business.
"Mr. Lewis, we have come to a decision regarding the company." Elizabeth emphasized the word 'we'. Jack took notice of what she did. He could only shake his head.
"Great. Now, we need to establish something first. As of now, I am the head lawyer for Thatcher Shipping and the personal lawyer for William Thatcher. Elizabeth, as CEO, you need to make a decision on me…"
"Mr. Lewis, I would like for you to remain the head lawyer for Thatcher Shipping and for my father. Do you have a conflict with that?"
"No Ms. Thatcher. There is no conflict with that. I would like to remain the head lawyer for Thatcher Shipping."
"And for my father?"
"If he accepts the plea deal. I have warned him to take it or else."
"Thank you, Mr. Lewis."
"I have known you your whole life. I would enjoy serving you in this capacity."
Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement. She was excited that he would remain as the company's lawyer. She reached for Jack's hand. She wanted to portray a sense of unity.
"Now with that settled, we have come to a decision about Thatcher Shipping and my role in it."
Teddy nodded his head for her to continue.
"Jack and I will be assuming the role of CEO and owner."
"Co-owners and co-CEOs?"
Jack and Elizabeth nodded their heads in unison.
"That's a little odd."
"Maybe so, but I decide this, correct?"
"Yes, you do."
"Then that is what I decide. We will do this together."
"We will have to complete paperwork to make it legal. We can begin the paperwork soon. We will have to wait until the wedding before we can finalize it. Once you are legally married, then we will file the paperwork. That will conclude the process."
"And you can do that?"
"Yes Constable Thornton, I can do that."
"Please, call me Jack."
Mr. Lewis nodded his head. He was still a little confused how Jack was sitting beside Elizabeth instead of Charles, but he figured if he was supposed to know he would be told.
Jack looked at Elizabeth. "Sweetheart, I must ask you this one more time…are you sure about this? I can help without being a co-CEO and co-owner. I will support you no matter what and help in any way I can."
"Jack, we have already talked about this. We will be married soon. We work better as a team, not as individuals. You said in that mine that we work better when we do things together. That nothing can stop us. So, were you lying to me then?"
"Elizabeth, I would never lie to you. You know that. I just want you to be sure."
"Jack, I am certain. Now Mr. Lewis, will you prepare the paperwork and file them next week?"
"Absolutely. As of yesterday, I am your lawyer."
"Our lawyer, Mr. Lewis."
"Yes." Teddy watched Jack and Elizabeth. That part of the conversation answered a lot of his questions. He may not have understood everything, but he knows enough that they are a good team. His fears were greatly lessened because of it.
"Now, we will stay in Hope Valley. Our lives are here. We are not moving to Hamilton. This is our home."
"Are you wanting to have a day to day person who stays in contact with you?"
"Yes. You mentioned someone who is father's right hand man.
"Yes, Jerry Watts. He is an older man who has been working for your father for years. William depends on him on many occasions. He is a good man who knows the business."
"Mr. Lewis, do you think he would work for us under this arrangement?"
"I believe he would. He isn't the biggest fan of your father, but he does love his job. He is dedicated to the company. He would fit this role very well. Of course, we will need to speak with him."
"That sounds good."
"He is running the office in the absence of your father. He has done that for years when your father is away from the office for extended periods of time. He does good work. There's only one problem."
"What's that?"
"He will be retiring in a year or two. He will have enough time to retire. He is looking forward to retirement. He wants to travel and visit with his two sons and one daughter."
"One year…" Elizabeth started.
"That gives us enough time to find someone we would like to fill that position." Jack concluded.
"This strange arrangement may just work."
"I believe so." Jack and Elizabeth stated at the same time.
"Ms. Thatcher, when you two are married, will you keep your maiden name or…"
"I am changing my name to Thornton." She cut him off with a tone that left no questions about her decision. She remembered Jack's and JJ's conversation on the back deck of the café. Her family was going to have one name. Jack smiled.
"Do you want to change the company's name?"
Elizabeth looked at Jack. That is something she never thought of.
"I don't think that would be the best thing to do. It's a huge company. Everyone knows it as Thatcher Shipping. I'm assuming it has a good reputation?"
"Yes, Jack. It does. William has established a very good business model."
"I suggest we keep the name."
"Elizabeth?"
"That's fine with me."
"I'll have paperwork for your name change with the other paperwork. That will just make it easier. Now, we will have to run a phone line to Hope Valley. You will need to be able to have contact with Mr. Watts. The company will pay for that."
"We will need to check with the mayor. Maybe we can make it a switchboard for the whole town to use."
"That's doable. I will check with your mayor before I leave tomorrow."
"Thank you, Mr. Lewis." Elizabeth smiled. "One more thing…"
Mr. Lewis nodded his head for Elizabeth to continue.
"We are wanting to adopt JJ. Would you please work on the paperwork for that to be accomplished?"
"I don't do that type of work, but I do know someone who does."
"Have him or her check with mountie headquarters. They will assist in any way they need to make that happen. They will have some pull in that area."
"I will, Jack. With mountie headquarters involved, it shouldn't take too long."
"Perfect." Jack and Elizabeth stated at the same time.
…
Jack, Elizabeth, JJ, Tom, Julie, Charlette, Grace, Abagail, Frank, Mrs. P, and Mr. P sat down in the dining room of the café for dinner. The evening was nice and quiet. The weight of her father leaving in the morning wasn't weighing them down during dinner. The blended family just enjoyed a nice evening meal with great fellowship and conversation. JJ was being his cute self and already proclaimed himself Jack Johnson Thornton. Jack and Elizabeth smiled every time he used his full name. They didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't official yet. There was no need to crush the little guy over a technicality. Mr. Lewis told them it was a done deal in a short period of time.
"Grandma Grace, do you have any other stories about mommy?"
Elizabeth quickly placed her hand over JJ's mouth giving her mother a stern look. Grace began to tap her chin trying to think of a good story to share.
"Oh, I have one."
"Ma, JJ wasn't talking to you!"
"Oh, Grandma Charlette…what do you have on daddy?" JJ innocently smirked.
"Elizabeth, cover his mouth!" Laughed Jack.
"I kind of want to hear this." Elizabeth chuckled.
"It's different when it's not about you huh?"
"Absolutely!"
"I guess Jack was about five years old, we were living in a small cabin. My Tom was home. He was in between assignments for a couple of weeks. Tom was about two. There was a sudden thunderstorm that just popped up.
"Not that story." Groaned Jack. "Not that story…"
"Hush." Exclaimed JJ and Elizabeth at the same time with a laugh. JJ moved to his customary seat on Elizabeth's lap. She wrapped one arm around her son and reached for Jack's hand with her free hand. He instantly intertwined their fingers.
"I didn't pay much attention. Jack was old enough to know to get out of the rain. I hear little Tommy in the living room. I just assumed Jack was in the house. I finished the chore I was working on when I realized it was a little too quiet with two little boys in the home. I looked up and only saw Tom sitting in the floor playing with some old blocks."
"Where was daddy?" JJ asked leaning forward on Elizabeth's lap. He was caught up in the story.
"Well, that's what I was wondering. I looked around for a few moments. We had two bedrooms. The boys shared one room and Jack wasn't in it. He wasn't in our room. He wasn't in the house at all. I instantly became scared to death because it was raining buckets.
"He was outside, wasn't he?"
"He was." Charlette smiled.
"Was he caught in it or was it willingly?" JJ asked.
"Well…" Charlette smirked.
"You better not." Warned Jack.
"Hush!" Elizabeth playfully smacked Jack's forearm.
"Go on Grandma Charlette."
"I ran to the kitchen when I didn't see him in the front. I looked out the kitchen sink window to look in the back yard. All of a sudden, I see Jack running through the back yard with his arms up in the air without a stitch of clothes on. Not one stitch of clothes."
"Oh…my…" Elizabeth, Julie, and Grace stated.
"That's awesome!" JJ laughed.
"Ever since then, I would have to drag him in from a rainstorm for years."
"I remember that later on."
"No you don't, Tom." Jack warned.
Elizabeth leaned in and with a playful voice. "Do you still do that?" Her face was a little red.
"Elizabeth!" Jack stated.
"Elizabeth Marie!" Grace stated. She covered her mouth trying to stifle a laugh.
Over the last couple of days, Grace had tried to see what was in front of her. She knew what her husband and Charles had told her over the previous months, but the evidence was glaring in front of her. Her middle daughter loved this constable. They were good together and they were getting married in five days. Next Wednesday was approaching very quickly. Tom and Julie were married and lived in Fort Benton. She was going back to school and Tom was working in a rock quarry. Not necessarily the job she wanted for her son-in-law, but he was working and finding himself. They seemed to love each other and got along well.
Grace came to terms as best she could with her husband's situation. He will be in jail for at least a few years. She didn't know what that meant for her immediate future. She knew she would be taken care of financially through the company, but that was all she knew. She didn't want to leave her house, but she also didn't know if she could live there alone. Viola was getting married, and Julie was already out of the home. So was Elizabeth. She just didn't know what she was going to do.
"Well…I was just wondering where I needed to look for Jack if it was raining." Sassed a blushing Elizabeth.
"Good grief…thanks Ma!"
"You're welcome, son."
…
Jack took a few moments after dinner to share with his family his decision to leave the mounties and become Hope Valley's new sheriff. There were several gasps. Jack knew he needed to explain when he noticed his mother's stare.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Jack…" She warned.
"Ma, I want to be a husband and a father. I can't do that if the mounties want to move me."
"I thought Hope Valley was your permanent posting?"
"It is, but they want me to leave tomorrow for six to eight weeks."
"They can't do that."
"But they wanted to and was going to. My contract will be up soon. I'm appealing the posting and already informed them that I will not be reenlisting."
"Jack, are you sure?"
Elizabeth tightened her hold on Jack's hand.
"I am Ma. I want to be a present father and husband. I remember the hardships when Pa left for his assignments. I won't be out of complete danger, but I will be removed from a good portion of it. I want to be present for Elizabeth and JJ. Plus, with everything JJ has already been through, I don't want to leave him for that long.
"Are you sure Jack?" Frank asked. "I know how important being a mountie is to you."
"I am certain. I found two things that are more important to me than being a mountie." Jack squeezed Elizabeth's hand to reassure her of his decision and how important it is to him to be present.
"I get it. I'm just a little surprised I guess." Charlette conceded. She really did understand Jack's desire. She wished her husband was around more. She did understand his calling to serve others.
"Elizabeth, have you decided what you are going to do?"
"About what?" Julie asked.
"The company."
"What about it?"
"The bylaws of father's company states that if he is arrested or serves jail time, he cannot serve as CEO of Thatcher Shipping. That was written when father began the company."
"What's going to happen? What about mother?" Julie's concern was evident.
"It's written that mother will always be taken care of. So, we won't have to worry about that?" Grace gave a thankful glance toward her middle and youngest daughter. Julie let out a sigh of relief.
"I guess Viola will be taking it over. That doesn't make the most sense. She really wasn't into the business side of things. She only cared about the prestige of being a Thatcher. Is there someone within the business that father designated?"
"No, he left the succession within the family."
"Viola?" Julie shook her head. "If father was going to make that huge a mistake, he could have just left me in charge of it. She'll do as badly as I would. I don't think Lionel would be any better."
"Well, there is one more sister left." Grace stated.
Julie quickly looked at her older sister. "You wouldn't want it more than any of us. You love it here. You are called to be a teacher, that is very evident. Elizabeth, you can't leave Hope Valley."
Elizabeth reached for her sister's hand and gave it a thankful squeeze. Elizabeth really appreciated her sister's concern and for her.
"Father did have me first in the line of succession. He didn't trust Lionel enough to hand over the company to Viola and him by marriage. He thought Lionel loved Viola's trust fund more than Viola."
"I agree. I told you that before."
"I think he made me first in the line of succession because of Charles. Father had it in his mind that I was going to marry Charles and then he would take over the company when father retires." She felt Jack flinch just a little at that statement. She bumped knees with him to reassure him that she was sitting beside him.
"Do you think that's why he pushed Charles on you so much?"
"Maybe part of it…" Grace stated. "William really did think you and Charles were good for each other and should be married." When she realized what she said, she quickly looked toward Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack."
"That's ok Mrs. Thatcher. I know everyone thinks Charles is a better husband material than I am."
"Not everyone." Elizabeth leaned in and bumped Jack's shoulder.
"Jack and I came to the agreement that he and I will be CEO and Owners of Thatcher Shipping. We are going to do this together here. I will remain the teacher like I am called to do, and Jack will be the sheriff serving people like he is called to do. We will have someone in Hamilton running the day to day operations at our request. They will report back to us on a regular basis."
"Is that doable?" Grace asked.
"Mr. Lewis assures us that it is. Abagail, we will need to meet with you and determine where to put the phone system. We will have to have a phone in Hope Valley to communicate each week with headquarters. We will have to visit Hamilton once or twice a year but that's it."
"Wow." Julie stated.
"Yeah." Elizabeth stated. "As of yesterday, father is no longer CEO and owner."
"Are you alright?" Jack leaned in asking.
"I am. Just a little overwhelmed with everything."
The conversation flowed easily when the topic was changed. The laughter was renewed for everyone after a deep discussion. Mr. and Mrs. P left to head back to Jack's house. They volunteered to walk JJ home too, but Jack asked for him to stay.
Everyone gave Jack and Elizabeth a few minutes on the back porch for themselves to say good night. Jack and Elizabeth hated the fact that they would be in different places. After several kisses, Jack teased that he would leave the front door unlocked. Elizabeth seriously gave it thought.
"What's up?" JJ asked as they walked home. He knew Jack had something on his mind. "Out with it!"
"When did you get to be so good at reading people and being so direct?"
"When I began living with you."
"Fair enough." Jack stopped walking and faced JJ. "Tomorrow will be a very hard day for your mommy. Her father and the other prisoners will be transferred to Medicine Hat in the morning."
"Oh…"
"Yes, as much as she is unhappy with what her father did, she still loves him. It will be hard for Mrs. Thatcher and for Julie. Elizabeth will be a rock for them, but she will need someone to take care of her too."
"That's where you and me come in."
"Yes. Especially you. You are her boy, and you relax her. I will have to perform my duty tomorrow and help with the transfer. When I am doing that, would you mind being there for your mommy."
"No problem. Men take care of the people they love."
"You are a very smart boy."
"So tomorrow, you and me, we take care of mommy."
"Yes we will."