A/N Nothing explicit, but there are adult situations alluded to in this chapter.
...
"Mama?" Emma stepped out of the back room of the dress shop. "Is school done yet?"
"Not yet, baby." Elizabeth gave her a sympathetic smile. "Are you missing your brother?"
She nodded. "And Allie. Do you think Mr. Mountie will be at school to pick her up?"
"Probably." She untied the ribbon from her daughter's hair, running her fingers through the strands a few times before beginning to braid it again. "Do you miss him, too?"
"Yeah." She sighed. "He doesn't come over to play as much."
It had been over a month since Jack was released from the infirmary, and he had returned to work a couple of weeks before. Though he was confined to desk duty until his physical injuries were fully healed, he had been pretty busy with the investigation into Walter Smith and the rest of the bank robbers. Two more had been apprehended in some neighboring towns, but the ringleader of the operation was still at large.
Elizabeth could tell he was frustrated by the lack of progress, and she knew the children were frustrated with how busy he had been of late. She had to admit, she also missed the time they had spent together while he was recovering.
"Why don't we invite him and Allie over for dinner tonight?" she suggested.
"Can we go to the library and get a new bedtime story? And then Mr. Mountie can read it to me and William."
She smiled. "Let's go talk with him before we start making all these plans, baby. It's about time for us to get some lunch. What do you say we stop by the jail on our way?"
"Okay, mama." Emma took Elizabeth's hand as they headed out of the dress shop. "Do you think Miss Abigail will have cookies today?"
Elizabeth chuckled. "We can certainly ask, but you can't eat just cookies for lunch."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Fancy meeting you two here," Jack spoke as he came out of the jail. "Were you bringing this one over so I could lock her up for being too adorable?" he teased, reaching down to tap Emma on the cheek.
The little girl giggled. "No, Mr. Mountie. Me and mama want you to have dinner with us today."
"Is that so?" He met Elizabeth's eyes.
She returned his smile. "We've all been missing you since you've been so busy with the investigation. We thought maybe you could use a break. You and Allie can bring Gilbert over, too. I can make a roast."
"That sounds wonderful. And how about I pick up a pie for dessert?"
"Chocolate pie?" Emma asked excitedly.
Jack laughed. "Sure, Em. I'll get a chocolate pie. Seven o'clock?"
"We'll see you then." She leaned in to kiss his cheek, but he turned and pressed his lips to hers instead. "I love you."
"I love you, too. I'll see you this evening." He ruffled Emma's hair. "See you, Emmy-girl."
...
Elizabeth leaned her head on Jack's shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her. The children were upstairs, asleep after an evening of playing catch and a thrilling bedtime story from Jack. Not wanting their evening to end just yet, Elizabeth had offered to let Allie stay the night.
Now, the two of them sat in the quiet of the night, looking out at the stars. The sky was clear, the stars seeming to dance above them.
"I love nights like this," Jack said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"So do I." Elizabeth snuggled further into him. "I'm glad you and Allie were able to come over tonight."
"Me too." He turned to kiss her hair, inhaling deeply, her familiar scent filling his senses. "Elizabeth?"
"Mm?"
"I received a telegram earlier today."
Her stomach dropped at his tone, and she knew what he was going to say. "You have to leave?"
He nodded, hugging her closer to him. "Just for a few days, and I won't be chasing any criminals this time. They just need me in Union City to help narrow down the search for the ringleader of this whole thing."
"I didn't expect you to be chasing any criminals last time," she pointed out.
He gave her a crooked smile. "I promise I really won't this time. I'm still on desk duty, after all."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
He kissed her temple. "What do you say we have a picnic when I get back? Just you and me. I'll ask Abigail if she can watch the children for a few hours."
"That sounds lovely. And it'll give you a reason to hurry back." She mirrored his smile.
"Picnic dinner or not, I'll always want to hurry back to you."
She nudged him with her elbow. "Sweet talker."
He leaned down to finally press his lips to hers. "It's the truth. But now," he sighed, "I should get home. It's getting late."
"See you in the morning?"
"Mhmm," he hummed in reply. "I'll stop by to walk Allie and William to school with you."
...
Elizabeth knocked quietly on the doorframe, smiling when Rosemary turned and met her eyes. "Hi."
Lee had come to Elizabeth's door earlier that morning, bringing the news that Rosemary had given birth to a sweet baby girl in the wee hours of the morning, and that mom and baby were doing well.
"Hi," Rosemary returned, a tired smile covering her own face as she returned her gaze to the little bundle in her arms. "Come meet your goddaughter."
"Rosemary…"
"It was an easy decision for us. You mean a lot to us, and we want you to be in our daughter's life."
"I'm honored," she said earnestly, slowly approaching the bed.
"We're going to ask Jack to be her godfather when he returns," Rosemary explained, carefully passing the baby over to her friend.
"Oh," she replied, then cleared her throat to try to cover her surprise. "So how are you feeling?" she asked as took a seat in a nearby chair.
"I'm tired and sore," she admitted, "but happier than I've ever been."
"I remember that feeling well." She looked down at the baby she held, her mind going back to the day William was born, the day Emma was first placed in her arms. The two most wonderful things to come out of her relationship with James. "She's beautiful, Rosemary. What did you and Lee end up naming her?"
"Catherine Anne Coulter."
Tears filled her eyes, and she took a shaky breath, remembering the baby she lost so many months before. Her little Anne. Though she had never met her in this life, she met her often in her dreams. Her sweet cherubic face, dark eyes, soft curls. It broke her heart to know what James had taken from her.
"Elizabeth?" Rosemary's voice was laced with concern. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, sniffling. "I'm fine."
Realization suddenly swept over Rosemary. "You're thinking about the one you lost?"
She nodded. "I would've named her Anne. She would've been a few months old now." Her smile returned as little Catherine yawned, her face scrunching up. "But now we have this little one to enjoy, and she is absolutely precious."
"You know, she needs a little friend," Rosemary hinted with a twinkle in her eye.
Elizabeth felt heat rise in her cheeks. "Don't look at me. I'm not married."
"Yet." Her friend wiggled her eyebrows. "I've seen how serious you and Jack have gotten. It's only a matter of time before you two make things official." She reached over to take Elizabeth's hand. "I'm very happy for you, Elizabeth. You deserve someone like him, someone who truly cares for you."
"It seems as though Hope Valley has been very good to the both of us," she observed, thinking about how different her life was from just a year ago. In Toronto, she had felt trapped and fearful. In Hope Valley, she felt loved and appreciated, free to be herself.
"I did tell you when you first arrived that Hope Valley is an extraordinary place."
"And you were definitely right."
...
Elizabeth laid back, resting her head on Jack's legs as she watched the sky change colors above them. It had been a lovely evening, the two of them sharing a meal as they caught up on everything that had happened while Jack was away. They discussed their new goddaughter and her upcoming baptism. Jack updated her on the case, explaining how one of the captured men had given them more information, and they seemed to be on the verge of finally capturing the man who had spearheaded the robbery scheme. She told him an amusing story about how all three of the children had found themselves covered in mud after chasing Gilbert through a stream.
But now, they were quiet, just enjoying being together. The sun was slowly descending toward the horizon, and they were soaking up every moment they possibly could before the darkness forced them to return home.
Elizabeth's eyes drifted closed as Jack absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair, the motion soothing.
"Don't you go falling asleep on me." He chuckled. "I might have been cleared to ride again, but I don't think Faith would be happy if I had to hold you up the whole ride back."
"Mm," she hummed, her eyes slowly opening to lock onto his gaze. "This is nice, Jack," she mused. "We should spend more evenings out here. Maybe we can bring the children out here sometime, too."
"Some family time?" he replied, just a hint of teasing in his voice.
"Family time sounds nice." A smile played on her lips. "The children and I never really experienced that before."
"Well, we'll have to plan an outing for all of us then." His fingers grazed her cheek. "Before we go back to town, I want to show you something."
Shifting slightly, he helped her sit up, standing before taking her hands and assisting her off of the blanket where they had been resting.
"If you think this spot is beautiful, just wait until you see the view from up here." He led her up to the top of the hill.
She gasped as she took in the view of the valley below. The mountains in the distance were lit by the setting sun, the sky glowing orange and pink and purple.
"Elizabeth." Jack tapped her shoulder, taking a deep breath as he planned out his next words, the words that could change their lives forever. He grasped both of her hands, gently squeezing her fingers. "I hope to give you the life that you deserve, if you'll let me."
"I'd like that." The corners of her lips turned up as she looked at the man in front of her. He was so different from anyone else in her life. He was exactly what she needed.
He let go of her hands to dig around in his pocket. "I've wanted to give this to you for a while now, but I had to wait until I knew you were ready."
"Jack…" Her eyes widened when he dropped to one knee and opened the small box he was holding.
"I love you, Elizabeth, and I want to spend my life showing you what real love means. Will you marry me?"
Tears filled her eyes. She hadn't known what to expect when she ran away from James, but she knew she didn't expect to meet someone like Jack Thornton, and she certainly didn't expect to fall in love. And yet, here she was, with the love of her life on his knees in front of her, looking up at her expectantly.
"Yes," she breathed. "I'll marry you."
A grin covered his face as he stood, sliding the ring onto her finger before gathering her in his arms and pressing a sweet kiss to her lips. "I love you so much."
"I love you." She kissed him again, looping her arms around his waist.
He rubbed his thumb across her ring, needing to convince himself that the last few moments weren't a dream. "I don't think I've ever been so happy in my entire life." His smile somehow grew even wider. "I wish we could stay in this moment, just you and me."
"So do I, but we do have children to get home to, and a wedding to plan."
"That we do." He nodded his head toward their things resting further down the hill. "Shall we?"
...
Jack smiled as he caught the glint of the ring on Elizabeth's finger as she took her seat at the table after clearing away the last of their breakfast dishes. She met his eyes, giving him a subtle nod. On their ride home the previous night, they had decided to wait and tell the children about their engagement when they could be all together. She had suggested that he and Allie come by for breakfast before taking the children to school, so they could share the happy news with them.
"Allie, William, Emma," Jack addressed the children. "The two of us have some news to share with all of you." He reached over and took Elizabeth's hand, his thumb brushing against her ring. "We're getting married."
"Does that mean Mr. Mountie will be our dad?" William asked, his eyes filled with hope.
"It does," Elizabeth confirmed. "He'll be your dad, and Allie will be your sister."
"Yay!" he cheered, throwing his hands in the air.
Quietly, Emma hopped down from her chair and rounded the table, climbing up into Jack's lap. "I still miss my daddy, but I'm happy you'll be my daddy now."
Jack's heart warmed, and he wrapped his arms around the little girl. "I'm so happy that I'm going to be your daddy."
"What are you thinking, Allie?" Elizabeth questioned, noticing that she had been quiet since Jack broke the news.
"I'm really glad you'll be my mom," she began, "but where are we going to live?"
Jack chuckled. "We'll figure that out before the wedding. For now, we'll probably just stay in this house, or our house."
"When are you getting married? I hope it's soon, because I want us to be all together forever."
He ruffled her hair. "We haven't decided when, Allie-girl, but together forever is definitely the plan."
"I like the sound of that," Elizabeth said softly, meeting his eyes.
"Can we go play now?" William asked, oblivious to the silent conversation happening between the adults in the room.
"Go ahead. Don't wander off, though."
The three children skipped off to join Gilbert in the yard, while Jack and Elizabeth made their way to the sink. Jack started cleaning the dishes, passing them to Elizabeth to dry.
"Any thoughts on what you want to include in the wedding?" He nudged her gently.
"I know I don't want a big wedding. I had that with James, and you saw how that turned out."
"So a small wedding," he confirmed. "Maybe this summer? That should give us time to let our families know so they can get here, you can get a dress made, and we can figure out our living arrangements."
She set down the towel she had been using, glancing over at him. "I know it's just a few months away, but I don't think I want to wait until summer. I'm ready for us to be a family."
"Are you sure? I just don't want you to have any regrets." He reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm fine without my mom and brother here, but if you want to wait until your family can get here…"
"All I need is you, Jack. I don't need a new dress, or fancy decorations. I'd go to the church right now and marry you. Just us and the children."
"I do love the sound of that, but maybe we should wait a bit. We haven't even been engaged for a full day yet." He stepped into her space, sliding his arms around her waist. "I want you to be absolutely sure about this. I know what you went through before, and I'd understand if you have any hesitations."
She shook her head. "You aren't James. I have no hesitations, because I know this is right. I know in my heart that God led me to you, Jack."
"How about a compromise? We wait a week. We don't need to have a big wedding, but you deserve something special, not something just thrown together in a few hours."
"One week?"
"One week. Next Saturday, it's you, me, and the children. I'll talk to the pastor to get everything set up. Are you sure you don't want anybody else there?"
She thought about it for a moment, leaning into him. "Maybe Rosemary and Lee, if Rosemary is feeling up to it. And our goddaughter, of course."
He gave her a crooked smile. "Of course, Catie gets to come."
"And Jack?" She looked up into his face. "As far as living arrangements, why don't you and Allie just move in here? Unless you're particularly attached to your house."
"I think it makes more sense for us to move in here. Allie spends more time here than she does at our house, anyway, and I'll be happy no matter where we are, as long as I'm with you."
She leaned up to kiss him. "I can't wait to marry you."
...
Elizabeth smoothed down the skirt of the dress she wore, looking at herself in the mirror. The gown was made of delicate ivory lace, with three-quarter sleeves and a flowing skirt that fell to her ankles. "I don't know, Rosemary. Can you really get the alterations done by Saturday? I know you're busy with Catie."
"I can get it done," Rosemary assured her, already beginning to place pins in the garment. "I know you said you aren't doing a big traditional wedding, but at the very least, you deserve a beautiful new wedding gown."
"I really would be fine just wearing a dress I already have. I was actually thinking I could wear the outfit I wore when Jack took me to the dance for our first date. You don't need to go through all this trouble."
"Nonsense. It's no trouble at all. I want to do this for you, Elizabeth."
"Okay," she finally relented. "Please, keep this all to yourself, though. We want to surprise the children on the day of the wedding, so we don't want them to know about it yet, and you and Lee are the only other people we're inviting."
"My lips are sealed. Now," she placed another pin, "I'm almost done here, and then I can get started on these alterations. Is there anything else Lee and I can do to help with the ceremony?"
"Getting this dress ready is more than enough, Rosemary, but thank you for the offer."
Standing up straight, Rosemary took Elizabeth's hands. "You are going to look absolutely beautiful on your wedding day, Elizabeth. I'm so thrilled for you and Jack."
"Thank you." Elizabeth pulled her into a hug. "I really don't know what I would do without you. Everything you've done for me, and for the children, since we arrived in town…" she shook her head. "'I'll never be able to express just how much that has meant to me."
"Well, I'm so glad you chose to come here of all places. I can't imagine Hope Valley without you and those children of yours."
Elizabeth blinked away the tears that began to fill her eyes. "I can't imagine being anywhere else, either."
Rosemary passed her a handkerchief. "Enough of that sniffling," she teased. "No crying in the dress until you're at your wedding."
Elizabeth chuckled, wiping her eyes. "My wedding. I still can hardly believe it."
...
"Allie-girl, go put on a nice dress. We're meeting Elizabeth, William, and Emma at church."
She furrowed her brow. "But it's Saturday. We don't have church today."
"I know. Elizabeth and I have a surprise for you all."
"Okay…" Still unsure of what was going on, she made her way upstairs to change.
Jack waited by the door, wiping his palms on the side of his pants. He couldn't believe that, in less than an hour, he would be married.
When he met Elizabeth, she had been at her lowest, battered and beaten, both physically and emotionally. Though he'd immediately felt protective of her and her children, he certainly didn't expect that they might one day become a family. He couldn't help but chuckle when he thought back to his days in the Academy, when he had been positive that he had no room in his life for anything beyond work, especially not romance.
But circumstances changed, and his priorities changed. Sure, he loved being a Mountie, but it paled in comparison to the love he felt for his family. If he were ever forced to choose between them, he knew he would choose Elizabeth and the children in a heartbeat.
"So what's this surprise?" Allie asked as she came down the stairs, her voice shaking him from his thoughts. "And why do you look nervous?"
"You'll find out shortly. Let's go."
Allie could sense that her dad had a lot on his mind, so she didn't press him about anything, just walking quietly beside him toward town. As they neared the church, she saw that the door was ajar, and, coming closer, she could hear William inside.
"Hi, Allie!" he excitedly greeted her. "Do you know what the surprise is?"
She shook her head, taking a seat beside him and Emma. Mr. Coulter was at the front of the church with the pastor, and baby Catherine was sleeping in her stroller nearby.
"Okay, you three." Jack crouched down in front of the children. "Do you want to know what the surprise is?"
All three nodded emphatically, murmuring "yes."
"Well, we're getting married today."
"Really?" William's eyes widened.
"Really," Jack confirmed, standing back up. "We're just waiting on your mama now."
"How are you feeling?" Lee moved in and clapped Jack on the back. "Are you ready for this?"
"I think I've been ready for a while now. Just had to wait for her to get there, too."
"Rosie and I are very happy for you two."
"Thank you, Lee. And thank you for your help in getting this all together so quickly. I owe you one."
Lee gave him a quick hug. "It was my pleasure. Now, let's get you married."
While Jack took his place with the pastor up front, Elizabeth was in the back room of the church with Rosemary, making the final adjustments to her hair and makeup.
"You look absolutely stunning, Elizabeth." Rosemary took a step back, admiring her handiwork. "You're a beautiful bride."
"Thank you, Rosemary."
"Shall we?" Rosemary offered her arm.
Elizabeth took one last look in the mirror. The last time she had been in this position, she had been young and naive. She was marrying a man who she thought had cared for her, but who turned out to be more concerned with his image and status, who only cared about himself.
But now, she was about to marry a man she knew loved her, and loved her children. He wasn't marrying her out of obligation, as James had. He was marrying her because he loved her, and because he wanted to be her partner for the rest of their lives.
She couldn't wait.
Slowly, she stepped out of the back room. Jack looked up at the sound of the door, taking in a shaky breath as he let his gaze drift over the woman in front of him. She was wearing a new gown; he knew that must've been Rosemary's doing. Her curls were pinned up, and he had to quickly shift his gaze to shake off the image of him pulling those pins out, running his fingers through those curls…
She closed the distance between them, her eyes never leaving his. He took her hands, a smile spreading across his face.
"You look beautiful."
"You don't look too bad yourself," she said with a slight chuckle, trying to ease some of the nerves that she was feeling.
"Are you still sure this is what you want?" he whispered.
"Absolutely."
The pastor cleared his throat, "then let's begin."
...
Elizabeth wrapped a shawl around her shoulders as she came down the stairs with a small bag. "Thank you for staying with the children tonight, Abigail."
"I'm happy to do it. We're going to have some fun, aren't we?" she smiled at the children, who were sitting near Gilbert, smothering the dog with attention.
Allie nodded. "Miss Abigail said we can bake some cookies."
"And she's going to read us two bedtime stories!" William enthused.
"Why do you have to go, mama?" Emma asked, her voice quiet.
"It's just for tonight, baby." Elizabeth crossed the room, reaching down to stroke her daughter's hair. "After grown-ups get married, they uh, they like to have some time to themselves. But I'll be back in the morning. I promise."
The front door opened, and Jack entered.
William solemnly approached him, looking very serious as he stood up as tall as he could. "Mr. Mountie? You'll be nice to my mama, right?"
"Yes, William." He crouched down, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I love your mom very much. I promise I'll never hurt her."
"Good." William wrapped his arms around Jack. "I love you, Mr. Mountie."
Jack hugged him back. "I love you, Willie."
Elizabeth wiped away a few tears that had formed at the exchange, feeling even more grateful for the man who was now her husband.
He looked up and met her eyes, giving her a smile. "Okay, you three," he nudged William back toward the girls, "it's time for me and mom to go. You behave for Miss Abigail, and we'll see you in the morning, okay?"
"Yes, sir."
After a round of hugs and "I love you"s, the newlyweds headed toward what had been Jack's house. Following the wedding, the family had spent the day at Elizabeth's house, now their family's home, enjoying a picnic lunch in the backyard and an afternoon of lounging in the sun. But now, Jack and Elizabeth finally had a moment to themselves.
"Sweetheart?"
She blinked, looking up to see him standing just inside the door of the row house. She hadn't realized that she had stopped walking, her feet seemingly frozen to the porch.
He set her bag in the entryway and held out his hand. "We're just going to have some of this dessert Abigail sent over. Okay? It's just like any other evening."
She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."
...
Elizabeth fidgeted with her nightgown as she stepped into the bedroom. Though she trusted Jack fully, the idea of spending the night with him had her terrified. She and James had stayed in separate rooms for most of their marriage, and she had dreaded the nights that he would make his way into her bed, because it only ever meant discomfort or pain for her.
Jack stood, meeting her in the doorway, as she hadn't replied when he had softly called her name, too lost in her thoughts. "'Lizabeth, sweetheart."
"I, uh, I…" She was tense, her hands shaking slightly.
"Hey." He brushed his fingers across her jaw, recognizing that her nerves had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the experience she had with James. It broke his heart to know she had been so mistreated. "We aren't doing anything until you're ready. I'll even sleep somewhere else if you want. There's plenty of space in Allie's old room for me to make up a pallet for myself."
"No." She shook her head. "You aren't giving up your bed. I'll be okay."
"Let's just get in bed and talk. No expectations, alright?"
"Okay…" she said hesitantly.
He leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Don't get me wrong, I want to be with you. But I will never ever force you."
"What if…"
"Shh." He shook his head. "I will never force you," he repeated. He smiled, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I love you."
She finally returned his smile. "I love you, too."
...
Elizabeth woke up just as the sun was beginning to rise, the dim light streaming through the curtains. Rolling over, she found herself face-to-face with a still-sleeping Jack.
It had been a week since their wedding, and she still could hardly believe that this was her life now. Not much had changed in their day to day lives, but falling asleep and waking up beside Jack was a luxury she now felt she couldn't live without.
She felt so safe with him, so loved. He had been true to his word, never pushing her for more than she was ready to give and letting her take the lead. Being with him was magical, but so was just lying in his arms, feeling his warmth as she snuggled into him beneath the covers.
Unable to resist any more, she scooted closer to him, bringing a hand up to touch his cheek, feeling the scratch of stubble on her palm. His lips were slightly parted, his breaths coming out in warm puffs across her face. She moved her fingers up to his hair, brushing back a lock that had fallen over his forehead.
"Mm," he mumbled, stirring slightly at the contact until he woke up fully. "Good morning, sweetheart."
"Morning." She leaned up to press a kiss to his lips.
"You look like you've been thinking a lot this morning." He combed his fingers through her hair. "Anything you care to share?"
"Just thinking about how much I love being married to you."
A smile played on his lips. "I feel the same way. This has been the best week of my life."
Draping an arm around him, she moved even closer. "Thank you, Jack."
"For what?"
"Everything." She leaned her cheek on his chest while his fingertips danced up and down her back. "For being you. For loving me."
"I do love you, so very much." He pulled her up to kiss her again, pressing his lips to her cheek, her jaw, her neck.
"Mama? Daddy?" a little voice sounded from the other side of the door. "I'm ready for breakfast."
Jack chuckled, rolling away from Elizabeth. "Duty calls."
She laughed. "How do pancakes sound for breakfast?"
"Perfect. I'll help."
She squeezed his hand. "I love you."