Sitting at her desk waiting for her new students to arrive, Elizabeth felt butterflies just like she had when she taught her first class in the Saloon two decades prior. Nathan had dropped her off on his way to work and walked her inside, giving her a kiss for good luck and words of encouragement before leaving her alone in the large classroom alone. Double checking her lesson plans and all of the materials she planned to use, she walked out into the foyer area of the school just as her colleague in charge of the younger class came through the front door.
"Elizabeth!" the young woman squealed, giving one of her favorite former mentors a hug. "My father wrote and told me you were replacing Allie teaching the advanced students. I got into town a few days later than expected, but luckily I have been doing this long enough that I had most things prepared before I left for the summer."
Clasping hands and looking her over, Elizabeth wore a satisfied expression. "Katie Yost, you haven't aged a day. I heard you were off having grand adventures all summer long. I'm excited to work with you this year!"
Katie raised Elizabeth's left hand to examine the sparkling diamond ring more closely. "Nathan Grant is a lucky man, and that house he's building you on Jack's land is impressive. When exactly is the big day?"
Blushing, Elizabeth responded, "October 10th; less than four weeks away! We will start moving into the house at the beginning of the month, then decided it would be nice to use the long Thanksgiving weekend to get settled. We are planning a ten-day honeymoon between Christmas and school starting again in the new year. So many changes have happened in the short time since coming back, and somehow it feels like the first time I've ever taught in my entire life."
Before she could reply, a few early bird students walked in and greeted Miss Yost with a hug. She mouthed Sorry to her fellow teacher and walked with her students into their classroom down the hall. Elizabeth looked out the window where she saw her son Jack walking to school with Sarah Wolf and a few of the other friends he had made over the past several weeks. They were laughing together, and all looked excited and ready to start a new year of learning. Pulling up alongside them in a car was Annie, who was being driven to school by her father, following her ankle injury from the weekend hike. Elizabeth watched them pull out a pair of crutches, and all of the teenagers walked with their friend inside in case she needed any help. It was then that she knew it was going to be an exciting school year with some incredible young men and women.
With so much going on between Colleen's birth, school starting, and finishing the house, wedding plans had been pushed to the side. Rosemary decided to take matters into her own hands, hosting an informal engagement dinner the first Sunday after everyone went back to school. Robert, Allie, Colleen and Bill attended, along with Nathan, Elizabeth, Jack, and the Coulters. After consuming a delicious meal consisting of Rosemary's famous glazed ham, mashed potatoes, and a green salad made from all the remaining vegetables from their summer garden, Lee served apple pie and coffee or milk for dessert while everyone was visiting with one another.
Nathan stood to address his friends and family, with Elizabeth standing beside him. "Lee and Rosemary, Elizabeth and I are so incredibly grateful for your hospitality and friendship. We thought this was the perfect opportunity to ask each of you for participation in our wedding. I'll start with Bill. We would love to have Judge Avery perform our ceremony; because, Bill, you mean so much to both of us and our families."
Trying unsuccessfully to keep tears away, Bill stood and gave them both a big, fatherly hug. "It would be my honor," he croaked, emotionally.
"Next, I would like to ask my two sons, Robert and Jack, to do me the honor of standing next to me and each be a best man. I am lucky enough to have an abundance of good men in my life, but I have learned that sons are truly the best." Without even saying a word, Jack and Robert hugged Nathan, signaling their heartfelt willingness to do what was being asked of them.
Barely able to speak after such emotional exchanges, Elizabeth looked in Allie's direction and then at Rosemary. "Two very important women are responsible for bringing me back to Hope Valley, which led me back to Nathan. Allie convinced the board to hire me as her teaching replacement, and Rosemary has long been praying for my return to be near her family. Will the two of you each be a matron of honor for me on one of the most important days of my life?"
"Heck yes!" Allie shrieked, nearly crushing her new mother with a loving embrace.
Rosemary kissed her best friend's cheek. "Elizabeth, in addition to being a matron of honor, it would be my pleasure to make your wedding dress, as well as any needed dresses for the wedding party. Don't feel obligated, but it is a gift I would love to give you."
"Oh my goodness, Rosemary!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I would love nothing more than to wear one of your fashionable creations. But do you have time? We are just a few weeks away!"
With a wink, her friend assured her, "Oh, I may have already bought fabric and started designing. Let's sit down tomorrow after school and finalize everything. I'll measure all the girls tonight before everyone goes home, so I can work on all of the dresses this week. I can sew quickly and get everything finished well in advance."
Before Daniel and Daisy could pull Jack away for a game of croquet, Elizabeth put her arms around both of them. "I know you are starting to grow up, but I would love it if you two would be our flower girl and ring bearer."
"Yay! Anything for you, Aunt Elizabeth," the twins declared in unison. While the kids played outside, the adults discussed a few more wedding details. Everyone pitched in to clean up and wash dishes before saying their goodbyes with promises to all get together again soon.
Looking around the large open space of the main living area of what would be his new home with Elizabeth, Nathan felt satisfied with the way it had come together. All that was left to do was move in the furniture that wasn't built in, after a thorough cleaning to get out all of the sawdust and dirt tracked in by the workers. To earn some extra money, Jack and some of his friends had offered to clean the house from top to bottom the next day as their Saturday project.
School had been in session for two full weeks, which meant the wedding was only another two weeks away. Nathan felt a little shiver run through his spine, thinking about finally becoming a married man for the first time. Each night was becoming more difficult to say goodnight to Elizabeth as he dropped her off at her doorstep with kisses that never felt like enough. But at the same time, he was nervous about becoming a husband, not knowing if he would live up to the kind of one he always desired to be.
Even though he had a decent pension with his retirement, taking on responsibilities of a wife and son made Nathan even more determined to keep working in some capacity. After discussing his desire to start a new career path with Lee extensively, they decided to form a partnership. Nathan would draw plans for new homes, in addition to designing and making various pieces of furniture, while Lee would negotiate with clients and supply lumber for the projects they worked on together. It would be the perfect venture for each to get some supplemental income, but wouldn't demand their attention full-time so they could focus on their families and other responsibilities. Both felt it was an answer to prayers on how they could both ease into retirement, but still keep a sense of purpose.
Their lawyer was still working on legal paperwork regarding their new business, so the men hadn't yet told Elizabeth or Rosemary. Because it would take time for everything to be completed and paperwork filed with the proper government agencies, the partnership wouldn't be made official until after the wedding. Lee and Nathan decided to wait and have another big dinner with both families to announce it to their loved ones when the Grants were settled into married life. For now, Nathan would work on getting the room off the barn filled with all of the tools and equipment needed for a drafting and woodworking shop.
Noticing the time, Nathan hurried to his car and drove to the school where he saw kids of all ages scattering about to begin their weekend. He noticed Jack and Sarah walking closely together toward the row houses. A big sigh escaped him while contemplating how to effectively raise a teenage boy who had hormones raging through him, especially after a pretty young lady had captured his attention. I thought I was done with that after Allie, he started to lament in his mind as he thought about her never-ending crush on Robert. But knowing he could support Elizabeth in parenting Jack through these difficult years, actually got him a little excited.
As he stepped out of the car, Nathan waved at Katie Yost as she passed by on her way home. Elizabeth exited the school right before he walked inside and almost ran into him. "Hello there, almost Mrs. Grant. I hope your students aren't getting too used to calling you Mrs. Thornton, although it is a fine name." He pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Now, are you ready to see your early wedding present?"
"Hello to you, Mr. Grant. You know, I still don't quite understand why women have to change their last names when they marry; however, the thought of being Mrs. Grant is quite appealing to me." Elizabeth began playing with the hair curling on the back of his neck as she looked into his striking blue eyes. "Now tell me more about this gift."
Resisting the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her soundly, Nathan cleared his throat and instead took Elizabeth by the hand, nearly pulling her to the car. As they drove the short distance to the sawmill warehouse, he suddenly felt nervous and vulnerable. "I have been working on this particular project for you since even before we began seeing each other romantically. I guess in the back of my mind, I hoped one day to share a home with you. That probably had an influence on my design choices. I'm just very critical of my own work, but hope you like what I've made. Now close your eyes and I'll lead you inside."
Once in the big room that smelled of wood and stain, Nathan positioned Elizabeth facing her gift and instructed her to open her eyes. She let out a little gasp as she saw a beautifully hand crafted, fully-furnished wood bedroom set made lovingly by her soon-to-be husband. The head and footboards of what looked to be a very large bed was leaning against the wall, surrounded by night stands, a vanity and mirror, dresser, and a large armoire. She slowly examined them all, running her hands over the smooth varnished wood of each piece of the set that would make up their master bedroom. Stopping in front of what would shortly be assembled as their bed, a slight blush rose to her cheeks as Nathan joined her and put a hand over hers atop the detailed etching on the headboard. "It's all exquisite, Nathan," she squeaked breathlessly. "I can't wait to see everything set up in our room. Rosemary helped me pick out the perfect material for our bedding." Turning to face her fiancé, Elizabeth smiled up at him lovingly. "Thank you for this perfect gift!"
Letting his fingers brush over her face and settle into her hair, Nathan leaned down and kissed her cheek where his touch still lingered. "I'm so glad you approve. I'll get this moved into the house next week, along with all of the other furniture I've completed so far. Ned told me the mattress I ordered should be ready in a few days, so at least we won't be sleeping on the floor on our wedding night." His eyes caught hers, exposing some of his deepest fears. Wanting to push them aside, Nathan drowned them out by capturing Elizabeth's lips with his own in an attempt to convey his feelings without words. As she pressed closer against him and their kiss deepened, reality suddenly hit him and he pulled back. "I'm sorry, I know we were trying to keep our kissing a little less intense until the wedding. I um…I guess I was just trying to hide my concerns from you."
Trying to calm her racing heart, Elizabeth stepped away and sat on a workbench a few feet away. "Talk to me, Nathan. We are going to be husband and wife. I want us to be open in sharing whatever is on our minds."
Pacing to gather his thoughts, Nathan finally stopped and pulled a chair to sit across from her. "This is a little difficult for me to talk about right now, being so inexperienced at the whole marriage thing. In fact, I have no experience in being with a woman," he stammered, color rising up his neck. "I have no idea what I'm doing, nor do I want to be a disappointment to you in that way as someone who has been married before."
Feeling a bit flushed herself, Elizabeth took a deep breath. "And you think I'm greatly experienced?" She took Nathan's hands and looked him directly in the eyes. "I was married to Jack for only a few weeks before he died, and we were only able to be together as man and wife a very limited number of times. Yes, I conceived Jack very quickly and became a mother; however, that was almost seventeen years ago. As far as I'm concerned, we are both lacking in proficiency when it comes to all aspects of marriage. I think it is something we'll figure out together." She leaned in and whispered, "It's part of the fun."
Nathan swallowed, willing his mind to stay away from any more thoughts of their wedding night at the moment. He forced himself to just kiss her forehead when they stood up together. "We should probably avoid being alone for now," he suggested, not wanting to test his own self-control that he had lectured Jack Jr about recently. "Why don't we go check and see how Allie and Colleen are surviving without Robert for a few days." Elizabeth smiled in agreement and the two of them left hand in hand, secretly counting down the days until they would finally say "I do."
Ever since the big hike to the waterfall, Jack had become popular among all of the Hope Valley teenagers. Many girls clamored for his attention, and several boys insisted on him playing baseball with them on a regular basis after school. He also spent a lot of time with the horses in his barn, taking Newton for rides and making sure Gypsy and Zeus were fed and turned out in the pasture for regular exercise. Doc Davis told them that by Thanksgiving weekend he would clear Gypsy to be ridden by Elizabeth for short distances after having been hand-walked each day for several weeks. Jack had been unsure how school would be with his mother teaching, and having a certain brunette constantly on his mind, but he always found learning invigorating and the days flew by as his mind expanded.
When they left school together on Friday and saw his mom leave with Nathan, Sarah and Jack walked together toward the row houses. Because Robert was going out of town on Mountie business, he had asked his sister to stay and help out with the baby and keep Allie company. Jack didn't mind Sarah staying next door for the weekend, especially knowing it meant he would get to spend more time with her away from Robert's ever-watching eyes. He dropped off his books at home, then joined her next door.
When they entered the house, the smell of freshly-baked cookies permeated the air. "Hey you two, how was your second week of school?" Allie asked. "Come sit and have some milk and cookies with me so you can tell me all the latest news. Colleen is still down for her afternoon nap but should be up shortly."
Taking their place at the table, the two teens shared all of the gossip they knew with a very attentive Allie, who was soaking up everything they were saying. Although she loved being home with her daughter, she missed teaching and the relationships she had with all of the older students at the Hope Valley School. As they finished their cookies and milk, a cry from upstairs interrupted their conversation.
"Do you mind if we go and get her up?" Sarah begged. "We want to say hello before leaving to take care of the horses."
Allie nodded and replied, "Of course. She loves seeing her aunt and uncle, but just be warned she might want to eat before long."
Sarah led Jack up the stairs and into the nursery where Colleen had been sleeping in the same crib that her brother Robert and Jack Thornton Sr had made right before she was born. Colleen smiled as her aunt Sarah picked her up and sat in the rocking chair to snuggle. "Hi sweet baby girl," she cooed. "Look at how much you have grown since I saw you just the other day." She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the infant's forehead.
Watching how natural Sarah was with a baby only made Jack feel that much more deeply for her. Their shared connection to Colleen had brought them even closer together, and they had become best friends. It scared him that anything more than that would have the potential to ruin the relationship they had created, so Jack had done his best to back off trying to hold hands or show any kind of romantic attention toward her when they were together. But sometimes his mind would wander back to his desire for more, and those feelings easily resurfaced.
"Your turn before she gets fussy," Sarah insisted, standing up and pushing the babe into Jack's arms while guiding him to sit in the rocking chair she had previously occupied. With his eyes fixated on the bundle in his strong arms, Sarah was able to admire the sight in front of her without feeling embarrassed. She knew they had discussed being only friends; but his intelligence and adorable personality, combined with his dashing good looks, lit a fire inside of her that was nearly impossible to ignore. So many of the girls at school had finally taken notice of Jack Thornton Jr, and Sarah tried not to let their attention bother her…but it did.
Jack felt Sarah staring as he held little Colleen, and when he looked up and met her eyes, neither one looked away like so many times before. Almost losing himself in her chocolate brown eyes, he finally looked away when the baby let them know it was time for her feeding. "We better take her to Allie and go see the horses. Do you think Bill will let you ride Betty since Robert has Lucky on his trip?"
"Yes. I already asked him the other night," she informed him. After they had given the baby to Allie, Jack and Sarah left for the livery where they saddled up Bill's old horse and rode slowly together to get Newton. After giving the other horses food and water, they saddled him up and began their ride. Days were starting to get shorter as summer had ended and fall was sweeping in with cooler weather. It was as if the air had just decided to turn crisp one morning and the leaves began changing color all at once.
Riding through the fall scenery was like a colorful dream; and when the horses decided to take a drink at the river, Jack helped Sarah get off Betty after he had slid off Newton. They skipped rocks and joked about the time they fell in the water together in that very spot. "I think about that day a lot," Jack confessed. "It was the first time I ever held hands with a girl, and it was with someone I still care about more than just about anyone. What were you thinking then?"
She pondered the question for a minute before answering. "Honestly, I was so confused. You came into my life and made it feel more complete, but I was dating Jimmy and wasn't expecting to be interested in anyone new. I do know now that I don't want to lose the friendship we've built over the past few months, especially since we are basically family."
Even though he had to agree with most of what she said, the thought of them actually being related made Jack's stomach turn slightly. He didn't want to be just like a brother to Sarah; that didn't feel right, considering the strong attraction he had always felt toward her. "I feel very differently about you than Allie. I do consider her my sister now, and Robert is like a big brother. You are my best friend, Sarah. I've never had anyone understand me the way that you do."
Eyeing the spot where they had first held hands on the blanket while drying off in the sun, Sarah once again threaded her fingers through Jack's. "Do you think we are too young, or it is too fast to find someone we feel this way about? I knew Jimmy my entire life, and he was sweet on me for as long as I can remember. It felt good to have someone think of me that way; but once I met you, I realized what I had with Jimmy wasn't enough for me to commit to him for the rest of my life. He's a good young man who deserves someone who is head over heels in love with him. But even beyond that, I have dreams for my future. Next year I'll go away to college, while you are still at home. Just friends for now seems like the practical thing to do, right?"
Jack turned and used his free hand to tame some of Sarah's long, dark locks and tucked them gently behind her ear. "Yep, practical," he murmured, his pulse racing. He let his instincts take over, shutting off his brain that was screaming at him to slow down and think rationally. His eyes glanced at her slightly pouted lips before catching her eyes doing the same to his, causing unexplored emotions to course through him as he met her lips with his own for the first time. It was hesitant and soft, both of them a bit unsure of what they were doing since it was their first real kiss with anyone. Jack suddenly pulled away, scolding himself. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I don't know what came over me. Everything's changing right now, and sometimes I feel out of control."
Wrapping him into a warm embrace, Sarah tried to process what had just taken place. She wondered if this would change everything, or only enhance their bond. She finally removed her head from his chest and looked up into his deep blue eyes. "Don't apologize, Jack. I know things are uncertain and crazy right now, and eventually we will figure this out. But right now, we better get back to help Allie with dinner. Maybe we can talk more about this later?" Jack nodded in agreement before the two of them mounted the horses and rode to their destination in contemplative silence.
When Nathan and Elizabeth arrived, Allie had just finished feeding Colleen. She offered some of the still-warm cookies to her parents as they took turns fussing over their grandbaby. "What else do you need help with for the wedding?" Allie wanted to know. "Robert will be back by Monday and can help you get all of the furniture moved into the house, Dad." She noticed a subtle look pass between the engaged couple at the mention of the furniture he had built but was fairly certain she didn't want to know. "Rosemary said the dresses are coming along nicely. She's even making a little one for Colleen that matches mine. When is the final fitting for your wedding dress, Elizabeth? I would love to be there and see how it has turned out."
Elizabeth beamed. "Oh Allie, that would be wonderful. I think she's planning to do the final fitting next Friday afternoon right before the bridal shower. Why don't I pick up all the girls, and we'll drive out to the Coulter's house to try on our dresses together before the party. I know Nathan, Robert, and Jack have some plans with the guys that night; and they already have their suits ready to go. Our ceremony is going to be small with just close family and a few friends. After the small luncheon, we've invited the community to come for a casual reception. I really don't want it to be anything grandiose or formal. Just a big celebration of our love and newly-formed family."
"Exactly." Nathan agreed. "If it had been left completely up to Rosemary, it may have been a black-tie affair; but she is helping give us what we really want. She has been busy arranging the food and flowers, making dresses, and Lee is helping with the extra chairs and tables we'll need for the event. She lives for this kind of thing though."
As they were talking through all of their plans, Sarah and Jack came inside together trying to hide the grins that hadn't left their faces since their stop by the river. "We're here to help with dinner!" Sarah exclaimed a little too enthusiastically. But before anyone reacted, there was a knock at the door.
To their surprise, it was Bill holding a big tray of food. "I knew Robert was out of town on Mountie business, and you all have so much going on with the wedding and moving into the new house. I thought something Uncle Bill could do to help was bring some dinner; plus, I'm selfish and wanted to come see all of you…well, mostly Colleen."
"I've found that my daughter is the draw to my house now, but it is totally understandable and I'm fine with it," Allie admitted. Tears of gratitude and love filled her eyes as she viewed so many of the people she loved giving her support when her husband had to be away.
Both Jack and Sarah helped Bill bring all of the food inside, while Elizabeth set the table with Allie, and Nathan gave Uncle Bill a chance to hold his little niece again. It was more proof that shared blood wasn't always the most important component in making a family. Life circumstances had brought them together in the most beautiful way possible; and in the near future, the union of Nathan and Elizabeth would bond them even more permanently together.