As promised, Nathan and Elizabeth drove to pick up Jack early afternoon on Tuesday. He had his bag packed and hugged all four Coulters, promising some chess rematches with the twins at a later date. Driving home felt a little strange, knowing that Nathan would be staying and not going back home at night. Once they arrived at the house, Jack went up to his room to unpack and organize his belongings. He was most excited about living close to the horses, so after things were put away, he hurried to the barn.

All three horses were excited to see Jack, since it had been a few days. A loud sound in the workshop off the barn startled him, but he immediately realized Nathan must be in there. He found his new dad moving some large pieces of wood and stacking them neatly along one wall. "Wow, Nathan, this shop is looking really nice. You actually did some work over the weekend, didn't you?"

"Oh, hey there, Jack," Nathan acknowledged, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I have some orders coming up soon, so I need to make sure I have everything put together. But we better get cleaned up for dinner or your mom will have both our hides."

Still wanting to talk, Jack took a seat on one of Nathan's workbenches. "Before we go back to the house, can I talk to you?"

Seeing the troubled look on his new son's face, Nathan immediately sat across from him. "You know I'm always ready and willing to listen and help the best I can. What seems to be on your mind?"

Clearing his throat, Jack tried to find the right words. "I'm sure this probably won't come as a shock to you, but it has to do with Sarah. Well, and that talk we had after the hike last month. You don't have to tell my mom about this, do you?"

Nathan placed his hand on Jack's shoulder. "I don't like to keep things from my wife, but as long as it isn't anything I think she should know about; I understand and will honor your wishes. Did something happen when you saw Sarah on Saturday?"

"Kind of," Jack began, standing up and pacing to gather his thoughts. "I went for a walk that morning. I wasn't even thinking about it, and somehow ended up going straight to her house. We went off the road and into the trees where we started talking and then kissed…again."

Eyes widening slightly, Nathan tried not to have any extreme reaction. "I was unaware it had happened before." But realization hit him, and he asked, "Wait, was it the night you two went riding before we had dinner with Bill when Robert was gone? Now that I think back, you both seemed a little suspicious."

Color rose to Jack's cheeks. "Great, were we that obvious? It was at the river where we first held hands, and very innocent. But both then and on Saturday, I shut my brain off and ended up feeling like I lost control a little bit. We just kissed, but I came away from that knowing I have to keep my brain involved so I don't let my body control me and go places I'm not ready for right now. If I want to be a respectable man and Mountie, I need to figure out how to do that. Especially since I care about Sarah and would never want to disrespect her."

Feeling a bit relieved that Jack and Sarah hadn't gone beyond a few kisses, Nathan then felt pride in what an honorable young man he was becoming. "Just the fact that you are reaching out to me, wanting to be the best version of yourself, makes me believe you have what it takes to practice self-control. You were able to stop before you went somewhere you had no business going, weren't you? How did you keep yourself in check after that?"

"We went around other people. I think both of us realized that being alone would have been problematic right then, so we took away the temptation." Jack sat back down. "I think we need to talk and set ground rules, but I'm not even sure what the status of our relationship is right now. We keep saying we are just friends, but I know we both want more than that. It's just so soon. I'm only about to turn sixteen and she'll be seventeen and wants to go off to college in a matter of months. I plan to join the Mounties a year later. How do you fall in love with someone so young and expect it to last? But when I think about life without Sarah, it hurts so much I don't think I could stand it." They began walking toward the house together, and Jack decided maybe having Nathan living with them wouldn't be so bad after all. For some reason, he had found it easier to talk to his new father figure than his mom recently. "I love the house," he admitted. "You being here with us might just be alright, but don't let that get to your head, Gramps."

Acting offended, Nathan growled. "Gramps huh? One of these days you are going to regret harassing me about my age, young man." He tousled Jack's hair like he would a little boy, as they both entered the house laughing.

Elizabeth watched the two most important men in her life smiling and being playful with one another as they walked in her direction. She stepped away from the window just as they entered the front door, wondering how her life had suddenly become so much more complete. "Dinner will be ready in an hour. Allie just called and they are running a few minutes behind, so you both have time to get cleaned up before one of you drives to pick them up from their house." Jack gave her a quick hug before climbing the stairs, and Nathan met her with a quick kiss before going to wash and change in the bathroom by their room.

While combing his hair, Nathan heard a light knock at the bathroom door. He opened it and let his wife inside, taking her in his arms fully, now clean from his sweat and sawdust from the shop. He had yet to put a shirt on, not wanting it to get wet from the water he used to tame his hair. His suspenders hung down over a new pair of pants, and her hands felt cool against his warm, clean skin. "Hi," he murmured near her ear, spreading kisses across her neck and cheek before capturing her mouth with his. They nearly lost their footing, and he pressed her against the door for support.

A fit of giggles from Elizabeth broke their lips apart, and the sound of Jack's footsteps in the hallway reminded them they weren't alone in the house any longer. "How about I send Jack to fetch Allie's family? Maybe I can even help you button up your shirt while we are alone." A slight blush crept into her cheeks as she looked into her husband's eyes, still getting used to being so vulnerable with him physically. Marveling at how comfortable he made her feel when they were together, Elizabeth wondered how she ever lived without Nathan Grant in her life.

Jack calling for them brought her out of her thoughts, and she quickly slipped out of the bathroom. Finding her son in the hallway, he was more than happy to drive Nathan's car to pick up their other family members for dinner when she asked. After staying true to her word and buttoning up his light blue shirt, they finished getting dinner on the table just in time for the first official Grant/Thornton blended family dinner since the wedding in their new home. They hoped it was the first of many evenings spent becoming even more bonded together.

After some mild fall weather for a few weeks following the storm during their honeymoon, a cold front moved through Hope Valley. A light dusting of snow met Nathan early on a Monday morning in November, as he made his way to the barn to check on the horses. Surprised his wife wasn't up and ready for school by the time he returned, he made her a cup of tea and placed it on a tray along with a leftover cinnamon roll they had baked the afternoon before as they watched the snow flurries outside the window. In their bedroom, he set the tray on the nightstand and nuzzled her neck before kissing her lips to wake her.

"Just five more minutes," she moaned groggily, turning over and pulling the blanket over her head.

Resisting the urge to join her under the covers, Nathan instead stood and pulled the curtains open as light flooded the room. "I'm sorry, love; but if we don't leave in the next fifteen minutes, you'll be late for school. Drinking some tea might help. Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Elizabeth sat up and scowled. "I slept okay, but it feels too early." She yawned before sipping the tea and taking small bites of the cinnamon roll. Noticing her husband looking at her with a worried expression, she smiled and stood up. "Nathan, I'm fine. Maybe the cold weather is affecting my energy. I'll be ready to go in no time." She stopped and kissed him before making her way to the armoire to find a dress. "Did Jack do his chores this morning?"

Nodding, Nathan responded, "Horses had been fed when I went to the barn, so I'm assuming he was washing up and getting dressed for school when I went down there. I'll go check on him while you get changed." He entered the kitchen at the same time as their large teenage boy, and the two of them exchanged small talk while Jack scarfed down leftovers for breakfast and packed lunches for him and his mom.

"I have plans to eat with the Coulters tonight," Jack informed him. "Aunt Rosie thought you two might want to spend your one month anniversary alone this evening. I'll just go home with the twins after school, unless you need me for anything."

Nathan caught his breath and stammered, "Um, yeah, that sounds good. Tell Rosemary thanks for her thoughtfulness." His mind began forming plans as he scolded himself for not realizing what day it was. He had been busy with furniture orders and a few home designs he was finishing up, plus he didn't know they were supposed to celebrate every month. Before he could think any deeper, Elizabeth joined them and handed him an envelope. For My Husband of One Month, Nathan Grant, was written on the outside.

Jack gave her the packed lunch, and she returned the favor with a hug. "Thank you, son. I was more tired than usual this morning, but already feeling much better. Let's go before Miss Yost has to teach both classes." They drove to the school with snow still gently falling, creating a magical feeling throughout Hope Valley. Students dressed in winter gear filed into the school as they parked. After Jack had jumped out and found his friends, Elizabeth scooted closer to Nathan and moved her fingers through his curls on the back of his neck. "I'll see you later," she whispered close to his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. With a quick brush of his lips across hers, she pulled her coat around herself before exiting the car and greeting her students making their way inside.

Needing to pick up supplies from Lee's warehouse, Nathan stopped in the office first to go over the orders due before Christmas. His business partner sat at the large desk going over ledgers when he arrived. "You're in here early," he remarked, sitting in a chair. "What do you know about celebrating monthly anniversaries? Something about your wife inviting Jack over so we could celebrate alone?" He held up the envelope given to him by Elizabeth that morning. "I guess I need to make something special for after school now. Will I have to do this once a month forever?"

Taking his glasses off and closing the ledger, Lee gave his friend a sympathetic look. "Even though I've been married to Rosemary for nearly two decades, I still have yet to figure out these unspoken rules women seem to have. I think we only made a big deal for one month, six months, and a year. After that, it was just the standard yearly thing. But you and Elizabeth have missed out on so much time together, that I think you should celebrate as much as possible. Just talk to her tonight and find out her expectations. What did she write in her letter?"

"I haven't read it yet," Nathan admitted, running his thumb over his name. "I came to get the rest of the orders and some supplies so I can get some work done this morning, then I'll get cleaned up and write my own letter before making one of her favorite dinners."

Lee opened up a drawer and pulled out a file he tossed across the desk. "Everyone, so far, has been extremely happy with the quality of your work. I have more requests for house plans and some full bedroom and dining room sets. I was able to get a couple of people to push their orders into the new year, but you'll be keeping very busy for the foreseeable future."

Thanking him for the new orders, Nathan gathered some of the supplies he had left in the warehouse and returned home where he put in several hours of work before taking a break for lunch. After taking an inventory of what they had in the way of groceries, Nathan decided to ride Newton into town to get his horse some exercise and shop at the mercantile at the same time, killing two birds with one stone. After a stormy start to the morning, the sky had cleared and the snow on the trees was glistening in the sun. Riding had been an activity he and Elizabeth enjoyed nearly every day since getting married. Sometimes Jack would ask if he could take the horses out with Sarah, but an evening ride before dinner was always a welcome outing for the newlyweds.

Paul Blakeley was working behind the counter and welcomed Nathan at the mercantile. Ned and Florence were planning to turn it completely over to Paul and his wife Jenny, once they felt comfortable running the place on their own. After being married a little over a year, they decided to settle back in Hope Valley to raise a family. Grabbing some new candles for the table and the rest of the ingredients he needed for the special dinner he was planning, Nathan purchased them and placed them in the saddle bag before mounting Newton to go back home. The second he threw his leg over the saddle, searing pain shot through his leg that had been injured in his accident earlier in the year. He had been ignoring some returning pain since before the wedding, but now didn't have a choice and needed to get it looked at again by the town doctor. Gritting his teeth, he rode Newton the short distance to the Infirmary where he carefully slid off the large animal and tried not to touch his bum leg. He carefully limped to the door, holding tightly to the railing and collapsing in a chair just inside the door.

Startled for a moment, Dr. Burton quickly rushed over to Nathan as soon as he sat down. "Mr. Grant, correct? What seems to be the problem?"

Nathan went on to explain his accident and injuries, realizing he had finally reached a point where he wasn't scared to talk about it anymore. He finished, "So the past couple months I get sharp pains on certain occasions and aching at other times. Today when I mounted my horse, it felt like a knife right in the place my leg was broken. I promised my wife I would get this checked nearly a month ago, but I got busy. Please tell me it's nothing serious."

Making notes in his chart, the doctor then helped his patient to the bed and did an exam. "Sometimes after a major injury like a broken bone, pain will occur on and off for quite some time. Has your activity level changed at all?"

Pondering the question, Nathan nodded. "As a matter of fact, the pain started when my workload increased. I was trying to finish building my house before my wedding, then started a woodworking business with Lee Coulter. When I'm working less, I seem to be okay. I'm also getting good at predicting storms, because that spot aches a matter of hours before we get any precipitation."

Writing more in the file, Dr. Burton sat back down on his stool next to the examination table. "It sounds to me like you need to slow down. Having a 'weather leg' is not surprising, so that doesn't worry me. I would like you to rest and elevate your leg after each few hours of working. I have some medication you can take when it gets unbearable. Would you like to take some now?"

Nathan stood and noticed the pain already starting to fade. "Just that little rest has helped immensely. Why don't you give me that bottle to take home with me for later if needed. I also wondered about a medicated tea I was given to use that seemed to help, but I ran out several weeks ago?"

"Yes, of course. It works wonders and is a more natural remedy. I have a box here you can take, but I would like to see you back here in a week to follow up and possibly do an x ray if you have not improved, to make sure everything has healed properly."

Shaking the young man's hand, Nathan smiled. "You should come to our home for dinner sometime, Doc. I'm sorry, I don't know your full name."

"Andrew," he answered. "Dr. Andrew Burton. I trained in a big hospital in the city, but it was a little too fast-paced for me. I like a simpler life and want to settle down in a community where I could make a difference."

They walked together outside where Nathan untethered his companion and more gently pulled himself onto his back. "I like you, Andrew. Thanks again for taking the time to see me. I only brought enough cash for the mercantile, but I promise to settle up with you later." He slowly rode home and brewed some tea then took a long bath, hoping to soothe his aching leg. Feeling more like himself, Nathan began dinner preparations and sat down to write a long love note to his lovely bride.

Elizabeth set her fork down and let out a satisfied moan. "You've been holding out on me, my love. How did you roast the chicken and vegetables so perfectly? You know that is a favorite of mine."

Lifting her hand to his lips, Nathan kissed it then gave her a pleased grin. "I may have called Shirley to get her recipe and tips on making you the perfect one-month anniversary meal. She even walked me through making her famous apple crisp for dessert, since Rosemary gave us all of those apples from her tree."

She stood and guided her husband to the sofa in front of the fireplace where they sat close together, enjoying the warmth and nearness of one another. "I never got to celebrate a single anniversary with Jack," she voiced quietly. "I'm sorry to bring him up tonight but knowing you and I have had an entire month together living as man and wife made me realize I never got that the first time. In a way, I feel guilty; because I can honestly say, this has been the best month of my life."

Suddenly Nathan understood why even the simplest of milestones would be important to her in their marriage. He quickly committed to some form of simple celebration every month for their first year at least. Not knowing how to express what he was feeling in words, he let his lips do the talking. Exhausted and out of breath when the kissing ended, Nathan rested his chin on his wife's head as she lay her head on his chest. "I've never been happier in my life, Elizabeth." Remembering the envelopes, he had been keeping in his pocket, he pulled them out and handed her the one he had written. "I saved your letter for tonight so we could read them together."

A look of excitement spread across her face as Elizabeth ripped the envelope open and began devouring the handwritten love letter from her husband. Tears began falling when she read the lines, Your love, my dear Elizabeth, has made me a better man. It has only been one month since we recited vows that bound us together for the rest of our lives, but my heart has been yours since the first time I saw you. Thank you for giving yourself to me: mind, body, and spirit. I will spend forever proving I am worthy of your trust.

Next to her, Nathan was having a similar reaction to the words written in his wife's beautiful script handwriting. I have never felt as safe, cherished, or wanted as I have this past month as your wife. You have given me a home, and not just physically; Nathan, you are my home. Growing old with you is the fantasy I dreamed of that is somehow coming true.

Sitting in silence, they absorbed the words from the letters as they watched the jumping flames of the fire. Elizabeth's breath became slow and even, letting Nathan know she had fallen asleep as he held her in his arms. Not realizing how much time had passed, he almost drifted off himself when the door opened, and Jack slammed it shut. "I didn't realize it was so late," he apologized quietly. "How was your evening at the Coulter's?"

"Fine," Jack said without much emotion. "If you don't mind, I think I'll go to bed. I have early chores."

Nathan nodded and gently lifted Elizabeth, carrying her to bed and helping her slip out of her dress before tucking her inside the covers. Once she was settled, he went into the kitchen to clean up dinner. He ate some of the fresh apple crisp before covering and saving it for later. Once everything was spotless, he went to undress for bed. Before going to sleep, Nathan said yet another prayer of gratitude for the abundance of blessings he had received after many trials of his faith. He knew hard times would always be sprinkled in with the good times; but with Elizabeth by his side, Nathan knew he could face anything.