Chapter 83
"What's on your mind?" Abagail asked her husband. He was standing at the stove working on plating some food. She could easily tell that he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. He had placed three spoonsful of green beans on the same plate with nothing else. When he didn't respond to her, she laid down her knife and wiped her hands on her apron as she walked toward him. When she was standing behind him, she reached around him and took the plate and large spoon from him. She placed the spoon on the stove and the plate on the counter.
"Ok old man, what's on your mind?"
He sighed. He turned in her embrace and laid his hands on her hips. "I think you should hire help for the café. We have talked about it, but you still haven't hired anyone. I worry about you."
"Why?"
"You work so many hours here and then at the mayor's office. You work way too hard."
"I'm sorry."
"No need to be sorry, I just believe we need to fix it. Plus, I would like to spend more time with you other than in this kitchen."
"That does sound nice." She wishfully stated. "You've seen the books, is it doable?"
"It is. Not only is it doable, but I also believe it is necessary. Listen Abagail, you are doing a wonderful job at the mayor's office and here. You do the work of multiple people and you do it well. I just don't want you to exhaust yourself."
"Thank you for caring."
"Abagail, I promised you that I will be here for you."
"You did. I'm grateful you are a man of your word."
"What do you say? We finish here in about an hour and let Mary finish up? And we go and try our luck at the pond? We should have about an hour to so of daylight."
"Where's the fishing poles?"
"By the back door on the porch."
"I love you, Frank."
…
Jerry and Joyce walked from the hotel and saloon for their dinner with Jack, Elizabeth, JJ, and Grace. He was looking forward to the time with new friends and then discussing some business. He wanted to keep the latter one to a bare minimum.
"This is a special place." Joyce stated as she walked on the sidewalk.
"And why do you say that?"
"I know it's small and doesn't have all the amenities of Hamilton, but I also think Hamilton doesn't have some of the things that Hope Valley has."
Jerry looked around and quickly noticed the things that his wife was speaking about. Hope Valley was small. However, the people were genuinely friendly and cared for each other. He has only heard good things about Jack and Elizabeth. Tyna was a godsent with her work with the special crates. He had already expanded the orders with her and knew he would expand it again within a couple of months. That young lady was the perfect person for this task.
"I believe you are correct. I didn't understand why Elizabeth and Jack wanted to stay here instead of moving to Hamilton to run the company, but I do think I understand it now."
…
JJ released Jack's and Elizabeth's hand and ran in front of them. They had gone home for a few minutes after school to pack a few things. They didn't have time to pack everything but knew that any time packing now would be more time they could devote to tomorrow's move.
"Do you think he is nervous about tomorrow?" Jack asked as he watched his boy in front of them.
"I thought so too, but I don't think so now. He is excited about the move and the new home. I think he feels comfortable no matter where he is."
"Yeah. I was so worried when he first came here with me. He went through a very difficult season in his life. I knew changing everything would be hard on him for a while."
"He did but you did such a great job with him."
"If I'm being honest, I had no idea what I was doing." Jack shook his head. "I never felt so lost in my life."
"Maybe so, but you learned very quickly. You helped that boy through an extremely difficult season in his life."
"That boy is very resilient. He gets that from Steven. He never gave up on anything. If he didn't do it correctly, he would work on it until he figured it out."
"Steve and Joy did a tremendous job in raising him. But Jack, I wouldn't discount your part in raising him. You have done a good job with him too."
"You did a great job as well. You jumped in and almost instantly became his mother."
"That boy is easy to love."
"He is."
They watched their little boy running from one thing to another just a few feet in front of them. Somehow, JJ always found life in everything he saw around him, even in the littlest of things.
"Jack…this life is…"
"What I used to dream of in the back room of the jail."
"Really?"
"Are you seriously asking me that question?"
"I used to dream about this too."
"Are you ready for tomorrow?"
Elizabeth smiled. "To be honest, I have mixed emotions. The row house is our first house. That will always be special to me. But I am looking forward to our new home."
"I understand."
"That is if you and JJ let me see the home." She whined. She hasn't seen the new home in quite a while at Jack's and JJ's insistence. Even though she had seen the house in the beginning process and halfway finished, they wanted the finished home to be a surprise. She may have understood their thought process, but that didn't mean she liked it. JJ seemed to take it to heart that it was his responsibility to keep her from the home.
"Tomorrow." Jack smiled at her impatience. "You know, for someone who reminds her students all the time about the importance of being patient, you don't have…"
"That's enough from you." She bumped his shoulder.
After a moment of silence, he leaned into her shoulder. "Thank you for this life."
"Jack, thank you. We do this together."
"Together."
…
Grace, Jerry, and Joyce were sitting at a table large enough for three more people. The café wasn't swamped with people, but there were a few sitting around the room enjoying their meal. Jerry and Grace had known each other for a while, but they were never very close. This trip was bringing them closer, especially Grace and Joyce. Their relationship went from being acquaintances to friendship. They knew who came through the door the moment it opened without even looking up.
JJ burst through the door with a huge smile on his face. Not only was he with his mommy and daddy, but he was also going to see Grandma Grace and Mr. and Mrs. Watts.
"Grandma!" JJ called out releasing the door. It slammed against the wall.
"JJ!" Grace's excitement matched her grandson's.
JJ ran through the dining area toward his grandma.
"Please tell me your son wasn't running through the middle of the café."
"I would guess he was. Let me ask, why is he my kid when he is doing something he shouldn't be doing?"
"Because I can easily see you doing the same thing as a kid."
"So, why is he your kid when he is doing something good?"
"Because I can easily see me doing that as a kid." She sassed him. Jack just rolled his eyes at her sassiness.
"So, how's my grandson?"
"I'm good. How's my grandma?"
"I'm good."
JJ released his hug and turned his attention toward Mr. Watts. "Mr. W. How are you?"
"I'm good JJ. How have you been?"
"I'm good. We had a great time at the field day yesterday."
"I've heard. I also heard you won first place in stacking wood."
"I did." His pride evident in his facial expression and voice.
"I also heard you placed second in the fishing competition."
"Mr. W, there is no need to discuss that." He slightly shook his head. He gave Mrs. Watts a gentle hug. Then he did what he always did…he went and picked up both coffee pots. Jack and Elizabeth walked into the café as JJ was picking up the coffee.
"Thank you, young man. It's getting into the evening hour. I'll take the unleaded please." An older man stated as JJ walked toward his table.
"I'll take the leaded." The older man's wife answered the unasked question. "I have some mending to do before I go to sleep."
"Yes, ma'am."
After greeting everyone, Jack and Elizabeth sat down at the table. They watched their son walk through the dining area with the coffee pots pouring people coffee if they wanted it.
"Jack and Elizabeth, thanks for joining us."
"Yes Jerry. Thanks for coming all this way."
"I wouldn't miss that boy's birthday for anything. He just has a way about him."
Everyone at the table nodded their heads in agreement as they watched the little boy talk with everyone. He really did have a way with people. You just couldn't help but love him.
"Jack and Elizabeth, we have some fun things to discuss and some business. What would you two like to discuss first?"
"If I may, I'm not too hungry at the moment. Joyce, why don't you and I take a walk around the town. Maybe that will increase our appetite."
"That would be lovely." Joyce responded as she stood.
Elizabeth nodded her head in understanding at her mother.
"If my grandson is done working the room, we'll see if he would like to play tour guide."
"He would love that." Joyce stated with a smile. "You know, I could easily see him as a politician."
"Not my boy." Elizabeth stated with determination.
…
Jack and Elizabeth didn't miss the huge smile on Jerry's face after watching JJ walk out with his wife and Grace. He had good news to report and was excited to share that news with the owners of Thatcher Shipping.
"I'm happy to see that smile, Jerry."
"Well, I have good news to report to you two."
"Great. What is it?" Elizabeth asked.
"Business is going really well. We did lose two customers over that whole ordeal, but we have gained eleven others due to the changes in the warehouse that Jack proposed."
"That worked that well?"
"It did. There was one minor adjustment that pushed it over the top. An hourly employee suggested it. When they tested it out, it glued everything together. The new customers were excited about it. It saves them money and makes us money, which is always a good thing. The change streamlined the process."
"That's great. I'm assuming the new customers at least matches the business of the two companies that were lost?"
"Yes Elizabeth, more than covers the losses. We have four other companies looking at us because of the word of what we are doing. These are huge companies that would add huge value to the company. The company has filed patent applications for the new process."
"Great."
"I was at Tyna's place yesterday. That young lady is impressive."
"She is."
"I secured her to do more special crates for us. That is pushing her to her limits. In the next month or two, I can easily see that she will need to add an employee or two to match what we are wanting her to do in the near future."
"That's great. She is a great young lady with a wonderful personality and her work ethic is superb. That helps her and then who ever she hires."
"I'm grateful she is working out. Elizabth and I both agreed she was the person for the job."
'I must admit, I was concerned with the Co-CEO and Co-Owner setup, but you two are handling it very well. Morale of the employees are high. As a matter of fact, morale has never been this high. People are happy and they are performing their tasks at a high level. They are making suggestions and many of those suggestions are improving the company in small ways that are adding up."
"Great." Jack and Elizabeth stated at the same time concerning the news. They were ecstatic that the employees were happy and that the business was doing well.
"With the business doing so well, that means you two are doing well."
"What do you mean?"
"Haven't you been keeping up with the accounts I sat up for you?"
"Not really. You put that intital deposit in. We used some of that money to purchase some appliances, but we live off the money I make teaching and Jack's salary as a mountie and now as a sheriff."
"Oh…"
"Why?"
"You receive a base salary. When the company meets certain goals, you receive bonuses."
"Ok." They stated together. The doubt was evident.
"You two really need to look at your accounts." Jerry handed them a small folder. Jack took the folder and passed it to Elizabeth. He knew the finances, but Elizabeth was the bookkeeper of the family.
"Jerry…there must be a mistake."
"No mistake."
"There has been four deposits since the initial deposit and each one is much larger than the first one. Actually, each deposit is larger than the previous one."
"Yes, That's your base salary and then the bonuses."
"That's way too much money." Jack stated as he looked at the piece of paper that Elizabeth tilted for him to look at.
"It's your salary."
"We need to be passing this on to our employees."
"We have been. We implemented bonuses to the employees like you suggested. That is part of the reason why morale is up. They're making more money, and their voices are being heard. You two have done a great job with everything. The company is making more money than it has in ten years, The employees are making more money and so are you two. It's a win for everyone involved."
"Jerry, I believe this is more about you than us."
"Honestly, it's everyone from the dock workers all the way up to you two. You have made good decisions that includes the best for the employees. As a result, they have worked harder and shared their opinions. Which in return streamlines things. That makes the company more efficient, which allows us to serve our customers better. That brings in more customers when they hear that they can ship things cheaper and quicker. It's just not one thing. It is a combination of several things."
"Wow."
"Yeah. Now, I have this check for you two to deposit here. This is your latest check."
Jack looked at the check that Jerry handed him. "Elizabeth, I can't even fathom that amount of money." Jack shook his head in disbelief.
"I know what you mean. What are we going to do with that?"
Jack and Elizabeth leaned back in their seats. They just couldn't understand the numbers Jerry was sharing with them. Their personal account in Hamilton's bank was more than they would ever make on their own in their chosen profession. In reality, it is double what they would make. The weird thing is…is that they have done that in only four deposits. Now they are holding another check that is more than their year's combined salary.
"I think we continue to use our salaries here for our living expenses. I don't want to lose who we are."
"I agree, Jack. Maybe we can find a good charity or charities to help."
"If I may…" Jerry cut in. "…Joyce is greatly impressed with the Next Chance House your mother started in Hamilton. It is really beginning to make a huge difference. What would you think about joining her and starting another one in another community that could use it?"
"We need to talk to mother."
"I agree."
…
"Now, this is the pond where I love playing at."
"And where you put living creatures in your pockets."
"Yes, Grandma…I have done that once or twice." JJ laughed.
"Oh, I have heard those stories. I also believe it has been more than once or twice. I have heard, tad poles, frogs, fish…"
"Alright Mrs. W. I get your point." JJ laughed and shook his head. Joyce laughed and tousled his hair. "You are just too cute. I have also heard about Emily."
"What did you hear about her?" JJ asked quickly.
"Just that she is your partner in crime."
"Oh…yeah she is." JJ answered with relief in his voice. Joyce and Grace noticed his tone and shared knowing glances.
As JJ turned them from the pond toward the church and schoolhouse, he reached for both of their hands. They smiled at his loving gesture. He showed the ladies the schoolhouse and the mercantile. He showed them the road to the new home. He wanted to take them but knew they didn't have time. He wasn't sure how long they were gone but knew dinner would be ready soon. He also wanted to show his mommy first.
Grace and Joyce both melted at JJ holding their hands and guiding them around town. He loved this place.
"Now, over here we have the jail. That's where daddy works." He was going to take them to see the inside of it, but he noticed Auntie Abagail and Uncle Frank stepping out of the café. He stopped on the sidewalk waiting for them to walk toward them.
"You two going fishing?"
"We are. The café is covered for the evening."
"Good for you two. You work too hard."
"That's what I keep telling her." Frank smiled at someone backing him up with his wife.
"Frank, I was talking about you too."
"That's kind of you to say Grace, but I don't think so."
"I agree with her." Joyce stated nodding toward Grace.
"Uncle Frank are you going to let Auntie Abagail win again at fishing?"
"What do you mean 'let me win'?"
"Ah young man…I don't let her. She always wins."
"Do you two still have a bet going on?"
"No!" Frank answered quickly and determined.
"Yes!" Abagail answered just as quickly and determined.
"Uncle Frank, I would suggest you try your best to win."
"Oh little one, he does." Abagail laughed. "He just isn't as good as me." She sassed.
"Don't you always beat him at darts?"
"I think Mary was almost finished with your dinner. You may need to head back to the café." Frank tried to change the subject.
"Nice save Pastor." Grace laughed.
As the couple said their goodbyes and walked toward the pond, Joyce turned to Grace.
"Everyone here is so very nice. I can understand why Jack and Elizabeth wanted to stay here."
"I can as well. This place is just special."
"Come on Grandma and Mrs. W. Food is ready."
"Are you always hungry?"
"Daddy says I'm a growing boy and growing boys eat a lot."
"Well, let's go then. We don't want you to stave away to nothing." Grace and Joyce outstretched their hands for JJ to take. He led them to the café.
…
Jack, Elizabeth, and JJ spent the evening packing everything they could. With the new home came a lot of new furniture and items. So, they didn't have a lot of big things to move. As they packed, many items brought back good memories. As excited as they were about moving into their forever home, they were sad about leaving the row house. Of course, the new home was newer and bigger, but this was their first home. They loved it. The row house was also why the new house wasn't too big. They both enjoyed the smallness of it. They knew they needed more room with a growing family, but they didn't want too big.
JJ stayed up late to pack all his things much to Jack's disappointment. With their last night in the row home, the first place he and Elizabeth shared with each other, he was hoping to recreate that moment again for the last time. He also knew Elizabeth would be extremely tired. It was past nine. Since being pregnant, she struggled with any time after nine. He figured growing a little human was exhausting. When JJ finally fell asleep, Jack carried him to bed. As he descended the stairs, Elizabeth was already asleep on the couch.
"How did she do that so quickly?" He asked himself with a little chuckle. She was snoring again.
Jack made sure all the lanterns were off and the door was locked. Then he walked to the couch where his wife was asleep. He admired her for a moment. She was resting on her back with her head on a pillow. Her right hand was protectively cradling her baby bump. He squatted down and picked her up in his arms. She never woke up, even when she wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her upstairs and gently placed her on the side of the bed where she always slept. She quickly settled into her pillow.
…
Jack woke up the next morning. He knew the day was going to be busy. While he did complain to Abagail about giving him a few days off for the move and JJ's birthday, he was happy about it now. Not only did they have to move things, but they also had to clean the row house. He laid still for only a few moments. He jumped a little when he turned his head to his wife, and she was staring at him.
"Are you really scared of a little schoolteacher?" She chuckled.
"You were staring at me."
"I was. How did I get to bed last night? I don't remember."
"You fell asleep when I took JJ to bed."
"And you carried me?"
"I did."
"Jack, I'm sorry I fell asleep before we could spend the evening together."
"It's ok. Yesterday was a busy day and you were exhausted."
"Maybe, but I wanted the evening to be special."
He turned to his side facing her. He gently kissed the tip of her nose.
"Thank you for wanting our last night here to be special."
"Well, it wasn't special."
"I got to spend time here with you and JJ. I would consider that special."
"Maybe, but not the kind of special I was thinking about. Now, we have a little bit of time before JJ wakes up." She flirted scooting a little closer to him. "Jack…"
She sighed when there was knock on the door.
"Mommy…! Daddy…!"
"Why is he awake?" Elizabeth growled under her breath.
Jack laughed. "I think he's excited about his new room."
"Yes, but…"
"Promise me we will have this evening."
"I promise."
"Come in!" Jack called out.
JJ bounced into the room and jumped onto the bed. He squirmed his way between his mommy and daddy. Elizabeth laughed when he didn't have a shirt on. He had heard her tell Jack that he wasn't allowed to sleep with a shirt on and took it upon himself that he wasn't to wear one too.
"Are you ready?"
"JJ, it's still early. We have a big day in front of us. We also need to eat a big breakfast."
"We can stop by Auntie Abagail's to pick up something."
"Then where are you wanting to go?"
"Daddy, may we show mommy the house?"
"She will see the home when we begin to move things in."
"Yes, but we'll be busy moving and there will be other people. I just want to show her the house with just me and you."
"How could I say no to that?" Elizabeth smiled at her loving little boy. A tear formed in her eyes but didn't fall. "We'll stop by Auntie Abagail's on the way here."
"If we are going to do all of that, we need to get going."
"Let's go daddy! Come on mommy!" JJ called out as he crawled over his mommy. He stopped when he climbed off the bed. He kissed Elizabeth's tummy. "Good morning sister."
…
As the family walked up the road and just past Mr. and Mrs. P's driveway, JJ stopped his mommy at the foot of the hill. Jack and JJ had gotten into the habit of walking up the hill to the home instead of following the road and then across the driveway.
"Ok mommy. You need to put this on." He held up a bandana. "And no peaking!" He pointed his finger at her with a little smirk on his face.
"Seriously?" She asked.
He wiggled his finger. She kneeled in front of her boy. He wrapped the bandana over her eyes and around her face. Jack helped him tie it in the back. When she stood, JJ reached for her hand and led her up with his with his daddy on the other side of her. They were holding her hands and warning her of any holes or rocks along the way.
"Ok mommy…you can take of the blindfold." JJ smiled. He couldn't wait to see her reaction.
Elizabeth slowly reached up and took off her blindfold. JJ had her positioned so the first thing she saw was the flowerbed he built with Emily. The river rock was about two feet tall and made an oval shaped border. The day lilies were in full bloom and looking beautiful with different colors. While Elizabeth had seen the home, she hadn't seen it since the river rock was placed. The different colors of rock and flowers were mesmerizing.
"Oh JJ…that is beautiful!" She exclaimed. She ran her finger over the top of the rocks and then the flowers. She loved them. When she turned toward the home, she gasped at the sight in front of her.
The log house was magnificent. While it was large, it wasn't the largest house in Hope Valley by any means.
"It's beautiful." She whispered as she tried her best to take in every detail.
The river rock was the same as the flowerbed, yet it was all a slightly different color. The rock began on the ground and came up five feet across the whole front. The porch was good size and there were only four steps up to it. The two story house stood proud but not grandiose. A teacher's and sheriff's salary could provide for such a home.
"Come on Bella. Let's look at the inside." Jack called out. As he took two steps toward the home, Elizabeth remained where she stood. She was in awe of the home. Her eyes were darting from one thing to the next.
"Come on mommy." JJ stated as he took her hand. He led her to the steps and then the front door. Jack opened the door and then stood in front of it.
"What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, trying to look past him. She hadn't seen the inside of it in a long time. She knew it would all be different since paint was on some of the interior walls and the furniture and appliances were in.
"This is your first time in the new home." He stepped beside her. He placed one arm behind her knees and the other arm around her back. He picked her up. She squealed when he lifted her.
"Jack, we're not newly married. And this isn't my first time in the home."
"It is your first time in the finished home. There is no way you're walking into this home for the first time."
She huffed and then noticed that JJ stepped in first and held the door open. Jack carried her in the home and stopped in the middle of the living room.
"Jack…this is gorgeous. Are you sure this is our home?"
The outer walls were all logs. They were stained to the color that Elizabeth asked for. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all one large room. It was an open concept. Each room was divided by its furnishings. A large fireplace was the centerpiece of the living room. The mantle was gorgeous and stained mahogany. Your eyes were drawn to it. The furniture, while few in number with just a couch, two sitting chairs, and a small table, graced the living room. The dining room had a good sized dining room table. It seated eight people. It was stained the same as the fireplace. It brought the two pieces together. The kitchen was simple but perfect. All the appliances were in and working. The plan was to take their small kitchen table from the row house to have in the kitchen.
When Elizabeth turned to look where her bedroom was, she gasped at the color of the walls that divided the bedroom and the open space of the rest of the lower level. Jack wasn't a huge fan of the color.
"Oh Jack, the purple indigo is perfect."
"Purple indigo? Elizabeth, it's purple."
"Yes, purple indigo." She playfully smacked his arm when he rolled his eyes.
Jack took a few moments to show her the bedroom. She loved everything about it. Then JJ took her upstairs to show her his room. He was proud of it. He painted it a light blue. It was the first door on the right. The bathroom upstairs was located at the end of the hall. The two other bedrooms upstairs just had paint on the walls with no furniture. JJ's room was waiting for his furniture from the row house. The three walked to each room and just taking in the views of the home.
"I guess we need to go back to the row house. We have moving to do."
"There is one more thing I would like to show you."
"I'll be outside at the pond."
"You are not to get into that pond." Elizabeth stated in a mother's voice.
"I won't." JJ sighed.
On the acres of their land, was a stream that ran down the hill into a small pond. The pond overflowed into the stream on the other end of the pond. It wasn't as big as the pond close to the schoolhouse where JJ played all the time. However, it was still a pond with different types of animals.
"Come with me." Jack stated as he took Elizabeth's hand.
He guided her into their bedroom to the door that led outside. He loved the small patio just outside of their home. She gasped when she stepped onto the patio.
There were two small chairs to sit in and a small table between the chairs. She assumed it was for placing a coffee mug or a book. However, she made her mind up at that moment to pull the two chairs beside each other and put the small table in front of the chairs. She didn't want to be that far away from her husband.
"We took some of the trees down. The sun sits right over there. This will be a perfect place to see the sun set each evening. We can read or drink tea."
She turned to face her husband. She stepped toward him and wrapped her arms around him. "Jack, this is perfect. Simply perfect."
"Well, we used the sketch you made a few months ago. I just added a couple of things."
"I haven't noticed. What did you add?"
"Well, this deck for one. You didn't notice the extra room beside this one?"
"No. I didn't see it."
"Here, come with me."
She accepted Jack's hand, and he led her to the dining room. Just past the dining room, was a smaller room that she hadn't noticed before. She assumed there would be many things she would notice over the next few days. When Jack walked her through the opening that didn't have a door, she gasped at the new library she was standing in. There were bookshelves on three of the walls and a desk on the opposite side of the room. She placed her free hand over her mouth as she tried to take it all in.
"This is your library. The desk is for you to work at or maybe write.
"Jack…"
"A chair should be here today. It was to be delivered to the mercantile today."
He was becoming a little unsure of everything. She just stood there looking at everything. She had no idea about the library. It was his surprise to her. Instead of the purple, he painted it a light yellow. Now he was questioning himself. After several long moments of silence, he asked her his question that he had to have an answer to.
"Elizabeth, do you like it? Do you like the home?"
"Jack, everything is more than perfect." She whispered in disbelief. "It this really our home?"
"It is our forever home."
"Well then, we need to get busy. We really need to move our belongings."