He would never get tired of feeling her body against his. How many nights had he laid in bed alone wondering if he would be sleeping by himself for the rest of his life or would he find someone to love and share his life with? He'd pretty much given up hope of ever finding happiness. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Hope awoke some time later with her head still on her husband's chest and her hand was laying flat on his stomach. She smiled wickedly as she flexed her fingers and felt his firm muscles jump slightly beneath her touch. She couldn't help herself and after a few more minutes her hand slid slowly down his hard muscled stomach. Finally her fingers found what they were searching for. Slowly she traced the hard length of him. Wrapping her fingers around him her eyes widened.

She had not seen him naked – except for the morning she had seen his chest and back. She'd tried to imagine what he would look like but was unable to because of her innocence. Her courage was bolstered with Levi sleeping soundly so, Hope slowly lifted the covers allowing the weak light of the half-moon to illuminate what she'd tried to imagine.

Hope lifted herself up on her elbow to see the object of her curiosity. It was much larger than she thought it would be. No wonder why it had hurt so much at first. Again she ran her hand down the length of him. Wrapping her fingers around him, she marveled at the velvety soft skin on the outside while overall being hard. Was it like this all the time? It had to be cumbersome or even painful.

"Has your curiosity been satisfied yet, Love?" A deep husky voice asked.

Hope jumped squeezing her hand hard enough to cause Levi to grimace. "Oh no. I - I'm so sorry! I – I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me." Embarrassment roared through her body as she laid back down and rolled over hiding her face and putting her back to her husband. Levi gently took her shoulder easing her to her back then rolled over her and propped himself up on his elbows.

"It's ok, Hope. I was definitely enjoying everything you were doing." He whispered as he nuzzled her neck.

"Is – is it always like that?"

"Since I met you, yes." Hope's eyes widened in surprise. "No, it's not always hard like that. It only gets this way when I want to make love to you."

"Oh." Hope looked at him then drew her brows together in a question. "But it was like that when you were asleep."

"Ahh, but I wasn't asleep." He replied kissing her lips again.

"You weren't asleep?" As Levi shook his head Hope tried to cover her face again.

"Look at me."

"No." Hope whispered shaking her head.

"Hope. Please Love, look at me. Finally she removed her hands and looked into his slate blue eyes. There was no mocking laughter only love and tenderness. "You don't ever have to be embarrassed when you are with me. I want you to touch me and to look at me just like I want to touch and look at you."

Hope wound her arms around her husband's neck. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For placing an ad for a wife; marrying me; giving me Ellie; making me truly your wife and most of all for loving me."

He could only look at her in shock. "Oh, Hope, I'm the one who should be thanking you. You've changed our lives so much, given us so much and brought true happiness to us. I never thought I would find love, not after being forced to marry Alicia. It was a very lonely life; the only bright spot was Ellie."

"I understand better than you know." Shifting, she wrapped her legs around his waist welcoming him to her. Levi made slow sweet love to his wife until both fell into an exhausted slumber.

It had been three weeks since Hope and Levi admitted their love for each other. Everybody noticed the changes in their relationship. The hands were relieved; Levi wasn't constantly in a bad mood working them to death. In fact he rode out with them in the mornings but didn't stay the entire day. He found ways to go back to the house, always forgetting something. The men snickered to themselves knowing full well what he'd "forgotten."

Harold was ecstatic with the way things were turning out; not only with Levi and Hope but with Ellie too. He was developing a bond with his granddaughter that he'd never thought he'd have. He had even thought about talking to Levi to see if he could stay. Even if he couldn't stay in the house he'd decided to sell the hotel and move to Red Valley.

Hope was a joy to be around and it was plain to anyone with eyes that she truly loved Ellie as well as Ellie loved her. The little girl did her best to please her new step-mother, working hard on her letters and numbers and always helping with any chores that needed to be done. She even asked for more dresses to be more like Hope.

In the following weeks Anne Helms, the sheriff's wife, and Grace Weston had made it their goal to get to know Hope Matthews better. They'd decided that every Sunday the three couples should get together for dinner. Each week a different couple would host the others. This particular Sunday was Levi and Hope's turn. It was the Saturday before and Hope was making several cakes for dinner the following day.

Outside the sky was a brilliant blue and a light breeze ruffled the dried leaves on the ground. It was just a beautiful day and all too soon the snow and freezing temperatures would be keeping them inside for months. "Ellie honey, why don't you go outside and play? As soon as I finish this, I'll join you. Maybe I could push you on your swing."

"No ma'am, I would rather stay in here and help you."

"Oh, poppy cock. You need to be outside playing in the sunshine while you can. Winter will be blowing in soon and you will have to stay inside with me."

Ellie looked out the window wistfully then turned back to look at Hope. "No ma'am. It's ok."

Taking Ellie's hand, she led her over to the kitchen table and sat down. "You know I love you, right?" The little girl's blond head bobbed up and down. "I could never take your mother's place but I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to try so hard. I know you're a little girl and I want you to go outside and play."

Ellie nodded slowly as if she were still unsure of everything being said to her. "Now, I want you to get a jacket and go outside to play. When I'm done, I'll come out with you." Hope watched the little girl skip out of the room. A few minutes later she came skipping back then, out the back door. Sighing, Hope got up and walked back to the kitchen counter to finish her baking.

"You know, I think I love you more every time I see you. Levi murmured in her ear as he slid his arms around her waist then turned her to face him. Slowly he lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss. He still had a hard time remembering that this was real and that she was his to hold and kiss and make love too. "Thank you for what you just did." He said with his forehead against hers.

Deliberately mistaking his meaning, she smiled up into his beautiful slate blue eyes. "You don't have to thank me for kissing you. I enjoyed it too and I am your wife." She said with a mischievous smile and a twinkle in her violet eyes.

"What are you baking so much for? Not that I'm complaining." Levi said as he backed up a step and patted his hard flat stomach.

"You remember. Cole, Grace, Ann, Andy and all their children are coming over tomorrow for Sunday dinner."

"Tomorrow's already Sunday? Good grief this week has just flown by."

"Um... I wanted to talk to you about something." Levi's brows drew together in question but he didn't say anything. Instead he simply leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. Hope took a deep breath and began to fidget with her hands. "I just wanted to ask if we could celebrate Thanksgiving this year. I thought we could ask everyone to come over. I'll cook, you won't have to do anything, I promise." She finished quickly.

"What's Thanksgiving?"

"It's a national holiday where everyone gets together and celebrates everything they are thankful for. It's very popular on the east coast."

"If this is something you want to do, then we will do it. I don't know anything about this but I will be more than happy to help you with whatever you need for me to do."

"Are you sure you don't mind? I'll do everything."

"No, I don't mind at all. I find that I actually like doing things with my friends. That's not something I've done in a very long time. Besides, I have a lot to be thankful for this year. We can ask them all tomorrow."

"Hope, I think that's a marvelous idea. I read about it not too long ago in one of the papers we get from back east. We can make it a tradition." Grace said as she reached out and took Hope's hand. "I'm so excited; I don't have any family other than Cole and the kids."

Ann nodded her head. "I agree. I think it would be a wonderful idea. Although I don't know how much help I'll be this year." She said with a smile as she rubbed her hands over her huge stomach.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but did Doctor Baker ever decide if you were going to have twins or just one baby?" Hope asked, still a little shy around both woman. Although every time she was around them she became more and more comfortable around them. She'd never really had any friends.

"No, I don't mind you asking at all. I think the old buzzard knows but won't tell me." Ann replied with a chuckle. "He loves to torture me. Honestly, I think that sometimes he thinks it just one and others he thinks there's two. Goodness, this is my third time and I can't even tell. So I guess we'll all have to wait and see."

At that moment all three of the women looked across the room as the men walked back in from outside. They were laughing about something one of them had said. Cole gave his wife a smoldering look, it's meaning unmistakable. He still scared the hell out of Hope. He was always smiling and laughing around them, especially when he played with his children. But he was just so tall and with his shoulder length black hair and clothes.... She would not want to make him angry.

Dinner was a festive affair and all too soon the house was empty except for the four of them. Hope was sitting by the fireplace in the front parlor making a baby blanket for Ann. Levi was sitting on the other side of the fireplace reading his paper. Harold had been upstairs reading a bedtime story to Ellie, their nightly ritual. Both of them looked up as Harold walked into the parlor and over to the fireplace.

He stood there for a moment with both hands braced against the dark mahogany mantle watching the golden orange flames lick at the fresh log recently added, then sighed. The only sound in the room was the hiss of the sap burning and an occasional pop. He wasn't sure really how things were going to go, but his mind was made up. "Levi, I wanted to talk to you for a few minutes if you have the time."

Looking over at his father-in-law, Levi folded his paper. "We can talk now, I'm not doing anything."

Hope looked over at both men then set her sewing down. "I'll just let you too have some privacy."

"No" Both of them said at the same time.

"Love, there's no reason for you to leave. I'm sure what Harold has to say is nothing that you can't hear." Then looking at the older man, he asked. "Isn't that right Harold?"

"Your absolutely right, Levi. In fact, I would prefer both of you hear this." A slightly concerned look crossed Levi's face, but he said nothing. "As you both know, I have thoroughly enjoyed being here. I have the type of relationship with my granddaughter that I could only dream about. Ellie is such a precious child. And well, you know that my wife passed away several months ago."

Unintentionally both Hope and Levi leaned forward in their chairs, both for a different reason. Levi had a feeling of dread coming and Hope a feeling of excitement. "I – I have decided to sell my hotel and to move to Red Valley. I would ideally like to live here and spend as much time as I can with my granddaughter and any other children you two have." Holding up both hands to stay any comments he continued on.

"If you don't want me to live here, I will certainly understand. After all, we really aren't family. But I've decided that if you don't want me here in the house I will buy a small place of my own." Sighing again, Harold dropped his shoulders slightly as if in defeat. "I have nothing left to go back to." Then as if realizing what he'd done, he stood up straight, rolled his shoulders back, and looked Levi in the eyes."

Levi in turn looked over at Hope to gauge her reaction. Unfortunately, she looked ecstatic. Hhhh, damn, he thought to himself. He knew what kind of a relationship she'd had with her father and now Harold seemed to be filling that void. He could not believe what he was about to say. "I don't think that will be a problem. Ellie has been through enough and I know she loves having you here as well as Hope and we have more than enough room. Do you mind if he stays with us?" The last part was directed to his wife.

"I don't mind at all. I love having you here and Levi's right we have more than enough room."

"Neither of you know how much this means to me. Thank you. I'll be turning in now." With that he turned and walked out of the room leaving the first two occupants alone again.

jbJ