I Am Not Yours

The Hardest Secret

December 1914

Abigail's Christmas Spirit had begun to dwindle after she said those hurtful words to Henry but it only completely vanished the moment she heard word that Becky was not going to make it to Hope Valley on time for Christmas Day.

Henry had been present when she was given the telegram that stated so and he immediately began to think of some way that he could go get Becky and bring her back himself. He knew a shortcut through the woods to Nelsan Ridge, shown to him by Ray Wyatt when they were working together, and he knew he could have her home in less than a day. If only he could find some way to get to the stables for a horse without being noticed.

He found one quick opportunity in the stables whilst helping the children paint the Christmas parade floats and snuck off to fetch a horse once no one was looking. It wasn't long before Jack Thornton and Lee Coulter noticed his absence and went to tell Bill.

Abigail then began to feel like a Scrooge following that news, knowing that this would be one of the most rotten Christmases she'd ever had following her first Christmas without Noah and Peter. She spent the rest of the morning, afternoon, and evening blaming herself for all of this. If only she hadn't allowed Becky to return to school before Christmas break when Cody was sick. If only she hadn't suggested to Bill that Henry stay in the Hope Valley jail for Christmas. None of these negative things would be happening so close to the jolly holiday. If only.

If only it weren't for Cody, she most certainly would not have had anything to smile about at all. But he was smiling enough for the both of them and being more optimistic than she'd ever seen him before. Perhaps adopting him and his sister truly was the best thing that she could have done.

"Could we have pumpkin pie?" Cody asked Abigail about their Christmas Day dessert two days before the holiday.

"Becky's favorite." Abigail stated as they cleaned up the last of the dishes from their last few customers at the cafe that evening.

"It would kind of feel like she is there with us." He suggested, setting the dishes he had down in the kitchen sink.

"Pumpkin pie, it is." His mother said in an upbeat tone though all she could think about was how far Henry had gotten away considering Bill and Jack had to turn back before being able to catch Gowen.

Before Abigail had time to set the dishes she had in her hands down in the sink, they heard Florence Blakely rush into the cafe door, out of breath as the cold air lingered on her blushing cheeks. "Oh, you've got to come and see this!" She told them eagerly with a hand over her belly in an attempt to catch her breath. Abigail and Cody both immediately set whatever they had in their hands down and followed the excited woman out onto the cafe's front porch. "He came back!" Florence said with a hint of both awe and confusion in her tone at once.

Abigail was about to ask 'who' when she followed Florence's gaze to see Henry Gowen atop a horse, riding back toward the center of town, slowly passing the cafe just in time for Cody and Abigail to see that he was not on the horse alone.

Henry stopped the horse as Cody rushed to them calling his sister's name in excitement. Becky dismounted the horse on her own as Henry handed her the bag of clothes she had brought with. Cody hugged his sister instantly before she went to hug Abigail. "Mr. Gowen came to get me." She said with a joyful grin before moving to stand behind her brother and facing Henry once he was off the horse himself.

"I heard she had been stuck up by Nelsan Ridge Depot. Knew a shortcut Ray Wyatt showed me."

And just like that, all of Abigail's pessimistic feelings from the passed nine hours or so were gone and she smiled from ear to ear at the convict. "Thank you, Henry." She instantly hugged him without even a thought.