"What's going on, Elizabeth?" He walked in to the garage just in time to see Elizabeth and the Constable in an embrace.

Jack and Elizabeth looked at each other and nodded, then joined hands and walked over to confront her father.

"I'm waiting, young lady. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Sir, we…"

"Not you, Constable. I asked my daughter a question. In fact, why are you still here?"

"Father, Jack and I need to talk to you about something." Her hand was shaking with nervousness. Jack squeezed her hand letting her know he was there, supporting her. She took a deep breath. "Jack has asked me to marry him, and I accepted."

"What?!" his voice boomed in the enclosed space. "Don't be absurd, Elizabeth."

"Father, I know what you and Mother want for me…"

"Do you?" He interrupted. "It seems as though you are always doing the opposite of what we want. The teaching assignment in the middle of nowhere..it was supposed to be temporary. You've been there over a year. You were supposed to come back here.."

"And do what, Father?" it was her turn to interrupt. "Marry someone I don't love? Who won't make me happy and won't let me make my own decisions?"

"He is a good man, with a reputable family. He would give you everything you could ever want."

"He is a good man, but I couldn't care less about his family. I don't care what things he could give me. I don't love him, and I never could. Don't you care what I want, Father? Don't you want me to be happy?"

"What kind of question is that? That is all I have ever wanted."

"Jack makes me happy. He is a wonderful man. He loves me and I am completely in love with him." She looked over at him and smiled. "I need him in my life and it isn't important how many things we might not have. We will have each other, that's what matters to me."

"You don't know what love is, Elizabeth. The Constable, here, may have convinced you to go along with this scheme…"

"No, Father. I do know what love is. I've already explained how I feel. I'm sorry if you don't want to accept it or support me. I was hoping you would want to walk me down the aisle." Her voice started to crack when she said the last sentence. The tears that were forming in her eyes, started their decent down her cheeks. Jack let go of her hand and dried her tears with his thumbs. "Its ok, Elizabeth."

"Come on, Jack, I'll walk you out." Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked out.

"Are you ok, Sweetheart?" Elizabeth smiled at his new name for her.

"Yes, Jack. I will be. I don't know how I thought that would go. I'm glad I told him how I feel, though."

They arrived at the gate. He turned to her. "I love you, Elizabeth. We will get through this." She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head on his shoulder. "I love you too, Jack."

"I have to catch a train in the morning. Will you come with me?"

"I wish I could. My mother is still not well. I need to stay here. Are you sure you can't stay here with me?"

"I can't. I need to get back. There's no one there right now. They need me."

"I need you." She looked into his beautiful eyes, pleading with him to stay, knowing he couldn't.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I understand why you have to go. I know how important your job is. You keep people safe, you're good at that." He kissed her forehead.

"I should go, it's late."

"What time is your train?"

"First thing. We need to say goodbye now." She leaned her head against his, trying to be brave.

"Why is this so hard, Jack?" She looked at him, tears once again threatening to fall.

"I'll see you soon." He kissed her quickly and walked away, leaving her arms feeling empty, her heart longing for him. She wiped her eyes and walked back to the house, dreading the next few days and what they might bring.

Upstairs William was discussing her daughters unacceptable behavior, loudly.

"William, she is not a child. Unacceptable behavior makes her sound like she's twelve."

"She is acting like a child!" He yelled.

"Not many children fall in love, my dear."

"She doesn't know what love is, Grace. She barely knows him. How does she know what she wants, what is best for her?"

"How do you know anymore? She has been gone a year, and she has known him a year. That's longer than we knew each other when we became engaged."

"That's beside the point."

"What is your point?"

"He's a Mountie. Chances are, he will be away from her for months at a time, leaving her to fend for herself. He can't provide for her and she could be a widow by the time she's twenty five. Is that the life you want for her?"

"Of course not, but you don't know if any of that will actually happen. You are only pushing them away if you deny her this chance to be happy. Is that what you want for her?"

"Of course not." He sat down on the edge of the bed, defeated. "She's my Beth. I just wanted more for my daughters."

"Seems to me, finding love and being happy is important, don't you think? I've seen the way he looks at her. He loves her. He'll take care of her."

"I'm going to get some tea. Would you like any?"

"No, thank you, Dear."

William walked downstairs to the kitchen to make tea, finding Elizabeth had the same idea. She was sitting at the table, staring at something in her hand, sipping her tea. "Beth, do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course, Father."

"What do you have there?"

"Jack's mother's wedding ring. He gave it to me to wear."

"No engagement ring?"

"Father, this ring means the world to him, and it means so much to me, as well. I am honored to wear it. I don't need an engagement ring. I just need him."

"You certainly have changed, Beth."

"I hope so."

"What do you mean?"

"I remember growing up, always having nannies around, having everything I could ever want, dreaming of the day I would marry, but never getting past that, to what I really wanted my life to be. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything you gave me, but now I know what's important, what I want for myself."

"That is?"

"I want more. I met Jack and my whole way of looking at everything changed. He taught me so many things, Father. He taught me that it isn't what things you have or don't have that's important. It's important how you treat others, show love to others. Family is important, no matter where they live. He's my family now and he makes me so happy. I can't imagine my life without him." She wiped her eyes. "I almost let him walk away from me tonight, Father. He almost gave up, because we are so different, because he knows you won't accept him, because he thought I had chosen someone else over him. That scares me to think I could have lost him."

"If you could have lost him over those things, what makes you think he will stick around?"

"He didn't want to walk away. It was my fault. I wasn't taking his feelings into consideration." She sighed and looked at her father. "Father, I need you to give him a chance."

"I don't know if I can do that, Beth."

"I'm leaving in a few days. I need your answer then." With that, she got up and went to her room.

The next morning, Elizabeth stayed in bed late. She laid there, thinking of Jack. She was so glad she went after him. Who knew what would have happened if she had let him go. They wouldn't be engaged now, that's for sure. She missed him already. The way his eyes twinkled when he teased her, or the way his dimples showed up when he smiled. Even just the way he said her name, made her weak in the knees.

"Elizabeth! What are you still doing in bed?"

"Thanks for knocking, Julie. I appreciate it." She sat up in bed, waiting for whatever news it was that brought Julie into her room.

"Something's up with Father. He isn't speaking to anyone. He just ate breakfast and left the house."

"I'm sure it's nothing," she responded a little too innocently.

"Sister! What do you know that you are not telling me?"

"Jack proposed."

"What?! I knew you two belonged together, after your first date. The way you look at each other. Tell me all about it."

"Julie, it's private. I did say yes, though."

"Of course you did. You'd be crazy not to."

"That's not what Father thinks."

"Father needs to realize you're not a child anymore."

"Yeah well. I'm going to leave in a few days. What should we do in the mean time?"

"Let's go shopping."

"Ok. I could use a few things."

"Like a wedding dress?"

"Among other things."

"Let's go then." So they did. Elizabeth did find a very simple wedding dress that she wouldn't be embarrassed to wear in Coal Valley but decided it was too soon to buy it. She and Jack had so much to discuss before setting a date. She didn't want to jump the gun.

That afternoon she ran into Charles and her Mother in the parlor. Her Mother had just had a visit with the doctor, who still had no concrete answers as to why she was fainting except to say it was her heart.

"I have a doctor friend that would be willing to offer a second opinion, if you would like, Grace?"

Charles offered.

"If it isn't too much trouble."

"No trouble at all."

"That's very kind of you, Charles. Thank you."

"Anything for your family, Elizabeth." She looked at his face. He had the same look on his face that Jack gets when he stares at her. Jack was right.

"Um, Charles, Mother. I need to speak with both of you for a moment. Last night, Jack asked me to marry him. I said yes."

"The Mountie?" Charles asked.

"Yes. I wanted to make sure you both knew. It isn't fair for me to act the way I've been acting around you, Charles. I see that I may have given you the wrong impression of our relationship and I'm sorry."

"Elizabeth, are you sure you want to do that?"

"Completely sure. I love him very much. He makes me happy."

"What can he possibly give you?"

"Love and support. He will let me decide what's best for me and back me up. He will be a wonderful father and husband and I feel very lucky that I realized that before it was too late."

"Beth, dear. Your father and I spoke about your situation. Jack isn't what we expected. I can see that he loves you though, and I know he will take care of you."

"What are you saying, Mother?"

"I'm saying, congratulations, dear."

"Does Father feel the same?" She was hopeful.

"No, I'm sorry, Beth." Elizabeth nodded. She already knew he was against the marriage.

"Thank you for telling me, Mother. I might as well tell both of you, I am leaving the day after tomorrow for Coal Valley."

"Elizabeth, can I speak with you, privately for a moment?"

"Yes, Charles, I suppose that would be ok." They walked into the dining room and took a seat.

She sat patiently waiting for him to gather his thoughts. "Elizabeth, I need you to know how I feel about you."

"Charles, this isn't necessary. I already know."

"You do?"

"Yes, I know and I am sorry if I misled you in any way."

"You didn't. I just chose to see it as something other than what it was. I'm disappointed, but I only want you to be happy."

"I am happy."

"I hope we can always be friends?"

"Of course, Charles." He touched her hand for a moment and then got up and left the room.

She wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She felt like she was tying up loose ends and finally moving forward. If only she could have her father's support. She felt so unsettled without it.

Two days later, Elizabeth, Julie and Grace went to the train station.

"Sister, please promise me you will send word as soon as you set a date. I will come out and stay with you before."

"I promise. Now both of you give me a hug. I need to get on the train so I can go home."

Both Grace and Julie complied and hugged her, knowing they'd see her soon, but missing her already.

"I love you, dear Beth. Be safe and say hi to your young man for me."

"I love you, Mother and I will."

She walked onto the train, missing her family, but so anxious to get home to see Jack.

Three days later, her stage pulled in to Coal Valley. She was tired and dusty but she didn't care. She needed to see Jack. Her plan was to go straight home to Abigail's, change clothes and then find him.

She walked in the side door to the café. "Abigail?"

"Elizabeth! Welcome home!" She came over and gave her a big hug.

"Thank you. It's so wonderful to be here." Abigail felt something on Elizabeth's hand before she let go.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Elizabeth?" She raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"You don't know?"

"How could I know? You've been gone for two weeks."

"I figured he would have told you."

"No one has told me anything. Now you better start talking."

"Jack asked me to marry him."

"And you did?"

"I said yes, but no we aren't married. This is his mother's ring."

"Oh, I am so happy for you both!"

"I can't believe he didn't tell you. Do you happen to know where he is?"

"My guess, either in the office or out building the school. He's been at the school everyday, all day. I would start there." She winked at Elizabeth.

She took her bags upstairs and changed clothes. Then, she went downstairs and out the door. She could barely contain her excitement. She stopped by the jail but he wasn't there. She walked down the road toward the school, hoping to get a glimpse of him.

Jack looked up, sensing someone watching him and then he saw her. He could hardly believe his eyes. She was so beautiful. "I'll be back in a few minutes guys," he yelled to the other men working. He hopped down and started walking towards her.

"Jack." When they finally got close, she threw herself into his arms. "Oh, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Sweetheart." He kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." She wanted him to kiss her, but she knew they would need to wait until they weren't standing out in public. "Can I see you tonight?"

"Yes. I wasn't sure when you were coming home, but I'm so glad it was today."

"Me too."

"I'll come at seven?" He touched her cheek with his hand. She nodded. "See you then."