Chapter 8

Elizabeth was just unpacking the last of her dresses when Jack walked in.

"Aren't you going to knock?" She teased.

"I kinda figured we were past that point…" Jack laughed.

"And if I had been changing?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack blushed and looked away from her. "I'm sorry I hadn't even thought about that!"

"I was thinking we could hang a curtain across the room. Separate the bed from the rest of the room so you can still use the stove and sitting area." Elizabeth explained.

"That's actually a really good idea. I'm sure my desk chair is going to get old after a while. Thank you!" Jack replied. "So, I checked and the only place open for dinner is the Saloon, care to join me?"

"Of course." Elizabeth replied. "Wait, this isn't our first official date, is it?"

Jack laughed before grabbing her hand and pulling her out the door. "No, I promise something a little more romantic than chili at the Saloon for our first date."

"Chili?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yea, I asked a couple of guys where to get dinner. They basically said our one option is chili at the Saloon…"

"Oh, well then chili it is!" Elizabeth laughed.


Elizabeth could tell they were getting looks when they walked into the Saloon holding hands, but she figured it wouldn't be long before everyone figured out they would be courting anyway. Jack went to the counter to order their dinner, so Elizabeth found a table and sat down, looking around at what would be her new schoolroom. She could see a blackboard tucked in the corner and a few small bookshelves against the wall. If you weren't looking, you probably wouldn't even notice the school items. Jack sat down and slid a glass of water over to her.

"Did you want a beer?" Jack asked. "They have water and alcohol…"

"Oh, no. Not really the tone I want to set for my job." Elizabeth replied.

"That's what I figured. Water it is!" Jack held us glass and waited for her to do the same. "I propose a toast. To starting our lives here in Coal Valley and to starting a new relationship."

Elizabeth raised her glass to meet his and then drank her water. "I know that you were required to accompany me here, but I can't think you enough for being there for me. You went above and beyond what my father was expecting of you. I couldn't have asked for a better traveling companion. You knew when to make me talk to you and when to leave me alone with my thoughts. My mother hasn't even figured that out yet."

"I'm glad it was me that got chosen for this. A couple nights ago I was thinking of what would have happened if I had turned down the position. My friend Doug was the second choice. He was more than willing to join you on the train for a few days, so I can't even imagine how things would have turned out if he had come instead of me." Jack explained.

Elizabeth pretended to look thoughtful for a moment. "Hmmm what does this 'Doug' look like? Did I choose the wrong Mountie?"

"Oh, don't even think about it!" Jack teased. "Your father already knows of my intentions. You plan on explaining to him that you are looking for the attention of TWO Mounties now?"

Elizabeth laughed as their chili was set in front of them. She waited until the man walked away before speaking again. "No, I'm perfectly happy with the Mountie I chose."

Jack grinned at her before diving into his chili. Elizabeth realized how hungry she was and started eating.

The pair finished their dinner and stood to head back to the jail. Elizabeth was exhausted from the days of travel and was looking forward to a good nights sleep. They were just about to walk out of the door when Abigail Stanton entered.

"Elizabeth, I was looking for you!" Abigail started.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Elizabeth asked.

"I've spoken with the other mothers and we would like to meet here tomorrow morning so you can get a better idea of where the children are at in their studies and what we expect from you. Would 9:30 be okay?" Abigail asked.

"That would be perfect! I'm looking forward to meeting you all!"

Abigail looked quickly between Elizabeth and Jack, down to their clasped hands and smiled at them. "I see you two have already gotten to know one another…"

Elizabeth blushed and dropped her head. She felt Jack squeeze her hand before he answered. "It's been a long trip here from Hamilton. We had a lot of time to talk. We are hoping to go on our first date soon."

"I'm sure it's nice to arrive with someone rather than being all alone in a tightknit town like this. I'm happy for you. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask!" Abigail replied, still smiling at them.

Elizabeth was still blushing as their made their way back to the jail. She made her way into her room and started pulling out night clothes.

"Can I come in and say goodnight after you've changed?" Jack asked from the doorway.

"Of course. Give me just a couple minutes." Elizabeth replied.

Elizabeth changed quickly and went back to the door. "I'm all changed!" She called, moving back away from the door.

Jack came back in the room, also in his nightclothes. He walked over to her and pulled her in his arms. It had been a long day and it felt so good to be back in his arms. She sighed and rest her head on his chest. She felt him press a light kiss to the top of her head. After a few moments she felt him lift her chin with his hand. He rubbed her nose with his before reaching down to kiss her. It was a long, slow kiss, different from any of their previous kisses. She felt herself shiver as he continued to kiss her. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt his tongue brush across her lips. She opened her lips just slightly and felt his tongue caress hers. He continued the movement for several seconds before finally pulling away from her, leaving them both breathless. She had never imagined that she could feel so completely consumed by just one kiss.

Jack rest his forehead against hers and when she opened her eyes he was looking at her with more emotion in his expression than she had ever seen.

"It's going to be extremely hard to have you so close and not be able to hold you in my arms tonight." Jack said quietly.

Elizabeth chuckled and ran her fingers through his hair at the base of his neck. "I know what you mean. But we promised that it was only for the trip here. The town will already be talking about me staying here. If someone walks in and you aren't on a cot in the jail, we will never hear the end of it."

"I know. Trust me, I've already thought that through. Doesn't mean I'll enjoy it though" He replied with a chuckle.

Elizabeth laughed and reached up to give him one last kiss before pulling away quickly. "Good night, Constable."

"Good night Sweetheart" Jack replied, releasing her slowly from his embrace before making his way back into the jail and closing the door behind him.

That one kiss had changed everything. She knew that she had enjoyed spending time with him on the train. And she knew how safe she felt in his arms at night. But she had never experienced true passion before and that was the only word she could use to describe that kiss. Would she be able to look at him tomorrow with the same innocence that she had before? That one moment had changed not only their relationship, but it had changed her. It was the most terrifying and exciting feeling she had ever felt before.

Elizabeth climbed into the bed and said a silent prayer, thanking God for bringing Jack Thornton into her life.


Elizabeth was startled awake by a loud clanking sound coming from the small kitchen area of the room. She looked over to find Jack hunched over the stove with a kettle for coffee. He had an intense look of concentration on his face, but she could see the dark circles under his eyes.

"Jack, are you okay?" Elizabeth asked quietly, trying not to startle him.

Jack looked over at her quickly before standing fully and stretching. "Well, the mattresses in the jail cells are apparently even worse than they look. I'm headed to the mercantile as soon as he opens to order new ones. I'll pay for them myself if I have to."

Elizabeth chuckled and climbed out of bed. She reached her arm out, ready to offer to make the coffee for him, when she realized that she had no idea how. She stood there in silence staring at him with her arm out for several seconds before embarrassment took over and she dropped her hand.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?" Jack asked quietly.

"I was going to help you since you look so tired. And I just realized that I don't even know how to make coffee. How am I going to be able to relate to the people of Coal Valley when I can't even make a pot of coffee?" Elizabeth realized how frantic she was sounding and stopped to take a long breath.

Jack smiled sweetly at her and held out his hand. "Come here, I'll show you how to make coffee. And then you can tell all of the women in your meeting that you made your own coffee this morning and not to worry about you."

Elizabeth smiled back at him and took his hand and let him pull her towards him. He rubbed his nose against hers quickly before releasing her hand and pulling her to stand in front of him. Jack spent the next few minutes showing her how to light the stove and how to boil the water and percolate the coffee. She was surprised at how well he explained things and moved slowly so she understood.

"I can tell your mother was a teacher. You're a natural at it." Elizabeth said, taking a sip of the coffee that she had prepared. It wasn't as good as what they had in her home in Hamilton, but for her first try, she was happy with it!

Jack smiled at her. "Yea, I guess it does come naturally to me. It helps that you were eager to learn. You did well, Ms. Thatcher."

"Thank you!" Elizabeth replied, laughing. They sat in silence for a few moments before Jack spoke.

"I missed you last night. I didn't realize how natural it had become to reach over for you in my sleep. I woke up a couple times when I realized that you weren't there."

"I know what you mean. I'd gotten used to having your arms around me. It was like a security blanket in my sleep. But we can't Jack. We have to get used to sleeping alone again."

Jack nodded with a small smile. "But what if I have a nightmare, can I come in here then?"

Elizabeth laughed and finished her coffee. "No, sir. You're a big boy, you can handle yourself! Okay, I need to get ready for my meeting. Shoo!"

Jack continued to laugh at her as he made his way through the door to the jail. Elizabeth changed and fixed her hair. She wanted to look nice for the meeting but not out of place. She might need to downplay some of her outfits to blend in with the town.


Elizabeth was shocked at the number of parents in the Saloon. She had expected quite a few of them to show up, but this had to be every mother in town! Abigail approached her as soon as she walked in.

"I'm sorry I had no idea that ALL of the mothers were going to show up. I promise I would have warned you if I knew this was going to happen!" Abigail told her quickly.

"It's fine, Abigail. I understand that they want to meet the new teacher. I hold their children's future in my hands, so I'm glad to see that they want to know more about me." Elizabeth replied.

Before she could address the group, a woman walked over to her quickly and spoke quietly but directly to her. "Is it true that you are courting the new Constable?"


A/N: Feel free to leave your guesses as to the identity of the woman in your reviews! I'm sure you'll never figure it out LOL! Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews! They are what keep me motivated and writing! Your questions/comments are greatly appreciated and I love seeing where you guys think the story is going to go next!