"I can't seem to stop smiling," Elizabeth said.
Rosemary laughed softly. "You're not supposed to stop smiling, Elizabeth. It's your wedding day."
Elizabeth very seldom drank alcohol, but today she had allowed herself one small glass of champagne. The bubbles were long gone, but she was still sipping on its delicious sweetness.
She looked across the clearing at her little boy who was currently charming a large number of the guests just by walking around in his Mountie pants. Rebecca was happily in charge of watching him, but she kept having to give him up. Elizabeth thought they needed to get Rebecca and Charlie to Hope Valley for a visit sooner rather than later.
The sun was moving low in the sky, and Nathan and Elizabeth had decided they'd stay at the pergola until just before sunset. This was the first time either of them had been able to sit down since before the ceremony; and they were very happy to be sitting with Lee and Rosemary. They were all on a far bench, just watching and listening as the party went on.
There was a stone wall behind them and Elizabeth was leaning against Nathan. His arms were completely around her, clasped at her waist. Every once in a while, Nathan would whisper in her ear, We're married, or Mrs. Grant, and she would whisper back, I know! Or Mr. Grant? Or he would kiss her neck and she'd sigh. It was lucky they were with Rosemary and Lee, who had been married recently enough that they not only understood; they were enjoying it completely.
Elizabeth and Nathan had hugged every person, talked to most of them, eaten small bites of the delicious food, listened to the toasts, sat for pictures, and cut the cake. They had thoroughly enjoyed their own wedding reception, and now they were slowing down and taking in the beauty of the space, listening to the joy of the guests, and soaking up the love they felt from everyone.
In a very short while, they would thank everyone again, wave goodbye and go through the trees to the Summer Cabin. But when everyone you love is in one place, and you are the guests of honor, it's very hard to leave.
Rosemary was still talking about the ceremony. "The circle of chairs was positively inspired! I don't think I can plan another wedding without it! Whose idea was that?"
"Both of us," Nathan said, "And it started out as just being practical. We didn't want you all to have to decide if you were here for the bride or the groom."
Lee nodded vigorously. "Thank you for that. There would have been a lot of married couples standing in the aisle," he said, making a face at Rosemary.
"Lee!" Rosemary said. Then she shook her head and rolled her eyes at Elizabeth, who laughed.
Lee said, "I liked your pastor, Grady, was it? Don't suppose he'd be interested in moving to Hope Valley? This waiting on visiting pastors is getting fairly old."
Nathan laughed. "We already asked him, and believe me, my mother would have something to say about us stealing him away."
"Speaking of your mother," Rosemary said, "That was so sweet, letting everyone know they could stay on for as long as they wanted. Is she ready for all of us to stay? Her cooking!"
Nathan laughed. "Don't tempt her. She would love it if we all stayed. Nothing makes her happier than having a houseful of hungry people and a kitchen full of helpers."
Nathan looked beyond the pergola to the other side of the clearing. There was something he needed to do. "Excuse me for a minute?" he said to Elizabeth, Rosemary and Lee. "Be back in just a bit, my bride," He said the last word with his lips on Elizabeth's neck. She nodded, giggling.
Lucas had been sitting on the perimeter of the clearing for a long time talking with Julie, Fiona and Kevin. The other three had gone back for drinks and had been temporarily waylaid by other guests, so Lucas was alone.
Nathan walked across the clearing and said, "Hey, Lucas."
Lucas looked up. "Ah, the man of the hour!" He stood and shook Nathan's hand. "Again, congratulations. It was quite a touching ceremony."
"Thank you," Nathan said, smiling. "Um... do you mind if I sit here for a minute?" Nathan asked.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I'd be honored."
Nathan paused, wondering how to open this conversation, and then he just decided to say it.
"I owe you an apology, Lucas."
"What for?" Lucas said, frowning.
"I... I've been meaning to talk to you for a while." He looked up. "I don't think I've been very fair to you at times. Actually, I haven't been very nice, either."
Lucas smiled and nodded, "Ah, we're having this discussion." He raised his glass. "I should tell you that I've been drinking champagne and it tends to act a little like a truth serum on me."
Nathan smiled. "Good. That means we won't have to dance around it, then."
Smiling, Lucas said, "You needn't have worried, Nathan. I never had a chance with Elizabeth. I daresay I always knew it was you she should be with."
Nathan nodded. "I think I know that now. But I didn't then. Truth is, I was jealous."
Lucas nodded. "And I felt the same. But I've thought a lot about this. It was always just a friendship. I liked the way I felt about myself around Elizabeth..." Lucas narrowed his eyes at Nathan. "Champagne aside, is this too much honesty? It is your wedding day."
"No, it's good," Nathan said. "I'm a big fan of honesty. I haven't had enough of it practiced on me in my life. So fire away."
Lucas continued. "I've been considered somewhat of a scoundrel my entire adult life. Elizabeth reflected a different person back to me, someone who could be taken seriously as a member of the community. I do care about Hope Valley, Nathan."
Nodding, Nathan said, "I've realized that over time. I'm sorry it took me so long. And I do know what you mean about Elizabeth. She sees the best in everyone, and when she sees it in you... you want to live up to it."
Lucas nodded, smiling. "Yes, exactly. Very well put."
"But I am sorry for the way I acted at times," Nathan said.
Lucas nodded. "Well, then, it goes both ways. So I apologize as well." He chuckled. "I was in particularly bad form when I told Elizabeth you hated Christmas crowds, knowing full well that she loved them."
Nathan remembered it well and smiled. "I thought I should turn to her and introduce myself as Ebenezer Scrooge."
Lucas laughed and shook his head. "I don't know why I made it into such a competition."
Nathan smiled. "Oh, you weren't the only one making it a competition." Nathan suddenly laughed. "Could you believe that Carson just walked up to that thing, took one swing of the hammer and almost knocked the bell off the top? That was not easy!"
Lucas laughed too. "You and I, like a couple of adolescents trying to win a fishing pole for Allie to impress Elizabeth. And the town doctor wanders in and does it in one try."
Nathan narrowed his eyes and smiled. "At least you didn't win it."
Lucas did the same. "Exactly what I was thinking."
Nathan laughed softly. "Well, there's one thing we have in common already."
Lucas said, "And Allie... that probably wasn't my best introduction to you. Teaching your niece a card trick."
That made Nathan think of the night before. "So, Lucas, last night when you did that trick for Julie, and Allie walked by? What did she say?"
Lucas laughed. "She threatened to tell my secret. I told her that the Magician's Code of Ethics forbids it."
Nathan frowned. "There's a Magician's Code of Ethics?"
"There is."
"Who knew?" Nathan said quietly.
They sat for a moment in silence, and then Nathan said, "This is good, Lucas. We may be very different people, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends. You've done a lot for Hope Valley. People really like you, and better yet, they trust you." Nathan stopped and looked at him. "Don't laugh, but have you thought of putting your name in for Mayor?"
Lucas laughed. So loudly that a few people turned. Elizabeth, Rosemary and Lee didn't need to turn because they'd been watching the conversation unfold from across the clearing for quite some time.
Rosemary, in particular, was beside herself. "What can they be talking about for such a long time. And they keep laughing!"
Elizabeth said, "I honestly don't have a clue. I don't think I've heard them exchange more than a few sentences at a time since Lucas got to Hope Valley."
Nathan happened to look over and caught the eyes of Lee, Rosemary and Elizabeth before they quickly turned away. He smiled and stood. "Well, we probably shouldn't overdo this friendship thing right out of the gate. We'll break it to everyone slowly."
Lucas nodded, standing and putting his hand out. "I couldn't agree more. We don't want them going into shock," he said, smiling. "And Nathan...?" he said as Nathan shook his hand. "I won't say the better man won. But I can absolutely say that the right man did."
Nathan smiled. "Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate you saying that." With that, Nathan turned and walked back to Elizabeth, just as Julie made her way back to Lucas.
Without saying anything, Nathan sat back down and Elizabeth found her spot against him. Rosemary watched Nathan for a while and then raised her eyebrows.
"What?" Nathan said, knowing full well that Rosemary was dying to know what he had talked about with Lucas.
Elizabeth nudged him. "Don't tease us. What did you talk about? That's the longest conversation you've ever had with Lucas!"
Nathan shook his head. "Not true. He and I rode a trail for at least thirty minutes once and we talked all the way." He snuggled her head into his shoulder. "That's only the longest conversation we've ever had with you watching."
Lee, who hadn't said a word through all of this, said, smiling, "Ah, and the truth is out." He turned to Nathan. "Careful, buddy, marriage will do that to you. You find yourself just blurting out the truth at the strangest times."
Nathan laughed. "I know! It's like a disease."
Elizabeth and Rosemary poked them both at the same time and Lee and Nathan flinched in unison. "Ouch!"
Nathan smiled and hugged her. "Okay, if you must know, I apologized to him. For not being very nice sometimes. He apologized to me for the same thing, and now I think we're friends."
Rosemary was speechless – something that didn't happen often. Men were truly from a different planet. Women who were at odds would take hours, days, years to talk things through. Men say Let's be friends and they're friends.
Nathan was saved more explanation by Julie, who came and dropped herself on the bench between Elizabeth and Rosemary. "This is the best wedding reception I have ever attended."
Elizabeth said, "That's a very sweet thing to say, Julie, but really? You've gone to hundreds in Hamilton."
Julie nodded solemnly. "Those may have been more elegant, they may have cost more, but this is the best." She squeezed Elizabeth and sighed. "And this," she said, gesturing to her surroundings, "Is the most beautiful place on earth."
Elizabeth sighed. "I think I'll have to agree with you on that one."
Julie took a deep breath. "So. I've made my decision."
Elizabeth sat forward, expectant. "And...?"
Julie said excitedly, "I'm moving to Hope Valley!"
Elizabeth and Rosemary both hugged her. "I'm so happy, Julie!" Elizabeth said.
Nathan smiled, genuinely happy, "That's great, Julie."
"And for a while, we'll be next door neighbors," Rosemary said.
While the women talked, Nathan moved around to the other side of Lee. "That means we really need to get our house finished, Lee. Are we set for floors this week?"
Lee smiled. "All set."
"And interior doors right after?"
"No problem."
Nathan looked at Lee. He seemed very confident, but Nathan trusted him. Anyway, he didn't need to solve it today. He shook hands and stood up.
Nathan looked up at the sky. There was just the slightest tinge of pink, which meant the sun was getting ready to set.
He looked over at Elizabeth and she was looking at the sky too, while Rosemary and Julie talked. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and smiled a little nervously, her eyes sparkling.
Nathan sighed deeply. Silently he said, I love you. And silently she said the same. He reached out and she took his hand, standing up. They turned to Rosemary, Julie and Lee, and Elizabeth said, "Well, we're off." She knew that her pink cheeks were back and she didn't really care.
They all stood to hug them goodnight.
"Oh!" Rosemary said, "Well, then... we'll see you both tomorrow at the Airdrie depot? Or on the train? Or..."
Lee stepped in and said, simply, "We'll see you."
Nathan hugged Julie and said, smiling, "Glad you're coming back with us, sister-in-law. Elizabeth will be so glad to have you nearby."
Julie squeezed Nathan's arm. "I'm so glad she married you, Nathan. You're very good together."
"I know," he said, breathing deeply. "I'm pretty much the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
As quickly as they could, the happy couple moved around the clearing. They hugged Rebecca and Allie, kissed and snuggled Jack, shook hands and said thank you for coming many times.
As they moved, they'd gathered people like an ocean swell, and by the time they reached the elder trees, their friends and family were waving them goodbye. They were fairly sure it was Jesse who started the chant, "Kiss her!" and after an appropriate amount of time with Elizabeth blushing, Nathan turned to her.
"They won't let us leave without kissing, you know," he whispered to her.
Smiling up at him, she said, "Well, we'd better get on with it then."
Elizabeth threw her arms around him and instead of waiting to be kissed, she did the kissing. The crowd cheered.
At the moment their lips touched, the breeze picked up a little bit, and the tiny flat blossoms of the blueberry elders fell softly on their heads, their shoulders, and the bright red serge of Nathan's tunic. The creamy white blossoms looked like snow traveling sideways.
Fiona was in the front and she snapped a picture just before Carson did the same. They looked at each other, hopeful that one of the photos would even begin to convey what a beautiful sight it was.
The crowd quieted, and after a moment the bride and the groom pulled away from each other. But only so they could take hands and Nathan could lead Elizabeth into the white-petaled tunnel and beyond to the Summer Cabin. And they never looked back.
