Chapter 20

Elizabeth stared at the saloon door before she finally took a large breath in, released it, and then pushed her way into the building. Her cool blue eyes scanned across the room until she found the reason for coming there standing across the wood floor, absorbed in a conversation with Henry Gowen. She assumed it had something to do with the oil business. She watched them as they both looked at one another with steely glares and low voices. She still wasn't sure what had transpired between them for Henry to give up the business and sell it to Lucas altogether, but it seemed like a weight had been lifted off of Henry's shoulders in the weeks that followed that deal. She was a little leery to see him talking in a business-like fashion again with Lucas, but she also knew they had many issues to workout and had hoped that they would mend fences.

Lucas looked over in her direction and after saying a few more words excused himself from Henry and made his way towards Elizabeth. "Elizabeth," he began, "so have you come to a decision about what we discussed?"

She looked at his guarded face, it had always been very difficult for her to read his thoughts. Unlike Nathan who displayed his emotions through his facial expressions and wore his heart on his sleeve, Lucas always kept them well hidden in the scope of his poker face, a skill he had perfected over the years while playing cards with people who were at times less than savory.

Elizabeth looked around the room, it was unusually busy for a midweek morning. "When did you start serving breakfast?"

"About a week ago, as you can see, it's been wildly popular and a huge success."

"Can we talk outside?" She didn't feel comfortable having this conversation in front of so many people.

He motioned with his hand, "Of course. I need to go to the other office anyway. You can walk with me."

Elizabeth nodded and headed out of the saloon. Once they were outside and not in front of as many people she began, "I have decided after talking to Nathan to go to New York; however, there are ground rules."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Good, now number one," she began, "I am courting Nathan and you and I are nothing more than friends. That's not going to change so I hope you don't have thoughts to the contrary. Number 2, I will stay in my own hotel room with a reservation under my own name. Number 3 Little Jack will be coming with me and will still be my first priority."

"I don't see any of that being a problem." They stopped just outside of the Gowen Petroleum office and Lucas smiled at her and cocked his head, "so we have a deal then? You're willing to go to promote your book?"

She shook her head warily, "Yes, we have a trip to New York for the sole purpose of promoting my book."

"Great! I will contact my mother and make all the arrangements for our arrival and trip."

"Good," she smiled back at him. "I have to get to school now."

"Of course," he bowed his head slightly to her and she turned to walk away. "Elizabeth," he called out to her, "I promise you won't regret this."

She nodded and gave him a smile and then continued up the street to the schoolhouse.

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Nathan stepped out of his office, coffee in hand, leaning against the post he looked up and down the street, observing the morning hustle of people scurrying into businesses and tipping his hat to mother's walking by with children in tow on the way to school. With a turn of his head he caught site of Lucas and Elizabeth standing outside of the oil office. His mind was telling him to look away, but his heart was taunting him, compelling him to keep his eyes focused in their direction. He trusted Elizabeth implicitly and that same heart that was tugging at him inwardly belonged to her and he knew always would, but he still could not bring himself to trust Lucas where Elizabeth was concerned. Perhaps he was reading too much into it, but his inner instincts pulled at his conscience and toyed with his mind that something just wasn't right, almost teasing him into action.

He inhaled deeply and then let out a longingly worried sigh, he didn't really want her to go, but he also didn't want to be in the way of her book being successful either, so in the end the only right decision to him seemed to be not making one for her and encouraging her to decide for herself. The last thing that he wanted was for them to start a life together with her resenting him for taking that once in a lifetime opportunity away from her. He just hoped that after spending a little over a month with Lucas in a city that seemed so far away and had more to offer than Hope Valley, that she would still feel the same way. He shook his head with a slight frown, he couldn't think that way. He wanted to make sure that he stayed positive and supportive of Elizabeth.

His thoughts went to the ring he had ordered. He wasn't sure when he was going to ask her to marry him, he just knew it would happen at some point. He wasn't even sure if the ring would come before she left, if it did and the opportunity presented itself in a moment where it felt right he might consider asking her before she left. It would give him some reassurance that the things that had transpired between them weren't a dream that was about to walk away from him. He made a mental note to check with Ned later to make sure that the ring had been ordered.

He watched as Elizabeth seemed to wrap up her conversation with Lucas and as she was turning he noticed him call to her and she turned back to him smiling and it sent a flood of doubts flowing through his already riddled mind. She finally walked away, heading toward the schoolhouse and Nathan decided it was a time to take a stroll up the street.

He was not planning on ending up in front of Lucas' office, but his feet just seemed to pointedly carry him there. He blew a quick breath out of his mouth, calming his body before proceeding through the door. Lucas stood up and came around to stand in front of his desk, putting his hands in his pockets when he saw the flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He studied the tall Mountie standing in front of him and for what seemed like minutes the two just stared at one another trying to read the others thoughts.

Lucas finally spoke first, "Can I help you, Constable?"

Nathan took a step forward towards Lucas, coming just short of being toe to toe with him. He then straightened himself up to his full height and hooked his thumbs into his belt. Slowly nodding his head in a calm calculated motion, he lifted his chin, and looking Lucas straight in the eyes, he spoke slowly and deliberately to him in an all Mountie business tone, "If you do anything shady to my Elizabeth or try to make any kind of inappropriate move with her on this trip, I just want you to know that you will have to answer to me when you come back and the red serge will come off, if you catch my drift. You better be respectful to her and of our relationship. Consider yourself warned."

Lucas stared him down right back, maintaining his calm poker face demeanor and raising his eyebrow, "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good then," responded Nathan roughly, "we have an understanding." With that Nathan turned and left Lucas' office, placing his hat on his head. Only when Lucas had seen him start his trek up the street did he allow a small smirk to cross his face.

To Be Continued…