Chapter 21

Nathan walked down the street, tipping his hat to the women who walked by him. A week had gone by since his encounter with Lucas and the closer he got to the time where Elizabeth would be leaving the more worried and anxious he became. He had just gone into the Mercantile for the second day straight to see if the ring had come in yet, but it had not come. He knew it was probably too early for it to show up, but he was hoping beyond hope that it would show up before Elizabeth left for New York. He wanted nothing more than to make sure she understood before she left what his intentions were for their future. He needed the reassurance that she was his and that she was on the same page with him as to where their relationship was headed. At this point he absolutely knew she was the one for him and being the straightforward and direct person that he was, he didn't see the reason in waiting after all that they had been through to get to this point.

He stopped in front of the infirmary and quickly searched the room until his eyes landed on Carson. He cleared his throat and said, "Good morning."

"Nathan," Carson began, "Something I can help you with this morning? Are you feeling ok?"

Nathan removed his hat, and played with it nervously in his hands, "I'm fine. I..uh..just had a question for you. Wondering something actually."

"Yeah, sure, what do you need?"

"I was wondering if you by any chance had the photo of Elizabeth and I that you took at the wedding and if I could get a copy of it?"

"I do happen to still have the negatives and would be more than happy to give you a copy of it. Do you have something special planned with it?"

Nathan smiled sheepishly and turned his head to the side, looking out the window, and then back down at the ground, "I was kind of hoping to give it to Elizabeth when she leaves, something to take with her and remind her of…of me."

"I see." Carson smiled at Nathan, knowing full well what the man was going through, "I would be more than happy to give you a copy. Just give me till tomorrow to develop it. You know I did something similar for Faith when she left and she was gone a lot longer. I'm sure Elizabeth will appreciate it and love it."

"Thank you, Carson."

"Not a problem, it's my pleasure."

"I'll come back and pick it up tomorrow then."

"I'll have it ready."

Nathan exited Carson's office and placed his hat back on his head, using both of his hands to make sure that it was properly placed before continuing his walk back to his office. He decided that he would write her a quick note on the back of the photo along with a short letter and give it to her to open up while she was on the stagecoach. He was afraid that if he gave it to her any sooner that she might get emotional and if she did, he wasn't sure that he would be able to hold it in either and the last thing he wanted to do was make a big scene in front of the whole town who he knew would be there to see her off.

He finally made it back to his office and upon opening the door he met Elizabeth's eyes when she turned around from the chair she was sitting in at his desk. There was a look of annoyance mixed with worry etched into her face that made him instantly freeze and his heart sink. "Elizabeth," he acknowledged.

Elizabeth stood from the chair, "Nathan."

There was something in the way she said his name that instantly caused him a shock of anxiety, "Is there something wrong?"

"Nathan, we need to talk."

Nathan looked nervously down at his feet and then turned and hung his hat up on the hook by the door. He took a step towards her and looked up cautiously studying her face, the look was not a pleasant one. He took a deep breath and released it, "Ok, what do you want to talk about? What's wrong?"

"Did you approach Lucas the other day and tell him that he better not try anything with me or else he was going to answer to you?"

"Elizabeth, I don't trust him. I never have and it isn't going to happen overnight that I do."

"Nathan, don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do. I trust you completely."

"Then why would you even say anything to him? If you trust me then you would know that my heart belongs to you and that at this point in our relationship I would never let him come between us."

He could see the hurt in her eyes and it made him cringe on the inside. He didn't like being the cause of that, but at the same time it was killing him that she would be traveling with the man who almost made it impossible for the two of them to be together to begin with. "I'll be honest with you, I'm struggling with letting you go. I want this to be your decision because I don't want you to regret it later or resent me for it, but at the same time I don't like it and I can't help but feel that Lucas has some kind of ulterior motive where you are concerned. I trust you, but I don't trust him."

"Nathan, he is not some evil man out to cause problems between you and me. He is only going because his parents are going to be there and he wants to see them. I have no plans to spend time with him outside of the book celebration."

Nathan closed his eyes and slowly reopened them, "You have to try and understand this from my point of view. I struggled and had to watch you with him for so long while questioning if you even had feelings for me at all or if you had made a choice and it seemed at the time to me that you had. I was the happiest man ever to know that you and I had a chance together and when we first kissed in that cabin…Elizabeth, you took my breath away. I knew then that I could never love anyone else the way I love you."

"Nathan, I love you and that isn't going to change, but you have to trust me in order for our relationship to be a solid one and you have to get over this jealousy you have with Lucas. I'm yours and I'm not going anywhere, but if you can't move forward and let things in the past be in the past then we are going to have issues. You have to let it go." She took a step toward him and put her hand on his cheek.

He nodded slowly, his eyes watering up, "I know, but it's hard and it's going to take time. I promise you Elizabeth. I will try."

She wrapped her arms around him in a reassuring gesture, "That's all I'm asking and I promise you. I will not have any fancy dinners with Lucas alone in New York or anything else. I have made it clear to him already that you and I are together and that isn't going to change. Now I need you to trust me that I will do the right thing and I need you to know that I love you so much that I would never jeopardize our relationship." She leaned back and looked at him, "I know my actions hurt you in the past and I love you too much to want to do that to you again. You are my future, Nathan Grant and that much I am certain of."

He looked down at her and gave her a half smile and then leaned his head down and found her lips with his. He knew one thing for sure, he never wanted to get use to the sensation of having her in his arms, it was one of the only places where he truly felt at home.

To Be Continued…..