Chapter 24 – Surprises

Elizabeth continued down the tunnel calling for Rip, when suddenly she heard creaking above her. She stopped and the creaking and rustling continued. She barely had time to move when the timber started to fall. She was able to move, but took a glancing blow that knocked her to the ground. As she fell, she let out a terrifying shriek.

Jack had heard the timber fall and Elizabeth's shriek. Concerned that she was seriously injured, he ran in her direction calling out her name. She didn't answer him, which only heightened his concern. He found her and immediately dropped to the ground near her. He reached for her and she opened her eyes.

"I am all right, Jack." Elizabeth said. "It just knocked me down, I'm fine."

Jack wasn't sure and instantly jumped into protective mode and his Mountie training kicked in. He wanted more then anything for her to be safe.

"Are you sure?" Jack said. "Is anything broken? Don't move, just take a moment."

"I don't think anything is broken." Elizabeth said. "I just need to get out from under here."

"Okay." Jack said. "Here, grab my hand I will help you to slide out of there."

As Jack started to pull Elizabeth from under the timber, she cried out in pain. So he stopped and give her a moment before continuing to move here.

"Easy." Jack said. "Let's get you out and sitting. What hurts."

"It's my knee." Elizabeth said with obvious pain in her voice.

Just as Jack was going to sit her up a little more, there is more rustling and creaking from overhead. Jack without thinking grabbed Elizabeth and rolled them out of danger, stopping over her for a second before rolling on to his side next to her.

"You all right." Jack finally asks, still holding her close.

"I am okay." Elizabeth said, catching her breath. "Just a little scared."

"Let's get you up slowly." Jack said with compassion in his voice that Elizabeth hadn't heard in awhile.

Once sitting, Jack still doesn't want to let Elizabeth go. He wanted to pull her even closer, kiss her and comfort her. But knew that he needed to get her back to the fire, not only did he need to check her knee, but he was afraid that she was going to go into shock. Suddenly Elizabeth remembered Rip.

"Rip." She said. "We need to find Rip."

"Right now." Jack said. "We need to get you back to the fire and I need to check that knee."

"Fine. Let's go." Elizabeth said.

Jack reaches over her and hands her the lantern and then in one motion scooped her up in his arms, standing up and ready to carry her back to the fire.

"I can walk." Elizabeth said.

"We can argue about that later." Jack said.

When they got back to the fire, he gently sat her down on the blanket next to the fire. Having her so close was intoxicating and he was having a hard time thinking straight. He knew he needed to focus and make sure she wasn't hurt. So he took a deep breath, before speaking. Only that did little to help him focus, as he breathed in her perfume. He loved how she smelled like lavander and vanilla. Never had he smelled those scents together and whenever he caught a whiff of one or the other, his thoughts instantly went to Elizabeth. He once again tried to focus and finally his Mountie training took hold and he was able to focus on what needed to be done.

"May I?" He said indicating toward her knee.

Elizabeth shyly raised her skirt, just barely showing her knees. She thought about how close they were and how him much she wanted to kiss him. She couldn't believe that he was that close to her and that he was going to be touching her. She thought about how no man had seen much less touched her knees since she was a child. Jack closed his eyes for a moment and told himself to focus. He told himself that he just needed to make sure that she was okay and that it was in no way an intimate act. He just knew that he would never get enough of seeing her and now that he had seen more of her body, it was only worse. After another deep breath, he reached for her knee and felt around. Elizabeth has let out a little gasp when his hands covered her knee. Jack heard her gasp and thought that he had caused her pain and instantly felt bad about hurting her.

"Looks fine." He finally said embarrassed by the contact that they shared.

"It's the other one." Elizabeth said softly.

"Sorry." Jack said, again embarrassed.

Elizabeth was embarrassed that Jack was so close and she was sitting there with her skirt above her knees, more so that she enjoyed his touch. She never wanted him to remove his hands. She thought about what it would be like to feel it large hands on her body and let out a small shudder at the thought. Jack quickly checked her other knee and as soon as he removed his hands, she slid her skirt down and pulled her knees closer up toward her chest and visible shivered. Before speaking, Jack took his blanket and wrapped it around Elizabeth.

"It looks like it is just bruise." Jack said. "Your probably in shock. Try to scoot closer to the fire to warm up."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said looking longingly into his eyes.

Jack was so close that he could feel her hot breath on his face and all he wanted to do was close the distant between them and kiss her until her couldn't kiss her any longer. Elizabeth was thinking the same thing. She was looking at his perfectly kissable lips and wanted nothing more at the moment but to have those lips on hers. She loved having Jack that close to her, but she was a little surprised that he didn't kiss her. She thought that he wanted to, especially when he seemed to have such a hard time focusing when he checked her knee. She swore that she could see the desire in his eyes when he looked at her, so she wondered why he didn't kiss her. Jack realized that he might be seen as taking advantage of her, so he quickly moved a short distant from her and to another spot near the fire. Elizabeth looked at Jack one more time and let out a little laugh. Jack just looked at her concerned that something was wrong.

"Here I was so worried about you." Elizabeth said. "And look what happened to me."

"Well you just proved that being a schoolteacher is just as dangerous as being a Mountie." Jack said smiling that dimpled smile of his.

Elizabeth just wrinkled up her nose and shook her head at Jack.

"Personally." Jack said. "Could you maybe have picked a less dramatic way to prove a point."

Elizabeth scoffed at Jack and he let out a soft chuckle. Jack waited a couple moments and then he moved back toward Elizabeth. He couldn't stand it anymore, his overwhelming desire to kiss her broke his resolve. He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand before he leaned in for a kiss, a real kiss like they hadn't had in weeks. Just before their lips met, Rip started barking again. Jack backed away and let out a frustrated groan.

"I'll go get him." Jack said. "Stay here and warm up some more."

Jack stood up, picked up the lantern and went to get Rip. Elizabeth watched him walk away. She didn't care that it wasn't ladylike, she just wanted him to come back there and kiss her. Yet, she knew that he needed to go get Rip. Elizabeth realized that Jack was right, the future was uncertain. She also knew that she can't let her fears control her anymore. She knew that as soon as Jack returned with Rip that she wanted tell him she didn't want to wait anymore. She wanted to tell him that she wanted a future with him. She knew that as long as she had Jack they could face whatever happened together. Jack returned with Rip and sat back down by Elizabeth. She immediately took his hands in hers.

"I am sorry." Elizabeth said. "I let my fears take control and that wasn't fair to you."

"It's okay." Jack said. "Your fears are valid, but we will both have to learn to deal with them and not them them push us apart."

"No Jack." Elizabeth said. "I told you that I loved you and then pushed you away because I was scared. You're right, the future is uncertain, but the one thing that I am absolutely certain about is I want my future to include you for however long God allows."

Elizabeth still held Jack's hands, leaned forward and Jack quickly closed the distance between them. Their lips met softly at first and Elizabeth deepened the kiss. She wanted to convey that she was serious about wanting a future with him. She also wanted more of his kisses that she had missed over the last few weeks. Jack eagerly returned the kiss with just as much passion. He didn't want to pull away and break the moment, despite his lungs screaming at him for more air. Finally, he was forced to pull away completely breathless. He rested his forehead on hers, trying to hold the connection between them. They continued to gaze into each others eyes while they each try to catch their breath.

"I truly do love you Elizabeth." Jack said. "I want a future with you as well."

Their foreheads still resting together and both thinking about another kiss. They were lost to everything around them. It was like they were the only two people on earth. Finally the noise of the horses near the entrance caught their attention. Jack looked back and saw the sun was out and it wasn't raining anymore.

"We should go." Jack said. "Looks like the storm has passed."

"Can't we just stay here a little longer." Elizabeth asks.

"Sure, but why." Jack asks.

"In here, it is just the two of us." Elizabeth said. "Out there, with everyone else, it is just complicated."

"I understand." Jack said. "Yet, I firmly believe whatever challenges we face, we can take them on as long as we do it together. I was going to wait to do things differently. Actually, I have been waiting to do this for awhile and now seems like a perfect time."

Jack let go of Elizabeth's hands and turned away from her for a moment. He reached into his vest pocket and retrieved the ring that he has been carrying with him everyday since his mother gave it to him and Elizabeth stopped him her first night back in Hope Valley. He knew that this was not the most romantic place, but he didn't want to wait. He turned back to Elizabeth and raised up on one knee. Elizabeth let out a gasp.

"Elizabeth Thatcher." Jack said. "I have wanted to ask you this question since the moment you jumped into my arms at Spurlock's. My resolve only grew stronger when I kissed you up on that ridge. With each and every kiss, it has been harder and harder to not ask. So Elizabeth Thatcher will you do me the honor of marrying me. Will you build a future with me as my wife?"

"Yes Jack." Elizabeth gushed. "Yes. I will marry you."

Jack slid a beautiful sapphire set in silver on a narrow gold band on her finger and then gently cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again until they were once again breathless. Jack sat down and Elizabeth moved over next to him and he wrapped his arms around her and they sat there next to the fire just content to be close for a while longer.