Chapter 24
Nathan closed the door of the stagecoach and then gave Elizabeth once last kiss, "I love you, be safe."
"I will, I promise and I love you to." With those last words Nathan stepped back from the stagecoach as Elizabeth settled into her seat with Little Jack for the long road ahead. They would have to catch the train in Union City since it wasn't scheduled to go through Hope Valley that day.
As the stagecoach wheels started to slowly roll and turn through the streets, the crowd that had gathered began to disperse, leaving Nathan standing there alone to watch his heart leave the town. Even Allie had run off to go find her friends. His stomach was twisting in knots at the thought of not being able to see her over the course of the next 6 weeks, with the time for travel having been added in, and it still had not sat well with him. He wanted nothing more than to share in the celebration of her book, but it wasn't possible for him to take that much time off from work. He just prayed that this would not set them backwards in their relationship and make things awkward again between them after she had spent so much time with Lucas on this trip.
He could feel the ring pressing up against his chest in the pocket of his tunic. For once in his life he wished that he would have had the courage to ask her to marry him before she left, even in front of all the other town folks. It would have left no doubt that she was his and he was hers and it would have been a constant reminder for her that he was waiting for her back home, but he just could not bring himself to do it in such a public setting. He gave a short laugh, they probably would have been interrupted anyways, that seemed to be the pattern for them.
As he thought about it more, he wasn't so sure that it was Lucas he was worried about anymore. He was more afraid that the lure of the city would grab a hold of her and draw her into its fold, that she would be attracted again by the lifestyle that she left behind and gain a new craving for it. A town like Hope Valley couldn't possibly compete with a place like New York that had everything to offer someone like Elizabeth who had impressive goals of becoming an author. He was really more worried that he would lose her to the glittery glamour of the big city than to Lucas. He suddenly thought about the note and photo he had given her and wondered if she had already read them or if she would wait until after they were on the road further.
He needed to go back to work, but for some reason he was glued to the spot watching the stagecoach as it made its way to the other side of the town, the lump in his throat that he had worked hard to suppress earlier was starting to rise again and he worked hard to swallow it back down. He started to turn when he saw something that startled him and made absolutely no sense, the stagecoach had made a sudden stop in the middle of the road right before the turn at the end of the street. In his confusion he stood up straight and strained his eyes to try and make sense out of what was going on. The stagecoach just sat there for what seemed like an eternity, but then the door swung open and Elizabeth stepped out and down onto the gravel road, planting her feet firmly onto solid ground. Lucas followed behind her with Little Jack being awkwardly held in his arms.
She looked at him and his eyes locked onto hers and then he watched as she put one step in front of the other and began to run towards him. Worried that something might be wrong he instinctively began running from the other direction. When they finally reached one another, she threw her arms around him, embracing him a with a fierce hug and laying her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her in resting his head on the top of hers.
"Elizabeth," he questioned, "What's wrong?"
"I can't do it, Nathan…..I can't leave you," she responded while leaning back to look up at his face.
He took her face and gently framed it in his hands, "I thought this was your dream."
"No, at one time maybe," She began, "but now my dream is here with you and you're what I want, Nathan Grant."
A small smile broke out across his face and then he leaned into her and kissed her passionately. Releasing her, he then grabbed her hands and took a step backwards. Without saying a word, he knelt down on one knee right there in the middle of the street and he suddenly didn't care who saw them. It wasn't a fancy intimate dinner with lots of candles lit all around, but then again that had never been the essence of their relationship. It perfectly represented the simple ease with which they were accustomed to and this was the town that they both loved to serve. They were standing outside of the Mounty office where they first met and she had so willingly welcomed him despite that he had come to replace her late husband. He could never have imagined then the kind of impact that small act of kindness would have on his life, but if he were truthful he had known even then how special she truly was.
He looked up at Elizbeth and he could see the shocked look on her face and the tears that were threatening. "Elizabeth," he began by taking a big breath and releasing it, "I never could have dreamed where we would end up when we first met. You are everything to me and I have loved you for a very long time. You stole my breath away from the moment you showed up in my office and you've had it ever since. Sometimes I can't figure out what you see in me, but you make my heart soar when you look at me with those big blue eyes and I can see the love in them. You're my future, Elizabeth and I can't picture my life without you in it. I need you as surely as I need air to breathe." He reached into his pocket and pulled the small ring out and holding it up with that crooked grin that made her heart melt he asked, "Elizabeth Thornton, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you'll have me." He took a deep breath and smiling even wider asked those four words she had been waiting to hear and knew were coming, "Will you marry me, Elizabeth, and become my wife?"
It took Elizabeth a couple of seconds to get over the shock of what was happening as she stared wide-eyed at the ring in Nathan's hand. A smile spread across her face and she quickly recovered long enough to say, "yes Nathan Grant, I love you and of course I will marry you!"
Nathan slid the ring onto Elizabeth's finger as the smile on his face widened into pure delight and giddiness. He then stood up and grabbing her he picked her up and twirled her around in his excitement. Upon setting her back down on solid ground, his smiling eyes connected with hers with a bright intensity that caused her to catch her breath, "I love you, Elizabeth," and then they slowly trailed down to her lips before he captured them with his own in a passionate, and deliberately slow, desired filled kiss that left no question at all about his love for her.
He finally broke away and they stood there in the middle of the street embracing one another as she laid her head on his chest, swishing back and forth in unison, both of them smiling. They stood that way until they heard a voice from behind them clearing his throat. They both turned to see Lucas standing their still uncomfortably holding Little Jack in his arms, "I guess congratulations are in order?"
"Lucas I…..," started Elizabeth
"No," Lucas interrupted, "It's ok, even I can see that you two were meant for each other and I don't think I ever really had a chance with you. Every good gambler knows when to fold." He stuck his hand out towards Nathan, "I meant it, I wish you both the best, congratulations."
Nathan took his right hand and shook the offered hand while holding on to Elizabeth tightly around the waist with the other, "Thank you."
Lucas handed Little Jack to Elizabeth, "Now if you'll excuse me I have some planning to do for our town's favorite author to launch the sale of her book and my parents are waiting for me in New York so I'm going to continue on with my visit with them." He turned and headed back towards the stagecoach where the driver had been waiting impatiently and wasn't even the least bit amused at the spectacle that was causing him to be late with his run.
Little Jack looked back and forth between Elizabeth and Nathan and then reached for Nathan. "Natan," he said. Nathan reached his arms out and grabbed the toddler and started playfully bouncing him up and down and making faces at him. He was rewarded with small giggles.
"Well little man," Elizabeth said, reaching out to pat her son on his tummy, "you're not going to be able to call him Natan anymore. Can you say, daddy?"
Little Jack looked confused and then said, "Natan!"
"No, say daddy," she looked at him sideways with a smile.
"Natan….."
Nathan laughed causing Elizabeth to give a mock frown, "Well," she sighed, "I guess we will just have to work on that one."
"Mrs. Thornton," They both turned to see Allie running towards them and shouting at the same time. Out of breath she added, "I thought you left?"
Elizabeth looked up at Nathan and saw him wink at her. She gave a small grin and then turned back to Allie, "I was going to, but I had a change of plans and decided that I didn't need to go to New York to celebrate my book. I can do it right here instead and celebrate with all the people I know and love the most."
Ally broke out in a huge grin followed by an exciting, "Really?"
Elizabeth nodded and smiled back, "Really."
"Yay," Allie responded, "this is so exciting. I've got to go tell all the other kids."
She started to turn and then Nathan called out to her, "Uh….Allie, wait a second."
Allie stopped and turned back towards them, "Yes, Uncle Nathan?"
"Before you go why don't we all go take a walk by the pond. There is something we need to tell you."
Allie gave them both a curious look and then let out a slow, "Ok."
They took off in the direction of the pond and moved away from standing in the middle of the town. When they reached the outer banks of the pond, Allie absentmindedly picked up a rock threw it into the pond and watched as the ripples moved outward from the center impact of where she had thrown the rock. She then turned back to her Uncle and Mrs. Thornton, "Ok, what's going on?"
"Allie….", before her uncle could get out even one more word he heard Allie squeal and gasp, her eyes growing larger by the second. Startled by her sudden response, Nathan asked, "Allie, what is it?"
Her mouth instantly dropped open and he followed the path of her gaze to see what her eyes were drawn to. It brought him to Elizabeth's left hand where the new shiny ring was glistening in the sunlight and giving off a brilliant display of colors and brightness. "Is it true," she excitedly asked.
Elizabeth and Nathan looked at one another and smiling took deep breaths and as they released them looked back at Allie. "It's true," Nathan acknowledged.
It didn't even take a split second for Allie to respond and she flew to both of them, giving them each hugs. "I take it, you approve," Elizabeth laughed.
Allie pulled back, "Of course I do! I just wondered how long it was going to take the two of you to realize that we belonged together as a family. I'm so excited, I finally get to have a mom again! When is the wedding?"
"Whoa there, slow down kid," Nathan said, "We haven't talked about it yet, but we will and you will be the first to know when we do decide. Ok?"
She nodded, "Ok, but don't make it too long."
Nathan smiled down at Elizabeth with a sparkle in his eye and small grin, "I wouldn't dream of it."
"Good," exclaimed Allie, "Now I have to go tell my friends."
"Hold up there, Allie, you can't tell anyone, yet. You have to let Mrs. Thornton and I take care of that first. There are people that we need to talk to before you start spreading it all over town."
Allie gave him her best pouty face and rolled her eyes with an exaggerated, "Fine….."
"I mean it, Allie. Mums the word until we get a chance to tell all of our friends."
Allie sighed, "I understand, but it's going to be hard."
"Well," Elizabeth began, "I'm sure you are perfectly capable of keeping this to yourself and I promise once we are able to tell our friends in town, you can then spread the news and tell whomever you wish to. Deal?"
"Deal," Allie said with a big nod.
"Ok you can go play now," Nathan told her. He watched has she turned and ran off across the field towards Opal's house.
Elizabeth turned to Nathan, "So….when do you want to get married?"
He put his arm around her and started walking her back towards the town with Jack in his other arm, "I don't think I want a long engagement, unless you think there is a reason for it."
"I agree, I don't want a long one either."
He smiled at her, "Good then we're on the same page. How about at the end of summer, two weeks or so before you go back to school? That will give us enough time to plan and to have a week-long honeymoon."
She nodded, "I would like that," and then began to laugh.
"What's so funny," asked Nathan.
"Oh, I can just hear Rosemary now. At the end of summer? What? That doesn't give us much time…and then she will go crazy with the planning."
"Well," Nathan snickered, "that will be for you to deal with."
She playfully slapped at him, "Nathan. She means well, she just sometimes gets a little carried away in her excitement. I'm sure it will all be fine and if anyone can pull it off it will be Rosemary."
"No doubt," Nathan agreed. They continued to stroll into the town and back towards the Mountie office where Elizabeth's suitcase had been left. "Come on, lets go get your luggage and take it back to your house where it belongs and then we can stop at Lee and Rosemary's. I know you're dying to tell them."
She shook her head yes, "I am. I'm just so excited and I have to tell someone or I feel like I will burst."
He laughed, "All right, lets go." He handed Little Jack back to Elizabeth as they approached his office and then grabbed the luggage sitting in front of the door and they headed off towards her row home, chatting with excitement about their future plans and wedding.
To Be Continued….