"Since you missed the marvelous dinner I had prepared for you the other day," Sofia told Carson, "the least you can do is make it up to me this evening." She had barged, unannounced and unwanted, into his office when there been a lull in the patients. He wondered where Florence, and Betty, the receptionist were.

"I can't" he forced a smile at Sofia. "I have plans."

"Oh," she pouted, "surely you can change them to spend time with me."

"I wish I could," Carson lied.

"Ah," Sofia smiled widely, "don't tell me they're with that young woman I saw you with at Abigail's, Faith something or other."

"If must know," Carson replied, "Faith and I have something special planned for this evening." They didn't really have anything specific planned, but Sofia didn't need to know that.

"Rosemary mentioned that you two seemed to have something going on," she laughed, "but I don't see how you could."

"Really?"

"I guess I could see the attraction," Sofia continued, "after all she is young and quite pretty if you like that fresh-faced look and all."

Carson didn't reply; he only wished Sofia would stop talking about Faith and leave his office.

"And it seems you do," Sofia added, "Well I guess we'll just have to have that dinner another time then."

"I don't really think we'll be able to do that."

"What?" she asked him. "Not even a little dinner as old friends? My, that little girl has got you on a leash."

"Faith is not a little girl," Carson assured her, "and she hasn't got me on a leash. I just like to spend time with her."

"You don't need to explain," Sofia told him. "I understand perfectly and I am happy for you. It's good that you opened yourself up to love again, Carson."

"Thank you Sofia."

"I guess I'd better let you get back to work."

999

"So, you and Nathan," Faith told Elizabeth.

"There's no me and Nathan," Elizabeth replied. "He's just a nice man."

"Who's crazy about you," Faith said.

"No, no," Elizabeth shook her head. "He's just nice."

"The man can't take his eyes off you," Faith said, "and he calls you all the time."

"Not all the time," Elizabeth denied.

Elizabeth couldn't deny how happy she was spending time with Nathan. For the past three nights he'd shown up at her home, always just for a few minutes to say goodnight and ask about her day and tell her about his. He was easy to talk to and she found herself sharing more than she would ordinarily have shared with someone, especially a man, on such short acquaintance. She had told him about her parents, her sisters and their families and also about Charles Kensington.

Charles Kensington.

Charles had been a high school friend, well, sort of boyfriend. He had been a sweet and caring boy, a good friend and would have become more; they had both thought that he would become more. They had always been in the same class but it wasn't until they had been paired up for an English assignment that they had become close. After that they had spent most of their time together to that point that everybody assumed that they were dating. They had never made it official but Elizabeth knew that Charles had loved her as she had loved him.

They were in their freshman year of college when Charles inherited a 1970 Dodge Challenger from his grandfather. The Kensingtons were rich; as were the Thorntons although the Kensinsgtons were definitely in a class of their own. Charles had called up Elizabeth; he and his brother, William, were going to their grandparents' place in Hamilton to pick up the car and drive it back. Elizabeth and William's girlfriend, Freda, would then join them for a weekend at the Kensington cabin in Hope Valley.

Elizabeth had been excited; the weekend plans meant that they were finally make their relationship status clear and it would be amazing to see the cabin that she'd heard so much about.

She would always remember that day; she was in her room working on an assignment that she intended to finish before they headed off, when her roommate Doreen, entered her eyes were red, tears running down her face, and she looked in Elizabeth in dismay.

"Doreen," Elizabeth had looked up from her computer, her smile slipping, "what happened?"

"Elizabeth, your phone," Doreen said, "we've been calling."

Elizabeth had reached for her phone, and realised that it was off; she'd forgotten to charge it. "I didn't charge it, again. What's up?"

"It's Charles," Doreen sat down next to her friend. "There's been an accident."

"What? Charles and William? Are they fine?"

"I'm sorry," Doreen had begun to cry again, "they were hit by a truck and they both died on the way to the hospital."

"No," Elizabeth had said. "No. Why are you lying to me?"

"Elizabeth," Doreen had pulled her forcibly into a hug.

Elizabeth could never remember what else Doreen had said to her at that time but pretty soon their room had been filled with other students and then Freda had come and they'd gone to the hospital.

Elizabeth had never told anyone, not even Edie, how Charles' death had affected her. Her family, of course, had known that she had lost a very close friend but everyone had assumed that they were just friends, nothing more. Elizabeth supposed they were right, after all, she and Charles had always assured everyone that they were just friends.

After Charles' death, Elizabeth had put all energy into finishing school, and then her job and now taking care of Jack. She had read an article once, which she had taken to heart; the writer that said that if you were blessed with one great love in your life then you were more blessed than you knew. She firmly believed that Charles Kensington had been her one love; she'd never met any other man who had made her feel anything.

Until Nathan Grant.

She had told him about Charles Kensington and had been surprised to hear him confess that he had never been in love. Not once in his life. She wondered a bit about that. How was it possible that he had lived all his life without having ever fallen in love?

"Surely there must have been girls you've liked?" she'd asked him.

"Yes," Nathan had agreed, smiling slowly, "not none that I loved."

"Impossible," Elizabeth had told him. "You do know that it's okay if you've ever been in love." It wasn't like she would be jealous of his past, or so he hoped.

"Of course it's okay," he'd replied, "but it's just that I have never been in love." He'd left the 'until now' unspoken and he knew that Elizabeth hadn't even realised that his sentence had been incomplete; she'd been too busy wondering how it was that he'd never been in love.

Nathan Grant had seen plenty of girls and women in his life; many of them beautiful and interesting but somehow none of them had ever stirred his heart. Not even a little. His mother and Colleen and brought over many 'interesting' girls, he'd been set up on quite a number of dates, both blind and otherwise, but somehow none of those women had made him feel more than a passing interest. He'd figured that he was one of those people who weren't meant to have a great love; with that in mind he had decided that maybe with time, when he was tired of being alone, he would find a like-minded woman and they would marry and be companions.

Then he'd met Elizabeth Thornton at the Haywards and he'd known what he'd been waiting for all his life.

There was something about Elizabeth that made his feel … more. Something about her that made the sun seem to shine brighter and the air clearer and made him want to sing. Nathan loved to sing, and he'd composed quite a few songs when he was a teenager. Since he'd met Elizabeth he had written at least five songs and he had many more in his head. He felt alive, and looked forward to each new day. He had also begun to pray again; he had to thank God for bringing Elizabeth into his life.

/

"I'm just saying," Faith's voice brought Elizabeth back to the present. "He likes you and I know you like him too."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, remember the other night," Faith told her, "when you cooked me dinner and he came over. His eyes didn't leave your face from the moment he came into the room. You guys basically ignored me, and I felt like I was intruding, I had to leave."

"Really?" Elizabeth was a bit embarrassed. "We…I didn't … I thought you left because you were tired."

"Yeah," Faith nodded laughing, "and I was, of being an unwanted third wheel."

"It's just," Elizabeth sighed happily, "being with him just makes me so happy."

999

Faith went back to her office to work on some reports. The Fessler boys had finally been put under CarDon care; their uncle was still on the run but the police had found some documents which showed that he intended to take their inheritance from them- forcibly. Faith had had them taken to the farm that the foundation owned and they would be looked after.

Her phone pinged and she smiled as she saw the message from Carson.

'I have a surprise for you.'

'What?' she wrote back.

'Wouldn't be a surprise if I told you.'

'Okay,' Faith replied, 'If it's anything like the other night then I can't wait.'

'It's better than last time,' Carson wrote back.

'Wow, then I really can't wait.'

'I'll send a car to pick you at 7 p.m.'

'See you then.'

999

"Carson said that he's sending a car to pick me at 7 p.m."

"I wonder how he'll top Henry's garden," Elizabeth teased her.

"I have no idea," Faith replied, "which is so unfair when you think about it. How am I supposed to know how to dress right if I don't know where I'm going?"

"I'm sure Carson would have told you if the surprise required a specific dress code."

"Have fun," Elizabeth said, "and I expect all the details tomorrow."

"Ditto."

999

Faith decided to wear blue jeans, a smart tee shirt, a thick jacket and walking boots. It was smart enough for a restaurant but would also work if Carson intended to take her on a moonlit walk.

At seven promptly a car pulled up in front of the apartment building and Faith got into the car. She received a message from Carson as she got in; he would see her in fifteen minutes when she arrived at the destination.

Faith was so busy smiling at her phone that she didn't realise that there was somebody else sitting in the backseat until the car drove off.

"Sofia, what a… what are you doing here?"

"Carson asked me to pick you up," Sofia replied. "Didn't he tell you?"

"No."

"I guess it was part of the surprise then."

Faith wondered what kind of surprise Carson had in mind that also included Sofia.

"Where are we going?"

"That is really a surprise," Sofia told her, "but don't worry, you'll like it."

Faith kept silent while Sofia told her about her work at the IT firm and how she hadn't had a real vacation or gone on an actual date in years.

"Carson was the last real date I've had," Sofia said. "That's why I had to come back to Hope Valley."

"Uh huh."

"Yes, in fact he's really the only man I've known who has ever cared about me. You know, he does things because they are right not because he expects anything. I'm sure you've also noticed that unique quality of his."

"Where are we going?" Faith asked Sofia.

"I guess you're not one for surprises," Sofia sulked. "Fine, I'll tell you. We're going to a cabin in the woods."

"The woods?"

"Didn't Carson tell you about the cabin in the woods?" Sofia asked. "Well, it's quite lovely. You're going to love it."

"Billy," Sofia told the driver, "take the next turn on your right."

The cabin, when they got it, was quite beautiful; it was made of wooden logs with darker windows and door. It seemed to have at least four rooms, and there was an electric lantern lighting the front door.

"So Carson is inside waiting for me, I suppose?" Faith knew that she sounded weak and fearful but somewhere along the journey she had begun to doubt that Carson was the one who had been sending her the texts all along.

"Why don't you find out?" Sofia asked her.

Faith got out of the car walked to the door. She opened and found a large room with a table set for two with a bright red table cloth, a vase of flowers, two covered plates, two glasses and a wine bottle chilling in a bucket. There was no one else in the room, and as turned to tell Sofia that she heard a click – the door had been locked.

"Have fun," Sofia said to her, "the food is superb. I'll be back for you soon, I promise."

999

"Should we be worried about Sofia, you think?" Lee asked Rosemary.

Rosemary wanted to say no immediately. Sofia was one of her oldest friends but they hadn't been close in years and she had been a bit too interested in Carson.

"I want to say no," she admitted to Lee, "but she does seem quite obsessed with Carson, don't you think?"

"Let's call Carson," Lee said, "we won't tell him anything yet but let's just," he shrugged, "check in."

Lee called Carson who was still at work. He had finished later than he normally did but he intended to go and see Faith as soon as he could.

"He's fine," Lee told Rosemary after he ended the call.

"Yet somehow I still feel uneasy," Rosemary told her husband.

They looked at each other wondering what to do.

999