Chapter 10

Nathan woke up, on Saturday morning, feeling more rested than he had in weeks.

Today was the day, that he was finally taking Elizabeth Thornton out for dinner. He had been waiting for this day for so long. After almost two years of juggling his feelings for her, Nathan had finally made his intentions known.

Although he was very much looking forward to their time together, Nathan found himself feeling nervous about how the evening might go. He realized that there was still a lot of things that they needed to talk about, and he wasn't sure how or when to approach them.

However, the topic that was weighting the most heavily on his mind, this morning, was Lucas. He kept wondering about what Lucas might think of him taking Elizabeth out to dinner. After all, it was only two weeks ago that she had went to Union City with Lucas. That fact still made his blood boil. Bill had been right that one day, when he found Nathan chopping enough wood to last two winters. Nathan had been mad, that day, not at Lucas, but at himself for not asking her out first.

If Nathan was being completely honest with himself, his anger was never about Lucas. Although he didn't like the way that Lucas seemed to be better than him, at everything that he did, Nathan didn't dislike Lucas, as a person. He knew that deep down inside, Lucas had a good heart. He had witnessed that first hand when he saw how much trouble Lucas had gotten into, in order to protect his friend from Amos Dixon. He also admired how generous Lucas had been in gifting "the town" a library and helping Elizabeth with her book deal.

Although he still didn't completely trust Lucas's intentions with her, Nathan knew that Lucas cared about Elizabeth's happiness. He couldn't blame the man for caring about her. After all, Nathan thought that any man would be blind to not see how wonderful Elizabeth was. It just bothered him that out of all of the men in town, it had to be the saloon owner.

Although he hated to admit it to himself, Nathan did still hold a grudge against Lucas, for teaching his niece a card trick when she first got to town. Ever since then, he had found it hard to trust the man. Nathan knew that it was his negative experiences with his father, who was a gambler, that had encouraged his distrust of Lucas. Even after he forgave his father, Nathan still found it hard to trust any man who gambled for a living.

At that thought, Nathan realized what he needed to do. He needed to talk to Lucas and clear the air. He didn't want to go out to dinner with Elizabeth, knowing that he still hadn't forgiven Lucas. That wouldn't be fair to either one of them. If Elizabeth was willing to give them both a fair chance, then he needed to trust her judgment and be honest with Lucas. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Lucas the same pain and confusion, that their friendship had caused him.

The time had come for him to put his pride aside, and to be honest with Lucas about his intentions, towards Elizabeth. It may not be easy, but Nathan was finally ready to face the music and trust that things would turn out the way that they were supposed to. He trusted Elizabeth to choose the right person for her, no matter how that choice affected him.

Lucas was behind the bar, of the saloon, when he saw Nathan come through the front doors. It was still early, and there weren't that many customers, in the room.

As soon as he saw Nathan, Lucas's defenses kicked into high gear.

"Great, what's he doing here?" Lucas thought to himself, as his muscles tensed, and he prepared himself for the confrontation.

"Morning Bouchard, can I have word with you?" Nathan asked, approaching the counter.

"What can do I do for you constable?" Lucas responded back, with a hint of reserve, in his tone.

Looking around, at the small group of customers, Nathan offered "I have a private matter that I would like to discuss with you."

"Alright," Lucas responded blankly and motioned, with his hands, towards the back room.

As Nathan followed him to the back room, Lucas tried to find some confidence. Ever since his talk with Elizabeth, his ego had taken a hard hit, and he was finding it increasingly more difficult to stay calm under pressure. He didn't want Nathan to detect his lack of self-confidence, or to perceive him as weak.

Once they were in the room, Nathan began.

"Lucas, I feel like we need to clear the air. This rivalry between us has gone on for far too long... It's no secret that we're both interested in the same women, and I think it's time that we openly acknowledge that fact. It's not fair for any of us to keep going on like this. Elizabeth deserves better. That being said, I think it's only right for me to let you know that she accepted my invitation to dinner tonight. I know that you two have been spending a lot of time together, and I don't want to take her out behind your back. I know that we both have feelings for her, and I don't want there to be any misunderstandings between us about that. Elizabeth knows her own heart, and I believe that she will make the best decision for her. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't want our dislike of each other's interest in her to get in the way of her happiness."

Lucas was stunned by Nathan's honestly. He was not expecting that at all. It surprised him that Nathan would feel the need to tell him that, especially after Elizabeth had clearly chosen him. "Is he being sincere? Or is he just trying to rub it in?" Lucas wasn't sure.

Before he could voice his questions, however, Nathan continued.

"Lucas, I know I haven't always been the nicest to you... the truth is that, I've been holding a grudge against you, ever since you taught my niece that card trick. The fact that you're a saloon owner, and a gambler, has caused me to judge you unfairly. And, for that, I want to apologize. I don't dislike you, in fact, I think there's a lot of good in you. I just don't think that I'll ever be able to fully support the decisions that you make, or the way that you live your life. However, I do know that Elizabeth thinks very highly of you. You've been very kind and generous to her, so for that I am beholden to you!"

Not knowing how to respond, Lucas searched his mind for the right words to say. How could he compete with that? Nathan had just apologized and said that he was grateful to him for his care towards Elizabeth.

Suddenly, it became clear to Lucas that Nathan had no idea about Elizabeth only wanting to be friends with him. Realizing that fact lifted his ego a bit, and it made him wonder if he should play it off, as if he still had a chance with her. Lucas figured that by doing that it might perhaps make him feel better about the whole situation, yet he knew, in his heart, that it wouldn't be right.

Choosing his words very carefully, Lucas responded.

"Well, I appreciate your honestly. I'm sure it took a lot guts for you to come over here and tell me that, but there was no need. Elizabeth chose you, and as much as it pains me to say it, there's nothing I can do anymore to change that. I just hope that you realize how lucky you are."

Looking very confused, by that response, Nathan asked him, "What do you mean by that? It's just dinner, Lucas. It's no different than you taking her to Union City. I'm only trying to clear the air here."

"That may be so, but it doesn't change the fact that she chose you. Nathan, I don't think you know this, but Elizabeth came to see me after the incident. She told me that she really appreciated our time together, but that she realized that she just wanted to be friends with me. I can't tell you how hard it was for me hear that, after everything I've done for her. I'm sorry Nathan, but the damage has already been done. I appreciate your honestly, but I need to get back to work now."

With that comment, Lucas left the room. His ego had hit an even deeper low, and he couldn't bring himself to face Nathan anymore. Deep down inside, he knew that Elizabeth had made the right choice between them. In that moment, he realized just how much Nathan had truly cared for Elizabeth and how selfish he himself had been in his pursuit of her. While Nathan had thinking about her wellbeing, Lucas was thinking about himself. Although he cared about Elizabeth's happiness, he realized that it was mostly for selfish reasons.

Although he knew that he probably owed Nathan an apology, for walking away like that, Lucas wasn't ready to give admit it, just yet. He needed time to process his true feelings. If he was going to do the right thing, then he wanted to do it for the right reasons.

Pride was getting the better of him, and he didn't want that to influence what he did next. Walking away seemed like the best choice, at least for the time being.

Nathan walked out of the saloon, feeling much lighter than he had before he got there. Although the talk with Lucas hadn't gone the way that he had planned, he was thankful for the chance to tell him the truth.

Nathan knew that Lucas might not take it well, but he hadn't expected him to just walk away like that. Actions spoke louder than words, and Lucas's actions had certainly spoken for him.

Lucas's ego was hurt, and Nathan had a feeling that it had happened long before he got there. It surprised Nathan when Lucas shared that Elizabeth just wanted to be friends with him. He wondered why Elizabeth hadn't mentioned that to him yet. It would have been helpful for him to know that, before he went and confronted Lucas about it.

Although Nathan knew, in his heart, that he had done the right thing, he felt bad for Lucas. Nathan knew all too well what it felt like to feel like he'd never have a chance with Elizabeth.

At the dance, last year, when Elizabeth decided to dance with Lucas, Nathan thought that he had lost his chances with her. It seemed pretty clear to him that he was on a one-way train to being her friend, and nothing more. That was the same way that he had felt later on, when Lucas took her to Union City. Nathan now realized how wrong he had been. Never once did Elizabeth ever specify that they were only "friends", the way that she had with Lucas. Bill even shared with him, on their ride back into town, that her trip with Lucas was strictly on a friendship basis. That thought had given him a little bit of hope. Now it made him even more grateful to not be in Lucas's position.

Nathan didn't allow himself to entertain that thought for too long, though. He knew that things could still not work out, between the two of them, and he wanted to make sure that he wasn't getting his hopes up, too quickly. After all, they hadn't even gone on their first date yet.

"Just take it one step at a time," Nathan reassured himself.

That's when an idea occurred to him. Speeding up his pace, Nathan started heading home. He had a surprise that he wanted to plan, and he would need Allie's help to accomplish it.

It was nearing six o'clock, by the time that Elizabeth had started preparing for her dinner, with Nathan. She had just dropped off little Jack with Rosemary and Lee, when she rushed home to get ready. It had been a very long day, which she now realized was the result of her nerves.

Elizabeth was grateful that the Coulters had offered to keep little Jack for the night, so that Laura could have the night off. Although she had told them that it wasn't necessary to keep him overnight, she realized that it was probably a smart idea, since she wasn't sure how long her date would last with Nathan.

It made Elizabeth chuckle remembering the way that Rosemary had reacted when she shared the news of their date yesterday.

"Honestly, Elizabeth, it's about time! You've been wanting this for so long, and now you're finally doing it. I'm so thrilled for you and Nathan! I want to hear all of the details."

Although Elizabeth had appreciated her friend's enthusiasm, she had assured Rosemary that it was just a dinner and that they still had a lot of things to figure out.

"Minor details," Rosemary had responded back, with a gesture of her hand, as if she was pushing Elizabeth's comment away. Her best friend was not making it easier on her, that's for sure. Even Lee had been really supportive, once he heard about their date.

She recalled him saying, "Nathan's a good man, Elizabeth. I'm happy for you both!"

Lee and Rosemary's enthusiasm had continued into today, when she dropped little Jack off. They asked her how she was feeling about everything and if there was anything else they could do to help. Naturally, Rosemary had offered to do her hair and even loan her a dress. However, Elizabeth had graciously declined. She told her friend that she appreciated the thought, but that she wanted to get ready on her own. Since it was just a dinner, at the cafe, Elizabeth didn't want to go too overboard. Nathan was a simple man, and she knew that he wouldn't mind what she wore. She didn't need to impress him, the way she had felt that she needed to do for Lucas.

Besides, Elizabeth didn't think that she was brave enough to wear anything too fancy, since this would be her first real "date" in some time. It was also where she had gone on her first official date with Jack, and that thought made her even more nervous.

Keeping those thoughts in mind, Elizabeth selected the light beige dress, which she had last worn to the Founder's Day dance, last year. Although she didn't have the most pleasant memories with Nathan, in that dress, she had hoped that, by wearing it tonight, she might be able to bring some new life to it.

Elizabeth still didn't fully understand why she had picked Lucas to dance with that night. All she knew was that it had seemed safer, in some way. She knew that if she asked Lucas to dance with her, it wouldn't really mean anything, other than the fact that she enjoyed spending time with him. It still made her cringe remembering the look on Nathan's face that night. She would never forget how sad and disappointed he looked, as he walked away. That moment had been very telling for her, as well. The minuet that she saw Nathan, she had regretted her decision to dance with Lucas.

However, Elizabeth knew better than to wish that things would have turned out differently. She knew that it wouldn't have been the right moment to dance with Nathan, at that period in time. Her feelings were still very new at that point, and she hadn't even fully realized the depth of them yet. It wasn't until Nathan got that promotion and almost moved away at Christmas, that she became fully aware of her growing feelings for him.

When it came down to it, Elizabeth realized that it wasn't until the times, when she was faced with the possibly of losing him, that her true feelings for Nathan came to the surface. That realization made her all the more grateful she hadn't lost him.

Turning her attention back to her hair, Elizabeth brushed and smoothed it out, as she tucked a small portion of it behind her ear, before adding a small clip. Smiling to herself, she remembered that she had been wearing her hair this way when Nathan came to her house and told her that she mattered to him, as well as when he finally asked her out to dinner. Those would forever be some of her favorite memories, and she wanted to recreate those moments, in some way for their date tonight. This was her second chance with him, and she didn't want to waste it.

Looking at the clock, Elizabeth hurried to finish getting ready. She only had about fifteen minutes before Nathan would be arriving, and she wanted to have some time to write in her journal, before he got there. This was a big night for her, and she wanted to capture all of her feelings beforehand, on paper.

As nervous as she felt, Elizabeth knew that she was ready. It had been a long time coming, but she felt confident that Nathan was the right choice. This was a whole new experience for her, and she was ready to face it with an open heart.