After giving Carson a heads up that Faith wouldn't be in that morning, Elizabeth made her way to the school, mulling over Carson's reaction. His eyes had been sad, but he nodded, saying he understood. Elizabeth admitted to herself that she was frustrated with him, but she knew he had a side to the story as well. Maybe she could ask him about it when she got back to the hospital.

She arrived at the school a few minutes before Nathan completed a lesson with the kids. He gave her a smile when she walked in, and she smiled back before sitting quietly in the back of the room, careful not to disrupt his lesson.

Once he finished, he smiled at the children. "Alright, class, time for recess! And after that, Nurse Thornton will be telling you all about how she figured out what she wanted to be when she grew up."

The students hurried out the door, each one of them giving Elizabeth a smile and a hello. Nathan chuckled as he walked up to her. "Most of these kids have a hard time saying hi to strangers. They must have seen you around town a lot."

Elizabeth nodded. "I recognize most of them. They know me by sight pretty well."

Nathan felt an overwhelming desire to take Elizabeth in his arms, but he made himself behave. Now was not the time or the place, not with his students right outside. He stuck his hands in his pockets instead. "So, are you ready?"

She smiled. "I am. It's fun talking about why I became a nurse, and maybe it'll inspire some of your students to dream big. They may live in a small town, but there are so many opportunities available to them."

Nathan smiled at her enthusiasm. "That's exactly what I try to teach them." They stood looking at each other for a moment, feeling relaxed and happy to be together. There was something Nathan wanted to ask her, and he took a deep breath to fortify himself. "Elizabeth, I was wondering if…if you'd like to have dinner with me tonight?"

Elizabeth felt a slow smile spread across her face. "Why, Mr. Grant, are you asking me on a date?"

He chuckled, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. "Yes, Nurse Thornton, I certainly am. I'm not the world's best cook, but I'd like to cook for you."

She raised a brow at that. "You want to cook for me?"

He nodded. Elizabeth grinned. "I would love that, Nathan. What time?"

He felt a sense of relief that she had accepted, even though he thought she would. "How's six o'clock?"

"Perfect," Elizabeth said simply. "I'm looking forward to it."

"So am I," Nathan said, getting lost in her eyes. They were both startled when the students came rushing back into the school. "Mr. Grant, it's raining!" Peter said, shaking water from his hair. "Can recess be over?"

Nathan laughed. "Yes, recess can be over. Let's have a seat and listen to what Nurse Thornton has to say, shall we?"

The students all sat in their seats and focused their attention on Elizabeth. She felt a slight pang in her heart as she counted ten little faces looking back at her. Nathan hadn't been exaggerating when he said he had a small class this year. Elizabeth had never seen a class so small. The children ranged in age from about six to twelve, and many of their eyes held a wisdom and pain beyond their years. Her heart ached for them, and she hoped that a little talk about dreams would be exactly what they needed. If nothing else, it would provide a small distraction.

"Hello," she said, her smile bright. "I'm Nurse Thornton." Elizabeth launched into her story, about how she'd always known she wanted to help people, about how she would bring home hurt animals and try to nurse them back to health, how she would take care of the cuts and scrapes that occurred among her friends in school. She'd always known she wanted to be a nurse, and her family had helped send her to school, which had eventually led to her joining the Red Cross and coming to France. The children listened with wide eyes, clearly enjoying the story. Nathan watched her from the back of the room, a tender smile on his face. She had to avoid looking at him too much because every time she did, she momentarily lost her train of thought.

Elizabeth finished her story, then smiled at the children. "Any questions?"

A little girl in the front raised her hand, and Elizabeth nodded. "Yes?"

Looking entirely too sweet and innocent, the little girl asked, "Are you and Mr. Grant sweethearts?"

Elizabeth blinked. Nathan's eyes widened. "Opal, that's not the kind of question Nurse Thornton was looking for. She meant do you have any questions about her story."

"Oh," Opal said, hugging a teddy bear to her chest. "No, no questions about her story." She looked back at Elizabeth. "But are you?"

Elizabeth blushed and tried to collect her thoughts. "Actually, maybe I should ask the questions. Opal, what would you like to be when you grow up?"

That distracted the child from wondering whether Nathan and Elizabeth were sweethearts, and she started chattering on about how she wanted to run a candy shop one day. Nathan caught Elizabeth's eye and smiled at her. She smiled back, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Once she had asked every child in the room what they wanted to be, the sun was shining once again, and Nathan dismissed the class to recess. He glanced out the door, then pulled Elizabeth to one side, away from any prying eyes. He took her in his arms and hugged her the way he'd been wanting to since she walked through the school doors that morning, breathing in the scent of her hair. "We should have just told Opal yes," he whispered, leaning back to press a kiss to her forehead.

Elizabeth's cheeks became rosy, but she smiled. "Yes, we're sweethearts? Officially?"

Nathan chuckled. "I think it's an appropriate title."

She laughed. "I agree." She pulled out of his arms as a student came running in. With a smile, she headed for the door. "I'll see you this evening, Mr. Grant." Her eyes softened. "I can't wait."

Neither could he.

Carson sat with his head in his hands. It was a quiet day, and he had time to think. Too much time to think. All he could think of was how good Faith's kiss had felt, how it had electrified him and made him feel things he had thought died along with his wife. He hated himself for hurting her, though he still believed it had been the right thing to do. He couldn't offer her anything she needed.

Elizabeth walked into the hospital, greeting him with a gentle hello. Carson returned the greeting listlessly. What must Elizabeth think of him? He knew she and Faith were best friends, and he knew she knew what had happened yesterday. He heard Elizabeth sit next to him, quiet for a long while. Finally, she spoke. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Carson looked up at her. "Shouldn't you hate me right now?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I won't deny I was frustrated with you last night, but after thinking it over, I realize you were probably shocked by what Faith did." She folded her hands in her lap. "I want to hear your side of the story."

Carson sighed. "Shocked would be an understatement. I thought I was comforting her. A kiss was the last thing on my mind." He looked at her, sincerity clear in his eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt her, Elizabeth. I care for Faith. But I didn't want to give her false hope."

Elizabeth sighed. "Part of this might be my fault, Carson. I told Faith I thought you might return her feelings. I thought I saw something between you two. But it would seem I was wrong."

Carson's heart hammered. She wasn't wrong, but he couldn't admit that. "You were just being a good friend, Elizabeth."

She shrugged. "Maybe. Though I have to admit I thought the two of you would make a lovely couple." She eyed him. "Regardless of the protestations you might have."

He couldn't meet her gaze. "She and I can only be friends," he whispered, more to convince himself than to convince Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was quiet. "Carson, you need to talk to her. She's confused and hurting. Please, talk this through. Don't let your relationship fall apart."

Carson looked at the floor for a while before nodding slowly. "Alright, I'll talk to her." He stood. "No time like the present, right?" He smiled wryly. "Can you hold down the fort for a bit?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Of course." She studied him. "And Carson? Think before you speak." Her eyes bored into his. "I still think there's something there for you, even if you're too stubborn to admit it."

Carson's mouth fell open. "Didn't you just say…?"

Elizabeth waved a hand. "I know what I said, but I'm rarely wrong about these things. Maybe you haven't realized it yet. But do me a favor." She pressed her lips together before continuing. "Don't use the word 'never' with her, as in a relationship would never happen, okay? You two could very well be meant for each other."

Carson tried to protest, but Elizabeth held her hand up. "Just promise me."

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "I promise."

"Good," Elizabeth said, gentleness pervading her tone. "Then go find her and talk this through."

Carson walked slowly to Faith's house, wondering why he had made Elizabeth that promise, and wondering what in the world he was going to say to Faith. He didn't have any answers as he walked up the steps to her house and knocked on the door.

"Carson," Faith said from somewhere to his right. Carson glanced around, then noticed Faith sitting on her porch swing watching him. She wore a wary look, one he couldn't blame her for. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her arms hugging her body in a defensive posture.

"I came to talk to you," Carson said. He gestured to the swing. "May I?"

She stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly, moving over to give him room to sit. For several long, painful moments they sat in silence, the only sound the creaking of the porch swing. Finally, Carson broke the silence.

"Faith, I admire you a great deal, and I am truly grateful for your friendship. Your skills as a nurse are excellent." He chanced a look at her. She was staring straight ahead. He sighed. "Look at me, Faith."

Slowly, her head turned until her eyes met his. He reached out, taking her hand in his. "I wish I could offer you what you want," he said, his voice breaking. "Truly I do. Any man would be lucky to have you in his life. But I...I had my shot at love already. You still have the chance to find love, and whoever you find it with will be an incredibly fortunate soul. You have so much to offer."

Tears slid down her cheeks, tearing at Carson's heart. He gently smoothed them away. "You're young and beautiful, Faith," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You deserve someone whole and freely able to give his heart, not a broken old coot like me."

Faith looked like she was about to protest, but Carson shook his head. "You and I are friends and colleagues. I'm your boss. It just wouldn't be appropriate for something to develop between us."

Her lips pressed together, Faith looked for all the world like she was trying to keep sobs at bay. "Is that the only reason?" she asked. "What if I were to quit? Your arguments would go right out the window."

"We both know you love nursing too much to quit," Carson said gently. "And the fact still remains that I'm old enough to be your father."

Faith raised a brow, giving him a look that would have made him laugh under normal circumstances. "I'd hardly say fifteen years makes you old enough to be my father."

"Close enough," Carson replied. They fell into silence once more before Carson spoke again. "Can we be friends, Faith? Can we keep things the way they've been for the past several months?"

Faith took a shuddering breath, then let it out in a noisy gust. She once again felt an unusual boldness sweep over her, and she tilted her head as she looked at Carson. "I'll agree to that under one condition, Carson."

He looked relieved, and nodded hastily. "Anything. What is it?"

"Answer me this question: if you were ten years younger and hadn't experienced the heartache you've had, would we have had a chance?"

He looked surprised at her question, and for a moment he didn't answer. Faith waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts. Finally, he nodded slowly. "Yes, Faith. If that were the case, I wouldn't think twice."

A hope lit inside of her at his words. Maybe he did feel something for her. Maybe his objections and reasonings against them being together were things that could be overcome. Maybe there still was a chance for them, if Carson could get over his reasons for why they wouldn't work.

She could agree to friendship. For now. Carson's admission made her hopeful. She would continue to be a friend to him. And maybe one day they would find their way to a beautiful love story all their own. Maybe they had to go through the fire before they could rise from the ashes.

Together.

"No! No, no, no," Nathan exclaimed, looking in dismay at the stew he'd somehow managed to burn. Elizabeth was coming over any minute, and he didn't have anything else ready. With a sigh, he took the stew to the backyard and left it to cool before he threw it away.

Elizabeth met him back there. "I thought I heard you talking to yourself," she teased. "Is everything okay?"

Nathan signed. "I burned dinner," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

Elizabeth chuckled, taking his arm and leading him back into the house. "Don't worry about it, Nathan. We can make something together."

"I have no idea what we could make," Nathan said. "I don't have a whole lot."

"You might have more than you think," Elizabeth said, rummaging around in his icebox. "Let's see...you have some fresh chicken, vegetables, and potatoes. That sounds like the perfect dinner to me."

Nathan was lost. "It does?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said, placing various items on the counter. "Want to learn how to make a roast chicken?" She leaned forward with a smile. "And the best part is, it's all made in one pan! Now, where is your roasting pan?"

"Umm," Nathan said, looking at the variety of old cooking gear that he rarely used. Elizabeth hid a smile as she looked through his cabinets, finally finding what she was looking for. "Here it is," she said. "I'll just set your oven to the right temperature, and then we'll get to chopping."

"Elizabeth, I invited you to dinner, not to have you make dinner for me," Nathan protested, trying to take the knife from her. She surrendered it willingly, then found another one.

"I'm not making you dinner. We're making dinner together. Big difference," she said with an angelic smile. Holding up the chicken, she showed him how to arrange the pieces on the roasting pan. "And then we just spread a little oil over it, and then season it with salt and pepper." She held the spices out to him. "Want to give it a try?"

"I might over-season it," Nathan said with a grimace. "Are you sure you want me doing that?"

Elizabeth laughed. "I'll do the salt, and then you can copy me with the pepper. Sound good?"

Nathan nodded. Elizabeth pinched some salt and sprinkled it over the chicken. Nathan did the same with a pinch of pepper, feeling relieved when the flakes appeared to be spread evenly over the chicken. "Alright, chef, now what?" he asked.

"Now we chop all the vegetables about the same size," Elizabeth said, pushing some carrots and turnips in front of him. She chopped a potato, showing him the pieces. "They should all look kind of like this." By the time Elizabeth had chopped several potatoes and an onion, Nathan had completed one carrot. "Nathan!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"You said they had to be about the same size," Nathan said, looking flustered. "I'm trying to make sure they're the same size."

Elizabeth bit her lip, trying not to laugh. Nathan's efforts were looking a little funny. She came over to him, a sparkle in her eyes. "Let me help you." She reached around him, placing one hand over his and showing him how to chop. They sliced several carrots together before Nathan got the hang of it. His eyes lit up. "Hey! This isn't so bad." He turned, eyes happy, and the smile faded from his face when he realized how close they were standing. His heart started thudding in his chest, the knife dropping forgotten onto the counter.

Elizabeth caught her breath as Nathan's intense gaze rooted her to the ground. Time suddenly came to a stand still. Her lips parted unconsciously as she looked into his eyes. She could see the desire and attraction she felt mirrored in his eyes, and all of a sudden she wanted nothing more than to be held in his arms and kissed. She lifted her chin, hoping he understood her intent.

He did. His arms slid around her, a slow smile crossing his face. "I need to hear you say it," he whispered, his eyes trained on her lips.

Elizabeth chuckled softly. "Really?"

He nodded, the crooked smile firmly in place. "I gave you my promise, and I keep my promises."

"Well, in that case," she whispered. "Nathan, will you…?"

A knock sounded at the door, and they both froze. Nathan's forehead dropped to hers, and he let out his breath. "Someone has terrible timing," he muttered, releasing her gently from his embrace. Walking to the door, he pulled it open to find the mailman. "Here you go, Mr. Grant!" the young man said with a smile, handing Nathan a couple of letters. "Have a nice evening!"

Nathan let out his breath, tossing the mail on the table. Elizabeth had resumed her spot cutting vegetables, and they gave each other a smile before breaking into laughter.

"Worst timing ever!" Nathan exclaimed, shaking his head and attacking a turnip with a vengeance. Elizabeth chuckled. "Maybe the timing just wasn't right yet."

Nathan raised a brow. "Maybe. Though it seemed like good timing to me."

She smiled at him. She'd wanted his kiss, there was no denying that, but she was also a little relieved that it hadn't happened yet. She thought maybe she needed a little more time before they ventured into that territory again.

They finished chopping, and Elizabeth showed Nathan how to arrange the vegetable around the chicken. "And then, we let the oven do the work!" she said, sliding the pan inside the hot oven. "That's how simple it is."

Nathan smiled, then paused. A small furrow creased his brow, and he took her left hand in his, holding it up. Something akin to wonder shone from his eyes. "Elizabeth, when did you take off your ring?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

Her stomach started flipping. "The night I read Jack's letter," she replied softly. "It was time."

Nathan held her hand to his heart, his eyes gazing into hers. "You truly are moving on," he stated, the visible reminder right in front of him.

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm working on that."

Running a hand down her cheek, Nathan smiled tenderly. "My brave Elizabeth." He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but sensed that now wasn't the time. There would be time for that down the road. Right now, he was just thankful to have her here with him and to know that she was opening her heart again.

For now, that was enough.