I am always honoured when anyone chooses to read, let alone review, my ramblings, so please hear my sincerest thanks to all who choose to do so. I have to admit, the ideas have been coming thick and fast for this story, surprisingly for many of the characters and distracting me even while I worked (shhhh, don't tell my boss). I would love to continue, it is now just finding the time to write it all down. I promise to do my best and hope you continue to enjoy.

There is one particular four letter word I would love to write; I just feel like I can't yet. So, in the meantime I hope this might suffice as a fill-in. I keep going back to Nathan mentioning Elizabeth leaving the wedding early the look on her face, and I would dearly love to know what happened outside that saloon…

Warm

Elizabeth wasn't even really sure how it happened, she just knew that it had, and she wasn't sorry, not even a little bit. Then, she felt the warmth start to spread, tingling through her, and it just made her hold even more certain. Walking outside, she had felt cold but wasn't sure if that was due to the weather, or her nerves over the coming conversation with Nathan. Even though Elizabeth's decision was sure in knowing she didn't blame him for Jack's death, she was still apprehensive about his reaction. Especially now she appreciated the struggle he was experiencing, not only with the events themselves, but also the burden he'd obviously felt in not telling her as time went by.

When Nathan reached for her, Elizabeth hadn't hesitated, she'd just responded and put her hands in his. It had felt so natural, she hadn't even considered her actions, just answered his unasked question.

It was clearly a theme where Nathan was concerned. Her responses and reactions to him just felt so involuntary, and then when awareness set in, she often paused momentarily while her brain tried to process the reality of her actions.

Elizabeth had felt his natural warmth before. When they'd accidentally brushed fingers in the library as he helped her with the fallen books that day the shelf collapsed, she had been surprised at how warm the brief touch was, and it was almost like sparks had jumped between their hands. Then when he'd stood behind her and helped her with the ornament when they were decorating the Christmas tree, she'd felt like he was warming her up both inside and out.

On that awful day she thought he had been shot, hearing Carson say the words "he's gone" had felt like a wave of ice crashing over her, and she didn't think she would ever be warm again. Then, she turned and saw him staring straight at her, and she didn't even remember starting to run. Elizabeth just remembered running solidly into him, and she'd been unable to stop herself from grasping at him, holding as tightly as she could. When he wrapped his arm around her, she'd felt his warmth begin to envelope her and settled in with a sigh, closing her eyes as in that moment she felt she might never have to be cold again.

Of course, there was also last night when she was blindfolded for the bachelorette party game, and her hands had been placed in Nathans. Whilst she hadn't known they were his hands at the time, the warmth and tingling were immediate, nonetheless.

Elizabeth had recognised early on that Nathan Grant was a faceted man. Yes, he could be quiet and reserved, but he also chose on occasion to open up and share with her, which was a conundrum for her at times. His love and affection for his niece was evident in everything that he did, and he'd demonstrated, both in word and action, his feelings for Elizabeth whilst continuing to be respectful of her. This just proved to her that Nathan not only invoked warmth at touch, he was warm in nature as well.

The saloon doors opened, increasing the noise level outside and jolting Elizabeth from her reverie. Nathan also seemed to suddenly become aware of their stance and surroundings, and made to let go of her hands to take a step back. Elizabeth actually surprised herself when she squeezed his hands and held fast, not wanting to lose his warmth, before reluctantly letting go. Nathan smiled at her with what seemed to be his whole heart, before quietly saying to her "do you want to go back inside?"

The tingling warmth was still coursing through her, she knew she didn't want to relinquish it just yet, and Elizabeth sensed that in going inside, she might have to. Shaking her head gently, she indicated no and smiled shyly at Nathan, commenting "I don't think so". Unbelievably, his smile seemed to grow even more as his eyes sparkled at her, before he blinked and set his shoulders with a decisive frame. He gently raised his right hand again, reaching towards her left one slowly, whilst looking at her and saying quietly "would you like to head home". His intent was very clear to her in that moment, he was trying simultaneously to be there for her, but not crowd her, and the warm feelings escalated further.

Elizabeth appreciated that he was allowing her the choice of looking at his raised hand as a guide for her towards home, or she could choose to take his hand and allow him to escort her. Deciding consciously this time, and without hesitation, she reached out to take his offered hand and the warmth radiated from within their joined hands. He smiled gently at her, and she felt hers mirror his as Elizabeth said to him softly, "Nathan, I would really like it if you would escort me home".