A week later…

Nathan walked into the kitchen as Allie was making tea. "Morning, Uncle Nathan."

"Morning, Al."

"How's Elizabeth?"

"Okay. Her grandson's pretty cute," he said, holding up his phone.

"He is! Poor little guy. All those tubes."

"Bess says he may get to come off the breathing tube soon."

"That's good."

He just wished she wasn't so far away.

"You miss her?"

He looked at his niece. "About as much as you miss Robert, I expect."

"Who says I miss Robert?"

"The fact that you glance at your ring constantly. If you didn't still love him, you wouldn't still be wearing it."

"He...he picked his job. Over me."

"What do you mean?"

"He...got a job offer in Montpelier and...my job is in Burlington."

"Its...that's less than an hour, Al."

"That's not the point. He didn't ask me if I thought it was a good idea or if I'd want to live there or anything. He accepted and told me after the fact."

"Allie, did you ask him what he thought about you coming here?"

"No."

"Its a lot further than an hour away."

"We're in a fight."

"So instead of staying there and working it out, you flew to England."

"Yes."

"I'm going to tell you the secret to a successful relationship and marriage."

He put his hands on her shoulders. "You're listening, right?"

"Yes."

"Communication."

"That's it?"

"Yep. Communication is key. If you don't talk, you won't have any idea about what the other one is feeling or doing. If he had talked to you about his new job, my guess is you'd be planning a wedding and finding a house in the city. If you had talked to him about flying here, he wouldn't be relentlessly calling you every five minutes."

As if Robert heard Nathan, he called again and Nathan picked up her phone and handed it to her. "Talk," he told her.

"Robert?" she said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

Nathan kissed the top of her head and checked the time. It was early in Nevada but Bess would be up.

He smiled at her picture on his phone and pressed the call button.

"Morning, my love," she answered a moment later.

"Hi, Bess. I miss you."

Elizabeth smiled as she had her morning coffee with Nathan over the phone. She could picture his handsome face looking at her over the breakfast table. Oh, how she missed that face.

She was staying with Rosie and family while she was in the States. Truthfully, she missed her cottage very much. She missed the life she had built for herself over the past months and all that came with it.

"Sweetheart?" Nathan said quietly. "Are you there?"

"Yes. I'm here. I'm sorry."

"That's alright. I don't want to keep you. I just needed to hear your voice."

"You're not keeping me. It's early. I'm not picking Tara up for the hospital for a few more hours."

"How's Jesse?"

"He's so tiny. He struggles to keep his temperature up so he's still in his isolette but Tara is hoping to be able to hold him soon."

"And you?"

"I'm...homesick. I know that I need to be here and...tomorrow I'm headed to see my parents and Charlotte...but I just wish I was there with you, at home."

"I wish you were too."

Elizabeth met Julie at Golden Years Assisted Living to visit their parents.

"Julie!" she squealed, feeling much like Rosie. The sisters hugged for a moment before Julie grabbed Elizabeth's hand.

"What's this, sister?"

"Um, my engagement ring?"

"Are you serious? When did he propose?"

"Valentine's Day."

"How wonderful!"

"I'm happy for you, Elizabeth. Jack would want this for you."

She linked arms with Julie and smiled. "I think so too. Let's go see Mom and Dad."

Grace and William were happy for their daughter too.

"You can bet I'm going to walk you down that aisle, Bethie. Nothing's going to stop me," William told her from his recliner.

"Of course, Dad. I'd love that." Eighty year old William was still spry for his age, using a cane only once in a while.

Later as they walked to their cars, Julie noticed Elizabeth was very quiet.

"You miss Nathan?"

"So much. It's only been a week."

A week and Elizabeth was feeling such loneliness being away from Nathan and King that she found herself crying at the weirdest times. Like later, when watching Tara finally holding Jesse. Like when she went grocery shopping and saw the same brand of coffee that Nathan always used. That they drank together every morning.

"Mom?" Jake said, wrapping his arm around her back as they stood together at the window into the NICU.

"I'm alright. I promise, sweetheart. I'm so happy that she is finally holding him."

"Me too." He kissed her temple and watched his beautiful fiancé rocking their son. "I'm worried about her," he admitted.

"Why is that?"

"She felt like it was her fault that things turned out this way. I can't convince her otherwise."

"Bad things happen. They don't always have a reason." Jake knew that she was thinking about his dad and his cancer. "You just have to make sure she knows you will always be there, no matter what."

"I tell her that, Mom. I just can feel her pulling away."

Elizabeth turned and touched his handsome cheek. "Sweetie, you can't let her do that. Jesse needs you and her together. It's important that you are together."

"I wish Dad was here. I really want to talk to him. He gave the best advice. Not that you don't…I just…"

"It's fine, Jake. He was a great listener and I know that my living in England makes me less accessible."

"I'm also a grown man. I should be able to figure these things out on my own."

She kissed his cheek. "I'm going to get some coffee. You go be with your family, love."

She sat in the café and texted Nathan, not wanting to bother him but needing to have some contact.

He called her a few minutes later. "Hey."

"Hi," she said, wiping her tears. "You know, before moving to England I never used to be too much of a crier."

"Are you saying I make you cry?" he asked, laughing.

"No…I just…I'm lost here, Nathan. I need you to tell me that everything is going to be fine. That you will always be with me, even when we are not physically near each other. That you need me."

"Sweetheart, everything will be fine and I am always thinking about you and wishing I was with you and I absolutely always, always need you."

"Now I need you to hold me."

"Well, that's trickier. I plan on flying out there with King in a few weeks though."

"You do?"

"Yeah. As soon as you walked in that airport, I told King that we are flying to Las Vegas in a month if you weren't back."

"Nathan…can we get married here? My parents are old and Tara and Jesse and the baby won't be able to travel for a long time. I'm not sure that any of them would be able to come all the way to England."

"Of course."

"Are you sure?"

"Anything that means I will be your husband quicker is perfect."

Three weeks later, March, Henderson

Elizabeth rocked her grandson, amazed at how much progress he made. He could breathe on his own and he could nurse directly from his Mama. He still had trouble staying warm enough so he couldn't leave the hospital quite yet but he was up to five pounds now and that was wonderful.

"I love you, Jack Jesse Thornton. Your Grandpa Jack would have been so proud of you."

He stared up at her with his big brown eyes and she fell deeper in love.

"Elizabeth? I need to feed him," Tara said, touching her shoulder.

"Of course. Yes and I need to get to the airport to pick up Nate and King." She slowly stood and handed him over to his Mama. Then she kissed her cheek. "Love you, sweetie. I will see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Yes. Of course. I love you too."

Elizabeth hurried to Rosie and Lee's house to change clothes and then rushed to the airport.

She got there just as his text showed up. "Grabbing bags. See u soon, my love."

"I can't wait. I'm in lot 6b."

She watched and about twenty minutes later she saw him. Her tall, very handsome innkeeper and King walking right next to him, filled her heart.

She opened her arms to both of them and just held on the moment they walked in. "I'm so glad you are both here."

She tipped her head back and kissed Nathan, trying not to embarrass King but finding it hard not to just keep kissing him. He felt and tasted like home. Like forever.

"Mum, why are you crying?" he asked, hugging her tighter.

"I just…I missed you, honey."

"I missed you too."

Nathan looked deep in her eyes and smiled. "It's good to see you, Bess."

"You too."

Nathan reached for her hand as he led her to the driver's side door. "I can't wait for this weekend," he whispered, kissing her deeply, knowing King wasn't looking.

"Me either."

To be his wife was now all she wanted. Her thoughts went to her wedding dress that Julie had helped pick out. Her special nightgown that Julie assured her would catch his eye. The house in Paradise, Nevada that Nathan had rented for their week-long honeymoon.

"Bess?"

"Hm?"

"We can...are you ready?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want me to drive?" He was clearly concerned.

"Oh, don't be silly. I'm just thinking." She kissed his cheek and smiled. "Let's go to Rosie and Lee's to rest a bit."

"Sounds great."

Later, Elizabeth showed Nathan and King their prospective rooms and then walked away, going to check on dinner that was in the crock pot.

"Bess?"

She turned and smiled. "Hey."

He walked to her and wrapped her in his arms. "I missed you so much these past weeks."

She sighed, so comfortable in his arms. "I missed you too."

"I'd like to rest but...do you maybe want to rest with me?"

There was that wonderful thought again of sleeping next to him...hearing him breathe…

He saw her hesitation. "Just to be close and take a nap. Not anything else."

She loved that he respected her feelings in that regard. He knew it was important to her to wait until marriage.

"Sure. Let's take a nap."

He held out his hand and led her to the guest room. Three more days.