Elizabeth Thatcher left her office in downtown Atlanta and headed to her condo. Once there, she fed her cat, filling an extra food bowl and an extra water bowl to last two days.
"I'll be back, Bella. Don't you worry."
She headed to her bedroom and packed a suitcase, slipping her black suit and shoes inside.
Heading back home to Maple Hills, Vermont gave her butterflies in her stomach. She loved it but it hadn't really been home for about four years.
It was a small town of about two thousand people and everyone knew everyone. Her graduating class had thirty three students including herself. The town had two stop lights. There was also a church, a gas station, police station, a small grocery, and a diner run by a grumpy old man named Stanley Buttons.
Now, she was heading home to attend the funeral of her beloved Aunt Agatha, her father's sister. Aunt Agatha had always been her favorite aunt. During the summer, she let her precious Beth stay for weeks on end. They spent their time chatting about books and books and more books. When they weren't talking about books, they were reading them or baking, both of which were now her favorite things to do.
As Elizabeth left her condo, she knocked on her next door neighbor's door to remind her to check on Bella and then she was on her way to the airport.
About nine PM she arrived at Burlington International and wheeled her carryon suitcase off the plane. As she walked, she checked her messages. Her brother was waiting for her in lot C.
"Beth!" he called through his truck window a few minutes later.
"Hey, Jess. Thanks for picking me up."
She put her suitcase in the bed of his truck and got in the cab. "Its so cold!" she shivered, turning the heat on in the cab.
"Actually this is warm. Its fifty degrees. You're just spoiled living in Atlanta."
"I guess I am."
"How are you, sis?" he asked, pulling into traffic.
"I'm okay. Sad but okay."
"Yeah. Dad's having a rough time too. Mom's keeping busy with preparing everything for the meal after the funeral. Says it keeps her from being too sad."
"How are you? How's Clara?"
"I'm good. Clara's perfect." Elizabeth smiled at his huge grin. Seeing her big brother in love was good. "I proposed."
"What?! Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, smacking his arm.
"It was only a week ago and with Aunt Agatha sick and all, I didn't want to bring it up."
"When is the wedding?"
"June."
"Like three months from now? What's the hurry?"
"We don't want to wait. With everything that happened with Peter…we know life is short. We just want to be together." Elizabeth nodded.
Peter Stanton had deployed to Afghanistan a month after they got married and a month later, he was killed in action. He never knew Clara was pregnant and now little Ryder Stanton was four years old and the light of his mother and Jesse's lives.
About twenty minutes later, they arrived at their childhood home on the outskirts of Maple Hills. "Thanks again, Jess. I'll see you in the morning."
"We'll be here."
"Love you."
"Love you back."
Elizabeth wheeled her suitcase up the brick paved sidewalk and carried it up onto the porch.
Before she took out her key, her Dad opened the door. "Beth."
"Hi, Dad." She walked into his strong, comforting arms. "I'm so sorry."
He held on tight for a brief moment and then kissed her forehead. "I'm just happy you're home."
"Me too."
He carried her suitcase to her old bedroom which was now a guest room. "I'm going to make some tea. Wanna join me?"
"Yeah. Let me change and I'll be down."
Having tea with her Dad before bed was an old tradition they had started before she had had gone to college. Now, every Christmas when she visited for a week, they resumed the tradition.
About ten minutes later, she was wearing her Columbia Law sweats and had her curly dark hair flowing around her shoulders.
"Here you go, Beth," William said, handing her a cup of the chamomile tea she loved as she joined him on the couch.
"Thanks."
He stared into the cozy fire and sipped, not speaking.
"You okay, Dad?"
"Not now but I will be. I just never envisioned her going before me. She was younger and so strong and full of life. I just never thought I'd lose her."
"Me either. I should have visited more often."
"Sweetie, you have a very important job. You can't always just leave, can you?"
"Well, I only ever use one week of vacation of my four that I get."
"Oh."
"I promise I'll start coming home more often."
They chatted a bit longer and then headed to bed, knowing the next day would be emotionally taxing for everyone.
….
The next day…
The funeral would be at eleven am at the church. Elizabeth dressed early and headed to town to make sure the flowers were delivered on time.
As she got out of her mom's SUV, she had no idea someone was watching from across the street.
Jack Thornton stood in the window of the police station sipping his third cup of coffee. His eyes had settled on Grace Thatcher's Honda Pilot pulling into the church parking lot. However, that was not Grace getting out of the vehicle.
"Beth Thatcher," he mumbled. How was she even more beautiful than the last time he had seen her? And that was from a distance. The way she confidently carried herself caught his attention. Along with her sleek black suit and dark brown curls and long, shapely legs…
"What's that, Thornton?" Lee Coulter asked from his desk, pulling him from his musings.
"Nothing. I'm going to Agatha's funeral at eleven."
"Alright."
Jack took one last glance and headed to answer the phone on his own desk.
"Deputy Thornton."
"Dude, its me."
"Hey, Jess. How are you?"
"I'm okay. Today is going to be rough."
"Yeah. Losing someone close is never easy." Jack's own father had passed a few years back and he still grieved at the oddest times.
"No, its not. Listen, the reason I called is I was hoping you would come over tomorrow night for dinner. I'd like to talk to you about your best man duties."
"Sure. I'm off at six."
"Great. See you then."
"Actually, I'm coming to the funeral. I'll see you there."
"Okay. Thanks, man. I appreciate that."
"She was a good woman, Jess, and your family has always supported me. I'm here for you."
….
Elizabeth dabbed at her eyes with a tissue as her father gave his eulogy. He loved his sister very much and it was hard to see him struggling when she was used to his strong nature.
Elizabeth felt Julie take her hand as she herself dabbed at her eyes. On the other side of Julie sat her husband, Mike who was holding their five month old daughter Noelle in his arms.
Elizabeth's eyes roamed the full church. She saw people she had known her whole life mixed with a few she didn't know. Then she saw him, on the far right. Jack Thornton. Dressed in his uniform and sitting up straight. Her heart did a little flip flop. He was still incredibly handsome and his uniform kicked that up a notch.
He had grown up in Maple Hills and had been best friends with Jesse all through high school and still was. She, from the time she had started high school, had had a huge crush on him. However, she was fourteen and Jack was eighteen. He stayed over with Jesse a lot but she was just Jesse's little sister. Nothing more.
At this point in her life, she had a good job, a home, and a few good friends in Atlanta. She couldn't really complain. The thing she still wanted though was one day to be her own boss and to have a family. At twenty seven, she wasn't so sure it was going to happen but it was always there in the back of her mind.
"Beth?"
She turned to Julie. "Yeah?"
"The service is done."
Elizabeth looked around. Everyone was getting up and talking. How had she missed the last half of the service?
As she stood, she noticed Jack edging over toward Jesse, Clara, and Ryder. Then Jack moved toward Elizabeth's parents. Finally he ended up right in front of Elizabeth, standing tall and important in his dark blue uniform, his hat tucked under his arm.
"Hi, Beth," he said, his fingers touching her arm briefly causing goosebumps to appear.
"Jack. Thank you for coming."
"Of course. How are you holding up?"
"I'm doing fine. And you?"
"Oh you know. Same old same old. Guess it comes with living in a small town."
"Yeah." The silence that followed was awkward. She had no idea what to say to the man who still after twelve years made her heart beat faster, who gave her goosebumps with a simple touch. She didn't know him anymore. "Well, I should get going. We have a lot of things to take care of."
"Sure. Um…before you go, would you like to maybe get a cup of coffee sometime?"
"That's very kind but I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon for Atlanta." She took a few steps. "Thanks again for coming."
He watched her walk away and out the door of the church.
Jesse walked up to him. "Jack, you're coming to the dinner at my parents house, right?"
"Thanks, Jess, but I'm on duty. I need to get back to the station."
Jesse nodded and shook his hand. "Alright. See you tomorrow night about 6:30."
"I'll be there."
Elizabeth worked in the kitchen with Julie, her mom, and some ladies from church a bit later, setting out food.
"I can't believe he asked me out, at my Aunt's funeral of all places!" she whispered loudly to Julie.
"I can't believe you said no."
"Seriously? He's Jesse's best friend."
"What difference does that make?"
"He has never seen me as anything but Jesse's little sister."
"I'm not so sure about that."
"I'm sure."
"Regardless of how he may have felt in the past, obviously he feels different now."
Elizabeth grabbed a platter of cheese and crackers and turned around. "There is no sense in going to coffee with him when I'm leaving to head home tomorrow."
Julie followed with a bowl of macaroni salad and placed it on the buffet table. "You're being silly. What could it hurt to have coffee?"
William spoke then, thanking everyone for coming to celebrate Agatha's life.
"Our community here in Maple Hills means everything to our family. Agatha loved every one of you gathered here and it means so much that you're all here. Now go ahead and enjoy the food."
After an hour of mingling, Elizabeth headed out to the porch swing for some quiet. The air was brisk to her after living in Atlanta for four years. She pulled her coat tighter around herself and pushed the swing with her feet.
It was a peaceful afternoon. There were a couple birds singing but for the most part, the birds were still south waiting for warmth to arrive.
"Beth?"
She looked up and smiled. "Hi, Mr. Avery. How are you?"
"About the same as you, I suppose."
Bill Avery was Aunt Agatha's lawyer but also her very good friend. Elizabeth knew it had been more than friendship that both of them wanted, even though neither made the first move.
"I miss her. I regret so much not coming home more."
"She knew you loved her, Beth. There is no need to feel regrets." Bill sat in silence for a few moments before dropping a bomb. "Tomorrow, I will be coming over to read Agatha's will. It's important that you be here."
"Why?"
"Agatha left you something that is going to change your life, I expect."
"She left me something?"
"Yes. I'll see you at noon tomorrow." With that, he stood and walked back in the house.