Elizabeth stared after Lucas in stunned silence. His words made a strong, inexplicable fear rise inside of her.

I want you to find your true love. And to do that, I want...I need...to let you go.

A cry from her son broke her out of her stupor. Shutting the door, she hurried up the stairs to his room. Jack was standing in his crib, tears falling down his cheeks. Elizabeth picked him up and carried him to the rocker, holding him tightly against her chest. As her son cried, Elizabeth allowed her tears to mingle with his. She wasn't sure why she was crying and she wasn't sure what she was feeling.

But it didn't feel good.

The next morning, with a basket of muffins in hand, Elizabeth haltingly walked toward the Coulters' house. Her heart ached at the rift between her and Rosemary, a rift that Elizabeth had to admit was entirely her own fault. She had caused Rosemary pain with her unkindness and harsh words, and she needed to apologize. She needed to reconcile with her best friend.

Her courage failed her as she got closer to the door. What would she say? What if the hurt was too deep? What if Rosemary wasn't ready to forgive her?

Elizabeth turned away in her fear, then stopped. No. She wasn't going to let her fear get the better of her. She needed to do this. With renewed purpose, she turned toward the house again just as Rosemary opened the door and came onto the porch. The two women froze when they saw each other, time standing still for a moment that felt like forever.

Swallowing her fear, Elizabeth stepped forward and looked at her friend beseechingly as she held up the basket of muffins she'd brought as a peace offering. "I'm so sorry. I've behaved horribly. I don't know how I ever doubted your intentions or your friendship. Do you forgive me?"

Rosemary smiled gently, not an ounce of hesitation on her face. "Of course I do."

Elizabeth felt her body relax in relief as tears sprang to her eyes. All of a sudden, wracking sobs filled her, sobs she couldn't stop or control. Rosemary hurried forward, taking the basket from Elizabeth and placing it on the porch, then wrapping her arms around her and just holding her while she cried.

Elizabeth clung to Rosemary, feeling all the pain and confusion and fear that had been plaguing her for over a year. Rosemary let her cry, standing there in the middle of the road together until Elizabeth's sobs began to lessen. Eventually the sobs turned to sniffles, then to small, hiccupping breaths.

Without letting Elizabeth go, Rosemary guided her to the front porch and up the stairs, picking up the basket along the way. "Come on," she said. "Let's have a cup of tea and some of your muffins, and you can tell me what's going on inside your heart. Okay?"

Sniffing, Elizabeth nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. Rosemary led her to the kitchen table. "Have a seat while I get the tea ready," she said. "It'll just be a minute."

By the time Rosemary sat down, both women had a hot cup of tea and some cookies on a plate. Elizabeth inhaled the sweet aroma of peppermint. "Thank you, Rosemary," she said. "This is perfect."

Rosemary reached for Elizabeth's hand, giving it a light squeeze before letting go. "You're welcome. Now, why don't you tell me what's going on?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Lucas broke up with me last night."

"Oh!" Rosemary said, her eyebrows shooting up. "I wasn't expecting that." She sipped her tea, watching Elizabeth carefully. "How are you feeling about it?"

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth said.

"What do you mean?" Rosemary asked.

"I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that Lucas let me go. He could sense there was something happening with Nathan," Elizabeth confessed with a little sigh.

Rosemary tilted her head, studying Elizabeth over her teacup. "And what is happening with Nathan?" she asked softly.

Feeling the familiar fear rise within her, Elizabeth looked down, unable to meet Rosemary's eyes. "I don't know."

Her friend was quiet for several long moments. When she spoke, her words were soft. "Elizabeth, have you let go of Jack? Or are you looking for him in Nathan and in Lucas?"

Elizabeth's head snapped up. "What do you mean by that?"

Rosemary's eyes were gentle and compassionate. "You haven't been able to make up your mind about these two men for years now. You rejected Nathan, but you were still drawn to him even while you were dating Lucas." She looked at Elizabeth's hand. "You're still wearing Jack's rings. You have not been able to let him go fully, have you?"

Tears filled Elizabeth's eyes as she twisted the rings on her finger. "No," she whispered, knowing her friend was right. "I guess I have been seeing flashes of Jack in both men."

Rosemary nodded. "Nathan and Jack have the Mounties in common. Lucas and Jack have romantic styles in common. You were living in both worlds, Elizabeth." Her tone gentled even more. "But you have to see these men for who they are. Neither one is Jack, and it's not fair to either of them to pursue a relationship because you're chasing after the past. Nathan is more than the serge, and Lucas is more than his romantic gestures. Let go of the past, my friend. You'll always cherish it, but until you let it go, you cannot move into your future."

Tears slipped down Elizabeth's cheeks. Rosemary was right. She swallowed hard, wiping her eyes. "I don't know what to do, Rosemary," she admitted. "These men have all played a part in my life. How am I supposed to figure out where to go from here?"

Rosemary smiled, reaching out once more to place her hand over Elizabeth's. "People come into our lives, some for a reason, others for a season, and some for a lifetime. Jack was a season, and it was glorious. Now it's up to you to decide who might be here for a reason or perhaps even a lifetime. And once you've settled that in your heart you'll be able to throw yourself into that person's arms with all of your being." She gave Elizabeth a long look over her teacup as she settled back in her chair. "But to be honest, Elizabeth...I think you already know who that person is."

Elizabeth felt a jolt of fear pass through her. "Rosemary, I'm so afraid of letting myself love Nathan. I can't lose him the way I lost Jack. It would hurt too much."

Rosemary leaned forward, holding Elizabeth's gaze. "Tell me something. When that oil rig exploded several months ago, what was your reaction?"

Elizabeth blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we didn't know the extent of the damage when we saw the smoke billowing into the sky. We just knew that Lucas and Hickam and their workers were out there." She looked at her friend with compassion. "What was your reaction to potentially losing Lucas?"

Taken aback, Elizabeth's mouth dropped. She thought it over, realizing with startling clarity that she hadn't been worried about losing him. She had been more concerned with Helen Bouchard's reaction than she was about Lucas himself. "Oh my," she said faintly.

Rosemary nodded. "And what was your reaction when Nathan simply came by to tell you he was going out of town and leaving Allie with Opal's family?"

Elizabeth looked down at her hands. "I told him to be safe."

Her friend arched a brow. "Telling, isn't it? I saw the look on your face when Nathan was leaving. That was more than fear, Elizabeth. Your feelings for Nathan run deep, don't they?"

Elizabeth swallowed hard. "I...I...I don't know. Rosemary, I'm so confused."

Rosemary searched her eyes. "Are you in love with Lucas?" she asked.

Was she? Elizabeth thought back to all the things Lucas had done for her. He was a kind, generous man who had given her all the time in the world to make a decision. He had been patient with her, respecting her boundaries while making it clear he wanted their relationship to move forward. He was a perfect gentleman.

Yet every time they were together, her thoughts went to Nathan. She couldn't deny her feelings for Hope Valley's constable. She had tried so hard to ignore those feelings. With a jolt, she realized that she had been using Lucas as a means to try to get over Nathan. She had been using him as a security measure against getting hurt again. Elizabeth placed her teacup back on its saucer with shaky hands, tears springing to her eyes once more. "Oh! Rosemary, I've treated Lucas so horribly!" she whispered, her hands going to her mouth. "I've been using him to avoid my feelings for Nathan!" Her eyes widened. "And I've treated Nathan horribly as well! Oh...and Allie...poor, sweet Allie…" She buried her face in her hands. "I'm a terrible person."

Rosemary gently pulled Elizabeth's hands down. "You're not a terrible person," she said firmly. "You are a kind, compassionate woman who has been confused and grieving. That makes us do things we wouldn't normally do."

"Lucas saw my heart," Elizabeth said, her throat working. "He recognized that there's something there with Nathan." She closed her eyes. "I need to talk to him. And I need to talk to Nathan." She groaned, resting her head in her hands. "I just don't know what I would say to Nathan. I'm not sure if I can give him what he wants, Rosemary."

"You don't have to rush this, Elizabeth," Rosemary said softly. "Take some time to sort out your feelings. Nathan isn't going anywhere. He's been patient for a long, long time. He loves you. That won't change in the next day or two."

Elizabeth peeked through her fingers at her friend. "How do you know he loves me?"

Rosemary smiled softly. "You mean beside the fact that you told me all those months ago?" She chuckled. "I told you that I ran into Nathan in the library a few weeks ago."

Elizabeth nodded, feeling a pang at the memory. "I'm so sorry for shutting you out that day," she said, reaching for Rosemary's hand. "I didn't mean what I said."

"I know," Rosemary said, smiling at her. "It's all water under the bridge now." She straightened a bit, taking another sip of tea. "Anyway, when we were in the library, I told Nathan about my engagement to Jack, and how I might have caused the two of you pain when I first came to town. Nathan was quiet for a moment, and I think he saw my point about him potentially causing you pain this time around. But instead of backing down, he said he couldn't let you go that easily." She leaned forward earnestly. "The love in his eyes was strong, Elizabeth. And you told me that he said he believed love was worth fighting for. Just like you. You and Nathan share a philosophy on love." She smiled gently. "He's going to keep fighting, Elizabeth. He won't give up on you now, and he will understand if you need a little more time to figure things out."

Elizabeth nodded a little shakily. She couldn't label the emotions running through her. Her entire life felt like it had been turned upside down. The only clarity she had was that Lucas had been right to break up with her. She wasn't in love with him, and she sensed that in time he would realize he'd never been in love with her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the anxiety in her stomach.

There was so much she needed to figure out. At a touch from Rosemary, she looked up. Her friend was smiling at her with understanding, and Elizabeth realized that though she was in turmoil and confusion, she wouldn't travel this road alone.

She would have her friends to guide her.