A/N Thank you for all the wonderful feedback on this story! I appreciate all of the reviews, but just a reminder that one review per chapter is sufficient! :)

This chapter takes place after the events of seasons 1-5 of the show.

There's one more chapter after this one, an epilogue. I hope to have it up in a couple of days!

"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." –Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Hope Valley, 1916

Lucas set another box in the middle of the saloon, letting out a breath as he did so. The corners of his lips turned up as he looked around the room. He had purchased a few businesses here and there over the years, but something felt different this time. Something felt right, despite the fact that the people in town seemed wary of him.

He understood where they were coming from. He was a stranger with no ties to the community, and he had just dropped a significant sum of money on a building that was a centerpiece of the town. He just had to show everybody that he could be trusted.

He sighed, going back outside to retrieve another crate. A flash of brown hair went by, and he nearly dropped the box on his foot.

"Elizabeth?" Lucas did a double take when she walked passed him, not believing she was really there in front of him.

She turned, her eyes widening as she took him in. "Lucas Bouchard?"

They had lost touch after she graduated from teacher college, with Lucas busy traveling and Elizabeth busy with her new life out West.

"What are you doing here?" He closed the distance between them, giving her a quick hug.

"I live here. I've been the teacher here for six years now."

He furrowed his brow. "But I thought you moved to a town called Coal Valley."

She laughed softly, understanding his confusion. "This is Coal Valley. It was renamed Hope Valley not long after I came here, after they closed down the coal mine. What brings you here? I know you like to travel, but you never did strike me as a small-town kind of guy."

He shrugged. "I'm always looking for investment opportunities, and I saw that your saloon here was for sale, so I bought it."

"Oh." She clasped her hands in front of her, swaying back and forth on her heels. "So are you just here to set it up, or…?"

Again, he shrugged. "I'm not sure just yet. I have been getting tired of moving around so much. It might be nice to put down roots somewhere."

"Well, Hope Valley is a wonderful place to live. I hope it treats you well."

"Perhaps we could have dinner soon and you could tell me more about the town."

She gave him a small nod. "I'd like that. I can't tonight, but maybe tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow would be good." His smile fell when he caught the glint of the rings on her left hand. "Your husband won't mind?"

"Oh. Um. That's not an issue." She pressed her lips together, taking a deep breath. "Jack was killed a little over a year ago."

"Elizabeth…" Without thinking, he reached over and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "I'm so sorry. I'd heard you'd gotten married, but I hadn't heard that you lost him." He dropped his hand. "I can't even imagine how difficult that must be for you."

A sad smile touched her face. "Yes, well, he was a Mountie, so I always knew there was a chance he could be taken from me."

"It's not fair that anyone should have to feel that pain."

"It's not," she agreed. "But pain is a part of life. It's a part of loving somebody. I don't regret any of the time I spent with Jack, and if I had the chance to do it over, knowing exactly how it would end, I would still love him again in a heartbeat."

"That's a beautiful way to look at it."

"I also have our son, and he's a beautiful reminder of what Jack and I shared."

"You're a mother?" A smile played on Lucas's lips.

She nodded. "Little Jack is six months old."

"I bet you're a wonderful mother."

"I don't know about that…" She dropped her gaze. "I should actually get home to him, though. I promised my nanny I wouldn't be long."

"Of course. I didn't mean to keep you."

"It's really good to see you again, Lucas." Before she could stop herself, she wrapped him in a hug. "I'll, uh, see you for dinner tomorrow?"

"Seven o'clock at Abigail's Café?"

"Sounds good." She smiled. "I'll see you around."

Abigail glanced over at Elizabeth as she continued to stir the soup in front of her. "I saw that you met Mr. Bouchard."

Elizabeth set down her knife, dropping a handful of chopped carrots into the pot. "Oh, um, actually, Lucas and I have known each other for a while."

"Really?"

"Mhmm." She nodded. "He's from Montreal, but we met at a dinner party that my parents hosted when we were teenagers. We continued to write to each other after that, and were good friends for a while, but we lost touch after I came here."

"Well, that makes me feel better."

"What do you mean?"

Abigail sighed. "A lot of people in town think there's something fishy about him. He's kept to himself ever since he arrived, and when anyone has asked him questions, he's given very vague answers. I suppose it's understandable that people are wary. But if you know and trust him, he must be a pretty good guy."

A smile played on her lips. "He's a great guy."

"Elizabeth Thornton." Abigail gave her a knowing grin. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you like him."

"You sound like Rosemary." Elizabeth laughed. "I assure you that Lucas and I have never been more than friends. Although, I will admit that we did often…flirt with each other in our younger days, but we wouldn't have worked as a couple."

"And why is that?"

"I wanted to come out West to teach, and he wanted to travel the world." She shrugged. "It just wouldn't have worked."

"You're both in the same place now."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes playfully. "And there's no telling how long he'll be here. Lucas has always been restless. He has a difficult time staying in one place for any period of time. I don't see why he would change now."

A small cry sounded from across the room, interrupting the conversation. Elizabeth wiped her hands and went to retrieve her son from the pram.

"Oh, my sweet boy." She lifted him to her shoulder, rubbing his back to soothe him. "Abigail, I'm going to take him outside and see if the fresh air will calm him down a bit."

"Go on. I'm fine in here."

"Okay, Jack. Let's go for a little walk." She wrapped him in a light blanket before heading out the side door.

"Elizabeth."

She turned to find Lucas seated at one of the outdoor tables, setting his teacup back in the saucer. "Lucas." She nodded, smiling at him.

"Is this Little Jack?" He inclined his head toward the baby in her arms.

"It is. He was a little fussy, so I thought I'd bring him out into the fresh air. That usually calms him down."

"Fresh air is always good. Would you like to sit?" He held a hand out, indicating the seat across from him.

"Oh, sure."

He stood, rounding the table to pull the chair out for her.

"Thank you." She took a seat, situating Jack in her lap.

"He's adorable," Lucas stated as he returned to his own seat.

"Isn't he?" Elizabeth looked at her son and grinned. "He looks so much like his father."

"I haven't been in town long, but from what I've heard, your husband was a great man."

She smiled sadly. "He was."

Little Jack gurgled, watching the unfamiliar man in front of him. Lucas gave the little boy a smile. "Hello, young man."

"Jack," Elizabeth stood him on her knees, "this is Lucas. I met him before I moved to Hope Valley. Can you say hello?" She took his little hand and helped him wave.

Lucas chuckled. "It's lovely to meet you, Jack."

Elizabeth glanced up at Lucas, who was finishing up another shelf in what would soon be Hope Valley's new library. "Lucas, have I thanked you for helping me get the library up and running?"

He smiled at her, setting down his hammer. "Once or twice. Or twenty times."

"Well," she smiled shyly, "thank you."

"This town deserves a library, Elizabeth." He stood up and made his way to her. "You deserve a library."

Her breath caught in her throat as she met his gaze. There was something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. Affection, or maybe even…desire?

"Um," she cleared her throat. "We should probably finish up these shelves so we can get the books put out."

He took a step back. "Of course."

They were quiet for the next couple of minutes, nailing together the last of the shelves. Elizabeth tugged on the wood, making sure the shelf was stable.

"Well." She stood up straight, brushing bits of sawdust off of her skirt. "I think we might be done."

"I think so," Lucas agreed. "Great job, Mrs. Thornton."

"You, too, Mr. Bouchard."

"Who knew you had such good carpentry skills?" he teased, nudging her with his elbow.

"I did a lot of the repairs on my row house all by myself, thank you very much."

"You're a very capable woman."

"Thank you," she whispered, avoiding his gaze.

He took a deep breath. "Shall we start unpacking the books?"

"Mhmm." She moved toward one of the crates that was stacked in a corner.

"Wait." Lucas put out a hand to stop her, opening the crate himself and pulling a book out. "I think it's only fitting that this is the first book to go in the library." Lucas smiled as he held the book out to her.

She laughed softly, taking the novel from him. "Dracula. The first book you ever recommended to me. The one that gave me nightmares."

"But you have to admit that it's a great book."

"Yes, it's very good." She set it on the closest shelf. "There. Perfect." She turned back to him, giving him a grin.

"And the first book you recommended to me." He passed her a copy of Jane Eyre. "Maybe someday soon, we'll get to put a book by 'new author Elizabeth Thornton' in here."

"Maybe."

Rosemary shifted Little Jack in her lap, looking across the table at her friend. "How are preparations for the library going?"

"Oh." Elizabeth set down her teacup. "They're going well. Lucas and I have almost all of the books unpacked. We should be ready for the grand opening at the Founder's Day Festival."

"Wonderful. And how are things going between you and Lucas?" Rosemary gave her a knowing smile.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, please. I've seen how you two look at each other. And you have a history with him."

"Rosemary," Elizabeth put her hands on the table. "Lucas and I are just friends. Good friends, but there's nothing more between us."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" She raised her eyebrows, not quite believing what her friend was saying.

"I don't…" She took a deep breath. "I don't know if I'm ready for anything more than friendship with anybody."

Rosemary's face grew serious. "Of course. I'm sorry for pushing. But please, don't close yourself off to the idea of love forever. You deserve to be happy, and Jack wouldn't want you to be alone."

"I'm not alone."

"You know what I mean."

She nodded. "I do. Thank you, Rosemary, You're a good friend."

"Just not in the same way that Lucas is a good friend," she teased, giving her a wink.

Elizabeth stood on the library steps, Lucas right beside her. A crowd had gathered in the street, waiting patiently to get a glimpse of the newest town enterprise.

"Thank you all for joining us for the grand opening of the Hope Valley Library," Elizabeth addressed the town. "We hope this will be a place for all of you to find joy and knowledge that will last you a lifetime."

Lucas handed her the pair of scissors, and together, they cut the ribbon that had been hung across the front of the building.

"And we are officially open for business." Lucas opened the door and stepped aside, allowing the townsfolk to enter.

Elizabeth joined him beside the door, giving him a smile.

"Things seem to be going well, so far."

She nodded. "I think this is going to be a very good thing for the town."

"I agree."

She held out her hand, slipping her fingers into his. "I think it will be a good thing for us, too."