Disclaimer: I am not the owner of the characters in this story. All rights go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart." Any names or locations are simply for storyline purposes.

Chapter 8- Preach it, Pastor

The following morning, Jack called hoping to invite himself to attend church with Elizabeth and Tristan. "Good morning…"

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" she asked.

"I missed you last night," he responded.

"Jack…"

"Elizabeth, I'm not implying what you think I am. It's just, this house is big; it's too big for one person, and I enjoyed having you and Tristan over. Somehow it felt more like home."

"How did your mom manage living there alone?"

"She wasn't alone; Tom and his family moved in while they were waiting on their house to be renovated," he advised. "I think when they moved out; she realized how big the house actually was."

Changing the subject, Elizabeth asked, "How are you this morning?"

"I'm doing pretty well, but I was thinking maybe I'd go with you two to church this morning. Are you up for some company?"

Having a solo to sing in church this morning made Elizabeth slightly hesitant to have him join them. "Well…?

"Is there a problem? I mean, I don't have to go, but it almost sounds as if you're implying that there's no room at the inn," he snickered.

"No, it's nothing like that, but I'm singing a solo this morning and I don't know how comfortable I'll feel with you being there," she explained as her heart pounded faster.

"Elizabeth, you have a beautiful voice; please, I'd love to hear it," he practically begged.

"Okay, but we need to leave by 8:30; can you be here by then?" she asked.

Glancing down and seeing himself already wearing a suit and tie with his Bible on the entryway table he replied, "I do believe I can."

"Okay, we'll see you then. Oh, and just so you know, the early service is contemporary, so you don't need to wear a suit if you don't want to," she advised him. "It's kind of a come as you are service."

"I'll keep that in mind. What are you wearing?"

I'm wearing a dress, but that's because I'll be up in front of the congregation."

"I'll wear a suit…"

"Oh Jack…" she called out before hanging up.

"Yes sweetheart…"

She smiled at his term of endearment, "If you aren't doing anything this afternoon, you're welcome to hang out with us. We don't have any plans, but we can just hang together…I mean, if you want to."

"There's nothing else I'd rather do," he stated as he ended the call. I can think of a few thinks I'd like to be doing, he tried to shake the thought of her lips on his, and their bodies, skin to skin, touching and loving each other. He made quick use of the magazine on the table as he fanned himself, knowing by how his body stirred and how hot he felt that he must look quite flushed.

Jack glanced at the clock, 7:32am; so he took a seat at the kitchen table with a cold glass of orange juice waiting on the clock to strike 8.

Watching a cycle of the news, Channel 8- Fort Lauderdale Today, he was disappointed, though not surprised, when a newscaster acknowledged that reports had come into the news room that "Jack Thornton" was back in town. Although no photos had yet to surface, he could only assume that the circus would now begin, and prayed that the relationship he and Elizabeth were rebuilding could weather the possible media storm.

At 8:27 am, Jack pulled up into Elizabeth's driveway. Tristan, hearing that Jack was coming with them sat at the window waiting for him to arrive. Unlike the times she waited on her father, Jack always followed through on his word.

"Mr. Jack is here; Mr. Jack is here…" she cried out as she ran to the front door.

"Don't open it," Elizabeth called out.

"But its Mr. Jack," Tristan replied.

"I've told you that grown-ups are the ones who open the door," she stated as she replaced Tristan's hand on the knob with her own and opened the door.

Standing in the doorway was Jack holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a bag from the donut shop around the corner in the other.

"You got us donuts?" she smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"Well, the coffee is for you; the donut is for the little one here," he handed Tristan the bag.

Seeing Elizabeth frown he responded, "You're singing this morning; I knew you wouldn't eat anything."

"I have to say that you do know me," she replied as he stepped forward.

As he walked inside, his lips brushed across hers, moving to her ear, "I certainly do," he whispered.

Tristan looked in the bag before placing the heart shaped donut; her favorite pink iced with sprinkles on the kitchen table and then followed Jack and Elizabeth outside.

As they walked to the car, Jack, knowing the need to keep Elizabeth apprised on the media situation asked, "After church, could we talk about something?"

"What's wrong?" she asked, her tone sounding somewhat concerned.

"Nothing…not really…" he replied.

Drawing attention away from the adult conversation, Tristan blurted out," Do I get to go to big church today?"

"No honey, I'm sorry, but you get to do arts and crafts this morning so that will be fun," Elizabeth reminded her.

"I guess so," Tristan stated as she crawled into the booster seat in the back seat of Jack's SUV.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at First Baptist Church, located on E. Broward Avenue. As Jack helped Tristan out of his car, Elizabeth commented, "WOW, you ate that donut and I don't see a speck of a crumb on you."

"I'm not hungry; I left it on the kitchen table," she whispered back to her mom.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked thinking that it was odd for Tristan to turn down a donut.

"I think so…"

As they walked from the parking lot toward the building, it was quite evident who in the congregation was familiar with Jack, his music and celebrity status. Those aged 45 and under couldn't take their eyes off of him; those who were 45-70 thought it was pretty cool to have him in their church, but many of those who were 70+ didn't know what the entire ruckus was about. As far as they knew, he was simply a visitor.

As they entered the church it seemed as though Jack was the pastor as he found it difficult to make his way down the hall without being stopped to chat and shake hands.

"I'm taking her to Children's Church; I'll be right back," Elizabeth stated as she cautiously took Tristan by the hand and maneuvered through the crowd that had circled around them.

Walking down the hall Elizabeth passed Rosie and Lee, "Oh hey, good morning." She stepped in and hugged them both.

"How have you been?" Rosie stopped as she glanced down at Tristan.

"We're fine," Elizabeth replied.

"Are you ignoring me?"Rosie asked.

"No, why…?"

"Because I haven't heard anything from you in a long time. You're either still mad at me, and since you're smiling I'd say you aren't, or you and Jack are…" she pulled Elizabeth in for a hug. "You two are together, right?"

"Yes, we're technically together."

"Technically, what does that mean?" Rosie asked.

"I'm open to a relationship with him, but," she hesitated.

"You're open to a relationship, but you hesitated, so what does that mean?" Rosie asked.

"What's going on down there?" Lee asked as he glanced down the hall watching the massive crowd at the entrance of the church.

"Jack came with me this morning."

"WOW," Rosie remarked. "That's because of him? I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"I have to take Tristan to her room, and I'm singing this morning. Will you guys sit with Jack so he won't be alone?" she asked as she looked down the hall. "What am I saying; he won't be alone."

Rosie hugged Elizabeth, "It'll work out. He loves you, and I know you love him. Hey…we're in church; turn it over to God."

Elizabeth headed to Tristan's room while Rosie and Lee proceeded to the end of the hall to rescue Jack from the throes of his fans.

"Lee…" Jack called out as Rosie grabbed his arm and pulled him through the crowd.

It had been over ten years since Lee had last seen Jack. They had talked a few times through the years, but their contact waned when Lee refused to be the eyes for Jack into Elizabeth's life. With each man willing to put issues aside, Jack and Lee hugged.

"Man, it's been a long time," Jack stated as they started for the sanctuary.

"I can see that things don't seem to be much different for you than they were when you were in LA," Lee commented as groups of people were following them down to the front of the sanctuary.

They took their seats with Jack sitting next to the pastor's wife on one side and Lee and Rosie to his right.

Lee laughed softly to Rosie, "This is probably the only time many of these people have wandered down to the front pew."

As the choir entered the sanctuary, and took their seats behind the pulpit, Jack observed Elizabeth standing in the front row. She was biting her bottom lip which he always recalled being a sign that she was nervous. Although, he never said anything, that simple tug on her lip was always quite a turn on for him.

Following the opening hymn, welcome announcements, and scripture reading, the choir stood and Elizabeth took her place at the microphone.

"Good morning…" Elizabeth stated as the music intro to her song began.

(Broken Prayers by Riley Clemmons)

I've been taught how to talk to you
Hold it together, make the bad look better
Say all the words that I'm supposed to
Bow my head, say, "amen"
Yeah, that'll do

Making every dead end look like heaven
Like being okay is the way to reach you

But you're not afraid of all the things I feel
So why am I afraid of being real?

You want my tears, every messy word
Every scar and every fear
You want all I have
With no holding back
When I'm hurt, at my worst
You meet me there
'Cause you see the beauty
In my broken prayers
In my broken prayers

You don't care if it ain't poetry
'Cause all of my edges
They're a little rough
But that's all I got to bring

'Cause you're not afraid of all the things I feel
Don't have to hide the scars that still aren't healed

You want my tears, every messy word (yeah)
Every scar and every fear
You want all I have
With no holding back
When I'm hurt, at my worst
You meet me there
'Cause You see the beauty
In my broken prayers
In my broken prayers

Mascara running down my face
Desperate cry in a dark place
You take me that way
All of me

You want my tears, every messy word
Every scar and every fear
You want all I have
With no holding back
When I'm hurt, at my worst
You meet me there

'Cause you see the beauty
In my broken prayers
In my broken prayers
In my broken prayers
In my broken prayers

My broken prayers

As the song ended, the congregation stood and clapped, with no one prouder of her performance than Jack.

"She has a beautiful voice," the pastor's wife whispered to Jack.

"She certainly does," he quickly agreed.

Lee and Rosie slipped over as far as possible when Elizabeth walked down from the pulpit and took her seat next to Jack.

"That was beautiful," he leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"I think you're prejudiced…" she teased.

"I'm honest…" he replied.

"Thank you…"

The pastor took his place at the pulpit…

"Okay, I know that many of us are thrilled to see our very own Jack Thornton return home. I, for one, hope to be able to spend some time with him, but I ask all of you to give him time to breathe; let him settle back in and regain some of the normal life that he probably lost for all those years."

The pastor, an older gentleman who had been leading the church since well before Jack left town glanced in his direction. Jack smiled, a silent 'thank you' of sorts as the majority of the congregation settled in to hear God's word.

"Haven't we all wished for a second chance at one time or another?" the pastor began. "Sometimes when we make a mistake in life, it just seems so final, and you assume that it's all over for you. You're certain that there is nothing you can do to remedy the situation, and you must simply accept the hand you are dealt."

The pastor, with a wireless microphone attached to his lapel began to walk across the stage, engaging his congregation. "But you know the game of life is not like the one shot you have to win a race, or that one opportunity to make that game winning basket, or even that one moment in time where a relationship appears to be irreparable. God is always willing to give you a second chance."

The pastor glanced around the massive congregation, "I wonder, is there anyone in here who was desperate for something to work out but it initially didn't? You thought to yourself, if only I had a second chance, I just know that I'd handle things differently; I'd put thing in perspective, realize what's most important, and work with patience, truth, acceptance, and love to make it work out."

He glanced about the sanctuary and smiled, "Okay, am I just talking to myself here?"

Jack reached over and took hold of Elizabeth's hand giving it a slight squeeze. She glanced in his direction and smiled, knowing that the pastor was in fact speaking to them.

"We look back at the things we've done, the paths we've taken, and we wonder if we'd have gone in that direction if we'd had a second chance to make our first option a reality. If I'd had a second chance, would I have married him or her; would I have moved away, and would I have continued with the career that I thought was the most important thing in my life if I'd known what I may lose in the process?

The God I serve is a God of mercy. The word, mercy, means to extend help to the lowliest or those who are the most undeserving. It implies that compassion will overshadow punishment, even when justice demands it."

He walked down the steps and strolled along the aisle, "Think about it…justice demanded that each and every one of us should be dead, but mercy stepped in and said 'not so.' God's mercy knows no bounds, reaching the highest of mountains, and flows into the lowest valley. You see, the Bible says that God is a God of mercy and compassion, and that his mercies are new each and every morning."

The pastor returned to the pulpit to complete his sermon, "Whether we admit it or not, we all question ourselves, our paths, and our choices. Drag out your sins into the open, accept them, own the mistake, but know that there are second chances.

As we head out into the new day, the lives of many people in here will remain the same. Their attitudes, habits, beliefs and lifestyles will not change; mainly because they have not accepted that there is new life in Jesus Christ. He alone has the power to wipe away the old and bring on the new. Realizing that you are entitled to a second chance is the first step to the whole and complete life that God wants for you. Come to the altar, seek that second chance…"

Following the sermon, closing hymn, and the welcoming of several people to the altar, the pastor took his place at the door to shake the hands of his parishioners. He chose not to feel slighted that his congregation was more infatuated with Jack's presence than they were his message, hoping that this level of excitement would quickly fade. However, Jack's attendance, by possibly bringing more people in to church to hear the word of God, was in and of itself a positive thing.

Much to the surprise of everyone in church, including Rosie, Lee and Elizabeth, as they stood, Jack continued to hold her hand, wanting everyone to know that he considered himself to be involved.

Standing just outside the sanctuary, Jack suggested that they all go out to lunch. With everyone in agreement, they decided to meet out in the parking lot after Elizabeth and Jack picked up Tristan.

They walked down the hallway to Tristan's room and stood in line as the parents who arrived before them gathered their children. As Elizabeth stepped up to the door, Krissy Naigle, one of the teachers, pulled her aside.

"Is Tristan okay?" she asked.

"As far as I know; she didn't say anything this morning. What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked as she looked into the room and found Tristan sitting alone with her head on her table. "That certainly isn't like her."

"No it isn't, but she didn't want to tell me what was wrong," Krissy advised.

Elizabeth walked into the room with Jack right behind her and a group of young adults without children who congregated in the hallway just outside the door.

"Tristan…" Elizabeth called out.

Tristan got up from her seat and slowly walked to her mom. Hugging Elizabeth, she felt the child's forehead.

"Is she warm?" Jack asked.

"She doesn't seem to be," Elizabeth replied before squatting down in from of Tristan. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I don't feel good…"

"I guess lunch is out," Elizabeth stated to Jack. "If you want to go with them to lunch that's fine. I know you haven't seen Lee in years."

"No, we can do lunch another time," Jack assured her. "I'll stay with you. Do you need anything while we're out?"

"I don't think so…"

As they walked outside, Elizabeth giggled as she observed the entourage behind him. "Jack Thornton has left the building," she whispered.

Jack, Elizabeth and an uncharacteristically quiet Tristan made their way out into the parking lot where they met up with Lee and Rosie.

"Hey, Tristan isn't feeling well so we'll have to take a rain check on lunch," Jack announced as Tristan stuck out her arms for Jack to hold her.

Reaching down, Jack carefully placed his hands under Tristan's arms and lifted her up, where she immediately rested her head on his shoulder.

As Rosie chatted with Elizabeth, Jack commented, "Honey, we need to get her home."

As they walked away with Tristan balancing on his left hip, her head on his shoulder and Jack and Elizabeth holding hands, Rosie commented, "I told you that it was going to work out with them."

"I hope so; does Tommy know that Jack is back?" Lee asked.

"I don't know, but he's married so he'll have to get over it," Rosie responded.

"Well, I hope so. I've heard… never mind."

"Lee Coulter, what have you heard?"

Hesitantly he answered, "I don't know if it's true…"

"What, tell me…?"

"I heard that they were in the parking lot at Rendezvous…"

Rosie interrupted, "Who was in the parking lot?"

"Tommy and Belinda…"

Okay, go ahead…"

"Well, I heard that he was yelling at her and said something to the effect of I don't care where you go; you aren't indispensible. There are other women in town."

"WHAT? Why didn't you tell me; Elizabeth should know that?"

"Rosie, they're divorced; if he said that, I'm sure he wasn't talking about her. Besides, it looks like Jack and Elizabeth are getting back together and she doesn't want anything to do with Tommy."

"When did you hear this?" she asked as he opened her door and she slipped into the passenger seat of their car.

"A few days ago…"

"You should have told me, Lee. Elizabeth needs to know. She's my best friend, and Jack used to be yours."

As Lee took his seat behind the wheel, she asked, "When did you go to Rendezvous?"

"I didn't say I was there. I heard people at the gym talking about it. It probably isn't true; just forget about it."

"Not likely…"

Rosie and Lee pulled out of the parking lot as she dialed Elizabeth's phone, "No answer."

"Maybe she doesn't bring it to church," Lee offered.

"Well, I'll just have to keep calling…"

Thirty minutes later Jack pulled into Elizabeth's driveway. He carried Tristan and his gym bag containing his jeans, t-shirt and tennis shoes into the house, gently laying Tristan on the sofa as he went back to the bathroom to change.

When he came out of the bathroom, he sat with Tristan on the sofa while Elizabeth went to fix her a glass of Ginger-Ale.

"Crap…"

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I thought I had Ginger-Ale, but I don't."

Jack stood up, and pulled his keys from his pocket, "I'll run up to the convenience store. Do you need anything else?"

Looking through her cabinets she turned to Jack, "Well, would you pick up a can of chicken noodle soup and some crackers?"

"Sure," he responded as he bent down and kissed an already sleeping Tristan on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

"Thank you, Jack."

"You're welcome."

Twenty minutes later Jack returned from the store with the soup, crackers, and Ginger-Ale. "Do you think it's a virus or something?" he asked. "I mean, do we need to take to her to emergency room?"

"Calm down, Jack. I'm sure she'll be fine. Actually, I think she just ate more junk yesterday than she's used to at the Butterfly Gardens and she just needs to get it out of her stomach."

Jack unpacked the bag as Elizabeth, having changed Tristan into her pajamas, walked into the kitchen. Tristan was awake, but it was evident that she didn't feel well as her eyes appeared dull and weak.

"Would you please fix her a glass of Ginger-Ale?" Elizabeth asked.

"Sure…"

Tristan held out her arms, "Mr. Jack…"

"Here, let me hold her and you get her Ginger-Ale," he suggested as he took Tristan from Elizabeth and walked over to the sofa. He wrapped his arms around her waist, "I'm sorry that you don't feel well."

Tristan leaned back and attempted to smile. As Elizabeth returned with her Ginger-Ale, Tristan suddenly vomited, spewing the remaining contents of her stomach down the front of Jack's fresh shirt.

"Oh Jack, I'm so sorry," Elizabeth rushed to them placing Tristan's drink on the coffee table but being somewhat at a loss as to what she could do for Jack.

Without missing a beat, and as Tristan began to cry, he carefully removed his shirt, "Would you get me a wet wash cloth please?"

Elizabeth rushed to the bathroom and returned with the item he requested. So used to having dealt with Tommy who seemed to take care of his own comforts before worrying about anyone else, she was pleasantly pleased by Jack's actions.

Jack could feel Tristan's body tremble as he wiped her face, "Shh, sweetheart it's okay."

"Aren't you mad at me?" she asked through her tears and broken breath.

He wiped her face again, "Of course not; it's just a shirt honey. Do you feel better?"

She said nothing but shook her head up and down as she rested against his bare chest.

Jack laid her back on the sofa, propping her head up with a pillow that Elizabeth secured from one of the bedrooms. Tristan held on to his hand, initially refusing to let go until her eyes closed and his fingers slipped from her hold.

"How did you know what to do?" she asked.

"I remember when Tom was little he had a really bad bout with the flu. I helped mom get him cleaned up and then he'd throw up again. I don't know if the wash cloth really helps, but it has to make her feel better," Jack stated as he glanced over and watched her sleep.

"Jack, I'm so sorry; I don't have any men's clothes here, but if you'd like to take a shower, I'll find you something to wear.

"I'm glad…" he remarked

"You're glad…?" she responded sounding somewhat perplexed.

"I'm glad that you don't have any men's clothes here. Anyway, I'm fine."

You most certainly are, she thought as she cast her eyes upon his rock hard abdominal six-pack.

"I just hope she feels better now," he stated as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "If it's okay, I will take a shower, but it's warm out, I don't need a shirt."

You certainly don't…

Completely clean, Jack exited the bathroom with wet hair as he found Elizabeth sitting on the sofa with Tristan's head in her lap.

"How is she doing?" he asked as he walked over and swept Tristan's hair behind her ear.

"She hasn't woken up yet, so sleep is probably the best thing for her," Elizabeth stated as he squatted down beside her.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"No, but thank you for coming over," she replied as he brushed his thumb across her cheek.

"Where else would I be?" he replied as he lifted Tristan's legs and slipped under them to take a seat beside Elizabeth on the sofa.

"Well, if you were like her father, you'd be at the bar up the street tying one on."

"Excuse me…?"

"When Tristan was younger, she was colicky. I thought I was just a poor mother because she seemed to cry all the time," Elizabeth's eyes watered.

Jack put his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her close, "You're a wonderful mother."

"Initially Tommy was helpful; well, maybe not helpful, but he wasn't ugly about it. But when she seemed to go from colicky to suffering from reflux; it was horrible. She'd have a bottle and the milk would sit in her stomach, working its way back up her esophagus only to spit it up later," the look on her face displayed the worry that he can only assume she lived with.

Elizabeth continued to explain, "Tommy was holding her one time and up came the milk all over his freshly cleaned suit. He screamed; he yelled; he practically dropped her on the floor as he rushed off to get a shower and change."

"I'm sorry; she couldn't help it," Jack's voice was soft but his anger was building.

"Tommy didn't seem to realize that; he acted like it was something she'd done on purpose," Elizabeth's eyes lowered as she glanced at her beautiful sleeping seven year old. "So while she was sick, he barely held her; he never fed her, and even as she tried to get his attention, he was still standoffish with her unless he needed her to show off to the community that he was a family man."

Elizabeth looked over and caught Jack's glance, "That may be why she cried when she threw up on you, because she expected you to yell at her."

"Well, luckily she must have outgrown the reflux," he mentioned.

"Yes, thankfully so, but not before she aspirated and ended up in Holy Cross Hospital." While recounting this experience, Jack could feel her body shudder as she wiped her eyes several times. "I was at the hospital day and night for four days. She ended up being allergic to the antibiotics they initially used, so she had a real rough go of it. My mom came and stayed with me, and my dad was at the hospital for several hours every morning and from dinner until bedtime at night."

"Where was Tommy?" he asked.

"He came by one evening on his way to a business dinner. He said that it was his job to hold down the house and mine was to take care of the baby. 'The Baby,' many times he didn't even call her by name."

"Didn't your parents question his absence?" he asked.

"It was just another case of me keeping people in the dark. I told my parents when they went to lunch or dinner that he stopped by," she stated, clearly embarrassed by the charade she initiated.

Elizabeth continued, "I was there for my baby, and truly she didn't need him, at least not like he was and she was certainly not missing out on what he could offer, or the lack of what he could offer."

She looked up at Jack, "How is it that you didn't know about that? Was Rosie keeping secrets from you too?"

"I don't know why she didn't tell me. Maybe she thought if I knew I'd come back and the added stress of me being around may have been too much for you at the time."

"If you had known, would you have come back?" she quietly asked.

"I don't know; I'd like to say I would have, but back then I thought you and Tommy had moved on. I thought you were happy."

Elizabeth swept a tear away as it rolled down his cheek.

"Elizabeth, I have to tell you, I hadn't moved on, and it really hurt to think that you had," Jack's arm around her shoulders pulled her close as he tenderly kissed the top of her head.

"Why couldn't we have just talked back then?" she asked. "So many things could have been different," she remarked before looking down at her beautiful, sleeping daughter.

Seeing the smile on her face as her hand brushed across Tristan's cheek, he whispered, "We're here now; we can make this what we want it to be. We both know that if things were different, she wouldn't be here, and what a blessing everyone would have missed out on."

Elizabeth leaned her head against his chest as she closed her eyes. His hand brushed gently up and down her upper arm as she, much like the little one in her lap, fell asleep.

Jack sat quietly watching cartoons, not wanting to move, afraid to awaken the two most important people in his life, and feeling blessed to be where he was at that moment.

Given the news report this morning pertaining to his recent local sightings, and the complications which would likely come with his celebrity status, there would most likely be some hard times. He knew they needed to discuss the possibilities and what to do when dealing with reporters. However, he closed his own eyes and prayed that given what he hoped they'd learned throughout their years apart that they would be able to get through anything.

An hour later, "Mmm," Elizabeth moaned softly as she stretched, feeling many of her muscles tighten given her bent up body position.

"Are you okay?" he whispered as he felt her body stir against him.

Initially she said nothing; her attention drawn immediately to Tristan who was still sleeping. Elizabeth placed the back of her hand to Tristan's forehead.

"Does she have a fever?" he asked.

"No, she's cool, but I think since she emptied the contents of her stomach on you, sleep is what she needs." She turned her head to face him, "I'm really sorry about that."

He leaned in and met her lips with his, "I love you, and" as the emotion appeared to take hold of him down deep inside he continued, "I know I haven't known her for a long time, but I love her too. I will always be here for her…and you." His thumbs brushed against the skin just under her eyes as he caught her tears before they fell.

While doing her best not to disturb her sleeping child, Elizabeth's upper body pivoted on the sofa to face him, as her hand rose to rest along his cheek. As her tears quietly continued she softly spoke, "When you came back, I know I was hard on you… Jack, I was happy to see you, but I was afraid to let you in. I think more than anything else, I was angry at myself for not fighting for what we had; for letting you just walk out of my life that night without begging you to stay."

He leaned in as his own eyes watered, "I would have stayed." Their lips were like moths to a flame, a magnetic pull that they could not deny; his hand swept behind her neck, pulling her closer as his lips lovingly swept across hers...

"I know, but I couldn't be responsible for you giving up your dream; you would have resented me," she cried as Tristan's eyes opened.

"I could never resent you; I've always loved you," he replied.

"See mommy…I told you that Mr. Jack loves us," Tristan stated as she rolled over on her back and smiled while still lying in their laps.

Tristan sat up as Jack's hands under her arms placed her solely in his lap, "How are you feeling?"

"My tummy is empty," she stated.

Jack smiled, "I'm sure it is, but are you feeling better?"

Before answering his question, she asked, "Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Honey, why would I be mad at you?" he swept a few strands of loose messy locks away from her face.

"I don't know; I just thought you would be."

"Hey, you can't help it when you don't feel well. I'm just glad to see that you look like you feel better."

"I do, but now I'm hungry…"

Elizabeth stood up and attempted to pick Tristan up from Jack's lap. Struggling, Jack picked her up enough that he could get out from under her.

"Here, let me…" he offered.

With gentle ease, he picked the seven year old up in his arms and followed Elizabeth down the hall. She pulled back the covers on her bed and he laid her down.

"But mommy, I'm hungry."

"I'm going to fix you some soup and crackers and you can eat back here while you watch TV, okay?" Elizabeth asked.

"Okay," Tristan replied as she laid her head back, closed her eyes and fell back to sleep, needing to make up for the rest she'd missed out on the previous night.

"Do you need anything before I go?" he asked.

"No, I think she's fine now; she just needs some sleep," she replied.

"Okay, I'll call you later to see how she is," he responded as they walked to the front door.

"Thank you for going to church with us, and for keeping me company today; you were a big help. I'm just so sorry that she…"

"Elizabeth, she couldn't help it," his eyes and tone softened, "I love that little girl. I'm just glad she feels better."

Elizabeth stepped forward; his hand went behind her neck and he gently pulled her closer. He whispered, "Your song was beautiful today."

Her hands sat on his hips; his shirtless waist causing an increase in their heart rates as her skin touched his, "Thank you."

"May I ask you something?" he asked as his hand rested along her jaw line.

"What is it?" she responded.

"Did you pick out the song or did the choir director?"

"I did, why?"

"Does it have some special meaning?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the lyrics imply that you are afraid to bring everything to the Lord, do you feel that way?" he asked. "I mean, it was a perfect song selection given the sermon today."

"Jack, the Lord knows everything about me, my life, what I've done, and what I wish I'd done differently."

"I know, but Elizabeth, are you willing to let me in…?"

"Jack, this is a pretty heavy conversation; can we maybe talk about it another time?"

Sensing her hesitancy, he backed off, "I love you," he whispered. Jack himself was hesitant to open the media can of worms that he assumed was coming. He knew that she needed to be prepared, but he was certainly enjoying this quiet time they were sharing.

"Is something wrong, Jack?" she asked.

"I…please be careful when you're out," he stated.

"I'm always careful. What are you talking about?"

"I haven't seen any paparazzi, but I think they may be aware that I'm not in Europe. Just don't let anyone scare you, and let me know if anyone does, okay?"

Observing her eyes move from a look of love to timid fear he pulled her into his chest, "I'll protect you and Tristan, but you just need to promise to tell me if anyone bothers you."

"Jack, I can take care of myself, but I won't allow anyone to scare Tristan," she nervously mentioned, realizing now that life was probably going to get real! "I just thought we'd have more time to try to work us out first…"

Jack leaned back slightly, "I love you, and I know that we can get through anything, okay?"

Giving her no time to respond, his lips met hers. It was sweet and tender, as one kiss led to a second and then a more passionate third.

Although she spoke no words, and even with the possible media concerns, it was evident in the way her body melted into his that she was beginning to allow her old feelings to mesh with the new ones.

She eagerly kissed him back as his tongue slipped through the slight opening in her lips and ran along the soft skin on the inside of her mouth. After all these years, how was it that his lips felt so much like home; his arms around her felt so comfortable, and the feelings she had for him were as strong or stronger than ever?

"I'd better go, but if you need anything, you call me, okay?" he kissed her one final time, wishing in his heart that there was no space between them.

"I promise I will."

Throughout the afternoon, Elizabeth was busy with Tristan. So when her phone rang numerous times, recognizing the ringtone to be the one assigned to Rosie's number, and not wanting to get into a deep discussion about her relationship with Jack, she decided that she'd call her tomorrow.

That evening, with dinner finished, Tristan feeling better and happily keeping her food down, Elizabeth stood in the kitchen wiping down the counter. Suddenly she remembered the bag that had been left in the car with dirty clothes that needed cleaning.

Her phone chimed signifying a text. Before stepping outside she grabbed her phone…

"How's Tristan…?"

"She's fine. She's begging 2 go 2 school 2morrow. She has art…loves art…!"

"I'm glad she's feeling better. I'm going into town to sightsee a little 2morrow…"

"Sightsee…? U were raised here…"

"I know, but so much has changed…"

"Okay, have fun…"

"Love u…"

"Love u back…"

Elizabeth slipped her bare feet into her flip flops and stepped outside. The wind was howling as it appeared evident that a cold front was moving through the area. She felt a chill brush across her shoulders as her upper body reached into her Mustang and retrieved her overnight bag.

With dogs barking in the distance, she spun around certain that she was hearing voices in the darkness. Seeing nothing but a few additional cars parked several houses down, she assumed that what she heard was simply the howling wind. She grabbed the bag, locked her car and started back for the house.

When she walked inside, her phone was ringing…

"Hello," assuming it was Jack she answered without looking at her phone screen.

"Hey Babe…"

"Excuse me…"

"Elizabeth, it's me, Tommy," it had been so long since she'd spoken to him, but by the time her name rolled off his forked tongue she recognized his voice.

"What do you want Tommy?" she asked, clearly annoyed by his phone call and his referencing her as "Babe."

"I'm on my way over."

"What for? It's not your time with Tristan, besides its late."

"I want to take my girls out to dinner," he replied. Sounding intoxicated, he seemed nonchalant, certainly not as if he was talking to his disgruntled ex-wife, and almost as normally as if he was simply asking about the weather.

"Tommy, you're married; it's late; we aren't dating and I haven't been your girl in more years than I care to count, so what's going on?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to see you and Tris…"

"Well, she's vomiting this evening, so I don't think that you'd want to be around her. I'll let her know you called." Wanting to end her conversation quickly, she said "Goodbye," and hung up the phone without hearing his response. I'll tell her when pigs fly… she thought.

The following morning, Jack drove into town, making the rounds of the many hot spots he'd remembered. As he walked along the sidewalk in front of the strip mall, he felt the eyes of the community upon him. Thankfully, no reporters, only residents, some of which he'd known for years.

Standing outside the "Press and Grind" coffee shop, he found himself bombarded by a group of guys and girls slightly younger than him, with their coffee in one hand and cell phones snapping pictures in the other.

"Hey man, we heard you were back in town…"

"It's so cool to actually see you…."

"Please keep writing and performing…"

Those were some of the comments he heard as he smiled and thanked them for their support. He was surprised that although he'd come across some fans of his music, since he'd returned home, he'd somehow been able to evade the paparazzi. This was quite shocking because he couldn't go anywhere in LA without being photographed. Given the news report this morning, he realized that the media circus was likely right around the corner.

Jack turned and bumped into someone exiting the coffee shop that seemed totally consumed by his cell phone.

"WHOA, I'm sorry…Jack Thornton; is that really you?" Tommy moved the bag he was carrying to his other side before he stuck out his arm to shake Jack's hand. "I'm glad I ran into you. I'd heard you were in town; I was just wondering when we'd cross paths."

"Hey Tommy," Jack replied as he glanced at the numerous bottles of liquor in the brown bag he was holding.

"Are you having a party?" Jack asked.

'No, just stocking up; you know, a night without alcohol…"

Jack blurted out, "Is a night you can remember."

"If I recall correctly, you did your share of drinking when we were younger," Tommy snapped back.

"The difference is that I've never been drunk, and I grew up…"

With Jack's comment going over his head, Tommy asked, "Are you doing anything next weekend? I'd love to get together and talk about old times and…well, I want to hear about LA."

"I'm not sure what I'm doing this weekend, maybe… hey; did I hear you were married?"

"Uh yeah. She took the baby and went out of town; I mean she's visiting her family in Milwaukee."

"Oh, who did you marry?" Jack asked, already aware of his wife's identity.

"Belinda Stokes, do you remember her?"

"No, I don't think I remember her, but for me Elizabeth was the one."

"Well, apparently you don't know, but Elizabeth and I were married and we have a beautiful daughter."

"But you're divorced…"

"Yes, but why…are you interested in her?"

"Tommy, I've always been interested in her. For me she's the one that got away."

"So why are you back in town now?" Tommy asked as he stood in the doorway keeping Jack from proceeding inside.

"Just here to get back what I left behind all those years ago."

"Does that include Elizabeth?"

"Tommy, I'm not going to discuss your ex-wife with you. You're divorced so I don't think you have anything to say about who she dates, whether it's me, or the barista behind the counter there." Jack raised his eyebrows and nodded his head toward the door, "Speaking of which, I'd really like to get a cup of coffee."

"Well, I need to get back to work anyway," Tommy mentioned.

Jack excused himself and walked into the coffee shop.

"Oh Jack wait," Tommy called out as Jack begrudgingly stopped and turned around.

"I'm the vice president of Fort Lauderdale Bank and Trust. Why don't you come by my office," he handed Jack a card; "I'd like to show you what we can do to help build your portfolio."

"Thanks, but I have a business manager and I'm comfortable with how he's handling my finances."

"But we're friends; I'll treat you right."

Jack put Tommy's card in his pocket, "I'll think about it."

"Have you seen Elizabeth?" Tommy asked.

"Hey, I've really gotta go; take care," Jack stated as he slipped inside the shop. Not wanting to lie, he certainly wasn't prepared to tell Tommy that he and Elizabeth were already dating.

Jack needed to talk to Elizabeth, but running into Tommy wasn't something that he could text her. He mulled the situation over realizing that calling after Tristan went to bed would be best.

That evening, "Are you able to talk?" Jack asked when he called Elizabeth at 8:30pm, assuming that Tristan was already in bed.

"She's not asleep yet, but she's in bed," she replied. "How was your day?"

"It was interesting, but before I tell you about my day, how's Tristan feeling?"

"She's fine. She seems completely back to normal."

"I'm glad she's feeling better. I really missed you guys today."

"We missed you too, Jack. So, are you going to tell me why your day was interesting? Did the paparazzi find you in town?"

"No, but you won't believe who I did run into today…"

"Oh no, you didn't."

"I did; I was on my way into Press and Grind and I bumped into Tommy who was on his way out."

"You didn't tell him that we were seeing each other did you?" she asked as her breath caught in her throat.

"No, of course not."

"I guess it stands to reason that you'd run into him at some point. Was his beauty queen with him?"

"Beauty queen…?"

"His wife?"

"Oh, no, he was by himself. He did say that Belinda was in Milwaukee visiting her family."

"Milwaukee… her family lives in Dallas, Texas. Hmm, maybe they moved," she remarked.

Feeling a bit unsettled by his conversation with Tommy, Jack added, "He wanted me to come into the bank so he could help me with my portfolio."

"That seems about right. If he could bring your money into the bank, he could get major points with the president and share holders."

"I have a manager who does a great job, so I'm not looking to put my money in his bank," he assured her.

"I had banked there for years, but I moved my account, because I didn't want him knowing anything about my finances. He doesn't pay child support, so he doesn't need to know where my money goes."

"I don't understand why he's not paying child support? I mean not that it's any of my business, but don't the courts usually require that? And even if they don't, why would a parent not want to help support their child?"

"Tommy needs a lot of money to support his lifestyle. He takes what he can get, and isn't interested in sharing anything with his daughter."

"That's just so sad," he commented.

"Yes, it is, but maybe you can understand why I don't care to have Tommy in Tristan's life. To him she's simply a pawn to get what he wants; it's not because he loves her."

"You know, when I literally bumped into him, I saw an older version of the Tommy I remembered from all those years ago, even down to the bottles of alcohol he was carrying."

"But Jack, please stay away from him. He isn't like you remember. He's all about power and he doesn't care who he needs to step on to get it," Elizabeth pleaded with him.

"Elizabeth, I know that this is a difficult situation, but have you ever thought about going to court and having Tommy's rights terminated? I mean, he doesn't help support Tristan nor does he seem interested in seeing her."

"I'm scared to do anything, because right now he's not fighting to see her, and I was having no contact with him."

"You were having no contact with him; has that changed?" he asked.

"Oddly, he called last night. It caught me by surprise that he even called, but even more so when he asked me and Tristan out on a date…"

To be continued…

There will be a few pictures that go along with this chapter posted on the facebook fan fiction pages shortly.