Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart."

Chapter 3- Moving on…

Elizabeth walked into First Baptist Church with Lee and Rosemary. They walked halfway down the aisle; then slipped into a row, and slid midway in before taking their seats. The minister was visiting from Lynchburg, but was known to be an extremely eloquent speaker. Elizabeth joined in with the choir and congregation in singing "A Mighty Fortress is Our God, Amazing Grace, and Blessed Assurance." Once everyone took their seats, Reverend Joseph Henderson took the podium and began his sermon.

"If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and you are reminded that your brother, and I don't mean literally your brother, but your Brother in Christ, has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go on your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

Now you notice that immediately verse 23 begins with "If therefore…" The word "Therefore" impels us to look back. Just think for a moment, as I provide you with a sentence to explain… Jesus has said, 'Despising your brother imperils your soul.' You can't freely give with anger in your heart. I don't only mean monetarily. Anger stifles you emotionally, preventing you from giving of yourself in relationships…"

Elizabeth's palms began to sweat as she felt that Reverend Henderson was speaking directly to her. Rosemary glanced to her left, and observed Elizabeth's flushed appearance.

"Are you feeling okay?" Rosemary asked.

"I have to leave," Elizabeth stated as she grabbed her bag and made her way outside. She felt her throat closing up as if she couldn't catch her breath.

Rosemary followed her outside, "What's wrong, Elizabeth."

"Were you not listening to the sermon? He was talking to me. He told me that I have to come to terms with Charles, make peace with him. Didn't you hear that?" Elizabeth asked, surprised that she was the only one who received that message.

"Uh, no I missed that. I was thinking about something else," Rosemary explained.

"I need to go see Charles…"

"What for…? Don't you dare drop that Assault charge!"

"I'm not dropping the charge, but he needs to understand why I can't be around him anymore…"

"Write him a letter, please don't go see him," Rosemary begged.

"I have to, Rosie. I'm going to explain why we both have to move on and then maybe I'll be able to. I mean, I don't believe that I can let another man into my life until I deal with the trust issues I have with Charles. I don't want to carry this baggage with me," Elizabeth stated as her gaze drifted off into the distance.

"I don't think you need to take what he said so literally…"

"What? It's a sermon; everyone gets a message from it, and this was mine. Please take me to the jail after the service," Elizabeth implored her.

"Okay, okay, Lee and I will take you by there, but you aren't seeing him alone," Rosemary advised.

"I have to; I'll be fine…"

They walked back inside, sat down and impatiently waited until the final hymn before quickly heading for the parking lot. On the way to their car, Lee stated, "Elizabeth, you've done nothing wrong. If anyone should apologize its Charles."

Elizabeth folded her hands in her lap, and gazed out the window, "I have no intention of apologizing to Charles for filing the assault charge. I just need to tell him again that my feelings for him are just friendship. I am sorry if I was not clear enough and our feelings were muddied along the way. Whether he accepts it or not, I have to be able to move on."

They arrived at the jail, and Lee and Rosemary walked with Elizabeth inside. Visiting hours for inmates whose last names started with K through N was from 2pm-3:30pm.

"You two don't need to sit with me. Go get some lunch, and you can come back around 3 to pick me up… if that's okay. If you have other plans, I can catch a cab," Elizabeth suggested.

"No need for a cab; we'll be back to get you at 3," Rosemary responded as she and Lee headed for the door.

Lee opened the door for Rosemary and before exiting, she turned back to Elizabeth…

"Are you sure, Elizabeth…?"

"Yes, I need to do this… I'll be fine," she assured them.

Elizabeth sat in the holding area on the uncomfortable gray painted steel benches, watching women occupying their children, as everyone waited for their names to be called, allowing them to pass through the cold, hard metal door that clanked loudly each time it closed. Part of her was sorry that she had sent Rosemary and Lee away, understanding in her head that she and she alone needed to do this…she needed to make him understand. But her heart was breaking, not because she was saying goodbye to a romantic love; she didn't feel that for him, and knew that she never would…but because the ultimate trust she had for him was like no other she had ever experienced before, and was afraid that she would never again.

She glanced up at the round clock which sat alone on the platinum colored wall… 1:45, fifteen minutes more as she watched the second hand move slower than she thought accurate. She held tightly to her bag, knowing that once she went back to see Charles, her belongings would need to be checked in a locker. She reached inside and pulled out her journal. She wanted to write; to understand her own feelings; to clarify them before explaining them to Charles, but her head was spinning.

She opened up her journal, flipped to the next blank page and attempted to convey her feelings on paper…

"I love you…three little words that can elicit excitement or fear; too easy for some to say, and too difficult for others to mean. But how can you love someone who pushes you to accept that which you are no longer prepared for? How can you say you love someone when the sound of their voice has begun to make your skin crawl? Has it become too easy for us to express the words without truly understanding the meaning…interchanging 'love' and 'friend?' Is it even possible to be in love, yet only as friends? We are constantly reminded to love thy neighbor, and hear songs that profess "All you need is love." The fact is, love is a precious emotion, held tight within our heart, not given freely, and certainly not without thought or careful consideration. There are many different types of love; each person is tasked with making their intentions clear, and if honesty is maintained, no one should feel guilty about the inability to reciprocate."

"Elizabeth Thatcher…"

She heard her name called. She stood, stuffing her journal in her bag and securing it in locker #10 as she heard the steel door unlock, and the deputy waving her back…

"Elizabeth…" Jack called out as he watched the door close behind her.

"Hey Joe…"

"Hi Jack, what are you doing here?" The Desk Sergeant, Joe Anderson, responded.

"I brought in some paperwork on the Montague case. Hey, what was Miss Thatcher here for?" Jack asked.

"Oh the cute brunette?" Joe commented slyly.

"Stop it, Joe. What was she here for?" Although he asked, Jack had a feeling that he already knew.

"Let me look," Joe stated as he pulled out the Visitor's Log. "Oh, yes… she was here to see Charles Kensington."

"Did they finish the addition on the visiting area?" Jack asked; a sense of urgency in his voice.

"No, but…"

"No…do you realize that he's charged with assaulting her? She doesn't need to be in an open area room with him. Call someone…Now," Jack demanded.

"Jack, calm down… they took her to the lawyer visiting room. There is a glass between them, and she will talk through the phone system. She will be completely safe," Joe informed him.

"Oh, okay…that should be fine," Jack remarked.

"Jack, who is this woman? I haven't seen you this worked up in a long time, and never over a woman," Joe asked.

"She's just a friend, and I'm concerned, that's all…" Jack remarked. "I'm going to sit over here and wait for her…"

Jack turned and walked toward the wall where he took a seat on the bench across from the TV that was playing a rerun of Cops. Joe watched him and thought, "Friend…right!"

Elizabeth was escorted down a long hall and into a big room with individual cubbies, each one contained a telephone and a cold metal stool. She was advised to take a seat, and she watched through the glass window between her and the room, watching as Charles entered and approached from the other side.

"What are you doing here?" He asked curtly.

"I wanted to try to explain everything to you, Charles. I'm sorry…"

"I don't want to hear your apology. You put me in here, and you need to find a way to get me out…"

"Charles, I'm sorry that it has come to this, but your actions are on you, not me…"

Charles slammed the phone against the clear partition, causing Elizabeth to cover her face as if she feared that the shatterproof glass was going to break.

"I came here Charles to hopefully get you to understand, but I can see now that was a mistake."

"If you hadn't called the police…"

Anger was beginning to override her nerves, and with a raised voice she stated, "Charles, did you see me call the police? No, you didn't, because I didn't, but I should have, and I should have done something a long time ago. That and that alone is what I'm guilty of…"

"Elizabeth, if you don't get me out of here, we're done…"

"Have you not heard anything I've been trying to tell you? We've been done…I'm so done," she responded, her voice sweeping from a yell to a slight whisper as she finished. She stood from the cold stool, and looked him in the eyes, searching for the kind young boy she once knew, but he was gone.

"This is entirely your fault, Elizabeth…"

I'll see you in court…"

"Oh, you'll see me before that…" he eerily remarked.

"What does that mean?" She asked, her voice beginning to tremble slightly.

When he did nothing but stare through her, she became increasingly nervous, and turned to leave. As she started to hang up the phone, she could hear his voice through the receiver, screaming for her to wait…to give him another chance. She turned and walked toward the hallway, unaware that he was banging on the partition, begging her to come back.

Jack was busy watching an episode of Cops when Rosemary and Lee entered the jail…

"Jack, what are you doing here?" Lee asked.

"I had to drop off some paperwork, and I saw Elizabeth go back to see that guy, Charles. I thought I would wait for her. I'm thinking she might need a friend, but then again, you're a close friend to her," he replied, directing his response toward Rosemary, "So, she would probably rather talk to you."

"No, I don't handle those types of emotions as well. You're exactly who she will need. Will you give her a ride home?" Rosemary asked.

"Remember Rosemary," Lee turned to her and whispered… "No pushing."

"Is something wrong?" Jack asked.

"No… nothing. Would you be able to give her a ride home?" Rosemary asked again.

"Sure, I'd be glad to, besides it will give me a chance to repay her kindness from yesterday," Jack responded.

"Well, take care of her then," Rosemary stated as she grabbed Lee by the arm, pulling him away from an exciting Cops rerun on TV, and they headed toward the door.

Jack was watching as several small children played in the corner supervised by family members, allowing their mothers to visit who he assumed were their fathers. He heard the steel door open, and saw several people exit the secure area. He continued watching, waiting, until…there she was. She stepped into the waiting area, cleared herself from the metal door, leaned up against the wall, and released a breath that she wasn't aware that she had been holding. He didn't know her well, but she didn't look like the confident woman he'd observed riding her horse yesterday. In fact, she seemed like a frightened little school girl, and he wanted nothing more that to ease her fears.

"Elizabeth…"

"Oh… Hello Jack," she responded as she quickly wiped her eyes, attempting to remove any sign of the tears that had fallen.

He approached, but not so quickly as to frighten her, "Are you okay? Did he say something to upset you?" Jack gently took her by the arm and directed her outside away from the numerous visitors still awaiting their turns.

"Wait, Rosemary and Lee are coming back to get me," she remarked. "I need to stay here."

"No, they already came by and left. I'm giv…"

"They left me…HERE?"

He led her out into the courtyard… "No, I'm going to see that you get home."

It was a beautiful day; the sun had brought warmth to the cool crisp morning air. The colors of the changing leaves, a mixture of reds, purples, oranges and yellows showed the beginning splendor of autumn. He was silent, allowing her to speak her truth, to say everything she needed to as they walked.

They took a seat on a bench dedicated to Hannah Carter, a victim of domestic violence. They sat quietly, Jack not knowing what to say, and Elizabeth feeling that she had said too much. "Why are you so kind to me, Jack?" Elizabeth asked.

How could it be that after only a few days, that she'd had such a profound impact on him? Somehow you've reached inside me and touched something special, was what he wanted to say, but"Because we're friends," were the words that actually passed through his lips. He wanted to correct himself, to be honest with himself, but what she really needed right now was a friend, and he had every intention of being there for her.

"Thank you, Jack. You know, I think I've always felt that it was possible for a man and a woman to be friends. Charles and I were for many years, but at some point something changed… well, for him it changed, not me. So, it's nice to know that men and women can have a relationship that is based on friendship with no other expectations," she said with a smile before turning away to face the sun.

Jack stood up and held out his hand, "Come on, I know what will make you feel better."

They walked toward the parking lot…

"Wait, did you get your truck out of the shop? I don't need anyone seeing me riding around in a police car. The parents of my students would have a field day with that one…"

"Don't worry… I have my truck, and it's perfect. No squad car riding for you today," he replied.

They approached his truck, and he walked with her to the passenger side where he opened the door. She slipped inside and he waited to close the door for her to click the seatbelt…

"Is there a trick to this?" She asked.

"Not usually, but then again I'm not sitting on this side. Let me see…" Jack leaned in, pulling the strap across her body and snapping the seatbelt securely. She smelled like Lilacs and citrus, and he breathed deep to take more of her in. "There you go…" he looked up, catching himself as he began to fall into her beautiful blue eyes.

I could have done that, but I'm glad you did, was what she wanted to say. "Thank you," was what she offered.

Elizabeth sat quietly as she watched the scenery pass by. "How can I feel more comfortable after only a few days with Jack, than I do after years with Charles?" She asked herself. "Maybe that's truly what a friendship is meant to be,"she thought.

Jack turned on his right blinker and pulled into the barn…

"What are we doing here?" She asked as her smile lit up her face.

Jack parked the truck, and without a word he got out, walked around to her side and opened the door, "Well, I've always heard that there is nothing like the love between a girl and her horse… So, go see your horse. Tell him everything you need to, and he'll keep it a secret." Jack closed the truck door behind her as he watched her run in her dress toward Bugsy's stall.

"Are you sure there isn't anything between you two?" Jack spun around to find Landon standing behind him,

"Are you some kind of ninja or something? You just seem to appear out of nowhere…" Jack replied.

"Are you sure…"

I'm sure that I don't like you, was what he thought… "Sure about what?" was what he said.

"You two," Landon stated as his hand motion moved between Jack and the barn where Elizabeth was now enjoying time with Bugsy.

"No, I've told you that we're friends," Jack responded, a feeling of pressure settling in his chest as he spoke the words. Jack watched as Landon walked away and headed for the barn, actually he headed directly toward Bugsy's stall. "Hey," Jack called out causing Landon to turn around. "Leave her alone right now…"

Landon furrowed his brow, and did not respond, but took Jack's suggestion, and left her alone…for now.

After about 20 minutes, Jack walked toward Bugsy's stall. Standing outside, he could hear her talking…

"Bugs, you should feel lucky that all you have to worry about is carrying me around the ring, and when you'll get fed and turned out. Your friendships last until your buddy is moved to another barn. Relationships for people are so complicated. It's refreshing to have a friend to talk to. You know Bugs, I know I have only just met Jack, but I think you'll like him, if he hangs around. He's already proving to be a wonderful friend."

Jack silently slipped back toward his truck, "Friend," at least he knew where he stood with her.

Elizabeth stood at the door of the stall and hugged Bugsy as he hung his head out; she looked over toward Jack, "We haven't talked about it, but I'm sure Jack must have someone special in his life. He's too sweet not to! Bugs, I guess friendships would be more difficult for you if you were still a stallion, having all of the mares in love with you. Could you pick one out just to hang with…spend time with without expecting more?"

Bugsy whinnied as the hay cart, being pushed by Landon, made its way around the corner of the barn.

"I guess our conversation is over now…"

Hay was thrown to each horse as Landon made his way up the aisle way.

"Here you go Bugsy. You get a little bit more, because your mom is so special," he remarked.

"You're sweet. Thanks for taking such good care of my boy," Elizabeth stated, stepping aside to give him room to reach the hay rack.

"You're welcome," he stated as he stepped back out of the stall. "Hey, Elizabeth…I was wondering, um… would you like to go to Heather's party with me next Saturday night?"

Caught off guard, she glanced over to Jack, and realizing that he considered her to be a friend, she quickly accepted.

"That's great, I'll pick you up at 7…is that okay?" He asked.

"Oh, that will be fine. Thanks…"

"No… thank you!" He offered as he pushed the wheelbarrow around the corner. He glanced up at Jack and smiled.

"I wonder what that was about…" Jack thought. He looked back at Bugsy's stall as he observed Elizabeth step out, take the horse's muzzle in her hands and kiss him… "Lucky horse!"

To be continued…