"Prepare yourself for a lot of questions at school tomorrow," Rosemary warned Elizabeth that evening. "Allie was telling everyone that you're her aunt now, and that naturally means the children are aware of your marriage to Nathan. And they're very, very curious."

"Them and the rest of the town," Elizabeth said. "Nathan was right. Florence sure spread word quickly. I was stopped several times today on my way home from the mercantile. It took me two hours to get home, and it usually takes ten minutes."

There was a knock on the door. "And I'm sure that's another one," Elizabeth said, suppressing a sigh.

"Would you like me to get that?" Rosemary asked. Elizabeth nodded. Rosemary opened the door, ready to shoo away whoever it was. "Oh, hello Clara, Faith. Come on in."

The two women walked in, each holding a basket. "Hello, Elizabeth," Clara said, walking over and giving her a hug. She held out her basket. "Faith and I thought we'd bring a few things over so that you don't have to worry about cooking for a few days. This has to be quite a transition for you."

Elizabeth's eyes welled with tears at their thoughtfulness. She saw no judgement in their eyes, just understanding and love. She accepted Faith's hug, then took the baskets they offered and set them on the table. "Thank you so much," she said, smiling through her tears. "I appreciate your support."

"Of course we support you!" Faith said. "We love you very much, Elizabeth. Whatever the reason for your new marriage, we know you have a good reason for it."

"Please, sit," Elizabeth said, motioning to the living room. "I'll tell you the story."

The four women settled in, and Elizabeth launched into a full explanation. By the time she had finished, both Clara and Faith were wiping tears from their eyes.

"Poor Allie!" Clara whispered, a hand over her heart.

Faith shook her head. "Elizabeth, what you've done for her goes above and beyond anything I've ever seen. A lot of people have a heart for children, but yours is the most special. I can't imagine marrying someone under these circumstances." She smiled. "At least you like Nathan. That probably helps make it bearable."

"It does," Elizabeth said.

Clara smiled. "He likes you a lot, too. It's evident he cares for you a great deal."

What? That was news to her. She couldn't figure out how he felt. How could Clara know that?

"Why do you say that?" she asked, curious to know the answer.

Rosemary, Clara, and Faith exchanged looks. "It's kind of obvious," Faith said. "He can't string two coherent words together around you, and he looks like a lost puppy dog when he sees you with Lucas. We've all seen it." Rosemary and Clara nodded their agreement. "He's been battling jealousy where Lucas is concerned ever since their vying for your attention began."

She knew the two men didn't like each other, but how much was really because of her? Maybe they were just two people who were so different they couldn't get along.

"Well," Elizabeth said, clearing her throat, "they can stop vying now because there's nothing to vy over. I'm married to Nathan for better or worse, and nothing's going to change that. I'm sure his feelings are doing just fine."

"How would you feel if you were married to a man you loved who you didn't think loved you back?" Clara asked. "That would be hard."

"Nathan's not in love with me!" Elizabeth protested. "I don't know what he feels for me, but I'm pretty sure love isn't it."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Clara said wisely. "We've all seen how he looks at you when you're not looking. If the man isn't fully there yet, he will be soon." She stood, not realizing what a bombshell she'd dropped on Elizabeth. "We've got to be going. We just wanted to give you the baskets before meeting Jesse and Carson for dinner."

Faith chuckled. "It's going to take them some time to get used to the idea of you being married. They were both shocked speechless."

"I don't blame them," Elizabeth said, still reeling over Clara's comments about Nathan. She hugged each of them again. "Thanks for coming, and for the baskets."

They said their goodbyes, then Faith and Clara left. Elizabeth closed the door and leaned against it, staring into space for a moment. Rosemary broke into her thoughts. "What are you thinking?"

"About what Clara said. Do you think Nathan is in love with me?"

Rosemary hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I agree with Clara. If he's not yet, he will be soon."

Elizabeth's mind was reeling. Nathan was reserved and terrible at sharing his feelings, so it was possible there was something there she didn't see. Was he really falling for her? She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She felt butterflies in her stomach and her heart was pounding. What did that mean?

She didn't have time to think about it too deeply. The door opened and Nathan came in with Allie and little Jack. They had gone for a walk to give Elizabeth and Rosemary some time together to talk. Elizabeth's heart jumped at the sight of Nathan standing there with the children. He looked so relaxed, so natural with them. It was only with her that he seemed awkward and bumbling.

Was it true? Was he in love with her? Was he afraid of revealing his heart because he thought it would be rejected? Was that why he didn't like Lucas, because he thought him a rival for Elizabeth's love?

The questions swirled through her mind, making her unable to focus on anything in particular. Little Jack unwittingly rescued her when he toddled over and held up his arms with an excited exclamation of "Mama!" She picked him up, pressing her cheek to his. "Hello, baby. Did you have a good walk?"

"Ya!" he said, wiggling to get down. He walked over to Nathan and held up his arms. "Up!"

Nathan picked him up, holding him securely in his arms. "We did have a nice walk. Do you want to tell your mama what you saw in the woods?"

"Deer!" Jack proclaimed with delight.

Rosemary chuckled. "I don't know a child who gets more excited than Jack at the sight of deer," she said, walking over to pat Jack on the back. She smiled at Elizabeth, then at Nathan. "I'll let you all get to your dinner. Have a nice evening."

"Thanks, Rosemary."

Alone with her new family, Elizabeth headed for the stove. "Clara and Faith brought some food over for us. I'll heat some of it up and we can have dinner."

Allie came over. "Can I help?" she asked.

"Of course! Why don't you pick what you'd like from the baskets, and we'll get it ready together."

They started getting things ready, and for a moment that was all that was on Elizabeth's mind. Then she heard her son giggle, and she looked over to the living room.

Nathan was on the floor with her son, helping him to build with some wooden blocks. He was making silly faces at Jack as they built, which elicited delighted laughs from the small child. Her heart fluttered as she watched Nathan play with Jack, then her mind registered that she found his love for her son very attractive. No one could deny that there was a soft spot in Nathan Grant's heart for little Jack. Or Allie, for that matter. Nathan was good with children. That was undeniable, and Elizabeth found that endearing. She watched them for a few moments, not realizing that she was staring. Nathan turned his head toward the kitchen, and his eyes met hers. She blushed, knowing she'd been caught staring, and quickly turned to continue getting dinner ready. She didn't see the unsure look on Nathan's face, the wondering look at why she'd turned away so quickly. She didn't see the hurt expression that crossed his face before he turned back to playing with Jack. She had turned her attention to Allie, who was chatting about the day and how all her classmates were completely surprised to know that their teacher was now Allie's aunt.

After dinner, Elizabeth trudged up the stairs to put little Jack to bed. She read him a story, then kissed him and put him in his crib. "Goodnight, my sweet boy," she said softly. "Sweet dreams." She went to her room to get an extra blanket for Allie's room, a request from the girl earlier that day, and stopped in her tracks.

Her room was now sectioned into two parts, a white sheet partitioning the room. Nathan's side was sparsely furnished with a bed, dresser, and nightstand. Elizabeth stood for a moment, trying to get used to the idea of her room being Nathan's as well. With a shake of her head, she reminded herself that this was the best arrangement and that it would be fine. Taking a blanket from the chest at the end of her bed, she took it to Allie's room, trying to ignore the strange feelings rolling in her stomach. She could hear Allie and Nathan talking downstairs, and she headed down to say goodnight.

"Already?" Nathan asked, looking in surprise at the clock. "It's not even eight."

"I know, but I want to write some in my journal, and that always takes a while," Elizabeth said. "I thought I'd say goodnight in case I don't see either of you before I fall asleep."

Allie got up and wrapped her arms around Elizabeth. "Goodnight, Aunt Elizabeth." She grinned. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of calling you that."

Elizabeth smiled, placing a hand on Allie's cheek. "And I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing it." She glanced at Nathan, who had come to stand next to Allie.

"Neither will I," he said with a vulnerable smile. He leaned down to kiss Elizabeth's cheek, much like he'd done the previous night. This time, though, the touch of his lips sent her heart to fluttering. Flustered, she stepped back. "Goodnight," she said, quickly turning and climbing the stairs. Once again, she didn't see the confused and hurt look on Nathan's face, which he quickly masked. Her only goal was to get to the safety of her room where she could think and write. Pulling her journal from her nightstand, she started to write, trying to process the confused, conflicting emotions she was feeling.

She lost track of time as she wrote. Soon she became aware of a presence in the door. She looked to see Nathan standing there, looking unsure. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked, motioning to his side of the room. "I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's fine, Nathan, really," Elizabeth said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Nathan still looked uncertain, and he shuffled from foot to foot, clearly with something else on his mind. "What?" Elizabeth asked, knowing he wouldn't say whatever was on his mind if she didn't ask.

He bit his lip, considering what to say, then came out with it. "Did that kiss make you feel uncomfortable?" he asked, trying to hide the vulnerability in his eyes and failing. "I won't do it again if it does."

So he had noticed her reaction, though he had read it wrong. Did she want to admit that?

"That's fine, too, Nathan," she said softly. "I don't mind."

He studied her for a moment, verifying the truth of her words. After a moment, he nodded slightly. "Okay." He disappeared behind the partition. Elizabeth could hear him getting ready for bed, and she found herself too distracted by his near presence to continue writing. Flushing and thankful he couldn't see her, she put her journal away and blew out the candle next to her bed. She burrowed under the covers, trying not to think. She could hear Nathan doing the same, and then his voice came from the other side of the room. "Goodnight, Elizabeth. Sweet dreams."

She smiled. "Goodnight, Nathan." The light from his side went out, and soon she could hear his deep, even breathing. The sound was somehow comforting and soothed her rushing thoughts. Soon after, she fell into a dreamless sleep.


After a week had passed, much of the surprise at Nathan and Elizabeth's wedding had died down. The townspeople seemed to accept the reality, and questions became fewer and farther between. Nathan was thankful. He knew all the curiosity and scrutiny had been hard on Elizabeth, especially from her students, and for her sake he was glad everything was calming down.

They were settling into a routine as a family, makeshift though it was. In the mornings, Nathan made breakfast and got little Jack ready for the day. He would never leave before saying goodbye to Allie, Elizabeth, and Jack. After school Elizabeth would help Allie with homework and play with little Jack. When Nathan came home, he would spend some time with the children, either taking them for a walk or playing with them in the house while Elizabeth made dinner. Allie would help with setting the table and anything else Elizabeth needed help with. After dinner they would spend some time all together, and then one of them would put the kids to bed. Then Elizabeth would finish schoolwork or read or write, and Nathan would either read as well or work on some woodworking project. They would go to bed around the same time, and always Nathan would kiss her cheek and tell her goodnight when her light went out. It wasn't a special routine by a long shot, but it was theirs and he was starting to feel more settled in this new life.

What he wasn't feeling settled about were his strong feelings for Elizabeth. Each day that passed saw him falling a little more for her. She made it easy. Her kindness, love, and sweetness were rare indeed, as was her way with the children. He'd known she was a wonderful mother to little Jack, but the way she had immediately taken Allie in as her own had impressed him. Elizabeth owned a large piece of his heart, and he did his best to love her each day without letting her know how he felt.

He couldn't let her know. He couldn't risk that heartache. Their life was what it was, and he was content with that. How could he ask for more when Elizabeth had already given up so much?

"The kids are asleep," Elizabeth said, breaking into his thoughts. She sat across from him and picked up a book. She smiled slightly, placing a hand over her mouth to hide it. Before Nathan could ask, she said, "Got a lot on your mind?"

Nathan's heart raced. Yes, but he wasn't ready to disclose that. "Why do you ask?" he said instead.

Elizabeth smirked. "Your book is upside down."

Nathan glanced down. Sure enough, the book in his hands was facing the wrong way. With an internal groan, he turned it around and smiled wryly. "Is this better?" he asked.

"Mmhmm," Elizabeth said, continuing to suppress a grin. Suddenly, she became serious. "Is there something on your mind, Nathan?"

His heart raced. How to answer that? He decided to tell the truth. "Yes, but I'm not ready to talk about it yet."

Disappointment registered on her face, and he felt bad that he had put it there. But what else could he do? He could hardly tell her the whole truth. She wasn't ready for that, and to be honest, neither was he.

"Okay," she said, opening her book. Nathan opened his mouth, desperate for anything to say, but the words wouldn't come. Frustrated with himself and his lack of speaking abilities, he turned to his book too. But the words wouldn't make sense. He couldn't focus. With a quiet sigh, too quiet for Elizabeth to hear, he put the book down and stood. Elizabeth looked up at him in surprise.

"I'm pretty tired. It was a long day," he said by way of explanation. He leaned down, kissing her cheek as was his custom, trying to ignore how the feel of her soft skin against his lips wreaked havoc on his heart. "Goodnight, Elizabeth."

"Goodnight," she said, her eyes following him as he went up the stairs. He lay in his bed for a long time before being able to fall asleep. His mind wouldn't turn off. When he did finally fall asleep, it was fitful and full of dreams.

He was jolted awake in the middle of the night by a cry from across the room. Instantly in full protection mode, he swept aside the curtain dividing the room and saw that Elizabeth was thrashing around, crying out, tears streaking her face. His heart dropped and he sat on the side of her bed, shaking her shoulders. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth, wake up!"

"No," she moaned, eyes still closed. "Don't leave me, Jack. Don't leave!"

He felt sucker-punched as he realized she was dreaming about her late husband. Pressing down the emotions that raised, he shook her again gently. "Elizabeth!"

She jolted upright. In the moonlight Nathan could see that her eyes were unfocused and confused and terrified. She looked at him and squinted, unable to see him with the moon shining behind him. "Jack?" she whispered tremulously, putting a hand on his face. "You're alive!" she breathed. Before Nathan could explain otherwise, she leaned forward and kissed him with a passion that took his breath away, her arms finding their way around him and holding on tight. All rational thought left him. Against his better judgement, he found himself responding to her kiss with equal passion, his long hidden feelings finding an outlet.

His heart hammered wildly inside him as their kiss lengthened, his senses focused solely on Elizabeth. Something nagged at the back of his mind, though, which his muddled thoughts couldn't quite figure out. Then like a bolt of lightning it hit him. It wasn't him she was kissing. She thought he was Jack.

Nathan stiffened and pulled back. Every fiber of his being screamed at him for doing so, but he knew it was the right thing to do. She was going to be horrified when she realized what had just happened.

"Jack?" she said, a question in her voice. "What's wrong?"

Nathan felt sick. His emotions had gone from bliss to horror in the span of a few seconds, and now he wondered how on earth he was going to spare her feelings in this.

"Nothing's wrong," he said, a tremor in his voice. "Everything's fine. Go back to sleep, Elizabeth. I'll stay with you until you're sleeping."

"Okay," she said, a small smile on her lips. Nathan held her hand in his, waiting to hear her breathing even out again. He prayed that she would have a dreamless sleep this time. Within minutes, she was sleeping. He gently placed her hand under the covers and returned to his side of the room.

He stared at the ceiling for hours. Now that he'd had time to think about what happened, one thing was certain. This wasn't something he was going to be able to forget. The memory of that kiss was going to haunt him.