The steady creak of the rocking chair filled Little Jack's room, as Elizabeth hummed to her sleeping son. He was snuggled against her chest, breathing softly. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, holding him close.
She wasn't sure what time it was, although the dimming sunlight suggested sometime around seven to eight p.m. Sighing, she sunk back deeper into the chair, lowering her head to her son's. She placed a soft kiss to his hair, thanking God for the thousandth time that they were both home, safe and sound.
Nearly a day had passed since her and Lucas' harrowing ordeal with Spurlock. Bill had dropped her off the night before at Lee and Rosemary's house, where she'd finally been reunited with Little Jack. She'd completely broken down into sobs at the sight of him, and he'd never been more than a few feet from her since.
Her and Jack had stayed the night with the Coulters, and she'd continued to sleep throughout most of the next day. Everything from the past week finally seemed to catch up with her all at once. Finally, her and Jack had gone home that afternoon, much to their friends' dismay.
As much as she loved Lee and Rosemary, she was ready for things to go back to normal. And yet, she knew they never would. Not after the night her and Lucas had had.
A knock sounded from downstairs, breaking her line of thought. Slowly she rose from the rocker, and made her way toward the stairs, Jack still securely tucked in her arms. Upon reaching the living room she gently lowered Little Jack into his play pen. Her fingers gently brushed over his head, before she started for the door.
Upon opening it, she found Bill standing outside. He smiled at her warmly.
"Evening Elizabeth. I just thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing."
She smiled back at him, motioning for him to enter. "Thank you, but I'm just fine." She knew Bill was here to interrogate her wellbeing, and while his concern touched her, she wasn't quite ready to talk about "everything" yet.
He eyed her as he walked past, his brow raised. "Really?"
She closed the door, rolling her eyes internally. "Yes. Really." Turning she found him staring at her, disbelief in his gaze.
"Elizabeth." He replied softly, taking a step toward her. "You were kidnapped and held at gunpoint. It's okay if you're still a little shaken."
As if she needed him to remind her. A shiver went down her spine, as she worked to block the images that rose. Spurlock. The gun pointed at her face. Beaten and broken Lucas….
Suddenly Bill's voice broke through her thoughts. "You know you can always talk to me, right?"
Her eyes jerked to him, and she saw the concern in his gaze. She nodded, not quite sure what to say. Inside she honestly wanted to forget the whole incident with Spurlock ever happened.
She'd already relived it twice through nightmares, and every time it left her shaken.
"Good." Bill answered softly, though his voice still carried an edge of worry. "I also wanted to let you know that Spurlock and his criminal gang are on their way to Union City prison as we speak."
"I see." She answered, her mind racing. Her brain still hadn't quite grasped the fact that her and Little Jack were finally safe. Although she did feel a rush of relief knowing those terrible men were far away.
A slight smirk crossed Bill's face. "That James Jenkins finally caved after learning that his buddies weren't going to bust him out of jail. He confessed that he was the one who broke in your house. Apparently, Spurlock was using him as a decoy."
Her lips pressed tight, her chest constricting. "Well, it worked." A spark of anger flared up at the thought of James threatening her own son.
Bill hesitated a moment before he spoke again. "He also told us that Harvey McElroy had hired Spurlock to track down Jeanie, after breaking him out of prison. I gather they're old acquaintances."
Suddenly her eyes widened. Well, that solved her questions about Spurlock getting out of prison. But truthfully, she was more concerned about Jeanie.
She'd heard from Lee how Jeanie was also held at gunpoint the same night she and Lucas were. She didn't have all the details but her heart had gone out to the poor girl. She knew what that was like first hand. "Is she okay?" She asked worriedly.
Bill nodded. "She's fine." A slight snort escaped him. "I hear she's giving Lucas quite the time. Apparently, she's a very strict nurse."
Tension suddenly filled the room as he mentioned Lucas' name. Her heart stirred inside her, heat flooding her face. She hadn't seen Lucas since the other night at the infirmary.
Inside she was desperate to know how he was doing. He'd taken the brunt of the chaos that evening, and she needed to know that he was okay. Truthfully, she'd wanted to go see him, yet couldn't bring herself to.
She knew she wasn't ready. Inside she'd yet to untangle the giant mess her emotions were currently in. Seeing him right now might only bring him more pain, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Internally she hoped Bill couldn't see how flustered she was. His eyes seemed to search her face a moment, before he spoke gently. "Lucas asked about you, you know."
Her heart fluttered. "Oh?" He'd asked about her? She shook herself mentally, suddenly feeling silly. Of course, he had. And she'd probably worried him sick by staying away.
"He wanted to know how you're doing." Bill continued, taking another step toward her. It was as if he was trying to judge her response.
She worked to keep a straight face, but couldn't keep her concern from her voice. "How is he?"
"He's pretty banged up, but he'll live." Bill replied casually, as if he was trying to spare her from worrying. "Carson says his rib is only slightly fractured, and should heal up in a month or two."
Her chest tensed, her heart aching at the pain he must be in. And it all happened because he was trying to protect her. Guilt shoved its finger at her, placing a weight on her heart.
Bill seemed to read her thoughts. "You know this isn't your fault, right?"
She sighed. "I know." And she did. It just didn't feel like it sometimes. She ran her hands nervously down her skirt, fumbling for something to say. "Well, you can tell him I'm fine."
Suddenly Bill's face twisted, is if he was afraid to say whatever he was thinking. "Or…you could." He finally replied gently. "You know, I don't know exactly what happened between you two, but…"
"Nothing happened." She quickly spat the words out, wincing at how obvious she sounded.
Bill raised a brow at her. "Really?"
She opened her mouth to deny it again, but the words stuck to her tongue. What was she doing? Things had gone too far to deny them anymore. And Bill even saw her holding onto Lucas for dear life. A fact that brought an uncomfortable heat to her cheeks.
Finally, she sighed, her shoulders dropping in surrender. "What do I do, Bill?" She hated how helpless she sounded. "I care about Lucas…a lot. I just…." She shook her head, trying for the one hundredth time to muddle through the chaos in her heart. "I don't understand why I'm so confused."
Bill's expression softened, his eyes filling with understanding. "Elizabeth," He walked to her, taking her hands in his. "Having feelings for someone after losing your husband isn't going to be easy. You made a promise to love Jack, and now it feels wrong to feel something for someone else."
Her gaze dropped as tears pricked the back of her eyes, a soft pain filling her chest. Jack's face flashed before her, and she bit her lip. How could she ever move on?
After hesitating a moment Bill spoke again, his voice full of emotion. "But I know that Jack didn't want you to spend the rest of your life alone." Her heart jumped at his words, her eyes going back to his face. There was a certainty in his gaze. A sureness in his voice.
"Having feelings for someone new doesn't take away what you had with Jack." He continued. "He'll always have a special place in your heart."
A single tear escaped her, his honesty striking her deep inside. She smiled to herself, knowing Jack would forever be in her heart. Always.
Bill looked to her gently, wiping the tear from her face. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's okay to let go and move on. It's what Jack wanted and, if it helps, know that you have my support whatever you decide to do."
And with one look at him, she knew he meant what he'd said. More tears filled her eyes. But this time they came from a mixture of sadness from the past, and pure thankfulness for the friend she had in Bill.
Smiling up at him, she wrapped him in a warm hug. "Thank you." Was all she could say.
Inside her emotions swirled, far too strong and confusing to decipher now. But somehow things seemed just a slight bit easier.
"Lucas Bouchard, what on earth are you doing out of bed?"
Lucas worked to hold back a grin, as he caught his sister standing in front of him, her hands firmly on her hips. After being in bed all morning, he'd managed to dress and sneak down to sit in the saloon. While everything still hurt, he'd been quite pleased how he'd cleverly evaded his drill sergeant sister. Apparently, she wasn't as impressed.
He raised his coffee cup to his lips, raising his brows innocently. "Just reading the paper, while drinking your excellent coffee."
Jeanie's face tensed as she gave him her "no nonsense" look. Lips pressed tight she crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't you even think about getting smart with me, mister."
She then snatched the paper from his hand, and pressed his cup back to the table. "Now you march yourself right back upstairs."
Her pointer finger shot toward the stairs, and it took all of his self-control to keep from laughing. Ever since Carson had diagnosed his fractured rib and told him to take it easy for a while, Jeanie had appointed herself his personal nurse/guard. He'd been bed ridden for the past day, sleeping like an infant most of the time.
But he couldn't stay in bed today. His stomach twisted at the job he had ahead of him. He looked to his sister who still waited expectantly.
"Jeanie, I've already put this meeting off a day already."
Her eyes shot wide, her arms flaying. "Because you broke your rib and almost died."
"Slightly fractured." He corrected, although she never seemed to realize there was a difference. Neither did his rib, as it continued to burn like fire just to slip his jacket on.
He sighed, his shoulders dropping. "I just don't want to drag things on any longer. The men deserve to know so they can start making…other arrangements."
He winced at his final words, the truth hurting even more now that he'd spoken it out loud.
Suddenly Jeanie's face softened, understanding filling her gaze. "I'm sorry." She pulled a chair next to him, and plopped into it, placing a loving hand on his arm. "I know shutting Gowen Petroleum down isn't easy for you."
That didn't even begin to sum things up. He honestly felt like a failure. In the back of his mind, he wondered if maybe he'd handled things differently with Henry, then maybe the company wouldn't be shutting down now. But what-ifs wouldn't change his current situation.
Jeanie seemed to sense his guilt, tightening her grip on his arm. "Just remember it's only temporary. Once you find an investor, you'll have things running even better than when that Henry guy owned it."
Lucas smirked, the hope in her eyes making him feel the slightest bit better. He looked to her gratefully, giving her hand a pat. "I highly doubt it. But thank you."
She smiled back at him, and he thanked God again that his sister was here with him. He honestly didn't know how he would have made it through the past week without her. Suddenly her expression changed, as she reached for his coffee cup.
"So…" She started. "Did you see Elizabeth yet?"
His stomach instantly tensed at Elizabeth's name.
He honestly was amazed his sister had held out so long before asking him anything about her. Then again, he'd been asleep most of the time.
Nervously he cleared his throat, beginning to stand. "I'd better get going."
Jeanie's brow raised, as she gave him a knowing look. "Lucas…"
He sighed hopelessly, knowing she wasn't going to let this go until she got some sort of answer out of him. Slowly he dropped back into his chair. "Not yet."
Her eyes widened slightly, but her voice was soft. "Why not?"
Lucas shrugged, trying to find some reason. Truthfully, he'd almost gone over to see her multiple times. He was beside himself to know how she was doing. Bill had told him that she was doing well, but he needed to see for himself. Needed to see her sweet face, and look into her eyes.
But she'd told him she needed time, and he planned on giving it to her. Even if it killed him.
"Things are really difficult for her right now." He finally stumbled, unsure whether he was trying to convince his sister or himself. "I need to give her space."
Jeanie seemed to mull his words over, taking a sip of his coffee. "Did you kiss her yet?"
Instantly his eyes shot wide, and he started choking on his own breath. "I beg your pardon?"
She looked at him, seeming unaware of how bold her question had been. "You heard me."
Heat filled his face, and he began fidgeting in his chair. "That is none of your business." He tried to sound firm and clearly disgusted that she would ask him such a thing. But his words only made her eyes light up.
"You did!" She laughed in triumph, far too loud for his comfort. "Oh, I knew it!" She gave his good arm a shove. "I so knew it!"
Lucas felt the need to shrink down in his seat, as he caught a few patrons' heads turning their way. "Jeanie…" He sent her a warning glare, his face probably bright red by now.
She seemed to catch his meaning, biting her lip as she caught some stares. Still her eyes danced, as she lowered her voice to a hoarse whisper. "Tell me everything! Did she kiss you first, or did you kiss her?"
Lucas dropped his head to his hands, wishing he'd ignored her question and gone to work. Suddenly telling over a dozen men they were out of work didn't seem so hard. "Can we please change the subject?" He groaned, hoping she'd relent for once.
But as usual she ignored his begging. "You have to go see her today." She insisted, her face suddenly intense. "Guys who kiss and run are the worst."
His eyes widened, feeling like he'd just been punched in the stomach. "I didn't kiss and…" He stuttered, his words seeming tangled inside. He hadn't done that, had he? He shook his head helplessly. Of course, he hadn't.
"I didn't do that." He replied firmly. Slowly he sighed, trying to bring his emotions back under control. "Listen she told me that she needed time and I'm giving it to her. End of discussion."
"Alright." She smirked, seeming amused at his response. She nodded in mock seriousness, before raising the cup back to her lips. "If you say so."
Suddenly she began coughing hysterically, setting the cup down with a thump. Lucas moved to help her, when she leapt from her chair and darted behind him. His brows furrowed as he turned toward her, when suddenly Nathan's bright red serge caught his eye.
His chest tensed at Nathan's presence, but still flashed the man what he hoped was a genuine smile. "Morning, Nathan."
Nathan nodded stiffly, his eyes meeting his for a mere second before looking away. "Bouchard."
Lucas' stomach twisted. Well, that answered his question about where they stood. He hadn't really seen Nathan since the night of the "incident." He'd hoped that after some time Nathan might have cooled off, but the use of his last name said otherwise.
He knew Nathan blamed him for the whole mess, and obviously was furious thinking he'd put Elizabeth in danger. Inside he felt terrible about it too, and had gone over the situation so many times wondering if he could have handled things differently. But the result was always the same. He'd done all he could to keep her safe, and by God's Grace they'd both lived.
The tension between him and Nathan was thick enough to cut with a knife. Still, he attempted to keep his voice light and casual. "Can I help you with something?"
Nathan shook his head firmly. "No. I'm just waiting for Gustave to finish my order."
Lucas' brows furrowed at the word "order." "This town must be keeping you busy if you can't even sit for lunch."
It may have been his imagination, but he thought Nathan's lips quirked. "Oh, it's not for me."
Lucas felt his chest tighten, but withheld his questions. He probably wouldn't like the answers anyway. Finally, a waitress appeared with a small basket, and handed it to Nathan with a smile. Nathan nodded his thanks before he turned and left without another word.
Lucas had a sinking feeling about where he was heading with that basket. Inside his mind raced with doubt. Had he waited too long? Suddenly he heard Jeanie scoff behind him, and remembered that she'd ducked behind him.
What was she doing?
She nearly stomped to her feet, nose scrunched as she looked toward the door. "Can you believe that guy?" Her hands flew to her hips, before she marched back to her seat. "I mean, who does he think he is?"
Lucas bit down a grin, as she plopped into the chair, crossing her arms firmly over her chest. Her eyes held such a fire to them, causing him to wonder. He had an odd feeling that something was going on between Nathan and his sister. He wasn't sure what, but he just had a hunch.
Slowly he leaned back casually in his chair, raising his brows innocently. "And what exactly did he just do?"
The look she shot at him could stop a pack of wolves, and he had to keep himself from laughing. "Lucas, even you are not that naive." She jerked her thumb in the direct Nathan had just left. "You know exactly where he's taking that basket."
Yes. He did. But he trusted Elizabeth, so he wasn't too concerned. Not much, anyway. But it was too much fun to tease his sister. "The thought did cross my mind." He quipped casually.
Jeanie blew a harsh breath, shaking her head stiffly. "That low-down, conniving, girl-stealing…"
"Did something happen between you two?" He looked to her, unable to hold back the question anymore.
Instantly her eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" She grabbed his coffee cup again, her eyes darting everywhere except his face. "What are you talking about?"
"Well," He shrugged. "Ever since Nathan saved you from Harvey, I've heard you call him over a dozen names. Including a stiff-necked cad with no sense of tact or personal space."
That last comment had made his chest tighten. He didn't know Nathan very well, but he'd thought he was an honorable man at least. Jeanie only shrugged, and his stomach twisted.
He lowered his gaze, trying to find hers. "Did he do something that I should be aware of?"
Quickly she cleared her throat, nearly jumping out of her seat. "You know, you really should get going." She darted behind him, tapping his shoulder in an attempt to make him stand. "After all you are the boss and the boss should never be late."
She laughed nervously, and suddenly he was more worried than ever. He stood and turned to face her, his voice soft but firm.
"Jeanie…"
Finally, she sighed, her face falling. "No." Her eyes found his, a calming certainty there. "I promise you. Nothing happened." Her brows rose, and she playfully patted his chest. "Okay, big brother?"
Lucas smirked, grasping her hand in his. "Okay."
He still felt she was hiding something, but could see the honesty in her words. Squeezing her hand, he looked to her softly. "You know I love you, right?"
She smiled brightly, raising a hand to tussle his hair. "Yes. And I love you. Even when you're bossy."
Lucas laughed, swatting her hand away. She giggled with him, before shooing him away with her hands.
"Now go on, before I send you back to your room."
He leaned down and planted a peck on her cheek, before raising a brow at her. "Now who's being bossy?"
She crossed her arms, her lips pulling in a smirk. He simply smiled before heading toward the door.