After dinner was finished, Nathan and Tom took Jack for a walk. As they walked, Tom couldn't help noticing his nephew's preference for Nathan, and he could see their mutual love. He couldn't wait to meet Allie and observe her interactions with Jack and Elizabeth.
Seeing that Jack had fallen asleep on Nathan's shoulder, Tom asked how things were going. "So, judging by what we saw earlier, I'm assuming that you and Elizabeth have dealt with another obstacle?"
"It would appear so," Nathan replied softly, trying not to wake Jack. "It certainly went better than I imagined it was going to."
"You must be thrilled with how things are going. I know the rest of the family, especially him, feel that way too." Tom said, indicating Jack. Nathan's eyes softened, and he looked down at Jack sleeping.
As if aware of Nathan looking at him, Jack snuggled his face in Nathan's neck and mumbled I love you before falling back asleep again. "I love you too, little man," Nathan whispered. Looking a Tom, a voice full of emotion, said, "I'm happy but also so afraid that something will happen that we can't figure out."
Tom smiled and said, "Why don't we sit for a moment." Indicating the log by the lake.
"Nathan, I understand how you are feeling. I had a similar experience with Julie. Now I can't predict the future, of course, but I knew Elizabeth and how she looked at my brother. I can say that I see that same look in her eyes whenever she looks at you, especially when you're interacting with Jack." Tom said. "You even have William's approval; I can tell you that isn't easily achieved."
"I appreciate your encouragement, Tom. Sometimes it seems surreal that I am here among you after carrying guilt over Jack for so long. I never expected to fall in love when I went to Hope Valley to watch out for his family. I fought hard and tried to keep my distance, but she wouldn't let me." Nathan said, chuckling.
"I can only imagine. If you haven't figured it out yet, Nathan, those two can be tenacious." Tom replied, chuckling. "But for them, I think it is a good thing. However, Grace and Viola are another story."
"Do you think they will be okay with Elizabeth and me?" Nathan asked.
"No, they won't, Nathan," Tom said, chuckling. "But it doesn't matter what they think."
"I don't know about that, Tom," Nathan said. "I imagine it could stress a relationship if the families don't get along."
"They still don't accept me even now that we are married. Now that we are starting a family, I think they tolerate me; at least, Grace does. I don't think I will ever have Viola's approval though Lionel isn't too bad."
"Isn't he a member of the British peerage?" Nathan asked.
"He is, but you wouldn't know it because he can be down to earth when Viola isn't around. As I said, William approves of you, and I know Aunt Agatha will too. Not that it matters because, much to the annoyance of Grace and Viola, the girls don't care. Lizzie made that clear at the last dinner at the Thatcher estate before coming here. I wish you could have seen it, Nathan, because she was magnificent when she put Grace, Viola, and Charles in their place."
"Charles Kensington was at the dinner?"
"Much to our annoyance, he was. As I mentioned, Grace and Viola have it in their heads that Elizabeth belongs with him. But Grace messed up when she accepted invitations for Elizabeth and even stated that Charles would be her escort for them." Tom said with a smirk.
"I can't imagine that went over with her because she does not like to be told what to do or make decisions without asking her," Nathan said, chuckling.
"Oh, it didn't, and she told them in so many words that they wouldn't be part of her life if they couldn't respect her or her decisions."
"Really?" Nathan said, brightening.
"Yep, and she made a point of saying that it included whom she chose to spend her life with, no matter what he did for a living. They never approved of Jack because he was a Mountie, but I think I can safely say she was referring to you." Nathan didn't say anything, but inside he could feel the anxiety that he was feeling at ease. "Honestly, it will be nice to have another friend at the numerous family social events. They can sometimes be tedious, so we can team up and watch each other's backs."
Nathan chuckled at that and said, "I must admit that makes me feel better but let's not get ahead of ourselves. But I hope that it becomes a reality more than you know. Unfortunately, there is still Allie and the physical distance between our homes. Although I feel that they may not be as big a hurdle as I once thought."
"I'm glad to hear that, Nathan, because from what I see, you two are perfect for one another. For that matter, you are a perfect fit in our family Nathan. You have never tried taking Jack's place, and you don't feel threatened by his memory. You have encouraged Elizabeth and Jack to talk about him. You respect him and show honor to his memory through your actions. Even in Hope Valley, you made your own place without erasing his. I want to say thank you, Nathan, for all of it. We better get this little guy home so he can go to bed." Tom said, standing up.
"Thanks for talking with me, Tom," Nathan said as they headed towards the house. "I will never attempt to take your brother's place with Elizabeth and Jack."
"Never had any doubts about that, Nathan," Tom said. As they reached the house, he added with a smirk, "I'm sure you want to spend some uninterrupted time with your girl in the moonlight. So why don't you hand him over, and I'll send her on out." Then with a wink, he entered the house.
Before long, Elizabeth came out and pulled him into her arms.
"I was about to send out a search party for you, Inspector," she said, pulling back to look up at him. Nathan couldn't say anything because he was mesmerized by her beauty in the moonlight.
He briefly saw a fire light in her eyes before she pulled his head down and captured his lips with hers. She continued to shower him with affection for a few minutes, which was like a balm to his soul. When she pulled back, Nathan just wanted to pull her right back into another one. But he knew that Allie would be arriving the day after tomorrow, bringing new challenges. There were still things they needed to discuss, however. But since they started talking, physical affection was a part of it even though they had agreed to avoid it. What they hadn't counted on was that the more they talked and worked through, the stronger the pull was for physical affection.
"Why don't we go over to the fire pit? I put some wood over there for us and some cider, not spiked if you are thirsty." Elizabeth said, having similar thoughts to Nathan.
"I'd like that, Lizbeth; I am thirsty," Nathan said.
"I figured it would be far enough that we could talk in privacy. Not that I think they would disturb us since they know we still have issues to discuss." Elizabeth said, sitting down and watching Nathan build a fire.
Nathan turned to join Elizabeth on the bench she was sitting on. She was looking at him in a way that warmed him. He instantly recognized it as one he observed in his mirror whenever he thought of her. Suddenly all the worry and fear he still had was erased as he went over and pulled her up against him into a fiery kiss. Nathan and Elizabeth were quickly caught up as the passion engulfed them. While they had shared other passionate kisses, this one was different, and they knew it. It resulted from them truly connecting in their hearts for the first time as Nathan saw that Elizabeth had completely opened her heart to him. She was utterly, irrevocably his, and it reflected in her eyes when she looked at him.
After a few moments, they pulled away and sat down, still cuddled. Neither said a word as they waited for their hearts to calm and their breathing to return to normal. But anyone looking at them wouldn't miss the goofy smiles they had on their faces. It was Elizabeth that broke the silence first.
"Nathan, I want you to know that I love you and Allie more than I can say. I hope that that kiss we just shared means you finally believe it." Nathan took a finger and gently lifted her face to look into her eyes as he answered.
"It does, Lizbeth," Nathan said before he gently touched her lips with hers briefly. "I can see it now when you look at me."
"I'm glad, Nathan, and I ask for your forgiveness for everything I put you and Allie through. I will regret that more than you know."
"I have already forgiven you, Lizbeth, so you don't have to keep apologizing to me for the past, sweetheart," Nathan said, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. They just sat in companionable silence, basking in their love for a short time. Nathan sat thinking about everything they had been able to work through in their short time together. As he did, there was one last thing that he wanted to ask about that he had wondered about for a long time.
"Elizabeth," Nathan said, pausing until she looked at him. Can I ask you why you went to Union City with Lucas?"
Elizabeth blushed and cast her eyes down in embarrassment. Nathan gently put a finger under her chin and returned her eyes to his. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, sweetheart."
Elizabeth smiled and said, "I'm just ashamed about the reason. It was not my finest hour, and I wouldn't have gone if I had to do it over again. But to be honest, it was less about Lucas and more about wanting to see Virginia Woolf. If it's any consolation, I struggled a lot with whether I wanted to go or not. Looking back now, knowing how much I struggled, I probably should not have gone in the first place."
"That does make me feel better, Elizabeth." He said with a smile. "Although it hurt that you didn't even tell me before I left when we talked. Then I came back the next day and had to hear about it."
"Oh, Nathan, I am so sorry about that." She said, kissing him on the cheek. "I didn't know until after you left, so I wasn't hiding it from you."
Nathan laughed, "It's fine. But you should have seen it, Elizabeth. Here I am getting off the stage, and I run into Florence and Molly; they are acting strange. Then I run into Lee and Rosemary with Jack. I inquired about your whereabouts, and I think I said something about them giving you a break. Of course, they mumbled something and quickly left. I remember shaking my head, wondering what had gotten into everybody." By this time, they were both giggling. "They avoided looking me in the eye, so I went on to the Jail. Then poor Allie comes in, obviously upset, and asks me whether to tell someone something that would be hurtful. So, I put two and two together and told her to tell me. After she did, I went and chopped a lot of wood."
"I wish I could have seen that," she mumbled suddenly picturing other times she had watched him. Nathan noticed that she appeared deep in thought and began to worry until the blush appeared. He just smirked, knowing exactly what she was thinking about. He also made a mental note to look around and see how Charlotte's wood supply was doing. Elizabeth realized that she hadn't said anything and Nathan was looking at her amused.
"Oh, poor Allie, I can only imagine how awkward that had to be. I'm so sorry about hurting you like that, Nathan. If it's any consolation, Lucas didn't even read the book. He admitted doing it to gain my favor just like he did by giving me space for the library. He even got me a book that she signed with a leather cover. While I appreciate the gesture, I also saw the motivation behind it. It was always designed, I think to remind me of Hamilton, which is not what I want. While visiting once in a while is fine, it's not something I want or need every day. I can say that it's not the kind of lifestyle I want to raise Jack in. For a time, I won't lie and say there wasn't an appeal, but now I realize it was because it was opposite what I was running from. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, it does, Elizabeth."
"Good, I'm glad we could talk about all of this now.
"I sometimes wonder if things would have gone better if I had just come out and told you about Fort Clay from the beginning.
I've thought about that, and I'm not sure it would have been any better because I might have kept my guard up, and then our friendship wouldn't have grown the way it had. I think our friendship developed first, and it helped create that deep connection we had from the beginning. The love grew from the friendship as we got to know each other. Nathan, above everything, you are one of my dearest and, if I'm honest, one of my best friends though I'm hoping for more. But that connection that I feel with you will never go away for me.
"As for the book, how the publishing deal came about isn't as important as how the book did."
"What do you mean?" Nathan said.
"Nathan, do you remember that day at the pond when you asked me what was in my heart?
I do because it was the day I learned you were an author. I remember how beautiful you were standing there and how much I dreamed you were waiting for me to come along."
"Well, as you know, I always tried to find you standing outside the jail, watching over the town. That day I remember just thinking of how handsome you were sitting atop Newton.
"Yes, well, what I didn't say was that Lucas had read my book of stories that you had seen that day, and he read them, and he said that while the book was good, it just lacked something. Then he said that his mother always said that good writing comes from the heart, remember?"
"Now that you mention it, I do remember. But I didn't know how that came about; I've always wondered how he became involved with your writing.
"We were talking one day, and I was telling Lucas that I always wanted to be a published writer and that I had tried to get published, and that was unsuccessful. He told me that he was willing to read my story and give me his thoughts." Nathan was now beginning to see how Lucas had wormed his way in.
"Anyway, the day you came by the dock, I had been sitting there and was going to give up on writing something that would be published. But you changed everything, and I achieved that dream because of you."
"Because of me?" he said. "How so? Because Lucas is the one who got you the publishing deal."
She smiled and kissed him gently, then continued. "My stories have always been about my students, and some were actually about Theodore the Mountie," she said, blushing.
"Really, there was a Mountie involved? One named Theodore at that?" he teased, giving her a kiss. They got lost in the kiss for a few minutes before Elizabeth pulled away.
"Anyway, Nathan," she said, giggling, "That day I knew you were in my heart, and I want you to know that it is because of you that Single Mother on the Frontier was written. I started writing stories longhand, and Jack bought me a typewriter one day. At the time, he was my inspiration for my first book and encouraged me to keep writing. He published my first one as a surprise and did the illustrations. That was the one that you saw that day at the pond. I brought this up because you were my inspiration for the published second book. When you asked me what was in my heart, Jack responded to you; I knew what I wanted to write about. So, you are the reason that I had a story to write. Lucas may have helped get it published, but you were the inspiration behind it. You have always respected me, but he sent chapters to his mother without my permission, knowing I would have said no."
"Oh, I am so sorry, Elizabeth though I can't say I am surprised. I'll have to get a copy and read it when Allie and I get home. I couldn't bring myself to read it when it was released."
"That's all right, Nathan; I completely understand. I had Rosemary send a copy so I could give it to you when we return to the house. I hope that when you finish reading the story, it will ease your mind."
"I'm sure it will," Nathan said softly, drawing her lips to his. Instead of passion taking over, the kiss remained gentle. They took turns giving and receiving assurance that they were on the same page and fully committed to wherever their path led.
Elizabeth was the first to pull back, giggling. "We aren't doing very well with our boundaries about physical affection."
"I've noticed that, too," Nathan said, chuckling. "I also notice that the desire to kiss gets stronger as we draw closer."
"Well, we have discussed many difficult issues and overcame most of our hurdles. I never thought it would be possible for us, but now I truly see a future and a family in our future. Do you?"
"I do see a future together, too, Lizbeth. It gets clearer every day we spend together and talk. But Allie is probably our biggest hurdle and won't be easy to overcome. I want to prepare you for that," Nathan said. "I think having Opal here will help ease your way some, but she won't be as easy to convince."
Elizabeth bit her lip, and tears welled up. "I know that Nathan and I am prepared. I would like to have an initial discussion with you present when she first arrives since I know that she was afraid to talk with me alone. I want to ensure she is comfortable while here, too, so she will enjoy her stay. Then I think it would be best to allow her to lead our interactions after that. Would you be comfortable with my doing that?"
"I think that is a wonderful idea, my love, and I know you are nervous about it. But I do not doubt that the two of you will repair your relationship though it may take some time. I think that you and I have worked things out and will go a long way toward that goal. It will also help her see how much you have changed."
"Do you think so?" Elizabeth asked.
"I do, my love. Now give me one more proper kiss and then we should put this fire out and call it a night. I don't want the hands to be mad at me because I kept the cook up too late." Nathan said, gathering her to him and lowering his head. Elizabeth was more than willing to comply with that request and proved it to Nathan's delight.