Chapter 7 - What The Heart Deserves

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh as she watched Little Jack running through the tall grass. The little boy's sounds of joy filled the clearing as Jack raced back and forth through the sea of brilliant green growth, using his hands to part the swaying plants as he went. There was a slight breeze that made it appear as if the entire area were laughing with delight along with Elizabeth.

She sat on a thick, quilted blanket not far from her son. It was a comfortable way to spend the afternoon, especially after the enormous lunch they had shared back in town.

Lucas smiled beside her, his eyes admiring the way that every time she laughed, her cheeks rose up and her teeth shone brightly in the afternoon sun.

"You are certainly enjoying yourself," he said. "If this is any indication of what it's like to live with Little Jack around, it's no wonder you never want to leave his side."

Again, Elizabeth giggled gently. Her eyes stole a glance at Lucas before returning to watch Jack as he tripped over one of his shoes and tumbled into the grass. The growth was so springy that it cushioned his fall, practically sending him immediately back onto his feet so that he could continue racing around.

"Watching Jack is one of my favorite things in the world," Elizabeth said. "He's still so little, but I can hardly remember a time when he wasn't the center of my universe. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it's the only way I can describe it."

Lucas reached a hand across the blanket and placed it on hers, giving it a squeeze.

"I think that makes perfect sense," he said. "I'm certainly not a parent, but I've read enough to know that once you have a child in your life, they become everything to you."

Elizabeth leaned towards him so that she could nudge him with her shoulder.

"Well, Mister Bouchard, if you're going to be courting me, technically that makes you a parent." She paused to see how he would react. Would he be nervous? Would he show any sort of discomfort? It was funny that she had known Lucas this long, but she still felt like there was so much more to know.

The wind tugged at Lucas's dark hair as he considered her statement. Then, simply, he raised his eyebrows and replied, "You know, you're absolutely right. I suppose being with you does make me a parent. In a way. I guess you can consider me a work in progress."

"A parent in training?"

Lucas tilted his head back as he chuckled.

"Is there such a thing as parental training? If there is, I wish someone had enrolled my parents when I was young. It would have been very helpful."

Elizabeth rested her head against him. "I'm afraid such a thing is just the result of my overactive imagination."

"Your author's brain," Lucas clarified.

"Exactly."

There was a lull in their banter, filled only by the sound of the wind accentuated by Jack's playing. Lucas nuzzled his chin against Elizabeth's hair when he spoke once more.

"How am I doing? With Little Jack?"

"I have no complaints," she replied. "Not yet, at least. There's always time to make a mistake."

"Is there? I have a hard time imagining you making a mistake when it comes to Little Jack."

She pressed against him even more in response.

"That's very sweet of you to say, Lucas, but I'm hardly perfect. Sometimes Jack gets away from me when we go into town, and I'm not fast enough to catch him before he falls. I think the part of being a parent that nobody prepares you for is the amount of worrying you will do."

Lucas wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. It was one of the many things he did that made Elizabeth feel comforted. Usually unexpected on her part, Lucas seemed to know when she needed support.

She sighed. "I suppose sometimes I worry for no reason at all, but I can't help it."

"That's how you know that you're doing a good job," said Lucas, causing Elizabeth to glance up at him. He elaborated. "Worrying means that you care."

She blinked, looking down at the blanket for a moment before speaking what was on her mind.

"Do you worry about anything, Lucas?"

He grinned self-consciously, avoiding her gaze.

"Of course."

When he didn't go on, Elizabeth pressed further.

"Do you care to share any of those things with me?"

"And risk them going into your next book?" He chuckled.

"Don't worry - I won't put it in," she reassured him. "Just try me. Give me something trivial that you worry about. Make me feel like I'm not the only unreasonable person in this clearing."

"Ah…let me see." His voice trailed off, taken away by the breeze. Elizabeth waited earnestly, enjoying the anticipation of what Lucas might admit. It was one of the games that they had played. A sort of prolonged question and answer session that kept popping back up when the mood arose. Usually it was Elizabeth answering the questions, but she was beginning to catch up with Lucas.

Finally he cleared his throat and answered.

"Well…I suppose I worried about today, if I'm being honest."

"Oh? Why would you worry about something like that?"

He gave her a look. "Elizabeth, you can't possibly believe that I'm always completely put together one hundred per-cent of the time."

Her mouth opened in protest. "But, this is so beautiful! I knew you had a surprise for us, but I never thought it would be an afternoon in such a peaceful place. I didn't even know that this clearing was up here."

"And neither did I until a few days ago," Lucas said. "I only found it when I went with Mike to map out possible routes for the oil pipeline. Needless to say, I was just as surprised as you are that this was hiding right under our noses." He breathed in deeply. "Days like today take planning. I feel like I'm always looking at a ledger, or jotting down a note. Things to remember. Dates. People to write to. Provisions to order." He pressed his lips together as Elizabeth sat up to look at him properly. "I can only say that I'm glad Henry gave the manager's job to Mike instead of me. Otherwise I'm afraid I would never be able to go anywhere."

Elizabeth folded her hands in her lap. She stretched her neck to feel the breeze against her.

"I guess I never thought about that," she said. "The amount of planning you do. You make it look so easy."

"I can say the same thing about you when it comes to being a mother," he smiled. "I think we both make what we do appear easy, even though deep down we see all the little imperfections. The anomalies. The unexpected things. And we adapt to them."

Elizabeth was the one to reach out this time and take Lucas's hand in hers. She ran her thumb along his.

"I'd say we're both doing an admirable job," she told him. "I'll support you, if you'll support me? Nobody needs to know that we're both terrified at times."

His blush made her laugh. He held up a finger.

"I wouldn't say 'terrified', but...nervous at times."

"Alright," she agreed. "Nervous. What was that old saying? It was something like...what are friends for if not to share a heavy burden?"

Lucas nodded. "I like that. Will you share my burdens with me, Elizabeth Thornton, if I share your burdens with you?"

"I think I can agree to that." She nestled against him and they both glanced up as Little Jack came barreling out of the grass towards them. He was laughing and waving his arms up in the air. He didn't stop running until he jumped into Elizabeth's arms. "There you are, Jack!" she said playfully. "I thought the grass ate you all up! Did you have fun out there, running around?"

Though Jack was only starting to learn his words, he was still expressive in other ways. He nodded excitedly at the question.

"Good!" said Elizabeth before kissing him on the top of the head. "I'm having fun just watching you. Are you all done?"

Without missing a beat, Jack shook his head with an exaggerated frown.

"No? You're just taking a break?"

Another nod. She wrapped her arms around him.

"You can take a break with me," she said.

The three of them sat there listening to the leaves in the trees and the occasional squirrel dropping acorns. It was one of those moments that Elizabeth had grown to love. She couldn't find such peace anywhere else in the world, and these were just the people that she wanted to share that peace with.

Lucas stirred suddenly, moving away from them to reach into a large wicker picnic basket that he brought with them. It didn't have food or anything like that in it, but rather it was what he had used to store the blanket they were sitting on. Elizabeth had thought that the blanket was the only thing inside, but now it appeared that she was wrong.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"I have a present for Little Jack," said Lucas. "I was saving it until we were on our way back, but now seems as good a time as any to give it to him."

He returned to them with a small rectangular box, just big enough for Jack to hold in his hands. Jack's eyes lit up when he saw the bright red wrapping paper that shimmered in the sunlight.

"This is for you, little man," said Lucas. "I hope you like it."

Elizabeth was just as surprised as Jack. She gave Lucas a knowing smile before helping Jack to grasp one edge of the wrapping paper.

"There you go," she encouraged him. "Tear it off. That's it - you're doing a great job! I wonder what's inside. Do you know what it is?"

Jack got more and more excited as he reached the plain lid of the box. Then, with trembling hands, he pulled the box open to reveal a fuzzy, heather gray stuffed puppy complete with shiny black button eyes and a stitched nose. There was even a delicate pink tongue sticking out that was made of felt.

Elizabeth's heart melted at the sight of it.

"Oh, Lucas…"

Jack wasted no time in pulling the toy from the box and squeezing it with a delighted squeal.

"Puh…" he started to say, his voice high pitched. "Puddy!"

"That's right!" said Elizabeth, beaming. "It's a puppy!"

Jack was already squeezing and hugging the little plush toy in a grip so tight that it would take a vice to pry it from him. When Elizabeth looked over at Lucas she saw that the man was just as thrilled with Little Jack's reception as she was.

"Where did you find something like this?" she asked.

"I made some calls," Lucas explained. "One of my associates in the city scoured every toy shop in the area until they found what I was looking for."

"And what made you decide on a puppy?" Her eyes sparkled.

"It's simple, really," Lucas replied, his head tilting down slightly. "Every little boy needs a trusty dog at his side. I figured this one was a good start. I hope I chose well."

Elizabeth leaned into him to plant a kiss lightly on his lips.

"I think you chose perfectly."

Before anything else could happen, Little Jack leaped back up and ran into the grass with his new puppy in tow. The ears and tail flapped this way and that, and soon they both disappeared into the field.

"And," said Elizabeth, "I think that we're not quite done playing."

"That's fine by me," Lucas replied, settling back down beside her. "We have all the time in the world."