Just a short one today, but I wanted to get something out for you all for being so patient! I'm hoping to have another longer one up by the end of this week as well for you all to enjoy, and I'm also hopeful that my plot-driven fic will be worth it for all of you when we get there since that's what's been taking up most of my free time haha!
But regardless, here's a cute little moment for you! Enjoy!
He was late, and to Elizabeth this felt all too familiar.
Lucas had called her from Union City to tell her that he was on his way back to Hope Valley, but that was nearly two days ago, and he still hadn't arrived. He'd refused to tell her why he was making the trip, citing it as a surprise, so she had no idea why he'd even gone in the first place.
"I'm sure he's fine," Rosemary insisted before taking a sip of the tea in front of her.
Elizabeth continued her trek back and forth across the main room of her row house, her own tea long forgotten on the table. "You don't know that, Rosemary. What if something happened to him?"
"This is Lucas we're talking about. He's a smart man, Elizabeth, and that man is more determined to come home to you now than ever" she pointed out, nodding to the new ring proudly displayed on Elizabeth's finger.
She paused, looking down at her hand, fingers lightly brushing the engagement ring. When Lucas hadn't returned the first night, Elizabeth assumed that he had simply been held up long enough that it was too late to check in with her, instead opting to return directly to his suite at the Queen of Hearts. But when he was nowhere to be found the next morning, she grew concerned. Nathan, along with several other townspeople, had immediately set out on the road toward Union City in an attempt to locate him, but so far no one had returned with any luck.
"I just can't do this again" Elizabeth said, finally stopping her pacing to collapse on the settee, her head in her hands. "I can't lose him too."
Rosemary set down her tea and stood, crossing the room to sit next to her best friend. "And you won't. Any minute now he's going to walk through that door and everything will be just fine."
"But what if he doesn't?" she lamented, her thoughts quickly spiraling out of control. "What if his car crashed and he's injured or worse? What if he got into trouble elsewhere? What if there's something he hadn't told me and this trip was to settle some sort of dangerous business with the likes of…"
"Elizabeth" Rosemary scolded lightly, taking Elizabeth's hand in hers and giving it a pat with her other hand. "Lucas would never do anything to put you, Little Jack, or himself in danger. Florence said that there was a bad storm in Union City the other day that knocked out some phone lines and he probably just stayed the extra night to be safe."
Right. The storm. All had thankfully been quiet in Hope Valley, but the news of the storm that had knocked out half the power in the nearby city had quickly made its way to town, doing nothing to ease her worries.
She was about to continue on, new concerns about what could have happened to Lucas in such a storm popping into her mind, when Lee made his way through the door. Both women looked up at him quickly.
"Elizabeth, I think you should come outside" he said, his expression unreadable to a worried Elizabeth. Rosemary, however, caught the hint of a smile on her husband's lips.
Without hesitation, Elizabeth shot to her feet, rushing past Lee and out her front door, fearing the worst.
But when she got outside, she had nothing to be worried about. Lucas stood in front of his car, which was covered in a good amount of mud and had the spare subbing in for one of the back tires, but she barely had time to recognize any of it as she launched herself into his arms.
Lucas laughed as she held his face in her hands, pressing featherlight kisses to every inch she could reach before holding onto him fiercely, arms wrapped around his neck.
"I'm sorry I'm late" he apologized, pulling her tightly against him as he settled his head into the crook of her neck. "My car got a flat and…"
Elizabeth cut him off by pulling back and pressing her lips to his in a display of public affection she typically wouldn't indulge in. But right now she didn't care. Lucas was here, in her arms, and he was safe, and that's all that mattered.
Later that evening, when they were settled in on the settee, Little Jack sitting nearby as he eagerly looked at the new picture book Lucas had brought him from Union City, she pressed herself a little closer to his side. "Please never leave me again" she told him, her voice a whisper he barely caught.
"If I can help it, I never will," he replied, kissing her temple before resting his head against hers.