Because after episode two, we ALL needed this missing moment as soon as humanly possible. Enjoy! :)

"So you think I'm competitive?"

He pulled her to a stop, encouraging her to face him, a playful grin plastered on his face. Elizabeth's immediate response came in the form of a hum as she glanced around them, turning away for a moment as her eyes set on the gas station.

Lucas watched the way she contemplated as he waited for her response, eager to find out what she meant by competitive, but her pause turned his gaze outside of town as well. She turned back to him, and he grew puzzled as to what she could be planning.

"I'll race you to the gas station."

Finally comprehending what she'd been looking at, he went back and forth between the gas station and her hopeful face before giving a slight nod to signal his agreement. He should have known better than to believe it would be a fair start though, especially after her tricks when they raced on horseback all those weeks ago.

"Ready? Go!" Elizabeth hurried, and before he knew it she was off, racing in the direction of Valley Gas.

He sprung forward after her, basket still in hand, but he knew already that his long legs wouldn't help him too much. She was fast, and with a head start, he couldn't help but laugh at the fact that this was how he'd spent most of his life for the past three years: chasing after the woman of his dreams.

"Hey!" Lucas called out, and he was rewarded with a brief glance back over her shoulder. It didn't slow her down though, and as Hope Valley looked on, the couple ran toward the small building just outside of town.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, was certain that she'd be proven right in a matter of seconds. Lucas was competitive, but at the end of the day, so was she, and it only spurred her on. Ahead of her, the station was quickly approaching. She knew Lucas was behind her, but she didn't dare look back again. She needed to focus, and she eased into a full sprint for the last stretch of their little race.

She could see it now, the clear outline of the logo and the door handle she figured she'd touch as a signal to be crowned winner, but before she could close the last few yards, a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind.

"Lucas!" Elizabeth squealed, delight echoing in her voice. She let him pick her up off the ground, swinging her around a few times before setting her firmly back on her feet. He'd obviously dropped her basket somewhere along the way, but she didn't care.

He was quick to move, spinning her in his arms so he could pepper her with kisses, his lips touching every last part of her face as she giggled in response.

"You're cheating," she protested.

"Am I?" He returned innocently, his voice lilting the same way he'd done just minutes earlier as they walked through town.

Elizabeth nodded, and then grabbed his face in her hands, dragging him down to firmly press her lips against his. She rose to the tips of her toes, and relished in the feeling of his hands securely around her waist. But as she began to laugh, the kiss began to break apart and she seized the moment to finish what they'd started.

As Lucas tried to follow her, eager to continue their kiss, she broke free of his embrace and rushed the last few yards to the gas station. As her hand rested on the doorknob, she turned back proudly, head held high.

Her suitor still stood in the road, a slightly dumbfounded look on his face, jaw hanging slightly open.

"It looks like you lost, Mr. Bouchard," Elizabeth goaded, breathing heavily, from their race and their kiss.

Lucas chuckled warmly, shaking his head from side to side as he closed the space between them. With her standing on the step, he was slightly shorter than she was when he came to a stop in front of her.

Her stomach fluttered at his gaze, filled with passion and, dare she say it, love, and she leaned against him when he took her into his arms again.

"I don't know about that," Lucas started, looking up at her. "It seems to me I've won fair and square."

"And how is that?" she whispered, inching closer to him.

"I'm here with you, and that is worth more to me than winning any old race."