A few days before Thanksgiving, Elizabeth drove Nathan's car, yes drove, to the airport to pick up Lee, Rosie and Hope.

She could not wait to see them. After three months it felt like it had been an eternity.

She sat in her car in lot 2a waiting somewhat impatiently.

Her phone rang and she smiled. "Hi, King."

"Hi, Elizabeth. You're still okay with me helping you cook Thanksgiving dinner, right?"

"Of course. I can't wait. You and your dad are spending it with me and my friends from Nevada, right?"

"Yep!"

"Great."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you later for dinner?"

"Not tonight, bud. My friends are here so I'm going to be spending it with them."

"Oh. Okay." He genuinely sounded disappointed.

"See you Thursday morning."

"9am! On the dot!"

"Alright. Have a good day, King."

"Thank you. You too."

As she hung up, her phone rang again. "We're here, Beth! Where are you?" Rosie asked loudly.

"Lot 2a. I'm in a little hatchback...I have no idea what make. I'll watch for you."

As she waited, Rosie kept talking. "Somehow this air is so much clearer and….more British…"

Lee and Hope and Elizabeth all laughed.

"Yes, sweetheart. I can agree the air is more British," Lee told her.

"Its just as wonderful as I remembered."

"And you're only at the airport," Elizabeth pointed out.

Rosie gasped. "Oh and your cottage right on the water and the fudge shop and the bookstore and the pub...oh, Elizabeth. How wonderful it must be to live here!"

Elizabeth saw them walking close so she got out and waved. "I see you!"

Their hellos were noisy and tear-filled and perfect. Elizabeth felt so wonderful now that they were with her in the place she loved.

"Anyone hungry?"

"Yes!" all three of them told her.

"Great, before we leave the area there's a restaurant we can try. I've heard the crab legs are 'brilliant,'" she said with a laugh.

"Now, Elizabeth. Tell me about your Nathan."

"He's not my….well, I guess he is, isn't he?"

"Yes he is. Now, where is he?"

"Working. His inn opened a few weeks ago so he's doing that and designing websites."

"Oh that's right! Is business good?"

"In both respects, yes."

"Gracie's Jude needed help with a website," Lee mentioned. "Did he get in touch with Nathan?"

"He did yes." She looked over at Rosie. "Have you met him?"

"Jude?"

"Yes."

"Yes. We all have."

"What do you think of him?"

"He's a very sweet young man who is very kind to Gracie," Rosie told her.

"That's good to hear."

"I have gotten to know him, Beth," Lee reassured her. "If I knew of anything concerning, I would make sure you were aware of it."

She nodded. It was really hard living so far from the kids. She felt so out of the loop. She talked to them both multiple times a week but it was hard to tell if they were holding back anything over the phone.

"How's Jake?"

Rosie and Lee looked at each other and she knew there was something. "Guys…"

"Its not our story to tell."

"Lee…" Rosie whispered.

"No, Rosie."

"I don't understand, Lee. You'll tell me if I should know something about Gracie but with Jake, you won't?"

"Gracie is 21. Jake is old enough."

"Old enough to…"

"I'm sorry, Beth. I think you need to talk to Jake."

"Oh, I will." And soon.

After eating, Elizabeth was still worrying about Jake and what she could only assume was about Tara as well.

They walked in the cottage, Elizabeth showed them to her guest rooms and then went down to make tea, hoping but not expecting Rosie to join her.

Nathan, however, showed up before the tea was done and that was a surprise.

He walked in and saw the serious look on her face. "Hey, what's going on? Did you crash my car?" he teased.

She smiled at that and then walked into his arms, feeling at home there.

"Elizabeth?"

"I'm worried."

"Because you crashed my car?"

She laughed and smacked his arm. "No. About my son."

"Why are you worried?"

"Its a long story," she sighed, walking over to get the teapot off the burner.

"I'll listen, if you want to tell me."

"Beth? Do you have a…" Rosie said as she wandered into the room. "Oh. You have a guest."

"You must be Rosemary," Nathan said, holding his hand out. "I'm Nathan."

She shook his hand and smiled at her best friend. "Its a pleasure, Nathan."

He watched Elizabeth pour two cups of tea, realizing since he hadn't been asked to stay, it wasn't for him. "I'll leave you two to catch up."

He stepped forward and kissed Elizabeth's cheek. "Call me later?"

She nodded and blushed as he walked out the door.

"Elizabeth Thornton, you've been holding out on me," Rosie squealed, the way only Rosie could do.

She pulled cream out of the refrigerator and a bottle of honey out of the cupboard. "Cream? Honey?"

"No, thank you, darling. Now...he is so adorable."

"Handsome," Elizabeth corrected. "In a sophisticated….adorable way."

"And what you are feeling about him is…"

"Currently...mostly undefined."

"I'm happy for you, Beth. You deserve to find another person to keep you company and make you happy."

"Thank you. He does both of those things very well."

Henderson, Jake and Tara's house

Tara zipped up her uniform pants over her rounded tummy and then tucked her shirt in. Next she added the fifteen pound bullet proof vest and buckled it. So far, she'd been able to get away with only getting new pants.

Soon, she'd need new shirts too.

"Babe?" Jake mumbled from his half asleep state.

"Yeah. Go back to sleep, love. It's your day off."

"I love you, Tara."

She turned and tucked her hair into a low bun at the base of her skull. "I love you too."

"You have patrol today?"

"Yes. Yost is driving." That meant she was safer than if she had to get out and approach a vehicle. "I know you're worried."

"You bet I am. You and our little son or daughter are in danger every day you're out there." He sat up and put his head in his hands.

"Its my job, Jake. What are you asking me to do? Give up my career?"

"No...I don't know. It scares me. That's all."

She touched his unshaven cheek with her soft hand and smiled. "I'll call you at lunch, alright?"

He nodded and gave her a kiss. "Be safe."

She kissed him back. "I promise."

A few hours later, Elizabeth called.

"Hi, Mom! Happy Thanksgiving."

"To you too, sweetie. How are you?"

"Good. Did Aunt Rosie and Uncle Lee and Hope get there alright?"

"Yeah. They are upstairs resting."

"That's good."

"What's going on with you, Jake?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean every time we talk, I feel like you're holding back."

He sighed and stayed silent a moment. "I...why do you say that?"

"Call it mother's intuition."

"Well, Tara and I sort of….moved in together."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I guess I was afraid of how you'd respond. I know how you feel about certain things and I didn't want to distract you from your own stuff."

"You know, when you become a parent one day you'll understand. To see your kids grow up and make decisions for themselves, important ones...it makes you feel proud and helpless all at the same time."

"You're proud of me?"

"Of course, honey. I'm not going to judge you for making a big decision like that. It wouldn't be fair."

"I miss you, Mom."

"I miss you too. Are you still coming for Christmas?"

"Yes, and Tara is coming too. We took ten days off work so we can spend it with you."

"That's wonderful, Jake. It will be so good to see you both."

After hanging up with Jake, she decided to head over to the inn for a bit. She texted Rosie to let her know and then she texted Nathan.

"Hey, can I come over?"

"Decaf or tea?" he asked her a moment later.

"Tea please."

"Door is open."

She grabbed her coat and headed next door. She walked in the door of the inn and surprisingly, Maverick did not bark. "Hi, bud. You know me, don't you?"

He walked over for a head scratch and then laid back down by the fireplace.

"Hey," Nathan said quietly, taking her coat and hanging it in the closet. "You okay?"

She wrapped her arms around her middle and nodded.

"Beth? What's going on?" After three months of getting to know the woman in front of him, he knew the signs that she needed to talk.

Her eyes filled with tears so he led her to the couch and wrapped his arms around her. "Did you talk to Jake?"

"Yeah. I miss him and Gracie so much."

"What's going on with him?"

"He and his girlfriend moved in together. The worst part is, he hid it from me because he knows what I feel on the matter. I don't want my kids to hide things from me. I want them to feel comfortable telling me anything. I thought that's where we were, but...its not apparently."

"So Jake and his girlfriend...how do you feel about them living together?"

"Something that Jack and I agreed on and followed ourselves...there are certain things only meant for marriage. The kids were raised that way and...I mean, it's their choice...its just…"

"Took you by surprise?"

"Yeah."

He nodded and kissed her forehead. He understood to some extent himself. But now, after being married before and now not being married for almost a decade...he could see Jake's need to move fast.

"What?" she asked. He was staring at her with a very intense look.

"I guess...to be honest, I can see both sides of the situation."

She blushed. She hadn't thought of herself in that situation since Jack nor had she thought she would feel that way again.

"There will not be pressure from me, Beth. Now that I know how you feel."

"Its probably premature anyway."

"Well...we've been dating for six or seven weeks, right? Not so premature."

Their eyes locked again. "I suppose it's not. I mean…" She definitely felt a spark between them. "I care about you. A lot."

"Falling in love at this stage in life is definitely different, isn't it?"

"Falling….um...are you….are you saying you're in love with me?"

"Would it scare you if I said yes?"

"Maybe a little."

"Elizabeth?"

They both turned at the sound of Kingston's voice.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" she asked. The boy was definitely just as adorable as his father in a semi-sleepy state.

"I'm thirsty so I came down...and then I heard your voice."

"Well, I'm about to go back home."

Kingston nodded and gave her a hug, his head coming up to her shoulder.

"Night, Elizabeth. See you Thursday."

"See you then."

Kingston got some water and then headed back upstairs.

"You don't have to leave," Nathan told her. "I can make more tea."

"Its late. I should get back to my guests."

He took her coat from the closet and helped her put it on. "Listen, I'm sorry if I scared you. I just wanted to be honest. Put it out there."

She nodded and gave him a hug. "Call you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

She tipped her head up and gave him a kiss. "Night."

"Night."

Elizabeth was up early the next morning, after barely sleeping at all. The combination of having her friends in town, Nathan and her conversation the night before and talking to Jake...needless to say, her mind had been whirring with thoughts all night.

"Good morning," Lee said as he wandered into the kitchen.

"Morning, Lee."

"Whoa, you alright?"

"Talked to Jake."

"Ah. So you know."

"Yep."

"I told him to tell you. I told him the longer he waits, the harder it will be."

"I appreciate that. Then I talked to Nathan."

"Yeah?"

"He's falling in love with me."

"That's great, Beth."

"Is it? What about Jack, Lee?"

"Beth, he wouldn't want you to miss out on love because of him. Quite the opposite actually."

"He told me that. Before he slipped into his coma and in my letter."

Lee grabbed some coffee and sat down at the table. "Do you love Nathan?"

"I...don't know. I know he is my best friend and I love being with him and Kingston."

"Think about this. What if for some reason you had to move back to the states?"

"What? Why? Is it Gracie?"

"Beth, hypothetical. Would you miss him? If you moved back."

"Of course I would."

"Do you see yourself with him five years from now?"

That was the million dollar question. One she needed to seriously think about.