Author's note: I am so excited to introduce a new fanfic to everyone! For those of you that read my other one, this is not a sequel, it is a brand-new story.
I hope you all enjoy the chapters. I will try to post one a week. If you can't already tell, this is a LucaBeth story. I own no rights to the characters, except for the ones I created.
Chapter 1—Honestly, Elizabeth
Lucas quickly opened his eyes, breathing hard from the dream he had just had. He lay there for a bit, just trying to get his bearings.
Oh yes, the hug.
Not only had it consumed his thoughts all day yesterday, now he had to dream about it, too. He had thought Elizabeth was finally realizing her feelings for him. He had thought the woman he loved would soon be his. He had thought they might get married and live happily ever after.
That's what he got for thinking.
Not only had he seen the hug in real life, he had just watched it in slow motion in his dreams. Only this time, it ended in a kiss. Lucas didn't know if he could ever get that out of his head, but he had to try.
He stared at the ceiling, turning his attention to the dinner he had with Elizabeth two days ago, instead of the dream that had just startled him from sleep.
Lucas would never try to rush Elizabeth into a relationship, that wasn't his way of doing things. His father had taught him well. He knew his own feelings and he wanted Elizabeth to be sure of hers, that is why he was so patient. Lucas desired to spend every moment he could with her, so he invited Elizabeth to the library to celebrate her book deal and tried to make it special.
While he wished for nothing more than to begin courting Elizabeth, she still wore her wedding ring; therefore, he decided he would remain her friend as long as it took for her to realize what he already did.
She was his soulmate.
He planned the dinner accordingly. He would keep it casual. Then he had an idea- what if he let her decide if this was a date? It would certainly help him to know where her affections lay. So, he cautiously said, if this were a date, I would take your jacket.
Lucas didn't know what Elizabeth's response would be when he made that statement. Would she head for the door? Would she remind him that they were only friends? Would she tell him that she was interested in Nathan? Would she say that she wasn't ready to be with anyone?
All these things jumbled through his mind as he spoke. But Elizabeth never once flinched. She immediately began unbuttoning her jacket. Lucas' heart began beating faster as he contemplated what it might mean for him.
For them.
It was at that point he decided a little romance was in order. She had made it a date, and a date it would be. Their first date. He had to make it perfect. Because, in his eyes, she was perfect.
When he poured her champagne and brushed her hand, he felt the connection he had so longed for all these months. Perhaps this would be the first of many such evenings they would share together.
Their conversation was easy that night. They spoke of her book, they chatted about Little Jack and they laughed together. Their eyes met, over and over, having to pull away from each other by force. The mutual attraction was tangible. It was a wonderful evening.
They didn't stay very long, and Lucas offered to walk Elizabeth home. As they walked, he became nervous. What would happen when they got to her door? If they were now indeed dating, was he supposed to kiss her goodnight? Oh, how he longed to do that.
Lucas had always been sure of himself. He was confident in just about every situation. But all bets were off when he was around Elizabeth. She brought out the best in him, but when she was close to him, he felt like a schoolboy with a crush. He had never been affected by a woman before like he was by her.
When they arrived at her door, she turned towards him and he took her hand in his. "Well, I guess this is goodnight. Thank you, Lucas, for…everything," Elizabeth had said. He could sense her hesitation as she stood there. And felt her hand trembling. Instead of trying to kiss her, he simply stepped closer to her and held her eyes as he spoke. "Elizabeth, I am so proud of you. And I am glad I could help make your dream come true. Thank you for a lovely evening." He never wanted to do anything to upset her or make her nervous.
Neither one of them wanted to break their gaze, but Lucas finally gave a slight smile, released her hand and stepped back. "Goodnight Elizabeth," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Goodnight…Lucas," Elizabeth replied with a sweet smile as he turned to leave. He hummed all the way back to the saloon. And dreamed about her that night.
Lucas had seen Elizabeth briefly the next morning in the petroleum office where he told her he had bought Henry out. They hadn't had time to speak of the night before. He was still in shock at the turn of events that morning. Lucas then went back to the saloon to get it ready for the day. He was straightening the chairs when he heard a commotion outside. Lucas quickly headed for the door.
When he came out of the saloon, and saw Elizabeth run into Nathan's arms, he felt like he had been punched in the gut. Lucas quickly realized that a Mountie had been shot and killed. He stepped back to the walkway and saw Elizabeth hastily step away from Nathan and turn in his direction. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she realized he had seen the whole thing. Then she put her hands to her sides, and walked away swiftly, without saying a word to anyone. Nathan had watched her go, then looked at the ground before turning to walk towards Bill.
Lucas slowly went back inside, not able to think straight. He stood inside the door, trying to get his thoughts together. The night before he had started to believe that Elizabeth's heart might belong to him. She had certainly enjoyed their time together. Now he was stunned and wondering exactly what her feelings were.
That was yesterday.
Had it really only been 24 hours since she had embraced another man the way he wanted to embrace her?
Lucas sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation, knowing the day would be long after the mostly sleepless night he just had.
How could he have been so wrong about Elizabeth?
He rose from the bed and began to get dressed for the day. He did not know how he would even be able to focus on not one but two places of business when all he could think about was her.
Lucas was a professional. And a good businessman. But right now, he was not in a good place. He looked up toward the ceiling and spoke, "God, I'm going to need your help with this one. Please help me to figure it all out."
He instantly felt a bit calmer, knowing he must compartmentalize his feelings for Elizabeth and what had happened the day before. If not, he wouldn't be able to figure out what to do with the petroleum company.
And he certainly needed his thoughts together to do that.
###
Elizabeth wiped Jack's face after he finished his breakfast. He was chattering up a storm this morning, and she was mostly silent. But her thoughts were certainly all over the place.
She picked him up from the highchair, kissing his cheek as she put him on the floor. "Come on, Jack, let's get dressed for the day," Elizabeth said, walking him to the couch where she had placed his clothes.
It was the weekend, so Laura wouldn't be coming today. Elizabeth was relieved, because she knew that by now most of the town probably knew about yesterday.
The hug.
Her emotions were spent from the last few days since she had spoken to Mr. Branson. Hard to believe all that had happened since that glorious morning. She went to being happy about her book deal to uncertain about Lucas regarding the petroleum company, to trusting him again and then the wonderful dinner in the library. The next morning Nathan finally asked her out. Then the Mountie was killed. Elizabeth thought it was Nathan and became very upset only to turn around and see he was perfectly fine.
Then, the hug.
It was a lot to take in this morning. No wonder she felt exhausted.
She got Jack dressed and he went to play with his toys. Elizabeth went to the kitchen to clean up the morning dishes. As she worked, she thought about her dinner with Lucas.
When they entered the library that night, she was pleasantly surprised to see how much trouble Lucas had gone through to make this evening special.
All those candles.
Lucas might not have considered the danger in his desire to impress her, but she could hardly hold that against him. Elizabeth had looked around at the beautiful setting, and then heard Lucas say, 'if this were a date, I would take your jacket.'
All the months they had known each other couldn't have really prepared her for that moment. When he said those words, it just felt right. Elizabeth didn't even have to think twice before she unbuttoned and took off her jacket. Did that make it a date? It definitely felt like one.
The evening was wonderful, and Lucas the perfect gentleman. As always. They carefully put out all the candles, not wanting a fire in the library. Then he walked her home, Elizabeth feeling as though her heart would burst with happiness. What exactly did that mean? He took her hand at the front door, and Elizabeth felt the warmth radiating through his skin. It had been a long time since she had held a man's hand. It felt glorious.
And scary.
She was certain Lucas could feel her hand shaking. They were alone on her front stoop and she didn't know what- if anything- might happen next. When Lucas stepped closer, Elizabeth held her breath. She caught a faint whiff of his cologne that he wore. She had always loved the sandalwood and patchouli scent he used with a light hand. Very manly but never too much.
She didn't know if he had planned to kiss her. They held each other's gaze for a short time that could have been half of forever. When he stepped back and released her hand, she was disappointed.
And relieved.
After all, a kiss would seal their relationship. And as sure as Elizabeth was that they had just had their first date, she wasn't sure she was ready for that step. As Lucas had walked away, Elizabeth stood there for a moment. Was he humming? It sure sounded like it. Elizabeth looked down at her left hand, seeing her rings sparkling in the moonlight. Oh Jack, she thought with a sigh. What am I supposed to do now? She took one last glance in Lucas' direction then turned and went inside.
Elizabeth had just finished the dishes when she heard a knock at the door interrupting her pondering. "Who's at the door, Jack?" she said as she walked through the living room and turned the knob.
Rosemary and Lee stood just outside. "Good morning, Elizabeth," Rosemary said with a slight smile. Lee said good morning. "Good morning, Rosemary, Lee. Won't you both come in?" Elizabeth responded, gesturing with her hand.
Lee then spoke, "Elizabeth, I was hoping to take Jack outside to play. It's a beautiful sunshiny day." When Elizabeth nodded, he came in and picked Jack up and walked back outside, closing the door behind him.
Rosemary stood there, looking very uncertain with a nervous little smile. "Would you like some tea, Rosemary?" Elizabeth offered, confused at the bizarre behavior.
"Tea would be marvelous," Rosemary replied, following Elizabeth into the kitchen. She prepared the tea in silence, glancing up to see Rosemary pacing back and forth. So, that's why she is here. And why Lee took Jack. She heard about yesterday.
When the tea was ready, they took their cups to the table. "Ok, Rosemary. I know why you are here. Spill it," Elizabeth said as she stirred her tea to cool it a bit.
"Why, whatever do you mean?" Rosemary asked, looking surprised. "I just came over to say hello," she said, raising her cup to take a sip.
"Alright. Who was it? Florence? Or Molly? I know someone told you about what happened yesterday," Elizabeth stated.
Rosemary looked down at her cup in silence, choosing her words carefully. "Elizabeth, it wasn't either of them," she said hesitantly, then looked up at her friend. "As a matter of fact, it was Fiona. She came to the dress shop just after the incident and she was all aflutter. She told me about the mix-up, and that everyone thought Nathan had been shot. I wanted to come right over, but after talking to Lee, he thought I should give you some time to think."
Elizabeth nodded. "Well, thank you for that. But at the same time, I'm not sure thinking has helped me figure things out any better," she said to Rosemary.
They sat sipping their tea in silence for a few moments then Rosemary broke the stillness, "Perhaps it would help you to talk it out. Tell me what happened and what you were thinking at the time."
Elizabeth pondered for a moment, staring at the wall behind Rosemary. Then she made eye contact and spoke. "Rosemary, it all happened so fast. I ran outside after speaking to Fiona, and hearing someone say Nathan had been shot. When I got outside, Carson was just getting out of the prisoner wagon. He looked up and said, 'he's gone.' I couldn't believe what I was hearing and just stood there in shock. When I turned around and saw Nathan alive and well, I just reacted. I ran to him and hugged him. Out in the street, in front of God and everybody." Elizabeth stopped and took a drink. "Including Lucas," she added.
Rosemary nodded. "Yes, Fiona mentioned Lucas was there. She said he looked pretty upset about the whole thing. Especially after your dinner the night before," Rosemary stopped for a swallow of tea. "Elizabeth, you told me about how wonderful your dinner was with Lucas. That it was a date, as far as you were concerned. So, I can understand why you are feeling confused now. It's like you are back to the beginning with both of them. Where are your thoughts on all of this right now?"
Elizabeth sat there her eyes welling up with tears. "Rosemary, I care about both of them, obviously. But the other night with Lucas, I believed was the start of something more than just friendship. It was…different. Perfect." Elizabeth stopped, thinking for a moment.
"And Nathan?" Rosemary asked.
Elizabeth rose from the table. Now it was Rosemary's turn to watch her friend pace. "Rosemary, I thought he was dead! When I saw he wasn't, all I wanted to do was hug him. I was glad he was alive."
"Of course, you were! Everyone was glad it wasn't him in that wagon. But Elizabeth, you were the only one that hugged him. In the middle of the street. I think you need to figure out what caused that reaction. You really need to decide which one has your heart, and quickly. Because honestly, Elizabeth, this isn't fair to either of them. You need to choose one. Or neither one. They both have feelings for you. Of course, you know that," Rosemary finished speaking and Elizabeth sat back down taking Rosemary's hand.
"Thank you for being such a good friend to me Rosemary. I appreciate your directness. And you are 100 percent correct. I haven't handled this well, at all. I guess I need to figure out where my head is. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I fear it's too late to stop that from happening,"
"Where your head is, and your heart," Rosemary replied.
Elizabeth finished her tea after she spoke and stood to take her cup to the kitchen, Rosemary right behind her.
Rosemary reached out, placing her hand on Elizabeth's arm. "You will figure it out. Something will show you exactly what you need to do. I just know it."
Elizabeth hugged her friend, "Oh thank you sweetie. You always know just what to say to make me feel better."
"Good," Rosemary said with a smile. "Just think," she said, gesticulating her hands as she spoke, "soon we will have another romance in town. I can hardly wait to see who makes up the other half of it."
Elizabeth laughed as she swatted at Rosemary, "It's a little early to be planning a celebration, Rosemary! Don't you have work to do?"
Rosemary giggled, "yes, yes of course I do. Woman's work is never done," she said dramatically as she opened the front door. "Ok, Lee, we are finished talking. We can go now."
Lee brought Jack into the house and waved as he left with his wife. Elizabeth kissed her son then watched as he went back to his toys.
"So, Jack. What should Mama do?" she asked as she sat on the couch to contemplate her feelings and her next step.
###
Nathan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long 24 hours and he was finally finished with the paperwork he had to do. Bill looked over from the other desk. The judge's office got a bit too quiet so some days he just worked from here.
"How are you doing?" he asked quietly, knowing the stress Nathan was under right now.
"I'm fine. This is the hard part of the job, losing a Mountie. The paperwork is the easy compared to the loss itself. As you know," Nathan replied.
Bill sat there for a moment, contemplating whether he should say more, or let it go. His curiosity won out. "Nathan," he said, turning his chair around to face his friend, "I think we should talk about what happened after the shooting. You know, out in the street yesterday?"
Nathan looked Bill in the eyes, not saying anything for a long moment. "Yeah, about that…" he said, leaving his statement hanging. Bill waited for a bit, then gestured with his hands in impatience, "Well?"
Nathan gave a slight laugh. "What can I say? Elizabeth hugged me."
He wasn't making this easy for Bill. "And what do you think that means, exactly?" Bill asked, getting irritated.
"I don't know Bill. I have to admit, I was in shock. At first, I didn't even know it was her. About the time I realized it was, she had dropped her arms and was walking away. That's all I can say about it." Nathan tapped his pen on the desk as he spoke.
Bill nodded, then decided to just jump in with both feet, "How do you feel about Elizabeth?"
Nathen stopped tapping his pen and looked Bill in the eyes, "I finally asked her out. Yesterday, before leaving town. I thought that is what she wanted. But she didn't respond. Then, she runs and hugs me in the middle of main street. Why are women so complicated?"
Bill thought for a moment, "If I knew that, I'd be the richest man in the world. And you didn't answer my question." He stood and walked to the door. "Let me know when you figure out just what is going on between you and Elizabeth," Bill said as he left the office.
Nathan laughed and spoke out loud to himself, "You'll be the first to know," as he resumed tapping his pen on the desk.
###
Pastor Zeke stood at the front of the church, practicing his sermon for tomorrow. He heard a sound at the door, and watched as a man hobbled in, dirty and unkempt. "Can I help you?" Zeke said, walking toward the man.
"I sure hope so. I'm looking for Lucas Bouchard. Do you know him?" the man managed to say between grimaces, obviously in pain. He reached for the wall to steady himself, then tumbled to the ground, unconscious.
