William's alarm went off the next morning. He slapped the snooze button and rolled over. Grace's spot in the giant bed felt cold and empty. She was always a morning person.
After working late the night before, William hadn't managed to see anyone from his family when he arrived home. Grace had gone to Viola and Charles' for dinner, most likely to see Elizabeth. William hoped Grace managed to talk some sense into their middle daughter and convince her to come home where she belonged.
He regretted how his conversation with Beth had gone. It was not his intention to raise his voice, or lose his temper. He just wanted want was best for her.
Laying there, his mind mulled over the whole situation. He could hear Beth's harsh tone, "You don't know him." She wasn't wrong, but Jack wasn't part of the plan. He may very well be a nice man, but when William thought about the carpenter/fireman, all he saw was fear. What if Elizabeth fell in love and married this man? There wasn't a lot of money in those occupations. How would he provide for the life Elizabeth deserved? Then of course there was the fact that being a fireman was a dangerous, sometimes life-threatening job. His daughter could be widowed by the time she was thirty if the worst should happen. What father would not move heaven and earth to shield his daughter from such heartache?
Trent was a good man. He understood Elizabeth's upbringing, and would care for her greatly. This was right, William could feel it. However, he knew if he had any chance of convincing Elizabeth of this, he'd have to mend the broken bridge he damaged.
Dragging himself out of his warm bed and grabbing his robe, he lugged down the hall to her door, knocking softly.
"Bethie?" he called out low so as not to wake her if she was still sleeping. "Beth, dear, I think we should talk. I'm not going to yell this time. I promise."
When he heard nothing, he decided to head downstairs. Maybe she had beat him to the dining room for breakfast.
"Morning, dear." Grace gave a tight smile, letting William know she still wasn't happy with how he treated Beth. "Coffee's ready."
"Wonderful. Thank you. Sorry I worked so late last night."
"That's alright. I went to Viola and Charles' and had a lovely time."
"Good. I'm glad. Everything well with them?" She nodded. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee and a scone before returning to the table with Grace. She had her nose buried in the morning paper and didn't even look up. "Is Beth home?"
"No, William. She's not."
He sighed. "I'll head over to Viola's before work and fix this."
"William, this isn't something you can just fix!" She placed the paper down hard on the table. "She's a grown woman, Will. A beautiful, smart woman. One we raised to stand up for herself and what she wants. She will not kowtow to you. Nor should she, in my opinion."
"Fine!" William raised his voice. "I won't go "fix it" but I will go to her and talk this out. Maybe we can gain a little ground here and help her understand."
"It won't do any good."
"What won't?"
"Going to Viola's. She's not there."
"Where is she then?"
….
Across town, Viola stood in front of her stainless steel stove making breakfast for herself and Charles. She had a long day ahead of her. Two C-sections and one neonatal surgery.
Her phone off on the opposite counter buzzed as Charles walked in.
"Morning, love."
"Morning," she smiled, giving him a kiss as she reached for the phone.
Charles grabbed two plates from the cupboard and dished up the French toast and home fries. "What was the message?" He placed the food down in front of them.
"Dad knows."
"Dad knows what?"
"That Beth is in Seattle. That we helped."
Charles choked on his orange juice. "Well then, I'm calling in sick today."
….
Elizabeth woke up the next morning feeling completely at peace as she laid in the large bed, Jack's scent surrounding her in the blankets. When she rolled over however, she realized she was alone.
Climbing out of bed, she grabbed Jack's fire department hoodie and headed out into the living room area. Jack was standing in the kitchen making breakfast.
"Morning, Angel."
"Morning. I rolled over and you weren't there. I thought I dreamed you being next to me."
"Not a dream," he grinned. "I just got up early to make you breakfast."
"I see. What are you making?"
"Well, it was supposed to be an omelet but that didn't work out so well so now it's something I like to call, loaded scrambled eggs."
"Sounds inventive and delicious."
" Doesn't it?" They laughed. "And there's bacon too."
"Perfect." She sat at the counter and smiled at him while he worked.
"You sleep okay?"
"I had a very good sleep. Especially after the day we had."
"That was pretty crazy wasn't it?"
"It was, yeah." Jack placed the plate down in front of her. "Bon appetit, my dear."
"I made reservations for us tonight at a pretty swanky restaurant right on the water."
"Wow, going all out, are we?"
"Yeah, well I figure with us going back to Haiti after New Years, I should take the chance I get to wine and dine my beautiful girlfriend."
"I'm flattered, really, but I didn't think to pack for such a date."
"Oh, right." Jack scratched the back of his neck. "Well, we could do something else tonight."
"No no, that's not what I was getting at. All I'm saying is I need to go shopping."
"You sure?"
"I know you really didn't get to see this side of me much in the village, but I'm a girl, Jack. Of course I don't mind going shopping."
"Alright then. We're going shopping. Maybe catch in a little sightseeing too?"
"Great! Just let me shower after we eat and I'll be ready to go."
After breakfast, they worked on the dishes together before Elizabeth jumped in the shower. Jack went into the office and sat in front of his computer, going through more of the photos he'd taken in Haiti. It was a nice distraction from the fact that Elizabeth was on the other side of the wall in his shower.
He was adjusting the lighting on a photo he took of their spot on the beach. Elizabeth was reclining back on the fallen tree trunk, her tanned legs holding up her book as she read. This was another one of his favorites.
"You have a habit of taking pictures of me without me knowing, Mr. Thornton," Elizabeth whispered in his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Who me?" She nodded. "Well maybe it has something to do with how drop dead gorgeous you look doing just about anything." He leaned his head back in his chair to steal a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you."
Jack pulled Elizabeth down onto his lap as he deepened their kiss. Her damp hair smelled of honey and vanilla. The skin of her arm was soft, and warm to the touch. He was in heaven there with the love of his life in his arms. If he'd had the ring on him, he would have asked her then and there.
*buzz, buzz, buzz*
Reluctantly, Jack pulled away. His phone was about to vibrate off the side of the desk as he picked it up.
"It's my chief." He answered the call. "Morning, sir… of course. See you in an hour."
Elizabeth slid off Jack's lap. "Duty calls?"
"Unfortunately, yes. They need an extra man on the day shift today. I'm sorry."
"Don't be! I'm the one that barged into your daily life here."
"You didn't barge, and I'm thrilled that you're here." He stood to give her a light kiss on her lips. "I'll pack my suit and bring it with me and come pick you up for our date around 5:30, sound good?" She nodded. "You sure you're okay with this?"
"Jack, please. Go do your job. I'll go shopping and when that's done, I'll find something else to do."
"You're perfect." He kissed her again. "If you're hungry just go downstairs and see my aunt. I'm pretty sure she and Clara are working today."
"I think I'll do that."
Jack readied himself for work in his bedroom. Elizabeth sat in the living room on her phone looking up shops to try out that afternoon. When the door opened and Jack emerge, Elizabeth felt her heartbeat escalate. His navy short sleeved firehouse shirt hugged his muscles and the black slacks fit him like they'd been tailored just for him.
"Wow," she whispered. "Looking good there, handsome."
"You think?" He looked down at himself. "Just the standard getup."
"Well, it suits you."
He handed her his keys. "Take my car today. It's got a built in GPS so you should be set."
"What are you going to do?"
"My neighbor, Mike, is on this shift. I'll ride in with him." There was a knock on the door. "That's probably him." Jack grabbed his duffle and his hanging bag with his suit for that night. He opened the door and a shy looking man about their age dressed like Jack, stood there wearing a navy down coat.
"Hey," Mike said with a nod.
"How's it going, Mike? Come in. Meet Elizabeth Thatcher."
"Hi, nice to finally meet you. Jack talks non-stop about you."
"Does he now?" She grinned over at him.
"What can I say?" Jack shrugged. "I'm in love."
"Well lover boy," Mike said with a bashful smile. "Let's get you to work so you can hurry back to her, alright?"
"Sounds like a plan." He walked over and kissed Elizabeth soundly on the lips. "The car's in the parking garage under the building in the spot marked for this apartment."
"Are you sure you want me driving your car?"
"Of course." He kissed her again for good measure. "Love you, angel."
"Love you!"
….
William walked down the hall of his law firm during his lunch hour. He stopped right outside his son-in-law's office. Like the last three times he'd come by, Charles' chair was empty.
"Amy?" William called over to Charles' receptionist. "Did Charles make it in today?"
"He did. He had some meetings out of the office this morning and I believe he is out on lunch right now."
"I see."
"Shall I leave a message for him?"
"I'll leave one myself. Thank you." William walked back in the office, grabbed a pen and sticky note from the desk and left a note. With a smirk on his old face he stuck it to Charles' computer monitor and left.
An hour later, Charles cautiously walked off the elevator towards his office.
"Afternoon, Amy. Hope you got away for lunch."
"I did, thank you."
"Any messages?" He hoped there was at least one that required him to leave the office. He'd called his morning clients and asked them to meet him at a small coffee shop he frequented down the street, trying to avoid the wrath of his father-in-law as long as possible.
"Collins wants you to call him back. Something about the Myers case; and Mr. Thatcher was by earlier."
"He was?"
"Several times in fact. I think he said he would leave a note for you in your office."
"Great. I'll look into it."
He sat at his desk and quickly noticed the yellow sticky note on the monitor.
"You can run, but you can't hide, son. -William"
After tending to Collins, Charles walked to William's office. The door was closed, and Charles could hear a muffled discussion inside.
Once it was silent, Charles knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Charles opened the door and walked in with his head held high. "Afternoon, Charles."
"Hello. I saw your note. Just so you know, I wasn't hiding from you."
"Yes you were," William laughed.
"Alright," he shrugged with a small chuckle. "I was. Can you blame me?"
"I suppose not. Have a seat." Charles took the seat in one of the small leather armchairs in front of William's desk. "So I hear you and Viola conspired against me?"
"I wouldn't phrase it like that. We were more accomplices than anything else."
"I see, and you feel as though you made the right choice here?" William stared down at him.
"I do." He watched his father-in-law's face tighten. His fist that rested on the desk clinched. "William, sir, may I speak freely for a moment?"
"Of course. Be my guest."
"Alright." Charles adjusted his posture, leaning in more casually towards William. "If Viola and I had told her not to go, she would have left anyway. If we hadn't taken Beth to the airport, she would have just taken a taxi. She's a smart woman and feels very strongly about her choice to have Jack in her life. I listened to her and he sounds like a good man." William scoffed at the remark. "Come on, William, don't you trust her?"
"This isn't about trust. The fact of the matter is, young man, I am her father. I know a great deal about the world and how it works. Sure, this option seems good now, but what about 5 or 10 years from now? Then what?"
"She could be happily married with a family."
"Or she could be stuck in a life that offers much less than she deserves."
"Maybe, but forgive me, sir, but isn't it her call to make?"
William grabbed a framed photo of her girls and showed it to Charles. "One day, Charles, you will have a child. You will love that child so much, you would give your very life for them. When that happens, you will begin to understand my purpose here. Okay?
He stood at the picture. "No one is doubting your love for Elizabeth, sir. Just whether this fight you're having is worth it."
"It is, I assure you."
"Alright." Charles stood to leave. He wasn't going to convince this man of anything. "Are we alright here?"
"Of course." William stood and shook Charles' hand. "You were fulfilling your duty as a brother. It was noble. I do hope that now that we've spoken though you will understand what the overall goal is."
"I understand perfectly, sir."
Taking cleansing breaths Charles exited the office and headed back towards his own. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to text his wife. He didn't know if she'd get the message for a few hours, but he'd send it just the same.
"I just talked to your dad."
As he was sitting in his office organizing notes for an upcoming case, his phone buzzed. It was Viola.
"Oh, gosh! How'd it go?"
Charles sighed. "Well I'm not fired or dead. I will say, that man's in for a rude awakening."
"He won't cave, will he?"
"Nope. What do you think he'll do when he realizes Beth isn't coming back?"
"Or when she comes back married?"
That thought, stopped all of Charles' thoughts. "She wouldn't?"
"I would have."
"Well then… things are going to be very interesting."
…..
Elizabeth sat in Jack's comfy office chair reading for a little while after he left for work. Once she'd completed a few chapters, she decided she really should get going on her shopping adventure if she wanted to be back around lunch time to meet Abigail.
Dressed in her light blue peacoat and white scarf, she headed down to the parking garage.
She felt a little strange thinking of being behind the wheel of Jack's car. She stopped in front of the parking space with Jack's apartment number on it and stared at the vehicle in its place.
"You've got to be kidding me…" She pushed the button on the key fob. Sure enough, it was Jack's vehicle she was standing in front of. She pulled her phone out and called Jack.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Are you kidding me? How do I drive this thing?"
"What's wrong?"
"It's a red monster truck!"
Jack couldn't help but laugh. "Hardly. It's just a simple Ford truck."
"A simple Ford truck that I'm going to have to climb to get into! You said you had a car."
"I did? Well, I guess I did. It will be fine."
"If I hurt this thing or something…."
"You won't."
They talked another minute as she climbed into the truck. After hanging up, she sat high in the driver's seat and tried to familiarize herself with the truck.
"This is insane. Makes my little car look like an ant!"
The truck wasn't new, but like Jack's apartment, it was in pristine shape. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder what Jack would think when he realized she wasn't as neat and tidy as he was. She thought one day his cute little head might just explode. The thought made her giggle.
She turned it on and listened as the beast purred.
"You can do this…" she muttered. "You are Elizabeth Thatcher. Strong, capable woman. You won't let this car best you. No way! You can do this…"
Carefully she pulled out of the parking spot, grateful that the parking garage had a lot of open space at the moment. Before pulling out onto the open city road, she decided to drive it around the garage for a bit. There were two levels. She drove them each twice before feeling she was ready. Last thing she wanted to do was scratch or dent it.
When she plugged the first stores address into the GPS, she heard a calming female voice coming through it.
"Alright girl," she spoke to the truck. "We're in this together."
…..
At the fire station, engine one returned from a small kitchen fire in a downtown restaurant. Jack, Mike, Pete and a few other fireman hopped out and took off their fire gear, leaving them at the ready for the next call.
"I hate those kinds of calls," Pete said as he stretched his neck. "Every time we get a call to a restaurant fire, I always leave hungry for whatever it is they serve there. Like right now, I want a pizza."
"We'll order pizza for lunch, Pete." Jack suggested. "Heck, I'll even pay for it if it gets you to stop talking about food."
"You're just cranky because you have to fill in for Jones today instead of making goo goo eyes at that pretty girl of yours."
Jack rolled his eyes. "No, I'm cranky because I'm hungry and you won't stop talking about pizza."
"If you say so." Pete smacked Jack on the back as they and the rest of the crew headed to the kitchen. "So tell me this again, she lives here now?"
"For now yeah. Things home weren't working so she came here."
"And now you're living together? You know Aunt Charlotte is going to flip, right?"
"It's not like you are 're fine and it's only temporarily. We'll be back in Haiti in the New Year."
"Sure, but can I be there when you pitch this to your mom? Really, I'd like to see her reaction."
"This from the man that almost eloped, which would have broken his mother's heart."
"We were living in the moment, what can I say? I wised up."
"Clara did. Not you," Jack teased.
"We're a team, Jack. Just like you and Elizabeth will be. Or already are. So when do I get to meet her?"
"Soon. After my mom and Rosie do."
"And when is that?"
"Tomorrow night. Tonight I'm taking her out on the town." He couldn't wait. Just a few more hours and it would be just the two of them. Out like a real couple.
