It had been a gorgeous night. After Elizabeth and Nathan had admitted their feelings for each other, the evening had progressed naturally. Apple pie for dessert. Doing dishes together. Riding back to Hope Valley. And then, Nathan had held Elizabeth's hand and walked her home. Elizabeth had felt safe and secure with Nathan by her side. The stars, the chill in the air, it truly was a beautiful fall evening. Nathan had left Elizabeth at her front door with a squeeze of the hand and a promise for seeing her tomorrow.
Sure enough, Nathan had walked Elizabeth and Ally both to school that morning. The three talked about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving was only two days away and Ally couldn't stop talking about it.
"Are you sure it's not because you are tired of homework?" Nathan teased. "I hear the teacher gives a lot of homework." He playfully winked at Elizabeth, causing her stomach to do flip-flops in the process.
"Ah, she's not so bad, Uncle Nathan," Ally spoke up. "I just like the thought of the holidays these days. We will be together right, Miss Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth thought about it. They hadn't discussed plans but it did seem like a no-brainer. "Well, Clara and Jesse wanted to host a lot of people this year…"
"Yeah, they asked us." Ally said matter-of-factly. "I just thought we could go together. You and Little Jack and Me and Uncle Nathan."
"I think that's doable," Nathan smiled.
"I agree," Elizabeth nodded, watching as Ally ran off to join her friends.
"Wonderful!" Ally said, quickly running back to give Nathan a hug.
Nathan turned to face Elizabeth, handing her her books. "I'm sorry about Ally."
"You don't need to apologize," Elizabeth looked around. She realized that her students would see her talking with Nathan which would then get relayed to the parents. No better way than for the town of Hope Valley to find out. "She's happy."
"We both are," Nathan grinned. He put his hat on and turned to go. "Will I see you tonight?"
Elizabeth was unable to answer with a swarm of children clamoring for attention. Which in a way Elizabeth was thankful for…there was something she needed to do alone.
Elizabeth had asked Laura if she wouldn't mind watching Little Jack longer after school. Of course Laura didn't mind; she loved the opportunities to watch Jack and it was a quiet place for her to do her studies.
Elizabeth watched Robert and Timmy riding their bikes. Ally, Opal, Emily, and Anna playing jump rope. How these children warmed her heart. She was thankful for the opportunity to watch them grow up. They had truly been there for her in good times and in the bad.
Bill walked into the schoolhouse. "Penny for your thoughts."
Elizabeth smiled. "For a penny, you would be getting off pretty cheaply. I'm thinking about a lot right now. Bill, thank you for saddling Sargent for me."
"Do you want me to come with you?" Bill asked.
"No," Elizabeth replied. "I need to be alone right now. To do what I have to do."
Bill nodded. "I'm here if you need me. You know that."
Elizabeth nodded quietly in reply. Blinking back tears, she walked out of the schoolhouse.
Elizabeth dismounted Sargent and slowly approached the log. The log that had hers and Jack's initials carved into it. The log on Jack's land. Her land. The land she was keeping for Little Jack.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and allowed the memories to wash over her.
Constable Jack Thornton. He had resented her at first. He hadn't wanted the assignment to Coal Valley, let alone the task of keeping an eye on a rich girl from Hamilton. A girl who, in his eyes, did not belong out on the frontier.
But gradually, Jack had come around. He saw Elizabeth be unafraid to get her hands dirty, even by going into the mine with the women. He saw her teach, teach well, and teach from the heart. Jack had seen her make a difference in the children's lives. And he had found himself falling in love with her.
It hadn't been easy for the two of them. Their backgrounds were so different. Charles Kensington hadn't made it easy either, especially when he came to Hope Valley and proposed marriage. Plus there had been Jack's statement of "If the Mounties were to be married, they would be issued a wife."
They preserved through the obstacles. The chemistry between the two of them was undeniable. Jack's kisses and embraces had given Elizabeth the power to think away any hardship.
But Jack always struggled with his duty to the Mounties. It wasn't enough to be the guardian of a town. If there was action, Jack had felt a calling to do his part. Especially when his friend, Doug, was killed in the Northern Territories. Jack had left to go fight and his returns home were few and far between. Then, fulfilling one last serving duty, Jack was killed in a mud slide, pushing others out of the way. Because that was the type of man Jack Thornton was.
Elizabeth opened her eyes, wiping the tears from her eyes. She remembered the first time he had shown her this land. Telling her that he had bought it and they would build a house on it for a whole lot of Thornton's. Lee was providing lumber. Plans were drawn up. God had had other plans.
Elizabeth carefully drew a letter out of her pocket. It was Jack's letter, the one he had left for Elizabeth with Abigail. She had read it so many times, she had it memorized. Still, seeing Jack's familiar hand brought comfort to her soul.
My Dearest Elizabeth,
I am writing you a letter I hope you never have to read. If you are, then you know I won't be coming home. Take comfort that I will be watching over you for the rest of your days. I will always be with you in spirit. But I need you to promise me one thing Elizabeth: you will open your heart to love again. Know that I want nothing more than your happiness. You are the perfect woman. You showed me what it feels like to be truly loved and for that I am eternally grateful.
Yours forever,
Jack
Elizabeth allowed herself to openly weep. When she had read Jack's letter in the immediate aftermath of his death, Elizabeth scarcely had imagined finding love again. It didn't seem possible. Or even what she wanted. All she had wanted was Jack back. Eleven days of married life. That was all they had been given. As she had told Clara, Abigail, Molly and Florence that day, she had felt cheated.
Slowly that feeling had gone away. Mostly due to Elizabeth's surrendering of it. No amount of bitterness and cynicism would bring Jack back. But she had been given a wonderful gift, a reminder of love, in little Jack.
But here she was, two years later. As she had told Nathan the night before, she was falling in love with him. Just as Jack had asked her to. It was happening so fast.
Or was it? Elizabeth knew she needed to be honest with herself. She had felt pulls toward Nathan for such a long time. Watching him with Ally. Watching him at Jack's christening, making funny faces and getting Jack to smile in pure delight. She remembered impulsively putting frosting on Nathan's nose at Ally's sleepover. Elizabeth remembered conversations about raising kids and forgiving parents. They really had this deep connection. Elizabeth had just fought it for so long.
Because it meant letting Jack go.
Elizabeth rephrased that in her mind. She would never let Jack go. How could she? Her son was a living breathing reminder of her husband. And truly, Jack would always be watching over her. She had seen so much evidence of that the last few days.
"Jack," Elizabeth smiled through the tears. "I didn't think life was going to go this way. I thought it would be you and me and our children on this land. We'd watch the sunrise from one porch and the sunset from the other. We'd grow old together, here, in Hope Valley, surrounded by our friends. But now, you're still watching over me. Just not where I can see you."
Elizabeth thought back to the evening Jack had proposed. The millions of candles he had lit from the Café to the school. His calling her an angel. His getting down on one knee. Then their wedding where everyone in the town came together after the children nearly caused it to burn down. Their vows about choosing each other. All of it would forever be in her heart and in her journal, one day for little Jack to read.
Slowly, Elizabeth twisted at the ring on her finger. It had never been off since her wedding day. It hadn't been the time. It hadn't felt right. But with her declaration of falling in love with Nathan last night, Elizabeth realized that now, it WAS time. She couldn't deny the truth any longer.
Elizabeth continued to weep as the ring came off her finger, a pale bit of skin marking the place where Jack's ring had been.
"He needs to know, doesn't he?" Elizabeth asked the sky, picturing Jack looking down on her. "Nathan needs to know that I am ready for him and I to truly BE. He needs to be able to kiss me or talk to me and not wonder if I have peace about it. Doesn't he?"
Elizabeth placed the ring in a small box, rubbing her hand over the initials once more. "You would like Nathan a lot, Jack. He does remind me a lot of you. Yet he is different in all the ways I need him to be right now. And he makes me happy. Like really happy."
"I have to let go Jack," Elizabeth once more wiped tears from her eyes. "But I will always carry you in my heart. I will see you in our son. I will always have been rescued by Mountie Jack, as Opal likes to say. Thank you, Jack, for loving me. I will always love you."
Elizabeth stood up and walked towards Sargent. She once more closed her eyes and let her emotions take her away. In the breeze that blew, Elizabeth felt Jack's embrace once more. She felt him saying "It's okay. This is what I hoped you would find. And I'm watching over you both. Don't get in your own way."
Elizabeth blew a kiss to the wind. "I love you Jack Thornton."
She mounted Sargent and broke into a gallop. Elizabeth allowed the wind to dry her tears as she took the long way back to town. Truly, she had so much to be thankful for in Hope Valley, in the love she had known and the love she was newly experiencing. Reliving the happiness and the pain had caused her heart to rebreak all over again.
But something told her Nathan Grant would help heal those pieces in a way only he could.