Chapter 28
The oil business in Hope Valley had made a turn and was starting to go very well. They had struck oil in a few more wells and business was starting to boom. Lucas was making more money and because of that had decided to invest in opening up a bookstore in the town much to the surprise of Elizabeth. Nathan still had some reservations over Lucas' motivation for such flashy moves, but he was no longer concerned over his intentions with Elizabeth and was completely confident that Elizabeth was his and he was hers. Reality was that between the busyness of the book deal and planning a wedding Elizabeth had not seen much of Lucas and Lucas had been burying himself in his work. He had put Fiona in charge of running the bookstore and she had been the one working with Elizabeth on her book celebration.
"…..and then I think you should do a song and dance routine on top of the table," Fiona stared at Elizabeth from across the table in the café who had been lazily stirring the same cup of coffee for about 2 minutes and looking down at her plate. "Elizabeth," called out Fiona and then a little louder while snapping her fingers in the air, "Elizabeth!"
The second time worked like a charm and Elizabeth snapped out of her own musings and looked up at Fiona, "What? Oh I'm so sorry Fiona. I'm just having a really hard time focusing today."
Fiona eyed her curiously with a smirky smile, "so I've noticed. You must really be in love if you're having that hard of time focusing on our meeting and your book."
"Oh Fiona," Elizabeth sighed and shook her head, "I'm sorry. It's just that Nathan has been gone for 5 days with a prisoner transport and I've been worrying some. It's the first time he has done this since…" Her voice faded away as she stared past Fiona.
"Since the one that went wrong," Fiona finished the sentence for her, remembering that moment when Elizabeth had asked her who had been shot. Looking at Elizabeth, consciously aware of Elizabeth's closeness with the Mountie, she had been terrified to tell her who she thought had been shot, not even able to get the words out. Elizabeth nodded her head slowly and Fiona reached across the table and patted Elizabeth's hand before picking up her pen again to write. "Elizabeth, things aren't going to go wrong every time he has to leave. I wish I could tell you things will never happen, but we just can't predict what will happen. I mean look what happened to Lee, we never expected that and he isn't even a Mountie. I do know one thing though."
Elizabeth tilted her head and pursed her lips together into a smile, "What's that?"
"Nathan is so in love with you and I know he will do everything in his power to always make it back home to you. I've seen the way he looks at you and that man completely adores you and I think everyone in town has known he has been sweet on you for a long time. I mean he talks about you all the time."
Elizabeth blushed, "So I have been told and I know you're right, but I can't help but worry about him a little."
Fiona shrugged, "That's normal and he will worry about you too, just wait until you're pregnant. He will be hovering over you at every turn."
Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up, "That's probably true."
Fiona, "Honestly, Elizabeth if you guys didn't worry about each other from time to time that probably wouldn't be a good sign. I think it just shows how much you love each other that you want the other one to be safe."
Elizabeth sighed, "you're right and there are some things that I just have to let God take care of. I'm just hoping he makes it back in time for my book debut and celebration." With those last words she felt a feathery light kiss to the top of her head as a pair of arms enveloped her. Recognizing the red serge color on the sleeves she immediately jumped up and turned around. "Nathan," she exclaimed excitedly, "you're home!"
Nathan wrapped his arms around her and didn't care that they were standing in the middle of the café, he had been waiting for five long days to hold his future wife in his arms again. He leaned down and kissed her with a fierceness and hunger that made even Fiona blush from the other side of the table and had Elizabeth leaning into him trying to keep herself standing, but failing miserably. She finally gave up trying and melted into him, enjoying the gentleness of his soft, but desire filled kisses.
When he released her, he pulled back and just stared at her starry eyed with a tenderness that caused her heart to beat faster. She looked around the room breathlessly and then back up at the handsome constable who had captured her heart. "Nathan," she giggled softly, "everyone is staring at us."
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Let them look. I haven't seen you in five days and it was the longest five days of my life and I just want to hold you and feel your lips on mine. You are my future wife and I don't care if the whole world knows I'm in love with you. Besides, public displays of affection are kind of our thing now." He winked at her and he watched as her face turned a light shade of pink.
She leaned her head onto his chest and pulled him into a tighter embrace, "I love you Nathan Grant and I missed you so very much." She could feel the long breath he let out tickle the top of her hair and knew he was smiling.
"I love you too, Elizabeth."
She pulled back from him and turned to face Fiona with a sheepish grin on her face while still having one arm wrapped around him, "Sorry, Fiona. I….uh….guess we got a little excited."
Fiona waved her hand in the air, "No big deal. I understand, but wow, if that's how he greets you every time he sees you then girl, you are going to be a puddle on the ground every time."
Elizabeth's face turned even more red and Nathan's was now starting to match his red serge. She cleared her throat and looked up at Nathan, "Um, why don't you join us? We were just finalizing the plans for Saturday's book celebration and unveiling."
"I would love to, but I need to get back to the office and complete some paperwork." He kissed her again, a little less passionately, but still in a way that let her know he was hers and then he let go of her and began to walk out. He stopped before exiting the door and turned to her with a sly, seductive grin and an intensified sparkle in his eyes that could bore right through her, "I'll see you later for dinner though?"
She smiled and nodded with a swish at him, "My place, I'll cook for all of us." He placed his hat on his head, winking at Elizabeth, and tipped it at both of them, "ladies," and then walked out the door.
Elizabeth slowly turned and sat back down in her chair, "Ok, back to planning."
"I don't know how you can focus on anything after that. That man is going to have every woman in Hope Valley swooning."
"He is pretty special and I feel so blessed that he waited patiently for me and didn't push." Elizabeth turned and stared at the door thoughtfully, "As cute as he is when he gets flustered and tongue tied, he is also full of surprises sometimes with his slowly gained confidence."
"I think a lot of that has more to do with the local school teacher who turned his eye."
Elizabeth laughed, "Oh Fiona, he really has made me so very happy and after Jack's death I never thought I would feel this way again, but here I am engaged to a wonderful man and I know Jack would approve. All he ever wanted was for me to be happy and to love again and I feel like I'm honoring him by moving forward."
"I never met Jack, but it sounds like he was a very wise man."
"He was. Sometimes it seems like that was a different life and maybe in some ways it was, but when I look back now I can smile at the good times we had and a part of him will always be with me because I have Little Jack," she paused before continuing on, "Anyways, Fiona, can I ask you a question?"
Fiona nodded, "Of course."
"Would you be one of my bridesmaids?"
"Oh, Elizabeth, I would be honored!"
Elizabeth smiled at her, "Great!"
"This is so exciting," exclaimed Fiona returning her smile. "If you need anything, just let me know."
"I will, thank you," Elizabeth answered, "We should probably get back to planning this book celebration."
"Oh your book, in all of the other excitement I almost forgot. I think we should have a table where you can sign some of your books and we will of course have refreshments and a cake to celebrate and Lucas has ordered a banner. This is going to be so much fun. Oh and of course you will have to make some sort of speech as well."
"Fiona, I'm so nervous about the speech."
Fiona waved her hand in the air, "You're going to be great, but one piece of advice."
"What's that," asked Elizabeth with a puzzled look.
"Don't look at Constable Grant when you give that speech because if you do you might get lost in those eyes of his and forget everything."
Elizabeth smiled and rolled her eyes, "I think I'll be fine, besides those blue eyes tend to have a calming effect on my nerves. He communicates with those eyes without even speaking and I find peace in them."
Fiona smiled at Elizabeth, "One day I hope I find a guy that looks at me the way he looks at you."
"You will Fiona, I'm sure of it. I do appreciate all your help with this."
"It's been my pleasure. I'm so happy that you got your first book published and I'm looking forward to celebrating with you on Saturday."
"Thank you, Fiona. Well, if we are all done here, I should probably get back to Little Jack so Laura can go home and get some studying done."
"I think we have talked about everything, thanks for stopping by after school to chat about all of this. I know you have other things to do and other people to see so I'll let you get going."
Elizabeth stood, "It all sounds wonderful and I know it is going to be an amazing morning. Thank you, Fiona." Fiona stood and embraced Elizabeth who then turned and headed out the door and home to the little boy who had been her inspiration for the book.
"Yep, lucky lady indeed," Fiona spoke under her breath. She then shook her head paid for her meal and headed back to the bookstore.
TBC…..Thanks all, reviews always welcomed.