Chapter 33

Elizabeth looked around the room, everyone that she cherished in this blessed life of hers was in the bookstore and then her eyes focused on Nathan's who was sitting in the front row, smiling at her with Little Jack fidgeting on his lap. With one quick whisper into the little boy's ear and a small smile down at him, the boy calmed and rested against Nathan. Nathan had been good with Little Jack since he first met him. She had been in awe of him and Nathan had endeared himself to her heart greatly the night of Jack's Christening. She was surprised when he had offered to hold him, but when she had turned around to look he was standing there making faces at Jack and had gotten a laugh out of him, making her smile and her heart skip a beat. From that point on he always seemed to have a familiarity with her son and a connection to him that Jack responded so well to.

Allie sat next to him, patiently waiting for Elizabeth to finish her speech about her book. Elizabeth was thankful once more that she was here at the book celebration this time and they had not lost her. Allie's biological father had been put on trial earlier in the week and had already been escorted out of Hope Valley to a prison, which she was grateful for because having him gone had put Nathan in a better overall mood and had eased his fears. She could see the relief in his sheltered eyes when the sentence had been passed down.

Her whole world was sitting in those two seats and she marveled how fortunate she was to get not only one chance at knowing love, but a second chance as well. When Jack died it was a grief like no other she had ever experienced and she had thought at the time that she would never be able to love that way again, even though Jack had said in her letter he wanted that for her, but one day this Mountie showed up and at first, she had been taken aback by his sudden appearance in the street chasing after the stagecoach. She was reminded of Jack and that he was there to replace him, which to start with she struggled with, but she was also very aware of how ruggedly handsome he was.

Initially she wouldn't let her mind go there, but it became harder as the weeks, months, and year wore on and she had found herself inexplicitly drawn to him, finally realizing that her heart belonged to him and she couldn't fight it any longer despite how hard Lucas had tried. She felt bad about Lucas, she had never meant to lead him on in any way, shape, or form, but now she realized that she had simply been running from Nathan because she had been scared to admit that she was falling for another Mountie.

Then something strange had happened after their fight in the woods and she found herself pursuing him and worried that she had caused him to back away. She realized in those few days that she didn't want him backing away and after the shooting incident they had worked it all out and now they were only one week away from being married. It was funny how life could just lead you to where you were supposed to be all along and Rosemary was right, we all have our own path in life and Elizabeth knew that hers was to be the wife of a Mountie and to be a school teacher in this small Canadian town.

She finished up her speech by mentioning that her book was dedicated to Little Jack and then thanking all the people that had been the inspiration for her writings, including both Nathan and Lucas. Both had been in competition for her heart and Lucas had helped her a great deal with the book so she felt obligated to acknowledge that and he and Nathan, while not the best of friends, had somewhat made amends with one another. Truth was, as good as Lucas had been to her, her heart had never really belonged to him and she knew that if it had she wouldn't have had such a hard time making a decision about these two men.

As she finished, everyone applauded and then cake had been served. As she mingled around the room, thanking people for coming, she would occasionally have someone come up to her and ask for her autograph in a copy of the book. It was a bit overwhelming to her and she was overcome with gratitude for this small community of people that she held close to her heart.

She had just finished talking with one of the guests when she turned to find a hand holding out a book towards her with a pen. She looked in front of her and an instant smile spread across her face reaching all the way to her twinkling blue eyes, that matched the blue eyes radiating back at her with pure love. She could get lost in those eyes and she wondered if there would ever come a time when they would cease to take her breath away when she looked into them.

Nathan smiled back shyly at her with pride shining in his eyes, "Can I get the autograph of Hope Valley's most famous author?"

He watched her as a slow shade of red spread across her face, completely in awe that he could make her do that. "Oh, Nathan," she started.

"Please, Elizabeth sign it for me. This is the copy you gave me to read. I want your signature in it," he handed it to her, "please."

She took the book from his hands, letting hers brush his as she grabbed it from him. She wrote a short message in it and then handed it back to him.

"Are you free for a little while after this?" he asked.

"For a short time. I have to go to the dress shop for a fitting for my wedding dress. I'm getting married next week to this incredibly handsome Mountie."

"Sounds like a lucky guy," he winked at her. "I thought we could take a short walk around the pond, just the two of us. Maybe Rosemary and Lee can take the kids home with them."

"I think that could be arranged, but my fiancé might get a bit jealous."

"Well," he said flashing her a sideways grin, "I think I'm willing to take my chances on that."

"Looks like everyone is starting to leave. Give me a second and I will go ask Rosemary and Lee if they can take the kids home. I somehow don't think it will be a problem. It looks like she already stole Jack from you." Elizabeth turned and he watched her as she crossed the room to go and ask. He still couldn't believe that he was marrying her in a week. If anyone had told him a year ago that she would be his, he wouldn't have believed them, but somehow she had fallen in love with him and he couldn't ever remember being this happy in his entire life.

She walked back over to him and motioned him towards the door, "Ready?"

He nodded at her and then grabbed her soft smaller hand in his larger one, intertwining their fingers together and walked her out the door. They walked in companionable silence until they reached the dock of the pond and then without warning he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with a hunger that she reciprocated. He started to pull away, but like so many times in their relationship she wouldn't let him and her lips chased after him, pulling him back to her with a force that he couldn't resist. It made their heads swim, keeping them both from being able to think and breathe and causing them to become lightheaded in a way that sent chills up and down their spines. It was coming to a point where it wasn't enough to satisfy them anymore.

Breathing heavily against her lips, Nathan whispered, "Elizabeth." He could hear her murmur something, but she continued her endeavors. He tried again, but he could feel his will power begin to waiver. "Elizabeth, we…," he said between kisses, "we...we…have….to….stop."

With one last kiss between them, they pulled apart and she collapsed into his arms. Laying her head against his chest, she listened as the rhythm of his heart slowed back down to a steady beat. "I love you so much, Nathan."

He rested his chin on her head. He loved how she fit so perfectly in his arms as if she was always meant to be there. "Oh, Elizabeth. You have no idea how many times I dreamed you would say that to me before you finally did. I really thought it would never happen, but here we are on the verge of being married and you have made me the happiest man alive. I am richly blessed. This is going to be the slowest week of my life. You and the kids mean the world to me and I love you all in a way that I can't even describe with words."

She sighed and then pulled back from him, "Did you read my words to you in the book?"

"Not yet," he replied while pulling the book from under his arm where it had been safely tucked. He opened it up and read the inscription out loud, "To the love of my life, Nathan Grant." He smiled up her, "that's me," and then continued on. "you are the only one, you have been the only one, and will always be the one who makes my heart sing. You are what's in my heart now and always. I love you, Elizabeth." He reached out and gently caressed the side of her face with the back of his hand.

"When I started writing that book, I was so confused about my feelings for you and I was trying to sort them out from what I was feeling about Lucas and the more I wrote the more I slowly saw the character that was half you and half Lucas become more and more like you alone. I could feel my heart choosing you long before my mind understood it and then that day that I thought," she paused looking out over the water, her voice cracking slightly, and then looked back at him, "thought you had died in those short few minutes I realized my mind was telling me what my heart had been trying all along to say and my brain had finally connected with what was in here." She put her hand over her heart, "I was so relieved that our chance had not been taken away. I can't wait to be your wife, Nathan."

He pulled her back to him again and she felt the comfort of his arms go around her, "It was your book that propelled me forward to buy the ring and come to the place where I thought the time was right for me to ask you to marry me."

She looked up at him questioningly, surprise written on her face, "really?"

He shook his head, "Yes, really. As I read the book I saw how the main character had slowly started to change and become more like me in nature and I knew that your journey with coming to the conclusion that I was the one was intertwined with the book. After I turned the last page, I ran out of the house that day to go and order it. There has never been a doubt in my mind that we weren't meant to be together. I have been in love with you since the day we met."

He leaned down and their lips met in another kiss that was just as passionate as the first one and he let the emotions flood over him. He didn't think anything could taste as sweet as his Elizabeth. He released her and leaned his forehead against hers, "I should probably walk you back home so you can get to your fitting. I just wanted to steal a few moments alone with you before the craziness of this week ensues."

"I'm so glad you did." She looked up and kissed him one last time and then he offered her his arm and they walked back towards the rowhouses.

To Be Continued….