Hello! :-) I thought I would try to have a little fun and write this one-shot holiday short story involving Elizabeth, Lucas and Nathan. I hope you enjoy it in the spirit it was intended. :-) The title is from the song with the same name.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR'S EVE?

"Elizabeth?"

She turned at the familiar voice speaking her name and found herself staring into the dark brown eyes she had known so well.

"Lu…Lucas. Hi."

"Hello, yourself. What brings you here?"

Elizabeth had joined several of her coworkers for a holiday dinner. A new restaurant, located just outside of Seattle, The Comfort Zone, had received good reviews so they decided that's where they would have their celebration.

"I came with some colleagues from work. We wanted to check out this place. From what I've seen so far, it's very nice. How about you?"

"I'm glad you said you like this restaurant. I'm the proprietor."

"You…you are? Good for you. Congratulations. I know owning a gathering place like this is something you had been longing to do."

"And now it's happened. I'm very pleased."

"As well you should be. It seems lovely, and you have certainly drawn a crowd."

"Because of the holidays, and," he added with modesty which did not go unnoticed by Elizabeth, "the good reviews online. The real test will be after the new year. But I think this place will do well."

"I hope it does."

"I hope you and your coworkers will visit again?"

"We probably will."

"Good. I look forward to serving you."

"You plan to be hands on?"

"Very much so. I enjoy the atmosphere, and I see no reason why I can't mingle among the patrons to make sure they have what they need without being intrusive, of course."

"Sounds very nice."

"If you'll excuse me, I should mingle right now."

"Of course."

He started to walk away when he heard her call his name. He turned and looked at her.

"It was…nice to see you again."

He offered her the first smile of the evening. "It was nice to see you, too. I hope you and Nathan are doing well."

She started to say something and then stopped. She nodded instead and gave a small goodbye wave.

Her coworker and friend Rosemary Coulter approached her from the right side and asked if that was Lucas she had been talking to.

"Yes," Elizabeth confirmed. "Turns out he owns this restaurant."

"How exciting for him. Didn't you tell me this is what he'd always wanted to do?"

"Yes, it was. He talked a lot about it when we would see each other. He dreamed of owning a restaurant or some type of gathering place. I think he'll do well."

Rosemary looked around. "I have to say, he's off to a good start. I love the dark wood paneling and the lighting is excellent. Of course, it's decorated for Christmas at the moment, but why do I get the sense he will decorate for every occasion. He seems to be that type of man."

Elizabeth's blue eyes followed his every move. Inwardly, she told herself to stop, but she was drawn to him in a way she hadn't been drawn to anyone since…well, Nathan. She shuddered as she thought about that relationship and pulled her eyes away from the man who was smiling and talking so comfortably with his guests and tried to concentrate on what Rosemary was saying.

"I'm sorry. What?" she asked, when she realized she had no idea what her friend had said.

The bubbly blonde chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you still feel something for that tall dashing man over there. He's still as good-looking as ever, Elizabeth. Why don't you use this opportunity to talk to him? Find out what's been going on with him, other than opening this restaurant, of course."

"He's busy. It's fine. Besides, he wished Nathan and me well. I'm sure he's moved on."

Rosemary scoffed. "You should tell him there has not been a Nathan and you for over a month. What's the harm?"

I could end up with a broken heart.

"He seems happy and content. I don't want to complicate his life."

Rosemary looked around. "I don't see any missus or any woman hanging around him. Wouldn't you think if he was involved with someone, she would be by his side? I know I would."

"I suppose. Look, Rosemary, it doesn't matter. Our paths crossed a long time ago, and it wasn't meant to be. Let's return to our table and eat. I'm famished."

"As I've told you before, I think you and Lucas were meant to be," Rosemary said, as they walked to their table. "Unfortunately, you, my dear friend, made the wrong choice."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest and then closed it. She could not refute what Rosemary had said. She could only think about what might have been as she glanced backwards once more to find Lucas looking in her direction. She offered a small smile and one more wave before taking her seat at the table, ready to taste the food that had been hailed as excellent by her coworkers who had read the online reviews.

After Rosemary's husband Lee had dropped off Elizabeth at her apartment, she made herself a cup of tea and curled up on the couch, her tablet on her lap, ready to check her email when thoughts of Lucas suddenly filled her mind. Rosemary was right about one thing: he looked good and had worn the cologne she liked and had always associated with him.

Looks aren't everything, she scolded herself, as she tried to concentrate on her email.

But he'd also had that same air of genteelness about him, she thought. It definitely wasn't just his looks, it was his whole demeanor. He was polite to her when honestly, he didn't have to be after the way she had scorned him, and yet, she knew she would have been disappointed if he had shunned her, not because she wouldn't have deserved it, but because it would not have been in keeping with who he was. And she knew that.

After making sure she didn't have any urgent emails, she decided to do a little online checking regarding Mr. Bouchard. She had not known he was the proprietor of the hottest new restaurant in town, and seeing him had piqued her curiosity about what else he might have been up to since they had parted ways. She tried to avoid social media, but she forged into a search for him. The results were not promising, which did not surprise her since she knew he was a very private man, but his name was associated with the restaurant and the wonderful reviews it had been receiving, and by extension, he had been receiving. She was genuinely happy for him. He had made one of his long sought after ambitions a reality. She wished she could say the same for herself.

Rising from the sofa, she crossed to stand in front of a small table near the window where, for some inexplicable reason, she kept a framed picture of her and Nathan Grant. She hadn't seen or spoken to him in well over a month, and the last time they had talked had been hurtful to both of them.

They had been dating for almost two years, and Elizabeth believed he was the man she was destined to spend her life with, but when she'd told him she wanted to try to write for publication again, after having had her short stories rejected the prior year by two publishing houses, he had balked at the idea and told her she was wasting her time. In her vulnerable and wounded state, she had lashed out at him, telling him maybe she had been wasting her time. With him.

She regretted the words as soon as she'd uttered them, but when she saw the steely glint in his baby blue eyes, she knew she would not take back her words. He had never supported her desire to write or her lifelong dream to be a published author. He was a hands on type of man who only dealt in the realities and harshness of life, never taking a step back to enjoy a moment in the sun or to wonder what else life could offer outside of normal, everyday ho hum living.

For a long time, influenced by her parents' desires for her and their grooming of her during her upbringing, Elizabeth felt Nathan was exactly the type of man she needed. One who would keep her grounded and focused on her work. Their lifestyles meshed for a while, but as the months went on and there was a sameness not only to her workaday world but also to the time she spent with Nathan, she began to miss and long for the spontaneity Lucas had brought into her life for the brief time he had been a part of it.

She remembered fondly how he would bring her flowers for no special reason or plan an outing at a park or a skating rink or arrange movie nights where they would watch something romantic or something scary. She enjoyed all of it, but as her parents would remind her, what she had with Lucas was not reality. Working hard, setting and accomplishing goals, finding someone who was settled and level-headed was what she needed. Not some dreamer who wanted to own a restaurant or even worse a bar. Did she not know the failure rate for a venture like that? How could she possibly want to be with someone so unstable? Had they not raised her to understand her place in the world and to know what kind of a man she needed to be with?

Nathan, working with her father as a manager, ready to climb that ever-important corporate ladder, is where her future lay, they ingrained in her time and time again. As Nathan pursued her and showed her how much he seemingly cared about her and vowed to offer her the best life possible because she mattered to him, albeit probably a rigid and boring one, she soon began to see Lucas as someone who would probably always be chasing an elusive dream and not have much to show for his life when all was said and done.

As much as she'd enjoyed the attention Lucas had lavished on her and the fun times they'd shared, she finally had to tell him her heart belonged to someone else. Lucas knew her father had been pushing her to make a commitment to Nathan, so he didn't need to ask who had claimed her heart. Instead, he wished her well, asked her a poignant question she did not have an answer for and had left before she could witness how devastated he had been she had chosen another man.

Even though she tried to tell herself she had made the right decision and had tried to move forward in her relationship with Nathan, she could never quite get Lucas out of her mind and out of her heart. He had awakened something in her she no longer wanted to deny. She'd see a rainbow and think of them getting caught in the rain and laughing because it was so foolish not to carry an umbrella at all times in a city like Seattle. Yet, neither one had an umbrella, and they had gotten soaked, but that experience had provided a memory she looked back on fondly. She'd hear a child's laugh and think of how mischievous Lucas was and how he liked to tease her, make her laugh and have a good time. She'd pass an ice cream parlor and remember how he had surprised her on several occasions with a hot fudge sundae which he usually ended up eating unapologetically when he somehow knew she'd been having a particularly bad day.

When she'd think about what she shared with Nathan, nothing made her smile quite the same way. Their routine was very mundane and practical. They'd spend most of their time at her parents' house, and he'd spend more time with her father than with her. Playing golf with her father was a must for Nathan. Her mother told her this was the way things were when one was trying to establish himself with his potential in-laws, especially when the soon-to-be father-in-law was his boss.

As the weeks and months went by, Elizabeth found herself longing for an unexpected delivery of fragrant red roses or Nathan showing up wearing a huge smile and offering her a hot fudge sundae and then eating it himself…just because. But sadly, those surprises never occurred. Those times, she realized with melancholy and regret, had only happened with Lucas.

And so the more disillusioned she became with what she saw as a dreary and uneventful future with Nathan, the more she longed for excitement and unexpectedness and the carefree days she had enjoyed with Lucas. But he had vanished. After running into him several times when she would go walking at a nearby park, she realized he'd stopped going there. She understood why, but she also knew she missed seeing him, even if it was quick, in passing, with barely an acknowledgement, except for a wave, between them.

Which was why she had waved that evening. She thought maybe that would trigger a reminder for him that they'd had a connection that somehow had not been completely severed. At least not on her part. His polite and courteous manner made her almost want to weep for what they'd had and how far the distance between them now stretched.

Knowing she wasn't getting anywhere with these wayward thoughts, she turned off the lights and made her way into her bedroom. After getting ready to go to sleep, she lay, staring at the ceiling, wondering if she could do what Rosemary had suggested. She now knew where Lucas spent the majority of his time. Could she go back there and try to talk to him? And if she could, whatever would she say?

She turned on her right side and opened the drawer to her nightstand, pulling out a light gray softbound journal. Sitting up in her bed, she ran her hands along the front cover, recalling the day Lucas had given it to her.

"I think a great start for you to write is to gather your thoughts and collect them in a journal. I saw this, and it reminded me of you."

She had cherished his gift, but she had never written a word in the journal. She had ended things with him soon after. He never knew she had written the short stories she had tried to get published. If she'd thought about it, she would have realized many of those stories had come from the time she'd spent with him and the sorrow she had endured after she had ended their relationship.

Now, she opened the journal and read his inscription once more.

To My Darling Elizabeth,

I don't claim to know what the future holds for us, but I do know you can be and can do anything you want. I know it took a lot for you to tell me about your interest in being a writer, but I am honored you shared that piece of yourself with me.

This is for you…to start you on that journey….be the writer you were meant to be, Elizabeth Thatcher. Share your stories with the world. But most of all be true to who you are. Never compromise. Never give up. Never believe you can't be who you were meant to be.

Always in your corner,

Lucas

She had not read his words in a very long time, and now that she had, she felt he knew her so well and somehow knew she was not being true to who she was meant to be. She hugged the journal close to her as she prayed for guidance to do what she suddenly knew she needed to do and should have done a very long time ago.

After arriving home from a long and busy but festive night, Lucas removed his suit jacket and tie and then made his way to the bar where he poured himself a nightcap. Plopping down on his recliner, he thought about how satisfied he was his restaurant had done so well since its grand opening three weeks earlier. He knew opening during the holiday season would most likely be very beneficial, so he didn't want to count on business always being as good as it had been, but still, he was very encouraged by what he saw. He'd already had returning customers and continued to receive excellent reviews, both from food critics and customers alike. He took a moment to let himself enjoy this accomplishment. He had waited a long time for this dream to become a reality. If he could sustain its success, and maybe even open another restaurant somewhere down the line, he would feel very fortunate indeed.

After taking a long swallow of the amber liquid, he finally let his mind wander to one woman in particular he had talked with and who had pretty much occupied his thoughts for the remainder of the night: Elizabeth Thatcher. She was still as beautiful as the day he'd met her and still as kind. He had to admit he had been thrown when he'd seen her and then it had taken every ounce of willpower he possessed not to let himself be distracted by her presence, especially since it didn't take him long to realize Nathan had not been present. But he knew he couldn't do that to himself. She had made her choice a long time ago, and unfortunately for him, as much as she had seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time with him, Elizabeth did not view him as someone she could or should plan a future with.

He knew her parents were not keen on him since he had not had a steady job, even though he had, through wise investments taught to him by his father, enough money to be able to live comfortably while he pursued his dream. In their eyes, he was chasing an unattainable goal which would probably leave him penniless. Nathan, on the other hand, apparently checked all of the boxes on their list.

Lucas had tried to tell Elizabeth that maybe Nathan didn't check all of the boxes on her list, but the more he talked about owning and managing his own establishment, the less he knew he was convincing her to give him a chance. After a while, parting ways seemed to be the only viable solution.

But it did not come without heartache. Throughout his life, for various reasons, Lucas had not let many people, especially women, into his inner circle. But he had always believed he would find his soul mate and when he had met Elizabeth, at the public library of all places, he felt an instant connection and sensed she felt something, too. After an hour of perusing the same shelves of books containing a genre they both enjoyed reading, Lucas invited her to have a cup of coffee with him at a nearby coffee shop where they talked for hours about the books and the authors they had in common.

When she'd confessed her love of writing and of wanting to become a published author, Lucas felt as though she had shared a very personal detail about her life and that could have meant only one thing as far as he was concerned: she trusted him. He did not take her admission or what he'd believed had transpired between them lightly.

Buoyed by the fact she had chosen to share such an intimate detail about her hope for the future, Lucas had invited her to go to a book fair in Seattle the following weekend and maybe take time to visit the Space Needle. Elizabeth agreed to go. After a few more outings of various fun and enjoyable activities, Lucas thought he had found the woman he had been meant to spend his life with. He had not been this happy and excited in years.

But after Elizabeth had introduced him to her parents at Sunday dinner in their home, he sensed a slight but noticeable shift in her attitude towards him.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No, not at all. My parents like you. They do."

"But…" he said, knowing she had more to say.

She sighed. "They just…they see me differently than I see myself, Lucas. They want me with someone who is stable and cautious about money and who has his career all mapped out and knows how to get to the top. I know you are not that type of man, and I'm fine with that, but my parents…"

"Don't want me influencing you in any way."

"Yes. I'm sorry. They want me with someone like Nathan, who my father hand-picked to be his protégé."

"Have you been seeing Nathan?"

Elizabeth lowered her eyes and then looked at him. "Right now, just as friends, I promise. But he is ready to take things more seriously. I do like him, and we have a few things in common…."

"So I guess you are ready to move forward, too. With him."

"I don't know," she answered, trying to speak as honestly as she could. "I like you, Lucas, I really do. We have so much fun together, and I can talk to you about anything. You listen and you give great advice and you are so patient and kind. But I do need someone who is…."

"Stable and level-headed," Lucas finished for her.

"I do. At least, I think I do. Or at least that's what my parents and Nathan are saying I need. So why do I feel so torn because you are the one who makes me happy? I always find myself smiling when I'm around you, and I miss you when you're not with me. But then Nathan talks to me about this great future he has planned for us…"

As her voice trailed off because she knew where the conversation was headed, Lucas, looking downcast and forlorn, stood from the park bench where they had been sitting, knowing this was quite possibly the last time he would see her.

"I don't know what to tell you, Elizabeth. I guess that is something you are going to have to figure out for yourself. What is in your heart?"

And, Lucas thought, as he took another big gulp to finish his drink, Elizabeth thought about what was in her heart and made the decision. To end things with him. He told himself he should be relieved. Her parents were never going to accept him so what kind of life would they have had? He didn't want to be at odds with anyone, but especially not his in-laws. This was the better way. At least he hadn't told her he loved her, even though he did and didn't know if he would ever stop loving her. But she was with Nathan now, and he had his restaurant. Things had worked out exactly the way they should have.

Only that was little comfort to him on this particular night when all he could think about was the way she had turned back, her long brunette hair flowing freely, and waved to him with that engaging smile he could never quite erase from his memory. And where had Nathan been? And one more nugget he had tucked away to ponder during these lonely sleepless hours: why was there no ring on her finger?

The next morning as Elizabeth drove towards her destination, she willed herself to remain steadfast and calm. She knew what she had to do, and the sooner she took care of business, the sooner she could move forward with the rest of her life. After finding a parking spot near his house, she marched up the front stairs and after taking a deep breath and telling herself to be firm and not to be swayed by anything he might say to try to change her mind, she rang the doorbell.

"Why am I not surprised to see you?" he said when he answered the door.

He stepped aside to allow Elizabeth entry into his home and then followed her into the living room where she sat on the edge of the patterned sofa she had graced many times before.

"I think it's time we talked," she said without preamble, her hands clasped firmly in her lap.

He had taken a seat on the edge of a winged-back chair and rubbed his large hands together, his forearms resting on his thighs.

"I heard about last night. Is that why you suddenly need to talk when we haven't seen each other in over a month?"

Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. "You heard what about last night?"

He sighed. "I guess I should have said I heard who you saw last night. Does that make it clearer for you?"

Lucas. But how did he…Fiona. It had to be her. She was the only one with them who would report something like that to him.

"If you are talking about Lucas," Elizabeth said, meeting his gaze, her voice never wavering, "yes. I saw him last night. But he is not the reason I am here."

Liar.

"I heard you two got on quite well. Of course, he was so busy he didn't have time to give you his full attention, which I'm sure bothered you, but from what I heard, your reunion went very well. Good for you, Elizabeth."

"Yes," she said, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin, even though his words were laced with sarcasm. "It was good for me. It was very good for me. I thought about a lot of things last night, Nathan. And one of them was how I don't think we should see each other anymore. Life is too short to be in a boring and unimaginative relationship with someone who only cares about pleasing and impressing my father. I have dreams, Nathan. Things I want to accomplish in my life, and I know you do not support any of them. Yet, I am supposed to cheer you on with every step you take as you climb the corporate ladder. Well, I don't care how successful you are. I don't care how many hours a week you labor over your ledgers and your spreadsheets. I want spontaneity, I want excitement, I want to feel something when I'm with the man I care about. What I don't care about is this rigid lifestyle you are carving out for yourself and by extension, me. I need to breathe, Nathan. I need to feel again. I need to feel alive."

Nathan snickered. "You think Lucas Bouchard is going to give you all of that just because he managed to open one restaurant that could be closed in a month."

"I'm not talking about Lucas," she countered. "I'm talking about me, Nathan. What I need. What I want. Maybe no man will ever give me what I long for, what I hope for in a relationship, but that doesn't mean I don't get to pursue what I want. And you know what I want, but you don't care enough to try to meet me even halfway."

He shook his head. "You really are a silly dreamer."

She bristled at his words and at his pompous attitude while saying them, but she would not back down. Not now.

"Maybe I am, but at least dreaming gives me hope. Hope for a better tomorrow. A better future. What do you have to look forward to, Nathan? Twenty more spreadsheets my father will toss at you and expect you to crunch the right numbers for him?"

"At least I am doing something worthwhile with my career and my life. I'm not spending my days chasing a dream that is never going to become a reality. Get real, Elizabeth."

"Doing something worthwhile?" she shot back. "All you are doing is making my father richer. Like he needs more money. Keep telling yourself that, Nathan. Meanwhile, I have goals of my own, and I will pursue them until I have exhausted every avenue. At least I will have the satisfaction of knowing I tried to make this world a better place through my writing."

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear, Elizabeth. Your goal, dream, aspiration, whatever you want to call it to become a published author will occur without me. I will not be the one cheering you on in this silliness."

"That's fine with me because I have no more desire to cheer you on in your silliness. Someday, Nathan, you are going to realize just how my father used you for his own means and for his own purposes. Men like you are dispensable to him. And if you don't think I know what I'm talking about, believe me, I do. Oh, and another thing before I leave for the last time. Fiona had no business telling you about last night, but I am certainly glad she did."

"At least Fiona understands the business world and what it takes to get ahead."

"Good for her. I guess she is the woman for you I never will nor ever wanted to be. Goodbye, Nathan."

She left his house before he could say anything further. She was done. She rushed to her car and drove a few blocks away from his home so he couldn't see her and then she parked the car and let the tears flow for something she had to wonder how she had ever let get started and for how relieved she was her stifling relationship with Nathan had finally ended.

Lucas entered the restaurant and greeted his employees who worked the early shift to get things ready for the lunch crowd. Lucas expected another good turnout as people shopped for Christmas and took in the sights on a bright clear Saturday.

"I guess I missed all of the excitement last night," Hickam said from behind the bar.

Lucas looked at him. "Excitement? What excitement?"

Hickam leaned in closer. "I heard you saw Elizabeth. How did it go?"

"Henry told you, didn't he? I knew he saw something, but he kept giving me this sly grin and wouldn't admit anything."

"He told me you two had a polite but short conversation. What are you thinking? He told me Nathan wasn't around either. That has to be good, right?"

"I don't really know, Mike," Lucas said, drinking from the mug filled with coffee Hickam had put in front of him. "Elizabeth was here with some coworkers to celebrate the holidays. I know she and Nathan don't work at the same place, so I don't know what it means. If anything. It was nice to see her, though."

Hickam nodded knowingly. "There's that smile you reserve only for her. C'mon, man. Aren't you curious? Don't you want to find out what her status is?"

Lucas shrugged. "Elizabeth made her choice a long time ago, and I was not the one she wanted to be with."

"Look around," Hickam said. "Things have changed, my man."

"But I hope I haven't. Owning this restaurant does not change who I am and what I believe and what I want out of life. Elizabeth knew all of that, and she chose the safer route. I don't blame her, but I also know I can't and never will be able to offer her that type of life. It's not who I am."

"I think an opportunity has presented itself that you should not pass up. At least find out how she's doing."

Lucas looked at his best friend and grinned. "You really are a hopeless romantic, aren't you?"

"More like a hopeful one," he said and returned the grin. "Someone's out there for both of us, my friend. We cannot give up hope. I think yours is closer than you think, but what do I know? I'm just a bartender."

"And a darned good one at that. Thank you, Mike. I see things are calm here at the moment. I have some last-minute Christmas shopping to do. I'll be back before we open."

"Sounds good. Have fun."

Lucas walked along the crowded street, shopping bags in hand, and decided to look inside the local bookstore for one more gift for his mother who was a voracious reader. She was the main reason he had developed a love for reading and for the classics. He remembered her talking about an author she enjoyed who was supposed to have released a new book in time for Christmas. If he could find it, he felt he would have had a successful Christmas shopping experience, something he rarely accomplished. But something about this season, maybe because his restaurant was doing so well, had brought him joy.

Making his way through the crowd to where he thought he saw the book on display, he bumped into someone and immediately apologized. He stopped and couldn't help but to smile when he saw who he had jostled. None other than Elizabeth Thatcher.

She returned his smile as they moved to a less populated area of the bookstore.

"I find it very intriguing to run into you here," he said. "Twice in two days. How is this even possible?"

"Maybe it's fate," Elizabeth joked, even though she felt maybe, indeed, it was fate.

The irony they would run into each other in a bookstore, of all places, was not lost on either of them.

"Well, I don't know about that," Lucas said, "but I'm happy to see you. Again. I know we didn't get to talk much last night. I don't want to presume anything, but if you're available, maybe we could meet at the restaurant for a late dinner?"

"Won't you be too busy like last night?"

"I can get away after the main dinner crowd is gone. I do have my own private table. Perks of owning the place, you see."

He gave her a dimpled smile;she thought her knees would buckle.

"I…would….I would like that. Very much."

"Good. I just have one question I need to ask you."

"Of course."

"Are you still seeing Nathan Grant? Because if you are…"

"I'm not," she assured him, happy she could say that in all honesty.

It felt good to admit that, too. She had cried for what had been and for what would never be, and now she was ready to move forward to find out what else life may have in store for her, good or bad.

"Then come around nine, and bring your appetite. I will have my chef prepare us a divine meal. You won't be disappointed."

Elizabeth somehow knew she would not be disappointed, by the food or by her dinner companion.

"I'll be there," she said, already counting the hours until she would see him again.

Lucas saw her as soon as she entered. She looked beautiful wearing a light purple dress with a matching shawl, her russet hair cascading around her slender shoulders and down her back. He quickly made his way to the front and after they exchanged hellos, he escorted her towards the back of the restaurant where they would not be disturbed.

He held her chair for her, which made her smile, as she seated herself and propped her clutch against the paneled wall on the left-side of their table. A lit candle and a small bouquet of flowers sat atop the white tablecloth. The table was intimate and quiet. Elizabeth liked it very much.

Lucas sat across from her and asked if she would like a glass of wine. She said she would. The waiter he had chosen for their evening returned with two glasses of the wine Lucas had hand-picked for this occasion. Once they were alone, he offered a toast.

"To renewed acquaintances," he said, the words sounding more like a question rather than a statement.

"How about toasting to a friendship being renewed," Elizabeth offered.

Lucas nodded. "I like that."

Their glasses clinked and then they each took a sip of the fine wine.

"I remember this," Elizabeth said. "You had the waiter bring us a bottle at the restaurant we dined at after we had visited the Space Needle. You have very good taste."

"Thank you. I'm pleased you remember. That was a long time ago."

"Not so long ago," she said. "That day was one of my very favorites. The book fair was magnificent, the Space Needle was amazing, and dining with you, well, it was an experience I will never forget. You were always looking around, getting ideas, thinking of what you would do if you owned this restaurant or that one. I'm very happy for you, Lucas. I mean that. This place is going to be special. I can feel it."

"I hope you are right. We are off to a good start. I hope it stays that way."

"I will definitely tell all of my friends they must dine here."

"Thank you. I appreciate that. I do have one caveat, though."

"What's that?"

"If you and Nathan happen to still be friends, there's no need to tell him."

Elizabeth chuckled. "We are not friends, but he does know about this place. I'm not sure he will ever dine here, though. I rather doubt it, to be honest."

"I see. Sounds like maybe you and he recently ended things?"

"We did. This morning."

Lucas almost choked on his sip of wine. He put down his glass and wiped his mouth with his linen napkin.

"This morning? When I saw you at the bookstore, I thought maybe it had been at least a while since you and Nathan had broken up. I must say. You look very well put together for someone who has just ended a long-term relationship."

"Thank you. That is because it was a long time coming. We actually hadn't seen each other for over a month, but neither of us could or would say the words we knew needed to be said. This morning, I finally got the courage to tell him I could no longer be with him. It was not a horrible breakup, but some things were said by both of us that lead me to believe we will not be seeking each other out, even as friends."

"Is it permissible for me to question the timing of this breakup? I mean, we did see each other last night after almost two years of no contact. Again, I don't want to presume anything, however…"

"Seeing you last night had everything to do with my visit to Nathan's house today," Elizabeth freely admitted. "I spent all of last night thinking about you and all of the fun times we'd had and how special you made me feel. I even looked at the journal you had given me and when I read your inscription, well, it made me realize I have not been living. Not really. I've been doing what my parents expected of me and trying to live up to what Nathan wanted me to be, which was not flattering, believe me. I don't know if I'll ever be or do what I had envisioned, but I want to try. I want my life to have meaning and purpose. I want to make a difference."

"I always thought you would," Lucas said quietly, after their delicious meal had been placed in front of them by their discreet waiter. "I'm sorry none of that has happened for you."

"Yet," she qualified, as she nodded and smiled at the delicious beef that had practically melted in her mouth. "This food is excellent. Even better than what I had last night, and I enjoyed that meal very much."

Lucas smiled. "I'm happy you like what my chef has prepared. I will give him your compliments."

"Please do."

"I remember what I wrote in that journal," Lucas said. "I'm guessing the dreams you are talking about have to do with your writing?"

"You are correct. I wrote a collection of short stories soon after we had stopped seeing each other. I felt as though the words and the story ideas were coming so easily to me. It was kind of scary how easy. But I wrote as many as my imagination allowed. After editing and pondering and questioning whether I should try to get them published, I decided to take the chance. I sent them to two separate publishing houses and received rejection letters from both. Nathan told me he was not surprised and asked me to stop this silly dream I had of becoming a published author. I haven't written anything since."

"That's horrible," Lucas said, indignant that Nathan could be so callus.

He didn't know the man well, but he couldn't imagine anyone being that heartless. Especially to the woman he supposedly loved.

"Why would he crush your precious dream like that?"

"Because according to him, he lives in the real world, not some made-up world where imagination and outside-the-box ideas are allowed. I don't know. He's a very bottom line type of man. My father adores him. No surprise there, right?"

"I guess not. I know your father had no use for me, even though I care about the bottom line, too, and always will. Maybe it's just not the same type of bottom line."

"I know you don't live frivolously and, of course, you care about how you conduct yourself and your life, but you also have passions and ideas and hopes for your future and what you want your life to look like. You also know how to have fun. I miss that, Lucas. I truly do. If I'm being honest with myself, I miss you. I miss everything about you. Your fun side and your serious side. We had some great discussions and debates about literature and movies and places we wanted to see. But I also knew you were driven to have your own restaurant, and now you do. I know accomplishing that goal took a lot of hard work and determination. This wasn't handed to you. You worked diligently and tirelessly to make this happen. Because this was your dream. I want to do the same thing with my writing. Maybe I never will become a published author, but I have to at least try, don't I?"

"Of course, you do. And you should."

"If I can ever get the courage to write again."

"Nathan did a number on your confidence, didn't he?"

"I just…I stopped caring. I stopped dreaming. I stopped hoping. I tried to fit into the box my parents and Nathan thought I belonged in, and I had never been so miserable. This is the first time in a good long while, I feel I can breathe again. I still have to face my parents, but letting Nathan know I could not be what he wanted me to be has given me a freedom I haven't had in almost two years. It feels wonderful. I am hopeful for the future, regardless of where it takes me."

"I think you will find good things await you in your future, Ms. Thatcher. And I have an idea if you are willing."

"I'm listening," she said, inching closer to him across the table.

"What if you were to allow me to read your short stories? You know we have similar tastes in books and authors. I also may know a person or two in the publishing business. I'm not saying I could get you a publishing deal, but it never hurts to know someone in that field, right? I would give you an honest critique of how I view your stories, and if I feel they deserve another chance, I would be happy to contact my friends in the publishing world. There is also the option of publishing online now, too."

"I know, but I've been trying to avoid that route for various reasons. I need to know if my stories are good enough first."

"Would you like me to read them and give you my thoughts? I would be happy to do so."

Elizabeth bit her lip as she considered his kind offer. If she allowed him to read them, she knew he would soon realize almost all of the stories she had written involved him in some way. Was she ready to have him know that? She wasn't sure.

"Let me think about it," she said, as their dessert was served.

"Fair enough," he said.

Before they ate their dessert, they clinked forks. Neither one knew where that tradition had started, but they liked the idea and decided why not do it before they ate their tiramisu.

Lucas walked her to her car. Before she let him open the door so she could climb inside, she thanked him for a lovely evening.

"I will let you know tomorrow about my stories," she said, gazing into his eyes. "I want to look at them again and make sure they're ready for someone else to read."

"I understand. And if you decide not to show them to me, I'll understand that, too. I want this dream to be kept alive for you, Elizabeth. I know how important it was to you when we were first getting to know each other. No one has the right to take that away from you. No one."

She nodded. "Thank you, Lucas. Goodnight."

After spending another sleepless night rereading her stories, Elizabeth decided to take a chance and let Lucas read them. She prepared herself for what he would say about how he had seen himself in her stories. She decided she was okay with that. He would only be speaking the truth.

Lucas thanked her for letting him into this part of her world and assured her he would read her stories very carefully and give her words and ideas the consideration they deserved.

He waited until after Christmas to contact her. Elizabeth invited him to her apartment so they could discuss her stories. He told her he would bring the coffee and danish.

"Be honest with me," she said, as they sat at her kitchen table.

Lucas had set her stories on the table.

"I have always been honest with you," he said. "I liked your stories. A lot. I think I may be in a few of them, but feel free to tell me I am way off base."

"You are in there," she confirmed. "Which is why I initially hesitated to show them to you. But you were an important part of my life, Lucas, and truthfully, I began writing these stories after we had said our goodbyes. I guess I wasn't ready to let you go."

"I don't think you delved deep enough. If Luther is based on me, then I think you need to dig deeper. The characters rang true in some areas but not in others. But I get it if you were writing from a hurtful place or a sad place. I bet if you looked at them again with an editor's eye, you would see where changes need to be made to make them stronger. To make them great."

"I have thought about that," she admitted. "And now, hearing you say those words makes me even more certain I have made the right decision."

"The right decision?" Lucas asked, not understanding. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to rewrite those stories. I have a whole new life in front of me. I'm tired of looking back at the what ifs and the might have beens. I'm ready to move forward. I wrote short stories because no one believed I could even write, so I took the easy way to try to prove my point which didn't work anyway. But I'm through taking the easy way. I know in my heart what I want to do is write a novel, so that is what I am going to do. Whether it takes me a year or ten years or even if I never finish it, I have a wonderful idea for a novel, and I am going to begin writing it. Thank you, Lucas, for helping me make this decision. For believing in me and in my dream."

"I'm not sure I had anything to do with this decision, but I believe it's a good one. Writing a novel takes a lot of work and dedication to your craft. I do believe in you, Elizabeth. I believe you can do this and that it will be most fulfilling for you to achieve this goal."

As Elizabeth walked Lucas to the door and thanked him once again for all of his help, he stopped and looked at her.

"Elizabeth?" he asked, before he lost his nerve. "What are you doing New Year's Eve?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly, her heart soaring as she thought about what he must have planned at the restaurant for such an occasion and realizing she wanted to be a part of it. A major part of whatever he was doing.

"Would you be my special guest at The Comfort Zone to help me host my first of what I hope will be many New Year's Eve parties?"

Elizabeth smiled demurely. "I would be honored, Mr. Bouchard. Thank you."

"No, Elizabeth," he said, his tone serious. "Thank you."

"I look forward to ringing in the new year. With you."

"I feel the exact same way. I will pick you up around eight?"

"I'll be ready."

"Thank you, Elizabeth. If you would like to invite your parents, that's fine by me. I wouldn't mind if they saw the restaurant."

She gave him a knowing smile. "I just might do that, Mr. Bouchard."

"Good. Until New Year's Eve."

"Until then," she said, already knowing she would have to go shopping for a new dress and get her hair and nails done.

She couldn't wait.

"Best party ever," Elizabeth said, as she and Lucas slow danced to the live band he had hired for the occasion.

"Honestly?" he asked, thinking everything had gone pretty well but not sure since this was his first time hosting.

"Best one I have been to. You, Mr. Bouchard, dressed in that tuxedo, are a wonderful host. Look around. No one has left."

"We did get quite a crowd. Of course, I heard the low whistles and saw the looks you were getting when we entered. You look absolutely stunning in that black sequined dress."

"Aren't you kind," she said and laughed. "I'm having a wonderful time, Lucas. Thank you."

"We haven't even hit midnight yet."

"What is going to happen at midnight?" she asked with a playful grin.

"Would you object if we shared our first kiss?"

"No," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck as they continued to sway to the music. "I would be wondering why it had taken us so long. One of the biggest mistakes I made was pushing you away, Lucas, when I dearly wanted to be with you. I'm so glad I stopped listening to other people and started listening to my heart. You asked me that two years ago. Do you remember?"

"Elizabeth, I remember every word of every conversation we had."

"You do?"

He nodded and looked a bit sheepish. "I don't know if it would have changed anything then, but Elizabeth, when we parted ways that day in the park, I had already fallen in love with you. I'm still in love with you. I don't think there will ever be a time in my life when I won't be in love with you."

Elizabeth ran her tapered finger along his bearded cheek and down his jawline. "I think I've always been in love with you, too. You are the only man who has ever challenged me to be who I believe I am meant to be. You care about me, but you also tell me things I need to hear. Because they benefit me. Maybe a part of me was scared to love a man like you, so different from my father and the men I have been around most of my life and my own friends' brothers and boyfriends and husbands. You are a different breed, Lucas Bouchard, and so rare these days, but you are also a breath of fresh air I desperately need."

"So we will share our first kiss at the stroke of midnight?" he asked, wanting to make sure.

"We will share our first kiss, but I promise you, it won't be our last."

And as the clock struck midnight, Elizabeth Thatcher and Lucas Bouchard shared what turned out to be not only their first kiss but also the start of a new relationship that took both of them to new heights neither one of them could have ever imagined.

Lucas saw Elizabeth through her writing journey, and after a year and a half, she realized her dream of becoming a published author. She became one of the new voices and fresh faces in women's fiction. With her book tours and signings, she finally had to quit her day job in order to accommodate her schedule and became a full-time author and speaker.

At the same time, Lucas gained the funding he needed, some of which came from Elizabeth's father no less, to open a second restaurant, Bouchard's by the Bay, located near the main ferry terminal which was a prime location. His second restaurant found much the same success as his first one had and when his investors wanted him to open a third, he slowed them down and told them he another more pressing priority. He and Elizabeth were planning their wedding.

"What are you doing New Year's Eve?" he asked his intended with a twinkle in his dark brown eyes.

"Hmm…let me think," she said, smiling from ear to ear. "New Year's Eve? Whatever am I doing on New Year's Eve? Oh, that's right. I'm marrying you."

And so before the clock struck midnight, two years after they had shared their first kiss, Elizabeth Thatcher and Lucas Bouchard were married at The Comfort Zone where their reunion had inexplicably but fatefully occurred.

And neither one of them regretted that moment as they shared a lifetime of happiness with two children, four grandchildren, ten published books, along with a podcast and a blog, and three restaurants situated throughout Seattle proper.

Elizabeth wrote words to live by in the dedication for the last novel she published before retiring to spend her golden years with Lucas, their children and their grandchildren:

If I have learned anything, it's never give up on your dreams because they are worth fighting for. As long as you have a dream, you have hope, and as long as you have hope, anything is possible. I have been fortunate enough to share my dreams with so many of you. My wish for anyone who happens to read this book is to never stop believing in yourself and what you can accomplish. Dreams do come true. I have the proof.

THE END! :-)

Author's Note: Here's to hoping your holidays are joyous as we close out a tumultuous 2020 and look to a brighter and better 2021. My hope, as I know it is for all of Team Lucas, is that we get our endgame in Season 8! :-)