Nathan stared at all the gadgets in the car, feeling entirely out of his element. Lee sat next to him with a raised brow. "Nathan, if you just sit there looking at it, you're never going to learn how to drive."

"Don't rush me," Nathan mumbled, trying to remember everything Lee had told him about driving a car. "I just need to think for a moment."

Lee laughed. "You've been thinking for several moments! Sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and take a chance." He slapped Nathan's shoulder. "Kind of like you did with Elizabeth. After a lot of thinking."

Glancing at Lee, Nathan hid a grimace. "You think it took me too long to start courting her?"

Lee made one of his mock exasperated faces. "Yes, Nathan. Everyone thinks it took you a long time to start courting Elizabeth. We all knew how you felt about her; you just couldn't get the words out."

"Don't remind me," Nathan groaned. "How is it we can be confident and bold in normal, everyday matters, but one glance from a special woman sends our hearts trembling?"

"If you figure that out, let me know," Lee said with a chuckle. "Now, put this car into gear and let's get going! If you make it to the saloon without mishap, I'll buy you a beer."

"Okay," Nathan said, putting the car into gear. He waited for a moment, then sat up a little straighter. "It's still running!"

"Yes, it is," Lee said, unable to hide his laughter. "Now why don't you put your foot on the gas pedal and see if you can drive this thing without it stalling."

Nathan did as he was instructed, and within minutes they were driving into town. "This isn't so bad, once you get the hang of it!" Nathan exclaimed, glad to have figured out the basics.

"You're doing great," Lee said. "Now, all you have to do is...Nathan, look out!"

Lucas materialized in front of them, carrying a large crate. Nathan slammed on the brakes, stalling the car. Lucas jumped, the crate almost falling from his arms. He glared at Nathan. "If I didn't know better, Constable, I'd think you did that on purpose."

Nathan's jaw dropped. "What? You're the one who walked right in front of the car!"

"Pedestrians have the right of way, if I'm not mistaken."

"You don't have the right to simply walk in front of a moving vehicle…"

"Boys, boys," Lee interrupted, getting out of the car. "Calm down. Lucas, Nathan didn't see you because you did walk suddenly into the street. Nathan, Lucas couldn't see you because the crate was in his line of sight. No one is at fault."

The two men continued to glare at one another. Lee looked between them and laughed suddenly. They both turned to look at him, wondering what on earth was so funny.

Lee wiped his eyes and smirked at them. "You know, for all your arguing and apparent dislike of each other, I think you have more in common than you realize. I think one day the two of you will be fast friends."

Nathan and Lucas snorted in unison.

Lee waved his hand, walking into the saloon. "Mark my words, boys. You'll be friends before you know it."

A tense silence reigned for a moment, then Nathan slowly got out of the car. "I'm sorry I almost ran you over," he said.

Lucas nodded, letting out a breath. "And I'm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going."

"A lot on your mind?" Nathan asked, feeling a little strange at making small talk with anyone, much less Lucas.

"Yes. But I won't bore you with the details," Lucas said. "I need to get to the oil office. Have a nice day, Nathan."

"You too," Nathan said, watching as Lucas walked the short distance to the office. He smiled to himself as he saw Lucas make a point of looking both ways before crossing the street. He shook his head and walked into the saloon, joining Lee at a table.

"I ordered us some beer," Lee said as Nathan sat down. "So, you still haven't told me why you need the car on Saturday."

"I want to take Elizabeth to Brookfield," Nathan said.

Lee's brow wrinkled. "Brookfield? What's in Brookfield? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a cute town," he said, "but what could possibly be of interest there for you and Elizabeth?"

Nathan chuckled. "Not much, admittedly," he said. "But Gabe called and said the children at New Hope Orphanage are going to be putting on a show for the town. They'll be doing some little plays and recitals outside as part of the town's winter festival." He smiled. "I have it on good authority that part of the show includes recitation of Emerson poetry."

"Ah," Lee said, his smile wide. "That's why you're taking her there."

Nathan nodded. "If she's open to it," he said. "I haven't asked her yet. It would only be a day trip. It takes a couple hours to get to Brookfield by car, and the show starts around noon. We should be back before eight that night. So I have a small favor to ask…"

"Rosemary and I would be happy to keep an eye on Allie and Jack," Lee said. "Rosemary will be thrilled. She loves those children."

"Thanks, Lee," Nathan said, his own smile breaking free. "Now I just have to ask Elizabeth if she'd like to go."

Lee grinned. "For some reason I get the feeling she's going to be thrilled."

Lucas placed the crate on his desk, then passed a hand over his eyes, rubbing them lightly. His heart was still beating faster than normal, and he knew it was because of his close call with the car. He also knew Nathan hadn't been at fault, but Lucas's adrenaline had kicked into high gear and the only thing he could think to say was an accusation. He drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the racing of his heart.

"Hi, Lucas!" Fiona's cheery voice pierced his thoughts as she came into the office, and his heart kicked into double time.

"Uh...hi," he said, feeling flustered.

Fiona frowned, hanging her jacket on the hook. "Are you alright?" she asked, walking toward him with a concerned look on her face.

Lucas took an instinctive step back as she got closer, unfamiliar feelings washing over him. If he were honest, these unfamiliar feelings were becoming more and more familiar as he and Fiona worked together. She made him uncomfortable. In the month that they had been working with each other, he'd been more flustered and bumbling than he had been in his entire life.

He wasn't sure he liked that feeling. He was used to being calm, cool, and collected. But lately, around Fiona, he felt anything but.

He tried to remember her question, fumbling for words. "Um, yes, I'm fine. Just had a close call with a car."

Fiona's eyes widened, and she came even closer, surveying him as if looking for damage. "You almost got hit by a car?"

"Uh…" Why couldn't he get the words out? What was wrong with him?

His eyes widened as he suddenly realized what this reminded him of. He was acting like Nathan! He groaned out loud, forgetting for a moment that he had an audience.

Fiona was staring at him, clearing concerned. "Lucas, what is going on? You're not yourself."

No, I'm not, he thought, feeling slightly panicked. He had to get some air. He needed time to think. Grabbing his jacket, he put it on and started buttoning. "I need to go to Union City," he said brusquely. "I want to talk to our vendor about procuring more oil orders."

Fiona's brow wrinkled. "Don't you usually just call him for that?" she asked, pointing to the phone.

"Uh…" Why was that the only word he seemed capable of uttering when she asked him a question? "Uh, yes, usually. But you know I like to foster relationships with our vendors and our customers. Good for business." His heart was hammering in his chest. He had to get out of there. Now. "See you later."

He bolted out of the building, trying to ignore Fiona's bewildered expression. What is wrong with me, he wondered, feeling as bewildered as Fiona had looked. It was a good thing Union City was a long drive. He had never felt this way around a woman before, not even Elizabeth.

He had a lot to process.

Fiona stared out the door, wondering what in the world had come over Lucas. In the month since they'd started working together, she'd come to know him as a smart, capable businessman who could figure out any problem. He had said he knew nothing about the oil business, but together they had navigated it, and already things were starting to turn around for the better. Lucas was business savvy, and she had learned a lot from him. He claimed he had learned from her too, but she wasn't sure how that was possible. She felt like she had muddled her way through the mess that Henry had unwittingly created, barely keeping afloat at times. Lucas had encouraged her and helped her become a businesswoman, and if she were honest, she loved it. She loved figuring out problems and solving them, especially when it meant she and Lucas got to work together to solve the problem. They were becoming very good friends.

And her stomach had continued to churn out butterflies when he was around.

She couldn't deny that she felt an attraction to him, but she stuffed it down. The one topic she and Lucas hadn't broached was how he felt about Nathan and Elizabeth's courtship. She wondered if he was still hurting over that. He was certainly acting strangely of late. She had never known Lucas to be at a loss for words, but in recent weeks he couldn't seem to string a sentence together like he used to. The polished, perfect veneer had slipped, and he seemed more real.

She liked that. To be honest, that was part of the reason her attraction to him had grown.

Fiona sighed. Her attraction to Lucas was probably futile. He hadn't shown any interest in her, and she knew he wasn't shy about making his interest in a woman known. When he wanted something, he took action. She had a feeling that was how he operated both in business and in love. Since he was showing no signs of interest in her, she should probably just ignore these feelings she was experiencing until they eventually went away.

She hadn't been in love before. There had been several young men who wanted to date her, but she had never been able to return their interest. The closest she'd come to liking someone back was Kevin. He was sweet and clearly interested, but after a few months she had realized she simply didn't return his feelings. Their friendship had taken a backseat to their jobs, and they were both okay with that.

These feelings she had for Lucas were new and surprising. Their initial interactions when they'd moved to Hope Valley had been cordial but suspicious. She had thought him mysterious and possibly shady, but in time she'd come to realize he was simply trying to protect himself and a friend. Her estimation of him had gone up from there. Now he was someone she got along with well. Their business relationship was thriving, and the company was improving.

She just had to master these emotions that tried to overtake her each time Lucas walked into the room.

"That's all for today. Class dismissed!" Elizabeth said, ringing the bell. Her students got up in a flurry of activity, laughing and teasing each other as they gathered their things and left the school. As they shuffled out of the building, Elizabeth saw Nathan coming in. He was dressed in his civilian clothes, and as he approached he held out an apple. "For Allie's favorite teacher," he said with a wink.

Elizabeth laughed, taking his proffered gift. "Thank you, Constable," she said, placing the apple on the desk. She looked up at him with a smile. "What brings you here today?"

Nathan looked a little nervous, but he smiled too. "I was wondering if you would like to take a day trip with me this Saturday."

"A day trip?" Elizabeth asked, curiosity piqued. "To where?"

"Brookfield," Nathan answered.

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Oh, I've been wanting to see Brookfield!" she exclaimed. "I hear such wonderful things about it, and I would love to see Grace and Lillian again!"

Nathan raised his brows. "Is that a yes?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Of course it's a yes! I would love to go to Brookfield with you!" She tilted her head. "What will we be doing there?"

"That's a surprise," Nathan replied. "You'll see when we get there."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped. "A surprise?" She studied him for a moment, then smiled. "You surprise me, Nathan. Just when I think I have you figured out, you do something unexpected."

"Is that a good thing?" Nathan asked, his forehead creasing.

Elizabeth closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Yes, Nathan, it's a good thing," she said, eyes closing.

Nathan's arms came around her, and they just stood there for a minute, feeling at home in each other's arms.

"Uncle Nathan!" They slowly broke apart as Allie came bounding up the schoolhouse stairs. "You promised we would go fishing this afternoon!"

"I did," Nathan said, putting his arm around Elizabeth as they walked to the door. "Why don't you run ahead and get the fishing poles?"

"Okay!" Allie disappeared as quickly as she'd arrived.

Nathan laughed. "You know, one of these days we're going to have some time together that doesn't end in an interruption."

As they walked down the steps, Elizabeth looked up at him. "Uninterrupted time would be nice. Though any time with you is good time."

She smiled as Nathan's cheeks reddened slightly. "Why, Constable, I do believe you are blushing!"

"I don't blush," Nathan said as his cheeks reddened even more.

"Mmhmm," Elizabeth said with a chuckle. She leaned toward him. "We'll have lots of uninterrupted time on Saturday. Just the two of us." She smiled. "I think that might be a first."

"I think you're right," Nathan said after a moment of thought. "I'm glad you agreed to come. I think you're going to like it."

"I'm sure I will," Elizabeth replied. "Just being able to spend time with you means I will like it."

Nathan smiled shyly, and they continued their walk toward the rowhouses, a comfortable silence falling between them. Elizabeth appreciated the fact that they didn't need to fill the space with words. It was enough for them to be together and for heart to speak to heart. She leaned her head briefly against his arm, closing her eyes. Every time they were together, she felt like she had found home again.

And home was where the heart was.