A/N Thank you so much for the kind reviews! I'm glad you guys seem to enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

For clarification and/or to satisfy anyone's curiosity, the fictional town of Hope Valley, OK is located somewhere near Gore, south of Lake Tenkiller (southeast of Tulsa, east of OKC). The population is also similar to Gore's, just under 1000 people.

Anyway, on with the story...

...

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I couldn't believe I had talked myself into this. I heard a low bark and the clicking of paws across the floor. Jack opened the door, and my breath caught in my throat. His hair was mussed, as if he had just woken up. I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to see him like that every morning. I pushed the thought from my mind before I could blush and give myself away. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing here?"

"Good morning. I was just bringing you a little something to say, 'welcome to the neighborhood.'" I held out the container of cookies.

He took it from me. "Oh. Uh, thank you. You didn't have to do that."

"I know." We both stood in silence for a moment, unsure of what else to say. "Well," I cleared my throat, "I should, um, probably be on my way to work. I'll see you around, Jack."

He smiled. "See you around."

Once again, I felt his eyes on me as I walked away. I felt my cheeks flush at the knowledge that he was watching me, thankful that he couldn't see my face. I began to count down the time until Sunday night dinner, willing the hours to move quickly. Only three more days.

...

It seemed that my students had all gotten together and decided to be extra wild that day. I wondered if it was a full moon that had them all acting so out of character.

Every few minutes, I heard a different little voice yelling my name, needing my full attention to help them with some problem or task. Normally well-behaved children were getting out of their seats and talking out of turn. I lost track of how many arguments I broke up.

I had never been so thankful for recess and lunch. After I dropped the students off at the playground, I sat by myself in the classroom, enjoying the peace and quiet. I prayed that the children would run off their energy and be better behaved when they returned.

As I sat without distractions, I found my mind drawn to Jack and the way he looked that morning, with his sleepy hazel eyes and tousled hair.

I couldn't recall the last time someone had so dominated my thoughts—especially someone that I barely knew. I wondered if he had been thinking about me as much as I had been thinking about him. Surely he hadn't; it was a bit ridiculous just how much I had been thinking about him.

Recess had not helped my students as I had hoped it would. It was as if the children had replenished their energy stores when they returned to the classroom for the afternoon. Two children had to be sent to the nurse after they bumped heads. Another two ended the day crying. About what, I don't know—they were unable to calm down enough to explain to me what happened.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the day finally ended. I loved teaching and I loved my students, but some days they wore my patience thin.

The silence of my drive home was a welcome respite after the cacophony of the school day. I trudged through the front door, the combination of my sleepless night and hectic day finally catching up to me. I let Bronte into the backyard and collapsed onto the couch, not even bothering to take off my shoes before I fell asleep.

When I woke, the sun was beginning to set. I found Bronte laying right outside the back door, waiting to be let back inside. I ate a quick dinner and decided to take the dog for a walk before bed.

Despite the lengthy nap I had taken when I got home from work, I was able to fall asleep quickly. My dreams were filled with images of Jack, and I woke in the morning even more impatient for Sunday to arrive. Only two more days.

...

Sunday evening finally arrived, and I found myself standing in Rosemary's kitchen, helping her prepare the night's meal.

"I can't believe I agreed to this." I pulled the pan of potatoes from the oven, secretly thrilled that I was about to have dinner with Jack. "Wait, Rosie, does he even know that I'll be here?"

Rosemary shrugged and continued chopping the vegetables. "I'm not sure. Lee invited him, so I don't know if he mentioned it. But remember, it's not like it's a date. You have been very adamant about that fact. We're simply welcoming him to the neighborhood. If this dinner happens to pique your interest in each other, then so be it." She winked at me and smiled. If only she knew how much I had been thinking about him over the past week; I'm sure she would give me an earful.

There was a knock at the door. I heard Lee greet Jack and usher him inside. I suddenly grew nervous at the sound of Jack's voice. It's not a date. Calm down. There's no pressure. I took a few deep breaths, trying to slow the beating of my heart.

"Need help with anything else?"

She shook her head. "Nope. You can go see him now." She gave me a knowing look.

I rolled my eyes and wiped my hands on a towel before I left the kitchen. I froze when I saw him. He was in dark jeans and a blue plaid button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his hair combed to the side.

"Elizabeth."

I let out a breath. "Jack."

"You, um, you look great." He took a step toward me. I felt frozen to the spot where I was standing.

I tucked my hair behind my ear and glanced down at the dress that I was wearing, nervously smoothing the skirt. "Thank you. So do you." I cleared my throat. "Uh, dinner should be ready in a few minutes."

I had almost forgotten Lee was there until he spoke. "Great. How about we head out to the deck?"

It was unseasonably warm for February, so Lee led us through the house to the backyard. Rosemary was close behind us, carrying a tray of food.

Jack sat in the seat beside me, far enough to avoid accidentally bumping into me but close enough that I could feel the heat from his body.

"Jack, we're glad you could join us tonight."

"So am I. Thank you for inviting me."

Lee poured wine into the glasses on the table.

"Eat up, everyone." Rosemary started passing plates around.

The dinner was great. Rosemary and Lee kept the conversation light. We learned more about Jack. Mostly I learned that he had a great laugh and that I wanted to spend more time with him. The sun had set by the time Rosemary brought out dessert.

"Mm, this is really good. What is it?" Jack looked up at Rosemary.

"Gooey butter cake. Elizabeth made it."

He turned and met my gaze. "I don't think I've ever had this before. In fact, I don't think I've even heard of it."

"It's a St. Louis specialty. That's where I grew up."

"Well, it seems that I've been missing out."

I smiled shyly. "I'm glad you like it."

"This might be even better than your cookies, and those were delicious."

I saw Rosemary raise her eyebrows, and I shot her a look to keep her from asking any questions.

I followed Rosemary into the kitchen after we had all finished eating, carrying a stack of empty plates.

"Elizabeth, you don't have to help me clean up."

"I want to help, Rosie."

She put her hand on my arm, preventing me from reaching into the sink. "Elizabeth, you are not going to miss this opportunity to walk home with Jack."

"Rosemary…"

"Don't even try to tell me there's not something there. I could see it. Lee could see it. I'm sure any astronauts in space could see it."

I laughed, feeling my face color slightly. "Is it really that obvious?"

"You should go for it, Elizabeth. He seems like a really great guy. Now seriously, get out of here before he leaves without you."

I smiled. "Thank you, Rosie."

I stepped into the living room to find Jack standing by the front door, pulling on his jacket. "Oh, hey. I was just about to head out, but I can wait if you want to walk together."

I coughed to cover up the huge smile that started to form on my face. "Okay. Let me just grab my jacket, and we can head out."

"I had a nice time tonight." Jack walked beside me, keeping his hands in his pockets.

"So did I. I'm glad Rosie planned it."

"I know I already said this, but that dessert was really good. I'm going to have to watch myself with your baking or I'll start fattening up."

I laughed. "Maybe next time I'll just bring fruit for dessert or something."

We were approaching my driveway when he stopped. "Um, speaking of a next time, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have dinner again? Just the two of us this time?"

I felt butterflies in my stomach and nodded. "I'd like that."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. I'll let you know the details. So, um, good night, Elizabeth."

"Good night, Jack." I quickly entered my house and got ready for bed. It was a long time before sleep found me, but eventually I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

...

Jack slid into the booth across from me. "Good morning."

I smiled, butterflies filling my stomach. "Good morning."

"So," he seemed a little nervous as he began, "does this Friday work for you? For dinner?"

"Yes."

He smiled, looking relieved. "Okay. I'll pick you up at six. Dress is casual."

"Sounds good."

Abigail came over after he left and refilled my coffee. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, we were just finalizing plans…" I smiled, "for our date."

She took the seat Jack had occupied just moments before. "Okay, I need details. I didn't even know you two had gotten to know each other."

"It all happened so fast." I sighed as I tried to decide where to begin. "He moved in next door to me. Then Rosie and Lee invited him for dinner to welcome him to the neighborhood, and Rosie convinced me to come, too. We ended up having a lot of fun, and he asked me out after he walked me home."

"Elizabeth Thatcher! I can't believe you've been holding out on me!"

"Sorry!" I laughed. "Truthfully, there isn't much to tell you. I like him. That's all." I sipped my coffee. "I promise to call you Saturday and tell you everything."

"You'd better!" She stood up. "I should let you get to work. Don't forget to call me Saturday."

...

Friday evening, Rosemary stood in my bedroom, rifling through my closet. "He said casual, right?"

"Yes. He didn't say where we're going or anything, though."

"A sweater is probably a safe bet." She pulled a light blue sweater from the closet. "How about this one?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I brought you over here so I wouldn't have to make a decision."

She rolled her eyes. "This one is good." She tossed it to me. "With your black jeans."

Twenty minutes later, I was standing in my living room while Rosemary fussed with my hair. "Rosie, he's going to be here any minute. My hair is fine."

"Fine." She took a step back and looked me over, smiling at her handiwork. "Jack's not going to know what hit him."

"Rosemary!" I hit her arm playfully.

"Seriously, Elizabeth. You look great." She gave me a hug. "Okay, I'm going to get home. Let me know how it goes!"

Just a few minutes after Rosemary left, there was a knock at the door.

I took a deep breath. "Wish me luck, Bee." I gave her a pat on the head before I opened the door.