Elizabeth tucked little Jack into bed, kissing his head softly as his eyes closed. "Goodnight, my sweet boy," she said with a smile. She tiptoed out of the room and shut the door behind her. Bracing herself for a moment, she could hear Nathan tucking Allie in. She padded down the stairs and set about making two cups of tea, waiting for him to join her. He'd come home from work and sought her out. He had taken her by the arm and pulled her to one side, away from Allie's curious ears. "Can we talk after the kids are in bed?" he'd asked. She had simply nodded in the affirmative.

Now she felt curls of anxiety running through her gut. She knew this talk would be good. They both needed it. But it could also change things, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for change. She took a breath, hoping it would steady her nerves. Taking the tea mugs to the small table in the living room, she set them down, then curled up on the settee, hugging a pillow to her stomach. As she did, she heard Nathan's sturdy footsteps coming down the stairs. Coming into her line of view, he sat across from her on the settee, positioning his body so that they could be face-to-face.

They looked at each other for a few moments, neither quite sure where to begin. Elizabeth was surprised when Nathan broke the silence first. He looked incredibly nervous, but he swallowed his trepidation and asked, "Elizabeth, what do you remember about last night?"

She decided full honesty would be best. "I remember dreaming about Jack. I remember waking up to someone sitting next to me who I assumed to be Jack, and then I kissed him. He stayed with me holding my hand until I fell asleep. That's what I thought this morning when I woke up." She eyed him, hugging the pillow a little more tightly. "Then I thought more about it this morning after our conversation. I remembered hearing your voice wake me up, which meant you were the one sitting there when I…" She trailed off, feeling suddenly self-conscious saying the words out loud to him. "I kissed you," she said in a voice barely over a whisper.

Nathan nodded, his eyes staring into hers. "You did. And I want to apologize for letting you."

She blinked. "You weren't exactly prepared for what I did. It must have been a surprise."

He smiled a little, breaking through the tension. "Surprise would be putting it mildly." His smile faded, and he looked at her seriously. "But I shouldn't have let it continue on, Elizabeth. I'm sorry."

Another memory hit her. She stared at him. "You pulled away," she said. "I remember wondering why Jack pulled away so fast, but that was you." She wasn't sure how she felt about that particular detail.

He grimaced slightly. "As soon as I remembered that you had called me Jack, I pulled back. That wasn't fair to you, Elizabeth. I felt sick knowing I had given you false hope, however unintentional it was. You weren't kissing me, you were kissing him. I couldn't let that go on."

A warmth stole over her as she remembered just how passionate his kiss had been. That had to mean something.

He seemed to read her mind. Reaching out, he took her hand in his and leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. "Elizabeth, I think it's clear I have feelings for you. I care for you deeply, and I hope one day you feel the same way about me." He ran his thumb over the ring that she still wore on her right hand. "But it's also clear that your heart isn't ready to move on yet, at least not fully. And I respect that. Maybe if we'd had more time before our marriage, things would have turned out differently between us. As it is, we are married, and I want you to know that I'm dedicated to making this marriage work. I will always treat you with dignity and respect. If these feelings remain one-sided, I'll be okay with that. Your happiness is what matters to me."

Elizabeth felt tears spring to her eyes. Nathan was being open with her, sharing his emotions at a level he never had before, being extremely vulnerable and telling her how he felt about her. That meant more to her than he knew. She squeezed his hand, wishing she could tell him what she knew his heart wanted to hear, but unable to yet. "For what it's worth, Nathan, I think my feelings will get there someday. They're already on their way." She glanced down at the ring on her right hand, the one he still held. "But you're right. I'm not quite ready to move on completely. Not yet."

Nathan nodded. "And that's why I promise what happened last night won't happen again. I won't kiss you again unless you're ready."

Elizabeth felt a tinge of disappointment, but she also felt a sense of relief. They were talking openly, and it felt good. No guessing, no mind reading. Just plain, honest communication.

"Thank you, Nathan," Elizabeth said. "I'm glad you're sharing all this with me. I know it can't be easy for you."

"I've faced gunmen with less fear than I have at this moment," he admitted with a rueful smile, letting go of her hand.

"I just want you to know how much I appreciate your courage," Elizabeth said, raising a hand to briefly touch his face. "Thank you."

Nathan laughed in surprise. "My courage? Elizabeth, you have more courage than anyone I know! No one else would have voluntarily given up a chance at her own happiness to marry a man who needed a wife to keep a child that wasn't his own."

Elizabeth took a sip of her tea, trying to hide the blush that came to her cheeks at his compliment. "I couldn't bear to see Allie go back to an abusive father," she said, her tone light, not wanting Nathan to feel like he had trapped her in a marriage. It had been her choice. She set her tea back on the table and looked back at Nathan. The change in his expression shocked her.

His face was suddenly ashen, and his mouth worked as if he wanted to speak but couldn't. "What did you just say?" he asked in a low voice.

Elizabeth thought back, wondering what could have triggered such a reaction. "I said she couldn't go back to her abusive father," she repeated, watching his face.

"Abusive?" Nathan said faintly. "What do you mean, abusive?"

Elizabeth's mouth fell open. Didn't he know? "Allie told me her father used to hit her. A lot. She also said your sister would intervene and end up being hit as well. Didn't Allie ever tell you that?"

He shook his head, looking like a slight breeze would knock him over. "I knew he had a problem with alcohol, but not abuse. Allie never said anything. My sister never said anything." His eyes took on a faraway look, as if he were thinking back to the past. After some time, he shook his head again. "How did I not know this?" he asked, looking dazed. "My sister meant the world to me, and Allie was the light of my life from the day she was born! Why didn't they say anything? Why didn't I see something?" Now he looked more anguished than anything else. "My baby sister. My sweet little niece. How could he do that to them?" His eyes became pools of steel, a fire smouldering in their blue depths. "If I ever see that man again, I'm going to…"

Elizabeth put a gentle hand on his arm, halting his line of thinking. "He could be a changed man, Nathan."

He exhaled, clearly fighting for internal control. "You're right, it's possible." Pursing his lips, he muttered under his breath, "Just not probable." For a moment he silently brooded, seeming to forget that Elizabeth was in the room. Suddenly his head snapped up and he looked at Elizabeth in horror.

Her eyes widened in response. "What is it?"

Nathan put his head in his hands, shaking his head. "Our marriage," he said slowly, each word drawn out. "It wasn't necessary."

Shock again filled Elizabeth. Now it was her turn to feel faint. "What?"

He looked up at her. "If I had known about Allie's father and his abusive tendencies, I could have stalled his custody claim with that information. At the very least there would have been an inquiry into his prior actions and Allie would have remained with me while they figured it out." He looked down, an anguished expression on his face. "I could have saved you the trouble of a marriage of convenience."

Elizabeth supposed she should feel upset about this revelation. She should sense the injustice of their circumstances. But she couldn't. She'd come to a realization about their marriage: she felt at peace about it. It wasn't what she would have chosen under normal circumstances, but she'd made peace with her decision, feeling it was the right thing to do. She could rail about the fact that had Nathan known about Allie's father, they wouldn't be here now. But that didn't change the fact that here they were. She could be upset about it, or she could choose to see a bigger plan at work.

She moved a little closer to Nathan and put a hand on his shoulder. "Nathan, I believe things happen for a reason. Neither one of us would have chosen this marriage, but outside circumstances brought us together. Now you, me, Jack, and Allie are a family. What's done is done. God's plans are bigger than our own. I have to trust that there's a reason we were all brought together as a family."

Nathan's eyes met hers. "You really believe that?" he asked, searching her eyes.

She nodded. "I do."

He took a shuddering breath. "So you're not upset?"

She smiled. "Surprisingly, no, I'm not."

Nathan let out a sigh of relief. "You're a strong woman, Elizabeth." He brushed a lock of hair back from her face, his touch lingering on her cheek briefly. "I can't say I'm disappointed that I get to have you in my life." He smiled. "Thank you for being a mother figure to my Allie."

She smiled, blushing slightly, and returned the compliment. "And thank you for being a father figure to little Jack. He adores you."

"The feeling is mutual, I assure you," Nathan said, a smile breaking out across his face. "The two of you have been the greatest unexpected blessings in my life."

"I could say the same of you and Allie," Elizabeth said, knowing it to be true. "Like I said, there's a plan at work here that none of us can comprehend yet. We just have to trust the timing."

Nathan nodded. "I do believe you're right."

As the next month passed, Nathan and Elizabeth settled into their routine. With the air finally cleared between them, it was as if most of the tension had vaporized. Nathan noticed he felt happier and more relaxed, especially around Elizabeth. A part of him was still holding back, the part that wanted her to know that he loved her, but he wasn't ready to tell her that yet. Especially not since she still wore Jack's wedding ring. But he knew she was open to loving him, and for now that was enough.

He walked into the saloon and looked around. He was supposed to be meeting Bill and Lee for lunch. Not finding them, he chose a table and sat down. Clara came over to take his order, a smile fixed on her face. "Hi, Nathan. What'll it be today?"

"I think I'll wait for Bill and Lee to order food, but I'll take some water while I wait."

"Sounds good," she said. "I'll be right back."

The doors to the saloon opened, and Nathan looked up expectantly. He tried not to let his face show any emotion when it was Lucas who came in. Lucas had let Nathan know in no uncertain terms that he didn't agree with the marriage. Little jabs here and there when they chanced to meet over the past couple months told Nathan exactly what Lucas thought. He sighed inwardly. He didn't exactly like Lucas either, so he supposed it didn't matter much.

The fact that the two men had a history of not getting along made Nathan feel more shocked than he normally would have when Lucas took a seat in a chair across from him. Steepling his fingers together, he eyed Nathan over them. For a long moment, he was silent. Nathan wondered what in the world he wanted in the first place. Finally, Lucas spoke.

"I owe you an apology."

That was the last thing Nathan expected him to say. His surprise must have showed on his face, because Lucas smiled wryly. "Believe me, Constable, this isn't easy for me to say. I just want you to know that I recognize that I've been petty in the past, and I'm sorry for it." He paused while Clara set Nathan's water on the table, then continued. "Elizabeth has shown me the meaning of grace and forgiveness in the past year. I figure I could learn a thing or two from her example. So I promise from now on to be civil."

Nathan blinked, trying to take that in. He knew what he had to do. "I owe you an apology as well, Lucas. I've made no secret of the fact that I didn't really like you, and I'm sorry for that. You seem like a decent guy."

"Likewise," Lucas said. He stood, holding out his hand. "Apology accepted."

Nathan shook the proffered hand. "Same."

Lucas nodded. "Lunch is on the house," he said with his smooth smile before heading for the bar.

Nathan smiled as he saw Bill and Lee enter the saloon just as Lucas left. Maybe Elizabeth was right. Maybe one day he and Lucas would be friends.