Elizabeth came home late one afternoon, feeling tired. She knew she still had dinner to prepare, and the thought of doing so was almost overwhelming. Little Jack would need her attention, and Allie likely needed help with homework. Putting a hand on the doorknob, she sighed. She loved her family, but sometimes she missed having a quiet evening to herself.
Pushing the door open, she was met with silence. She glanced around, wondering where the children were. Elizabeth had needed to stay later at work to grade papers, so Allie had gone on ahead of her. Elizabeth had expected to see the two children there with Laura, but no one was in sight. Puzzled, she looked around. Seeing a piece of paper on the table, she went to it and picked it up. Recognizing Nathan's scrawling handwriting, she read the words written there: Kids are with Lee and Rosemary. Meet me at Abigail's at 5.
Elizabeth smiled to herself. Lately Nathan seemed to be reading her mind when she needed something. He'd made a habit of doing little things for her that meant a lot. Washing the dishes after dinner. Tucking the kids into bed. Leaving a flower on her nightstand so she saw it when she woke up. Now this.
He was a thoughtful man, and he showed it in what he did. He might not say much, but he was a man of action.
She glanced at the clock. 4:45. Just enough time for her to freshen up and head to the cafe. She quickly got ready and then headed back out the door. She saw Rosemary's face in the window as she passed her house. Her friend was grinning and gave a saucy wave. Elizabeth gave her a side look and waved back. She could see Rosemary laughing with delight, and she wondered what was going on.
Arriving at the cafe, Elizabeth noticed the "closed" sign on the window. Before she could think about it too much, the door opened. Bill stood there, a smile on his face. "Good evening, Elizabeth," he said. "Come on in."
"Is the cafe closed?" Elizabeth asked. Bill simply nodded, then headed for the kitchen, giving Elizabeth a chance to look around the cafe. She gasped.
It was lit simply with some sturdy candles, and the white tableclothes had a few rose petals scattered over them. Nathan stood at a table in the middle of the room, holding a bouquet of roses. He was dressed in the same suit he'd worn for Jack's baptism and their wedding. He smiled at her as she walked toward him, taking everything in. "Nathan, what is all this?" she asked, eyes wide.
He held the flowers out to her. "This is me wooing my wife." He took her hand and seated her at the table, kissing her hand before he released it and took his seat across from her.
Elizabethe felt a thrill run through her at his words as she placed the roses in a vase sitting on their table. "Woo your wife?" she asked, hoping for further explanation. Nathan did not disappoint.
"Yes," he said matter-of-factly. "I never got a chance to court you, to win your heart the normal way. I fully intend to do so now."
"A married man courting. Who ever heard of such a thing?" Elizabeth said playfully.
Nathan laughed, but his face quickly became serious. He reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "I believe the happiest marriages are those in which the husband and wife continue to show their love for each other in both the everyday moments and in romantic ways. They try to win each other's hearts in a courtship; why should that stop in marriage?" He squeezed her hand, letting it go. "I intend to love you by means of both."
Elizabeth felt overwhelmed in the best way possible. Nathan was being intentional. He was making a concentrated effort to win her heart, and that warmed her more than she'd thought possible. She smiled at him. "And you thought this would be a good place to start?"
He shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "I might have had some help. I'm not exactly an expert in the romance department."
"Let me guess, Rosemary helped?"
Nathan shook his head, a little color coming into his cheeks.
"Bill?" Another head shake. "Lee?"
"Nope."
Elizabeth was stumped. She tried one final time. "Carson?"
Nathan smiled wryly. "No, not Carson."
"Who then?" Elizabeth couldn't think of anyone else in Hope Valley that Nathan would feel comfortable asking for romantic advice.
He shifted in his chair, then looked up at her. "Lucas."
Elizabeth's mouth fell open. "Lucas?" She sat there blinking, trying to take that in. "You asked Lucas for help?"
"Strange, isn't it?" Nathan said with a light chuckle. "We've been working on getting along. Looks like your wish for us to be friends is well on its way to coming true."
Elizabeth was flabbergasted. She hadn't known the two men were making an effort to be friends. She swallowed her surprise and smiled at Nathan. "I'm happy to hear that, Nathan. I think you and Lucas could be good friends."
He smiled back. "I think you could be right. He's not so bad after all."
Elizabeth laughed. "And it probably helps that I'm not a point of contention between you two anymore."
Nathan nodded. "That is certainly a plus." He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe we'll be able to find someone who will be Lucas' happily ever after."
Elizabeth's eyes twinkled. "I've been thinking about that, and I believe he and Fiona would be a splendid match."
"Hmm," Nathan said, leaning back in his chair, clearly mulling the thought over. "You know, they would be pretty great together. Maybe you should take up matchmaking." He winked.
Elizabeth laughed. "I think I'll leave the matchmaking to Rosemary. Although, it couldn't hurt to mention our little thought to her. Lucas and Fiona would be set up before they realized what was going on." She looked around the cafe again, still in awe of what Nathan had pulled off. "This is really beautiful, Nathan. Thank you."
He smiled at her tenderly. "Anytime, Elizabeth."
Bill chose that moment to walk in with two plates of food. Setting them down, he wiped his hands on the white apron he wore and put on a mock serious expression. "Will there be anything else right now?"
Nathan shook his head. "This looks great. Thanks, Bill."
"My pleasure," Bill said with a dry smile. "Enjoy, you two."
"Wow," Elizabeth said, looking at the plate of steak and potatoes in front of her. "Bill went all out." She took a bite and her eyes widened. "And it's delicious! I didn't realize he could cook quite so well."
"He is a man of many hidden talents," Nathan said, laughing. "Just don't let him know that you know that. He will deny it until he's blue in the face."
They talked for several hours, sharing their lives and thoughts with each other. Elizabeth marveled at how easy it was to talk with Nathan. In this intimate setting with just the two of them, he talked more freely than she'd ever heard him do before. It delighted her to know that he trusted her with his heart, and she had a feeling it wouldn't be long before her heart was his. She still wasn't there yet, but she felt herself falling for him a little more each day, with each kind word or meaningful look or sweet gesture. Their day to day life was happy and contented, and if she was honest with herself, she loved that she got to spend her life with him raising Allie and little Jack.
After their dinner and conversation, Nathan offered Elizabeth his arm, and they walked home together at a leisurely pace. Elizabeth held the vase of roses in her free hand, cradling it next to her side. As they came to a stop in front of the Coulters' house, Elizabeth smiled up at Nathan. "I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you, Nathan."
He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, kissing it gently. "My pleasure, Elizabeth. I had a wonderful time as well." He smiled, releasing her hand. "I'll get the kids. We'll see you in a minute."
Elizabeth smiled to herself as she walked into the house. She brought the roses to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent. It had been one of the best nights she'd had in a very long time.
That night as Nathan lay in bed, he thought about the dinner with Elizabeth. It had been perfect. Somehow, since they'd been married, she had broken through his defenses. He could talk to her better than he could talk to anyone else. He had to admit it was nice having someone to talk to. Each day that passed he fell more deeply in love with his wife, and the intensity of his feelings sometimes scared him. He'd talked to Lee about it recently, and Lee had chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder.
"You've got it bad, my friend. Does Elizabeth know how much you love her?"
Nathan shook his head. "I've told her I'm falling for her, but I haven't told her that I'm in love with her, much less how deeply I love her."
Lee nodded. "If I've learned anything being married to Rosie, it's that communication is of utmost importance. Are you ready for her to know how you feel?"
"That's just it, I don't know," Nathan admitted. "A part of me wants to tell her, but another part of me is afraid it would just pressure her into thinking she has to love me back. I don't want her to feel obligated to love me. I want it to be her free choice."
"Nathan, I can tell you Elizabeth would never feel obligated to do something. She's an independent woman, and she would never pretend to have feelings she doesn't actually have. I don't think you need to worry about that. Just be honest with her." He leaned forward. "Between you and me, I can see how she's been looking at you lately. My guess is she's falling for you too, but just isn't quite ready to admit it to herself."
Nathan thought over Lee's words as he lay in his bed. Did he dare to hope that Elizabeth was starting to return his feelings? He was prepared to give her all the time she needed, with the knowledge that she might never love him the way he loved her. Yet he couldn't help hoping that someday she would feel the same way for him that he now felt for her.
"Nathan?" Elizabeth's soft voice came from the other side of the curtain.
"Yes?" He couldn't deny a jolt of electricty that went through him at the sound of her voice. Yep, Lee was right. He had it bad.
Elizabeth's voice was quiet but clear. "Thank you again for tonight."
"You're welcome, Elizabeth."
"Maybe this weekend we could go riding. Just the two of us."
Nathan's heart flipped. He hadn't expected Elizabeth to suggest an outing for the two of them. He felt hope rising in his heart, and worked hard to keep his voice steady.
"I would like that very much."
He could hear the smile in her voice. "Good. It's a date."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Goodnight, Nathan."
"Goodnight, Elizabeth. Sweet dreams." My love.
"So, how did it go?" Rosemary asked the next day, holding little Jack on her lap.
"How did what go?" Elizabeth asked, feigning innocence.
Naturally, Rosemary was not fooled. "Don't you play innocent with me, Elizabeth Grant! You know exactly what I mean. Doesn't she?" she cooed to Jack, who looked at his mama with wide eyes.
"A'tan!" he said with a grin.
"Well, even my son seems to understand what's going on," Elizabeth said with a chuckle. "Okay, fine. Last night was perfect."
"Details, Elizabeth!"
Elizabeth smiled. "He had Bill close the cafe and prepare a special meal for the two of us. He scattered rose petals on the tables and lit the cafe with candles. Then he gave me a bouquet of roses. We ate and talked for hours. It was wonderful."
Rosemary sighed happily. "Has he told you he loves you yet?"
"No, not yet," Elizabeth said. "He has told me he's falling for me, though."
Rosemary raised a brow. "And you? Have you fallen for him?"
Elizabeth glanced at her right ring finger. "I don't know, Rosemary. I think I'm well on my way, but when I think of taking off Jack's ring, I just can't. And that tells me I'm not there yet."
Rosemary's eyes softened. "Elizabeth, just because you open your heart to another man does not diminish your love for Jack in any way. He was your first love, but Nathan is going to be your life love if you let him. Jack wanted you to find love and happiness again. I think he would approve of Nathan."
Elizabeth smiled. "I know he would approve of Nathan. I think the two of them would have been very good friends if they'd ever had the chance to meet." She twirled the ring around her finger slowly, then looked at Nathan's ring. "I think Nathan is going to hold back on telling me how he feels until I take Jack's ring off."
Rosemary frowned. "Is he pressuring you at all?"
"Oh, no, not at all!" Elizabeth said. "If anything, he's very supportive. He told me even if I never feel about him the way he feels for me, he'd still be committed to our relationship."
"That does sound like him," Rosemary said. "He's a good man, Elizabeth."
"I know," Elizabeth agreed. "I think I'll get there soon. He's making it very easy to fall for him, that's for sure. Did I tell you he's planning on courting me?"
Rosemary laughed outright. "Who knew Nathan Grant could be romantic!"
Elizabeth tried and failed to supress a grin. "Did I tell you who he got romantic advice from before our dinner last night?"
"Well, it certainly wasn't me," Rosemary said with a little snort. "Did he talk to Lee?"
"No. Lucas."
"Lucas?" Rosemary sounded more surprised than Elizabeth had. "Are you serious? I didn't even know they were speaking to each other!"
"Apparently they're trying to be friends," Elizabeth said. "I was beyond surprised. Oh, and that reminds me." Her eyes twinkled. "What do you think about Lucas and Fiona as a couple?"
Rosemary's eyebrows shot up her forehead. "Lucas and Fiona?" She bounced Jack up and down on her knee, clearly thinking it over. "You know," she finally said, "I think that's brilliant! Why didn't we think of this before?"