Though Lucas had laughed when Nathan had asked him to remain inside while he took Elizabeth and the children to the café, the request had showed him something. It showed him that though Nathan was still unsure of his place in Elizabeth's heart that he was not above humbling himself when it came to Elizabeth or the children. Nathan proved time after time that if the situation involved Ally, he would not hesitate to ask even Lucas for help.
As Lucas did not want to be the cause of any more heartache for Ally, he stayed inside at the requested time. However, he watched from a window as the little group came into town. Elizabeth and Ally walked hand in hand, chatting and laughing. Elizabeth truly looked happy. A happiness that seemed genuine and not forced - like the times she had been with him. Even at Ned and Florence's wedding, Elizabeth had a natural ease talking with Nathan outside at the reception than she'd had with him the entire day.
Behind Elizabeth and Ally, Nathan walked with Jack in his arms. Even from this distance, Lucas could see the bond that Nathan already had with the toddler. A bond that would only grow over time. A bond that, he himself, had not even attempted to foster. It wasn't that he had not cared about Little Jack. Lucas did. He wanted the best for the boy as much as he had Ally. However, he knew he was guilty of not even trying to include Jack in things. The truth was, he had wanted to spend time with Elizabeth, not her son.
Her son.
Perhaps that was the biggest difference between him and Nathan. Nathan had not been pursuing just a relationship with Elizabeth. The Mountie had already had his eyes on the bigger picture, already fostering a relationship with Little Jack.
Lucas had known he was doing the right thing when he had broke up with Elizabeth, giving her the freedom to make her choice. He had known when she had come into the saloon the day after that, what her choice would be. He had known she would choose Nathan. Though that had stung his pride, he truly wanted her happiness. He could even understand the reasons Elizabeth had given for being with him. That he had represented the world he had grown up in. A world that she still saw as safe. A world in which she had not suffered the loss of a man she had loved deeply. What he had been surprised by was her confession that his grand, romantic gestures and the candles had reminded her of her late husband.
Elizabeth had thanked him for showing her that she could open her heart to love again but that her heart had chosen Nathan.
Watching the little group disappear into the café, that was clear to Lucas.
This had never been just about him, or Nathan or even Elizabeth. Ally and Jack had been a part of the equation all along. They were the two that were most important to their parents and their parents had chosen what was best for them.
Turning away from the window, Lucas found he was all right with how things had turned out. Two children who had only one parental figure was going to grow up now with two loving parents. That was the true love story in all of this.
His own love story was out there somewhere and when the time was right, it would come.