Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart." Any real people or places noted in the chapter are just there for storyline purposes.

Chapter 8- Goodbye Paradise

Last morning in Fiji…

When Elizabeth woke, Jack was still asleep. His arm remained around her waist, their bodies touching from shoulder to toes as he held her close, her back against his chest. She stretched, accidentally elbowing him in the face, waking him to the bitter reality that their time in Fiji had come to an end.

Jack rolled over in bed, taking her with him, and he laughed as she happily squealed. With her back on the bed, and his body over her, propped up by his arms on either side of her shoulders, he smiled. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" she replied, finding it hard to believe that she was actually in bed with a man who had put no pressure on her for sex.

"Just thank you…thank you for the best time I've ever had in my life, and for being the woman I think I always knew in my heart; you were."

His words brought about a broad smile on her face, and, without speaking further, he showed her what she meant to him. His arms bent at the elbows as he leaned forward, his lips hungry for the morning taste of hers. They met…warm and comforting, with a bit of sizzle and excitement thrown in. One kiss led to another and still another, with each one realizing that paradise wasn't a place, but a person, and they'd found theirs in each other. However, fear, caution, and a bit of uncertainty led both to withhold their verbal pronouncements, each one assuming that the other may view it as 'too soon.'

The morning breeze slipped through the open window of Elizabeth's bedroom causing her body to shudder with a slight chill. Rolling onto his side, Jack lay, blocking the breeze as he pulled the blanket over them.

"What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?" he asked as he rested his head on his hand, propped up by his bent elbow.

"May I ask you a question?" she asked.

Jack snickered. "Why do you always ask me that? To you, I'm an open book; if you want to know something, please ask. Besides, a beautiful woman recently told me that I should encourage her inquisitive side, so ask away…"

"Oh WOW, so it's true…" she closed her eyes, pursed her lips and turned her head away.

"What's true," he asked as his finger under her chin turn her back to face him. Her eyes opened and Jack was certain that, in that moment, he could see deep into her soul.

"Did I actually imply," she stopped for a moment, trying her best to swallow the embarrassment that the next part of her question would provide, "that you're impotent?"

"Yeah, I believe you did, but a credit to your character, you promised to stay with me even though I have a problem…which I don't," he smiled, providing her with the deep dimples she loved so…hoping to ease her embarrassment, even if it was only slightly.

"I'm sorry; I just misunderstood, but in my defense, you didn't try to stop me."

"Well, actually I did, several times, but you had the idea in your mind and just ran with it," he replied.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I guess I get that way sometimes."

"That's okay, as long as you know that when the time is right, I will rock your world…" he slipped his leg over her body, straddling her. He smiled broadly, deepening his already noticeable dimples, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so bold."

"Don't apologize. Your honesty is quite refreshing. And, when the time is right, I look forward to my world being rocked. So, besides rocking my world, what's on your mind?"

At that moment, rocking her world took up just about every available space in his mind. Shaking his head, Jack released the visuals from his recurring dream. Leaning forward, he softly kissed her lips, "I guess I'm just thinking about how much fun these last two weeks…well, if I'm honest, the last eight days or so have been."

"Even with the bizarre show I put on last night?" she laughed softly, but it was evident that she was still quite embarrassed.

"Dreams can be a powerful thing, Elizabeth," he responded, secretly thrilled that her episode got him in bed with her, even if it was only to cuddle. Again, he leaned down and met her lips with his, this time with more enthusiasm.

Elizabeth's arms around his neck pulled her upper body from the bed, holding tight against him, as her lips, quickly and eagerly captured his. This kiss held the sweetness of passion, an abundance of loving thoughts condensed into a single moment.

Their lips separated, but only slightly, remaining close, still managing to share each other's air. His heart was pounding so loudly that he was certain she could hear it over the noise outside. She couldn't, but she could most definitely feel it as it seemed to beat in time with hers.

Jack lay her back on the bed, resting her head on a pillow. His body hovered carefully over her as his lips quickly pressed against hers.

The heat rose in her cheeks as his tongue touched hers, quick and electric, and so delicious; then firmer, more determined, and seemingly cautious, and yet curious, as her body continued to feel things never before experienced.

His fingers slipped through her hair as his lips moved down her neck, sending jolts of electricity throughout her body. His weight pressed against her, and as her arms wrapped tightly around him, she felt the muscles in his back straining with every movement.

Wanting more of him than she ever imagined, her body seemed to melt against him…hot, and steamy, holding him close, their bodies touching, involving every part, not just their lips. As if there were truly uncertainty regarding the assumption made the previous night, the growing bulge in Jack's shorts proved by unrefuted evidence that she was wrong…oh, so very wrong.

At that moment, Jack wasn't thinking about Elizabeth's family, his job, or even breathing for that matter, thankful that the latter was an involuntary reflex which basically took no thought. As a matter of fact, the only thing swirling in his head at that very moment was that they had two hours before the Uber was scheduled to arrive; certainly not nearly enough time, but in that flash of a moment, he was willing to enjoy whatever time they had.

As his fingers slipped under the strap of her one-piece camisole, he gently moved his hand back and forth, feeling her soft and smooth skin against his. Jack's body desperately wanted her. In his mind they were already naked, and he was making passionate love to her. But reality being as it is, he looked into her eyes, and although he saw her need, want and desire, he also observed a slight speck of uncertainty.

He smiled and released a hard breath as he gently, and gingerly sat up, parts of his body aching due to the lack of sexual release. Rolling his body beside her, his hands cradled her face, "Our time will come, Elizabeth…it's just not yet," and his lips softly covered hers once again. "You know, Charlotte isn't that far from Raleigh," he softly laughed.

As much as Jack would prefer to remain with Elizabeth and Bella in 'their' paradise, he also knew that he was looking at flying for more than twenty hours, and as sad as it made him, check out time on their beautiful home was quickly approaching.

"As much as I'd love to stay here with you, my ice-cold shower is calling to me and I think we need to get packed up. The Uber is scheduled to be here in a couple of hours," he reminded her.

Elizabeth released a frustrated breath, "I'm sorry, but I guess you're right. But Jack…I just want you to know that this has been the best time of my life, too. What started out planning to be my honeymoon with the wrong guy, apparently turned into a getaway with the right one."

Bella pushed through the partially closed door and pounced on the bed. Dancing between the two, her tail wagged, and she seemed literally dizzy with excitement, paying no attention as her daddy covered himself, feeling the need to protect his family jewels.

"I don't start back at the station for another week, but I have to decide what I want to do."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he carefully crawled out of bed. "Do about what?"

"Well, I just don't know if I want to stay with the station in Charlotte. Maybe I'll check out availability at my old station in Raleigh. Who knows, we may end up being closer than you think…" she replied.

"Well, Elizabeth Standish, I'm sure that Raleigh would be very happy to have you back, and I would be ecstatic to live in the same city as you."

Two hours later…

With their bags packed and sitting at the front door, Jack made a call to confirm their Uber ride to the airport. Advised that their driver was only minutes away, Jack ended his call and walked through the house looking for Elizabeth.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she observed Jack, wearing his captain's uniform, looking hot and certainly sexier than…

Two weeks prior

Elizabeth was surprised to find Jack in a captain's uniform, preparing to pilot her in her father's jet to Fiji. Unaware that he was the new captain employed by the family's company, Jack was equally surprised to learn that the woman he'd secretly cared about for years was his boss's daughter. Tensions ran high, and Elizabeth's argumentative contact with him set the tone for a confrontation that neither expected nor truthfully wanted.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth's last few days left her angry with the world, Ryan in particular, but men in general, and as a result, she built walls around herself, certain that she needed no one, especially a man, to make her happy. This barrier she built, as sturdy as the Great Wall of China, was intended to keep everyone out, but when Bella made her appearance, Elizabeth made an exception.

She remembered Jack from their earlier contacts, viewing him as a kind, engaging, extremely handsome man, who she assumed had to be married with children. Although she'd never seen him with kids, he did have a beautiful woman seemingly attached to his hip at the Cocktails and Candy Canes formal dance years before, and when she mentioned that they made a beautiful couple, he did nothing to correct her…so her assumption continued.

Truth was, the woman, although beautiful, as Elizabeth quickly noticed, was on a first date with Jack, and through their conversation he learned that she was not particularly fond of dogs. Truly a deal breaker in his eyes. Therefore, no second date happened between them.

Now, all she observed was the pompous ass that stood before her, a contentious, combative, assumption making jerk who had the audacity to call her a 'brat, uptight, spoiled, and lost.' Given that her judgment making skills had been skewed lately, she was hopeful that a trip away, and alone would put her back on the right track.

All Elizabeth knew for sure was that Jack loved Bella, and she thought, 'any man who's kind and loving to an animal is the type of man I want to know better.' Could this be another situation where her judgment was skewed?

So, with a sturdy barrier surrounding her, Elizabeth and Jack met on that fateful night on the airport tarmac, and she was not about to succumb to his good looks and charm…at least not immediately.

During their time in Fiji, both eventually relaxed, and forgot about the world around them. They realized that anger expressed, and assumptions made had led to time lost, and they decided it was best to live completely in the moment.

Now unfortunately, it was time to return to the real world, a concept that didn't seem to slap Jack in the face until he unlocked the massive cargo hold on the Thatcher Industries Gulfstream G550, loaded their bags, climbed the airstairs, stepped inside and sat behind the controls.

Felicia and her husband sadly flew home early after his father suffered a heart attack while working in the yard. As a result, Jack and Elizabeth made the trip home without an attendant, which suited Elizabeth just fine, especially since that meant she could act as co-pilot for the flight from Fiji to Los Angeles, and then on her final leg to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jack stared at the bronze plate attached to the control panel that said, "Thatcher Industries, William Thatcher, President and CEO." He'd never had a panic attack before, and wasn't certain that he was experiencing one now. All he knew for sure was that the air around him was thick, and he was finding it difficult to catch his breath.

Little did Elizabeth know, Jack's sudden earth-shattering recollection that she was his boss's daughter and not Elizabeth Standish, placed him in a tempestuous situation. As a result, he was in a foul mood, and without thinking his actions through, he began pushing her away.

"Niner…6290, Gulfstream G550 waiting on instructions for take-off," Jack advised the control tower.

Leaving Fiji…

Until that moment, he'd simply enjoyed his time with Elizabeth. To Jack, he'd known her for years as Elizabeth Standish, so managing to forget her real last name and the fact that her father was his boss somehow came easily while in paradise. Now he could barely breathe.

"Jack, what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked when she walked into the cockpit and took a seat beside him. "You look like you're going to pass out."

"Nothing, I'm fine, but I can't talk to you right now. I have to be completely focused on flying the jet."

That seemed odd, as there were many occasions through the years where Captain Cole invited her into the cockpit, giving her secret flying lessons. "Okay, I understand that you can't talk, but is it okay if I stay in here with you?" she asked.

"Uh, why don't you go back and get some rest; it's a really long flight home."

"Don't you want any company?" she asked. "I mean, I can help keep you awake." she teased.

"Elizabeth," he snapped, "I'm a professional, and I take my responsibilities very seriously. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone…"

Not sure what to make of his sudden attitude change, but sensing stress in his voice, she gave him the space he seemed to be seeking and went back to the main cabin and took a seat beside Bella, who had already taken up residence on one of the sofas.

Elizabeth pulled her journal from her bag, and as she flipped through her entries, she realized that she'd been having so much fun in Fiji that she'd barely opened her secret-keeper.

Flipping through the pages, she stopped at the next blank page. Reaching over to give Bella a hug, she smiled at how her life had turned out, especially given the catastrophe that in her eyes was known as, Ryan.

Elizabeth clicked her pen open and glanced in the direction of the cockpit. Having never flown with Jack prior to this trip, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt that his attitude change was solely due to his need to concentrate, and well, she was aware, at least while in Fiji, she did seem to be a distraction for him.

With her journal open, Elizabeth smiled at the good, bad, eye opening and loving memories she had from a time that she previously assumed would have been a bust!

"When one door closes, another opens. Maybe it's just a window, and possibly it's small, not open all the way, but as the breeze floats through, you feel the newness of life. You realize that with all the humiliation you've experienced, there is kindness, thoughtfulness, goodness and respect. Maybe it arrives from the last place you'd expect; someone who opens your heart to feelings that you thought you knew, but in reality, have never experienced before.

You want to put behind you what happened before, that moment in your life when your judgment clipped you at the knees, bringing you down, and making you wonder if you should even try to stand again. But you do. You pick yourself up and put one foot in front of the other. You try to stand tall, and proud, but every time you relax, let yourself feel again, you're left with the visual that started your downward spiral. Is it likely to happen again? Will my heart really break this time?

I let go of the idea of perfection a long time ago. I am flawed, I accept that. I make mistakes, some harder to rectify than others. Although I'd like to think that I have my life planned out, where I'm going and most definitely how to get there, I have realized that at times I have no idea what I want, what I'm doing, where I'm going, how I'm going to get there, or when I reach the destination, will I want to stay?

Although I've realized that my heart has never truly been broken, my experience with Ryan made me realize that opening up oneself to another will always make you vulnerable. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago, or 5 years ago, one year ago, or even two weeks ago, for every experience, good and bad takes the pieces of me and somehow throws them in the air, leaving them to land differently than they were before.

I honestly believe that things happen for a reason, but I'm not always intelligent enough to know what that is. Maybe it's meant to help us grow independently; maybe it's meant to help us realize the strengths we hold inside but rarely use, and maybe, just maybe it's meant to push us into making necessary decisions that we may be hesitant to do otherwise. No matter what, some things will always be out of our control, and much like the leaves changing in the fall we can do nothing but watch as it happens."

Elizabeth closed her journal and slipped it back inside her bag. She was antsy, grabbing magazines that were kept in a pile in the drawer of the table beside her seat. There was National Geographic, Good Housekeeping, smut magazines like National Inquisitor, men's preferred reading material, Sports Illustrated and Highlights, a kids activity magazine that Mrs. Thatcher always kept available.

The only magazine Elizabeth reached for was Highlights, loving this activity book from the time she was a small child. Although Bella didn't provide any answers, Elizabeth asked her multiple times if she could find items like the cup, ruler, scissors, carrot, or teddy bear in the hidden picture. Thankful for a private book, it always disappointed her in the dentist office when someone actually circled the pictures before she'd had an opportunity to try.

Throwing caution to the wind, Elizabeth walked toward the cockpit, hoping that Jack's stress level had lowered, and they could at lease be civil to one another.

*Knock…knock…

"What…" Jack snapped from the other side of the closed cockpit door.

"Excuse me…" Elizabeth responded as she opened the door between them.

"I'm sorry…what did you want?"

"Are you okay, Jack…do you want some company?"

"I'm fine, and no, I'd rather be alone," he knew, even as the words passed through his lips, that it wasn't true but there was no way he could think clearly with her in the same room.

"Would you like something to drink or eat?"

"No, I'm fine…"

"Okay, will you call me if you want some company…?"

"Yeah, sure…"

Elizabeth closed the door and walked away, calling Bella as they headed into the private bedroom. She turned on the TV, searching various satellites for an interesting station, finally settling on a game show.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, but found it nearly impossible to settle. As such she found herself sitting up in bed along with Bella as they both watched TV.

Her next clue that something was completely off kilter came when Jack called out through the intercom, "Ms. Thatcher, we'll be landing in Los Angeles in about fifteen minutes. Please get seated and buckled in."

Jack's voice seemed to jar her. Although staring at the TV, she was unable to recall any of the shows that played while they were airborne. Elizabeth shut off the television and slipped her feet back into her shoes.

Walking out into the main cabin, she was on her way to the cockpit to confront Jack about his formality with her when the plane hit several bumps causing her and Bella to grab a seat and buckle in.

Feeling the wheels hit the runway, Elizabeth waited for the jet to stop completely before unbuckling her seatbelt.

"We have to refuel, so if you want to do anything inside the airport, you have about thirty minutes," Jack stated as he stepped out of the cockpit and headed to deploy the airstairs.

"Stop right there…" she called out. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing…why?"

"What's my name?"

"Elizabeth, I don't have time for games," he responded.

"Jack, why are you being so formal with me?"

Jack knew that his behavior was confusing her; truth was, it was confusing him too. "Look, right now, I am a pilot hired by Thatcher Industries to fly you home to Charlotte and this jet back to Raleigh. I'm not being formal; I'm being professional."

"Jack, it's just us; I don't want you to be so formal with me. I'm the woman whose hand you held as we walked along the beach; I'm the woman you danced with under the stars, and I'm the same woman you held in your arms after I woke up screaming from a bad dream. You calling me Ms. Thatcher….it's, it's wrong…"

"Elizabeth, I just have a lot on my mind, and flying this jet and getting you and it home safely is very important," he replied.

"I can appreciate that, Jack, but we've gone from feeling close to one another to tension that is so thick that I can barely breathe…and I don't understand, what happened?"

"We'll talk when we get back to Charlotte, okay," he asked, hoping that the five hour and twenty-seven-minute flight would allow him time to find the words necessary to explain what he was feeling.

Elizabeth took Bella out for a walk, hoping to get some air and space to clear her head while Jack handled the refueling. They walked across the tarmac and through the terminal to the area sectioned off by various fenced in kennels for dogs to safely stretch their legs and potty.

Forty-five minutes later, Elizabeth and Bella trotted across the tarmac back to the jet, "Where have you been? I told you we were leaving in thirty minutes; you've been gone for forty-five."

Shocked by his snippy tone, she responded, "I'm sorry; we got lost and ended up on the far side of the terminal."

"Well, buckle in; we need to get going."

Elizabeth made the decision that she and Bella would sit with Jack in the cockpit for the next leg of the journey. When she sat in the co-pilot's seat, the stare he gave her was much like a young boy whose all-male clubhouse had been infiltrated by a girl, spreading her cooties to anyone within arm's length. She felt uncomfortable, but chose to stick it out.

Before they took off, she asked, "Jack, can you tell me if I've done something to upset you?"

"Of course not, but if you insist on sitting in here, please be quiet so I can think…"

Flight from Los Angeles to Charlotte…

For the first hour of the flight to Charlotte, Elizabeth sat in the co-pilot seat, mostly silent with a periodic huff and puff passing through her lips. The only words he spoke were to an occasional air-traffic controller as they flew out of one zone and into another.

Tired of the silence, she asked, "Jack, aren't you tired? I mean, we could stop some place for the night. My dad would understand."

"I'm fine…" he responded curtly.

"But don't you want to stop somewhere and get some rest?"

"No, your father is expecting us to be back by tomorrow morning."

"I understand that, Jack, but he'd understand if you need a break."

"Elizabeth, I'm fine. Please, just let me pay attention to what I'm doing."

An hour later, "I can't stand this silent treatment; I'll be in back if you need me," she stated as she unsnapped her seatbelt, crawled out of the seat and left the cockpit, followed by Bella who looked up at Jack and huffed before following Elizabeth into the main cabin.

Jack turned around in his seat, watching as she walked away, realizing, as the door between them was closed tightly, that his silence was effectively closing off a wall between them, and he was worried that no amount of flying time would give him the words to explain.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport…

Jack was directed to an area on the tarmac where the jet came to a stop. He opened the door and deployed the airstairs. Elizabeth and Bella were walking down the steps as Jack opened the cargo hold and pulled her bags out, placing them on the tarmac.

"This one certainly is heavier than when we flew out," he attempted to lighten the mood, sensing that the air was thick, practically strangling him.

"I bought some things while I was there," she stated as she made her way to the bottom of the steps. "Are we going to talk, Jack, or are you just going to leave me in the dark?"

Jack knew they needed to, but truth was, he'd been flying for nearly twenty hours; he still had another hour flight to Raleigh, and although he'd taken time to think about the situation and what he needed to tell her father, none of his words were coming out as intended. "I know we need to, but I'm so tired, can we do this tomorrow?"

"Jack, it's already tomorrow," she responded as she glanced down at her watch and observed the time…2:18am. "I know you're tired, but something isn't right here, and I'm afraid if we don't get it straight, it's just going to fester."

Jack said nothing as he stood facing the cargo door.

"Why don't you come to my place; you can get some sleep and fly to Raleigh in the afternoon. I'll call my dad and let him know…It'll be fine," she assured him.

Pretending to fix a lock that was not broken, Jack's mind was spinning. For the past twenty hours, he had done nothing but think…should he try to keep his job? Should he resign? Should he and Elizabeth see each other on the sly? Should he be honest? Were there words available to explain to Mr. Thatcher that while doing his job, he fell in love with his daughter? Once he knew she was a Thatcher, how could he have forgotten? With each question came even more questions, and yet, very few answers.

Jack had spent a good portion of the flight back to the States writing and rewriting his resignation letter in his head. Suddenly, without thinking, Jack blurted out, "Look, Elizabeth…it's bad enough that you're my boss's daughter, but I certainly don't need you to fight my battles for me."

"Jack, that wasn't my intention, besides, I wasn't aware that this was a battle. So, if I overstepped my bounds, I'm sorry."

"I don't know what I was thinking…" Jack turned around and faced her as he leaned against the belly of the jet. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Yeah, you already said that, but Jack, I never tried to hide the fact that I'm William Thatcher's daughter. You knew…"

"But I haven't always been employed by your father. Besides, if you will recall, for years, I knew you as Elizabeth Standish. I had no idea you were William Thatcher's daughter until you showed up here two weeks ago."

"And we talked about our families, you knew I was close to my parents and sisters, well, maybe only Julie. You knew, Jack; you were the one who didn't want to talk about our families while we were in Fiji. So, don't act as though I tried to deceive you."

"I'm not accusing you of anything, Elizabeth…it's just…"

"It's just what, Jack, what's different now?"

"It's not that easy," he responded. "It's complicated."

"Complicated…? No, it isn't, Jack. My father doesn't tell me who I can and cannot date. My love life is off limits to him."

"Elizabeth, please understand, I want to talk; we need to talk, but I'm exhausted, and I can't even think right now."

"Jack, that's even more reason for you to stay over and fly in later in the morning. My father would understand, and I think he'd appreciate your safety concern."

"Oh right, let's see how that would go over… 'Mr. Thatcher, I'm spending the night with your daughter. You know, the one you hired me to watch out for. If you want me, I'll be at her place. I'll fly your multi-million-dollar jet home later today. See you later.'"

"Well, if you're going to put it that way, I don't think it would go over well," she admitted. "I'm scared Jack. We'd gotten so close, and… and I don't trust easily, but I trusted you. And now you're pulling away and I don't know why."

Bella, feeling the tension rising between her parents, was quite alert to the sharp words and angry tone being thrown back and forth between them. Wearing the pink and white tie-dye scarf Elizabeth purchased for her several days prior from Rip Curl surf shop she watched intently as the situation seemed to go from bad to worse.

Bella danced between them, stopping momentarily to stare at each one, hoping to draw the attention back upon herself. Sadly, Jack and Elizabeth were wrapped up in the argument that had been brewing for hours, and for once, they didn't give her the attention she craved.

Elizabeth added, "I don't work for the company, so there is no clause in your contract that says we can't see each other…that is if you still want to see me."

"Don't you understand?" he asked, obviously frustrated by the situation.

"Apparently, I don't. Maybe you need to spell it out for my simple mind, because the way I see it, you're making this out to be a problem that isn't really there."

"Elizabeth your father expected me to fly you down to Fiji and be around to help if you needed anything. He expected me to be professional, getting involved with you, I'm sure, is not what he had in mind."

"Well, none of that seemed to bother you in Fiji." She took a deep breath trying to keep from becoming too emotional. "Jack, I can't help who my father is. I love him, and obviously that's not going to change. But I don't understand how things between us can change so quickl…"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, shook her head and released a hard breath, "Wait, I get it now…it has nothing to do with my father, or working for the company. Why can't men just be honest?" she pushed the loose strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail back behind her ear. "I don't know why I didn't see it before, but I see it so clearly now," she released the handle on her bag but paid no attention as it slammed onto the tarmac."

"What are you talking about; I told you what's bothering me?"

"Jack, you fly to paradise, and what do you do with your time…you have a fling. Now we're home; we can't continue living in our fantasy, so it's back to life in the real world. Admit it; you're no different than other men, Ryan included."

Oh, that hurt. If Jack was too tired to realize that he had a problem before, lumping him in the same category as Ryan really opened his eyes. "What…? Wait, no, you weren't a fling…" Jack responded, unaware until that moment how quickly a misunderstanding, brought about by a lack of communication, can spin completely out of control. Unfortunately for him, it was about to get a whole lot worse.

"Elizabeth, please…can't we both get some rest and then talk?"

"Oh Jack, I think you're voicing yourself quite well," Elizabeth was angry, and she spoke without thinking, simply feeling the need to purge every thought, and emotion that was somehow strangling her. "Oh, well, the joke is on you since you never got me into bed. Well, you got me into bed, but we didn't have sex. WOW, I'll bet you now wish that you'd stuck it out with Katie. Oh, but don't fret any, she's in Raleigh, so check her out when you get home. I'm sure that the offer of a romp in her sack is still on the table."

"Elizabeth, stop it; that's not true," Jack snapped back. Anger, fed by exhaustion, kept him from keeping his mouth shut. "If you will recall, you were the one who invited me into your bed. You asked me to make love to you, and I said, 'No.'" As the words slipped through his lips, he realized that much like toothpaste, once released, they could not be placed back into the tube.

**Let's just all take a moment and release a collective gasp. I know what you're thinking… "Oh, no, Jack, you didn't just say that." Um, yes, he did. WOW, he should have simply kept his mouth closed."

Now back to our story…

The words had been said in anger, fear, frustration, or a combination of all three, and now they were out there, floating in the air, leaving Elizabeth to feel that not only was she just a fling, but she wasn't even worthy of a one-night stand.

"WOW, the truth really does hurt," she barely managed a whisper as she felt herself choking on the air around her.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it…" Jack called out, his voice sounding angry, or frustrated, but most likely a combination of the two. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that. You know how I feel…"

"I thought I did, but now…I don't know. What I do know is this, I was Elizabeth Thatcher two weeks ago when we flew to Fiji, so don't tell me that you didn't know who I was. Maybe I should give you a pass; maybe you did forget who I was, because what man in his right mind is going to buy condoms to seduce his boss's daughter. That's where my mistake was; I thought you bought them to be with me, but we know that's not the case. Now that the truth is out, those condoms must have been for a party elsewhere. I certainly hope you had fun."

Every time Jack stepped closer, she put her hands up, "Stay away. I don't want you anywhere near me. I don't understand it, my judgment is really messed up. I thought I knew you, and although you never said how you felt, I thought I knew, but I never saw this coming. But then again, I didn't see it with Ryan either. Apparently, I can't see what's happening right before my eyes…"

"Elizabeth, stop…let me explain."

Elizabeth wasn't listening as her rant continued, "What is it; do you get a thrill out of drawing women in and making them feel like fools? Great job, Captain. I guess you assumed that I would be an easy mark… a sad, lonely woman, left at the altar. My self-esteem was rocked to its core, and I'd be ever so thankful for your time and attention, thankful that someone wanted to have sex with me," Elizabeth turned away, for some reason feeling more at a loss now than she ever did when Ryan left. "But the fact is, you didn't even want that…"

Elizabeth glanced up into the dark sky hoping the soft breeze would dry her cheeks. Shaking her head from side to side, she looked his in the eyes, "Did my dad tell you to give me a good time, but just don't go too far?"

"What…Elizabeth, you aren't even making sense right now."

Jack took hold of her arm, "Elizabeth, stop saying that. You know it isn't true. I want to explain; I need to explain, but I'm being honest…I'm exhausted, I put out of my mind that your father and my boss are one in the same person, and yes, now I have to deal with that."

Elizabeth pulled away, and stepped back several strides, "Don't touch me. I will give you this, you were right…I loved the attention you tossed my way. It made me feel wanted, and so special, something I haven't felt in a long time. Even before Ryan walked away, I think I felt something was wrong. I just didn't pay attention to the signs. With you, I saw nothing," tears rolled down her cheeks, finally unable to hold them back any longer.

"Elizabeth, please…let's step inside the jet and talk."

"So, you didn't want to talk before, but now you do. Jack, I believed everything you said, from the part where I'm the one you were interested in, to the beautiful speech where you can't take away that special part of me. What a gentlemanly way to turn me down. The fact is, you don't want me either. But you know what…I don't need a man to make me happy."

Seeing vehicle headlights nearing the jet, Elizabeth turned to walk away. After only a few strides, she stopped and turned back around to face him, "I can tell you one thing; you deserve an Academy Award for that performance. You sure have missed your calling…acting is right up your alley!"

"Why are you doing this; you know it isn't true."

"Do I…? Because right now, it seems pretty logical to me," she responded as an attendant pulled up driving Elizabeth's car.

Taking several breaths, Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders, and shook her head back and forth before continuing, "Look Jack, we're both tired, and maybe I have this all wrong; maybe we're both speaking from exhaustion. I… don't… know. If that's the case, I'm sorry. What I do know is that I had a wonderful time in Fiji, and for that I want to thank you. But just like you've had time to think on this flight, well, so have I, and right now, I think it's too soon for me to start something with someone else, whether it be you or another man. I don't think I'm ready, and well, you have some issues, too that you need to resolve. Let's just accept that we had fun in paradise and call it a day."

"I don't understand."

"Well, it's time to return to the real world and whether or not this was a fling, the fact is, you have a job to get back to, and I have to do the same…whatever that may be."

Jack stood completely still, and he was fairly certain that he wasn't even breathing. Maybe she wasn't ready to hear him tell her that he was in love with her, but he honestly didn't believe that she wanted to walk away either. Was she doing this for him; so, he would be able to keep his job, or did she not want to be with him? He'd held her in his arms, danced with her, and felt her lips pressed against his, and there was no way she could fake the emotion she was feeling.

"Fly safe, Captain. Don't worry, I won't throw you under the bus. I'll be sure to give my father a glowing report on your performance...you most certainly took your responsibilities seriously." She walked around to the driver's side of her car, and tossed her purse onto the passenger seat. "Thank you for a memorable vacation," she stated as the attendant placed her bags in her car.

She kissed Bella on the top of her head, "I'm going to miss you most of all. Always remember, I love you…" she whispered.

Bella looked back at Jack before jumping into Elizabeth's car. She could sense that her 'mom' was quite emotional, and at the moment Bella felt she was where she was needed.

"Oh, baby girl, I'd take you home in a heartbeat, but I can't…"

"Take her with you, Elizabeth. I'll come down in a few days to get her and we can talk."

"No Jack. I think we just need to accept this for what it is…a good time, and move on. I'm sorry, I think all of this is just too fast for me." Elizabeth stepped back, calling Bella out of her car. Wrapping her arms around Bella's neck, she whispered, "I love you so much."

"Please Elizabeth…" Jack called out. "I'm not sure why you're doing this, but I don't think it's what you want. It sure as hell isn't what I want…"

Elizabeth didn't even look in his direction. She hugged Bella one final time before turning away to hide her tears. She slipped behind the wheel of her car and drove away.

Jack's mind was foggy, and he was still attempting to comprehend what had just happened when the taillights of her automobile disappeared from the concourse.

Bella climbed the airstairs and took her prior seat, the one she'd shared with Elizabeth.

"Come-on girl; you can sit up in the cockpit with me," Jack stated as he closed the door and prepared the jet for takeoff.

Bella raised her head, "Humph," and stared directly into his eyes before putting her head back down on the seat, refusing to move.

"Look, I know you're mad, but I'm going to make it right. I think I need to get home, get some sleep and then my mind will be clear, and we can talk."

Even Bella knew that allowing what had just happened, what was said or not said, whether it done in anger or fear, to fester, would only make matters worse.

To be continued…

NOTE: Hey guys, have to checked out the stories on this site written by TeresaLyn. She's a great writer and has several stories working right now. To her credit, she does update her stories frequently, so check her out!