Chapter 30

Elizabeth awoke gasping and looked to her right thinking someone was in the bed and then realized she had been dreaming. She looked to the chair and Jack was not there. She got out of bed and saw him across the room, sitting on the floor against the wall under the window, asleep, his head tilted to the side. She frowned feeling terrible that he had slept on the floor. She went to his side and sat on her feet, not wanting to wake him, but unable to resist him. She picked up his hand and brought it to her lips, spreading small kisses across it. He let out a small moan and moved, stretching out a leg. She decided to continue her kisses and see just what he would sleep through. She went to his neck and kissed him, ever so lightly and left a small trail of kisses across his neck. He laughed softly, moved his head and swatted his fingers across his neck. Elizabeth tried not to giggle but when she moved and kissed his cheek, he jolted awake, his hands at his side on the floor.

"Elizabeth! What are you doing?" He blinked and sat up straighter.

"Just saying good morning to my hero…" she smiled as she sat straight.

"Oh, good morning…" he ran his hand through his hair, "did you sleep well?"

"Yes, in fact I dreamed about you…" she looked down.

"You did?" He shook his head, "I wish what happened last night was a dream."

"I'm sorry, I wish it didn't happen," she folded her hands on her lap.

Jack was waking up, "It's over now," he shifted to face her, "tell me about your dream."

She pursed her lips, "Well, I can't…"

He touched her hand and wove his fingers with hers, needing to touch her, "Why, why can't you tell me?"

She squeezed his fingers, "Because just thinking about it makes me blush. I don't think I could find the words." She leaned in and kissed him.

Jack fell back onto the floor, his arms spread on the floor exaggerating a moan from deep in his chest. Elizabeth looked at him for a moment then quickly got on her feet and went to the bathroom.

Jack watched her walk away, sighed and stayed there, spread eagle on the floor.

Elizabeth came out of the bathroom to find Jack in the same spot, "Are you just going to lie there all day?"

He looked up at her, "No, I suppose we have to get back into that coach don't we?" He stood and went to her, "Elizabeth…"

"Yes?"

"I love you…" he smiled and wiped the sleep from his eyes.

She put her arms around him, "I love you too, thank you for being here, taking care of me."

Jack put his arms around her, inhaling deeply, "That's what it's all about, taking care of each other."

He didn't resist when she put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss which he more than willingly returned. It was only when he rubbed his hands up and down her back that he stopped and pulled away. "You need to get dressed. We need to go have breakfast and get on the coach."

Elizabeth was taken aback by his abrupt move, "Are you okay?"

He scanned her, "I'm fine, but we really have to get ready to go." He walked across the room.

Elizabeth put her hand to her chest and understood. She smiled and went to the bathroom, "I'll be as quick as I can."

"Fine…" Jack rubbed his chin and then pulled out his clothing for the day, as he heard the bathtub water running. He shook his head.

When Elizabeth finally emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing a blue dress. Jack laughed, "Hey, is that my blue dress?" He joked.

She put her hands on her hips, "Oh let me wear it for today, will you?"

Jack smiled, "Okay, looks better on you anyway," he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her. "Hmmm, I think you kiss better wearing that!"

She playfully slapped his arm, "Jack Thornton! Well, I guess I'll have to wear it every day then!"

They kissed several more times. Jack finally stepped back, "You smell good, but not like Spicy Jasmine."

"The bottle was empty!"

"You checked?" He laughed.

"Yes, of course I did!" She swatted his arm again, "go get ready, and shave that handsome face, Vernon is probably downstairs waiting for us." She kissed his cheek.

When they went to the lobby a security officer approached Jack, "Constable Thornton, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course," Jack put his hand on Elizabeth's back, "You okay?" She nodded.

The officer spoke, "According to the RCMP, Mr. Higgins in no longer the Superintendent of Education. He was dismissed two months ago after a complaint was filed against him that proved true. Of course he denied the charges and apparently even continued to interview potential teachers, until another report was filed against him. He finally left the city and they've been looking for him ever since. Our local Constables will personally deliver him back to Toronto to face a judge again and secure him in the local prison to serve his sentence."

"I hope he serves a long sentence," Jack said, "Thank you for the update." Jack looked at Elizabeth, who was visibly upset by the news and hurried away into the dining room. Jack shook hands with the officer, "Thanks again."

Jack hurried after Elizabeth who stood just inside the entrance to the dining room. "Elizabeth? It's okay, that's good news that he'll be locked up. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

Elizabeth shook her head, "Jack, don't you see, I should have filed a complaint after ….after he interviewed me. I could have stopped him from further action against other women. I failed…"

Jack took her arm, "No, no you didn't. You were an innocent victim…" He led her to a table and held the chair for her. "Elizabeth, please don't even think about that. The important thing now is that he is where he belongs, in custody and soon to be in prison and that's in part thanks to you and the unfortunate circumstances of last evening."

After breakfast, they waited in the lobby for Vernon, Jack not wanting to leave a still vulnerable Elizabeth alone. A young couple came into the lobby full of smiles and laughter. The woman said to the man holding her hand, "Oh Daniel, what a wonderful place for a honeymoon!" Jack cleared his throat and glanced at Elizabeth, who gave Jack a shy smile.

"There you are!" Vernon came through the doorway, "We're all ready to go if you two are ready."

They boarded the coach. Elizabeth leaned on Jack, "I'm glad to leave here."

Jack raised her face with his hand, "Me too," and kissed her. They repeatedly kissed until Jack felt a tear. "What's wrong?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "What if you weren't here?"

"You would have fought him off," Jack assured her, "and he would probably be in a hospital right now. I just know you have a mean left hook!" He pulled her left hand to his chin pretending she was punching him.

She giggled.

"That's what I like to see, laughter, not tears," he kissed her nose and moved so he could hold her close.

They eventually both fell asleep in each other's embrace.

When Jack awoke he was somewhat surprised that she was still snuggled against him. Her steady breathing a comfort after all she had been through. She moved slightly and made a soft sound. He smiled and kept his arm around her. She mumbled something and he looked down at her, she was smiling and saying something. He leaned to hear her, "Oh…Jack…I know…that's so nice…hmmm" Jack's head popped up, wondering what she could have been thinking or dreaming about. He swallowed and didn't move, unsure if he wanted her to keep talking or wake up. She giggled softly, "Kiss me again Jack…" she mumbled and Jack felt her body move. Should he wake her up? "Kiss me Jack…" her tone more demanding. He looked around the coach, as if someone else could hear her. She moved slowly, straightening and leaning her head on the back of the seat. Jack looked at her lips moving as if she were saying something else. He finally surrendered, unable to resist the closeness, and he leaned and kissed her. She awoke and welcomed his kisses, humming as he kissed her. Jack leaned further and further against her, he didn't want to stop kissing her, he felt all his emotion from the previous night flowing through him, his protection of her overwhelming him. He pulled her so close he lifted her off the seat of the coach and loved her arms wrapped tightly around him and then the coach went over a bump in the road and Jack bounced onto the floor of the coach.

"Jack!" Elizabeth reached for him. "Are you okay?"

Jack's forehead wrinkled, "Yes, bumpy road…" he mumbled. He sat back up on the seat.

She laughed and when he looked at her, she said, "Now behave."

"I am behaving," he rubbed his hip, "and it's painful."

Elizabeth continued giggling offering no sympathy.

A short while later they pulled into a small town and Vernon jumped from the coach, "Okay folks, thought maybe we'd stop here for lunch, what do you think?"

Jack got out of the coach, looked around, "Seems okay to me," he offered Elizabeth his hand.

They entered a small restaurant and ordered soup. Vernon asked if Elizabeth was cooking in Coal Valley.

"Well, I'm learning," she said, glancing nervously at Jack expecting a comment.

"I know your father told me you're doing all kinds of new things," Vernon smiled.

"Yes that's true. Cooking is very challenging, I can't quite get the knack of it," she admitted.

"But she does bake," Jack said, unable to control his laughter. "Tell him about your cake."

Elizabeth gave Jack a look, "Well, there was a cake auction to raise money for the school. I baked a chocolate cake."

"Sounds good to me," Vernon said.

"Yes, well Jack here and another man bid on my chocolate cake."

"Oh, competition?" Vernon smiled at Jack.

Jack started tapping the table, "Yeah, competition, but I eliminated him."

"Not in the cake auction you didn't," she said.

"Well, I wasn't anticipating the bidding to go so high."

"Or the competition to be so aggressive."

Jack smiled, "He was aggressive in all the wrong ways, remember?"

"Of course I do, he was a rat," she smoothed the napkin on her lap.

"A skunk," Jack said. "It's a good thing I was there."

Elizabeth looked at him, "I was on to his antics, I would have taken care of him."

The waitress delivered their soup and Vernon began eating, trying to ignore their increasing banter.

"He wasn't going to go away on his own." Jack laid his hands on the table.

"Yes he was, remember he was stealing the horse!" She sat forward.

"I wasn't going to let him get away with that!" Jack tapped the table.

Vernon was slurping his soup.

Elizabeth held her spoon. "We wouldn't have even known unless Tom told you."

"I think we would have seen him ride by…don't you?" Jack asked.

"No, he was smart enough to not ride right by us," she said.

"Smart? You think he was smart?" Jack was getting angry.

"Smart enough to learn all those poems he charmed me with," Elizabeth looked away.

"He was tricking you!" Jack put his hands up in exasperation.

"But I caught on," she said.

"It took you a week!"

Vernon put his spoon down, "All this over a chocolate cake?"

Jack and Elizabeth stopped, looked at Vernon and then looked at each other.

Jack reached for her hand, "I'm sorry."

Elizabeth smiled, "So am I."

The waitress came to their table, "When you're done with the soup, we have a lovely chocolate cake for dessert, would you like some?"

It was a loud, collective, "NO!"