Chapter Forty-Eight

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,

but by the moments that take our breath away. "

~Author Unknown

Elizabeth inspected herself in the mirror before heading downstairs to meet Jack. She'd heard the door a few minutes ago and knew it was him coming to get her for their picnic. She smoothed the lace collar of her peach blouse and then straightened her blue skirt before shrugging her shoulders, flustered, and said, "Well, it'll have to do, I guess."

She headed out of her bedroom and down the stairs but after descending just a few steps, she realized her shoe had come unbuckled. She stopped and bent down to refasten it. As she fumbled with the buckle, she heard Jack's voice downstairs in the kitchen. "Is everything set for this evening?" he asked.

"Yes," she heard Abigail answer. "Everything is just as you requested. But, how are you going to get her there for the surprise?"

Elizabeth stopped trying to buckle her shoe and focused her attention on the conversation below, her face knitted into an expression of astonishment.

Jack cleared his throat. "I... I think so. I've got an idea, " he told Abigail. "I definitely want her to be surprised. Are you sure she doesn't suspect anything?"

Elizabeth, still bent over, was frozen, enthralled with the exchange.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be surprised," Abigail assured him. "She hasn't said anything to me. She thinks you're just going on a picnic. I don't believe she has any idea what's going to happen later."

"I'm just glad that you'll all be there to be a part of this. I am so grateful for all your help to make it such a special evening," Jack told her.

"Jack, are you sure you want all of us there?" Abigail asked. "Wouldn't you rather it just be the two of you?"

Jack shook his head. "No," he answered emphatically. "The people of Coal Valley are special to both Elizabeth and I. And, of course, you have to be there! I can't imagine any of you not being there this evening."

Abigail smiled widely. "Well, it's going to be quite a lovely evening!" she gushed.

Elizabeth let out the breath she just realized she'd been holding. Her mind was racing. Jack had a surprise for her and Abigail was helping him with it. Her thoughts flew, replaying the conversation, and she suddenly had a shocking thought: was Jack going to propose tonight? As she considered that question, she began to feel angry. She was upset with Jack for proposing so soon in their courtship. He hadn't even met her parents, yet. He hadn't yet even told her that he loved her. And then she remembered that Jack had told Abigail that all of them would be part of it. A public proposal? He'd told everyone in town before talking about it with her. How could Jack put her on the spot like that? Her indignation grew but, she was, also, excited at the thought of a future with Jack. She was overwhelmed by her emotions and tears filled her eyes. Suddenly feeling faint, she fell backwards and landed hard on the step behind her, causing the stairs to make a loud creak. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. After a moment, she she opened her eyes and saw Jack looking up at her from the bottom of the stairs. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

She exhaled, willing her emotions to get back under control before answering. "I'm fine. My shoe just came unbuckled."

Jack nodded and smiled. "Are you ready to go on our picnic?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Of course," she told him, but her voice trembled a bit as she was still trying to remain calm.

The tremble was not missed by Jack. His smile faded and he asked, "Are you sure everything is okay? You didn't hurt your ankle when your shoe came undone, did you?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice a little stronger. "Of course I'm ready for our picnic." She finished buckling her shoe and continued walking down the stairs. "The basket's packed," she told him as she nodded toward the basket on the cupboard.

He followed her gaze to the picnic basket. He looked back at her, gifting her with a smile that deepened his dimples. "Is that cake you were making this morning in there?" he asked as he walked over and scooped up the picnic basket.

Elizabeth's thoughts were still flying through her head. Jack's teasing smile and dimples had only further confused her. When he turned around and walked back toward her, she realized he must have asked her a question. "Hmmm?" she entoned her question.

"The cake you made. Is it in here?" he asked as he tapped the basket.

"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed, her voice quite shrill. She cleared her throat before answering. "No, no. Abigail said we'd have that tonight."

He extended his elbow to her. "Well, I'm sure whatever you packed will be delicious!"

She looked up at him. Her thoughts raced once again as he flashed her another smile. She took his elbow and leaned against him. She was always amazed that when she was so close to Jack she felt simultaneously exhilarated and calmed. However, as she and Jack walked out of the cafe, she realized that effect wasn't helping this afternoon. She frowned as she struggled to control her thoughts. Her indignation grew again. They descended the stairs to Main Street and walked in silence down the street before Elizabeth became aware that they were not going toward the new school, as she had thought they would.

"Jack, where are we going?" she asked. "I thought we were going to see the school?"

"Oh, I thought we'd go there later," he replied.

"Later?" she asked, surprised.

Jack nodded as he steered her off Main Street and onto the path out of town . "I thought it would be nice to have our picnic near the meadow. Maybe we could take another walk down the grassy lane."

Elizabeth considered what he'd suggested and realized that he was taking her to where they'd shared their first walk in Coal Valley. Memories of that first stroll with Jack flooded her mind and a smile curled the corners of her mouth upward. As she enjoyed the memory, she suddenly realized that it was further confirmation that Jack had plans to make a proposal. She felt him pull her around the curve in the path. She resolved to control her emotions and try to enjoy the afternoon with Jack. If he did ask her something, then she'd deal with it.

Two hours later, they lay holding hands on a blanket on the edge of the grassy lane. The remains of their picnic lunch was scattered on the blanket and in the open picnic basket. Both of them were looking up at the sky, studying it. Elizabeth was much more relaxed. She had managed to drive her anxious thoughts away as the afternoon with Jack had proved to be filled with warm conversation and much laughter. Now, they were enjoying the solitude of the beautiful Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, the silence was broken by Elizabeth's giggle.

"Jack! Stop!" she chastised.

Jack's face erupted in a grin. After a few moments of quiet, Elizabeth again blurted out a laugh.

"Jack!" she again scolded.

"What?" he asked with a sly smile.

"You know exactly what," she told him. "You know my palm is ticklish"

Jack laughed and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back and instructed, "Just look at the clouds, Constable."

His eyes cut toward her and he replied, "Yes, ma'am,"

They lay quietly for a few moments before Elizabeth turned to look at Jack. Noticing that he'd closed his eyes, she slowly reached over and tickled his ear lobe.

"Hey!" He complained loudly as he shot up into a sitting position, holding his offended ear lobe. "Okay, that's enough!" he cried as he turned to face Elizabeth.

She, too, sat up, laughing hysterically. "You can give but you certainly can't take, Jack!" she said between giggles.

His eyes narrowed, studying her as she continued to laugh. Then, he surprised her by leaning in and kissing her. They kissed for several moments before Jack pulled back. "Take a walk with me?" he asked.

She looked up at him, surprised. "What? Now?"

He nodded. "Yes, now," he replied. "Before the sun starts to go down."

"Okay," she agreed. "We'll need to..."

He quickly threw the remains of the lunch into the picnic lunch as she watched.

"... pick up our picnic," she finished, after he had already finished picking up the food, and looked at him quizzically.

"What?" he asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You did that awfully quickly. Are you in a hurry, Jack?" she inquired.

Jack stood. "No, no hurry," he insisted as he held out his hand to help her up.

Elizabeth gave him a look of doubt before taking his hand and allowing him to help her stand. She brushed her skirt to be sure there was no dirt or grass on it as Jack picked up the blanket and quickly shook it out before stashing it in the picnic basket. He turned away to pick his hat. She exhaled, her breath a bit shaky, as she again felt her anxiety building. Jack turned around, picked up the picnic basket and offered her his other arm. Her eyes met his and she gave him a timid smile before she took his arm. He smiled back and they began their walk.

Author's Notes: I hope you are continuing to enjoy the story! I really appreciate the story follows, favorites, and reviews! It's very nice to know people are reading and even better that y'all like the story. Writing can be very solitary and I always wonder if anyone is enjoying the chapters. Please write a review if you have a few moments. Also, I noticed that some of you may not be Hearties- yet. If you like my story, I urge you to check out the series, When Calls the Heart, on which it is based. Season One is available for download on iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Or DVDs can be purchased from Walmart, Fishflix, Christianbook, and other retailers. Check it out! Season Two starts April 25th on Hallmark Channel!