Disclaimer – I own nothing.
"That cannot happen again," Elizabeth couldn't understand the words coming out of her mouth. She had thoroughly enjoyed the attention upstairs and she absolutely wanted it to happen again – at the same time she also understood that feelings like that could lead to behaviour that was meant to remain between a man and wife, not a couple who was courting.
"I know, I'm sorry," Jacks look of embarrassed shame was enough for Elizabeth to forgive him.
"You know I want it to happen again, I just think that maybe we should at the very least be engaged…preferably married." She pulled his hand down from his face and linked their fingers. Jack lifted their linked hands and placed a kiss on Elizabeth's ring finger.
"I think I can agree to that," He smiled.
They fix themselves some stew for dinner and then just like Elizabeth has been imagining they curl up on the sofa, her with a book and him with his notepad and pencils. It's a cozy comfortable scene and she feels like a dream is coming true so much so that she can't concentrate on her book. She wiggled her toes under his heavy warm thighs her eyes peering over her book for a reaction. One she didn't get. Elizabeth bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling as she slid her toes higher beneath him and gave them another wiggle. This time he dropped a hand to her ankle to still her but he remained focused on his sketch.
Elizabeth pushed herself up in the sofa and leaned forward until she was close enough to breath into Jacks ear. She wiggled those toes again and quick as lightning Jack had her book and his notepad on the floor and Elizabeth Thatcher over his shoulder.
"Jack!" Elizabeth cried in surprise. A fit of girlish giggles took over her as he carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. "Jack?!" she cried again when he realized where they were headed. Jack took her straight into her bedroom, set her down beside her bed and fixed his lips on hers in a quick concise and very nearly passionless kiss.
"Do not leave this room Elizabeth Thatcher. I'll see you in the morning." Jack turned to leave and Elizabeth huffed indignantly, surprised at the turn of events.
"Jack Thornton you cannot send me to bed…you're not my father!" She called back and Jack came marching back up the stairs his face devoid of emotion. Elizabeth was so shocked at the man approaching her she hesitated in her laughter and stepped back cautiously.
Jack walked right back into her bedroom and without hesitation he slid his arms around her waist and lifted her up against him. His lips descended on hers and this kiss was the complete opposite of the previous one. He devoured her, and when she pulled back gasping for breath, he set her down.
"No, I am not your father, and that is absolutely why you should stay in this bedroom." Then, like the wind, he was gone.
Elizabeth decided that it probably was in her best interests to get ready for bed.
The following morning Elizabeth woke to a cold house. She pulled on her slippers and wrapped her dressing gown tightly around her body. She hopped over to the window and laughed at the bright blue sky and the feet and feet of crisp white snow. It was like a picture never in her life had she seen so much snow. Sure Hamilton had had bad winters but they were nothing like this.
Elizabeth touched her lips briefly remembering that soul searing kiss from the night before and the threatening warning to stay in her room until the following morning and laughed. She really shouldn't have teased him so much, especially after having given him such a hard time about his little experiment with her neck. It had simply been too hard to resist. Watching him there on that sofa, so focused on his sketch she'd slipped into a fantasy world and she'd played unfairly. She owed him an apology.
Elizabeth crept down the stairs and stopped at the sight of Jack curled up on her sofa. He was twice as long as the darn thing and looked just about as uncomfortable as a person could be. Elizabeth hugged herself tighter, fighting the chill and tossed a few logs into the stove. She'd hopefully get started on breakfast and heat the house at the same time.
Then she walked over to the sleeping Mounty. Despite his clearly uncomfortable position his face was peaceful. Rip gave a little grunt from a blanket on the floor beside his friend and Elizabeth held a finger to her lips to keep him quiet. Instinctually her fingers slipped from her robe and brushed passed his forehead into his hair.
"Good morning," Jacks eyes slipped open and he yawned. His hand gripped her wrist still in his hair and in one swift movement he sat up and pulled her down into his lap. "I could really get used to this," he dropped a soft kiss on her lips.
"Sleeping on a sofa that's too small for you," She smirked and he squeezed her tighter laughing into her.
"Oh no, I was talking about the most beautiful woman I've ever met making me breakfast," and he nudged her up and off of him, both of them laughing.
They prepared a nice breakfast together and Elizabeth slipped upstairs to change for the day. She was on her way back down when she heard uncontrollable laughter outside.
"What on earth…" Elizabeth joined Jack at the front window and took in the group of her students throwing balls of snow at each other. Little Opal and brownie were laying a little ways off making snow angels and a couple of minors without families had popped out to help with a snowman.
"Shall we?" Elizabeth turned to Jack and she registered a quick bout of shock before a big smile lit his face.
"Absolutely," They buttoned themselves into their coats, added scarves, mittens, hats and boots and they joined the group that was increasing by the minute.
Stepping out the door a big grin on her face a ball of snow hit her square in the jaw. She turned to see Rosemary and Lee walking up the lane all geared up to join the fun.
"I was aiming for Jack I swear it!" Rosemary cried out but Elizabeth was already swiping up snow and aiming for Rosemary; it wasn't until the snow was in the air when Elizabeth noticed Pastor Frank and Abigail behind Rosemary and Lee. Rosemary ducked and the snow it Pastor Frank square in the chest. Abigail turned to her friend in shock and then just like that it was war, the adults more in the game than the children.
Snow was volleying to and fro and they were yelling and running and soon there was a clear divide. Rosemary, Jack, Pastor Frank, Clara, Jesse and even Dottie had aligned themselves against Elizabeth, Lee, Abigail, Bill, Molly and nearly all the children.
"How many do they have?" Abigail called. The game had moved onto main street. There was so much snow that none of the businesses had yet opened and there was no way the stagecoach was going to make its way into town. So they'd divide up the buildings and dug trenches in the snow. Lee, Bill and surprisingly Molly were launching balls of snow packed tightly by Elizabeth, Abigail and the children.
"Too many, I think we're doomed!" Emily cried out dramatically and Elizabeth slid into teacher mode.
"Don't give up Emily, we can do this. They may have more grown ups but we have more heart,"
"We heard that Elizabeth and no one has more heart than Rosemary LeVeaux!" Rosemary called over no-mans land.
"It's Coulter, Rosemary Coulter for heaven's sake!" Lee called back and lobbied a couple balls into the other teams trench.
"I've told you Lee, it just doesn't have the same ring!"
"Quick come with me," Elizabeth whispered to Emily and Abigail…they pocketed a few snowballs each and began a crawl to the edge of their safety wall.
"Well it will have to have its own ring, you're married now Rosemary…You're last name is Coulter!" The newlyweds continued to argue as Elizabeth Abigail and Emily neared the opposing team. "On the count of three we attack," Elizabeth held up each of her fingers as she counted silently. On three they leapt into the air planning to rain snowballs down on their enemy's but everyone other than Rosemary had disappeared.
"NOW" they heard Jesse cry and the ambushers became the ambushes. Jack grabbed Elizabeth around the waist and tossed her into a pile of snow to the left of them. Pastor Frank had completely demolished Abigail and poor Emily was covered in snow.
"Alright I think it's high time we all turned in for some hot chocolate!" Abigail laughed as Frank pulled her up out of the snow.
"I second that!" Jack helped Elizabeth up and the others quickly followed suit. "I'll be right there" Jack whispered to Elizabeth and then turned back towards the prison.
They all filed into Abigails Café and the women slipped into the back to put several large pots of milk on the stove. It didn't take long to prepare the hot chocolate and everyone was relaxing in the café when Jack returned. He took up a spot beside Frank across from Abigail and Elizabeth.
"Where did you disappear to?" Elizabeth laughed as she watched Jack pick up is cocoa and down it in one big gulp.
"Jack?"
Jack stood from his chair and placed his hands on the armrest of Elizabeth's chair. He pulled the chair out from the table and turned it towards himself and then he dipped down and took a knee before her.
The entire café silenced.
"Jack…" All the color she had just acquired running in the cold and snow, laughing and playing like she had when she was a girl drained from her face as she watched Jack take a knee before her.
"I realized something last night Elizabeth. I may feel a need to prove myself to your family and maybe even to myself; that I can deserve a woman as smart as kind, funny, compassionate…as breathtakingly beautiful as you. But maybe, just maybe I don't need to prove it all right away. Isn't that a part of marriage, shouldn't I always be striving to prove that I am worthy of this relationship? Well I can promise you that Elizabeth, I can promise to never stop trying to be better, to never stop working on us and without a doubt I can promise to never stop loving you…even when you're being ridiculous." Tears had formed in Elizabeth's eyes and though there had been a small tremor in his hands as he'd begun to speak it was gone when the next words slipped from his lips.
"I don't need your family's approval Elizabeth, Marry me. Marry me and let's prove to everyone just how right this is." Jack opened the velvet ring box and Elizabeth's hands flew to her mouth at the stunning solid emerald circled with small diamonds on a gold band.
They were so absorbed in each other that neither of them heard the door to the café slam open.
"What is going on in this town?" Everyone looked to the door and Elizabeth jumped from the chair at the sight of her father, William Thatcher, standing in the entrance to Abigail's Café.
A/N – sorry for the wait on the chapter…my best friend had a beautiful baby girl this weekend and I've been a little preoccupied! Hope you enjoyed the update. Don't worry you won't have to wait to long for Elizabeth's response.