You steal the life from me
Shake all that I believe
But I can't leave you no,
I'll always need you so
-Startisan "Let Me Go"
She challenged him. She made him reconsider things that he had accepted for a long time. She made him reconsider things about himself.
It was almost as if he were one of her students.
The thought made him smile. Growing up, none of his teachers had been anything like Elizabeth Thorton.
When he had come to Hope Valley he hadn't planned on this happening. He hadn't planned on making deep connections with the people here. He had planned to come here, do his job and keep this town safe until his next assignment had come along. Just like he had so many other times. He certainly hadn't planned on falling in love.
But he had. He had let the people of this town become more than just the people that he served. He had let them become his friends. He had become a part of their community. He had watched as Ally had come to life. Though she'd had a rough start, his niece had finally figured out how to fit in. She had made friends. She was happy.
He had known that he couldn't take her away from all of that. As Elizabeth had told him during his early days here in Hope Valley, children needed stability, and for the first time since she was four, Ally had that in her life once more.
If he were honest with himself though, it wasn't just for Ally that he had wanted to stay. For the first time since leaving his mother's house, he had a sense of home her in Hope Valley. This town had embraced him despite his reserved nature. Even Bill had become a friend after initially throwing him in jail on his first night in tow.
More than that though, he had fallen for Elizabeth Thorton. He wasn't sure that she felt the same thing for him. He certainly knew he wasn't the only one vying for her attentions. Lucas Bouchard didn't even bother to hide what his intentions were. The saloon owner definitely seemed to be more comfortable flirting with a lady than Nathan knew he would ever feel. Every time he tried to tell Elizabeth how he felt he stumbled over his words or said something stupid.
Perhaps it wasn't even fair to Elizabeth. She had already lost one husband to the Mountie profession. What right did he have to ask her to take that chance again? Perhaps the kindest thing he could do for her was bury his feelings and step aside. Let Lucas win her affections without his interference.
But he couldn't do it. He couldn't step aside without a fight. Every time that he saw her, those feelings overwhelmed him. He loved her beauty, inside and out. He loved her kindness. Her intelligence. Her strength. But most of all, he loved how she challenged him to be a better person.