AN: Okay, so this is a follow up to the kissing booth drabbles. I am now done with this little arc. It has been fun. Hope you enjoyed it!
A week after the kiss in the kissing booth, Elizabeth stood in the livery, taking her time with brushing Sergeant. To be honest, the horse had probably been brushed enough after her ride, but she was hanging around the livery hoping to catch Nathan. Granted, his duties could keep her out late but she hoped that was not the case.
Elizabeth's heart felt lighter than it had in a long time.
Lee and Rosemary had taken Jack on a picnic. Her friends had invited her along as well, but she had declined saying she could use some time alone to finish sorting things through. Rosemary and Lee had smiled, nodded and drove off with Jack and the picnic basket.
Elizabeth's first task had been to drop in on Lucas. She had tried as kindly as she could to tell him that she could not continue seeing him. That she could not be who he wanted her to be and hoped they could someday be friends again as she did value his friendship. Lucas had been very gracious about it and for the first time that Elizabeth could remember had not tried to convince her otherwise.
After that conversation, she had saddled up Sergeant and went for a ride. She had ended up on Jack's land. The land that Wyman had been trying to buy off of her. She had refused to sell but Elizabeth had a feeling that he was not leaving it at that.
Elizabeth had spent time just wandering the land while Sergeant had grazed. She found herself recalling memories of Jack. The first time he had showed her this land. Him rescuing her in the cage. The way he had left Hamilton. The Christmas ball in the saloon because they had not been able to make the official one. The many arguments that they had. That trip to Fort Clay following their wedding. That had been one of the best road trips she had ever experienced.
She had found herself crying and laughing in turn as she remembered those times. She heard Jack's voice in her head reading the words he had wrote in the last letter.
I need you to promise me one thing, Elizabeth. You will open your heart to love again. Know that I want nothing more than your happiness.
Was she finally ready to do that? Elizabeth knew she had been fighting it for awhile now. Even as she had told Clara and Florence to open their own hearts, she had been guarding hers. It had been then, standing on Jack's land, that she had removed his rings from her hand.
Out of nowhere, a rainbow had appeared in the distance. Elizabeth had known it was a sign. Later, as she had rode back to Hope Valley, she had past the log by the pond where Nathan had professed his love to her. He had opened his heart. He had told her that he loved her and she had ran.
For all his pretty words and compliments, Lucas had never used the word love to describe his feelings for her.
Jack had wanted her to open her heart to love and it had been Nathan who had offered that to her first. Elizabeth felt ready to accept that love now. She just hoped it was not to late.
Hoof beats caught her attention. Looking toward the door to the livery, Elizabeth spotted Nathan walking in.
"Hello, Nathan," Elizabeth said quietly.
"Hello, Elizabeth. Did you enjoy your ride?" Nathan asked her as he put Newton in his stall.
"I did," Elizabeth said, putting down the brush. As Nathan began to untack Newton, Elizabeth slipped from Sergeants stall. "I did some soul searching that I had been hiding from." she admitted.
Elizabeth walked toward Newton's stall as Nathan came out with the saddle. He placed it in its place and as he turned Elizabeth stepped in front of him. She had secured the stall to make sure Newton did not wander off.
Nathan looked down at her but remained quiet. She could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
"Nathan, you asked me once to tell you what was in my heart when I figured it out. Well, I finally figured it out," Elizabeth told him, taking a step toward him.
"And are you ready to answer that question?" Nathan asked her.
"Not in words, but I would like to show you," Elizabeth told him. "May I?"
Nathan nodded and Elizabeth stepped up to him. With one hand on his shoulder, she reached up with the other to put it behind his head. Standing on tiptoes, while gently tilting his head down toward hers, Elizabeth pressed her lips against his. Though she did not hurry it, she pressed her lips firmly against his, her lips exploring his. There was no holding back on her part and before long, she felt Nathan return the gesture with a strong passion. She felt his arms close around her and pull her toward him but she did not feel trapped. There was no desire to go anywhere else. Held tightly in Nathan's arms, her lips expressing what was in her heart, Elizabeth felt something she had once thought she could never feel again.
Elizabeth felt a love that accepted her exactly how she was. A love that wanted to support and walk beside her but would come to her rescue in the situation arrived. A love that saw her faults and loved her despite of them.
The love that had been Jack's wish for her in the wake of his death.