A/N: I am so sorry for the long break between updates this year! Life has been very busy and writing has taken something of a backseat. Hopefully I can get more consistent and post a couple times a month from here on out. I pray you're all having a great day!


As the carnival came to an end, Jack asked Faith when she would like to have their dinner date. An impish smile crossed her face as she suggested that very evening. Jack's stomach flipped, a grin of his own taking over his features. They parted with him promising to pick her up at seven o'clock. He made a quick stop at the cafe, then headed out on Sergeant.

He whistled while he started his rounds. Most people were simply making their way home after the carnival. All seemed well. He rode Sergeant toward the outskirts of town, thinking to check in on one of their farming families. Before he reached the farm, a movement near a copse of trees caught his attention.

Jack reined in Sergeant and squinted at the stealthy figure. The bowler hat gave him a hint to the person's identity. Slipping from his horse, knowing the animal would graze peacefully, Jack quietly and quickly made his way toward the trees. As he got closer, he saw Henry Gowen's face fully when the man glanced over his shoulder. Checking for a tail? Jack scooted behind a tree before Gowen could spot him. Moments later, Gowen began walking again. Jack followed.

Henry came to a stop outside a small cabin. He glanced around again before knocking at the door. When it opened, Jack saw Wyatt's man Jeffries standing there. The man motioned Gowen inside before also glancing in all directions. Then he shut the door.

Jack frowned. What were those two up to? He crouched and began slowly creeping toward the cabin. Though there was nothing illegal about visiting a cabin in the woods, anything Henry Gowen involved himself in usually ended up being sketchy. Once he reached the porch, Jack cautiously peered into a window.

Gowen and Jeffries sat on either side of a small table. No surprise there, but Jack was surprised to see Ray Wyatt sitting at the head. In fact, Wyatt appeared to be running the impromptu meeting. He wore a hard look that Jack hadn't seen before, one that made his blood run cold. The man said something to Gowen, and the town's mayor lifted his hands in a defensive posture, something akin to fear flickering over his face.

Jack's brow crinkled. What in the world had Wyatt said that would strike fear in someone like Henry Gowen? He debated knocking on the door, but after a moment decided against it. In the coming days, he planned to keep a close eye on all three of them. Perhaps he'd be able to sniff out their plot, whatever it might be.

No one met in secret like this without plotting something, of that Jack was certain.

He slowly backed away from the cabin, his mind whirling with theories and possibilities. It was possible nothing untoward might have been happening. Wyatt might simply have uncovered something to incriminate Gowen, which would have caused the fearful reaction. Jack hoped that was the case, but his gut told him otherwise. Something was afoot, and it was his job to protect the town from anything of a nefarious nature.

The rest of his rounds passed uneventfully. Still, his mind wouldn't calm. It raced with various scenarios. Even as he headed to Faith's apartment that evening, he couldn't quite push away the intrusive thoughts. When the door opened, though, all thoughts of Wyatt and Gowen and Jeffries vanished.

Faith wore a cobalt blue dress that fell to her ankles. The sleeves softly graced her arms in lacy waves, stopping at her elbows. Her hair was held back with a matching blue strip of fabric, her blonde curls doing their best to riot around it. The color made her eyes look brighter.

Jack all but lost his breath. "Wow."

Her face blossomed with a smile, making her even more lovely. Jack recovered his voice. "You're beautiful, Faith."

A soft pink tinged her cheeks. "Thanks. You look pretty good yourself."

He held out his arm. "Ready for dinner?"

She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow with a nod. He led her down the stairs, then turned for the Mounted Police office. Faith cocked a brow when he stopped in front of the door. "Some business to attend to?"

Jack shook his head. "No." He pushed the door open. A table sat in the middle of the room, set simply with a vase of flowers and two candles on either side. Steaming plates of spaghetti, buttery rolls, and crisp salad set Jack's mouth to watering.

Faith's eyes widened. "Oh my! Did you make this?"

He chuckled. "No. I can't make anything this good. Abigail graciously agreed to bring over some of her specialty menu tonight." He held out a chair. "M'lady."

She gifted him another radiant smile, then slid into the chair. Jack made sure she was situated before taking his own seat. They said a blessing over the food and began to eat. Their conversation covered a range of topics, from Faith's time in Hamilton and Union City to Jack's first years as a Mountie. He found himself engrossed in everything about her. When the clock chimed ten, both of them jumped.

"Three hours? Already?" Faith blinked. "That flew by."

Jack began gathering up the dishes. "It did." He shot her a smile. "You're easy to talk to."

"I could say the same about you." She tilted her head. "It's always been that way for us. I remember being amazed in Hamilton at how naturally conversation flowed when we met."

"So did I." He finished packing the dishes, then left the basket on the table. "I'll clean those in my apartment after I walk you home."

As they started off, Faith glanced up at him. "Thank you for an unforgettable day, Jack. It's one I'll cherish."

He grinned. "Me too." Leaning closer, hoping to make her blush, he whispered, "That kiss we shared was amazing."

It worked. Faith's cheeks flushed dark pink. She cleared her throat, a tiny smile playing on her lips. "I won't argue with that."

All too soon, they were at her door. Jack placed a hand on her cheek and pressed his lips to her forehead. "We'll have to go on another date soon."

Eyes closed, Faith nodded. "I'd like that."

His hand fell from her cheek only to close over her fingers. "It might be too soon to ask – but I'll risk it. Can I officially court you?"

Her eyes opened, wide and bright. "Yes."

"Great." He squeezed her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Carter."

"I look forward to it."

They said goodnight, and Jack headed back home. He washed the dishes and dried them before stacking them once more into the basket. His heart was full as he readied himself for bed. It was only after he fell asleep that his dreams reminded him of the shady dealings occurring in the woods of Hope Valley.


The next afternoon, Elizabeth secured her hair in a knot at the nape of her neck, letting a single tendril hang on the right side of her face. She had no idea where Nathan was taking her on their date, but he did say it would be outdoors. Having her hair fly everywhere was the last thing she wanted.

A knock sounded at her door. Flutters pitter-pattered through her stomach as she went to answer it. Nathan stood on the other side, a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. He smiled, holding them out to her. "Hi, Elizabeth. You look lovely."

The pitter-patters increased. She took the bouquet, burying her nose in the flowers. "Thank you. For the flowers and the compliment."

He chuckled. "You ready?"

She nodded. "Just let me put these in water." Hurrying for the kitchen, she filled a cup and placed the flowers carefully inside, then set them on the table. She turned and smiled at Nathan. "Now I'm ready."

He offered his arm, much to Elizabeth's delight. She took it and followed him out the door. "How did Allie take being left with Abigail?"

"She was happy as could be. The first words out of Abigail's mouth were something about strawberry scones with lemon icing. I haven't heard Allie squeal in excitement for a long time."

Elizabeth smiled. "Good. I'm glad it went well."

"Me too." Nathan led her to the stables, where they saddled two horses. Elizabeth tried to peek at the basket Nathan pulled from a stall, but he wagged his finger in front of her playfully. "Uh uh. It's a surprise, remember?"

She gave him a mock pout. When his eyes dropped to her lips, she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the basket. "We should get going."

Despite the fact that a single look had so disoriented her, Elizabeth swung onto her horse and took up the reins. "Where to?"

Nathan secured the basket to his saddle. He leaped onto the horse with practiced ease. His grin tickled her stomach. "Follow me."

They rode through several miles of woodland, an easy silence between them. Nathan did not feel the need to fill quiet with useless words, a fact Elizabeth appreciated. The ride felt companionable. After a few minutes, the woods parted to reveal a peaceful lake. Nathan dismounted beside a patch of grass. They tethered their horses. He reached for the picnic basket and slung it over his arm. Then, to Elizabeth's surprise, he reached out to clasp her hand in his. She threaded their fingers together and followed him to a shady spot near the shore of the lake.

"I hope you don't mind eating outdoors," he said, setting the basket on the ground.

"Not at all." Elizabeth watched as he pulled a blanket from the basket and spread it over the ground. "Can I help with anything?"

He gave her a gentle smile. "Gather some wildflowers?"

Surprised at the suggestion, Elizabeth nonetheless nodded. "Of course." Her eyes scanned the vista until they landed on a patch of pink and blue blooms. She headed there and picked a handful of the sweet-smelling flowers. When she returned to the blanket, Nathan had their picnic fully set up. He held up a vase as she approached. Elizabeth placed the flowers inside. Nathan put the vase in the middle of the blanket and shot her a grin. "Now we have some ambiance."

Elizabeth laughed. "Ambiance?"

He shrugged. "My mother always said that was important for a date."

She smiled. "I think I would have liked your mother."

Something like pain flashed in his eyes. "She would have liked you too."

Elizabeth settled on the blanket beside him, letting her hand cover his. "Are you alright?"

He sighed softly. "Sometimes the grief overwhelms me. I don't think it's fully sunk in that she's gone."

Having never lost a loved one, Elizabeth wasn't sure what to say. She opted for silence and slid her arm around Nathan's shoulders, leaning her head against his. He responded by looping his arm around her waist.

They sat quietly, Elizabeth trying to lend comfort just by being there. When Nathan finally lifted his head, his blue eyes were watery but he was smiling. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

She rested a hand against his jaw. "I wish I knew what to say."

He shook his head. "Words don't always help. This does." Swiping a hand across his eyes, he looked at the food spread over the blanket. "Let's get back to happier things. Ready to eat?"

"I am. This all looks delicious."

Nathan said a prayer of thanks for the food, then made a plate for Elizabeth. "Here you go."

"Thanks." She waited until he had a plate of his own before taking a bite of the chicken salad sandwich. "Mmm. This is delicious. Are there dried cranberries in here?"

He nodded. "There are. It's an old family recipe. I always loved the hint of sweetness it added to the savory chicken."

Elizabeth took another bite, humming in appreciation. "Best chicken salad I've had."

His smile told her how pleased he was at the declaration. He swallowed a bite of his sandwich before speaking. "Tell me how you got into teaching."

Elizabeth let herself think back. "From a very young age, I knew I wanted to teach. I used to make my sisters sit in a pretend schoolroom so I could 'teach' them whatever it was that interested us on that day. As the years went on, I had my own teachers tell me they thought I could one day join their ranks. I never wavered from that path. I've always had a love of learning and a desire to share knowledge with others. When it came time to get my certification, I couldn't wait to take the exam and get to my first position."

"And that was here in Hope Valley?"

She nodded. "It was. I'll admit I was in over my head for a while. I thought the children would be excited to learn and as eager for knowledge as I'd been. Instead, they suffered a horrific tragedy days before I arrived. No one's attention was on school. They were grieving deeply, and that showed in behaviors from anger to belligerence to utter silence. It took a while for us to establish trust. Once we did, things went better."

Nathan raised a brow. "I'm impressed that you were able to gain their trust. Tight knit communities like the one can be wary of strangers." A smile tugged at his lips. "Though from what I've seen, Hope Valley is welcoming to them."

"We are. That's one of the things I love about this town. The sense of community is beautiful." She sampled the fruit salad, enjoying the sweet tang of strawberries and raspberries. "Why did you join the Mounties?"

"My father. He was an alcoholic and a gambler. Nearly drove our family into poverty. When the money ran out, he turned to thieving. He stole a lot of money before the law caught up with him. His sentence was stiff – twenty years in prison."

Elizabeth gasped. "Oh, Nathan. I'm so sorry."

He let out a breath. "Thanks. I was only twelve when he was arrested. I knew even then that I wanted to stop other men from hurting their families the way my father hurt ours."

"Is he still in prison?"

"No. He died when I was sixteen. Pneumonia."

That shocked her into silence. Their upbringings couldn't have been more different. Her heart hurt for him, and once again, she wasn't sure what to say. Instead, she clasped his hand. "You are clearly made of strong moral fiber, unlike him."

One side of Nathan's mouth turned up. "I almost let bitterness consume me. For the longest time, I didn't answer my father's letters. My anger was too strong. My mother taught me the value of forgiveness, how it would set me free as much as it would him. So I tried. I answered a letter, and we had a brief correspondence before his death." He drew in a breath. "I will always be grateful to my mother for encouraging me to let go of the bitterness. My father and I didn't exactly reconcile, but we were working on our relationship. I have no regrets."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand. "Like I said. Strong moral fiber."

He gazed into her eyes. "Or the impact of having a strong mother." His thumb ran over her hand. "There's something to be said for having good women in one's life."

Something in his words told her he meant her as well. Warmth spread through Elizabeth, effectively melting her heart. It was all too easy getting lost in his eyes, especially with the emotion pulsing from them. When he leaned toward her, Elizabeth held her breath. Nathan's lips brushed her cheek in a gentle whisper. When he pulled back, he smiled. "You've already made such a difference in my life. And in Allie's. Words are insufficient to describe my gratitude." He lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss into her palm.

The air whooshed from Elizabeth's lungs. Butterflies beat hard in her stomach. Nathan's warm lips kissed her palm once more, then he moved their joined hands to his lap. The warmth stayed with her for the rest of their meal. When they finished, Nathan stood. "Would you like to dip your feet in the pond? It's very refreshing."

Elizabeth nodded. "That sounds nice."

They made their way to the bank. Nathan politely averted his eyes while Elizabeth removed her shoes and stockings. He kept his back turned until she sat on the bank and arranged her skirts to fully cover her legs. Only then did he remove his own shoes and socks and let his feet dangle in the water.

They talked some more, moving their feet back and forth in the cool water. Elizabeth savored the time together, happy to learn more about Nathan. She could already tell things were different between them than things had been with any other man.

It would be very easy to fall for Nathan Grant.