Readers – I hope you enjoy this new chapter. I apologize for the delay in posting this new chapter. My mind kept running with the story and I couldn't quit writing. Please leave a review and let me know what you think :)
Chapter 3 – The Dinner Date
The next morning, Jack woke up, showered, and headed off to work. He was running a little bit late when he walked into the police station. He had stopped off at the local coffee shop for some hot coffee and donuts. Staying up late talking to Elizabeth the night before was well worth it in his opinion. He'd lose any amount of sleep just to talk to her or see her.
As he walked into the police station, he placed his coffee cup and bag of donuts down on his desk, looking around at the hustle and bustle of the station. He decided to walk over to check and see if they had posted the new schedule for the week.
Making his way over to the area where the schedule was posted, Officer Lee Coulter walked up to him and patted him on the back.
"Jack-o! Ooh, you look a little rough this morning. Not feeling good?"
"Ahh, not necessarily."
Jack was unable to hide the grin that appeared quickly on his face.
"Hey… Did you meet someone? Who is she?"
As Jack continued to walk towards where the schedule would be posted, he stopped and looked back at Lee, smiling as he began telling him about Elizabeth.
"Lee, this woman I met yesterday, it's like fate intervened. She's perfect. She's beautiful, caring, and most of all – Matthew fell in love with her as well. I can't describe how I feel. It's like I've known her my entire life and could talk to her about anything. I stayed up til 1:00 last night texting her."
"Dude, you got it bad. She sounds wonderful for you though, especially regarding Matthew. How'd you two meet?"
"Funny thing, the grocery store."
"The grocery store? Uh…" Lee gave Jack a puzzled look and Jack laughed and began to explain what happened.
"I'm not kidding. Matthew ran off again, like he has been lately, and I began looking for him in the store. I was getting frantic after a while because I couldn't find him for a little bit. Before long, I turned the corner down the baking aisle and there he was. He was standing with Elizabeth. After I checked on Matthew, I turned around and it was like an angel standing there. She was breathtaking. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Matthew and I invited her to the coffee shop next door to the grocery store and we sat and talked there for about an hour. She went home and then visited with her mother and told her about us meeting and after that, she came home, and we texted for hours. We just lost track of time."
"Man, that's awesome. I'm happy for you! Did you ask her out? What's her name?"
"Well, of course! Why wouldn't I? Like I said, she's stunning. Not that looks are everything, but like I mentioned before, Matthew took to her pretty quickly. Her name is Elizabeth, but Matthew calls her Beth."
"Aww, that's awesome. I know it's been hard on Matthew since Kate died. I know it's been hard on you as well. Maybe this is fate? Maybe Elizabeth is the one for you. You never know, man. I've heard about guys finding their soul mates in the unlikeliest places. This could be one of them. Either way, I'm happy for you."
"Thanks, Lee. I appreciate it. We are having dinner later this week together and that's all I can think of now. I can't get her out of my head. I was just on my way to check the schedule to see what day I'm off this week. I told Elizabeth I'd text her sometime this morning to let her know what day I'm planning for our date."
"Hey, man… If she doesn't interfere with you doing your police duties, that's all that matters. I couldn't be happier for you. Hey, maybe we can double date sometime. I'm sure Rosie would love to meet her, as would I."
Lee patted Jack again on the back and gave him a quick smirk.
"That sounds great, Lee. I'll run it by Elizabeth and see what she says."
Jack smiled back at Lee and gave him a nod as he made his way over to the schedule posting.
As luck would have it, Jack was scheduled to be off on Tuesday. With today being Monday, that meant he'd be able to see Elizabeth tomorrow.
"Yes!" Jack shouted out as the police station fell silent and fellow police officers looked up at Jack. Jack quickly ducked in the hallway away from prying eyes and grinned. He just had to let Elizabeth know about tomorrow and their date.
Jack made his way over to his desk and sat down in his chair, taking a quick gulp of his somewhat still hot coffee. He reached into the brown bag and pulled out a chocolate donut and placed it on a napkin on his desk. He pulled out his cell phone and brought up Elizabeth's contact info and started typing a new text message.
Across town, Elizabeth had been awake for a few hours and finished her yoga session and was getting dressed after taking a quick shower. Elizabeth didn't have many plans for the day, except for an afternoon interview at a local law firm for a secretary position.
Elizabeth pulled up the information regarding the interview and was scanning over her resume when she heard her cell phone chime on her desk. She looked down and grinned.
"Good morning, Elizabeth. I hope you slept well. I just wanted to let you know that I received my new schedule for the week and I'm actually off work tomorrow. If it's okay with you, I'd love to have that dinner date with you tomorrow evening. How does that sound?"
Elizabeth quickly responded back to Jack's text.
"Good morning, Jack. I slept great. I hope you did too. As for our dinner date, tomorrow evening works perfectly. I forgot to mention last night that I have a job interview this afternoon at a local law firm here in town for a secretarial position. It's this afternoon at 1:00. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I hope your day at work is going well."
Jack took another bite of his donut and quickly washed it down with some warm coffee.
"An interview? That's awesome! I hope it goes well for you, Elizabeth. I'm sure you'll do great. Work is going good for me. I talked to my co-worker, Lee, this morning and told him about you. He's happy for me and Matthew. I've been friends with him since college. We are practically brothers."
Elizabeth made her way into the kitchen to grab her hot cup of coffee and sat down at the dining table to finish texting Jack.
"Thanks, Jack! It's been a while since I've had an interview, so I'm anxious. I just hope it goes well because I'd love to find a job. Lee sounds very nice. I'll have to meet him sometime."
"Yes, he wants to meet you too. He's married and I'm sure his wife would love to meet you too. But hey, I need to get going and do some patrolling in town. Again, I wish you luck with your interview today. Feel free to text me and let me know how it goes. I'll talk to you later."
"Sounds good, Jack. Thanks! I'll let you know how it turns out. Have a great day and be safe!"
Elizabeth placed her cell phone down on her dining table and continued to enjoy her hot cup of coffee. As she reflected outside her window, she realized what a lovely morning it was turning out to be. Maybe today would be a great day and her interview would go well.
Before Elizabeth knew it, she was walking up to the front door of the law firm for her interview. Her stomach was a bundle of nerves. She took a few deep breaths before she opened the door and continued to the reception desk.
As Elizabeth walked inside, she noticed the office was somewhat small and there was only one woman working off at another desk across from the reception desk. As Elizabeth stood there, the woman paid no attention to her. Elizabeth waited for what seemed like an eternity before she cleared her throat to garner the attention of the young woman sitting at the desk.
"I'll be right there."
Elizabeth smiled as she continued to stand waiting to speak to the young woman.
Finally, to Elizabeth's delight, the young woman stood and made her way over to the reception desk.
"Can I help you?" The young woman looked at Elizabeth and gave her a brief smile.
"Yes, I'm here for my interview at 1:00. I'm Elizabeth Thatcher." Elizabeth extended her hand out to shake the woman's hand.
"Oh yes, Mr. Drake will see you shortly. You can have a seat over there and I'll let you know when he's available."
The woman didn't extend her hand out to Elizabeth and instead made her way back to her desk and began writing on a legal pad. Elizabeth stood dumbfounded for a moment and made her way over to a chair in the corner to wait to see Mr. Drake.
After waiting for a while, the young woman finally received a buzz on her phone and confirmed with the person on the other end, placing the phone back on the receiver. She glanced up and called Elizabeth over to her desk.
"You can go in now. Mr. Drake is ready to see you."
"Oh, thank you. I appreciate it very much."
The young woman went back to writing on her legal pad and looked through the law books spread out across her desk.
As she made her way to the closed door, she lightly knocked and heard "Come in".
As she opened the door, the room opened into a large open office with an older white-haired gentleman sitting behind a large wooden desk.
"Ms. Thatcher, please, do come in." The man stood as she shut the door behind her and quickly turned around and smiled at Mr. Drake.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I was on a conference call with another lawyer regarding an upcoming case. Please, have a seat."
The man extended his hand out to another wooden chair in front of his desk. Elizabeth took a seat in the chair as Mr. Drake sat back down in his large chair behind his desk.
"Now, you applied for the secretarial position here in our office, correct?"
"Yes, sir. That's correct."
"Well, tell me about yourself." The man reclined back in his chair as Elizabeth began to describe herself to him.
"Uh, well, I attended University and received my bachelor's degree in law. I applied to attend University for my master's in law, but unfortunately, a personal matter came up and I was unable to finish. I was working as a typist at another local firm, but alas, they had to let me go once they hired a secretary. I've been looking for a job ever since."
"Oh, I hate to hear you couldn't go back for your master's degree. May I ask what happened that made you change your mind?"
"My father passed away a few years ago. I took it very hard and lost my passion to attend."
"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry to hear that. I will say that I did some checking and made some phone calls, and you were very highly recommended, especially in terms of law experience. That's one of the reasons I called you for this interview. You see, I'm getting older, and I've been doing some thinking. Eventually, I'd like to leave this law firm to someone who studies under me. What do you think about going back to school and getting your master's to study law? Of course, I would compensate you for your classes and things."
Elizabeth was speechless for a moment. Go back to law school? Yes, she had thought about it a lot, especially recently.
"Wait, what about the secretarial position?"
"Oh, Mrs. Coulter out front could take that position for the time being until I'm able to find someone else. Mrs. Coulter is my Paralegal and we've been short-staffed for a few weeks trying to find a secretary."
"Oh sir, I don't want to upset Mrs. Coulter. I can work as a secretary if you need me to. I'm very knowledgeable in that capability."
"Nonsense, Mrs. Coulter will understand. Besides, it's not every day a young woman comes into my office with the experience and expertise as you, Ms. Thatcher. What do you say? Will you accept the position?"
Elizabeth gave it some thought for a little bit and finally agreed to work for Mr. Drake and go back to school.
"Okay, I'll take it. I appreciate you giving me a chance, Mr. Drake."
Elizabeth stood up and shook hands with Mr. Drake. A smile was permanently across her face as she left his office and made her way to the front door.
Before she could leave the office though, Mr. Drake opened his office door and called out to Elizabeth.
"Uh, Ms. Thatcher, we will see you next week beginning on Monday. Thanks again!" With that, he shut his door and left Elizabeth and Mrs. Coulter in the room.
Elizabeth was still smiling as she looked over at Mrs. Coulter, who was looking at her with a watchful eye.
"Mr. Drake is allowing me to go back to school to finish my master's degree in law to study under him. Isn't that wonderful?"
Mrs. Coulter was wordless. She looked at Elizabeth like a deer in headlights. Elizabeth's smile soon faded.
Before long, Mrs. Coulter spoke. "He did what? How could he? He knows I'm working two jobs at the moment, and we need a secretary! Then along comes a young woman in a short skirt and he gives her one look and that makes her essentially a lawyer!"
Elizabeth was deeply insulted. It was not her intention to come across as some bimbo that would turn heads. She knew how her schooling and law experience had been taken into consideration with this new position.
"Well! How dare you? You don't even know me! Mr. Drake spoke with my superiors and decided to give me a chance based on my knowledge and proficiency in law, nothing else. I do hope you are able to put aside your differences, Mrs. Coulter, because beginning on Monday, I'll be here to work whether you like it or not. Good day!"
With that, Elizabeth stormed out of the office without giving Mrs. Coulter a second to respond. Elizabeth was so upset, when she made it to her car, she broke down in a fit of tears. As she left the parking lot, all she wanted to do was go home, curl up on the couch, and get lost in a good book.
That evening, as Elizabeth was still reading her book, she heard her cell phone chime and saw Jack's name come across the screen. She smiled as she read his text.
"Hey, how did your interview go? Did you get the job? I just got off work and walked in the door."
At the question of the interview, Elizabeth's mind flashed back to the moment of her and Mrs. Coulter having an argument. A moment, she wished to ignore before going back to work on Monday.
"It went well. I was offered another position. My new boss wants me to go back to school and finish my master's degree to study under him to become a lawyer with his firm. Pretty exciting, huh? :)"
Elizabeth failed to mention the misunderstanding between her and Mrs. Coulter.
"Elizabeth, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you! I wish you all the luck in the world! Matthew and I will be cheering you on. When do you start your new job?"
"I start on Monday. I'm very excited, to say the least! :)"
"I'd say so! I'm sure you will do fantastic! Matthew is still over at his grandparent's house, so I'm heading to the grocery store to pick up some items for our date tomorrow."
"Jack, don't go to any extremes with this date. I'm sure whatever you fix will be delicious."
"Well, I won't be giving any surprises away but I'm sure you'll love it."
"I'm going to call my mother after we get done talking and tell her how the interview went. Don't be meeting any young single ladies at the grocery store ;)"
"Trust me, this man won't be looking at any other ladies. He's got his eye on someone special."
"Listen, I'll talk to you after I talk to my mother. Sound good? Have fun at the grocery store."
"I'm sure I will, haha :) Have a good talk with your mother. Tell her I said hello."
"Will do. Bye, Jack."
"Bye, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth quickly dialed her mother's phone number and listened to the ringing on the other end. By the third ring, her mother picked up, glad to hear from Elizabeth. Elizabeth began to tell her how her interview went and told her about Mrs. Coulter and their argument.
"Oh, Elizabeth. I'm sorry she said that to you. That's very rude. Maybe she didn't mean it? Maybe she's under a lot of stress now and just wanted someone to lash out at?"
"You're probably right, mother. I shouldn't have stormed out angry. I should've apologized or talked about it with her. I'm going to make sure to make up with her on Monday. I don't want there to be any awkwardness between us on my first day."
"Good for you, Elizabeth. I'm happy you found a new job. Your father would be very proud of you. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks mother. I'm both nervous and excited to start this new job. I can't wait to start my college classes again."
"Well, I'm sure you will do great. You'll have to let me know when you start your classes and what days you have classes on. Oh, did you tell Jack about the new job?"
"Ha, yes. I texted him before I called you. He's thrilled for me too. He's headed to the grocery store at the moment to pick up some items for our dinner date. Did I tell you we are having our date tomorrow evening?"
"Ooh, what's he fixing? I'm sure you are eager to see him and Matthew again."
"He said it's a surprise. I'm sure whatever it is will be nice. I'm excited to see him and Matthew again. I get to meet Matthew's stuffed panda, Oreo, too."
"Aww, how sweet. You'll have to tell me how it goes. Oh, and if possible, take a picture of this adorable little Matthew. I want to see how cute he is."
"Trust me, you'll definitely see how charming he is."
"Well, listen, I won't keep you any longer. Have a good evening and have a great time with Jack and Matthew tomorrow. Please tell them both I said hello and that I can't wait to meet them soon. I love you, Elizabeth. Goodnight."
"Thanks mother. I'll be sure to tell them. I love you too. Have a great evening."
With that, Elizabeth hung up the phone call and decided to start dinner for herself. As the evening went on, she ate dinner and got lost in one of her shows on Roku that she had been putting off watching. It was a show on the Hallmark Channel about a single woman who leaves her home and heads off to the far west. She meets a Mountie in the new town she lives in, and they fall in love and get married. She loves living in the little town and can't imagine her life anywhere else.
Before long, night came, and it was time to head to bed. As she flipped off the tv, she thought about her tv show. "Hmm, if only real life was like that." She chuckled and decided to head to bed early for the night. She was a little tired from the night before staying up texting Jack. Plus, her anxiety from her interview early that afternoon had wore her out as well. Sleep overtook her quickly.
The next morning, Elizabeth woke up and stretched, looking out the window at another beautiful, sunny morning. She checked her cell phone sitting on her end table for the time and any missed text messages. She noticed one from Jack from the night before.
"Sorry for texting so late. I made it home from the grocery store and had to pick up Matthew from his grandparents. I stayed there for a little bit talking to them. Afterwards, Matthew and I had dinner and he wanted to tell me all about his day with his grandparents. I lost track of time and before I realized it, it was time to put him to bed. I'm pretty sleepy myself. I hope you sleep well tonight, and I'll talk to you tomorrow. I can't wait to see you :)"
Elizabeth began a new text message and began typing the message to Jack.
"Good morning! I hope you slept well last night. I must've been wore out because I don't remember even waking up one time last night. I'm looking forward to seeing you again too, as well as Matthew. What time do you want me to come over for dinner? I have no plans today."
Elizabeth made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a quick shower. As the steam filled up the room, Elizabeth's phone chimed and showed a text message come across from Jack.
Elizabeth made her way out of the shower and got dressed. As she checked her phone, she saw Jack's text message.
"Good morning, Elizabeth. I'm glad you slept well. We normally eat around 5:00, so anytime before that is fine with us. I wasn't sure how early you wanted to come over. I know Matthew is looking forward to seeing you again and showing you all of his toys."
Elizabeth walked into her kitchen and began fixing a pot of coffee. She responded back to Jack's text while her coffee maker was fixing coffee.
"How about I come by around 3:00? Maybe that'll give me enough time to make it through all of Matthew's toys before dinner. That way, we have plenty of time after dinner to talk and get to know each other better."
Elizabeth's coffee maker beeped, signifying her coffee was finished. She grabbed a coffee mug out of the cabinet and began making her coffee. Her phone chimed as Jack's text message came across the screen.
"That sounds perfect. Let me give you my address so you can put it in your GPS. My address is 168 Maple Drive. Feel free to park in the driveway. I'm sure I will know when you arrive because Matthew will probably be so excited to see you."
"Great, I'll be there around 3:00 then. I'll probably run a few errands today before I head your way. I need to run over to the post office to send out a package to my sister and drop off a few books at the library."
"No rush. Just enjoy your day and I'll see you later this afternoon. I'll start fixing dinner here shortly, so it'll just be a rest day for me and Matthew. He's already watching some of his cartoons in the living room."
Elizabeth smiled, envisioning Jack and Matthew in their home relaxing and watching television together. Her mind briefly flashed at her fixing breakfast for them, having a family together, being married. She quickly shook her mind of the thought, blushing at the thought of being married to Jack. Not that it hadn't crossed her mind, but they still needed to get to know one another first before they proceeded on to the next step in their relationship.
"Sounds good, Jack. I hope you guys have a good day and I'll see you later this afternoon :)"
"You too, Elizabeth. See you soon :)"
As Elizabeth's day continued on, she made her way over to the post office to mail a gift out to her sister, Julie. Her birthday was in a week, and she always sent her younger sister a birthday card and a gift.
She then made her way over to the library to drop off some books she had checked out. She ended up seeing a new book available for check out, so she spent some time looking at the new books and picked up a few more books to read.
Getting home, she walked into her townhome and placed the books down on her desk. She glanced up at the clock and noticed the time was almost 1:30. She walked into her bedroom and began getting ready for her dinner date with Jack.
She quickly got ready, wearing a long black dress with gold accents. She grabbed her tan colored coat and placed it over her dress. Looking in the mirror, she smiled at her appearance and continued getting ready.
Eventually, she was ready and walked outside to her driveway, unlocked her car, and started the engine. She sent Jack a quick text message to let him know she was on her way.
Jack was getting everything ready for dinner. He told Matthew to clean up his toys. Jack had decided on wearing a pair of black dress pants, a long-sleeved black dress shirt with pin stripes, and a black blazer.
Matthew came to Jack with Oreo in tow. "Daddy, can I kweep a few toys out to pay wit?" His big blue eyes shined up to Jack. Jack smiled and agreed to let him keep a few toys out to play with while Elizabeth was here.
His phone chimed as he helped Matthew put his toys in his toy chest. As he reached to check his phone, he smiled.
"Hey, just wanted to let you know I'm on my way now. I should be there in about 20 minutes. Can't wait to see you guys :)"
Jack sent a quick text back to her. "Sounds great! We will be waiting :) Drive safe!"
About fifteen minutes later, Matthew heard a car pull into the driveway and quickly ran across the living room to look out the window.
"Beth! Beth!" Matthew practically jumped at seeing her outside the window.
He was trying to wave at her but due to the blinds, she couldn't see him just yet. Eventually, after getting out of her car and taking a long look at the exterior of Jack's house, she noticed a very excited blonde hair little boy waving at her and grinning from inside. She happily waved back and quickly made her way to the front door. The front door was in a corner and much to her surprise, there stood Jack in all his gorgeous, good looks. Elizabeth had to inwardly tell herself to take a breath. She couldn't contain her smile as she stared at Jack. He, too, was staring at her.
"Hi…" Elizabeth said breathlessly as she slowly strolled up the front walk towards Jack.
"Hi…" Jack reached out to take Elizabeth's hands in his and slowly lifted her right hand to his lips, lightly kissing the back of her hand. He held his lips there for 2-3 seconds more and smiled back at Elizabeth.
Before Elizabeth could react to Jack's touch, she heard a very excited little boy running towards her.
"Beth! Beth!"
Matthew just about knocked Elizabeth over as she squatted down and held her arms out for Matthew to run into.
"Matthew…" Jack was afraid she wouldn't be as accepting towards Matthew since she didn't know him very well and Matthew didn't take to strangers instantly. But much to Jack's surprise, Matthew ran to Elizabeth, and she gladly took him in her arms, swinging him around the front porch. Matthew laughed and giggled at Elizabeth's touch.
As she held Matthew in her arms, she was laughing with him and tickling his stomach. Jack was lost in awe at the two before him. How did this come naturally to her? Again, it was like fate brought them together. Jack smiled at the sight before him and smiled. His heart was pleased.
"So, Matthew, what did Daddy fix for dinner?"
"Oh, Elizabeth... it's still a surprise."
Elizabeth looked over at Jack and smiled. She looked back at Matthew and tickled him once more. Matthew laughed and laughed. She placed Matthew on the ground and he reached up, grabbing her hand and pulled her into the house passed Jack. Elizabeth gave Jack a curious look and laughed. Jack shrugged at Elizabeth and laughed back.
Matthew pulled her into the expansive living room towards the sectional. In front of the sectional were a few of his toys and Oreo, his stuffed panda.
"Oreo!" Matthew grabbed Oreo and hugged him and then turned and gave him to Elizabeth. Elizabeth sat down on the sectional and took Oreo in her hands.
"Is this your panda?"
Matthew nodded and smiled at Elizabeth.
"Well, he's very cute, Matthew. I'm sure you love him very much." She handed him back to Oreo and Matthew gave him another hug and placed him back on the floor in front of the sectional.
"I have udder toys too." Matthew reached down and picked up his rainbow colored slinky, handing it to Elizabeth as he quickly reached for another toy on the floor, his red plastic dump truck. Elizabeth played with the slinky as she eyed Matthew's red dump truck that he held up to her.
"Very nice! Do you like to play in the dirt with your dump truck?"
"Yeah!" Matthew began to play with the red dump truck, running it across the hardwood floors and making engine noises with his mouth.
Elizabeth glanced up at Jack who was still standing in the foyer and watching closely at the interaction between Elizabeth and Matthew. She smiled at him faintly.
"Tell you what, dinner should be done in a few minutes. Let me go check on it and then we can eat."
As Jack walked by Elizabeth sitting on the sectional, he ran his hand across her shoulder and looked back at her and gave her a grin. Elizabeth blushed and had to fan herself after he went into the kitchen.
"Look!" Matthew jumped up and showed her his last toy on the floor – a plastic transformer action figure.
"Ooh! Is this Optimus Prime?"
"Op-i-mus Pime! He good guy!"
"That's right! He's a good guy! You know… I used to watch Transformers when I was a kid. I like Optimus Prime too."
Elizabeth stuck her finger out to point to Optimus Prime and gave Matthew another quick grin as he smiled back at her and went back to playing with his toys.
This gave Elizabeth a moment to look at Jack's charming house. There were light colored hardwood floors with a grey striped rug in the living room, hardwood on the ceiling with a dark colored fan, the brown sectional – All of the living room opened into the kitchen that had white cabinets, stainless appliances, and white countertops. The dining room table was off to the side in the kitchen with the table settings sitting on the table ready for dinner.
Breaking Elizabeth's thoughts, Jack called out to inform them that dinner was ready. Elizabeth stood and held her hand out for Matthew to take as they both made their way into the dining room. Jack began bringing over the food to the dining room table.
"Need help with anything?" Elizabeth said as she watched Matthew climb into a wooden chair at the dining table.
Jack smiled and responded back to Elizabeth.
"No, we are good. Just gotta grab one last thing for Matthew and we are ready to eat. Please, have a seat wherever you'd like."
Elizabeth decided to sit in the chair beside Matthew. She sat down and glanced over at Matthew, who was sitting in the chair, anxiously waiting for dinner to be served.
Jack walked over with one last item, sitting it on the table. He began getting Matthew's plate ready. After getting Matthew's plate ready, he looked up to Elizabeth and gestured to her to begin serving herself. She smiled and nodded as she took the plate of roast beef and began placing it on her plate. Jack had outdid himself with dinner. He had fixed roast beef, potatoes, carrots, green beans, and rolls.
Elizabeth took a quick bite of the roast beef and smiled and closed her eyes at how delicious it was.
"Jack, you have outdid yourself. Really, this is too much. It's so delicious."
"Ah, it was nothing. My grandmother taught me how to cook."
"Really?" Elizabeth was a bit surprised since she knew hardly any men who knew how to fix anything except a bowl of cereal.
"Yeah, I come from a close-knit family. I was always over at my grandparents' house visiting and I really enjoyed watching my grandmother cook from a young age, so she taught me what she could before she passed. I'm thankful she was able to teach me so much. I cherish it very much, especially the memories of being in the kitchen with her."
"I'm sure those are wonderful memories that you have. I would have loved to have met my grandparents, but they passed before I was born."
Silence fell over them as all three were busy eating dinner.
Jack spoke up after he took a bite of a roll.
"So, Elizabeth, do you come from a small or large family? I know you have your mother, but I wasn't sure who else was in your family."
"Oh, well, let's see… Of course, my mother, Grace… My father, William, passed a few years ago… Then I also have my two sisters, Viola and Julie. My sisters are both married but don't live nearby. They live out of state. What about you, Jack?"
"Hmm, well, my father, Thomas, passed when I was a little kid. He was a police officer, like me, and was killed in the line of duty."
"Ohh, Jack. I'm so sorry. That must've been so difficult."
Jack took a large deep breath and looked over at Matthew, lost in thought for a few seconds.
"It was, but I was just a few years older than Matthew here."
Elizabeth noticed Jack staring off at Matthew and wondered what was going through his mind. She didn't question it in case it was too personal.
Jack broke his thoughts and glanced back over at Elizabeth, smiling at her, and took another bite of roll.
"Let's see… My mother is still alive, but she doesn't visit very often. She lives a few hours away from me but is distant. After my father passed, she became distant and just kept to herself. I also have a younger brother, Thomas, but we call him Tom."
Elizabeth nodded slowly as she took in what Jack had said and continued eating dinner. Jack, too, continued eating dinner.
Matthew broke the silence that fell between them. "I done!"
Elizabeth looked over and laughed at Matthew who was finished with his dinner and his plate was completely cleaned off.
"Wow! You are such a big boy! You ate all your food!"
"I big boy, Daddy!" Matthew smiled and looked over at Jack, clearly loving the attention from Elizabeth.
"Yeah, good job buddy! Hey, why don't you go play with Oreo while we finish our dinner? Sound good?"
"Otay! I go play with Oreo!" Matthew ran off and jumped onto the sectional, pulling his stuffed panda, Oreo, close to him as he began talking to him and laughing.
Jack looked over at him and smiled slightly.
"He's a great kid, Jack."
Jack turned back and looked at Elizabeth and grinned at her. He reached out and took his hand and placed her hand in his, holding it there through the rest of their dinner together. They finished their dinner in silence.
Jack got up to start cleaning the kitchen and Elizabeth was quick behind him.
"Want me to help you with the dishes?"
"No, no. I can get them. I'll just throw them in the dishwasher and start it really quick. Then we can spend some time together maybe watching a movie or something?"
Jack glanced up at the clock in the living room, noting the time before he continued.
"Matthew should be in bed within the next hour. That'll give us some private time together." Jack's smile was like the Cheshire cat off Alice in Wonderland.
Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh. She slowly walked up to Jack and commented. "If you let me help you load the dishwasher, that'll give us more time to spend together."
Jack didn't hesitate and threw Elizabeth an apron and began running the water in the sink, rinsing the dishes, and handing them off to Elizabeth to place in the dishwasher. Within five minutes, the dishwasher was loaded and started.
Jack and Elizabeth made their way over to the large sectional and sat beside each other as they watched Matthew continue to play with his toys on the floor nearby. Jack turned the lights down and turned the television on, flipping through channels trying to decide what to watch. Eventually, Jack settled on a cartoon, Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse, for Matthew to watch.
Jack glanced over at Elizabeth as he watched the glare from the television dance across her eyes in the dim light as she watched Matthew watch television. She was smiling and completely in awe of Matthew and how adorable he was. She didn't notice him staring at her. Jack's mind drifted to the thought of how lucky he was to meet Elizabeth yesterday at the grocery store and how he could envision him and herself being married one day and having their own family together.
As the evening continued, before long, it was time for Matthew to head to bed. It was going on 7:30pm and as Jack glanced up at the clock in the living room, he motioned to Matthew that it was time to clean up and put his toys away to get ready for bed. Matthew finished putting his toys away and smiled at Jack and Elizabeth, who were still sitting on the sectional.
"All done, daddy!" Matthew grinned largely at Jack and walked over to him and placed Oreo on his knees.
"Okay, what do we say to Beth?" Jack held onto Oreo as Matthew turned towards Elizabeth and smiled at her.
"Good night, Beth! Tank you for din-wer!" With that, Matthew ran off with Oreo towards what Elizabeth assumed was his bedroom. She glanced up at Jack as he stood up and turned around towards Elizabeth, smiling.
"I'll be back in just a little bit. I just got to get him settled in bed, read him a story and then he should be good for the night."
"Okay, I'll be here." Elizabeth smirked as she watched Jack walk towards the room where Matthew had just gone in.
About ten minutes later, Jack turned the light out in Matthew's bedroom and quietly shut the door. He delicately walked down hall and came back to the living room, sitting down beside Elizabeth.
"Now…where were we?" Jack pulled Elizabeth close to him and she cuddled into his arms. They sat like this while they tried to find something to watch on the television. After not finding anything to watch, Jack turned the television off and turned the lights up so they could talk.
"I don't know about you, but I don't feel like watching tv. I'd rather just talk and get to know you better."
"I feel the same way. What would you like to know?"
Jack grinned at Elizabeth. "Well, for starters, how did I get so fortunate finding you?"
Elizabeth blushed slightly and hid her face from Jack as she laughed slightly at his question.
"Jack…"
"No, I'm serious. How is someone like you single? I mean, Elizabeth, you are breathtakingly beautiful."
"Well, I guess I spent more time studying than I did focusing on guys, so that's probably the main reason. Another reason is, growing up, my two sisters got more attention from guys than I did. It didn't bother me though. I just figured, before long, the man of my dreams would come into my life."
Jack's answer was barely above a whisper.
"Well, he's here now."
With that, Elizabeth looked towards Jack and saw in his eyes a understanding towards her. She bit her lower lip in nervousness and smirked at Jack. Before Elizabeth knew it, Jack leaned in and lightly kissed her lips with his. It wasn't a passion-filled kiss, just a tender, delicate kiss. One that Elizabeth knew would be one she would remember for the rest of her life.
As they parted, Jack looked into Elizabeth's deep blue eyes and could see the depths of the ocean. He knew he could get lost in those eyes if she'd let him. He was falling quickly for this woman and was excited to see where this new relationship would take them together.
"I apologize. I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries. There's just something so captivating about you."
"No, no. Trust me, no boundaries were overstepped. I enjoyed it very much. If I didn't, I would've said so."
"Good. Elizabeth, I want you to know that I would never do anything you wouldn't feel comfortable with. If I ever do anything that oversteps my bounds, please let me know."
Jack pulled Elizabeth back into his arms and they continued talking through the rest of the evening, asking questions about each other, and getting to know each other better.
Before both realized, it was getting late, and Jack had to work the next day from 11:00am to 8:00pm. They both didn't want to leave, but Elizabeth knew that Jack needed his rest for work. His safety was very important.
Elizabeth looked at the clock and then looked back at Jack.
"I guess I should get going. It's late and I have a 20-minute drive home."
"Mmm… do you have to go?"
Elizabeth pulled back and gave Jack a look while trying to hold in a quiet laugh.
"What's so funny?" Jack chuckled, looking at Elizabeth questionably.
"Oh, I could just imagine the look I'd get from Matthew in the morning if I stayed overnight. He'd probably wonder how I got over here so quickly."
Elizabeth began to laugh, and Jack joined in seconds later. Both became quiet and glanced at each other.
"Well, he is only three. I'm sure he wouldn't put two and two together."
"Jack Thornton, are you suggesting I spend the night?"
Jack chuckled quietly. "Maybe…"
"Hmm… I don't know… I mean, we just met, and I've only known you for two days. You're practically a stranger…"
Jack's mouth opened and he was surprised at her statement.
Elizabeth's sarcasm didn't last long though, as she burst out into laughter and quickly covered her mouth to quiet her laugh so she wouldn't wake up Matthew.
"You know, I thought you were serious…" Jack laughed and pulled Elizabeth into his arms, placing a tender kiss on her forehead as he closed his eyes and inhaled her perfume. He could stay like this forever with Elizabeth.
Jack pulled away from Elizabeth and looked her in the eyes.
"Elizabeth, I don't mind if you spend the night. If you want to, that's perfectly fine. I'll be a true gentleman. But if you don't feel comfortable, I completely understand. Again, I don't want to push you into doing something you aren't comfortable with."
"You know, it's funny…"
"What's that?"
"I can't put my finger on it, but when I'm around you, I just lose all track of time and feel like it's just us in the world. I'm not even sure I'm describing it perfectly. Like, if you were any other guy and asked me to spend the night, I'd probably leave and never give you another chance. There's something about you, Jack… Something that I really like… Like, I can't get enough of you when I'm around you. I know, I know… that's probably super crazy since we just met yesterday. But it's like… I don't know. I hope you don't think I'm some crazy woman."
Elizabeth smiled and shook her head as she tried to explain to Jack how she felt.
"Trust me, Elizabeth… I honestly feel the same way. I can't describe it myself. It's like… We've known each other our entire lives and we can tell each other anything. Maybe… Maybe we are soul mates? Now I probably sound crazy."
"No! No… Actually, what you said describes it perfectly. Soul mates. That's it…"
Jack grinned at Elizabeth, pulling her closer into his chest. "Soul mates…"
Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open as she glanced around, unfamiliar at first where she was. She shot up when the realization hit her. She was still at Jack's house…and it was the next morning. She turned over and looked beside of her… Jack was laying beside her, his arm still around her, asleep on the couch.
Apparently, they fell asleep and didn't realize it. Elizabeth grabbed her phone and checked the time. 7:04AM. She glanced up at Matthew's bedroom, then back at Jack, who was still asleep.
"Jack…" Elizabeth whispered as she pushed Jack to wake up.
"Jack!" Elizabeth spoke louder this time, nudging Jack harder as he flinched and moved, squeezing his eyebrows together, but his eyes remained shut.
"Jack… It's morning. Wake up."
Moments later, Jack's eyes shot open, and he stared at Elizabeth who was eyeing him closely with the same understanding.
"What? What time is it?"
"It's 7:05AM. We must've fell asleep together on the couch last night. I just woke up myself."
"Huh. I must've gotten relaxed holding you and dozed off. Let me go check on Matthew quick and see if he's still asleep."
Jack jumped up and silently tiptoed down the hall to Matthew's bedroom where he cracked the door open and saw Matthew still asleep peacefully in his bed. Jack breathed a sigh of relief. It's not that he minded Elizabeth spending the night… It's just the thought of having to explain to Matthew why Elizabeth was here earlier than expected.
As Jack made his way back to the living room, he observed Elizabeth in the kitchen getting a glass of water and had her stuff on the island to leave.
"Hey… You don't have to leave just now. Matthew is still asleep."
"No, I should go. I need to get home and shower and get ready for the work week and all that stuff. I had fun, Jack. It was a fantastic first date."
Elizabeth leaned in and kissed Jack on the lips with a desire that he liked. He pulled her towards him and increased the kiss.
Both broke and tried to catch their breath, giggling as they looked at each other, slightly embarrassed at the excitement between them so early on in their relationship.
"So, when can I see you again? I have to work the rest of the week and you start back at work on Monday. It may be hit and miss for a bit with our schedules."
Jack continued to hold her near him and held her hands at their waists.
"We'll just have to check our schedules and see when we can visit each other. I'll also be starting back to school soon, so my schedule will get busier as well. But we will make it work."
"Yeah… Do you have to go? I can fix some breakfast for us."
"No, I should head out. I don't want to overstay my welcome."
"Oh, you aren't overstaying your welcome, trust me."
Both laughed and they kissed each other again before Elizabeth grabbed her cell phone, purse, and car keys and began to walk towards the front door.
"Again, Jack… I had an enjoyable time last night. I can't wait to see you guys again soon. Please be careful out there on patrol."
"I will. I had a wonderful time with you, Elizabeth. Thank you for finding Matthew and for giving me a chance. I think this relationship will be magnificent for both of us."
Jack opened the front door for Elizabeth, and she leaned back and kissed Jack one more time before heading home. She kissed him with such desire that it took all Jack had to not pull her back inside.
Elizabeth walked down the sidewalk, turned around and waved to Jack, and then got into her car and backed out of Jack's driveway. Jack continued to watch as she drove down the small road and headed home. He stood like that for a little bit, even though her car was out of sight.
He thought back to the night before and all that occurred. Being around Elizabeth, he just couldn't get enough of her. He was falling fast for her, and he was excited to see where this new relationship would go.
As Elizabeth drove home, her mind flashed back to the night before with Jack. A grin formed on her face as she quickly realized she was slowly falling head over heels for Jack Thornton. She was eager to see where this new relationship would take them.