Chapter 4 – Elizabeth and Rosemary Meet…Again
Since Jack and Elizabeth's first dinner date, they had remained in contact throughout the week as both were busy with work. Jack worked during different times in the days and evenings and Elizabeth was trying to prepare herself mentally by going back to work that next week.
Jack walked into the precinct and saw Lee standing at his desk, holding two cups of hot coffee.
"Lee… what's up?"
Lee handed Jack the cup of hot coffee and smiled, as Jack and him both sat at Jack's desk.
"Man, first off, I just want to say that Rosie and I are so happy that you have found someone. She sounds like a wonderful woman, and we are both thrilled to meet her soon."
Lee took a sip of coffee and Jack looked over at Lee and beamed, quickly taking a sip of his coffee before he commented back to Lee.
"Lee, I tell you, she's what I've been looking for my whole life. She's just… I don't think I can express what she means to me. I know people say there is no flawless person, but to me, she's perfect."
Lee smiled even bigger and took another sip of his coffee before he spoke again to Jack.
"Well, Rosie and I can't wait to meet her. Which… that's kind of why I'm here this morning. Rosie won't shut up long enough for me to get a word in edge wise about this woman, and she wants to know if you and her can come over tomorrow night for dinner at our place. Since we both work day-shift tomorrow, I figured that would give us a chance to meet the woman who's swept you off your feet."
Jack laughed and placed his coffee down on his desk.
"Tell you what, I'll text Elizabeth and ask her about her plans for tomorrow evening, see what she says, and I'll let you know sometime later today. Sound good? That way, you can tell Rosie to lay off on the questions until she meets Elizabeth."
Lee stood and walked up to Jack, patting him on his back as he chuckled.
"Man, you are a life saver. Seriously though, we can't wait to meet Elizabeth! I'll see you later. I got some filing I need to catch up on."
Lee walked off, leaving Jack at his desk with his coffee, and Jack decided now to text Elizabeth since it was still early, and he wasn't swamped with work.
Jack pulled his phone out and pulled up Elizabeth's name, smiling at the photo of her on her contact information.
Jack began to type out his text message to Elizabeth.
"Good morning, gorgeous. I spoke to Lee this morning and he has invited us for dinner at his house with him and his wife, Rosemary. Do you have any plans tomorrow evening?"
Jack sat his cell phone down on his desk and took another sip of his coffee as he looked through a few of the case files lying on his desk.
Jack's phone chimed as Elizabeth texted him back.
"No plans, except maybe dinner with a handsome man and his two best friends. Sounds wonderful, Jack! I'd love to go and meet your friends."
"Perfect. I'll pick you up around 5:30 tomorrow evening for dinner. Just wear something casual, nothing fancy. I need to get going to do some patrolling around town. Have a great day and I'll talk to you later :)"
"Sounds good, Jack. Be safe today! See you tomorrow evening! :)"
As Jack placed his cell phone in his desk and locked it, he noticed Lee walking towards the file room. Jack ran to catch up to him.
"Lee!"
Lee turned and waited on Jack, smiling at him as he made his way to Lee.
"Heyyyy, I assume you talked to Elizabeth about tomorrow evening?"
"Yeah, she has no plans, so we will be by tomorrow around 6:00. Sound good?"
"Hey, sounds good to me, Jack-o. Can't wait to see you guys! I know Rosie will love it!"
With that, Lee was off to the case room and Jack turned to head back to his desk to get his keys to the patrol car. The day proceeded very slowly for Jack as he thought about how anxious he was for Elizabeth to meet Lee and Rosie.
That evening, Lee was pulling into the driveway of his and Rosie's home. He made his way inside their small home and was greeted by his wife, who was busying herself with cooking dinner for them.
"Lee! Ah, I'm so glad you are home! I've been a bundle of excitement since you called me earlier today about our plans with Jack and Elizabeth. Are they still coming? They didn't cancel, did they? I went to the store today and picked up some stuff for dinner tomorrow... I just hope they like lasagna. I know Jack does, but I'm not sure about Elizabeth. Do you think Elizabeth will like lasagna? Oh, and then there's the salad dressing... What do you…."
"Whoa! Rosie, calm down! I'm sure they will like anything you fix. Just keep it simple. This is a big step for Jack. You know how he is about bringing a girl around for us to meet. We are the closest he has to his own family."
Rosie smiled and leaned in, kissing Lee lightly on the lips.
"I love you, Lee. Now, let's eat some dinner."
Lee smiled and kissed her back, clapping his hands together when he saw his dinner that Rosie prepared for him.
Much to Jack and Elizabeth's delight, the next evening came, and Elizabeth had just finished getting ready for her date with Jack, Lee, and Rosemary. To say she was nervous was an understatement.
Elizabeth looked at herself in the mirror before she headed to the living room to wait for Jack to pick her up. She was wearing a yellow flowy dress with blue florals on it.
Before she knew it, her doorbell rang, and she quickly ran to open the door. Behind the door stood Jack, looking handsome as ever.
Jack was wearing a light blue long-sleeved button-up shirt with a dark unzipped jacket over it with a pair of dark jeans.
"Hi…" Jack whispered as he took her in his arms, kissing her fervidly. It was as if he hadn't seen her for years.
Elizabeth broke the kiss, laughed and smiled at Jack as he held his hand out to her to help her to the truck.
"Hi to you too." Elizabeth whispered with a huge grin plastered on her face.
Jack held the door open to his truck as Elizabeth climbed into the passenger seat.
As Jack ran around to the driver's side, opened the door, and jumped inside, he looked over at Elizabeth who was holding her laugh in.
"What's so funny?"
Elizabeth shook her head quickly, still laughing and holding her hand over her mouth. Tears threatened to spill out due to her laughing so hard.
As she took a deep breath and looked over at Jack, who was waiting for her answer, she lost her thought again and laughed loudly, taking deep breaths to try to gain her composure.
"What is so funny? I gotta know." Jack let out a quick laugh and looked on as Elizabeth was almost out of breath from laughing so hard.
Elizabeth held her hands up and shook her hand again, finally relaxing herself.
"Jack, I've never met someone with a truck this big!" Elizabeth let out another loud laugh as Jack laughed quickly as well.
"Hey, I love my truck. I saved a lot of money for this truck."
"Oh, I'm sure you did. It's just, I feel like when I get in this truck, it's like I'm jumping into a big military tank."
"Well, I was young when I bought this truck. I put just about any modification I could on it, including big tires. Do you want me to change it? I know I'm older now and have different needs."
At the word "needs", Jack and Elizabeth quickly glanced over at each other, both quiet for a few moments, until Elizabeth lost it again and broke the silence with another loud laugh.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll quit." Elizabeth said as she continued laughing but trying to hold her laugh in. Jack shook his head as he started his truck, the engine roaring loudly, as he pulled out of Elizabeth's driveway, shaking his head, smiling, and chuckling along with her.
The drive to Lee and Rosemary's house took about 30 minutes, so Jack and Elizabeth were both quiet along the drive. The drive took them along a two-lane country highway with large fields of golden flowers laid out for miles and miles. The sun was setting, so the golden flowers were lit up like bright lights with the sun's glow.
Breaking the silence, Elizabeth began to make conversation.
"So, I guess Matthew's grandparents are watching him this evening?"
"Yeah, I told them I had some plans and they agreed to watch him. He likes going to his grandparents, but I'm not too sure if they like him. Don't get me wrong, they love him as their grandchild, but they sometimes think I spend too much time at work or away from the house and they think I need to spend more time with my son."
Jack glanced out of the driver's side window at the fields beside the road, lost in thought.
Elizabeth could feel the tension in the air and wanted to talk to Jack, though she wasn't sure if now was the time. Before she knew it, the words escaped her mouth.
"Jack, do they blame you?"
Jack quickly shot a look at Elizabeth that felt like a knife being stabbed in her. She wanted to take the words back, but it was too late. She knew she hit a nerve with Jack and his in-laws over the death of their daughter. She wasn't blaming Jack. She just wanted to know his side of the story to support him.
Jack's demeanor changed and he relaxed before answering Elizabeth.
"Hang on for just a second."
Next thing Elizabeth knew, Jack was taking the next small turn off and quickly put the truck in park and turned the engine off. He turned in his seat and took Elizabeth's hands in his.
"Elizabeth, I want to tell you my story of what happened to my wife, Kate."
Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears as she quickly shook her head up and down, signifying to Jack she was ready to hear his story.
Jack took a quick deep breath before he began. His hands shook as he tried to compose himself.
"Jack…just take your time. It's okay." Elizabeth spoke as she squeezed his hands, telling him it was okay.
"Kate and I met in high school and fell in love. We met each other during our sophomore year. Her and her parents had moved to town right after summer break and I had homeroom with her and a few classes together. We were inseparable. After high school, she went to college and received her bachelor's degree in nursing. After she came back to town, she got a job at the hospital here and we decided to get married. We weren't married long before she became pregnant with Matthew. Her pregnancy flew by and before we knew it, Matthew was born. She was so happy to be a mother. She dreamed of being a mother. We always talked about having other children."
Jack took another jagged breath, and his hands shook again in Elizabeth's hands.
"Hey, just take your time. I know it's hard."
Jack tried to continue, but before he knew it, he was sobbing. Elizabeth was trying to get his attention, but he wouldn't listen. He placed his head in his hands as he shook his head back and forth.
"Jack, just breathe! It's okay!" Elizabeth pleaded with Jack to calm down, but he wasn't listening.
Unsure of what came over her, Elizabeth quickly unlocked the passenger side door and jumped out, ran around the driver's side, opened the door, pushed herself into Jack to scoot him over in his seat, quickly shut the driver's side door, and pulled him into her for a hug.
"Hey…. shhhh. It's okay. I'm here, Jack. I'm here."
Jack continued to cry and held onto Elizabeth as if she was his lifeline, his safety net.
He couldn't control himself. He always stayed strong for Matthew. Now that Matthew wasn't around, he could finally let his feelings out. He could finally cry it out. He could finally let the wall down that he was shielding himself from.
Minutes seemed like hours before Jack regained his composure and pulled himself off Elizabeth's shoulder. Her dress sleeve was soaked from his tears.
"Elizabeth…"
They both looked deep into each other's eyes and that was all it took.
Jack pulled Elizabeth into an enraged kiss that was unlike any kiss Elizabeth had before. Her lungs screamed for air, but she didn't break her hold with Jack.
As they continued to kiss, a tingling sensation ran through Elizabeth's body. She felt his hands gently cup her face as Jack deepened the kiss, his lips moving against hers with a gentle urgency. In that moment, nothing else mattered – no worries, no fears, no past, no future. There was only the heat of the moment, the electricity between them, the pure, unbridled passion of their kiss. It was a moment Elizabeth would remember forever, a moment that would stay with her long after the kiss had ended.
They broke their kiss and gathered their ragged breaths. Their foreheads touched as they both had their eyes closed, visualizing their future together after that fiery kiss.
Jack was first to speak between the two of them.
"Elizabeth… thank you. I… I can't thank you enough. I just… I don't know. I can't get enough of you when I'm around you. It's like I want to just take you in my arms and hold onto you and never let you go. I feel like sometimes someone else will come and take you away from me. I…I won't allow that to happen."
Elizabeth held her breath, unsure of the last comment of Jack's and what it meant. She knew he was still reeling from his breakdown about Kate.
"Jack…"
"No, I need to say this. Elizabeth, when we met, we both agreed this was fate. Something pulled us together. Now, I don't know what or how, but we met, and we both agreed we feel like we've known each other for life. Call me crazy, but I feel like I can tell you anything. You are my soul mate, Elizabeth. I mean, I know Kate and I were married for a little bit, but I feel something completely different than what I felt when I was with Kate. I just…I know we are moving very quickly here, but heck, who cares? We are young adults, and we know what we want. Elizabeth, marry me. Marry me and make me the happiest man on earth. Agree to become my beautiful wife and raise Matthew as your son. Agree to bless me with more children. Agree to grow old with me and never leave me, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth's breath was caught in her throat. A marriage proposal? She wasn't expecting him to ask so early in their relationship. It's not that she hadn't thought about it, but she thought he'd wait until they'd been together longer.
"Whoa, Jack. Let's just take a second here to compose ourselves. You just had a mental breakdown. I don't know if you are thinking…"
"No! I'm thinking clearly, Elizabeth. I know what I want. I want you and I want you to be my wife. Marry me… allow me to be the happiest man on earth. Allow Matthew to have the mother he deserves."
"Jack…"
"Elizabeth, I don't know what else to say. How can I show you what you mean to me?"
"Jack…"
"Elizabeth, please, say yes. Please. I don't know if I can handle you saying no. I can't…"
"Jack!"
Jack looked up at Elizabeth and deep into her eyes. She was sitting so close, their breaths mingled together, and he could smell her lavender perfume.
Jack beamed at Elizabeth as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. He quickly wiped them away with his thumbs. He quickly pulled her in for another ardent kiss.
Breaking from their kiss, their foreheads touched again, and they tried to regain themselves.
Jack took another deep breath and questioned Elizabeth.
"So… what do you say? Will you become Mrs. Elizabeth Thornton?"
Elizabeth pulled away and took Jack's face in her hands and pulled him close to her.
"What do you think?"
Elizabeth smiled happily and pulled Jack in for another kiss.
They broke from their kiss again and Jack pushed Elizabeth away slightly, as he held her face in his hands.
His voice was above a whisper.
"I want to hear you say it, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth's tears came back, and she gave Jack another quick kiss on the lips.
Her voice was barely a whisper as she looked intensely into Jack's eyes.
"Yes, Jack. I'll marry you and become your wife."
Jack began to cry and pulled Elizabeth into him. He kissed her once more and they sat like that for a while.
Marriage. They were engaged to be married. This woman that he had only known for almost a week was his fiancé. This thought consumed Jack's mind. He thought of nothing else except being married to the perfect woman – Elizabeth.
Jack's thoughts took him to the future with Elizabeth. He envisioned they had been married a year, maybe two, and were already expecting their first child together. They lived in a large home and Elizabeth came walking down the steps towards him, her pregnant figure obvious. As she walked up to Jack, she ran her finger up his chest and pulled him close, kissing him lightly and then passionately. It was a vision he had never experienced before. He was ready to take the next step in their relationship together.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Elizabeth whispered as she watched Jack deep in thought.
"Hmm?" Jack glanced over at Elizabeth as he realized he was not in the future, and they were sitting along the side of a two-lane road headed to Lee and Rosemary's for dinner.
"What are you thinking about, Jack?" Elizabeth grinned slightly.
"Oh, you know… Just thinking about the future." Jack grinned mischievously and broke his hold on Elizabeth, allowing Elizabeth to scoot over in the seat to the passenger's seat as he started his truck and put the truck in drive to continue their drive. They were already 20 minutes late for dinner.
As they continued down the road to Lee and Rosemary's, Jack spoke.
"Elizabeth, I want to continue telling you what happened to Kate. Do you mind?
"If you think you can handle it, I'm all ears, Jack. Please, go on."
Jack began telling Elizabeth about Kate and how she passed away.
"Well, as I said, she had just given birth to Matthew and was so ecstatic to be a mother. We purchased the house that we live in now and began to settle into a routine. I worked different shifts with the police. Since she had just started at the hospital, she was assigned to night shifts. We barely saw each other as we began working full time. Her parents would come over when one of us wasn't able to watch Matthew and they felt like we were showing our son no attention. Kate and her parents had a horrible fight a few days before she passed over Matthew."
Jack took a quick deep breath before he continued.
"The night she died; she was on her way to work at the hospital. She wasn't too far from home when a drunk driver drove the wrong way down the interstate, hit her head on, and she was killed instantly. I was at home sleeping when I got the call. Lee was on call when the call came in. He arrived on scene and knew it was Kate. He called me to tell me, but I couldn't accept it. I didn't want to accept it for the longest time. I mean, she was so young. Why did that guy live, and she die?"
Tears fell from Jack's eyes as Elizabeth reached over and held onto Jack's right hand, unwilling to let go.
"Jack, you don't have to continue. It's okay."
"No, I want to continue. I need to do this."
Jack took another ragged breath before continuing, wiping some tears from his eyes.
"The guy who hit her head on was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter and DUI manslaughter. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Matthew had only been a year old when she died. I try to tell him stories about her, but I'm not sure if he even remembers her."
Jack glanced over at Elizabeth, giving her a slight smile.
"You know, I just thought of something. After Kate died, Matthew was very shy and awkward. He wasn't the same child after she died. It was like Kate brought out the joy in him. Since she died last year, it's not been like that with Matthew. He's very closed off, very quiet. Until…"
"Until what, Jack?" Elizabeth quickly glanced over at Jack who was staring at Elizabeth.
"Until… until he met you in the grocery store."
Jack's eyes were wide with amazement over Elizabeth. This was another sign that this was fate that had brought them together. Somehow, this beautiful woman, was brought to Jack and Matthew to help them heal over the loss of Kate. Jack was brought to Elizabeth to help her heal over the loss of her father.
Jack reached out and took hold of Elizabeth's hands as they continued driving down the road to Lee and Rosemary's house.
Finally, the couple arrived at Lee and Rosemary's house and Jack placed the truck in park. He quickly exited the truck and ran around the passenger side, opening the door for Elizabeth to exit.
She was smoothing her dress as she stepped out and looked up at Jack who was mesmerized by her.
"You are breathtakingly beautiful, Elizabeth."
Jack leaned in and lightly nuzzled her neck with his lips, lowly growling along her neckline.
"Jack! Stop!" Elizabeth laughed loudly and pushed him back.
Jack took a step towards her and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips and lightly kissing it.
"Come on, we are already late. Let's go meet Lee and Rosemary."
Jack and Elizabeth walked up a small, curved sidewalk towards a large one level house that had been newly built within the last few years. The exterior was a brick foundation with a cream-colored siding and large windows with dark wooden shutters on each side. A large dark wooden door with two windows in it greeted them on the large, expansive front porch.
Jack leaned out and rang the doorbell, taking another glance at Elizabeth who was trying to fix her hair.
"You…are perfect."
Jack leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips, smiling at her as he heard Lee opening the front door.
"Jack-o! Hey! Come on in!"
Jack and Lee hugged and Lee patted Jack on the back like men do. Elizabeth followed closely behind as Lee shut the door behind her.
"So… you must be Elizabeth. It's nice to finally put a face to the woman that has captured Jack's heart so quickly. Please, come in and make yourself at home. My wife, Rosemary, is in the kitchen cooking at the moment."
Lee extended his hand out for Jack and Elizabeth to proceed on into the house. Jack walked over and sat down on their large dark grey couch as Elizabeth slowly made her way over to sit beside Jack. She was taking in the large room that had an open concept feel to it. The ceiling was an elevated ceiling with a black ceiling fan in the middle. The fireplace was in front of the furniture with the television above it. The house was just beautiful in Elizabeth's opinion.
As Elizabeth sat down, she could slightly see the kitchen and its beauty as well. The kitchen had white cabinets on top and dark brown cabinets on the bottom with a white marble countertop. The island was also a dark brown color cabinet with a white marble countertop. The dining table was beside the kitchen. It was a white dining room table with a dark wooden top and dark wooden seats. There was also a very eloquent looking light fixture hanging above the dining table.
Lee cleared his throat as he looked over at Jack and Elizabeth.
"Let me go check on dinner. It should be almost done."
Lee walked into the kitchen and heard Rosemary coming out of the restroom that was hidden by the kitchen wall.
Elizabeth could faintly hear her speaking to Lee.
"Are they here already? Oh gosh, Lee! Why didn't you tell me?"
Lee came back in and smiled, clearly nervous about his wife telling him what to do.
"My wife was in the restroom, and she'll be right out. Would you care for something to drink while we wait for dinner? Maybe an appetizer?"
"No thanks, Lee." Jack waved his hand in front of him.
"Uh, no. Thank you." Elizabeth politely declined, smiling at Lee.
Moments passed and awkward silence passed between the three.
"So… whatever your wife is cooking smells delicious."
Elizabeth quickly spoke and smiled again at Lee.
"Yes, yes. She's been working on it all day. We are having lasagna with salad, homemade rolls and for dessert, a chocolate cream pie. I'm starving just thinking about it."
At that moment, Elizabeth heard Rosemary's high heels clicking across the kitchen floor.
Rosemary came out from the kitchen where the wall had hidden her from Elizabeth's sight. Unbeknownst to both, the reality quickly hit them as they both made eye contact.
"You!"
"You!"
Both women were speechless. Rosemary stood completely still, wide eyed at this woman sitting in her house. Elizabeth sat completely still, unwilling to believe this was the woman that was best friends with Jack, her fiancé.
Lee and Jack looked at the women and then at each other, completely confused.
Elizabeth stood up and crossed her arms, clearly uncomfortable.
"I can't believe it! You are Jack's girlfriend?" Rosemary spoke as she stood, dumbfounded.
"You two know each other?" Lee said as he was still confused.
"She's the woman that Mr. Drake hired as the new lawyer in our office."
Lee looked over at Rosemary and then back to Elizabeth.
"Ohh." That was all that Lee said as he quickly took a seat down beside Jack.
Jack was still confused. Elizabeth hadn't mentioned her meeting Rosemary at her interview.
"Okay, what is going on? How do you two know each other? What happened?"
Both women were unwilling to explain what happened, so silence filled the room.
Jack spoke again. "We are all adults here. Let's stop acting like children. Now, someone tell me what happened."
Elizabeth and Rosemary eyed each other again, both sitting down and taking deep breaths.
"I guess I'll start." Elizabeth spoke up as she began telling her side of what happened between her and Rosemary.
"So, I went to my interview with Mr. Drake and walked inside and Rosemary was sitting at the desk when I came in. I greeted her, but she didn't say anything, so I took a seat and waited. Mr. Drake gave me my interview and asked me to join his law firm as another lawyer that would take over his firm when he retired. Well, he offered to send me back to law school to complete my degree. So, I agreed, and he told me that I would start on Monday. As I was leaving, with my excitement, I informed Rosemary that I was going to be going back to school to complete my law degree and join the firm as a lawyer under Mr. Drake. Rosemary got upset because Mr. Drake didn't take into consideration that she was working two jobs and basically called me a bimbo, insinuating that I basically walk around wearing short skirts and try to impress men."
Elizabeth huffed and crossed her arms again, clearly agitated at Rosemary's actions from her interview.
"Rosie…" Lee quickly whispered.
Rosemary shot him a death stare as she quickly looked over at Lee. Lee had a look of compassion for Elizabeth due to what his wife had insinuated towards her without really knowing her.
Rosemary quickly huffed and rolled her eyes. She quickly closed her eyes and placed her hand over her face, showing her embarrassment at the whole situation.
Rosemary looked back up and through teary eyes, looked towards Elizabeth and spoke from the heart.
"Listen, I'm sorry. I was having a really bad day, and I wasn't feeling too well either. I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you. I really am glad that you got the job. It'll be so nice to have another woman to be around and talk to. It's also fantastic that you are Jack's girlfriend. I'm sure we will become best friends. Will you forgive me?"
Rosemary stood up and walked over to Elizabeth, tears threatening to fall out of her eyes. Rosemary reached out her hand for Elizabeth to shake, signifying they were friends.
Elizabeth stood up, smiled and her eyes were quickly filling with tears too. Instead of taking Rosemary's hand and shaking it, Elizabeth pulled her in for a big hug.
Lee and Jack looked over at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
"Women…" Both men said as they chuckled and looked back at the women who were laughing at something and walking towards the kitchen together arm in arm to complete dinner.
That evening, the dinner went off without a hitch. Both couples enjoyed being in the presence of each other and were having a wonderful time. They were laughing, joking, and telling stories to each other.
Rosemary served dessert and everyone was still talking and enjoying themselves. Jack quickly broke the ice, and he brought up and surprising subject.
"So… Elizabeth and I have some news."
Elizabeth was in the middle of eating her piece of pie with her spoon in her mouth as her eyes grew wide at Jack's comment.
"Ooh…sounds exciting. Spill it!" Rosemary spoke as she quickly placed her pie plate down to focus on Jack's every word.
"Yeah, come on, man. Tell us." Lee said as he took another quick bite of his piece of pie.
"Well, as you know, Elizabeth and I have only known each other for about a week now. But, as we were driving over here, something happened."
"Well, what happened? Don't keep us waiting, man!" Lee said as he took a sip of his decaf coffee.
Jack took a deep breath before he continued and looked over at Elizabeth. He took a deep look into her beautiful blue eyes and a silent question was asked between them. Jack was asking for permission to tell Lee and Rosemary, even though they hadn't told their families or anyone else yet. Elizabeth nodded, signaling she understood the silent question Jack asked her.
"I was telling Elizabeth about Kate… about what happened to her. Something clicked in my mind, and I could see it clear as day. Elizabeth found Matthew that day in the grocery store and for that, I am truly grateful. I didn't realize it then, but driving here, I realized that Matthew has changed completely around Elizabeth. He used to be so quiet and reserved. Now, he's happy and laughing…all thanks to Elizabeth. So… I was able to clear some things out of my mind and I realized I don't want to live this life without her by my side any longer. I asked her to marry me, and she agreed to become my wife. We're engaged!"
Lee and Rosemary were shocked but so happy for Jack and Elizabeth. Anyone could plainly see they were smitten for each other. The love was evident between them. There was no denying it was destiny that brought them together.
Lee stood and pulled Jack in for a bear hug, patting him on the back. As Lee and Jack were hugging, Rosemary and Elizabeth were hugging and talking a mile a minute about wedding planning, a bachelorette party, a wedding shower…the list went on and on. Both couples switched and Lee hugged Elizabeth and Jack and Rosemary hugged.
As both couples sat back down, Lee asked Jack a question about the wedding.
"So, have you come up with a date yet? Or thought of a potential date?"
"Lee…they just got engaged no more than two hours ago. I don't think they've had time to figure out a date." Rosemary rolled her eyes at Lee and laughed.
"To be honest, I want to wait a little bit but not too long."
Jack looked up as he made his comment and caught Elizabeth's eyes. He could tell there was something there that was unspoken between them…something he needed to ask Elizabeth about later once they left and were in a private setting.
"I agree." Elizabeth said as she finished her slice of pie and cup of coffee.
"Oh! We have so much planning to do!" Rosemary was so excited, to say the least. Her mind was already thinking of ideas.
Jack glanced at his watch and realized it was getting late. He needed to get home to put Matthew to bed and relieve his in-laws of their babysitting duties.
"Well guys, I hate to say it, but we better get going. It's getting late and I gotta get Matthew to bed. We also have an early shift in the morning, man."
Lee slapped his forehead with his hand, realizing he had completely forgotten about his early shift in the morning.
Both couples stood and they saw each other to the door. Elizabeth and Rosemary hugged once again; happy they had made up with each other. Both began laughing about how hilarious it was that Jack had found Elizabeth, they were now engaged, and Elizabeth had just secured a job with Rosemary who was best friends with Jack. What luck!
Lee patted Jack on the back and told him he'd see him early in the morning and not stay out too late. Jack laughed and guaranteed Lee he'd be home at an early hour to get his sleep.
"Goodnight you guys. Have a great night!" Jack and Elizabeth waved at Lee and Rosemary.
Jack opened the door for Elizabeth as they made their way out on the front porch, waving goodbye to Lee and Rosemary and headed down the sidewalk towards Jack's truck. Jack opened the door for Elizabeth and shut it. He then ran over to the driver's side and opened the door, started the engine, pulled out of the driveway, beeped his horn, and headed down the road back towards Elizabeth's house.
Silence overtook them in the truck. Both were hesitant about what to say, even though they had so much they wanted to say. Jack was the first to break the quietness.
"Elizabeth… When you gave me that look earlier, that silent look… What was going on in your head? I need to know. We need to be on the same page now that we are engaged."
Elizabeth was glancing out the window at the dark surroundings, thinking about how to tell Jack what she was thinking.
"Can I be honest?"
"Yes, I want you to always feel you can be honest with me."
"For some odd reason, I'm apprehensive about our engagement."
"Well, I can understand that. I mean, we have only known each other for just a week. It's common for people to…"
"No, that's not what I mean. I'm apprehensive about our engagement because I don't know if I want to wait long to get married."
Jack wasn't sure if he heard Elizabeth's comment correctly. He quickly looked over at her, trying to gauge her emotions, but she was looking out the window.
"Elizabeth, look at me."
Elizabeth looked over at Jack and he could see she was on the verge of tears.
"Hey… what's wrong? We're supposed to be happy right now. Come here."
Jack patted the middle seat as Elizabeth quickly undid her seatbelt and pulled herself across the middle seat towards Jack as fast as possible. He held her as she began to cry in his chest. He focused on driving as he realized they both needed to talk and talk soon.
"Listen, we are almost back to your house. I want to talk to you about this more, but I need to focus on driving. You just relax and we can talk when we get back to your place."
"Okay." Elizabeth whispered as she tried to pull herself closer to Jack, even though she was as close as she could get with them being in a truck.
A little while later, Jack pulled into Elizabeth's driveway and walked her inside her house. Jack flipped on the light to the living room as Elizabeth went straight to her room. He figured she was going to change her clothes into something comfier.
Jack took a seat on the couch as he tried to relax and calm his emotions. He hated to see Elizabeth cry.
Moments later, Elizabeth appeared and walked towards Jack to sit with him on the couch. She had changed into a pair of grey sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and she had pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
Jack reached out his hand and pulled her into him, unwilling to let her go anytime soon. He wasn't leaving until she was happy again.
"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours, Elizabeth? Hmm?"
Jack reached out and pushed her bangs away from her eyes so that he could look into them.
"I don't know. I know I should be happy but every time I think about our wedding, I start to cry. I can't explain it. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm apprehensive because I'm pretty sure I don't want to wait long to get married. There's something that's telling me that this is right, and we shouldn't wait."
"How long is too long? A month? Two months? Six months? A year? Tell me your thoughts."
Elizabeth took a deep breath and then blew out the breath quickly after.
"Well, let's see. I don't want a big wedding, do you?"
"Ehh, it's not at the top of my list." Jack laughed and Elizabeth smiled back at him.
"Okay, so no big fancy wedding. I do know I want Matthew involved."
"Yes, that's a great idea."
"And Lee and Rosemary, too."
"Yes, I agree."
"Okay, so maybe we could just have a small ceremony with our immediate family, Matthew, Lee, and Rosemary. Something small, nothing elaborate. Just focus on us and us only. Timeline, I'd think I'd be happy with being engaged for… three months? What do you think?"
"Hmm…three months. I can live with that. Will that make you happy?"
"Yes, three months is perfect in my book. It'll give us more time to get to know each other as well."
Jack and Elizabeth grinned at each other and quickly kissed. The kiss started out small but grew in passion quickly. Both unwilling to end it, they both knew their own boundaries.
Jack leaned Elizabeth back on the couch and hovered over her, kissing her lips like he couldn't get enough. The kisses were still frantic, and both wanted no end.
Before they knew it, Elizabeth was lying under Jack and their kisses were getting intense and fierier as the seconds ticked by. Each kiss ignited the blaze deep within them.
"Jack, we have to stop." Elizabeth pushed Jack up against his cheek and he looked deep into her beautiful blue eyes. Jack huffed and closed his eyes, realizing how easy it was to get lost in loving Elizabeth.
"You're right." Jack quickly sat up and helped her to sit up. Jack pulled her into him and smiled.
"I should probably get going. I still have to get Matthew in bed. His grandparents are probably wondering where I'm at."
"Wait, Jack. Can we talk about one other thing before you leave?"
Elizabeth bit the corner of her lip, unsure of how to lead this conversation with Jack. It was a conversation she needed to have if this relationship was going to be honest between them.
"Sure, what is it? You know you can talk to me about anything."
Elizabeth took a deep breath, unsure of how to start.
"Well, as I've told you before, growing up, I was never one to be interested in boys and having boyfriends. My sisters were the ones doing that. I always had my nose in a book or was studying. I… I…Ugh, why is this so difficult to say?"
"You can tell me, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth took another long deep breath before continuing.
"I've… I've never been with a man."
Elizabeth's voice was hardly a whisper. She felt like you could hear a pin drop in the room due to the silence that engulfed them. Time seemed to stop as she tried to assess Jack's reaction.
Jack looked up into Elizabeth's eyes and smiled at her. Something about his smile put Elizabeth's fears at ease. He took Elizabeth's hands in his and kissed her knuckles gently with his lips.
"Listen, we will take this relationship one step at a time. I understand your nervousness and I'm happy you were comfortable around me to tell me that. I know that's very personal to you and I won't step any boundaries. I was raised by my parents to be a true gentleman. Now, there may be times when we get caught up in the heat of the moment, like earlier, but I won't push you to do anything you aren't comfortable with."
"Oh, Jack! I love you so much!"
Elizabeth reached out and grabbed his face, placing her hands on both sides of his cheeks. She pulled him in for a heated kiss and what a kiss it was.
Jack laughed and pulled her into his chest.
"I love you too, Elizabeth, very much."
They sat like that for a few moments more, both enjoying being in each other's arms with no interruptions.
"As much as I am enjoying this, I need to be heading home. Sleep well, gorgeous. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
"I'll see you to the door."
Elizabeth stood and walked Jack to the door. Once there, Jack turned around and pulled Elizabeth into his body.
"I want to thank you for this evening. Honestly, I wasn't imagining when I would leave here tonight that we would be engaged. I love you, Elizabeth. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you turn around at the grocery store standing beside Matthew. I promise to love you until your last breath, and I plan to make you a very happy woman."
"Oh, Jack. I love you too. I can't envision my life without you now…without you or Matthew. You had me in love with you the moment our eyes locked when I turned around. You made me speechless and I'm so thankful that I will be able to be called Mrs. Elizabeth Thornton in three months."
Jack and Elizabeth kissed again, and Jack broke from their kiss, leaving her standing at the front door as he made his way to his truck. He jumped in the driver's side and rolled his window down, waving at her and blowing a kiss to her as he took off towards home. Elizabeth waved back as she watched his truck drive out of her view. As she stood looking off into the distance, she wondered what the future held for them both now that they were engaged.