Chapter Four

"Allie is having dinner at Emily's tonight."

Nathan's comment came as he and Elizabeth walked hand in hand towards the school. While he hadn't shown up for breakfast yet like Jack used to, he had taken to arriving on her doorstep in time to walk her to school before his morning rounds. It was a routine Elizabeth was happy to fall into.

"Is that your way of asking me to dinner?" she teased. "Or trying to finagle an invitation to eat with Jack and me?"

Nathan squeezed her hand and pulled her to stop. "Actually, I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to talk to Lucas," he replied. "Without Allie having to be involved."

Elizabeth met his gaze determinedly. "I appreciate that you want to support me, but I need to talk to Lucas myself. Some of the things I have to say…I think it will be better if you aren't standing over my shoulder."

Nathan released her hand and reached up to touch her cheek. "I know. But I don't trust him." His fingers slid down to brush her shoulder and then over her upper arm, where the bruises were fading but still apparent. "If anything else happens to you…."

Elizabeth grasped his hand tightly. "I will be fine, I promise. It's just a conversation, in a public place, with someone I hope to be friends with again someday." She watched Nathan's eyes harden. "Friends," she repeated. "My heart is all yours, Nathan Grant, and no reminders of my high society life are going to change that."

Nathan raised her fingers to kiss the back of her hand, tucking it around his arm as they started walking again. Both were quiet until they reached the doors of the classroom. Nathan waited while she unlocked them and then followed her inside, placing the basket with her books and papers on the desk before turning to face her. "What if I escort you to the saloon and sit across the room? I can keep an eye on Lucas but not hear your conversation."

Elizabeth sighed and rolled her eyes but nodded. "I can live with that, though I still think you're being overprotective."

Nathan stopped her from turning away, looking her in the eyes as he said, "You mean too much to too many people in this town, as a friend, a teacher, a mentor, a mother…and if I have anything to say about, a wife."

"Why Constable," she flirted, her eyes bright with laughter. "Is that a proposal?"

Nathan glanced quickly at the doors, ensuring they were closed before pulling her closer. His eyes heated as he said, "If you want it to be." He smiled at Elizabeth's gasp, her eyes wide with shock, and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "But to be honest, I have something else in mind for that, so for now, why don't we just call it a promise of something more."

"More?" she breathed quietly.

"So much more," he vowed, pressing his lips to hers as he drew her completely against him.

Elizabeth sighed happily, wrapping her arms around his neck to hold him close. She would have been perfectly content to stay there indefinitely, if not for the sounds of children playing outside. Pulling away reluctantly, she rested her head on his chest as they both tried to catch their breath. After a few moments, they stepped apart and Nathan started down the aisle towards the doors.

"Forgetting something?" she called after him.

Nathan turned to see her grinning and holding up the hat he had dropped on her desk. He shook his head, laughing as he came back to retrieve it. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before putting the hat on and starting again towards the door. "I'll see you after school," he said. "Let me know what you want to do about dinner."

"I think it's your turn to cook!"

Nathan smiled, opening the door and hurrying down the stairs before the children rushed in. He saw Allie smirk as she approached with her friends, and she stopped, urging her friends ahead of her.

"I see you walked Mrs. Thornton to school, again," she teased. "You might want to wipe her lipstick off before you go into town. It kind of ruins the whole 'big tough Mountie' look." She gave him a quick hug before running up the stairs and into the classroom.

Nathan chuckled as he walked towards the livery to get Newton, pulling out his handkerchief and thoroughly scrubbing his face before he encountered anyone else. Not that the entire town didn't already know he and Elizabeth were courting. She worried that people would think badly of her for moving so quickly from one suitor to another, but nearly everyone had been supportive.

Lucas had given both of them a wide berth for the last few days, a fact Nathan was perfectly content with. He would have preferred that they never have to speak to him again, but as Hope Valley was a small town and Lucas ran two of its primary businesses, that wasn't likely to happen. Nathan's anger over the incident at Elizabeth's had cooled, but he still felt the need to protect her from anything Lucas planned as revenge.

"Class dismissed!" Elizabeth called, ringing the cowbell as the children scrambled to collect their things and dash into the weekend. She smiled as they waved and called their farewells, her grin widening when she saw the red serge jacket filling the doorway. "If you're here for tutoring before the history test on Monday, I'm afraid you'll have to wait," she teased. "I have a previous engagement I have to get to."

Nathan feigned disappointment as he strolled down the aisle towards her desk. "Is there anything I can do to get a few minutes of the teacher's attention?"

Elizabeth glanced behind him, making sure all of the students were gone before stepping closer. "What did you have in mind?" she asked, already rising to her toes to meet his kiss.

Nathan held her close for a moment before stepping away. "I will stay after school every day if that's the kind of detention you're offering."

Elizabeth glared at him for a few seconds before joining his laughter. "Let me get my books and then we can go."

"And where are we going?" Nathan asked as they stopped for her to lock the door. "Home? The café? The saloon?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Home first, so I can drop off my school things and change, and then to the saloon. I need to talk to Lucas, and if you're going be there, it needs to be while Allie is otherwise occupied."

Neither of them had said a word since leaving Jack at the Coulters for dinner. He knew Elizabeth wasn't happy about their compromise, but Nathan felt a sense of relief that her confrontation with Lucas would soon be behind them. "Did I mention you look beautiful tonight?" he broached quietly. "Not that you don't always look beautiful…I just mean…it's nice to see you in your usual clothes. The red and dark pink and deep blue you've been wearing the last few days are all flattering, but…" he trailed off, realizing he was moving onto shaky ground.

Elizabeth leaned her head on his arm, knowing what he was so ineloquently trying to say. She preferred pastel dresses and skirts and most of her blouses were the same tones, white, or cream, but the marks on her arms were visible through the lighter colors. For tonight, she had chosen a pale blue skirt and a short sleeved white blouse, a shawl covering her arms. She wanted Lucas to actually see what he had done and realize how his actions, intentional or not, affected others. She just hoped that no one else saw them.

Lucas looked taken aback when Elizabeth entered the saloon, his eyes narrowing when he saw Nathan behind her. His scowl deepened as they made their way to him. "Is this some kind of set up?"

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth asked, bewildered.

"The good constable here rather strongly implied that he would throw me in jail if I tried to pursue you further. Now here you are, approaching me, and there he stands, waiting to arrest me."

Elizabeth turned, a cool look on her face as she questioned Nathan. "Really?"

Nathan shook his head, a resigned grin on his face. "I knew you would try to turn this around. What I actually said was that I would have you charged with assault if you pursued your threats towards Elizabeth's job. As far as her personal feelings, I trust her implicitly, but I'm not going to allow you to make her professional life difficult just because you feel scorned."

The two men continued to glare at one another until Elizabeth broke in. "I came here hoping you and I could talk," she said, looking pointedly at Lucas. She gestured towards a table in the corner, though there were only a couple other patrons in the saloon.

"Are you and I going to talk, or will your self-appointed guard be joining us?" Lucas asked as they reached the table.

"This conversation will be just you and I. He and I will discuss things later." Lucas looked smug as she narrowed her eyes at Nathan.

"Of course," Nathan agreed, holding her chair for her and pushing it in as she sat. "Whenever you're ready." He rested his hands briefly on her shoulders, pressing a quick kiss on the top of her head before glaring at Lucas and stepping away. As promised, he took a seat a few tables away, remaining in Elizabeth's line of sight but far enough away for her conversation to remain private.

"So what is there for us to discuss?" Lucas asked after the server stepped away with their order.

Elizabeth waited for him to look back at her before answering. "I was hoping we could resolve things between us amicably. Or at the very least, civilly." When he didn't say anything, she added, "I wanted to apologize."

Lucas seemed surprised, but she continued before he could interrupt. "I owe you an explanation. After losing my husband, I was afraid of having feelings for another Mountie, so I tried to hide in a relationship with you. Instead of facing my fears, I settled for the comfort of familiar things—champagne and candles, picnics, and big city lights. I let you, and myself, think that we had a future together, while deep down I knew my heart already belonged to someone else. I'm sorry, Lucas."

He gazed across the table at her, not sure what to say. They both started when the server appeared with their dinners, and silently began to eat. Neither said a word until Elizabeth's shawl slipped as she picked up her glass. Lucas's eyes widened at the harsh marks still marring her upper arms. His cheeks flushed as she pulled the wrap back around her shoulders. "I was hoping Nathan was lying about that, or at least exaggerating."

"Now you see why he thinks I need protected?"

"Elizabeth…" Lucas started to speak but lost his nerve. Taking a moment, he tried again. "Elizabeth, you must know I never intended…I didn't mean…It was an accident, truly. I'm sorry," he finished, humbled.

Elizabeth reached across the table, placing her hand lightly on his. "I know it you didn't intend for it to happen, but it did, and I think you need to ask yourself why."

Lucas stiffened, pulling his hand away. "I don't know what you mean."

Elizabeth sighed, pulling her hand back. "Lucas, which are you more upset about—that you lost me, or just that you lost?" She waited, but he didn't respond. "Can you honestly tell me that you are in love with me? That you are ready to spend the rest of your life with me? To help raise my child?"

"I was prepared to give you everything you ever wanted."

"I know," Elizabeth conceded. "Every thing. You can give me jewels and trips and fancy clothes, but what about your heart? And what about my son? We've known each other for almost three years, Lucas. Why was Monday the first time you made an effort to spend time with him? Did any of your feelings for me carry over to him?"

He scoffed. "I would have provided him with a proper home, the finest education, and every advantage that you and I were raised to expect. He would have wanted to nothing."

"Except a father," she said quietly.

Lucas sat back, clearly unhappy with how their conversation had shifted. "I assume you've said all you came here to? Am I to expect any further interrogations?"

"I guess that depends on you," Elizabeth replied, gathering her things and preparing to stand. "I hoped that we could make our peace and that you would realize how your words and actions have consequences. It's the same lesson I try to teach my students, but until you're ready to hear it..." Before she made it to her feet, Nathan was behind her, pulling her chair back and adjusting her shawl on her shoulders. She stalked out without another word or glance at either of them, Nathan following a safe distance behind.

Lucas watched them leave, at once incensed at her implication that he was no better than the children in her classroom and at the same time ashamed that he, a perfect gentleman, had actually hurt a woman.

Lee slid into the empty seat across from him. "I need to know if you were serious and we need to call a special meeting of the town council, or if you're ready to let this thing go. I have to tell you, I don't see this ending well."

"So Nathan told you his version of what happened?" Lucas scowled.

"Actually, Rosemary and I heard most of it from our living room. The walls of the row houses really are thin," Lee explained. "Nathan hasn't said a word to anyone else; he knows better than to interfere with an investigation. I'm just hoping there won't have to be an investigation."

Lucas gestured around the nearly empty room. "Well someone is telling people to stay away from the saloon. Other than Elizabeth and Nathan, my only customers today have been the out of town guests staying in the hotel."

Lee shook his head. "This is a small town, and you made threats and accusations in front of a teenage girl. I'm sure Allie told her friends what she witnessed. They probably went home and told their parents, who in turn warned their friends and neighbors and…" He shrugged. "This town loves Elizabeth, especially the children, and you threatened her job. Of course there's going to be consequences!"

"I wouldn't actually try to get her fired!" Lucas fumed. There was that word again. "I was angry. I said the first thing that came to mind."

"Well now the townspeople are angry. You're either going to have to wait for the tension to die down, or do something to earn their trust back."

Nathan hurried to catch up with Elizabeth as she walked home, neither of them saying a word. As they passed the Coulters, Rosemary immediately caught the tension between them. "Why don't I keep Jack with me a bit longer? It looks like the two of you need to talk." Without waiting for a reply, she scooped up the little boy and went back inside.

Elizabeth unlocked her house and stormed inside, turning to confront Nathan as soon as the door was closed. "I can't believe you threatened him!" she exclaimed furiously. "You had no business getting involved!"

Nathan shrugged. "I didn't threaten him. I merely explained that if he followed through with his threats to go to the town council and the county, they would also hear the context of what he did."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. "You 'strongly implied' that you would have him charged with assault!"

Nathan glared right back at her, his arms crossed. "He did assault you! I witnessed it, and so did my daughter! And yes, the Coulters heard everything as well, so they can be called to give statements if it comes to that."

"I specifically told you I wanted to handle this myself!" she cried, infuriated.

"I was just doing my job!" he shouted back.

"Stop it!"

Allie stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You guys just got together! We're all finally happy! You can't break up!" She slammed the door and ran to the sofa, sobbing.

Nathan and Elizabeth shared a look of concern before hurrying over to comfort her. Elizabeth sat on the edge of the sofa, gently rubbing Allie's back while Nathan knelt on the floor beside them, holding her hand.

"No one is breaking up with anyone," Elizabeth assured her.

Allie turned her head to face them. "But you were fighting."

Nathan wiped the tears off her cheek, smiling softly. "Yes, we were. People fight, especially people who love each other." He glanced up at Elizabeth, who smiled sheepishly back at him.

Allie sat up and the three of them squeezed together on the sofa. "You promise you're not splitting up?"

Nathan stretched his arm across the back of the sofa, embracing both Allie and Elizabeth. "Not a chance," he insisted. "I have waited too long for this. I'm not letting either of you go."

Elizabeth leaned in to hug Allie, reaching across to take Nathan's other hand in hers. "I'm not going anywhere," she vowed.

"Allie, sweetheart, it is perfectly natural for people to disagree with one another," Nathan explained. "Look at the two of us. How many times have you and I argued about dinner or your homework or my boots in the middle of the floor?"

"Or how you needed to go after Mrs. Thornton…" Allie added, making all of them laugh.

"Exactly. And we still love each other, right?" He waited for Allie to meet his gaze and nod. "It's okay to disagree with someone, and even to argue with them. What's not okay is using words or actions that deliberately hurt another person."

"Like the other night with Mr. Bouchard. He should have said why he was upset instead of threatening Mrs. Thornton's job. Because if she isn't our teacher, a whole lot of people are going to be hurt."

"Well, the situation with Mr. Bouchard is a little more complicated, but basically, yes," Elizabeth assured her.

"So why were the two of you yelling at each other?"

Elizabeth and Nathan looked at each other for a moment. "We disagreed about how to handle the situation with Mr. Bouchard," Elizabeth explained. "I wanted to take care of things myself, talk to him and try to work things out so that hopefully we can be friends again someday. Because despite some of his actions, he has been a good friend to me. We talked about shows we've seen and places we've traveled and fancy restaurants we've been to….things I hope to share with your dad someday but haven't yet. And he helped me get my book published."

"Even though he did it without your permission?" Allie asked skeptically.

Elizabeth nodded. "I didn't agree with how he did it, and we argued about it, but he did get me a publishing deal. I will always be grateful to him for that, even if we no longer have any kind of a relationship. So I wanted to fix things myself. This is my mess, caused by my indecisiveness, and I should be the one to clear it up."

Allie looked at Nathan, waiting for him to explain his side. He shrugged. "I'm a Mountie. It's literally my job to protect people, especially this town and the people I care about most. Mr. Bouchard threatened the woman I love, causing her physical and emotional harm. He frightened my daughter. I felt it was my duty to confront him."

Elizabeth squeezed Nathan's hand and he tightened his arm across her back. Allie, still between them, shook her head. "So basically, you're both right and you're both wrong. Are you done fighting now?"

"I know we would have gotten to that realization eventually," Elizabeth laughed, meeting Nathan's gaze and seeing his eyes filled with mirth as well. "But I'm glad you made us get there faster. I don't like fighting with your dad, and I'm sorry that you had to hear it."

Nathan got to his feet, tugging Allie into a hug. "Thanks for helping us work things out," he told her. Then he leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Allie laughed and hugged him tighter, then turned to hug Elizabeth before scurrying out the door.

"What did you say to her?" Elizabeth asked, bemused by the girl's hasty flight.

Nathan pulled Elizabeth into his arms, holding her close and sighing with relief when she hugged him back just as tightly. They stood like that for a moment before he answered. "I told her to go next door to the Coulters to get Jack. And I suggested she take her time so that you and I could kiss and make up."

Elizabeth looked up in surprise but his lips were on hers before she could argue with him again.