I apologize in the delay of updating this story. I had started on this new chapter about a month ago and completed it halfway and then became busy with the holidays. I finally had some time off this week to write more and I wanted to update tonight to get this new chapter out. I hope you guys enjoy it! Feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you think. Enjoy! :)
Chapter 5 – A Misunderstanding
The next two months for Jack and Elizabeth flew by. Within the next month, they would be married. Married, living together, raising Matthew, being a family…
These thoughts consumed Elizabeth's mind daily. She tried to focus on work and life but to say she was nervous was an understatement. She worried she wouldn't be a good wife, wouldn't be a good mother…
That evening, she was meeting Jack at his home for dinner with him and Matthew. Jack was fixing spaghetti, and they would spend time together. She enjoyed being with Jack and Matthew. They were both trying to get Matthew used to the idea of Elizabeth being around a lot more once they were married. It was something a three-year-old couldn't grasp until he got older, or so they thought.
As they both sat down on the couch to watch a movie together, Elizabeth complimented Jack's cooking.
"Jack, dinner was delicious. Thank you for fixing it."
Jack gave Elizabeth a small smile.
"You're welcome. I hope to fix dinner a lot more once we get married."
Jack leaned in slowly and kissed Elizabeth on the lips. Jack sensed something was off with Elizabeth.
Pulling back, Jack looked into her blue eyes and gave her a puzzled look.
"What's wrong?"
Elizabeth shook her head and broke their gaze, looking downward at her hands that were in her lap.
"It's nothing."
Jack pulled her chin up with his finger, staring back into her blue eyes.
"Hey, you can tell me. Whatever it is. Don't ever feel like you can't talk to me, no matter how small it may be."
Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth gave Jack a reluctant smile.
"I'm just… nervous. I'm nervous about being a good wife, a good mother, a good…lover. It's stupid. I don't know why I'm so nervous. I love being around you and Matthew, so why am I so worried?"
Jack gave her a big grin and held her hands in his.
"Elizabeth… It's only natural to be nervous. You and I are changing our life and changing that little boy's life. You don't think I'm nervous? Trust me, you will be a wonderful wife, mother, and even lover. I just know it. Tell you what, if you are still nervous before we get married, why don't you talk to Rosie? I'm sure she would enjoy talking to you. I know you guys have become best friends these last few months. And, if you want to talk to me, I'm always here."
Jack leaned out and kissed her forehead gently.
"Thank you, Jack. I love you."
"I love you too, Elizabeth."
Their intimate moment was interrupted by Matthew running into the living room waving a white piece of paper in his hand, grinning from ear to ear.
"Daddy!"
Jack and Elizabeth broke their hold on each other, and Jack caught Matthew as he jumped into Jack's arms.
"Whoa! What's up?"
"Lookie!"
Matthew was waving the white sheet of paper in front of Jack's face as Jack tried to take it out of his hand.
Looking down at the white paper, Jack smiled and looked up at Elizabeth, tears forming in his eyes.
Elizabeth, slightly confused, wondered what it was.
"What is it, Jack?"
Jack didn't say anything. He just held out the paper for Elizabeth to look at.
Taking the white paper from Jack and looking down at it, her breath caught in her throat. Tears began to form in her eyes as she quickly looked up at Jack and then over at Matthew.
On the paper in her hand was a drawing that Matthew had drew. It was a stick family. Jack was on the left in purple, Elizabeth was in the middle in red, and Matthew was on the right in pink. A yellow sun was drawn in the corner and a purple blob was above all three of them.
"Beth like?"
Matthew's question caused Elizabeth to immediately look up at him with those big blue eyes. She smiled at Matthew, trying not to cry.
"I love it very much, Matthew."
Matthew jumped out of Jack's arms and went around to Elizabeth and hopped into her arms, taking the paper in his hands, and holding it out for Elizabeth to see. She held him close in her arms.
"Dis daddy, dis mommy and dis me. Beth my mommy."
At Matthew's comment, Elizabeth's eyes found Jack's eyes, and both were on the verge of tears. A silence fell between all three of them as Elizabeth smiled largely and held Matthew in her arms. Jack and Elizabeth realized, as a three-year-old, Matthew knew what was going on.
"That's right, Matthew."
As Jack spoke, he never broke his gaze on Elizabeth. Elizabeth's tears were now evident as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
Matthew glanced up at Elizabeth, who was crying, and he was wondering why she was crying.
"Why mommy crying?"
With that comment, Elizabeth let out a small laugh and looked down at Matthew, wiping her tears.
"I'm just so happy. Come here, you."
Matthew sat up and Elizabeth pulled him tightly into her arms, unwilling to let him go anytime soon. Matthew gladly returned the tight embrace.
Jack sat there, a grin permanently stuck on his face, as he watched the embrace between Matthew and Elizabeth. He knew then that he was marrying the right woman and wasn't sure how he could love her any more than he did at that exact moment.
That next week, Jack was at work, working a 12-hour shift. Elizabeth was at home, off from work to catch up on her college classes. She had been taking a few classes online. Matthew was at his grandparents' house as they babysat him since Jack was working.
Even though Jack and Elizabeth would be married within the next month, Jack's news to his in-laws didn't go over well with them. They were furious that Jack was getting married so quickly after their daughter's death and that Elizabeth was pushing herself into being Matthew's mother so fast. They knew Matthew wouldn't remember his mother, Kate, once Elizabeth was his mother. They wanted nothing to do with Elizabeth and wouldn't give her the time of day, even though they hardly knew her. Jack had tried to talk to them, but they wouldn't listen to him.
Elizabeth's phone began to ring as she looked down at the phone number on the screen. She didn't recognize the phone number but answered it anyways.
"Hello?"
"Is this Elizabeth Thatcher?"
"Yes, this is her."
"This is Mrs. Burgess, Matthew's grandmother. Is Jack with you?"
"No, as far as I know, he's at work. What's wrong?"
"I'm trying to get in touch with Jack. Matthew is at the emergency room and-"
"Matthew? What happened? Is he okay?"
"I just need to talk to Jack. If you see him, tell him to call me."
"Wait, please…"
The phone line clicked, and Matthew's grandmother hung up with Elizabeth.
She immediately called the phone number back, but it went straight to voicemail. Elizabeth was visibly upset.
Her mind was on overload, and she was worried for Matthew. She immediately dialed Jack's cell phone number. No answer.
Hanging up, she decided to call the precinct to see if he was at his desk.
"Police Department, how may I direct your call?"
"Jack Thornton, please."
"I'm sorry. Thornton is out in the field right now. May I take a message?"
"Please, if he comes in soon, please have him call Elizabeth. It's an emergency."
"Yes ma'am."
"Thank you."
Elizabeth hung up and immediately dialed Rosemary's number.
"Hello?"
"Rosie! Is Lee there?"
"No, what's wrong?"
"I'm trying to get ahold of Jack, but he's not answering. I just got a call from Matthew's grandmother and Matthew is in the emergency room. Rosemary, she wouldn't tell me anything. I don't know what's going on. I tried calling Jack, but-"
"Elizabeth, calm down. I'm sure Matthew is fine. Let me call Lee and see if he answers and knows where Jack is. I'll call you back in a few minutes, okay?"
"Okay, thanks Rosemary."
Elizabeth hung up with Rosemary and waited for her return call. The minutes ticked by like hours. Her phone rang and she instantly answered.
"Rosemary?"
"Elizabeth, I spoke to Lee. Jack is out of cell service right now. The precinct is trying to get ahold of him, but they aren't sure if he's getting any calls since he's out of range."
"What do I do? I don't even know which hospital Matthew is at."
"Call the local hospital and see if he is there. If he is, go over there and stand your ground – see what you can find out. I'm sure Jack would tell you to do the same thing. You are practically Matthew's mother. His grandparents need to get over this."
"Thanks Rosemary. I'm going to call the hospital and see. I'll let you know what I find out. Tell Lee thanks for me."
"You're welcome. We're here for you guys. Let us know if you need anything."
"Thanks."
Elizabeth hung up with Rosemary and googled the local hospital for their phone number. Finding it, she dialed the number and waited for an answer.
"Metro Hospital. How may I direct your call?"
"I need to speak to the front desk in the emergency room, please."
"One moment."
Elizabeth listened to the phone dialing the number and the tone of a ring.
"Metro Hospital Emergency Room, how may I help you?"
"Yes, I'm calling to see if you have a patient, a little blonde-haired boy by the name of Matthew Thornton. He's three years old."
"One second please."
Seconds ticked by as Elizabeth held her breath, hoping he was there.
"Yes ma'am. He was brought in about ten minutes ago. The doctor hasn't seen him yet."
"Okay, thank you very much. I greatly appreciate it."
With that, Elizabeth hung up and grabbed her belongings and darted out the door. As she made her way to her car, she dialed Rosemary's cell phone and Rosemary instantly picked up.
"What did you find out?"
"Matthew is at the local hospital in the emergency room. The doctor hasn't seen him yet. I'm heading there now to see if I can get in to see him. If you hear from Jack before me, please tell him I'm headed to the emergency room to be with Matthew."
"Will do. Do you want Lee or I to come and meet you at the hospital?"
"No, I should be able to handle his grandparents."
"Okay, keep us updated."
"Thanks, Rosemary."
With that, Elizabeth took off down the road towards the local hospital.
Moments later, Elizabeth parked in the parking garage and made her way to the elevators. She was practically running to get to the emergency room to see Matthew. She finally made her way to the entrance to the emergency room and glanced around, unsure of who his grandparents were since they hadn't met.
Walking up to the information desk, Elizabeth asked about Matthew.
"Can I help you?"
"I'm here to see Matthew Thornton."
As the nurse glanced down at the intake sheet, she ran her finger down the list of patients.
"Yes, it says he was brought in about fifteen minutes ago. Are you an immediate family member?"
"No, I'm-"
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Only immediate family members can go back with him."
"You don't understand. His father is a police man and is out of contact with the police department right now. I got a call he was here, and I need to see him. I'm his father's fiancé."
"I'm sorry. Hospital protocol. Immediate family only."
"But-"
"I'm sorry. Unless an immediate family member such as a parent, spouse, sibling, or grandparent comes in, I can't let you see him. You'll just have to wait."
"Can you at least tell me what happened?"
"I'm sorry. You'll just have to wait."
Becoming angered, Elizabeth tried to contain her anger and walked off towards the waiting area. She took a seat off to the side of the room and tried to control her breathing. She took out her cell phone and texted Rosemary about what happened.
"They won't let me see Matthew."
"What do you mean, they won't let you see Matthew? Lee and I are on our way now."
"No, no. It'll only make things worse. I don't even know who his grandparents are. We've never met. I'll just wait around and see what happens."
"You just say the word and Lee and I are there."
"Thanks. I really appreciate it. Any word from Jack?"
"No, he's still out of service."
"Okay, thanks."
As Elizabeth waited, she glanced around the waiting room, trying to pinpoint whose Matthew's grandparents could be.
An hour passed and Elziabeth was growing annoyed as the seconds ticked by. She wanted to see Matthew. A three-year-old didn't need to be back in the emergency room by himself. He was probably scared to death.
"Matthew Thornton."
Elizabeth glanced up, hearing Matthew's name. She then saw an older man and woman get up and make their way to the information desk. Elizabeth noticed they were well off looking and anyone could tell they had a lot of money.
Elizabeth jumped up and made her way to the information desk.
Both parties made their way to the desk, arriving at the same time.
Elizabeth looked over at the couple and the couple looked over at her.
"Matthew Thornton?"
"Yes." Both parties said.
"You are?" The nurse spoke to the grandparents first.
"We are Mr. and Mrs. Burgess, Matthew's grandparents."
Writing something down, the nurse looked at Elizabeth.
"And you are?"
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves before she spoke, she looked over at Matthew's grandparents and then at the nurse.
"Elizabeth Thatcher, Matthew's father's fiancé."
Before the nurse could even say anything, Mrs. Burgess spoke up.
"She doesn't belong here. She's not Matthew's mother!"
"Excuse me, I'm engaged to be married to your son-in-law in less than a month. I'm pretty sure I belong here."
"You are not Matthew's mother and never will be!"
"I have just as much right to be here as you two do! Now, I'm here to find out what happened to Matthew and if he is okay."
"You don't have that right, you-"
A loud whistle was heard, and both parties glanced over at the nurse behind the information desk.
"Hey! Let's try to be calm here. Now, there's a three-year-old little boy back there who needs his family."
The nurse turned to Elizabeth and gave her an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. His grandparents are the ones allowed back at this time. Since his father isn't here yet, they are his immediate family. You'll have to sit down and wait until his father arrives."
"I'm not waiting! I have just as much right to see Matthew as they do!"
"Ma'am, please calm down. You'll just have to take a seat and wait."
As Elizabeth pleaded with the nurse, the Burgess' began to walk back towards the back to see Matthew.
Unsure of what came over her, Elizabeth spotted her chance to go back to see Matthew when the door was unlocked for the Burgess. It was like slow motion. The door began to open, slowly, and Elizabeth began running frantically towards the door. The nurse was yelling after her to stop but Elizabeth heard nothing. She reached the door and pushed her way past the Burgess', unsure of which way to go. As her eyes were wide and she glanced around, she saw the arrow pointing towards the emergency room. She ran down the hallway, calling Matthew's name. Above her, the loudspeaker was shouting out "Code Gray, Code Gray, Emergency Room, main floor."
Running around, she was frantically looking for Matthew. Finally, she found his room and ran inside, seeing Matthew lying on a bed.
Matthew began to cry for her but before she could console him, she saw a couple of people running towards her. She slowly began to back up, but before she could do anything, they had Elizabeth up against the wall and placing handcuffs around her wrists.
"Matthew! Wait!"
Elizabeth was fighting with the security detail as they struggled to pull her out of Matthew's room.
Matthew was crying and yelling for Elizabeth.
"Beth!"
"Matthew!"
Before the door shut, Matthew was heard yelling.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
As the Burgess' walked by, they both had stunned expressions come across their faces as Elizabeth was led away in handcuffs towards the security office of the hospital.
"No! I need to see Matthew! That's my son! He's my son! No!"
Elizabeth was yelling and screaming the whole way to the security office. She was putting up a fight and resisting the security personnel. They sat her in an empty office to cool off before going in and talking to her.
Hours passed before anyone came into the room where Elizabeth was. Still in handcuffs, she glanced up and the first person she saw was Jack.
"Jack!"
Jack's face had a look of shock on it as he yelled for someone to remove the handcuffs on Elizabeth's wrists.
A security guard arrived and removed the handcuffs and Elizabeth jumped up and threw her arms around Jack's shoulders. Jack pulled her in for a hug.
Turning to the security guard, Jack asked what happened.
"Ms. Thatcher here was told to take a seat and wait to see the patient. She refused and ran back into the emergency room. The hospital security team arrived and took her into custody until someone arrived to release her."
The security guard pulled out a clipboard with a piece of paper on it and Jack signed the paper and then motioned for Elizabeth to follow him outside.
As Jack and Elziabeth left the security office, Jack pulled her in for a long hug.
"Jack…how's Matthew?"
"He's fine. Apparently, while at his grandparents' house, he was running down the steps and fell and broke his arm. The doctor said it was a clean break and he'll be back to running and playing in no time. Now, tell me, what happened?"
Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth began to explain what happened.
"I wanted to see Matthew and they wouldn't let me go back to see him. They said only immediate family was allowed. His grandparents made a big deal out of it and rubbed it in my face that I wasn't allowed back there. I don't know…Next thing I know, I'm being pulled away from Matthew and out of his room and slammed up against a wall and handcuffed and led to a room and then you showed up. I know it was wrong but I'm his mother."
"Elizabeth…I know how you feel about Matthew, and I know you consider yourself his mother, but what you did today… I don't know if I can agree with how you acted."
Confused, Elizabeth took a step back to look at Jack.
"You agree with his grandparents! I can't believe you! You know how I feel about Matthew! He's like my own child, my own son! I love him so much and here you agree with them that I wasn't allowed to see him!"
"Elizabeth…Just calm down."
"No! I will not calm down! Do you know how worried I was about him? They couldn't find you, Jack! No one could! And then they rub it in my face that I'm not allowed back there with him! And now you act like it's no big deal!"
"Just calm-"
"Don't tell me to calm down, Jack Thornton! Clearly, you don't understand how I feel! I can't believe you!"
With that, Elizabeth stormed off and began to walk away from Jack. Jack was following her and trying to get her to understand what he meant, but his explanation was falling on deaf ears.
As Elizabeth continued walking and looking for an exit, she didn't want to talk to Jack right now. She was so upset and was afraid she was going to say the wrong thing, which would make matters worse.
She finally found an exit and informed Jack that she was going home and not to call or text her, that she needed time to think.
"Elizabeth, come on…" Jack reached out to grab her wrist before she got away from him.
"No, Jack. Please. Just leave me alone." Elizabeth walked backwards, throwing her hands up for Jack not to bother her.
With that, Elizabeth stormed out of the hospital towards her car, getting in and slamming the door and speeding off towards her house, leaving Jack standing in the hospital parking lot watching her leave.
At that moment, he was terrified that he had lost her. They were going to be married in less than a few weeks and he had messed up and caused a fight between them – their first serious fight. He had to get her back. He had to apologize for how stupid he was for agreeing with his in-laws. Why did he agree with them?
A week had gone by, and Jack was still unable to reach Elizabeth. He kept trying to call and text her. He even drove by her house and knocked on her door. No answer, nothing.
Jack had his head in his hands on his desk as he was in deep thought about his relationship with Elizabeth.
"Yo, Jack!" Lee gave him an understanding smile and sat on the corner of Jack's desk. He slapped Jack across the back lightly.
"Hey man, don't worry. She'll come around. Trust me."
Jack looked up at Lee's statement and frowned.
"Man, I really did it this time. I screwed up. Why did I get upset with her? I know how much she loves Matthew and how much Matthew loves her. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted nothing to do with me."
Jack threw his head back into his hands.
"Jack, just trust me, okay? Rosie is talking to Elizabeth, just like we are. I think she'll talk some sense to her about giving you another chance. Now, come on. We don't want to be late to our case at the courthouse."
Across town, Rosemary was having the same conversation with Elizabeth. Rosemary was telling Elizabeth to understand where Jack was coming from and to give him another chance. She was also telling Elizabeth about how miserable Jack was missing her and wanted her back in his life. During Rosemary's conversation, Elizabeth agreed to give Jack another chance and a light bulb went off with an idea of how she could make it up to Jack.
Elizabeth glanced up at the clock in the office and told Rosemary she was going to leave early today, as something had come up.
"Is everything okay?" Rosemary looked on at Elizabeth with concern as Elizabeth quickly gathered up her items and purse and headed towards the door to leave the office.
"Yes, everything is fine. Thanks for the talk, Rosemary. I really appreciate it!"
With that, Elizabeth didn't give Rosemary a chance to respond and was out the door.
"Uh, you're…welcome, Elizabeth." Rosemary shrugged her shoulders and went back to work.
Evening came and Jack had just picked up Matthew from his grandparents' house. He was heading home from work and still thinking about Elizabeth. He kept trying to text her, but, again, no response.
Shoving the phone in his pocket, he shut his truck off and jumped out of the driver's door and opened the back passenger door to get Matthew out. He placed Matthew on the ground and held his hand as they walked to the front door. He reached for the key in his hand and went to turn the lock, noticing it was already unlocked. Confused, Jack slowly put Matthew behind him as he slowly turned the knob and called out to the empty house. The entire house was dark and quiet.
"Hello? Who's there?"
Silence.
"Show yourself!"
The light off in the kitchen flipped on and there, in his kitchen, stood Elizabeth. She was grinning ear to ear and slowly began to walk towards Jack and Matthew.
Matthew glanced out from behind Jack's leg and saw Elizabeth. He began to run towards Elizabeth. Elizabeth crouched down to her knee and caught Matthew in her arms, giving him a big hug. Oh, how she had missed this little boy.
"Beth! I tot you gone. Where you go?"
Elizabeth smiled at Matthew and kissed him on the head, looking into his deep blue eyes. Before she could say anything, she heard footsteps and glanced up and saw Jack standing beside her, a smile spread across his face with tears threatening to spill out at any second. Elizabeth's eyes began to fill with tears. Even though they didn't speak, an understanding fell between them both.
Elizabeth picked Matthew up and placed him on her hip, never breaking from Jack's gaze.
"Well, I had to go out of town, didn't I, Jack?"
Breaking his stare at Elizabeth, he smiled at Matthew and then looked back towards Elizabeth.
"That's right, buddy. Beth went out of town and just got back today. She couldn't wait to see you."
Matthew hugged Elizabeth tightly and smiled.
"I miss my Beth. I glad you home. Now we can play wit Panda!"
Squirming to go find Panda, Matthew practically jumped out of Elizabeth's arms and ran towards his bedroom to get Panda.
Knowing he didn't have much time, Jack pulled Elizabeth into his arms.
"Come here." He whispered as he pulled her into an intoxicating, enraged kiss that craved more than they both knew.
They broke from their kiss when Matthew ran back into the living room carrying his stuffed Panda. Elizabeth reached down and caught him in her arms, picking him up and putting him back on her hip, as she looked at Panda.
"Oh, I love Panda. I'll be glad to play with him, Matthew. But right now, I need to finish up dinner, okay? Can you go play in your bedroom until dinner?"
Matthew beamed at Elizabeth and embraced her again.
"O'tay, mommy."
Matthew ran off towards his bedroom again carrying Panda, running as quickly as his little legs could take him.
Due to the "mommy" reference, Elizabeth wasn't sure how to proceed with Jack. She glanced down at the floor and shuffled her feet together.
Before she realized it, Jack had reached out with his hand and pulled her chin up towards him to look him in the eyes.
"Jack…"
Nothing else needed to be said. He pulled her in for another intense, passionate kiss that would leave anyone breathless. Being apart for so long had left a longing between them that both hadn't realized was there until now.
Elizabeth broke their kiss, though she didn't want to, and looked back at Jack's eyes. She smiled and reached out again, giving him another quick kiss on the lips.
Breaking her hold, Elizabeth took a step back towards the kitchen, but Jack reached out to hold her.
"Jack, if I don't finish dinner, it'll be ruined."
"I don't care."
Jack kissed her once more and Elizabeth giggled and pulled back.
"Jack… I've went to all this trouble for dinner. I don't want to mess it up."
Jack rested his forehead on hers, just enjoying being beside of her.
"I'll help you."
Elizabeth walked towards Jack's kitchen, continuing what she started for dinner. She had fixed fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and a chocolate pie for dessert.
"Wow, you've outdid yourself. But how did you get inside my house? Not that I'm complaining."
Elizabeth laughed before telling Jack how she got into his house.
"Lee has a spare key and let me in once I told him my plan."
At her comment, Jack walked up behind Elizabeth, placing his hands on her hips and he began kissing her neck.
"Jack, I can't concentrate when you do that."
Jack, laughing, peered up at Elizabeth.
"When I do what?"
He went back to kissing her neck and moved to her ears.
"That."
Jack laughed again, growling lowly with his laugh on Elizabeth's neck.
"Jack…we have to stop."
Jack continued kissing her, slowly progressing down her neck.
Elizabeth stopped what she was doing and closed her eyes. Her breathing became irregular, and her heart rate intensified with Jack's kisses.
Elizabeth turned around and looked up at Jack's blue eyes. His eyes were calling out to her like the deepness of the ocean that she could get lost in.
The next thing Elizabeth realized, Jack had pushed items out of the way on the countertop and wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her up on the countertop. He stood in between her legs and continued caressing and kissing her, unwilling to unleash her from his grasp. His hands slowly moved down her hips and his finger began pulling at the waistband of her denim shorts.
Before Elizabeth realized it, Jack's hand moved from her waist slowly up under her shirt, up her stomach, along her back and up her shoulder. His hand then moved back down towards the back of her bra, stopping in the middle of her back where the clasp was.
Elizabeth reached out and took hold of Jack's arm, looking him in the eyes.
"Jack…"
He looked deep into Elizabeth's blue eyes and removed his hand. He placed his hands to the side of her legs on the countertop and looked down towards the floor, trying to catch his breath.
Now, it was Elizabeth's turn. She took her hand and pulled Jack's face towards hers and looked him deep in the eyes.
"As much as I'm enjoying this…we have to stop."
Jack took a deep breath and smiled at Elizabeth, giving her a quick peck on the lips.
"You drive me crazy, Elizabeth. I love you so much and I can't wait until we are married so that I can finish what I started."
Jack backed up, winked at Elizabeth, as he helped Elizabeth off the counter and gave her another quick kiss. She turned around and went back to cooking, unable to control the powerful heat that was consuming her, noting it wasn't coming from the kitchen.
Dinner was served and all three enjoyed their time together.
Jack and Elizabeth put Matthew to bed and enjoyed their time alone together on the couch. They had missed being together while arguing and were trying to make up for lost time.
"Elizabeth…"
Elizabeth could tell that Jack was being serious.
"What is it, Jack?"
Taking a deep breath, he held onto Elizabeth's hands like she would vanish.
"Listen, I know we have plans on being married in two weeks, but I can't wait. I don't want to delay it any longer. What do you think of eloping tomorrow? Just you, me, Matthew, and a Justice of the Peace?"
A large smile came across Elizabeth's face at Jack's mention of eloping. If truth be told, she was thinking the same as Jack and didn't want to wait any longer.
"Let's do it!"
"Really? Are you sure? I know how you wanted Lee and Rosemary to be there with us. I mean, I don't mi- "
"No, I don't want to wait. I want to be Mrs. Jack Thornton."
At her statement, Elizabeth pulled herself towards Jack for a kiss that was unlike any other kiss before. It was a kiss that rocked him to his core and sealed the uncertainty in his mind on whether this was the right person for him and Matthew.
Breaking their kiss, both beamed at each other before resting in each other's arms for the evening. Their thoughts drifted to the idea of both becoming married to each other and raising Matthew together.
As the night became later, Jack showed Elizabeth to her car that was parked around the corner from his house.
As Elizabeth opened her car door, Jack pulled her up against the back passenger door, lingering to stare into her eyes before pulling her into a quick kiss for the night.
As they parted, Elizabeth gave Jack the biggest smile he'd seen from her.
"I doubt I sleep tonight."
"Me too. I'm sure I'll be too excited and nervous all wound into one."
"Don't be nervous. There's nothing to be nervous about, trust me."
Jack gave her another quick kiss on the lips and smiled at her as she got into her car and started the engine. She rolled her window down to say goodnight to Jack.
Jack squatted down and leaned into the window.
"Just think, in less than 24 hours, we will become Mr. and Mrs. Jack Thornton."
Letting out a large breath, Elizabeth grinned at him and kissed him.
"That sounds…so amazing."
"Hey, sleep well and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Sounds good. Goodnight, Jack. I love you."
"I love you too, Elizabeth. I'll see you tomorrow."
They kissed again and Jack waved as he backed up and she pulled out and headed home. As he watched her taillights disappear down the street, he smiled and shook his head back and forth.
"Less than 24 hours…" he whispered as he kept the grin on his face as he walked back inside his house and went to bed.