When they finally emerged from the mine, Elizabeth opened her eyes wide and took a deep breath. Then she looked up at the crescent moon, which seemed to be giving off a surprising amount of light for being so small.

"Does the moon look brighter to you?" she asked, as Nathan pulled Newton around.

Nathan put his arm around her and looked up. "I would imagine everything looks a little brighter after spending seven hours in a mineshaft."

"Is that how long it was?" Elizabeth asked, turning to look at him.

"You said you left the saloon at about seven, and it's 2:30 now, so, yes, give or take."

Elizabeth looked over at Newton's saddle. "Nathan. What's in that canteen?" she asked.

"Water," he said. And then it came to him, "Oh, you have to be thirsty..." and he walked over and took it off of the ring on the saddle. He opened the top and handed it to Elizabeth.

She took a big gulp, and Nathan rubbed her cheek softly. "Small sips... you don't want to make yourself sick..."

She looked at him over the canteen and continued to drink.

"Or..." he said, laughing, "You can do whatever you want..."

After she had drained his canteen, she handed it back. "Do you have any idea how good that tastes?"

Nathan nodded. "Actually, I do. I got separated from my squad once up in the Mackenzies, in the Rocky Mountains. Summer. No snow, no rivers, so I lived for two days on the dew off of leaves while I hiked out." He reattached his canteen to the saddle. "Yeah, I know how good it tastes."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Speaking of all the things you did before you came to Coal Valley... I thought about something else while I was in there," she said softly.

Raising an eyebrow, Nathan said, "And what was that?"

Elizabeth moved closer to him. He'd given her his coat as soon as they'd walked out into the cold night air, and he was in rolled-up sleeves and a vest. The man never gets cold, Elizabeth thought. She took his hands in hers. "I thought about the fact that I want to know where you've been, and what you've done, and what it was like to decide to become a Mountie, and about Airdrie, and the name of your horse growing up, and your favorite book when you were thirteen, and ..."

Nathan laughed. "Whoa," he said, "You'll be bored to tears halfway through that list. Except horses are never boring..."

"I just meant," Elizabeth said, "As I was wondering if we would ever get out of there, I realized I wanted to have many more conversations with you."

Nathan pulled her gently into his arms. "I know what you mean. And during the short but terrifying time from the Mercantile to hearing your voice inside that mine, I thought the same thing. I want to know everything about you." He paused and added softly. "Everything that you want to tell me."

Elizabeth knew instinctively that the disclaimer Nathan added on was for his own benefit as well as hers. And she understood. Now that she had a sense of how deeply traumatic Colleen's death was to Nathan, she wanted even more to give him the time he needed to talk about it.

She'd been reminded of something during those long hours with Rosaleen. It didn't matter how hard everyone around her tried to get her to speak – she had to do it in her own time. Rosaleen knew when the time was right for her, and Nathan would too.

Nathan exhaled and cradled her head on his shoulder. "I can't get over how brave you were. You probably saved Rosaleen's life. If we hadn't found her tonight, they wouldn't have been back to work until Monday... " He shook his head and moved a strand of hair away from her eyes. "What did you do in there for all that time?"

Elizabeth exhaled softly. "We talked. I think Rosaleen was trying to make up for all the months she hadn't said a word." She smiled up at him, "And then after she went to sleep, I had a few conversations with God..."

Nathan nodded. "Yes, He was hearing from both of us..."

Elizabeth looked into his eyes, just visible in the light of the moon. "I thought about... things," she said softly.

Nathan smiled. "I wonder what the chances are that we were thinking about the same things?" In the moonlight, Nathan could still see the smudges of coal on her face. He smoothed one away gently.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "You seem to be forever cleaning my face, Constable."

Nathan leaned down and kissed her, lingering for a long moment on her lips. Then he put his arm around her and walked her over to Newton, grinning. "I think we should probably try to spend some less... dramatic... time together in the future."

Elizabeth smiled. "You mean, with clean faces? We could play chess? Or read?"

Nathan started to put his hands around her waist to boost her up into the saddle, but Elizabeth stopped him. "I can do this myself," she said, raising an eyebrow and lifting her foot to put it in the stirrup.

Laughing, Nathan was reminded of Allie pulling her boots on. I do myself!

He stood back and put his hands up. "Allie is already starting to say that to me," he said, smiling at her. "I may have outlived my usefulness."

Elizabeth took her foot down, turned, and went to him. She looked very seriously into his eyes and ran her fingers slowly through the hair at his forehead. "You found me in there. If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't be out here under a glorious moon, with my arms around you..." She threaded her arms through his and tilted her head up.

Nathan kept thinking that she must be exhausted, and that he should be, but it seemed he never wanted to stop kissing her. It took him to a world where tired didn't exist, and everything bad that had happened in the last twenty-four hours moved to the periphery, outside of whatever safe bubble the two of them inhabited.

Elizabeth gave him another quick kiss, and walked back over to Newton. Nathan smiled, watching her as she hiked her skirt up a little, put her foot into the stirrup, grabbed the horn, and gave a little bounce before landing firmly in the saddle. She looked over at him triumphantly. What made him almost burst out laughing was that Newton looked over at exactly the same time. Nathan thought if his horse could lift an eyebrow, he would have.

Nathan shook his head in disbelief. "After the day you've had..."

She grinned at him. "I seem to have found my second wind."

Nathan grinned back at her and patted her leg so she would lift it out of the stirrup. When she did, he pulled himself up by the cantle and sat back on Newton's rump. But then he did something Elizabeth didn't expect.

He knew he could do it, because he'd done it before. When she'd fallen asleep on the ride after their very first meeting, and he'd needed to hang on to her, he'd vaulted into the saddle with her.

He did it again, but this time, Elizabeth wasn't asleep.

"Oh!" Elizabeth said, laughing. "This is different." Now he could put his arms comfortably around her to hold the reins.

"I have a confession to make," Nathan said. "This isn't the first time we've done this."

He couldn't see Elizabeth's frown, but he already knew it so well that he laughed softly. "You won't remember it, because you were asleep."

They were starting down the mine road now toward town. Elizabeth turned and looked at him. "That first day? From the stagecoach?" Now he could see the warning eyebrow. "While I was asleep?"

Nathan kept his eyes concentrated on the road ahead of them. "I was afraid you might fall off."

He was so serious that Elizabeth started to smile. She turned around again and snuggled back into his arms. "So, it was for my safety," she said. "That makes sense," she said, nodding.

Suddenly she turned again. "You didn't…"

"No," he said. "My mother would have my hide if I ever behaved that way," he said, laughing. Then he nuzzled her cheek, feeling her curls tickling his face. "But I wanted to."

Elizabeth settled back down against his chest and thought for a moment. "So, what I don't understand is how we ended up riding into Coal Valley with you back behind the saddle again."

Nathan finally laughed. "Well, you tell me. On that day, how would you have reacted if we'd been... like this... when you woke up?"

"On that day?" she said, laughing, "I probably would have slapped you."

"Bingo," Nathan said. "I was trying to come out of our first meeting without a shiner."

They were in town now, and of course, at three in the morning, there was no one around. Even the saloon was locked up tight.

Nathan said, "You want me to take you up to Abigail's and then take Newton to the livery?"

Elizabeth smiled, "No, I'll go with you. We can walk together."

Nathan leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'd like that," he said softly, turning toward the livery.

While he unsaddled and brushed Newton quickly, Elizabeth walked down the line of stalls and found Sarah. By the time Nathan came up behind her, she was rubbing Sarah's nose and talking softly to her. "You found her," Nathan said, slightly impressed.

Elizabeth nodded. They whispered so they wouldn't wake up Jed, who slept in the loft above the stables. "I used to think all horses looked alike, except for their colors, but I'm starting to see they're a little like people." She ran her fingers gently down Sarah's cheek. "It's in the eyes, I think."

"She's for sale," Nathan said softly.

Elizabeth turned and looked at him. "She doesn't belong to anyone?" she said, her eyes wide.

"No, Jed keeps her for exactly what we did today... sorry, yesterday. He rents her out."

Elizabeth didn't know why that made her feel sad, but she turned and put her arm around Sarah's neck and said, "Awww, Sarah."

Nathan smiled. "I think she's glad you don't hold it against her that she threw you."

Elizabeth spoke softly into Sarah's neck. "It wasn't your fault. It was that mean Henry Gowen..."

Nathan reached up casually and touched Sarah's nose. "He wants to meet with me," he said.

Turning, Elizabeth said, "Gowen? What about?"

"Not sure," Nathan said, looking at her. "Probably a little demonstration of superiority. Have you ever owned a rooster?" Nathan laughed at the look she gave him. "Never mind, of course you haven't. Well, roosters are very territorial, and they tend to circle each other, or peck each other's backsides to prove their status as the leader."

Elizabeth laughed. "You expect Henry Gowen to peck your backside?" she said, her eyes dancing.

Nathan nodded, laughing too. "Kind of. He's not used to having any other law but himself in Coal Valley. He'll want to establish the ground rules."

Elizabeth tilted her head, enjoying this discussion immensely. "And will you let him?"

Nathan raised one eyebrow. "I'll let him think he's done that. But no, Henry Gowen doesn't run this town. The town runs the town. And the town hired me to make sure of it."

Elizabeth smiled softly at him. "You make it sound so simple." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "But it can also be dangerous, can't it? They have guns too, Nathan."

Nathan smiled at her. "In your capacity as a schoolteacher, you had a harrowing experience tonight. Everything is dangerous. Stepping out into the street is... " Nathan stopped suddenly, his eyes going vacant for a moment. Elizabeth knew about this now, and she stepped forward and put her hand on his arm. She looked into his eyes until he came back, and then he put his arms around her and held her tightly.

They breathed together, listening to the soft sounds of the stables. Elizabeth could hear Nathan's heart slow as he moved through whatever memories had taken him away. She didn't know what he was seeing, but she wasn't going to let go. She wasn't afraid of what he was going through, in fact, Elizabeth wanted to walk through it with him if he would let her.

But not tonight, she thought, finally hitting a wall. Nathan felt it too, and he said, "You need sleep..."

With her head still against his chest, she said, "You do, too." And then, since they hadn't budged, she said, "We'd have to move to do that, wouldn't we?"

Nathan kissed the top of her head gently. "Mmmm-hmmm." Then he took a deep breath and turned toward the door with his arm around her. They walked the short distance from the livery to the row houses and again they found themselves on Abigail's front steps.

This time Nathan didn't sit down, but stood at the bottom step looking at her in such a way that Elizabeth felt he was moving incongruously into nervous and tongue-tied Nathan again.

She stepped down so she was facing him, but one step up. "What is it, Nathan?" she said, suddenly feeling more awake.

He opened his mouth and then closed it, and looked down at his feet.

Elizabeth put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him quickly. "Don't you know that you can say anything to me?"

He looked up into her eyes and gave her his crooked smile. "I think you might know more about all this than I do," he said.

"About what?" Elizabeth asked, completely baffled.

"About... well... courting." He took a deep breath. "I mean, I know the basic rules, and I've read some... and I wouldn't even bring it up except that I think after tonight... this morning, again... with us standing there..."

Elizabeth smiled and raised her hand to his cheek again. "And what do you think courting means?" she asked him.

Now he looked completely into her eyes and even in the moonlight Elizabeth could see the intensity there. "I don't want to be with anyone but you. And I think you feel the same. It's too soon for anything... more... but I want you to know that I can see it... I can see us..."

He was going to have to stop anyway, because he felt he'd completely ceased making sense. But he ended up needing to stop because Elizabeth's lips were on his and he forgot entirely where he was in his rather convoluted request for courtship.

As Elizabeth sighed softly against his lips, he thought a kiss like that might qualify as a yes.

"Yes," she said, her breath warm on his cheek.

"Oh, good." Nathan breathed deeply, and then a laugh escaped. "How'd I do?" he said, pulling away and looking at her. "Probably not Hamilton caliber..."

She shook her head, and Nathan could see there were tears in her eyes. "No, not like Hamilton at all. So much better."

Nathan suddenly felt so tired, he wondered if he would make it to his own house. "Carla will be bringing Allie home early, I'm sure. I should..."

"Yes," she said, smiling as he started walking backwards. "Thank you for saving my life," she said softly. "Again."

"Anytime," he said, whispering. Then he stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Are you still going to tell me I'm not in that journal of yours?" he said.

Elizabeth sighed, moving backwards up to the top step. She tilted her head and looked at him, her eyes very soft.

"Tonight, you might have earned a few words," she said, and she blew him a kiss before she stepped inside and closed the door.