They sat for a long time just holding each other. Elizabeth's head was on Nathan's chest and his arms were completely around her. "I've never done that with another person in my life," Nathan said softly.

"How do you feel?" Elizabeth said, looking up at him.

"Lighter," he said, smiling softly. "Surprisingly lighter."

Elizabeth snuggled back down into his arms. "I can't imagine how hard it's been for you, carrying that alone."

"That's the other thing," he said, holding her tighter and kissing the top of her head. "I really don't feel alone anymore."

"That's because you're not," Elizabeth said softly into his chest.

For a long moment, Nathan just held her tightly. He was so grateful to have someone in his life that he trusted enough to show that side of himself; the side that was so vulnerable, so raw. He had expected only to tell her the story. He hadn't expected to feel free enough to show her the experience of it. But his greatest discovery was that he trusted her with his pain. And Elizabeth hadn't flinched.

"It's strange," Nathan said, resting his chin in the softness of her hair. "It doesn't change anything. Colleen is still gone, but somehow, saying all of that out loud makes it easier to bear."

Elizabeth sat up and looked at him. "Have you ever been in love before?"

Taken aback, Nathan drew in a deep breath. He didn't know whether this was the time to declare himself, or whether there were rules about this as well. Shouldn't it be romantic? Or is sitting by the side of the road in a wagon, after you've just poured your heart out to the woman you love, romantic enough?

Elizabeth laughed softly at his slightly dazed look. She put her hand on his cheek. "I'm not meaning to put you on the spot here, you don't have to answer that." Elizabeth looked down and took his hand in hers, because she was having trouble looking him in the eye. "Well, I've never been in love before, so I'm not an expert, but I just wanted to say that I think that's a part of loving someone. That you can help to carry their burdens, even if it's just by listening..."

Her voice trailed off and she looked up. Nathan was smiling, in fact it was the full version of the crooked smile, the one that told her he was not only charmed by what she was saying, but that it had made him very happy.

"You've never been in love before?" he said.

Elizabeth frowned slightly. "That surprises you?"

Nathan raised his eyebrows and started to speak, but he still couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. "I... I just thought... that all you fine young ladies fell in love... often..."

Uh-oh, Nathan thought. The single eyebrow. The warning.

Making a face, Nathan said, "I'm getting myself in trouble here, aren't I?"

Narrowing her eyes, Elizabeth nodded, silently.

"Let me start again," he said. "You are an intelligent, beautiful and fascinating person, and it would surprise me if you didn't have multiple suitors in Hamilton. I assumed that at least one of them had found their way into your heart."

Elizabeth opened her eyes wide, and then actually laughed. "Nicely said, Constable! Not a stutter in sight!"

"Phew," Nathan said on an exhale. "I was on dangerous ground there..."

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "Yes, you were."

Elizabeth thought for a moment, gazing into his eyes. Then she took a deep breath and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, lingering there with her lips against his skin.

"I have never been in love before..." she said softly. Then she moved her lips to his ear. "...until now."

Nathan couldn't prevent the soft, "Oh..." that escaped his lips, and then he put his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him. She felt his breath come faster and she thought his heart might be beating nearly as quickly as her own.

He pulled away and looked at her, and his eyes were the fathomless blue that she was learning to recognize as a bellwether to his feelings. "That's good, because... actually, the truth is… I'm in love with you, Elizabeth."

For a moment they just gazed at one another, each wondering if this was possible. In his eyes, Elizabeth saw a mirror of her own feelings reflecting back at her, and she finally understood. It's not just a matter of being loved by someone, it's knowing that you love them too that multiplies the gift beyond measure. And though this was a part of every romantic story she'd ever read, she knew that this was not only a gift, it was a rare one.

Nathan's lips found hers and she felt the truth of what they had just expressed to each other, the depth of it, and in her heart she could see the path ahead so clearly. She was bound to him, not only through love, but through respect, and a shared vision of the world. Their values and principles were aligned, and their dreams of a future lay in a town they had both come to love in the same way they'd come to love each other - quickly, deeply and irrevocably.

Nathan's head was spinning, and he finally understood what he'd heard all along. When you know, you know. Love was as impossible to define to someone who hasn't felt it as it was to describe colors to someone who was unable to see.

And as he held Elizabeth, his lips on hers, listening to her soft sighs as they blended with the rustle of the leaves and the sounds of the woods beside them, he knew that they might face challenges and hardships, but they would face them together. Always together.

They pulled away, breathlessly, to hold each other and allow their hearts to calm.

"Well," Nathan whispered softly against her cheek, "This has been a day and a half." As Elizabeth breathed deeply, Nathan allowed himself a short, soft laugh of happiness. "I will say that when I imagined myself saying those words, it wasn't in a wagon by the side of the road." He pulled away and looked at her, frowning slightly. "It wasn't very romantic, was it?"

"Hush," Elizabeth said, putting her fingers on his lips. "That was the most romantic moment of my entire life."

Nathan grinned. "Huh. Then I should probably say I had it all planned out."

Elizabeth laughed. "Don't push your luck..."

Nathan finally took a deep breath and said, "I'd be happy to stay here with you all day, but we need to get going again if we expect to be home before dark."

Her eyes were soft on his. "I forgot we were going anywhere," she said, laughing. "You will clearly be the sensible one in this relationship."

Reluctantly, he let her go and picked up the reins, flicking them to get the horses started. Elizabeth leaned up against him, enjoying the soft sway of the wagon and watching the scenery go by.

For a time, they were both lost in their thoughts and their happiness. There would be time to talk about feelings, but it had been an intense day, and both needed to rest into the comfort they felt with each other.

"A new church," Elizabeth mused softly. "I've loved the grove, but once winter comes that's not going to be possible, is it? I can't stand the idea of worshipping in a saloon, although I'm sure God wouldn't mind as long as our hearts are in the right place."

"We're not going to have to make that choice," Nathan said.

She turned and looked at him. "You're so sure we'll get it built?"

"I am," Nathan said, smiling out at the road. "I have faith in Coal Valley."

Watching him for a moment, Elizabeth thought Nathan did seem lighter. She found herself wondering if she would see that tortured, faraway look in his eyes as often, or at all. And it didn't matter how it had happened - whether it was being able to share his story, or Elizabeth's love that had given him this lightness. What mattered is that it was there.

Then Elizabeth sat up suddenly and looked at him. "Nathan. They used to teach school in the church. That means I won't be teaching in the saloon anymore." She was elated, her face bright. "Can I get a large blackboard in the front? And the pews, can they have desks that fold down so the students can work there?"

Nathan laughed, "Whoa, cowgirl. One thing at a time. Let's get it built first." He looked at her, loving her enthusiasm. "And I have another idea, too."

Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head. "Full of surprises. What now?"

Nathan lifted his chin and raised his eyebrows. "A library."

They made good time to Murrayville, and just as Nathan was hoping, everything was ready for them. They could only carry so much back in the wagon, so he asked that the framing lumber, nails, some needed tools and the hardware for the pumps for the first few houses be ready to load into the wagon to take back. The plan was to start right after the meeting in the grove tomorrow.

Elizabeth wanted to get a gift for Abigail to thank her for allowing her to stay in her row house, so she picked up some pretty kitchen towels that Abigail would love, but would think of as an extravagance if she were to get them for herself. And Nathan loved that Elizabeth wanted to get a small doll for Allie.

"You'll spoil her," Nathan said, raising an eyebrow.

"I get to," Elizabeth replied, raising two eyebrows and thus, winning the contest.

Elizabeth couldn't tell him that she would never be able to erase the picture of what Nathan had described to her. And although Elizabeth knew better than anyone how important discipline and clear boundaries were in the development of children, Allie would always have a soft place in her heart because of that picture in her head.

While the wagon was being loaded, they walked arm-in-arm, looking in shop windows, and then they stopped quickly for lunch before heading back to the hardware store. Nathan settled with the owner, made arrangements for the deliveries for the rest of the week, and they were on their way back home.

"Nathan," Elizabeth said, "I know that you said you were going to tell me about your sister and your father, but I just want you to know that you don't need to do this all in one day."

Nodding, Nathan said, "Thank you, but I want to. I don't want you to hear this from anyone but me." He looked over at her and saw the concern in her eyes, and kissed her forehead gently. "You're sweet to give me time, though." Looking back at the road ahead, he said," This will be much easier than telling you about Colleen. I've lived with it longer and... in many ways, it has nothing to do with me. It has to do with the choices my father has made. Very bad choices."

Elizabeth turned to him, letting him know she was listening.

Nathan put his hand on her cheek. "Ask me anything you want to. I'll have no secrets from you."

She nodded silently, and Nathan turned again to look out at the road.

"My father is in prison," he said, glancing over to see what Elizabeth's reaction was to that blunt statement. She looked back at him with clear eyes, although he did see her take a sharp breath.

Nathan turned back and flicked the reins. The wagon was heavier now, and he didn't want to stress the horses, but he also wanted to be sure they got back to Coal Valley before dark.

"I told you I was surprised that Colleen chose a man who liked to gamble, because Archie, my father, is a gambler."

"You call him Archie?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan laughed softly and looked at her. "Yes. I suppose it's my way of distancing myself from him. I stopped calling him 'Dad' when I was about fourteen." Nathan took a deep breath. "My mother says I need to separate what part of my anger has to do with the things Archie did to hurt me, and to let go of the things he did to hurt her, but I've always found that pretty hard to do, because he hurt our family, and I can't forgive him for that. I've been angry with him for so long, I can't remember a time when I wasn't."

Elizabeth touched his arm and said softly, "Are you sure you can't?"

He looked over at her, at first ready to defend himself, and then he saw the softness in her eyes and thought about it. Releasing a breath, Nathan nodded and said, "I can."

He looked out at the road. "We loved riding together. Colleen and... my father, and me. We had our own horses from the time we were pretty little, and when he was home..." he turned to Elizabeth and raised his eyebrow, "... which wasn't very often, we would ride the ranch. He would tell us about all the fencing, and the livestock, and teach us things. Colleen and I loved those rides..."

Nathan looked forward again. "It doesn't always help to think of the good things, because it just reminds me of what he threw away. For cards." Nathan said the word through his teeth, and Elizabeth squeezed his arm again.

She spoke gently to him, trying to help him move through what he wanted to say. "But gambling doesn't put you in prison..."

"No. He had to replace the money that he lost, so he stole from the bank where he worked, and got caught."

Elizabeth nodded, thinking that was the end of the story.

"The first time," Nathan said. "He got out of prison, and when he tried to get another job, no one would hire him, so he started stealing. At first, he took things from the ranch, my mother's jewelry, small things, just to try to keep the payments up, but then he got further in debt and rode off with a couple of horses up in Edmonton, and that was it. Second offense, back in prison, for much longer."

Nathan turned to her again. "It's why the ranch is in my name. Mom and I started managing it with our head hand, Charlie, and we started turning a profit, but we were afraid the bank would come for it, for Archie's debts, so Mom put it in my name."

Elizabeth sighed. "And he's still in prison?"

Nathan shrugged. "I didn't know exactly where he was until my mother told me I had to write to him to tell him about Colleen. So I did some digging and found out he was up in Calgary. I wrote to him a month before I came to Coal Valley."

"And you haven't..." Elizabeth started.

"No," Nathan said, cutting her off. Then he realized how sharply he'd spoken and he reached over and put his arm around her, pulling her toward him. "I'm sorry. I thought you might be starting to ask if I've spoken with him, and no, I haven't. I can't. I don't want to."

Elizabeth could see how much it still pained Nathan to talk about this, and it had been a long day already. She was so grateful for the trust he was showing in her, and for the windows he was opening into his heart. This didn't all have to get solved today.

She leaned into him and put her arms around him. "Thank you for telling me. And any time you want to tell me more, or talk about it, I'm ready to listen, Nathan."

Nathan looked at her, his eyes narrowed slightly. "So, what are your feelings about 'the sins of the father,' Elizabeth? Does it change the way you see me to know that my father is a thief and is in prison?"

He thought he knew what her answer would be, but he had to hear it. She would never blame him, but he had to know if her voice would hold a different tone; if things would be at all strained between them.

Elizabeth frowned slightly, with her mouth downturned. "You didn't do those things. You're not your father, Nathan."

"And your… family?" he asked softly.

Elizabeth surprised him by smiling. "My father is a businessman, and I asked my mother once exactly what he does. She told me she always felt it was best not to get too much information. Shipping is a cutthroat business, Nathan, and when you make the kind of money my father makes, I would be surprised if it didn't involve stretching a truth or two. I would say the only difference between your father and mine is that my father has too many subordinates for him to actually get caught."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. He was remembering that Superintendent Martin had called William Thatcher a "benefactor," and it dawned on him that requesting a Mountie for Coal Valley may have been a tame request in the grand scheme of things.

Gazing at her, Nathan thought that Elizabeth might be young and inexperienced in some ways, but he reminded himself that she was not naive.

"Thank you," he said. "Again."

Nathan exhaled, and flicked the reins with one hand while he reached out to hold her tightly with the other. As they took the final turn into Coal Valley, he couldn't for the life of him think what he'd ever done to deserve someone like Elizabeth.