Chapter 15

Both Jack and Elizabeth had restless nights. They may have slept, but it wasn't a good sleep. They tossed and turned the whole night. For Jack, he was struggling with Elizabeth's decision to continue with Charles like nothing ever happened after he proposed. He couldn't understand how Elizabeth didn't think she wasn't courting Charles. He still had this nagging feeling that she and Charles had an argument. Nothing made sense to him.

For Elizabeth, she was replaying the whole five weeks. She replayed Jack's and Abagail's conversation. The hurt in his voice haunted her. Along with the pain in his voice, the fact that he struggled with her actions caused her the most pain. He was correct. If he had done that with Rosemary, she would have never spoken to him again. She felt horrible with her actions. She also knew that living in that past would never regain his trust in her. She wasn't willing to forget her mistakes. She just refused to continue to live in them. She was very willing to admit she messed up. She also wanted to move forward with Jack.

Elizabeth lay in bed trying to figure out the best way to accomplish her biggest dream. She wanted Jack in her life and she wanted to live that life to its fullest with him. Instead of continuing to lay in bed, she decided to get up and take a walk. She knew it was still very early, but laying in bed trying to think wasn't solving anything. She needed to take a walk.

Jack was struggling laying in bed as well. He decided to get up and work on a couple of reports. He wanted to go for a ride. That helped him clear his mind. He was tired of running through all the possibilities concerning Elizabeth. It was exhausting and got him nowhere. He was also a little emotionally tired from punishing JJ. His father always told him as a child that it hurt him more than it hurt Jack when his father punished him. He never understood that until now.

Jack had a few minutes before JJ would be up. He knew he had to make him breakfast. So, Jack decided to work on some reports until he heard his little man get up, then he would make breakfast. Afterwards, he would take that ride and combine it with his morning rounds. JJ would be more than happy to be hanging around the café with Auntie Abagail.

…

Mr. Thatcher sat at his desk early in the morning in his home office. He was wondering where he went wrong in his life for this to have happened. Julie left without telling anyone where she was going. She only stated in her letter that she couldn't live at home anymore and she was leaving. At some point she will write and explain more but that will be a while. That was all the note stated.

Elizabeth is still out west courting some Mountie that isn't worthy of her. He never imagined his middle daughter would choose to live in some hick town out west. After all, she didn't even have indoor plumbing, dress shops, or more than one decent place to eat. How could she turn Charles down? He is perfect for her. They had the same friend group. They went to the same schools and had the same tutors. He was her equal in every way possible. He had a great job within the company. Charles could provide for her. She wouldn't have to work.

At least Viola was marrying a proper gentleman worthy of a Thatcher daughter. Sir Lionel was all of Viola's equal. It was a perfect match within their society. He was very pleased with the arrangement.

"How could this happen to me?" he asked under his breath. "I've worked hard and given my daughters every opportunity in life, why would they throw it away on those Thorton brothers." He spat under his breath. He picked up his coffee cup and threw it across the study. His anger only grew with each thought of Jack and Tom Thornton.

…

"Alright young man, you head on to Auntie Abagail's. I'm going on morning rounds. I should be back by lunch. Would you like to have lunch with me?"

"Sure, Mr. Jack. I would like that."

"Are we ok?"

JJ looked at him confused. "Sure, we are. Why do you ask?"

"Yesterday." Jack simply stated.

"I did something I shouldn't have done. I deserved to be in trouble. I'm just grateful you were easy on me."

"You were honest with me and told me the whole story. That means everything to me."

JJ nodded his head. "Are you mad at me?"

"Of course not."

JJ walked into Jack's open arms for a hug. "I love you."

"I love you." Jack squeezed a little tighter. "Now, head on to Auntie Abagail's house and I'll be there in a little while."

…

Elizabeth was sitting on a fallen log on the very familiar hill. She didn't have any intentions of walking to this particular hill. Her feet just took her without her thinking about a destination. This was the same hill that Jack brought her to on their walk when he told her he had chosen her instead of Rosemary. They shared their first kiss just a few feet from where she was sitting. She remembered the whole conversation. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel Jack's lips on hers for the first time.

The view from Elizabeth's location was stunningly beautiful. It overlooked a good portion of Hope Valley. She could see the schoolhouse and the pond beside it. She could see the small pond on this piece of property. She couldn't see the creek, but she could hear it. She looked around trying to admire the view, but she could only see the memories of Jack.

She closed her eyes and remembered that day very well. Jack reached for both of her hands. He shyly took a half a step to close the distance between them. The look in his eyes was pure love. It still moved her after all that time. "I chose you." He huskily stated. She thought it made her heart stop then and it made her heart stop at the memory of him saying it. He slowly leaned in as if he was seeking permission. Her smile gave him the answer he was hoping for. He stated her name as he leaned closer to her. It was as if she could hear his voice clearly. The moment their lips touched for the first time was incredible. Every part of her body went numb. Yet, she felt everything. Fireworks erupted in her stomach and her body lifted off the ground following their path in the air as they exploded into a beautiful spectacle of lights and patterns. She squeezed his hands when his tongue touched her lips seeking permission. She instantly gave it by slightly opening her lips. Their tongues touched in a gentle, yet passionate way. The kiss lasted forever. However, it was entirely too short.

She could still hear his voice calling her name. "Elizabeth…Elizabeth…"

Elizabeth was so lost in the memory that she did not hear Sergeant trotting up the hill or Jack calling her name. On his ride, Sergeant had free reign to go where he wanted to go. Jack was lost in thought and he was along just for the ride. When Jack began ascending the hill he knew all too well, he noticed someone sitting on a log. He knew it was too early for someone to be out. Plus, no one should have been on this piece of property. Unbeknown to Elizabeth, Jack bought this twenty acre piece of property less than a week before she left for Hamilton. This was the location he wanted to take her for a ride when he stumbled upon her and Charles in the schoolhouse. He used the rest of his reward money from the Toliver gang arrest to purchase the land. He had enough money to pay for all of it. He was saving money for the lumber to build their house until she left for Hamilton.

Jack slowed Sergeant to a walk when he was about thirty yards from Elizabeth. He didn't want to scare her, but he wanted to check on her. He noticed her eyes were closed. He thought she must be having a good memory due to her smile and slightly blushing face.

"Elizabeth…Elizabeth…" Jack called out to her increasing smile. He jumped off his horse and slowly walked the remaining five feet. When he was just a couple of feet from her, he called her name again to get her attention, she jumped to her feet in shock. She turned around quickly with her hands clenched in front of her chest.

"I'm so sorry to frighten you. Are you ok?"

"Jack…what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Elizabeth. I was out for a ride and on my morning rounds."

"It's early for a ride." She was still breathing heavily.

"It's early for a walk too. Especially by someone who doesn't like to get up this early." Jack slightly teased.

Elizabeth scrunched up her nose a little at his teasing. Jack always thought she looked adorable when she would do that.

"I just wanted to think by myself for a little bit. I couldn't sleep and I wanted to take a walk to think things through."

"I'm sorry to bother you. I just saw someone up here. I knew no one should be here. I just wanted to check on them. I'll leave you alone so you can think."

"No!" She stated a little too forcefully. Elizabeth saw an opportunity for them to talk and she didn't want to pass this chance up. "Jack, would you please sit with me?"

Jack thought about it for a moment. He nodded his head. Then he outstretched his arm for her to sit first.

…

"Good morning, young man." Abagail stated as she gave JJ a hug. "Did you survive not having bedtime stories last night?" She asked with a smile on her face. She knew how much he loved bedtime stories.

"Barely." He sighed. "It was touch and go there for a while." He stated in a dead pan voice.

"You simply won't do." Exclaimed Abagail with a loud laugh. She could just eat this boy up with how adorable he is. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"No, dad made…I mean Mr. Jack made eggs and sausage this morning. We had your left over biscuits. It's hard to mess up eggs." JJ corrected himself. He almost called Jack, dad. He felt that way toward Jack, but he hadn't voiced it yet.

Abagail caught JJ's correction. She smiled knowing Jack would love the new title. She also knew he wasn't pushing JJ for that. Jack was taking everything at JJ's pace so he would be comfortable.

"So, what's your plans for today?"

"Well, Mr. Jack will be by around lunch. So, I will eat with him. I guess play with Robert whenever he gets out. Maybe get a book to read later. Nothing too much. You?"

"Make food…serve food." She laughed.

JJ walked over to the counter to pick up two pots of coffee. He always tried to help when he was there during the rush hours. The men at the mill were beginning to show up for breakfast.

"The real stuff or the fake stuff?" JJ asked as he stepped to a table with four men eating their breakfasts.

"The real stuff or the fake stuff?" Asked a new man who was confused.

"Auntie Abagail has the real coffee and the fake coffee." JJ answered as he raised the right pot when he said the real coffee and he raised the left pot when he said the fake coffee.

The man still looked confused.

"There is coffee and decaf coffee." The gentleman to his right stated. "Ms. Abagail started serving the decaffeinated coffee a couple of weeks ago."

"The real stuff." The man stated raising the coffee mug. "I have a long day ahead of me."

…

Jack sat about two feet away from Elizabeth on the log. She had to remind herself to breathe because he was sitting so close to her. She could easily reach out and touch him. She wanted too. They haven't touched in weeks now and it was killing her. They sat in silence for a few, long, awkward moments.

"Jack." She began in a soft voice. "I want to truly apologize for my actions over the past few weeks and months. I should never have acted that way and I should have never allowed my family to treat you that way. I allowed them to disrespect you. I should have stood up to them. For that, I am sorry. I am also sorry for allowing my friendship with Charles to come between us. That was wrong of me."

Jack nodded his head. He didn't look at her. He was looking at the ground in front of him. He wanted to ask her a few questions, but he thought the questions would cause an argument. He just didn't want to argue anymore.

"I never courted Charles. I now know my actions tell another story, but I was never in a courtship with him. We were only friends as far as I was concerned. Our time together was as friends. I know he thought otherwise, but Jack, I was only friends with him. I hope you believe that?"

"So…you never courted him?"

"No, I have never courted him."

"Elizabeth…" He drew out her name. He wasn't angry, but there was disbelief in his tone. "How can you say you never courted him when you spent so much intimate time with him?"

"I never saw it as intimate time. Now I know differently. He certainly saw it that way. For me, it was spending time with a close friend. We have been friends since I was four years old. We played together. We went to school together. We had the same friends, tutors, and piano teachers. We played together as kids. We were just friends. There were never any romantic feelings toward Charles."

Jack turned his head to look at her. Their eyes connected. He saw the truth in her eyes, but he just couldn't forget the last few weeks. Over their distance for the past few weeks, they have lost the ability to read each other's expression. They would look into the eyes of the other and instantly knew what the other person was thinking. Today was the first time Elizabeth looked into Jack's eyes and knew his thoughts. In that moment of distrust, she wished she couldn't read his eyes.

"I see in your eyes that you don't believe me. I completely understand why you don't. It certainly appeared we were courting." She reached for his hand but pulled her hand back before she touched him. She remembered she didn't have that right any longer. "But Jack, I am telling you the truth. We never courted. Those times together were as friends…nothing more."

Jack continued to look into her eyes. She did not flinch or break eye contact. She was standing firm.

"Charles would kiss me on the cheek. He has done that since our freshman year of high school. It was his way of saying goodbye. Not one time did I think of it as romantic."

Jack let out a small huff at that statement.

"I now know he thought it was romance. It wasn't uncommon in my circle of friends for people to kiss like that. Granted, he was the only boy who would do that with me. All my other friends were females. We always kissed on the cheek like that. I just never saw it as inappropriate."

Jack shook his head. "Elizabeth, are you telling me that there were never any romantic feelings toward Mr. Kensington?"

"Yes." She stated as she nodded her head. "I never, not once, thought of him that way."

Jack returned his gaze to the ground in front of his boots. He was having a hard time believing her story. Her eyes told him it was true, but he heard what happened after Charles proposed.

In the same, even toned voice, Elizabeth continued. "I should never have left the way I did with him. Abagail warned me that I was placing our relationship…" She waved her hand between the two of them. "…in danger by leaving that way. I just didn't see it. I wished I had heeded her advice. I didn't tell you everything in the letter to you because I didn't want you to be mad. I didn't want to have another discussion concerning Charles. I was going home to talk to my father about my life here."

"But you didn't talk to your father for weeks about Hope Valley."

"We talked very little about Hope Valley for the first few weeks. I got lost in that place and my old life. I look back on my four weeks in Hamilton as the worst part of my life. I messed everything up. The worst part is that I left you here thinking I didn't love you and that I accepted another man's proposal." Tears began to flow down her face. As emotional as this discussion was going, it was not contentious like their first talk. "I never accepted his proposal, but I know you thought that. I only made it worse by not writing to you. I just didn't think what needed to be said should be in a letter."

"Elizabeth, you made no effort to write me or get in touch with me. You didn't even let me know you made it safely. You completely abandoned me for those few weeks. I know Abagail told you that I thought you were engaged to Mr. Kensington. Yet, you never wrote or telegrammed me to correct my thinking. You allowed me to think that for weeks."

Elizabeth's head dropped a little but she never took her eyes off Jack. This was painful, but she wasn't letting Jack slip away from her. She was fighting for this with every ounce of strength she had. Leaving this hill without Jack was unacceptable.

"I did." She sighed. "I'm so sorry for doing that. I should have at least sent a telegram. I was just busy with my life there that I allowed it to consume me."

"And your life with Mr. Kensington."

"My friendship with Charles." She gently corrected Jack.

Jack sat silently on the log. He was processing everything. He was struggling to bring what he was hearing to what he saw together so that it could make sense. Elizabeth bit her tongue to keep from talking. She wanted to blurt out everything, but she knew this had to go at Jack's pace. She couldn't overload him all at once. He had to work everything out in his head and his heart.

"Did you entertain his proposal?" He whispered. She was barely able to hear him.

"No, I did not."

"But you left with him the very next morning. I was told he kissed you on the porch of the café the same day he proposed to you. Elizabeth…" He elongated her name. "This doesn't add up. It doesn't make any sense at all." He stated shaking his head with his arms outreached with his palms up.

"It was a friend's kiss on the cheek like he has done for years. I never thought anything of it." She waited for his reaction, but he didn't say anything nor did he flinch. "The whole debacle was the worst decisions of my life. I can see it in your eyes that you question my love for you. I can also see that you don't fully trust me. It breaks my heart that I am the person who placed that doubt in your mind. Jack, I look back over those decisions and I question why I did it."

"Did anything change with your feelings toward him after he proposed to you while you were in Hamilton?"

"No. Nothing has changed with my feelings for Charles. I have never had any romantic feelings toward him. I didn't before he proposed, and I haven't since he proposed."

Jack let out a small laugh as he shook his head. "Elizabeth, you courted that man in Hamilton. You went on dates with him. You had lunches and dinners with him and only him. You took walks in the gardens and parks with him. He came to your home and escorted you to parties. You danced with him at those parties. I bet you only danced with him at those parties. He would escort you home after those parties. I'm assuming he would kiss you at your door while telling you good night? How is that not courting?"

Elizabeth broke eye contact for the first time in their discussion. Her heart was breaking at the pain she caused Jack. For her, it honestly was friendship, but she could easily see how it would be considered courting to anyone else, especially Jack. She knew he thought Charles loved her, but she always wrote it off as friendship.

Tears flowed freely down Elizabeth's face. The pain she pushed on Jack through her friendship with Charles was coming back on her a thousand fold through Jack's hurt and unbelief.

"Jack, I never courted him."

"Elizabeth…I avoided Rosemary with everything in me. I was short with her and even to the point of being rude. I was never that way with her. If I had done anything close with her that you did with Mr. Kensington, you would have dropped me a long time ago. Yet, you told me that I still had feelings for her. You made me prove to you over weeks that I wasn't in love with her."

"That's different Jack. Charles and I was never engaged."

In a tired and frustrated voice, Jack spoke. "Elizabeth, to the whole world you were, except for you. You were the only person alive who didn't think so. Your parents and your sisters thought you were engaged to Mr. Kensington. People here knew you were. I knew you were engaged to him. Mr. Kensington thought you left with him accepting his proposal. How can everyone think you were courting him except for you?" That was the first time his tone had a little bite to it in this conversation.

"I let my jealousy and insecurities control my thinking with Rosemary. I'm sorry for that."

"Do you really want me to believe that you never courted him?" His voice was filled with skepticism.

"Yes."

Jack stood and took five steps to the end of the log shaking his head the whole way. He stopped looking over Hope Valley from his viewpoint. He wanted to walk away, but his heart just wouldn't let him. He ran his hand over the back of his neck several times in frustration.

"I just can't see how you don't think you courted him." He barely spoke. Elizabeth had a hard time hearing him. "You must think I'm dumb and or gullible. Are you really that naive in thinking you two didn't date or that I would believe that?"

Elizabeth wanted to run to him and wrap him in her arms. She was afraid he was at the end of his patience. She feared he would just walk away. She stood but remained at the log. She knew he needed space. She also remembered that he told Abagail that he just couldn't walk away. However, she was fearing he was at that point.

After several moments of silence, Elizabeth began to explain her point of view. "I grew up as Elizabeth. I was sheltered in my bubble. To the outside world, I grew up as a Thatcher. I really didn't know what that meant as a child. I knew we had more material things than most families, but as a child you just don't see things like that. I didn't realize that I was what the world knew as a Thatcher until I was in the first year of senior high school. I was at a new school with new students. Once they knew who my father was, everyone wanted to be my friend. They used me to get what they could. They didn't want to be friends with me because I was Elizabeth. They wanted to be friends with me because I was a Thatcher."

Jack turned around to look at her. He didn't step closer to her.

"When you come from money, some people will use you to get what they want or what they can get. A lot like Billy Hamilton tried to do. When that happens to you enough times, you keep your circle of friends very small. Charles was in that circle of friends. When you have someone who liked you for being Elizabeth, you held onto them with everything that you have. You avoid people who only liked you because you're a Thatcher."

Jack listened to every word she spoke. He never had that problem when he grew up. He came from modest means. He never dealt with those types of people. What she said made perfect sense.

Elizabeth could see that he was softening a little. This gave her hope, but she could still see his hesitation. "Jack, I never thought of him as a suitor. He was a friend. Even after he proposed and we did all of those things in Hamilton, he was only a friend to me. I see how stupid that was. I will regret that for the rest of my life. I allowed a friend to cause doubt in the man I love. Jack…you need to understand that I love you, only you."

"And now?"

"Charles used his friendship with me to cross a line he shouldn't have crossed. He will never do that again. If he backs off and remains a true friend, I think we could remain friends. If he pushes like he has done, we could never be friends. It's the same with Rosemary. When she continued to pursue you, we could never be friends. Since she has backed off pursuing you, we became friends."

Jack nodded his head. For the first time, Elizabeth saw hope in his eyes. She wanted to jump into his arms. She wanted his arms to hold her like they used to. She fought the urge with everything in her.

Her smile and hope grew when he slowly walked to the log. He was standing in front of her just two feet away. She didn't know that he was fighting the same urges. He wanted to hug her and never let go. They looked into each other's eyes for several long moments. Both were amazed that they were beginning to read each other again. Jack slowly sat down on the log. He never took his eyes off Elizabeth.

…

"Hey beautiful." Frank flirted as he stepped into the kitchen.

Abagail was just beginning to work on the dishes from the rush of mill workers.

"I believe you may need to get your eyes checked." She sighed as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"I'm a pastor, Abagail. I'm not allowed to lie." He grinned as he walked toward her. When he was in front of her, he leaned down and gently kissed her. "May I help you?"

"Are you sure?" She stated as she looked at the large pile of dishes. Today was a busy day.

"As long as we do them together." She looked at him for a moment. She thought he was crazy for wanting to help. When she saw his grin, she knew he just wanted to be with her. He didn't care what they were doing. He just wanted to be in her presence.

"I'll wash and you dry."

Frank grabbed a towel on the side of the sink. "Deal. Hey…JJ asked me if I wanted the real stuff or the fake stuff. What does that mean?"

Abagail laughed. "What did you say?"

"I asked for the real stuff. What is that boy about to bring me?"

"Coffee." Abagail couldn't keep from laughing.

"Ok…so, what's the fake stuff?"

"That is what he calls decaf coffee."

Frank looked at her confused for a moment and then let out a loud laugh. He could only shake his head as he continued to laugh. Abagail thought that was the best sound she had heard in a long time.

"That boy's sense of humor…" Frank shook his head.

"Here pastor." JJ stated as he walked into the kitchen and placed the coffee cup on the table.

"Thank you, JJ."

"Yup."

"Yes." Abagail corrected him.

"Yes." He smirked. "May I go out and play now?

"Have fun. Stay away from the campsite and out of the pond." She exclaimed pointing her finger at him.

"I'm never going to the campsite again. The punishment was torture." JJ shivered at the memory. "However, the pond is a huge maybe. I didn't get in trouble with that." JJ sassed as he came to her to give her a hug. I just have to let people know if there is anything alive in my pockets."

Abagail only shook her head. "You're too smart of your own good."

Abagail laughed at Frank's confused expression. "I'll explain once you get caught up on your side of the sink.

"Abagail…everything doesn't have to be a race."

…

Jack and Elizabeth sat in complete silence on the log for a long time. Both were deep in thought about the conversation. While it was difficult, it was completely different from the first talk. Voices weren't raised in this conversation. The questions were hard, and the feelings were still painful. However, this conversation wasn't contentious. Both felt like they expressed their sides.

Elizabeth felt that she was losing Jack. The thought made her breathing difficult. She was struggling to keep her mind under control. She knew what she wanted. She knew the desire of her heart. She also understood her actions over the past were causing this mess. She internally kicked herself for her decisions, but she was no longer dwelling on them. That wasn't helping her to gain her desire. Her desire was two feet from her hurting because of her. She determined to spend the rest of her life showing him how much she loved him.

Jack still struggled with the last four plus weeks. Her silence and actions during that time were very difficult to reconcile. He felt she was playing both him and Charles. In Hope Valley, she loved him. In Hamilton, she loved Charles. Her explanation about growing up wealthy and people using you for their gain made sense. He just wasn't sure that was the whole story. In his opinion, she continued with Charles way too much for simple friendship. He was still confused, but not as much as he was.

Jack still believed Elizabeth had some feelings for Charles. However, he knew she wasn't lying to him. He rubbed the back of his neck trying to figure everything out.

Elizabeth took a few deep breaths before she laid everything out to Jack. She promised herself on the train ride home that she was never going to let a moment go by with Jack. She wanted to take every opportunity to be with him. He was never going to question her love for him again.

"Jack…I know I mess everything up. I know I have placed a huge portion of doubt in your heart concerning me. That was never my desire. However, I have done it nonetheless. I will spend my life proving to you that my love for you is my only love. I love you, Jack Thornton. If you will only give me the opportunity to prove that to you, I promise you will never regret it."

Elizabeth completely opened her heart to Jack. Everything was out in the open. It was his choice now. If this wasn't going to work out, it wasn't because she kept secrets or didn't try. For her, she was walking off this hill with Jack Thornton. If this conversation didn't work, then she would try again.

Jack's mind and heart was waging war against each other. His mind was telling him he would be a fool if he would entertain the idea of giving Elizabeth a chance. His mind was screaming for him to run away as fast and as far as possible. There was nothing but heartache waiting for him with Elizabeth and Charles. While he heard his mind loud and clear, his heart was winning. His heart was telling him that he loved Elizabeth more than he had ever loved anything else in the world. Elizabeth is his soulmate and his heart proclaimed it with each beat.

Jack rubbed his face with the palm of his hands vigorously several times. He couldn't believe what he was about to say.

Jack let out a long, deep breath. "Elizabeth, I think we need to take this slow…painfully slow. We both need to know what we want and to make sure this can work. I want it to work, but we have a lot of history between us that needs to be figured out before we can move forward. Don't you think?"

Elizabeth's heart stopped when Jack began speaking. Then it raced as he described them moving forward. He was giving them a chance. She wanted to jump from her log and land on top of him kissing him senseless, but she knew she couldn't.

While Elizabeth was excited he was willing to give her a honest chance, that wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. She was ecstatic that he was willing to give her the chance to prove herself but was saddened he wanted to slow things down. Since she made her decision to pick him and her life in Hope Valley, she wanted to speed things up. They have been here for three years already, way too long in her opinion now. She wanted the life she knew in her heart. Not tomorrow…now. She understood he needed to catch up to her. He gave her that time when she was getting past Rosemerry, so she had to give him the same consideration.

"Jack, I promise you will not regret this."

Jack nodded his head.

"I want you to take all the time you need to know my heart is completely yours. I just hope it's not too much time."

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"I want you in my life, Jack Thornton, and not as a friend. I want you in my life with a ring on my finger with all the potential that lies before us. I want everything you and I have together to the fullest."

Jack's smile grew at her words, but he was still guarded. He wanted every word she stated, but he couldn't just forget the past few weeks. As much as he tried to be guarded, his smile grew, and his heart opened further. He wanted this. He wanted her. He wanted the life she mentioned.

Elizabeth's breathing became easier when she saw Jack's smile. That was the first smile during their conversation. It gave her hope that things were going to be better. She was just praying it wouldn't take too long. Her desire for him was growing each day. She tried to calm her excitement, but just couldn't. She would describe herself as giddy. She has never been giddy before.

After a couple of minutes in silence, Jack stood. "I need to get back to town. I'm supposed to be having lunch with JJ. Would you like to eat with us?"

Elizabeth's heart melted at the tone in his voice. It was soft and sweet. Just like the Jack she loves and remembers. She didn't have to answer him with words, her smile told him the answer.

Jack thought about extending his hand to help her up, but decided against it. He wanted them to work out, but he needed to take it slow. After taking Sergeant's reins, the two began walking down the hill. Elizabeth was excited the distance between them the last couple of times they walked were no longer there. They still hadn't touched yet, but Jack was just a foot or so away from her. He didn't step away from her.

"Jack, do you remember the first time we stood on this hill?"

His sly grin told her he did. "If I remember correctly, we spoke about some American president or something."

"Or something." Elizabeth melted at the small amount of flirting. She loved it and only wanted to do it more.

"I think I also brought you a gift. But you didn't have a gift for me." Teased Jack.

"I think you left happy that afternoon." She joked but remembered the familiar feeling of excitement and want. She wanted the same result from that afternoon, a kiss that she felt in her toes. She knew she needed to give him time but didn't realize until that moment how difficult this was going to be.

Jack's face started to blush. "If I remember correctly, I believe we both left happy." Now his face had those dimples that made her heart stop.

"Oh, Dimples…"

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"Nothing important. Don't worry about it."