"Are you sure he's ready?" she asked.
"Elizabeth, he's ready. We'll be right by his side & we'll take our time getting there."
"Okay," she said, sounding more reassured. She leaned back against my chest & I wrapped my arms around her.
Quietly watching the night sky, from her front porch, was one of my favorite ways to spend our alone time in the evenings. Sure, every once in a while we'd hear Rosemary giggle, a telltale sign she'd spotted us from her living room window, but I didn't mind. In fact, I'd begun to find it amusing. Especially when we'd hear Lee say, "Rosie, give them some privacy." We'd hear her protest momentarily & then retreat. She was happy for us & I was starting to feel closer to her & Lee.
Allie was home from visiting her grandparents & it was the last Friday before school started. I had plans to take the kids on an overnight camping trip tomorrow, & to my surprise & delight, Elizabeth wanted to go along with us; making it a true family affair. I'd arranged for use of the hunting cabin, near Simon's pass, so Elizabeth & the children could sleep inside. I would sleep outside, in a bed roll, under the stars. We would all go up on horseback & this would be Jack's first unassisted ride. Pal was a gentle, sure-footed little pony, & Jack was doing very well with his riding lessons. He was obedient & showed good judgement when handling Pal. Elizabeth was nervous when I suggested he ride solo, but she trusted my opinion, and agreed to let him try.
Jack was so excited, earlier this evening, when we told him the news.
"Really?! Thank you, mama!" he said, hugging Elizabeth.
"Thank you, Mountie Nathan!" he exclaimed, jumping into my arms.
"You're welcome, Jack. You've earned it. You'll need to wear your riding helmet & listen closely. If we come along a tough spot on the trail I'll expect you to obey promptly. We want you to be safe."
"I will!"
"I know you will, Jack," I said, putting him down.
"Nathan, I love you," Elizabeth said, breaking the silence; quickly shaking me from the memory.
"Well, I never get tired of hearing that," I said, joining her in the present.
She laughed. "I'm being serious!"
"So am I."
She did a half turn, craning her neck to look back at me. Putting a hand to my cheek, her eyes gave the silent plea I'd come to recognize very well. I happily complied, leaning in to kiss her. I could taste the sweetness on her lips, from the glass of spirits we shared earlier, & became instantly intoxicated...but not because of the wine. It was having her fall into my arms, at every given opportunity, that left me constantly drunk on her love. She could render me speechless in a look, powerless by her touch, & senseless with her lips.
As the kiss ended, she left her hand on my cheek, while her clear blue eyes stared into mine.
"I love you, Nathan, for so many reasons. But tonight, watching Jack jump into your arms..."
Her voice trailed off & a tear fell down her cheek. I wiped it away, & she turned further into me, laying her head against my chest, before she spoke again.
"For almost six years, I've raised Jack as a single parent. We've lived in this house alone & found a routine that works for both of us. Having Lee & Rosemary next door has been wonderful, & having Bill play an active role as Jack's Godfather, has also been a complete blessing. They've all helped me out, on numerous occasions, & I'm so grateful for them."
She stopped briefly, wiping another tear from her eye.
"Bill & Lee are excellent men, & they've been wonderful role models, but they aren't his father."
She paused again, & I held her more tightly, silently encouraging her to continue.
"Nathan, seeing the way you are with Jack has made me fall more in love with you than I ever thought possible. We're a package deal, the two of us, & you've treated us like precious cargo. I'm so grateful for the love you've given me & for the love you've extended to my son, too."
"Sweetheart, you've done the same for Allie. She looked up to you, & loved you, from the beginning. But now, as you & I grow in our love, she's feeling even closer to you. I'm grateful you love us both wholeheartedly, too."
She snuggled closer into my chest, & we held each other a few more minutes, before I needed to go home.
"I love you," I said, after tenderly kissing her lips. "Let's have a quick breakfast at my house, tomorrow at 8:00, so we can get an early start."
"I'm looking forward to it. Goodnight, my love."
"Goodnight, sweetheart."
I walked home, & after a quick drink of water, I went upstairs to bed. I fell into a peaceful sleep fairly quickly, & before I knew it, Scout was waking me up to take him on his morning walk. After returning to the house, I bathed, & then focused my attention on packing our camping & fishing gear.
Elizabeth & Jack arrived at 8:00, & the four of us enjoyed a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs & toast, before retrieving our horses from the livery. We got them saddled, packed our gear onto them, & started our ride up into the woods.
Letting Scout run up ahead, I took the lead, keeping Jack by my side, with Allie & Elizabeth riding behind. It was a smooth ride, with no real rough terrain, & each time I'd give Jack a correction, he'd quickly obey. He had such a look of concentration throughout the ride, but when we arrived at the cabin, his little face broke out into a beautiful grin, & he looked up to me for approval.
"Excellent riding today, Jack. I'm very proud of you."
"Thanks, Mountie Nathan!" he exclaimed; dismounting his pony & giving me a hug.
Elizabeth & I exchanged a look of pride, as he ran to her for a hug, asking how he did?
"Jack, you did wonderfully today! You rode very well & I'm so proud of you."
Looking to Allie next, she confirmed our sentiments, & he hugged her, too.
It was approaching the noon hour & we were all beginning to get hungry. So we quickly unloaded our gear on the front porch, left the horses to graze, & took the picnic basket up to the clearing, with Scout in tow. Elizabeth had packed a bone for him & a simple lunch of sandwiches, carrot sticks, & apples for the rest of us to enjoy, with lemonade to drink.
It was a beautiful day to be outside. The sky was bright blue & there were big, white, puffy clouds spread throughout. So after we finished eating, we all laid side by side on the ground, & found shapes in the clouds together.
"I see a horse!" Jack exclaimed.
"I see that too," Elizabeth said. "Look at that one. It looks like a cowboy hat!"
"Where?" Allie asked.
"Just down from the horse & to the left."
"Oh, I see it now! Well that one, to the right, looks like Robert's hair. I wish he'd cut it."
We all laughed, but I felt a pang in my chest. Allie wasn't a little girl anymore & her crush on Robert was always lying just beneath the surface. I was glad Elizabeth could help me with her ever burgeoning, teenage feelings.
"What do you see, dad?" Allie asked
"Well, let's see. That one right there looks like a heart to me."
"I see a heart too," Elizabeth said, taking my hand; gently caressing it with her thumb.
We enjoyed the cloud game for awhile longer & then it was time to do a few chores in preparation for the evening.
"Alright, everyone," I said, sitting up. "Let's go back to the cabin. Elizabeth, if you could please get the bed rolls situated for the evening, I can bring all the rest of the gear in. Allie, I want you & Jack to take Scout over to the river for a drink, please. When you're done with that, I'd like you both to gather a good amount of dry kindling, too. There's logs up near the cabin already. I'll split them later for fire wood."
"Okay, dad."
We all did our various tasks, & with everyone pitching in, the work was completed very quickly.
"Good work, everyone. Thank you for your help."
"Yes, thank you," Elizabeth said.
"You're welcome," Allie & Jack replied in unison.
"The wind has picked up a little. It's a great time to fly those kites you brought. Allie, why don't you & Jack take Scout, & go back up to the clearing with them. Mrs. Thornton & I will take the horses down to the river for a drink. Here's my pocket watch. It's 1:30 now. Come back here by 3:00, please, so we can go fishing for dinner."
Taking my watch, the kids raced off, with kites in hand, & Scout on their heels.
Elizabeth & I each took two sets of reigns in hand & started leading all the horses to the river. It was a short, but enjoyable walk. The combination of the wind whistling through the trees, & the river loudly crashing against the rocks, made for a peaceful symphony. We loosely tied one reign, from each horse, to the limb of a low hanging willow tree & allowed them to drink.
Elizabeth leaned back against my chest, & I held her close, as we took in the beautiful scenery. The wind blew & I caught the scent of freshly cut lilacs. Realizing it was her perfume, I couldn't help but nuzzle her neck & inhale deeply; reveling in her delicate scent. As was often the case, I couldn't keep my lips to myself when she was in my arms. I lightly kissed her neck, as she tilted away, clearing a path for me to explore.
"Ahh," I heard her say, as I dragged my lips up her neck; allowing my tongue to randomly taste her skin, before lightly nibbling on her ear.
"That feels nice," she said, softly.
"You feel nice in my arms," I whispered into her ear.
She shivered, but then started to giggle.
Hey! What's so funny? I'm trying to create a moment here," I said, with mock complaint.
"I know you are, Constable. That's why I'm laughing."
"Okaaay?" I questioned.
She turned to face me.
"We've been friends for five years, most of which we've spent stifling our love, & being very hands off. Now, we've only been together for three weeks, & we can't seem to keep our lips & hands to ourselves. It's comical, after showing restraint for so long, how quickly we've embraced the physicality of our relationship."
Putting one hand on my chest, & the other on my cheek, she pulled me in for a brief kiss.
"But it's also fiercely liberating, & incredibly pleasurable, to be in your arms, receiving your kisses, & feeling so unabashedly loved by you, Nathan."
"Holding you, kissing you, & loving you is the greatest pleasure I've ever known, Elizabeth."
Feeling content, we held each other for several more minutes, before deciding to remove our shoes & dip our toes in the water together. The river was very cooling, against the hot summer sun, & we held hands enjoying the feel of it.
But all of a sudden, Pal started rearing up & whinnying, behind us. Turning to see what was wrong, I spotted a common water snake...but not before Elizabeth did.
"Nathan! There's a snake!" she exclaimed, backing further into the water; trying to get away quickly. But before I could react, she lost her balance & fell into the river, getting completely soaked. The snake, more afraid of us than we were of him, took off in the opposite direction; depositing itself further down the bank.
The scene was so comical, I couldn't help but chuckle, as I asked if she was alright?
"I can't believe you're laughing! I might've been bitten by a poisonous snake & now I'm completely soaked!"
"Sweetheart, you weren't in any danger. That was a common water snake. They're not poisonous," I said, taking her hand & helping her up.
"Well, I still don't think it's funny, Nathan Grant!"
And suddenly...neither did I.
Elizabeth's white blouse was clinging to her wet body, exposing her undergarment, & showing the shape God gave her. My mouth went instantly dry, my heart rate increased, & I forced myself to avert my eyes.
"I'm sorry," I said, quietly. Every fiber in my being wanted to continue looking at her, but I rallied self control from reserves I didn't know I possessed, & forced myself to keep my eyes forward. "Let's get back to the cabin so you can change."
It was a quiet walk back, the air heavy with my desire & her annoyance, silently battling between us. I tried to focus my thoughts on anything but Elizabeth's wet, clinging blouse, but I wasn't having much luck. When we arrived back at the cabin, we settled the horses at the hitching post, & she went inside to change without another word. I was still at war with myself, so I decided to get rid of my pent up, male frustration by chopping the fire wood. I worked for several minutes before I got too hot, and needed to take my shirt off. The rhythmic, consistent swing of the ax was starting to bring my mind back into focus. By the time I finished, I was hot, sweaty, & in need of a cool drink. I turned to pick up my shirt & saw Elizabeth watching me. I thought I saw a grin, but I must've been mistaken, because she asked me to "please, come inside" & her tone was uncharacteristically cold.
"Are we about to have our first argument?" I thought, as I put my shirt back on.
I walked through the door to see her in teacher's power stance, tapping one foot, with arms crossed, & an annoyed look on her face.
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry."
"You really should be, Nathan Grant. What is it with this cabin?! The last time we were here, you raised your voice & talked to me like an errant child. Now you're laughing when a snake terrifies me, & I end up falling into the river, getting completely soaked to the bone. Why do you always behave rudely when we're here?"
"Always?! Elizabeth, that's a bit of a stretch. I understand why you're upset about today, & I'm sorry, but I thought we resolved the other matter years ago. Why are you bringing that up now?"
"Why am I bringing that up now?! Because!"
"Because, why?"
"Because aren't you frustrated with me now, Constable?"
I shook my head & threw my hands up in defeat.
"I'm getting there, yes."
She walked over quickly, put both arms around my neck, & with a coy smile, she said, "good. Then let's make up."
She grabbed my face, bringing my lips down to hers in a reckless fury; taking us both to new heights of euphoria. I was confused, but completely willing to play along. I let my hands move north from her hips, to the curve of her waist, before settling one at the small of her back & allowing the other to capture the nape of her neck; holding her steady as my lips moved urgently against hers.
After a while, I reluctantly gentled the kiss, allowing us to catch our breath.
"Nathan, I love you," she said breathlessly; resting her forehead against mine.
"Sweetheart, I love you, too. I'm so sorry I laughed."
Pushing against my chest, she looked me in the eye, with that coy smile again.
"Don't apologize, for laughing. In hindsight, it was incredibly funny. Apologize for taking your shirt off, in plain sight of the cabin, because I couldn't take my eyes off you & I quickly got, shall we say...overheated."
I couldn't help the pleased grin, I knew was spreading across my face. So I lowered my voice an octave, & responded in kind.
"Maybe you should apologize to me, for falling into the river, & sending me into a wood chopping frenzy...just to get the image of your soaked, white blouse out of my mind."
Her cheeks turned pink, but an equally pleased grin came onto her face, mirroring my own.
"Why, Constable, I do believe we're suffering from the same thing."
"We are, if you're referring to me wanting you, as much as you seem to want me?"
"I am. I'm love starved for you, Nathan. I can't get enough of you."
"The feeling is definitely mutual, sweetheart."
Staring at her lips, I started to dip my head & kiss her again, when I heard the children's voices quickly approaching. Sharing my alarm, Elizabeth turned to pull a book out of her satchel, as I hurriedly opened the tackle box. I was seemingly pouring over the lure selection, as the door pushed further open, & they entered with Scout at their heels.
"Hey, kids," I said, my voice sounding relatively normal. "Did you enjoy flying your kites?"
"It was fun," Allie said.
"It was great! We got them to fly so high!" Jack said, with pure delight.
"That's wonderful!" Elizabeth said, chiming in.
"Are you ready to go fishing for dinner? There's a bunch of unsuspecting trout just waiting to be caught," I said.
"Let's go!" Jack said, taking my hand.
"I'm ready too," Allie said. She was answering me, but her gaze was on Elizabeth, & an all too knowing smile came onto her face. "Mrs. Thornton, are you coming with us?"
"Yes, of course. I can finish reading this some other time."
"Okaaay," Allie said, drawing out the word; sounding like her old man. "Come on, Jack. Let's go get our fishing poles ready."
"Oh goodness," Elizabeth said quietly, as they went outside. "Do you think Allie suspects we were kissing?"
Looking more closely at Elizabeth, I chuckled, walked over to her, & turned the open book in her hands right side, up.
"I think it's a pretty safe bet she did, teacher," I said, with a wink.
She giggled, putting her palm to forehead, & stood up.
"Elizabeth, it's okay. I think allowing our children to see us in love is a good thing," I said, taking her hand.
She nodded, smiling warmly at me. Owning our love, we held hands & walked outside to join the children; leaving Scout behind in the cabin.
Our fishing jaunt was very enjoyable. Allie & I caught ours, & one for Scout, fairly quickly; years of father/daughter fishing trips, lending to our skills. But in the end, we were all successful, catching just enough for dinner. Jack had the joy of catching, not only his first fish ever, but the biggest of the day. He happily bounced up & down, when he saw how big it was, & we all chuckled at the cuteness of his excitement. I knelt down beside him, took it off the hook, & let him drop it in the submerged basket, along with the other fish. Elizabeth caught her first fish, too; it being the smallest, yet still a respectively sized one. Owning my position as her man (for the first time in front of our children) I stood behind, with my arms around her, helping to reel it in. Handing the pole to Allie, I held her close, & walked her through the steps of taking it off the hook. She did it successfully, & the kids cheered & clapped for her, while I smiled with pride at my love.
"Ugh. Yuck! It's so slimy," she said, dropping it into the basket.
"But you did it, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you. Your very first fish!"
"Thank you," she said, giving me a quick peck on the lips; the first ever in front of our children. "You gave excellent instructions."
Allie & Jack beamed at the obvious love between us. We had chosen wisely, in allowing them to see it. I put Jack on my shoulders, Elizabeth put an arm around Allie's waist, & we took our successful haul back to the cabin.
I started the fire, & took my filet knife out to clean the fish, with Jack curiously watching by my side; asking questions while I worked. Allie put all the fishing gear away & Elizabeth cooked potatoes in the skillet we had brought from home. An hour later, we were ready to eat, & every morsel was delicious. Everyone ate to their fill; even Scout. We gathered around the campfire, & to Elizabeth's delight, I joined in as we all sang. We told scary stories, we roasted marshmallows, & we even caught fireflies. When it was late, & the children looked sleepy, I helped Elizabeth get them settled in bed; before giving her a quick goodnight kiss, & taking my bed roll outside.
Stoking the fire, I leaned against a giant log & fell into a trance, watching the flames rise in a controlled blaze. But some time later, I heard her voice call my name, before I saw her approach.
"Nathan, are you awake?"
"Yes, sweetheart, I'm awake. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I just wondered if you'd hold me for a little while?"
"I'll never say no to that, 'Lizabeth."
Sitting beside me, I pulled her in close, & she laid her head against my chest. We sat in silence, enjoying the nearness of one another & the beauty of the fire, for a long time, before she spoke.
"Nathan, four years ago, after you got upset with me in the cabin, you came to my house to apologize. I remember feeling short of breath at your words, not being able to reply, because you used a familiar phrase I said to you earlier that day. You said, "I just want you to be safe, because you matter to me.""
"I remember."
"What did "be safe" mean to you, when you said it to me?"
It meant, "I love you. Even though you're not ready to hear the words, & even though I'm not quite ready to say them, I love you.""
Sitting upright, she repositioned herself, draping her legs across my lap, so she could face me.
"Nathan, I want you to know, before I even understood how much I loved you, or the degree to which I could love you, it meant the same thing when I said it to you, too. It did then, it does now, & it always will."
She wrapped her arms around me, & leaned in close, so I took the opportunity to whisper words of love to her. I told her how beautiful she is, how happy she makes me, & how I couldn't bear to live without her.
A coyote howled somewhere in the distance, as she lifted her head to face me, her eyes begging for a kiss...but fast approaching, little footsteps shook us out of the moment quickly.
"Daddy! I'm scared! There's a wolf out here," Jack said, running into my arms; crying.
Slightly stunned, it took a minute for me to register what he said, as Elizabeth moved her legs; making room for Jack.
I brought him onto my lap, & held him close, as he cried into my chest.
"It's okay, Jack. It wasn't a wolf. It was a coyote. And coyotes just love to hear the sound of their own voice."
Making eye contact with Elizabeth, she had tears in her eyes, as she silently nodded; giving me her approval.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I hugged him closer.
"Don't worry, son. You're safe now. Daddy won't let anything hurt you."
-Thank you for reading! Please consider following my account on Instagram, where I connect with my readers, & share the work of incredibly talented, fellow Heartie authors (such as simply_stories on AO3 & notawriter32 on FF) as well as many outstanding digital creators (such as HeartieMusings & MountieWithHeart) in my daily Instagram stories! StoriesOfTheHeartie