A/N: Dear readers,
I guess I've grown impatient. I still have a slight hope that the WCTH storyline will finally have this call-back, but I decided to wait no longer and to write one version of how it could come about. This story begins whenever WCTH gets around to Nathan and Elizabeth marrying and at the end of their honeymoon at an undisclosed place. Sooner rather than later, I hope! You might want to check my author note at the end to pull up the song referred to on YouTube to play as you read that section.
Disclaimer: All characters are property of Hallmark and Crown Media.
Courage Realized
Elizabeth lay next to the firm, muscular body radiating warmth that shielded her from the chill of the morning air. She'd been awake for a while, thinking, then she propped herself up on one arm just to watch him sleep. How she adored the breath-taking man before her. How had she ignored all he was for so long? She loved every line and curve of his chiseled face, the unruly curl that persistently hung over one side of his forehead, the lines in his face – both when he worried, and when that infectious crooked smile traced crinkles at the corners of his mouth – the dimpled chin, and then the rest of him…well, all she could do was smile when she thought of all the exploration of each other they'd gloried in now that they were one. Over the past week of their honeymoon, she'd kicked herself a few times for how she'd allowed her fears to deprive them of the chance of experiencing the unimaginable intimacy that they had both longed so intensely for over the past weeks and months. She'd marveled how, for a man so inexperienced, Nathan had overwhelmed her with how gentle, yet how blazingly passionate he was! Those Mountie instincts seemed to extend to other areas as well! She realized she'd wasted years that they could have been together. Of course, Nathan, in his patiently caring and understanding way, had continually reassured her that God's timing was always best, and that they both appreciated even more deeply what they now shared because of all they'd been through apart and together. Once Nathan knew that she had finally, without reservation, fully acknowledged and embraced the love she'd always had for him, he'd wasted no time in asking her to be his wife.
It took a couple of weeks to work through the news about Jack when Hargraves tried, once again, to besmirch Jack's and Nathan's names, but that man had finally gotten his due from the higher ups and had been fired for good.
Nathan slightly stirred next to her without waking. She loved watching his strength ripple through the muscles under his slightly leathery skin when he moved. She allowed herself to reminisce over the last three or so months of their lives. Allie had agreed to spend the night with Elizabeth the week before school started so that she could get Jack to sleep for her, allowing her and Nathan to have some time together. He'd suggested it. When he'd picked her up, he had a bouquet of wildflowers he'd gathered that afternoon for her, and she graciously accepted and transferred them to a vase of water. Then he'd asked her to go for an evening ride with him. However, he only had Newton with him—her first clue that they must not be going far. He'd helped her onto the saddle, then deftly mounted behind her, wrapping his protective arms around her as he'd reached to grasp the reigns. She could have asked where they were going, but she'd decided to just go with whatever he had planned. She'd snuggled into him as they rode. Soon, they'd ended up at the dock where he had a blanket laid out and a basket nearby. Nathan had asked her to dance, and when he had her in his arms, he'd begun to sing in his beautiful tenor voice a popular song that touched her heart…
With a song in my heart
I behold your adorable face.
Just a song at the start,
But it soon is a hymn to your grace...
When the music swells,
I'm touching your hand.
It tells that you're standing near
And...
At the sound of your voice,
Heaven opens its portals to me.
Can I help but rejoice
That a song such as ours came to be?
But I always knew
I would live life through
With A Song In My Heart
For you!
With a song in my heart
For you.*
For a few moments after he'd finished, she'd basked in the warmth of their embrace with her head on his heart, listening to its steady, but ever-increasing beat as they'd swayed back and forth, savoring the feeling of their closeness. Then he'd drawn back, and she'd looked up into those intensely blue eyes with the silvery moonlight reflecting in them as if on a softly rippling lake, and she recalled his words at that point…
"'Lizbeth," how she loved when he said her name as he did, "you are the song in my heart. You have always been from the moment we met. I found it growing stronger with every day that we knew each other. To know now that that same feeling had been there for you all along, too, is more than I ever thought I could hope for. Though I believed you loved me, I wasn't sure if your fears would ever allow you to realize it. I tried to be content with our friendship, but it became apparent to me after trying to make something happen with Faith that there would never be another like you for me. I brought us here tonight because I remember it as being among the first of some of the most special moments between us when I'd asked you what was in your heart. Thank you for finally sharing that with me the night of our first kiss. I never want to live without you in my life."
Then, Nathan had dropped to one knee as he pulled something from his pocket. Elizabeth had dreamed of that moment, and half expected it to come soon, but it had still caught her by surprise. She'd gasp lightly as her hands went to her mouth and the tears threatened to escape.
"'Lizbeth, please make me the man blessed of all men by becoming my wife and sharing the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?"
Her response had been immediate as she'd answered yes and pulled him back up to allow them to embrace in a kiss that sent them both soaring beyond any where they'd been up to that time. He'd then placed an exquisite ring on her finger that had belonged to his mother. It was not flashy like the one from Lucas had been, but it was so much more like her and Nathan. The depth of its meaning to him expressed the adoration he felt for her, honoring her with a symbol so dear to his heart. She'd teared up as she'd held out her hand to admire it and then looked up at him once more with complete admiration. She was finally engaged to her heart's desire!
The following weeks had been ones of making plans – an early December wedding and building a house on the land that Nathan had finally purchased from Bill. The building had been done with the help of so many of the townspeople stepping up so that it could be finished before winter began to set in. They'd moved everything in before the wedding, and Faith and Lily had agreed to stay with the kids there while they'd been away on their honeymoon. The week they'd shared together had been glorious yet had passed way too fast! Now, this morning, as soon as Nathan awakened, they'd be packing up to start their journey home. It was bittersweet. They could hardly wait to see the children and begin settling into their new life together as a family, but she knew there'd be times they would long for these days of being totally alone together. Yet, she was so excited to get back home for another reason! Before they'd left, she'd spoken with Bill to ask a favor of him. There was one last thing that Elizabeth felt needed to happen to put a bow on the tremendous gift they'd been given in God finally bringing them together as one, something she now knew was what always should have been. She could hardly wait to share her surprise with Nathan. If timing went as she hoped, the kids should still be at school when they returned to Hope Valley. She'd confirmed their arrival plans the day before with Faith so that she and Lily could return to their home. Allie would be working the switch board after school, dropping Jack off with Rosemary on her way there. That would give her and Nathan a little time alone to enter their new home together for the first time as husband and wife.
About that time, Nathan began to rouse again and rolled a quarter turn to face her as those stirring blue eyes sleepily popped open. He stretched and then caressed her cheek as he said, "Good morning, my beautiful wife! Did you sleep well? How long have you been awake?"
"I slept like a baby, but I awoke a little while ago and have just been enjoying the view," she said as she smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you have, have you? And just what view would that be?" How he loved their teasing banter.
"Just the view of a devastatingly handsome constable that I seem to have woken to in my bed."
"Oh, it's your bed, is it?" and he took her in his arms and smothered her with kisses as she tried to catch her breath between giggles.
After one last time of taking advantage of their treasured moments of time alone, they packed up, ate some breakfast and headed to the train station. It was a half day ride back home. They slept part of the way in each other's arms, then talked about immediate plans upon their return. Knowing the kids would be taken care of for a few hours, they decided to head to their new home before seeing anyone, excepting Bill who had agreed to pick them up at the train station. Truth be told, that was exactly as Elizabeth had hoped.
They greeted Bill heartily when they arrived, and he expressed how much they'd been missed and caught them up on the happenings of the week as he drove them to their destination. Believe it or not, Bill had finally given in and learned to drive. When they arrived at their new home, Nathan got out to help Elizabeth from the back seat, and as she turned to get her carry bag, she caught a wink and a smile from Bill. He helped them unload their luggage onto the porch and bid them a wonderful homecoming, then turned the car around and left in a small cloud of dust on the freshly cut road to their newly constructed house.
Just as they'd planned, the wrap-around porch sported the sturdy and beautifully carved creation Nathan had fashioned for them to enjoy swinging on in the evenings. Nathan directed Elizabeth to sit and wait while he set their luggage inside the entryway. After setting down the last piece, he turned and walked back out the door to the swing, and Nathan swooped Elizabeth into his very capable arms, producing a small squeak of surprise from her, then he carried her over the threshold of their brand-new home. Gently setting her down, he kept her in his arms as he captured her soft, welcoming lips in a deeply passionate kiss, christening their new life together in Hope Valley.
After a long moment, they finally managed to pull themselves away from each other, and Elizabeth, with great anticipation, took Nathan by the hand and led him into the living room to sit on the couch just waiting to see how long it would take him to notice. With his honed, observant Mountie skills, it didn't take long. His eyes fixated over the fireplace, and the corners of them began to crinkle as he broke into that adoring crooked smile.
Full of questions, Nathan exclaimed, "Lizbeth! When? How'd it get here? Why did you move it from the library?"
"I hoped it would please you!" she began to answer with great satisfaction at his reaction. "Bill helped me with transferring it to our home. I thought it much more appropriate here than in the library. After all, 'Always do what you are afraid to do' has much more meaning to us than to the rest of the town. Nathan, you were so kind and patient with me for so long, never pushing, but prompting me to be honest with myself when it mattered. You are the one who ultimately helped me get past my fears. I know there will still be times that I fear for you, but with God and you, I'm now able to face that fear head-on and honestly. Your gift to me was so special at the time, but I'd lost sight of it's meaning. Nathan, I never truly acknowledged and thanked you for the extreme thoughtfulness and the loving care you put into creating it for me. So thank you, Darling!"
By this time, Elizabeth's declaration had touched Nathan so deeply that he was choked up and could not speak, so instead, he wrapped her in his arms cradling her head and threading his fingers through her silky hair while the other hand gently pressed her close to him. When he was finally able to gain his composure, he leaned back from her and said, "My dear, sweet Lizbeth, I don't think you could have given me any greater gift than this as we start our new life together. It was created with so much love, and to have you now acknowledge the deep meaning and the courage I came to hope it would prompt in you means the world to me! Thank you for thinking to bring it into our home."
And with that, they delighted in each other's love for the next hour or so before discovering an amazing snack in the fridge prepared for them as a surprise from Rosemary. After the trip and all that loving 'activity,' it was so welcomed as they were famished! Then they headed to get their children, have supper at the café, and begin their Grant family life together with Christmas just around the corner.
A/N: * "With a Song in My Heart" – Original song written and composed by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart; from the 1929 musical "Spring is Here." And yes, I took some poetic license in pretending it was written a few years earlier. If you want to listen to it on YouTube, I recommend the Perry Como Live version with him singing in front of a black and white checked background.