"Do you truly have to go, Clara? You know I would love you to stay here with me."

"I know, I am so thankful, but I have to go back,"

'I can't stop you, Clara, but I wish you would stay. If you go back to Benson Hills and decide you want to come back, you have a home here. I do expect you to visit."

"Of course, Abigail, I will come back as often as possible."

"When will you leave?"

"I must go on the next stage; I need to get back."

Elizabeth paused on the step, listening. she felt awful for eavesdropping, but something in Abigail's voice had caught her attention, and she didn't want to interrupt their conversation. She was sad Clara was leaving; she had come to care about her in the short time they had shared a room. Abigail would be devastated if Clara left; she was her last link to Peter.

"What smells so good, Abigail," Elizabeth called out "whatever it is, it's making me hungry."

"Well, I am glad, "Abigail said, although she wasn't smiling, "you've hardly eaten since you and...I am sorry, Elizabeth, I shouldn't have brought him up."

"It's okay, Abigail, I spoke to Clara and Rosemary about it, and I realise I was punishing Nathan for what my Father did. I wish he had told me earlier, but I know why he didn't." Elizabeth bit her lip, "I believe I owe him an apology."

"Well, I am surprised, Elizabeth, but glad you came to that realisation. Nathan Grant is a good man who cares very much for you." She glanced at Clara, grinning, "I know how much you care about him. Why don't you invite him for lunch after Church, you can eat out here if you want privacy, or I could pack you a picnic."

"A picnic sounds wonderful, and if he says no, I can take it and eat it somewhere by myself. I won't have to face everyone."

"I will make enough for two; I don't see that happening." Abigail grinned.

Nathan wasn't on duty and decided against wearing his serge to Church; he didn't want to stand out; blending in would be better today. It was better he avoided people. He had hurt two people, Elizabeth and Lisa, and while the circumstances were different, he felt terrible about both. He wished he knew how to make Elizabeth forgive him; he had run out of ideas. Maybe he could talk to her after Church; he could head to the Cafe and try and speak to her privately.

A knock sounded on the door of the Mountie office, and he frowned; he wasn't expecting anyone and most people he knew would be heading to services. He was surprised when he opened the door; she was the last person he had expected.

"Is everything alright, Elizabeth?"

"No, it's not, Nathan. I blamed you for what my Father did, and I owe you an apology."

Nathan was stunned for a moment. Then joy rushed through him; it was going to be okay.

"Elizabeth, you were right to be upset. I should have told you."

"Nathan, I understand why you didn't, and I don't want to keep rehashing it. My Father was in the wrong; you got caught in a situation he created. If possible, I would like us to be friends again."

"Friends, of course, but I thought we were more than Friends?"

"Well, I would like to get back to ...whatever we were," Elizabeth said, laughing at his hopeful expression.

"I would like to talk to you about us, Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth placed her fingers against his lips, "would you walk to Church with me and come for a picnic afterwards? Abigail offered to pack us some lunch. We could talk then, if you say yes, of course."

"Let me see, time alone with you and Abigail's food, it's a tough choice. Ooof." Nathan exclaimed, laughing as she whacked him lightly in the stomach. "Hey, you know I am a law officer, right?"

"And a terrible tease. Is that a yes?"

"Yes, without hesitation, yes." Nathan pulled her inside as he spoke, his heart full. He closed the door the moment she crossed the threshold and wasted no time drawing her into his arms.

"I meant what I said to you, Elizabeth; I'm in love with you." He placed his hand against her cheek, "I am sorry if I hurt you. I never want to do that."

"I'm glad."

Nathan stared into Elizabeth's beautiful face, her eyes bright, her smile wide. She was hard to resist, so he didn't; he leaned forward and kissed her.

Elizabeth relaxed against Nathan's chest; it was hard to believe how much she had missed him. He had become her best friend, and her world didn't feel right without him.

"I missed you, Nathan."

"I missed you too; I don't want this to happen again. I promise not to keep secrets from you. There might be times when I can't tell you if it is Mountie business, but I won't keep anything from you that could hurt you. Hurt us."

"And I promise you the same."

Sharing another kiss, they almost lost track of time; luckily, some of Elizabeth's students running past the Mountie office, laughing, and calling out, brought them back to reality.

"We should probably get going."

"Yes."

Neither of them moved.

"Nathan," Elizabeth laughed as he tried to kiss her again, "we need to go." Dragging him out of the office, she winked and said, "there is time for this later."

"Lots of time?"

"Yes, we will make sure of it."

Clara sat in the make-shift Church; her head bowed as she listed to the Sermon. After a fire had destroyed the Coal Valley Church, services were being held outside and run by Cat Montgomery. Clara felt better about attending these informal services, unsure she would have stepped inside a Church building, knowing she hadn't been entirely truthful with anyone in Coal Valley, including Rosemary.

Clara wondered if she should tell Abigail about what kept her in Benson Hills. If Abigail knew, she would try and fix it, but it wasn't her problem to fix. Even though she couldn't see a solution right now, she would work something out.

Abigail prayed for Clara to find peace with whatever held her in Benson Hills and bring her back to Coal Valley. She knew it would be interfering if she spoke to Bill about Clara, but she had to do something. Clara was family, and she was in trouble, and Abigail was the only person left to help her.

Rosemary sat next to Elizabeth and Nathan. Rosemary knew Elizabeth had planned to go and see him before Church, and whatever they had talked about, they had made up. Rosemary felt a stab of pain in her heart; she was jealous of the two of them and ashamed of herself. The love and joy were coming off them in waves, and she knew she should be happy for her friends.

People milled around when the service was over, talking and catching up. Abigail, Elizabeth, and Nathan didn't hang around. Abigail needed to open the Cafe, and the other two were keen to go on their picnic. Rosemary offered to help with lunch in the Cafe; otherwise, she would be at a loose end.

As she walked to the Cafe with Clara, she was quiet, unusual for her. She was distracted by thoughts of Leeland Coulter and why he hadn't asked her out on a date. Rosemary knew Lee found her attractive, and he was attentive when she saw him and when he ate at the Cafe. Without being too obvious, she had hinted that she would be amenable to a date but...nothing.

Collecting the picnic basket, Nathan and Elizabeth hurried away from the Cafe, not wanting to get caught up in conversation with others. They didn't want to ride today; they wanted to walk and take their time. Holding hands as they walked, the picnic basket in Nathan's hand, they talked about their week, filling each other in on the small details they had missed.

The small dock on the Pond was perfect for their picnic, secluded enough to give them privacy but open enough for them to be alone there.

"Talk or eat first?"

"Can I talk with my mouth full?"

"No," Elizabeth laughed, "fine, we will eat first."

Unwrapping the packages Abigail had packed, Nathan groaned in delight, each one full of something delicious. "This is amazing; I must remember to thank Abigail now that I can go back to the Cafe.

"How did you survive without Abigail's cooking? The Saloon?"

Nathan looked down, the food in his mouth suddenly tasteless. He needed to tell Elizabeth about Lisa coming to the Mountie office, just in case someone had seen or heard or if Lisa told someone.

"About the Saloon, I did eat there sometimes, mainly with Lee or Bill. The waitress there, Lisa..."

"The one who has a thing for you? The one I saw leaving the Mountie office very late at night?"

Shocked, he looked at her, noting her mischievous smile. She wasn't angry?

"You saw that? It isn't what you might think, I told her..."

"It's okay; Rosemary and I were outside the Cafe when she ran past; she didn't look pleased."

"I never encouraged her; I promise. I was just polite and friendly; she misunderstood."

"I know, Nathan, you don't understand the effect you have on women; those eyes, that smile is all very hard to resist."

Blushing, Nathan put his head down again; he never really thought about his looks, only if someone mentioned it. Usually, Gabe or now Bill teased him about them.

"Okay, can we change the subject, please? Now that you have forgiven me, will you forgive Bill and your Father?"

"I will talk to Bill, and as for my Father, that might take a little bit more time. He betrayed me, Nathan, and I am still angry. I know you didn't have anything to do with the decision, and I understand why you waited to tell me."

"I am truly sorry; I meant what I said before. I won't keep secrets from you again unless it's work."

Touching his cheek the way she had the first time in the livery, she smiled at him, "I know. I promise to listen to you next time and not jump to conclusions. I love you, Nathan Grant."

Nathan leaned over and kissed her, his heart racing at her declaration. "I love you, Elizabeth Thatcher." He stroked her face and then took one of her curls, rubbing it through his fingers. "Elizabeth, I know this is soon, but I also know how I feel about you."

Elizabeth's stomach filled with butterflies; she hoped Nathan would ask to court her. She couldn't imagine spending her life with anyone else.

"I can't see myself with anyone but you. I love you and want you to be my future. I know it's too soon for anything else, and I should talk to your Father first." Grinning, he scrunched up his face, "but you not talking to him makes that difficult." Kissing her again, he asked, "would you be willing to court me, Elizabeth?

"Yes, Nathan, I would love to court you, of course." Elizabeth leaned in and kissed him this time, wrapping her arms around his neck.

They spent the day together at the Pond before returning to the Cafe in the afternoon. Rosemary was standing in the Kitchen when they walked in and smiled, "well, it would seem the two of you have gotten over your little issue."

"Yes, we have, Rosemary." Elizabeth was beaming, unable to contain her smile. "Nathan and I are courting."

"Well, that's lovely," Rosemary said, her smile fading.

"What is it, Rosemary?" Nathan asked, concerned for their friend; she seemed sad, which was very unusual for her.

"It's nothing, Nathan." she signed dramatically. "It's just that I have to figure out what to do with the rest of my life, and I need to do it before the stage leaves on Wednesday."

"Well, that certainly is a lot," Nathan said, keeping a straight face. "I thought you might stay here."

"I had thought about it, but I am not sure there is anything here for me."

"But Abigail has offered you work; you can find somewhere more permanent to live...Oh." Elizabeth stopped talking, realising Rosemary was thinking of something other than work or a place to live.

Nathan looked between Elizabeth and Rosemary, not fully understanding the conversation. He sensed there was more to it, something they weren't saying, but he decided he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Elizabeth, I see Lee just arrived; I might join him for a coffee if that's okay."

"Of course, Nathan."

Rosemary stared after Nathan, frowning, "I don't know what he is doing here again; he has already been here for lunch."

"Maybe he wants to spend time with you," Elizabeth suggested.

"Leeland Coulter couldn't care less about me, "Rosemary snapped.

"Rosemary, are you okay," Elizabeth said. She knew Rosemary thought Lee was attractive, but this reaction was stronger than expected.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but I like Lee, and I thought he liked me and was going to ask me on a date, but he hasn't said a word, just comes in and lets me wait on him while he eats."

"Maybe he is shy, and that's the only way he can spend time with you."

"I wish I could believe that, Elizabeth, but I have given up. I am returning to Benson Hills and will forget all about him."

"So, Elizabeth has forgiven you?" Lee asked when Nathan had sat and ordered from Clara.

"She has. I was worried she wouldn't, but it worked out. I am glad she did. I think she will be miserable once Clara and Rosemary leave. I want to be there for her."

"Rosemary is leaving with Clara; I didn't realise she was going back. I assumed she would stay." Lee blinked; Rosemary was leaving. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Not good, he decided. He didn't feel good about that at all. "Do you know why she is going back?"

"Ahhhh, she said there was nothing here for her," Nathan explained, unsure how much he should reveal. "I know Elizabeth was hoping she would stay, but she seemed pretty keen to leave a few minutes ago."

Nathan looked at Lee; he had gone quiet; Nathan sat opposite him, leaving him to his thoughts, not wanting to interrupt him. Maybe if Lee had long enough to think about Rosemary leaving, he would finally do something about how he felt about her.

Colleen woke up, glad not to have to work. She was exhausted, more tired than she had ever been. There was something wrong with her; she knew it; this wasn't normal; she usually had more stamina. Now all her energy went to work and looking after Allie; at the end of the day, she had nothing left. The thought of trekking all over Town to find a flat was too much for her. She didn't know when Clara and Rosemary would be back, but at this point, she knew she would still be here and would have to beg for forgiveness.

The symptoms of her illness were getting worse; besides the fatigue, she had lost a lot of weight, was nauseous all the time and couldn't eat as she had no appetite. Colleen had ignored it, not wanting to face the reality of what it meant. She was sick, really sick, but she didn't care about herself, only Allie. What would happen if she couldn't look after her? Where would Allie go? Dylan was long gone, and she wouldn't trust him to look after his daughter. Her Mother was too old and not well enough to chase after an almost four-year-old, and her father was in jail. Nathan was the only family member left, and how could she ask him to look after Allie? He was a Mountie; they moved around all the time. Nathan was a young, single man; the last thing he needed was to be tied to his niece.

Speaking of Allie, the young girl rolled over and smiled at her Mother. Tears filled Colleen's eyes; her daughter was the best thing to happen to her, worth everything Dylan had put her through. Her heart ached at the thought of not being around to watch her grow up. She brushed her daughter's hair off her forehead, the strands of her hair silky smooth.

"Good Morning, sweetie," she whispered, kissing her head.

"Morning, Mama," she said, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Would you like to go to the park today?" Allie loved the park, playing with other children, and running in the fresh air. It helped Colleen, too; when they got home, she would be exhausted and sleep for a while, which meant Colleen could also.

Lee sat at his desk, staring into space. He wasn't sure why it had taken him so long to admit that it wasn't the food that made him spend so much time in the Cafe. Rosemary was leaving, returning to Benson Hills, and he wouldn't get to see her every day. He wanted to see her every day; he knew that now. Now he had to work out what to do about it; he didn't have much time; Wednesday would get here in a hurry, and he couldn't do it alone.

"Nathan," Lee said breathlessly, "I need your help, yours and Elizabeth's." He leaned against the doorframe of the Mountie office, his face anxious.

"What do you need, Lee?"

"Rosemary is planning on leaving on Wednesday, and I don't want her to go. I think I really like her."

"You are only just realising this?" Nathan tried not to laugh but couldn't help it; the perplexed look on Lee's face was his undoing.

"It's not funny, Nathan. I feel Rosemary will expect something special, something more than the usual date, and I will need ideas."

"Alright, school is about to let out for the day; let me go and meet Elizabeth. I will bring her to your office."

Nathan laughed again as he watched Lee hurry back to his office; he was glad Elizabeth was satisfied with simple dates and horse-riding lessons. Wasn't she?

Elizabeth opened the Saloon doors, helping the children with their coats and lunch pails, ensuring they didn't forget anything. As the last child left, she saw a flash of red and smiled at Nathan as he walked up and stood before her.

"This is a surprise, Constable Grant," Elizabeth said, standing before him. "Can I help you with something?"

"It's not actually me that needs help; it's Lee."

"Lee?"

"He has finally realised he likes Rosemary and wants our help organising the first date for the two of them."

"Finally! I can't believe it took him so long. Let me get my coat; we don't have much time to plan something that will satisfy Rosemary."

Nathan stood awkwardly in the Saloon doorway; his natural inclination was to help Elizbeth with her coat, but he wasn't sure where Lisa was. He hadn't seen her since the night she came to his office, and he wasn't sure how it would be when he did. He certainly didn't want her to be hurt or uncomfortable by seeing him with Elizabeth.

He held out his arm to Elizabeth as they walked to Lee's office, it wasn't far, but he wouldn't pass up a chance to be close to her.

"Elizabeth, can I ask you something, and will you tell me the truth."

"Of course."

"Are you happy with the time we spend together? We haven't had any special dates, just rides and picnics." Nathan didn't make eye contact with her, just focused on Lee's office.

"Nathan!" Elizabeth exclaimed, pulling him to a stop, making him look at her. "Being with you is special; I love every moment we spend together. You don't need to do anything over the top for me to be happy; just be yourself. I love you, Nathan. Never think you need to change who you are." Elizabeth hated the look of doubt on his face and stepped up and kissed his cheek; she didn't care who saw her.

Nathan kissed her forehead, "I love you too, Elizabeth." He smiled at her, "Let's go help Lee romance Rosemary."

"Between you and I, I don't think it will take too much. Rosemary was pretty annoyed because he hadn't asked her out yet."

Abigail agreed to help prepare the meal for Lee and Rosemary's first date. Lee had written a beautiful invitation, accompanied by a large bunch of flowers, and Rosemary had graciously accepted, pleased he had finally come to his senses.

Elizabeth and Nathan agreed to help set up a dining table in Lee's office so that they would have privacy. The Cafe wasn't the right place for a first date when everyone in the room would be watching them.

Nathan watched Elizabeth, smiling at her enthusiasm for creating something special for their friends. He had to admit; that it felt good to help their romance; maybe he wanted the two of them to be as happy as he was. He wanted Rosemary to stay because he thought she was perfect for Lee, and it would make Elizabeth happy.

"We are done!"

"It looks lovely, Elizabeth. I am sure Rosemary will be impressed."

"I hope so; I want this date to go well."

"Well, I don't think it can fail between your set-up and Abigail's food."

Lee knocked on the door of the private entrance to the Cafe; Rosemary had decided to get ready there instead of Florence's. He was nervous; he couldn't believe how nervous he was. He sensed Rosemary would be part of his future, and he couldn't believe he had almost messed it up.

Clara opened the door for Lee and called to Rosemary. Lee's breath caught in his throat when he saw her walking down the stairs; she was breathtaking.

"Good evening, Rosemary. You look beautiful."

"Why, thank you, Lee. Are those flowers for me?"

"Of course, here you go." Lee blinked, unable to believe he had forgotten he was holding them.

Rosemary breathed in their fragrance before handing them to Clara, "Thank you; they are beautiful. Shall we go?"

Lee held out his arm, and Rosemary took it; they walked across to Lee's office, where he had champagne on ice. Clara would bring dinner to them after a little while.

Elizabeth stepped up to the Mountie office and knocked before trying the handle, frowning when she found it locked. Nathan was expecting her; he had asked her to meet him there, saying he needed her help with something inside. Before she could knock, she heard the lock disengaging, and the door swung inwards.

"Nathan is everything alright." Elizabeth looked into his eyes, concern for him showing on her face.

"Everything is perfect, I hope. Please come in."

As he stepped back, Elizabeth saw the desk had been converted to a dining table, covered in a tablecloth, set for dinner with candles and flowers.

"What is this, Nathan?"

"I know you said you didn't want special, but I couldn't let you set up a romantic date for Rosemary and not have one yourself."

He took her hand and led her to the table, pulling her chair out so she could sit. "Dinner is coming for us too; I didn't want to ruin tonight by cooking for you."

Nathan poured her a glass of wine and then sat opposite her, raising a glass to toast.

"To us."

"To us."