It was the date of their first date and Elizabeth was nervous. Not because she didn't want to go. Because she felt like it was a turning point in her life. She felt things with Nathan that she hadn't felt before and it was unsettling. Rosemary and Faith had come over earlier in the day to help her pick out an outfit for the date which seemed to help. Everything Elizabeth looked at on her own didn't seem right, but the other ladies had assured her that what she had picked was perfect.

Elizabeth went downstairs to wait for Nathan. She had chosen a flower printed summer dress with bright pink high heels. She didn't wear heels often but with how tall Nathan was, she decided that it would be nice for their date. Nathan hadn't told her what he had planned so she also put a pair of flats by the door to take with her in case she needed them.

There was a knock at the door and Elizabeth took a deep breath. She set her purse down on the bench by the door and checked her hair and makeup in the mirror there. She stood there for a moment until there was a second knock and then she reached to open the door.

Nathan stood on the porch with the most beautiful bouquet of lavender roses. His eyes went wide when he saw her but it soon changed into a smile. "Elizabeth, you look… wow… you are gorgeous."

Elizabeth opened the door to invite him in and shut the door behind him. Nathan handed her the roses and she held them up to her face. "Thank you Nathan. The flowers are lovely. You look great too."

Nathan was dressed in a charcoal suit which Elizabeth noticed fit him amazingly well. He had a light blue shirt to match his eyes with no tie. Elizabeth thought the look was perfect for him although she thought he looked great in scrubs too.

"So will you tell me now where we are going?" Elizabeth asked with a little laugh.

"Not quite yet. I thought we would get dinner first though." Nathan looked down at her shoes, "I love the heels, I do, but would you have other shoes maybe for later?"

"I was actually going to ask you about that." Elizabeth reached down and grabbed her purse and the flats she had set there, thankful she had thought ahead.

The two of them walked out to Nathan's car and he held the door open for her. It was a short ride to the restaurant that Nathan had chosen. Elizabeth hadn't been there before as it was fancier than restaurants she usually went to. She also hadn't dated since moving to Hope Valley so it seemed to be a night of new experiences. The host led them to a table on the patio which had lights strung overhead. It was very romantic, Elizabeth thought.

"This is beautiful Nathan, have you been here before?"

"I haven't. I actually asked Lee for a recommendation."

"I'm glad you were willing to try this again," Elizabeth said as she looked down at the menu.

Nathan reached over and took her hand. Elizabeth looked up in his eyes and saw only understanding there. "Elizabeth, we can go as slow as you need. I feel something real between us and I hope this is the start of something great."

"I do too," Elizabeth said.

The waiter came over to get their drink order and both of them pulled their hand away. Once he had walked away, Elizabeth asked, "So do you date much?" When Nathan raised an eyebrow at her question, Elizabeth grew red and added quickly, "Oh, I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that."

"It's ok, no actually. I was in the military for a long time and then I was in medical school. There wasn't a lot of time for dating. I guess I never met anyone that made it worth it before."

Elizabeth smiled at his answer. She had felt alone for such a long time. Even though they had different life experiences, Elizabeth felt like they were in the same place now and that was worth exploring this feeling between them. Both of them enjoyed a wonderful dinner. When the waiter offered dessert, Nathan said no for both of them and then said to Elizabeth quietly, "it's part of the plan." Elizabeth would just go with whatever Nathan had planned for tonight.

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After dinner, Nathan drove to the lake near his house. Elizabeth changed into her flats and the two of them walked along the path. Nathan had grabbed a bag from the back of his car and brought it with them. He reached out and took Elizabeth's hand as they walked, occasionally rubbing his fingers over the back of her hand. Elizabeth walked right next to Nathan, enjoying the time they were spending together.

On the opposite side of the lake, there were small benches next to the water. Nathan pulled a blanket out from the bag and laid it over the bench so Elizabeth wouldn't get her dress dirty. He set the bag on the ground in front of them and Elizabeth tried to sneak a peek. Nathan pulled the bag away with mock stern face and Elizabeth laughed. He smiled at the ease in which the two of them could joke with each other. It was hard for either of them to believe it was their first date.

Nathan reached in the bag again and pulled out a container with a large piece of chocolate cake. He also had two forks in his hand, saying "I thought we could share this here, if that's ok with you."

"Definitely, I love chocolate."

After sharing the cake, Elizabeth had a small amount of frosting in the corner of her mouth. Nathan reached over and wiped in from her face with his thumb. The two of them were frozen as his hand was on her cheek. Elizabeth thought, 'this is it, the moment where he is going to kiss me. Am I ready for that? It has been so long since I have kissed a man.'

As Elizabeth finished her thoughts, Nathan pulled back and closed the container. He put everything away and picked up the bag when he stood. He reached out his hand for Elizabeth, "I have one more thing planned, walk with me?"

Elizabeth took his hand, a little disappointed that he hadn't kissed her. Maybe he was trying to move slow like he had said at dinner. After a little further of a walk, the pair reached a small dock. Nathan put the blanket down on the dock and helped Elizabeth to sit down. He sat next to her and pulled a few things out of the bag and set it between them.

"What is all this?" Elizabeth asked.

"These are pop up lanterns, they will float in the water and they are safe for the fish and other wildlife. I thought we could put them together and watch them here on the dock."

"That sounds perfect."

Nathan showed Elizabeth how to put the first one together with the small candle. There were three of them in total. Nathan told her that he brought three to represent their pasts, their present here together and hopefully their future. Elizabeth looked at him in awe at his thoughtfulness. Once they were all together, Nathan leaned down and placed them in the water as Elizabeth sat back on the blanket. Nathan sat back and hesitantly put his arm out behind Elizabeth. She moved closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her as they sat there.

It started to get cooler and Nathan felt Elizabeth shiver.

"Cold?" He asked. When Elizabeth nodded, Nathan shrugged off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. He helped her stand and the two of them walked back to the car. 'It was the perfect evening,' Elizabeth thought as Nathan drove her home. 'Well almost perfect'.

When they reached Elizabeth's house, Nathan came around and opened her door. He walked her to her front door and the two of them turned to each other.

"I had a wonderful evening, Nathan."

"It was great. Hopefully we can do it again?"

Elizabeth looked in his eyes. She didn't want him to leave with any question about her willingness to move forward with him. Elizabeth reached over and put her hand on Nathan's neck and pushed herself up to meet his lips. It was a soft, quick kiss but both of them felt the emotion behind it. Elizabeth pulled back and it was a minute before Nathan opened his eyes. He was surprised, but happy that Elizabeth decided to make the move.

"Goodnight," she said as she opened the door. With one last smile, Elizabeth shut the door.

"Goodnight," Nathan said before Elizabeth shut the door. With a smile, Nathan walked back to his car to go home.

Elizabeth leaned her back against the front door once she was in her house. It was then she realized that she still had Nathan's jacket. She leaned down and put her nose into the collar into the jacket. Nathan's scent was unique to him. She couldn't wait to see him again. She took the jacket upstairs with her and put in on the chest at the end of her bed.