After riding through the morning, Elizabeth was exhausted, though she kept her smile. Nathan could see it and if he were pressed, he was feeling the need for a break from the saddle as well.

He was grateful to see a familiar signpost. One of his favorite inns on this road was run by an Irish couple, Kathleen and Patrick Murphy, and they served the heartiest stew he'd ever enjoyed. He'd often come through here wearing his serge, and Kathleen was a great lover of the Mounties. She wouldn't hear of charging him for dinner, and he would have to slip his money to Patrick behind her back.

As they reached the door after stabling the horses with some fresh hay, Nathan and Elizabeth stepped inside to the warmth of the inn. From across the room, Patrick squinted, and after a moment's hesitation, recognized Nathan even in his civilian clothes.

"Ah, me boy! A sight for sore eyes are ya! Come, sit!" Patrick raised his eyebrows behind Elizabeth's back, silently asking Nathan the implied question of a couple traveling together. Nathan smiled and shook his head to which Patrick knit his brows and looked skeptical, making Nathan laugh. He led them to a small table that was sheltered by the stairway and away from the noise of the long wooden bar.

The inn was busy, filled with travelers and a few locals, and when Kathleen reached the table, Nathan's back was to her. She was already speaking as she approached. "Welcome in, what'll it be for you and the missus…"

Nathan smiled up at her, that crooked smile that rose up higher on one side than the other, and Elizabeth gazed at him in wonder. So unaware of how incredibly attractive he is, she thought, and then she watched as his charm worked its magic on Kathleen Murphy in an instant.

"Oh, my! Constable! I didn't recognize ye in your traveling clothes!" She reached her arms out and Nathan stood up and gave her a hug, which she returned in ample warmth.

"This is my friend, Elizabeth," Nathan said, catching his breath.

Kathleen stretched out her arms and gave Elizabeth a surprisingly robust hug. "And any friend of Nathan's is a friend of mine," she said, her cherry-red cheeks conveying the warmth of the kitchen.

Stepping back, she said, "Why you're just a wisp of a thing! Stew and bread is what you need. And ale." And with that, she was off.

The food arrived quickly and in great abundance. "You know, that's the second time someone thought we were married," Elizabeth said, eyes sparkling. Nathan was midway in tearing a piece of the warm sourdough bread off with his teeth, and he looked up with interest.

"Is that so?" he said, undeterred by the bread in his mouth. "When was the first time?"

"Your father," Elizabeth said, smiling. "He sails into town, sees Allie, and presumes I'm your wife."

This time, Nathan finished chewing and swallowed. "A fair assumption," he said, tilting his head. "I'm sure you set him straight."

"Oh, I did. Immediately," she said, bending to get another spoonful of stew.

Nathan frowned slightly and gazed at her. "Did it bother you?"

Her smile widening, Elizabeth paused and dabbed at the corners of her mouth. "No." Her eyes softened.

Suddenly everything felt so clear to Nathan. He had loved this woman for years, and she finally had allowed herself to love him back. In the last few months they had spent nearly every waking minute together when they weren't working, and family dinners were nearly every night now. He had kissed her at the door countless times, dreaming of the day when he and Allie would simply be able to go upstairs with Elizabeth and Jack.

Truth be told, Nathan and Eiizabeth had been courting for almost six years, getting to know each other, talking of their dreams and their fears, raising the children together – what more did they need to know before they made the final commitment?

Was this the perfect place? Why not? A busy inn with a crackling fire, delicious food and warm company. They had stayed up all night together ensuring that Jack Thornton's legacy would remain intact for his son. Their table gave them some measure of privacy, in a cozy corner.

Nathan reached his hand across the table at the same time his other hand found the small box in his bag. "Elizabeth…" he said tentatively. He found his breathing was coming slightly faster, and when he touched the warmth of her hand, it was as if there was electricity coursing between them.

Now it seemed there was no one else in the room, and the noise of the other customers faded away until she could hear only his voice, and he could only hear hers.

"I haven't known when to bring this up because I haven't wanted to rush you. It's been nearly a year since… since the election… and I didn't know if you felt it was too soon…" His voice faded from lack of air. How can I want something so much and find it so hard to express?

Elizabeth took her other hand and placed it over his. "It's not too soon…" she said softly.

He released a deep breath, the relief spreading through his chest. "I love you so dearly," he said, overcome with emotion and moving her hand up to his mouth and kissing it. "There is no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with. You and Jack and Allie and I belong together. I think you feel it too…"

Beaming at him, Elizabeth said, "I do."

Just say it, Nathan. "Elizabeth. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Nodding, Elizabeth blinked back tears. "Yes. I will."

With his heart pounding, Nathan brought the box up to the table. He opened it and unfolded the velvet square, revealing a modest gold ring with a blue sapphire surrounded by small diamonds.

Elizabeth sighed, loving the ring immediately. "How did you…"

"It was my grandmother's. When I visited my mother last month I asked her if I could have it, and she was so pleased to give it to me. I can't wait for you to meet her…" Nathan placed the ring on Elizabeth's finger, and it fit perfectly.

Nathan couldn't hold back any longer. He pushed his chair back and walked around the table, pulling her up into his arms. "I've been dreaming of this moment for so long, and I didn't say anything I meant to say…"

"It was exactly right. And you have a lifetime to say it now," Elizabeth said, finally allowing the tears to come. "We both do."

As he held Elizabeth, Nathan felt himself grow lighter, as if they were both floating far above the noisy inn. From the day Colleen had fallen ill and his life had turned upside down, he hadn't felt this right with the world. He could see it all now – Elizabeth as his wife, Allie and Jack finally siblings, and he even saw the possibilities of new life, a child of their own, made from their love.

Nathan knew from his own experience that there was a weight to loss and grief. It sat on your shoulders like a blanket of cement until little by little it turned to dust and lifted somewhat – but it never fully went away. On the other side was the weight of love, the sweet heaviness of care, concern, and the pull of a full heart. Nathan felt those two weights in equilibrium now, balancing each other. He had seen the same in Elizabeth in recent days, and this trip and Jack's journal seemed to have tipped the scale.

He knew the days ahead would not be easy, but after that, there would be a wedding. Perhaps Elizabeth in the meringue that still lay folded in the box in her closet. She hadn't allowed Rosemary to take scissors to it after seeing Nathan's face in the doorway that day. When he looked at her, she felt beautiful, and the dress felt perfect.

Nathan bent his lips to Elizabeth's. This happiness was something he had never imagined for himself and he felt a warm tear slip from the corner of his eye. It blended with Elizabeth's happy tears on her cheek as they kissed, two people deeply in love and only aware of each other in the busy room.

From a distance, Kathleen gave an affectionate elbow to her husband, nodding. "I told ye. When it's right, there's no denyin' it. It's fate."

THE END