Chapter 15: Revealing Questions

"I'm afraid I'm not a very good teacher," Nathan joked, referring to the diversion from their assigned homework questions. "I think we veered off-topic." A satisfied grin filled his face, his lips still tingling from Elizabeth's distracting kisses.

Granted, remote hot springs weren't exactly conducive to focused conversations. Yet, as a meticulous planner, that was precisely why he'd suggested the homework—to divert their attention when necessary from the rising heat he'd anticipated in such an intimate setting. Even with his sharp instincts, though, he hadn't foreseen how the questions themselves would stoke the smoldering attraction between them.

"On the contrary, Mr. Grant," Elizabeth said in her practiced teacher voice. "I'd say we were quite on topic. In fact, we were highly engaged in supporting our claims." Her vibrant eyes twinkled in the bright blue of the sky as she leaned into her justification. "Evidence is important, wouldn't you say, Constable?"

"Critical," Nathan confirmed with a nod, playing along, though feeling his growing impatience in wanting to counter her "Mr. Grant" with "Mrs. Grant."

"So, in answer to your question, 'coffee or tea?'" Elizabeth continued. "We were indeed on task in my professional opinion—presenting evidence on the basis of being persuasive." While Elizabeth managed to sit comfortably in her role as the matter-of-fact teacher, Nathan chuckled softly at her literary application, as if they were writing a verbal essay.

A smile soon tugged at the corners of Elizabeth's lips. "Coffee is sweet," she asserted, returning to her analysis. As if in summary, she gave Nathan a light kiss, her hand wet and warm from the water, resting on his cheek.

Following her lead, Nathan moved on to the next line of their thesis statement in support of the roasted morning necessity. First, he closed the small gap between them, their noses nearly touching. "Coffee is strong," he insisted. With a mischievous smile, Nathan drew Elizabeth's mouth to his in a heated kiss, where the escalating intensity surprised them both.

As their lips lingered, their faces within a single breath's distance, Elizabeth's gaze rested somewhere between dumbstruck and spellbound. She whispered breathlessly, "Now that's solid proof, Constable." Together, their blue eyes sparkled with a shared delight, enchanted by the intimate essay they were unveiling only for each other—two soulmates already firmly convinced that coffee was the answer, even if their entire argument was nothing more than a literary dance.

To ready herself for their last and most compelling claim in favor of coffee, Elizabeth rose to her knees, poised to deliver the summarizing evidence for their final statement. Her arm, hot and inviting, slid across Nathan's broad back, her fingers tracing the lines of his muscular shoulder, each movement slow and tender..

In a low, sultry voice, she murmured, "And coffee is…" As her mind filled in the words "extra hot," an eager thrill rushed through her, a spark she wasn't sure she could contain. Elizabeth abruptly paused before finishing the phrase aloud.

In that brief moment, the playful glint in Elizabeth's eyes darkened, and the air grew charged with a quiet intensity. Her lips tucked inward as Nathan released an exhale laced with longing, uncertain how much more heat he could handle—the hot springs or this siren before him.

Elizabeth, drawn instantly into the same self-reflection, quickly shifted gears. "Perhaps we'd best move on to our next questions," she suggested wisely. Then, with a satisfied grin at their thorough answer to his first inconsequential question, she congratulated them both, "But, I do think our argument for coffee was quite persuasive."

"That it was," Nathan softly chuckled.

While they attempted to dissipate their lingering desire with words, their heated gaze continued to burn. Still, instead of submitting to its pull, this time Nathan and Elizabeth searched one another's eyes in wonder, trying to make sense of the electric atmosphere that continued to erupt here at the hot springs.

Ultimately, what stumped them both was how effortlessly they slipped into these sporadic, intimate moments. They found themselves increasingly adrift, unsure of how to navigate this powerful pull of their mutual craving for each other's touch.

Nathan's head was spinning as he tried to get control of himself. Just like frosting on their last date he'd underestimated the potency of passion that the hot springs would unearth between them. He'd always prided himself on staying in control, but Elizabeth, as she so often did, pushed him to the edge—leaving him undone, both emotionally and physically.

God, he loved this woman…his siren, Nathan mused with a smile. But hardly a minute passed without feeling puzzled—how to reconcile the fierce desire she stirred in him with his need to honor her. His mother had instilled in him a deep respect for women, and in every aspect of that regard, his intimacy with Elizabeth was the most critical area where he never wanted to overstep. So, he'd let her take the lead there as well.

Yet, Elizabeth was already pulling them to places he'd never been. Nathan took a steadying breath as he recalled Elizabeth's two-button request from their last date, and how lovingly her soft hand had brushed across his bare chest, leaving him thoroughly committed to her care.

Now, weeks into their courtship, she'd given him ample encouragement and mounting evidence, convincing him beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was not only ready but hungry for his advances—save for a few, but firm, boundaries that remained nonnegotiable for both of them.

That knowledge unleashed something in him, something he knew could be dangerous, since he'd always been more guarded in the past, torn between honor and desire. Yet, with Elizabeth's continual invitation, he felt an increasing confidence that he could finally surrender more of his passion to her.

Still, he was becoming quite familiar with his own limits, and, at this moment and time, with the steamy environment of these hot springs, Nathan knew he was already at the edge of what he could control—or stop—if necessary. Here, he sensed the need to tread with care, dressed only in bathing suits and isolated from the outside world by the rugged cliffs around them.

So, reluctantly shifting his gaze from his sweetheart, first to the emerald water and then to the towering rocks, Nathan inhaled slowly, grounding himself in the stillness.

Now feeling more in control, Nathan refocused on their homework assignment. "So, uh, where were we?" he asked, exchanging a knowing glance with Elizabeth.

As his mind replayed the sequence of their inconsequential questions—hers about his mustache, his about her choice between coffee or tea—he quickly determined it was her turn next.

Clearing his throat for dramatic effect, he leaned in. "Mrs. Thornton, will you please share with the class the other inconsequential question you prepared for today?"

Elizabeth giggled at his formality, then swiveled her head, looking this way and that as if searching for the other students Nathan had mentioned. "With the class of one?" she teased, splashing a small wave of water toward his chest, hiding behind a playful smirk.

Nathan laughed good-naturedly, quickly grabbing Elizabeth's hand in response. His fingers curled around hers as if he never meant to let go, the mischievous splash only making him hold her hand tighter. Then, managing to fill his low voice with remorse, he said, "I hope you're not disappointed that I didn't invite anyone else along."

Elizabeth's gaze, still filled with a quiet fire, softened as she met his eyes. "A class of one suits me perfectly," she replied, her voice laced with unspoken meaning.

Though once again drawn toward more physical affection, the small space between them gave her just enough room to hold onto the distraction they both knew they needed. "Okay…" she began, resolved to complete Nathan's earlier request. "My question. Well …"

The moment Elizabeth read Nathan's homework assignment, she instantly thought of a comment Allie made a long while back that left her wondering. The young girl's revealing statement lingered for years in her mind, always just out of reach, but never fully forgotten. She doubted Nathan would remember any context to answer her question, but it was worth a try.

She loved looking back now on Nathan's first year in Hope Valley, linking those first sparks of falling in love to the warm and fiery embers that glowed between them now. Their feelings were so new then, though frankly quite challenging to navigate. Allie regularly ended up in the middle—physically in body or arriving by mode of subtext.

This is why the mystery of Nathan's heart at the time still intrigued her to this day.

"Going back to that week your father first came to town…" Elizabeth began, the corners of her mouth curving into a subtle smile.

"Yes?" Nathan asked with a questioning brow, wondering what she might bring up considering they'd already talked quite extensively about that week, while reading his journal entry at the rock wall earlier that morning.

"When Allie stayed overnight with me while you were in Benson Hills…she might have accidentally ratted you out!" Elizabeth grinned, her voice light and teasing as she finished the sentence with a playful, sing-songy lilt.

"How so?" Nathan asked, his curiosity piqued, still lost as to what her question might be.

"Well, I was trying to help her understand that the choices you were making about her grandfather were out of love for her. So, I mentioned how often you'd talk about her around town, how proud you were of her and all the amazing things she was going to accomplish…"

Nathan nodded in acknowledgment, though his brow furrowed slightly as he tried to piece together where she was going with this. As far as he could tell, nothing Elizabeth had said sounded out of the ordinary.

But Elizabeth remembered the moment perfectly; and now, right up against the question that had lingered in her mind for nearly five long years, her heart fluttered once again just as it had when Allie's revealing comment first fell upon her ears.

"Even after I told Allie how much you talked about her, I still expected her to be frustrated about not seeing her grandpa, and thought we'd sit in that conversation a while," Elizabeth explained. "So, it was surprising, to say the least, when she switched gears completely and told me word for word, 'He talks a lot about you, too.'" Elizabeth raised her eyebrow as a clear indicator she'd arrived at her question.

Nathan chuckled softly, knowing exactly what Allie meant. "What else did she say?" he asked, wondering how much his daughter revealed.

"That's just it," Elizabeth groaned. "She didn't! I couldn't help asking her to elaborate," Elizabeth admitted, "even though I felt like I was prying. But, then, of all moments, Little Jack woke up crying!"

Her eyes pleaded with Nathan to put her out of misery, hoping to hear in words even a snippet of his feelings for her at the time. "I know it's been a lot of years now, but if you remember what that might've been about, I'd love to know what Nathan Grant, the handsome Mountie, was saying about me."

"I do remember," he replied softly, his eyes glazing over as he recalled the memory. "You were the first woman I'd ever seen Allie really attach to." Nathan gave Elizabeth's hand a gentle squeeze, his smile full of quiet affection. "It was easy to point out everything I admired about you, knowing you were exactly the kind of person I hoped she'd look up to. Someone she could learn from and aspire to be like."

Even though Elizabeth had hoped for a more romantic response, she found her heart swelling with something just as profound. The thought of Allie, who was becoming more like her daughter with each passing day, filled her with an overwhelming tenderness.

A thoughtful smile appeared on Nathan's face as he admitted, "I probably leaned into that a little more than I should've," knowing he gave Allie an earful, and that she eventually figured him out. "I think it was an easy way for me to say out loud the reasons I was starting to fall for you."

Nathan grinned as he caught the glint of hope in Elizabeth's eyes, knowing she was quietly waiting for more. So, as a man utterly smitten, he happily appeased her desire.

"Like…" he began, his thoughts drifting back to the first thing he'd noticed about the lovely Mrs. Thornton.

"I appreciated your strong values—honesty and kindness, which I saw firsthand right from the start. You held Allie accountable for that card trick, but helped solve the deeper problem about her finding friends."

"Then, there was the time that I stood there, completely lovestruck, in the middle of the street…just in awe of how you commanded an entire group of unruly boys. I still remember your voice, clear and firm—'Boys, are we behaving like little gentlemen?'"

Nathan's tone brightened as he mimicked her, his voice rising in pitch. Pausing for a moment, he brushed his fingers gently along her bare arm, feeling the simple touch draw him deeper into his words.

"I didn't know it at the time, but I was already a goner," he confessed. "You never give up on people, 'Lizbeth. Allie, those rowdy boys, our new cadet. It's one of the many reasons I grew to love you."

Though Elizabeth was naturally tempted to respond, something about the warmth in Nathan's gaze silently nudged her to let him stay in his reflective thoughts a moment longer. She certainly didn't want to sidetrack him from thoroughly answering her question. After all these years, she was hearing from the man, himself, what had been in Nathan Grant's heart back then—the feelings he hadn't fully voiced, other to Allie in part, she supposed. So, instead of speaking, Elizabeth simply smiled, letting the silence hang between them, as she eagerly waited to learn more.

Nathan, already lost in thought, hadn't expected Elizabeth to comment anyway. Now, immersed in that first year in Hope Valley, it felt as though he was flipping through the pages of a well-worn book, reliving each memory one at a time. There were plenty more examples he could offer—in fact, he could easily speak on this topic for the rest of the evening.

"You were interesting," Nathan continued, leaning in, a twinkle in his eye. "I remember pointing out to Allie how you explored your passions even outside of your work as a teacher—and with a baby to take care of, no less." Then, in a forgotten moment of realization, he added, "It was actually after that conversation that she suggested I take up woodworking again."

"The plaque," Elizabeth murmured, her eyes soft and wistful.

Nathan lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a loving kiss across her fingers. He knew now from their last date all that his gift had meant to her, the gesture as well as the inscription.

"You were more of an inspiration to that gift than you knew," he responded.

With each confession of what Nathan had long since noticed about Elizabeth, his gaze had grown deeper, his eyes reflecting a love that had only intensified over time. His thumb brushed affectionately across Elizabeth's hand, adding a subtle pressure with each memory—an unspoken acknowledgment of how his feelings had shifted, from heartfelt admiration to something far more profound and undeniably romantic.

"Adventurous!" Nathan continued, listing off a fitting attribute, his grin widening as he gestured to the expansive scenery around them. "That's another trait I remember coming up over dinner."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Adventurous? Even back then?"

Nathan nodded with a playful chuckle. "Not everyone would tromp through the snow all afternoon just to find the 'perfect' tree."

At his words, Elizabeth's chin and chest puffed out just slightly, a quiet pride taking root. It was true, after all. Still, she felt compelled by honesty to own up to her deepest motivation.

"The company helped," she confessed, tilting her head up and to the side so her eyes could meet Nathan's, and her knowing smile could be seen.

Nathan lowered his own head to nestle against Elizabeth's, his sigh warm with the comfort of their closeness, feeling so often astounded at the reality he was living.

"Even so," he said softly, "I couldn't help but point out to Allie how adventurous you were. I know Allie appreciated hearing that, too. She's always felt a little…out of place, as a girl…" Nathan glanced at Elizabeth, figuring as a teacher, she understood his meaning.

Elizabeth's gaze softened. She understood. She always did. "Because she loves being outdoors…like the boys?"

"Precisely." Nathan's smile was quick, grateful he hadn't overstepped by implying societal norms, even if they were outdated ideas he hoped wouldn't define his daughter. Not likely to be the case, he thought, his heart swelling with a quiet confidence. It was becoming more clear every day, even by the hour, that Elizabeth would fill an irreplaceable space in both of their lives, his and Allie's. And ultimately, the way Elizabeth lived her life was a blueprint for Allie to shape her own journey, independent of others' expectations.

All of a sudden, Nathan was overcome by a renewed sense of pride for his adventuring sweetheart—a woman who'd risen to some hefty heights that day, both metaphorically and physically speaking. He was all but brimming with excitement, in his usual understated way, of course, as he openly shared his anticipation. "I can't wait for Allie to hear about what you did today! She'll be quite impressed!" Nathan assured Elizabeth.

In referencing Allie, the feeling was all too familiar. A knowing smile spread across his lips as he remembered how often he and Elizabeth had both used Allie in name to express what was in their hearts. So, this time, Nathan made sure his own heart was heard. "I know I'm impressed," he said, his voice warm with admiration.

"Thank you, Nathan," Elizabeth beamed, truly touched by Nathan's praise. Although she felt a surge of accomplishment for the tenacity she'd mustered that day, she knew the greatest source of her strength was the very person she was leaning against now.

For a moment, both fell into a peaceful silence, each lost in their own thoughts, reflecting on what they cherished most in one another.


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Author's Notes:

Thanks to ck15nc for offering up a perfect question about coffee for Chapter 14: Inconsequential Questions that unintentionally continued to grow even into Chapter 15. Apparently Nathan and Elizabeth had evidence they wanted to present to support their claims in favor of coffee.

Please read on to Chapter 15: A Touching Tangent and Chapter 16: Revealing Questions 2 to finish all the content for this multi-chapter release. I hope you enjoy them!