Chapter 3: Changing Seasons

"Do you want to take a walk around the lake?" Nathan asked, holding out an inviting hand. "We can pick up your books on our way back, before heading home."

"I'd love that," Elizabeth answered back, parting from Nathan only a moment to grab her shawl. Nathan took the liberty of being the one to wrap her up in the warmth of the fabric before taking her hand in his and interlacing their fingers.

Once their feet hit the dirt path, Nathan immediately filled his lungs with the refreshing autumn air, cooling by the minute. As the autumn hues of the changing leaves caught his gaze, he directed a related thought toward Elizabeth.

"You know, I don't think I've ever heard what your favorite season is."

As Elizabeth was about to speak, he interjected, "Wait! I bet I could guess."

"You think you know me that well?"

"I do," Nathan said matter-of-factly, wearing his heart-stopping half smile

"Okay, Constable," Elizabeth replied pointedly. "Let's hear it."

"I think your favorite season is …" For dramatic effect he hemmed and hawed a moment before revealing his guess of, "spring."

"It is!" Elizabeth exclaimed with a level of delight that surprised even herself. She shook her head, smiling, and inwardly attributed her Rosemary-level response to the simple joy of being understood by the person she loved more than the stars in the sky.

"I'm curious," she admitted. "What made you guess the spring?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow and tilted his head toward her, silently signaling to the most obvious clue.

Elizabeth quickly realized he was referring to her outfit: a pink skirt paired with a white blouse patterned with flowers.

"I see," she smiled, acknowledging that her clothes did trend toward spring colors and patterns.

"What about you, Nathan? I'm not sure I could guess yours. I am learning to read you better each day, but you're still not as much of an open book as you think," she teased, delivering a soft shoulder bump.

"I like fall best," Nathan said. "That one's a little trickier, though" he added, gesturing to his uniform. "No clues here."

"What do you like about the fall?

"I love the leaves," Nathan readily answered, "the crisp air, the outdoors." Leaning toward the metaphorical, he said with reflection, "I like the time of preparing for what's to come. Fall feels purposeful, while at the same time restful, since it precedes the quiet of winter."

Elizabeth loved these moments together, when Nathan's frugal words flowered into insightful thoughts. It made her desperate to know what his journal entries were like — how expressive they'd be. She could hardly wait to find out on Saturday.

Nathan and the fall season led her mind toward some delightful imaginations. "Preparations …" Elizabeth began, knowing the direction she wanted to take this. "Like wood chopping," she innocently suggested.

"Exactly!"

"I wouldn't mind joining you …"

"Really?" Nathan asked, a bit surprised. "Like you want to learn how to chop wood?"

A mischievous smile tugged at Elizabeth's lips. After a drawn out, "No," she added with evident fire in her eyes, "Like I want to watch you chop wood."

Her lips tucked in as a little giggle escaped.

"Ah," Nathan chuckled, a tinge of pink rising through his cheeks. "I see." Ignited by the feeling of being so deeply wanted by the woman he'd loved for years, he boldly replied with his own heat, "I think we could arrange that."

As both smiled inwardly and outwardly at their playful banter, they fell into a contented silence, their joined hands swinging ever so slightly along with the motion of their walking.

While their feet crunched over a carpet of fallen leaves, their gazes lingered on the scene before them — long shadows stretching across the serene lake, bathed in the soft golden light of the late afternoon.

Elizabeth was first to break the silence, unwilling to abandon the topic of wood chopping. "I already know a place it might fit in!"

"What might fit in?"

"Wood chopping!" Elizabeth emphasized, baffled at how that rugged display of muscular strength hadn't stayed at the forefront of Nathan's mind when it certainly had hers.

"And where is that?" Nathan asked, playing along, knowing full well there was the rather unromantic option over by the …

"The cabin!" Elizabeth said with an air of hope and excitement.

Considering the layout of that single room cabin, Nathan's analytical mind quickly debated whether Elizabeth was meaning this cabin escape as a family venture once the two of them were married or a romantic getaway, also clearly after a wedding.

Although they'd tried to make it to Vancouver on their first family road trip, hotels had at least afforded the opportunity of staying in two separate rooms. But the cabin? Unsure of what Elizabeth was actually inferring, Nathan decided to play it safe, though he couldn't help but add in some of his characteristic humor.

"So, Allie and I would sleep in the cabin, and you'd bring a tent," he answered, attempting a decisive tone, as if those sleeping arrangements were the only natural choice should they embark on this adventure before a wedding.

Elizabeth giggled, both amused and endeared by Nathan's teasing.

However, Nathan abruptly changed his verbal course to pave a path of possibility, believing a family trip to the cabin could in fact materialize. "No, I'd sleep outside, of course, 'Lizbeth," Nathan acquiesced, ever willing to surrender for the comfort of his loved ones. "What about Allie …" he quickly added, thinking the fall evenings might be too cold for her.

"Allie can be inside with us," she assured Nathan. Then, to his utmost surprise, Elizabeth looked up at him under her long lashes and unabashedly asked, "What if I said I wanted you inside, too?"

For a moment, Nathan replayed her exact words in his mind, unsure he'd heard her correctly. He immediately felt tossed back to the chilly morning at Elizabeth's rowhouse when she asked him to take off his serge as if that were the most natural thing to ask. But, in this instance, Elizabeth's coquettish grin confirmed she'd entirely meant the suggestive undertone.

Nathan returned her smile, stopping just beside the water's edge to face her. He circled her waist with his arms and whispered in his lowest register, "Then I'd say, I feel the same."

As their subtext met with proximity, both hearts simultaneously plunged into a galloping cadence.

Nathan hardly got the words out as his lips drove him to kiss Elizabeth in ways he'd not yet allowed himself to undertake. Though instinct often dictated this Mountie's actions professionally, his thoughts of their visual location at the lake unfortunately tempered the passion he'd wanted to convey.

He did indulge in a few spicy kisses, however, which Elizabeth readily returned. But, Nathan forced himself to keep them as dignified as possible, considering their display of affection might very well be within the view of anyone in town.

Still surging with unexpressed passion, Nathan turned to words instead to vocalize the heat Elizabeth's suggestion had fueled.

"Or …" Nathan said, holding her close, "What if I said I wanted you outside with me?" In his surprisingly bold question, Nathan continued to spin this alternate reality where they could fully share their passion unhindered.

"Then," Elizabeth began, thinking of their first family road trip that went awry, "I'd say, even just waking up beside you in a tent was by far my favorite night spent outdoors." Her breath shallowed as she asked, "Is that answer enough, Constable?" while fiddling with the unlatched buttons of his Henley.

Nathan forced himself to exhale, deeply affected by all things Elizabeth. "More than enough, my love." In the context of their little game, he readied to share some thoughts he'd not yet been brave enough to speak aloud.

"Lizabeth, I have a confession to make …"

"Don't tell me you planned it?!" she interjected, referencing the mess of how they'd ended up beside each other after a rainy night in a tent, despite their two children initially settling in between them.

"No, no," Nathan smiled. "I wouldn't really do that … though I'd want to," he openly admitted, a guilty grin filling his face as he momentarily broke with Elizabeth's gaze to look down and regain the confidence to share what was pounding in his heart.

As his eyes once again found Elizabeth's, he felt himself drawn deeply into her expressive pools of blue. He'd witnessed countless emotions written across those eyes over the years. Yet this time, as they stood across from each other beside the lake, her eyes reflected only a clear, singular image—an image of him, as seen through her heart.

Almost like a mirror, Nathan saw himself, though differently since this was her image of him. He couldn't possibly pull his eyes away as he perceived her tenderness toward him, the man in her heart, as well as a committed passion he'd only just begun to understand. It was as though in that brief moment, Elizabeth was laying bare her heart, offering him a glimpse into the love she'd long harbored, yet never fully expressed, though he increasingly saw the desire in her eyes to do so.

The reflection of himself he saw there was not just the man he knew, but the man she'd fiercely battled her own fears to love — someone she cherished for his friendship, his soul, and the future they'd forge together.

A cool breeze suddenly stirred the air between them, ruffling Elizabeth's hair, but it was the stillness of the moment that held them both. Nathan's breath caught as he struggled to share the depth of what he felt,

"Lizbeth, I …"

"Yes?" Elizabeth pressed.

Nathan glanced away at the sun, lowering toward the horizon. He sighed in momentary defeat, though recovering with a sincere smile. "Nevermind …" he said, slightly shaking his head, "maybe another time."

His confession involved expressing more than made sense with their limited time, considering they were just minutes away from needing to head home.

So instead of fully opening up, Nathan settled with a heartfelt replacement. "I just can hardly believe this isn't a dream," he whispered, brushing his thumb against her cheek.

After a kiss far too brief to convey the depth of their love, Nathan took Elizabeth's hand and turned toward the schoolhouse to gather her books. There'd be time on Saturday, Nathan reasoned, knowing with one hundred percent certainty another opportunity to share was bound to come up again.

Though Elizabeth felt dreadfully disappointed not to hear what was buried within Nathan Grant's heart, she picked up on his cue, understanding their need to get home and be parents, too. Besides, they had a date coming up after all, with plenty of time alone to discuss their hearts' desires both in word and physical expression. In the meantime, Elizabeth knew she'd be longing to hear what he'd been so close to sharing.

With their attention now shifted toward getting back to their children, Elizabeth used their last remaining minutes together to address some practical matters as they turned toward the row houses.

"How do you think our family schedule is working? How's Allie doing with it?" she asked, instantly narrowing in on who she thought about the most with their blending families.

Nathan was quick to smile at the mention of his daughter. "She loves it, especially having a place after school that feels like home … where she's not alone, I mean."

"That means the world to me," Elizabeth replied, squeezing Nathan's hand as she thought of how much their "home" was feeling like the four of them now. "But, I feel like we're the lucky ones."

"And Jack?" Nathan asked.

"Jack…" Elizabeth said, shaking her head and chuckling. "I think he believes this is how it's always been."

With Elizabeth's words came an instant connection, their hearts racing as the air itself seemed to pause, holding the moment in suspended awe for what surely seemed to be a story written in the stars. Despite trying to talk about more surface subjects like family logistics, their souls had launched them right back into another electric moment, charged with anticipation of the expanding love they were longing to share, both in word and intimacy.

Yet neither felt sure of what to say next as they were now only steps away from Elizabeth's row house, where every night the four of them fixed dinner together. With a statement like Jack's, about always feeling like a blended family, each parent wanted to say what was burning in their heart. For Elizabeth it was, 'This is how I've always wanted it to be with you,' and for Nathan, 'We're nearly ready, then, aren't we … ready to make it official?'

But those deeply committing, heartfelt expressions didn't feel fitting to toss out into the night air just before walking through the front door. It felt like such pivotal statements would've warranted another walk around the lake. And the reality was, they'd already taken longer than intended, and knew dinner needed to be started.

So, with their feet only steps away from the porch, Nathan seized the moment as best he could, choosing to save his growing number of thoughts for a later time. Instead, he drew Elizabeth into a warm, tender hug and said softly, "There's nowhere else I'd rather be 'Lizbeth than with you, ..." He gently pressed his lips to hers before adding, "and with Jack," at which point he placed another brief kiss on her lips, "and with Allie."

Elizabeth loved how Nathan lingered after their last kiss, holding her lips in his as long as possible until he reluctantly pulled away. Though wishing they had more time, she turned with acceptance to walk up the stairs. But, Nathan drew her back tenderly.

"And Scout, too …" he said in all seriousness, adding another kiss. Out of necessity, Nathan, of course, went on to list Newton, Sergeant, and Pal, since, Elizabeth supposed, there was nowhere else he'd rather be than with them as well.

"Anyone else, Constable?" she teased, waiting at the base of the stairs to make sure he was finished before she headed for her door.

"No," he smiled, pleased with himself. "I think that's it …" So Elizabeth made it up the few steps, when Nathan gently touched her shoulder to stop her. "Unless …" he openly suggested.

As Elizabeth looked at him with feigned impatience, he asked with a mischievous grin, "Are we including Bill, Rosemary, and Lee? I could add more kisses."

She swatted him playfully, but quickly leaned into whatever might bring more kisses. "Yes," Elizabeth giggled. "Of course we'd include them." She lowered one step to grant a certain Constable better access.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Nathan replied, passing along three more kisses, each growing in intensity as they'd been so prone to do since their very first kiss.

While the sun shone its final rays for the night, Elizabeth slipped her arms around her sweetheart. "I love you, Nathan."

"I love you, too, 'Lizabeth" he said, nuzzling his head against hers. "… More than the stars in the sky," he added, repeating the words of her letter.

Elizabeth's eyes glowed with warmth in the cool twilight, touched by how attentive Nathan was to her every detail. Her heart felt squeezed by the comfort of a swaddling blanket, in awe of how their love grew by the minute. As she led the way to the door of her row house in the darkening night, she wondered about Saturday, struggling to imagine how a full day might even further broaden their love.

Nathan reached out to open the door, then stepped aside for Elizabeth to walk through first. After the house greeted them with a soft, welcoming light, the two parents were immediately met by three varied responses:

First — an energetic boy bounded over to say hello, "Mama! Mountie Nathan!"

Second — though nearly simultaneous — an adorable, matchmaking dog, burrowed in the folds of Elizabeth's skirt.

And third — a teenage girl glanced up with a smile from her cozy spot on the couch, nestled in a special throw, one that had long ago kept her warm during what had unknowingly become one of the most pivotal nights for this family's future.

As Nathan and Elizabeth happily greeted the children, and of course Scout, they looked fondly at the throw and then each other, the same thought passing through their minds — they were home.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Author's Notes:

In Season 12, I'd love to see Nathan and Elizabeth go on a walk around the little lake, falling into a relaxed cadence of questions, discussion, and occasional kisses. How fun would that be? I hope you enjoyed this version of what that might look like. I'd love to hear any feedback you're interested in sharing. Thank you for taking the time to read!

These characters belong to Hallmark's "When Call's the Heart." Any dialogue used from episodes is written in italics.