Nathan broke apart the last moving box into fragments and dropped it in the recycling bin with immense satisfaction. Unpacking and setting up his home had taken longer than he wanted it to, but he had spent extra hours at the hospital settling in. Walking inside, he looked around the kitchen, pleased there was no more clutter. The modern kitchen was sleek, incorporating white cabinets and a light marble countertop. The large appliances were stainless steel and blended seamlessly in the room. There was ample bench space for the cooking he would do, but most importantly, there was room for the coffee machine.

He hated starting his day without coffee; the smell alone was enough to kick-start his energy. He glanced at the machine longingly but walked away. He'd already had three cups of coffee and knew he shouldn't have another. He decided to get ready for his lunch date with Colleen and Allie to distract himself. He had been spending a lot of time with them and was happy to see Colleen becoming more like her old self.

Initially, Colleen was angry with Nathan when he told her he had contacted Gabe about Dylan. When he finished telling her what Gabe had found out, she calmed down. Gabe had made discreet enquiries with his colleagues in the Laconia Police Department and was able to report that no one suspected Colleen was involved in Dylan's criminal activity.

Nathan knew Colleen had been relieved she wasn't under suspicion by the police, but the information brought them no closer to knowing where Dylan was. One evening, after he had dinner at Colleen's, she had opened up to Nathan, telling him she had finally decided to leave Dylan. The problem was she had to find him to make it official.

When Colleen walked him out that evening, he saw her look around, checking if anyone was outside before opening the door. When he asked why, she said the sensation of being watched continued, and she looked over her shoulder every time she left the house.

Nathan had gotten in his car and driven away before circling back. He wanted to see if there was anyone or anything out of the ordinary. He hadn't seen anything of concern. Every night when he left the hospital, whether he was seeing Colleen and Allie or not, he drove past her home as a precaution. While he hadn't seen anyone, he trusted Colleen's instincts.

Nathan stepped out of the shower and dried himself quickly before wrapping the towel around his waist. His bathroom routine was quick; besides brushing his teeth and hair and a quick shave, he paid little attention to his appearance. He never thought about how he looked, although his friends and family constantly teased him about them.

Before leaving his bedroom, Nathan checked the pockets of his jeans for his wallet, keys, and phone. Satisfied he had everything, he ran lightly down the stairs, eager to get to his sister's home. He grabbed his coat off the stand near the door and threw it over his arm. It was too warm to wear in the car. He wrapped his woollen scarf around his neck and stuffed his gloves into his coat pocket. He was spending the morning with Allie while Colleen went to work. He and Allie were meeting her there later, and the three of them were going to lunch. Colleen had the afternoon off so they could do some last-minute Christmas shopping for family and friends. Nathan was hoping to get her advice on his Secret Santa gift.

When Rosemary Coulter told Nathan he had been included, he was happy to participate until he found out who he was buying for. Nathan was strangely nervous about buying a gift for the lovely Elizabeth Thatcher. It was important to him to buy something special without going over the top. He wasn't sure why it mattered so much, but it did. He barely knew her, but she was the first woman in years that he thought he might want to get to know.

Arriving at Colleen's, he knocked before letting himself in and calling out a greeting. He heard Allie's excited voice telling him they were in the kitchen, and he headed down the hall. As he approached the kitchen, he could smell the bacon and pancakes and frowned. Neither Colleen nor Allie were morning people, so breakfast during the week was usually rushed and a little cranky. Why was she going all out today?

"Good morning, Nathan!" Colleen exclaimed as Allie rushed over and hugged his legs.

"Good morning." Ruffling Allie's hair before sitting at the table, settling her on his lap, he asked, "what has you two so excited this morning?"

"Nothing special," Colleen replied. "I am just excited to have the afternoon off with you. Allie is excited to have you to herself for the morning."

Nathan wasn't sure whether to believe his sister; her eyes had an unusual sparkle. Growing up, that sparkle meant Colleen was either up to no good or had a secret she was keeping from him. He wondered which one it was this time. He was about to probe for details when she handed him a plate of fluffy pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and a side of bacon.

"Wow, this looks amazing."

"I helped make the pancakes," Allie said. "They're delicious."

"Well, I hope you're still hungry; I think I might need help eating all of this." Nathan chuckled when Allie nodded vigorously. He looked at Colleen, but she didn't say anything. She just handed him another fork.

Elizabeth rolled over and opened her eyes, groaning as her alarm blared from her phone. The volume was set to the loudest possible, and the ringtone for the alarm was the most annoying she could find. Without the volume and annoyance, she would be tempted to ignore it. Elizabeth lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. She wished she could stay in bed all day.

It was snowing outside, and all she wanted to do on her day off was to snuggle under a blanket and watch Christmas movies. Unfortunately, she had promised Rosemary she would attend the school's dress rehearsal for the end-of-year pageant. Elizabeth had attended the year before, and she knew once she was there, she would enjoy it. Rosemary swore the dress rehearsal was the only reason the play succeeded, and Elizabeth knew she couldn't let her down.

Throwing back the covers, Elizabeth forced herself out of bed and into the shower. As the warm water flowed over her head and shoulders, Elizabeth let her thoughts drift back over the last few days. For a small town, it had been hectic. She and Clara had responded to many calls, some requiring them to attend the hospital, although luckily, none of them had been serious or fatal. Elizabeth had little interaction with Nathan during these visits, seeing him only at a distance to wave to.

Elizabeth wasn't disappointed she hadn't had the chance to speak to him again. She wasn't! She told herself it was for the best; he was far too distracting. Elizabeth wasn't a foolish teenager, but she had spent a lot of time daydreaming about the handsome doctor, and it had to stop. She heard the conversations between the nurses and other female staff. She wasn't the only one daydreaming about the new doctor.

Everyone was whispering about the handsome Dr Grant, wondering about his relationship status, and daring each other to be the first to ask him out. One of the radiographers had taken the chance and asked him to dinner at the end of one of their shifts. He had declined gently, saying he was still trying to settle into his new home. No one else had been game to ask since.

Elizabeth rummaged through her closet, looking for something to wear. She needed something festive, she decided, to get her in the holiday spirit. Finally, she settled on dark denim jeans, tan boots, and a red, cashmere, boat neck sweater. She hardly ever wore red and had forgotten she even had it in her closet. It had been a gift from her younger sister, Julie, the previous year. She was glad she hadn't gotten around to returning it.

Elizabeth spooned Greek yoghurt into a bowl and topped it with strawberries, blueberries, and homemade Granola she had prepared herself. She rushed through her breakfast to make sure she had time to do some errands on the way to the play. She had tried to be organised for Christmas this year, but once again, shopping had been left to the last minute. Although there were still several weeks to go, the Secret Santa present was troubling her. She had absolutely no idea what to buy.

"Elizabeth, where have you been?" Rosemary exclaimed as she reached for her arm, dragging her into the auditorium. Stopping abruptly, Rosemary looked her up and down and said, "You should wear red more often; it looks good with your dark hair."

"I am twenty minutes early, Rosemary. What's gotten into you?" Elizabeth asked, looking down at herself, perplexed by the strange greeting. Usually, "Has someone been injured? Is that why you are rushing me?"

"No. No. Nothing like that; I have a computer drama, the laptop isn't connecting, so I have no music for the show. And my leading man and lady both got themselves detention and aren't here for rehearsal."

"I have no idea how to fix a laptop, Rosemary," Elizabeth protested, growing more and more confused each moment.

"I know that! I have someone else helping me. I want you there ...for moral support."

Elizabeth allowed Rosemary to propel her forward despite her misgivings about her friend's unusual behaviour. Elizabeth could see a huddle of people in the distance, standing around the desk at the foot of the stage. They all had their backs to Elizabeth and Rosemary, focused on what she assumed was the uncooperative laptop.

Elizabeth froze mid-step as she caught sight of a tall, dark-haired man holding a little girl's hand. It couldn't be...could it? What was Nathan Grant doing there, and why was he holding Allie Parkes's hand? Elizabeth jerked forward as Rosemary pulled her hand once again.

"Miss Lizzy!"

Nathan spun around at Allie's excited squeal, wondering who she could be talking to. It took him a moment to place the person walking behind Rosemary Coulter, or should he say being dragged behind Rosemary. What was Elizabeth Thatcher doing at the school? He didn't think she was old enough to have a student in one of the classes. And how did Allie know 'Miss Lizzy,' the beautiful EMT?

Allie dropped his hand and ran to Elizabeth. Nathan was pleased to see Elizabeth crouch down, bringing herself to Allie's level. He couldn't hear their conversation, but both were smiling. He glanced at Colleen, where she sat at the laptop and hoped his sister could work her IT magic quickly; he was starving. If they had reached his car one minute earlier, Rosemary would have missed them, and he would be digging into a juicy steak right now.

He waited patiently as Allie and Elizabeth finished their conversation and headed toward him. He noticed Allie slip her hand into Elizabeth's as they walked and wondered again at their connection.

"Uncle Nathan. Do you know Miss Lizzy? She takes people to your hospital."

"I do, sweetheart," Nathan said with a smile at Allie. Glancing at Elizabeth and smiling, he asked Allie, "How do you know her?"

"Miss Lizzy helped me when Mama and I had our accident, and I was stuck," Allie explained matter-of-factly. "She stayed with me until her friends in the fire truck got me out." Allie perked up as she remembered her gift. "Miss Lizzy and Miss Clara brought me books."

Nathan's smile fell remembering what Colleen had told him about her accident,

'I have never been in an accident before.'

'It was so loud!'

'It happened so fast; he came out of nowhere."

'I heard Allie scream; I couldn't get her out.'

She and Allie had been lucky not to have been hurt.

Colleen had broken down when she spoke of Allie being trapped. As awful as it was, at least she had opened up to him. Her tears had melted the frostiness between them. Colleen had talked about how kind the EMTs and police had been to her and Allie. At the time, who those people were hadn't mattered to him. He hadn't started working at the hospital and afterwards hadn't made the connection. Now, it mattered.

Nathan had thought a lot about Elizabeth Thatcher since their brief meeting. He cringed each time he remembered his stammering introduction. He had found himself tongue-tied as he took her hand and looked into her lovely blue eyes. He would never forget the creamy luminance of her skin and having to fight the urge to reach out and stroke her cheek. Her mouth had curled into a welcoming smile as she spoke, captivating him.

Nathan had tried to be subtle as he asked his new colleagues about her. Luckily for him, he met Rosemary Coulter during one of her visits to the hospital and, somehow, ended up having coffee with her in the cafeteria. Over coffee and a slice of cake, she grilled him about his life, career, and family, and he found himself answering her. In return, she had been a wealth of knowledge about her 'best friend' Elizabeth Thatcher. She had invited him to join her, Lee, and a few friends on Friday evening, and he had accepted. He was pleased when Rosemary said Elizabeth was going. He was glad the others were too, of course, but he had to admit that she was the person he wanted to know more about.

"Ah, you bought Allie Where the wild things are?" Nathan said. "That's a great choice," he said. Smiling he took a breath and asked, "so, what brings you to the school today?"

"Rosemary ropes me into being at the dress rehearsal every year. I don't mind; sometimes it's like watching a show's blooper reel, and it's great seeing behind the scenes." Elizabeth tilted her head to the side, clearly curious about how he came to be there. "How did you get roped into the dress rehearsal?"

Elizabeth listened as Nathan explained his connection to Colleen, wanting her to understand their relationship. He explained the morning he had spent with Allie and their lunch plans being delayed when Rosemary begged for her help.

Nathan and Elizabeth heard a sharp cry of disappointment from Rosemary and glanced over. Colleen stood beside her, shaking her head as she shrugged in defeat.

"Surely there is something else you can try?" Rosemary cried.

"I am sorry, Rosemary. It isn't an IT issue; the laptop is working fine, but something else must be wrong." Colleen explained.

"Oh dear!" Rosemary said, "This doesn't sound like a quick fix at all. I don't even know where to start." Staring at the broader group, she exclaimed, "with everything else that's gone wrong, it doesn't look like this dress rehearsal will go ahead today."

"Maybe we will get to lunch after all," Nathan commented quietly to Elizabeth.

"And I can spend my afternoon aimlessly wandering the shopping centre trying to finish my Christmas shopping." Elizabeth sighed. She had already wasted the morning doing just that. The man standing before her had been impossible to buy for.

"You can come to lunch with us," Allie offered kindly, obviously hearing the reluctance in Elizabeth's tone.

Nathan's eyes went wide as he heard Allie's offer. Nathan quickly covered his shocked reaction to Allie's suggestion, hoping Elizabeth hadn't noticed. How did he feel about Elizabeth joining them for lunch?

"Thank you, Allie, but I don't want to intrude on your lunch."

Elizabeth rushed to answer, and Nathan knew she had seen the shock on his face. Now he had heard her decline the invitation, he knew he wanted her to come, he wanted the chance to get to know her better.

"I'm sure Colleen would love to have you join us; we all would," Nathan assured her, looking toward Colleen where she gathered her things hoping she wouldn't mind. "The reviews for the restaurant are really good."

Elizabeth laughed at his entreating look. "I do have some gift shopping I still need to do."

"Of course, but the shops will be open after lunch, right?" He smiled at her again, not his usual crooked smile, but a bright one that lit up his whole face and did strange things to her pulse rate. "So... you'll join us?" Nathan asked, smiling that crooked half-smile of his.

"I would love to," Elizabeth agreed, wondering what she had gotten herself into.