"Well, this is the last thing I expected to happen this evening," Rosemary said as Nathan and Elizabeth reached the front verandah.
"What were you expecting?" Elizabeth asked, curious.
"I was expecting a phone call from one of you saying you couldn't make it for dinner. I had put my money on it being you, Elizabeth. I thought Nathan would be too polite to cancel, given this was his first invitation."
"You bet money on me not attending!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "With Lee? That's terrible."
"Not actual money," Rosemary replied. "The loser had to do the dishes," she mumbled.
"Rosemary!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Oh please, I don't think you are in any position to judge me, given that you have clearly been lying to me," Rosemary said, gesturing between them. "This hardly looks like you can't stand each other."
Elizabeth glanced at Nathan and realised they had naturally gravitated toward each other. Nathan was standing behind her, one step lower, but he was too close for casual acquaintances and much too close for someone she couldn't stand.
"Well, you started it. You and Colleen with your match-making attempts."
"That was done with the best intentions, Colleen and I had your very best at heart," Rosemary said piously.
"Mmmmhh, I am sure you did, but you knew I would hate being set up."
"And if you two had gotten it wrong, it would have been very awkward for us both," Nathan said.
"Does Colleen know?" Rosemary asked. "I texted her earlier, but she hasn't responded." Frowning, Rosemary stared hard at Nathan, "She said she was meeting you after school; the two of you didn't fight about this, did you?"
Elizabeth took a deep breath and reached for Nathan's hand. "The reason for that meeting is a long story, Rosemary. Can we go inside where it's warm to have that conversation?" Elizabeth and Nathan had asked Colleen if they could confide in Rosemary and Lee about what had happened with Dylan, and she agreed. Colleen had also said they could share with Faith if she were at dinner, given her involvement with Nathan and her initial treatment of Dylan.
"Of course, I'm sorry; what was I thinking? Come inside."
Elizabeth and Nathan followed Rosemary through the house and into the kitchen, where Lee was stirring something on the stove. The kitchen smelled fantastic; the rich aromas of garlic, cheese and tomatoes filled the air, and Elizabeth's mouth watered.
"Hey, you guys," Lee said enthusiastically, turning to face them, trying to hide his surprise at seeing the two of them there. Elizabeth grinned when Lee noticed their joined hands. She saw his eyebrows shoot up, and he dropped the wooden spoon into the pot, splashing sauce everywhere. As he jumped back from the stove, he smiled delightedly.
"So, it looks like this dinner is going to be interesting. I can't wait to hear this story." Lee said, grabbing a tea towel to wipe his hands. "Rosie, it looks like you are doing the dishes tonight. Maybe tomorrow night as well."
"Well, there is no need to rub it in," Rosemary laughed. "It sounds like there are quite a few stories to be shared."
"Is anyone else coming for dinner?" Elizabeth asked, wanting to wait to share Colleen's story if Faith was expected shortly.
"It's just us tonight," Rosemary explained. "Maybe, given it's just the four of us, we can eat here; it's cosier."
Rosemary and Lee's kitchen was large, with one end housing a six-seater table. It was a lovely space, and with the heat from the cooking and a small fireplace in the corner of the room, it was very cosy and was a more intimate setting with only the four of them.
Reaching for the bottle of red wine, which was breathing on the kitchen counter, Lee poured each of them a glass. He passed a glass to Nathan and Elizabeth and led them to the table. Nathan pulled the chair back for Elizabeth, and they sat across from Lee while Rosemary stood at the bench, putting the final touches on the Lasagna. For the first time, the seat beside her wasn't empty. She reached out and held Nathan's hand under the table, connecting them.
"Okay, you two, start talking," Rosemary demanded lightly as she worked at the bench. "I can't wait to hear how you two ended up here together tonight."
Elizabeth began telling the story, filling Lee in on what Rosemary and Colleen had done to force her and Nathan together. Lee listened open-mouthed as she described the fake school visit, the last-minute lunch date, and the appointment Colleen suddenly remembered.
"I thought she had gone too far with the whole Kris Kringle thing," Lee said, shaking his head.
"The Kris Kringle thing?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.
"Lee!" Rosemary hissed, horrified he had mentioned the Kris Kringle.
"Whoops," Lee said, not looking sorry at all. "I probably shouldn't have mentioned that."
"So, you have me in the Kris Kringle?" Nathan asked Elizabeth.
"And you have me?" Elizabeth said before they both turned to look at Rosemary.
"Well, now you have ruined the secret, Lee," Rosemary said, exasperated with her husband. "Especially when I told you that was a coincidence. You were right there with me when I drew the names." Rosemary turned away from them to place the Lasagna in the oven.
"That is true, and I am sorry I ruined the surprise," Lee said apologetically. Lowering his voice, he continued, "I never worked out how she managed to do it without me seeing her do the switch."
"Lee Coulter," Rosemary cried, spinning around to face them, her attempts at being offended not fooling any of them. Rosemary joined them at the table, sitting beside Lee and placing a kiss on his cheek. Reaching for her wine, she took a sip and winked at Nathan. "My sleight of hand is flawless," she teased.
"I cannot believe you did that, Rosemary," Elizabeth said, patting Nathan on the back as he choked on his wine. "You know Kris Kringle stresses me out as it is."
"We should focus on the positives in this situation. Colleen and I are brilliant matchmakers, and my best friend is glowing with happiness, which I helped her find."
"You are too much, Rosie," Lee said as Elizabeth and Nathan laughed at her.
"Now, will you tell me if Colleen knows about the two of you? I can't wait to talk to her."
Elizabeth sat back in her chair and indicated that Nathan should speak. It was his sister and her family's story, and he should be the one to tell it.
Elizabeth listened as Nathan explained the story to Rosemary and Lee. He started at the beginning, with Dylan's involvement in the thieving ring, his arrest and charges. He told the others about Dylan's disappearance and how he resurfaced when Elizabeth had responded to the accident involving a John Doe. Dylan's identity wasn't confirmed until Elizabeth found the ring, forcing Nathan to visit the patient Faith had treated in the hospital emergency department.
Rosemary looked stricken as she listened to Nathan tell the story. Elizabeth knew how kind Rosemary's heart was, and it was breaking for her friend right now.
"Oh, Nathan's, that's awful for you all. Poor sweet, Allie! What can we do?"
"Colleen has made her choice, Rosemary. Her relationship with Dylan is over, so all I can do is support her choice. There is nothing we can do for him. It's a waiting game to see if he wakes up."
Nathan and Lee began discussing the intricacies of Dylan's injury, his current treatment and his long-term prognosis. While they waited for the Lasagna to finish cooking, Lee mentioned an article he had just read in a medical journal about patient recovery from head injuries. Nathan hadn't had a chance to read it, so the two men excused themselves to go to Lee's study to review it.
Rosemary turned to Elizabeth, her face distressed, and she shook her head, trying to express her disbelief at what she had just heard.
"How did Colleen seem to you?" Rosemary asked. "I want to reach out, but I don't want to intrude."
"I am sure she would like to hear from you," Elizabeth assured her. "Nathan has some friends in town, and they are having lunch with Colleen tomorrow. I'm going too. I can talk to you afterwards and update you."
"Well, give her my love, and tell her to call me whenever she feels up to it." Rosemary glanced up the hallway, checking that Lee and Nathan weren't in hearing distance. Leaning toward Elizabeth, she said, "Now, I want to hear what is next for you two. It must be serious if you're already meeting his friends?"
Elizabeth shook her head. Rosemary was incorrigible.
"He introduced me to his best friend Gabriel as his girlfriend."
"What," Rosemary squealed, slapping her hand over her mouth to stop the sound. "Are you serious already? After one lunch."
"Well, there has been more than one lunch," Elizabeth said as her cheeks started to burn. "Lunch turned into a sleigh ride, then we saw each other at the gym and had breakfast. Then we started texting and never stopped. We have spent every spare minute together since the set-up."
"So that is why you have barely responded to my texts. You have been distracted by Nathan?"
"Actually, no, that's not why," Elizabeth rushed to correct her. "I hated lying to you, and that's what I was doing every time I didn't tell you I was with Nathan."
"I suppose I deserved you ignoring me. I knew how you felt about my matchmaking." Rosemary clapped her hands and sat back, smiling broadly at Elizabeth, "Because I am so good at it, you'll never have to go through it again."
Elizabeth shook her head, rolling her eyes at her friend. The sound of Nathan and Lee returning stopped Elizabeth from replying. Rosemary jumped up as the oven timer sounded and went to turn it off and dish up their plates. When everyone sat back at the table, ready to eat, the conversation moved on to less sensitive topics.
As Elizabeth spooned a mouthful of sticky date pudding into her mouth, she groaned and dropped her spoon into her bowl.
"Rosemary, that was delicious, but I cannot eat another bite."
"I am more than happy to take it off your hands." Nathan offered hopefully, turning puppy-dog eyes her way.
"Take it," Elizabeth said, pushing her plate across to him. "It's all yours." Elizabeth made a note to include something sweet with Nathan's Kris Kringle gift. She discovered he had a sweet tooth, and her cookies would be perfect. She was pleased she had made so many cookies earlier; they would be great for lunch at Colleen's as well.
Lee closed the door behind Nathan and Elizabeth and turned to face his beaming wife.
"I suppose you're going to tell me I told you so?" Lee teased.
"Of course not!" Rosemary exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his as they walked to the kitchen. "But I think you should help me with the dishes, given the success of my interference."
"I wouldn't want to encourage you, Rosemary," Lee said. "You got it right this time, but it could have gone wrong."
"But it didn't. Did you see how happy she was, Lee?" Rosemary said dreamily. "That's all I wanted for her."
"I know, sweetheart," Lee replied, kissing her forehead. "You can leave them to work out the rest for themselves."
"Well, I suppose so...but."
"No buts, Rosie. Leave them to it."
Nathan pulled into a parking space outside Elizabeth's home and shut off the car engine. He unclipped his seat belt and turned to face her.
"Would you like me to pick you up tomorrow morning?"
"If you're sure it won't be a problem if you have to drive me home and Colleen needs you."
"It will be fine." Nathan paused; he tilted his head to the side as though contemplating whether to continue.
"Say it," Elizabeth encouraged, placing her hand over his where it rested on his thigh. "You can say it."
"I don't want to speak for Colleen, but I think she will be okay. It was worse not knowing where he was and not getting the closure she needed. Now she has it, she can move on."
"Your sister is amazing," Elizabeth acknowledged.
"She is not the only one who is amazing," Nathan said before leaning in and kissing her.
Elizabeth leaned into the kiss. It was a little awkward kissing him in the car with the console in the way, but as the kiss deepened, she thought maybe it was a good thing. Their relationship had come so far this week, but there was no need to rush. She wanted to take her time and savour this feeling of newness, of discovering him, before they ran headfirst into a serious relationship.
Elizabeth knew they were committed to each other, knew there was no one else for either of them, and that was more than enough for now. Their futures were linked, and they had all the time in the world to build that future together.
Elizabeth was breathless when they broke apart, and she watched as Nathan ran his hands through his hair. His hands were shaking, and she knew he was just as affected as her.
"I think I should walk you inside," Nathan said, his voice husky.
"That's probably a good idea."
They walked to Elizabeth's door hand in hand, their pace slow, neither in a rush to say goodnight. Moonlight shone down on them as they meandered down the path, content to match the silence of the night. Reaching the door, Nathan turned to her, his eyes shadowed by the porch light shining from behind him.
Elizabeth's breath caught as he reached out and lightly stroked her cheek, his hand warm on her skin. She wondered if his touch would always affect her this way. She hoped so. She didn't want this feeling to fade.
"Thank you," Nathan whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I didn't realise how much it would help to have you by my side today."
"It meant a lot to me to be there for you," Elizabeth admitted. "I've never cared this much about anyone other than my family."
"Me either." Nathan smiled down at her. "You know something else we haven't done?"
"What?" Elizabeth asked, confused and surprised by his teasing tone.
"Had a date."
"Yes, we have!" Elizabeth said.
"When?"
Wracking her brain, Elizabeth recalled all the time they had spent together. They had gone out to lunch, but it hadn't been planned. They had met for breakfast after running into each other at the gym. They had eaten meals at their homes, Colleen's and Rosemary's. Nathan was right; they had never really planned a romantic date night. She had never seen Nathan dressed up or dressed up for him.
"You're right, Nathan. We haven't had an actual date." Elizabeth smiled as she imagined being on a date with Nathan.
"Elizabeth Thatcher, would you do me the honour of joining me for dinner tomorrow night?"
"I would love to."