"You found a RING?!" Rosemary exclaimed on the other end of the line.

"Shh…Rosemary!" Elizabeth glanced around the apartment feeling sure everyone next door in the boarding house could hear Rosemary through the phone.

"Sorry, don't worry, it's just me in the office today. Lee is at the saloon talking over some business with some of the town council."

"Aren't you part of the town council?"

"Yes, but a call from you is more important. Oh, Elizabeth, I miss you. The town is just not the same without the four of you. I don't know who has been sadder, me or Oliver."

Elizabeth's eyebrows flew up at that, "Let's not tell Nathan that."

"No, let's not!" agreed Rosemary.

"I miss you too. The clinic has been telling us that advances are being made fast with the insulin, so I'm hopeful we can come home sooner than later."

Rosemary was quiet for a few seconds. "You never know. I feel like God's plan works for us all in time. Now tell me about this ring. Oh, Elizabeth, you're going to be engaged…you're going to be engaged, and I won't be there."

"He hasn't asked me yet, in fact, I'm starting to wonder if he's going to. I found the ring a week ago, he's had plenty of time to ask, and yet he hasn't. What if he's changed his mind?"

"Elizabeth Thornton, it is plain to see that that man has been head over heels for you since pretty much the day he set foot in town. He dropped everything in his life to follow you and your son to another city. There are many things you can question in this world, but whether Nathan Grant wants to marry you is not one of them. He would have married you five years ago if you had let him."

"No, you're right." Elizabeth smiled into the phone, talking with Rosemary was good for her soul. She missed Hope Valley, but above all, she missed her best friend. "I just don't want to wait much longer."

"Well…" Rosemary paused.

"Out with it Rosemary."

"Well, you love him, right?"

"Of course!"

"And anyone with two eyes can see that man loves you."

"I don't know if it's that obvious, but…"

"Elizabeth, trust me, it is." Rosemary chided. "He's told you he wants to marry you. You found the ring in his pocket."

"Yes, where are you going with this Rosemary?"

"Well, it's 1922, who's to say you need to wait for him? He already made a grand gesture, following you out of town into the night, with only the clothes on his back. Maybe it's time for you to take the next leap."

"You think I should ask him?"

"Well, why not? You already know what the answer will be."

Elizabeth's mind starting whirling with thoughts and ideas. "Oh Rosemary, I knew you were just the person I needed to talk to."

Over on the other side of town, another mind was racing trying to think of a way to propose. Nathan had been trying to brainstorm all week how to propose. He knew this would be her fourth proposal, he'd heard about each of the other ones from Allie. She had made a point of getting the stories from Elizabeth after her dad told her of his plans. Everything he thought of seemed to pale in comparison to her last proposals. He tried not to compare, but he also didn't want to let her down either. She deserved to be swept off her feet. Allie was trying to help him come up with ideas, he was hoping for something romantic, but less Jane Austen and more him and Elizabeth.

So here he sat, pondering how to ask this simple, yet life altering question. He kept thinking on his way back to his room to change before walking over to Charlotte's apartment, but he was no closer to a good plan than he had been a week ago.

He walked in to the wonderful smell of shepherd's pie, his favorite. Standing near the door, putting on their coats were Charlotte, Allie, and Jack.

"Mountie Nathan!" Little Jack ran up to hug him, Nathan swung him up into a big hug.

"Hey little man, how was your day?"

"It was great, Allie and I watched some kids play baseball at the park!" It warmed Nathan's heart to see Jack thriving under the care of the clinic. He couldn't stop being homesick for Hope Valley but having that little smile greeting him when he got home from work was all the balm, he needed to ease his homesickness.

Nathan glanced over to Allie and Charlotte.

"I'm taking the kids out for dinner tonight, Nate. Give you and Lizzie a chance to have a date night."

Nathan wasn't sure what he thought of Charlotte's nickname for him, not that it would matter much. In the short time he had come to know Charlotte Thornton, he found that there was no changing her mind on anything once she was set on it.

"Ah, I see. Well thank you, I hope you all have a nice meal out." He put Jack down and helped him finish getting his coat on. He then gave Allie a hug and watched them head out the door.

Just as the door was closing, he heard Charlotte say, "Take all the time you need, we plan to be out for several hours." He thought he heard Allie giggle as the door clicked shut. Well, that was a little odd, but maybe Jack had made a face at Allie as he so often did, and Nathan put the thought out of his head.

He looked over at Elizabeth in the kitchen and gave her a big smile. She smiled back but dropped the plate she was holding on the counter. She seemed nervous. He sauntered up to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Dinner smells wonderful. Did you know shepherd's pie was my favorite?" He kissed her cheek.

She leaned back into his embrace. "Allie told me. I wanted to make you a special meal."

"Any dinner with just the two of us is special." He said, as he turned her around and gave her a kiss.

"So, what can I do to help?"

"All the preparation is actually done. Why don't we, umm…" Elizabeth seemed to be searching for words. Nathan raised an eyebrow. Something was definitely off.

"Why don't we go sit down on the settee, dinner will be done in about a half hour."

"Sure. Elizabeth, is everything okay?"

"Of course, I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind." Nathan followed her to the settee, he didn't seem convinced, but he knew better than to push, she would come out with it when she was ready.

As they sat, Elizabeth turned to him and took his hands. "Nathan, I…" she paused staring at their hands.

"Okay, now you're starting to worry me, sweetheart, what is it?"

She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. She took a deep breath and began again. "Nathan Grant, there was a time I thought you just get one great love in this lifetime. But Nathan, you showed me how wrong I was. I don't know how I could have faced any of this without you by my side. Nathan, it's you, you are my lifetime. I feel doubly blessed in this life to have found a second great love, a lifetime love. Life robbed me of time with Jack, and I don't want to make that mistake again. I don't want to wait any longer, I want to start our lifetime." Elizabeth took another deep breath, she almost got lost in his eyes, eyes that were mirroring her love back to her. "Nathan Grant, I want to be your wife, will you marry me?"

Nathan was speechless, all this time he was struggling to find a way to ask her, and he should have known, this was all they needed. Their love was always strongest in the small and quiet moments. This was how it always should have been, a question, shared in a quiet moment.

Nathan started nodding before his words could come to him. "Yes, of course." He reached into his pocket, pulling out the ring box, and knelt down in front of her.

"Lizbeth, it's always been you, of course I will marry you." With that he slipped the ring on her finger. He stood up, pulling her up with him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and started kissing her.

They stayed that way for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it was only a couple of minutes before they both heard a ringing in the distance.

"Nathan," Elizabeth said against his lips, "Honey, it's the phone."

"They can call back later." Nathan did not feel much like taking a break anytime soon to talk on the phone.

"But it could be Jack."

Reluctantly he let her go and they headed to the small room where Charlotte kept her phone. Elizabeth reached over and picked up the receiver. Nathan hugged her from behind and kissed her neck while she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Elizabeth?"

"Rosemary, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon, but you called at the perfect time! We have news."

"Oh, Elizabeth! Did you ask? Of course you did, I knew you would! But wait, before we get into the details, cause I want ALL of the details, I have news for you as well! BIG news! Elizabeth, we did it, Hope Valley pulled off another miracle. Elizabeth, we're bringing you all home!"

Elizabeth looked back at Nathan, they shared a huge smile, this was a night they would never forget.