"How much longer?!" Jack was getting impatient, and it was only a half hour into their trip.

"We have a few more hours to go, honey bear."

"HOURS?!" Jack slumped back onto the bench. Nathan glanced over to Elizabeth and gave her a nod.

"Hey Mountie Jack, why don't we go explore the train? Maybe get a snack in the food car?"

"Okay Mountie Nathan!" Jack went with Nathan out into the hallway. Nathan looked back at Elizabeth and Allie and gave them a quick eyebrow raise as he followed after the enthusiastic young boy.

Elizabeth chuckled and looked over at Allie on the opposite bench. Allie gave a short laugh then went back to her pensive gaze out the window.

"Something on your mind, Allie?"

"No," Allie took a pause, looked at Elizabeth, and knew she couldn't hide her feelings from her, "Well, yes, I'm excited to get home, but I'm also, well, nervous."

"Nervous?" Elizabeth took a beat, then it dawned on her what this might really be about.

"Oh, maybe nervous about seeing a particular deputy again?"

Allie slowly nodded. "I mean, we're just friends, but…I don't know, it's so different than what I felt around Wyatt. He's just so easy to talk to. It's like he gets me, you know?"

Elizabeth sighed, "I do know."

"How do I know if he feels the same way?"

"Well, you're friends, right?"

"Yeah."

"He spent a lot of time on the phone talking to you while you were in Cape Fullerton, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well Allie, being friends is a good place to start. Whether Oliver thinks of you as more than just a friend, I can't completely answer for him. What I can say is, I can tell he likes you a great deal, and in my experience, not many young men take time out of their day to chat with girls they don't care a lot about."

Allie's smile got bigger.

"My best advice would be, start with the friendship you have, and let his reaction be your guide. He's a good young man, with a good and earnest heart." Elizabeth walked over and sat beside Allie and pulled her into a side hug. "Just don't rush it, you have plenty of time to figure things out."

"Thanks Elizabeth." Allie said as she nestled her head into her shoulder. "Elizabeth, when did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Know when you loved my dad."

"You know, I've been thinking on that lately. I'm not really sure, to be honest. I think I was in it before I even knew it. I know you know about my first husband, Jack. You and your dad came into my life less than a year after losing him, which is why it took me awhile to give into what my heart was trying to tell me."

"Is that why you courted and almost married Governor Bouchard?"

Elizabeth sighed, she'd wondered when she would have this conversation with Allie. "Oh Allie, first off, I need to apologize to you. There are things I said and did back then, that I'm not proud of. As to why I courted and almost married Governor Bouchard, that is part of it. There was a lot of fear in me Allie, and it was hard to take on the risk of loving a man who wore a serge again. I know I don't have to tell you that loving a Mountie can be hard at times."

"I know, I used to get so scared when Dad would go on missions. I'm so glad I now have you and Jack to keep me company when he's gone, it helps." Elizabeth hugged Allie tighter to her side.

"Your dad has always been such a good friend to me Allie, maybe much like you and Oliver are, but I just wasn't ready to take a leap like that again so soon after losing my first husband. However, as time wen on, well, it became clear that my heart was with your dad. I found myself in love with him before I even knew it had started. Love can be funny that way."

"Does love always have to be so complicated?"

Elizabeth chuckled. "Not always, but in my experience, love that is worth waiting for, usually has it's ups and downs. It's in those trials however, that you find that love of a lifetime, and trust me, that kind of love is worth waiting for."

Allie smiled and sank against Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, thank you for loving me and my dad."

"Always, Allie," and she squeezed her tighter and rested her head on top of Allie's. They stayed that way until Nathan returned carrying a worn out little boy.

Nathan's heart leapt when he saw his little girl nestled against his love. "Hey you two." He said.

"Hey yourself." Elizabeth responded and Allie gave her dad a contended smile.

"Mama, Allie, we got to sit at a fancy table and eat apples and cheese!"

"Did you now?!"

"I can't wait to tell all my friends at home about it!" Jack and Nathan sat down on the bench opposite Allie and Elizabeth.

Jack took a pause then lit up, "Hey Mountie Nathan, when you become my dad, will Scout get to live with us?!"

"Well, yeah, I guess so." Nathan answered.

"Did you hear that mama, Scout's gonna live with us. Can he sleep in my room? Your room will be too crowded with Mountie Nathan in it."

Both Nathan and Elizabeth's cheeks blazed as red as Nathan's serge.

"Umm…" Elizabeth sputtered, "I'm sure we can talk about that."

Allie hid her face against Elizabeth's shoulder as she started laughing. Nathan and Elizabeth shared a quick glance then started laughing as well.

From there, the family started talking about what they were most looking forward to once they got back to Hope Valley and before they knew it, the conductor was announcing Hope Valley as their next stop.