by Alice White
“Thought you deserved better,” he said. “And as much as I hate to admit it, that guy can give you more than a plot of land that I have to slave over to keep him check.”
Elizabeth lifted up his chin and smiled at the feel of him so close.
“So did you save me for someone else?” she asked.
“I saved you because I didn’t want you to go over the cliffs. “And maybe I hoped for the chance to tell you that I loved you.”
She nodded and wanted to kiss his lips when Jacob turned his head away.
“Me, too,” she whispered. “I’ve loved you since I read your letter.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because you were honest with me,” he said. “Sorry if I wasn’t honest with you.”
Crawling closer to his chest, Elizabeth draped her arms around his body. She smiled into his shirt and thought of all those lonely nights in the orphanage and the wish that her father might rise from the grave to collect her. Gregory could have done that much and more.
But she pushed him away.
“Jacob?”
Peeling away from him, Elizabeth lightly kissed his cheeks and stared into his eyes.
“I told him to leave,” she said. “My place is with you.”
“And I up and left.”
“”But you came back.”
Resting her head against his shoulder, she felt his light breaths pouring into her ear. They stayed liked that for a long time, and when she caught a chill, he tightened his hold and buried his head in her hair.
“You know where I went,” he muttered.
“You obviously didn’t make it to town in back in so short a time,” she teased.
“Not that fast on my feet,” he said. Jacob trailed his lips down her face, and their kiss was soft and slow.
“That was worth the wait,” she said. “Where were you, Jacob?”
“I stopped off at the church,” he continued. “The place where we were meant to be married.”
“Don’t say it like it won’t happen,” she pleaded.
“Then maybe it worked,” he said.”
“What?” Elizabeth asked. Jacob pressed two fingers under her chin and let her look in his eyes. She found his smile tinged with tears and longed to take his sadness away with another kiss when Jacob backed away and hung his head.
“I prayed for a way to make it up to you,” he started. “I didn’t want you leave me.”
“Answered prayers,” she said. “I only want to stay with you.”
He held her closer, and she smoothed her hands down his back when she broke away from him with a gasp and tried to leave the bed.
“Elizabeth, what is it?” he asked.
“Hillary! Is she really alright?”
Jacob was barely able to form an answer when the girl appeared in the doorway looking no worse for the wear. Elizabeth smiled as soon as she saw her and extended her arms as Hillary shuffled her feet.
“Are you okay?” Hillary asked.
“Takes a lot more than a tumble to do me in,” she said. “You don’t have to look so sad.”
“I’m not,” Hillary said. So they would still fight. Maybe it was silly to think that she could have everything all at once, and she thought of curling deeper into the sheets when the girl rushed forward and hugged her close.
“I’m sorry, Lizzie,” she whimpered. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”
“Yes I did,” Elizabeth said as she patted her hair and smiled at Jacob over her head. He mouthed his gratitude and took them both into his arms as Elizabeth whispered the last strains of her lullaby.
“I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
All through the night.”
It was a perfect moment. A family. A second chance. She wanted to dream about it with Jacob at her side when Charlie bounded into the room.
“How did you get so strong? Hillary looked like a goner. Was that something else that you learned at the restaurant?”
Sarah rolled her eyes as she brought her brother to the bed, and Elizabeth held her family as Jacob kissed her eyes.
“I can make your house a home,” she promised.
“Of that I have no doubt, Elizabeth.
THE END
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