Inside her small home, Elizabeth Thornton was setting the table for dinner. Nearby, Allie was giving Little Jack a piggy back ride, much to the delight of the squealing child. Elizabeth smiled briefly at the scene, before setting some plates on the table. She was not going to let it worry her, she decided. She was not going to let the exchange earlier that day with Nathan, when he'd told her to take the children home, worry her. He was just taking care of Mountie business and she would hear about it later, good or bad, she was sure. So there was no use worrying.
"Elizabeth, you'll never guess!" Rosemary Coulter burst into the room to announce. "I just got off the phone with Lee and there was a big bust up at the saloon! Nathan arrested three gun runners, can you imagine! Lee says there was quite a brawl, busted chairs and doors everywhere!" Rosemary was not above embellishing some of the details for effect.
Elizabeth cast a startled look at Rosemary, then quickly looked to Allie, who was setting Little Jack on to the floor.
"Uncle Nathan was in a bust up at the saloon?" Allie asked, her eyes wide with worry. Suddenly needing to know he was okay, Allie took off, running out of the open door that Rosemary had just entered.
"Oh, Elizabeth! I'm so sorry!" Rosemary cried, placing a hand to her mouth, not realizing the effect her words would have on the child, not realizing her faux pas until it was too late.
"It's okay, can you watch Little Jack?" Elizabeth called over her shoulder, already racing out the door after Allie. She raced after Allie who ran toward town, but Elizabeth had no hope of catching the agile child and Allie reached the jail house before she did.
Nathan Grant, standing inside the Mountie office, the three gun runners locked in cells, turned when the jail house door suddenly banged open. Allie stood on the threshold, panting and out of breath and looking almost wild but not moving as she just stood there and looked at him.
"Allie!" he exclaimed in surprise to see her, especially in such a state.
It was then that Allie ran to him and threw her arms around his trunk, squeezing tight, like she would never let go.
Elizabeth appeared in the doorway, breathless as well, coming up short at the scene of Allie fiercely hugging her uncle, his expression still one of startled surprise. Nathan looked over to meet Elizabeth's eyes and she mouthed the words "I'm sorry" to him, an apology in her expression, as he suddenly understood Allie had heard about the take down at the saloon.
Nathan pried Allie away from him and crouched down to speak with her, before realizing where they were, mere feet away from the prying eyes of the prisoners, so he rose again and took her hand, leading them out of the room. As they approached her at the door, Elizabeth likewise retreated onto the verandah. Nathan closed the door behind him, then crouched once more in front of Allie as Elizabeth stood nearby.
"Allie, I'm alright," Nathan told her. "Not a scratch on me, you can see that," he said, his tone reassuring.
Allie nodded at the truth. She could see he was alright. She could see that now. But she hadn't known that when she was running to town just minutes earlier, and the worry was still fresh in her eyes. "They said you were in a bust up," Allie related to him. "I thought maybe you got hurt," she explained her worry.
"I made an arrest at the saloon, Allie, but I didn't get hurt," Nathan said, shaking his head negatively to reinforce his statement. "Okay? Do you understand? Everything is alright," Nathan emphasized reassuringly.
"Okay," Allie said, her worry finally abating.
"Come here," Nathan said, and drew Allie into his arms, just holding her a moment, a final act of reassurance. As he held Allie, Nathan looked up from his crouched position and met Elizabeth's eyes, surprised to read something there as well, before it was quickly masked. Nathan was surprised to realize he recognized it because he'd just seen the same look in his niece's eyes. Was Elizabeth worried too? Had she been worried about him?
Not given long to dwell on it, Nathan pulled back from his hug with Allie and ran a thumb along her face, a slight teasing smile coming to his own. "Now, if you really want to help me out," he began with a hopeful glint in his eye, "maybe you could bring me a plate of dinner," he suggested lightly to Allie, trying to change to evening's focus to something lighter and less troublesome.
"Ohh, I'm making ham and scalloped potatoes tonight," Elizabeth immediately chimed in. "Should we bring him a plate, Allie?" she asked conspiratorially, joining in on the game, on the distraction from the recent drama.
As Allie looked back at Elizabeth to nod vigorously, Elizabeth stretched an arm out, inviting Allie to take her hand. As Allie took Elizabeth's hand, Nathan rose to his feet, watching the pair begin their walk back to the rowhouse. Suddenly Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to look back at Nathan with a pleased smile, a suggestion that they had somehow weathered a storm together and emerged safely on the other side.
Nathan returned her smile, he knew it too.