When Allie had an idea there was no stopping her. She'd gone to all her school friends and told them her idea about writing letters to Mr. Landis. She knew it wasn't possible for them all to come to her house to do their letter writing campaign so she asked Sarah if they could gather at the dress shop on Monday afternoon since the store was closed on Mondays. Sarah was happy to have them meet at the store and even with her limited time around Allie's friends she knew an ample supply of snacks would be needed.
Sarah sat in her office working on the ledgers and smiled listening to the high-pitched voices of excited girls out in the shop working at the table at the front of the store. She could hear them talking about boys and her ears perked up when she heard Emily ask Allie about Robert. She knew Nathan would be relieved to hear that Allie had decided to just be friends with Robert and, while she liked him as a friend, she didn't like-like him anymore. There was lots of giggling as they talked about some of the new boys that would be attending school in the fall. Sarah knew she and Nathan would have to be diligent and pay attention to Allie and who she was spending time with in the new school year. Sarah could remember having crushes when she was Allie's age so knew a bit of what to expect but Nathan would be a mess. All he knew was his little girl was now interested in boys and that didn't sit well with him. He'd been her focus for so many years he would have a hard time letting her go.
Sarah let Nathan know about Allie's letter writing campaign when he called home from Union City. It reminded him of something he'd been contemplating and he asked Sarah to collect all the letters and that he would send them to Mr. Landis when he returned home at the end of the week. Sarah was so thankful to hear that he was coming home. "How are you doing Sarah?"
"Oh, Nathan, I'm so glad you're coming home. Even with a house full of people I'm lonely for you." Nathan could hear the catch in her voice. He grimaced knowing their first months of marriage had not been ideal.
"I'm sorry darling, I promise I will be home at the end of the week and I've been guaranteed that I won't be called away for at least a couple of months." Nathan hoped that would provide some level of reassurance to his new wife.
"That is good news. I think it will be important for you to be here as Allie starts school. I think there will be a lot of adjustments this year." Sarah was new at motherhood but seemed to have settled right into the role and was thankful for the bond she and Allie had already forged. Even with that, she remembered how she started pulling away from her father when she was a teenager seeking to be more independent. It was bound to happen with Allie so all the more important for her and Nathan to make sure they were there to support and love her.
Friday finally arrived and Sarah was at the train station anxiously awaiting Nathan's return. He stepped off the train and she could see the smile spread across his face as he saw Sarah standing at the end of the platform waiting for him. His long strides made quick work of the space between them and when Nathan pulled Sarah into his embrace she felt her muscles go weak in his arms. She looked up into the sparkling blue eyes that had been the first thing she noticed about Nathan when she met him. Nathan framed Sarah's face in his hands and kissed her, gently at first, but then his longing could not be contained and the kiss became more intense. Sarah leaned into Nathan, tingles running down her spine. She knew if she didn't have Nathan for support her knees would have given way. She ran her fingers through the waves of his hair pulling him closer to her. He whispered in her ear that he looked forward to resuming their reunion later, once they were alone. Sarah's breath caught in her throat as she considered the meaning behind his words. She smiled up at him and gave him a seductive look that made even Nathan's cheeks flush.
The new school year was to start in two weeks and Mr. Landis was going to be in Hope Valley to dedicate the newly renovated school. Nathan's first order of business when he returned to work on Monday morning was to gather all the letters Allie and her friends had written and add his own to the stack. Nathan had been mulling his idea around since Sarah had told him about the letters Allie and her friends were writing. He didn't want to overshadow the work of the students but knew he needed to share a different perspective. He sent the envelope off to Mr. Landis and asked Landis to call him if he had any questions. Time would tell at how effective they would be.
Later in the week Sarah heard the bell on the front door of the shop and, knowing that Anna and Betsy weren't in the store, she made her way to the front where an unfamiliar woman stood just inside the door. Sarah welcomed her to the store and introduced herself. She didn't want to stare but it was difficult to pull her eyes away from the woman. Her hair was woven into a heavy braid that draped across the front of her shoulder. Even with the braid Sarah could see the beautiful auburn color and streaks of rose gold that ran through it. Her eyes were a dark blue gray color that reminded Sarah of clouds before a big rain storm. She soon learned that before her stood Laura Whitcomb, Hope Valley's new secondary teacher. Sarah tried to discreetly guess how old she was. Her presence and demeanor were those of a confident woman which, in Sarah's experience, was not a trait always found in someone younger. On the other hand, the sprinkling of freckles that stretched over her nose gave her a youthful look. Laura extended her hand to Sarah and gave a firm handshake.
"I've just arrived in town and am in need of a few things before school starts. I was a bit limited on what I could bring with me so I decided I could get what I needed when I arrived. Your store is beautiful and the selection looks wonderful." Laura's compliments made Sarah smile.
"Please look around and let me know if there's anything I can help you with. My daughter is going to be in your class this year. She's very excited to see who her teacher will be. Where are you staying?" Sarah hoped she wasn't staying in the rooms above the saloon as she thought it would be highly inappropriate.
"Mrs. Montgomery has graciously let me stay with her until I can find a place of my own. Do you know of anything available for rent?" Laura stood looking at the display of women's day dresses.
Sarah thought for a moment and then realized she might have the perfect solution. "As a matter of fact, I have an apartment over the store here. I lived in it until June when I got married."
Laura gave her a confused look. "I thought you said your daughter would be in the secondary class this year."
Sarah chuckled. "I'm sorry. Allie is my step-daughter. Her father and I married earlier this summer. If you'd like I can take you upstairs and show you the apartment. It's small but I was very comfortable there."
The two women toured the apartment and Laura took no time in agreeing to rent the space from Sarah. The only downside was that Sarah hadn't left much furniture behind. There was a kitchen table and chairs and a bookcase. Laura would have to furnish the rest of the space on her own. Back in the store Laura found a few things she'd been looking for and promised to be back once she was settled.
That evening at dinner Sarah was excited to tell Allie that she'd met her new teacher and that she was going to live in Sarah's old apartment. Allie asked more questions than Sarah had answers for so she told Allie maybe she should stop by the apartment with some cookies for her. Allie worried that it might look like she was just trying to get on her teacher's good side. Sarah convinced her that wasn't the case. She was simply welcoming her to Hope Valley and if Allie was uncomfortable she would go with her and introduce her to Miss Whitcomb.
A few days later Sarah noticed men carrying things up to the apartment and realized it must be moving day for Laura. During a break she went upstairs to check and see how things were progressing. Laura shared that her parents had sent several things by train that should make the apartment much more comfortable. Sarah remembered how tiring moving was so invited Laura to have dinner with her family. "You can ride home with my husband and me and one of us can bring you back home later. We live just a little way outside of town."
Laura appreciated the offer and readily accepted but only if she could bring something. Sarah let her know that Minnie's chocolate cake was a family favorite, especially her husband.
Nathan was at the store right at five to collect Sarah and she quickly introduced him to Laura who was impressed by Nathan and his rank but even more so by his kindness and how welcoming he was. Though he was a bit surprised to see they were having a guest for dinner he extended a genuine welcome to Laura. Laura found the whole family was like that. Caroline Grant was a lovely woman and a great cook having prepared a delicious meal for everyone. Archie was a charmer, his bright blue eyes twinkling as he shared several stories of his childhood during dinner. Allie, her new student, seemed shy at first but by the end of dinner was quite talkative giving Laura lots of information about school and the students. Sarah was right about the cake and it was a huge hit with the whole Grant family. After dessert Laura insisted on helping to clean up and though Caroline protested it didn't deter her. Sarah also joined in and the three women chatted while they worked asking Laura about her background.
Laura told them that she'd been teaching secondary school for five years and decided to take the position in Hope Valley because she was ready for a new challenge and her former school was in the same community where she'd grown up and where her family still lived. Sarah asked her if it was difficult to leave her family and while Laura looked a bit wistful thinking about them, she said it was time for a change. After that she didn't offer any more information and Sarah didn't pry anymore.
Once clean-up was done Sarah told Nathan she was going to drive Laura home. Nathan wasn't comfortable with Sarah driving alone in the dark so he decided to go along with the two women. After dropping Laura off Nathan drove them home while Sarah filled him in on Laura's background. They both agreed that they liked Laura and looked forward to seeing how she would fit in at the school. Sarah confided in Nathan that it was nice to have a new face in town that was close to her age and she hoped they could become friends. Nathan questioned Sarah about her statement. She simply explained that while she and Rosemary were still good friends, she was understandably busy with the twins and the newspaper. She also had a great relationship with both Anna and Betsy but they were still employees so there was a line that she didn't feel she could cross. Nathan nodded in understanding feeling a bit sorry that he'd been gone so much. He could sense the loneliness from Sarah. "I'm sorry I've been gone so much."
Sarah immediately regretted saying anything as she didn't want Nathan to feel responsible for what she was feeling. "No darling, I'm not trying to make you feel bad. It's not your fault at all. I think it's just a result of everything we've been through this summer. Once Allie's back in school and we have a routine again things will get better."
Nathan reached his hand out and took Sarah's in his and brought the back of her hand to his lips. "I love you so much. You are always manage to look at the positive side of things." Sarah blushed at his complement.
"Nathan, I want you to know that even with all the ups and downs of the last few months, they've been the best months of my life." This time it was Sarah who kissed Nathan's hand. She was thankful it was dark so he couldn't see the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
By the time they got home everyone had gone to bed. Nathan took Sarah's hand and walked her into the living room. He went to the Victrola he'd recently purchased and put on some music. "Mrs. Grant, may I have this dance?"
Sarah accepted and the two floated around the room in each other's arms. Nathan had removed his serge when they got home so there was only the thin cotton of his Henley between her hands and his chest. The dancing slowed and they stood together, the only light coming from the full moon through the windows. Nathan gently tilted Sarah's chin up so he could cover her lips with his own. Her hands went to the back of Nathan's neck and she let her hands run freely through his hair. His kiss deepened and she matched his passion. Suddenly Nathan scooped her up into his arms and carried her up the stairs and to their room where they continued to show each other their love.