Chapter Nine

Home Sweet Home

While Nathan and Allie were in the city, they went to look at automobiles. He had wanted one for a while even though he still planned on riding Newton every day.

Thinking back, Lee had offered to teach him how to drive but before they could continue to discuss the driving lessons, they found out a wind storm was coming their way. Earlier that day Nathan had asked Elizabeth the location where she intended to take the children for a field trip. Knowing the dangers of a wind storm, he immediately hopped on Newton and headed into the woods to find her and the children.

Nathan found Elizabeth and the children at a little cabin that she had used as a refuge during the storm. She was frantic because one of the students, Emily, had ran back into the woods to get a souvenir she had found earlier. Nathan had distinctly told Elizabeth to stay put in the little cabin He would go find her. While he was gone Elizabeth thought she faintly heard Emily yelling so, putting Robert in charge of watching the children, she ventured out on her own to find Emily. After they all were safe and the storm had died down, he lashed out at her for taking such a risk. He had been worried about her, Allie and the other children but he had not wanted to say it. He later apologized and explained his lashing out at her had been because she mattered to him.

Maybe he harbored some hurt from knowing that recently she had gone on that overnight trip with Lucas to see Virginia Wolfe days before the storm. Virginia Wolfe was the author Elizabeth adored. Lucas had the means to give her fancy gifts. Nathan needed to put those thoughts out of his mind.

His thoughts jumped back to Newton. Newton was not just a horse. He seemed in tune to all of Nathan's deepest feelings. When Nathan was troubled Newton would gently press his muzzle against him until Nathan would pet him. Nathan knew that Newton was his biggest buddy and had always served him well, not only in his duties but also for his riding pleasure. But as things go, Nathan felt it was time to learn to drive a car too. Times were changing so fast it seemed and as Sheriff he could use some modern, manmade horse power.

At Phillip's Auto Sales in Hamilton, the cars shined like jewels. New, shiny and beckoning "Buy me! Buy me!" Allie swiftly ran between the vehicles looking for the perfect one. She would claim to love this one then that one then this one then that one...all the expensive ones of course.

"Calm down Allie. We do have to be frugal and settle on something I can afford and unfortunately not ones like those expensive vehicles you have been hugging and kissing" he said. Tilting his head with raised brows he indicated to the brilliant red, sleek, beautiful option she was standing beside while she pretended to pose like a model in a magazine advertisement.

"I wish Rosemary could see me posing by this car Uncle Nathan. She might put me on the front page of her newspaper!" Allie exclaimed, gleefully.

With a pretend pouty face she then ran over to a shiny silver more affordable option. "Look! This one is on sale. This is a nice one Uncle Nathan." She cocked her head quizzically and gave him a questioning smile while matching his raised eyebrows.

"Yes Allie. That one is the right price and will work nicely."

So there is was. Their new motorized vehicle. Their new ride home. Allie had already hopped in the passenger seat but Nathan had paperwork that needed to be done.

First he had to learn to drive the car and had agreed Allie could learn with him. She was old enough and mature enough to at least know how in case of an emergency. They didn't know who scared who the worst when they were learning to drive but they laughed and laughed at each other and themselves while learning. Allie thought about all the stories she was going to tell her friends when they got home and couldn't wait to write in her diary.

When they finally got the driving figured out and felt comfortable, Nathan took the wheel and drove over to the hotel so they could pack and head for home. They were both very homesick by now and knew it would be many days of driving to get home so they hurriedly packed, had a bite to eat, then headed out.

Nathan's thoughts turned to Elizabeth. How could he be missing her? Had seeing her yesterday dredged up those feelings again? He quickly shook his head as if to shake the thoughts away. His thoughts turned back to driving his first ever car. Now THIS is exciting, Nathan thought. With a few turns of the engine, they were homeward bound.

Allie's thoughts turned to the math problem had assigned them as a school teamwork project. Even though she had not worked as a team she did get all her answers correct and Mrs. Thornton was impressed...but did let her know she should have worked with her team.

"Uncle Nathan?"

Nathan looks over at her questioningly. "Yeeeeeesss", he knew something was coming since her mind was always whirling.

"If we drive 40 miles per hour and we have 250 miles to go, how long will it take us to get home?"

Nathan pretended to give the answer while pretending to cough at the same time.

"I have to pay attention to the road Allie."

"Can I drive now Uncle Nathan?", she asked with her best innocent pleading look.

"Not yet Allie. Patience."

As they were driving home, they felt the wind from the open windows cooling their faces and blowing through their hair. Nathan's hair had become all tussled. The wind was whipping Allie's hair all around, her long hair relentlessly smacking her in the face but she loved it. She kept pulling strands of hair out of her mouth. Who cares, they both thought.

Allie reached her arm out the window to feel the air blowing on her outstretched hand and arm. "I love this Uncle Nathan. I feel so free with the wind…and happy."

"Me too," he replied glancing at her with a smile. It warmed his heart to see her so content. "By the way. We will be spending the night in Cattletown, then the next night in Brookfield."

"Can't we just drive straight though?", Allie pleaded.

"No. It's a long way and we need to rest up. It was be fun.", Nathan assured her.

Allie thought about seeing the orphan children and the two sisters that ran the orphanage in Brookfield. It would be good to see them again. "Yea, you're right. I look forward to it."

Spending the nights in those towns had been a good idea. Back on the road, Allie was exhausted from all the visiting and had settled into quiet thought. That was a good thing, he surmised silently. A bit of quietness for the soul never hurt anyone.

Finally, when they were on their last stretch to home, Nathan would periodically let Allie drive for a while. She had been a very good student and a quick learner so he felt comfortable with her driving.

The tough part about a long trip on the road is all the time a person has to think about every little thing good or bad. On and off, his thoughts turned to Elizabeth. Other than seeing Elizabeth and Julie when they were shopping, the trip had done himself and Allie good. Allie did not know that he had caught sight of Elizabeth yet little did he know that Allie had also seen her but had not told him either.

His heart had fluttered when he saw Elizabeth looking at him from inside the cafe. Seeing her so unexpectedly had taken his breath away and with every ounce he had in him, he had tried desperately to quell those familiar feelings. He remembered her words in the office that day. Did he believe them? Not really but he accepted them for he really loved her and wanted her to find her own happiness, even if it was not him and even if he thought she was making a mistake.

Allie was sleeping when they pulled into town.

"Allie. Wake up. Wakie wakie. We're here. Home sweet home."

Hope Valley. What a glorious sight.