Finally we get to see what Nathan is like on a date. I hope he lives up to expectations. I've had a comment that it seems like Nathan is moving faster than what his character is known to do but I'm trying to have him live out the motto we saw earlier in the story of "seize the day." Please let me know what you think.
Chapter 16
Saturday morning in the Grant House started earlier now. Allie was up and out of the house to make sure she was at the café at 7 am. Even though Allie loved her sleep she was eager to get to the café and get started setting tables. She knew the Saturday crowd would start early especially the construction workers still working on the new factory.
Nathan appreciated Allie's enthusiasm for her new job but even more so that she still made him a pot of coffee before she left in the morning. It was a beautiful late fall morning. The sun was out but the crispness in the air was a definite reminder that winter was on its way. Nathan got up and dressed before heading downstairs. He had promised Allie that he would wait a few weeks before he came to the café on a Saturday morning so he quickly made himself some eggs and toast to go with his coffee.
Nathan headed to the livery to saddle up Newton and head out on his rounds. He had a lot to think about this morning while making his way around town. At the top of his thoughts was his dinner this evening with Sarah. He hoped what he had planned was special for her. Minnie had assured him that any woman would appreciate the thought he put into the evening.
Nathan made it back to the Mountie office and finished up his report and other paperwork before heading to the café to pick up Allie. He waited on the bench outside of Abigail's. Shortly after noon Allie came out the back door of the café counting her tips. "Hey sweet girl how was your morning?"
"It was great dad, tiring but great. I made 90 cents in tips! Uncle Bill said he would start paying me in addition to tips next week because he thinks I can start taking food orders."
Nathan smiled at Allie's excitement. He hadn't been sure the café job was a good idea but he could see it was teaching Allie responsibility.
"So dad, still not going to tell me what you have planned tonight?" Allie was doing her best to pry the information out of Nathan but he wasn't biting.
"Nope, I will fill you in tomorrow morning but I'm not promising details!"
They spent their afternoon doing chores and Nathan attempted chopping wood until the first swing sent a shot of pain through his arm.
Giving up on that task Nathan decided he should start getting ready for his evening. He wasn't sure if he should wear a full suit or dress pants and a vest. He knew he didn't want to wear a tie so thought that a suit jacket would be a better option. He put on his blue dress shirt with his navy blue pants and jacket. The blue in his clothes served to enhance the color of his eyes.
At 6:45 Nathan descended the stairs to find Allie waiting at the bottom with a big smile on her face. "Dad, you look handsome and you smell really good." Allie took a big sniff of his neck taking in the smell of his cologne.
"Did I put too much on?" Nathan was worried he'd overdone it. "Seriously Allie, is it too much? Do I look okay?" Nathan was thankful it was just Allie there. If the residents of Hope Valley knew how nervous he was his reputation as the brave Mountie would be ruined.
"Dad, seriously, you look great. And I think you can get by with no tie since you're wearing the jacket. I hope you have a great time. As long as you don't end up in the infirmary we can call it a good night."
Nathan laughed and gave Allie a quick hug and told her he wouldn't be too late but that she should go to bed at her usual time.
Nathan made his way to town at a brisk pace not wanting to be late.
Knocking on Sarah's door Nathan could hear her footsteps approach. He wished his stomach would stop flipping around but it wouldn't. He said a quick prayer that the evening would go well and that he would be able to speak without getting tongue tied.
The door opened and Nathan thought he let out an audible gasp. He hoped it wasn't too obvious. Sarah stood on the other side of the doorway smiling and looking radiant in a cream colored dress accented by a seafoam green sash. Her hair was pulled up in the back with soft curls framing her face. On her neck was a simple strand of pearls. She wore a light scent that Nathan thought he would remember forever.
"Sarah, you look beautiful." Nathan wasn't sure that word did justice to her but it was the only one he could think of at the moment. Shall we go?" Nathan took Sarah's wrap and draped it over her shoulders. The walk to the café wasn't far but it was chilly and he didn't want her to be uncomfortable. Nathan held out his arm to her and she took his elbow.
Sarah had dressed carefully for her dinner with Nathan. She wasn't sure what to expect. Her dates with Tom had always been a bit over the top as he was obviously trying to impress her. She finally settled on a simple cream dress that she paired with a sash that she thought accentuated her eyes. She wore the strand of pearls her father had given her mother as a wedding gift. Her fragrance was simple rosewater.
The first thing Sarah noticed when she opened the door was how blue Nathan's eyes looked against his blue shirt and jacket. Her heart was beating so hard she thought for sure Nathan could hear it. She wasn't sure if it was nerves or excitement. Sarah took Nathan's arm. "Thank you Constable."
They arrived at the café and Nathan held the door for Sarah. Bill had offered to close the café for their date so there would be no other diners but Nathan said no that idea. Nathan had no qualms about being seen with Sarah. It might be a surprise for anyone who knew him given he'd never been seen on a date in Hope Valley. As they entered there were several other couples enjoying dinner. Nathan was unfamiliar with most of them but one couple he knew quite well. Nathan recognized Lee and Rosemary sitting at a table closer to the kitchen. Lee was facing the door so he noticed Nathan enter with a woman he only recognized from the article in the newspaper. Rosemary didn't see him until Lee gave a small wave to Nathan. She turned and saw Nathan and Sarah and gave a small wave hello.
Nathan and Sarah moved to the table Bill had set up for them in the corner. It was dressed simply with a white table cloth, a few small candles and a vase of wildflowers Nathan had brought over earlier in the day. Also on the table were two glasses of champagne waiting for them to enjoy. Nathan, remembering the instructions his mother and sister had given him when he would have a date in high school, pulled out Sarah's chair for her to sit down.
"Nathan the table is lovely. Did you arrange for all of this?" Sarah loved the simplicity of the table but could tell that some thought had gone into it.
"I had some help" Nathan admitted. "I hope it's not too simple."
"It's absolutely perfect." Sarah took Nathan's hand to make sure he understood how sincere she was. Both of them felt the spark of energy as their hands touched. Sarah took her hand back when Bill brought over the menus. After placing their order, Nathan picked up his champagne glass and Sarah did the same. "To what I hope is the first of many opportunities for us to know each other better." Nathan's toast wasn't flowery. That wasn't his nature but he did want Sarah to know that he hoped it was the first of many dinners together.
As they waited for their food they talked about how their weeks had gone. Sarah asked how Allie was doing with her job at the café. "She loves it. She's very social by nature and this job is perfect for her because she gets to see and talk with so many people."
Sarah laughed. "Yes, I've noticed that about her. When I was in this morning I could tell everyone enjoyed talking to her as much as she enjoyed talking to them."
Nathan agreed that sounded about right. "So I read the article Rosemary did about you in the newspaper but it only talked about your time at Dottie's in Union City. What did you do before that?"
"My father owned a bookstore in Buxton. I started working with him there when I was about Allie's age. He gave me simple tasks to do but as I got older and he realized my strength in math he started teaching me the ledgers and eventually I took on that responsibility."
"Does your father still have the bookstore?" Nathan thought Sarah's interest in his and Allie's library at home now made sense given her bookstore background.
"My father passed away several years ago. I tried to keep the bookstore but after a while the memories of my father were too much so I sold it. That's when I moved to Union City to work for Dottie."
"I'm so sorry about your father Sarah." Nathan hated the sad look that had flashed across Sarah's face when she talked about her father. "Is your mother still in Buxton?"
"No, my mother passed away when I was 10. It was just my father and me for many years."
It wasn't lost on Nathan that Sarah had lost her mother as a young girl just as Allie had. "You and your father must have been very close."
"Yes, we were. He was my best friend and mentor. He taught me everything he knew about running a store."
"I can't imagine losing both parents. That must have been very hard."
"It was but we all lose people close to us. I don't think either of them would want me to wallow in self- pity. Even though I didn't have them for as long as I would have liked I know they both have made me into the person I am today. I have wonderful memories and that's what I choose to focus on, not how I lost them."
Nathan recognized the strength in Sarah's words. He remembered losing Colleen and had often found himself, in a very dark place. He was blessed to have Allie to pull him out of it.
Sarah wanted to know more about Nathan too. "Tell me about you. Do you have any other family?"
Nathan wasn't sure how to respond to her question. He didn't want to hide things but he also knew the stigma of having a father who'd been in prison. "My mother lives in Calgary with her sister. She visits occasionally but she struggles with arthritis so traveling is difficult."
"And your father?"
"My father and I were estranged for many years but we recently reunited and we're working on our relationship." Nathan remembered how Elizabeth had encouraged him to give Archie the benefit of the doubt. He was thankful he'd given his father a chance if not for himself then for Allie.
"That's good that you are trying to reconnect with your father. I wish I'd had more time with mine."
Bill arrived at the table with their food. The conversation turned to the food, events around the town, and the upcoming holidays. Their conversation flowed easily and they didn't seem to run out of things to talk about. Nathan told Sarah all about Hope Valley's holiday festival and The Giving Tree. She loved the idea of granting wishes of people in the community.
"Nathan nodded toward Rosemary telling Sarah that she usually organized the festival. I'm meeting with her next week to talk about some new ideas for the festival."
"That sounds like a wonderful event. Does Rosemary need help with planning? I would love to be involved."
"I'm sure Rosemary would appreciate that. It's a lot of work. I usually don't get involved in planning this type of thing. I seem to have a reputation in town for not liking crowds" Nathan tried to laugh off the characterization.
"I can understand, as Constable, you are more aware of the dangers of large crowds of people in one place." Sarah was able to articulate what Nathan had thought when it came to crowds. It was nice to hear someone who understood his point of view.
Nathan looked up to see Rosemary and Lee approaching their table on their way out of the café.
"Good evening you two. What a lovely table." Rosemary was known for her ability to sniff out a story and, while a date at the café wasn't a story, Nathan couldn't help but feel he was a bit under the microscope. He knew Rosemary was Elizabeth's best friend so he could only imagine it wouldn't take long for Elizabeth to hear about Nathan being out with Sarah.
"Lee, Rosemary, good to see you both. Lee have you met Sarah Crawford?"
Lee held out his hand to Sarah, "Only what I read in the newspaper. Sarah, welcome to Hope Valley. I hope you are feeling at home here."
Sarah stole a glance at Nathan who was caught looking at her. "Yes, I'm enjoying getting to know the town. Everyone has been so friendly."
Rosemary could see the stolen glances between Nathan and Sarah and, though she'd wished her dear friend Elizabeth had chosen Nathan, she was very happy that Nathan seemed to be moving on and Rosemary couldn't fault his choice in women. She'd found Sarah delightful when she interviewed her.
"Rosemary, I was telling Sarah about the Christmas Festival. I think I may have recruited a volunteer for you."
"Oh Nathan, that's wonderful. I'm not sure if I'll be leading that committee this year. I have a few other things on my plate" Rosemary gave Lee a knowing look. Nathan was curious about her response given her tendency to take charge but he let it go. "I think Fiona may be taking over this year. Sarah, have you met Fiona?
"Yes, I met her briefly at the shop. Please let her know I'm happy to help with planning."
Lee looked at his watch and told Rosemary they really need to get going.
Once the Coulters left Minnie brought a serving of fresh blueberry cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream and two cups of coffee. Nathan told Sarah he'd heard how much she likes blueberries so he hoped she would like the cobbler. "I do love blueberries! How did you know?"
"Well, last week when we had breakfast you ordered a blueberry muffin. I've heard since that blueberry muffins are your usual order so, using my Mountie deduction skills, I figured you might like the cobbler too.
Sarah laughed at the idea of using Mountie skills to pick dessert but she appreciated the thought he put into it.
"Well, it's delicious as is everything Minnie bakes. Thank you Nathan for planning such a nice evening." Sarah was truly touched that he'd made such an effort.
Nathan and Sarah had been so absorbed in their conversation they didn't realize everyone else had gone home and they were the only two left in the café. Suddenly from the back room they heard music playing on the Victrola. Nathan could picture Bill back in the kitchen conspiring to get them to dance. Nathan stood up. He stepped over to Sarah's side of the table and extended his hand.
"Sarah, may I have this dance?"
Sarah was caught off guard but extended her hand to Nathan. Taking her in his arms Nathan expertly guided her around the tables in the café. Their eyes met but no words were spoken. As the music ended Nathan leaned into Sarah's ear and softly whispered "Thank you for the dance."
Knowing they needed to let Bill close up for the evening Nathan and Sarah reluctantly headed out to the boardwalk. Nathan offered Sarah his arm as they began the short walk to Sarah's apartment. The temperature had dropped several degrees and Nathan could see Sarah shivering. Removing his jacket he put it over her shoulders hoping to warm her a bit. "Oh, Nathan, you're going to freeze" Sarah protested.
"Nathan glanced at Sarah and said "I'm plenty warm but clearly you are not."
Sarah could smell Nathan's cologne on his jacket. It was crisp and clean with a hint of pine. She breathed deeply wanting to remember the scent. "Nathan, I don't think this evening could have been any more perfect. Thank you for putting so much thought into it and making it special for me. I haven't danced in years and you, Constable, are very good."
Nathan smiled. "My mother and my sister always made me dance with them. They told me I'd never find a wife if I didn't know how to dance."
Once they reached Sarah's door Nathan gazed into Sarah's eyes and took her hand, holding it softly caressing her knuckles with his thumb. "I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you for going to dinner with me."
Feeling bold Nathan bent his head down and brushed his lips across Sarah's cheek. Sarah held her breath as he kissed her. The touch of his lips was so light yet she thought her knees would buckle. As he pulled away she gazed into his crystal blue eyes knowing that she never wanted to forget this moment.