Chapter 43

Sarah spent the rest of her weekend preparing to talk to Dottie on Monday. She had done her homework spending time reviewing the ledgers and inventory to come up with a fair offer for the store. Dottie owned the building which included the apartment where Sarah was living. After going through all of her figures she knew she didn't have enough to buy Dottie's outright but she thought she could get a loan for the balance. Sarah had talked with Rosemary about the decision and she told Sarah it made a lot of sense given her experience and was sorry she hadn't thought of it earlier. Lee heard Rosemary and Sarah's conversation and gave her some advice on working with the bank. The support of Nathan, Rosemary and Lee gave Sarah the confidence to take the risk.

The conversation with Dottie wasn't as daunting as Sarah thought it would be. Dottie didn't seem surprised by Sarah's offer though she was disappointed that Sarah wouldn't be returning to Union City. Sarah told Dottie she couldn't see herself leaving the town that had become home to her. After presenting her offer the two women dickered on the price and a few other details but after agreeing to terms Dottie told Sarah she would send the necessary contract and paperwork. Hanging up the phone Sarah almost had to pinch herself. She thought of her father and how proud he would be that his daughter was going to own her own business like he did. She knew she couldn't do it without everything he'd taught her.

The first person Sarah wanted to talk to was Nathan so she made her way to the Mountie office. She opened the door and saw Nathan at his desk with another Mountie sitting across from him. Nathan looked up and smiled as she came in the door. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you." Nathan invited her in and introduced her to Steven Andrews, Hope Valley's newest Mountie. Sarah knew Steven was a rookie but also that he'd had another career before joining the force. He looked to be just a few years younger than Nathan. When he stood Sarah saw he was a few inches taller than her but still shorter than Nathan. He had sandy blond hair and big brown eyes and a sweet face that made him look younger than his years. He was very fit which was expected coming out of Mountie Academy. "Constable Andrews, welcome to Hope Valley. I hope you'll be very happy here."

"Thank you Miss Crawford. I am anxious to begin work with Inspector Grant. He has a reputation for being one of the best trackers and investigators the force has." Steven's description of Nathan filled her with pride. She knew Nathan wasn't one to boast of his accomplishments so it was nice to hear it from a fellow Mountie. "Yes, I'm surprised he doesn't have any of his commendations hanging up on the walls." Sarah gave Nathan a questioning look and he looked at her shaking his head.

Nathan wanted to steer the conversation away from talk of his recognitions. "What can I do for you Sarah?"

"I was hoping we could have lunch today but I see you're busy with Constable Andrews. Maybe we could talk this evening?" Sarah asked .

"Let's get dinner tonight. I'll let Allie know when I get her from school." Nathan walked Sarah to the door. "Meet me at the cafe at 6?" Sarah nodded and as much as she wanted to give him a quick kiss she didn't want to do so in front of his new trainee. Nathan understood and gave her a reassuring squeeze to her hand as she left the office.

Sarah made her way to the bank and met with one of the bank officers. After telling them about her plans they told her what she would need to proceed with a loan. Leaving with a stack of paperwork to complete Sarah returned to the dress shop. She hadn't said anything to Clara or Anna yet. She wanted to make sure everything fell into place before telling them. While she was excited by the prospect of owning the store she was also feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything. She realized she needed to take it one day at a time. Talking to Nathan tonight would help. He always had good advice for tackling things that seemed formidable.

After work she headed to Abigail's to meet Nathan for dinner. She arrived before him and took a seat at an open table. After sitting down she noticed Tom having dinner across the restaurant. As Tom nodded her way Sarah heard the door and saw Nathan walk in. As he made his way to their table Sarah noticed other diners watching the handsome Constable in his red serge. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before sitting down. "Hello darling, I like this idea of impromptu dinner dates. I don't know why we don't do it more often."

"Me too, how did your training go with Constable Stevens?" Sarah hoped the new Mountie was a good fit with Nathan. He certainly needed the help. "And why didn't you tell me about your commendations? I don't understand why you haven't shared that."

Nathan looked down at the table. "We're just going over the basics but I think Steven is very bright and he certainly seems committed to the job. And for the record, I didn't tell you about the commendations because I want people to respect me for the job I do, not because I have a bunch of pieces of paper hanging on the wall."

Sarah wasn't surprised by Nathan's modesty. It was one of the many things she loved about him. "I understand that Nathan, but you are respected for what you do for the people of Hope Valley. Everyone would be happy to know that you have been recognized for the work you do. They know you deserve it."

Nathan took Sarah's hand and held it in his. Such a simple touch still caused butterflies in her stomach. "That's very sweet of you to say but for now I think I'll leave them in my desk drawer. Now, why don't you tell me about the rest of your day."

Sarah told him about her phone call with Dottie and her meeting at the bank. "I've got a stack of paperwork to complete but I feel good about it, the loan officer I met with thought I have approval by the end of the week. You know I couldn't do this if I didn't have your support." Sarah took Nathan's hand. He leaned in closer and told her he would do anything he could to make her dreams come true. "Well in case you didn't know it Nathan, you are my dream. The dress shop is a wonderful opportunity but it pales in comparison to you and Allie."

They ordered their dinner and Sarah showed Nathan some of the paperwork she had to complete. They didn't notice Tom approaching their table. "Hello Sarah. It's nice to see you again."

Sarah looked up not at all happy to see Tom standing there but felt stronger with Nathan's presence. "Hello Tom, let me introduce you to Deputy Inspector Nathan Grant. Nathan, this is Tom Hastings from Buxton."

Nathan knew exactly who he was and made a point to stand up and shake Tom's hand. Nathan was several inches taller than Tom and in his red serge was quite a dominant presence. Sarah had to stifle a chuckle as she knew exactly what Nathan was doing. "Mr. Hastings, I hope you're enjoying our little town." Nathan emphasized the "little town" referring to the comment Sarah had told him Tom made in reference to Hope Valley.

Tom shook Nathan's hand and Sarah thought he was trying to make himself appear taller but he was no match for Nathan. "Deputy Inspector, it's nice to meet you." Tom managed to get the words out but knew he was ineffective in making an impression. Tom had seen Nathan when he walked in and observed the kiss he'd given Sarah. Watching the two of them he realized they must be in some sort of relationship. Tom's confidence had always bordered on arrogance but tonight he felt neither. Suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable Tom quickly wished them a good evening and made his way out of the café.

Nathan sat down and he saw the smile that spread across Sarah's face in reaction to the exchange between the two men. "What? Seems like a nice fellow." Nathan said sarcastically.

Sarah laughed out loud enjoying this side of Nathan. "Mr. Inspector, if I didn't know better I would think you were trying to intimidate him."

Nathan smiled. "Does it make me a bad person if I did?"

Sarah looked into Nathan's eyes that sparkled with his humor. "Nathan, you could never be a bad person. You are everything that's good in a person and that's why I love you so much."

Nathan smiled at his beautiful Sarah. "I love you too. Have I told you how proud I am of you? You could have said good-bye to Hope Valley and settled back into the life you were comfortable with in Union City but instead you're starting a new venture and becoming an important part of our community."

Somehow Nathan's words could always touched her. "Nathan, I could never leave Hope Valley. My life is here now and I could never leave you and Allie, or Archie for that matter."

Bill brought Sarah and Nathan their dinner and couldn't help but notice how they looked at each other. He was so happy for his friend. He'd heard from some of his connections at Mountie HQ about Nathan's promotion. He knew Nathan deserved it and was glad the powers that be had finally figured out how to make it work for him and Allie. "Nathan, congratulations on your promotion." Nathan wasn't surprised Bill already knew about it. He seemed to have an inside track on anything related to Mountie business.

"Thanks Bill. I guess you could say we're celebrating a couple of things; my promotion and Sarah made Dottie an offer today to buy the dress shop." Bill couldn't help but notice that Nathan sounded more proud of Sarah's news than of his own. It wasn't surprising . He always put others before him.

"Well congratulations to both of you. Dinner is on me tonight." Bill returned to the kitchen with a smile on his face wondering how long it would be before he was cooking for his good friend's wedding dinner.