I hope you enjoy the next chapters. I want to say thank you to VB Call for reading these in advance and her feedback. I really appreciate it!
Nathan watched from his spot on the boardwalk in front of the Mountie office as Lucas nailed the closed sign to the door of Gowen Petroleum. It was early, the sun barely up, and Nathan never expected to see Lucas out at this time of day. He supposed Lucas chose this time so he could avoid anyone seeing him put up the sign, a sign of defeat for him. Lucas turned to make his way back to the saloon and saw Nathan leaning against the post with his mug of coffee silently observing him. The two men acknowledged each other with almost imperceptible nods.
Nathan hadn't received word about any seizure of Lucas's properties so he assumed he'd been able to get his bankruptcy filing approved. Lucas hadn't spoken to Nathan since the week before when Nathan questioned him about his business struggles. Typically Nathan could find Lucas observing the town happenings from his balcony over Main Street but he'd been absent from his perch all week, probably in hiding Nathan thought.
The weather was just beginning to hint at spring. Mornings were still frosty and carried a chill that could get into your bones but by the middle of the day the warmth of the sun overtook the cold in the air. Nathan had come to the office early today so he could get some work done before Steven arrived. He was going to take the rest of the day off and he and Archie were taking Bill up to the house to see how construction was progressing. Nathan was finishing his coffee when he heard the crunch of footsteps on the street and saw the swish of green skirt out of the corner of his eye. Turning toward the sound he saw Sarah walking toward him. He couldn't help but smile watching his beautiful bride-to-be coming down the street. "What are you doing up so early this morning?"
Sarah felt her breath catch as soon as she approached. She found it difficult to put into words how Nathan made her feel whether it was a glance in her direction, a soft word, being in his arms or his lips on hers. She was counting down the days until she would wake up next to him every morning. "I saw you from my window and thought how nice it would be to say good morning and watch the sun rise with you before the town wakes up." Sarah was feeling bolder in showing her affection for Nathan. She approached him and put her hand on his cheek, stroking his hair and fingering the lock of hair that had fallen across his forehead. Nathan took his free hand and put it around her waist and pulled her to him.
"I don't know how much better my day can get after this. You look beautiful this morning." Nathan smiled.
"What are you doing at the office so early?" Sarah knew Nathan was an early riser but even this was early for him.
"I'm just finishing up a few things before I take the rest of the day off. Bill, Archie and I are going up to the house to check on progress. Archie said they've gotten a lot farther than they thought they would so I'm anxious to check it out. He and I are going to stay and get some measuring done for the cabinets, trim and bookcases." Nathan directed Sarah's attention to the Gowen Petroleum office and the sign that now hung on the door.
"When did that happen?" Sarah wasn't familiar with the history of the oil office but knew that closing it would affect quite a few people including Lucas.
"Lucas was out very early putting the sign up. I think this is just the beginning of a big transition for him." Nathan's tone was always flat when he spoke of Lucas a result of the friction that had always been between them.
"I would love to come up to the house with you today but I don't want to keep asking Allie to borrow Bridget. Maybe it's time I think about getting my own horse. Would you help me find one? I wouldn't know where to start."
Sarah's question got Nathan thinking about getting back and forth to the new house from town and, while riding Newton and Bridget was fine for him and Allie, Nathan wasn't so sure Sarah would want to commute to and from work on a horse. It didn't seem practical. He needed to figure out what was going to work best for all of them.
Bill came by the Mountie office right at 11 when Nathan was finishing up with Steven. As he, Archie and Nathan rode up to the house Bill told Nathan how much he enjoyed having Allie working at the café. "She's a really good girl Nathan. You should be proud of how you're raising her. She's kind to everyone even if they're being a difficult customer. I can see your influence on her in so many ways. I also thought you should know she really loves Sarah. She talks about her all the time and how she can't wait to have her as a real part of your family." Bill could see Nathan's eyes fill at his words.
"Thanks Bill, coming from you that means a lot. I'm blessed to have Allie and so thankful for the relationship she and Sarah have developed. After Elizabeth I wasn't sure about bringing anyone into her life until I was absolutely sure it was someone I was meant to be with but Sarah just fits within our family perfectly." Nathan smiled at the image of Sarah and Allie together.
"Well, you know I don't dole out compliments lightly so believe me when I say I couldn't be happier for all of you. Your happiness is a long time coming and it's nice to be witness to it." They came up to the property line and Bill stopped his horse to appreciate the view in front of him. There before him sat the prettiest house he'd ever seen. It was two stories with a deep porch that stretched all the way around the house. The lower level had two large picture windows on either side of the tall carved mahogany doors. "Nathan, these doors are beautiful. Did Lee help you find them?"
Nathan got off Newton, tied him up and went to the double set of doors. "Lee helped me find the wood but Archie and I made them ourselves." Nathan ran his hand over the smooth grain of the doors that had become his favorite part of the house. In the center of each door they had carved a large G for Grant. Walking around the porch Nathan inspected every window and door to make sure it was secure and solidly installed. He stepped back and crossed his arms admiring the home where he and Sarah would raise their family. Entering the house he and Bill quickly assessed the progress. "Dad, I can't believe how much work you've gotten done. Everything looks beautiful!" Nathan was happy to see plaster on the walls, the wood plank floors had been installed as well as the staircase to the second floor. Crossing the foyer they climbed the wide center stairs and stopped. At the top of the stairs was a large landing that had another picture window looking out onto the creek on the backside of the house. Nathan was going to build a bench under the window so on rainy days they could still sit and watch the creek as it meandered along the edge of the property. To the right of the stairway were two bedrooms. The first one was Nathan and Sarah's master bedroom, slightly larger than the other rooms on the floor with a wall that would eventually be lined with closets. The window in their room faced east which would capture the morning light. Both Nathan and Sarah were early risers so they had no problem with early morning sun. There was a door on one wall that led to the smallest bedroom on the floor. Nathan thought it would be the perfect spot for a nursery. The other wall had a stone fireplace sure to keep them warm during cold winter nights. There was also a water closet with a toilet and small sink on that side of the house. The whole family was excited about that special amenity. The other side of the second level had Allie's room which, per her request, faced west so she wouldn't be woken by the morning light. The remaining two rooms were for Archie and for guests.
On the first floor Nathan was thankful he'd insisted on open rooms. The kitchen was currently a large empty space except for the door that led out to the porch and the sink, stove and refrigerator that had been delivered and sat in the middle of the floor. They would be installed once the room was painted. Bill was impressed with the appliances and Nathan told him that Sarah and Allie insisted on them so they could cook and bake to their heart's content. He needed to get busy building the cabinets that would line the walls. The large dining room was an extension of the kitchen and just needed paint and the table, chairs and china buffet Nathan was going to build. The living room was located across the foyer from the dining room and kitchen and was as large as the other two rooms combined. One corner was taken up by a large stone fireplace that just needed its mahogany mantle to match the front doors. The long wall was designated for bookshelves to house the Grant - Crawford library. The bathroom on the main floor fit under the staircase and had a tub, toilet and sink which had all been installed. Nathan turned on the water to make sure it was all in working order. The last space Nathan wanted to check on was the office. Originally designed just for him he'd added on to make space for Sarah. There was large window that faced out over the creek and Nathan was going to have two desks placed side by side under the window so he and Sarah each had their own space but could still be side by side. There was a door that led directly from the office to the back porch where Nathan was going to build a swing where they could sit and listen to the creek.
Nathan made a mental checklist of what still needed to be done in less than three months; paint, trim, mantle, cabinets, furniture. He knew he needed to take it one thing at a time or he would be overwhelmed. He'd brought some tools with him today and he and Archie were going to start work on the kitchen cabinets once Bill left. He saw Bill moving from room to room admiring each space. "Nathan, this is a beautiful home. I can see a lot of little Grants running around. I know you'll be very happy here. The work so far is very impressive."
Nathan thanked Bill then turned when he heard the front door open and close. Sarah walked into the front foyer and stopped, her mouth dropped in awe of the beautiful work that had been done. "How did you get up here?" Nathan asked.
"I borrowed a horse from the livery and brought some lunch." Sarah couldn't stop looking around at the house that would be their home. She hadn't been up to see it in quite some time so she was speechless at the progress. Nathan quickly showed her from room to room and they stopped at the entrance to what would be their bedroom. Sarah asked him what the door on the far wall led to. He smiled when he told her it led to the nursery. The thought of having a baby with Nathan had been on her mind a lot lately. Being around Clara and Rosemary had sparked her desire to be a mother. "I can't wait to have children with you Nathan. At one point I wondered if I would ever get to experience motherhood and then I met you."
"Have you talked to Archie yet?" Sarah wondered if Nathan had talked to him yet.
"No, should we ask him now?" Sarah nodded. "Archie, dad, could you come upstairs for a minute?"
Archie joined them at the top of the stairs. "What is it son?"
"Sarah and I were just talking about the bedrooms. Nathan pointed to Allie's room and indicated it would be hers. "This next one is a guest room." They stood at the door of the third bedroom. "Sarah and I thought this room should be yours." Both Sarah and Nathan looked expectantly at Archie waiting to see how he responded. They could both see tears welling up in his eyes.
"I don't think you two newlyweds want an old man around." Archie tried to sound gruff but it was obvious he was moved by their offer.
Sarah stepped forward and put her arms around Archie. "We do want you here and we can't imagine not having you with us." She gave Archie a sweet kiss on his cheek. "Besides, we're going to have a teenager in the house so we may as well make it three generations."
Archie reached out to Nathan embracing him. "Thank you, son." He wanted to say more but he was too choked up to get the words out.
Downstairs Nathan started a fire in the living room fireplace and the four of them sat down to eat lunch. While they ate Nathan and Sarah asked Bill if he would be in charge of their wedding dinner. He could use their new kitchen to prepare everything. Bill told them he would love to do it and that cooking in their kitchen would be nicer than the one he had at the café.
After lunch Sarah and Bill loaded everything back into the basket and started back to town leaving Nathan and Archie to work on the house. During their ride Sarah said thank you to Bill. "What for?" Bill asked.
"For being Nathan's friend and mentor. I know he's not always the best at expressing his feelings but your friendship and approval means a lot to him and I know he's thankful for it." Sarah smiled at Bill.
Bill swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. "Thank you Sarah. His friendship is one of the great blessings in my life. After Jack Thornton died, I never thought I'd have a friend like him again but then I met Nathan. He and Allie are family to me which means you and Archie are too."
Now it was Sarah's turn to fight her tears. "Bill, can I ask you a favor?" Bill nodded. "Would you walk me down the aisle at our wedding?"
As the tear that threatened finally slipped down his cheek Bill responded. "It would be my honor."