Chapter 1: Unfamiliar Territory
"Bill Avery" the loud voice of the Buxton judge rang out in the court room. "Will you please rise to give your testimony." Bill shuffled through the row of seats and threw a withering glare in Julius Spurlock's direction as he passed on his way towards the judge's seat. Reaching it, he looked out into the large crowd of listeners, specifically the front row where sat his friends from Hope Valley. Ned, Jesse, Mike, Lee, and even Kurt all eyed him tensely from their places as he drew in a breath. "On October 3rd, exactly one month ago to the date, I, along with five other witnesses watched as Julius Spurlock pulled the trigger on Hope Valley's Constable, Nathan Grant. Constable Grant and I were under the impression that there was foul play at hand regarding the dealings of Mr. Walden, and his right hand, Agent Spurlock here. While these dealings were private and of the local variety, since the incident of the shooting, many witnesses have come forward to testify to numerous crimes committed by this man." He pointed a finger at Spurlock, who squirmed under the gaze of his blazing blue eyes. Bill continued. "I have here with me" he said. "Over a dozen written affidavits, all expressing the same sentiment. That Julius Spurlock is guilty of acts of violence, including and in particular, the attempted murder of a Northwestern Mounted Police officer. Given the insurmountable sworn and written evidence against this man, I trust an appropriate sentence will be laid upon him. Constable Grant was severely injured in the encounter and may never fully recover. I hope you remember that when you come to a verdict!" Saying this, he strode back to his seat and folded his arms, ignoring all the eyes that were on him, including those of his friends. The only eyes he saw were those of Julius Spurlock, who glared at him from where he sat, despite the smug sneer on his face.
As the group of Hope Valley men headed out the door after the trial, Bill noticed two officers leading Spurlock away from the crowded courtroom and back toward his cell. He made a point to stop and stare at the man as he passed, his tall form towering over everyone else. He eyed Bill as he passed, and leaning closer, let his voice drop. "The Mountie had it coming" he muttered arrogantly. "I should have killed him while I had the chance…" Bill grated his teeth in anger. "Now, you listen here, Spurlock" he hissed. "If it weren't against the law, you'd already be a dead man. Consider yourself lucky." Spurlock scoffed as he was led away, out of sight. Bill made a vicious growl in the back of his throat before hurrying to catch up with the others, who were almost to the door. As he returned to join them, Mike Hickam eyed him with some concern. "Bill…" he murmured. "Is it illegal… To exaggerate in court?" Bill gave him a bewildered look of annoyance and frowned faintly. "Well, if you were planning on doing that" he muttered. "You missed your chance. Plus, it's definitely not advisable." Hickam nodded, but still looked confused. "But Bill" he murmured meekly. "What you said in there about Nathan… How he might never recover… Don't you think that was a bit extreme?" Bill frowned, though there were the faintest traces of a smile at the corners of his mouth. "Look, I'm a judge" he explained. "When you know the law as well as I do, you can afford to stir things up a bit."
A chilly autumn breeze rustled the orange and brown leaves across the dirt path as Nathan and Dani walked together, side by side. Ever since their first kiss, Nathan woke up every morning amazed by how deeply his love for Dani had grown since the day before. To love someone so openly and be loved so deeply in return was something he had never experienced, apart from his relationship with Allie. Likewise, Dani had fallen into the habit of showing Nathan her love in any way that she could, ever since his injury and her conversation with Florence. It came so naturally to her now, finding little ways to brighten or lighten his day, whether it be a short visit to his office, or a homecooked meal. Nathan had done his part as well once he was strong enough to perform some of his lighter duties. He road past her house every day and never let a day pass without spending some time with her. It was on rare evenings like this however, that both of them were able to be together for as long as they pleased, taking their time as they walked through the brightly colored woods. Nathan looked down at Dani with a warm smile and clasped her hand in his. "So, I hear you have some big news" he murmured softly. "Apparently, there's been an addition to the homestead." Dani laughed and gently swung their hands in rhythm with the steps they took. "As far as milk cows go" she joked. "Silky has been a very welcome one. Allie helped with the name. It's a beautiful cow, actually; red and white. She's a good milker too." Nathan laughed and shook his head. "I'll have to come by and see her sometime" he mused, before stopping in his tracks and turning to face Dani, while taking her other hand. "Dani…" he breathed softly. "I wanted to say… Having you there with me while I recovered… I don't think I could have done it without you. It means the world to me." He paused, before laying a hand on her rosy cheek. "You mean the world to me." Dani smiled up at him tenderly and sighing, placed her hand over his. "I love you Nathan" she told him honestly. "And I will never let anything keep me from showing you." Nathan felt a warm glow as he gazed at her lovingly and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. When their eyes met again, his face reddened a little. "You know…" he murmured, a little sheepishly. "When I kissed you, after you told me you loved me… That was my very first kiss. It's all so new to me Dani, and I'm still learning…" Dani cut him off by placing her finger over his lips. "You're in good company Nathan" she reassured him. "We'll learn together, and we'll find our way. And for the record…" she added, blushing slightly. "It was my first kiss too." Nathan thought his heart would burst with happiness as he contemplated the prospect of navigating courtship with Dani. Perhaps it wasn't a courtship at all. Perhaps it was just a journey in love, one that they would share together all the way to the end. He held her hand up to his lips and kissed it affectionately before they fell into step again. "I've never been so happy Dani" he confided. "I hope you feel the same." She laid her head against his shoulder and smiled. "Yes" she agreed. "I am perfectly happy." For a moment there was silence before Nathan's face grew grave. "I think we both know it won't always be this way" he murmured, a little sadly. "It isn't going to be easy." Dani bit her lower lip and shook her head. "No" she agreed. "It's not. The outside world often tries to destroy the beauty it finds. I believe the love we share is beautiful. And because of that, we'll have to work twice as hard to protect it. We're going to have to face a lot of darkness Nathan. But when we do, we'll face it together." Nathan nodded and putting his arm around her shoulders, kissed the top of her head. "I'll face anything as long as I have you" he whispered. "You and Allie are everything to me."
Ever since the shooting, the town's people had rallied around their injured Constable. While many had, up until this point simply taken him for granted, many had become deeply attached to Nathan and were shaken at the prospect of losing him. The incident had greatly affected Lee and Rosemary, who had now taken to inviting Allie and Nathan over for dinner at least once a week. And while Rosemary insisted that it was an arrangement brought about purely from the kindness of friendship, she couldn't help but worry that Nathan wouldn't get the good food or nutrients that he needed in order to heal if he was left to cook for himself. Likewise, Florence and Clara, and sometimes even Fiona would bring the Grants sandwiches, muffins, or whatever else they could think of as a way of doing their part in helping their Mountie on his road to recovery. Even Bill had requested Florence to send Nathan's urgent calls to his own office in order to spare him from any particularly taxing incidents or assignments. Hope Valley seemed to draw a collective breath of anticipation as everyone watched and waited while Nathan eased back into his usually duties. The community did whatever they could to assist and protect their constable. And while he was largely unaware, Hope Valley's guardian angel had quite a few guardian angels of his own, watching over him. The two most prominent ones, however, were Allie and Dani. Allie did everything around the house that she possibly could, from cooking to laundry, from cleaning to gathering wood for the stove. She knew that no matter how many dinners, flowers, or notes people sent, Uncle Nathan's daily routine would be difficult for him on account of his injury. Therefore, she decided to do whatever she could to make things easier for him at home. And then there was Dani… While her dedicated assistance and thoughtful measures were more than Nathan could have ever dared to hope for from anyone, it was her calming presence and tender love that made the biggest difference. Although his recovery was slow, and the effects of the injury lingered, anyone could see that he was peaceful and happy. She always made him feel that way.
Even now, as he walked her back to her house, he could feel his love for her swelling warmly within him. He smiled at her as she closed the front gate behind her and leaning over it, turned to face him again. "Thank you for a wonderful time" she murmured sweetly and a little shyly. "I'll see you tomorrow" Nathan nodded contentedly. "Yes" he confirmed. "I'll bring Hero so we can finish my rounds together." Dani smiled. "That sounds lovely" she said softly, running her finger along the picket fence that stood between them. "I can't wait." Nathan nodded in silent agreement and breathed a happy sigh. "Well… good night Dani" he murmured. "Good night Nathan" she answered, her blue eyes shining brightly. Despite saying their goodbyes however, both remained where they were, not wanting to leave. Nathan was so lost in her gaze, he almost forgot where he was. Slowly, he leaned forward, across the picket gate and closing his eyes, kissed her lovingly. He felt her breathe out when he finally drew back and saw that her cheeks were rosy, and her lips were curved into a smile. "Tomorrow then?" she asked quietly, her eyes more radiant than ever. Nathan, unaware that he was blushing, nodded happily. "Sounds good" he answered. He made as if to leave but turned around again and looked up at her adoringly. "I love you Dani" he said. Dani smiled. "And I love you, Guardian Angel" she breathed. As he mounted Newton, whom they had left tied to the gate, and rode away in the direction of town, Dani sighed and hugged herself tightly, her heart bursting with bliss. She had been afraid that life would change if anything more than friendship developed between her and Nathan. And as she watched him now, riding away into the dim sunset, she realized that it had indeed changed, and the change was for the better.
A shrill whistle split the air as Elizabeth climbed down from the train, her eyes scanning the platform. Her heart raced as she searched for a familiar face in the crowd. She glanced at the conductor, who held out her leather suitcase with a tip of his hat. "Here you are Ma'am" he said with a smile. Elizabeth took it gratefully and clasped the handle tightly in her hand. Once again, her eyes searched through the crowd for someone she knew, someone from Hope Valley. She inwardly reprimanded herself for the sentiment. How would anyone know to pick her up from the station. She hadn't notified them of her arrival. In fact, she hadn't told anyone of her plan to visit Hope Valley except for Lucas and Julie, whom she left in charge of Little Jack. No, she was alone today in the Benson Hills train station. With a sigh, she picked up her bags and went to hire a taxicab to drive her to her home, her real home.
As she sat in the back seat of the car, Elizabeth found herself finally free of all the hustle and bustle of city life. She could finally collect her thoughts. She could now figure out what exactly had given her the urge to return to Hope Valley. Ever since the day that she had remembered the absence of her wedding rings, the urge had grown stronger, until it was all she could think about. The thoughts of Jack and the time he had spent with her family were more than pure nostalgia. They were touched by a sense of longing, a desire to spend at least five minutes in his company again. She wanted to return to the old life she had known, even just for a little while. She wanted to see and feel Jack again, for she knew she could not find him in Hamilton. In a way, she wanted to surround herself with him and his memory, something she hadn't done since the day she took off the ring that bound her to him. A sigh escaped her as she leaned against her elbow, looking at the scenery as it flashed through the car window. Seeing the old places and people there in Hope Valley would serve to lift her spirits and give her strength to continue with her life as an authoress. Perhaps it would even give her inspiration for her new work, a romance novel that she had begun just after she and Lucas had begun courting. In any case, it would be good to see the old places again, as well as the old faces of her friends. It would be good to see the comforting red serge that always lifted her thoughts to Jack. Suddenly, her thoughts came to a skidding halt as she remembered who the wearer actually was. Nathan… How had she left things with Nathan? It had been so long ago; almost a year now. What had he said to her last time they exchanged words? Elizabeth couldn't quite remember now. All she could see was a vague impression of his eyes. They looked sad to her; sad and disappointed. Perhaps, after her long absence, he would be more open to rekindling their friendship now that he had been given some time to think. No matter how strained things had been between them when she had left for the book tour, she couldn't help being feel eager to see him again. He gave her a sense of Jack's presence in a way that no one else did. Perhaps the sight of the red serge on a living human being, and a friend no less, acted as a more tangible reminder to her of her late husband than anything else. Whatever the reason, she would be glad to see him and the sight of the majestic uniform once again.
Lee and Ned were excited when they spied Nathan leaving the infirmary from his daily check-up with Faith to begin his rounds. "Nathan!" Ned called. "Hold up!" Nathan stopped on the boardwalk and smiled at their enthusiasm as they hustled over to his side. "Good morning Ned. Lee" he murmured, touching the tip of his hat. "Is there something I can help you with?" Lee beamed, folding his hands together. "Actually, yes!" he breathed excitedly. "Ned and I have some exciting news! After Wyman Walden's trial, the courts decided to give ownership of the Queen of Hearts back to the town as recompense for everything that happened here." Nathan's eyes widened and he gave a low whistle. "That is definitely news to me…" he murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. "Has the town counsel decided what to do with it exactly?" Lee and Ned exchanged knowing grins. "Well…" Lee began mysterious. "As Mayor of Hope Valley, I took it upon myself to pitch them some ideas. Obviously, Rosie helped me. But after working with them, we finally decided on something that we think would be benefit the whole town." Nathan raised his eyebrow expectantly. "And that is..?" he asked, a little doubtful. Ned's face glowed. "Lee has decided to turn the saloon into a gathering hall for the whole community to use!' he explained excitedly. "We can have dances, meetings, a visitor's center… Anything we want." Lee chuckled. "The reason we wanted to talk to you" he finally got to the point, "Is because I promised Rosie I would build her a stage in there. Now, I'm not the handiest when it comes to woodwork, but a little bird told me that's not the case with you. Apparently, you're pretty good at that sort of thing." Nathan smiled and looking down shyly, blushed. "Well, I don't know about that" he muttered modestly. "But I would be glad to help after my rounds. I think it's a great idea Lee. Fiona had mentioned that she and Mike were planning on starting up a weekly social group but didn't really have a place to do it. I guess you should tell them about it too. They'll be thrilled." Lee smiled brightly and patted Nathan on the shoulder. "Good man" he grinned. "I'll go tell them now. We're starting on the stage this evening, so stop by if you can." Nathan smiled and nodded. "Don't mind if I do" he quipped. "I'll stop by as soon as I can."
The line of rowhouses was quiet and undisturbed as Elizabeth got out of the taxi car after her five hour drive. It felt good to be home. There was a freshness in the air that she had forgotten about during her time in Hamilton. She drew in a deep breath of it as she lugged her two suitcases up the front steps of her own, little house. While she felt an urge to go and knock at Rosemary's house, she knew well enough that her friend would not be home, being so emersed in the newspaper and all. With a little sigh, she unlocked the door to her own house and slowly entered. As she looked around, she felt as though she had stepped into a time capsule. A dusty one to be sure. But everything was just as she had left it, nonetheless. Her desk had been left untouched, and the pictures of Jack on the little table were exactly where she left them. She reached down and picked one up to stare into Jack's familiar face. Strangely however, the sight did not give her as much satisfaction as she had hoped. The picture felt lifeless and discolored, giving her no real feeling of life or warmth. She set it down gently and looked around again. Scattered on the floor were Little Jack's toys, and a flash of red caught her eye. Slowly, she reached down and picked up the little wooden Mountie that lay there. She held it in her hands and ran her fingers over it, feeling the shape of it in a way that she could not with the photograph. Looking at the toy remaindered her of its maker. Nathan… His name flashing through her mind caused her to put the toy down. She wanted to see him; to see the warmth of the red serge as he rode by. With every passing moment, her longing grew, until she dropped everything and threw on her light pink coat. She needed to see faces and people. She needed to see him.
It didn't take Elizabeth long to reach town. It was busier and livelier than it had been when she left last. She could see Florence and Ned conversing through the open door of the mercantile, and Bill making his way toward the saloon, which no longer bore the Queen of Hearts sign. There were many new faces that Elizabeth didn't recognize, all coming and going from the saloon. She saw Mike and Lee hauling several boards of timber inside and began to wonder what was happening in the old Saloon. As Bill disappeared inside behind Lee and Mike, she felt a strange ache in her heart, as if she was somehow, an outsider looking in on the world of Hope Valley. So much had changed since she had left. She felt as though she had entered a world that she couldn't touch or interact with. Somehow, in spite of all her longing for home and what was familiar to her, none of this seemed familiar at all. She felt like a stranger in her own home. Hoping to break the barrier that she felt towards those around her, she made a move towards the busy saloon building. The thundering sound of hoofbeats however, suddenly alerted her to stay where she was.
Standing timidly on the boardwalk, she watched as two horses came down the street in what was almost a gallop toward the infirmary as both riders sat in the saddle, breathlessly laughing. Elizabeth felt her heart quicken with a light thump as she looked on. Sure enough, one of them was Nathan! And the other… Elizabeth felt her jaw tighten a little as she gulped, too shocked to think. The other rider was slender, bronzed, and a bit unruly looking. But her features were both delicate and striking, almost regal. And when she turned long enough for Elizabeth to see her eyes, Elizabeth was sure she must be the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes one, in her flowing blue dress and white shawl. She watched, a little helplessly as Nathan helped her from the saddle and took the reins. They exchanged a few words, before, to Elizabeth's complete shock, Nathan bent down and kissed her forehead. The woman gave Nathan such a winning smile in return that Elizabeth felt a little guilty for having never looked at Lucas that way. She swallowed hard and continued to watch as the woman disappeared into the infirmary, wondering what exactly she, herself was feeling. Surprise perhaps? Frustration that no one had told her about this… person… Jealousy that someone else had taken her place in Nathan's heart… Elizabeth quickly swatted that thought away like a fly. She wasn't jealous. How could she be jealous when she didn't care for him in that way? Trying to regain her composure, she distracted herself by turning her attention back to Nathan, who was guiding the horses around and back to the livery. Elizabeth gave a little sigh and fixed her eyes on the rich red of his serge, hoping for some kind of remembrance or inspiration of Jack. As she took in all its buttons and folds however, it suddenly struck her that the jacket looked strangely loose on Nathan. Her eyes narrowed with concern as she looked closer. Yes, it was indeed loose. He looked thin… and pale. A pang of worry seized her heart. To Elizabeth's unaccustomed eyes, he didn't look well at all, especially since she hadn't seen him in the worst hours of his injury. The sinking feeling in her stomach at the sight seemed to take away all the satisfaction she would otherwise have felt upon seeing the red serge. Now she couldn't think about Jack. She was too worried about Nathan.
After getting Newton settled for the evening and picking up Allie from school, Nathan changed into some work clothes and, grabbing some of his own tools, headed off to the Saloon to help with Rosemary's stage. He was glad to see that the frame had already been constructed and only the railings, stairs, and floorboards remained. Lee threw up a hand in greeting when he saw Nathan standing in the doorway. "You made it!" he cried excitedly. Nathan smiled and held up his tools. "Well, I wasn't going to miss out on all the fun" he chuckled, making his way further into the room. Bill straightened up and eyed him warily. "Are you sure you should be doing this right now?" he asked gruffly. Any other time, Nathan would have been annoyed. But now, he understood this was Bill's way of expressing concern. "I'm fine Bill" he assured him with a quiet smile. "Don't worry." Bill's eyes narrowed doubtfully. "Well," he muttered. "If you start to feel tired…" "I'll take a break" Nathan finished for him, with a hint of amusement. "I promise. Just relax Bill." Bill shrugged and went to get more wood. Nathan watched him go and smiled to himself. As much as he hated being fussed over, it was nice to know that people cared about him. He knelt down beside Jesse, who was constructing the stairs. "Need help?" he asked, setting down his tools. Jesse looked up and nodded. "Sure" he agreed. "I'm not super handy with this sort of thing." Nathan grinned and pulled out his hammer. "Well, it doesn't take an expert to build a few stairs" he said. "Let's do it together, okay? Maybe we'll get it done in time to help with the floorboards." Jesse shrugged. "At this rate, who knows" he muttered. "I can't seem to get the pieces to match up." As Nathan examined the slabs of wood in front of him, a smirk crossed Jesse's face. "Speaking of 'matching up" he quipped. "How are things going with you and Dani?" It was all Nathan could do to keep from rolling his eyes, but he chuckled faintly. "They're going… fine, I guess" he said, a little awkwardly. Jesse raised his eyebrows. "You guess?" he breathed. "Is something wrong that's making you 'guess'?" Nathan frowned faintly and shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong…" he corrected himself, feeling a little flustered. "She's been so good to me. Sometimes, I just feel like I don't deserve it." Jesse nodded understandingly. "That is hard" he admitted. "Last year, when Clara and I lost all our money, she had every right to kick me out for good. But she didn't. And to this day, I still wonder how I got so lucky." Nathan nodded, though Jesse detected the faint traces of a frown furrowed in his brow. "Why do you feel like you don't deserve her?" he asked. "I know the feeling, but I feel it because I did wrong. You haven't done anything wrong Nathan." Nathan shrugged. "I just feel" he articulated slowly, "Like I'm getting the better end of the deal here. How could anyone love me that much? I'm nothing special." Jesse shrugged. "Well, neither am I" he said. "But Clara still loves me like I'm the most important person in the world to her." Nathan smiled. "That's because you are" he pointed out. Jesse grinned. "I guess you're right" he agreed. He thought for a minute before adding, "Maybe you don't feel special Nathan, but you're special to her. For the record, you're pretty special to all of us." Before Nathan could reply, Jesse threw him a grin and got up to get more nails. Nathan felt a smile come over him face as he thought about what Jesse had said.
Thursday was chilly and overcast as Nathan mounted Newton to begin his rounds. Faith had ordered him to dress warmly in cold weather, and the order had produced enough scarves and mittens from Rosemary and Florence to last him a lifetime. He chuckled softly to himself as he straightened the wrist-warmers that Allie had made him wear underneath his regular gloves. "You don't want to catch cold" she had insisted. Allie could be as much of a worried mother hen as the rest of the women in town if she set her mind to it. A smile brightened Nathan's face as he contemplated what to get her for Christmas. Even now as the wind bit at his nose and made his eyes water, he suspected that a light snow might be in the forecast. The wind whipped at Newton's mane as they trotted together down the little dirt road that led across an open field towards the valley below. As he sat astride the majestic horse, Nathan could sense an uneasiness in the animal, as if something or someone was lurking nearby. He scanned the landscape and noticed a dark figure standing out against the sky. From what he could make out, it was in fact, a person. Urging Newton forward, Nathan quickly made his way toward it, worried that whoever it was might be in trouble. "Good afternoon!" he called, trying to keep from frightening the person as he and Newton approached. The figure turned around, startled and Nathan caught his breath sharply as his smile quickly died. For a long time, they stared at each other, not really knowing what to say. Nathan felt the color draining from his face. He gave a quick nod in greeting. "Lizabeth…" he said, his jaw tightening grimly.