Only the Beginning Chapter 10, Page 61
As Elizabeth walked with a bounce in her step after leaving Dr. Scholl's office, she headed to Lee's Lumber Company in hopes of catching Rosemary working on the newspaper. Just as Elizabeth arrived, Lee was out the door faster than a racehorse. "Hi Elizabeth, bye Elizabeth!" he called as he hopped in his automobile.
"Bye Lee!" Elizabeth called back as little Jack waved bye-bye. Lee was in such a hurry, he left the door wide open. Elizabeth peeked in and saw Rosemary just getting up to close the door, but when she saw Elizabeth, waved to her friend to come in.
"Is this a good time?" Elizabeth inquired.
"Sure, just as good as any. I've got a bit of writer's block anyways." Rosemary sighed as she tapped her desk.
"You?" Elizabeth was surprised. She never knew her friend to be speechless which caused her to laugh.
Rosemary gave her a scornful look, but joined in the laughter too.
LJ was curious and didn't want to sit on Elizabeth's lap. He shimmied off her and walked curiously around. He only had been here once before, and there was so much to get into.
"Jack, stay close to where I can see you," his mother warned.
Rosemary got up and walked around. She found a few simple things to play with that Jack was entertained with, like several empty boxes, paper to scribble on, and scrap ribbon she had brought back with her from Dottie's Apparel. Jack quickly sat down with his new treasures and entertained himself.
"So, how did your appointment go with Dr. Scholl?" Rosemary asked with a big smile.
"Rosemary, it wasn't MY appointment, it was for Jack!" she was good at faking shock, but Rosemary already knew her too well not to buy it, and raised her eyebrows with a smirk on her face. "Oh, all right," Elizabeth gave in, "he was so good with Jack! He talked straight to him and showed him the mirror he was going to use before he looked inside his mouth. Jack actually was quite taken with him."
"Oh, so Jack was taken with him?" Rosemary nodded, "uh-huh!"
"He was! Jack was a good boy, didn't cry and let James look inside" ...
"James? Are you on a first name basis already?" Rosemary laughed out loud.
"No, I don't know why I said that, honestly Rosemary, you are such a tease!" Elizabeth shook her head in disapproval. "I just let him call me Mrs. Thornton. I should've insisted he call me Elizabeth, but I wasn't thinking properly." as she looked out the window where the dentist office was.
"I wonder why" Rosemary smirked. "So, what did he say about his teeth?"
"Who? Oh yes, Dr. Scholl checked his teeth and one was just a bit loose, but nothing to worry about." Elizabeth said.
"He's got a fat lip, the poor dear." Rosemary made a pouty-face. "Now, Elizabeth come clean. Tell me what you thought about him!" Elizabeth tried to brush her off, but Rosemary wasn't taking no for an answer.
"Rosemary you know darn well, that he's very nice looking." that was all Elizabeth was going to say.
"And?"
"And what? He was good with Jack like I said, so the children here will be just fine with him being a dentist," Elizabeth added quietly, "but so will the ladies," she giggled.
"Go on!" Rosemary encouraged.
"Oh Rosemary, he has these big dimples and a cleft in his chin. He is so handsome and charming, he could be Nathan's brother!" she blurted out before she realized what she was saying.
"Wow, that is telling! Elizabeth, are you still pining after Nathan?" Rosemary was incredulous.
Elizabeth began pouring out to Rosemary all her pent-up feelings. The words just constantly flowed in anguish. She rambled on about her soulmate Jack, and how it was so unfair to lose him after just getting married. That's when her waterworks began. How she had to take care of little Jack without him, and that he never got to meet his daddy. She had hoped to stay home with him to raise him, but she was a widow and didn't want any handouts from her father. Yet, that pride caused her to neglect LJ, not on purpose, but because she was looking for love.
What she was afraid of was losing another man, another Mountie again, so she gave into her fear. She didn't follow her heart. Lucas was easy. He did anything he could to charm her. Their dates were always fun and adventuresome. She even felt brave when she went to Union City with him for a reading of one of her favorite authors. Elizabeth knew that would've been frowned upon and she could have lost her employment as a teacher, but she carelessly threw all caution to the wind and went anyway. The town not caring how it looked, but happy for her instead was all that mattered to her.
She knew Nathan was the better man, and that she would love him like she loved Jack, but she also thought about how much Lucas could offer her. He had helped her with publishing her book, and wined and dined her with romantic candlelight dinners. What woman would not like that? What woman would not enjoy a life of being pampered? Then, she thought about the stability of life with Nathan and how Allie ached to have her in their life. She just had to dismiss that, and in order to do that she had to blame Nathan for something, anything, like not telling her right away about the circumstances concerning Jack's death.
Elizabeth was sobbing and little Jack was looking at his mommy watching her cry. That didn't stop her, she just was letting it all out. She knew she didn't really love Lucas, at least not how she loved Nathan. What a fool she was! Had she realized he was enjoying this 'competition' with Nathan and didn't really worry about losing her, she would never have encouraged him. As she began to get ahold of herself, she stopped sobbing and LJ was relieved and began playing again.
"Rosemary, I still love Nathan and I'm so mad at myself. I can't believe how much I lost. When I see him with Dee I cringe. I've tried to get him out of my mind and so I am dating Sam, but there's no real chemistry there. It's not his fault, we just don't see enough of each other I suppose." Elizabeth was winding down now that she had spilled her heart out.
There were a few minutes of silence that passed. Then, Rosemary spoke up, "Elizabeth, you've loved and lost three times. That's a lot for any woman. If you find yourself attracted to this Dr. Scholl, let him come to you, but in the meantime, be honest with Sam. It's better for both of you. As Pastor Joseph would say, pray about it."
Elizabeth blew her nose, thanked her for listening to her rant, and they both hugged. "Ready to go outside, Jack?" she asked her son.
"Ready!" he answered, but not before he ran to Rosemary and gave her a hug too.
Rosemary watched her good friend leave and shook her head. Elizabeth was right, Elizabeth was a fool.
Only the Beginning Chapter 10, Page 62
When Nathan, Archie, and Bill finished up their morning conversation over a tasty breakfast of bacon and eggs at Billees, Nathan was planning on taking Archie over to see Carson about Archie's blood work results. Nathan confirmed with Bill that he would come and get him at his office when they were finished. Bill was counting on riding out with Nathan. Each man was confident in the other and knew, that as they rode the rounds together, they would likely discover clues to what the men Nathan had spotted out in the country were up to. Bill said goodbye to Archie as they parted ways, Bill going to his office, and Nathan and Archie to see Carson.
"Good morning!" Molly greeted them both with her usual sweet smile. "Carson is waiting for the two of you, so go on over to his desk."
"Thank you, Miss Molly." Archie smiled. Nathan nodded and the two of them walked over to Carson.
"Good morning, men." Carson nodded. "Have a seat."
"Yes, and it's a fine one at that!" Archie added.
"Archie, how are you feeling? Are you eating every meal now?" Carson asked.
"Yes, Sam makes sure of that." he laughed. "Plus, the ladies from their Chicky club are very good at visiting and feeding me. I've had a walk or two around the pond with a very funny blonde lady," Archie scratched his head, "what was her name? Well, anyways, there's another fun lady with red hair that had me painting flower pots with petunias! Ha! Can you believe it? What a bunch of sweeties!" Archie was definitely enjoying telling the men about his female visitors which caused laughter to fill the room.
"You sound like you're feeling well, but I do have to let you know that your results do show that you have anemia. Now, that's common at your age and being underweight, so I'm not worried, but let's weigh you."
When he checked his weight, nothing had changed from before.
"First of all, refrain from drinking tea or coffee with meals."
"Why?" Nathan was surprised.
"Archie's anemia is due to iron deficiency, and those beverages interfere with absorption of iron in food," Carson advised. "Also, if whoever cooks for him, should cook with a cast-iron skillet. Eating greens, broccoli, seeds, meats, fish, and beans all are iron-rich. I'll have Molly write this all down for you." Carson
assured them both.
"That's good, I have lists everywhere." Archie chuckled. "I just have to remember where I put them."
"Did you make an appointment to see the ophthalmologist yet?" Carson inquired.
Nathan cleared his throat, "Soon Carson. It's my fault, I've been busy, but I haven't forgotten. I'll be sure to take care of that."
Archie was relieved to know that nothing else was going wrong with him. It was so discouraging to know that he faced an uncertain future. Time was becoming more precious to him every day.
"Thanks Doc! I best be getting back to Billees. I know someone is coming to see me, but I don't remember who." Archie got up and started to leave.
Nathan called for him to wait, shook his head, thanked Carson, and grabbed the list of foods for Archie from Molly, as he quickly walked to catch up with Archie. "Guess you're done now Dad. At least let me walk you back."
"Don't be silly son. You've got important things to do. I'm fine." Archie waved Nathan off and walked into Billees.
Nathan sighed and went over to Bill's office. Bill was waiting for him as planned.
They went to the livery to feed and saddle up their horses. It was a warm morning with a bright blue sky and hardly a cloud in the sky as they rode out in the country.
As they neared the land where Nathan and Dee's house was being built, they stopped quickly to say hello. Lee was out there consulting with Joseph and Bob. When they got closer, they saw Lee shaking his head with a disgusted look on his face.
"Hey, Lee!" Nathan rode up closer, "What's with the sour face?"
"Just the man I need right now, seems somehow part of our lumber stack is missing. It was just here yesterday when we left at the end of the day. Who the heck would take it?" Lee was puzzled.
"How much is missing?" Nathan asked.
"That's what we are figuring out now. Yesterday, one of my men got injured and I had to rush out here to see what happened. Apparently, somehow, the stack had been gone through, and left some of the lumber disheveled, which no one knew at the time. So, when Leroy walked on the stack to hand some down to the
others, the lumber all rolled down and he fell. Luckily, there were enough men here to get him out from under the weight of the lumber, but he sustained a broken wrist when trying to save himself while falling." Lee explained.
"How do you know you have any missing?" Bill wondered.
"Just by eyeballing it, but Joseph and Bob are going through the lumber and counting all our 2 x 4s, 2 x 6s, 2 x 10s, 2 x 12s inventory, and re stacking. We'll have to let you know what's missing as soon as we're done." Lee shook his head.
Nathan and Bill dismounted their horses and looked around. "Any tire or wheel tracks out here that aren't yours?" Nathan inquired as he walked the ground searching for clues.
"Nothing noticeable. Although, to be honest with you, we haven't paid much attention as I was obviously concerned about Leroy and his wrist, and now checking our lumber and other supplies." Lee advised.
Nathan spotted something red in the dirt not too far away from the stack of lumber, but hidden by some grass. He walked over to see what it was. He stood up with a bandanna in his hand. He called over to Lee, "Any of your workers wear a red bandanna?"
Lee looked at all the men there and asked, but no one recognized it. "Does Leroy wear one?" Joseph shook his head, but offered to double-check with Leroy when he visited him later that night.
Meanwhile, Bill continued past the spot that Nathan found the bandanna, and saw some wheel tracks. He whistled for Nathan and when Nathan looked over, he waved for him to join him. "Check these tracks out. These tracks are somewhat fresh, don't you think?"
Nathan agreed. "Seems like our thief came here with a wagon. The tracks are deep enough to indicate that the load was heavy. Let's see where they lead."
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Finding Lee at Nathan's new home site not knowing what happened to the missing lumber wasn't what Nathan expected at all. Lee had never experienced this before so he had no clue who would do such a thing. This was a setback neither one of them was prepared for. Lee and Joseph were going to go over their delivery and compare it to what was left at the site to let Nathan know how much was stolen.
Nathan and Bill decided to go out farther to the place Nathan had seen those two men at the campsite. As they rode out there they passed by the cabin that Jesse and Clara had moved to when the Canfields traded places and moved to the Cafe.
Clara would ride in with Jesse two days a week when Emily wasn't there to help. Some days she would ride in just to go shopping or to visit with the Chickadees and whatever they had planned for the day. Minnie didn't mind at all if Michael played in his playpen and with Angela and Cooper home for the summer, he was well taken care of.
As far as Minnie was concerned, it was working out quite well living where her business was making it much easier for her to start cooking earlier. Angela was helping her mom in the kitchen or playing the piano, entertaining the folks who came to dine.
This move turned out to be a very smart decision. Lee was sending a crew over there to work on expanding the main floor as planned, so they were getting very excited. Minnie also took time to show Cooper how to plant vegetables. Having a garden helped with the menu items and taught her son responsibility, proving to be a win-win. Soon Minnie would be working with the Chickadees planning a summer Bible camp for the children, concluding with the Hope Valley Fest later in the summer.
Out at the Flynn's cabin, Jesse had cleared out a patch of dirt for a flower garden for Clara. She had learned quite a bit about flowers from Emily. Right now, there weren't any planted, so she had to buy seeds from Ned and a watering can. They had borrowed a few garden items from Joseph to start their garden and it tickled Clara to see her garden sprouting. As Nathan and Bill were riding past, Clara was outside checking on her flowers.
"Hello, Clara!" Bill called out. "How are you?"
"Good. It's such a relief not to have to worry about the noise downstairs at the Cafe waking up Michael anymore. It's so nice and quiet out here. We love it!" Clara answered with a big smile.
Looking around Nathan noticed that Jesse had cleared some trees around the house to use for firewood. That also helped let a lot more light in the cabin.
"Clara are you aware of anyone riding around that you haven't seen before?"
"No, but I'm only outside to hang out the laundry or take Michael for a walk," she replied.
"It's nothing to worry about, I'm just checking with the folks. I keep an eye out for any strangers and I noticed two new men at the Cafe. With all the hiring going on, they're probably just working for someone in town." Nathan was trying very hard not to get Clara concerned.
"Good to see you, Clara! Take care of yourself." Nathan nodded and pulled Newton's reins around to leave.
"Bye, now Clara!" Bill waved as he followed.
Nathan and Bill kept going until they came near the campsite. They slowed down and walked their horses the closer they came, not saying a word, but listening intently and scouring the countryside. As they approached they heard a neighing of a horse nearby. Nathan held up his hand motioning Bill to stop. They listened, and soon they heard the horse again. Coming up behind the horse they saw that it was tied to a tree next to another horse.
They didn't want to spook them, so they stopped, dismounted their horses, and tied them up. Bill had Nathan's back as they carefully walked towards the campsite. There the fire was burning again and the two men were eating. They were talking and laughing, but Nathan and Bill were not close enough to hear what they were saying. As they watched the two men, they were trying to get a good look at their faces when they saw one of the men grab a bandanna from the log and wipe his face with it.
Nathan looked at Bill. Bill nodded confirming that he saw it too. They both went quietly back to their horses and decided that it would behoove them to have a look around for a wagon with the missing lumber. Nathan waved silently to Bill to follow him to the grove of trees he had hidden behind yesterday using his binoculars to check the campsite out. As they approached the grove of trees, they heard the men's horses neighing. Looking behind them, they saw that the men were mounting their horses and getting ready to ride away.
Bill silently cocked his head and nodded at Nathan indicating that they head off before they were discovered. As they approached Flynn's cabin, they noticed that the cabin down from there where they had found Christy with her baby Timi Anne last winter, didn't seem to be the way they left it. The water bucket was by the cabin and not under the water pump, and one of the windows had a broken glass pane. As they approached they saw the two same men riding up to the cabin from the other direction. The men tied their horses a little distance away and walked the rest of the way to the cabin, looking around making sure no one noticed them. One of the men stopped outside to grab the water bucket and pumped some water and filled their canteens. Then he stepped inside the cabin and joined the other man.
Nathan and Bill waited for a few minutes, but the men didn't come out, so they returned to the campsite. Heading for the grove of trees, Nathan whistled, "Well will you look at that!" as he pointed to a wagon full of lumber hidden behind the trees.
"What in blazes are they doing with this wagon of lumber?" Bill questioned out loud. "This doesn't make any sense."
"Bill, we can't prove this is their wagon or that they took the lumber. Right now, it's all circumstantial. We don't know for sure anything yet." Nathan shrugged.
"What about that box you saw those men dig out of the dirt? Let's check that spot out while they're at the cabin." Bill's detective insight was in overtime.
Nathan agreed, so they went to the campsite and spotted the dirt that was loose and not packed in the ground. Taking one last look around, they both dug at the dirt and found the steel box. Bill lifted it up and out of the dirt placing it between him and Nathan. There was no lock, so they lifted the lid to see what was in it.
Only the Beginning Chapter 10, Page 64
It had been a warm summer night when Christy and Rick had fallen asleep, but when the cool early morning breeze streaming through their window woke them up, Rick stretched over to be closer to his wife and snuggle. As he tenderly lifted her hair off her face and placed it on the back of her head, he felt drawn to kiss her neck but chose instead to just hold her and close his eyes. Timi Anne was their focus, but the two newlyweds had grown closer and shared their thoughts when in bed after she fell asleep or when going for a walk, which helped them to fall deeper in love. Now, reality dictated that he had to pull away from his wife and get ready for work. She didn't stir and neither did Timi Anne, so he quietly dressed, kissed Christy on her cheek, and left for work.
As he was heading out, he was thinking back to a little over a year ago, Christy was his brother's girl and his friend. Although they both missed Timothy more than they could express, their grief had turned into a love for each other. Life was so much better now that he had both Christy and Timi Anne with him. Christy felt free not having to share her bedroom with two sisters and Timi Anne and accepted the role of wife and mother with joy. Rick was busy working long hours for Lee, with all the construction projects, that he would sometimes fall asleep before dinner, as soon as he would fall back on the bed when he got home.
Christy was happily learning how to cut and style hair and was catching on fast. Fiona was very pleased with her progress and was planning on letting her to work on her own alone a little here and there, as being Mayor, she could then attend to all the construction and building going on.
Rick's mother, Mary, was caring for Timi Anne while Christy was working at Nichols and Dimes. This arrangement had worked out as well as could be expected. Most of the time Mary and Anne Lipinski would ride together with Sean to town with Timi Anne so they could attend Minnie's bible study. This was a delight for Anne who loved having an opportunity to enjoy her granddaughter. Luckily Timi Anne would not only have two doting grandmothers but a room full of Chickadees always willing to hold or feed her.
The afternoons were just as eventful with the Lipinski girls becoming friends with the other girls of Hope Valley by joining the Girl Guides. Anna was Dee's helper when Elizabeth stayed home, but when Elizabeth helped, Anna watched LJ. The girls were always learning something new. This is when the Chickadees would contribute ideas and help to earn their badges. Sometimes, they would practice painting, another time they would learn how to cross-stitch, or how to bake a cake. The Girl Guides was a fun way to learn and make new friends and that's exactly what the Lipinski girls needed. Opal invited them over to her house to play. Since their mother, Anne, had met Opal's mother at the Bible Study, she felt comfortable allowing the girls to visit. Anne's husband, David, was pleased with Anne accepting the chance for the girls to make friends, knowing it wasn't easy for her.
David had arranged with Fr. Ricardo to have regular meetings with the new parishioners to meet at his house Sundays for mass, followed by a potluck where they would discuss the plans for their new Church. This was going to be a huge project and the blueprints were already drawn up. Being too large of a project for Lee, they had to hire a crew from Union City. However, they still ordered the lumber from Lee and it made a nice profit for his company, but with the latest incident of lumber being stolen from Nathan's house order, Lee was considering hiring someone to stand guard at night over all the lumber that the Church would need. This was something that definitely was on the Church meeting agenda.
Coaches Sam, Mark, Luke, and John worked with the boys at baseball practice. They had a mixed bunch of boys in all shapes, sizes, and ages, but the men taught them to be a team. Each coach had a job, from warming up and exercises, one who worked with the pitchers, and one who worked with the catchers and fielders. Their first game playing against the Brookfield team was coming up on Saturday. When Nathan had telephoned Gabe about recruiting a team in his town, he got right on it. The summer looked promising as Gabe telephoned Buxton Hills passing on the idea and so on.
Back at the campsite, Nathan and Bill had dug up the steel box. Nathan lifted the lid of the unlocked box so they could see what was inside. There was a bag, probably the one Nathan had seen them throw in it. Inside the bag was money. Bill inspected it and wondered if it was officially legitimate as there was quite a bit.
"Why would those men leave this much money?"
"I have a hunch, that's why they buried it, they didn't want to be found with this on them. If it's fake, they would be arrested. If it's legitimate, they would be considered suspicious!" Nathan was thinking this over.
"Either way, I suggest we take one of the bills with us. Let's check with Mr. Jenkins to see it authenticity. We'll leave the rest here." Bill added.
"Wait, there's something else," Nathan pulled an envelope out. It was sealed. "Legally, I can't open this." Nathan held it up to the sky to see if he could tell what was in there. "Hmm, it seems to me, it's a legal document of some sort." and handed it to Bill.
Bill agreed. "Look, another paper is in there."
As Bill reached into the box, to fetch the paper, Nathan told him, "Put that back in the box. I hear pounding of hooves coming on the trail."
Bill returned the paper but not without looking at it first, the names scribbled on it said, "Wyman Walden and Lucas Bouchard."
Bill swallowed hard and he and Nathan put the steel box back in the hole and covered it up. They barely mounted their horses and headed towards the woods when the two men returned.
Only the Beginning Chapter 10, Page 65
Arriving back in town, Nathan and Bill rode to the livery and fed and watered their horses while discussing what they had just encountered. It had been a busy afternoon, and there were details that Nathan needed to record, so he requested Bill to come back with him to talk about what specifically they had witnessed and approximate times, starting with Clara not noticing anyone riding by. Even as minor of a detail as it was, they still wanted to have it written down in Nathan's notebook.
There was trouble brewing and with the two of them working together they would get to the bottom of it. Having worked side by side the last few years made them a force to be reckoned with. One a seasoned, experienced, former Mountie, and one a brave, knowledgeable, young Mountie both with integrity. The town of Hope Valley was in good hands and they knew it, treating them both with the honor and respect they deserved.
In Nathan's RCMP office, they sat at his desk and wrote the notes carefully not to miss a single detail. Bill shared a hunch he thought of that he hadn't shared with Nathan yet. "When you first told me about those two men you said that the only words you caught from their conversations were, Walden, saloon, and land. Correct?"
"Correct," Nathan affirmed.
"Well, that had me thinking. If you recall, I had land contracts spread all over my desk and table. So, when you said the words land and Walden, I decided to go through my files. I haven't spotted any with Walden's name, but that doesn't mean much, as he could be using someone else to purchase land." Bill started to explain his idea.
"Are you aware who owns the plot of land where we saw the two men's campsite?" Nathan leaned forward listening for the missing link.
"Not yet, that's why I wanted to ride out with you. I needed to see where exactly you saw them. Now, I can go to my files and locate who owns the deed to that land." Bill looked at Nathan with fire in his eyes. "If that Walden is back buying land, we have to stop him!"
Nathan shook his head in disgust and nodded in the affirmative then sat back in his chair with his brows furrowed, "Why would they be stealing lumber when they have all that cash?"
"Good question," Bill shot back in his chair and stood up walking to the window and looking out, "We still need to have that currency validated. Tomorrow, I'll go to the bank president and see Mr. Jenkins about that."
"If those men ordered lumber from Lee, they would be acknowledged. My guess is they want to remain unnoticed. Stealing lumber is the only way to get the supplies they need for whatever it is they are going to build without calling attention to themselves," Nathan thought out loud. "I'm expecting a recruit any day now, I think I have an idea to use him to help keep an eye out, but I'll have to give this some more thought."
Bill lifted an eyebrow, "Green behind the ears huh? He might be more of a pain and not help!" That caused both of them to laugh and that proved to be just what they needed. "I'll let you know what Jenkins says. Have a good night!" Bill said with a lopsided grin.
Nathan crossed over to Billees, to pick up his dad. When he walked in he surveyed the crowd but didn't see Archie. Sam told him he hadn't noticed him all day. "Go on up to his room, he's probably there."
When Nathan knocked on his door, he heard some stirring and then someone shuffling to the door. Archie peeked around and a big smile lit up his face, "Nathan! Come on in."
Nathan stepped inside and was totally taken aback. The room was not just messy, it was littered with papers mixed in with clothes on the floor, and the dirty clothes were strewn across the room mixed with the clean clothes. "Have a seat son."
Nathan had no place to sit. The bed was just as cluttered as the floor. His dad was sitting in the chair at the desk, so Nathan just stood. "Dad, are you ready to go to my house for dinner?"
Archie scratched his head, "Now?"
"Aren't you getting hungry? Ma cooked a nice dinner, I can guarantee it. Allie and Dee are expecting us any time now." Nathan smiled encouragingly.
"Let me change clothes, first son."
"What you have on seems clean and fine. When I bring you back home, I'll help you straighten up your room. Looks like we need to arrange for Allie to come by here regularly. She'll be glad to spend time with you." Nathan tried to make it sound like it was no problem, but he knew he'd have to hire someone to make his dad's bed daily and straighten up his room.
It felt good to be home. Nathan knew Dee was anxious to see him and he her. "Sweetheart, I've been so busy today, that I couldn't wait to see you!" Nathan said quickly then melted into her with a lingering kiss, "How's the bun doing?"
Dee laughed delighted as it was so heartwarming to have Nathan reach down with his big hand waiting to feel the little 'bun', as he affectionately referred to their baby, waiting for a kick. When he felt it, he became overjoyed knowing that this beautiful woman, his wife, was carrying his child. He hoped it would be a little girl just as charming as her mother and older sister, but truth be told, having a son, well that is a wonderful thought too.
Allie and Emily greeted Archie and had him wash his hands and then sit down at the table. It was nice to talk with him about his visits with the Chickies, as he referred to them. He felt like a king with all the attention he was getting. "Don't worry Emily, you still have my heart," he said as he patted her hand. Emily just patted his hand and smiled in return.
Over at Elizabeth's home, as she was reading a story to little Jack, a knock on the door startled them both. A somewhat dirty man dressed in overhauls and a flannel shirt was standing at the door. Elizabeth had never seen him before and tried to shut the door telling him to leave. He apologized, "Sorry ma'am, but I have a message for you." He quickly handed her an envelope
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It was a nice, relaxing evening with the family following such an active ride back and forth with Bill earlier. He called Bill and asked if he and Molly would like to join them for dessert and to plunk some strings together with Allie. The couple graciously accepted, no one ever turned down Emily's Bavarian chocolate cake! They decided to build a bonfire outside as it was such a lovely evening with the stars and moon shining so bright in the cloudless sky, and the cool night breeze causing the flames to dance to the rhythm of the music.
The joyfulness beckoned the neighbors to come out and join them. Rosemary, Lee, and Paul were the first, anxious to relax after the stress of the day as were Bob, Marie, and Karen. Little did they know that Fiona played the flute as she had never shared her talent before. So, when she joined them, she was delightful to listen to and added to the festivity. Carson had moved in with Faith when they married, so now they had another guitar man joining in. Dee, always the music teacher in her, had half the group sing a chorus and the other half follow a few notes later led by Karen. Archie and Emily were clapping along and tapping their toes with the others. It was a night of laughter and song, the only one missing was Elizabeth.
It was then that Bob and Marie made their announcement. They had been considering this for a few months, but now they decided to share with their friends that they were in the process of adopting another orphan from New Hope Orphanage in Brookfield where they had adopted Karen! The group was surprised but so happy for them, especially Rosemary and Lee for as that's where they were blessed to find Paul to adopt. "This is fantastic news!" Lee playfully slapped Bob's shoulder, "You never said anything at work to us."
"No, we've been praying about this, and just recently came to this decision. We wanted to discuss this first with Karen too." Bob explained.
Karen smiled, "Of course, I said yes."
"We're actually going tomorrow to talk with Lillian about adopting a boy." Marie was grinning from ear to ear.
"A son, well there's another one for the baseball team, Nathan!" Carson chuckled.
"Congratulations!" Dee hugged Marie. "He'll be right at home here in Hope Valley, we'll all make sure of it!"
Nathan put his arm around Dee and she snuggled into him. He saw his Ma and Dad enjoying themselves, something he never thought he'd ever seen but knew with his dad's dementia, the time would be brief. But, right now, it was such a peaceful night surrounded by family and friends that he closed his eyes and locked this memory in his heart.
When Nathan walked Archie home, he knew he had to help clean his room, so he asked Sam for a broom and shared with him the state of his dad's room. "I'll see to it that I find someone to help him keep the room clean and organized. In the meantime, either Allie or Dee will be here to tidy up and bring his laundry home to wash."
"Sorry you have to deal with this Nathan," Sam said. "Maybe he'd like to come to the baseball game tomorrow?"
"Hey, now that's a great idea. He'd enjoy that. Who's playing?"
"The Hope Valley Stallions versus the Brookfield Broncos!" Sam laughed.
"I like that! Great names for the boys. I'm glad Gabe was able to get a team going! I will try to make it, you know a Mountie's work is never done," Nathan chuckled, "but don't tell the women I said that. How's Elizabeth?"
"I'm not sure. She hasn't joined me at the baseball practices, but she hasn't stopped by here either just for a visit. Although I did see her at the Town Meeting." Sam shrugged.
"That's too bad, I thought you two were a couple." Nathan seemed puzzled.
"She seems like she's in another world sometimes. I just can't figure her out." Sam shrugged.
"That makes two of us," Nathan muttered.
Maggie walked up to Sam and Nathan and asked Sam if he needed her to work anymore that night. "Dishes are done and put away and the tables are set for tomorrow." she brightly smiled.
"Thanks, Maggie, you've been a big help! You are done for the night." Sam watched Maggie grab her bag and waved goodnight as she left to get her ride from her dad waiting outside.
Nathan smiled broadly at Sam. "There you go!"
"What?" Sam started to chuckle.
"You know what!" Nathan winked, "hope to see you both at the game tomorrow."
Elizabeth finished tucking LJ in bed as he fell asleep in her arms while listening to the story she read him. She quietly stepped down the stairs and went over to her desk. Turning the lock on the door to make sure it was secure, she sat down on the sofa with the letter. She had been dreading opening the letter that a strange man had handed her. Her mind was racing, why wouldn't the sender have mailed the letter? Why a secret delivery? Were she and LJ in danger? Should she tell Nathan?
Her heart was beating fast and her breaths were increasing. She had the letter opener in her hand and with quick determination, she sliced the letter open. Unfolding the letter, she rapidly scanned its contents. Then with a gasp, she cried out, "Oh no!"
Nathan was walking home from Billees when he heard Elizabeth's cry and ran to her door. He knocked several times, but she didn't answer. He tried to open the door, but it was locked, so he called "Elizabeth, this is Nathan. Are you in there? Are you, all right?"
Only the Beginning Chapter Page 67
Nathan listened carefully at Elizabeth's door and after a bit, she finally answered. "Oh, Nathan, hello. I wasn't sure who would be here this time of night, sorry for the delay," she nervously explained behind a barely opened door.
Nathan noticed that Elizabeth seemed troubled. "Are you, all right?" he questioned.
Elizabeth's eyes darted around scrutinizing the outside, "I'm all right. In fact, I'm going to go to bed now," she answered, but Nathan wasn't satisfied.
"Elizabeth, wait, I just heard you from outside, cry out "Oh no", do you mind telling me what that was all about?" Nathan put his foot in the door before she could close it.
"Oh that. Well, it's personal, nothing for you to worry about." Elizabeth smiled trying to convince Nathan to leave.
There wasn't anything he could do at that point. He hesitantly pulled his foot out of the door and reminded her that if she needed anything to let him know.
Nathan made a mental note to check on Elizabeth after church Sunday and to let Bill know what just transpired. When he walked inside, his favorite women were already retired to bed. Nathan petted Ginger and Ella and told the dogs goodnight. Upstairs, he got ready for bed and noticed that Dee wasn't quite asleep, so he curled up close to her and kissed her neck.
She stirred and let out a soft sigh. "Dad back safe and sound?" she whispered.
"Yes, I'll talk to you about it tomorrow. Right now, I'm just happy to be home with you!" Nathan nibbled her ear.
"Sweetheart, I take it you're not sleepy right now." Dee giggled.
"Honey, no matter what happens during the day, you make everything right, so no, now I'm not a bit sleepy"...
Saturday was the first game between the Brookfield Broncos and the Hope Valley Stallions! It seemed the whole town came to watch. Even Billees was closed so Sam could go to the game as he was the head coach. The coaches and teams were all anxious to play as Hope Valley hosted the first game with Bill as the Umpire. The game was full of mishaps, overthrows, and strike-outs, ending in a tie 1-1! That didn't matter, as both towns had so much fun and learned a lot, albeit the hard way. There was a picnic following and the afternoon ended on a good note. Sam noticed that Maggie came to watch and went by her afterwards. The two of them took a walk around the pond, talking and laughing. Bill noticed and nudged Molly. Molly nodded her head in acknowledgment with a sweet smile.
Sunday morning came all too fast. Allie wanted to sleep in, until she remembered that her mom and dad suggested they all go together to see her filly, Penny after church. She got out of bed with no prodding and slipped quietly down the stairs. She was the first one up, so she filled the big pot with water on the stove to warm it up for baths, which made her think how she couldn't wait to be in the new house and have indoor plumbing. Being in a good mood, she started the coffee too and then took the dogs out.
The aroma of the coffee woke the rest of the house up. Stretching and yawning, they each came down one by one and poured themselves a cup.
"Pancakes or eggs?" Allie asked with a big smile.
"It depends what you want," Nathan gave her a cock-eyed grin.
"Dad! Can't I just offer to cook once in awhile?" Allie protested.
"Sure, but I know what you really want," her dad teased, "Yes, your mom and I are planning on taking Oma and Grandpa out to see Penny after church."
Allie clapped her hands in glee and started making the pancakes. "Don't forget the blueberries." Oma smiled as she and Dee set the table.
While eating their breakfast, Nathan suggested, "I'll get cleaned up right after breakfast and go by dad to make sure he's getting ready for church. That should give you ladies enough time to get ready."
"That will work," his Ma said, "Sean O'Neill is picking me up, but Nathan, don't forget, I need you to pick me up at the O'Neills after mass."
"I would never forget you Ma!" Nathan gave her a kiss.
Nathan left to get Archie. Luckily, Sam knew to get Archie up, so he was eating breakfast when Nathan arrived. "Dad, good morning!"
"Have a seat Nathan." Archie greeted him. Archie knew Nathan was there for him, but he didn't remember why. It was getting more confusing for him, but so far it was helping that Sam had a big calendar out for Archie and would X out each day so he could see what day it was. Sam was proving to be a great friend.
"After church, dad, we're going to take a ride out so you can see Allie's new filly. She's so excited and can't wait to show her off to you, Ma, and Dee!"
"Oh, I bet she is. That'll be fun! I better get my hat. Do you mind Nathan, getting it for me out of my room?" Archie looked up at Nathan who was ready to get it. When Nathan entered the room, he was happily surprised that it was just how he left it the night before.
The two men walked back to Nathan's house. Archie and Nathan escorted Allie and Dee to Church, while Emily went to the O'Neills. Pastor Joseph focused on honesty and resisting temptation through dependence on God. Without specifically referring to the stolen lumber, he went over the ten commandments in his sermon hoping it helped.
After wards, Nathan was looking for Elizabeth to see if he could speak with her to make sure she was all right, but he spotted Bill first. He excused himself and told Dee he'd be right back. Bill was alone as Molly was walking with Rosaleen, so Nathan was able to fill Bill in about the incident with Elizabeth Friday night. Neither one had seen Elizabeth until today at church but now she was gone.
"I'll see if I can get anymore information out of her Nathan. She trusts me, so maybe she'll open up to me. Enjoy your time today, and I'll talk to you in the morning!" Bill confided.