CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
After their delicious French meal, the couples took one last walk through Buxton, letting the crisp, clean air hit their faces. They had not only enjoyed their meal but each other's company as well.
"Nathan, sure you don't want to drive? One last chance!"
"That's tempting Lee, but I think I'd rather give this beautiful woman in front of me, my full attention," and he winked at Elizabeth as she turned her face around to give him a huge smile.
"Smart man, smart choice!" she said, wrapping her arm in his.
Lee moved up a step and grabbed Rosemary from behind.
"Lee Coulter, you practically scared me to death!"
"Well, that's not good. I'm losing my touch if I can't pleasantly surprise my wife from behind!"
"You know that's not true, Darling! Come here," and she gave him a huge kiss to prove it!
They made their way back to the Coulters' car, where Rosemary spotted a Chocolate Shoppe.
"Well, how did I miss that? It's precious. And look at all the chocolates in the window. Now, Lee Coulter, that's romance. What woman wouldn't melt over a box of fancy Chocolates? We'll have to come back when we pick up the sleigh!"
"Of course, Darling!"
And Nathan made a mental note. A box of fancy Chocolates for Elizabeth whenever he was away! But deep down, he thought he could do even better than that, something, in addition, that wasn't so predictable!
He smiled his crooked smile at Elizabeth, who was beginning to get suspicious. Could she read him so clearly this soon? He just raised his eyebrows in slight consternation, and she burst into a fit of giggles!
He pulled her to him and whispered, "I am the luckiest man alive!"
"Okay, enough of that, you too! Everyone ready to head home?"
And they all piled into the car, with Lee taking the wheel and Rosemary scooting over to sit close by his side.
Nathan helped Elizabeth into the back seat, but she barely left him enough room to get in.
"I think I'm going to like this!" climbing in and wrapping his arms around her. She leaned back, thoroughly at home in his arms.
For the first hour, everyone sat quietly, basking in the warmth of being with the one they loved.
Occasionally, Elizabeth would turn and look up at Nathan, her eyes and lips begging for a kiss.
Nathan was more than happy to oblige, holding her face and bringing his lips to hers. Every time their lips met, they both were amazed at the electricity between them. And it happened every single time they kissed! Neither had experienced anything quite like it.
They were looking deeply into each other's eyes when suddenly the car jolted them back to reality!
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Lee.
"What is it, Lee?" The concern was evident in Nathan's voice.
"A flat tire, I'd bet!" getting out to assess the damage.
But the tires were all okay.
Nathan took off his overcoat, got out, and immediately saw the problem from the back of the car.
"Lee, there's a huge branch under the car. It's almost as big as a tree trunk! Let me see if I can get it!"
By this time, Elizabeth and Rosemary had both gotten outside of the car, too.
"I can't tell that there's any damage to the frame, but it's caught. Lee, somehow, we're going to have to loosen it. Do you have any tools?"
Nathan's long body was half under the car and half out.
"Here, Nathan! Can you use any of these?"
He scooted all the way out to take a look at the tools. "Um, let's try this. Oh, and that tiny saw."
"I'll help, Nathan," and Lee was already taking off his coat.
"No need for you to get dirty too, Lee. And you'll need to start the car and give it gas when I tell you."
Nathan scooted back under the car, but now with the tools, he needed.
They could hear him, first prying the wood away from the car as much as he could, then gently sawing back and forth to loosen it even further.
He finally had everything loosened and scooted out to pull the pieces of wood from under the car. But it was still too tight for the two most substantial lengths of the log.
"Lee, can you start the car and keep it out of gear, so I can lift the back up?"
"Yes, but I'm not letting you do that alone. Rosie, you start the car and make sure you put it in neutral and take the brake off as soon as you put it in neutral. Yell 'Ready' right when you're done, and we'll lift the back end of the car up and over the logs!"
"Elizabeth, you watch for any traffic, and warn them if needed!" Nathan did not want her lifting on the car but knew she would want to be doing something useful.
Rosemary started the car, put it in neutral, and released the brake.
"Ready!"
"1,2,3!"
Up and over, and the car was ready to roll again. Lee and Nathan high-fived each other, feeling pretty pleased with themselves.
"Nathan, we make a really great team. Couldn't have done that at all without you! Is there anything you can't do?" asked Lee.
"Drive?" laughed Nathan.
"Well, we can fix that quickly enough. But you've already passed your first breakdown with flying colors! Ladies ready to go?"
"Lee, I'm covered in dirt. I'll put one of my blankets under me, so I don't get this all over your car!"
"Nathan, there's a stream to the left. Why don't we walk over, and I'll help you get cleaned up first?"
"Elizabeth, I hadn't even noticed that. Perfect!"
"Does everyone have a handkerchief?" asked Elizabeth as she reached into the car.
She, or Nathan, or both were in luck. Everyone had one, except Rosemary, who had two!
So off they went toward the stream with their supply of handkerchiefs, while Rosemary and Lee pulled the car over to the side of the road and waited for them there.
"Brrrr, it's cold!" splashing his face with his hands full of water.
"I know, Love. That's why you need to use the handkerchiefs instead of drowning your face in water!"
"Now, you tell me! At least, it's a good start?"
She took the handkerchiefs and wrung them till they were almost dry, and lovingly started on his face, that handsome face that always left her mesmerized at the sight of him.
Then finally, she moved to his hands. Looking at his hands so carefully, she had never realized how large they were. She finished scrubbing the soil from them and then rubbed them between her hands to get them warm. She kissed them both and placed them inside her coat around her waist to warm them further.
"Better?"
"So much better!" he whispered.
Neither could resist as he tightened his hold around her waist and drew her closer. He bent down and looked directly into her eyes.
"I love you, Elizabeth Rose Thatcher Thornton. And I will love you, endlessly!"
They closed their eyes even before their lips met perfectly, and the electricity between them was palpable to both.
"I love you, Nathan Alexander Grant, every single day of my life, I will love you more and more!"
They held each other's gaze until both realized Lee and Rosemary were waiting for them.
"Am I presentable?" he asked.
"You are stunningly, handsomely presentable!" she answered, and she felt dizzy—a wonderful kind of dizziness.
One last quick kiss and they turned to walk back to the car, arm in arm, and head home.
But Lee had other ideas...
"Nathan you two lovebirds have had enough time in that back seat. If we're going to get you driving before Christmas, we've got to get started!"
"But Lee, we haven't even gone over anything..."
'And that's exactly what we're going to do. Look at this road Nathan, it's a straight stretch and we haven't passed another car all day! We can't miss this opportunity. We'll never have a more perfect spot to start on. Here, Rosie, you jump in the back seat with Elizabeth, and Nathan, you stay out here with me. We're going to start with the outside of the car first."
Nathan could see that Lee meant business, and there was nothing else to do but listen intently and follow his every instruction.
The girls were already giggling and telling stories in the back seat, totally oblivious as to what the men were doing.
"Elizabeth, aren't you even going to wish me luck?"
"Oh, you don't need that, Darling. Rosemary and I know we'll be in your capable hands, and with Lee's, too, of course. But come closer, and I'll give you this..."
He did and she did! Her kiss reeked of confidence and Nathan felt better already.
Now all he had to do was focus! And any of his Mountie Superiors would tell you Nathan Grant was a master at that.
"Okay, Lee I'm ready!"
"Now, that's the spirit! Remember the car is not going to control you. You are the one who's going to control the car!"
"Got it! I control the car."
"First, we do an outside check: Gas, Oil, and Tires. First, there is no gas gauge, so we have to check the gas tank with a dipstick prior to driving; the gas tank is under the front seat, right here; undo the fuel cap and put the dipstick in and out; it measures in gallons and that tells you how much gas you have. Second, there is no oil gauge, so we have to check it manually, too. It's under the car, and you loosen the top screw; if oil drips out, you're okay; if not, you need to add oil. Third, you want to make sure all your tires are inflated, so we don't end up on the road with a flat; they run on about 55lbs pressure each."
"Outside Check: Gas, Oil, and Tires. Check gas with dipstick, check oil by loosening top bolt under the car, tires at 55lbs pressure. Got it, Lee."
"Now, also outside, let's say we're ready to go, we pull out the Choke on the right front of the car with your left hand, then we 'Prime' or 'Hand Start' the Engine with our right hand by cranking it three times."
"Got it: Gas, Oil, Tires, Release Choke, and Prime Crank Three Times."
"Good, then we reach inside and turn on the key, and push the Spark Advance Lever on the left side of the Steering Wheel up, and barely open the Throttle Lever on the right which allows the car to start."
"Okay, Turn on key, Left Lever Up, and Right Lever barely down."
"Yes, that's right. Do you have a photographic memory or something?" asked a surprised Lee.
Nathan just smiled and gave a half shrug.
"Now, you turn the Outside Crank One-half Turn, but always using your left hand this time, in case the engine flies off. If that happens, it literally can break your hand."
"Outside Crank One-half Turn, this time using only the left hand!"
"Now, Nathan you've got all that. But now, I'm going to ask you to put that out of your mind and concentrate on what we're going to do inside the car. Deal?"
"Deal."
Nathan took the wheel and Lee got in on the passenger side.
"First, you're taller than me, so check your Mirrors and adjust them so you can see."
"This works, Lee."
"Good, now first, I want you to lower the Left Lever by the Steering Wheel. See what that does, the Engine starts running a lot smoother."
"Now, Nathan, I want you to look at the Floor Pedals. There are three Pedals. The one closest to me, on your right, is the Brake. You apply slow pressure to this Pedal any time you want to stop or slow down. The Pedal to your far left is the Clutch. The Pedal in the middle is Reverse, which of course makes you go backward. Don't worry about the Reverse gear today. I want you to concentrate on the Brake and the Clutch."
"Okay, hit the Brake slowly to come to a stop, which is the Right Pedal, and I'll be doing that with my right foot, correct?"
"Yes, perfect. Now the Pedal on the left, the Clutch, is what gives people the most problems in driving. So let's talk this part through before we actually move forward. To put the car in Low Gear, which is what you do when you start the car, you step on the Clutch and bring the Hand Brake forward at the same time, which is this thing in the center closest to me. That's First or Low Gear. But then you have to put the car in Second or High Gear and you know that because the car will start to drag. To get it in Second or High Gear, you simply bring the Handbrake forward to the front of the car, which causes the Clutch Pedal to automatically pop up, so you just release your left foot, watch the road and guide with your Steering Wheel. Do you have all that? Say it back to me."
"The Right Pedal is the Brake which I use to slow or stop the car, and I do it with my right foot. To start the car, I put my left foot on the Clutch at the same time I move the Hand Brake forward. That puts it in First or Low Gear. I let it run a bit, till the car starts to drag. Then I move the Hand Brake forward which will cause the Clutch to pop up, so I remove my foot from it. And then the car will be in Second or High Gear. And after that, I focus on Steering, right?"
"You've got it, Nathan! Now, don't get upset if the first ride is a little rocky. It takes a while to smooth everything out. Are you ready? Talk me through it...I'm here to help in whatever way you need."
And Lee turned to give Nathan a huge smile and firm handshake. At first, Nathan was pensive, not sure he was ready. But he took a deep breath and started talking the steps through to Lee, as he did them.
"Oops, wait Nathan. I forgot to tell you about Acceleration. This Right Lever here is for getting your Speed up when you need it But let's not worry about that right now. Focus on your Brake, and Clutch with and without Handbrake. Also, turn your Steering Wheel slightly to the left and then bring it back to the center. That will get us back on the road. Got it?"
"Got it. Left foot on Clutch as I release the Hand Brake toward the front of the car for First or Low Gear, and Steering Wheel slightly to the left, then back to the center," and Nathan's face was full of excitement as he pulled the car out and down the road a few feet.
"Okay, is it time for Second or High Gear?"
"Yes, now. See how you can tell by the drag?"
"Handbrake all the way forward, Clutch pops up, foot off Clutch."
"You've got it. Nathan, we're moving! You did it! You're doing it, Pal! You're driving! Now keep your Steering Wheel straight."
"Can I see how much play the Steering Wheel has, just so I'll know?"
"Turn the Steering Wheel ever so slightly to the left, just like you did when you pulled out on the road, but a little more, then turn it the other way slightly to the right, to get a feel for that."
Nathan slowly did just as he was instructed: "I've got it, Lee. I've actually got it!"
"Great, that's going to help you next time when we practice Turns. Now, since we're out on a straight empty road, I want you to slowly put your foot on the Brake. See what happens? But the lesson is you always hit the brakes slowly, so it's a smooth stop. Now, pull down on the Accelerator Lever. I think you can go a little faster."
Nathan was amazed. He was driving, and it felt wonderful.
The Ladies were deep in their own conversation, although Elizabeth had noticed the smooth ride and was tempted to tell him how proud she was of him. But Rosemary knew better, she just shook her head to Elizabeth, and whispered. "He'll lose his concentration. Wait to tell him after he's finished. He's doing great!"
"Nathan, just keep driving. Now, if a car does happen to come up, just turn your Steering Wheel slightly toward me and slowly put on the Brake, and that will put us at the side of the road. You're doing great, Nathan! I can't believe it! Much better than me, when I first started driving!" laughed Lee. "I'm either the best Driving Instructor ever, or you're the best Student! Great job!"
"Lee, this is really enjoyable. But just keep talking to me, in case I need to do anything different."
"No, just relax now, and keep driving us. There's a little turn-off just before we get to Hope Valley, and if you want to pull over there to swap places, that's fine. That way, you won't have to worry about watching out for people, horses, wagons, etc. on your first time out."
"Definitely, it will help me to know I can pull over correctly too. Thanks so much for doing this Lee. You're a fantastic Instructor. I've got to admit, as much as I wanted to learn how to do this, I was just a little nervous thinking about actually doing it for the first time. But this, this is great!"
"We'll get all the finer details of driving, turns and such, worked out this week, so you don't forget what we've learned today. Then from there, it's just practice!"
Then Lee chuckled, "Congratulations Nathan, and welcome to the World of Driving! Just wait till Bill hears Hope Valley actually does have a 'Driving Mountie!' You'd better get ready for the ribbing, my friend!"
The two men laughed together, as the women they loved were still happily and heavily involved with their girl chatter in the back seat!
It had been a perfect day! And now, for Nathan, quite an eventful one!