I can't believe it took me a week to write this chapter! I wanted to make sure I got it right since I knew there was going to be a LOT going on! Enjoy!
Chapter 7
As intended, Elise spent Saturday unpacking and organizing her house. She had spent time during the week painting it, and she was ecstatic how everything came together. She had painted the walls a light shade of green, which worked well with her dark wood furniture, wine red settee and light grey wingback chairs, both adorned with pillows the color of the opposite furniture. At the windows she hung light grey pinstripe curtains. She wanted to bring the outdoors inside as much as she could, thus the reason for the paint color. On the tables, she scattered framed photos of her parents. There was a photo of her on Storm's back. She hung paintings that reminded her of PEI on the walls. Most of the furniture in her home had been her parents. She was blessed to be able to have their things, to bring them west with her, but the pieces still brought her memories of her beloved parents and the life that they had shared together. The kitchen was much the same way, but just beyond the kitchen was her favorite spot. Just outside she setup her café table and chairs. The outside was still quite bland, but the view of the mountain was amazing. She could not wait to spend her evenings out there, enjoying her dinner and the mountains. Her home was exactly what she wanted – a place to escape at the end of the day after the stress that she knew her career demanded.
Nathan stepped up onto Elise's porch. He paused for a moment, running his hands through his hair. Why was he nervous? It was just church, and he went to church every Sunday. When Allie had seen him walk down the stairs at their house, she had given him a low whistle.
"You're wearing your suit."
"It's Sunday."
"You normally wear your serge".
"I don't always wear my serge".
"You're wearing a tie, Uncle Nathan".
"It goes with the suit."
"Except when it doesn't go with the suit".
Allie knew him to well. And because she knew him so well, she walked past him and knocked on Elise's door before Nathan could even raise his hand to it. He looked over at his niece and was still scowling at her when Elise opened the door. He whipped his head forward and was caught off guard. The woman in front of him surprised him at most turns, and today was no exception. She had on a beautiful light pink dress. The skirt of the dress was layered as it fell to her ankles. The waist was cinched, and the top was in a Criss cross pattern, long sleeved, and extenuating her curves. He had never seen her wear something this feminine, so delicate, but he knew she was far from delicate. Her hair was gathered up on her head, in curls, but not high on her head. It rested gently along her neck, with a pink ribbon woven through it. The pink made her face appear rosy, and the color enhanced her eyes.
Nathan was proving once again that he gets tongue tied around women, especially women he finds himself liking more and more every day.
The dress was one of the few things she had that did not resemble a work suit, and even though she felt it was more suited to a nice dinner or party, it is what she decided to settle on for her first visit to a church in years. It was not that she was not religious. She prayed daily, mainly for strength, but she wasn't one to put on airs, or just go to church to be seen - it was just her, so what was the point? But when Nathan offered to walk with her, she thought why not?
When Elise opened the door to Nathan and Allie, she was speechless for a moment. When she looked up at the man in front of him, all she could think was how am I lucky enough for him to want to walk me to church? The blue shirt under his suit and vest brought out the gorgeous blue in his eyes.
Allie looked between the two adults before finally saying "Good morning Miss Monteith". She looked back at Nathan and finally elbowed him in the ribs.
Nathan ran his hand through his hair. Trying to shake off whatever was going through his mind, and finally said "Good morning".
Elise was starting to feel very insecure, and she looked down for a split second. Nathan picked up on it immediately. He was starting to learn her little quirks, and as much as he was nervous, he realized she was just as nervous. He finally spoke. "Shall we head to church?"
"Yes, I suppose". Elise came through the door, closed it and was about to step forward when she realized that Nathan was still standing there, signaling to take her arm in his. She looked up at him again, surprise in her eyes. He then said, "Shall we?" as he offered his arm to her. Elise put her arm through his, and they walked down the steps together. At the bottom, he offered his other arm to Allie, which she slipped her arm through his, and together, they turned and headed down the lane towards town and church.
The trio walked arm in arm around the pond to the church. They were laughing at Nathan's dad jokes and exclaiming at the flowers finally starting to bloom. It was a beautiful day, and Nathan was proud to have two beautiful ladies on his arm. As they approached the church, Rosemary caught sight of them. She was surprised but smiled to see Nathan so happy. She had never seen him smile so big. She broke away from Lee and approached the small group as they arrived.
"Nathan, Elise and Allie, good morning. Isn't this a pleasant surprise! Elise, I know Nathan is not one for crowds, so I was thinking about maybe introducing you to some people you have not met yet. Service will be starting soon, so maybe after?"
Elise looked up at Nathan, and he said "I was going to do it, but I think that is a great idea Rosemary. It gives me a moment to talk Joseph." He looked down at Elise and said, "I enjoy talking to him about the service".
"I will come find you after the service then", and with that Rosemary turned and returned to Lee. Elise noticed that Elizabeth had joined him, holding her son, with a handsome gentleman to the side of her. He was dressed very formally, and she suspected he was the owner of the saloon, Mr. Bouchard. She felt Nathan slightly tense up, and even though she felt a twinge in the pit of her stomach, she squeezed Nathan's arm, letting him know whatever bothered him, it was ok. Nathan felt the pressure on his arm, and immediately took a deep breath and relaxed.
"How about we go find a seat?"
Pastor Joseph Canfield stepped behind his pulpit, looked out across his congregation, and a huge smile crossed his face as he began. "Look at the beautiful day that the Lord has made my friends. The day is so beautiful, it is almost a shame to be inside, but we come to worship the Lord, and that we will do. Who is excited that spring is here?" Many throughout the church raised their hand. "The doldrums of winter have passed, and with that, spring means change. Song of Solomon 2:11-12, it says "For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land'. For some of us, the winter has been a difficult experience. It may have just been because you did not want to go out and shovel the snow", many in the congregation chuckled, "for some it was a personal winter. A dark and cold time in one's life that makes you question so much about yourself and those around you. But now, which is evident on the beautifulness of the day, the sun is shining, the rain has disappeared, and good days are in front of us. Maybe it is because you did not have to shovel snow this morning", more chuckles, "or maybe it is because you feel that the darkness in your life is finally lifting. Maybe you feel full of purpose, or have found new friendship, or maybe you are just glad to be alive. As the flowers bloom, they bring us happiness, for I have never met someone who did not smile when given flowers. As we sing, let us rejoice in His words and the beautiful lives He has granted us. And in the spirit of the turtledove, let us be grateful for the love and friendship that blesses our lives. Let us pray".
The congregation bowed their heads as Pastor Joseph prayed to their Lord. Elise was glad she had come to church. This was the first time in a very long time that she was moved by the words that were said, words that she could carry with her. She peaked out of the corner of her eye, over Allie's head and at Nathan. She could not take her eyes off him. He simply took her breath away. And then Pastor Joseph said Amen, and Nathan brought his head up and caught her looking at him. He gave her one of his famous crooked smiles, she smiled back, and they both turned their attention back to the front.
True to her word, Rosemary was at Elise's side within minutes of the service ending. They went from group to group as Rosemary introduced her to the citizens of Hope Valley. They approached Jesse, Clara and a woman who looked very familiar, and before she knew it, she was being introduced to Fiona Miller.
For a moment Elise was star struck, until she quickly remembered that Fiona was just a woman like she was. "I can't believe that article encouraged you to move here. I was surprised it was even about me, it was supposed to be about Henry, and the next thing you know, there my picture is on the cover." A young man walked up to the group. "Oh, Miss Monteith, this is Mike Hickam. Mike, Elise Monteith" The two shook hands, spoke for another moment before Rosemary moved her on to the next group.
They ended back up with Lee, who was once again there with Elizabeth and the man she assumed was Lucas Bouchard.
"Elise Monteith, may I introduce to you, Lucas Bouchard. He owns the saloon and is part owner of Gowen Petroleum."
She raised her hand to shake his. "It's a pleasure Mr. Bouchard. I've heard some wonderful things about what you have done for the community." She saw Nathan off in the distance, looking in her direction. She could not read his expression by his eyes, but his mouth was taut, even though he was speaking to Paster Canfield.
"Likewise, Miss Monteith. I am sure we will be seeing more of each other". He looked at Elizabeth, laid his hand on her arm and in his southern accent, "Shall we?" and started to lead her and Little Jack towards town. Elise watched Rosemary's expression and they walked away, and she seemed crestfallen.
"Thank you for the introductions Rosemary. It is nice to be able to put faces to names. Now if you excuse me, I have a previous engagement". Elise turned and headed directly towards Nathan and Pastor Canfield.
"Elise Monteith, this is Pastor Joseph Canfield", Nathan introduced them.
"Miss Monteith, it is a pleasure to meet you. Minnie has said you are a delight. Please call me Joseph".
"Joseph, your sermon was wonderful. It really hit home with me. I don't think I have ever looked forward to church this much before."
"It was a wonderful service, Joseph" Nathan chimed in.
"I only speak what I see in front of me, and there is so much inspiration here in Hope Valley. Well, I should probably join my family. You folks enjoy the rest of this beautiful day", and with that, Joseph strolled over to his family.
"Where is Allie?" Elise inquired.
"She went on ahead with some of the other kids. She will meet us at the house. Are we ready to go on to the next part of our day"?
"Yes, most definitely". Elise slid her arm back into the arm that Nathan offered her, and they strolled back to the rowhouses, in comfortable silence.
They agreed to meet back up in 15 minutes, giving them enough time to change out of their church clothes and head to the livery to saddle up their horses and head out of town for their fishing expedition. Allie was already back at the rowhouse and changed when Nathan walked in the door. She looked up from the table, where she was putting sandwiches and fruit into a bag. Nathan quickly changed into his white and grey shirt, pants, suspenders, and comfortable pair of boots. He ran back downstairs, out to the shed to get the fishing gear, then back inside.
"Slow down Uncle Nathan, she's going anywhere". He looked at her, and quickly said "Stop being so observant. Let's go". They grabbed everything, exited their house, and headed down the path to Elise's.
Just as they were approaching her house, the door opened, and she stepped out on to the porch. Keeping with her color theme of the day, she had on a light pink shirt with billowing sleeves, tucked into a pair of jodhpurs, her riding boots and was carrying a satchel. While Nathan thought she was beautiful earlier, he still thought she was just as breathtaking, but in a more natural way.
They made their way to the livery, saddled up, and were off. Unbeknownst to Elise and Allie, Nathan led them to Bill's land, the land he wanted to buy last year. It was still the land he wanted to buy, someday. Along the way they commented on the scenery, and Nathan and Allie jested each other over how many fish they were each going to catch. When they arrived in Bill's meadow, Elise was overcome with how beautiful it was. The flowers were blooming everywhere, and it reminded her of a Monet painting that she had seen in Toronto.
"Oh Nathan, its spectacular. How did you find it?"
"I have my ways" he replied, then smiled his crooked smile. He led them through the field to a stream near the edge. They all dismounted, tethered the horses, and settled in for a relaxing afternoon. Nathan and Allie baited the hooks while Elise laid out a blanket she had brought. When everything was situated, Elise joined Nathan and Allie at the edge of the water. Nathan handed her a fishing pole, asking "Do you need help to get started?"
"No, I think I'm good", and she easily set the line out. Within minutes she had her first fish. She took it off the hook, placed it in the live net, put the net back in the water, and rebaited her hook.
"You could have told me you were a pro at this".
"What's the fun in that" she replied, her eyes twinkling at Nathan.
After a while they caught more fish than they could eat in a week, so they decided to lay on the blanket and take in the sky. Allie reached into her bag and pulled Peter Pan out. "Do you think we could read some more?"
"Of course, we can". Elise rolled onto her stomach and picked up where they left off the other night. Nathan was laying on his back, enchanted by the woman in front of him. Allie put her head on Nathan's chest, and let her imagination drift off to Neverland. They snacked on the sandwiches and fruit as they relaxed.
Elise read several chapters, then looked over to see that Allie had fallen asleep. She put a finger to her lips towards Nathan, and quietly got up from the blanket. Nathan moved just enough to lower Allie's head to the blanket before rising himself off the ground. He then gestured to her to follow him. He led her a short distance through the tree line into another meadow, and her breath caught when she saw what Nathan wanted her to see. There was a drop off, and the space overlooked a small valley at the base of the mountains. She almost felt like she could reach out and touch them.
"Oh Nathan, it's gorgeous".
"That's what I thought the first time I came out here. It's became my favorite place." He guided her towards a fallen log as he spoke. "I like to come here to reflect, to cry, to pray. A lot of emotions have been felt here in the last year since I came here the first time."
"What emotion are you feeling today?" she asked, looking at him from her position on the log.
He looked into her eyes as he said "Happiness". He was leaning in towards Elise, his hand reaching for her face, when they heard "Uncle Nathan".
They both shot straight up as Allie came through the clearing. "Oh, there you are! I was starting to worry that a bear got you!"
"Nope, no bear got me, but a bear might get you", and Nathan raised his arms way above his head and started growling like a bear as he chased after Allie. Allie squealed and ran while Nathan chased her. Allie ran towards Elise, grabbed her hand, and they ran back towards the clearing together, laughing and screaming at the same time. Nathan caught up to both of them, grabbed them both by the waist, and spun them around like they weighed nothing at all. They all fell to the ground, the girls still in Nathan's arms, laughing so hard they were near tears.
Allie wiggled out of Nathan's embrace, but Elise stayed there for a few extra moments. A lock of her hair had fallen out from behind the ribbon, so Nathan gently pushed it back out of her face and back into position, but his thumb rested near her hair line, the rest of his fingers lightly laying in her hair. He could have stayed there for hours, just like that,
Elise broke the spell first. "We should probably head home. Night fall will be here soon."
Nathan silently nodded, then stood up, then reached down to Elise, where he gently helped her off the earth.
The ride back to Hope Valley went way to fast, and soon enough the trio was walking back towards Elise's rowhouse.
"I think I may need to rethink what the cooking lesson is going to be tonight. We have a lot of fish!"
"We can always fry it up, that's what we normally do."
"No, its fine. I've got it, and luckily, I have everything I need for it. My mother used to make it; I have the recipe in her cookbook. Fisherman's Pie.
"Oh, that sounds good" Allie chimed in. Maybe we could give some fishto the Canfields? Angela loves fish!
"That sounds like a great idea Allie. Its good of you to be so generous to others", Nathan said.
As the trio neared the rowhouses, Elizabeth could be seen outside playing with Little Jack. Jack looked up from what he had been concentrating on and went running when he saw Nathan and Allie. "Na'tan, Awee". Elizabeth jumped up from where she was and went running after the toddler. Nathan handed the fishing poles he was carrying to Elise, and he scooped Jack up. Jack demanded "swiwy facies", and Nathan obliged. Jack laughed big belly laughs. Elizabeth finally reached them, and she smiled as she watched Nathan with Jack.
"Did you all have fun fishing today?" Elizabeth inquired.
"We had a great day. Miss Monteith caught more then me or Uncle Nathan".
"Oh wow, so you fished also."
"Would you like some Mrs. Thornton? We have a lot more then we need. Were going to give some to the Canfields also".
"Thank you Allie, that would be very nice". Allie reached into the net holding the fish and pulled two out on a line for her. She handed them to Elizabeth. "These will be wonderful for supper".
Nathan finally handed Jack back to his mother and said, "Good evening Mrs. Thornton", as he put an arm behind Elise's back, and they continued towards Elise's rowhouse.
Elise once again felt like she witnessed something she should not have seen, and it reminded her that there is, or was, something going on there. Even with the thoughts of Nathan and Elizabeth, she did her best to shake the thoughts out of her mind and refocus on Nathan and Allie.
They quickly stopped at the Canfields where the family was very thankful for the thoughtful gesture by Allie for the fish. Moments later, they arrived at Elise's rowhouse. "I'm going to go take the fishing gear back to our house. I'll be back in just a moment". When Nathan returned, he knocked on the door, and her heard Elise say, "Come in Nathan". He opened the door and felt like he was walking into Elise's soul. He could feel her as he walked into her home. It was tastefully decorated, chic but comfortable. There were pictures of her and her parents, books, a victrola in a corner, and the walls were adorned by paintings of the sea, or a place he had never seen before. He had never seen the ocean, never walked on sand, and all at once he felt he wanted to visit these places, but more then that, he wanted to visit them with Elise.
He made his way into the kitchen, to discover the girls were done cleaning the fish, and were starting to make the base for dinner. They were also discussing Allie's project. "I have an idea on how to do my project, but I'm not sure if Mrs. Thornton would go for it."
"Well, why don't you stop by my office tomorrow after school and we can work on it" Elisa stated.
"You would help?"
"Of course, I will! Now, on to making dinner. Nathan, why don't you roll up your sleeves and wash up".
"Yes Ma'am!", said as he saluted her then did as she suggested. When he was done, she showed both of them how to cook the fish down, then add the rest of the inside ingredients. She had already started cooking the potatoes for the topping, and they were done within minutes. After draining them, she showed them how to mash them since Nathan had never made mashed potatoes, then topped the insides with the potatoes. She quickly used a fork to swirl the potatoes in neat little designs. She then popped it in the oven. Allie was busy making a salad, and Nathan asked where she kept her plates. She showed him, and he started to set the table, but Elise stopped him.
"Let's eat out here instead" and guided him out the back door to her special spot.
"Oh wow, I never would have thought of this. But its going to be dark soon".
"That's an easy fix". Elise went back into the house, and a moment later walked out with candles. She placed the biggest one on the table and scattered the rest along the steps. She lit them, and it gave the space a romantic ambiance. "I used to dine al fresco a lot in Toronto, any chance I could actually, and I thought this would be the perfect place to watch the sunset. It's become my favorite spot very quickly."
"I can see why." He then looked at her and said, "I may need to dine al fresco more often".
Dinner was ready a few minutes later, so everyone carried a part of the meal out to the table. Nathan and Allie raved about the Fisherman's Pie, saying they may need to make it more so they do not eat so much fried fish. The sun had finally set, but the candles lit the space enough so they could all see each other smile and laugh as they shared stories. Nathan made a subconscious decision that tonight was not going to be about his past, or anything sad, just happy, because Elise made him happy. He liked who he was with her, and he had not felt this was in a very long time, if ever.
Allie stifled a yawn and excused herself to head to bed. She went up to Elise and gave her a hug. "Thank you for today. I'll come by your office right after school". She then gave Nathan a hug, then walked through the house and out the front door.
"I should probably help you with these dishes", Nathan said as he started to gather them to take them inside.
"You don't have to…" He looked at her and stated "I want to. I'm not quite ready for the night to end".
The pair silently did the dishes, Nathan washing, Elise drying. They both darted their eyes back and forth between each other. They both had a lot to say after the day, but they both were not ready for that conversation. Once the dishes were done and put away, Nathan walked towards the door, opened it, and realized Elise was right behind him. He stepped down to the ground, then turned around. Elise was eye level with him, and he thought she looked stunning in the moonlight. He had the urge to take her into his arms, but he did not want to push her.
"Thank you for spending your day with Allie and me. It was one of the best days we have had in a very long time".
"Thank you for inviting me to go to church with you. I had a wonderful day also". She thought he was going to turn and leave, but instead he came back up one step, and her eyes stayed on his. He reached for her face, but instead pushed another curl that had come loose, back away from her face. He then tilted her head down just a touch and kissed her forehead.
"Good night Elise. Sweet dreams". And with that, he turned and walked down the lane to his and Allie's rowhouse.
