Chapter 37
Nathan was standing in the back room of the schoolhouse, pacing back and forth and waiting for the minister to tell them they were ready. He paused and looked in the mirror on the wall for the umpteenth time, straightening out his red Serge and making sure that his hair was all in its perfect place. He pulled at the collar of his tunic and then gave the bottom of it another tug. The buttons had been polished to a pristine shine and he wore the dress buckle around the middle of his torso. The dress uniform pants had been carefully pressed. He turned away from the mirror after the careful inspection and began to pace the floor again.
"Nathan," Bill called to him from the corner of the small room, but Nathan didn't even flinch at the sound of his name. He continued his pacing, mumbling something under his breath as his shoes hit the floor in a consistent rhythmic pattern. Bill tried again, "Nathan," but still no response. The next time he stepped in front of his path and practically yelled his name at him, "Nathan!"
Nathan abruptly stopped this time and looked up at Bill with a startled expression, "Uh, Yes?"
"If you keep pacing back and forth like that you are going to wear a whole in the floor and if you tug at that uniform one more time you're going to put the wrinkles back into it."
Nathan let out a large breath he didn't know he had been holding and rolled his eyes, "I'm nervous, Bill."
Bill smirked at him, "I couldn't tell."
Nathan looked at him sheepishly, "It's just that…..well…..um….I..I've never, you know, and Elizabeth, well, Elizabeth is…..you know…..more experienced than I am. I mean what if, what if I don't measure up to her expectations." Nathan looked down at his black freshly shined uniform dress boots, his face slightly red.
Bill couldn't help himself, he let out an amused expression and then slapped Nathan on the back, "Nathan. Elizabeth was married for about a month to Jack before he died. In that month they spent all of about one week with each other. I don't think you have anything to worry about in that department and Elizabeth loves you. That's all that matters. Where Elizabeth is concerned you have already exceeded any and all expectations she has had of you. You are both new to each other and I guarantee you that she is just as nervous as you are. It has been 4 years since she has been married. It's all new to her again just like it is with you."
Nathan smiled halfway, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I never thought of it like that."
They heard a soft knock on the door and Bill opened it enough for the minister to peak his head in, "We are ready, when you are."
Nathan nodded his head, smiled slightly, looked at Bill, and took in a deep breath, "I'm ready."
"All right, let's do this," Bill responded back, "Um….Nathan, you have to move in order to go and get married."
Nathan broke out of his thoughts, smiling nervously, "Uh, yeah, I'm coming."
They both walked out and Nathan took his place at the front of the church with Bill by his side and Jesse next to Bill. The preacher leaned over and said, "I think we are ready. Are you, Constable?"
Nathan took in a large breath and slowly released it and then a small smile lit up the corners of his mouth, "I'm ready."
The pastor nodded to the back door where Florence was standing and she opened the door slightly and peered around it at Elizabeth, "They're ready, are you ready?"
Elizabeth smiled wide and looked at Lee, "I am ready, are you?"
"It is an honor to walk you down the aisle, Elizabeth. It is a privilege to get to be the lucky guy to give you away. Rosemary and I are so happy for you and Nathan and I know Jack would approve of Nathan wholeheartedly."
"I think so too," Elizabeth responded, "he just wanted me to find love again and I have so I feel like I'm honoring his wishes." She turned to Florence and smiled, "We're ready."
Florence smiled, closed the door, and then looked down the aisle at the preacher and mouthed the words, "ready."
He nodded back and then looked at Nathan, "Ok, here we go."
On those words Nathan watched as the wedding procession started. When it was Allie's turn to walk down he marveled at how much she had grown. She looked so grown-up and he knew that his years with her were slipping by. One day he would be on the other end of the wedding procession walking her down the aisle. He tried not to think about it too much, he wasn't quite ready for that yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time before the boys started calling on her.
Clara came down next and then Rosemary. Nathan waited patiently and it seemed like he had been standing in that same spot forever before those doors finally opened and Elizabeth stepped out on Lee's arm. Nathan felt like he couldn't breathe or catch his breath. He had always thought Elizabeth to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but watching her walk down that aisle took his breath away and he looked on at her with tears in his deep blue eyes that were shining bright with love and admiration.
Somewhere from behind him Nathan heard Bill's ever steadfast voice of reason, the same voice that had guided him through many conversations whenever the doubts over Elizabeth had creeped into his head, but this time, he simply heard him whisper in his ear, "breathe Nathan."
Nathan exhaled the breath he had been holding and as he did so a wide crooked grin spread across his face as Elizabeth approached him, smiling just as widely with eyes sparkling back at him. Before he knew it, she was standing there in front of him. He breathlessly whispered to her as he reached for her hands, "I love you, Elizabeth. You look beautiful."
"Oh, my Nathan, I love you too," she whispered back to him. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, he was standing so tall and handsome in his dress uniform. She drew from his silent strength and let out a deep sigh, calming her nerves. The preacher had already started talking and neither of them had really heard anything he had said. They just couldn't stop staring at one another, their eyes speaking for them in that moment.
They were both brought out of their trance when the minister mentioned the vows they had prepared for one another. Elizabeth spoke first, "Jack told me in a letter after he died that he wanted me to find love again. At the time I didn't even know if that would ever be possible and I certainly didn't expect it to be with another Mountie. I guess I just have a thing for that red Serge, but all joking aside, more importantly for the man under that uniform. Nathan you came quietly into my life and waited patiently for me, even through times when I know your heart was breaking, but you didn't give up on the idea of us and you kept waiting patiently for me to meet you in the same place. It may have taken me a while to figure out what was in my heart all along, and love certainly came softly for us, but it's always been you Nathan and it always will be. I promise to walk by your side for the rest of our lives through whatever challenges may come, to love and help raise Allie as if she was my own daughter, and to be there for you through thick and thin until we are old and gray."
Nathan took a deep breath and slowly let it out and smiled down at Elizabeth while absentmindedly caressing the back of her hands with his thumbs, "I never thought I would get married. I thought with having to care for Allie and moving around so much that it just wasn't in my future, but then we came to Hope Valley and you changed all that. For the first time I could see us actually settling somewhere for longer than just a few months. When I saw how you handled Allie with your kind, gentle, yet firm spirit I fell in love with you instantly. I knew there was something special about you. We have already had some challenges to get us to where we are now and there were many times when I thought that it was only a dream that you would ever possibly want me, but here we are starting life's journey together. I promise to always put family first, to walk by your side for the rest of our lives through whatever challenges may come, to love and raise Jack as if he was my own son, and to be there for you through thick and thin until we are old and gray."
"May I have the rings, please?" asked the pastor, "These rings symbolize your love for one another and the commitment you are making to love one another through life's ups and downs. Nathan." He handed him the first ring, "Repeat after me. I Nathan Grant."
"I Nathan Grant," he couldn't stop smiling as he slid the ring on her finger.
"Take you Elizabeth Thornton," the preacher continued.
"Take you Elizabeth Thornton,"
"To be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part," finished the pastor.
"To be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part," repeated Nathan.
The minister turned to Elizabeth and handed her the ring, "Elizabeth." He paused, "Repeat after me, I Elizabeth Thornton."
"I Elizabeth Thornton," she slid the ring on his finger and smiled up at him, eyes sparkling with love for him.
"Take you, Nathan Grant."
"Take you, Nathan Grant," she repeated.
"To be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."
"To be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part." Her smile reached her beautiful bright blue eyes.
The pastor smiled at them both and then announced, "Through the power invested in my I now pronounce you husband and wife." He turned to Nathan who was grinning from ear to ear, "You may now kiss your bride."
Nathan looked down at Elizabeth with one of the widest smiles she had ever seen on his face, his ocean blue eyes dancing with joy stole her breath away. Without hesitation he leaned in and they both closed their eyes with anticipation as he pressed his lips to hers, kissing his wife for the first time in front of all of their friends and family. He didn't want to pull away, but he knew there would be plenty of time later for exploring that further without the need to walk away this time and the thought of that made his head spin and his stomach turn in knots. He finally pulled away and they both turned to the congregation.
"I now present to all of you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan and Elizabeth Grant!" They looked out over the church and watched as everyone in the church stood and started clapping for them. She looked up at him with love and adoration in her eyes and he looked at his Elizabeth, his piercing blue eyes making her melt on the inside. Smiling at one another, he took her arm in his and they walked out of the church as husband and wife.
To Be Continued…..