Chapter Eight: Finding Home
Quinn, Nathan, and Gabe headed out of town to Brookfield Friday morning. Nathan was happy to adjust his usual route to ride with Gabe. As they rode along, they made small talk, starting with Gabe's plans for when he returned home. Gabe talked about Brookfield and the plans for his and Lillian's wedding. Nathan spoke about living in Hope Valley and how fast Allie grew up. Quinn and Gabe spoke to Nathan about Oakville, Quinn describing what she had loved about it and what she was hoping to find in Hope Valley. Nathan would point out small details of interest to Quinn between the stories, pointing out roads, trails, or cabins.
Reigning in their horses at the juncture where Gabe would leave them, Gabe looked at Nathan and Quinn smiling. "Well, this is me, I know we said our goodbyes last night, Quinn, but I want to say again how pleased I am that you have decided to come and build a life in Hope Valley. Hope Valley is the second-best place I can think of to live," he said, unable to resist one last jibe. "Make sure you both keep in touch."
Quinn nodded at Gabe; she was feeling quite emotional at the thought of saying goodbye to him again. It was like saying goodbye to her big brother, or protector, she had appreciated how much Gabe had looked after her recently, and they were friends before that. Gabe was a true friend, and now, the only person left in Hope Valley she knew was Bill, and they didn't know each other well.
Nathan was reluctant to say goodbye to Gabe, too; he and Gabe worked well together, so they always enjoyed catching up when they had the chance. Gabe was family to him and Allie. He hoped it wouldn't be long before they had the opportunity to catch up again and that it was for pleasure and not Mountie business.
Gabe, having said his goodbye turned and trotted off down the road leaving Nathan and Quinn to finish their Tour. Gabe turned in his Saddle just before reaching the final bend in the road. Nathan and Quinn were still watching him, waiting until he was gone from sight. They make a striking couple, he thought. He gently nudged Apollo into a canter; they started the ride home to Brookfield.
As Nathan watched Gabe ride away, he focused on Quinn by his side. She was quiet; he appreciated she didn't feel the need to fill the silence with words. He noticed her looking at him, a thoughtful expression on her face and wondered what she was thinking. Smiling at her, he turned Newton gently, urging him slowly forward.
Hope Valley was beautiful; the shady trails through the hills around the Town were all a pleasure to ride through. Quinn followed Nathan's lead as they rode along the unfamiliar path. Following behind Nathan, she was able to observe him without him noticing. He seemed perfectly content to ride in silence, breaking it only when necessary. While Quinn didn't mind the silence, she knew she wouldn't get a better insight into the Town or Nathan if she didn't start the conversation. She gently prodded Misty forward to ride beside Nathan.
Nathan felt Quinn bring Misty up alongside him and looked across at her; he could tell when someone was a competent or confident rider, and Quinn was both; she was a natural on her horse. He steered Newton a little to the left, making room for them to ride side by side, and said, "What do you think so far, I know we have only seen a small part of the place, and no people, but... that's what it's like most of the time, quiet."
"I like quiet, Quinn replied, "sometimes quiet is exactly what you need."
Nathan didn't reply but nodded in agreement; he noticed a distant look came over her face. The last thing Nathan wanted was for her to feel unhappy. "I know it's still early, but how would you feel about letting our horses stretch their legs a little? Through the trees, it opens up into quite a wide meadow."
"Are you challenging us to race, Constable?" she asked him, manoeuvring herself, ready for a quick take-off. Misty might not have Newton's height and length of stride, but she and Quinn were overdue for a gallop; Misty was fast and surefooted, and Quinn would back the two of them against most people.
Nathan saw Quinn's eyes light up from the challenge he offered, glad his suggestion had chased away the lingering sadness. "If I was, are you up for it?" Nathan copied Quinn's movements and made sure Newton was as ready as Misty.
Quinn's smile broadened, "I think we need a little wager that might make it more interesting, don't you think?. What do I get when I win?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
"I am not much of a gambler normally, but I tell you what, I will let you name the prize", Nathan replied, a cute grin on his face. He surprised himself with his boldness. He wasn't his usual stumbling, stuttering fool around her, which was a relief.
Quinn screwed up her face, pretending to think hard. "Loser buys dessert." she proposed.
Nathan scoffed, "dessert, just dessert? I thought you were confident you were going to win. How about dinner and dessert." He waited for her response.
"You're on", Quinn replied. Leaning forward over Misty's neck and shouting, "Ha!" she took off towards the trees, the laughter bubbling up from her throat floating back toward Nathan.
Shocked, Nathan quickly urged Newton after Quinn, his laughter mingling with hers; he loved the sound of her laugh, and he knew he would be happy to hear her laugh every day.
Quinn and Nathan galloped up the road and broke into a flower-filled meadow. Quinn on Misty was a little way in front of Nathan, given her head start, and she was amazed at the beauty of the wildflowers which filled the Meadow. Nathan was content to follow her, watching the two of them racing. Misty was fast, and Quinn was urging her forward, standing in her stirrups, knees slightly bent; she glanced over her shoulder to see how close Nathan was, her face alight with joy, hair streaming out behind her.
Quickly, Nathan drew alongside Quinn; Misty might be fast, but so was Newton, and his height gave him an advantage over the smaller horse. Nathan smiled at Quinn and encouraged Newton to go faster, not that it took much; Newton was keen to get out in front.
As Nathan caught up and passed her by, he looked over and smiled at her, one that stretched across his whole face, so wide his blue eyes creased at the corners. His energy was contagious; Quinn wore a smile that matched Nathan's. Approaching the end of the Meadow, he slowed; Quinn did the same, following his lead.
Nathan twisted in his Saddle to watch Quinn pull up. As Quinn got closer, Nathan swung his leg over Newton and dismounted. Gathering Newton's reins, he waited for Quinn as she dismounted gracefully, studying her face as she walked toward him.
"Thank you, Nathan, that was amazing," she said breathlessly. "I needed that. Whatever you do, please, Don't tell Gabe, but I probably wouldn't have been game to go so fast if I wasn't with someone who knew the Meadow was safe," she said, laughing at herself.
Nathan felt his stomach tremble at the sound of her voice, her breathlessness accentuating its huskiness. Quinn looked beautiful, he thought, her face flushed from the race, the colour high in her cheeks, her eyes lively with amusement. "Are you saying you enjoy losing? That doesn't sound like something you should enjoy!" he teased. Nathan would have been more than happy to lose; if he got dinner with her as the prize.
Quinn wrinkled her nose, batted him lightly on the arm and said, 'you know that wasn't what I meant; next time, we will leave you two in our dust." Newton snorted as if to say, no way, and they both laughed. Quinn said, "okay boy, we will try and leave you in our wake," reaching out to pet him on the neck. She looked up at Nathan, standing beside her. "I do appreciate this, Nathan; riding is what I needed today," her tone was serious; she wanted him to know how much grateful she was.
Nathan nodded, his lips pressed together in a bit of smile, acknowledging her words, embarrassed at her sincerity. He knew his intentions were not entirely selfless, he had wanted to spend more time with Quinn, so this was not a selfless act. "Would you come with me?" he asked. "We can tie the horses and leave them to graze; they won't go anywhere."
"Of course," she agreed quickly, maybe a little too quickly, she thought and asked, "where we are going?" she said but smiled, so he knew she wasn't concerned.
Nathan looked over his shoulder towards the edge of the Meadow, "I want to show you Hope Valley from a different perspective." he said, taking a few steps forward. He paused, looking at Quinn to see if she would follow.
Without further hesitation, Quinn followed Nathan. Catching up, she walked fast, trying to match his stride. Nathan quickly realised what was happening and slowed to allow her to walk more comfortably, sending her an apologetic smile; obviously, it wasn't the first time his long-legged stride was difficult for someone to match.
Nathan stopped at the edge of the Meadow, patiently waiting, giving Quinn time to take in the view before them. He looked out, trying to imagine seeing it for the first time. The Town of Hope Valley lay before them; you could see the roads in and out of town, the houses and shops, the people in the streets, tiny from their vantage point. Nathan loved this spot; he felt at peace when surveying the Town and its people, looking over at the schoolhouse where Allie was, knowing she was safe.
"It's beautiful, Nathan; you can see the whole town from here," she said, awe in her voice, her eyes, when she turned to look at him, were filled with delight. "What are they over there?" she asked. "They look like a row of houses. Is that the Church and where Allie goes to school?" she stopped abruptly, laughing, "sorry, I am asking questions and not letting you answer."
Nathan smiled indulgently, "Have you met Allie?" he said jokingly, "trust me, I am used to getting a lot of questions." He looked over to where she had indicated and said, "yes, that is the church and schoolhouse; it serves both purposes well." Looking toward the row of houses she had mentioned. "Those are the row houses", he explained, "mostly the widows of the Miners who died live there. As families move on, others have moved in. Allie and I live in the end one," he said, looking down at her, he hadn't realised how close she had gotten.
Nathan wondered why Quinn suddenly laughed and looked at her, confusion on his face. Thinking about what he had said, he grinned and said, "sorry, the last house on the left, looking from here," he pointed his arm as well, indicating the correct house. Quinn stepped even closer toward him, following the line of his arm with her eyes; breathing in, he could smell the perfume of her hair.
"Much clearer Constable," she said, realising how close she was to him. Her face grew warm, redness creeping up her cheeks; Nathan would not be able to help but see it, she thought. She swallowed and wondered how she was going to save the situation.
Nathan's heart was racing at her nearness; he could see from the blush on Quinn's face she was feeling something too. Clearing his throat, he said apologetically, "I am sorry to rush you, Quinn, but I do have to continue on my rounds so I can get back to Town. I am catching up with Bill and Lee this morning."
"Of course, Nathan, I don't want to make you late," she said, "especially to meet Bill; I hear he can be a bit grumpy sometimes." She said, grinning. She was grateful for the excuse to turn and walk away from Nathan, putting some distance between them. They walked back to the horses, side by side, in comfortable silence. As Quinn gathered Misty's rein's together, readying herself to ride home, she felt Nathan approach and stand close behind her; surprised, she looked around at him, wondering what he was doing.
Nathan froze as she stiffened in response to his closeness; he was so used to helping Allie mount her horse he had gone to Quinn automatically, readying to help her up into the Saddle. "I am so sorry, Quinn, I always help Allie mount when we are away from the livery, and I didn't stop to think" he stumbled over his words, mortified that he may have upset her, or frightened her.
Quinn looked at him over her shoulder, eyes widening, "It's okay, Nathan, I understand, but I don't need any help?" she said, smiling to let him know it was okay. He was so close she could feel his breath soft on her face, and her stomach fluttered once again at his nearness. Quinn's mouth had gone dry, but still, she didn't move. She watched him, watched his eyes darken and the play of emotion across his face, confusion, embarrassment, longing?. She wondered if he could see the same emotions mirrored on her face. Neither of them moved.
Misty's soft whinny broke their connection; Nathan stepped back and, grabbing the reins, quickly mounted Newton. Quinn did the same, launching herself effortlessly into Misty's Saddle.
The rest of the ride was uneventful. Nathan returned to pointing out sites of interest, and Quinn asked questions about the Town, hoping to understand how the Town operated, especially the 'dodgy' dealings Bill had talked about on the train. They spoke about the upcoming election and Bill's competition. The conversation was kept deliberately light and flowed naturally between them; anyone watching would have been surprised at just how much talking Nathan did; it was unusual for him.
Quinn noticed the closer to the livery and the end of their ride; the quieter Nathan became; she hoped it was because he, like her, didn't want their ride to end. While nothing had happened between them, she felt a change in their relationship; there was no denying Quinn wanted to know Nathan better and understand more about her attraction toward him.
Nathan was trying unsuccessfully to process what had happened between him and Quinn on the ride. He knew he had told Gabe he would trust his feelings, but he was still unsure of his ability to read Quinn. He hadn't thought he could feel this way about someone so soon after meeting them, especially after what had happened with Elizabeth.
After settling the horses, Quinn and Nathan began walking back to Town, Nathan for his meetings, and Quinn to settle in some more.
Quinn looked at Nathan, smiling, "thank you again, Nathan, for today; I enjoyed the tour of the town and spending time with you; you make an excellent guide." Expecting Nathan to return her smile, she was disappointed to see his bland expression in response to her teasing. She frowned, her smile slipping; stepping back from him, she said. "Sorry, I should let you get to work; I shouldn't have taken up so much of your time; I won't keep you." turning, she started to hurry away, confused about his reaction.
Nathan felt his stomach clench; he had seen the flash of hurt in her eyes at his lack of response and instantly regretted it; hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do." Quinn wait, please," he called to her, his voice urgent. Quinn stopped but didn't turn to him. He walked to her and stood behind her. "I am sorry, I don't know why I did that, I ..." His voice was low and deep, "please."
Quinn turned; she didn't expect him to beg; she had only been trying to control her emotions before facing him. "It's okay, Nathan; I was excited about the morning; you don't have to be." She was far too upset for such a small thing.
"I was, I am". Nathan said.
"I am not very good at this, Quinn, but I know I enjoyed spending time with you, and I want to spend more time with you." Nathan rushed on. "Do you want to join me for a Picnic Sunday after Church?" He said, carefully watching her face. "Allie would be there as well; we could go fishing."
Quinn knew she should be more discreet about the way she was feeling, hiding her reaction to him, but she wasn't one to play games. She wanted to get to know Nathan better, she was attracted to him, yes, but she also liked what was inside the man and wanted to learn more about him. "I would love to spend time with you and Allie; tomorrow after Church would be lovely, although I might pass on the fishing." She said, her nose wrinkling and a smile returning to her face.
Nathan breathed a sigh of relief, thankful he hadn't ruined whatever was happening between them with his self-doubt.