Quinn carried a picnic basket full of food and chocolate cake to the livery. Walking along, she thought back over her time in Town. Quinn couldn't believe how time had flown since she moved to Hope Valley. So many changes had happened; the time had gone by quickly, she felt as though her feet had barely touched the ground. Spending time with Nathan and Allie had undoubtedly contributed to the excitement of her new beginning. Quinn couldn't stop the smile which spread across her face at the thought of the two of them, and she didn't want to. They were the ones to bring brightness back into her life. Her heart still ached from the loss of her father; she doubted that pain would ever leave her.
She had continued to spend time each weekend with the Grants, usually, Sunday when they would spend the day attending Church, fishing and then eating together. Saturdays were for Nathan and Allie, although she and Nathan had managed to have several dates on evenings Allie had plans with friends. This weekend they were getting together Saturday for their usual outing, there was a chance of rain on Sunday, and none of them had wanted to miss out on spending time together.
The nights Quinn and Nathan had spent having dinner together were at the cafe, sometimes in the restaurant, and other times out in the kitchen at Abigail's. They had also eaten together at the Saloon twice, once joining Faith, Fiona, and another time dining alone. Their second dinner, with only the two of them, turned heads. Lucas seemed pleased they were together, Elizabeth not as much. Everyone else in town seemed to be happy for them, Bill included, although he pretended not to care. He had at least stopped commenting on the flowers on Quinn's desk and hadn't shooed Nathan back to work the time he caught him at Quinn's desk.
Every time Rosemary saw the two of them together, she smiled brightly, and in the Mercantile had whispered, loudly but a whisper for Rosemary, what a beautiful couple they were. Lee had even gone as far as remarking on the change in Nathan, how much happier he seemed, more joyful.
During one of her many lunches with Faith and Fiona, who she regularly caught up with during the week, they discussed the change in Nathan. Fiona and Faith, teasing Quinn about how the usually quiet Mountie had opened up, not just to her but to the whole Town.
Her time in Hope Valley hadn't been entirely agreeable; she had received another offer from Mr Thatcher via Mr Lydell, which she had swiftly rejected. Quinn expected that Mr Thatcher wouldn't give up easily; what he hadn't factored on was Quinn. Quinn was adamant the Fielding's would have nothing to do with her father's business ever, and while they were part of Thatcher's plans, she would say no.
Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton also continued to be a concern for Quinn. Quinn couldn't understand why Elizabeth had taken an instant dislike to her; it wasn't like Quinn had stolen Nathan and Allie away from her; she had chosen someone else over them and months ago. Quinn had gotten used to getting a hard stare, a frown, or dismissal, by Elizabeth; she wasn't the one with the problem, she decided, and Elizabeth would have to get over it.
Quinn had discussed it with Nathan only after he asked about it, he had been annoyed one evening when he was walking Quinn home, and Elizabeth had greeted him and ignored her completely. Quinn tried to play it down but knew Nathan was unlikely to let it go if it happened again. Quinn knew Nathan had missed the frown on Elizabeth's face when they dined at the Saloon; her face darkening when she noticed the two of them holding hands.
Having arrived early for her ride with Allie and Nathan, Quinn went to the tack room to check over Misty Dawn's saddle and bridle, ensuring they were clean and oiled. Her father had taught her to be responsible for her equipment and make sure it was in excellent condition, and even after his passing, she wouldn't let him down by not doing it well. Today her outfit was riding culottes and a simple blouse, both of which would meet Allie's approved fishing clothing, so she was sure she would pass muster.
A smile spread across her face as she heard someone in with the horses, hoping it was Nathan and Allie. Quinn hadn't had a chance to ride for days, and she was keen to get started; Quinn admitted she was even looking forward to fishing again, but a small part of her hoped not to catch a fish, so she wouldn't have to clean it. She grabbed hold of the saddle and bridle, carrying them with her, ready to greet Nathan and Allie.
As she stepped out of the tack room, she realised she was mistaken; it wasn't them. Instead, Elizabeth stood in the livery, stroking the nose of a beautiful horse, murmuring words Quinn couldn't make out. Hearing her footsteps and the clanking of buckles, Elizabeth looked toward the sound, "Oh, I hadn't realised anyone else was here," she said, frowning; "how long have you been there?"
Quinn was taken aback at her tone; apparently, she had startled Elizabeth, "I just came out of the tack room", she said evenly, smiling at her. "It's a beautiful day for a ride. Your horse is lovely; what's its name?"
"Sergeant," Elizabeth said shortly, then taking a breath, continued less harshly, "he was my late husband's horse; he was given to me by the Mounties after he died." Continuing to pet him, she said, "I don't get to ride him as often as I should. I have been busy of late."
"I understand", said Quinn, walking toward Misty and placing her saddle down, "I don't ride as much as I would like to either; I am hoping to ride more often as the days warm up; I do miss going for an early morning ride to clear my head." Quinn hoped Allie and Nathan would arrive soon; she didn't know how long she could maintain a polite conversation with Elizabeth.
Quinn's statement was met with silence; glancing at Elizabeth; she saw her focus was on the animal in front of her and not their conversation. Deciding not to intrude any longer than necessary, she saddled Misty quickly; she would wait for the others outside.
Finished, she led Misty past Elizabeth, "well, I should get going; I am meeting Nathan and Allie to go fishing; enjoy your day Elizabeth," she said, her tone courteous. Quinn saw Elizabeth watching her as she exited the livery, and her neck prickled at the intensity of her gaze on her back. Walking away, Quinn was determined not to let their interaction spoil her day with Nathan and Allie.
Nathan was surprised to see Quinn outside, Misty already saddled. "Wow, you really are keen to get going, he said," looking at her, the smile quickly falling as he took in the strange look on her face. "Is everything okay?" his worry for her clear.
Quinn tried to smile back at him; not wanting to dampen his mood, she said, "I am keen, Nathan, but where is Allie? I can't believe she has decided not to come and miss out on the Chocolate cake."
Nathan stepped toward her, "Allie is meeting us at my home with all the fishing gear; it seemed silly to bring it all this way just to ride back past the house; I will saddle her horse for her." Reaching for her, he asked again, "are you okay, Quinn? You have a funny look on your face."
"I am fine, Nathan; Elizabeth is in the livery and ... I don't know, it was just strange and awkward, so I decided to wait outside." Quinn shrugged, "it isn't like she said anything to make it that way; it just was."
Nathan frowned again, "ignore her, Quinn; she is nothing to us except Allie's Teacher."
"Wait here while I get the horses ready. Remember, I am a Mountie; I can saddle a horse quickly," he said, trying to make a joke, leaning forward to he kissed her on the forehead.
Nodding, Quinn took a deep breath and watched him walk away.
Nathan walked inside the livery, wondering what Quinn meant when she said things had been strange with Elizabeth; he guessed he would find out shortly.
As he entered, Elizabeth looked around and smiled at him, "Nathan, hello, here to take Newton for a ride?" she asked brightly.
Nathan returned her greeting without stopping, heading to the tack room, "yes, and I am in a bit of a hurry", he said, gathering Newton's gear. Quinn, Allie, and I are going fishing, and they're waiting for me. Are you taking Sargeant out?"
"No, sadly, I don't have time; I have to get back home to Little Jack; Rosemary is watching him for me while I do a quick visit," she said. "Maybe one day we could go riding with you and Newton; I know Sargeant would love to head out with another Mountie trained horse."
"Maybe you should ask Bill, Elizabeth; I think that would be more appropriate given everything that's happened. I am sure he would be pleased to ride with you." Nathan kept his tone controlled, although inside, he thought this was one of the strangest conversations he had ever had with Elizabeth. Quinn was right; she was acting unusually.
"Nathan, I want to ride with you; I want to go back to when we were friends. Can't we do that, please?" she said plaintively.
"That's not possible, Elizabeth; too much has happened. I want to have a civil relationship with you as Allie's Teacher and a member of this Town, but that is all. We will never go back to the way it was before, and I want you to stay away from Allie outside of the school and her education, don't involve yourself in her personal life." he said sternly; surely she understood why he thought as he saddled Newton.
"But Nathan, I care about you and Allie, I want..."
Interrupting her, he said firmly as he spun toward her, "I don't care what you want, Elizabeth, this is about Allie and what she wants. Leave her alone," his eyes flashed with anger as he stared at her. Turning his back on her, he said, " this conversation is over now and forever." Nathan quickly saddled Newton and Allie's horse, not saying another word to Elizabeth. He heard her rush out of the livery and shook his head. Nathan wasn't proud that he had hurt her, and he clearly had, but their conversation had been long overdue, and he was glad it was done now.
Quinn saw Elizabeth rush past her, face red and blotchy with tears, frowning she wondered what she had missed in the livery. Looking after her as she hurried away, whatever had just happened, it hadn't gone Elizabeth's way. Leading Misty, she walked back inside to see if Nathan was okay.
Nathan knew Quinn would come, and he waited for her, taking the time to finish off saddling the horses while getting rid of his anger at Elizabeth. Hearing her and Misty approach, he turned, watching Quinn hurry toward him; as she got closer, he could see the unease in her eyes. He didn't say anything, just opened his arms wide, offering his embrace, and she didn't hesitate, stepping into his arms, wrapping hers around him and holding him tight.
"Are you okay?" she asked, anxiety for him evident in her voice. Quinn hoped Elizabeth hadn't said or done something to hurt him. She hated the thought of anyone hurting him; her heart ached for him.
"Quinn, you were right; there was something strange about Elizabeth today; she seemed sad or something; I don't know, I couldn't put my finger on it. She asked if I would take Newton riding with her and Sargeant; she has never suggested anything like that before." He paused, wanting to find the right words so Quinn would know he had meant it when he said his feelings for Elizabeth were gone. "She doesn't seem to understand her behaviour has consequences; she expects everyone and everything to fall into her idea of what they should be. I told her I wanted her to leave Allie alone from now on."
Quinn stared into his eyes, "What about you? Is she going to leave you alone?" Quinn asked evenly, determined not to let her insecurity show. Her heart, though, was beating wildly, anticipating his answer.
Nathan laughed, "Quinn, you don't need to worry about Elizabeth and me; she's already chosen Lucas, and even though I didn't realise it for a while, I had moved on. The moment I heard you laughing with Allie, right where we are standing, my heart chose you."
Quinn thought her pounding heart might explode. Nathan's piercing blue eyes were so intense his feelings for her were unmistakable. Quinn couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, "I choose you too, Nathan."
Nathan closed his eyes; his heart raced with joy; no one had ever chosen him before. Cupping Quinn's head in his hand, looking into her eyes, he leaned down and kissed her. As he felt Quinn respond to him, Nathan deepened the kiss. His hand resting against her back pressed her close to him, the other tangling in her long curls.
Quinn's lips met his eagerly, the force of her feelings surprising her. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck, wanting to be closer to him. Quinn could feel the solid muscle's in his chest pressed against her, heat blossoming in her stomach as she returned his kiss, trying to express everything she felt for him through that one simple connection.
Nathan knew he had to break their kiss, but he didn't want to; lifting his head reluctantly, he held Quinn's face in his hands and placed a kiss on her forehead. Nathan's eyes were dark with passion, his breathing heavy. "Quinn, there is so much I want to say to you, so much I need to tell you, but Allie is waiting for us both."
Quinn's heart was racing, wanting to beat out of her chest. "I know; we need to go and get her. We probably should put a little distance between us as well; for Allie's sake, ...this might be a little too much.
Nathan grinned at her; his crooked smile made her heart race again. "I agree; this is a lot, Quinn." Smiling, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a light kiss. "Maybe, we could spend some time alone soon. Would you have dinner with me, Quinn, at the Saloon one night this week?"
"You want to be seen together at the Saloon even after what just happened with Elizabeth," Quinn asked, "are you sure?"
Nathan replied with certainty, " I want to; it would be my honour to escort you anywhere." His words were rewarded with a kiss from Quinn, and he knew her answer was yes.
"Good, now let's get going; we have fish to catch. I can't wait to see this attempt at gutting a fish." Nathan laughed as he caught her hand and led her to Misty, and they walked out of the livery.
"It couldn't be any worse than my others, I suppose." As with their first ride, Quinn expertly mounted Misty and gently kicked her into a trot. With Nathan leading Allie's horse, they rode quickly toward Nathan's house, where Allie waited.
Arriving at the house, they greeted an excited Allie and distributed the fishing gear, ensuring they didn't forget the picnic basket and set off together toward the fishing spot. They didn't hurry the ride, taking their time to let Quinn continue getting to know the area, Allie showing Nathan how much her riding had improved.
Once again, fishing proved to be a success, Quinn performing much better this time around, casting her line with only one or two failed attempts. Much to her dismay, she did catch a fish and knew she would have to gut it again; she tried giving it to Nathan and Allie; however, they had each caught their own and declined her generous offer.
As they walked back to Town after depositing the fish and their fishing gear at Nathans and caring for the horses, they chatted animatedly about the day. Each of them was looking forward to spending another evening together. Quinn knew she would find the time to tell Allie her story; it was time she understood Quinn's past.
Allie was the first through the doors of the Mercantile, looking forward to the ice cream she had talked her dad into. Allie remembered Quinn saying she had a sweet tooth and used this to her advantage to convince her dad; she knew he wouldn't be able to resist them both.
Ned rushed to Nathan with a telegram as the ladies selected their ice cream. "This is good timing, Nathan; Constable Kinslow called a short time ago looking for you knowing you weren't in the Mountie office today. When he couldn't get you, he sent this Telegram for me to give you."
Nathan looked at the Telegram, and his heart sank; the criminals he and Gabe had spoken about previously had struck again in Brookfield, this time turning violent. Gabe's investigation indicated they were headed to Hope Valley and Nathan needed to ride out looking for them. Gabe was going to meet him halfway, where the trail went cold. If he wanted to be there in time, he had to leave now; this looked like it would take him away overnight.
Looking at Allie and Quinn, smiling and laughing with no idea he was about to spoil their plans. Allie would need to stay with Opal until he got back, which was never a problem; she loved staying with her friend. Quinn would understand, and he could make it up to her when he got back.
Quinn sensed him looking at them; one look at his face told her the Telegram was bad news. Leaving Allie to continue choosing her ice cream, she went to him. "Is everything okay? No one is hurt, are they?"
Shaking his head, Nathan explained the Telegram and what it meant for their plans. He studied Quinn's face as he spoke, pleased to see only concern for him, not a disappointment at their cancelled plans. "I need to leave immediately, Quinn, and I have to make arrangements for Allie to stay with Opal; I am sorry about dinner."
Quinn smiled, "never apologise for your work taking you away" pausing, she said tentatively, "do you think Allie would like to stay with me? We could have dinner at the cafe, and she could sleep upstairs; there is plenty of room. I had hoped to talk to her later, tell her my story before someone else can." Quinn touched his arm lightly, "if you think this is too soon, or too much, please tell me; I won't be offended or upset. I don't want to overstep."
Nathan listened to Quinn as she spoke, pleased that she understood his concerns for Allie. Nathan knew he had said he wanted to go slow where Allie was concerned, but after talking to Allie, he believed this time would be different; Quinn was the difference. "It may not be only one night, Quinn; it could be several." Quinn smiled, letting him know it was fine, " Let me talk to Allie Quinn. Could you give us a moment?" he asked her. At Quinn's nod, he went to talk to Allie.
Approaching Allie, he hesitated; he knew how much she worried when he went out on a Mission, especially overnight. Allie looked at him, and that was all it took for her to understand what he was going to say.
"You have to leave, don't you?" she stated her face dropping. "Are you going somewhere dangerous?"
Nathan placed his hand on her shoulder, "It's a tracking mission for some criminals who were last seen in Brookfield; I will be going with Uncle Gabe to try and locate them." Although he knew they were violent, he wouldn't ever tell Allie something like that. "Do you want to stay with Opal? I will be gone overnight, maybe a couple."
Allie's peeked over at Quinn, looking at the products on shelves in the Mercantile. "I was having a good time with Miss Standing, and we had plans for later." Squirming, she said, "Do you think she would let me stay with her? I have never slept somewhere like the cafe; it would be like an adventure. Do you think she would like it?"
Nathan looked at his daughter, his heart filled with love for her along with pain, he knew how much she missed having a mother figure in her life, but he needed to be careful with her. "We talked about what happened with Mrs Thornton Allie; I don't want the same thing to happen again. Are you sure you're ready for this, for a relationship with Miss Standing? I don't want you to get your hopes up in case things don't work out again?"
Allie nodded, "this isn't like before. Miss Standing is different from Mrs Thornton; we are friends, and anyway, I can tell she likes you, and I think she likes me. I have a good feeling about this."
Nathan smiled at his daughter, "oh, you do, do you! And of course, she likes you, Allie; how could she not." Reaching out to ruffle her hair, laughing as she rolled her eyes at him. "Let's go and organise your things; I have to leave now, unfortunately."
"Wait, dad, shouldn't you ask her privately first, in case she wants to say no!" Allie said, holding him back, a look of nervousness on her face.
Nathan winked at her and said, "she already asked me if it would be okay; I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it first."
Quinn waited nervously in the kitchen at Abigail's for Allie and Nathan to arrive. She wanted everything to go smoothly for Allie's stay, this was a big deal to both of them, and she needed to get it right, striking the right balance in their relationship. She admitted she was also nervous about telling Allie her story; what if the young girl couldn't understand?
"Everything alright, Quinn?" "Are you worried about Nathan going out of town?" Bill asked from where he stood at the bench, preparing food for the evening, watching her fold and unfold her napkin.
Quinn snorted, "Of course I am," she said, wondering why he thought she wouldn't be. "Plus, Allie will be staying with me while Nathan is away," she added and watched his eyebrows rise.
"Well, I can see why that would make anyone nervous," he joked, "she is a dynamo and has more energy than any child I have ever met." Becoming serious, he sat opposite her and said, "so beside Allie, things with you and Nathan seem to be progressing. Is that what has you destroying that napkin?"
Quinn looked down, dropping the napkin she was twisting in her hands. "Yes, and No, I am not worried about Nathan and me; even though this is fast, it feels right Bill, I...I don't know how to explain it," she said, blushing as usual when she thought of the two of them. "It's Allie. I know she was hurt by Elizabeth, and I don't want that to happen again, and I plan to tell her about what happened to me. I have been thinking of how to talk to her about it. "
Bill reached over and patted her hand, "Quinn, I love Elizabeth, she is like a daughter to me, but I will admit I have been just as confused as everyone else at the way she has acted lately. She is not the person she was when her husband was alive." Bill frowned, feeling disloyal to Elizabeth, but his feelings for Nathan were just as strong, so he continued gently.
"Elizabeth allowed Allie and Nathan to believe she felt something that she didn't; that is the difference here. You do have feelings for Nathan, and he knows it. Nathan...isn't great with opening up to people," Bill paused, "but he has with you. Gabe says he was different before the accident; Allie says the same thing; she says he laughed a lot more. You have brought the old Nathan back; Elizabeth couldn't do that. " Bill stopped talking; he hadn't meant to say so much and hadn't meant to criticise Elizabeth as harshly as he had.
"Allie is mature for her age. When you talk to her, Quinn, be honest; she can pick a lie a mile away, gets it from her dad and Mountie uncles, Gabe and me", he said smiling. Going back to the stove, he looked over his shoulder and said, "chocolate cake always makes a story easier to listen to as well.
"Thank you, Boss; I appreciate the advice, as always," Quinn said, feeling much more confident. "I am going to run upstairs and set up Allie's bed, ready for tonight; call me when they get here, okay?" Quinn smiled at him as she went to the stairs, "You aren't as grumpy as everyone says you are, you know."
Bill scowled at her playfully, "Yes, I am", he said, turning back to the stove so she couldn't see his smile.