Chapter 9. The Woodpile
On Thursday morning, when Nathan came into the Mountie office, there was a blueberry muffin and a note waiting for him on his desk.
Nathan,
Thank you so much for yesterday.
-J
Nathan couldn't help but smile thinking about their time together. The image of Julia frolicking in the stream, wearing a huge smile that melted him on the inside, was impossible to get out of his head. He didn't know if he had ever met anyone so full of…joy. She seemed to be always content, always happy. Even after her scare on Lucy, she was still able to make a little joke. She reminded him of Colleen, in that respect. He could almost hear Colleen's voice, 'always choose to look at the bright side, Nate'.
Nathan used to be a lot more positive in how he looked at life, but after these last few years, it was hard to find the bright side sometimes. He had felt beaten down, time and time again, when it came to his friendship with Elizabeth. And looking back, he realized that's all she had ever allowed him to be, a friend. She had never seen him as anything more, though he had put his heart fully on the line for her. No, he said to himself. He had made the decision, determined even, not to rehash this, and he wasn't going to now. Instead, he was going to focus on the bright side. And, the bright side certainly had to do with a certain sandy haired nurse.
He looked out the window across the way, but frowned when he didn't see her anywhere. He decided to make some coffee to go with his muffin.
Just before noon, Julia went down to the Saloon to secure a room for her upcoming visitor - her brother. She had never been in the Saloon, and wasn't sure what to expect. When she entered, there were round tables with chairs neatly pulled under them, scattered about. There weren't a lot of patrons yet, but it was still early. Julia spotted Lucas setting up behind the bar, so she approached him.
"Good morning, Miss Matthews, how may I help you?" he said in greeting, as she approached.
"Good morning, Mr. Bouchard. My brother is arriving tomorrow, for a visit, and I was hoping you might have a room open, for his stay?" Julia inquired.
He walked over to the edge of the bar, and pulled out a ledger from behind the counter. He flipped some pages, and looked at the reservations.
"So, arriving Friday, and checking out when?" Lucas asked, looking from the book to her.
"He will leave on Thursday next week. So, 6 nights." Julia responded.
He flipped back and forth the pages, and said, "Yes, I have plenty of availability. Shall I write him in?" he said with a grin.
"Yes, please. His name is Jacob Matthews." She replied.
Lucas made the necessary notations, and asked her, "will he be dining at the saloon?"
She replied, "I'm not sure what he would prefer. Do you need to know that right away?"
"No, not at all. He can decide when he gets here. You can let me know later." He said, and finished by saying, "Also, we like to make sure all of the residents of Hope Valley, especially the new ones, know that they are always welcome at the Saloon."
Julia wasn't sure if he was facing troubles at the Saloon or was just being overly friendly. Either way, she wasn't sure she could so easily trust Lucas Bouchard.
"Well, thank you for that. It's just too bad you didn't think to make me feel more welcome when you passed me and spooked my horse the other day, along the road." she decided to mention. She wasn't going to bring it up, but since he awkwardly tried to make reference to the fact she hadn't yet eaten at the saloon, she wanted to make sure he knew where he stood when it came to her opinion of him.
"Miss Matthews, please let me apologize for that incident. I was in a rather…serious conversation, and honestly didn't realize how fast I was driving. I am very sorry if I startled you." He sounded sincere.
"Well, I accept your apology. It probably wasn't entirely your fault. I am quite inexperienced on horseback, it was only my first riding lesson. Nathan is teaching me so that I can be more effective in my job as nurse; I will be able to get around on horseback for emergencies and house calls." Julia explained.
With that explanation he nodded in understanding. "Well, he's the best one in town to instruct you. I'm sure his training on horseback was quite extensive as part of the Mounted Police." he said.
"Which is exactly while I went to him for riding lessons. He's a great teacher and a great friend." she said, "Is there anything else you need from me for my brother's reservation?" Julia asked.
"No, Miss Matthews, it's all taken care of. I look forward to meeting your brother tomorrow." he replied.
"Good day, Mr. Bouchard." she answered.
"Good day, Miss Matthews." Lucas replied back, and she turned and walked out of the saloon, down the boardwalk, and back to the infirmary.
Julia decided to go around back and enter by her apartment, so she could make a quick sandwich for lunch. As she ate, the sun was streaming in the windows, so warm and bright. Her mind wandered to a certain handsome constable. If she was honest with herself, it had been hard to think of anything else, since yesterday. The way he had calmed her, and talked her out of what could have been a very dangerous situation, was still a mystery to her. She had never met anyone so strong yet so tender at the same time. Nathan was steady and solid, no matter the situation. The only time she had seen him angry was at the thought of someone in his care getting hurt. And that was completely justified in her mind, as Lucas had been driving too fast. And, even then, his anger was controlled and aimed correctly. Nathan seemed to be a deep ocean of mysteries, and she was trying to keep herself from thinking of him as anything other than a friend. That was a task proving to be quite difficult.
The afternoon was fairly slow, and at 6 pm, Julia ended her shift and returned to her apartment. She quickly washed up and changed, and headed over to Rosemary and Lee's, where she had been invited for dinner. She was excited to get to know them more. Rosemary was so full of life and excitement about…well, everything.
Julia had finally agreed to participate in an article for the Valley Voice. Rosemary had originally asked to do an article about Julia, Hope Valley's new nurse. But, Julia had refused, not wanting to be the focus of the article. She had, however, suggested that they write an article together on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They were going to include health tips and lifestyle suggestions, to help keep everyone in Hope Valley in good health. Julia had agreed, only after hearty protests from Rosemary, to allow her to include a short paragraph at the end of the article, introducing Julia as Hope Valley's new nurse.
Julia knocked on the door promptly at 6:30, and was soon welcomed inside, in a frenzied embrace of blond curls. Lee was just behind her and he greeted Julia with a handshake.
The dinner was amazing, Rosemary had picked up recipes from her many travels, and seemed to enjoy cooking. Lee and her complemented each other so well, they really were a cute couple. She liked them both right away, from the first day she met them. It was evident that they really were made for each other.
They each talked about where they were from. Rosemary shared about moving around when she was younger, her father being a Mountie. She shared about coming to Hope Valley, following a certain Mountie who was already otherwise engaged with a certain school teacher. But, she found true love the day Lee Coulter rode into town on his motorcycle. And, Jack, the Mountie she had followed, had found his true love with Elizabeth. Unfortunately, Jack was killed in a training exercise outside of Fort Clay.
Julia shared about growing up in Peggy's Cove, completing her nurse's training in Halifax, and moving west to work at a big hospital in Calgary. She had wanted to be closer to her brother who at the time, was stationed outside of Calgary. He would come into town every weekend off to stay with her, and they would explore the city. He's the one who taught her to drive, using her neighbor's car.
"What made you decide to come to Hope Valley?" Lee asked.
"Well, my brother had moved to a small town outside of Edmonton, and was coming a lot less often to see me. I could travel to see him as well, but with the distance, the visits got less frequent. I found myself alone in the big city, and working in a big hospital is hard. As soon as one patient leaves, there is another in their place. The work is never ending. I wanted to work somewhere I felt I could make a difference. It was happenstance that I found Faith's advertisement for a nurse, but I'm so glad I did. Now that I'm here, I can't imagine living anywhere else." Julia smiled as she talked about being in Hope Valley.
"Well, we are sure glad you are here, as well. Are your parents no longer with you?" Rosemary asked.
"My mother died when I was 2. From what I was told, she never fully recovered from childbirth and was always sickly. There was a flu outbreak in our little village shortly after I turned two, and she wasn't strong enough to fight it off. My father died about 4 years ago. I had finished my studies and was working as a nurse in a hospital in Halifax. After he passed, I went back home for a few months, but it felt so lonely without him there. When my brother suggested I come west and live closer to him, I was happy to consider it." Julia explained. "Lee, what brought you to Hope Valley?"
"Well, I would have to say business was my motivation, but I believe it was fate that brought me here. Back then, our beloved town was called Coal Valley, believe it our not. The name was changed shortly after I arrived, or maybe was already in the process of changing, I can't remember. But, it was a mining town, and most of the townspeople depended on the coal mine for their livelihood. A couple of years before I came, there was a terrible mining accident. 47 men, young and old, lost their lives in the mine. Many women became widows, and some lost children. I don't know if you've met Molly yet, or Florence from the mercantile? Cat Montgomery, Mrs. Weiss, all were widowed then. The town pulled together and got through it, but the loss was substantial. The mine didn't survive long after that, and the town council decided they needed a new business venture here, to sustain the town. Abigail Stanton, who is no longer in town, advertised extensively in some business journals about opportunities in Coal Valley. I had been looking to open a saw mill in the area, and it just seemed the perfect fit, on paper." Lee paused. He looked over at Rosemary, "when I came to scout out the town, I met the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. And when she actually agreed to take a ride on the back of my motorcycle, I knew I could never leave. I've been here ever since." Lee smiled big as he looked at Rosemary.
Rosemary continued, "The saw mill gave the men new opportunities, and the town new hope. The mine was closed within days, and the town was renamed to Hope Valley. It was a dream come true for those men to work outdoors in the fresh air, and to work for a man who does business with integrity and fairness. Lee changed the whole town for the better, and me in the process." Rosemary looked at him with such pride, as she bragged on him. He blushed but she just held her loving, proud gaze. Julia could see how much they meant to each other, and only wished that one day she would find her true love. Someone who would push her to be more than she thought she could be, and challenge her in every way, for the better. Someone who would want the same from her.
"Wow, that's such a beautiful story. I'm sure you are both an inspiration to so many in this town. In both business, and love. " Julia stated, with a soft laugh.
"We do love it when true love comes together in Hope Valley." Rosemary said, smiling big.
"Rosie likes to play matchmaker, whenever possible. Though, it has rarely worked out." Lee laughed. "Just be careful when she tries to match you, and be warned, that she will try."
Rosemary huffed and said, "Lee Coulter, you don't even know who I have in mind."
Julia blushed then, and quickly said, "Rosemary, let's talk about the article for the Valley Voice," trying to change the subject.
Lee laughed out loud then, and said, "Good call, changing the subject, Julia." She gave him a little wink.
"Well, let me clear the table and you can show me what information you have for the article." Rosemary stated.
"Oh, Rosie, I can clear the table, so you ladies can work." Lee offered, and stood and got to work, clearing the dishes, and making space for the papers Julia brought with her.
After a few hours of work, and setting up different possibilities and layouts for the article, they had gotten a lot accomplished. However, they were both starting to get tired. The ladies decided to put it on hold, Rosemary would look over the rest and continue to work tomorrow on a design and layout. Julia would come by the office on Monday to see the finished article and give her final approval, before publication. Lee offered to drive her home, as it was late.
"Thank you so much for everything, both of you. And Rosemary, dinner was amazing. I really enjoyed spending time with you and hearing your story." Julia said, hugging them both.
"It was our pleasure", Rosemary stated, "and likewise, such a joy to get to know you, Julia. Thanks for sharing some of your story with us."
"Rosemary, I wanted to tell you that my brother will arrive tomorrow, and will stay until Thursday next week. You had asked that I let you know, once I had his arrival date." Julia said.
"Well," Rosemary said as she clapped her hands together. "When can we have you both for dinner? We would love to meet him." Rosemary looked at Lee who nodded in approval.
"Would Tuesday night work well for you?" Julia asked.
"Tuesday night, it is." Rosemary said, with a big smile. "How does 6:30 sound?"
"6:30 is perfect, Rosemary. Thank you so much." Julia replied.
Julia said her good-byes, and Lee drove her home. As Julia walked around the back of the infirmary to her door, she stopped cold when she turned the corner and walked by her wood pile. It had been down below knee height when she'd chopped wood the other day, and it was now up to her shoulder. She was perplexed, who on earth would chop wood for her?
As Julia stared in shock, the realization hit her. She knew who it must be, by how meticulously the wood was cut, and how perfectly neat it was stacked. Only one person she knew cut and stacked wood like that. Nathan.
Why would he do such a thing for her? Had he seen her novice attempt to chop wood the other day? She stood there for several minutes staring in disbelief. She finally went inside and got ready for bed, knowing deep inside that any attempt to keep him at arms length and in the friend zone was going to be horribly futile.
On Friday morning, Nathan came in to his office to find 2 blueberry muffins waiting on his desk, and another note.
Nathan,
I find myself indebted to you yet again. Thank you for your kindness.
-J
Later in the day, just before 2 p.m., Nathan stood from his mountain of paperwork and stretched, and walked outside for some fresh air. He lingered a minute or two, looking up and down Main Street, as he had the habit of doing, checking that all was well in his little town. Just then, the infirmary door opened and Julia walked out. She noticed him and smiled and waved. He gave her a crooked smile and waved back. Then she turned right and headed down to the stage coach platform. Nathan lingered a little longer watching her, wondering for just a moment what she was doing, when he heard the stage coach rumbling by. It arrived in a fit of dust, and Julia's excitement was undeniable. It hit him then, that her mysterious visitor must be arriving on that stage coach.
Nathan watched as a tall, blond gentleman exited the stage coach and wrapped Julia in a huge embrace. She was all smiles and laughter as he spun her around in a circle. Nathan felt his cheeks go hot and pangs of jealousy stab his insides. He watched them embrace again, talking and laughing with each other. It was obvious there was a long rapport, and a closeness shared between the two. Nathan noticed the gentleman was blond and well-built, and exactly what women would generally find handsome. In all his time with Julia, it had never occurred to him that maybe she already had a suitor. Nathan walked back into the Mountie office and sat down. He tried to focus on his paperwork, but couldn't get his mind off of her. His mind replayed her huge smile and obvious happiness. It brought his mind around to the issue of his own happiness. Would he ever find someone to make him smile and laugh like that?
After school, when her Dad had not been there to pick her up, Allie went by the Mountie office. He was not inside, so she headed home, assuming he was already there. As she neared the house, Allie heard the familiar sound of wood chopping, and knew he was out back. Content that he was home, she went inside to find a snack. But once in the kitchen, she looked out the window at her uncle. His face was long and his jaw was tight. He seemed upset. Not this again, she prayed silently to herself. Allie had only seen him like this a few times before, and then, it had to do with Elizabeth and some insensitive thing she had done or said. OR it had been related to something she had done to make him jealous. Her Dad wouldn't talk in those times, he would just process, by chopping wood. Here he was again, chopping. Allie furrowed her brow and tilted her head to watch him, and she was sad, for him. She hoped he had not had another altercation with Elizabeth. What had caused him to be upset?
She poured two glasses of cold water, and walked outside. "Hi, Dad." Allie said. He snapped out of his thoughts, and looked up at her on the porch.
"Hi, Allie", Nathan forced a smile. She knew when his smile was fake. "How was school?" He asked, taking the glass of water she offered, and drinking it down.
"It was good, nothing out of the ordinary." she said. Allie took him in then, from up close. He was wearing his uniform pants, suspenders down, and his white henley was untucked and soaked through. He had obviously been at it a while. This was not a good sign.
"Are you ok, Dad?" she asked, shyly.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Nathan wanted to know.
"Well, you seem upset and you're chopping wood." Allie stated the obvious.
"I'm fine. I just wanted to finish this load before summer and it gets too hot to chop." Nathan stated.
"umm-hmm." Allie said, and sat down on the edge of the porch. "If you say so, Dad." she looked at him for a few seconds, and then asked, "Did you run into Elizabeth?"
"No, Allie. I promise." he said.
"But, the only time you chop wood like that, with that tense, hurt face, is when you are jealous or when she did something hurtful." Allie decided to just put it out there. She had to know if he was okay, and if Elizabeth was to blame.
"Allie, that's ridiculous. I chop wood all the time." Nathan tried to reason with her.
"But, not with that face, Dad. I know that face." Allie was in full-out protective mode now.
Nathan looked down at his feet, feeling defeated. She knew him too well, and didn't want to worry her. "Allie, I just had a disappointment at work, that's all. I thought I had a chance at a new case, but as it turns out, I never had a chance at all. It was already given to someone else." he told a partial truth, tucked inside a metaphor.
"You are sure, it has nothing to do with Elizabeth?" she clarified.
"I promise." Nathan replied with his right hand raised, "I haven't spoken to her in months."
"Ok, I believe you." Allie paused, "Dad, you are the best Mountie in Alberta. If they gave the case to someone else, it's their loss. You would have done it better. I'm sorry you are disappointed." she said, and she came down the stairs and hugged him. Though after a milli-second, she backed away from him a little and said, "eeeewwww" when she realized how sweaty he was. They both erupted into laughter.
"Shall I get started on some dinner, Dad?" Allie asked.
"That would be great, Allie. I'll just stack this up, and then I'll join you. You can tell me all about your day." He said, and she headed back into the house.
Nathan was so glad to have Allie. Whenever things looked down, she was there to cheer him up, and get him laughing. Nathan was her rock, and she was his cheering squad. Everything they had been through, they had been through together, at each other's side. And, more than that, they had each other's back.
Nathan decided then and there, to shake off the gloom, and go inside and enjoy his daughter.
Coming in the door, he said, "Allie, tomorrow is Saturday and I'm off, shall we go for a ride in the morning? Maybe do some fishing? I can pack a picnic?"
"That would be great, Dad." she said, chopping vegetables for a soup.
Nathan washed up and joined her, chopping potatoes and carrots. "Tell me about your day." he said, and she began sharing with him all the fun, and boring, events of her day. He listened intently, smiling, thinking how lucky a man, he truly was.
After getting Jake settled at the Saloon, Julia had given him a little tour of the Hope Valley. The last stop had been the infirmary, where she had introduced him to Faith. Much to her surprise, he had shown a lot of interest in her place of work, and then she took him to her little apartment. He thought it as cozy and nice, and liked to think of her just across the street from the Mountie office. She would be safe there. You don't know the half of it, Julia thought to herself.
Faith and Fiona had asked the two of them to join for dinner at the café, and she wanted to freshen up before. She looked at the time and realized she would have to be quick. Jake told her he would wait in the infirmary, and left her to it. She washed quickly and changed her blouse. She added some blush and perfume, and let some of her hair down. When she came back over to the infirmary to meet Jake, he was talking to Faith, and being a little bit flirtatious. She would have to talk to him about that later.
When the three of them entered the café, Fiona had already reserved two tables pushed together. Mike had also joined them, and they both stood when the trio entered.
"Hello, everyone. I would like to introduce you to my big brother, Jacob Matthews. But, he prefers to be called Jake." Julia paused and started from the left. "Jake, this is Mike Hickam, Fiona Miller, and you already met Faith."
"Nice to meet you," Jake said. "Thanks for letting me join you."
Fiona asked, "Where do you live and what do you do, Jake?"
"Well, I'm a Mountie and I'm posted just outside of Edmonton, in a little town called Spruce Grove." he said. "I've been there about a year now." Jake paused. "What about you, Mike?"
"I work at Gowen Petroleum, doing a myriad of different jobs. Whatever needs to be done." Mike replied.
"A jack of all trades?" Jake joked.
"Exactly. Fiona has started working there too, so the business is growing." Mike said.
"And, I also run the barbershop in town." Fiona said. "So, if you need a trim while you're here, come see me."
Clara arrived then to give them the specials. "Hello, everyone. The special today is meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and our pie this evening is peach".
"Thanks, Clara. I'd like to introduce you to my brother, Jake Matthews." Julia said, motioning to her brother.
Jake put out his hand, and Clara shook it. "I'm Clara Flynn, very nice to meet you. I hope you will feel at home in Hope Valley."
She returned to the kitchen for a few minutes, dropped off a few plates, and then came back to take their order.
Many of the friendly Hope Valley residents came over to introduce themselves, when they saw a newcomer among the group. Julia thought Jake had met just about everyone in town, except of course, Nathan and Allie.
The evening progressed with friendly banter, lots of laughs and jokes, and plenty of fun. Julia counted herself blessed to have landed among these friends here in Hope Valley. And, dinner was so good, Jake happily finished off what she couldn't manage. Bill came out at the end of the night to meet Jake as well. He knew quite a few Mounties in and around Edmonton. And he, like Jake, had completed his training at Fort Garry, though many years before. Jake was sure he had heard the name Bill Avery before, he would ask around and see what tall tales were still floating around about him.
Bill of course, laughed at that comment, and warned, "Don't be too sure those stories are true."
At the end of the evening, Fiona suggested they all meet in the Saloon on Monday night, for a "Social Club". She had been wanting to organize it for some time, and with so many new faces, the timing seemed perfect. The group all agreed, and made plans to meet back up on Monday evening, and parted ways with friendly good-byes.