Chapter 13. The Question
On Wednesday morning, Julia was up early. She couldn't get back to sleep, she had been thinking about last night, and Rosemary and Lee. She decided to take a walk, and sort out her thoughts.
It was early, so she went far. Her field was still in bloom, and it was full of blues and purples now. She walked about halfway across, picked a few flowers, and decided to turn around.
Julia was nearly back in Hope Valley, when she heard horse hooves behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the streak of red, about the time Nathan rode up next to her.
"Need a lift?" he said as he looked down at her. Julia half gasped, half laughed loudly, her hand not quite making it to her mouth in time. What escaped was a loud surprised giggle that brought a big smile to Nathan's face. Of course, his little joke was referring to their ride back from the cabin, her third day in Hope Valley. She had tried to forget the image of how they must have looked riding into Hope Valley on Newton, seated together, all those weeks ago.
"Very funny." she said, with an embarrassed smile, at the memory. Julia glanced down and then looked back up at him, "But, no, thank you, I don't need a ride. Turns out I have a great riding instructor, and I can ride on my own, now." She returned his joke.
"Now all you need is your own horse." He ventured.
"Is your's for sale, because he's the one I really want?" Julia joked, looking at Newton.
"Sorry, Miss Matthews, I can't part with my horse." Nathan said smiling, and then added, "Even for you." She blushed then and wondered what he meant by that. They walked a little bit farther, next to each other, him on the horse and her on the ground.
"Got big plans for tonight, for the last night in town with Jake?" Nathan asked.
"Surprisingly, no." She looked up at him, squinting. Julia's face looked suddenly disappointed as she looked down at the flowers in her hand. "He has plans with Faith. He asked her to dinner." Nathan looked shocked, and hoped that Julia's feelings weren't hurt.
"Isn't that a bit soon?" he asked.
Julia looked up at him, and pointed her finger straight at him. "That's exactly what I said!" she said, a little too emphatically. Nathan was sure she was upset. Julia took a deep breath, and Nathan dismounted. He walked next to her, leading Newton behind him.
"Are you okay with that?" Nathan asked gently.
She looked far down the path as she replied, "Well, he says they are just going as friends. So, I guess so." Julia paused. "I think I was just excited for the last night hang out. And, I know Faith isn't ready for anything real anyway. I just don't want him to get hurt, even if he does say he's keeping it light, and it's just to cheer her up. He might be a tough Mountie, but has a big heart underneath, just like you." Julia realized what she'd said a little too late. But, she didn't relent, she just kept walking.
Nathan wasn't sure he had heard right, but he was watching her to find out. She didn't come back and cover her tracks, she just left the statement out there. She thought he had a big heart.
"Anyway, I'm no expert on dating etiquette." Julia said.
"How long are you normally supposed to wait before asking someone to dinner?" Nathan asked.
"I have no idea." she laughed, and looked at him, shaking her head. "They should make a manual to help us all out."
They walked for a little while more, and when they were almost back at the church, she decided she would take the way by the pond.
"I think I'm going to head back by the pond, and the little dock." Julia stated. Nathan nodded. "I'll see you in town?" she asked.
Nathan stopped walking then, and turned to her. She stopped too. "I'm sorry you are disappointed, Julia." Nathan offered. "And, I do hope to see you in town, next time with your smile back, I hope?"
Julia looked at him and nodded. "Thank you, Nathan. It means a lot." She turned off towards the pond, and he remounted and headed back to the livery.
The morning was really slow at the infirmary. Finally, Fiona came by about 11 a.m. and took the photo of Julia in front of the infirmary. Nathan was across the street in his office, and saw them out his window. Julia looked so beautiful standing there in her nurse's uniform, under the sign. He could tell that she wasn't very happy about having a photo taken, and he wondered what Rosemary had done to get Julia to agree.
Later in the afternoon, Jake came by and Julia went for coffee with him at the café. It was nice to have the catch up time. Julia was really going to miss him when he left on Thursday.
Later that evening, Julia sat out back on her little porch. She had her legs propped up on a chair and her hair up in a messy bun. She was comfortably reading and drinking a tea, when Nathan walked up.
Julia looked up from her book as he approached. "Nathan." she said. She immediately put her feet down from the other chair, and stood in greeting. When he looked like he might stay, she motioned for him to take the chair across from her.
"Good evening, Julia." He said, taking her in, in her relaxed element. Hair tied up, with tendrils falling loosely all around her face.
"Would you like a tea?" she offered.
"No I can't stay too long. I just finished my rounds, but I wanted to check on you. Are you feeling any better?" Nathan asked.
"I am feeling much better, thank you. I'm sorry I was not myself earlier. I just needed to process… things." Julia tried to explain.
Nathan nodded and said, "Julia, you don't need to explain to me. Just be yourself."
Julia smiled shyly at him and said, "Thank you, Nathan. The same goes for you...always."
Julia held up her tea cup. "I'm going to get a refill, are you sure you don't want one?"
"Ok, sure." Nathan said. Julia stood and went inside. He looked down at the book that she had been reading and left in her chair. No Coward Soul is Mine by Emily Bronte. Poetry. She came back out a few minutes later, carrying a tray with two teas, milk, sugar, and some cookies.
Julia set the tray on a makeshift table she had made by setting a huge log on it's end.
"Do you take milk or sugar?" she asked.
"Just a little milk, please." Nathan said, and Julia served a little milk in his tea. She did the same for her's.
"I wonder how the date is going?" Julia said, half joking and with a little giggle.
"Do you know where they went?" Nathan asked.
"Why, you want to go spy on them?" Julia said with a mischievous smile. They both laughed at the thought. "I hope you know, I'm kidding." she paused. "I actually don't know where they went, I didn't ask. I was actually shocked that Faith said yes."
Nathan surmised, "Maybe Faith figures he's leaving soon, and his attention is a welcome distraction from her broken heart."
Julia responded, "Faith doesn't seem the kind to date around, although I have come to expect it from my brother."
"So you don't agree with his dating philosophy?" Nathan asked, curious.
Julia answered, "Well, I've become aware of a few different approaches to dating. One of them seems to be to go out often, keep it casual and light, sort of "try out" lots of different people, in search of the right one. Lots of my fellow nurses in Calgary had this philosophy, as does my brother, apparently."
"And what is your argument against this method, Jules?" Nathan asked.
Julia thought for a minute and answered carefully, "Something about it doesn't feel right to me. I just wonder how my future love would feel if he knew I'd been out to dinner with half of Alberta trying to find him. How special would that make our first date?" She wrinkled her nose, shrugged, and looked at Nathan, "What about you, what's your dating policy, Constable?"
He answered, "My dating policy is that I'm a single father, and that doesn't leave much room for dating." Nathan chuckled. "But I do believe in true love and hope to find it one day." He gave her his crooked smile. "Surely, you must have been asked out often in that big hospital in Calgary?"
Julia answered, "I went out with a few guys in Halifax and in Calgary. My father used to say that when you find the right person, you just know." She paused and drank some tea. "I think when the person is not right for you, you know that right away, too. There's no click, no spark. I guess that in holding true to that standard, I haven't dated a lot. Not a lot of sparks." she concluded, drinking more tea.
"That sounds like a pretty good dating philosophy to me." Nathan smiled at her, enjoying his tea, and this conversation.
"My dad was a boat engineer, and he liked my mom from the moment he first saw her. She worked at her family's restaurant, a cute little café overlooking the water in Peggy's Cove. The problem was, she was only 16 when they first met, and her dad had forbidden her to date until she was 17." Julia paused and drank. "No worries for my father, though, he just keep coming by the café, every single day, to see her. The manager of the restaurant couldn't turn away a paying customer. So, that's how they "dated."" She paused. "Isn't it romantic?" She smiled at him. "When she turned 17, they finally got to go on their first date. And, they were married a short time later."
Nathan smiled, liking that story. He said, "Wow, who can compete with that?"
"I wish I could have seen them together." She said, looking down into her tea cup. "Sadly, I don't remember my mother."
"Maybe your brother would have some more stories for you. He would have been nine years old when she passed, right?" Nathan asked.
"Yes, he would have been nine. I should ask him more about what he can remember." Julia smiled.
Julia looked at him and realized he was about to change the subject.
"Julia, I came by because first, I wanted to check on you." Nathan paused, "But also, to ask if we can please reschedule our riding lesson, the one we were supposed to have on Friday? I received a telegram a short time ago. I've been assigned a tracking mission and I need to leave first thing in the morning."
"Sure. It's no problem at all. How long will you be gone?" Julia asked.
"I should be back by Sunday night. Five other Mounties are already on their way here, and our team of six will ride out in the morning. I will lead the mission." Nathan explained. "Please forgive me for rescheduling."
"Nathan, please don't apologize." Julia chided him. "I completely understand, and we can find time to reschedule the lesson, once you are back." she suddenly looked worried, and swallowed hard, "Is the mission…dangerous?"
"It shouldn't be. The men we are tracking are criminals, but are not particularly dangerous. And, we will be six to their three, so strength and safety are in our favor." Nathan assured her, taken by surprise that she would be worried about him. He smiled reassuringly, and her worry seemed to dissipate somewhat.
"What about Allie?" She asked him, wanting to make sure Allie had someone watching after her.
"She stays with the Weiss' family when I'm gone. That's her friend, Opal's family." he explained.
"Please tell her if she gets lonely, she can stop in and see me at the infirmary." Julia said.
Nathan nodded, appreciating her offer. "I will. And, I appreciate that, Julia."
He stood to go, but then suddenly looked indecisive, and terribly nervous. Nathan sat back down, and looked across at her.
"Julia, I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to leave until I ask you something." He paused but kept his gaze fixed on her. There was an intensity suddenly there that she didn't recognize. "When I get back from my mission, would you have dinner with me?"
Julia smiled softly and simply said, "Yes."
Nathan smiled too, but wanted to make sure, so he asked it again as a question, "Yes?"
She said it again, with a little laugh, "Yes."
He looked at her with his crooked smile, and suddenly couldn't stop…smiling.
"Ok." Nathan said, "well, I'll see you when I get back then, Jules."
"Please be careful, Nathan." Julia replied.
"Always." he answered. "Good night, Julia." And, he stood.
"Good night, Nathan." she said, and Nathan turned and walked towards home. He didn't stop smiling the entire way. Even when he came in the door, when Allie saw his face and the huge smile, she knew right away something good had happened with Julia. And, she started smiling, too.