Chapter 82. Steamy Phone Call

Friday flew by at the infirmary. Clara stopped by and dropped off the wedding dress catalogs and magazines. She and Julia set a time to meet together on Tuesday at the dress shop. And Julia was very happy to hear that Clara had asked Rosemary to come for the fitting, as she would very much like to have Rosemary's input as well.

Julia spent the afternoon flipping through the pages of the magazines, whenever she got the chance, sometimes in between patients.

There was so much to think about in planning a wedding. But, she didn't want any of the pomp and circumstance, just simply her and Nathan. She resolved herself right then and there to make sure the wedding reflected them. She determined to keep the focus on the main thing, which was their love. So, she started another list. Things in order of importance, and she decided she would work down the list, slowly. And, hopefully that would keep her focus on what was most important: their union and the expression of their love.

The rest was just details, and if all the details didn't make it into the wedding, that would be just fine.

In the evening, Julia was due at Nathan's house for dinner with Archie and Allie. Though, after her shift ended at the infirmary, she stuck around because Nathan had mentioned he might call.

She sat and flipped through another magazine, with two lists sitting in front of her. First, there was the list of responses from their previous call on Wednesday. Secondly, there was her list of possible honeymoon destinations. A third list sat farther away on the right hand corner of her desk, and on that one, she jotted down random things she saw in the magazines. Then, in her top desk drawer, there was still her list of priorities. She let out a long deep breath, thinking about all these annoying lists. When had she become such a list maker?

Luckily, with a jolt, the shrill ring of the telephone broke her moment of introspection.

Julia smiled happily and picked it up.

"Hope Valley Infirmary." She called out.

Florence's happy sing-song voice met her, with the words she'd been waiting all day long to hear. "Julia, I have Inspector Grant on the line for you."

"Please put him through, Florence." Julia called out with great anticipation.

"I thought you might say that." Florence replied, with a giggle.

"Hello? Jules?" Nathan's voice was like a honey balm. Julia heard Florence's click.

"Hello, my love." And because she knew he would like to hear it again, she beat him to it. Julia rasped softly, "My sweet, sweet love. How are you?"

Julia was sure she heard him swallow hard. "I'm good, now that I hear your voice. And, when you call me that…" Nathan voice trailed off.

"You are my love, my one and only true love, Nathan Grant. Don't forget it. Write it on the tablet of your heart. You are my forever love." She told him, with conviction. He wanted to ingest her words till they were a part of him, so beautiful were they to hear. He had been missing her excessively today. He'd needed to hear her voice.

He finally managed to rasp out, "And, you are my one true love. Always."

Julia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her heart rate quickened at his words. She knew she needed to catch her breath if they were going to get to any of their lists on this call. Or maybe they should just throw all caution to the wind and spend all their time talking about their love. She certainly would be happy hearing tender endearments from this man who owned her heart so wholly and completely.

He too, seemed to be struggling at where to go from here.

Finally, Julia ventured. "My love? Shall I read to you from my list?" She tried to think of something to reel her emotions back in, and dial down the fire that was obviously burning between them, even from across the wire. Moving to the practicalities seemed like the best course of action.

A raspy "Yes," was all he managed. So, she started.

First things first. "I talked to Joseph, for a wedding date. He says the 7th or the 14th both work well for him. He may be out of town later in September." She reported back.

"The 7th, then." Nathan told her, his voice still raw and gruff.

"Ok. I'm writing that down." Julia said with a little smile. She couldn't wait to be married to him, either.

"He said he does premarital counseling, and was glad I asked, because he won't marry us without it." She reported back to him with a little chuckle. "He requires at least three sessions, before he will perform any marriage ceremony. But, he would love to do our sessions together with Minnie, and we can schedule four to six meetings in August."

Nathan liked that. He would love to have both Minnie and Joseph speak into their lives and relationship. What a great idea, to glean from this sweet couple, before he and Julia started their life together.

Nathan's voice started to sound normal again, "That sounds wonderful, Julia. I will have my first group of trainees from the 5th of August, but I'm sure we can work it out. Why don't you schedule the first two sessions between Saturday the 27th, and when my guys arrive on the 5th? Could we fit two sessions in already, during that time?" He wondered.

"I can ask. I'll speak with Joseph and see what we can come up with." Julia told him. She was excited about meeting with Minnie and Joseph.

But, wait a minute, did they just set their wedding date? Julia's heart rate picked up at the thought.

Nathan voice betrayed him again. "What about the honeymoon?"

She heard the emotion in his voice and tried to keep it light. "Do you have any idea how long we could go on honeymoon, Nathan? How much time would you be allowed to take off work?" That was a good question. He hadn't thought about that.

"I'm not sure. I think the typical allowance is two weeks for honeymoon. But, I'll inquire with Commander Collins. He's my direct supervisor now, as director of the training program." Nathan replied. Then he thought of Julia, and the infirmary. "What about you, how long can you take?"

"I spoke with Faith, and she proposed two weeks." Julia told him. "I think two weeks is wonderful." He did too.

"Okay, well, based off a timeframe of two weeks, where could we go?" Nathan asked. "What's on your list?"

"No." Julia said softly. "You first. What destinations are on your list?" She asked curiously.

"Okay. Well, my list is pretty short. We both mentioned interest in the Grand Canyon once, while playing One Question. I like the idea, but it's very far away. We would spend most of our honeymoon on trains or other forms of transport, traveling there and back. And, if we only get two weeks...The same goes for San Francisco, and the other cities in California that I wrote on my list. You have already been to Niagara Falls." He seemed to be crossing destinations off his list pretty fast. "The B.C. coast could be a beautiful option, though again, travel times would be long." He surmised. He was really not good at such a task, perhaps she had better ideas. "What's on your list, Jules?"

"There's only one place on my list, Nathan." She told him softly.

"One place?" He questioned, surprised.

She realized how that sounded. "Not because I am trying to insist, or I have my heart set on it. Please don't get me wrong. But because I have thought a lot about it. It's some place not that far, so travel times wouldn't take up so much of our honeymoon. I think it could be just perfect."

Nathan paused and took that in. What was a popular destination not that far from Hope Valley? "You've peaked my interest." He was curious.

Julia giggled softly. "I was wondering if it would be an option to honeymoon on the ranch in Airdrie?" She paused and let that sink in. "We could ride horses all day, and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, and you could show me every acre of the ranch. Early September the weather would still be nice, maybe even warm. You could show me where you grew up."

Nathan was quiet and wistful now, imagining himself riding beside her over the rolling hills of the ranch. The image made his heart seize. He piped in, thoughtful, "Hmm. I was already planning to ask Mom to stay after the wedding, to keep Allie, while we are on honeymoon. So if she stays, we'd have the ranch house to ourselves. It would be just us."

She loved the sound of that. "We could take excursions and day trips in the area, and I can discover Alberta. I'm only familiar with Hope Valley and the city of Calgary, so far. So, I could see and visit more of Alberta." Nathan loved the idea.

Julia added, "And, it would be less expensive than some fancy trip, when we have so much to think about with building the house, already. I know we haven't talked about any of the expenses for the house yet, but I imagine it will be a lot to pay for. The land, the materials, the lumber, and the construction of our big white dream house."

Nathan was quiet for a moment. "Julia, don't worry about the money. There are things we need to talk about, in that respect, before we are married. But until we have that conversation, let me put it like this: don't let money influence your decision. We only get one honeymoon." Julia got the feeling once again, that money was not an issue for Nathan. He was an intelligent, smart guy, and had obviously done well with his resources. And, she had no idea how things worked with the ranch, but he had mentioned once that he was part owner.

Nathan added, "But, if Airdrie is where you really want to go, I would love to take you. I love the idea, actually." He told her, honestly.

Julia smiled through the phone, "Like I said, it's the only place on my list. It's a part of who you are, Nathan. And I'd love to see it. And experience it, with you."

Nathan would very much love to experience where Julia came from, and to see her home as well. "It's too bad we couldn't go to Peggy's Cove." He told her quietly. Oh how she longed for home sometimes, and she would very much love to take him.

Julia replied, thoughtful. "Honestly, I thought long and hard about Peggy's Cove, too. But, I was hoping we might consider going there next summer. If we could both get more time off, we could go for a month or more. And, take Allie." Julia paused, "Nathan, I wouldn't want to go there without Allie. I would love for her to be with us, and for it to be a family trip."

He was quiet for a long time. He loved the idea of Airdrie, and he loved her idea of Peggy's Cove. He loved all her ideas. He was hit with an overwhelming assurance that this woman was exactly what he needed. What he had always wanted. She was quite simply perfect for him.

He finally responded in a raspy emotional voice, "I love it, Jules. I love all of your ideas." He paused. "Are you sure you don't want something more fancy for our honeymoon? A nice hotel? Room service? Or a butler?"

Julia took a deep breath. "When I dream of our honeymoon…"

"Wait." He interrupted her, gently. "You dream of our honeymoon?"

"Don't you?" Julia asked him softly.

He certainly had, since their last phone call. He couldn't help himself but imagine being married to her. He couldn't wait. "Yes." He rasped gruffly.

She heard his voice change and was so glad that so much distance separated them, as they spoke of such things. She wasn't sure her restraint would be so strong if he were standing before her. "Well, when I dream about our honeymoon, we are in a quiet, secluded place, far away from anyone else, and it's just you and me. No one to bother us and no distractions. We only have to enjoy each other's company, be together, and do life together." She told him, simply. Then she added in a whisper, "I like that."

He was quiet as he considered her words. It sounded absolutely perfect to him, too. "I like that, too." He told her.

Nathan would need to speak to his mother about the possibility. She would certainly come for the wedding. He would need to ask her to stay longer and take care of Allie, while he and Julia went to the ranch. After the wedding, Charlie would probably need to return to work, but he didn't live at the ranch, and would work mostly out on the property or in the barn. They probably wouldn't see much of him. It could work out perfectly. What a wonderful idea. He loved it, truly.

"I guess when two introverts plan a honeymoon, they don't want to see people?" Nathan said with a chuckle.

Julia giggled back at him. "I think after all the wedding hoopla and seeing so many people, and all the crowd, a quiet place, just you and me, will be just perfect."

Nathan couldn't agree more. He hadn't considered the crowd they'd have at the wedding, or how busy those days would be, but she had considered it all. He sure didn't want to spend his honeymoon in a huge crowd, either way. A quiet honeymoon sounded wonderful.

"You can show me the stream that Colleen loved, and the rolling hills, and the barn. You said it yourself that Autumn is just beautiful there. And, Archie told me the same thing." She ventured. She really had thought it all out. "We can pack picnics and ride all day. And at night…"

Nathan swallowed hard. He was glad there were so many many miles between them when she said that. He was sure it had been a slip up, but one that made his heart race and his blood run hot.

She tried to recover. "I mean…I meant...In the evenings we can cook dinner together, and sit together, by the fire."

There was only one fire on his mind now. He needed to change the subject and fast.

He tried hard to make his voice sound normal. "There are a few nice restaurants and cafes in Airdrie, in the little town. It's not far by horse or wagon." Nathan told her. "And there's a hike up to a waterfall not far away. I'd love to take you."

Julia suddenly heard a few men's voices in the background behind Nathan. The guys waiting for the phone were getting restless. She and Nathan had been talking for quite a while.

"Jules, I might need to go, and relinquish the phone to the next guy missing his girl." He told her sadly. She could hear the unrest behind him.

"Ok, my love. But let me leave you with this." Julia took a deep breath. "Nathan, the more I know you, the more I want to know. And, the idea of Airdrie came about because I want to know you more. It's a part of who you are, and I want to discover everything about it, with you. If not on our honeymoon, then another time. Whenever you want." She paused. "Joseph said the wedding and honeymoon is what brings a husband and wife together as one. My desire is that wherever we go on honeymoon, whatever we do, we become closer. I want to be one with you."

His mouth went completely dry at her words. It took him more than a few seconds to recover. Finally, he took a few deep breaths, ran his fingers through his hair and answered. "I want that too, my darling. More than anything else in the world." And it was true. One hundred percent. He wanted this woman so much, wanted to be married to her, and wanted to be closer to her, with each and every breath he took.

"I love you, Jules." Nathan rasped gruffly. He realized he was sweating heavily, and needed to cool off.

"And I love you, Lawman." She told him, breathless. "Will you call me again, my love?" Julia was already looking forward to the next call, if she would ever be able to cool down from this one.

"Yes." He answered shortly. "I will try on Sunday night." He told her, still trying to catch his breath.

"Ok, my love. Until then." She answered, her voice still raw with emotion.

"Good bye, my darling." He answered, and she stayed on the line till she heard the click. Then she sat back in her chair, picked up a patient file, and fanned herself. They should definitely not talk about this subject again, at least not until their wedding night.

Saturday, between the busy morning and the busy afternoon, Julia met Rosemary for lunch, in the cafe. They talked about everything baby and wedding, which made for a very nice time. Rosemary had many good ideas and was talented at design, and Julia was happy to have her input, related to the wedding. In fact, Julia took down a lot of notes as Rosemary spoke and threw ideas out there.

By the end of the lunch, Julia was very much looking forward to having Rosemary there on Tuesday, for her first look at wedding dresses.

When Julia returned to the infirmary after lunch, there was a letter waiting for her, on her desk. She gasped happily and grabbed it up. She glanced at the clock and still had 15 minutes before Faith came back. She rushed over to her apartment, sat down in her chair, and ripped open the envelope.

My Dearest Julia,

Thank you for your letter. It was so wonderful to read your sentiments. But, I am forever convinced that I am the blessed one. No matter what you say, you will never convince me otherwise, my darling. And, I agree wholeheartedly with your father's words: when it's right, it's right. And, you are the right one for me, of this I am sure.

To give you an update from here, everything is going well. On Friday afternoon, I will take my Inspector examination, in the form of a long written test. The promotion ceremony is on Sunday, and after that, I will officially be an inspector. My physical training, which is just a formality, starts on Saturday morning at 5 a.m.

I am still counting down the days until I get to hold you again. As I write this, it's Thursday. That means only 9 more days. By the time you read this, though, it will be even less.

Mark my words, Julia Matthews, I will hold you long and thoroughly when I see you. And I just might kiss you a lot. We have a lot of time to make up for, and I intend to make up for all of it.

I love you, my dearest Julia. You are the wife of my dreams, and I can't wait until you are Mrs. Grant.

Your true love,

Nathan

At Mountie HQ, in the mess hall, when the mail call came around, Nathan heard his name. He shot up from his chair and walked toward the Mountie delivering the mail. It was the same young man from Wednesday.

He quickly recognized Nathan, even though he was dressed in a physical training uniform. The postman mischievously raised the letter to his nose and gave it a good sniff. "I'm keeping this one." The younger man joked.

Nathan smiled timidly, and several guys nearby, who witnessed the exchange, joined the brotherly teasing.

"Hey, send that letter over here!" One told the postman.

"We'd like to get a whiff, too." Another young man said.

"Yea, let me smell that envelope." A third one piped in. Nathan just calmly put one hand out and playfully shook his head.

Somehow in the teasing, the name on the address line of the envelope caught the young postman's eye. Inspector Nathan Grant. All at once his face fell, and he quickly relinquished the letter. The young postman apologized at a high enough volume, so the others could hear. "I'm very sorry about all that, sir. Here you are, Inspector." When the other young men realized that Nathan was an inspector, they quickly apologized.

Nathan chuckled, as he took the envelope. "Don't be so worried, fellas. I won't officially be an inspector until Sunday."

The young men looked relieved that the inspector-to-be was such a good sport, and they went back to talking among themselves. Nathan excused himself and quickly walked back to his room. He sat down and opened the envelope.

My dearest love,

I love receiving your letters. I read them over and over again when I miss you. You have such a way with words, and I can almost hear you whispering them into my ear.

I asked Jake about your roommate. He knows Timothy! Jake had heard about his promotion, and said that he's a real stand up guy. Jake asked that you please pass Timothy his sincere congratulations.

On Friday evening, I'm going to your house for dinner, with Archie and Allie. Then, on Saturday night, Allie is coming for a sleepover at my apartment. I'm very excited. We are going to make cupcakes and play games.

My love, I miss your handsome smile, and your strong arms. I know I've told you this before, but your touch does things to me. You are so strong, yet so tender. Just one of the many wonderful things about you.

It's late here, so I'll sign off now. Though rest assured, as I lay my head down, I will be dreaming of you.

I love you, Nathan Grant. Take care of yourself and come home to me quickly.

All my love,

J

Nathan slowly folded the letter and placed it carefully into the envelope. He took in the scent of her one more time before placing the letter securely under his pillow. He looked at the clock and hurried out to complete the rest of his physical training, for today.