Chapter 126: A Talk Between Two Pillows
Once again, Nathan woke early, and he woke with Julia in his arms. He watched the slow rhythmic rise and fall of her shoulders, as her breath fell lightly on his chest. And he snuggled in a little closer, breathing in the scent of her hair, as he did. He loved waking up to her, and was certain this would never get old.
But he looked toward the window, was almost disappointed when he saw light already peaking in around the curtains, which meant he needed to check. So, slowly, without rousing her, Nathan managed to untangle himself and stand up. He looked around the room for his trousers, took him a little while to find them, and he fished out his pocket watch. 6:05 a.m. Whew, they still had some time before their 8 am train, and their breakfast delivery, which he had scheduled for 6:45.
Nathan glanced back over at the bed, where Julia lay sleeping. He turned to face her, unable to take his eyes off of her now. She was laying on her side, still facing his side of the bed, where he had been only minutes before. The covers were just barely covering her chest, and her arms were extended out towards where he had been laying. And oh, her legs. Her legs were sticking out, bare and beautiful. He must have uncovered them when he'd gotten up. Wow. Those legs. He had no idea how sexy a woman's legs could be, until he'd seen all of hers. Perhaps this was why women insisted on covering them, because they made a man's senses go completely out the window. Or perhaps it was just Julia's legs that made him crazy - because her's were about as close to perfect as he could imagine.
Nathan stuck his hand in the bathtub. The water was cool, and somehow he thought that was just what he needed. So he slid his body inside, and went completely under the water. He came up refreshed, grabbed the soap, and washed. Then he went completely under again and rinsed. When he came out of the bath, he found the towels right where they'd left them last night. And he was just toweling off his hair, when he glanced over and realized Julia was propped up on elbow, watching him - and he had no idea for how long.
She smiled at him, threw back the few covers, and moved to her open suitcase. She found her silk robe, put it on, and turned. When she did, she found Nathan just standing there, watching her now, with that crooked smile, and his towel tied around his waist.
She didn't miss a beat, but walked right up and kissed him. Then she pulled back just a little and searched his face. "Good morning, my love." He smelled so good, like Cedar soap, and his hair was all wet and wavy. She reached up and ran her fingers through, pushed a few pesky curls back off of his forehead. "You took another swim?" She teased.
He nodded slowly, leaned down and kissed her again. He told her against her lips. "I needed to cool off."
Julia giggled and looked into his eyes. "Did it work?"
"It did until you walked over here." He told her with a light chuckle.
She glanced at the bath, still full, and long since cool. It did look enticing. So, she took a small step back and tied up her hair. Next, she removed her silk robe and playfully hooked it over Nathan's arm. And she slid into the water. From the bath, when she finally looked back up at him, he was still standing right there, watching her.
When Julia was satisfied and refreshed, she stood up to exit the bath. "Lawman, would you mind?" She motioned towards her towel bunched up on the floor.
Nathan moved quick but flirty. He grabbed the towel, and held out the two ends for her, his entire wingspan. And she smiled, stepped out of the bath, and turned as he wrapped it around her. When she turned back a half step towards him, he smiled down at her and jested. "I think I'm really gonna like being married to you."
And Julia laughed out loud - and he laughed with her. And right then, as they laughed together, Nathan knew she was all the fun he ever wanted to have.
But a thought occurred to Julia, one she thought she'd just playfully point out. "One day, I might be big and pregnant, you know. We'll see if you still like watching me bathe then."
He stepped closer, grabbed her under the elbow and told her truly. "Even more so then." She looked deep into his eyes and could see that he meant it. "You would be even more beautiful…carrying our baby."
Julia read the emotion in his eyes, and couldn't quite swallow. She believed him. He would find her beautiful no matter how big or awkward she became. Or how she changed throughout the years. And that made her feel safe, not that she didn't already. She had always felt safe with Nathan Grant. But this was a different kind of safe - an emotional security - that he would always love her no matter what.
Nathan glanced at his pocket watch again, and of course, Julia noticed. "Time to go, Lawman?" She asked just as she had at his row house.
"Our breakfast arrives in 10 minutes." He told her.
"Well what are you waiting for then? Get dressed!" She teased emphatically. And they both rushed to their suitcases, to get dressed for their second long day on a train.
When they got to their sleeper compartment on the train to Airdrie, Nathan immediately pulled out the bed. He was tired and so was Julia. Laying cuddled in each other's arms just sounded good, so that's what they spent the morning doing. Lulled by the gentle rock of the train, Nathan slept a while, and Julia did too. And when she woke up before him, she read.
The porter delivered their lunch around noon. They had asked to dine-in this time, somehow the idea of getting all dressed up for the dining car, just didn't sound appealing.
And so they ate together, in their pajamas, sitting cross legged on the bed, facing each other. It was just what they needed. Nathan didn't even bother to close his pajama top when he handed the porter their tray of dirty dishes. But, he did ask for a big pot of coffee. And it was delivered with a little milk, a detail Nathan hadn't forgotten.
They sipped coffee, sitting up in bed together, side by side. Then Julia picked up her book and continued reading. Nathan cuddled up to her, and laid his head on her stomach. So while she read, she let her fingers play in his hair. In fact, the only time she stopped running her fingers through his hair, was when she had to turn a page. And Nathan enjoyed himself right there, laying on her, savoring her tender touch. And he drifted off to sleep again, just like that.
At some point, Julia had gotten tired, too. So she'd put down her book, turned and snuggled herself into the spoon of his body. And that's how Nathan woke up. Spooning her and smelling the beautiful lily scent of her hair.
She was still sleeping so he didn't move, but closed his eyes again, and stayed there for a long time, holding her and enjoying the softness of her body, cuddled against his. If this was honeymoon bliss, he never wanted it to end.
Later on, when Julia finally did wake up, she glanced behind her and realized Nathan was awake, too. So, she turned to face him, tucking her hand in under her pillow. And they laid there just like that, each on their pillow, a tiny bit of space between them, facing each other.
Julia smiled at him. "I was just dreaming about you." She flirted.
"Really?" He wondered. "What was I doing in this dream of yours?"
She smiled softly. "We were riding. Together. Across a big green pasture, at the ranch."
He held one hand up between them, and she seemed to understand. She placed the palm of her hand flat against his, and he threaded their fingers together. And so, he held her hand, on the bed, in the space between them.
She brought her gaze back to his. And implored him softly, "Tell me about the ranch."
He took a deep breath and opened himself, like a book. There wasn't anything he wouldn't share with her, no, not a single thing. "The ranch has been in my family for a long time. I've told you that much before. My grandfather Sullivan bought it, and built it, and made it great. By the sweat of his brow." Julia could see the pride in Nathan's eyes, for his Grandpa Sully. "He named it Aisling Ranch, which in Irish, means dream."
Julia's mouth fell open slightly. She'd never heard it called that before. "Aisling." She tried it out. "That's so pretty."
"It is. The ranch is beautiful, Jules. I can't wait for you to see it. I want to show you all of it." He smiled softly at her, and squeezed her hand between them. And added something, that revealed an obvious sensitive spot for him. "What's left of it."
"And I want to see it all, to know all of it, Nathan." She told him, and somehow he knew she wasn't just talking about the ranch. "Every acre."
He smiled shyly. "I've mentioned before, it's smaller than it used to be."
Julia nodded, could see it was still a point of shame for him. How she wished she could take that shame away.
Nathan continued, softer now. "Mom had to sell off a big chunk, to get Archie out of trouble. To get our family out of trouble." Interesting, his Dad was suddenly Archie again.
"So you told me." Julia let her other hand come across and touch the arm of the hand she was already holding. Her brow furrowed. "And you feel ashamed."
Nathan couldn't deny it. It would always be a point of shame for him. He didn't say anything. Julia empathized and stated the obvious. "He did a lot of things that hurt you, and Colleen."
Nathan nodded, admitting it. And he hadn't done that often in his life. But there was no use in denying it to Julia, she could already read it on his face. And he didn't want to keep anything from her anyway.
She told him. "I'm sorry, Nathan. I hope this trip will be healing for you. That you can let go of some of that shame. Because, Archie has changed, and you have forgiven him, remember?"
Nathan nodded again, and swallowed hard. He knew it needed to be done. And perhaps Julia was right. Maybe it was time to let go of it, at least, a little bit more.
Julia smiled, and took on a positive air. She encouraged him with an easy tone. "So, Nathan. Focus on the good part, the best part. I hear it's still pretty huge." She reminded him. "Tell me all about what Aisling Ranch is like, today."
Nathan took a deep breath, and smiled at her. Realized what she was doing, and loved her for it. She could see straight into his heart and knew just what he needed. "It's green. Very green. Some of the pastures are so deep green, it's a green that is found only there, on the ranch." He told her.
"The green of home." She whispered. How fitting that green was also the color associated with Ireland.
"Maybe." He smiled at her, his head still on the pillow. "But, I've never seen green as beautiful, anywhere else."
"I can't wait to experience it." She told him.
"Rolling hills of green, horses and cows speckled about, all over them." He told her. She could almost picture it.
"And the streams?" She asked, gazing at him across the small distance between them.
"We have three on the property." He told her. "One we like to call Colleen's stream, the one from her painting." He explained. "And two others." He paused. "One we call Snake River, because it snakes along back and forth, sorta lazy-like." She liked the way his voice changed, and even some of his vocabulary, when he talked about the ranch. He sounded like a real cowboy. She wondered if he had a cowboy hat. He would look real, real good in a cowboy hat.
"And the third stream we call Cupid's stream, because it does a sorta thing at one point that looks like someone shooting a bow and arrow. Of course, it was Grandma Rose who named it." Nathan paused. "And it flows through a little pond, that we call Lover's Lake." He told her with that cowboy drawl. It was funny - sometimes when Nathan spoke with Archie, Julia could almost hear an Irish accent, though she only heard it when Nathan talked to his father. And here, talking about the ranch, he had a cowboy drawl. It was cute. She liked listening to him, and wanted…more.
"Why Lover's Lake?" She asked.
"Because it was my Grandma and Grandpa's favorite place to have romantic picnics." He explained, still holding her hand in the expanse between them.
"And smooch?" She asked playfully, and with a cute giggle.
Nathan laughed from his gut. "I don't know. Maybe they smooched there." He thought that was a funny thing to imagine - his grandma and grandpa smooching. But, they'd been young once, and they were certainly in love. So, there had most certainly been smooching, of that he was sure. If his Grandfather had felt for his Grandmother, even one small measure of what Nathan felt for Julia Grant, they had probably smooched a lot. Nathan liked the way Julia considered things.
"Okay. Tell me more." She asked softly.
"Well, there's the big barn, which you've seen in Colleen's painting." He told her. "And next to the barn, there's a big long stable. It kind of makes an L. And there's a big covered corral in the crook of the L, for training."
Julia could imagine most of it. She smiled.
"There are a few other corrals to the east of the stables. And several paddocks around the barn. And then, several larger pastures farther away." He told her.
She loved listening to him describe his home. She couldn't wait to get there and see it. "And the house?" She asked.
"The house." He smiled. "Colleen and I called it the Cottage." He told her. "Used to be Grandpa's Cottage. Then when he was gone, we just called it the Cottage."
Julia squeezed his hand again. "And the garden?"
Nathan smiled at her. "It's still there. Behind the Cottage."
"And that rose bush in the middle?" Julia wondered.
"It's still alive." He told her. Her mouth fell open just slightly. He nodded for emphasis. "It's woody and doesn't give roses much anymore, but it's still living." He told her.
Julia knew that rose bush must be special. "I read somewhere that rose bushes can live more than fifty years sometimes. It's rare, but it's possible." Julia told him, her head still on the pillow, and her eyes still gazing at him. "Someone in England even documented a rose bush up to a hundred years old, though I'm not sure I believe it."
"Well Grandpa's rose bush is approximately 76 years old now." Nathan told her.
"That's incredible." Julia told him. She had an idea. "Maybe you should document it, and write an article for the Valley Voice. You could sketch the rose bush and tell the story." She paused. "Rosemary would love a story like that."
Nathan scoffed and looked embarrassed. "Julia, I'm not a writer."
She smiled at him. "You would be perfectly capable, Nathan." She told him honestly. "You are very skilled at writing. The letters you wrote to me were beautiful. And you are talented at sketching. You would do a wonderful job."
Nathan smiled crooked, his head still on the pillow. His eyes still fixed on her. "You are biased, Julia."
She told him softly. "No. I just believe in you." Julia told him. "Besides, you re-wrote the Mountie Tracking manual. Doesn't that count as writing?"
He chuckled softly. "But that's all technical terms and Mountie jargon." He told her.
"It still counts." She insisted with a smile. "You are quite adept at writing, even writing from the heart, Lawman."
"That's because I have the right inspiration." He admitted. "You."
Julia let go his hand and placed her's gently on his cheek. "And you are mine." She admitted. It was Nathan, after all, that had inspired her to paint again.
Julia sat up and slowly rose. She went over to her suitcase and pulled out another neatly wrapped box. The bow was a little smooshed, but she didn't care. She carried it over and held it out to Nathan.
He sat up, a little bit surprised, and took it from her. "What's this, Jules?" He asked in his usual way. He really was the worst at accepting gifts.
She sat down next to him. "It's a gift, my love. A wedding gift. Just one of your wedding gifts." She told him quietly.
He looked over at her, sad that their time on the pillows, gazing at each other and talking so deep and open, had come to an end.
But then, his face turned mischievous. He shook the gift and listened. Julia just tilted her head at him. "Should I not do that?" He asked, teasing her now.
She half wanted to take her gift back. "Just open it, Lawman." She said with a chuckle.
He did. Inside was a set of brand-new Venus Drawing pencils, and a leather-bound sketch book. A large one. He looked at her, curious. "I thought you might find some inspiration at the ranch, to sketch again." She told him softly. "And hearing you talk about the roses, perhaps…you would even sketch them." She added.
He leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you, Julia." He told her. "How did you know about Venus pencils?" He asked.
"Jeffrey at the book store in Benson Hills recommended them. He said they are very good and very well-known, supposed to be the best." She told him. "And at the General Store, they were able to order them."
"They are supposed to be very good." Nathan told her, as he opened the box and looked them over. Seventeen drawing pencils in seventeen degrees of black. Useful for drawing, writing, and also very popular amongst architects. Though she probably already knew that.
Then he asked, curious. "You are on a first name basis with the bookstore owner now?"
She smiled shy. "Yes. He's very nice, and very knowledgeable." She admitted. "And very old." She added to remind him.
"Yes, he is. But he's only ever let me call him Mr. Worthington." Nathan told her with a cute smile. "For all the money I've spent in there."
"Well, next time you should just tell him that you are Inspector Grant. Because it was when I mentioned that I was engaged to you, that he became more friendly." She told him straight.
He didn't believe her. "I think it was more likely your sweet smile."
"No." She told him with a giggle. "It was definitely when I mentioned you."
He looked down at the nice, thoughtful gift. "Either way. Thank you for this. I love it." He told her and gave her another peck on the lips.
"You're welcome, my love." She told him. "It's not a horse…" She jested with a playful smile. "But, I thought you might like it. And..." She put up one finger. "There is more to come."
Nathan laid the gifts to the side and stood. He pulled Julia up and into his arms, and he held her. After the sweet moment they'd shared on the pillows, all that he'd opened up and talked about, that she'd been interested to know, and her sweet, thoughtful gift, he just wanted to feel her close. So, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into her place. That place where she fit perfectly next to his heart.
And Julia went right into his arms. She hugged him tight, and snuggled into his chest. Right where she felt at home.
Author's Note:
Just a quick note to mention that Aisling is pronounced Ash-ling, in Irish. (for those who are interested to know). I hope you like the name of the ranch as much as I do (;