Stepping from his office, Nathan looked toward the benches placed for those waiting for the stagecoach. As Ally had said she wanted to come into town and meet her grandfather's stage, he was not surprised to see his daughter on the bench. Noticing that she was trying to teach Jack Cat's Cradle as he sat on the bench beside her did surprise him. Beside Jack sat Elizabeth.
His wife had not said she was coming into town today and it was a surprise to see her there. Other than family picnics and church, Elizabeth had stayed close to home since her parents had headed home to Hamilton. Nathan had not pushed her, knowing that she had to start facing the townsfolk again on her own terms.
Still, he was pleased to see that she had come into town to meet his father. Deciding he was not going to try to hide anything from Elizabeth, Nathan did not try to school his features as he headed in the direction of his family.
"This is a pleasant surprise," Nathan commented when Elizabeth looked up at him as he approached the bench where she was sitting.
Though Elizabeth met his gaze briefly, she looked down at her shoes as she spoke. "I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure I was ready to come into town. However, when Ally was getting ready to leave, I suddenly wanted to be here to greet your father. Especially after you so bravely greeted my parents when they showed up unexpectedly."
"Everyone we passed wanted to stop us and say hello," Ally chimed in, holding the yarn on her fingers. "I don't think a walk into town ever took so long."
Nathan knelt down in front of Elizabeth. Reaching out, he placed fingers gently under her chin and raised her head so he could see her eyes.
"How are you doing?" Nathan asked, hoping that the townsfolk had simply greeted Elizabeth and not started asking questions or making speculations. The talk about them and about Elizabeth and Lucas had fizzled out as of late. The few times he did hear people whispering about the situation, he ignored it. It wasn't worth getting upset over. However, he doubted Elizabeth would be able to brush things off quite so easily.
Elizabeth met his gaze. Nathan could see the doubt and vulnerability there, but he also saw something else. Something that he dared hope, was a growing love toward him. Lifting one hand from her lap, his wife placed it gently against his cheek.
"Everyone was very kind to me," Elizabeth assured him.
"Good," Nathan said, even as the sound of an approaching stage coach reached his ears. As Elizabeth lowered her hand, Nathan got to his feet.
"That should be Grandpa's stage coach, Jack!" Ally exclaimed, jumping to her feet as she removed the string from her fingers. Acting younger than her age, Ally bounced slightly on her feet with her excitement.
Seeing Ally excited, Jack was excited too. "Yay!" the boy exclaimed, slipping down off the bench and giving a little hop. He had never met Archie Grant but the fact that his big sister was excited was enough of a reason for Jack to be excited to.
Nathan held his hand out to Elizabeth. As she placed her hand in his, he helped her to her feet. However, as soon as she was standing next to him, Elizabeth let go of his hand. Nathan felt a pang of disappointment but he did not try to hold onto her hand. Just coming into town today to meet his father with them was a big step for Elizabeth. Not holding his hand was not a big deal. What was important were the steps that they had been making in their relationship.
No sooner had that rationalization gone through his mind, then Nathan felt Elizabeth wrap her arm around his upper arm. As the stage coach came into sight, Elizabeth pressed herself against his arm, clearly present. However, Nathan wasn't sure if the action was meant to offer him comfort or to seek comfort from him. Perhaps it was both and perhaps it really didn't matter. He and Elizabeth were here together, with the children to greet his father. That was important to Nathan, even though he had not asked Elizabeth to come into town.
Nathan looked down at Elizabeth and found him gazing up at him. "Thank you," he told her softly.
"My pleasure," Elizabeth told him.
The stage coach came to a stop at the station. A young couple exited the stage coach first. After helping his wife from the coach, the young man turned to take the bags from the driver. After that, the actions of the young couple faded from the Grant's concern as Archie climbed slowly from stage coach, his movements a little stiff from the long ride. No sooner had his feet hit the dirt of Hope Valley's main road then Ally had launched herself at her grandfather.
"I am so glad you are finally here, Grandpa!" Ally exclaimed, her words muffed against him.
"I am happy to be here as well," Archer told her, hugging his granddaughter close. "It is good to be with family again, even if it does mean starting over once again."
"If there is anything you need while getting settled, Dad, just let me know," Nathan told him, trying hard to mask the concern in his voice. Though his father had been doing well these past few years, part of him still worried that if things got too hard, Archie might revert to his old ways.
Archie lifted his head and met his son's gaze. The look in the older man's eyes told him that his father knew what he was thinking. However, instead of hurt or accusation, Nathan saw only regrets in the eyes that met his.
"I will, Son," Archie assured him, even as Ally finally released her grandfather and took a step back.
The tension was broken by, Jack, who had stepped up to Archie as Ally took a step back. "Hello, sir," Jack greeted politely, looking up at the man.
"Well, hello there, my lad," Archie said kneeling down so he was more on Jack's level. "You must be, Jack?"
As Archie conversed with the boy, Nathan turned his attention to the stage coach driver who had been unloading Archie's bags. The bags now sat clustered on the boardwalk nearby. Nathan thanked the man, who then turned to a passenger who was looking to board the stage coach. He noticed his father's saddle among the things and shook his head. The saddle was special to him, and Archie had not even wanted to send it ahead with him and Ally, though Archie had chosen to wait until settled in Hope Valley to get a horse to replace the mare that had passed shortly before Archie had joined him in Calgary.
"You know my name?" Jack asked, the surprise clear.
"Of course I do. Nathan told me about his new family. I have heard quite a few good things about you and your mother."
"Ally said I should ask you if I can call you Grandpa?" Jack asked.
Unsure how to answer the lad, Archie looked up at Elizabeth. There were tears glistening in the old man's eyes as Elizabeth nodded her consent.
"I would be honored for you to call me Grandpa, Jack," Archie told the boy, reaching out to embrace the boy. Jack easily went into Archie embrace.
When Jack stepped back, Archie looked up at Nathan. "Could you give me a hand up, Son? I don't seem to have anything sturdy nearby to help me up."
Slipping his arm from Elizabeth's grasp, Nathan stepped forward and helped his Dad to his feet. Jack meanwhile had gone to his mother. As Nathan turned to properly introduce Elizabeth and his father, he noticed Jack motion to his mother to bend down. Elizabeth obliged, kneeling down so Jack could whisper into her ear. Though Nathan could not hear what Jack asked, he did notice that it brought tears to Elizabeth's eyes. As she wore a sad smile, Nathan hoped they were more happy tears than sad.
"I think you should ask, Nathan," Elizabeth told Jack.
The boy nodded and then came back to Nathan. Without hesitation, Jack looked up at him and said, "I already have a Daddy. Mama said no one will ever take his place when she wanted me to call Lucas, dad, but I couldn't do it. Lucas never seemed to care for me. You are different. May I call you Dad, Nathan?"
Nathan went to speak, but felt the words get caught in his throat. Swallowing hard, he reached down to pick the boy up to buy himself a little time. "Yes, Jack. You can call me Dad if you would like," he finally managed to say, looking into the boy's shining blue eyes.
There was a hint of hesitancy as Jack asked, "what if I slip and call you Nathan sometimes? Will you get mad at me?"
They were questions from a child whose innocence had been damaged. It made Nathan wonder just how often Lucas had gotten mad at Jack for trivial reasons. Like his protective outburst when he had come home upset, it spoke of the trauma the boy had faced. It tore at his heart and reminded him of his own lost innocence. Granted he was older than Jack when his father's major problems really started. Still, he'd had to grow up faster than he should have. It made Nathan even more resolved to try to restore what innocence he could to Jack's childhood.
"Either Dad or Nathan is acceptable, Jack," Nathan assured the boy. "I love you and I love your Mama."
"I love you too," Jack said, wrapping his arms around Nathan's neck and burying his face against it.
As Nathan hugged Jack, he heard Archie address Elizabeth.
"I appreciate you coming into town to meet me, my dear. Seems my question when we first met has proven prophetic," Arche commented, reaching for Elizabeth's hand.
"It would seem so," Elizabeth said easily as Archie placed a kiss on the back of her hand. Elizabeth blushed slightly at the attention.
"I don't know all the details, but I do know marrying my son was not conventional. However, seeing the four of you together when that stage pulled up, well I saw a real family, just like the one I had before I messed everything up. However it did come about, I hope you are happy, Elizabeth."
With Jack still hugging him, Nathan found himself holding his breath. He knew Elizabeth didn't feel the same way he did, but he had started to believe she cared about him. That she was happy to be a part of their family conventional or not.
Elizabeth met his gaze as she answered. "I think I am learning to be happy," she replied. "Nathan has been like my own personal Red Knight."
Red Knight.
Nathan had heard that reference before. Colleen had referred to him as her Red Knight on more than one occasion after he became a Mountie. Perhaps he had been just that on some accounts but he had still failed to protect her from Dylan. He would still often replay events in his head, wondering if there had been something he could do differently that would have given him a different outcome. To this day, he hadn't come up with anything.
Nathan felt a hand slip into his. Looking down, he saw that Ally had moved to his side and taken his hand. At least he had succeeded in protecting Ally from Dylan. He glanced at the boy still in his arms. He had not been able to protect Jack and Elizabeth from all of the suffering but he had been there when they needed him most. He intended to continue to be there when they needed him.
"Did I say something wrong?" Elizabeth asked, drawing Nathan's attention to her. His wife looked scared. Nathan opened his mouth to reply but his father spoke first.
"It was just that Colleen use to call Nathan her Red Knight," Archie said, a bittersweet smile on his face. His daughter often brought that expression to his face when he thought of her. That particular reference had been used in the letter that Colleen had written him to tell him that Nathan was officially a Mountie. Archie had a feeling his son might have never shared the news with him. Letters from Nathan while he was in jail had virtually been nonexistent.
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said quickly, her gaze going from Archie to meet Nathan's. Her husband could see the remorse and panic in her eyes. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
Nathan wanted to reach out for Elizabeth but his hands were currently occupied. He still held Jack and Ally still claimed his other hand. He wasn't about to let go of either child and risk upsetting them.
"Elizabeth, it is all right," Nathan assured her. "Memories of Colleen can be sad, but they are never bad. I was always flattered to hear Colleen call me her Red Knight, just like I am flattered you chose to use it. I will always try to be there for you and for the kids."
"I remember Mom, calling you that," Ally said, looking up at Nathan. "She use to always call you Nate as well."
"That she did," Nathan said, pressing a kiss to the top of Ally's head. He knew that Ally had trouble remembering things about her mom sometimes and knew that was a precious recollection for her.
Ally let go of his hand and stepped toward Elizabeth. "Thank you for helping me remember, Beth," the teen said as she wrapped her arms around Elizabeth's waist and leaned against her.
Nathan heard the intake of breath and saw the surprise on Elizabeth's expression as she returned the girl's hug. Ally's reaction was clearly not one that Elizabeth had expected. Nathan gave his wife and daughter a few moments before speaking again.
"Let's get you settled in your apartment, Dad," Nathan said after a bit of time had passed.
"I'll get the saddle," Archie said, as both he and Nathan moved toward the bags.
Nathan bit his lip to keep from chuckling. Most Mounties were not even so particular about their saddles. Still, he knew it was one of the few things his Dad still owned from before the time he spent in jail.
Nathan put Jack down on the boardwalk.
"Can I help?" Jack asked immediately.
Before Nathan could say anything, Archie opened up the canvas bag that was among his things. Loosening the strings, Archie removed his pillow from the bag and handed it to Jack. The boy took it and grinned, happy to be helping.
Ally grabbed Archie's carpet bag, while Nathan shouldered the canvas bag with the rest of its contents, and a suitcase. Together, the group trouped to the infirmary and up the private entrance to the infirmary. Nathan opened the apartment with the key and led them inside.
"Just set the things down near the door," Archie instructed. "I can unpack everything myself."
Nathan and Ally obliged though Elizabeth instructed Jack to place the pillow on the settee. The boy did so, smiling proudly that he had helped out. After a brief discussion, the group left the infirmary and headed for the café. Nathan would have lunch with his family before doing his afternoon rounds.
A little over an hour later, Nathan led Newton as he walked beside Elizabeth, their fingers intertwined as they held hands. Ally and Jack had stayed with Archie to help him get settled in his new home. Elizabeth had her doubts about how much help her son would actually be, but Archie had seemed to be enjoying the boy's company at lunch. She could not bring herself to deny the boy time with his new grandpa. Ally had promised to help keep an eye on Jack and Archie and the kids would walk out to the house together later for dinner that night.
With the kids occupied, Nathan had offered to walk her home before continuing on his rounds. Elizabeth was grateful for the company on the walk. More than that, she found herself enjoying the everyday moment with Nathan. It reminded her of what she had liked most about her relationship with Jack. Yes, Jack's elaborate gestures had been nice, but what she had enjoyed most was the everyday moments. The overnight camping trip with the school kids. The times Jack would come to the school house at the end of the day to walk her home. Sitting on the front steps of the row house and looking up at the stars. The times that Jack had helped out with school projects. Those had been the moments she had felt closest to Jack.
Those moments had been very much absent during her relationship with Lucas.
The walk home was silent, but Elizabeth was fine with that. The silence felt comfortable. As the house came into view though, Elizabeth found she did not want to say good-bye to Nathan. She had an idea of how she could spend more time with him, but she was not sure how Nathan would feel about it.
If she didn't ask, she would never know.
"I haven't been on a horseback ride in awhile," Elizabeth commented. "Sargent probably thinks I forgot about him. Would I be in the way if I rode with you during rounds?" she ventured.
"As not much usually happens on my rounds, you would not be in the way nor do I think you would be in danger. There are a few people I stop by and help with little tasks while I am out. I wouldn't want you to be bored."
"I could put a book in my saddlebag and find some shade to sit in if you are helping out," Elizabeth said.
Nathan nodded. "If something out of the ordinary does come up, I would expect you to listen to me without question," he told her, his voice growing serious.
"I promise," Elizabeth replied, knowing that any commands that Nathan gave her would be with the intent to keep her safe.
"Go get yourself a book and one of my extra canteens and fill it with water for yourself," Nathan told her as they reached the front porch. "I will go saddle Sargent for you," he said as he looped Newton's reigns around the porch railing.
Elizabeth nodded, heading into the house. She was looking forward to seeing exactly what 'rounds' were like. She had never thought to ask Jack if she could accompany him on rounds. She guessed she always just assumed that Jack would say no.
Before long, Elizabeth and Nathan set out together again, this time astride their horses. Though Nathan's focus was on their surroundings, the two of them enjoyed an easy conversation about various subjects. When they approached a home, Elizabeth greeted the people she knew and hung back at the homes with people she did not know. At each place though, she noted how Nathan checked in with each of them and quietly met any needs that might be there. He helped Laura's father round up some pigs that had escaped. Chopped wood for a man healing from an injury, and quietly emptied the wash tub at one home without even seeking out the occupant, though Elizabeth could hear the sounds of babies crying inside.
"Isn't this Richard Vaughn's cabin?" Elizabeth asked as Nathan swung himself into his saddle. Richard Vaughn was an older gentleman who had always kept to himself. Elizabeth had been told that he was a social man until his wife decided she'd had enough of the primitive setting of the area and headed home to her folks in Saskatchewan. After that, Richard kept to himself, not wanting to socialize with anyone. The only times that Elizabeth had even seen him was when he ventured into the mercantile for supplies. The last time Elizabeth had seen him, the man had been hunched over and walking with a cane. The sound of children of any age did not fit with what she knew about the man.
"It is. Richard's daughter, Angela, ended up marrying a Mountie. Her mother had refused to tell Angela where her father lived, however, her husband used connections and tracked him down. Bill said they were reunited last summer. When Angela's husband was killed in a robbery in Edmonton this winter, she sought out her father instead of going home to her mother. She and her three children, including four month old twins, have been living her. The wash tubs are hard for either Angela or her father to empty. I found them struggling with them on one of my first days back. Since then, on wash days, Angela simply leaves the washtub for me to empty, which I do and leave them to their privacy."
Elizabeth nodded, absorbing the information as they continued on. Though she had known Nathan, and Jack before him, had always helped out the people in the area, she had never stopped to think about that part of their job. It was chasing the criminals and the danger that had always stood out for her. She had once told Robert that being a Mountie was a noble profession. Riding along with Nathan today was driving home that fact. There was much a Mountie did that they received little or no recognition for.
"What will happen when you resign next month?" Elizabeth asked.
"Gabriel is aware of the arrangement. He will take over and if for some reason he is unavailable on wash day, I can always ride out and do the quick task," Nathan replied casually.
Elizabeth looked over at him. Her husband didn't think that what he was doing was anything special. It was just who he was.
"I am proud to be your wife, Nathan Grant," Elizabeth told him.
The comment caused Nathan to glance over at her, surprise on his face. She reached out her hand to him. Putting the reigns in one hand, Nathan reached out with a gloved hand and took it.
Elizabeth was glad to have come on rounds with Nathan this one time. She felt like she had learned quite a bit about him on this outing that she hadn't known before. Things, that Nathan probably never would have told others about otherwise.