The hours took their sweet time passing by and the closer to 8 o'clock it got, the more nervous Nathan became. He was now convinced that Bill was right, and this meeting was innocuous and the result of someone not having the courage to meet him in public. The more he analyzed it, the sillier he felt that he had been concerned. If someone wanted to meet him for nefarious purposes, would they write a letter first so he could plan to have backup with him? It must be someone that felt unsure of themselves.

As his mind went in that direction, he couldn't help but wonder who this mystery woman was. Mei, Faith, and Fiona were really the only single women in town that he spoke to regularly and they had plans together tonight. Who else did he know?

He had taken extra time with his toilette as the minutes ticked by, making sure to shave and put on cologne. His suit had recently been cleaned, so he was fresh and ready to go. As he walked down the road, he wished he had brought Newton home with him, but no matter, it wasn't that far to travel.

Drawing near the building, Nathan saw that Bill had positioned himself in the shadows behind the barber shop next to the jail. He almost thought of sending the man away as he now felt ridiculous at his apprehension earlier, but as soon as the thought came, he heard footsteps approaching.

His heart began palpitating at the realization that he would finally see who his new fan was when suddenly the sound ceased.

"Hello? Who's there?" Nathan called out as the hair on his arm rose. Glancing back, he saw that Bill was still close behind and took a few more steps forward, now thinking this was probably a bad idea after all.

His peripheral vision caught a slight movement at the far corner of the jail, and he strained to make out what he was seeing in the dim light. It was a person, wearing dark clothes and a hat pulled low over their eyes.

"Who are you?" Nathan said as he heard Bill coming up to him from behind.

"This is Judge Avery! Show yourself!" Bill shouted, apparently startling the person who immediately began running in between the buildings toward the town. "After him!" Bill hollered as both men sprinted in that direction, catching a glimpse of the person they now assumed was a man as he crossed the street at a fast pace.

"He's headed for the saloon!" Nathan yelled behind him, Bill trying to keep up with the much younger constable, seeing the person throw the doors open and run inside the building. As they arrived at the now-closed doors, Bill stopped Nathan.

"Maybe we shouldn't run inside, we might scare the customers."

"The lights are off, Bill," Nathan replied, motioning to the windows. "I can't imagine why they would be off this early on a Friday, and the front door left unlocked."

"He had to have a reason for wanting to meet you. Let's see if we can find out what it is," Bill responded, slowly walking into the dark interior. "Hello! We know you are in here. Come out where we can see you!"

Nathan heard some shuffling around and felt quite vulnerable in this shadowy situation without his weapon. "Come on out!" he yelled, thankful that at least they hadn't been shot at.

Suddenly he was blinded as the lights were switched on, blinking his eyes to try and adjust his vision. Soon after, he heard the uproar.

"Surprise!" Many voices shouted in unison as he looked around at a crowded room and a birthday banner. "Happy birthday, Nathan!" was yelled out from the gathering as Allie threw herself into his arms laughing. "I hope you don't mind that I fibbed to you, a little," she said as she hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Happy birthday, Dad."

The applause was loud, finally bringing a smile to his face as he realized it was all a ruse that began with the letter on his porch last night. Tomorrow was his birthday and his friends and fellow citizens of Hope Valley had come together to celebrate him. He saw Robert in the corner pulling off an overcoat and hat, Fiona, Faith, and Mei were blowing birthday horns, and Elizabeth and Lucas were clapping.

Handshakes and hugs overtook him as his heart finally came down to a normal rhythm before turning to see Bill laughing behind him. Walking forward, the judge slapped his shoulder. "Happy birthday, Nathan," he stated. "You are a hard man to surprise."

"Well, somehow you managed. It's definitely a birthday I will never forget," Nathan replied cheerfully as he joined in the festivity.

The End