Nathan sat at his desk in the Mountie office, thinking about his conversation with Gabe, happy to have caught up on his friend's life and wedding plans. Gabe had been excited to hear Nathan finally proposed and shocked the wedding would be before his own but still promised to stand with him on his wedding day. Nathan smiled, thinking that two weeks after his wedding, he would travel to Brookfield with his wife and daughter to attend Gabe's wedding to Lillian.
"What are you smiling at, Nathan? Surely Mountie work is not that amusing?" queried Bill as he walked into the Mountie office, grumpy as always in the morning.
Nathan leaned back in his chair, an amused smile on his face as he looked at Bill. "I am happy in the service, Bill."
"Humph, happy all the time now, I notice," Bill responded, his voice still gruff but a smile playing across his lips.
He handed Nathan a cup of coffee he had brought from the cafe knowing his friend would appreciate another cup. "I just wanted to check in and make sure everything was on track for the wedding."
Nathan nodded, "Bill, everything is fine; we are wearing our dress uniforms, the Church and Saloon are booked, and I have called Gabe. Quinn and Rosemary are organising their dresses. I can't think of anything we are missing." Nathan explained, ticking off the items on his fingers.
"What about your vows? Do you want me to read over them for you when you're done?" Bill asked.
"My vows?" Nathan asked, almost choking on his coffee, a panicked look on his face. "I have to write vows; I thought Joseph would read something out for me to repeat, and that was going to be hard enough," he finished on a mumble.
"Maybe you need to check with Quinn on her expectations, she has been working on something, and every time I ask what it is, she hides it away." Bill shook his head, trying to hide his smirk; he loved teasing Nathan. He had no idea what Quinn was writing; it could be a shopping list for all he knew.
"I think I need to talk to Quinn sooner rather than later; I don't want to disappoint her." Nathan let out a deep sigh and dropped his head into his hands, he didn't enjoy speaking in public, but he would do it if that were what Quinn wanted. He knew that speaking in public would be hard enough, but sharing his personal thoughts with everyone made him very nervous; he was happy to open up to Quinn but not the whole town and all their friends.
Bill nodded and decided to change the subject instead. "Will you and Quinn be joining me for my victory dinner after the election? I need to know who will be with me when I get elected."
"You are very confident, Bill; there are some other very good candidates with a lot to offer this town, and it's still two weeks, and anything can happen," Nathan responded. He hadn't told Bill he would be voting for him; Bill had just assumed. Rosemary was the same, thinking everyone was voting for Lee. It was a difficult choice for the townspeople; all the candidates were friends and would bring different things to the role.
"Of course, they are all good candidates, but it's about the best candidate, and I believe that is me." Bill looked at him, the scowl back on his face, "I can count on you and Quinn, can't I?"
"We will be there, Bill; you can count on us." Nathan assured him, "Now let me walk with you to see Quinn; I need to know what she is working on."
As they stepped out of the Mountie office, they heard Bill's name being called and turned together to see Elizabeth hailing him.
"I am so glad I caught you, Bill," Elizabeth said breathlessly, rushing over to them. "I need to talk to you today, is now a good time?"
Bill glanced at Nathan, "we were just heading to my office; you can walk over with us if you like; we can talk there."
"Is Jack with Laura this morning Elizabeth?" Nathan asked politely; he was always pleased to see Jack.
"Yes, she agreed to mind him while I... took care of some things," Elizabeth responded cryptically.
Nathan let her evasiveness go, it was nothing to do with him what she was organising, and he was sure he would catch Jack around town.
Nathan increased his pace at the thought of seeing Quinn, he had only seen her last night, but that felt too long for him. As he stepped through the door, he could hear her humming, her husky voice a little off-key making him smile.
"Good morning, Quinn," he called out, startling her, his smile growing as she stopped humming, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment at being caught.
"Nathan, good morning, please tell me you didn't hear me humming?" she groaned. "I know I am tone deaf, so I promise not to sing around the house once we are married."
"You mean no lullabies for our babies?" he whispered in her ear as he leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek. He loved teasing her, laughing as she blushed.
"Nathan," Bill reprimanded, you have been here a few moments, and you have already made her blush. Maybe you talking to her while she is supposed to be working isn't a great idea."
"He caught me singing, Bill, something I should not do in public, or anywhere in fact," Quinn said, coming to his rescue. Bill and Elizabeth, who she had just noticed, didn't need to know the real reason for her red cheeks.
"Mmmh," Bill grumbled. "Elizabeth and I are going to be in my office. Good luck, Nathan."
"Good luck?" Quinn asked him, "should I be worried.
Nathan hesitated, wondering if he should ask her about what Bill had seen her writing, what if it was nothing to do with him and the wedding.
"Nathan?" Quinn questioned again. "You know you can tell me anything, ask me anything."
"Bill told me he had caught you writing, and when you saw him coming, you hid it," Nathan said, rushing through his statement. "He told me he thought you might be writing wedding vows, and I realised we hadn't talked about this part of the service. How have we not talked about this, Quinn?" He knew his voice had risen in panic and slowed down to let her answer him.
"We don't need to talk about this, Nathan," she laughed. "When we plan the ceremony with Joseph, we will discuss the passages he will read. It sounds like Bill was teasing you to try and make you panic, and it worked."
Nathan let out a massive sigh of relief, pleased he wouldn't have to read out his vows to everyone in the Church. "I am so glad, Quinn, not that I don't want everyone to know how much I love you, but..."
Quinn stepped closer to him, placing her hands on his chest, grinning, "it's fine, Nathan; I know how you feel about me." Kissing him on the lips briefly, she said, " and how you would feel about having to do that. I would never do that to you."
"So, what is it you are hiding from Bill?" Nathan asked her.
"I am not hiding anything from anyone," she exclaimed.
"Why are you blushing again? I know I didn't cause it this time," Nathan asked, his relief over not having to write vows forgotten. Nathan felt terrible for asking her about what she was writing; Quinn was entitled to privacy, so he decided to stop pressing her. "Sorry, Quinn, you don't have to tell me; I respect your right to privacy."
"It isn't something I wanted to keep from you; it's only that it isn't ready yet," Quinn explained. She dropped her arms and walked over to her desk, pulling open the top drawer and gathering some papers.
"Come and sit down, please, Nathan," she asked as she took her seat at the desk.
Nathan sat, worried that he had pushed her to show him something she didn't want to share. "Quinn, really..." he started to say when she interrupted him.
"I need to show you, and I want to; this is going to be for you anyway," Quinn said, sliding the first stack of papers toward him.
Nathan sat, staring at the papers but not picking them up, still unsure if he wanted to read something he had forced her to show him.
"Please read it, Nathan," Quinn encouraged.
Nathan picked up the papers and quickly glanced at them. He dropped them instantly as if they were hot to the touch. He had read the words 'Last Will and Testament' and didn't know what to do or say. "Quinn, why are you doing this?"
"I have to do this, Nathan," Quinn said calmly, understanding that he was uncomfortable. "I inherited my father's estate, and the money came to me when the house and business were sold. I need to formalise what happens to it once we are married and if something happens to me. What is mine is yours, Allie's, and any other children we might have."
Nathan stood up, "Quinn, I don't know what to say; I am nowhere near as, as ...wealthy as you. I am comfortable, Allie and I have never needed much and my family..." he trailed off, not sure of what to say.
"This isn't about where the money came from but making plans for it." Quinn hoped Nathan could understand she had the best of intentions. "It's what I do, Nathan; how could I work for Bill, do the work I do without formalising this? I know how hard it can be if these things aren't done."
Quinn picked up the second stack of letters but didn't hand them to Nathan. "This paperwork is nothing formal; it isn't paperwork as such. I am writing letters, one for you and one for Allie. I wanted to tell you both how much I love you and how much it means to me that I am joining your family. I wanted to say thank you to you both for helping me heal my heart and giving me a family again." Tears welled in Quinn's eyes, and one spilled over onto her cheek. "I thought I should write it down because I knew I wouldn't get through telling you without crying, and I guess this proves I was right," she said, laughing at herself.
Nathan crossed to her chair quickly, lifting her into his arms. "I am sorry, Quinn, I should never have listened to Bill; I should have let you come to me when you were ready."
Quinn placed her hand on his cheek, "don't be silly; I am glad you know about the letters and everything. I promise I will finish them for you both. I plan to give them to you the night before the wedding."
Nathan smiled, "I don't deserve you." Leaning down, he captured her lips with his own; the heat of their connection overwhelmed them both, distracting them from everything around them. They didn't hear Bill's door open or Elizabeth's footsteps as she hurried past them, her eyes averted.
"Alright, you two," Bill called out. "I am sure you have work you should be doing. Or vows you should be writing," he said, laughing at his own joke.
Nathan lifted his head, "nothing as important as what I am doing right now, Bill," he assured him as Quinn laughed at their silliness.
Quinn stepped away from Nathan, "Bill is correct; we all have work to do. I have an appointment at lunchtime with Rosemary, which will take a while, so I need to do as much as possible before then."
"Is it about your dress?" Nathan asked.
"Yes, it is, Nathan, and it's going to be a surprise", she exclaimed. "Allie is coming too, and she is sworn to secrecy. Don't try to get anything from her either."
"Okay, Okay," said Nathan throwing up his hands. "I am glad we decided to wear our dress uniforms Bill; it makes it much easier."
Bill nodded vigorously, whole-heartedly agreeing with Nathan.
"Have you finished with Elizabeth?" Quinn asked Bill, frowning when he laughed at her.
"Elizabeth left," Bill said, coughing to hide a grin. He continued, "she walked past you both when you were occupied," losing the battle with his smile when they refused to look at him.
Elizabeth walked slowly out of Bill's office, glad his apology had gone so well. She should never have doubted Bill would accept it, he had always been there for her and her son, and he always would be. She knew Nathan and Quinn should be next on her list, but they had been ...busy when she left.
Next on her list were Rosemary and Lee; she knew she would find them together at the newspaper office and decided to talk to them there.
She looked through the window into the Valley Voice, pleased to see there were no visitors, just her two friends. Pushing open the door, she walked inside before changing her mind.
"Elizabeth, hello; what brings you here?" Rosemary asked her, surprised to see her friend. "Is Jack with Laura?"
"Yes, she was happy to mind him while I run some errands." Elizabeth grimaced, "actually, that isn't true; she is watching him while I organise my trip to Hamilton. I am leaving tomorrow."
"Hamilton," Rosemary exclaimed, "why are you going to Hamilton and for how long?" Rosemary looked at Lee, concerned about their friend, knowing she hadn't been herself lately.
"Only for a couple of weeks, and before you ask, I will be back for Nathan and Quinn's wedding," Elizabeth explained. "I am going to Hamilton because I need to get away from here for a little while to try and understand how I became the person I have." Elizabeth saw her friends look at each other, realising they knew what she meant. Shame at her behaviour coursed through her.
"I am trying to reach out to everyone I have hurt to apologise before I go; I have spoken to Allie, Lucas and Bill. I am here now to apologise to you and Lee; truly apologise this time." Elizabeth took a deep breath to steady her voice, swallowing. "I have treated everyone terribly, especially you; my two dearest friends and I am so sorry. You didn't deserve it."
"When you lost Jack..." Lee began before Elizabeth stopped him.
"I am not the only woman to be widowed, and I have to stop using that as an excuse for treating people poorly, so that is what I intend to do," Elizabeth explained quietly. "I am going to spend time in Hamilton with my family and remind myself who I was before...before I became so selfish."
"So, Lucas knows you're going?" queried Rosemary.
"Yes," Elizabeth said, the shadow of a smile playing on her lips. "He is driving us to the train tomorrow and wants to be in contact while I am away."
Rosemary stepped forward and reached out, taking her hand. "I am pleased to hear that, Elizabeth; it sounds as though things will work out with Lucas and yourself. I think I speak for Lee when we say there is no need to apologise anymore, we understand, and I am glad you're doing this."
"Of course, sweetheart," Lee said to Rosemary. "We want you to be happy, Elizabeth, and we will miss you and Jack while you are gone."
"Who else do you intend to speak to?" Rosemary asked, watching her intently.
"I need to speak to Nathan and Quinn; I am just trying to get my thoughts together; neither one is going to be easy." Elizabeth knew this was who Rosemary meant. She knew she owed them both an apology but wasn't sure she would be able to find the words for Nathan's; her behaviour toward him seemed the biggest betrayal of all.
"No, I expect they won't be." Rosemary agreed. "If you want my support, Quinn is coming in this afternoon to talk about her wedding dress; I could be with you."
"Thank you, but I need to do this myself," Elizabeth said, smiling at her sadly. Part of making amends was owning her behaviour.
Quinn was excited when she left work that afternoon, heading to see Rosemary about dresses for the wedding. She wasn't someone who had thought much about her wedding, or dresses, or flowers, so she was glad to have Rosemary's expertise.
As she hurried along, she heard her name, surprised to see Elizabeth calling out to her. She waited for Elizabeth to catch up, smiling, her face curious. "Elizabeth, sorry I missed you earlier; what can I do for you?"
"I need to talk to you. Do you have a moment?" Elizabeth asked; her stomach was full of nervous butterflies, but she was doing the right thing.
"I was on my way to see Rosemary. Can we talk while I walk?" Quinn asked. She was curious about what Elizabeth wanted to say; it was serious, she could tell by the look on her face.
Elizabeth hesitated; this was not a conversation she wanted to be overheard by others. Looking around, she noticed the Mountie office, Newton wasn't out the front, so hopefully, Nathan would be on rounds. "We could use the Mountie office, it won't take long, and I am sure Nathan wouldn't mind."
"Ummm," Quinn said, stalling. "Could we find somewhere else? I am uncomfortable going into the Mountie office, especially when Nathan isn't there." Seeing the look of confusion on Elizabeth's face, she continued, "it's from when I was arrested and put into a cell, I am mostly over it, but I haven't been into the Mountie office without Nathan being there."
Elizabeth was shocked; she hadn't realised. Self-involvement was another thing to add to her mistakes; she had stopped noticing things impacting others. "I am sorry, Quinn, I didn't realise; of course, we can go anywhere else." Looking around, she said, "why don't we talk at Rosemary's office? I am sure there is somewhere we can have privacy."
The two women walked the short distance to the office in silence, caught up in their own thoughts.
Entering the building, Quinn was glad Allie hadn't arrived; she wanted to get her chat with Elizabeth out of the way before she did. Rosemary glanced up and, seeing who was there, said, "I am just going to go out back and organise a few things for you, Quinn; it will take me a little while. Lee is gone for the afternoon so take your time.
Elizabeth and Quinn sat on the chairs surrounding Rosemary's desk, facing each other.
"I want to apologise to you, Quinn, for everything I did that caused you pain. I am ashamed of myself when I think about what could have happened to you because of my actions." Elizabeth saw the shock on Quinn's face and hurried on. "I was jealous of your relationship with Nathan and Allie; you were right that day in the schoolhouse. The change in my relationship with Nathan and Allie was everything to do with me and nothing to do with you; I didn't want to admit it."
Elizabeth stood, "I am going to Hamilton tomorrow for several weeks. I need to find the person I used to be. I will be home in time for your wedding to Nathan." Elizabeth laughed, "listen to me, assuming I am invited."
Quinn found her voice, overcoming her shock and said, "of course, you're invited, Elizabeth, and thank you for the apology. I'm sure it couldn't have been easy. I hope the trip to Hamilton helps you find what you need."
Allie burst into the Valley Voice, stopping abruptly when she saw Elizabeth and Quinn. Elizabeth hated the wariness in Allie's eyes and knew their relationship still needed some time to heal fully.
Quinn jumped up and walked over to Allie, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I am glad you are here; Rosemary should be almost ready for us."
Hearing Rosemary approaching, Elizabeth waited for her to appear before saying, "you must ask her to tell you the story of my wedding dress, the second one." Elizabeth smiled and said, "If she could pull that off, I am sure your dresses will be amazing, and I can't wait to see them at the wedding."
"Oh, dear Elizabeth," exclaimed Rosemary, smiling fondly at her, looking at Quinn and Allie. "Elizabeth's wedding dress was made in one night!"
"One night!" Allie asked, her mouth dropping open, "why?"
Rosemary wrapped an arm around Allie and started walking her towards the rooms out the back. "Well, there was a fire in the church where her dress was ... "
Quinn stared after them, listening until Rosemary's voice drifted away. "That sounds like quite a story."
"An amazing one and a reminder of how blessed we are to live in Hope Valley," Elizabeth responded. "I am glad you came to town, that the three of you found each other." Gathering her things, she said, "I will let you go, Quinn; I have a final apology to make. This one to Nathan, and then I will go and finish packing. "
Quinn watched Elizabeth leave and walk down the street, hoping she was able to find the peace she needed in Hamilton.