At a certain point, a horse gets tired of having someone Nathan's size ride back behind the saddle. It throws off their balance and confuses them. And that point happened to Newton at about the mile-and-three-quarters mark of the three miles to Coal Valley.

Nathan pondered for a while how to make it easier for Newton, not to mention the fact that it wasn't easy keeping Elizabeth in the saddle with her being so sound asleep; his own back was starting to feel the strain of leaning forward and holding her.

She's a little thing, Nathan thought, and he knew that they would both be fine in the saddle. So, finally, when Newton threw his head back again in frustration, Nathan took Miss Thatcher by the waist and lifted her up while he scooted forward and dropped down into the saddle with her.

Nathan was worried the movement might wake her, but he needn't have been concerned. In fact, once they were together in the saddle, her head fit perfectly under his chin and she moved in her sleep to close the space between them. This turn of events, in combination with the scent of lavender that assailed him, made Nathan close his eyes for a moment and remind himself of his duty.

Nathan was certain that some people might consider this proximity a shocking breach of etiquette, and he suspected that were she awake, the young lady in the saddle with him would be first in line. But Miss Elizabeth Thatcher had clearly not slept much the night before and he couldn't bear to wake her. And after all, Nathan Grant had been raised to be a gentleman. Taking advantage of a situation such as this simply wasn't in his nature.

However, as Newton relaxed back into a comfortable pace with the weight in the saddle, Nathan had to admit that this was turning out to be a not unpleasant ride.

She was different, this one. She had the air of a Quebec City rich girl, but her spirit reminded Nathan of his mother or Colleen. Strong, intelligent, with a quick wit and a sense of herself that showed she didn't think she was better than everyone else just because of the money she had. Well, technically, she didn't have money anymore, Nathan thought, remembering about the coach robbery. But, as he went back and forth in his mind, Nathan knew that all she had to do was wire her father and she could probably have whatever she wanted.

Her father. William Thatcher. Suddenly Nathan was beginning to understand why so many alarms were ringing in his head right now.

Coal Valley was a good fit for Allie, and Nathan had to admit he had already started to like the place immensely. He had talked to Mounties who were parents, and the constant moving that was usually required wasn't good for children. It taught them to keep themselves separate from their peers, and many children didn't want to make friends that they knew they would just have to leave in six months. Nathan didn't want that for Allie.

There was growth on the horizon for the town, and the stability of it appealed to Nathan. He wanted Coal Valley to be his home. And Allie's.

Superintendent Martin had said very clearly that Coal Valley only warranted a Mountie because William Thatcher desired it. So, by deduction, the woman he was now holding in his arms, so soft and warm and infused with lavender, was, in simple terms, off limits. William Thatcher wasn't counting on the North West Mounted Police to court his daughter, he was counting on them to keep her safe.

Nathan sighed, knowing that already a part of him had calmed just being near Elizabeth. Holding her in the quiet of the morning, with a soft breeze blowing while Newton walked easily on the road to Coal Valley, gave Nathan a measure of peace he hadn't felt in a long time; really since Colleen died. And there was something deeper than that, something he didn't understand, and something that he could certainly never tell to a living soul. For this short ride together, Nathan felt somehow that all was right with the world, that the stars were in the heavens where they should be. That he was where he should be.

Nathan looked over Newton's head at the road ahead of them. He could see the wooden peak of the livery barn in the distance. They were close enough now that Newton could handle the weight change, and Nathan didn't want Elizabeth embarrassed by waking up in his arms. Also, he had a pretty good idea he might get slapped, and he had a feeling Elizabeth Thatcher had an arm like Ty Cobb when she was really angry.

He looked down and enjoyed one more minute of what he knew could never happen again. Elizabeth's eyelids were fluttering slightly, as if she were dreaming, and in the few moments Nathan gazed at her, he memorized it all. He had an almost overwhelming desire to reach his thumb up and touch the softness of her cheek, streaked with dirt but still pink in the heat of the day. And of course, he was too much of a gentleman.

"Miss Thatcher," Nathan said softly. Nothing. "Miss Thatcher," he said more loudly, and when she began to stir, he quickly vaulted back onto Newton's rump, while holding her firmly by the waist to keep her in her seat.

Elizabeth came awake with a start and grabbed the horn of the saddle, "Wha..." she said with a squeak at the end that made Nathan laugh. Turning to look at him, she frowned and said, "Oh... Constable..." Her mouth was open slightly as she tried to make sense of her surroundings, and for a moment he saw a look in her eyes that was sweet, trusting, glad to see him, almost inviting, and then the walls came up and she remembered it all. "Constable Grant."

Elizabeth turned forward and her hands went up to her hair. "I seem to always be straightening my hat these days," she said, slightly confused. "Where are we?"

Nathan leaned past her and pointed to the livery in the distance. "That's Coal Valley," he said, softly.

Elizabeth felt his breath on her cheek and wondered why she was having such a hard time organizing her thoughts. She looked into the distance and she could feel Constable Grant's arms on either side of hers, holding the reins. She searched her memory for his first name and for a moment came up blank.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember what he had said, standing there with his hand out, the blinding sunlight behind him turning the edges of his red serge a bright yellow and changing the ends of his dark hair to nearly blonde beneath his hat.

Nathan.

And then Elizabeth remembered that this was the man her father had basically hired to be available to wipe her nose whenever necessary, and Elizabeth stiffened in the saddle. The best way she could think of to convince her father that she needed no babysitting was for her to be on her own. For Constable Nathan Grant to report back that no watching over her was necessary.

Elizabeth resolved that this Mountie, her father's spy, would hear not a peep from her. She would manage just fine by herself, especially when he was around.

When they reached Coal Valley and Nathan jumped off of Newton, the hand he put out for her was haughtily declined. But Elizabeth wasn't accustomed to getting down from a horse without a step, and certainly not with her skirts wrapped tightly around her legs on either side of the horse. But she managed.

It wasn't pretty, Elizabeth thought, but I did it, while that insufferable Mountie stood by and watched with his crooked smile and his blue eyes and all that... hair.

Nathan was standing by and watching because he really didn't want Miss Elizabeth Thatcher to land on her head in her first few moments in Coal Valley.

"Where are you staying tonight?" Nathan asked her, giving her time to do whatever straightening she could.

Again, her nose went in the air. Nathan had already learned that she did that when she felt the least sure of herself, and he found that instead of being annoyed by that little quirk, his heart expanded a little each time she did it.

"I understand there is a teacherage?" Elizabeth said, taking a deep breath.

Nathan nodded. "Yes, it's just over there. I can walk you? And then I'll ask Tom to have one of the kitchen boys take his wagon out and get your things and bring them back..."

As he was talking, Elizabeth was starting to have doubts about being on her own because she was so hungry and tired that she was afraid she might lose her balance. The world was spinning a little and the stars were back.

Nathan saw it and took her arm quickly. "Oh, you didn't have any food out there, did you? You're hungry."

Elizabeth was beyond fighting him, and he felt so strong and solid next to her. "Yes," she said softly. "Maybe just a cup of tea and some..."

"Chili?" Nathan said, his eyebrows raised. "Because that's what the saloon has. Chili and bread. And... chili." He smiled at her and it was finally too much for Elizabeth. Her eyes filled and she was ashamed to feel a tear make its way down her cheek.

Nathan was not good with tears. He never had been. Colleen had known it. All she'd had to do was quiver her bottom lip and he would pull down the moon for her.

"Oh, no..." Nathan said, taking her gently by the arm in one hand and leading Newton to the rail with the other. He let go of the reins and walked Elizabeth up to the bench outside the saloon and then went back to tether Newton.

Nathan sat down next to her. "Let me take you inside and get you some... tea," Nathan said, wondering if there was any chance that Tom had some tea behind the bar. It didn't really seem to be a tea kind of place. "And then I'll ride over to Mrs. Montgomery's and have her come meet you. I need to pick up my niece anyway..." Nathan trailed off, aware that the exhausted, hungry young woman sitting next to him didn't need to know his life story. "Let's get you some food," he said finally.

Nathan walked Elizabeth into the saloon and found a table away from the spirited card game that was going on near the bar. He left for a moment and came back with a cup of coffee. "Sorry, no tea, but Tom is making you a sandwich. Thought you might like that better than the chili," Nathan said apologetically, as if he had anything to do with the menu. "I'll be back soon with Mrs. Montgomery." Nathan looked over at Tom behind the bar and he waved. "Tom will keep an eye on you."

Now sitting down again and knowing that food was on the way, Elizabeth felt slightly stronger and her resolve returned. She took a deep breath and said firmly, "I don't need anyone to keep an eye on me, Constable."

Nathan stood and put his hands behind his back. "No, of course not." He raised his eyebrows at her and nodded. "Back in about a half hour." He turned and started for the door, but stopped halfway there, sighing. Even if Miss Thatcher felt she didn't need his help, Nathan knew she had no mirror, and that she was about to meet her new employer. Nathan's mother, Rebecca, had a number of colorful sayings. One of them was: "Friends tell friends when they have spinach in their teeth." This situation didn't involve green vegetables, but Nathan knew Elizabeth had no idea how much dirt she had on her face at present.

Nathan turned and walked back. Taking the napkin from the table, he dipped it in Elizabeth's water glass. Holding out the napkin, he said, "You'll want to clean your face before you meet Mrs. Montgomery." When she didn't move, Nathan took the wet edge of the napkin and ran it gently over her cheek. "Here," he said, moving more slowly, "...and... here." Nathan was surprised to find his heart was racing a little. He blinked a few times and Elizabeth finally managed to reach up to take the napkin.

Without another word, Nathan began walking toward the door again as Elizabeth watched him. He had a lanky grace about him, and already she had a hard time imagining anyone else in the red serge uniform. Just as he reached the door, he turned back and caught Elizabeth watching him. The crooked smile returned, and for some reason, Elizabeth's recently cleaned cheeks went very pink.