Chapter 187- Turning Page

"Did you read these?" Charlotte asked as she burst through the door of Nathan's office, waving the latest issue of the 'Valley Voice' above her head. She was grinning from ear to ear. "Rosemary says they've been pouring in all night and morning since the first books hit the shelves."

Nathan groaned. Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his hands over his face. "Are you positive we can't just run away for a few weeks until this all blows over. I'm sure whatever people have to say, I probably don't want to hear."

"Are you kidding me?" Charlotte sat down on the corner of Nathan's desk, crossing her legs, one over the other. "They love you! And your book. Ned hasn't been able to keep his shelves stocked, and he is hiding his last two boxes of supplies for your book signing this afternoon. He's afraid if it doesn't, he'll sell out before the event even starts! Florence has been taking calls from Ryerson Press on the reviews they've been receiving and then passing on the notes so that Rosemary can publish them in the paper."

"They can't all be good, surely. The world has become rather blunt. I remember when Elizabeth's book was published, there weren't many kind reviews. One even said 'Ms. Thornton's work lacks depth and nuance. It merely scratches the surface of anything meaningful or profound.'"

"Well, I hate to be mean, but…" Charlotte shrugged. "You read her book too. That review wasn't far off."

"Which is why I don't think I want to read any of the reviews that are coming in for the book. If I read the good, I have to take the bad too."

"But that's just the thing, Nathan. There is no bad." Charlotte smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with happiness for her husband. "People. Families are loving your book. Just take this one for example." She opened the paper and found the review she was looking for. "It is from Jacques LeBlanc, a journalist with 'Le Soleil' in Quebec. He says this- 'Rarely have I, in my almost forty-year career, come across a story filled with such an extraordinary mix of adventure, heroism, and friendship like I have found in this book. I'll be honest, I was hesitant to pick up this from debut author, Nathan Grant, as I had little expectations that a children's book would make me feel much of anything. But from the moment I opened this new tale from Ryerson Press out of Toronto, the words and stunning pictures that grace its pages transported me to a place full of hope and love. While formatted for a younger audience, do not let that deter you from purchasing 'The Adventures of Nate and Charlie'. The fictional characters are rich and tell a story unlike anything I have ever experienced. This book was a reminder that the most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation to come. With Mr. Grant's words, readers will instantly feel the warmth he has created in his tale of finding a community and people to call home. If this is a true representation of what the western frontier is like, I'm catching the next train to Alberta. 'The Adventures of Nate and Charlie' will be a story that Canadian families will treasure for generations to come.'"

"I don't believe it," Nathan said, pulling the paper from Charlotte's hands to look for himself.

"Well, you better start." Charlotte laughed. "Because there are close to fifty more sitting on Rosemary's desk waiting to be published."

Nathan stood and began pacing, overcome with everything he was experiencing. For weeks in the lead up to the book's release he built up a wall around himself. Prepared for his story to be an utter failure on the public market. Who was he kidding trying to become a published author? This was a simple story he wrote for his wife and kids, not anything he imagined sharing with the country or world.

"I just didn't expect this." He finally admitted to Charlotte when he stopped pacing in front of her.

She gave him a soft smile. It was sympathetic. She understood exactly why he was struggling with all this.

"When are you going to let yourself see you how everyone else does, Sarge?" Charlotte stood and smoothed her hands up his chest. "You're more than this uniform you wear. This story is a part of you. You put so many pieces of your heart onto those pages that I understand your hesitancy. I truly do. It is vulnerable and scary revealing so much of yourself to strangers. People you've never met. But that's the thing… they are able to see you through your story. The real you. The Nathan Grant, I, and so many others love. Let them love you, Sarge."


"You ready, Dad?" Allie peaked around the corner. "All your fans are waiting anxiously."

"They're not the only ones anxious." Nathan said, still struggling with his tie. He'd been trying to get it just right for the past ten minutes in the back room of the fellowship hall. Rosemary and the rest of the women in town went all out preparing for his book launch. Decorating and setting up the large room for people to come and have their copies of 'The Adventures of Nate and Charlie' signed by the author himself.

Seeing her father, struggling with his tie, Allie came closer. "Here let me help." She reached forward and started from the beginning adjusting the tie's length and looping the fabric just right.

Nathan watched his daughter as she worked. She wore a beautiful light blue dress, something that Allie and Charlotte picked out just for this occasion. It was feminine and a painful reminder that his little girl was more a woman then the four-year-old who first came to live with him. She reminded him so much of Colleen. In her looks, mannerisms, and inner strength. He swallowed the lump that grew in his throat. The school year was rapidly coming to an end, and Nathan knew the summer would fly by like all the rest. Before he knew it, Allie would be starting her final year of school in the fall, and… And Nathan didn't want to think past that.

"There," she said. Her face was full of pride for completing the perfect knot. "You're all set."

"Thanks." Nathan turned to face the mirror and admired Allie's work. "Where did you learn to do that anyway?"

She gave him a sheepish grin in the reflection and shrugged. "I don't know. Probably from watching you do it all these years."

Nathan raised a brow at her. "You've been watching me tie my tie?"

"I've been watching you do a lot of things." They were both still looking at their reflections in the mirror as Allie leaned to rest her head on his shoulder. She was tall, taller than most girls her age. Gone were her girlish looks, the woman who stared back at him was ready to take on the world and all it offered.

"There you two are," Charlotte said, coming into the room with Liam on her hip. "I was wondering where you both went off too."

"Just helping Dad with his tie and giving him a little pep talk." Allie stretched her arms out to Liam who easily went to her. She slowly made her way to the door and stopped just before exiting. "You got this, Dad." She gave him a thumbs up and then rounded the corner out of sight.

Nathan let out a breath and sunk down into a nearby chair. Charlotte sat in one across from him and took his hands into hers.

"Talk to me," she coaxed. "If you're still unsure about doing this. If you're feeling overwhelmed, tell me. I know this was one of your biggest concerns with being published. If it really isn't what you want to do, you don't have to."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Tears began to stream down Nathan's face. "It's this silly tie."

"You're tie?" Charlotte could not disguise her confusion. "If you don't like the tie, Nathan. Just don't wear it. I know it's what Allie and I picked for you to go with this new suit, but you're not going to hurt our feelings if you don't wear it."

"No. No." He shook his head. "It's… Did you know Allie learned how to tie a tie from watching me? I didn't even know she did that. Paid attention to those small things that I did."

Charlotte smiled and squeezed his hands tighter. "No. I didn't. But I can't say it surprises me."

"Well, it surprised the heck out of me."

"Nathan." Charlotte stood and moved closer to him. Nathan instinctively pulled her into his lap where she naturally settled against him. "Something I've learned since meeting you is that life isn't all grand and wide and all-encompassing. Sometimes, it's small and mundane and nameless."

She let her fingers play into the hair at the nape of his neck. "I don't mind when my world is small. When I feel closer to the mornings, the cups of coffee, the smile from across the room, and the way the sunlight dances on the water. I've learned to prefer it that way. Let it be small. Because one day you realize, those small things become big things- real things. Things worth living for. And so, it is."


Nathan couldn't believe how many people came to buy his book and then have it signed. The fellowship hall was bursting at the seams. All of Hope Valley was there. People from surrounding towns like Buxton, Benson Hills, and Union City even made the journey. Their friends from Brookfield and a few reporters from Calgary and Edmonton.

Lorne Pierce, the Chief Editor at Ryerson Press, Nathan's publishing company, caught some last-minute trains from Toronto to be in Hope Valley and support his newest author with the release of his book. He brought his wife and children along to experience the town and people who inspired their favorite family read, 'The Adventures of Nate and Charlie'.

The line for the book signing looped around the edge of the room and out the door. Nathan's hand felt like it was going to fall off from how many times he wrote out his name and asked the repeated questions of, 'How would you like this signed?' or 'Who do you want me to make this out to?'.

But seeing the joy on the faces of those who came to support him or hearing them talk about how much they loved his book, pushed the harder parts of the signing quickly away. Nathan found that he was enjoying his time more than he ever imagined he could. Charlotte and his family were beside him all evening. Checking to make sure he didn't need a break, or if he needed food or a glass of water. His heart was full. So incredibly full.

"Nathan," Rosemary said, coming up to his table. "I know it's getting late, and you still have some people in line to get their book signed, but we were wondering if you would mind saying a few words and then doing a live reading of your book?"

"Oh, I…" Nathan scanned the room and saw for the first time all those that still seemed to be milling about waiting for something. Were they there to hear him talk about his book too? "I wasn't planning on it, but if…"

"Perfect!" Rosemary didn't even let him finish before turning to the crowd. "Attention everyone. We want to thank you for coming out today to support Nathan and his new book. I know there are still some people who need signatures, but we are going to first have our famous author say a few words and then give us a live reading of 'The Adventures of Nate and Charlie'."

Rosemary set one of the books from the table into Nathan's hands and directed him to a place at the front of the room as people took seats and any available standing room along the walls.

Once everyone was settled Nathan cleared his throat. "First off, thank you all for coming today and supporting this little story. You've made me feel loved beyond measure."

Nathan turned over the book in his hands, his thumb rubbing over the edge of one of Tremblay's drawings. He was thankful that a part of his friend would always be immortalized in this special way. When the book was published, Nathan made sure that there was a special thank you in the back given to Warren for his illustrations and his heroism. The words didn't seem like enough for everything Tremblay meant to Nathan and his family, but it was at least a start in telling others about this brave Mountie.

"I wrote this story, as a way for my children to grow up knowing how their dad came to love their mom and what better way for that to happen than through a storybook we could read every night as they were drifting off into their dreams." Nathan smiled at Allie and Liam who waved back in return. "How it has come to mean something to others, is more than I could have ever imagined."

His gaze then moved to Charlotte, who had tears welling in the corner of her eyes. Her pride in him was palpable. "Every story has a hero. A character who enchants us and challenges us. Who inspires us to be better people, who makes us see the world in a whole new light. And I wouldn't be up here tonight if it wasn't for the hero in my life, Charlotte Grant."

He flipped open to the dedication page inside the book. It was the first time he had a chance to look at it since asking Lorne to have it added. He removed the distance between him and his wife, giving Charlotte the book in his hand, opened to the page. "This is for you."

She gave him a questioning glance and then focused on the page he was showing her. Charlotte gave a small gasp in surprise.

"Read it aloud!" Someone called from the room. Charlotte was quite certain it was Molly.

"Yeah! What does it say?" Yet another from the crowd added.

"It says…" Charlotte giggled. The only action that allowed her to release some of the pent-up emotion in the moment. "For my Charlie. For without her, this story would not have come to exist. Love you always, Nate."