Chapter 27: Backyard Campout
Nathan and Newton made excellent time getting back to Hope Valley the next morning. Nathan had said goodbye to all his friends in Brookfield the night before, so they could get an earlier start. Gabe had promised to do some research and digging around about Beck. Nathan trusted Gabe to be discreet and find the answers he needed.
Still bringing up the issue of Charlotte's past caused Nathan to become uneasy. Was he doing the right thing? Maybe Gabe had a point. It had been almost a year since Charlotte's attack, maybe Beck had found someone else in the meantime.
Nathan shook his head. Even if Beck had found someone else, Nathan needed to bring him to justice for the pain he caused Charlotte. Nathan could not just let McEntire go on living without repercussions for his actions.
"Nathan! Good to see you are back," Joseph waved at him from the pile of lumber he was standing beside.
Nathan pulled up slightly and directed Newton over to where Joseph stood.
"The hospital is really starting to take shape, isn't it?" Nathan commented as he took in the construction site at the edge of town.
"That it is. Many hands make light work. I think that Carson is hoping to have things up and running by this fall," Joseph answered.
Earlier this year, the town council had passed a measure helping to fund Carson's hospital. The money had originally been designated for the building of a bigger school, but since the two-classroom system had been working so far, Lee and the council had decided it was more important to construct the larger medical facility.
Not that Charlotte or Nathan were complaining. They had been enjoying their offices being right next to each other and weren't looking forward to the day that would not be the case.
The hospital was going to be an addition onto the building beside Bill's office and across the street from Charlotte's classroom. Carson and Faith had worked together designing the space so it could serve as both a general practice and a fully functioning hospital with an operating room. Nathan was happy that his friend had returned to Hope Valley. Carson's vision for the hospital and his skills as a surgeon would be a welcomed addition to town. Nathan was so thankful that Charlotte had Faith last fall after the fire. The idea of what could have happened to her if Hope Valley did not have a doctor made Nathan bristle. Having two accomplished doctors opening their own hospital was a blessing for the whole community.
"So, are you ready for the party tonight?" Joseph asked.
"Party?"
"The backyard camping sleepover. Cooper said you knew about it."
"Cooper? I thought it was just a few of the girls from school that were coming over?"
Oh… this boy is in deep. Joseph thought to himself as he gave Nathan a sympathetic smile.
Just then Allie came running across the street, "Uncle Nathan! You're back!"
Nathan smiled as he quickly dismounted, just in time to catch Allie into a big bear hug. They held together for a long moment before Nathan set Allie's feet back on the dusty street.
"Where's Ms..." Nathan started, but he did not have to finish since the answer to his question was, at that moment, walking towards him. Charlotte smiled from ear to ear as she hastened her steps across the street to where Nathan and Allie stood.
"Charlotte…" Nathan began, but could not complete his sentence as he was knocked senseless when Charlotte reached him and quickly wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck, pulling him into the most welcoming hug he had ever experienced. Nathan brought his arms low around Charlotte's back, molding her petite frame into his strong embrace.
Moments like these would never get old to Nathan. Coming home to the people he loved most. Every cell in Nathan's body was telling him that this… this was his happily ever after.
"I've missed you," Charlotte's husky voice whispered into Nathan's ear.
"Not as much as I've missed you," Nathan responded, taking a step out of Charlotte's arms in order to commit her current expression to memory. Whenever Nathan had to leave town, he wanted to remember that this was what waited for him upon his safe return home.
Charlotte raised her eyebrow in question, "I don't know if that is possible, constable."
Nathan leaned forward then and placed a gentle kiss on Charlotte's forehead. "How about we call it a draw?" He suggested.
"I could live with that," Charlotte smiled in return.
Nathan kept an arm around Charlotte's back as he turned to face Allie, whose face was beaming from the display of affection between the two people who were her world.
"So, what is this I hear about a backyard camping party? I thought it was just going to be a simple sleepover like last time?" Nathan questioned.
"Oh, yeah," a sheepish grin spread across Allie's face. "Well, since the weather has been so nice, we had the idea to just sleep outside in the backyard like on a camping trip. And then some of the boys in class found out about the party and…"
"And since we knew you would be home tonight, Allie and I thought that would be enough chaperones for a few more kids to come over," Charlotte added.
Did Charlotte just bat her eyelashes at me? Nathan wondered.
"Please Uncle Nathan. Say it's okay?" Pleaded Allie. "Everyone is so excited to come over. Ms. Thompson even bought marshmallows from the mercantile. We've read where people put them on a stick and then you roast them over a campfire!"
Here Nathan was, again being double teamed by his girls. He sighed deeply. They knew just what buttons to push to get him to say yes.
"How can I say no to… what was it? Roasted marshmallows?"
Allie squealed in delight as she again wrapped Nathan into a big hug.
A laugh escaped Charlotte at the sight in front of her. Nathan being attacked by a large blanket he was using to create a makeshift tent on the clothesline in their backyard. The only issue was a strong breeze was creating problems whenever Nathan went to secure the ends to the ground.
"Here. Let me help," Charlotte offered as she reached out to unwrap Nathan from the tangle of fabric.
"Thank you," Nathan said. "I promise, I'm usually much better at this camping thing."
"Oh, I forgot that Mountie training included how to set up for a teenage outdoor slumber party," Charlotte joked as she helped Nathan to rehang the blanket, holding it in place for him to stake down. "
"Remind me again why I agreed to this?"
"Because you love Allie and would do anything to make her happy," Charlotte reached out to rub Nathan's shoulder where he bent to secure the last corner of the blanket. "You are an amazing dad, Nathan Grant."
Nathan straightened. The action caused his body to come into contact with Charlotte's. Charlotte's breath caught in surprise as Nathan reached towards her. Gliding his hands down her forearms to entwine their fingers together. "You are an amazing mom, Charlotte Thompson. I don't think I've ever told you how thankful I am that Allie has you in her life. I think Colleen would be happy that Allie has you too."
Charlotte smiled up at Nathan and squeezed his hands. "Tell me about her. Colleen. What was she like?"
Nathan loved when Charlotte did this. Wanted to know more about him. About his past and the people who helped shape him into the man he was today.
"Colleen was a lot like you actually. Funny. Mischievous. Always creating adventures. Creating memories. She was incredibly kind. Always thinking of others. Making sure everyone she loved felt like they were the most important person in the world to her. Colleen never saw a problem. She always believed she could fix anything. She was such a positive person and that was infectious to anyone she met. But her laugh…" Nathan closed his eyes slightly, willing his mind to bring forth the memory of his sister's cheerful giggles of years gone by. "Her laugh is what I miss most of all."
A tear had escaped the corner of Nathan's eye. Charlotte instinctively reached forward and brushed it away.
"She sounds like an amazing mom and sister."
"She was," Nathan grinned. "I would give anything for her to have met you. I know you two would be thick as thieves."
"I would have loved that," Charlotte again squeezed Nathan's hand. "I always thought I would enjoy having a sister."
"You know. These things are surprisingly good!" Nathan commented as he sat down next to Charlotte on the back steps to her house. He extended the stick he had used to roast the marshmallows in Charlotte's direction so she could pull off one of the toasted concoctions that Nathan had made, before Nathan took the second one for himself.
"The kids seem to be enjoying them too," Charlotte added. The cacophony of children's laughter filling Nathan and Charlotte's backyards made her heart swell. This was all she had ever wanted in life. A yard full of happy kids. Sitting next to a man whose simple presence made butterflies dance in her stomach. This could be their future. Charlotte, Allie, and Nathan. And what a wonderful future it would be.
Falling for Allie and Nathan was not something Charlotte had planned. She had no intentions of it when she came to Hope Valley almost a year ago. And not planning for love was maybe the most beautiful gift she could receive. There was no forced chemistry. Just a pure, raw connection that had been created all on its own.
These feelings were not something Charlotte could control. It just happened. Charlotte could not explain why out of all the people in the world, her heart had decided to skip a beat just for this specific person.
For Nathan.
Charlotte realized Nathan was staring at her then.
"What?" Charlotte tilted her head in question.
"You…" Nathan smiled at Charlotte and extended his hand towards her. "You have some marshmallow right… here."
Nathan gently ran his thumb across Charlotte's lip, brushing the sticky remnants of the marshmallow from her face.
"There. That's better."
Nathan had moved closer to Charlotte when he reached forward. The flame from the campfire caused shadows to dance across her face, but Nathan could clearly see the flush that instantly came to her cheeks at his nearness. How he wished he could lean forward and kiss her at that moment. To trace the contours of Charlotte's mouth, taste the fullness of her lips pressed to his as they danced across one another.
He could tell Charlotte felt it too. The magnetic pull to one another. She leaned in slightly, her gaze shifting from his eyes to his lips.
"Ms. Thompson, do you have any more of these marshmallows that we can roast?" Timmy Lawson interrupted from his spot by the campfire.
Nathan groaned and Charlotte smiled as she dipped her head down, their foreheads coming to rest against one another.
"Yes, Timmy," Charlotte answered, grinning up at Nathan. "I have more in the house. Let me get them."