Chapter 36- What's in the Cards
"So why did you want to meet this morning?" Bill asked as Nathan took a seat in the chair on the other side of his desk.
"I need to put together a will."
"A will?" Bill's eyebrow raised in question. "What brought this on?"
Nathan sighed deeply and ran a hand through his knotted hair, realizing for the first time that he had forgotten to brush it this morning.
"Allie, Brookfield, and Charlotte," he answered.
"Do I need to piece together the evidence or are you just going to tell me?"
Nathan leaned forward then, resting his elbows on his thighs. Watching his hands wring together. It was time to share this burden with Bill.
So, he did. Nathan told Bill what brought Charlotte to Hope Valley. About her attack and the criminal that was Beck McEntire. He shared about Gabe going undercover to collect evidence about Beck and his connections with the Schneider gang. And how Nathan and Gabe planned on arresting McEntire and bringing justice to Charlotte.
As Nathan finished, Bill leaned back in his chair. "Help me here. What does Brookfield, Allie, and a will have to do with Charlotte and her attack?"
"When in Brookfield at the orphanage, I started worrying if something should happen to me while going after Beck…" Nathan's voice cracked. "What would happen to Allie? And when I thought about it, I realized there was no one else in this world that would love Allie in my place as fiercely as Charlotte would. Would guide her through life like Charlotte can. So, our last night in Brookfield, I asked Charlotte..."
"Asked her what?!" Bill interrupted, as he leaned forward.
Bill's question made Nathan smirk. "No. Nothing like that. But I asked if she would be Allie's guardian if anything should happen to me."
"And she said yes?"
"She said yes," Nathan nodded. "Charlotte said she couldn't imagine life without Allie, and it would break her heart if they were separated. Plus, she could tell I was worried about it and wanted to take off some of that pressure."
"It does seem like a lot for just you and Kinslow to handle. Are you sure there is nothing you want me to do?"
"No!" Nathan barked, before softening when he saw Bill's jerk back at the response. "I mean no. Not because we couldn't use your help, but more so because this is where I need you to be. Bill, if something should happen, promise me you will make sure Charlotte is taken care of. She is so brave and strong. She'll hide her feelings. Hide her struggles. I need you to be her ally. The one she feels close enough to go to, if she or Allie need anything in the future."
"I won't need to. Nothing is going to happen to you."
"Promise me, Bill!"
Bill's eyes squinted as he analyzed Nathan's body language. Soon enough though, Bill's expression softened. "Okay, Nathan. I promise."
"Thank you."
Just then the door to Bill's office opened and Ned walked over to the desk.
"Bill. Nathan. Discussing important business this morning?" Ned made small talk as he dug into his carrier bag. "Actually Nathan, I'm glad to see you here. I'm running behind schedule on my deliveries, and I was wondering if you could take this letter to Charlotte. She doesn't normally get mail, so I was a little surprised when this arrived today."
Nathan and Bill exchanged a sideways glance between them as Nathan took the envelope from Ned's extended reach.
"Thanks Ned. I'll get this right over to Charlotte."
"Appreciate it. You two have a nice day," Ned thanked as he quickly exited the office and went back to his route.
Once Ned was out of the room, Bill broke the silence. "Do you think that is from…"
"McEntire? It crossed my mind too," Nathan answered. "But the envelope is addressed to Charlotte. It would be against the law for me to open it."
"Well, I'm a judge and you are the local law enforcement. I'm calling this possible evidence and give you permission to investigate, constable."
Nathan ran a finger under the seal of the envelope before pulling a card from its grasp. He turned the heavy paper in his hands and opened it.
Nathan's eyebrow furrowed.
"What! How bad is it?" Bill questioned reaching across the desk and trying to rip the card from Nathan's hands before Nathan expertly moved it just out of Bill's grasp.
"It is worse than I thought," Nathan shook his head.
"Hi! I wasn't expecting to see you again today, so this is a treat. Please come in." Charlotte beamed at Nathan, before stepping aside so he could enter from the front porch. "I figured you would have left already. Weren't you planning on going up towards Benson Hills this morning?"
"I was, but plans changed," Nathan said, as he removed his hat and walked over towards Charlotte's kitchen table.
"Oh," a hint of nervousness came to Charlotte's voice. "I hope nothing bad happened."
"Well, I did break the law this morning."
Charlotte twisted her head in question. "What are you talking about?"
"I stopped at Bill's office this morning, to ask him to start drawing up the papers you and I had discussed about Allie's guardianship. As we were finishing, Ned stopped and asked for me to deliver this to you," Nathan extended the envelope to Charlotte. "Charlotte, please forgive me, but I opened it. You don't get much, if any mail, and I was concerned that it was from Beck. I didn't want whatever was sent to upset you."
Charlotte's eyebrows furrowed as she took the card from Nathan and turned it over in her hands.
"This isn't from Beck," she said matter-of-factly, noting the handwriting on the front of the envelope.
"Well, I know that now. It's from your friends Megan and Matt, right?"
"It is. But why are they writing? I haven't sent them anything since I first came to Hope Valley…" Charlotte pulled the card from the envelope and opened to read its contents.
"Oh…" Charlotte looked over to Nathan. "You read this?"
Nathan's eyes went to the floor in shame, but he nodded.
"So, you know that today is…"
"Today is June 16th," Nathan answered. "Your birthday."
Charlotte's cheeks blushed.
"Why didn't you tell me? Especially after everything you did for my birthday a few months ago. After all that you did to make me feel special. Didn't you think I'd want to do the same for you?"
Now it was Charlotte's turn to drop her gaze. "I guess you and I are more similar than I thought. I don't usually make a big deal about my birthday. I haven't celebrated it since my parents died. Nathan, I don't think Beck even knew when my birthday was. Not that he would have cared to celebrate."
"I care. I will always care," Nathan stepped over to Charlotte and took her hands into his. Holding them until she looked up into his eyes. "So, change in plans for the day. I'm going to get Allie and you and her are going fishing this afternoon."
"Just Allie and I?"
"Yes," Nathan flashed her one of his crooked grins. "I have some errands to take care of."
Charlotte raised her eyebrow. "Nothing too big I hope."
"How does dinner at my place sound? Just the three of us."
"Perfect."
Nathan leaned forward and placed a feather-light kiss on Charlotte's forehead. "Happy Birthday, darling."
"Do you smell that?" Jesse asked Joseph, late that afternoon as the two were stacking hospital building supplies in the back of their wagon from the loading dock of the mercantile.
Joseph paused. "Is that… is that smoke?"
"Joseph, I think it's coming from the café!"
Both men took off on a dead sprint down the back alley. As they rounded the corner, they noticed smoke streaming out of the windows and side door to the café.
"Clara! Minnie!" Jesse called out as he and Joseph burst through the open door of the café.
Everyone stopped in their tracks at the scene in front of them. There was no fire in the café, just charred remnants of what appeared to, at one time, have been a chocolate cake and a sheepish looking Mountie that was covered head to toe in frosting. Clara and Minnie were working fervently to clean up the kitchen and clear the smoke out of the small room.
"What's going on?" Joseph gently questioned. "Jesse and I thought there was a fire."
Clara and Minnie shifted their eyes to where Nathan stood.
"Not a fire. Just one very burnt birthday cake" Nathan answered.
"Wait. Whose birthday?" Jesse asked.
"Charlotte's. I only found out this morning. Her and Allie are fishing this afternoon. I asked Clara and Minnie if they could teach me how to make Charlotte's favorite beef tenderloin for dinner tonight and then I wanted to bake her a birthday cake. But by the look of things, I think I may be beyond help."
"You think?" Jesse quipped, which earned him an elbow in the ribs from his wife.
"Jesse!" Clara scolded. "Nathan was just trying to be romantic. You could learn a thing or two from him."
"Nathan, what can we do to help?" Joseph asked.
"Keep this disaster to yourselves?" Nathan begged.
But it was too late. Through the front door poured much of the rest of Hope Valley, led by the newspaper's editor and chief, Rosemary Coulter.
"What in the world is going on here!" Rosemary's voice carried through the dining room to the kitchen. "We all saw the smoke. Is everyone okay?"
"Only one casualty here, Rosemary," Jesse joked, lifting the blackened cake in evidence. The gesture earned Jesse another playful smack from his wife.
"Oh!" Rosemary stopped in her tracks, before pointing at the plate. "What is that?"
"It was supposed to be a homemade birthday cake," Nathan answered.
"Whose birthday?" Rosemary questioned.
Nathan let out an exasperated breath. "Charlotte's birthday is today. I just found out this morning. Allie and she went fishing this afternoon and I wanted to make us a simple dinner of her favorite beef tenderloin and then a chocolate cake. But that doesn't seem like it is going to happen."
"Don't give up quite yet!" Rosemary's eyes started to sparkle. "I'm sure we could all help pull this together."
"Charlotte asked that I keep this simple Rosemary. I don't think she…"
"Nonsense Nathan. This is Charlotte's first birthday in Hope Valley. We need to make this special. Trust me. The three of you will still have your fancy dinner. Minnie and Clara will take over baking another chocolate cake. Gustave can make the beef tenderloin and fixings. And then everyone else, follow me. We have work to do. Nathan, I assume you have some special present for Charlotte, I can leave you in charge of putting together. One that doesn't involve a kitchen. Tonight, when you've finished dinner, go on an evening walk to the pond. The rest will all be taken care of."
"But…" Nathan started, then stopped as Rosemary and the rest of the town were already divided up and sent on their respective missions. Nathan decided to cut his losses and do what Rosemary had instructed him to do.
Finish putting his final touches on Charlotte's birthday presents.