Chapter 117- First Nights Alone

*Thanks to MamaBethany for sharing a pic of Nathan in his pjs from the last WCTH episode – that visual may make a quick appearance here*

As excited as Allie and Nathan were to have the garden, when Charlotte explained how they would need to fertilize the ground, they both almost quit being her assistant farm hands right then and there. In the end though, Charlotte won out, and they helped move the piled manure that had collected beside the barn all winter to the garden. Spreading it across the freshly turned earth to age until the ground was ready to plant in a few weeks. Charlotte had to laugh when Nathan made a comment that he was sure glad they had their mud fight, before the 'fertilizer' had been added to the garden. She agreed.

Many of the seeds that she and Allie had ordered were now starting to arrive through the mail. Charlotte taught Allie how some of the seeds like cabbages and tomatoes could be started indoors to give them a head start on the season. Soon enough, all the south-facing kitchen windowsills were filled with small pots of baby plants that would be placed into the garden outside as soon as any threat of frost was gone.

As a family, they had fallen into an easy routine with one another. In the afternoons Allie worked at the switchboard or helped Rosemary with the 'Valley Voice', Charlotte and Nathan would also stay in town. Charlotte planned her lessons for the rest of the school year or spent time with Maise. Nathan would work a few extra hours at his office to have more time with his girls later in the week. Other times he helped his dad and Joseph with their construction company. Ground had been broken on the Coulter's new house and the foundation was complete. Some of the framing had started last week and the home was beginning to take shape.

Today was Monday, sheet washing day at the Grant homestead, so it didn't surprise Nathan that Charlotte was out at the clothesline when he rode Newton up the long driveway leading to the house. Nathan didn't know if he would ever get used to this feeling of coming home. To them. To her. It caused a sense of warmth and happiness to fill every ounce of his being.

Upon hearing the rhythmic clop of a horse's hooves approaching, Charlotte turned to spot them coming towards her. A welcoming smile built across her face as she waved eagerly in their direction, before placing the sheet she had folded into the basket at her feet. When she straightened, she pushed back the wisps of hair that had fallen out of her braid and now curled about her cheeks.

Nathan swung down from Newton's back and strode toward her purposefully.

"Welcome home, Sarge."

The words barely had time to tumble out of her lips before Nathan caught hold of her. Pulling her into her arms, he kissed her thoroughly. When she was breathless, he relaxed his hold and grinned down at her.

"It's good to be home."

"I just saw you a couple hours ago." She laughed and embraced him. "Why does it feel like forever?"

He tenderly kissed her forehead in response.

"Maybe it's just seeing you riding towards me on Newton that does this. Since the beginning, it has always caused a stirring sensation inside of me. A flutter of sorts."

"A flutter, huh?"

"Flutter… Fire… Same thing, right?" Nathan chuckled at her response. His laugh warm against her skin. "That first time I saw you riding Newton in town… it was like you were riding directly into my heart as if you had always belonged there."

"I like to think there's some truth to that."

"It was the first day you called me a 'beautiful woman', remember?"

"I'm a Mountie, I have to tell the truth. And you are a beautiful woman." He again placed a kiss on her forehead. "And gorgeous." He kissed her left cheek, his hand gently supporting her neck. Feeling the beat of her pulse under his palm. "And stunning." He kissed her nose and felt her face lift into a smile. "And captivating." He kissed her right cheek, before slowly brushing his lips across her skin to intimately hover above Charlotte's mouth. "And breathtaking." He swept in to capture her lips, feeling her body naturally list into his. The kiss seeming to serve its purpose for them both.

It wasn't until a gust of wind came up and caused the sheets on the line to whip about them, did the couple finally part.

"Seems there will always be some sort of interruption." Charlotte groaned. "Friends. Family. Can't say I ever thought laundry would be a culprit as well, but here we are."

"Let me help you get this taken care of."

The two began working together, pulling off the pins, before folding the sheets and placing them into the basket.

"Where's Allie?" Nathan questioned.

"She's making dinner tonight. I told her while she worked on that, I would come out here and get the laundry off the line."

"Mmmm… what's she making? Because I'm starving."

"Meatloaf, I believe."

"I never make very good meatloaf."

"I think that's probably why Allie chose to use my recipe and not yours." Charlotte teased, walking towards Nathan to match the quilt end in her hands to the side he held. Working together to fold the rest of the bedding.

When everything was off the line and placed neatly in the basket, Nathan offered to carry it into the house. Charlotte said that wouldn't be necessary, she could handle it, especially since Nathan still needed to put Newton up for the night. Nathan pointed out that he would be right back to take care of his horse who, at the time, happily grazed just a few feet away. Somewhat reluctantly Charlotte agreed. Suddenly sensing there was something he needed to talk to her about.

As they reached the front porch, Nathan set the basket down and turned to take a seat on the top step. He took Charlotte's hand and pulled her to sit across his lap. She shifted slightly to encircle her arms around his neck, gently twirling his hair around her fingers as she rested her head on his shoulder.

They sat for a moment with only the sound of the birds in the trees and the calming flow of the nearby river. It was Nathan who finally broke the silence. "I have to go out of town." His voice was hoarse.

"I wondered if there wasn't more to those passionate welcome home kisses." Charlotte joked, trying to lighten the mood that had fallen over them.

"Bill and I are going to Union City to testify at a parole hearing for a couple of criminals we arrested together a few years ago. They were a part of a forgery ring that had been set up in the area. Originally, the judge sentenced them to five years. Bill wants us to go and see that they serve the full term." Nathan fingers lazily traced along the fabric of Charlotte's skirt where he held her. "There seems to be a lot more of that happening. Early parole. They keep telling us it's because the territory jails are becoming overcrowded…"

Charlotte lifted her head then to look at Nathan. Reading his expression, she finished his thoughts. "But you're not sure."

"I guess it's not my decision to make. My job is to put criminals away. It's up to others to know when it's the right time for them to be released. There is talk of opening another penitentiary soon. Maybe up in Grande Cache. Hopefully, doing so will relieve some of the pressure on the local prisons."

"How long will you be gone?"

"We leave Wednesday morning. The hearing begins on Thursday. Normally, these things don't take longer than a day, so we should be back by sometime on Friday, if everything goes as planned. I'll try to call you with updates when I know you'll be in town. Or at least leave messages with Florence."

"Just a few days. That isn't so bad." She gave him a tight smile. "You've gone out of town before, and sooner or later, we knew you would again. Allie and I will be okay. We are becoming 'ol pros at this thing by now."

"'Ol pros, huh?" Nathan tugged her braid lightly.

"I don't know." Charlotte gave a bleak laugh. "It sounded brave and strong and as though we can handle it as if nothing is different. But it's completely different, isn't it? We haven't spent a whole day apart from one another since the wedding."

"Or night." Nathan wiggled his brow.

"That too." She leaned in closer. "I'm going to miss you very much, Sarge."

"And I, you, Mrs. Nathan."

They had broken the news to Allie over dinner Monday night, and most of Tuesday had been needed in preparation for Nathan's trip. He stayed later at the office, making sure things were in order for while he would be gone. Meanwhile, Charlotte made sure his clothes were clean, pressed, and ready for packing. Allie helped her bake a fresh loaf of bread so they could make Bill and Nathan some sandwiches for the road.

That night, Nathan and Charlotte lay in bed and talked on until late into the evening, yet she couldn't remember a single thing of importance that was said. Charlotte wanted to keep talking with him. As if doing so, she could hold off sleep, and in turn, hold off the dawn from arriving and taking Nathan away from her. But after some time, she heard the exhaustion in his voice and instead of pestering him with more small talk, she curled into his side. Resting her head on his shoulder as her arm wrapped across his broad chest. She started softly humming. It was the melody from the final song they had danced to at the Mountie ball, 'Ashokan Farewell'. It seemed appropriate for the moment, as she crooned Nathan into his dreams.

Morning came all too early. Now, Charlotte stared up at the ceiling and watched as daybreak lightened the room. With each passing minute it was one closer to him leaving. Nathan's large hand lay across her stomach as he slept soundly. Charlotte moved to entwine her fingers with his and breathed through the warmth that seeped into her chest. Such a simple, sweet thing to do, yet she found holding hands in bed to be incredibly intimate. She wanted to stop time or at least bottle up this moment and keep it with her until Nathan returned home, but after a little while longer, she felt him begin to stir beside her.

"Morning." His voice; groggy and rough.

"Morning." She twisted slightly to place a feather-light kiss to his cheek where it rested on the pillow beside hers.

Charlotte watched Nathan's face as he traversed the wide chasm between sleep and wakefulness. When his eyes finally focused on her, he smiled gently and reached to cup the side of her face. His thumb tenderly tracing along the freckles he found there. "You didn't sleep much last night, did you?" He asked, although it was more of a statement.

She didn't answer. Instead, she simply put her hand over his where it rested on her cheek and placed a kiss to the inside of his wrist.

"It will get easier, I promise." He pulled her tighter to him, causing Charlotte to bury her face into the warm, safe space between his neck and strong shoulder. Breathing in his scent. "What do they call this? The honeymoon phase? Give me two months, maybe three, and you will be happy to see me go and have this bed all to yourself."

"Unfathomable."

She felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest when he chuckled. "I had hoped you'd say that."

They lay in each other's arms for a few minutes longer. Holding onto each other and the moment as long as possible. Finally, after glancing at the clock, Nathan sighed. "I have to get going, sweetheart. If I'm late to pick up Bill, I'll never hear the end of it."

She nodded her head in reluctant agreement, but neither made a move to leave until they heard Allie head to the bathroom at the end of the hall. They took that as their cue to finally get up. Charlotte grabbed her dressing gown off the cedar chest, while Nathan plodded to the closet in his blue pajama pants and bare feet. She helped him pack his things into a travel bag, before making her way downstairs to start their coffee while Nathan finished dressing and getting ready for the day.

The night before, Charlotte made one of Nathan's favorite breakfast foods, her caramel sticky buns, and she had two waiting on a plate for him with a steaming cup of coffee when he came down to the kitchen. He was freshly shaved, and his hair combed into order.

"Dad," Allie said, coming directly over to Charlotte who handed the girl her own plate with a caramel roll on top. "You leaving town isn't all bad if I get to have Mom's sticky buns for breakfast."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Nathan said, coming up behind his wife and placing his hands on her waist. He brushed the waves of her hair aside and kissed her neck, before taking his plate and coffee mug to the dining room with Allie, Charlotte following close behind.

They ate breakfast faster than anyone would have liked to, but they were all running a bit behind schedule. While Nathan and Allie tacked up Bandit and Newton for the girls' ride to school later, Charlotte finished packing the food she wanted to send along with Nathan for his trip. She tucked the tins into empty spaces of his travel bag along with the little love notes she and Allie had written to Nathan the night before. Charlotte hoped when he discovered them it would bring a smile to his face and remind him how much they missed and loved him.

"You do realize that Bill is going to sniff out those sticky buns you packed in my bag." Nathan commented, taking his luggage from Charlotte as he loaded the car to leave. "He'll have 'em ate before we even reach Buxton."

She smiled and appreciated his attempt at humor to lighten the mood and make her forget for a moment his imminent departure. "Take care of each other, please."

"You two, do the same." He answered, leaning over to hug Allie goodbye.

"Always," Allie squeezed his waist in reassurance, before turning her direction towards Charlotte. "I'll go get the horses for us."

Charlotte nodded her head in agreement as Allie departed for the barn. Nathan took his wife's hand and pulled her gently to him. "I'll call when we get to Union City. It will probably be later, maybe after school gets out."

"That's fine. Allie is working the switchboard this afternoon, while I do some lesson plans and then we are going to your mom and dad's for dinner tonight. If you don't get in while Allie is still working, I'll make sure Florence knows where to find us." Charlotte looked over Nathan's shoulder at the car. "Are you sure you have everything? I always feel like we're forgetting something when you leave."

"Maybe it's this?" Nathan swept forward and kissed her sweetly and then with a little more urgency as he wrapped his arms low around her back.

"Hmmmm," Charlotte hummed, drawing apart slightly. "I'm not sure. Maybe we should try that again. Just to be sure."

"Gladly." Again, they kissed and for a moment the rest of the world faded away and it was just them. Pouring their love into one another.

"Please be safe," Charlotte said, locking her arms around his back in a final hug.

Nathan rested his check on the top of her wavy hair. "I will."

"Come back to me."

"How could I not? Especially with this to help me." Nathan leaned back slightly out of his wife's embrace to pull the brass compass she had given him for their wedding from his pocket. He clicked it open and read the inscription inside. "May our love forever guide us through life's unknowns. May we always find our way back to one another. And may we never again feel lost or alone."

"I love you, Sarge." Charlotte pulled the lapels of his serge towards her. "Hurray home."

"I love you." He bent forward and they shared one final kiss before Nathan had to leave. He folded himself into the car and started the engine. Over the motor he mouthed the words 'love you' once more for good measure. He put the vehicle into gear and pulled away, waving his hand out the window, until he was no longer visible in the distance.

Thankfully, it wasn't too late when Nathan and Bill made it to Union City that Allie was still working the switchboard. They talked for a while about her day at school and his with Bill in the car while Lee, who had been at the mercantile picking up a few things, went down the street to get Charlotte. The couple were able to speak for only a few moments before Nathan was called away. He and Bill were having dinner with an old inspector friend of Avery's.

That night, as Charlotte lay in bed, sleep eluded her. For so long, she shuddered at the thought of a man's touch and now she felt lost without it beside her. She missed her husband's safe and comforting presence that took over the space in their room each night. The emptiness consumed her in ways she never expected. She knew it was only for a couple nights and then Nathan would be right back where he belonged, but in the meantime, Charlotte wondered if she would ever be able to drift off and get some much-needed rest without his solid warmth beside her.

Cold from the lack of shared body heat, Charlotte got up and added another quilt from the cedar chest to the bed. Hoping that if she could only close her eyes and relax, she would sleep, but the silence around her was deafening. Charlotte and Nathan always seemed to share the best talks and some of their happiest laughs in the few minutes before slumber. But now there was nothing. No sound of his peaceful breathing, and occasional light snoring, coming from her side. Instead, the quiet enveloped her and refused to let her forget that Nathan wasn't there.

Finally, Charlotte turned to her side and curled into a tight ball beneath the blankets. Taking hold of Nathan's pillow, she pressed it against her face. Comforting herself with the lingering scent of her husband. She said a few more silent prayers, before thankfully, she finally was able to give herself over to a few hours of sleep.

The next day, Charlotte was just getting ready to release her class when Ned arrived saying that Nathan was on the phone. She dismissed her students a few minutes early and then Charlotte and Allie walked down to the mercantile to talk with Nathan. The parole hearing had just finished, and they would be home tomorrow, around mid-afternoon. With Bill and Nathan's testimony, the judge had extended the prisoners' sentence for a year. At that time, he would hold another court session to determine if the criminals should be released early or continue to serve out their time to the original term.

"You sound tired," Nathan said over the phone to Charlotte. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." She turned slightly away from the others in the mercantile, wishing she would have stopped in Nathan's office or the Coulter's to take his call instead of the very public store. "I just couldn't fall asleep last night until I stole your pillow. I miss having you there beside me, Sarge."

"And I miss being there." Even with the slightly bad reception over the line, Charlotte could hear the smile in his voice that came from knowing his wife missed him. "Just one more night, and I'll be home."

"Did you sleep alright? Are the beds at the hotel comfortable?"

"Charlie, I could sleep anywhere. The Mountie's taught me not to be too particular about my accommodations for the night."

"I have to confess, I'm a little jealous. I could use some of that training, it appears."

He chuckled lightly. "Can I confess something, too?"

"Mmmhmmm…"

"I stole one of your blouses from our room. The burgundy one I like so much. When I wasn't sure if I would be able to fall asleep last night, I took it out of my bag and laid next to it. While it wasn't the same as having you beside me, at least having something that smelled of you, reminded me of your presence."

She knew she was blushing at his admission and again wished they had somewhere more private to talk so she could tell him all the things she was thinking and feeling in that moment.

"Oh, I forgot to tell Allie, but thank you both for my notes. They brought a smile to my face. I found them this morning when Bill and I had the last few sticky buns that he didn't eat on the drive here."

"Glad they brightened your day, Sarge. We wanted to make sure you remembered how much your girls love you. I'll tell Allie that you appreciated the gesture. She's just stepped outside to help Fiona carry some supplies, otherwise I would let you tell her yourself."

They only talked a little while longer, Carson had to make an urgent call to Benson Hills and needed the line. Charlotte and Nathan shared their 'goodbyes', 'see you soons', and 'love yous' for the evening and hung up the phone.

Nathan called Charlotte again Friday morning from his hotel in Union City. They were getting a later start out of town than he had been hoping for. Now, most likely, they wouldn't be home until around dinner time. Superintendent O'Reilly had been in town and invited Nathan and Bill to breakfast at a local café to discuss the parole hearing yesterday and some other regional cases. Nathan apologized he wouldn't be home sooner and promised to make it up to Charlotte. His wife giggled at his suggestive undertones.

It was early afternoon when Bill and Nathan were nearing Buxton. They were making up time on their way back to Hope Valley, stopping only for fuel and a few necessary rests. Nathan was becoming quite confident at driving by now and knew the road well. He was in a hurry to get home for the weekend to spend time with his girls and enjoy their company. Not that Bill wasn't good company, it was just that the judge seemed to keep circling back to the parole hearing from the day before. Nathan on the other hand, wanted to talk about anything, but work.

They had just crossed the bridge over the Lovett River and were only a mile or two from Buxton when something up ahead caught Nathan's attention just before the top of a hill. There was shadowed movement from one side of the road to the other. Nathan's instincts told him he needed to stop and check it out, so he pulled the car to the side of the road and shut off the engine.

"What are you doing?" Bill grumbled. "We are never going to make it to Hope Valley tonight if you keep stopping. I told you not to keep drinking that coffee at the café this morning."

Nathan shot Bill a warning glance and shook his head. "I'm not stopping for that. Something ran across the road up here and I think we should stop and see what it was."

"Probably just a rabbit."

"It didn't move like a rabbit, and it was bigger than that. Maybe you should pay attention more to our surroundings than continuing on about Judge Miller in Union City." Nathan opened the car door and climbed out of the seat. "And here I thought you were the inspector out of the two of us." He cocked his eyebrow and gave Bill a lopsided grin before shutting the door on the judge.

"I always pay attention to my surroundings," Bill scampered out of the car after Nathan, following him down the road. Irritated by the Mountie's accusations. "I wasn't the one who let my wife's evil ex-fiancé live in his town for how many months and not even know."

"Easy there." Nathan glanced over his shoulder and scowled at Bill. The judge appeared to have instantly regretted saying that last sentence. "I had no idea what Beck looked like. And I only saw the man once in town before… well, you know."

"I know. I'm sorry, Nathan. That was out of line." Bill squeezed Nathan's shoulder for a moment before directing his attention back down the path in front of them. "Okay, which direction did you say this thing ran off to?"

"I saw it move from behind that tree, diagonally across the road to these bushes over here." Nathan pointed out the path the animal had taken.

"Do you think it was a bear?"

"A cub, maybe? It was about the same size and color, but it didn't move in the same way." Still, Nathan unholstered his pistol. This time of year, sows and cubs would be starting to come out of their dens from winter hibernation; hungry and looking for food. If a cub was nearby, usually there was also a momma. Although Nathan wondered why he prepared the gun, as it would be far too small to stop an angry female if she decided to charge and protect her young.

As Nathan and Bill moved towards the bushes the animal had disappeared into, they noticed a small stream running parallel to the road just a few yards into the forest. They both looked around but didn't see anything until suddenly a stirring in a thicket, near the creek, caught their eye. Nathan moved in first, slowly crouching down in front of the bush, he reached forward to push back the branches.

"Aaaahhh!" Bill roared, suddenly grabbing Nathan's shoulders, causing him to startle. Which, in turn, prompted Bill to laugh heartily, as he slapped his leg in glee. He was chuffed at his ability to scare Nathan. "I've always wanted to do that. I got you good! It was as if you really thought a bear had come up behind you."

Nathan just shook his head slightly and grinned. He had to admit, Bill did give him a bit of a startle. He was still crouched down beside the bush when his face suddenly changed, and he stared behind Bill at the trail that they had just taken from the road.

"Bill," Nathan's voice was low. "Bill, be quiet."

Bill continued to chuckle and carry-on. "You should have seen the look on your face."

"Bill!" He snapped. "I said be quiet!"

"Jeeze. It was just a joke, Nathan. No reason to get so bent out of shape about it. I was just kidding with you."

"It's not that…" Nathan's eyes grew big as he looked from the path to his mentor, pleading for him to be silent. "Just don't move, okay?"

"What? Why…"

Nathan held up a hand. "Bill, I said don't move! If we just stay still and don't say anything… maybe she'll move on."

"Move on? What…"

Bill tried to look over his shoulder, but Nathan again stopped him. "Listen Bill, you know as well as I do what the Mounties said to do in these situations. Avoid eye contact. Don't scream or yell. And whatever you do… don't run. Running is the worst thing that one can do."