Chapter 147- Winter Visitor

Another loud knock rapped the door, this time accompanied by the stamping of boots on the front porch. Nathan rose to his feet, still rubbing the bridge of his nose where the book's binding had hit him hardest. Charlotte followed, silently signaling for Allie and Remi to stay behind while they investigated. A third, more persistent knock sounded, a moment before Nathan opened the door and a man almost fell into the entryway with a whirl of snow and cold.

The first thing Charlotte noticed was his clothes. He was dressed in a red jacket and had a big bundle in his arms he was struggling to balance. Given the holiday season, she couldn't help but think it was Santa Claus lost in the snowstorm, out making early deliveries for Christmas.

It wasn't until the man looked out from around the stack of gifts he carried, and his face, red with the cold of the bitter wind, broke into a sort of frozen smile did she realize who this St. Nick truly was.

"Warren?" Charlotte gasped, enveloping the man in a hug, knocking his parcels askew.

Thankfully, Nathan was quick and counterbalanced the bundle before it tumbled to the floor. He moved to help relieve Tremblay of his heavy load so he would have his arms free to accept their warm greeting, but Warren laughed softly and moved the parcels away from Nathan's assistance.

"Sorry," he said, "But I have strict orders to hand this over to Charlotte Grant and no one else." He turned to Charlotte. "You're Mrs. Charlotte Grant?"

Charlotte giggled. "Of course, I am, you goof."

"I wasn't quite sure," Warren looked her over from head to toe. "There seems to be a lot more of you than just a few months ago when we last saw one another."

Charlotte's face twisted as she tried to hide her smile. She swatted at Tremblay and his teasing, but he managed to avoid her playful blow.

"I'd be careful, Tremblay," Nathan laughed as Warren handed Charlotte the parcels he had been carrying, before removing his mitten to reach out a hand to Nathan.

Nathan took the outstretched hand and pulled Tremblay into a tight embrace until a shriek of delight spilled from the living room when Allie discovered exactly who had been their winter visitor.

"Warren!" She hugged the Mountie for a brief moment, before stepping back out of his embrace, seemingly in shock. "I don't understand. How are you here? Why are you here?"

"I worked out some special leave for Christmas. Since the rest of my family is back east and it would take too long to travel there and back, I thought I'd come and spend the holidays with my family here in Hope Valley. That is if you don't mind having a house guest for Christmas."

"Of course, we don't mind," Charlotte quickly answered. "Nathan just finished building the bed frame for the guest room last month. You'll be the first person to stay in it."

"How did you get here?" Nathan questioned, realizing for the first time they had not heard a car pull up outside, or the sound of a horse's approach.

"I caught the last train from Edmonton. When I arrived in town, I met a Mr. Gowen, or should I say Santa Claus, who offered to give me a ride out here to your ranch. The snow got heavy in places on the road, and we were worried about getting the car stuck, so he dropped me off a mile or two back down the mountain and I walked the rest of the way."

"In this weather?" Charlotte exclaimed. "You're lucky you didn't freeze out there."

"This is nothing compared to every day in the North."

"Take off your jacket and settle in by the fire," Charlotte instructed as she helped to brush the snow from Warren's coat. "Allie, would you mind reheating some of our leftover soup from dinner? I'm sure Tremblay is hungry after his trip here. And maybe brew a fresh pot of coffee too."

Allie willingly agreed and set off to the kitchen as Warren was escorted to the living room and placed in the chair closest to the flames. Over the warmed soup and coffee, Tremblay caught them up on his life over the past few months in the North. While he originally joked that the bundle he carried was only for Charlotte, he revealed it really was gifts he brought for all of them, but they would have to wait until Christmas Day to open.

He was famished after his long journey and happily accepted another bowl of soup and fresh mug of coffee from Allie when she offered. He kept saying how he hadn't eaten this well in a long time and it felt good to have a warm, home-cooked meal. Warren asked them about their lives. Questioning school, work, and of course, wanting to know everything about the baby and how Charlotte was feeling. Remi affectionately sat beside him, resting her head on his knee. She whimpered whenever Warren stopped petting her or scratching behind her ears. Just one more member of the Grant family that seemed infatuated with Tremblay.

It was late when they finally retired for the evening. Charlotte was brushing her hair at the mirror in their bedroom when Nathan came and wrapped his arms around her from behind to pull her back into his chest. Gently embracing the swell in her belly as he slowly swept the hair back from her shoulder to kiss along her neck and collarbone.

"Nate?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you think Warren looked… tired tonight?" She turned in Nathan's arms to face him. "I mean something more than just because he traveled all the way here from the North in a snowstorm."

"You noticed?"

"I noticed."

Nathan nodded his head. He should have realized that Charlotte picked up on the change in Warren just like he had. It wasn't obvious, but from the moment Tremblay sat down in their living room Nathan noted there was something different about the young Mountie. Something that seemed to be weighing heavy on his shoulders. Nathan tried to rationalize it as serving for so many months in a remote place. Of being homesick for the people you know and love. It was lonesome being away from what was familiar. Being so removed from any news of the outside world.

It wasn't easy to serve in the North, but the people there needed the Mounties. The Force wasn't just the law. They were the doctors, schools, morticians, and dentists. Any basic need was provided by the constables that served the area. It was a lot of pressure to put on a recruit. Pressure that seemed to break as many men as it made.

"I just can't help but feel there is something Warren isn't telling us," Charlotte continued. "I mean, is it normal for a Mountie to get special leave to come out of the North just for Christmas? I don't know everything about the inner workings of the RCMP, but it seemed odd to me when he mentioned that was the reason he was here. Especially when he hasn't even been serving Cadotte Lake for all that long."

"I picked up on that too."

"Do you think he would talk to you about it?"

"Maybe," Nathan shrugged. "But these things are complicated, Charlie. It's like what I said in my speech at the ball, the life of a Mountie- it has its fair share of struggles. Struggles that have a way of getting buried deep inside."

"Like your guilt over what happened to Jack?"

Nathan nodded. "It's things like that, we don't often share with the outside world, as we believe the outside world just wouldn't be able to understand."

"You're not the outside world though. As a fellow Mountie, you would understand better than most what he is going through."

"Possibly. I just worry I may not be able to give him all the answers he needs."

"Maybe he doesn't need answers, Nate. Maybe he just needs that lifeline we're always talking about. One that offers strength, kindness, support, laughter, help, and love. Maybe that's why he's here because he knows that you- us- this whole community- we can give him that. We can be what he needs. Someone who is willing to be there for him. Someone who is willing to listen. To help. To understand and simply to make him feel a lot less alone." She reached up and kissed Nathan's cheek. "I know that, because that's what you, Allie, and this town did for me when I came here. That's what we can do for Warren too."

The next morning arrived clear and bright. With the land appearing new and untouched, other than fresh tracks across the yard where various wildlife crossed over the drifts of glittering snow during the night. Icicles hung from the eaves of the house and sparkled in the sunshine as dawn broke into the valley. Warren was the first one up and already seemed to make himself at home. Brewing a fresh pot of coffee and building the fire in the living room.

Knowing they had a long, cold day ahead of them, Charlotte made a hearty breakfast. She noticed the night before that Warren had lost weight working in the North. Nathan told her it was reasonable. A Mountie in the North was active, walking a lot and eating few foods that would add pounds to his frame. Still, Charlotte couldn't help feeling the need to feed Warren well in the time he was in their home. He seemed a little brighter this morning, as though being with friends and a full night's sleep had done him a world of good.

As they finished breakfast and set about cleaning up, Allie stopped and looked out the big bay windows of the dining room. "Do you ever look outside on mornings like this and think you don't want to go out and spoil it?"

Warren came to stand slightly behind her and look out the window as well. "Every day I've been in the North I think that. It's cold and wet. That combination usually spoils most days before they begin."

Allie turned to face him and saw he was teasing her. "I didn't mean it that way. I meant it as it almost seems too perfect. Like a picture I don't want to ruin by walking through it and leaving tracks."

"I'll give you that. God sure paints a pretty picture here."

They were quite a moment, taking in the splendor of the winter wonderland outside.

"Hey," Allie said, breaking Tremblay out of his thoughts. "When was the last time you had a snowball fight?"

Warren's deep chuckle ricocheted around the room. "Not since I was a schoolboy."

"So… Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth?" Allie playfully laughed, seeing the shocked expression come across Warren's face at her banter.

"I'm not that old Miss Grant."

"Prove it."

"I'm not sure this is the most equal of teams." Nathan said, taking his position in the front yard.

"Boys versus girls, never is." Warren confidently stated, forming a snowball between his mittened hands. "Especially when one of them is so pregnant. No offense, Charlotte."

"None taken."

Nathan saw the look of mischief in his wife's eye, and he knew it did not bode well for the men's team. She was honest, she didn't take offense from Warren's comments, but she would prove to the young man how wrong he was, even with his prepared ammunition lined up and at-the-ready along the porch steps. "That's not what I meant by the teams not being equal, Tremblay. The girls saddled me with you as a partner. I know I'm already at a disadvantage."

Before Warren could question Nathan further about what he meant, he was caught off guard by a large, firm snowball to the back of the head. When he turned to look at who threw it, Allie and Charlotte were both shrugging their shoulders with a look of pure innocence.

"Alright, well now it's on," Warren said. "I thought I'd take it easy on you two, but since I know you aren't afraid to play dirty…"

He was hit square in the chest with another snowball. This one, clearly sent from Charlotte. "You were saying, Tremblay?"

Nathan laughed freely at his friend's misfortune until a snowball thrown by Allie hit him in the shoulder. He pivoted, sending a projectile he had in his own hand towards her. She ducked just in time and the snowball missed its target.

"Maybe there is something wrong with your arm…" Allie said to her dad. "Because you used to be able to hit me."

Nathan took off after his daughter, and the snowball fight was on. Laughter and teasing filled the morning air. Their heavy breathing formed into little puffs like clouds. No one was willing to end their game until Jed Campbell arrived with his tractor and snowplow he used to clear the road to the ranch so Nathan could get to work. A truce was called, and they prepared to go to town.

While Nathan went out on his morning rounds, Charlotte and Allie took Tremblay around Hope Valley. Showing him the various places they described in their letters and introducing him to the people he had come to know through their writing. Charlotte made sure that each one of her students met Warren since he, and his adventures in the North, were a part of their school project over the past year. He took time with each child, remembering little details from their individual letters that were exchanged over the months.

About lunch time, Charlotte offered to retrieve Nathan from his office while Allie and Warren went ahead and grabbed a table at the café. She knocked lightly on the door to the jail then quickly opened it. Nathan was in the chair behind his desk and upon seeing her, swiftly hid what he was reading behind his back.

Charlotte gave him a quizzical expression as she came closer. "What are you hiding there, Sarge?"

"Nothing." He answered far too quickly to make it convincing.

"Hmmm…" Charlotte tried to peek behind him, but Nathan swiveled his chair away from her prying eyes. "Is that my Christmas present?"

"No… It's just something I ordered a couple weeks ago and picked up at the mercantile yesterday when Abigail arrived."

"And it's some big secret that I can't know about?"

"Not a secret… it's just… some boring reading material for… my job."

"Now you certainly have me intrigued. But if you want to keep it to yourself, I won't push any further. I trust you, Nathan. Completely." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I just came to see if you were ready for lunch at the café. Allie and Warren already went to save us a table."

"Oh!" Nathan gasped. "That reminds me… Have you seen who else came into town last night?"