Chapter 191- Surprises
That summer, Ryerson Press announced, 'The Adventures of Nate and Charlie', a huge success. Copies were flying off shelves all over Canada and down into the states. Sales were even picking up across the Atlantic in England.
While Nathan said no to a big, long book tour, he agreed to a couple of short weekend excursions, close to home that he could take with Charlotte and the kids. They had been to Edmonton, and then a trip to Calgary for a signing at Charlotte's favorite bookstore she discovered when they were in town for the Mountie Ball.
To everyone's surprise, a small mercantile in Banff along the main avenue contacted Nathan's publisher asking if he would be willing to do a special book signing in the middle of June. At first, Nathan was hesitant to say yes. The trip would coincide with Charlotte's birthday weekend, but when the store offered to foot the bill for their stay at the Banff Springs hotel, Nathan couldn't say no. He'd always wanted to see the inside of the famous hotel that was billed as 'The Finest on the North American Continent'.
A few weeks after school was let out for the summer the Canfields decided to make a trip to Regina to visit Angela. They extended an invitation for Allie and Opal to join them, which the girls eagerly accepted.
With Liam now older, the Coulters offered to watch the boy while his parents took the weekend trip to Banff for themselves to celebrate Charlotte's birthday and the success of Nathan's book.
Banff was beautiful.
Just when Charlotte thought the Canadian Rockies couldn't get more magical, her and Nathan arrived in this charming mountain town. The beauty around them with the green grass and the still snowcapped mountains that fed a rush of fresh water down the river through town, simply took her breath away.
Especially the castle-like hotel perched along the Bow River they were staying at. Upon checking in they made a reservation for a special dinner that night in the hotel's terraced dining room overlooking the valley below.
Charlotte studied the menu and all its offerings like an eager child, ordering them more food than Nathan believed they would ever be able to finish. He humored her as they were celebrating his book and her birthday, and they were both taking advantage of the fact that neither of them had to cook or clean up the meal.
"It's probably a good thing you didn't eat much for lunch, so you had room for all this," Nathan said that evening at the table. Smiling as Charlotte polished off every last crumb of her blueberry pie, even after already consuming most of the large piece of gooey butter cake they ordered to share.
Charlotte waved her hand dismissively. "That sandwich they were serving on the train looked and smelled like…" She trailed off, letting Nathan fill in the rest of her sentence. "Plus, riding backwards on the train through the mountains had my stomach feeling nauseous. Once you and I switched places and we opened the window to get some fresh air, I was better." Charlotte wiped her lips with a cloth napkin and laid it beside her clean plate. Before eyeing Nathan's bowl of maple walnut ice cream, she ordered him for dessert. "You going to finish that?"
"All yours." He smirked and pushed the bowl towards her. "I don't think I could take another bite."
"Rookie," she said with a wink and then began shoveling large scoopfuls of partially melted ice cream into her mouth.
Nathan laughed at the scene in front of him. If he didn't love the woman so much, he might be put off by her current manners at a fancy dinner table. Somehow though, seeing his wife enjoy their evening together and the food brought him joy.
"I'm sorry, I'm not as hungry as the ravenous wolf I brought to dinner with me tonight." He reached across the table and ruffled her hair in a playful gesture, and she found herself giggling as she brought her hands up to smooth her hair back down.
"I'm not a wolf," she said. Tipping the bowl to the side to get the last of the dessert out of the dish. "It's just the whole meal was so fantastic! That salmon and those fingerling potatoes with the dill sauce…" She brought the tips of her fingers to her lips and blew them out like a kiss. A gesture she'd seen the chef do earlier when he visited their table. "Perfection."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." His eyes moved across the table and assessed all the empty plates from their meal. "All of it."
She gave him a contented smile and leaned back in her chair. Placing her hands on her stomach as though realizing for the first time how much they'd eaten. Charlotte gave a big yawn and looked at the watch on her wrist. "How can it not even be eight o'clock yet? It feels like midnight."
Nathan agreed and signaled their waiter for the bill, he paid and escorted Charlotte up to their room. The moment Nathan closed the door to their suite, he heard Charlotte plop on top of their bed, and soon soft snores were coming from her indicating she'd already fallen asleep.
He chuckled to himself and came to her side. Gently removing her shoes before covering her with a blanket, followed by a kiss on her forehead goodnight.
The next morning the smell of coffee woke Charlotte from her slumber, and she opened her eyes to see Nathan sitting in the chair by the window looking out at the breathtaking scenery below. His handsome figure was framed by the wispy clouds through the glass that began to show a warm gold and pink pattern. She knew the sun's disk would soon be peeking above the shadowy mountains as the sky continued to brighten.
Nathan must have sensed she was awake because he set the morning's paper down on his lap and turned to give her a smile. "Good morning, sleeping beauty."
Charlotte rolled her eyes at his teasing, stretched, and pulled herself to a sitting position on the bed. Suddenly noting that she was still in her travel clothes from the day before. Nathan chuckled at her horrified reaction, rose, and came to join her on the bed.
"Was I really so tired last night that I couldn't change into my pajamas?" She asked, accepting the cup of coffee Nathan placed for her on the bedside table.
He took a sip of his own brew in an attempt to disguise his smile hidden behind the lip of his mug. "Snorin' like a hibernating bear before I even had the door locked."
"I did not" Charlotte playfully pushed at his side with her foot.
Nathan's gaze moved over her appearance in a long, tantalizing sweep. "Look at the evidence, love."
Charlotte feigned a frown and hummed, letting the coffee slowly revive her as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and situated herself beside Nathan. Resting her forehead on his shoulder as they both took in the sunrise. Enjoying the moment with her husband in the calm quiet of their room as Nathan's hand found her thigh, letting his fingers drum against her skirt in easy intimacy.
"I miss our kids," Charlotte confided. "But… I've missed this too. Just you and me. Does it make me a bad mom to wish we had just one more day here?"
"You're not a bad mom, Charlotte." He said, giving her leg a squeeze in reassurance. "What if I told you, we do have one more day to this trip?" Nathan tried to hide his smile again and took another sip of his coffee.
Charlotte straightened and turned towards him. "What do you mean?"
"Your birthday. It's tomorrow, and I've planned a surprise for us."
"What type of surprise?"
Nathan enjoyed giving her just enough information without revealing the whole plan. It was like watching Charlotte open a present one layer of wrapping at a time. "I told you, it's a surprise. I can't reveal it all. At least not yet."
Charlotte took a deep breath. "What if I told you I had a surprise for you too? Would you tell me then?"
She noticed that it piqued his interest, but Nathan was too strong to be baited that easily and he shook his head no. Deciding instead to change the subject.
"Better get ready, sleeping beauty. We have a book signing to get to."
The response to the signing in the Banff bookstore was overwhelming to Nathan. For a rustic town known more for its vistas and tourism, he had little expectation. Especially for the room to be full of supporters just waiting to meet the 'Mountie who wrote a book'.
While Nathan signed books, Charlotte made the rounds through the line of people waiting, making small talk, and thanking them for coming to support her husband. As the hours ticked on though she became a little more reserved. Stepping outside multiple times to get some 'fresh mountain air'.
The bookstore supplied them with a light lunch from a nearby cafe, but there was little time for Nathan to eat in between greeting his supporters. And Charlotte only had a few bites, admitting to herself that she was still full from the evening before.
Nathan became worried for her as the day advanced, catching her nodding off in a chair in the corner more than once. He offered to walk her back to the hotel and get some rest, yet she refused, saying she couldn't pull him away from all the people who took time out of their day to come.
It was early evening, after the final book was signed, before Nathan and Charlotte were given a chance to discuss their plans for the rest of the day.
"Do you want to walk around town for a bit and find a restaurant for dinner or head back to the hotel?" Nathan asked as they stepped out of the bookstore. He studied his wife, she seemed to have caught her second wind on the day.
Charlotte looked up and down the main street which was full of people. Trail guides, fur traders, and the wealthy from around the world mingled together and crowded every which way. "Can we walk somewhere more private? As beautiful as Banff is, I've discovered it doesn't give me the peace and quiet I crave when I come to the mountains."
"I think I have just the thing."
Nathan took her hand and pulled her back in the direction of the hotel, but instead of crossing the bridge over the Bow River, he led her to the southeast, away from the hustle and bustle of town, and further into the woods.
"Is this part of my surprise?" She asked as they started to climb up a hill. "Because you still haven't given me any hints, other than you've extended our trip an extra day."
"No… This is not a part of your surprise." Nathan grinned. "But locals do call this spot surprise corner."
He climbed faster, helping Charlotte along beside him. "Well, you seem to know where you are going."
"I do." He answered. "The one other time I was through Banff, I came to this place. It was beautiful then, so I can't even imagine how it looks at sunset."
The sun was beginning to sink over the mountains, casting their surroundings in a warm hue that only came with the magic of golden hour. As they came to the crest of the hill, Charlotte could hear the river they walked beside becoming louder. The path narrowed for a bit, so Nathan took the lead, Charlotte following close behind until the trees opened into a small clearing.
"Look, there." Nathan said, drawing her to his side.
Charlotte looked out through the treetops to the other side of the river and saw the Banff Springs Hotel in all her glory. Framed against its mountainous backdrop and illuminated with the last light of day. Straight below them roared the river over the Bow Falls. They were not high falls, but nevertheless they were lovely to watch. The water ran wildly between the two uprisings of mountain rock which confined it on either side. As it pounded and boiled down the drop of several feet, the water turned from clear, bright translucent to a foaming milky white.
"You were right," Charlotte said. A clear sense of awe and wonderment in her voice. "It is beautiful."
"I hoped you'd like it."
They stood there in silence watching the falls and mesmerized by the beautiful scenery until Nathan felt Charlotte stiffen in his arms. He twisted slightly and noticed she had gone quite pale, her eyes struggling to focus.
"Charlie, are you alright?"
She simply nodded her head up and down. Her jaw clenched shut as she worked to swallow. Nathan turned her to face him and saw the perspiration at her brow. Her body suddenly weakened and leaned into him for support.
"Sweetheart, talk to me." He dipped forward so he could study her more closely. "You've been like this all day. Actually, longer!" His voice rose with emotion. "I know you say moms never get sick, but if I didn't know any better…"
"I'm fine, Nathan." Charlotte pushed back her shoulders and tried to stand a little straighter. "Really. I'm not sick."
"This green in your skin color tells me otherwise." His finger brushed against her cheek. "I don't care what you say, I'm taking you to see the local doctor…" Nathan took her hand as he started on his way back towards town. "Right now."
Charlotte buried her heels into the rocks at their feet, pulling him to a stop that spun him back to face her. "I don't need to see the doctor, Nate." Charlotte said. She wanted to allay his fears. "Like I said, I'm not sick."
Stubborn woman. Nathan thought. "Not sick? Not sick!" Nathan came close again. Standing toe to toe with her. "Don't lie to me."
Charlotte looked wounded by those words. "Nathan, I've never lied to you, and I don't plan on starting now!" She felt hot tears welling. Her emotions were close to the surface, like they'd been so often lately. "How could you say that?"
"Say that?" Nathan ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he started to pace back and forth in front of Charlotte. Going over the past few weeks in his mind of all her symptoms. Rattling them off in rapid succession as he held up a finger on his hand for each symptom he listed. "You tell me you're not sick, yet lately, you've been irritable, complaining about unfamiliar tenderness, frequently exhausted, eating like a horse one minute, and nauseous the next. If you're not sick, then the only other explanation would be that you're…"
Nathan stopped in his tracks, and Charlotte watched as the idea crept over him from head to toe. His rant was sucked out of him as quickly as it had come on. He turned towards her and even though his face was now cast in the shadows of evening, Charlotte saw the clear look of shock on Nathan's face.
"You're… you're…" Nathan stuttered, trying to force the word to escape his lips.
His struggle eased the tension of the moment and Charlotte began to laugh. "I'm what, Sarge?"
"You're pregnant?" He took hold of her upper arms and pulled her towards him. "We're going to have another baby?"
"Yes, we're going to have another baby." Tears of joy slid down Charlotte's cheek. "I… I've been trying to tell you in the most special way. I wanted it to be memorable…"
"Wait…" Nathan cut her off. "I'm gonna be…" His own tears began to flow, as he shook his head and crinkled his nose in disbelief. "I'm going to be a dad again?"
"Yes." Charlotte confirmed. "I wanted to surprise you, but…"
"Well, you got your wish. You certainly surprised me." He wrapped her in a hug, before pulling back to touch her stomach. "How long have you known?"
"A couple weeks. Faith confirmed my suspicions when we returned from Calgary. I wanted to wait though until you were finished with your book signings. I didn't want this to be a distraction."
"A distraction?" Nathan framed her face with his hands. "You and our children could never be a distraction. Quite the opposite in fact." He kissed her sweetly. "This family is my world, Charlotte. Don't ever think differently."
She nodded her head in understanding. "Are you happy?"
"Happy?" Nathan scoffed. "I'm happier than I probably have the right to be."
"You have every right to be happy."
Nathan grinned, a mischievous look bubbling to the surface. He held her hand and turned towards the mountains and canyon in front of them and over the roar of the falls below he called out into the night. "We're having a baby!"
"Ssshhh…" Charlotte tugged on his arm, trying to quiet her husband. "Keep it down, the tourists are going to call in a report of a wild animal out here in the woods."
"I don't care, let 'em." Nathan looped her into his arms, lifting Charlotte's feet off the ground he swung them in a large circle, careful of the canyon's edge. "We're having a baby!"
Charlotte giggled, overcome with the joy that they were being blessed with another addition to their family. Matching her husband, she leaned back, her eyes raised towards the heavens and arms held open wide in praise. Joining in Nathan's declaration to the world of their good news, she shouted, "We're having a baby!"