Faith took the lid off the crate of supplies that had come in. She was grateful to Ben for not only bringing the crate to the infirmary but prying the lid loose as well. She was in the infirmary alone having told Maggie to take some time off. The British nurse had been the little town's sole medical provider for about a year now. The woman deserved a little time off without the worry about someone coming looking for her. Now that she had a few days to get to know some of the people and the area, Faith had felt confident being alone for a few days.
Finding the invoice, Faith checked to make sure all the supplies that were ordered were indeed in the crate. Setting the invoice aside, she started to empty the crate and put the supplies away. Being busy kept her from dwelling on her disappointment that Gabriel had not asked her out yet, despite several chats over the last couple of days. He had been waiting yesterday when she and Chuck returned back from a second ride, this ride more to show Faith around as she had been comfortable riding after that first ride. Perhaps she had read things wrong after all.
Faith was putting the last of supplies away when she heard the door open. "I will be right with you," she said, not looking as she stood on a step stool to store away some extra supplies that would not be needed right away.
"Take your time, Doctor Faith," Gabriel replied easily. "Hobbling around on crutches gets old quick, believe me."
Faith looked at the door to see Gabriel making his way into the infirmary. The fact that he was carrying his second boot told her that he was hopeful that he would be leaving without the right ankle wrapped.
"I was half expecting to find you waiting for me at the door when I came to unlock the infirmary, Constable," Faith replied as she went back to finishing her task.
"I contemplated it, but as I am still hoping not to disappoint two young boys I decided to sleep in. I was a boy once too. My first overnight with my Dad, I was too excited to fall asleep and had him up before the sun."
Though her back was to him as she completed her task, Faith smiled. The mental image of an excited little Gabriel out camping with his father was a pleasant thought. From that image, she imagined going on a camping trip with Gabriel herself. She knew she could handle it. She had survived the impromptu overnight with Carson after all. That had been her first experience with camping and she had enjoyed it, despite not being fully prepared to sleep under the stars.
With the last of the supplies in their place, Faith descending safely down from the step stool. She turned from the shelves to find Gabriel sitting at the end of one of the cots, the crutches leaning against the other cot.
"I am hoping I can leave those with you," Gabriel commented, waving a hand toward the crutches.
"And I suppose if I say you are not ready to lose the crutches that you will tell the boys that I am the reason the camping trip is cancelled?" Faith asked as she found a stool and moved toward where her patient was waiting for her.
"Postponed, not cancelled," Gabriel corrected. "And no, I would not blame you. I would tell them that out of concern for my well being that you want me to take it easy for a little longer. I want children to know that doctors are caring people and not just out to ruin fun for people."
Sitting on the stool in front of Gabriel, Faith laughed softly. "I do thank you for that. Let's see if I have to disappoint our would be campers, though."
Instructing Gabriel to lift his injured ankle, Faith settled it in her lap and went about unwrapping it. She examined the ankle with her fingers before giving him instructions to move the foot in certain directions.
"Let's get you on your feet," Faith instructed.
Continuing to follow Faith's instructions, Gabriel got carefully to his feet. Over the last couple of days, keeping most of his weight off the injured ankle had become second nature and even without Faith's instruction to not put the full weight on the injured ankle yet, Gabriel was already doing so. As the pretty doctor slipped her hand around his waist, Gabriel couldn't help but wonder how much help the slight woman would be if his ankle would not take his weight. A thought he quickly dismissed as he felt the strength in that one arm. No, she might not keep him from falling, but Gabriel knew Faith would do what she could to make sure he did not get hurt.
Gabriel followed Faith's next instructions. Though there was a dull ache in his ankle it was nothing like the pain of a few days ago.
"So, what is the verdict doctor?" Gabriel asked as he sat back down.
Faith sat back down on the stool and faced him. "Well, I would still prefer that you do not ride for the next few days. Mounting a horse can put a lot of stress on the ankle and though healed, that ankle is weak from non-use. However, you can ditch the crutches. You should be fine traveling by wagon or walking though listen to that ankle. If it starts to ache, rest it."
"So, I can take Christian and Vincent on the camping trip."
Faith nodded. "Just try to avoid running over the weekend. I can explain to the boys not to run for Mountie Gabriel's safety if you would like," she added, a lilt of laughter in those last words.
Gabriel smiled. "Thank you for the offer but I think I can explain that to the boys myself. There is plenty we can do on a camping trip that will not involve running."
"All right," Faith said. "I am hoping I do not see you in an official capacity any time soon," she told him as Gabriel reached for the boot that he had carried in with him.
"I will do my best," Gabriel assured her, pulling on his sock. "What do I owe you?"
Faith told him. When Gabriel was done putting on his boot, he took care of the payment for services. Once Faith had put away the money, Gabriel decided it was time to do what he had been wanting to do the last couple of days.
"Now that I am officially no longer your patient, I was wondering if you would you would have dinner with me, Faith?" Gabriel said, decided that being direct was the way to go. "Maybe Monday evening, as my weekend is already spoken for?"
Faith's cheeks had taken on a rosy color and her blue eyes danced with happiness. That reaction enough told Gabriel what his answer was going to be but still he waited for the words.
"I would like that," Faith replied. "What time should I meet you at the hotel?"
Gabriel felt like his heart was doing somersaults. Yes, he had spent time with Lillian, but he had never officially asked her out. Their closet date had been the impromptu cup of coffee that Sinclair had interrupted. Even that had required some fast talking and had told him that Lillian had not been ready for him to ask her out on a proper date.
"I was thinking I would cook for you, if you would consent to having dinner in the little apartment behind the jail," Gabriel told her. He had observed Faith taking a lot of her meals at the Royal Brookfield and wanted to something out of the ordinary for her. If he were completely honest, he was also hoping to impress her with his culinary skills.
"You cook?" Faith asked, clearly surprised at the admission.
"I do," Gabriel replied. "Much better than Ronnie's first cook at the hotel as well, I might add. The current cook might be a little better than me, but I think you would enjoy the meal I prepared for you."
"That sounds like a pleasant evening to me," Faith replied.
"Could I pick you up at about six?" Gabriel asked.
"I do not want to take you away from your dinner preparations," Faith said. "I am perfectly capable of walking myself across the street. I will be at your place at six."
"All right," Gabriel acquiesced. He would be able to time the cooking better if he did not need to take time out to pick Faith up, though he would still insist on walking her home. "I will have dinner ready to serve at six. If you would like to show up a little earlier and chat while I cook, I would not be averse to that."
"I may just do that, Gabriel," Faith told him. "I will be looking forward to Monday."
"Me too," Gabriel told her, reaching out for one of her hands. Lifting the small hand, he pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Have a good day, Faith," he told her as he let go of her hand.
"You too," Faith replied, her blush growing deeper at the gesture though the smile on her face said that it pleased her.
It was all Gabriel could do to keep from skipping out of the infirmary he was so happy. However, though Faith had not cautioned him not to skip, he had feeling that action was right up there with running and horseback riding.
Feeling much lighter than when he had gone inside, and not just because he had gotten rid of the crutches, Gabriel headed for the livery. Though proper rounds could not be done today, Gabriel did plan on hitching Apollo to his wagon and making partial rounds. He also wanted to stop by the New Hope Orphanage and let Lillian know he would be taken the boys camping this weekend after all.
Lillian pegged the last of the clothing to the line before reaching her arms up over her head to stretch after the task. The action felt good as it released some of the tension in her muscles that had built up during the repetitive task. As she brought her arms down, she noticed an approaching wagon. It was the red serge that told her who her guest was. As he was the one driving the wagon, Lillian figured the ankle was feeling better. If that assumption was wrong, she planned on lecturing him about taking care of himself. He protected all them, so someone had to look after their Mountie when he was sick or injured.
No, she could not have handled being a Mountie's wife but friendship she would freely give.
"Are you supposed to be driving the wagon today?" Lillian asked, approaching the wagon as it came to a stop.
Gabriel smiled down at her. "Well hello to you too, Lillian," he said easily.
Lillian felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She should have at least got a hello in there.
"To answer your question, yes, I am allowed to be driving a wagon. Walking without crutches is allowed as well. Our new doctor just wants me to refrain from horseback riding and running to let the ankle regain a little strength."
"Glad you are feeling better," Lillian told him.
"Thank you," Gabriel said. "I wanted to stop by and let you know I plan on taking Christian and Vincent camping as originally planned."
Lillian nodded in acknowledgment. "I will make sure I pack their clothes, toothbrush and blanket for them. Eleanor baked an extra loaf of bread last night and was inside baking some cornbread and blueberry muffins when I came out. She said if the camping trip didn't happen she was sending the boys into town with the baking for you anyway."
Gabriel grinned. "I will have to be sure to thank her this afternoon," Gabriel told her. "Fresh baking will be a treat while camping, especially if we do not catch any fish and are eating canned beans."
"Is there anything else I should pack?" Lillian asked.
Gabriel shook his head. "I will take care of the rest of the supplies. Most things are already packed and ready to go. There are just a few things I need to pick up at the general store this afternoon. Actually, I was thinking, if you had not other reason to go into town this afternoon, that I could save you a walk in and pick up all the kids after school and bring them out in the wagon."
"Well, Grace was going to walk the children home this afternoon but I am sure even she would appreciate a wagon ride after being on her feet at the hotel all day. I know the kids would enjoy the ride with Mountie Gabriel. All of them enjoy being with you," Lillian told him.
Gabriel smiled. "I enjoy kids. Being with them is a pleasure. I know all of them have expressed an interest in learning about the plants of the area. I could lead a nature hike one Saturday if you and Grace would be able to be chaperones. I would not want to try keeping track of all of them at one time, by myself. Perhaps Sam could tag along as well. He may even know some facts that I don't."
Relief swept over Lillian. She had been trying not to flaunt her relationship with Sam in front of Gabriel out of respect for his feelings. Despite him accepting her choice for them to just be friends, Lillian was sure her rejection had to create a bit of a sting. Still, she knew that the sting of the truth would be better in the long run than to try to pretend she felt differently. She had hoped that with time, even that sting would go away but she had been waiting for Gabriel to give her a sign that it had. Including Sam in plans for a nature hike with the kids seemed to be just the sign she had been waiting for.
"I will discuss things with Grace and Sam and let you know. I think it would be a good experience for the children," Lillian said.
"All right then," Gabriel said with a nod. "I will see you this afternoon when I bring Grace and the kids home. I plan on leaving for the camp site I have picked out from here."
"The baking and the boys' belongings will be ready to go," Lillian assured him. "Have a good day, Gabriel."
"You too, Lillian," Gabriel said, touching fingers to the brim of his campaign hat even as he signaled Apollo forward.
Lillian watched the wagon as it drove on past the orphanage. If circumstances had been different, she knew she could have fallen for Gabriel. However, the situation with Sinclair had scared her. She knew that Gabriel could not promise a situation like that would not arise again, nor was it fair to ask him to try. He could not control the actions of the bad guys. All he could do was try to guard against possibilities like he had by asking Sam to guard her. She was grateful for Gabriel's actions and knew that he would be there to protect her or the children in the future if the need arose. Not that she ever wanted there to be a need again. There was comfort in that knowledge but the thought that being in a relationship with Gabriel would make her, maybe even the children, more of a target was something she did not want to live with every day. It may have even led to resentfulness on her part, and Gabriel did not deserve that. He deserved to be with someone who would love and support him with all of their heart. Someone who was brave enough to face the dangers that his job would bring with it. Someone whose own dreams could mesh with his. Lillian knew that hers never could. She could not move the orphanage on a whim and Gabriel might one day get a promotion or a posting that would take him from Brookfield. She would never want to be the reason he turned down a promotion or posting that he had earned and deserved.
Friendship was something she knew she could offer Gabriel freely. For the first time, Lillian felt confident that Gabriel would be all right with them just being friends. Turning toward the house, she could not help but wonder if a pretty, blonde, doctor might have helped that process along any. She smiled at the thought. If Faith could give Gabriel what she had not been able to, then Lillian would be happy for the both of them.
After his shortened rounds, given the cumbersome wagon, Gabriel parked the wagon in front of the Mounted Police office and unhooked Apollo. His plan was to get Apollo settled in the stall to rest before taking himself to the Royal Brookfield for lunch. After lunch, if his ankle still ached, he would do some paperwork before going to Joe's for the final supplies he needed. He fully understood why Faith had recommended he not try horseback riding quite yet if just being in the wagon and doing some walking on rounds had made his ankle ache.
Still, as long as he was able to take things easy this afternoon, he was sure he would be fine with the camping trip. There would not be much time this evening to do to much before dark anyway. Chances were, they probably would not be able to catch fish for tonight's dinner but Eleanor's cornbread would make the beans taste a lot better. He also planned to surprise the boys with marshmallows to roast and put on graham crackers with pieces of chocolate. He had no doubt the treat would be a hit with Christian and Vincent.
Settling Apollo did not take long. Giving the black one last pat on the neck, Gabriel left the livery and made his way to the Royal Brookfield. Grace met him at the door.
"Hello, Gabriel," Grace said easily. "You can take any empty table," she said, waving a hand at the half-filled dining room.
Gabriel nodded in confirmation of the instruction as he greeted her. "Hello, Grace. I was talking with Lillian earlier. She said you were walking the kids home this afternoon."
"Yes," Grace confirmed. "Though first I have to survive the shift. Waiting tables is harder than I remembered."
"It will get easier," Gabriel assured her. "If it helps at all, you and the kids can ride out to the orphanage instead of walking. I wanted to pick Christian and Vincent up, get their stuff and head out for the campsite, so I might as well give everybody a ride out to the Orphanage."
"My feet like the sound of that," Grace told him. "Though if I don't get these orders to the kitchen I am going to have upset customers."
Gabriel chuckled. "Go put in those orders so you can come get mine," he told her.
With a laugh of her own, Grace headed for the kitchen. Gabriel headed for the closest empty table but half way there, a voice called out to him.
"Constable Gabriel, come join us," a distinct British voice called out.
Looking in the direction of the voice, Gabriel spotted Maggie and Faith sitting at a table with four chairs. Smiling he walked over to their table.
"Are you sure your lunch companion will not mind the interruption, Nurse Maggie?" Gabriel returned. Though he wasn't sure how it got started, he and Maggie usually put the title of the other before their first name.
Both Maggie and Gabriel looked to Faith.
"Well they do claim, the more the merrier," Faith replied, a smile lighting up her face.
"Then who am I to turn down lunch with two lovely ladies," Gabriel replied, pulling out the chair next to Maggie and sitting down. He wasn't sure if Faith would be uncomfortable with him sitting next to her. Sitting next to Maggie also gave him the benefit of being able to see Faith's pretty face during the meal.
Returning to the dining room, Grace glanced around and then made her way to their table, coffee pot in hand.
