Lucky to be loving you
Chapter 32
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Nathan stood next to Fiona and addressed the townsfolk, "First of all, I would be remiss if I didn't thank all of you who pitched in and helped us extinguish the fire at the old hunter's cabin. If we hadn't had so many helpers, we probably wouldn't have saved it. Luckily, you never fail to come through when we need it. Thank you to all who helped."
"How bad of shape is it?" Ned asked.
"I'll let Lee and his crew determine that, but the fire hadn't spread throughout the cabin yet, so I'm feeling hopeful that it can be restored. We'll know better tomorrow after we inspect the area."
Bill spoke up, "We'll need to determine how the fire started and who was there. All we know now is that a pot of grease on the stove caught fire."
"Was anyone hurt?" Rosaleen asked concerned.
Nathan nodded, "Yes, unfortunately when Mark tried to go inside, he burned his hand on the doorknob and was inside long enough looking for anyone that might be in the cabin and inhaled too much smoke. Thankfully Dr. Carson was there and applied first aid immediately, so Mark is doing fairly well."
Molly added, "Dr. Carson is tending to Mark now and is expecting he will be released soon. He's keeping an eye on his breathing for a while."
The crowd sighed with relief. Pastor Joseph reassured all, "That's a blessing from our Lord. Praise God!"
"Just one more thing, folks. I want to give our Constable Andy credit for his quick action in notifying us of the fire. If it wasn't for him, that fire could've burned down the cabin and spread throughout the whole area," Nathan patted Andy's shoulder, "Good job, Constable!" Nathan was proud of Andy, and he needed to know.
Andy, who was standing quietly, smiled and thanked those who came up to him and congratulated him while the crowd clapped. When Andy looked at Nathan his eyes told him thanks.
Ever since Dee heard the church bell ringing, she knew something was wrong. She called Allie at the switchboard and asked her to check with Flo so she could go home as Dee wanted to go to town to find Nathan to make sure he was all right. When Allie finally arranged for Flo to take over so she could, it seemed like it took forever. Dee left the young ones home with Allie.
Frantically looking around Dee heard her husband's voice and found him. Running to the crowd she stopped short so as to not make a scene. Nathan turned and saw her. Their eyes met and she rushed up to him for a big hug. They clung to each other, but Nathan let her go after calming her down. He knew she had plenty of questions, but she could wait, seeing that Nathan was all right.
Fiona spoke, "Why don't we let these men go home to clean up and unwind. We'll have a town meeting later this week after Nathan, Bill, and Andy gather some more information and discuss what happened in depth."
The town folk began to disperse, so Nathan and Andy headed back to the office with Dee. Once inside, both men washed up while Dee listened to all the details Nathan could tell her.
"Oh, my goodness! Who in the world was in that cabin?" Dee asked out loud.
"That's what we are determined to find out."
"Well, I sure hope so, that cabin has a rich history for our town," Dee agreed, "Honey, I'm going home to relieve Allie who's watching the little ones. I'm sure she's anxious to know you're all right."
Nathan kissed Dee on her cheek, "I'll be home the regular time."
"I guess, we'll have to cook a hero's dinner. Andy, would you like to join us?" Dee asked.
Andy was surprised, but it was an invite he couldn't refuse, "Ah, yes ma'am if, you are sure."
"Yes, of course. Just come over as soon as you're ready," Dee smiled warmly.
Brook was working at the Mercantile hearing from Flo what had happened with the fire. She was fearful and it showed.
"Brook dear don't worry everyone is safe and the fire is out. If you'd like, why don't you go home? I'm here now and Ned and I can handle it."
"If you don't mind, I will go. I'd like to weave some baskets this afternoon. It'll keep me busy until Carl comes home."
"That would be wonderful. We've sold out of all your baskets," Flo grinned.
As Brook was leaving, Fiona stopped into the Mercantile, "Hello Flo! I'm so sorry that you didn't get to finish your spa treatment, I just wanted to make a date to reschedule it for you."
"If anything, you deserve one being the mayor," Flo said.
"Maybe someday when Christy has time," Fiona laughed, "Why don't you check your schedule and get back to me when you can make it. I have to reschedule all the appointments I wasn't able to take care of this afternoon."
"All right, I'll let you know," Flo waved goodbye.
When Fiona went inside her shop she cleaned up and locked the door. Walking to James' dentistry, she passed by the Infirmary and peeked in.
"How's Mark doing?" she asked Molly.
"Much better, Dr. Carson is sending him home in a few minutes, thank goodness!"
"How about Bill? Is he back at the cabin doing his investigating?"
"He hasn't been by me. He left with Nathan and Andy. You know him, he'll want to get to the bottom of this right away," Molly rolled her eyes.
Fiona heard Carson and Mark walking from the back to the front and as soon as she spotted Mark, she asked, "Mark, are you breathing any better?"
Mark smiled, "Yes, Mayor. Doc here did his best, and I'm starting to feel less congested."
Fiona grinned, "Oh Mark, that is great. I am so happy you're doing better than the last time I saw you. You are a brave young man. Thank you!"
Carson smiled, "Yes, he should be back to normal in a few days. As long as he lives with his buddies to keep an eye on him, he's glad to go home."
Mark shook Carson's hand, "Thank you, Doc. I'm much obliged."
When Mark left, Fiona asked, "Carson, how's Faith? I've been thinking about her."
Carson laughed, "The mornings have been rough for her. Today, she never made it in. I feel sorry for her. When I ran upstairs to check on her, she was fine but woozy. I told her not to come down and just rest."
"Good advice. Well, I'm going to look in on my husband. Tell Faith I'm thinking of her."
When Fiona walked inside the dentist office, it was empty except for James. "What a day!" she told him as she plopped in the dental chair.
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Dinner at the Grants was always special! Andy was pleasantly welcomed as a hero. Emily cooked her tasty sauerbraten and Allie, who had helped her grandma bake her famous apple strudel several times, offered to make some for dessert. Dee set the table with their china, and Archie cut some of Emily's irises for the table.
"We're so glad to have you here, Andy. It's been a while since we had you over, and now you are the man of the day," Dee grinned.
"I really didn't do anything exceptional. Anyone else would have done the same," Andy shrugged.
"Don't cut yourself short," Nathan countered, "unless you want to just go home and skip this delicious dinner."
That brought a smile to his face, "All right, I confess, I was excited to accept your kind offer, Mrs. Grant. I'm not much of a cook, and it's lonely eating by myself with Gunther gone now."
Allie was watching the exchange between her parents and Andy. She was fascinated with her dad's relationship with Andy. She discovered that Andy had a strong jawline and high cheekbones like her dad, clearly a good-looking man. Furthermore, she wondered why she hadn't noticed before.
Emily was onto Allie and when Allie looked at her, Grandma winked. Allie dropped her fork but quickly resumed her composure and no one else witnessed the exchange or Emily's big grin on her face.
Allie refocused on her little brother, Christopher. He was sitting in his high chair next to her as usual, so when she heard him babbling, she knew he wanted some more pieces of food. Nathan glanced over and saw that Allie was taking care of Christopher. He was proud of her. She had grown up into a pretty young lady and a very loving big sister. He and Dee were grateful for her helping care for her young siblings.
"So, Andy, please tell us why you chose to join the Mounties," Emily asked.
Andy was excited to answer that question. "It just was always my dream. I admire the men I know and thought that it was an honorable career!"
"That's true! We have been so proud of your Sargent, our son, Nathan!" Emily nodded, "It takes someone who is not only brave but also compassionate."
"That describes Andy. Hope Valley is very happy to have him!" Nathan added.
Christopher, sensing the happiness, started to giggle, getting the best of him, and threw his piece of meat on the floor.
"No, Christopher!" Allie said firmly.
Christopher didn't know why she wouldn't give him back his piece of meat, so he started kicking his feet against the highchair, causing his dad to look sternly at him, "Hey little man, quiet down."
Christopher pouted. Then Andy quietly spoke up between bites, getting his attention, "Christopher, look at all the meat on my plate. It's yummy!"
Christopher watched Andy eat and then copied him quickly putting a piece of meat in his mouth, smiling while chewing with his open mouth.
"There ya' go! You're a hero to my son now too!" Nathan grinned.
When the dinner was over, Dee was pouring coffee while Emily handed out plates of apple strudel and Allie was helping to clear the table. As Allie was taking Andy's dishes away, Emily spoke up, "Andy, I hope you enjoy this strudel."
"I'm sure I will, it looks and smells delicious!"
"It is, Allie baked it." Emily winked at Allie who blushed bright red.
Andy looked up at Allie with a big smile, "Allie, this is the best strudel I've ever had."
It took Andy a long few seconds to look back down at his plate. He had never really looked at Allie very well before because he knew she liked Robert, but today he noticed how soft her long brown hair was, and he had to stop himself from stroking it.
From that point on, Allie and Andy both caught the other looking at them, while Emily smiled. Even though Robert had been over plenty of times and made friends with Christopher, Andy was more mature than Robert. Emily thought maybe this young man might be a better match for her granddaughter.
Dee asked Allie and Nathan to get their guitars and do a sing-along with her. Christopher always enjoyed their music together while sitting on his grandpa's lap, and even little Colleen would stop to listen while cuddled by her grandma. When they sang, "By the light of the silvery moon", everyone joined in, even Archie who added a howl at the end pretending to be a wolf. Christopher laughed heartily, which had everyone laughing or howling.
It was great to see his Sargent totally relaxed and enjoying his family. He never had much of a family life. His dad got in trouble for going to a speakeasy, causing his mother to be upset with him. When he and his friends were at the house, his mom made them stay outside if his father had been drinking. Now, here he saw what a normal happy family was really like. Andy felt at home with the Grants.
When it was time to get the children to bed, Andy announced that he'd have to leave. "I don't want to overstay my welcome, so I'd best be going."
"We loved having you here, Andy. Please don't be a stranger," Dee assured him.
Emily echoed Dee's sentiments, adding, "Come back and play cards with us soon, won't you dear?"
Andy nodded, "Sure. Thanks again for the tasty dinner, Mrs. Grant."
Allie said goodbye, "Nice to have you here, Andy."
Andy flashed a big smile her way, "Thanks!"
Nathan walked Andy to the door with Christopher piggyback on his shoulders.
"Good night, Andy." When he closed the door behind him, he took Christopher to his bedroom.
Allie was right behind them and ran into her room. Shutting her bedroom door, she rushed to her bottom dresser drawer, pulled out her diary, and flopped on her bed.
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Lee and Nathan were at the abandoned old hunter's cabin, checking it out to see if it was worth repairing. It didn't have an owner, so no one was responsible for it financially, but it was part of Hope Valley's history, and they wanted to salvage it if possible. Rosemary was busy writing about the fire at the cabin for the Valley Voice, so she sent Lucia with Lee to get the scoop.
As Lee walked through the cabin, seeing what was burned and if it was restorable without becoming a huge renovation, Bill arrived.
"Don't touch any evidence," Bill warned, "and why is Lucia here"?
"Of course, we didn't," Nathan scoffed, "take a look down below your boots."
Lee told Bill, "Don't fret about Lucia, she's with me working for Rosemary on an article for the Valley Voice."
Bill muttered under his breath and started to investigate again. There were pieces of cloth stuck in between the wooden floor slats. Reaching for his jackknife out of his trouser pocket, he opened it and dug out the fabric. With his gloved hand, he put the pieces in a paper bag.
"This looks like the place where the bed was situated. I'm thinking this is part of a blanket or a shirt," Bill thought out loud.
Nathan asked, "Is this where you found the handkerchief"?
Bill shook his head no. "That was in the corner."
Lee spoke up, "Well men, I think this is salvageable. It's going to take a few days to remove the charred wood and haul it out of here. At that point, I'll know more as to what actually needs to be done, and then I can come up with a list of supplies."
Nathan asked, "Lee, are you going to use your own employees to remove and haul the wood?"
"I don't know who else," Lee shrugged.
"We just might be able to get some volunteers," Nathan suggested, "Let's check with Fiona. She's calling a town meeting so she can ask for help then."
Lee nodded. "All right. Do you think we can get enough help?"
Bill laughed loudly, "Hope Valley help? You better believe it. I'll bet you, they'll not only offer to clean up but help rebuild too."
Lee grinned, "I think so too. If that pans out, I'll donate the supplies. We'll get that cabin looking as good as when Fr. Ricardo left it if not better!"
Bill smiled and nodded, but his mind was on how the fire happened. Nathan was focused on this too.
Lucia was watching them exchanging ideas when Lee told her it was time to go.
"Lucia, I'm heading back to town, and I'm sure my wife will be anxiously awaiting our return."
"All right, Mr. Coulter, I'm ready."
When they left, Nathan and Bill discussed what they were thinking.
"Bill, by the looks of the cloth you discovered, I think some of the scraps look and feel like flannel. That could mean either a shirt or a blanket, so I'm not sure if this is going to help much," Nathan sighed.
"Yes, but the handkerchief I found yesterday had initials on it of CH. Molly asked if she could see it, so against my better judgment, I showed her. It was a good thing I did."
"Why?"
"Being a woman and also an embroiderer, she had the eye to see what I missed."
"Wow! You admit you missed something, that's a first," Nathan laughed.
"Haha," Bill rolled his eyes, "She is my wife, and I trust her keen insight."
"All right, just tell me what it is that she found that you missed"?
"The embroiderer, whoever that is, also sewed a third initial. It was there but ripped out. Molly thought it was an S."
"If that's correct, it changes everything. I have to call headquarters and let them know to look now for anyone in their files whose initials are CHS," Nathan said.
"We've got to turn over all the evidence, I know," Bill concurred.
"Let me check on Andy and let him know we're taking a ride to Headquarters, and we'll be gone most of the day. He'll be in charge now."
Nathan and Bill headed back to town. Andy was just coming back from rounds.
Once Andy reported to Nathan, he was surprised to find out that he would be in charge for the rest of the day. He was not sure if he could handle it, but he didn't let on.
Nathan could read Andy like a book, "Just keep a level head as you usually do. Don't be hesitant, if you need help, call Mr. Coulter. I know I can count on you, or I wouldn't leave. You'll be fine, Andy!"
Nathan telephoned Dee and let her know he'd be home late.
Once Bill came back, he and Nathan left.
Over at the Andersson's home, Elsa was busy laying out the fabric she just bought from Dotties. She had asked Brook to be her model and stop by so she could measure her and create a paper pattern. Now, as she eyed the fabric, she laid out the paper pattern she had been working on. Moving it around until she was satisfied, she pinned it in place. Using the sewing scissors her mother had left, she took a deep breath and began to cut.
As she cut she began to get anxious. She remembered watching her mother as a little girl marveling as she created beautiful clothes that made her feel like a princess when she wore them. Often, she and her younger sister wore identical dresses and for Easter and Christmas, her mother sewed dresses that matched all three of them. The memory brought tears to her eyes, yet at the same time, it made her all the more excited to start sewing her new design, hoping to make her mother proud!
