Nearly a week had passed since Elizabeth and Jack Jr had moved into their old row house. It was a big adjustment for both of them to get used to close quarters again, after living in the enormous Thornton home in Hamilton. Elizabeth worried about Jack feeling lonely with just the two of them, but he had already been used to spending much of his time alone already. He may have gotten more of his physical attributes from his father, but he got an impressive love of learning from his mother. Reading was one of Jack's favorite pastimes. When he learned about the library in town, it was one of the first places he visited. He spent a lot of time exploring the town with the Coulter twins while Elizabeth worked on finding people to design and build their house.
Surveyors had already been out to assess the land, and Lee had been giving her names of contacts he had that might be able to help her with the build. She had ideas of what kind of house she wanted, but wished she could find someone to design and make house plans for her. Friday afternoon, she returned home alone while Jack was with Lee at the sawmill. She appreciated the men in her son's life who helped fill the void of his father, although her heart still ached that she had not given him a permanent father figure in his life.
As she approached her house, Elizabeth noticed Nathan walking toward her, returning from his daily sojourn to the pond. Feeling a familiar fluttering in her stomach that she had been experiencing a lot lately at the sight of him, she decided to meet him and talk, instead of going inside of her house. She noticed his stride was looking stronger, and he wasn't relying as heavily on his cane. "Good afternoon, Nathan. You are looking much better today. How are you feeling?"
Smiling at his lovely neighbor's concern for him, Nathan stopped in front of her and motioned for them to climb up and take a seat on the wonderfully crafted porch swing she hadn't noticed before. "I am improving every day, but still get worn out by the time I get back to the house. Would you like to sit with me and talk for a bit?"
Her heart sped up at the thought of being close to him, making Elizabeth almost decline his invitation to avoid the attraction. But her desire to get reacquainted, outweighed her apprehension. "I have some time before Jack gets home and wants dinner." She noticed it was far less of a struggle for Nathan to move up the stairs than the week before, and marveled at the great amount of strength he possessed.
Their hands lightly brushed as they were sitting down on the swing, electricity shooting through them both before they instinctively pulled away. Elizabeth locked eyes with Nathan, remembering another time their fingers caused that kind of reaction almost 15 years prior in the library. Before a word was spoken, Allie rushed out the house.
"Oh! Hey, Mrs. Thornton," Allie said, a bit surprised. "I thought I heard Dad get back, and just wanted to check. Don't you love this porch swing he helped Robert finish making for me?"
Elizabeth ran her hand along the finely crafted wood and replied, "It's so magnificent. Your father has always been talented using his hands...in woodworking, I mean." Flustered, she could feel her cheeks on fire as embarrassment took over, but hoped it didn't appear too noticeable.
"Why don't I go get you both glasses of the freshly squeezed lemonade I just finished making, so you can enjoy this beautiful day out here and talk," Allie suggested. "Just sit and relax." She went back inside the house, then quickly returned with two full glasses of the cool refreshment.
Nathan looked up at his daughter and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, sweetie. Now, go put your feet up."
Her infamous eye roll made Elizabeth giggle, as she remembered how spunky Allie had been when the Grants had first arrived in Hope Valley. "This looks wonderful, Allie. But your dad is correct; you should get as much rest as possible before that little one arrives and demands all of your attention."
"Oh, alright. I already prepared dinner, and it just needs to cook for a while now anyway." She went into the house, leaving the other two adults to themselves.
After taking a long drink of lemonade, Nathan closed his eyes and slowly rocked the swing with his good leg. "Do you hear that, Elizabeth?"
She followed his lead by taking a drink, then closed her eyes to listen. "All I hear is peace and quiet, and the glorious sounds of nature. I must admit, I don't miss the noise of the city."
Opening up his eyes, Nathan looked over at the only woman who had ever made him consider staying put and giving up all future promotions. He turned down the first offer of Inspector, partially to help Allie gain stability, but also to stay close to Elizabeth and her son. A light breeze blew a few strands of hair into her face, and Nathan fought the urge to smooth it back behind her ear with his fingers.
Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open, catching a pair bright blue eyes staring right at her for a few moments until Nathan turned his head. "So, tell me more about your recovery. You really do seem so much better than even just last week. And you are doing woodworking again already? I bet you made that nice bench out back as well."
Uncomfortable with receiving praise for his hobby, Nathan tried to brush it off. "I made them that bench for their wedding a few years ago, and Robert insisted I teach him to make a porch swing for Allie. We've already had that in the works since they moved back here. He did all the heavy lifting, and I showed him how to do the finer wood carving details. Since I've had a lot of time on my hands lately, I figured it was a good project to finish. As far as my recovery goes, it is slower than I would like, but at least I'm seeing progress now. I appreciate that you care." Their eyes locked for a moment again, then Nathan cleared his throat and took another drink. "Tell me what you've been up to this week in all your comings and goings."
She let out a big sigh of frustration. "I'm trying to figure out how to get a house built, but I'm still not sure what I'm doing. Lee is helping me look for builders, but I need to have plans drawn up by someone with those skills. I have ideas in my head, but nothing exact."
Nathan paused for a moment, weighing whether or not he should offer his help. But before he could speak, Lee's car pulled up next door, and Jack jumped out of the car. Elizabeth stood and waved to Lee and Jack, then turned and gave Nathan an apologetic look. "Go on," he encouraged. "Give me your glass and I'll take it inside. I need to drink my medicated tea and elevate my leg anyway."
"It was great to see you, Nathan." Elizabeth began walking down the stairs, then slowly turned around. "Would you like to come to dinner sometime? Jack has been begging to learn more about what his father did as a Mountie. I figured you and Robert would be a good resource for him. Why don't the three of you come for dinner tomorrow night?"
Nerves he had almost forgotten existed hit Nathan in that moment, and he struggled to get any words out of his mouth. Finally he mumbled, "That sounds great for me, but I'll have to see if Allie and Robert have plans." Elizabeth nodded in acknowledgment, then walked over to thank Lee before meeting Jack to go inside.
Once the Thorntons were safely in their house, Lee exited his car and joined Nathan on the porch. He leaned against the railing and asked, "How are things going, my friend?"
"Hello, Lee," Nathan responded. "I'm doing ok, thanks. Physically, I'm still a bit beat up and hoping that doesn't last too long."
A look of concern spread across Lee's face. "You are a strong guy, and I'm sure you will make a swift recovery. I'm more worried about your mental state, and how you're handling being back here. I know it's been a lot to take in losing the Mounties...and now Elizabeth is back. I know you have Allie and Robert, which I'm sure is a blessing, but have you figured out what you want to do to keep busy?"
An idea suddenly dawned on Nathan, and he felt excited for the first time in months. "Actually, now that you mention it, I was thinking about something. Elizabeth made a comment about needing house plans drawn up, and someone to be in charge of her build. As you know, I dabble a bit in design and woodworking. I drew some house plans when I thought about buying land here, back when I was the new Constable. Why don't you show them to Elizabeth without telling her who drew them? If she likes what she sees, then you could send her to talk to me. I could help her find a crew for the build and do a lot of the finish-work myself."
"Why wouldn't you want to just show them to her?" Lee asked. "It looks like you two are getting along just fine."
Standing up and moving toward the door ,trying to balance the two empty glasses and his cane, Nathan turned around again to face Lee. "I don't want her to hire me because she feels sorry for me, or...any other reason. I want her to choose a house design because it is what she wants. Do you have anyone else who has submitted building plans? You could give her choices."
Lee ran his thumb and finger over his chin deep in thought. "You know, that isn't a bad idea. There is a guy who has drawn plans for people who ordered their lumber from me when they built their houses. I could ask him to submit a design, and she can decide which she likes better. Do you have yours so I can take it back to my office?"
"It's in my design book right inside my bedroom," Nathan divulged. "I'll go grab it for you and be right out." He carefully went inside and set the glasses down in the kitchen, happy Allie was upstairs and couldn't see him take the drawings out to Lee. He went into his bedroom and opened his leather-bound design book, where he kept many of his sketches through the years. He pulled out the drawing and plans for the dream house he had sketched when he had dreamed about a permanent life in Hope Valley. It was the kind of home that just "fit" the town's landscape, and was a timeless country design that was still very much in style. He wouldn't need a house that big for himself now anyway, but he knew Elizabeth would appreciate the extra space with a growing boy and friends to entertain on occasion. It wasn't an overly large home like in Hamilton, but a charming country farmhouse the Thorntons would be quite comfortable living in for years to come.
When Nathan returned to the front porch and handed the drawing to Lee, he let out a slow whistle. "Wow, Nathan. I can't imagine Elizabeth not going bonkers over this. I'll try to get other plans from my connection tomorrow. For sure by Monday, she should be able to make a decision about what direction she wants to go moving forward. But don't you still want to build this for yourself?"
"Naw," Nathan shrugged. "I don't need something this grand for just me. Plus, this is what I wanted in the past, and a lot has changed for me since then."
Lee held up the sketch and patted Nathan on the shoulder. "I'll be getting back with you early next week. Please let me know if I can help you with anything, even just a ride somewhere. Give me a call anytime. Also, Jack is a good kid, but could use a mentor like you. I'm doing my best, but a kid that age really needs influence from as many good men as he has at his disposal. I'm sure Elizabeth would appreciate the support."
"I already received a dinner invitation from Elizabeth, in hopes I can answer a lot of questions Jack has about the Mounties and what his father did." Nathan stopped suddenly, realizing at some point he would have to come clean about why Jack Sr had even led the training mission at Fort Clay. He didn't know when that subject would ever come up, or how he would explain his role in the tragedy that took place. For now, he kept it deep inside to try and mask the guilt he had worked to overcome alone for over 15 years. No one even knew, except a couple superiors, who tried their best to convince Nathan he bore no responsibility.
Heading back to his car, Lee thanked Nathan again and added: "I better get home for dinner before Rosemary sends out a search party." Nathan waved, then went back into the house to rest until Robert came home and dinner was ready.
Saturday morning, Nathan was up with the sun to start his therapy and go on a walk, so he could rest up before going to Elizabeth's for dinner. Allie and Robert were excited at the prospect of catching up with their favorite former teacher; but Robert's sister Sarah was spending the weekend with them, due to their parents going out of town. Nathan promised to talk to Elizabeth and find out if bringing one more person would be okay, but figured she wouldn't mind.
As he made his way outside, a slow and steady sound of wood being chopped came from the back of the Thornton's house. Curious, Nathan walked the short distance out back, and noticed Jack performing the chore he actually missed doing in his current condition. Sneaking up without being noticed was a skill he had learned in his earliest training as a Mountie, but his cane slipped and snapped a twig, catching Jack's attention. He turned around and saw Nathan watching him, then gave a quick wave before walking over.
"Good morning, Mr. Grant. Mom says you are coming to dinner tonight with Robert, I mean Constable Wolf, and Allie...or Mrs. Wolf." Jack nervously chuckled. "I never know what to call them, since I kind of remember them from when they were kids and used to babysit and play with me." He looked at the man he had once known as a Constable, just like his father that he had never met. "I remember you most of all, because you wore the same uniform I saw my father wear in most of the pictures we have of him. I used to pretend you were him. Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you all of this."
A lump formed in Nathan's throat, feeling the anguish of this young man not having a father to help guide him into adulthood. Swallowing hard to push the emotion away, he took a closer look at the little boy he once knew, who was nearly a man now. Jack was slender, but had broad muscular shoulders that made chopping wood effortless. He looked just like all of the pictures of Jack Thornton Sr. that Nathan had seen, but had a hint of his mother's features as well. Finally able to speak again, he held out his hand. "Don't ever apologize. Your mother has done an amazing job raising you alone. I would like to shake your hand in honor of your father, who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving his country. You should be proud to bear his name."
Surprised by the tears that began falling from his eyes, Jack shook Nathan's hand and quickly wiped the wetness from his face. "My mom used to tell me what an impeccable Mountie you were. She said you were every bit as brave and noble as my father."
Elizabeth appeared at the back door, surprised to see Nathan and her son conversing in the backyard where Jack had gone to get some wood for their cooking stove. "Hello, Nathan," she greeted. "Out for your morning walk?"
"Yes," he muttered. "But I did need to talk to you about tonight. Would you like to join me? It's a pleasant morning, and I'll just be going to the pond and back."
Sensing his mother was slightly hesitant, Jack jumped in with words of encouragement. "Mom, I'll finish getting this wood inside and heat the stove up for breakfast. Go ahead with Mr. Grant, since you were talking about taking a morning walk anyway."
Elizabeth smiled and gave her son a kiss on the head before walking toward Nathan. "I'll be back soon."
Nathan nodded in appreciation to Jack, and began walking in the direction of his normal morning route with Elizabeth by his side. They walked in silence for a few moments, then Nathan remembered why he had even needed to talk to Elizabeth in the first place. "Allie and Robert were excited about your dinner invitation, but they have Robert's sister Sarah staying with them for the weekend and wondered if they could bring her along."
"Oh my goodness," Elizabeth exclaimed. "I remember she was born a year before Jack...so that would mean she's 16. Of course she is invited! I want to get to know some of my students, and Jack needs to make friends."
Her excitement was infectious, and Nathan remembered her zest for life being one of the things that drew him to Elizabeth when he first came to town. As they approached the dock, memories of a tiny little Jack throwing rocks in the pond while his mother watched, played out in Nathan's mind like it had been only yesterday. "They just grow up so fast," he lamented, leaning against the railing to rest his leg.
Enjoying the view, Elizabeth agreed. "It seems like just the other day Jack would beg to come here. Every day he would look for the big brown horse with the man in red serge. You were like his guardian angel here on earth, sent by his daddy who is his angel in heaven. It meant so much to both of us to know someone was looking out for us."
Nathan froze, not knowing how to even tell her that he played a role in her husband's death. All he could think to say was, "Mounties look after their own."
"I know," she whispered. "But Nathan, you need to let someone help you for a change. I am here if you want to talk. I really think healing will only come after you share what happened." She moved closer and put a hand on his arm. "Please tell me about the accident that did this to you."
Her touch gave him courage and caused the floodgates to open up, as he was able to vocalize for the first time what had happened to him just a few months ago. "Last year, after a lot of thought and consideration, I decided it was time to retire Newton. He was getting older, and was almost hurt during a pursuit. I wanted him to have some good years to enjoy life; I didn't want to wait to retire him when he was already starting to have serious physical limitations. I found a place to board him, and planned to one day buy some land where he could roam free. As Superintendent, I knew I would need to have a horse until retirement, but I was rarely seeing any serious Mountie action because of my duties. One of my responsibilities was to find new horses, get them trained, then assign them to a Mountie who needed one." He tried to just keep going so he wouldn't quit. "They brought me this young horse named Rowdy, who was just barely old enough to be considered for Mountie training. His sire Renegade was a legend and one of the best horses ever to be a part of the Mounties. They decided if they found the right mares, they would use him for breeding and try to pass on his quality genetics and skills. A few really great horses came from him before he died. Rowdy was built just right, but he had a harder time obeying commands."
Nathan used his cane to make sure he was still steady, and shifted to a stance that was more comfortable before continuing. "When they brought him to headquarters, Rowdy clicked with me and no one else. It was rare for a Superintendent to help with a trainee horse; but I needed a horse, and he needed someone to trust. I began working with him, alongside the trainers, and thought we were making significant progress. He still wasn't all the way ready for real police work, but I took him out on rides and worked on his skills outside of the training arena. One day, I took him on a ride just outside the city. I was in civilian clothes, not my uniform that Rowdy was used to during our sessions. We were out near a railway line, and suddenly some train robbers went flying by us with the Sheriff following closely behind. My training kicked in, and I tried to chase them down. But when gunshots began to be fired, Rowdy had a complete come apart. We had still been training him to not get spooked by loud noises, but he went out of his mind and into fight mode."
Elizabeth was so enthralled by Nathan's story, her hand began gripping his arm tighter without even noticing. She could feel his muscles tense, and the same sense of panic that had come over him the other day, was starting to fight its way back into him. His breathing became shallow as the harrowing memories took over. "Breathe through it, Nathan," she encouraged, moving her hand to his back where she made soothing circular motions until his breathing normalized. "Go on. You are so close."
Pain filled his eyes, but he slowly kept speaking. "Rowdy was so scared, he threw me to the ground and then began attacking me. Over and over and over again he stomped and kicked and struck my leg so many times it broke in three places. I was lucky he chose to take it out on my leg instead of my abdomen with all of my vital organs, or I would have died." A sob escaped Nathan and he started to cry. "I saw my life flash before my eyes and thought I was a dead man. Luckily, some Mounties had been sent out to chase down the robbers, and they were finally able to get Rowdy off of me. He had to be put down before they took me back to Union City to the Hospital, and I feel responsible for his death. He wasn't ready to chase bad guys. If only I still had Newton, or hadn't pushed him to chase anyone down that day."
Not caring about propriety or worrying about what it might mean for their relationship, Elizabeth gathered Nathan in her arms and let him lean on her and weep. She didn't even realize she had been crying with him, until she noticed that the front of his shirt where she had rested her head was soaking wet. For several minutes on their dock, Nathan and Elizabeth just held one another. He was grieving the loss of his career, trying to move past the mental anguish and physical pain the accident had caused. She was grieving the loss of all the years she spent alone, wishing she had given her son a father and siblings while she still had the chance.
Nathan rested his chin on Elizabeth's head. It felt like a perfect fit, and he didn't want to ever leave her embrace. Doctors, nurses, and fellow Mounties tried everything to help Nathan open up about what happened. But it was Elizabeth who had made the difference in him being able to express his feelings about that horrific day. He didn't know what it meant yet, but he hoped it at least gave them a chance to try again.