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Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love
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Chapter Fifteen
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Promises Kept
Part I
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When Elizabeth appeared in the doorway of the RCMP Office promptly at 1 PM as she and Nathan had planned, both Bill and Nathan were stunned at her beauty, although for different reasons.
For Bill, it was clear to see for the first time in a very long time, after years of grief and wrong choices, Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton was deliriously and truly happy, which thrilled the man who was her second father.
For Nathan, all he saw was the woman he loved more than life itself.
"Lizbeth, you look beautiful!"
She smiled biting her lower lip as she walked toward him, wanting to kiss his lips more than anything in this world.
Both glanced at the Judge sideways, quickly deciding it didn't matter that he was there and would see, as Nathan opened his arms to her.
The couple kissed fully, though a bit more chastely than what they would have preferred, but both were satisfied for now.
"Let's get out of here, quick, before anything happens to detain us!"
"You kids have fun, and don't worry. I'm holdin' down the fort today!"
"Thanks, Bill!"
"Nathan, I was thinking. I don't want to wait to tell everybody. We can still spend quality time with the kids, but we've been waiting so long to be together I want to shout it from the rooftops. Is that okay?" begged Elizabeth with a complete change of heart.
"Well, hallelujah!" boomed the Judge. "Finally, some sense, I'm hearin'!"
Then he added in a mumble, "Don't know what the big deal is - the whole town knows anyway!"
Nathan rolled his eyes and then addressed Elizabeth.
"Sounds perfect to me, Love! I'm about to burst! Oh, and by the way, I have already talked to Lucas, so that's one less concern."
"Are you okay?"
"Couldn't be better," he smiled, lifting the box of chocolate baked goods she had set down on his desk to carry and offered his free arm to her, which she proudly took.
"See you for riding lessons at 3 PM, Bill!" called Elizabeth.
"Yep, see you then! Now, you two go on and get outta here! I understand Little Jack's waitin' for his Momma and his Mountie to show up. So don't keep my Boy waitin'…"
Meanwhile, at precisely 1 PM, Deputy Commissioner Hal Blevins, though running behind schedule due to a couple of emergencies resulting in altered and prolonged travel plans, finally arrived at the Union City Train Station. There, Staff Sergeant Maxx Harris, whose two Sergeants were left manning their Mountie Office alone, with all twelve of his Constables in full Dress Uniform were waiting to give him the formal Mountie reception with all the bells and whistles a man of his position deserved. (*31)
"GUARD OF HONOR, ATTEN-TION!" ordered Staff Sergeant Harris, bringing his men shoulder to shoulder. (*32)
"GUARD OF HONOR, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HAL BLEVINS SALUTE – PRESENT ARMS" (Colors or two flags singularly flank each line of officers, and they remain at the carry during this portion as well).
"SHOULDER ARMS" ordered Staff Sergeant Harris.
Staff Sergeant Harris then marched to where the Deputy Commissioner had just deboarded and saluted him, which was immediately and most sharply returned.
"STAFF SERGEANT MAXX HARRIS OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE DEPARTMENT OF UNION CITY, ALBERTA, SIR! DO YOU WISH TO INSPECT THE GUARD?"
THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER GAVE A SINGLE NOD TO THE AFFIRMATIVE.
But to the Staff Sergeant's surprise, instead of wishing to review the Constables as a Division or Single Entity, the Deputy Commissioner wished to personally salute and greet each one individually.
Per Protocol, as the Honored Personage, Deputy Commander Blevins stood nearest the Guard and the Rank being inspected with the Guard's Commander, Staff Sergeant Harris on his right.
Deputy Commander Blevins then moved to stand in front of the first Constable, waiting for him to introduce himself.
"CONSTABLE, JEREMY LLOYD, SIR!
The Constable initiated the salute, with the Honoree immediately and crisply returning it, then broke protocol by offering his hand, stating:
"Constable Lloyd, my pleasure!"
This process continued for all the eleven remaining Constables, creating both an element of surprise as well as a personal bond, with each man including Constables: Harold Grayson, Evan Lowry, Michael Bluntz, Howard Black, Mason Smith, Logan Bates, Harvey Lambert, Mitchell King, Garrett Jackson, Logan Roberts, and Thomas Hamblin.
With the Honor Guard's Duty now completed, the Deputy Commissioner, now having the higher rank, released the men:
"AT EASE, GENTLEMEN!"
Staff Sergeant Harris couldn't help but notice that with all twelve men, the Deputy Commissioner had just made a personal statement to each, with none of the comments being identical, another personal detail never before seen in his career of commanding Honor Guards.
In fact, the entire Department couldn't help but be impressed, and already were set forth to put in their best effort, above and beyond, to ensure this Commanding Officer's working visit was not only a productive one, but also a most pleasant one.
"Let's move, Gentlemen!' the Deputy Commissioner ordered with a smile, followed by a friendly nod.
He then hurriedly got into the waiting limo reserved for him, accompanied by Staff Sergeant Harris, the highest-ranking officer of the facility he was being taken to.
His motorcade immediately sped away to the Mountie Offices housed just outside of downtown Union City, while his initial briefing had already begun by the Staff Sergeant, to be completed while en route.
Hal Blevins was a muscular man about six feet two inches tall with a rugged physique and commanding yet affable appearance. Oddly, due to his somewhat independent streak, his hair was on the longish side for a Commanding Officer, salt and peppered with more gray lining his temples. But it was his eyes, crinkled and fully present, with a twinkle behind them, that told the story of the good man that he was. Not only did he love what he did, he loved his men as well, wanting to do the best by them, but also demanding his same high standards were met by them in return!
Over the years, though it wasn't his preference, he had grown accustomed to the pomp and circumstance his position demanded, hence personalizing all that protocol to his own personality whenever possible! All he really ever wanted was a good hot cup of coffee, along with honest camaraderie and conversation, while maybe laughing over a joke or two!
His position as the second Officer in Command of the entire RCMP meant he traveled considerably, the one part, along with all the pomp, that he disliked about his job.
Other than that, he was made to do exactly what his job required. With a mind as sharp as a tack, he could always see things others could not, one of the many reasons he had reached this exceedingly high position. Though he was inordinately proud to wear the uniform, he also considered it to be too formidable at times, preferring to put his men at ease in order to get to the bottom of things together, a character aspect that endeared him to his subordinates.
He was a man of instant action but was also demanding in that he expected things to be done right the first time and with minute attention to detail. Personally, he always had immense fun exploring those details, and just like a small, excited boy, he still found himself amazed all over again that they held and offered such gems of wisdom! So many times, he had found that top cases were resolved due to a single tiny detail everyone else had overlooked. Hence, he had found the old adage, 'the devil is in the details,' to be correct, alluding to the fact that in his experience, both personally and professionally, there was always a catch of some sort or mysterious element hidden in the details that would prove to be most important. (*33)
During his tenure as first an Inspector, along with his buddy, Bill Avery, and rising up in the ranks to now being Deputy Commissioner, he had pretty much seen it all. And he was a man who missed nothing!
A brilliant man, he had an uncanny ability to size up a person almost immediately, seldom ever being wrong…
Back in Hope Valley, As the new couple walked through town with Elizabeth proudly on Nathan's arm, people on both sides of the street noticed immediately, in a huge way, as evidenced by their smiles, excited greetings, and waves of pure joy to the pair.
And, since the interruptions of well wishes didn't bother them at all, Nathan and Elizabeth smiled and waved back in appreciation as they were just elated to be together and for people to know they were now a couple.
From Molly and Florence to a coy Rosemary and Lee, to Minnie and Joseph, to Mike and Mei, and more, everyone was positively elated. Especially Henry, who tipped his hat with an all-knowing smile.
But the couple's real focus was on each other and this extraordinary freeing feeling they were experiencing for the first time, soaking up the fact they were now together and didn't care who knew it!
"Oh, Nathan, seeing Rosemary reminded me. I need to tell you this before you run into her again. She interrogated me for a solid hour, but I did not tell her a single thing. Our experiences were all too new, and I wanted to keep them private, just for ourselves for now. Is that terrible?"
"That's actually perfect! I love last night being our little secret, belonging just to us!"
"Rosemary's beside herself! She's so angry that I wouldn't tell all."
"I could tell! But she'll get over it!"
"Ironically, she got more from Jack than me, and of course, she was apoplectic hearing his juicy version of 'Mountie Nathan slept with me all night long,' 'Oh, and Mountie Nathan kissed Mama good night,' and "Then Mama kissed Mountie Nathan good morning! I think as he tottered away, he was mumbling something like 'There sure were a lot of kisses,' but I don't think Rosemary heard that one, thank goodness!"
Nathan chuckled.
But with every glance at him, whether he noticed or not, Elizabeth just became more and more radiant.
"I love you so much, Nathan!"
"Love you lots more!" he teased.
She chuckled.
"I doubt it, but hey, you sure make me feel like a Fairytale Princess with more than enough love to spare!"
"You ready to go in?" he smiled as they reached the building housing Jack's daycare.
"Nathan, I just realized this is the first time in all my parenting responsibilities I've had a partner to share the experience with. Thank you! I can't tell you how much this means to both Jack and me."
He bent and kissed her lips lightly.
"Lizbeth, I can't tell you how much this means to me. I think in my heart, Jack has always been mine! Let's go see our boy…"
In no time, the motorcade had arrived at the RCMP Union City Headquarters.
Sergeant Robert Johnston and Sergeant Manning, having manned the Office but also in their Dress Uniforms, stood at attention to meet their Direct Report, Staff Sergeant Maxx Harris, who was now escorting their Commanding Officer, Deputy Hal Blevins, toward the main entrance of their Mountie Office.
After a formal salute and introductions, the Deputy Commissioner chatted amiably with the two Officers. Then, after a thank you to both of them, he proceeded to thank his Staff Sergent while preparing to get to work.
"Thanks for briefing me so thoroughly, Maxx! Before we get started, is there a private spot where I can make a secure phone call?"
"Of course, Sir! Allow me to take you there."
The two Officers walked down a long corridor till the Staff Sergeant opened the door to a small secure room, motioning for the Deputy Commissioner to enter.
"This is our most secure phone line that ties in directly to Headquarters if you so need, Sir. May I get you some Coffee, Sir?"
"Let's do that at our meeting with the men. This won't take long at all if you'll excuse me for a few moments. What is the code to dial out?"
"It's penciled in on the back cover of that book, Sir!"
"Thank you! See you in a few."
The Deputy Commissioner waited till Maxx took his leave, then opened the back cover of the book to get the code.
"Smart men, I like that they made the code so faint it's difficult to read and impossible if you aren't a Mountie who's versed in our top order of codes! Great job!"
Applying the code, there was one ring that was immediately answered by his Personal Assistant, Staff Sergeant Major, Christian Bernard.
"Christian, Hal here. What have you heard?"
"He's involved in something on the West Coast, but we can't tell exactly what, Sir. However, we do know at this point that his interests are multi-faceted: art, jewelry, rum, and gold, to name a few."
"No real surprise there, is it?"
"Afraid not, Sir!"
"Have you been able to track his whereabouts?"
"Somewhat, though not as much as I'd like, Sir. He appears to be making rounds of some sort that are widespread, but as of late he's been focusing on the new territory we're establishing!"
"Are you thinking interesting coincidence or leak?"
"There is only one person with any link to both our offices, Sir. I took the liberty to have that Sergeant repositioned on your behalf, away from both offices. We should know soon if that was our link or not. But my hunch says it's a certainty!"
"Great job, Christian. Keep up the meticulous work, and keep me posted on all findings. Call me at our Union City hub if you need me for any reason at all. Will be here today and tomorrow for sure, then traveling tomorrow evening."
"Yes, Sir! Will do. Have productive meetings today and tomorrow, and safe travels tomorrow, too. Though I'm sure, I'll be talking with you before then."
"I'll be shocked if you don't. You have a great couple of days while your boss continues to be away, which means taking off early for once in your life. Might do you some good!"
"Sir, wait! This just came in – I'm reading the telegram now. It's from Sturgeons in the field. He's saying our subject has just been spotted in Cape Fullerton over the weekend, but not at the Mountie Offices, though he has not been seen at all today."
"Which means we have to rethink our new territory carve-out as well as a few operational issues related to the special task force! I was hoping due to the distance, it could be left out, but looks like we'll have to amend that. Can you get Cape Fullerton's overview to me to study by this afternoon?"
"Consider it done, Sir!"
"Good man, Christian! Much appreciated…"
The moment Nathan opened the door for Elizabeth, Jack came running straight into Nathan's arms!
"You came, you came!"
"I sure did! Wouldn't have missed it!" and Nathan lifted him up in his arms.
"No bad guys today, Mountie Nathan?"
"No bad guys today, Jack, just you and me!"
"And we're the good guys!" smiled Jack.
"We most certainly are!"
Jack snuggled into Nathan's neck, then quickly scampered down to introduce all his friends.
Nathan gave an apologetic glance to Elizabeth, who quickly offered her son a reminder.
"Hey, young man, doesn't your Mama get a kiss too!"
"Yes, Ma'am! Sorry, Mama! I'm just so excited Mountie Nathan came to see me!"
"I am too, Son!" she whispered while hugging him. "You're a very blessed boy, Jack!"
Jack smiled and grabbed Nathan's hand as he dragged him to first meet his 'teacher.'
"This is Mrs. Hinson. She takes care of us and teaches us things!"
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Hinson! It's a pleasure to meet you. From the looks of things, it seems like you have your hands full!"
"Yes, Constable Grant, that I do! But the kids are so wonderful, I don't mind in the least. Welcome!"
"Mama, what treat do we get?"
"How about chocolate cupcakes with ooey, gooey chocolate icing?"
Jack shrieked with glee.
"We get chocolate cupcakes, everybody! And they have ooey, gooey chocolate icing! Can we eat now?"
"Let's ask Mrs. Hinson, Jack!"
"Can we, Mrs. Hinson, please?"
"Yes, we may, Jack. I've got our table all ready! And Mrs. Thornton, there is a large platter in the center if you'd like to arrange our cupcakes there."
As Elizabeth lovingly arranged the cupcakes, Jack finished introducing all his friends to his Mountie Nathan one by one, most of whom the Constable already knew by name. All of them were thrilled that their Mountie took the time to chat with each one of them, telling funny jokes while making all of them feel special in the process.
In no time, Elizabeth observed that Nathan had all the children laughing and ready for their treats.
But the most adorable thing was when the adults, along with the children, sat in the miniature chairs around the low table. Now, it wasn't that difficult for Elizabeth and Mrs. Hinson, but when Jack pulled Nathan to sit down by him, the man's long legs ended up practically being in his face. All the children laughed except Jack, who didn't know how to fix it.
"Mountie Nathan, your legs are really, really long. I know! Want to put them up in my chair?"
"Thank you, Jack, but I'm fine right here as long as you sit beside me, deal?"
"Deal," beamed Jack, just like his mother, full of pride and love.
"Jack, since you have two special guests today, would you like to say grace for us," asked Mrs. Hinson.
"Sure! But everybody has to bow their heads, and Allie says everybody has to hold hands, too."
"Well, if Allie says it, then that's exactly what we'll do," winked Mrs. Hinson.
"Is everybody holding hands?" asked Jack, looking directly at his Mountie and his Mama.
Embarrassed, Nathan and Elizabeth lifted their clasped hands for Jack to verify.
"Okay, now we're ready to pray, everybody!"
"Give us, Lord, our daily bread, but I guess today we get chocolate cupcakes, and that's a lot yummier! So, God, here's a great big thank you from all of us!"
Elizabeth hid her mouth to cover her laugh, though Nathan was able to keep a straight face.
"That was a wonderful prayer, Jack," he complimented.
"Do you think God heard me, Mountie Nathan?"
"Loud and clear, Jack!"
Jack's smile broadened as the chatter around the table began with everyone not so patiently waiting for their cupcakes.
But as all the little ones started playing with their icing, feeding it to each other, Elizabeth couldn't resist, running her finger through her own, and though she was sorely tempted to put it directly on Nathan's nose, she quickly thought better of it, as these little ones would have clearly joined in and painted each other's faces in no time flat. Whereas now chocolate around their mouths was going to be more than enough to clean up! So instead, she placed the ooey, gooey goodness politely in her Love's mouth.
Besides, there was also his Serge to consider, which wouldn't have done with a gob of chocolate smeared across it for the rest of his workday.
She was just so happy, it seemed all she wanted to do was play!
But the twinkle in his eyes was more than worth the effort, both remembering another precious time together so long ago at Allie's slumber party.
Suddenly thinking of Allie, Elizabeth immediately missed her and knew she had to find her today…
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31. "Formal Mountie Reception," varies according to protocol depending on whether the body of troops is concerned with physical security of property or the security and honor of a dignitary; may include a guard of honor, an entrance or departure guard, or a quarter guard; Royal Canadian Mounted Police Procedures. Public Domain Information.
32. "Guard of Honor," is mounted for distinguished personages and general officers, within very strict guidelines, formations, and procedures; generally, include Mounting the Guard of Honor, Inspection, and Dismounting and Dismissal; Royal Canadian Police Procedures. Public Domain Information.
33. "The Devil is in the Details," an idiom meaning that though something may seem simple, in fact, the details may be complex and are therefore likely to cause issues or problems. Public Domain Information.