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Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love
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Chapter Sixty-nine
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Thursday of Wedding Week
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Part IV
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Immensely enjoying their alone time together as well as the exquisite beauty of Rose Valley, where they would soon wed, Nathan and Elizabeth couldn't resist teasing each other.
"You honestly didn't realize I've been surveilling you?"
"You what?" she laughed, playfully hitting him.
"Ouch! It's my secret skill as a Mountie. And a very important one, too!"
"It is, huh?"
"You don't sound at all impressed!" he teased back, as he flashed that lop-sided grin of his, propping himself up on one elbow.
"It's going to take a whole lot more than that, Chief Inspector, to impress me!" she declared, her eyes narrowed to imply she meant business.
"Hmph! Guess I'm going to have to bring my A-game!"
"Guess you will! Hey, I brought us two rather small paninis to share since we'll be eating our last dinner before our Honeymoon, a bit later with the children!"
"I love the sound of that – dinner with the children – then our Wedding and our Honeymoon! Though, don't forget, we finish our private date after dinner, alone, as I believe, we have some pre-Wedding business to attend to!"
"That we do! Then you are banished from seeing your beautiful Bride until our Wedding begins!"
"Tell me again, why that's even a tradition, period?"
"Because you will miss me so much, you will be absolutely mesmerized when I walk down this garden path of an aisle right here!"
"Well, then we can totally skip that tradition then, because I would be mesmerized if I saw you two seconds before!"
"Oh, no! We do not skip that tradition! I want everything to go perfectly tomorrow. Besides, Rosemary would probably have a stroke at the very thought!"
"Well, you can't say I didn't try! And I can be very convincing when I put my mind to it!"
"Very convincing, but years of tradition cannot be played around with, Love! Not for our Wedding!"
"Okay, I give! Tradition wins, though I don't have to like it! Lizbeth, back to these Paninis - you mean to tell me Julie ate three Paninis, and you admittedly ate two plus, and I only get one? And a small one at that," he asked, aghast. (*147) (*148)
"Well, when you say it that way, it does sound rather selfish, doesn't it?"
"Come here you," and he kissed her playfully, but she heard his stomach growl and giggled.
"You really are hungry!"
"What can I say? I'm a growing young man!"
"Oh, yes, you are growing so much, I plan to fatten you up considerably!"
He chuckled.
"Not a chance! Oh, by the way, you looked especially beautiful when you knelt by that hamper and said grace for our meal."
"You really were watching me!"
"Always! Want to know my secret? It's all in the slant of the hat when placed across my furrowed brow. If done just perfectly, there's a tiny, curved crevice, and it's miraculous what you can see when you put your mind to it!"
"I can tell it looks like I'll not have a single moment of privacy in this new life of ours, Inspector Extraordinaire! But just for the record, Chief, neither will you. Not for a very, very long time, at least!"
He chuckled at her playful 'threat,' loving the thought of their togetherness.
She scooted over to unwrap their sandwiches as he opened their favorite flavors of Italian Soda. (*149)
"Your napkin, Love!" offered Elizabeth.
They momentarily forgot about their hunger for food, filling their thirst for each other instead with a passionate kiss, surrounded by the romance of being alone in a spot of incredible beauty and luscious scents that happened to be their special place.
Then, smiling flirtatiously, they sat back, eating their sandwiches, small as they were, admiring the gorgeous setting sun from their favorite spot.
"I can't believe we are getting married here tomorrow, Nathan!"
"Happy?"
"Deliriously so. This place is like our very own fairy tale and that we get to be married here in Rose Valley, the place you gifted me with, is so extraordinary!"
"It really is! I must say I never imagined our Wedding being here till the first time I showed you this place. Then I couldn't get the thought out of my mind."
"Are you upset that, according to Rosemary, the whole town has apparently invited themselves?"
"At first, maybe a little disappointed. But hey! I realized they simply love us and want to share in our special day. How can we possibly fault that?"
"But the crowd won't make you uncomfortable, will it, Darling?"
"No, Love! Nothing could make me uncomfortable tomorrow! I'll be the happiest Groom who ever lived!"
"And I'll be the happiest, most excited Bride ever!"
They finished their light meal in utter contentment, with Nathan wrapping his arms around his fiancée sitting before him, leaning back together against the grassy knoll to watch the glorious sunset.
"I think this is the most beautiful sunset yet!" murmured Elizabeth.
"It's as though the very Heavens are celestially, magnificently, and most romantically blessing our Wedding Eve, Love!" concurred Nathan.
Elizabeth sighed, burrowing the side of her head back onto Nathan's shoulder.
"You, Nathan Grant, are a poet! And I am in blissful agreement!"
Their lips came together, celebrating yet another prelude of fated promise for their most special Wedding Day and all their many guests, coming within mere hours to this very spot…
Riding home together, Nathan and Elizabeth could not have been more blissfully happy!
"Tonight is turning out exactly the way I dreamed, my Love," began Elizabeth.
"That delights me! And tomorrow is the day all our dreams start coming true, Lizbeth! The two of us become Husband and Wife, and the four of us become a family. Both, officially forever, my Darling!"
"I'd marry you this moment, Nathan Grant, if only we could! But I'm afraid we'd have quite a few angry friends!"
"You can say that again! Not to mention our horrified families! Being alone together feels almost too good to be true! Are you absolutely certain we have every single thing checked off our to-do list?"
"Yes, Love, we do! Which feels perfectly wonderful! Our Wedding's going to be so beautiful and elegant! But having it in our wild rose garden, gives it an air of simplicity too! And I love that!"
"It's supposed to be a beautiful day, with not a hint of a raincloud in the sky!"
"Thank goodness!"
"It's another beautiful Wedding gift, Lizbeth!"
As they rode into town, Nathan, ever the organizer, began making their plans.
"If you want to stay mounted on Sergeant, Babe, I can run into Minnie's to get our food," offered Nathan.
"No way you're leaving my sight! I'm spending every single minute I possibly can with the man of my dreams!"
"You most certainly won't get an argument from me on that!" he grinned, his blue eyes dancing...
As they pulled up to The Café, Nathan dismounted first and helped Elizabeth dismount, then they headed inside together, with their arms wrapped around each other, which was becoming their new norm.
"Now, you two look about as happy and relaxed as a Bride and Groom can be," smiled Minnie.
"Are we giving it away?" teased Elizabeth.
"So radiant, you'd think the two of you were getting married or some such little thing tomorrow," she teased. "I'd say both of you are shining as bright as two people can shine!"
"Well, that definitely describes how we feel," admitted Nathan, proudly. "Minnie, we came to pick up our dinner if it's ready."
"Well, I'd like to say yes, but you know how close our daughters are. It seems Allie and your mother have made different plans, so I held off on making anything extra. But if Angela is wrong, just call, and I'll have you a dinner for four delivered so fast it will make your head swim!"
Nathan chuckled.
"Fair enough! Though, I will tell you, Minnie, you and my mother would get along just fine in the kitchen as that woman can also cook! Not sure she's quite as good as you, but she sure could hold her own if not!"
"I'm flattered, Nathan! Hopefully, we can cook together sometime soon. But now, you two go and enjoy your dinner with your children, so you'll have a little more time with each other before the clock strikes midnight!"
"You Ladies and your horrid traditions," moaned Nathan, leaving the Ladies both chuckling…
After their visit to The Café, Nathan and Elizabeth walked their horses to the livery.
"My treat tonight, for the Bride and Groom," winked Seth, taking the reins to wash the horses down and feed them.
"That's lovely, Seth," thanked Elizabeth.
"Very kind, Seth. Thank you!" agreed Nathan. "But we'll be back after dinner to take them out again for a shorter ride."
"If I'm not here, I'll pass the word that whoever is here is to groom and bed them when you return!"
"Much appreciated! See you tomorrow?" asked Nathan.
"You bet you will! The missus is insisting we get to Rose Valley early for a good seat since everyone is planning on being there for the big event!"
"You mean the tiny event that grew and grew?" teased Nathan.
"What can I say, Chief? It's the Hope Valley way!"
The two men chuckled together.
"Besides, you two are about as loved as it gets!"
"That's sweet, Seth," smiled the Bride.
"Thanks for the lovely compliment," added the Groom. "Look forward to seeing you both there, Seth…"
The Bridal couple walked the rest of the way in a state of pre-wedded bliss on their way to Elizabeth's rowhouse together, where Allie and Jack were anxiously awaiting them, as were Archie and Eleanor with their own surprise.
Nathan and Elizabeth walked together with Security following, thankfully as discreetly as they could, with Elizabeth leaning her head on Nathan's shoulder.
As they reached her front porch steps, Nathan stopped her.
"Our date is to be continued, my Darling Elizabeth, post-dinner with our children!"
"To be continued, my Darling Nathan, under the stars where we began again!"
Nathan entangled his fingers caressing her hair, gently pulling her toward him while deepening his kiss of promise to his Bride.
"Speaking of stars," grinned Nathan, remaining attentive with his warm breath still on her lips while also reaching into his pocket.
He then pulled out the metallic star he had removed from her hair when they had gone outside on the boardwalk to escape the crowd at his birthday party.
"Nathan, you've kept this with you all this time?"
"I have…and always will!"
"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard! But why?"
"And you're the sweetest thing I've ever tasted, Love!"
She smiled encouragingly, knowing he had more to say.
"I wanted to kiss you so badly that night of my birthday party, Lizbeth. It was my only birthday wish. But I knew you weren't at all ready. Though truthfully, at that point, I wasn't sure we would ever get our timing right. But there was a shift I knew both of us felt, a shift toward and not away. Then along came that star stuck in your hair telling me not to give up but to have faith."
Their lips found each other again, with new fervor over a simple act that meant the world: a metallic star reflecting their own brilliance and purpose, drawing them closer as a couple, just as they were always meant to be.
Though it was difficult, the two tore themselves apart, Nathan, eyebrows raised, re-pocketing the metallic star, and Elizabeth, with a tiny pout and shrug, both knowing they had their second loves to spend time with as well.
As soon as Nathan opened the door, all the delightful scents of his mother's cooking engulfed them, as both children ran to the door and pounced, wanting to be in on announcing their surprise!
Nathan and Elizabeth lovingly hugged and kissed both Allie and Jack.
"Mother, these aromas are just like being back on the ranch! Is that my favorite dinner on the table?"
"That it is, Son! And your father and I are leaving as you two enter! We've had the best time with the children cooking for you both!"
"No, Eleanor, you two must stay and eat with us," insisted Elizabeth.
"No, Dear! Arch and I have already eaten. This time is strictly for the four of you. Enjoy!"
"Don't look at me for help," chuckled Archie. "I agree with my Ellie! Goodnight, Son! Goodnight, Sweet Daughter! Aye, goodnight again, my grandest children of all. Allie, we'll see you later, my Princess! And Jack, my Prince, we'll see you tomorrow!"
The children hugged and kissed them, though Jack was near tears, as their Gramma and Grappa quickly hugged them goodnight and took their leave, smiling serenely as they left.
"Papa, Gramma and I made all your favorites," announced Allie. "And she wrote out all the recipes so I can show Mama!"
"That's wonderful, Allie! So, I take it we're sitting down to your Gramma's Fried Chicken with Chicken Liver Gravy?"
"You've got it, Papa! Cranberry Sauce and Stuffing, Creamed potatoes, and Green Beans Almondine too!"
"My goodness, that sounds delicious! What are we all doing standing here?" asked Elizabeth.
"Everything's ready, Mama—even dessert! Gramma made sure of it, and Grappa even helped Jack and me set the table!"
"I did the silverware and napkins, Mama!" bragged Jack.
"Grappa did the plates and crystal, and I did the candles and folded the fancy napkins!"
"That's wonderful, you two! Let's go see!"
The family moved toward their dining table.
"Everything looks beautiful!" bragged Elizabeth.
"This is turning out to be a very special dinner! Shall we sit and get started?" suggested Nathan, lighting the two tapers.
"Who would like to say grace?" asked their Papa, to a show of both Jack's and Allie's hands.
Then, the four held hands together.
"Jack, let's start with you and end with Allie!" their papa suggested, which satisfied both.
"Thank You for our food, Dear God. And thank You for our Papa and Mama and Allie and Gramma and Grappa and Grandmama and Grandpapa and Auntie Julie and everybody! Oh, and for our food, too. Amen!"
"Thank You, Dear Father, for our new family, meaning the four of us. Help us have a beautiful Wedding and Adoption Ceremony tomorrow, and give Mama and Papa a wonderful Honeymoon trip. Help us be the best family ever, as we already love each other so very much. Thank You, too, for both sets of our grandparents and Auntie Julie and all our new friends who are visiting. We thank You, also, for this special food, all of Papa's favorites that Gramma prepared for us. Amen!"
All four happily chorused Amen together.
"Those are both lovely prayers!" complimented Elizabeth. "And this meal looks positively scrumptious! Shall we serve?"
As they passed the food around the table, everyone was oohing and aahing, anxious to taste this both new and old, cherished menu.
"This is almost like being back on the ranch, isn't it, Allie Girl?" asked Nathan.
"It feels like home, Papa! But Gramma was saying when I was little, I would never eat the chicken liver gravy because it had 'stuff,' in it! Since I want to try it tonight, that part will be a first for me, too! But I've always loved Gramma's fried chicken!"
"I know that gravy doesn't sound or look that great, but believe me, it's pretty spectacular!" enticed Nathan.
"Do you know I have never once cooked using the liver of a chicken?" realized Elizabeth.
"I watched Gramma, so I can show you how, Mama!"
"I'd love that, Allie! When we get back home, let's do that for dinner one night. I've got to say, my first bite is beyond delicious!"
As they all began to eat in earnest, the family continued to chat happily, though it was mostly Allie and Jack, wanting to share all their latest news.
"It sure is good to see you two so excited about tomorrow, but I'm not sure which you are more excited about our Wedding or your Adoptions!" noted Nathan.
"That's easy," grinned Allie. "Both!"
Nathan chuckled.
"Do you two have any questions about your actual adoption ceremony?" asked Elizabeth.
"Will Uncle Bill tell us what we need to do?" asked Allie.
"Yes, he will, before we leave for the Wedding. I know he's going to need you both to sign your names to make the papers all official. And your Papa and I have a couple gifts for each of you, that will be at our Wedding Reception for you to unwrap there, so we'll get to see you open them!"
"I'm so glad we get to have this special family dinner tonight, because as of tomorrow, we officially become our forever family," began Nathan. "You both know your Mama and I are going to be gone for two weeks to celebrate our Wedding and spend some precious time together. That may sound like a long time to be away, but it will pass a lot faster for all of us than we think. I promise! Your Mama and I just want you to know that we will miss you just as much as you are going to miss us, if not more. We expect you to behave, but we also want you to have fun with your Grandpapa, Grandmama, and Auntie Julie while we're gone."
"We will, Papa. Jack and I have already talked about it!"
"Good! Your Mama and I also have a little surprise for you."
"We get another surprise?" asked a wide-eyed Jack.
"Yes, you and Allie both! When your Mama and I return from our Honeymoon, I have to immediately go to Capital City for work, and I would love for your Mama and you two to go with me so we can make it our first family vacation together! What do you think about that?"
"I love that! I've always wanted to see Capital City!" enthused Allie. "I know it's really big, and I want to see the water!"
"Yay! I just want to ride the train again! It's so fun, Allie!"
"I know, Jack! And I love that the four of us get to travel as a real family! It will be our first time on a real trip together!"
"Then, family vacation it is! But I think we need to add one more thing to our prayer first, 'help Elizabeth and me not to miss our two children so terribly and help you two not to miss your parents so much!'"
"Agree, because your Papa and I are going to miss you two very much! But we'll call you lots, and your Grandpapa knows how to reach us if you need us or just miss us and want to talk."
"And we won't be interrupting you?" asked Allie.
"Never, Allie! You are the two people we love most in this world! If you need us, we are always going to be there," assured Nathan. And if we aren't near a phone, leave a message with one of the staff, and we'll make sure to call when we return, Sweetheart!"
"Okay! But Jack and I have already decided we aren't going to bother you if we don't have to. We just want you to have a super great Honeymoon! Besides' don't forget, after tomorrow, Jack and I will have each other, and in the same house too. We'll miss you lots, but we won't be too lonely!"
"That's a very valid point, Allie," smiled her Papa. "Thanks for reminding us!"
"Just know we love you as much as possible and will still be loving you the entire time we are away. Besides, now we have our first special family vacation to look forward to when we return!" enthused Elizabeth. "And that's a very big deal!"
"I can't wait, Mama! Thanks, Papa, for taking us," grinned an excited Allie. "We'll have so much fun together!"
"Thank you, Mama and Papa, for letting me go on the train! But did you all see my new uniform? I really love it," piped up Jack.
"Jack Thornton, why have you not changed out of your new uniform?" asked his Mama. "Remember when I told you to be sure and do that as soon as you got home from seeing our land? Just like your Papa did before we went riding, but you wanted to wait till after?"
"But Mama, Papa always wears uniforms, so it's pretty boring for him, but mine is brand new," rationalized Jack.
Nathan, proud of his son's defensive reasoning, had to hide his amused grin with his napkin, knowing he'd better lie low on this one!
"Can I please wear it? I need to wear it, Mama!"
Elizabeth glanced at Nathan, who winked, which softened her, causing her to sigh softly, knowing she was outnumbered.
"Only till we get our bath and change for bed, Young Man! But tomorrow, you'll have to dress in your regular clothes till just before our Wedding, so you won't wrinkle your new dress uniform like your Papa's, okay?"
"Okay, Mama!" and everyone could see Jack clearly wanted to change the subject away from his uniforms, though he wasn't yet wanting to close the Mountie conversation.
"Can I wear my medal at our Wedding, Papa? It's really important!"
"Well, it is the Mountie way, Son, and yes, I agree, it's really important! In fact, all medals are required to be worn as part of our dress uniforms!"
"Yay!"
Then all was well again, although every other sentence that Jack brought up seemed to be something Mountie-related.
"Papa, I'm going to be a Mountie when I grow up, just like my Papas!"
Elizabeth cleared her throat.
Nathan just smiled at the honor, figuring out what to say to acknowledge Jack's current dream, while at the same time understanding his son's particular thought, even at this young stage, was difficult for his Lizbeth.
"Well, there's plenty of time for deciding your life's vocation, Son," reminded his Mama. "You haven't even been to school yet, and that is one of the many reasons you go to school all those young years, so you can learn about different jobs and decide what best suits you before you graduate!"
"Your Mama's right, Son! You've got lots of time to decide all that. But you know, whatever you do end up deciding to do as you grow up, Jack, both your Papas will be very proud of you and are very proud of you. Your Mama, too! Not many young men your age have a Mountie medal! Now, that's pretty impressive!"
"But what does 'pressive mean, Papa?"
"If something is impressive, that means it's remarkable, something we are very proud of! Your medal is something we as a family will always treasure along with you, Jack!"
"Oh! So, it's as great as I thought!"
"Really great and very impressive, Son! We couldn't be prouder of you and your Papa for receiving it."
Jack beamed, and Elizabeth smiled as Nathan offered his hand in support.
"Allie, since you've gone through most of your schooling, have you given any more thought to what you want to do since the last time we talked?" asked her Papa.
At first, Allie was hesitant, looking from her Papa to her Mama.
Then she decided to just be honest and open about it all, instead of waiting till after their Wedding.
"I have, Papa! And please don't think I've kept this from you. I've just been wanting to wait and talk to both you and Mama about it at the same time. I started deciding a couple of weeks or so ago. But now I know for sure."
"Allie! That's wonderful! Why didn't you say anything?"
"We've just been so busy with the Wedding, new job, travel, getting ready to merge our houses, and taking care of all our visitors. I was just going to wait till you two got back from your Honeymoon when things wouldn't be so crazy!"
"Allie, you and Jack are the two most important people in the world to us, so we will always make time. What have you decided, Sweetheart?" asked her now concerned Papa.
Allie swallowed nervously but then suddenly broke out into a huge smile…
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147-148. "Paninis," a grilled sandwich made with Italian bread and various fillings. Mentioned in Italian cooking as early as the 16th Century. Public Domain Information.
149. "Italian Soda," a soft drink made with carbonated water, flavored syrup, and ice, and is typically moderately sweet and fizzy; drink originated in US and not Italy by Torani, the San Francisco-based Syrup Company and first made in 1925. Public Domain Information.