"You're quiet, Elizabeth," Rosemary commented as she handed her an empty plate.
"Am I?" Elizabeth replied, forcing a smile onto her face. Giving herself a mental shake, she picked up the serving spoon off the island bench and dished Chicken Pad Thai onto her plate.
"Yes," Rosemary looked at her, her expression serious. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm just tired, Rosemary; it's been a long week." Elizabeth smiled at her friend. She knew Rosemary was right; she was quiet and out of sorts and didn't know why. Or maybe she didn't want to admit it to Rosemary; she barely wanted to admit it to herself.
"It sure has," Faith Carter agreed, joining them at the kitchen bench and picking up two empty plates and filling them with various dishes. "The ER was overwhelmed, too."
"At least you are getting help from Monday," Rosemary exclaimed. "I'm sure you will appreciate the extra pair of hands."
"I can't wait!" Faith agreed. Turning to Lee, where he sat with her husband Carson, she said, "I hear he has a lot of experience and great references?"
"Yes, and Yes." Lee paused, and Elizabeth could see the wheels turning in his head before he spoke again. "I don't think telling you his name now can hurt, considering he starts next week - Dr Nathan Grant."
"Excellent!" Rosemary exclaimed as she put down the plates she was holding and reached into the back pocket of her jeans for her iPhone.
"Rosie! What are you doing?"
"Googling him, of course, Lee...maybe looking him up on LinkedIn might be better," Rosemary mused as her fingers flicked across the screen of her phone.
"Rosemary Coulter, put your phone away. One, we are about to eat, and two, it's wrong to cyber-stalk people," Lee protested.
"Lee, aren't you curious? Aren't you Faith?" Rosemary demanded, looking up from her screen. "I cannot be the only one curious about him."
"All I care about is him turning up on Monday, Rosemary," Faith said with a shrug.
"Fine, Rosemary said, placing her phone on the table, "I'll leave it."
"For now," Lee teased, knowing his wife wouldn't be able to let it go for long.
"For now," Rosemary agreed, laughing as she began dishing up food.
Elizabeth looked around at her friends as they took their seats at the table. Gathering for dinner was something they tried to do at least once a week. Getting everyone together every week was difficult, so often, only Elizabeth, Rosemary and Lee caught up.
Elizabeth strolled to the table to take her seat and stared at the seating arrangements. Lee was next to Rosemary, and Faith was next to Carson. When Clara and Jesse were there, they sat side by side. Elizabeth always sat alone, the chair beside her empty.
Sitting down, Elizabeth reached for Rosemary's phone, intending to pass it to her. As she raised the phone, the unlocked screen flashed and she automatically looked at it. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the image in her hand. Rosemary hadn't closed her search on Dr Nathan Grant. The face staring back from a LinkedIn profile was stunning. The man had dark brown hair that swept back from his face in soft waves. He had a chiselled jaw, dimpled chin, and high cheekbones; his full lips were curled up in a slightly crooked smile. His stunning blue eyes, fringed with long lashes, seemed to stare straight at her. Her hand shook as she put the phone back on the table, screen side down.
Two things were clear to Elizabeth: Dr Nathan Grant was the most attractive man she had ever seen, and no man had affected her in reality as much as his photo did.
After dinner, once the leftovers were in the fridge and the dishes were done, everybody said their goodbyes. Elizabeth was working the weekend, so she needed an early night. Faith and Carson wanted to take advantage of their night off together to decorate their tree and hang their Christmas lights.
"I don't know about you, but I am beat," Lee said as he closed the front door behind their guests.
"Well, that's too bad. I need your help to draw the Secret Santa."
"Ugh," Lee groaned as he followed Rosemary to the loungeroom, where she tipped the contents of the Christmas stocking onto the coffee table.
"Before we start, I need to add one more name," Rosemary declared.
"Whose?" Lee asked warily as he saw the twinkle in her eye.
"Dr Grant, of course, silly. We don't want him to feel left out."
"It's meant to be voluntary."
"Yes, and I am sure he would have volunteered if he was here." Handing him the cards and a pen, she said, "You write."
Rosemary matched name after name, delighting in the matches being made. As she approached the end, she realised she hadn't drawn Elizabeth's name. Biting her lip, she hesitated. She had seen Elizabeth's reaction when she moved her phone. It wasn't until after dinner that she had the chance to check her phone to see what caused it. Dr Nathan Grant was gorgeous, and Elizabeth clearly thought so, too.
"Elizabeth Thatcher and Nathan Grant," Rosemary announced.
Rosemary saw the hint of suspicion in Lee's eyes as they shot up to her face. She shrugged innocently and continued. When she got to Nathan Grant, and he miraculously matched with Elizabeth, Lee threw the pen on the table, tsking loudly.
"Rosemary! I can see right through you. Don't you think Elizabeth will, too?"
"No, because you were here to keep me honest. Did you see me cheat?"
"No, but that doesn't mean you didn't."
"Lee Coulter, I am offended by that comment."
"No, you're not," he said, laughing as he leaned over and kissed her.
"You're right; I'm not." Rosemary chuckled. "It's time, though, don't you think?"
"It's not about what we think; it's what Elizabeth thinks."
"I know, but Lee, I just hate to see her alone and maybe lonely. I want her to be as happy as I am. That's not wrong, is it?"
"Of course not, but Rosie, I don't want to see her hurt either. Let Elizabeth decide when she is ready... not to mention we know nothing about Nathan Grant. We don't even know if he is single."
Rosemary nodded in agreement, but it didn't change her thoughts. She did know one thing about Nathan Grant - his picture made Elizabeth feel something. Rosemary didn't know the details but knew Elizabeth had left a relationship several years ago before moving to Crystal Haven. Since then, she hadn't dated anyone. Elizabeth got a lot of interest and offers from the opposite sex, but she always found a reason to turn them down. Rosemary couldn't stand the thought of her dearest friend being alone.
'Splat'
Colleen spun on her heel, trying to find the source of the snowball that had barely missed her head, exploding on the wall beside her. To her astonishment, her brother Nathan stood there, grinning at her.
"Nathan? What are you doing here?" Colleen stood frozen with indecision. Half of her wanted to run and greet her brother; the other half cringed that he was there and would discover her secret.
"I have been phoning you, Colleen. I know you weren't answering my calls, but I thought at least you were listening to my messages."
Nathan stared at his older sister as her cheeks flared red in embarrassment, wondering what was wrong. Colleen had always been the bubbly, outgoing one out of the two of them, lighting up any room with just her smile. There were no strangers to Colleen, just friends she hadn't met yet. The woman standing before him was a pale shadow of the woman he knew. Everything about her and her demeanour screamed sad, tired, and defeated. Why had he waited so long to visit, accepting her reasons why it wasn't convenient?
"It's complicated; Nathan and I don't have the time or energy to explain it to you right now."
"Where's Allie?" he asked, changing the subject.
'Splat.'
Nathan spun on his heel as the snowball hit him squarely on his lower back. He saw Allie standing behind him, trying to smother her giggle; he had been so focused on Colleen that he hadn't heard her sneak up. At least his niece looked happy to see him; her wide smile lit up her face as she launched herself into his arms.
Nathan crouched down to catch Allie, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I missed you, Uncle Nathan," Allie exclaimed. "Where have you been?"
"I've missed you too, sweetheart. I'm sorry. I have been working. A lot."
"Are you still working a lot?"
"Why don't we go inside, and I can tell you and your Mum my news."
Nathan stood up, still holding Allie, waiting for Colleen to respond to his suggestion. He saw her hesitate, and his heart sank. His sister didn't want him there. He had hoped the reason she wasn't returning his calls was something simple, like being busy at work or getting ready for Christmas, but clearly, there was something more.
"Of course, Nathan. Come on inside." Colleen smiled at Nathan, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. He watched his sister hurry away and followed her slowly, chatting amiably with Allie about her morning. Allie explained she and Colleen had been returning from a walk when he arrived. They had been looking at the neighbourhood Christmas decorations for ideas they could use. Nathan noted the lack of decoration on the house and wondered what he would find inside. Allie explained they had seen lots of beautiful decorations over the past few days as she walked to preschool and Mummy walked to work.
Nathan frowned as he listened to Allie. Why would Colleen be walking Allie to school in freezing temperatures? He glanced over to the garage attached to the house, but the door was closed, so there was no way of knowing if her car was inside.
Nathan stepped over the threshold of Colleen's house and put Allie down so she could take off her coat and snow boots. He hung his coat on the rack and unwound the scarf from his neck, adding it to the same hook. He hung Allie's coat beside his own, noting Colleen's clothing on the third hook. There was no evidence of Dylan's warm clothing, which Nathan hoped meant he wasn't home. There was no chance Colleen would open up to him with Dylan listening in.
Nathan followed Allie down the hall and into the kitchen. As he stepped through the doorway into the airy room, it felt different than the last time he had visited. Sunlight streamed into the room, reflecting off the cabinetry and giving it a cosy feel. The scent of waffles lingered in the air, and Nathan's stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him he hadn't eaten breakfast. He had been so keen to get on the road that he bought a takeaway coffee at the first outlet he passed and drank it on the drive to Crystal Haven.
Colleen glanced at him, a genuine smile on her face at last. "Why don't you sit down? I'll make you some breakfast."
Nathan sat in the chair beside Allie and looked around the room, still trying to pinpoint what was different. The clutter, he decided, or lack of it. The last time he visited Colleen and Dylan, they argued about the mess he had lying around, covering almost every available space on the breakfast bar and dining table. There had been scraps of paper, greasy rags, broken parts, and equipment Dylan brought home from work. There was none of his debris lying around.
Nathan frowned. Dylan had no warm clothes hanging on the hooks. None of Dylan's shoes were mixed with the others in the box near the door. There was no evidence of his usual mess. He looked up and found Colleen staring at him. He cocked one eyebrow as he asked his silent question. Tears filled her eyes, and she turned away, hiding her emotions from him and Allie.
"Allie, sweetie. Why don't you go into the hallway and get my bag? I have a surprise in there for you."
Nathan waited until Allie was out of earshot before turning back to face Colleen. He didn't say anything; he just waited for her to speak.
"I thought you would be happy to know he is gone," Colleen said, her voice laced with anger.
"I am not happy if you're miserable, Colleen. I won't pretend I liked Dylan or thought he was good enough for you, but I never wanted you to get hurt." Nathan stood and went to stand beside her at the stove, where she studiously avoided making eye contact. "What happened?"
Collen sighed and turned to Nathan. "He got involved with people he shouldn't have."
She busied herself, taking the pan off the stove and dishing up food for Nathan. Handing him the plate, she continued. "They paid him to provide information on the homes he was installing alarms in so they could break in and steal from them." Colleen shook her head, "I can't believe he was stupid enough to think people wouldn't put two and two together and realise he was the common link."
"What happened to him?"
"He was arrested and charged. Someone paid his bail, and he was released awaiting his trial."
Nathan hated the flat tone of his sister's voice; she sounded like a robot, rattling off well-rehearsed lines. "Where is he now?"
"I don't know. He came home while I was at work, took some of his clothes and left. Before you ask, he didn't leave a note or anything else. I have no idea where he is, and I don't care."
"Where does Allie think he is," he asked quickly, as he could see Allie approaching, dragging his bag behind her.
"That he had to go away for work."
"When did all this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" Nathan demanded. He was sorry his sister had gone through this alone, but he would have been there for her and Allie.
"Can we talk about this later, please? How long are you staying?"
"Well, that's an interesting story," Nathan said cryptically before turning his attention to Allie. He could feel Colleen's studying him curiously as he showed Allie the new colouring book, he had bought for her.
"I got two new books from Miss Lizzie and Miss Clara, too," Allie said. "To make me feel better and because I was brave. They are in my room. Do you want to come and see?"
"Allie, let Uncle Nathan eat his breakfast while it is still hot," Colleen said, her voice high and strained.
"But you said the monster one was Uncle Nathan's favourite," Allie replied, confused by her mother's tone. "I want to show him."
"Why don't you run upstairs to your room and bring them down to show me," Nathan interjected, trying to prevent upsetting Allie.
As Allie ran away to collect her books, Nathan swivelled to face his sister. "It seems we both have interesting stories to tell.
Nathan nursed a beer while staring at the fireplace, his thoughts flickering as quickly as the flames, going from one thing to another. For all of Dylan's faults, Nathan never imagined him running from the law and abandoning Colleen and Allie. What were they going to do? What if he was never caught? Did the police believe that Colleen didn't know where he was? Colleen said she felt like she was being watched; was that the Laconia Police Department? Was it whoever Dylan was involved with?
It was too late to reach out to Gabe tonight, but he would call first thing in the morning and ask for his advice. Gabe, was a police detective and while he didn't want to put Gabe in an awkward position, they had grown up together. Nathan and Colleen considered him family and he felt the same about them.
Right now, Nathan knew he needed to go to bed. He was starting his new job in the morning and expected the first few weeks to be overwhelming. His schedule for the morning was already packed with meetings with hospital management and Human Resources to finalise his 'onboarding'. The one thing he wasn't looking forward to was the welcome morning tea that had popped into his schedule. He was naturally shy and didn't welcome being the centre of attention, but he would go, smile, and try and enjoy it. He wanted to make Crystal Haven his home, which meant embracing life in a small community.