Granting a Family - Chapter 18: More Than Friends

Monday morning, Nathan rode out to make sure the construction on the pipeline had not been started yet, and to check on things at the factory in hopes that no one was stirring up trouble. He wasn’t on official business and didn’t want to tip anyone off, so he wore civilian clothes and kept his distance. He also had a meeting later in the morning with the new school teacher to discuss signing Allie up for the summer session that would be starting the following week. A smile spread across his face just thinking about Miss Bradshaw and the time they had spent together the past week, yet he felt like he could never get enough of being with her and it both excited and scared him. They didn’t want to start any gossip, and the only people who knew about their interest in each other were Thomas, Anne, and Allie so far. 

At church services the day before, Nathan and Allie had sat in the back since Nathan was in serge and on duty. Thomas and Kathryn had sat up front together, but Anne had stayed home in bed to make sure the baby didn’t try to make an early appearance. As they were leaving, Nathan tipped his hat to her but they weren’t able to talk. At church, she had the parents of students enrolling in the advanced summer class sign up to visit her at the school either Monday or Tuesday morning, so she could get to know them and let them know what to expect from her.

Sunday afternoon when Nathan was off duty, he and Allie had taken little Jack fishing so Lee and Rosemary could have another break and go on a picnic together. Kathryn had seen the three of them with fishing rods laughing and heading to the pond, as she walked home from the school house. She still had questions about Nathan’s relationship with Elizabeth’s son, but couldn’t get over how adorable he was with kids. She felt a familiar flutter in her stomach thinking about Nathan as a dad, and anticipating her meeting with Allie’s dad Monday morning.

As Nathan rode to and from the factory, he noticed all the flowers in bloom. He decided to collect a small bouquet for Kate as a welcome gift for Allie’s new teacher. When he got back into town, he headed straight to the school house and saw Anna’s parents leaving, which meant it was his turn. He noticed Kate waving goodbye to the other parents as he approached the steps of the school. Every time he saw her, she seemed to become even more beautiful and his ability to breathe normally always seemed to be compromised in her presence. Today she looked like an official teacher, with a more business-like light-blue dress and her hair pinned up.

“Good morning Miss Bradshaw,” Nathan greeted. 

Kathryn turned around a bit startled and smiled. “Inspector Grant, it seems you are right on time for your appointment regarding Allie. Please, come in.” She wasn’t sure how convincing their formal greetings were to anyone who might be viewing this exchange, because she felt the color rising up her neck and settling on her cheeks. Nathan looked just as handsome in his casual clothes as he did in his uniform. They walked together into the classroom, and he pulled a bouquet of the most gorgeous flowers from behind his back.

“I was out on a ride this morning and saw these,” he said. “I believe in doing something special for Allie’s teacher, so I brought these to welcome you.”

“Nathan,” she murmured as they brushed hands while exchanging the flowers. “They are gorgeous!”

“I’m just trying to be a good parent and make sure Allie’s teacher knows of our appreciation.” Nathan gave her a crooked smile as they sat across from each other at her desk. 

“As you know, our summer class is starting next Monday,” Kathryn began. “We will be meeting from nine until noon Monday through Friday for the next two weeks. My plan right now is to have lots of hands-on experiences as we dive into some more advanced lessons, primarily in math and science. I expect the students to take it seriously by being punctual and ready to learn each day, but I also hope they enjoy learning the concepts as much as I love teaching. I’ve heard so many good things about Allie and her abilities, and I look forward to helping guide her in her learning endeavors.”

Nathan was enjoying his glimpse into the teacher side of Kate, and was impressed by how articulate and professional she was. “That sounds great, Miss Bradshaw. Allie needs a challenge, and something to keep her mind engaged this summer.”

“I’m hoping all of the students get something good out of this brief summer session.” Kathryn was having a hard time staying in formal teacher mode with Nathan looking so adorable. They still had ten minutes before other parents were set to arrive, so she went and looked out the door to make sure no one was around and closed it so they had more privacy.

Nathan stood up and they met in the middle of the room. “When do I get to see you again, in an unofficial capacity? Saturday morning was perfect, except that it had to end.”

“I agree, it ended way too soon,” Kathryn admitted. “Did you have something in mind for another way to spend some time together?”

“How do you feel about riding horses?” Nathan inquired, remembering her mention of loving to ride and all of the times he pictured her on a horse with her hair blowing in the wind. He cleared his throat to try and pull himself out of that memory and continued, “If anyone says anything, we can just tell them I’m showing you around the area...one public servant to another. How early do your meetings with parents start tomorrow?”

“My first appointment is at ten, since I am seeing most of the parents today. But I haven’t ridden a horse in years,” she warned him. “I’m not sure my riding is up to your standards.”

“You will do great,” he encouraged. “It isn’t like you forget how to ride. We better go early though. How is 7:00? I can go to the livery to get the horses ready, then bring them and meet you at the end of the row houses leaving town?”

“It sounds nice.” Kathryn moved in closer and looked up at him. He’s so tall and dark and handsome, she thought as she stared into those beautiful, sparkling blue eyes. She couldn’t help but put her hands in his, intermingling their fingers and feeling the fire burning between them as they touched. “Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers. It was very thoughtful.”

Nathan’s mind was struggling to process anything coherent as they stood there holding hands. “Yeah, the flowers,” he muttered. “They are all flowers that symbolize different aspects of friendship. I read a book once that talked about how sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and iris have all been given to others to signify a blossoming friendship.” Nathan instantly knew that was probably the last thing he should have said in that moment, because of the confused expression on Kathryn’s face as she slowly pulled her hands away from his. He tried to say something else to fix it, but before he could say anything they heard someone opening the door.

“Thank you again for coming.” Kathryn shook Nathan’s hand formally and went to greet the next set of parents.

Nathan walked out of the school kicking himself at how ridiculous he sounded, basically saying he just wanted to be friends when that was far from the truth. That was even worse than my “the founders must be proud” comment, he thought. I think I’m starting to realize why I’m still alone. He shook his head and hoped she would forgive him for his nerves and the way her touch got the better of him and made him sound like a fool. He headed home to change into his serge to get back to work and to get his mind off Miss Bradshaw and their meeting at the school.

Mike and Fiona were waiting for Nathan when he entered the Mountie office 30 minutes later to talk about the Pipeline. “Lucas wants this started before he gets back,” Fiona blurted out in a panic. “Can’t we just have Bill give a ruling on this? We are losing money every day this gets delayed.”

“I rode out there today,” Nathan informed them. “Things seem to be calm out there at the factory, but we don’t want to rile things up again. I don’t think any legal action should take place until Lucas gets back. How about we talk to Bill and get a mediation meeting set up with Mr. Curtis next week just as soon as he is home? I really think this is the best course of action. Hickam, what are your thoughts?”

“I agree that we don’t want to do anything that might cause conflict,” he agreed. “Also, Lucas really does need to be here for this. Sorry, Fiona, I’m going to have to side with Nathan on this one.” 

“You are both probably right,” she conceded. “This is just the first real big investment of my own that I’ve tried, and I really don’t want it to fail. Let’s head over to Bill’s office and see when he can fit us in next week.” All three of them walked over to Bill’s office, where they found him at his desk actually working.

“Hey Bill, what’s your schedule looking like next week?” Nathan asked, sitting in one of the chairs in front of Bill’s desk.

“Hello to you too,” Bill grumbled. “I assume this is about the pipeline? I’ve looked over everything, and I really don’t know why the factory owners are worried. Let me set something up for Tuesday morning to sort this all out. Elizabeth told me she and Lucas would be back Monday evening. We should have this squared away, and construction could begin Wednesday.” Mike and Fiona thanked Bill and left to go meet together in their office to further discuss things. Nathan stayed behind to catch up with Bill, who he hadn’t seen in a while.

“So you’ve talked to Elizabeth then? I hope the book tour is going well. I’m sure she’s missing little Jack.” Nathan thought about the time he had been spending with Jack while his mom was away, and knew they were both missing each other. A familiar sadness swept over him, and he pushed it aside.

“From what I’ve gathered, the response to her book has been good but things with Lucas are quickly deteriorating.” Bill eyed Nathan carefully before continuing, “She was asking a lot of questions about you, and talked like something was going on between you two before she left. And the way you’ve been treating little Jack...what exactly is going on there?”

Nathan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair like he did much of the time when he was frustrated. “Bill, I don’t know what to think about Elizabeth. You know how much she hurt me, but now she acts like I can just forget everything and go back to what I wanted before. I will always love Elizabeth and Jack, but that doesn’t mean being a family is possible anymore. Especially since…” he let the thought trail off and thought about his growing feelings for Kate.

“It was unfair the way she treated you,” Bill admitted. “I feel like there’s more to this story, but to be honest, I really don’t need to know right now. You are a smart guy, Nathan, and I know you will make the right decision for you.”

“If Elizabeth had acted towards me last year, the way she has been acting the past few months, we would probably be married right now. Why are women so confusing and aggravating?” Nathan stood up and paced the floor in frustration.

“How are things working out with the new school teacher?” Bill asked.

“Huh?” Nathan sounded shocked, but realized he was probably not asking about the two of them together, and just about Kathryn in general. “I mean, Miss Bradshaw seems to be settling in and getting ready to teach her summer class. I met with her this morning to get Allie all set up to start on Monday.”

Bill squinted with a suspicious look at Nathan’s reaction when he asked about the new advanced teacher. He decided to also let that go, since he really didn’t need to know details about Nathan’s personal relationships right now. “And how is Mrs. Bradshaw? I heard she had a little scare with the baby. How is Thomas handling that?”

“Faith thinks Anne was just trying to overdo it, and hopes bed rest will keep the baby from coming too early,” Nathan explained. “Thomas has been really worried about her, but luckily Kathryn is there to help and that gives him a lot more peace of mind.”

“You seem to have gotten close to the Bradshaw family,” Bill observed. “They seem to be really fitting in here, and people have been accepting of him as the new constable.”

“They are a great family, and I’m glad he was welcomed in the community easier than I was. His wife and sister will add a lot to this town as well.” Nathan didn’t want to elaborate any further because he knew Bill was way too perceptive to not notice his feelings for Kate. “I better get back to work. Let me know if you need me to help you with this pipeline issue. I will go talk to Mr. Curtis tomorrow and inform him of the meeting, then make sure I’m free on Tuesday to help you moderate.”

“As always, you have thought of everything. I want you to know I think you are doing a great job as Inspector. You deserved that promotion, and I’m proud of the way you are handling your new responsibilities.” Bill stood up and shook Nathan’s hand and patted his shoulder. “Now why don’t you get back to that job, so I can get back to mine.”

Nathan chuckled and responded, “Thanks for your kind words, Bill. I appreciate your help whenever I need it, and you really have been a great friend and mentor to me. I’ll check in with you again soon. Bye.” He left and walked across the street to his own office to finish the reports that had been piling up on his desk.

A few hours later, Allie dropped by to visit him on her way to Anna’s house where some of the girls planned to make some food for the Bradshaws to help Anne stay off her feet. After they finished with the cooking and baking, the girls had planned to have a sleepover which worked out great for Nathan since he planned on going riding with Kate in the morning. He hugged Allie and finished up his reports just in time to grab some dinner at the café before heading home for the night.

Clara greeted Nathan and told him to sit while she prepared a plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes for him. While waiting for his food, he updated himself on the local news by reading the current edition of the Valley Voice. The first article he read was about Elizabeth’s book tour, then the next was about Kathryn being the new school teacher. He rolled his eyes, folded the newspaper, and shoved it across the table to try and get both women out of his mind. Luckily, Clara brought out his plate and he enjoyed his dinner while observing others eating at the café. He went to pay for his food and asked for some dessert to go. 

Walking home, he noticed Allie and her friends dropping off dinner to the Bradshaws. They all waved to Nathan, including Thomas at the door, so he felt obligated to stop and say hello. He wasn’t sure he wanted to see Kate right now because of the whole flower debacle, and hoped she still planned on the horse ride in the morning. 

“These girls are so thoughtful!” Thomas exclaimed as Nathan came over. “I was worried my wife and sister would have to endure my cooking tonight, but Allie and her friends might have literally saved their lives.”

Everyone laughed, then the girls told Thomas to enjoy dinner and tell Anne they were thinking of her before heading back to Anna’s house. Allie gave Nathan a quick hug and said, “Bye, Dad! See you tomorrow afternoon.”

“Be good, Allie girl.”

“Daaaaad! You know you aren’t supposed to call me that in public!” Allie groaned, running to catch up with her friends.

“So I guess that is what I have to look forward to in 13 years,” Thomas predicted. “But they are good girls and we really appreciate the food. Do you want to come in and eat?”

“Thanks for the offer, but I just finished eating at the café and I am taking my desert home tonight.” Nathan held up the wrapped piece of pie. “I better get going. Tell your wife to be good and stay down as much as possible.” As he turned to leave, he heard footsteps on the stairs. He looked back and saw Kathryn emerge. She had taken the pins out of her hair, and it was flowing down her back. 

“Nathan, hi. I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight.” Kathryn moved closer to the door, but still kept her distance.

“I’m going to take a plate up to Anne, so you two feel free to visit for a bit inside if you don’t want anyone to see you.” Thomas winked at them, grabbed a plate of dinner, and headed up to see his wife.

Nathan stepped inside and closed the door. “I won’t stay long. I just wanted to make sure you are still planning on coming in the morning.”

“Of course,” she replied. “Friends can go riding together, can’t they?” That impish grin was back on her face and she burst into a fit of giggles.

Nathan let out the breath he had been holding in and shook his head. “I have been worried about the “friendship flowers” comment all day. He moved closer and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “I do think friendship is a good foundation for any relationship, but just know that I desire much more than just being friends with you.”

Kathryn shivered from his closeness and his breath on her neck and ear as he spoke of his desire to be more than friends. Their heads were only inches apart and as she looked into his eyes, she did something she had been fantasizing about for a while. She ran her fingers through his silky, smooth hair then let her hands settle on the back of his neck. He in turn reached out and smoothed her hair and his large hands settled on her tiny waist. They were in their own little world for several seconds that felt more like minutes.

Thomas bounded down the stairs, and they broke apart suddenly. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “I forgot to get a drink for Anne, let me just grab that and I’ll get out of your way.” 

“I’ll let you all eat your dinner,” said Nathan, walking toward the door. “Have a good night. I’ll see you bright and early, Kate.” Once outside, he ran his hand through his hair and touched his neck where her hands had been. So much for moving slowly, he thought. When he got home he tried to distract himself with his pie and a book, but all he could think about was every word and every touch he had shared with the beautiful new school teacher. He decided to get ready for bed and turn in early so he wouldn’t be too tired to be up early for their morning ride.

Nathan didn’t have to worry about sleeping in the next morning. He was anxious and excited about seeing Kate on a horse. However, he was nervous about how quickly things were progressing and told himself he needed to slow it down...he told himself that every day. But when they were together, they couldn’t seem to slow down. He thought about Allie and knew he couldn’t rush into anything and get them both hurt again.

Both Newton and Buddy were excited to get saddled and ready for a morning ride. He saw Sergeant in his stall, looking at him like he wanted someone to ride him too. Nathan talked to him and rubbed his neck. “I’m sure Elizabeth is missing your rides together, just like you. She’ll be home soon, buddy. I’ll bring Jack by to see you later.” He mounted Newton and led Buddy to the end of the row houses where he planned to meet Kate. 

Kathryn was up and ready long before 7:00 when they were supposed to meet. She hadn’t slept well, after the intense moments she had with Nathan yesterday. The “friendship flowers” he brought to her at their parent/teacher meeting sat on her nightstand. She giggled again, thinking about how flustered he was explaining their meaning. Looking out the window, she saw him headed down the street and caught her breath watching him on his majestic Mountie horse. She gave him a few minutes to get ahead before sneaking out to meet him down the road just outside of town.

Nathan saw her come around the bend, looking lovely in a light pink blouse and loose fitting tan skirt that looked made for riding. Her hair was pinned out of her face, but flowed down her back and he couldn’t wait to watch it blow in the wind as she rode. “Wow, you look incredible,” he declared. “Are you ready for this?”

Kathryn marveled not only at how handsome Nathan looked in the familiar button down shirt, unbuttoned several inches, and suspenders...but also the sheer size of his horse. She walked over next to him and stroked Newton’s neck. “He is such a magnificent horse, Nathan. And this other guy, Buddy, looks like a sweetheart.” She scratched his head and neck and knew she was going to love riding him beside Nathan and Newton.

“Do you need any help mounting up?” Nathan asked. “I know we don’t have too much time, so I want to take you by some beautiful spots where Allie and I like to ride.”

Before he could help her, Kathryn was up on Buddy and looked over at Nathan with a satisfied look. She smiled so big her dimple prominently showed up on her cheek, and her emerald eyes sparkled just like he had imagined. Nathan mounted Newton and they headed toward the pond and rode through the meadow, then they pushed both horses to a gallop across a clearing. When they reached the river where Nathan and Allie loved to fish, they let the horses stop to have a drink.

“Clearly you are a better rider than you let on,” Nathan noticed. “A brisk morning ride always helps me clear my head and be ready to take on the day.”

“Mmmmmhmmmmm...” Kathryn had her eyes closed and was taking deep breaths of the fresh air, enjoying the moment. “I used to go riding every day, but it has been way too long. Thank you so much for this.” She reached over and grabbed his hand.

“I hope you know how much I look forward to the time we spend together. I just don’t want to rush into anything, but it’s not easy to go slow when I’m with you.” He squeezed her hand and she smiled.

“We’ll go at whatever pace you are comfortable with,” she assured him. “I know you and Allie need time. You can take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere. Well, except for back to town. Try to catch me!” She turned Buddy around and he darted away in a flash. Nathan laughed and pushed Newton to chase them down. He watched her hair bouncing in the wind, and realized that maybe his dreams might come true after all.