Granting a Family - Chapter 19: Crossed Lines

Elizabeth wasn’t exactly trying to eavesdrop on Lucas when he was on the telephone, but he had been spending quite a bit of time on calls during the past week while on the book tour. From what she gathered just by hearing one side of the conversations, there was trouble with the oil business and the new pipeline he was trying to get built with Hickam and Fiona. She could always tell who he was talking to based on his facial expressions and the tone of his voice. When he talked to Hickam, he was rude and demeaning at times. It made Elizabeth’s blood boil to see one of her friends, and a man she respected, treated in such a way by a man that she had thought she loved. On the other hand, when it was Fiona on the other end of the line, Lucas was sweet and charming...almost flirtatious. 

Traveling with someone teaches you a lot about them, Elizabeth was learning. Their relationship had been rocky for a while, but Lucas had been really trying to get them back together the past several weeks. He thought the book tour was their chance to spend plenty of alone time together to work through any issues they had, and go back home as a perfectly happy couple. All this traveling from city to city did for Elizabeth was make her miss her friends, and especially her son. She was starting to once again realize why she left her life of luxury in Hamilton for the simple, more meaningful life she had found in Hope Valley. 

Lucas ended the call with Hickam and immediately changed his demeanor as he approached Elizabeth with a dazzling smile. “My darling, I’m so sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go to dinner?”

Elizabeth winced at his use of his affectionate pet name for her, and flinched when he grabbed her arm to lead her to the restaurant at the hotel. “I think I would rather have dinner brought up to my room,” she responded, pulling away from his touch. “What is going on with the pipeline? I’m assuming that you were talking to Hickam on the phone?”

“It’s nothing you need to worry yourself about,” he tried to assure her. “How did you even know I was talking to Hickam?”

“I know, because you are always talking down to him, and I feel like you tend to disrespect him when you are upset about something. Mike is a hard worker and you need to show him a little gratitude for all he is doing for your business.” Elizabeth felt her face burning, and she wasn’t sure how much of it was anger or how much was embarrassment from speaking to Lucas that way in the lobby of a nice hotel. Feelings had been bubbling up for quite a while now, and they just seemed to have spilled out in the worst way and place possible. “Excuse me,” she muttered as she rushed up the stairs to her room.

Safely inside her suite, Elizabeth plopped down on an oversized chair in tears. All she wanted was to be back in her little row house in Hope Valley, snuggling her son and visiting with her friends. She already felt like she was being replaced with the new teacher that arrived in town right after she left on her tour. Bill had been keeping her informed of all the latest news, and something he had said about Nathan when they last talked had her concerned. She couldn’t believe what a fool she had been to reject him last year, because she now knew the truth: she was in love with him and not Lucas. Thinking about the pain she had caused both Nathan and Allie brought on a fresh flood of tears, which made her also think of little Jack and how he needed a daddy that Jack would approve of...and that wasn’t Lucas. Her reasons for choosing him were selfish and based on fear. A knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts. She wiped away her tears and composed herself before going to open the door.

Lucas had wide eyes and worried expression on his face when he saw Elizabeth had been crying. “Elizabeth, I’m not really sure what I did to upset you. My business dealings really aren’t any of your concern, and I’m sorry if you think Mike is not respected enough. I just thought he could handle things while I was gone, but it doesn’t seem like that has happened.”

“And Fiona?” Elizabeth questioned.

“What about Fiona?” Lucas asked curiously. 

“It seems that you have more interest in her than just as business partners. Your face lights up when she calls.” Elizabeth searched his face for his reaction, and got what she was looking for when color rose to his cheeks and he looked down, unable to refute her claims. For a poker player who was very difficult to read, she was surprised to see such a strong reaction from him. He had never responded that way to her in the many months they had been in a relationship.

When he realized his reaction, Lucas tried to fix it by saying, “I’m only interested in you, Elizabeth. Please, come down to dinner and let’s talk about this.”

“Lucas, I think we both need to just admit that this is never going to work out. We don’t want the same things in life. This book tour has shown me just how different we are, and how much our priorities don’t fit. I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner, or at least didn’t admit it to myself. You aren’t ready to be a father, and all I’ve heard from you regarding my son is how nice it is for me to be away from my responsibilities as a mother. Not to mention, both you and your mother want me to quit my life’s calling as a teacher to write full time. You want to travel the world and live the life I left back in Hamilton. Maybe someday you will settle down and want to make Hope Valley your home for the right reasons. But for now, I need to focus on being the best mother to my son and teacher to my students. Love can’t be forced, and I hope that both of us are able to find our lifetimes one day. You deserve to find the person who is the perfect fit for you. It’s not me.” Elizabeth tried to grab his hand to comfort him, but Lucas took a step back and looked more angry than hurt.

“You still have three more days on this tour, and I have a lot on my mind regarding my businesses. I’ll have dinner sent up to you tonight and make plans to return home early. My mother can stay with you for the rest of your book signings, then I’ll make arrangements for your travel home from Union City alone, which is your last stop on Saturday.” He turned and left to go order dinner for both of them to eat alone in their rooms.

Elizabeth felt bad she had hurt Lucas by ending their dating relationship for good, but after the past week, she knew it was the right thing to do. Things had been tense for a long time, and especially after finding out he had been involved with the Pinkertons and his company Frontier Estates, which had tried to buy up properties before values went up due to growth from the new factory. Her land from Jack was almost taken from her by a forgery operation being run by the Pinkertons, headed by Julius Spurlock, who was trying to avenge his brother Charles Spurlock’s arrest for trying to kill her. She thought about Bill saving the day with Jack’s file, then thought about it a little longer. She thought, How would Bill have found that file? If it was in the Mountie office, I bet Nathan actually found it and saved the day. 

Thoughts of Nathan flooded her mind and feelings and emotions washed over her, both happy and sad. Bill told her about Nathan and Allie taking little Jack fishing, riding, and on picnics during her time away. He was such a wonderful father to Allie and she knew how much he loved her precious boy. She worried that she was too late and had hurt him too deeply to ever convince him to be with her. Regardless of what happened with Nathan, she felt peace at letting Lucas go once and for all. In four more days she would be home where she belonged, and she would never again take for granted her wonderful, supportive community.

_______________________________________________________________

Preparing to leave the office and go home after a long day, Nathan was about to leave when Mike Hickam burst in a little out of breath. “Mike, is everything alright?” he asked.

“Nathan, I’m glad I caught you. I just got off the phone with Lucas, and he is not happy about this delay. If we don’t get this taken care of and start construction by next week, it is possible we will lose all of our investment we’ve put into this pipeline.” Hickam took a minute to breathe, before holding up some documents and continuing, “I just got the property document I requested from the county, and that’s why I’m here. Something is off and I think I’m going to need your help.” He handed the county document to Nathan for him to inspect.

Looking over the land documents from the county, Nathan tilted his head to the side in confusion. “This is not the same as the document I looked at before.”

“Exactly,” Mike confirmed. “That’s why I came to you. Do you think this was a forgery the Pinkertons did, just like with Elizabeth’s land? When you caught them, how many documents weren’t recovered? I just need your help figuring out who was behind this, and why they would want to change our property line and destroy our business.”

“First, I need Bill to verify the forgery,” Nathan explained. “Do you have the original that shows the discrepancy?”

“Yes, right here. I just got back from Lucas’ office where he told me it was hidden.” Hickam handed that document over to Nathan and sat down across from him at his desk. “I really have to take care of this before Lucas gets back. Do you have time to help me investigate this tomorrow?”

“Of course I do. I will take these documents to Bill right now so he can have the forgery confirmed by tomorrow. Let’s ride out together in the morning to see what we can find at the property, and maybe even talk to some people at the factory. We really need to figure out what is going on, and who is involved. Meet me at the livery at 8:00 sharp.”

“Thanks Nathan, I knew I could count on you,” Hickam said, relieved. “To be honest, I know I work for and with Lucas and all, but I still have a hard time figuring out what Elizabeth sees in him. I mean, I know what she sees in you. I don’t know why she chose to be with him this past year. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be talking about this right now.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Nathan assured him. “I’ve moved on. You sure do seem to be interested in what is going on with Elizabeth though.”

“You know, I’ve been watching what she’s been going through for many years. I just care about everyone in this town. Little Jack deserves a dad, and Elizabeth needs a guy who appreciates her beauty, kindness, and talent. I know you appreciated that, and she’s been really nice to me. I can’t always say the same for Lucas.”

“You’re a good man, Hickam,” Nathan said, slapping him on the back as he moved to grab his hat off the peg on the wall. “I better go pick up Allie from the Mercantile and get her home for dinner. I’ll stop and fill in Thomas on what’s going on so he can watch things here in town while we are out investigating. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow.”

“I appreciate your help on this Nathan. See you in the morning.” Both men walked out of the office and went their separate ways.

At the Mercantile, Allie was just finishing her shift at the switchboard. Robert had finished delivering the mail for Ned and decided to stick around to visit. Nathan cleared his throat, startling the two teenagers who then nervously giggled as he gave them “the look”.

“Uh, I better get going. See you later Allie. Inspector Grant.” Robert gave a little salute to Nathan and hurried out of the Mercantile.

“Do you have to give him such a hard time, Dad?” Allie rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag. 

“You know that’s my job.” Nathan looked at her with a serious expression, then couldn’t help but chuckle. “Let’s get home and eat, I’m starving! Plus, I want to hear all about your day...minus your feelings for a certain mail delivery boy, and soon-to-be Mountie.”

Florence and Ned were both at the front counter getting ready to close up for the evening. “Goodbye Yosts. Thanks for keeping an eye on Allie for me today.” Nathan tipped his hat as he and Allie were walking toward the door to leave.

“She is always such a big help around here,” Florence said, coming around the counter and walking up to Nathan. She began to speak in a low voice, “Have you heard that Lucas is coming home early, and Elizabeth will return alone this weekend? Something must have happened between them, and maybe they are over for good this time.”

Nathan tried to show no emotion at this revelation and instead replied, “I do know he is having some issues with his businesses, so maybe he’s coming home early to take care of that.”

“Oh, I had no idea. Well then, you may be right. I hope you both have a wonderful evening. See you tomorrow afternoon, Allie.”

“Bye Mrs. Yost. I’ll be here at noon.” Allie and Nathan left the Mercantile and walked toward home, talking and laughing together. 

When they reached the Bradshaw’s house, Nathan turned and explained, “I need to talk to Constable Bradshaw for a few minutes. You can come with me, or head home without me. I shouldn’t be long.”

“Nice excuse, Dad. If you want to see Miss Bradshaw, just go ahead. I’m going to head home and start making you some dinner.” Before he could explain that it really was Thomas he was going to see, Allie skipped ahead and disappeared into their house. He knocked on the door, trying not to care who opened the door, but secretly hoping to see Kate, as they hadn’t been together since their morning ride the day before.

To his surprise it was Anne who opened the door, looking very pregnant and tired. “Nathan! How nice to see you.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to be up. How are you feeling? I hope your husband is home taking care of you.” Nathan looked past Anne, but didn’t see anyone else in the room.

“Thomas is just getting dinner from the café tonight, and should be back any minute. Were you here to see Kathryn?” Anne gave him a knowing smile, but he shook his head.

“I’m actually here to discuss work with Thomas, but I can write him a note and leave it on the desk tomorrow morning giving him instructions. You should go take it easy.” A movement inside caught his eye, and he realized it was Kate coming down the stairs. Their eyes met as she moved toward the door, and had to remind himself to start breathing again.

“Anne! I’m so sorry you had to get the door, I was just freshening up after a long, hot day at the school house. Why don’t you go back up and rest until Thomas is here with dinner.” She lovingly put her arm around her sister-in-law.

“I think I will. Thank you, Kathryn. See you later Nathan. I’ll let Thomas know you stopped by, and to expect that note on his desk tomorrow.” She moved slowly up the stairs and to her room.

When they heard Anne close the door to her bedroom, Kathryn grabbed Nathan’s hand to pull him inside then closed the front door. “I’ve missed you,” she uttered. “I wasn’t sure when I would see you again, with how busy we’ve both been.”

“Unfortunately, the next couple days I will be working on a case and probably won’t be around. I know you are also busy getting ready for your summer class to begin. Can you spare some time Saturday afternoon? I’ll have to let you know where and when to meet me once I get some things worked out.” He rubbed his thumb back and forth over her hand he was still holding and looked adoringly into her sparkling green eyes.

Kathryn easily got lost again in his sky-blue eyes and almost didn’t realize he expected an answer to his question. “Oh um, Saturday afternoon sounds great,” she murmured, wanting to touch his hair again, but remembering he wanted to take things slow. “What will I do with myself for two whole days without you?”

“Hopefully you’ll finish all of your work, so when we are together your focus is completely on me.” Nathan flashed her his best crooked smile and raised her hand up to his lips and kissed it while still holding her gaze.

Kathryn felt weak in the knees from just a simple kiss on her hand, and had to steady herself by grabbing onto Nathan’s other arm. “I’ll be counting down the hours until Saturday.”

Nathan’s head and heart were having a major battle at that moment. All he wanted to do was pull Kate into his arms and hold her close, but his mind told him to keep some distance and not move too quickly so he and Allie wouldn’t get hurt again. He shook himself out of his thoughts and opened the door. “Good evening, sweet Kathryn. See you soon.” He released her hand and walked home, before his heart convinced him to show this amazingly beautiful woman how he really felt about her. He hoped one day soon he would overcome the fear of loving completely without holding back, because he felt himself falling deeply for Hope Valley’s new school teacher.

Thursday morning, Nathan left early to write his note of instructions for Thomas in the office. He then headed to the livery to meet Mike Hickam so they could saddle up the horses and ride out to investigate the mysterious property line dispute that threatened the oil pipeline. Mike was already saddling up his horse when Nathan arrived to get Newton ready.

“Mike, I’m glad you made it. I didn’t wear my uniform for this initial investigation, because I don’t want my red serge to tip anyone off. If I need to do anything official or make any arrests, I’ll have to either get Thomas to come out and do it, or I’ll have to go back and change.” He worked quickly while talking.

“Nathan, I appreciate you taking the time to help me. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but Lucas will be back late tonight. I’m really hoping to get this squared away today if at all possible.” Hickam looked nervous, and Nathan hoped he could help Mike prove himself to Lucas by solving this case.

“I did hear Lucas is coming home early, but not the exact reason. Is it all about the pipeline? Didn’t you tell him it was being handled and should be worked out before the book tour is finished? I’m surprised he would just let Elizabeth travel home alone.” As much as he tried to not care, he worried about Elizabeth’s safety. It just kind of came second nature to him after so many years of protecting her and little Jack.

“I don’t know what happened on the book tour. He didn’t talk to me or Fiona, just left a message with Florence. We better start heading out there. Is Bill working on the forensics of the documents?” Both men mounted their horses and began riding out of town toward the property.

“Bill should be done by the time we get back. Are you ready to ride?” Nathan nudged Newton into a gallop and Hickam’s horse naturally followed his lead.

When they got out to the property next to the factory, they were surprised to see surveying equipment and materials to build a pipeline. 

“This is not ours, so who is trying to build their own pipeline on our land?” Mike wondered. “When Fiona and I first came up with the pipeline idea, after surveying the area, we determined that this pass is the only viable way through the Valley without having to dynamite a path...and we all know how well our last dynamite experiment went. Anyway, Lucas used his connections to buy this property before others, including his company Frontier Estates, started buying all of the land surrounding the factory.”

“Whoever paid off the Pinkertons to make a forgery of the land deed, changing the property lines to give optimal access for a pipeline, is most likely the person responsible for trying to build their own. Someone has to be producing oil somewhere close if they need a way to transport it. Let’s go look around for clues. Just blend in and don’t draw attention to yourself.” 

They found a place to tie off their horses and decided to walk onto the factory land to look around. Staying out of sight as much as possible they watched the comings and goings of the workers. After watching for fifteen minutes, they spotted Mr. Curtis walking out and shaking hands with a well-dressed man whose back turned to them at first. As he turned around, Nathan gasped and both he and Hickam looked at each other in shock. Wyman Walden! Lucas had told them he had left to secure land in other places in the territory, but for some reason he was back.

“Let’s go follow him,” Nathan whispered to Hickam. They ran to grab their horses and followed Wyman’s car to a plot of land a little further to the southeast. It looked like around a dozen workers had been up and building for a while.

“They are putting up another oil rig,” Hickam concluded. “They need our land to build the most cost-effective pipeline, so they must have had the Pinkertons change the county documents to try and take away the critical pass of land from us. They won’t get away with that, will they?”

“Not a chance, and not on my watch,” Nathan asserted. “Once Bill proves the forgery, there is nothing they can do but accept defeat. We will set up a court date for tomorrow, then I’ll deliver a summons to Mr. Curtis and Wyman Walden to appear and end this charade once and for all.”

“I don’t know how I can repay you for saving my bacon, Nathan. I hope you realize what an asset you are to the entire Hope Valley community. I know some people might not give you the appreciation you deserve, but you’ve always been a hero to me.” Hickam held out his hand to shake Nathan’s and they both turned their horses toward town and rode off, happy to finally have some answers.