Granting a Family - Chapter 28: Making Up

Saturday morning, Kathryn woke up with a headache due to crying herself to sleep when she got home from the dance the night before. Her gown was still in a pile on the floor and her jewelry and hairpins were strung across the nightstand haphazardly. All that work to look nice, and Nathan hadn’t even complimented her on anything. She had replayed their conversation over and over in her mind, trying to pinpoint where she had gone wrong and triggered such a strong and negative response from him. Leaving probably hadn’t been the best decision, but Kathryn was too upset to talk to anyone and wasn’t the type of person who could fake how she was feeling. She heard voices down the hall and grimaced at the thought of having to even face Thomas and Anne while feeling this way. Her stomach complained loudly at her not eating much for dinner last night and needing some nourishment this morning. She put on her comfy robe and went to find food.

Downstairs Thomas was cooking eggs, bacon, and toast. “Hey, how did last night go? We must have been really tired, because I never did hear you come back home.”

Wiping new tears from her eyes, Kathryn shrugged. “I think we had our first fight last night and I still don’t completely understand what went wrong.” She put her head in her hands and cried harder.

Taking the pan off the heat, Thomas moved over to comfort his sister. “Ah, the first fight. I’ll never forget ours. I kind of forget exactly what we were fighting about. It had something to do with me being late due to work and forgetting we had plans. But when she acted upset, I got defensive and we started fighting about me being a Mountie and how she could have a whole list of rich guys there in Union City. Oh yeah, it was a real doozy. But hey, it all worked out and making up is the very best part of fighting. You’ll work it out, I promise.”

“He was just so mad at me about interfering with Allie, and I’ve tried to keep it a student/teacher relationship,” she insisted through her sniffles. “But it’s not easy to keep it that way because of how I feel about him and how much I have started caring for her. She reminds me of myself at her age. I know what it’s like to not have a mother as you start your teen years.”

“I really need to get this breakfast dished up so I don’t start another fight with my very pregnant wife, but feel free to get some for yourself. I made plenty!” Thomas dished up three plates and took two of them upstairs on the tray with freshly squeezed orange juice and a vase with a small bouquet of freshly picked sunflowers from the yard. Anne truly made him a better man, and Kathryn was so grateful the two of them had found each other. She knew this disagreement with Nathan would pass, and they needed to learn how to talk through and overcome their differences. She grabbed a plate of food and a glass of orange juice and ate quickly before heading back to her room to get ready for the day.

Two houses down the row, Nathan woke up from the same recurring dream he had been dealing with for months. This past week, as he investigated a string of crimes near Brookfield with Gabe, the dreams started progressing further than they had before. Last night was the longest one yet. Jack spoke to him about regretting the choice to leave his wife of two weeks to lead the recruits. He woke up before he could apologize for being the reason a replacement was needed at Fort Clay. Sleep had been impossible the entire week, due to not being home in his own bed and the dream waking him up nearly every night. His fight with Kate came back to Nathan like a wall of bricks hitting him from behind. He groaned remembering how he snapped at her, and ruined any chance of walking her home in the moonlight. He was completely taken with her and kicked himself for not complimenting how striking she had been at the dance. He knew this was going to take his A-game to gain her forgiveness from his overreaction.

Rolling out of bed, Nathan felt physically and emotionally drained. It took everything inside of him the night before, to get ready and go to the end of the dance after such a long, hard day. He had made a promise to Allie, and he always did his best to keep his word, especially to her. Now that she was a teenager, she took every opportunity to sleep in so he tried to be quiet as he moved downstairs in his robe to find something to eat. Because he had been gone almost a week, the supplies were running low and all he had to eat at the moment was oatmeal. While starting to prepare it on the stove, Nathan thought about how to approach Kate and what he needed to say to her to make things right. When he saw her leave the dance with a hurt expression on her lovely face, he was immediately filled with regret for his handling of the situation.

I think this is going to take a little more than a simple apology, Nathan thought to himself while eating his oatmeal. His mind turned to the rose bushes he had planted out back when they first moved to town. He hoped one had some simple red roses, not quite fully bloomed and ready to be picked and given to the right person. That might be a good start, but still not enough to convince her how sorry he was or sufficient to help him beg for her forgiveness. He also hoped to make her understand the way he was feeling at the time since communication was key to a successful relationship.

After quickly cleaning up his breakfast dishes and knowing Allie would most likely be in bed a while longer, Nathan went upstairs to get dressed so he could go see Kate. He put on his light striped button-down shirt with gray pants and his trademark suspenders. It wasn’t fancy like he wore last night, but an outfit that made him feel like his true self. He combed his unruly hair so he would look presentable, then shaved and used a hint of his favorite aftershave to hopefully help his cause. He slipped downstairs quietly to not disturb Allie and slipped on his boots before going out the back door to the rose bushes. Nathan smiled when he saw three perfect red roses on one of the bushes, so he pulled out his pocket knife and carefully cut them with long stems then stripped the thorns off to keep himself and Kate from being poked. He then found some wild baby’s breath to accent the roses and went inside to find some thin paper to wrap around them. 

Kathryn dressed in a comfortable pink and white dress and put her hair up and out of the way so she could work on her projects without getting too hot or have the hair stick to her neck and get in her face. She hung up her gown from the night before and tidied up her room, then went downstairs to clean up the dishes for Thomas before turning back to sewing projects for the baby. When the dishes were done and she had just sat down in the comfy chair to start hand sewing, a familiar knock sounded at the door and Kathryn froze. She had no idea what to say to Nathan after the abrupt way their conversation ended at the dance. Feeling defensive, she sat down her sewing and approached the door a little annoyed. Her anger started melting away when she swung the door open and a very handsome Nathan Grant in attractive civilian clothes held three of the most gorgeous red roses she had ever seen.

Nathan nervously approached the Bradshaw’s house, hoping it wasn’t too early on a Saturday morning for a visit. When Kate opened the door she looked rightfully upset, but her expression softened when she saw him humbly standing there holding roses and wearing a sincerely apologetic expression on his face.

“Kate, I hope you can forgive me for my insufferable behavior last night,” he began, but was unable to keep going when she slipped comfortably into his arms and softly cried.

“Nathan, I never meant to hurt you or overstep with Allie,” she apologized. “I was just trying so hard to help her feel better when she was sad and I can’t help it but I feel a strong bond with her because she reminds me so much of myself at that age.”

“Shhhh,” he consoled. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I would like to explain my reaction and work it all out together, but I had an idea of where we could do that. How does a horse ride sound this morning?”

Kathryn pulled away from Nathan, clapped her hands together and let out a little squeal. “Really? I’ve been to visit Buddy quite a bit and hoped I would get to go for another ride soon. How about I put those gorgeous roses in water then I can grab my boots and we can be on our way.” She breathed in the aroma of the roses on her way to find a vase to put them in and proclaimed, “I have never seen such perfect red roses in my life!”

“Those are from the bushes I planted during our first year in Hope Valley,” he explained. “My mother always had rose bushes wherever we lived. She said we should always enjoy the roses of life even among the thorns.”

“What a wonderful sentiment,” Kathryn remarked. “Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman.”

“She is,” Nathan agreed, but not wanting to stir up more memories from his childhood at the moment he quickly changed the subject. “It’s a beautiful morning and I left Allie a note that I would be gone until lunchtime, so are you ready to get the horses and ride?”

“Of course! My boots are just right here by the back door, just let me put them on.” Kate took off her comfortable house shoes and slipped into her boots. 

Thomas walked downstairs with the tray of breakfast dishes and looked a little surprised to see his superior in his house. “Nathan, hey. I’m glad you made it home last night, although I heard you weren’t your pleasant, delightful self at the dance.” 

“Thomas!” Kathryn exclaimed, mortified. “This is certainly none of your business. Just so you know, I’m heading out for a while with Nathan. Let Anne know for me, please?” He nodded and Kathryn led Nathan out of the house in a hurry.

Outside, she profusely apologized for Thomas and Nathan just chuckled. “He’s not wrong. I’m usually more in control of my emotions. I sincerely apologize for being short-tempered and lashing out for my insecurities.” They arrived at the livery where Newton and Buddy seemed ready to get out for a ride. Nathan was always pleasantly surprised how much Newton liked Kathryn, since he wasn’t a fan of many people. Buddy got really jealous when people paid attention to other horses instead of him, and he and Kate absolutely adored each other.

“We’re finally getting that ride I promised you, Buddy.” Kathryn smoothed Buddy’s mane and scratched his neck while Nathan started working on saddling up Newton. She then gathered up supplies needed for Buddy and tried to refresh her memory on how to properly tack up a horse. As she was working on the tangled up bridle, Kathryn was concentrating so hard she didn’t notice Nathan come up behind her until he was standing right behind her. She felt his breath on her ear as he talked her through the problem, then when she successfully finished bridling Buddy, Kathryn couldn’t contain her excitement and threw herself into Nathan’s arms shouting “I did it!”

Nathan closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Kate, enjoying the nearness of her once again. He smiled at her excitement from getting the bridle on Buddy, and couldn’t get enough of her enthusiasm for everything in life. She brought so much joy to him and everyone around her, and the thought of not having her in his life terrified him. Nathan cleared his throat and moved away to get the saddle to finish preparing Buddy for the ride. “We better get going before it gets too hot,” he reasoned.

Kathryn held back a comment of the livery already being too hot from their embrace, but smiled to herself and agreed they should be on their way. Nathan and Newton led the way partially up the mountain to a quiet and peaceful little lake surrounded by trees, giving them plenty of shade to cool down from the very sunny ride. After dismounting, Nathan helped Kathryn off Buddy and his hands lingered on her waist as they both gazed into each other’s eyes. Still needing to talk things out about the quarrel at the dance, they separated and let the horses get a drink from the lake. 

Nathan took a blanket off the back of Newton and the canteen out of his saddle bag, then spread the blanket out in the shade for them to sit and talk while enjoying the view. Kate turned around as he motioned for her to come sit next to him. When she sat down, he handed her the canteen and she took a long drink of the cool, refreshing water. Nathan watched her drink, forever in awe of her sweetness and beauty. She handed the canteen back to him and he took a large swallow before setting it to the side and facing Kate, taking a deep breath and preparing himself for their first big conflict resolution conversation.

Kathryn felt nervous as Nathan turned toward her. She still didn’t quite understand what started the fight last night, but hoped he would open up to her and their relationship could move forward. She decided to ease into the conversation, by asking, “How was your week in Brookfield? I hope your investigation with Gabe was successful.” Kathryn grabbed his hand closest to her and noticed he still seemed tense, but he welcomed her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

“My week was frustrating and long, but we finally arrested one suspect. We think he was working with a few others, so I may be gone again this week to solve the rest of the case. I just knew I needed a break for the weekend to regroup and get some real sleep in my own bed.” Nathan hesitated to tell Kate one of the reasons he hadn’t been sleeping, but her smile of encouragement helped give him the courage to keep talking. “I haven’t told anyone this, but there is something that has been weighing on me and making me lose sleep.”

Kathryn felt a wave of concern, but took her free hand and ran it through his dark hair then let it rest on his face. “You can tell me anything, Nathan. I am here for you and want to know everything about you, good or bad. I want us to be open with one another, because communication is the only way a relationship can work.”

Nathan didn’t know what he did to deserve her, but he wanted to do everything in his power to keep Kate in his life. “I’ve been having a dream,” he began. “It’s the same dream, but this week it has continued further and when I wake up I rarely am able to go back to sleep. I guess it’s a way of my mind trying to work through my guilt and pain.”

“You don’t have to tell me, but I would like to know about the specifics of the dream. Maybe I could help?” Kathryn scooted closer and he put his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder as he began to tell her about the dream.

“In my dream I’m back at the prisoner transfer and the gunshot goes off. When I go to help the injured Mountie, it is the face of Jack Thornton.” Kate’s head shot up and she looked questioningly into Nathan’s eyes. “Yes,” he said. “Elizabeth’s late husband. The first few months I had this dream, that’s where I woke up. Then last week it continued and Jack told me of his regrets leaving Elizabeth just days into their marriage. I keep waking up before I can apologize for being the reason a replacement was needed in the first place and I get so frustrated.”

Kathryn could see the pain in Nathan’s eyes and wished she could take it all away. “Maybe this is your mind’s way of helping you learn to let go and realize this was not your fault. An unfortunate accident took Jack’s life away, and wishing it had been you doesn’t do anyone any good. Allie needs you, this community relies on you, and I…” she hesitated slightly. “I don’t want to live my life without you.” Kathryn hadn’t realized she was crying until she felt wet tears stream down her face.

Reaching out to dry her tears, Nathan felt all of the emotions he had been suppressing come to the surface. He pulled her head to his and his lips met hers with a passion and fire neither had experienced before. All of his regret and sorrow from his past turned into gratitude and desire for this magnificent woman who had taken his broken heart and was filling it back up in a way he never imagined possible. Kate’s response to the passionate kiss nearly made him lose control of his senses, but his mind finally took over and he slowly pulled away, leaving them both out of breath and flushed. “Kate,” he tried to vocalize. 

“Nate,” she responded, trying to regain her composure. “I am sorry if you feel my behavior with Allie was inappropriate. I have struggled to keep my distance, only because I have grown to care about her. Having been a young teenage girl without a mother, I am very sympathetic to what she is going through.”

“I know,” he answered. “Let me explain why I reacted the way I did. First of all, when you told me Allie was upset because she hated not sleeping in her own bed I felt like you were questioning my parenting abilities. That made me defensive, because all last year my parenting was questioned by certain people in town. Then, when you were talking about your relationship with Allie, it took me back to what happened with Elizabeth. It was probably irrational, but I was going off very little sleep for the week. That’s no excuse though, so please forgive me for lashing out and hurting you.”

Kathryn stood up to stretch her legs and Nathan stood with her, still holding her hand. She looked into his eyes as blue as the sky and sincerely said, “Of course I forgive you. I believe we can work through anything together.”

Realizing he had been holding his breath, Nathan let out a huge sigh of relief and gathered Kate into his arms for a tight embrace. “Thank you for always seeing the best in me, and know that your fondness for Allie truly warms my heart. I want the two of you to feel for each other the way I feel about both of you. I’m slowly letting my heart trust again, and I need to let Allie do the same.” 

Suddenly Kathryn felt like a weight was gone and she needed to release her burst of energy. “Let’s walk around the lake before we have to go back to town,” she suggested. They made sure the horses were secured in the shade and began the short trek along the shore. She challenged Nathan to a rock skipping contest and the two of them joked and laughed together until they heard the horses calling out to them in annoyance. 

“I guess we have to get back,” Nathan lamented. “I’m so glad we were able to be together this morning. I wish life could always be this enjoyable.” He grabbed Kate’s hand, kissed it, and they walked together back to the horses where they took another drink from the canteen, folded and secured the blanket back on Newton, and both mounted up for the ride back into Hope Valley.

When they arrived at the livery, Kathryn was more than happy to let Nathan assist her dismounting Buddy. “Thank you for everything today,” she murmured as he continued to hold her close. Nathan leaned down and his lips met hers in a very sweet and tender kiss. Looking into his eyes as he pulled back she whispered, “I love you.” His eyes grew wide and Kathryn’s did too as she realized what she had said. 

Before Nathan could even respond to Kate’s words, he heard someone rush into the livery out of breath. As he looked toward the entry, he noticed it was Allie who had just arrived. Attempting to calm down after his big moment with Kate just now, he finally asked, “What is it Allie? What’s wrong?”

“Dad, Miss Bradshaw, I’m glad you are back,” Allie admitted. “Mrs. Bradshaw thinks she’s in real labor and Constable Bradshaw told me to come find Dr. Carter.”

Kathryn looked stunned and immediately froze, a million thoughts running through her head. She looked at Nathan trying to gauge his response to what she had said to him, and also seeking direction on taking care of the crisis at hand.

Mountie training and instinct took over for Nathan as he firmly took charge of the situation. “Ok Allie, you and Miss Bradshaw go to the Infirmary and get Dr. Carter. I will take care of the horses and meet you at the Bradshaw’s house as soon as I can.” 

Allie immediately grabbed Kathryn’s hand and led her out of the livery and across the street to the Infirmary where Faith and Carson were going through charts and discussing his fellowship in Baltimore. Kathryn blurted out, “Faith, Anne needs you! She thinks she’s in labor.”

Faith grabbed her bag and requested that Carson stay behind in case anyone else had an emergency he could help with, then she led both Kathryn and Allie outside and they rushed to the row houses. Thomas was frantically pacing when they arrived, explaining that the labor pains had gotten more consistent and closer together in the past few hours. Allie had been walking by when he went outside and offered to go get Faith for him. She was on her way to check the livery and see if Nathan and Kathryn had made it back from their ride. Faith headed upstairs with Thomas to check on Anne.

Realizing how hungry and thirsty she was and assuming others were probably in the same boat, Kathryn decided to make lunch. She first poured glasses of water, handed one to Allie then downed an entire glass herself. “Would you like to help me make sandwiches for everyone?”

“That would be great,” Allie confessed. “My Dad left for a week and still hasn’t been to the store to replenish the food in our house. I had to have oatmeal for breakfast, which is not my favorite, because it was all the food left. I was walking to the Mercantile when I ran into Constable Bradshaw and he looked pretty freaked out. I hope Mrs. Bradshaw and the baby are going to be ok.”

“Me too, Allie. You seem to stay calm in emergencies,” Kathryn noticed. “Thomas is usually good in a crisis unless it involves his wife and child.”

“It’s all the Mountie training,” Allie guessed. “I’ve been around it most of my life, so I’m pretty used to it. But enough about that, let’s talk about you and my Dad. It seems like you worked things out.” Allie winked and gave Kathryn a knowing smile.

Feeling heat rise to her neck and face, Kathryn wasn’t sure what to say to Nathan’s daughter on the subject. “Yes, we did,” she finally replied. Working in silence and lost in their own thoughts, the two of them made sandwiches and cut vegetables. They even squeezed lemons for fresh lemonade. As they were finishing up, Faith came downstairs with Thomas.

“How is she?” Kathryn inquired, looking worried.

“I do think we’ll have a baby sometime this weekend,” Faith declared. “She’s still in the early stages. I have some appointments I need to get back for, but please come get me if you need anything. I have given both Anne and Thomas a few pointers on what to expect and how to help her through the pain.”

“Thank you Dr. Carter,” Thomas said gratefully. “We’ll keep you informed.” Faith opened the door and was surprised to almost run right into Nathan who was just getting back from taking care of the horses after the morning ride with Kate. 

“Faith,” Nathan acknowledged, as she waved to everyone and headed back toward town. “How is Anne?” he asked Thomas, shaking his hand. “Things must be ok if the doctor is leaving.”

“She thinks that baby will be here either tonight or tomorrow, but I know she’s worried that the baby is a little early.” Thomas resisted the urge to pace again, instead turning his attention to the food on the table.

“We made lunch for everyone,” Kathryn announced. “Do you think Anne is up to eating or just needing something to drink?”

“Thank you, Katie. I’ll take food and drinks up and see how she feels.” Thomas put two plates and glasses of lemonade on a tray and went back upstairs.

“I bet Allie is grateful you actually had food to eat,” Nathan teased. “I need to run to the Mercantile this afternoon. Thank you for lunch, I’m starving.” 

Kathryn, Allie, and Nathan sat down at the table with plates of food and glasses of lemonade. They held hands and said a prayer over the food, also asking for God to protect Anne and the baby, then enjoyed their first meal with just the three of them. Nathan looked around the table at the two beautiful women who both had his heart, and a deep feeling of gratitude enveloped him. He surely was the most blessed man in all of Hope Valley.