"When I become a Mountie in a few years, Robert said with pride, I am going to have a horse just like you, Sergeant."
"First you have to learn how to ride." Allie teased.
"I can ride." Robert retorted.
"Really?" Allie replied, her eyebrows raised upward.
"Well…I've never actually ridden before, but how hard can it be? I mean, I can ride a bicycle."
"I don't think riding a horse and riding a bike are the same thing." She said matter a factly.
"It can't be that different."
"What are you doing?" Allie asked with uncertainty in her voice. "Robert?"
"It's okay, boy. Robert assured the horse. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Robert, I don't think that this is a good idea. Mrs. Thornton will be back any minute."
"I'm just going to sit on him, Mrs. Thornton won't mind."
Robert reached up and gripped the saddle horn tightly. Then placing his right foot into the stirrup, he flung himself on top of Sergeant's back. "What did I tell you, he said confidently, this isn't so hard."
"Robert, get down." Allie scolded. "If Mrs. Thornton sees you up there, you are going to be in big trouble."
"You worry too much."
"Oh yeah, Allie said confidently, well, since she's heading this way I guess we'll find out."
"What?" Robert explained nervously.
Robert tried as fast as he could to dismount, but his foot seemed to be caught in Sergeant's stirrup.
"Hurry, I can see her coming out of the mercantile!"
"I can't, my boot is caught in the stirrup!"
As Robert nervously tried to remove his foot from its entanglement, he accidentally kicked Sergeant's side with great force, causing the horse to abruptly bolt down the gravel roads of Hope Valley.
"Robert!" Allie yelled.
"Mrs. Coulter, Mrs. Coulter!" Opal and Allie screamed as they ran toward Rosemary. "Robert, he's out of control!"
"Oh my goodness." She exclaimed, in typical Rosemary fashion.
Rosemary ran quickly after the runaway horse before pausing in the middle of the street when she noticed Elizabeth coming down the mercantile steps. "Elizabeth, Rosemary called out, it's Robert…I couldn't stop him."
Elizabeth's eyes widened, before noticing Nathan's horse, Newton, tied to the railing. Without hesitation, she hurried down the remaining few steps and mounted upon the bay-colored horse. She leaned forward and held tightly to the reins as Newton galloped swiftly along the dusty frontier trails.
"Robert, pull back on the reins!" Elizabeth yelled as she continued to chase after Robert who seemed to be barely hanging on.
"This isn't good," Allie said, turning toward Opal. "My Uncle will know what to do, Allie gasped, come on let's go." She said, grabbing Opal's hand in the process
Allie and Opal hurried across the streets of Hope Valley and up the stairs into the mercantile. "Uncle Nathan, Allie called, Uncle Nathan?"
Allie and Opal walked briskly throughout what seemed like the entire store before finally locating Nathan in the back room talking to Mr. Yost.
"Uncle Nathan!" Allie said, slightly out of breath.
"Allie, Opal, what's the matter, what's going on?" Nathan asked with concern
Allie paused momentarily to catch her breath before beginning to explain the situation to her uncle. "Robert-he wanted to prove to us that he could ride a horse, so…so he sort of climbed onto Mrs. Thornton's. He just wanted to sit in the saddle, but when he tried to get back down his boot got tangled in the stirrup. Robert must have kicked Sergeant because he suddenly started bolting down the main street."
"And Mrs. Thornton went after him on your horse, Mountie Nathan." Opal blurted out.
"Oh my!" Florence remarked from round the corner.
"Which way were they headed?" Nathan asked pointedly.
"Out of town, past the cafe."
Nathan nodded. "You girls stay here I'll be right back."
"Yes sir." Allie and Opal replied, simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth firmly nudged her boots into Newton's side causing him to gain great momentum. Nearing Robert, Elizabeth reached out and grabbed Sergeant's reins, slowing him down.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Thornton, I just wanted to sit in the saddle."
"We will discuss this we get back to town." She replied firmly. Elizabeth knew how sorry he was, but she couldn't help but be furious. If something were to have happened, if Robert were to have gotten hurt-Elizabeth sighed deeply as she led Robert back to town. She needed to calm herself down before she said something she would later regret.
Nathan hurried out the door, and down the steps of the mercantile, all the while eyeing the surroundings for a horse to use. However, as it were, none were in sight.
Without a moment to lose, Nathan immediately headed toward the livery stable. "John, he called out from a distance, do you have I spare horse I can borrow?"
"Sure, but don't you have a…"
"It's urgent, John."
"Oh sure, sure. Right, this way."
John led Nathan to the stall near the back of the stable where behind the rusty iron bars, stood a tall, muscular Arabian mare.
"He's one of our finest."
"Thank you, I won't be too long."
"No hurry. Oh, by the way, John said as he turned back toward Nathan, the spare saddles are kept over there." Pointing toward the rack in the back corner of the livery.
"Thanks again," Nathan said with a nod.
Not wasting any time, Nathan fetched the only remaining saddle off the rack, then after unlatching the stall door, proceeded to tack up the horse. After placing a quilted blanket in the center of the horse's back, Nathan flung the worn, leather saddle on top. He then pulled tightly on the cinch strap several times before beginning to tie the knot. He looped the strap through the saddle ring, but before he could continue he was interrupted by the sounds of tremendous applause and cheers. Nathan walked out from the hay-covered floor of the livery onto the gravel streets of Hope Valley, where he immediately noticed the townspeople clapping and cheering for his Lizabeth as she confidently rode into town upon his trusty steed, Newton.
Nathan couldn't help but beam with pride, for though his relationship with Elizabeth was somewhat confusing and still very complicated, his feelings for her were certain. He knew how he felt whenever he thought of her, how hard his heart pounded whenever their eyes met…he was falling in love with this girl, and he was falling hard.
Elizabeth dismounted off of Newton, and Robert off of Sergeant. When the young man's feet hit the ground, he let out a deep sigh. For the last few minutes, he had been operating on utter panic. He knew what he did was wrong, and he knew there would be some form of punishment but right now none of that seem to matter. He made it back without getting hurt, but more importantly without hurting anyone else with his recklessness.
"I am so sorry, Mrs. Thornton." Robert pled as he tied Sergeant's reins to the railing. I didn't mean for this to happen."
"I know that you didn't, Robert, but what you did was irresponsible. You could have gotten hurt, or…or hurt someone else." She said firmly.
"I promise, he said sincerely, I will never do anything like that again."
"I believe you, but a person's actions can have serious consequences."
"Yes, Mamm."
"Robert, Allie yelled as she ran toward him, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He replied as his head looked downward in humiliation.
"Robert, Elizabeth directed, I think we need to discuss your punishment."
"I understand, I know what I did was wrong and I am ready to accept the consequences of my actions."
"You know, Nathan said as he approached Robert, Elizabeth, and Allie, I think John Haynes over at the livery could use some help with stacking hay bales and mucking out stalls."
Robert nodded. "Yes sir, I will head over there right now."
"Allie." Nathan said with that parental look on his face.
"Yes sir?"
Nathan's eyes narrowed further, a look Allie seemed to know all too well.
"I think I will go see if Mr. Haynes could use my help too." She responded reluctantly, and with a sigh. "See you later Mrs. Thornton."
"Bye, Allie." She responded with a wave
As Allie slowly followed after Robert, Nathan stepped closer to Elizabeth, a mischievous smile prominently displayed across his face. "Stealing a Mountie's horse now, Elizabeth."
"Not stealing, she smirked, more like…borrowing."
"Oh, I see. Well, you handled yourself well. You're quite the horsewoman." Nathan's eyes continuing to beam with the utmost delight.
"Thank you, she politely replied-her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink, though I haven't always been comfortable with horses. In fact, I didn't know how to ride until I came to Hope Valley." She laughed, remembering the time when she couldn't even mount a horse much less properly ride one.
"But you enjoy it, riding I mean."
"Yes, she smiled, very much so."
"Perhaps…Nathan paused…perhaps we could go riding together sometime."
Elizabeth didn't respond. She wanted to, but something deep inside would let her. Instead, she simply nodded and smiled
"Well, Nathan spoke as he cleared his throat, I better finish getting the rest of my supplies."
"Have a good trip." She managed to say.
"Thank you, I will." He stated in a confident manner.
As Nathan walked back into the mercantile, Elizabeth exhaled a long, deep breath. She knew that deep within her heart, what she felt for Nathan was real. His charming and affectionate smile, his deep blue eyes, his selflessness, and his integrity. Nathan was a man of character, he was a man of compassion, and Elizabeth's heart couldn't help but flutter at the mere thought of him. "Yet, Elizabeth thought to herself, what if you were to lose him just like you lost…no, I can't think like that, not here."
Elizabeth untied Sergeant and led him by the bridle toward the stables. She knew that she needed time to think things through, and she knew she needed serenity to do so. A while back, Elizabeth had found this quiet and peaceful meadow overlooking a pond. There was a fallen log to sit upon, and the sweet sound of birds singing amid the shading pines made it the ideal place for thinking through one's feelings.
Elizabeth decided that she would ride out to the pond tomorrow, and since tomorrow was a Saturday, she could spend the entire afternoon there if need be. "Tomorrow, she softly whispered into Sergeant's ear, tomorrow you and I are going to one of our favorite places."
Authors Note:
Thank you for reading this one-shot Elizabeth and Nathan fan-fiction. This is my first time writing for public view, so please do not feel shy to write what you liked and what you didn't like. I am more than open to suggestions and critiques. Thanks once again. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Credits:
The line "Stealing a Mountie's horse now, Elizabeth" is credited to a friend of mine who will remain anonymous.