Constable Nathan Grant's mind was a jumble as he set out after Dr. Faith Carter. What was it about this strong minded woman that he was inexplicably drawn to? Of course she wouldn't have listened to any of the residents of Hope Valley about their being robbers in the area. If she had patients and rounds to do, nothing was going to stand in her way. Which was admirable. And also frustrating as hell. Would it have been so hard for her to tell Nathan that she was going out? He always went out on rounds; he could have easily gone with Faith. It would have given them time to talk. Goodness knows they needed it.

Nathan shook his head, refusing at the present moment to focus on the tension between them. There would be plenty of time for that. He needed to find Faith and make sure she was okay. Nathan hoped he wouldn't need backup. He hadn't exactly asked for it and Bill would be busy with Gowen's tribunal anyway. It was up to him to keep "the town" safe. All of its members. Including one beautiful blonde who fascinated him.

Nathan paused as he looked up ahead. Sure enough, there was Faith's wagon stopped in the middle of the road. A man was prowling around in the wagon bed. Knowing Faith, Nathan knew that she wouldn't have much back there. Just medicine and essentials for her patients. There probably wasn't even food for herself to eat later. Nathan smiled, remembering a chance encounter of another day of rounds and Nathan sharing his sandwich with her. She had protested but in the end, her hunger had worn out. Nathan had saved the day and they had spent a splendid afternoon in each other's company.

"Whose going to put me in jail" Nathan heard those words as he crept up on Faith and the robber.

"That would be me," Nathan remarked. "Hands above your head."

Everything happened so quickly. Faith decided to start up the wagon, causing the robber to fall off the side. He rolled to the ground and was immediately on his horse getting away. Faith, meanwhile, decided to stand up, her foot caught, and she was going to fall.

Only Nathan caught her in his arms. He looked into her gorgeous blue eyes and held them. Just for a moment before she started to speak.

"I was fine." Faith protested as she wiggled to remove herself from Nathan's arms. "I didn't need you to rescue me. He was just a kid."

"I'll take that as a thank you." Nathan ran his fingers through his brown hair. This woman was exasperating.

"You don't need to accompany me any more," Faith said as she prepared to head off in her wagon.

In that moment, a loud boom of thunder cut through what was the deafening silence. The skies also decided to make their presence known and unleashed a torrent of rain. Nathan glanced around quickly. He spotted the cabin in the distance, the cabin where Allie's class had taken shelter from a storm.

"Neither of us are going anywhere on rounds right now," Nathan spoke up louder, knowing that Faith would hear the urgency in his tone. While she was strong-willed she was not stupid. A thunderstorm was not to be fooled with. He pointed towards the cabin. "We can shelter in there until the storm is over." Nathan made a motion to grab Faith's hand to help her down from the wagon; she pushed it aside and jumped down, her frustration evident with the whole scenario before them.

The two of them ran through the rain and into the cabin. It was dry at least. And there was wood to make a fire and dry out. Nathan glanced out the window. The rain was coming down hard and fast.

"Perhaps you should go back to Hope Valley," Faith said, "and I'll stay here and wait out the storm." Faith rubbed her hands together to dry them out.

"Why are you so insistent on us not being in the same room?" Nathan said, trying and failing to keep the exasperation out of his voice. He noticed that Faith did not answer back. He also noticed that she was shivering. Nathan looked around the cabin, hoping to find something to offer Faith. She could ignore him all she wanted but he wasn't going to do the same. It was time to get to the bottom of this...tension...between them.

Nathan saw a chest in the corner and upon opening it, found a blanket. He held it out to Faith. "You should try to get warm. I'm no doctor but you could get sick." Nathan winked for good measure, watching as it completely exasperated Faith. Because he knew he was right and she could not deny that. Nathan pointed towards a back room. "I'll get a fire going in here and you can change back there."

Faith huffed and took the blanket from Nathan. He smiled as he watched her turn away. The rain did not appear to be letting up anytime soon. It looked like they would get a chance to talk.

Faith wrapped herself in the blanket Nathan had given her. Her blouse and skirt had been soaked clear through. Nathan had been right in telling her to get warm. It wouldn't do for her to get sick. And to get sick in a pretty stupid fashion.

She was putting herself in a scandalous position she knew. Alone, in a state of undress. Alone, a single woman with a single man. Oh what Florence and Molly would say! Oh how Mei and Fiona would tease! Still, she was modest enough. She had on undergarments; the blanket covered her body. So Nathan would see her feet and some her legs. Big deal. She wasn't about to admit it to him but she had been cold. And now her body clamored for the fire.

Faith opened the door and felt instant warmth. It was only just a little bit from the roaring flames of the fire. Nathan stood with his back to her, airing out his Mountie jacket against the flames. His henley was rolled up; his arms were bare. Faith couldn't help but notice his bulging muscles and swallowed. That familiar butterflies in her belly feeling came once again. Her attraction to Nathan was hard to deny.

Nathan must have sensed her presence. He turned around and Faith watched all sorts of emotions pass across his face. Attraction and desire as he took in her image. Relief that they both were okay and, if Faith were being honest, relief that she had listened to him about the storm, the cabin, the blanket.

"Thank you," Faith said as she approached the fire. "I feel much better." She extended one hand that held her wet clothes. "I need to get these dry."

Ever the gentleman, Nathan stepped aside so we would have access to the fire. Faith remained quiet as she laid out her blouse and skirt. She continued to remain quiet as she approached the window. It was still raining and raining hard.

"Faith." Nathan's low voice cut through the quiet. "We need to talk."

"What do we need to talk about?" Faith had a feeling she knew what Nathan wanted to talk about but she wanted him to say the words.

"Can we talk about why you ended things?" Nathan took a step forward in her direction.

"There was nothing to end." Faith responded, willing that her voice sounded far more confident than she felt.

"What do you mean there was nothing to end?" Nathan took another step closer. "Our conversations, our time together..."

"Was that of friends." Faith knew her argument was not holding up.

Nathan took another step closer. "Faith, was it really just friendship? Two people forming a bond and talking over pain and loss. Two people finding joy in each other's company. Two people who cannot stop finding each other in a crowded room? That's just friendship to you?"

Faith swallowed hard. As Nathan got closer, her resolve, her ethics were fading fast. His eyes, his smile, his emotion and heart-all of it was laid bare before her. It did not hurt that he looked so handsome and gorgeous on top of it.

"Nathan, you are a patient!" Faith wanted to gesture with her arms but the blanket made that impossible. "I cannot be involved with a patient. I had to stop before..."

"Before what." Nathan was inches from Faith now, his arms on either side of her. His hands pressed against the cabin walls made his muscles flex.

"Nothing," Faith stammered.

Nathan looked deep into her eyes and tucked a piece of her hair behind her hair. "Faith, I feel it too."

Faith felt her face instantly blush. "What are you talking about?"

Nathan encouraged her to look him in the eyes. "After Elizabeth, I was bruised. I was hurt. I had spent years investing in a relationship and got nothing in return. You had the same thing happen with Carson. But Faith, you made it easier to heal. You not only helped heal my shoulder. You have helped heal my heart. If being your patient is the only thing preventing you from exploring us, I have been seeing a doctor in Benson Hills."

"Are you telling me..." Faith swallowed. She had been hurt before. Putting herself out there again terrified her. But Nathan was clearly not going to let her hide behind patient/doctor relations.

"Let me show you," Nathan spoke huskily. He cupped Faith's face in his hands and slowly brought his lips to hers. He drew back and smiled. "I am falling in love with you, Faith. Can't you not see that?" Nathan moved to kiss her once more, this time with more ferocity and passion. Faith felt the kiss down to her toes.

Faith leaned into Nathan's body and moved her arms to go around his shoulders. The blanket had fallen away and she did not care. This time, she allowed herself to kiss Nathan with the passion she had been feeling. The attraction she had felt for so many months. The moving past friendship she had longed to do. She found herself exploring Nathan's mouth with her tongue and he hers. She felt his body hardened as their kiss deepened. Faith knew that there was still a lot to figure out. There was still a lot of growing and exploring to do. But one thing was for sure. The Mountie was hers if she wanted him.

And she did.