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Hallmark Channel's "When Calls the Heart" television series is based on the novels by Janette Oke. I'd like to thank Hallmark for being a light in the world with its quality programming!

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Please keep in mind that this story was written during the show's 2019 hiatus, before viewers had a chance to meet Mountie Nathan Grant. "When Calls the Heart" has since resumed, and it is now establishing Nathan's official history. Even so, I hope you enjoy my version as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for reading!

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The Hallmark Channel's 'When Calls the Heart'

Elizabeth Thornton and Mountie Nathan Grant

By Annette Zoaps

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'The Newcomer'

Chapter 1

Elizabeth rounded the corner and almost stopped.

There he is.

His jacket of blazing red was impossible to miss, and it took everything within her to steady her course, put her head down and keep walking.

She snuggled her son close to her chin, but the little one would have none of it. One saving grace, Jack Junior's animated expressions gave her a good excuse to walk past the Mountie and pretend she was so preoccupied she didn't see him.

But the baby had no reason to pretend.

"Ah! Ah!" he called, holding out his hand toward the tall man surveying the Hope Valley business district from the wood-plank sidewalk.

"Good day, ma'am," said Mountie Nathan Grant, nodding his head and touching the brim of his hat.

"Good day, constable," she replied. Her gaze never reached his eyes, stopping at the top button of his jacket and rising no farther.

"Ahhhh!"

When did little Jack become such a persistent fellow?

She set her mouth in a grim line and made a slow detour toward the walkway, but stayed in the street.

"Do you want to say hello to the nice man?" she asked her son, still not looking at the constable, whom she'd officially met the day before. She hadn't looked him in the eye then, either.

"Nathan Grant," he prompted, as though she'd forgotten. "Always a pleasure, Mrs. Thornton."

"I remember." She sighed. "And this is my son, of course. Jack Thornton Jr."

She guided the child's outstretched hand to wave at the officer.

"A pleasure to meet you, young man." Nathan tipped his hat, and the child giggled, reaching out even farther in the direction of the cap. "I think he wants it. May I?"

She had no idea what he was asking permission to do, but she nodded, secretly hoping that whatever he did, Jack wouldn't like it so she might have a good reason for avoiding him in the future.

Off came the hat, and before she knew it, Nathan was holding it carefully over the child's head. He lowered the brim and then raised it quickly with a cheery, "Peek-a-boo!"

Jack loved it, laughing with all the strength a five-month-old could muster. After a few repetitions, Elizabeth couldn't help but join in the laughter.

Over and over, as though each peek-a-boo was the first, Jack responded with glee, never tiring of the game.

"Best part of my day," Nathan confessed with a broad smile.

Elizabeth's gaze finally rose above Nathan's neck, taking in the face of the man who found joy in her son.

"You seem at ease with children," she said.

An expression passed over his face, but it left as quickly as it had appeared.

"I have a niece."

His eyes clearly signaled something more, and she waited for him to continue, but he just smiled awkwardly.

"Mrs. Thornton! Mrs. Thornton!" Opal came barreling out the mercantile door and ran right into Mountie Grant's midsection, as though he was an errant porch post that had suddenly jumped in her way.

He caught her arm to keep her on her feet, grimacing at the impact.

Elizabeth noted with annoyance that he didn't seem particularly keen to meet the little girl who was arguably the favorite of her class.

Not very uncle-like, she thought.

"Are you our new Mountie?" In awe, Opal leaned back — way back — to take in the constable's impressive height.

"Yes, miss. I am." He placed his hat on his head and stood slightly off-kilter.

He doesn't have a very officer-like bearing, either.

"Excuse me, ma'am, miss. I have an appointment." He dipped his head and abruptly walked away.

"Opal, are you all right? You seem excited."

"I wanted to tell you we have a new Mountie — but you already know." Her eyes followed the man in the official red coat. "He's very handsome. Will you marry him now?"

"Opal! What are you thinking?"

"But he's a Mountie."

"Darling Opal. I will not be marrying anyone." And certainly not him, she finished to herself.

"Ever?" Opal's eyes pleaded.

"It's never wise to say 'never.' But I can assure you that the only man in my life is little Jack. Now, where are you off to?"

"The girls are playing jump-rope behind the livery," Opal said.

"Don't be late, then. Enjoy yourself," Elizabeth said with a smile, as the child ran off to play with her friends. Alone with her son, she said, "Are you ready to meet Rosemary for lunch, sweetheart?"

Jack Jr. grinned at the mention of Rosemary's name, as his mother made her way to Lee Coulter's office and entered.

"There's my little man!" Rosemary greeted, stealing young Jack from his mother's arms.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at being dismissed.

"And his dear mother, of course," Rosemary finally added, kissing the child's cheek.

"Lovely to see you, too, Rosemary. Are you ready to go to the café for lunch? I was thinking we might ask Faith to come with us, if she's not busy."

"I'm afraid she had to go to the sawmill and check about an accident with one of Lee's men. Lee said it wasn't serious, so she may be back in the clinic by now."

Elizabeth noticed that Rosemary made no move to relinquish her son or to pick up the phone and call the infirmary.

"Shall I pop in and check?"

"Would you, please? Young Mr. Thornton and I need a moment to get reacquainted."

"You know little Jack hasn't forgotten you."

"Because I'm unforgettable. Isn't — that — right!" She bounced him to the cadence of the last three words, eliciting a giggle in response.

"I'll just be a moment. Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"Right as rain!"

As Elizabeth closed the office door behind her, she thought she heard Rosemary telling her son that she loved him bunches and bunches — even more than she'd once loved his father.

She smiled at the thought of her one-time rival becoming one of her closest friends.

When she entered the clinic, she heard voices from behind a screen set up to guard the privacy of patients who were being examined.

"A little girl did this?" asked Dr. Carson Shepherd.

"She ran into me by accident. How bad is it?"

Elizabeth immediately recognized the voice of the new constable.

"Hello?" she called out to announce her presence. "It's Elizabeth. Is Faith here?"

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, she's at the sawmill," the doctor said from behind the screen. "But don't go yet."

"All right."

"Would you hand me that tray of instruments on the side table, please? Don't touch them, just lift the tray by its sides and pass it around the screen."

"Of course."

She did as he asked, and waited in case there were further instructions. Though sorely tempted, she forced herself not to peek around the barrier. But she had looked at the items on the tray and saw that it contained everything needed to suture a wound.

"Your stitches have pulled open," Carson conferred with his patient. "Not all of them, but enough that I need to close it up again. How long ago did you say the original injury happened?"

The Mountie sighed. "It's only been four days. Right before I came to Hope Valley."

"It doesn't appear to be infected, so that's good."

Nathan gasped suddenly, and Elizabeth shuddered. She'd witnessed how aggressively the doctor cleaned the injuries that came before him.

"Are you sure this damage was caused by a child?" Carson asked again.

"I could have defended myself against any of the hooligans in the saloon. I wasn't prepared for a run-in with a little girl."

There was a levity in his voice that made Elizabeth smile.

"The wound is shallow," Carson said. "I'll stitch it up again, but I need a hand here. Do you mind if Elizabeth steps in? I assure you, she's not squeamish."

"All right," the Mountie answered after a long pause.

"Elizabeth …" Carson began.

"I'll wash up and be right in," she said, springing to Carson's aid.

When she rounded the screen, she was astonished to see a bloodied undershirt lying on the examination table next to the patient, whose abdomen bore a laceration about four inches in length.

"Opal did this?" she asked.

"Please don't tell her," he said. "It was an accident. She had no idea I came to town, um, not feeling my best."

"I won't say a word. Opal's young enough to believe that Mounties can bear anything. Almost anything," she finished in a whisper.

His eyes held hers, and for the first time since meeting him she wondered if he was a firsthand witness to how she'd been widowed.

"Elizabeth." Carson extended the tray to her, as though repeating a request she'd ignored.

She took the tray and anticipated his next order.

"Take the gauze, place a strip on either side of the wound, and press the edges of the skin together while I suture them. Do you need a shot of brandy, constable?"

"I'm fine. Please be quick."

Witnessing three stitches skillfully sewn in and two more to go, Elizabeth marveled at the patient's composure. Only the pallor of his skin and a sheen of perspiration betrayed his distress.

"You're very brave," she soothed. "Little Miss Opal would be quite proud of our new Mountie."

"Just don't tell her she could get the better of me in a fight." He closed his eyes tightly as the last stitch was tied off.

"I'll never tell a soul," she assured with a smile.

Carson inspected his work. The surface bleeding had abated, so he gave the scar a final cleaning and applied several layers of gauze and medical tape.

Nathan gritted his teeth as the doctor finished. He relaxed after the ordeal and then frowned when he looked at his stained undershirt.

"I'll take it," Elizabeth offered.

"I couldn't ask you to wash my shirt."

"I won't. I'll take it to the laundry lady for you. I'm sure you contracted for her services after you unpacked."

"I tried, but she said she's unable to take on new clients."

"I'm sure I can change her mind. She does excellent work, and she may be the only person in town who can make your shirt as good as new. I consider her quite the Godsend — especially with Little Jack's diapers," she finished softly, then opened her eyes wide. "Little Jack! I left him with Rosemary! She'll have a conniption if he soils his diaper while I'm gone."

"Thank you for your help, Elizabeth," the doctor said. "Good timing, too, as I hear Lee's wagon pulling up. That can only mean the little accident turned out to be more serious than he thought."

Elizabeth peeked out the window. "You're right. I can't tell from here who Faith and Lee are bringing in, but it looks like they splinted the man's ankle."

"Thank you, doctor. I'll be leaving now," Nathan stood and carefully pulled his jacket over his bare shoulders. "May I go out by the back door?"

"Of course," Carson said. "Come in tomorrow. Don't forget your shirt here."

"I've got it." Elizabeth folded the undergarment around the stain and tucked it deeply into a cloth bag that held her son's extra diapers.

"Thank you," Nathan said to Elizabeth. "Promise you'll give it back if she turns you down."

"Trust me, she won't. And a word of advice? Please try to avoid any more rampaging children."

He smiled. "I'll do my best."

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See Chapter 2

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Thank you to all who have offered enthusiastic reviews of my story!

My heart goes out to those who prefer to read stories about Elizabeth and Jack.

I know that his loss will forever be felt.

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If you enjoyed this story, please consider posting a review. And also check out my fan fiction about "Chesapeake Shores."

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