Lucy packed her bags. She found herself listing students' appointment in her mind as she folded her shirts. Sighing over the state of research papers submitted so far she placed her clothes into the duffel bag. Wyatt's gear was tucked in already, his clothing folded crisply with military precision. She frowned and sighed heavily, wondering if they could afford to take this time off. She had finals coming up and he had a major training assignment starting in the week following. This is such a bad idea, she thought.
Wyatt sliding his arms around her from behind, making her jump. "You're thinking so loudly I could hear it from the bathroom."
Surprised and irritated, Lucy said sharply, "You know, you're not in the field much any more, you don't have to keep up on your stealth tactics."
"I called you, you weren't answering. Lucy honey, all we need for our weekend is clothes and us. No thoughts of work or other troubles allowed."
With her husband's arms around her and his promises of relaxation in her ears, Lucy tried to let go of her worries.
Wyatt felt her relax in his embrace. That was a good start. He dropped a kiss where her neck met her shoulder. "It's been so long since we had a moment to ourselves, we deserve that weekend. I want you all to myself with no interruptions."
She smiled up at him. "Does that mean we leave our phones at home?"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far. I mean, we'll need them to find this place. I've been out to Bam Bam's cabin a few times but it is really out there."
"Should I be on the lookout for bears?"
"Yup, but don't worry. Those bears won't know what hit 'em."
She looked aghast. "Wyatt—you wouldn't hurt a bear?"
He grinned at her, tensing for the retaliation he expected for his coming sass. "Oh, you thought I meant me? No, I just mean that when you hit them with a history lesson about..."
He looked at her inquiringly, and she rolled her eyes but said "Teddy Roosevelt. And Gifford Pinchot. Teddy famously refused to shoot an old, ill bear when hunting. Teddy bears were named in his honor and the concept took off like wildfire. But Teddy Roosevelt and his friend and advisor Gifford Pinchot were among the group who began the environmental movement in the US."
Lucy stopped. Wyatt was grinning obnoxiously. "What?" She said.
"Oh, nothing," was the response.
They drove out on a Thursday afternoon. The roads were jammed with cars as usual on an afternoon in the San Diego area. They headed away from the beach, inland to the mountains. Wyatt had to check himself to make sure he didn't drive over to Pendleton on automatic pilot. Their small bungalo was a 10 minute drive from the base. Lucy and he could walk to the beach, and before their life had seemed to crank into high gear in the past year or so, they had done so often. Lucy seemed to work longer hours than she had before, and when he tried to schedule activities in their free time, she was often too tired. He was worried, but when he asked her if something was wrong she smiled and denied it.
In the backseat of the car, Halia floofed around. Their tiny fluffy puppy was now turning into massive fuzzy giant which they both doted on. She could not settle down, but whined and barked at passing cars. Lucy petted her and tried to calm her down, but she thought Halia could tell that she wasn't going on this trip. Her sad puppy eyes tugged at Lucy's heart.
"It's okay..Halia, we'll be at Auntie Amy's soon." Lucy tried to calm the dog down and ease her own nerves about the trip.
Wyatt ducked narrowly avoiding a swinging tail, "Lucy, why didn't you put her in the crate?"
"She's almost a year and a half old now. She's grown out of the one we have."
Lucy kept her arm around the large dog's neck. Halia leaned against her, her noises receding into a dull whimper. Then, Halia started licking Lucy all over the face with her enormous pink tongue.
Lucy had texted her sister, so Amy met them at the driveway when they arrived with Halia. The big dog jumped all over Wyatt when he let her out. He quickly snapped on her lead. "Whoa there girl. We'll be back in just a few days."
Halia wined slightly and looked over at Lucy with her sad puppy eyes again. Lucy felt torn.
"Wyatt, she would like being out on the mountain, wouldn't she?"
He gave Lucy what she called "the Look." He raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes at Lucy as if she had just told him they had to help Flynn, or had stopped him from killing a Rittenhouse goon who was too important to history to die. He said, "And I bet she would spend the whole weekend chasing after squirrels. With our luck she would bite a porcupine or something. The whole point of this trip is for us to relax. You don't mind, do you Amy?" He looked at her pleadingly.
Amy nodded, taking Halia's lead from Wyatt. "Of course not. We'll be fine fluffball and me. You guys go get some quality time." She pulled some dog biscuits from her pocket which got Halia's attention. "I'll take so good care of her she won't remember you left. Go and enjoy your vacation!"
The drive was long. They stopped for dinner at greasy truck stop. One inebriated driver started chatting up Lucy while she walked across the parking lot as Wyatt parked the car.
"You're looking good today, sweet thing."
Lucy was so taken by surprise at the comment she didn't react at first. As she formulated a cutting comment, Wyatt strode up to them. He sized up the situation, taking in the way the drunk trucker leaned in towards Lucy and the tense way Lucy held her body.
Wyatt leveled a thunderous state at the trucker. The older man cleared Wyatt by several inches, but he fell back when he saw the look in Wyatt's eyes.
Wyatt stepped next to Lucy and just said, "Everything okay, honey?" He noticed clearly the relief on her face at his arrival.
"Everything is fine..." she said. Lucy managed a small smile but it didn't reach her eyes and he heard the words she didn't say hanging in the air between them. " Now that you're here...
She could defend herself as he had taught her but she was with a light weight, her strength might not be enough. The trucker backed away, trying to avoid Wyatt's attention. Wyatt put his arm around his wife and they went inside together.
"So much for leaving worries at home," muttered Wyatt.
They took turns driving. They night had closed in and midnight was gaining on them by the time they reached the last winding dirt road that led to the cabin. Wyatt had driven these roads before so he volunteered to do the final portion of the ride. Lucy fell asleep beside him. He mused on what he hoped this weekend would accomplish.
They had been trying to add a new family member for 10 months for now. It was hard not to feel frustrated. He'd felt Lucy getting more distant over the months and he imagined the wait was weighing heaviest on her. He felt like they needed to re-connect for themselves, let go of the pressure of trying for a baby. Getting away seemed like a good way to take her mind off of it for a little while.
Wyatt was confident it would happen when fate wanted it to happen. He was ready and willing. He had happily taken the steps he needed to change his work when he returned from that last long, covert assignment. Now that he and Lucy were planning on having a baby, he wanted to make different choices for his life. He didn't want to risk missing out on watching their child grow up. Or take the chance of not being there for Lucy and the baby. Just the thought of them having a child being a reality gave him such a feeling of love and protectiveness.
But he was afraid the process of getting there, of trying to have the baby, was starting to wear on both of them. Especially Lucy. The months of waiting and hoping with no results. Having sex had such weight on it now. He felt they were intimate now because of that, not because they wanted each other. He wanted to take her away to rekindle their spark, and let desire burn all weekend. He was determined not to mention it once during the whole time. It would happen when it would happen.
They pulled in beside the cabin. Wyatt opened the car door, and he heard the hoot of an owl. Lucy didn't stir. He came around to her side of the car.
"We're here, sleepy head." A lock of her hair had fallen into her eyes. He eased it away gently.
She squinted at him only partly conscious, then closed her eyes again. Wyatt reached in and after unbuckling her seat belt lifted her easily in his arms.
"Just like our wedding day, honey."
She sleepily snuggled in against his shoulder and he kissed her hair. He settled her in the first bed he came across, went back out for their baggage and blankets. Heaping the blankets on top of her he made a nest for them both and slid in beside her.