Title: Testify to Love
Author: April
Summary: The Lamb men consider the women in their lives.
Spoilers for Unfinished Business and Sons of Nevada definitely, probably all of season 1.
Disclaimer: Usual disclaimers apply.
Ralph Lamb had been waiting for a call all day. In fact, he'd been waiting for this phone call since Marilyn died, since Katherine's accident, even if he didn't understand that then.
"Sheriff?" Yvonne Sanchez stuck her head inside his door briefly. "It's Katherine." She shut the door behind her to give him privacy.
Ralph answered immediately, even before Yvonne left the office, leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes. "Hey, sweetheart."
"Hey yourself." Katherine tried to tease, although her voice showed the strain she was under, the fatigue she felt, what he'd feared most about this trial. "The verdict's back."
"And?" Ralph was afraid to know the answer, afraid to imagine what it would do to his family if Gainsley was set free.
"Guilty on all counts." Finally, it felt to Katherine as if it were over, as if she could really start to heal, as if they could start to move on with their lives. "It's over. It's done."
Ralph felt like the room was rocking. Although, once they'd started digging, they'd found any number of heinous crimes attributed to the man, the only two that mattered to him were murder of Marilyn and attempted murder of Katherine. For the first time, he was sure that he'd done the right thing in letting Gainsley live. "I'll have to tell Dixon." He paused. "When are you comin' home?"
"Jack's getting the truck right now. We should be home by tonight." The two Lamb brothers and Katherine had chosen Jack to testify for the sheriff's department since he was calmer, more levelheaded, about everything that had happened than Ralph or Dixon were. The only downside to his brother testifying that Ralph could see was that it meant only one of them could be away from the station for that long. He would have given anything to be with Katherine through the trial.
"I'll meet you there." He paused for a few moments before saying. "Please be careful."
She smiled as Jack came back in to get her. "I love you too, baby. See you tonight." She hung up, allowing him to help her out to the truck.
Ralph hung up the phone and walked to where Yvonne and Dixon were, telling primarily them but not caring who else heard. "Gainsley was convicted."
Yvonne held Dixon's hand in between her own as she asked, "How's Katherine holding up?"
"She's tired. It was a long trip." They'd had to go out of state since Gainsley was friends with so many influential people, including the governor.
"They got him?" Dixon asked his dad, still a little shell shocked. A few months before, he'd thought that his mother's death when he was a kid was just what it appeared to be, an accident. When he'd learned she was murdered, it was like losing her all over again.
"For everything." Ralph confirmed. "Why don't you two take the rest of the afternoon?" It had been a pretty quiet day so far, a rarity anymore, and he and Dixon had both been working on paperwork.
Yvonne worriedly asked, "You're staying here?" When Ralph nodded, she leaned over to whisper to Dixon before saying, "We'll hang around a little while longer." Neither wanted Ralph to be alone.
Ralph nodded his thanks. "Maybe we can head out a few hours early tonight..." He had some plans he'd like to put in place for Katherine's return.
In the end, that's what they did, worked a few more hours, but left the station two hours early by Ralph's figuring. On the way home, Dixon was quiet, unusually so. In fact, he didn't say anything until they were pulling up to the ranch house. "Jack and Katherine will be home tonight, right?"
Ralph nodded. "A few hours…why?"
"Yvonne and I have a date." He turned to face his dad. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me."
Ralph couldn't believe the change that had come over Dixon in a little over a year. When he'd first gotten the job as sheriff, his son had been chasing every woman in Vegas that would have him, married or not, with the exceptions of Mia Rizzo and Katherine. Since Dixon's arrest, a few months before, he'd become a one-woman man, however, and it had gotten even more serious after Gainsley's arrest. Still, Ralph felt the need to ask, "You sure, son? It's not something you can take back."
Dixon knew what his father meant. It was indeed possible to get a divorce, but Lambs didn't believe in them. Every couple in their family once married, had stayed married, until the partner died. In fact, his father was the only one to ever come close to marrying after their spouse died, something Dixon wasn't quite sure how he felt about yet, but tonight, that wasn't the issue. "Yes, sir. I'm sure." He paused and then confessed what he'd been so scared to say. "I'm gonna be a daddy. It ain't the only reason, but that by itself is enough."
"You're what?" Ralph was floored, remembering bits and pieces of things he'd heard, things he'd seen, but, to be honest, between running the ranch, the station, and trying to give Katherine what time was left over, he wasn't exactly surprised he'd missed it.
"We wanted to wait until we were sure. Then we wanted to wait until things calmed down. We haven't told anyone else. And it's not the only reason." His father and uncle had done a good job with him, but not that good. "I wouldn't want to marry her if I didn't love her. We're a team."
Those words were something Ralph understood well. "You ask her tonight, son. You got a ring?" Dixon shook his head. He'd hoped that he could give her his mom's, but he hadn't wanted to ask. As it turned out, he didn't have to. Ralph retrieved it from his safe place and handed it to his son. "You can use this one if you want. It…it was your mom's….I think she'd want you to use it. She woulda loved Yvonne." Although he wouldn't give up his time with Katherine for anything, he still wished Marilyn could see the man their boy had grown into and the girl who had captured his heart.
Dixon was speechless as he looked down at the ring he'd seen so many times on his mom's hand. She'd never taken it off and Dixon hadn't even been sure that they'd saved it, but along with the tiny engagement ring came two wedding bands, one his mother's, one his father's.
"I better get ready…." Dixon finally managed to say, wishing he could say all the things he wanted to his dad.
Ralph nodded. "Yeah. Me too." He gave Dixon a small smile and watched the boy go towards his room as he went to the kitchen.
It had been a long week, a long couple of months, for both of them, but the difference was noticeable in the truck as they entered the Vegas city limits. Jack had become even more quiet, even more tense, and Katherine less. Finally, as Jack found a different route to get home that didn't take them past the Savoy, she asked, "What's going on?"
"Thought we'd take this way home for once." He answered cryptically, not looking at her.
"You know that's not what I meant." She paused and then continued. "Jack, I know you're a lot like your brother in the fact that you never want to talk about this stuff, but I'm worried about you. Something happened with Mia while I was hurt, didn't it?"
"What makes you think that?" Again, he still wasn't looking at her, but she could almost see a tiny little sliver of a crack in his armor finally start to form.
"Last I remember, you two were together and you were going to try to warn her about her involvement with the tapes." She paused. "Was that it? Was she upset about the wiretapping?"
Jack knew he could take the easy way out, say that had been the case, and the conversation would be over, but he knew two things. Katherine was genuinely worried about him, trying to help him, and he had to talk about it to someone or he would never get it worked out for himself. "Ralph said something while you were…while you were hurt. He asked why it took so long to know what you've got that's good." Katherine half-smiled, filing that away in her brain to think of another time, focusing on Jack again. "So I went and bought a ring. Then I found out what Savino and Ralph were planning." He paused. "I tried to get Mia out; she broke it off, wouldn't leave. We've been on and off since we've known each other. I never thought…"
"Thought what?" Katherine was getting worried as the words became more and more painful for her friend.
"I went to her room right after everything was over…She was sleeping with someone else." It was the first time he'd admitted it to anyone, even himself. It wasn't just a nightmare; what he'd seen was real. He didn't want to think about how long it had been going on or anything other than the fact that it had happened and they were finally over.
Katherine was floored. "I'm sorry, Jack." The funny thing was that, despite her differences with Mia and what she might think about a 'mob princess' dating the second in command of the Vegas sheriff's department, she meant it. She'd never wanted to see Jack hurt.
"Haven't told Ralph. Then again, he never really asked about it." His brother had just had a sixth sense and the knowledge to leave well enough alone, since he never liked talking about things like that anyway. Katherine was different, like having a sister again, something he hadn't felt since Marilyn died.
"Won't hear it from me." The truck grew quiet as they passed by the airport and Katherine gave a half-smile to herself, knowing they were almost home. She never could pass the airport without thinking of the story of Ralph riding up and throwing punches.
Katherine's eyes lit up when they finally pulled up in the yard. Ralph had been outside talking to Dixon who was the young man's version of dressed up. Ralph had already been smiling, but when he saw his brother's truck, his smile grew into the one he saved just for Katherine, waiting until Jack had stopped and parked before opening Katherine's door, gently helping her out.
"Missed you, sweet Katherine," he whispered where only she could hear, kissing her forehead.
"Missed you too." She whispered back with a smile.
"Congratulations on the trial," Dixon told her with a smile before adding, "And thank you." He knew Katherine's testimony had been a big part of putting Gainsley away and he knew with her speaking up, his mom's memory could finally be put to rest.
She nodded at him, unable to speak at first. While they always worked well together during business hours, she hadn't lost the fact that her being with his father made him uncomfortable. It was the closest he'd come to acknowledging her presence since she and Ralph had started dating. "You're welcome," she said softly, barely above a whisper.
"You got a hot date?" Jack asked his nephew.
"Something like that." Dixon smiled his father's smile before leaving.
Ralph explained to both Jack and Katherine. "He's gonna ask her."
Jack smiled on the outside and responded, "About time." Inside, he was happy for his nephew, knowing that Yvonne was his match, but part of him couldn't help but see that Dixon was getting Yvonne and Ralph had Katherine. He missed Mia, his match, more than ever.
Katherine smiled, but was worried about Jack. Something had seemed to happen to him when he'd discussed Mia earlier and that same look was about him now; she could tell her friend was hurting. She heard Ralph say something about tired and looked back at him. "I'm sorry?"
Ralph looked a little worried. "I said I had a surprise, but if you were too tired, it could wait." She did look exhausted and he wanted to ask Jack how she'd held up under the strain. He knew Katherine was strong, one of the things he loved about her, but he worried about her going through difficult cases even before the accident. Now he was on heightened alert about her; everything was different.
"I'm not too tired. Let me get changed." She kissed him gently and went inside.
"How is she?" Ralph asked as soon as he was out of earshot.
"Tired. Says she's fine, as always, not hurting, but pretty obvious she is. Had nightmares the past couple nights, but I figure that'll stop now. I think she would have been better if you'd gone instead," Jack said simply.
"If I'd gone, I'd kill him. Especially after one of her nightmares. Especially if he'd gotten off." Ralph paused. "Thanks for going with her, Jack." He realized a lot of mistakes, assuming his brother would take care of everything including Marilyn and Dixon while he was in the military, taking Jack for granted, but he didn't want to make that mistake again.
Jack wasn't at all sure what to say, trying to remember the last time Ralph had thanked him for anything. "Dixon's asking Yvonne?" He changed the subject.
Ralph nodded. "I'm gonna be a granddaddy. Can you figure that?" He smiled and the two men swapped stories about Dixon while Ralph waited for Katherine.
Dixon had never been so nervous in his life. He had no doubt about making the right decision but he still felt like his heart was jumping around in his chest. He had arranged to pick up food at the diner so they didn't have to leave Yvonne's apartment. There were candles and soft music; they talked and laughed while they ate supper. He cleaned up for her and then came back to the living room where they danced. He closed his eyes and held her as she sang softly to him.
"Marry me," he whispered, surprising even himself. He'd been trying to think out some elaborate phrase to say that would be so perfect that she couldn't refuse. How could he have put it so simply?
Her eyes opened, looking at him. "Dixon…" He couldn't tell if that was a good tone or a bad tone. "It wouldn't work."
He'd been expecting this, remembering her reaction when they'd tried to go to the movies together for the first time. "I know when something's worth fighting for. We can handle whatever comes along, long as we do it together. There may be things I can't change for us, but I swear I'm not giving up."
Yvonne remembered his father's words to them a few months before. "Love conquers all, right?" She smiled.
Relieved, he smiled back. "Is that a yes?"
She nodded, her eyes shining up at him. "That's a yes."
Ralph stopped in the middle of a field that he wasn't using for livestock at the moment, parking the truck. "Are you hungry?"
Katherine shook her head. "Not really." Her nerves were still too ragged from the trial.
He left the box with their dinner in the cab before going over to her door, opening it for her, lifting her, and carrying her to the bed of the truck so he didn't have to unfold the wheelchair. The bed was lined with every sleeping bag he could find along with two or three old quilts so that it would be soft. When he stretched out in the bed, she lay down next to him, her head on his chest as they held each other. From where they lay, they could see the stars and the mountains.
"Soon you'll be able to ride again and we'll camp all night out here." Ralph promised.
"I'd like that." Their surroundings were so beautiful and it was so peaceful, so quiet. It almost felt like they were the only two people on earth.
He tucked one of the quilts around her to protect her from the night air and kissed into her hair. He couldn't picture another place on earth where he would want to be other than right there with her, right then. "Missed you," he whispered.
"Missed you too." She paused. "It was hard, seeing him again. I knew that Jack was there, that he wouldn't let anything happen, but I've never been that scared before. I can't explain it."
"I can," he whispered, kissing her hair. It was the closest she'd come to dying and he hoped there would never be a repeat.
"Do you remember when we talked about regrets?"
He searched his memory until he saw her standing in his doorway, after two guards had been killed and they'd been sent on a road trip after the killer, over a year ago now. "I remember."
"I don't have as many anymore." In fact, she just had two things she wished she could do with her life, two things that would make her life more perfect than it already was, but, even if that didn't happen, she was content. She had him.