"So, you and I are the only two eligible bachelors who have not asked Vic out since her divorce and considering that she is most assuredly your type I am wondering what my best friend is waiting for?"

"Nothin'"

"I have never known you to be a coward."

"Drop it, Henry"

"I will not."

We engage in a staring contest, which means nothing has changed since we were 8 years old.

"She is not Lizzie, Walt."

More silence.

"I do not know a woman within 5 counties that would be a more suitable match for a non-conversational intellectual sleuth and occasional pain in the ass such as you."

I refuse to answer Henry and realize I haven't taken a bite of my food since Henry brought my attention to Vic's dinner date. I drop ten bucks on the bar top and walk out not glancing at Vic or saying good-bye to Henry. My best friend heads me off and we square off in the parking lot.

"Let it go, Henry. Just let it go."

"No."

He is in front of me, hands on his hips, with that perfectly lined jaw glaring at me.

"Walter, I have decided I am not going to take care of you in your old age so I suggest you come up with a plan. A plan that does not involve you being neglectful of your heart. You are a mortal man after all and we all need love."

He's right of course but there are so many things stopping me; primarily, fear of rejection, and the fear of ruining our work together. Once our relationship changes it can't go back. Ever.

"Henry, I've thought about it. I've thought about it a lot, actually, but it's a bad idea. I mean would you date a waitress? " I immediately regret asking such a stupid question.

"Yes and while it may not have turned out well at least I had the courage to live."

That hurt. It hurt a lot because he is right.

"Well, I'm not going to break up Vic's date so I think I will head home. Night, Henry."

"Night"

"Walter." I turn to face the Cheyenne Nation. "I will catch you if you fall."

I nod in silence.

What am I doing? I know Henry is right. I know what I want but I just don't know how to get there. Instead of heading home I stay on the highway and just drive and just think. I find myself parked in front of Vic's house. I don't know why. She's not there. She's on a 3 day weekend with good ol' Ted. A light flips on inside the house and flips off. She's home. I don't see any unfamiliar cars in the driveway and I know she only has space for her work truck in the garage.

I find myself walking up her front walk and as I knock I realize I am being stupid. I turn around and almost make it to the mailbox.

"Walt?!" I hear her lilted voice.

I hear Henry's words in my head calling me a coward which makes me stop and turn, "Ah, hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Vic. It's a mistake. I thought you were gone for that long weekend and I saw the light."

Vic stands in her doorway, gently silhouetted by her porch light, wearing a tank top and bikini panties.

"What? Why are you here in the first place. Get your narrow ass up here and tell me what the fuck is going on."

I'm pretty sure she noticed that I noticed she wasn't really wearing any clothes.

Her arms are folded across her breasts and her knees are together almost like she is half cold and half embarrassed.

"I don't want to interrupt your evening more than I already have."

"Walt Longmire don't make me come out there."

I meet her at the door.

"Vic, I don't really know I just sort of ended up here but…." She interrupts me.

"And I suppose you don't really know why you have been ignoring me for the past two months?"

"There are some things I just can't ignore."

I close the distance between us.

"Yeah, like what"

I put my arms around her waist.

"Like the way your hair shines in the morning from the filtered light at your desk or how you look at me when you don't think I notice but the one thing I really can't ignore…at least not any more…is the way I think about you and the way I feel about you."

We both occupy the doorway space, our bodies pressed together, and for the first time I really notice how little she is as I reach down and hold her chin in my fingers and gently kiss her lips.

"I should go."

Vic pulls me inside of her doorway and whispers in my ear, "No, I want you to ignore me some more."