A/N: If there was a theme song for this chapter, I think it would be "I Won't Back Down," the Tom Petty tune covered by my boys from Oklahoma, The Swon Brothers.
"What the hell, Walt?" Vic exclaimed as he turned to her inside Henry's office.
"We need to talk," he said, running a hand through his hair.
"No shit, Sherlock," she retorted.
Walt understood her annoyance with him. They had been pussyfooting around each other since her divorce was final.
For so long he had denied feeling anything for her other than serving as her mentor and protector that he didn't know how to handle this newfound dimension in their relationship.
He no longer could hide behind the fact she was married nor could he suppress the undercurrent of desire that overcame him when she was in proximity.
On top of it all, he couldn't recall the last time he had wooed a woman, not that Vic needed wooing. Just gave her the signal and she would have been on him like white on rice.
Nevertheless, the whole modern dating thing was foreign to him; heck, it had been more than 30 years since he'd attempted to sway a woman. Back then you met, fell in love and got married. No sleeping with her first, no dealing with the emotional consequences afterwards.
He still didn't have one clue how he managed to convince Martha to commit to him AND stay with him all these years.
Vic impatiently stomped her foot, drawing his attention back to her.
"Are you going to talk to me or what?" she said, arms crossed in front of her and her nose flared.
If he wasn't so focused on trying to say what needed said, he would have been turned on.
"Fine!" Walt snapped, his own exasperation surging. "You want me to talk to you? I want you plain and simple. I want to wake up next to you, to have you by my side all the time. I want you to know this scares the crap out of me to feel this way."
Vic's shock at his outburst left her speechless.
"It isn't right for me to want you this badly that it hurts," Walt added, "But I'm tired of fighting it and I'm tired of pretending."
There, he thought. He'd finally said it out loud. Strangely he felt a sense of relief.
Henry had told him he needed to quit kidding himself and either go for broke or break it off completely.
They silently regarded each other.
"Did you just declare your undying love for me?" Vic asked when she found her voice again.
"I reckon so," Walt replied.
"About time," she snorted.
Neither moved until a light rap on the door interrupted them.
"Sorry to intrude, but Ruby's on the phone," Henry called through the door. "There's been an accident out on Osborne Road."
Walt unlatched the door and held it open to allow Vic to slip out first. She brushed by him, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
He shared a glance with Henry before he followed her outside.