Wyndamere, Late 2009

"I know you're following me detective so you may as well show yourself" Nadine announced before she plopped herself onto the grassy knoll.

Lucky came out from behind the tree, "I just wanted to make sure you were…okay" he said a sheepish look on his face.

"Okay…what is okay really? You're just lucky I didn't have my rifle on me…Daddy use to say I could spot a deer with one eye closed, dead tired" she said popping the cork on the champagne.

Slowly he walked next to her and sat down, "So I guess that means no?"

"Aunt Raylene use to tell me, 'Nadine honey, in life you have to draw pictures for men…they aren't mind readers child, tell 'em how you feel…because if you don't some other woman will'" she said sadly before taking a long swig out of the bottle.

He didn't know what to say so he just stayed silent with her, "So Mr. Police Man why aren't you up there entertaining your girlfriend up at the castle?" she inquired.

His eyes looked up to the glowing house and then back out onto the water…his girlfriend…ex-girlfriend was up there…laughing, dancing…with Jagger Cates.

"I don't have girlfriend"

She gasped and put her hand over her mouth, "I heard about you and Sam…I'm sorry…see that's what Jolene would say was good ol' Nadine putting her foot in her mouth…here you need this as much as I do" she said handing over the bottle of champagne.

Bringing it to his lips he took a long drink, "My brother is an idiot" he told her.

"Nah…Nikolas is great…that's the problem" she sighed before bringing those cornflower eyes to him, "Anyway, let's not cry over spilled milk…let's play a game" she announced.

Shaking his head he wondered what he got himself in to, "What kind of game?"

"Have you ever played I've Never?" she asked.

Chuckling, "I've never" he teased.

"You city boys…you miss out on all the good games…back home all we needed was a jug of Miss Emme's whole made strawberry wine for a good time" she told him her gaze wistful.

He couldn't take his eyes away from her…those wide sky colored eyes glinted with a freedom he hadn't felt in a long time...her gleaming smile pure…it reminded him of simpler times.

"Anyway…the way you play is like this. One of us says something we've never done…if you have, you drink" she explained, "I'll go first. I've never been drunk" she said proudly.

To that he took a gulp of the bubbly liquid, "My turn?"

"Shoot"

"I've never delivered an animal"

Narrowing her eyes at him she swiped the bottle, "No fair" she said taking a drink.

Closing her eyes she thought, "I've got no brothers"

"Well now who s being no fair?" he asked taking the bottle.

Time flew by and the number of questions he couldn't tell you…luckily for Nadine he had seemed to have lost the, I've Never game and drank a good majority of the bubbly liquid. Both heads lie on his jacket as they stared up at the stars twinkling in the sky.

"It's strange I dated Nikolas for quite a long time…and I know more about you in one night from a game…maybe I should get drunk more often" she said very matter of fact.

That caused him to chuckle and she swatted him, "Are you laughing at me" she said perching herself on her elbow to look down on his face.

"No, no, scouts honor" he said holding up his fingers.

She peered at him, "If you think I'm going to believe some cockamamie story about you being a boy scout you must be drunker then I thought."

"You got me…I was never a boy scout" he admitted.

Smiling, "Well duh, so what were you like as a kid Lucky Spencer?"

I wanna know, everything about you.
And I wanna go, down every road you've been.
Where your hopes and dreams and wishes live, where you keep the rest of your life hid.

As soon as he started talking about his life, he found that he didn't want to stop…it was all so easy with her, she just listened, taking in every word he said…filling the voids with her infectious laugher, sad smiles, wistful looks shot over the calm waters.

I wanna know the girl behind that pretty stare.
Take me there.

Your first real kiss, your first true love, were you scared.

"Enough about me…what about you Nadine Crowell…first love?" he asked propped up on his own elbow his face directly in front of hers.

"Tommy Cooley…we were six and he kissed me by the swings…but that was puppy love…my first true love was Ephraim Barker…he was every sixteen year old girls dream, and every parents nightmare with his 65 Mustang and long hair. I swore I was going to marry that boy…but after the summer he moved to California for college and so the story goes…my heart was broken…but my Aunt Raylene told me, 'Nadine honey…that was just your first taste of love…you gotta wait a little while longer till the heaven's let you have a nice swig'"

I wanna know, everything about you.
And I wanna go, down every road you've been.
Where your hopes and dreams and wishes live, where you keep the rest of your life hid.
I wanna know the girl behind that pretty stare.
Take me there.

(Take Me There – Rascal Flatts)

There was something about her wide eyed innocence that made him ache to pull her into his arms, to make sure she never lost that look…to protect her from the darkness that would surely take the light out of her eyes…he had seen it happen more then once…the otherwise good girl becoming broken beyond repair. If he could help it he would make sure she never knew what it felt like as your heart began to turn black.

Tell me about your momma, your daddy, your home town, show me around.
I wanna see it all, don't leave anything out.

The water gently lapped on the shore, "Tell me about your family" he asked looking into her eyes.

Her eyes glazed over as he watched her go to another place in her head, "Mainly it was Daddy, Aunt Raylene, Jolene and I. Aunt Raylene was my daddy's only sister, my mama died the year I went into kindergarten and Aunt Raylene moved in to help my daddy deal with us because he didn't no nothing bout raising two toe-haired plow girls. Jolene and I were thick as thieves growing up and we sure kept my Daddy on his toes. He loved us something fierce; would take us everywhere…all in the front seat of that beat up old truck of his. He got sick my freshman year of college…Jolene and I both took a semester off to move back home…the surgery…it should have worked…but the doctor made a mistake…that was the day I decided to become a nurse" she said eyes shining with unshed tears.

Lucky sat up and slid his arm around her and she leaned into his chest the silent tears soaking his dress shirt, "I just miss him so much…all of them" she whispered.

His chin rested atop her head as he stroked her back and muttered soothing words. It had been a long time since he had felt so close to someone...and even longer since it felt right.

Slowly he felt the calmness quell the sobs and she sniffled pulling away from him, "I'm sorry…laying this all on you…I bet you regret following me down here" she said swiping at a tear.

The rough pad of his thumb came to the satin of her check as he caught one on his fingertips, "Actually I was thinking there was no where else I'd rather be tonight" he said honestly.

She shook her head, "Your tongue is slicker then a snake oil salesman" she said shrugging his words off and looking out onto the water.

Fingers touched her chin as he pulled her eyes back to his, "I mean it"

Butterflies danced in her stomach as a flush came to her face, "Oh"

"Nadine silent? Someone alert the media!" he teased that boyish grin plastered on his face.

Before she could respond he was putting his lips to hers…it was only for a moment, a feather light touch, and he pulled away his cobalt blue eyes twinkling at her, "You are quite a revelation Nurse Nadine"

"You're not so bad yourself Detective Spencer"

They stayed until the light started to reflect on the water and both couldn't help the feeling of hope…the dawn of a new day…the beginning of new life.