Chapter 50

April 21

After a fitful night's sleep, Lucy woke around twenty minutes before her alarm was supposed to go off. Despite what felt like the longest work week in history, it was Friday at last, and later on this afternoon, she and Wyatt would be dropping Jamie off at the Baumgardners' before heading for Coronado Island for the weekend. Rolling on her side, she faced Wyatt, who was still sound asleep. Very gently pushing back a stray piece of chestnut hair from his forehead, Lucy smiled tenderly. By this time tomorrow morning, they'd be waking up, just the two of them, in a very nice hotel room on Coronado Island, and she could hardly wait...

Wyatt had no idea, of course, but practically every day over the past two months since they began actively planning the trip, an excited Lucy had spent at least a few minutes (usually on her lunch break) looking over the 1906 Lodge website and daydreaming about having gorgeous Master Sergeant Logan all to herself for 48 whole hours. Dave and Julie and Julie's parents, Bob and Ruth, had gone together at Christmas and generously paid for two nights in one of the hotel's decadent Grand King Spa guestrooms–and it looked incredible. Lucy shivered in delighted anticipation thinking about all the fun they were going to have...most of it without even leaving the hotel, she secretly hoped.

"What's got you smiling like the cat who stole the cream so early in the day?" Wyatt rumbled sleepily, wrapping his arm around Lucy's waist and tugging her close. She rested her cheek against his warm bare chest with a pleased sigh. Less than twelve hours now...

"Who, me?" she asked innocently, resting her hand over Wyatt's heart, comforted as always by the steady beat beneath her fingers. They lay in contented silence a little while longer before Lucy reluctantly drew away from him. Propping herself up on one elbow, she lovingly caressed his scruffy cheek and confessed, "This might seem silly, but to be honest, I didn't sleep very well last night–too excited about the weekend, I guess...and okay..maybe I've also been thinking about all the naughty things I'm going to do with you-to you-when we're all by ourselves in that beautiful hotel room..."

Lucy fought to keep a straight face when Wyatt's dark blue eyes widened almost comically in shock at her unexpectedly provocative reply–not easy when in her head, she could practically hear Amy say in admiration, you go, bad girl. (High praise indeed from her adventurous younger sister.) To his credit, Wyatt recovered swiftly enough, though, responding, "Well, damn, Lucy Preston, look at you, talking all sexy and making me blush. Sounds like you've been making some serious plans, sweetheart." He sounded so impressed, she lost the battle and giggled like a love-struck teen, hiding her blushing face against him.

"Wy...att..." Lucy protested breathlessly, drawing his name out as she shyly peeked up at him. "Stop teasing! This is my first romantic trip ever, and I want everything to be perfect for us." His face softened at her faintly anxious confession, arms tightening firmly around her.

"Easy there, sweetheart, I'm just messing with you. I can personally guarantee we are going to have an amazing time," Wyatt assured Lucy, pressing a soft kiss on her messy hair. "And listen, even though I seem to be acting all relaxed and cool," he said (deliberately ignoring her amused snort), "gotta admit, I've been counting down the days myself because I can't wait to get you alone in that fancy hotel for a nice long weekend with just the two of us...alone...hey, did I mention the alone part?" giving her the dimpled grin that always made her heart beat faster.

They cuddled quietly for a few minutes longer until first Wyatt's, then Lucy's phone alarms went off. She chuckled at his frustrated groan. "So impatient," Lucy teased affectionately. "Don't worry, only a few more hours until we leave, and then I'm all yours until Sunday evening, I promise. But for now, here in the real world, it's still only Friday morning and the busy work day awaits, Master Sergeant, so we should probably see about getting ready before your son wakes up and wants his breakfast." She dropped a lingering kiss on his warm lips, and with a triumphant grin, successfully extricated herself from the security of his strong arms and climbed out of bed-possibly dragging her body leisurely over his in the process (and definitely savoring his muted groan). Bad girl, indeed...

"Well, aren't you just Miss Bossy this morning? Good thing I'm a man who knows how to appreciate a confident woman, sweetheart," Wyatt observed somewhat complacently. Pushing aside the rumpled covers, he swung his bare legs over the side of the bed, seemingly content to sit back for a moment and enjoy the view when Lucy stopped in front of the closet and snagging her silky floral kimono, hurriedly shed the worn tee shirt of Wyatt's she usually 'borrowed' to sleep in and proceeded to cover up her bare body. She probably wasn't imagining his disappointed sigh...

"So, here's an idea...maybe we could save some time this morning by sharing the shower...plus, you know, as an added bonus, we'd get a real nice head start on the weekend...what do you think?" Wyatt asked, his solemn tone instantly at odds with the mischief lurking she saw in those deep blue eyes. Lucy rolled her eyes in amusement as she headed for the bathroom and her intended solo shower. Stopping at the open doorway, she looked back to see him watching her intently, a slightly arrogant smirk curling one side of his mouth.

Dammit. Wyatt looked so annoyingly self assured and ridiculously sexy–on top of the whole 'just woke up' disheveled look he usually had every morning going–that, honestly, how could any woman with a pulse say no to a thoughtful suggestion like that? With a resigned sigh, Lucy gave into temptation, and throwing a well, what are you waiting for, soldier? over her shoulder, hurriedly turned and stepped into the bathroom, smirking to herself at the muffled sound of an eager Wyatt's feet hitting the floor behind her.

Luckily, her guy excelled at performing extremely well under pressure (so to speak), and they were both showered and nearly dressed and the bed made by the time Jamie knocked on the bedroom door a short while later and-as predicted–more than ready to be fed. Flashing her a rather satisfied grin, Wyatt escorted the always-hungry five-year-old downstairs so she could finish getting ready.

Shaking her head fondly at his healthy masculine pride, Lucy slipped on a pair of navy ballet flats that matched the dark blue dress with tiny yellow flowers she'd chosen to wear to school today, and with a last wistful glance at the packed suitcase sitting by the closet that she and Wyatt would be taking with them to Coronado Island, picked up a thin navy cardigan and went to join father and son.

After they polished off a quick meal of scrambled eggs and toast, Wyatt sent Jamie back upstairs to brush his teeth while he cleared away their dirty dishes and started loading them in the dishwasher. Lucy sipped her coffee and took a minute to check emails on her phone while she waited for him. Scrolling absently through the usual junk messages filling her in box, she paused suddenly at an email from her boss. Opening the message, she scanned it rapidly, a slight frown settling between her brows.

Retrieving Jamie's packed lunch box from the fridge, Wyatt set it on the table, as he did every morning before leaving for the base. "Lucy? Everything alright?" he asked curiously, resting his large hand on her shoulder. Her attention focused on re-reading the email, it took a few seconds for Lucy to look up from her phone.

"Um, yeah, sorry...it's a message from Principal Christopher. She's invited me to lunch today to discuss my annual performance review," she informed him with a distracted smile. In response, Wyatt dropped into the seat beside Lucy and took her hand securely in his.

"Hey, you're not worried about this evaluation, are you? Don't be-you are a fantastic teacher, Lucy," Wyatt praised, squeezing her hand. "And I'm not just saying that because you're my girlfriend and I love you. I've visited your classroom and seen first-hand not only how dedicated you are to your students, but how hard you work at being the best teacher you can be. Also just as important I would think is how much these little kids–including my own son–totally adore you. Hell, I told you when we were first dating how impressed I was that this was your first year teaching students this young. I meant it when I said what a natural you are. Seriously, I'd be shocked if your principal has even one thing to complain about..." Wyatt paused for a second. "Although, as I recall, there was the glitter 'incident' at Christmas time," he teased. "Still, every rookie makes a mistake or two, so hold your head up high, Miss Preston, and enjoy a nice meal with the boss."

Lucy was positively humbled by the calm conviction in Wyatt's voice. He had such faith in her. Throwing her arms around his neck, she whispered, "I love you, Wyatt Logan. You make me believe I can do anything, and that means more to me than I can say. Thank you...and just so we're clear on the subject, I thought we agreed to never mention the 'incident' ever again."

She tried to look stern, but failed utterly when Wyatt shrugged innocently, "What incident?" and mimed zipping his lips. Lucy laughed and shook her head ruefully. Someone was in a really good mood this morning, she decided. Just then, Jamie barreled into the kitchen and threw himself at Wyatt.

"Daddy, I ate my gummy vitamin, and look, brushed all my teeth real good, see? " he declared proudly, baring his tiny white teeth for his father's inspection. It was too cute the way Wyatt leaned down and pretended to closely examine the little boy's adorable smile.

"Nice job, buddy! Okay, here's your lunch box–and yes, before you ask, I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and apple slices today-and I left your backpack by the front door. You and Miss Lucy better get going or you'll be late for school," he warned, kissing the top of his son's blond head. The adults grinned at each other companionably when the five-year-old obediently grabbed his lunch box, and with a cheerful yes, sir, love you, Daddy, ran from the room.

Wyatt smiled and remarked wryly, "Sometimes I think that kid learned to run before he even started to walk." Glancing at his phone, he grimaced at the time. "And now I'm the one who's gonna be late if I don't get out of here." Tugging Lucy to her feet, he kissed her thoroughly before saying, "Good luck on your evaluation, and try not to worry. Let me know later on what went down. Love you, sweetheart. Now, have yourself a good day and remember, we are definitely gonna have ourselves a great weekend..."

Buoyed by Wyatt's absolute confidence in her, Lucy's nerves eased considerably. It also helped that after arriving at school, the first thing she did was text Rufus, her usual noon meal companion, and tell him she would be lunching with their boss today. Like Wyatt, he was quite supportive:

Hey, just a heads up I won't be eating lunch with you today. Principal C. and I are going out to eat at noon so we can discuss my performance review :/

That's cool–thanks for letting me know. Sooooo...I'm sensing you're not exactly thrilled about this...

Guess I'm just a bit nervous about this being my first year at Palm Grove Elementary, and I'm not sure what to expect from an evaluation. See, with my previous teaching position at a private high school back in San Francisco, my annual employee review was always a stressful process involving sitting by myself in front of a panel of administrators and school board members (most of whom I'd never even met) who weren't afraid to point out every little infraction–real or perceived–they thought a teacher was guilty of. It was a real confidence killer, for sure...seriously, I would be a nervous wreck for days beforehand, even though they gave me usually decent evaluations...

Wow! Okay, first of all, that sounds like something from like, a century ago or something. No wonder you weren't too sorry to leave San Fran and this snooty private school behind to move here. Anyway, while Denise likes to run a tight ship, you've probably noticed she's also very supportive of the staff, and bends over backwards to be fair. Finally, you are a great teacher, Lucy, and your kids are crazy about you...so quit worrying! And yes, I'm gonna need details this afternoon, so text me when you get back ;)

Lucy couldn't help by grin at her phone screen. Trust her smart, plain-spoken friend to cut to the chase. Like Wyatt, Rufus was right–Lucy was letting past unpleasant experiences at her previous position get in her head and make her miserable. She was a pretty good teacher–and hopefully, her current boss and the school board thought so, too. Lucy quickly tapped out a reply before putting her phone back in her bag and getting ready for the school day to begin.

You know, you sound like Wyatt–thank you for making me feel so much better! I'll check in with you after I get back.

With both her evaluation and the weekend trip on Lucy's mind, the rest of the morning flew by as she made herself concentrate on class activities. About ten minutes before she was to meet Principal Christopher in the employee parking lot, she escorted her happy students to the cafeteria before informing Mrs. Jones in the front office she was leaving the building with their boss for the next 90 minutes or so. Just as Lucy walked outside the double doors, her phone chimed softly with a new text alert. It was from Wyatt and simply read:

You got this, Lucy (accompanied by several bright red heart emojis)

A slow smile bloomed on her face. For being such a tough, no-nonsense soldier, Wyatt Logan could be surprisingly sweet. Without a doubt, she was the luckiest woman in the world to be loved by this man. Hurriedly texting back, Thanks, I love YOU, as she headed for the parking lot, Lucy felt her confidence surge and knew that whatever happened during lunch, everything was going to be fine because when a wonderful guy like Wyatt believed in you, a woman could do anything...

After what felt like the slowest week on record, at last his work day was over. A grateful Wyatt unlocked the front door and stepping inside, dropped his keys on the table with a heartfelt sigh. He was pleased to see his son's small blue duffle and one of Lucy's suitcases they would be sharing already packed and sitting nearby. Hmm...looks like somebody was just as eager to get this weekend started as he was, Wyatt thought. "Hey, anybody home?" he called out, standing at the bottom of the steps.

"Daddy's here!" he heard Jamie shriek excitedly from upstairs before the little boy came rushing to greet him, dragging the pillow from his bed behind him. "Daddy! You're home! Guess what? My bag is all ready. I helped Miss Lucy pack it and we put my jammies in there and my Spiderman I sleep with and my toothbrush and toothpaste...and oh, yeah, some clean underwear, too 'cause Miss Lucy said it was very 'portant to take off the dirty ones so I don't smell bad...Do you think I smell bad, Daddy?" he asked anxiously, sniffing his forearm with a slight frown.

Wyatt hid an impressed grin. His Lucy didn't miss a trick. Clearing his throat, he solemnly assured his son that he smelled just fine because regular baths and clean underwear helped stinky little boys smell nice. Crinkling his nose, Jamie protested earnestly, "But I'm not a stinky little boy, Daddy, 'cause I play in the tub every night, but guess what? This one time at school, my friend Jordan frew up all over his Batman shirt and it was really stinky...you can ask Miss Lucy, Daddy, 'cause she had to clean him up..."

Before the five-year-old could share some of the more graphic details from that apparently memorable event, a charmed Wyatt swooped him up and affectionately rubbed his stubbled chin on the little boy's rosy cheek, 'causing him to giggle and squirm around in his father's arms. "Daddy! Quit it...that tickles," he gasped through his infectious laughter, putting a small hand over Wyatt's mouth. Jamie's bright blue eyes widened with delight when his Daddy very gently nipped at the tiny fingers. "Know what? You're my best Daddy," he sighed happily, resting his cheek on Wyatt's shoulder.

Murmuring his usual response, well, you're my best little boy, to his son's sweet pronouncement (the one that always melted his heart), Wyatt's breath caught when he noticed Lucy standing at the top of the stairs watching them with a luminous smile. She looked so damn beautiful in one of her pretty spring dresses with a matching little sweater, dark curls waving softly around her narrow shoulders. He thought longingly of the small, elegant jeweler's box he'd hidden in the Jeep's glove box (to be retrieved later once they got to the hotel) and the sweet promise for the future it held. Not much longer now, Wyatt consoled himself, until he'd be sliding the delicate engagement ring on Lucy's finger.

Naturally unaware (he desperately hoped) about the secret he'd been keeping, Lucy shook her head at their antics and said lightly, "Alright, if you two boys are finished messing around, it's time to get going. Aunt Julie texted that she just finished ordering a couple pizzas for supper, and if we hurry up, Jamie can go with Uncle Bam to pick them up," coming down the steps and leaning around the contented little boy to give Wyatt a tempting, but much too brief, kiss. "Before I forget, thank you for the vote of confidence earlier today–it really helped," she whispered against his lips before diving in for a second-also way too quick-kiss that only made him hungry for more. They both ignored the adorable way the five-year-old groaned and clapped a hand over his eyes.

Lucy grinned shamelessly at Wyatt's involuntary frown when she finally pulled away. "And that, soldier, was just a little preview of the fun we're going to have this weekend to keep you motivated," she informed him with a wink. Motivated? Hell, if he was any more motivated, he'd probably spontaneously combust before they even crossed Coronado Bay, Wyatt thought in bemusement.

Setting Jamie down, he gently ruffled his hair and politely instructed him to carry his duffle out to the Jeep. Once the little boy cleared the doorway, Wyatt turned and without warning, tugged Lucy close, his mouth confidently smothering her little squeak of surprise. The rest of the world disappeared once she eagerly relaxed into Wyatt's arms as he leisurely, thoroughly deepened the possessive kiss. They only broke apart, both breathing heavily, at the sound of a plaintive, hurry up, Daddy, please, drifting through the open doorway.

More than a little riled up himself by the taste of Lucy's sweet, warm lips, Wyatt's pride was nonetheless gratified however by the faintly dazed expression on her face. "And that's a little preview of what you can expect this weekend, sweetheart," he countered in a deep voice, running a finger down her soft, flushed cheek before turning to pick up their suitcase. Ha, now who's motivated? Wyatt enjoyed her indignant sniff as she stuck her cute nose in the air before proceeding him out the door, instantly noticing the sexy extra little sway in Lucy's hips as he followed her down the sidewalk.

During the brief ride to the Baumgardners' house, he hummed along to the radio, more than content to listen to Jamie enthusiastically informing Lucy of all the fun things he, Annie and Sadie were going to do the next couple of days. Knowing how much his son loved spending time with his second family did help ease Wyatt's vague guilt over leaving Jamie for a whole weekend.

Annie and Sadie must have been watching for them because as soon as they pulled up in front of the house, the front door opened and the sisters ran to greet them. Annie immediately took Jamie's hand and after he yelled over his shoulder, "Bye, Daddy, Miss Lucy...see you Sunday," the two disappeared inside the house before Wyatt could even hug him goodbye. As usual, Sadie made a beeline for her favorite person, throwing her arms around Lucy's slim legs and shrieking at the top of her lungs about going to the zoo tomorrow to see the elephants.

Noticing the forlorn look on Wyatt's face as he stared after his son, Julie sought to reassure him. "Aww, it's only for two days, Daddy. Don't worry, little man will be fine. And anyway, you're gonna be having a good time..." she said before leaning close enough only he could hear her finish the seemingly innocent sentence (with a not-so-innocent), "asking someone very important to you a very important question, I'm sure you'll hardly miss Jamie." Regarding Wyatt with a rather smug expression, bright green eyes gleaming with amusement, the blonde confirmed softly, "Oh, yeah, your partner sold you out, cowboy."

Wyatt stiffened in dismay, stepping back to shoot his weak-willed friend–who grinned rather sheepishly–a disgusted glare. "Jesus, Bam, you couldn't even keep it to yourself until after Lucy and I left?" he muttered under his breath. The hell? It hadn't even an hour since they left the base, and the guy had already caved, despite his solemn promise to Wyatt earlier...

Flashback

Relaxing in the mess hall Friday after he and Bam finished lunch, Wyatt was engrossed in his phone and didn't hear him say his name at first. For what was probably about the hundredth time just this week, he was surreptitiously scrolling through pictures of the hotel where he and Lucy would be staying over the weekend. Had to admit, Julie and Ruth had really outdone themselves because the 1906 Lodge looked pretty fancy-amazing, really-and much nicer than any place Wyatt had ever spent the night in on the rare occasion he and Jessica traveled. He was especially intrigued by the generously-sized spa tub each one of the deluxe rooms featured. He and Lucy were going to have all kinds of fun with that bad boy, Wyatt mused with a wicked grin.

He jerked when a large, calloused hand suddenly smacked the table in front of him. "Damn, Master Sergeant, something on your mind?" his best friend asked casually enough–in spite of the knowing expression on his face. Embarrassed at being caught daydreaming about his romantic trip with Lucy, Wyatt felt his cheeks warm. Frowning at the other man, he ignored the question, hastily shoving the phone in his pocket and without a word, headed for the large double doors. Smirking in triumph, Bam followed closely on his heels, obviously getting a kick out of Wyatt's discomfort. The two men walked in silence a while longer and were nearly to the office they shared when his training partner spoke.

"Aww, c'mon, Wy, you know I'm just yanking your chain here," he grinned, lightly punching Wyatt in the bicep, "Good thing it's been pretty quiet around base lately because you have to admit, your focus has been sorta compromised this week, but hey, that's okay. I get it, I really do. While my wife doesn't necessarily share with me everything she hears, even a guy as clueless as I can be knows you and Lucy have gone through some heavy stuff since the first of the year. I figure if anyone deserves a couple days away all alone with his lady, it's you, brother, especially since you had to cancel this trip at least a couple times already." Coming to a halt, Wyatt turned to look closely at Bam. Master Sergeant Dave Baumgardner was notorious around Pendleton for his gregarious nature, with a well-deserved rep for always joking around or teasing their fellow soldiers, but Wyatt saw only sincerity in his friend's face.

"Thanks, man, I really appreciate that," he responded gratefully after a few seconds, unlocking their office door. And Wyatt truly did, because of course he always valued the other man's advice–as evidenced by the urge to confide in Bam about what he was planning to do during the trip to Coronado growing stronger as the week went on. And yeah, maybe he felt a little bit guilty for not sharing such exciting news with his closest friends, but it was only for a couple days more, Wyatt consoled himself. The rest of the afternoon passed mostly in silence as the training partners dutifully worked through a pile of reports that had to be turned in to the C.O.'s office before the end of the day.

It was almost quitting time when Wyatt finished the last report in his pile. Stretching in satisfaction, he glanced over at the guy who'd been his best friend since they'd met in Basic right out of high school, and without warning, the important secret he'd been keeping for weeks now abruptly, involuntarily burst out of him. "I bought Lucy an engagement ring a few weeks ago, and I'm gonna propose to her this weekend." The silence in the office was deafening as the two men stared at each other in complete shock. Aww, hell...what had he just done?

In just about any other circumstance, the positively stunned expression on Bam's face would've amused the ever-loving hell out of Wyatt because it was just so seldom that anyone pulled one over on his friend to the point where the guy was struck speechless. This, however, was not one of those times. Even as Wyatt scrubbed his hands over his face and muttered, "Shit. Can we both please forget I just said that?" the craziest thing happened. His normally rowdy training partner got up, and quietly shutting their office door, perched on the edge of Wyatt's desk and regarded him somberly for a long moment.

Tilting his head to one side, Bam observed thoughtfully, "So, just a guess, but I'd bet my next two paychecks you had absolutely no intention of sharing that fascinating little piece of information with anyone, did you, Wy?" He continued to sit calmly enough, apparently content to wait for a response no matter how long it took. Dammit. When he wanted to, Wyatt's normally stubborn friend had the patience of a saint.

Mind racing furiously for a way to magically turn back the last few seconds to the moment in time just before he blurted out the most important secret ever kept from his best friend, Wyatt sighed mentally and bowed to the inevitable. Too late to shut the barn door now that the damn horse was loose. Lifting a shoulder as casually as he could manage, Wyatt admitted somewhat grudgingly, "Amy Preston knows because she helped me pick out the ring." Before he could say anything further, though, Bam frowned slightly and held up his palm to stop him.

"At ease, soldier. I'm not busting your chops, here. In fact, knowing you as well as I do, I have no doubt you've been dying to tell me for a while now, haven't you? And see, I already know the answer to that because we're brothers and best friends, and I'd feel exactly the same if it was me," favoring Wyatt with a surprisingly astute glance.

"More importantly, since I have known you since we met all those years ago and because you're that guy, the one who's big on planning and always plays things real close to the vest, I totally understand keeping something this important to yourself. Asking a woman to marry you should be a big deal. Plus, as you are probably aware-and this is not something I'm proud of, by the way-my wife possesses the ruthless skills of a trained interrogator and so if you had slipped and told me your big secret earlier, I can guarantee Julie would somehow have figured out I was keeping something from her and pried it loose with very embarrassingly little effort." The friends grinned at each other in masculine solidarity before Wyatt exhaled slowly in relief.

"Listen, Bam, it's not that I don't trust you–you know I do, with my very life, man. It's just that, well, I really want this weekend and the marriage proposal to be special for Lucy, and I guess, kinda private just between us, you know?" Wyatt explained, searching his friend's face.

Thankfully for his peace of mind, Bam merely nodded and getting to his feet, fist bumped Wyatt and assured him confidently, "You got my word, Wyatt. Don't worry–I'll do my best to hang tough against Jules for a couple more days..." Famous last words, as it turned out...

End Flashback

"Sorry, brother," Bam shrugged apologetically while both men ignored Julie's soft snicker. "I gave it my best shot, but the second I walked in the door, well, her wife radar must've started going off, and before I knew it, the words were out of my mouth..." Wyatt shook his head ruefully. At least his friend's heart was in the right place.

Giving husband and wife the sternest frown he could muster, Wyatt made both promise to keep his secret at least until he and Lucy returned on Sunday night so they could break the news to Jamie himself. Both readily agreed, although the wildly-excited gleam in Julie B's eyes made him a tiny bit nervous. It was no stretch of the imagination to assume she'd be texting her mom as soon as Wyatt's Jeep pulled away from the curb, but as long as his son didn't find out ahead of time, it would have to do.

Once her mother was able to pry a put-out Sadie away from her beloved Miss Lucy and they said their goodbyes, it was time to get on the road. Wyatt relaxed and taking his girlfriend's small hand securely in his, devoted his attention to managing the Friday afternoon rush hour traffic. It was just shy of 5:30 when he merged into the traffic lined up to go across the Coronado Bridge, climbing higher and higher until it leveled out for around a mile or so. He smiled at Lucy's gasp of pleasure and awed whisper, oh, Wyatt, it's beautiful, as she gazed out her window at the sparkling waters of the bay below. Not as beautiful as a certain school teacher I'm gonna propose to before the weekend was over, Wyatt thought.

Once they exited the bridge and drove onto the island proper, it took only a couple minutes to find the hotel, a charming two-story Spanish-style building located on a quiet side street just off the main thoroughfare. A low stone sign set among a profusion of brightly-colored flowers proclaimed it to be the 1906 Lodge. Pulling up in front of the shaded entrance, Wyatt got out first, and tossing the Jeep keys to the waiting valet, retrieved their suitcase from the back seat before opening Lucy's door.

She was very quiet as they walked hand in hand across the red-tiled entryway into the cool, inviting lobby. A few brief minutes later, after signing in and picking up a set of key cards from the friendly receptionist at the front desk, they made their way outside and climbed the steps to the second floor. Stopping in front of their room, Wyatt's heart began to pound fiercely, and while Lucy didn't seem to notice, he could feel his hand shake slightly as he lightly tapped the key card against the door lock. When the light glowed green, Wyatt turned the door handle and stepped aside to let Lucy enter first. Taking a deep breath and praying, please, God, let her say yes, Wyatt followed the woman he loved-and wanted more than anything to become his wife-through the open door, ready at last to get the most important weekend of his life started...

A/N: Aww, c'mon, Gracie, not a cliffhanger :/ Sorry. Been building up to this super important weekend for a while now and really wanted to do it justice with its own chapter. But hey, how excited am I that First Steps has now hit the 50-chapter mark? Wow! That's CRAZY-but kinda cool, too :) Super quick shout out to those Timeless readers who've continued to support this story-my very first-from the beginning four years ago. I truly appreciate your patience and faith in me :))