Chapter 7

Lucy considered herself to be a safe, careful driver. She always obeyed the speed limit, came to a complete halt at stop signs, and wore her seat belt at all times. She was therefore somewhat bemused to realize that not only was she already parked in front of her apartment, she couldn't recall much of the drive home. "Now that's what you call 'distracted' driving," she thought, choking back a giggle. (And oh, what a distraction Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan was turning out to be.)

Gathering her things, she went inside, and wondering why Amy wasn't home yet, remembered her sister had a late class this evening. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and went upstairs to change her clothes. Less than ten minutes later, Lucy had slipped into a long-sleeved tee and sleep pants and removed her earrings and makeup. Dropping down on the bed, she hugged her knees to her chest and smiled as she considered the past few hours. A faint blush warmed her face as she recalled Wyatt's reaction when she impulsively leaned up and kissed his cheek as she was leaving. Those dark blue eyes had fluttered shut as he inhaled sharply in surprise (guess shy little Lucy had some game after all).

Although she wasn't sure what to expect, the whole evening had been wonderful from start to finish. When their front door opened, a visibly excited Jamie had nearly knocked her over as he greeted her, while his dad stood there with a shy, welcoming smile on his face. (And how adorable that father and son were dressed alike.) Once inside, Lucy noticed how tidy and comfortable their home was, and had really enjoyed the simple but excellent meal Wyatt had prepared. The conversation during supper had been casual and fun, and to Lucy's great relief, the subject of Jamie's "marriage proposal" that morning never came up.

She had seen a different side of Wyatt during her visit, she mused, and had to admit, she liked it very much. Of course, (dipping a toe in the shallow end of the pool) the man was flat out gorgeous: dark hair, intense blue eyes, broad shoulders, all those muscles (oh my), and those shy dimples. Yes, he was definitely very easy on the eyes, but after spending the last couple of hours with him, Lucy had learned that the soldier was so much more than his physical appearance. He was kind, possessed a subtle sense of humor, was well-read (the teacher in her appreciated that), and perhaps most appealing of all, he was an excellent father. (To tell the truth, Lucy was more than a little bit attached to young Jamie Logan already.)

Wyatt really had done a marvelous job of raising his son after his wife died. Jess Logan had been young and attractive, with a loving husband and beautiful baby son when she had died so suddenly, and Lucy hadn't been able to hold back a tear when the child had showed her his mother's picture and explained where his Mommy was. She had only met the Logans six weeks ago, but already knew they were two very special guys, and any woman would be lucky to be part of their small family. She half smiled at the thought that she probably missed her chance when she turned down the "proposal" earlier today.

Lucy knew that although she was rather inexperienced when it came to men, and somewhat naive, she had always hoped to find someone to share her life with. After two years, she had eventually figured out that Doctor Noah was not that person. "But Wyatt could be," her heart whispered, "if you are brave enough to take the next step." She shook her head at the notion and sighing, went downstairs to finish tomorrow's lesson plans.

The next morning, Lucy was sitting at a table in the back of her classroom sorting out art supplies for a Halloween project for her students. She suddenly felt two small arms hug her around the neck. "Miss Preston, I have a surprise for you!" exclaimed Jamie with a big grin, handing her a small white envelope. "What's this?" she asked. "It's from Daddy, and he said not to forget, and it's a surprise, and it's just for you!" he told her solemnly. Smiling, Lucy thanked him and then put the small envelope in her pocket as the bell rang to start the school day.

She couldn't stop staring at the clock, mentally willing the time to go faster. (Lucy was pretty sure the mysterious envelope from Wyatt was going to burn a hole in her pocket before she even got a chance to open it.) Finally, it was recess time, and her students would be outside for the next fifteen minutes. Taking a deep breath, she sat at her desk and with slightly shaking hands, opened the envelope. In a neat, masculine hand, he had written:

Lucy, thank you for bringing Jamie his school work last night. We both had a good time, and hope you did, too. It might be kind of soon (to be honest, I'm a little rusty at this), but I was hoping I could get your phone number (if you don't mind). If you think that's okay, you can text me at 614-555-1212. Thank you Lucy, for all you do for my son. I hope to hear from you. Wyatt

She read the note three times, and pressed a trembling hand to her chest. Wyatt Logan wanted her phone number. She was flattered and a bit surprised. She, Lucy Preston, was just an ordinary woman, while Wyatt was, well, if she had met him under just about any other circumstances, she would have instantly assumed that he was way out of her league. Seriously, a man like Wyatt could have his pick of about any female he desired, and (to her amazement) it seemed he had chosen her. Lucy quickly dug her phone out of her bag, and before she lost her courage, tapped out a brief text, thanking him for dinner and that she had enjoyed the evening also, and hit send. Her heart was beating so fast, she felt slightly dizzy. She put her phone in the top drawer of her desk just as the children came in from recess, fighting the urge to hold on to the device until he responded (please, please let it be soon).

Wyatt was doing his best to concentrate, but after reading the same paragraph three times without a lick of comprehension, he put down the report he had been trying to review and rubbed his forehead in frustration. Had Jamie lost the note? Had she read it yet? "Maybe it was too soon to ask for her phone number," he thought. But this morning, his son had barely opened his eyes when the words started spilling out of him, "Daddy, can Miss Preston eat supper with us tonight? Supper tastes better when she is here, and we can buy more pink cupcakes, right Daddy? And I have lots more stories she can read to me. Miss Preston is a good reader. Do you think she is a good reader? Please, Daddy, can you ask her to come back?"

Wyatt chuckled at his son's excitement, but then it had occurred to him that he actually didn't have a way to contact Lucy except when she was at school (should have asked for her phone number, Logan, you moron) and he was not about to call her there for personal reasons. As new and fragile as whatever this was between the two of them, he certainly didn't want her to get into trouble or (God forbid) give the school gossips something to chew on. He finally decided on a brief note that could be delivered by his son, and hastily scribbled a few sentences. Jamie, of course, was thrilled when Wyatt asked him to take the envelope to his teacher. "I won't forget, Daddy," the little boy had promised.

Wyatt looked up as Bam Bam strolled into the room carrying a folder. "Hey, it's almost noon. Why don't we grab some lunch at the Mess while we look over this report, okay?" Wyatt agreed, and patting his pants pocket to make sure he had his phone (just in case), followed his friend down the hall. The two men had just finished eating when Wyatt's phone vibrated in his pocket. Stopping mid-sentence, he retrieved the phone and quickly read the text, not realizing he was smiling. He glanced up to see Bam Bam staring at him. Wyatt could feel the heat rising up his neck, and knew he was blushing (Jesus, was he fourteen years old?) "What are you staring at?" he asked his friend. (Nope, that didn't sound defensive at all, dammit). "Well, I'm not really sure," Bam Bam responded with a knowing smirk, "But if I had to guess, judging from the expression on your face, that text was possibly from a pretty school teacher you might know?"

Wyatt swallowed hard, and tried to deny the other man's guess, but suddenly, he realized a little advice, from one guy to another, could be helpful. As his friend waited patiently for him to speak (wipe that smug look off your face, Baumgardner), Wyatt struggled to keep it casual, (yep, probably too late for that) "Okay, so yeah, it is from her, and I just want...and she is...but there's Jamie..." his voice trailing off. His friend paused before responding, and then, surprisingly, gave Wyatt a serious answer. "Wyatt, we have known each other since we were 18 years old, and when you lost Jess, well, that was really hard to watch. But you got your shit together, and you're raising your boy right. But, Wy, I also know that this woman, this school teacher, is the first female you have even so much as blinked at since your wife died, and all I can say is, it's about damn time, son–take the win." And with that, he got up and punched Wyatt in the bicep as he walked away. "Asshole," Wyatt thought fondly.

He looked down at the phone, and before he could second-guess himself, texted Lucy to ask if she would like to see a movie with him and Jamie on Saturday afternoon, and maybe go for some pizza afterwards. In spite of his son's fervent request, he was a little unsure that it might be too soon to see her again (who was he trying to convince?), but almost immediately, she responded that she'd like that very much. (She said yes!) He texted back that he would figure out the details and let her know as soon as possible. Wyatt was helpless to hold back a big grin as he realized that he had a date with Lucy Preston on Saturday (well, maybe not a date since his son would be going along), but secretly, he thought "date" sounded pretty good.

A/N: I know this is the shortest chapter yet, but I really wanted to devote some thought to their first "not" date before posting, so I'm saving that for Chapter 8. I am so happy that people are liking this story, and want to emphasize how much I appreciate all the kind words from everyone. It's very encouraging :) thank you!