Chapter 28
Wyatt stared up at the ceiling in frustration. It was no use, he just couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. Before Lucy, he had been the sole occupant of his roomy, king-sized bed for nearly five years, except on the rare occasion when Jamie was sick or had a bad dream and crawled in with him. And although it had been so very lonely those first months after Jess died, he had eventually gotten used to it.
Now, however, after the fourth night in a row, apparently he couldn't sleep without Lucy for even five nights, Wyatt thought ruefully. It had surprised him how quickly he had adapted to sharing a bed again, and more than once since Saturday, found himself reaching for her in the middle of the night.
He sighed in defeat, and grabbing his phone from the table beside the bed, grimaced at the time reflected there. Dropping the phone on the bed, he scrubbed his face tiredly and wondered how the hell he was going to get through the next ten hours or so. Unfortunately, he and the other T.I.'s had their platoons out in the field for training exercises every day this week, and six hours of intense physical exertion did not mix well at all with a distinct lack of shuteye the night before. Bam had taken one look at him when a hollow-eyed Wyatt silently trudged into their office Monday morning, and for once, had wisely kept his opinion to himself, save for a single snide "walking dead" comment.
As he fully expected, Julie had filled her husband in on at least part of what went down Saturday night, and Wyatt was grateful for his friend's respectful discretion. However, between his talk with her and the painful self examination he had subjected himself to since the incident, Wyatt had no desire to discuss his behavior in this particular instance any further, not even with his best friend. But then out of nowhere, his phone had chimed late Monday night with the following text:
I don't care what it takes, Wyatt Logan, you make this right. Lucy deserves better, and only the fact that my big sister is totally crazy in love with you is keeping me from coming over there and kicking your ass. Just a warning: I know where you live, and seen where you sleep. Don't disappoint me...
In spite of himself, Wyatt had grinned. Only Amy Preston could threaten him and quote the movie "Tommy Boy" in practically the same breath.
Rolling over on his side, he pensively ran his hand over Lucy's pillow, and the intensity of his yearning for her was like a physical ache. Wyatt desperately wanted (more like needed, if he were being brutally honest) to repair this relationship with Lucy. In just a few short months, she had become unbelievably crucial to his happiness and that of his son, and even the slightest chance she might not forgive him was incredibly difficult to contemplate.
That was why two days ago, before he and Bam left their office to go out into the field, Wyatt had made an appointment with one of the base therapists. His first session was on Friday, and he was dreading the thought of another round of spilling his guts to a stranger. A private person, he had utterly despised the mandatory counseling forced on him before he could return to Pendleton after Jess had died, but like a good soldier, Wyatt had sucked it up and gotten through it and then never went back after the minimum number of sessions had been fulfilled.
Nevertheless, in light of his recent behavior, he wondered guiltily if maybe that hadn't been such a good idea. And lest he forget, apparently the 'anger management' training he endured after the incident with those two asshole recruits years ago hadn't done him a fat lot of good either. So, no, he wasn't much of a fan of unburdening his soul to some shrink.
After the way he had treated Lucy, Wyatt had been forced to acknowledge the ugly truth-he was only been fooling himself by assuming his temper was under control and that he had processed his wife's death in a somewhat reasonable manner. What he found even more disturbing, though, was the very real possibility that as rapidly as his rage had consumed him, instead of Lucy, it could have easily been Jamie he had gone off on, and Wyatt absolutely could not handle the thought of hurting his child. He knew himself to be a proud man who disliked asking for help from others, but for Lucy and Jamie, he would humble himself a thousand times over because they were everything in this world to him.
Lying there in his empty bed as daylight slowly replaced the lingering darkness, Wyatt closed his eyes and briefly indulged his longing for Lucy. There were countless little things he missed about her. The wide-eyed sweet smile that was his alone. The subtle smell of her perfume and how right her slender body felt in his arms. A shocked little giggle she couldn't contain when he would say something outrageous just to tease her. The gentle, patient way she treated his son. Unable to stop the flood of memories once the gates were open, his mind began to recall some of his favorite ones, going back to the very first time they met at Jamie's school.
In hindsight, it was amusingly evident how taken he was with his son's young, very attractive teacher from the moment he saw her. Talk about first impressions–those big brown eyes with ridiculously long eyelashes blinking up at him in surprise when he accidentally startled her, followed by an adorable blush spreading across her cheeks. Wyatt could smile now at how royally pissed off he'd gotten when she had chastised him for being late to pick up his child. Just that unpredictably strong reaction alone should have been his first clue of the almost immediate effect this woman, a total stranger, had on him.
In fact, one evening during their Christmas holiday, they had been cuddled up together on the sofa watching a movie when Lucy had shyly confided that the reason she had thoughtlessly scolded him that first day was because he was so good looking, it had intimidated her. Flattered, Wyatt had laughed, even as his face warmed, and teased Lucy that if it would make her happy, he could ask Bam to mess up his pretty face a little. She had bristled indignantly on his behalf at the very idea, and pouted for a good ten minutes before Wyatt took her to bed and made Lucy forget what she was even sulking about.
Fortunately, Wyatt's second impression, the night of the open house at school, turned out to be a total 180 from his original one, starting with the moment he walked into Jamie's classroom and caught his first glimpse of Lucy in a soft pink dress and sweater with all that dark hair curling around her face. And the beautiful smile he witnessed that she'd bestowed on his son had certainly made his heart beat faster.
But what sealed the deal for Wyatt, the real first step towards each other and eventually a relationship, was the momentous day Jamie had asked her if she would marry his daddy. When he'd gotten a call from the office secretary and hurried back to school from the base, he hadn't been sure what to expect. Seeing his little boy curled up trustingly on his teacher's lap and the way she held him so protectively had been the impetus Wyatt needed to make the first move and invite Lucy to supper.
It had turned out to be one of the best decisions he'd ever made. Lucy Preston was an amazing woman, and looking back, it had been ridiculously easy to fall in love with her. Wyatt almost felt sorry for her ex, the doctor from San Francisco (almost). He actually had no idea until Julie had mentioned it Saturday that Lucy turned down a marriage proposal from the guy before moving to San Diego. Come to think of it, she really hadn't told him much about her ex at all beyond a vague comment that they dated casually for a couple years, but it didn't work out, and for whatever reason, she omitted the part about a marriage proposal. "Yeah, you snooze, you lose, doc," he sneered rather childishly to himself. But to be fair, the doctor's loss was happily Wyatt's gain, and he was determined to do whatever was necessary to fix this mess with Lucy after his completely unwarranted jealousy got the better of him.
It was really difficult to tell if he was making any progress toward making things right with Lucy and earning back her trust, though, Wyatt thought despondently when the two of them were still only communicating by text message. More than three days had gone by since he saw her last, and he wanted so badly to actually talk to Lucy or better yet, see her in person, even for just a few minutes. Suddenly, Wyatt had an idea, something a little unexpected, but it might work. However, he was going to need a wing man, and he knew exactly who to ask...
This early in the day, the hallways of Palm Grove Elementary were blessedly quiet, at least for another half hour or so when the first students would arrive, and the perfect opportunity to work on lesson plans for the day. At least, that's what Lucy resolutely told herself after yet another sleepless night spent fruitlessly chasing even a couple hours of elusive rest. Each evening when it came time to climb under the covers, the bed seemed so cold and lonely. Although her soul still felt bruised from Wyatt's uncharacteristic behavior, every time she closed her eyes, memories of him would haunt her.
There were so many things about him she missed. His gentle teasing just to get a reaction out of her. The loving, patient way he parented his son. Those gorgeous blue, blue eyes. The steady, reassuring sound of his heartbeat under her ear when they were in bed together. Those sexy dimples. All the times he would tenderly call her sweetheart in that deep voice. (Dammit, Lucy, this isn't helping.)
It was some solace to her troubled heart that Lucy had been able to spend time with Jamie in class the past two days. Aside from gravely asking her when he arrived on Monday morning if she was all better (oh, if only I were, young Mr. Logan), the little boy had been his usual sweet self, and Lucy was glad Wyatt had kept his child completely oblivious to what had really happened.
Looking at the small clock beside her bed, she groaned in frustration. This was futile. No matter how hard she tried, Lucy just couldn't drift off, and she wondered tiredly how long a person could go without sleep before losing their ability to function. Around 5:30, she finally gave up and wearily made her way downstairs to fix herself a strong, bracing cup of coffee before getting ready for school. Her nose wrinkled in disgust, though, at the mere thought of any kind of breakfast, not having much of an appetite lately.
After taking as hot a shower as she could stand, she stood at the sink, wiping away the steam that had accumulated on the bathroom mirror, and critically examined her reflection. She huffed in resignation at a much too pale complexion and dark shadows that seemed to have taken up permanent residence under her eyes before reaching in her makeup bag for some blusher and concealer. Lucy seriously doubted she was fooling anyone, but it made her feel marginally better to at least try. Thank goodness, as early as it was, Amy would probably still be asleep, which meant she could escape her sister's vaguely disapproving eye.
Thinking of her sibling made Lucy feel slightly guilty. The two of them never kept secrets from each other, but she had just been so apprehensive about Amy's likely reaction if Lucy confided in her. Even though she was seven years younger, her feisty sister could be very protective. Knowing her, she would probably try to kick Wyatt's ass. At times over the years, it had been amusing and kind of sweet when Amy declared that no man was good enough for her sister, but in reality, just the mere thought of her beloved sister and the man she loved deeply (and hoped to have a future with) not getting along was heartbreaking.
Having somehow miraculously gotten away with distracting Amy on Sunday, Lucy's reprieve ended the following evening when her unexpected presence at their apartment after little sister came home earlier than usual from class definitely set off all kinds of sisterly alarms. "Maybe I should have stayed in a motel for a few days," Lucy thought dryly, only half kidding, when Hurricane Amy blew into her big sister's room.
"I knew it! Something's wrong!" she declared accusingly, hands on her hips. "What did he do? I am so gonna kick his ass! You and Wyatt Logan have been practically living together for weeks now, and all of a sudden, you're home two nights in a row? Not to mention you look like someone stole your favorite doll." And as much as Lucy tried to steel herself for this inevitable familial interrogation, all she could do was gaze at Amy miserably, helpless to prevent the tears that slipped down her face. At Lucy's clear anguish, her sister had relented, and sitting on the side of the bed, hugged her tightly.
"Hey, c'mon, Luce, I'm sorry. Do you wanna talk about it?" she murmured kindly. Hoping to salvage what she could of Wyatt's up-to-now friendly relationship with Amy, she had half-heartedly shrugged and tried to minimize his behavior, deliberately glossing over the worst of it. Of course, her sister instantly knew she wasn't telling her everything because Lucy truly was a dismal liar.
But to her immense relief, aside from a skeptical frown, Amy had merely asked bluntly if it was over and she had broken up with Wyatt. Genuinely taken aback, Lucy had stammered out a shocked denial and then at her sister's earnest request, promised she wouldn't rush back to his side until the two of them had thoroughly discussed everything.
Silent for a long moment, Amy gazed intently at Lucy and observed, "My God, you really are head over heels, out of your mind, until the day you die, seriously in love with him, aren't you?" Feeling a bit choked up by her sister's words, all she could do was nod sadly at Amy, who apparently decided to take pity on Lucy and leave her be for the time being.
In spite of her despair, she had mustered a faint smile at Amy's parting comment when she left the room simply because it was nearly identical to the one Julie had made Saturday night. "Good luck, Luce, and hey, you might consider making him suffer at least a little bit before you take him back, you know, on behalf of the sisterhood." And not for the first time since meeting the Baumgardners, Lucy wondered absently if maybe Julie and Amy truly were twins separated at birth.
Trying to concentrate on the information in front of her and re-reading the same paragraph for at least the third time, Lucy was dimly aware of footsteps in the hallway outside her door. "Must be one of the other teachers," she thought idly without looking up, when a small, high-pitched voice chirped, "Morning, Miss Lucy! I'm here!" and suddenly Jamie was standing in front of her desk, beaming at her. Just as she was about to return his cheery greeting, Lucy noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and glancing at the open door, her heart skipped a beat.
He was here. Wyatt Logan was leaning casually against her classroom doorway, his dark blue eyes watching her solemnly, looking so damn handsome and yet somewhat uncertain that she nearly stopped breathing at just the sight of him. He was dressed in his usual work uniform, camo cargo pants and a snug green tee shirt, and as a faint blush spread across his cheeks, Lucy realized she was staring. He cleared his throat abruptly and murmured, "Um, I just wanted to say hi. Hope that's okay," and gazed at her expectantly.
So many conflicting emotions crowded Lucy's heart that she couldn't think, let alone speak, for a moment–love, shock, pain, desire, grief. She must have hesitated for too long, though, because the faintly hopeful look slipped from Wyatt's face as he straightened up and said softly, "Well, I better go. It was nice to see you, Lucy. Bye, son, have a good day," and then he was gone.
Lucy blinked slowly in bewilderment before hastily directing Jamie to the Lego table by the windows and promising him she'd be right back. She flew through the door and hurried down the deserted hall after Wyatt. "Wait! Please, Wyatt?" she implored. Thankfully, he stopped and turned around to face her, an unreadable expression on his face.
Coming to a shaky halt in front of him, one quick glance told Lucy she wasn't the only one who hadn't been getting enough rest. His dull blue gaze regarded her impassively, and his freshly-shaved complexion was as drawn and pale as hers. Wyatt's sincere remorse over what happened between them had been evident to her from the texts they had been exchanging since Sunday, but now, seeing him face to face like this, it struck Lucy forcibly that he was suffering, too. And knowing full well the kind of man Wyatt Logan was, she really did understand how appalled he must be at his reckless actions.
Regardless of her lingering feelings of pain and sorrow, Lucy's heart ached for Wyatt, and she impulsively asked, "How are you doing?"
His eyes widened almost comically in confusion at her question before he swallowed hard and answered indifferently, "I'm fine." When one of her eyebrows quirked upwards in disbelief, he ducked his head bashfully and admitted, "Okay, to be honest, not that great." Lucy gazed at him sadly, uncertain how to respond, when he shrugged self consciously and noted, "Hey, I should be asking you that question," reaching out to tenderly run his finger down the curve of her cheek.
Shivering at his delicate touch, Lucy closed her eyes briefly as a wave of intense longing threatened to overwhelm her. "Why couldn't someone invent a time machine so they could go back to Saturday before any of this happened?" she thought wistfully. "I'm doing okay, I guess," and he nodded slowly, a faint frown drawing his dark brows together.
Wyatt took a deep breath before stepping closer, and after a slight hesitation, asked gruffly, "Um, would you consider meeting me for coffee some time? Whenever you're ready, of course. We don't even have to talk if you don't want to. I just, well, I really miss being with you," he confessed shyly, and looked at Lucy so hopefully that she just couldn't bring herself to turn him down. Beside, being away from him the last few days had been utterly miserable for her as well.
"Yes, I'd like that," she accepted quietly, and her heart beat faster when his face lit up and he grinned at her, dimples on full display.
He exclaimed, "That's great! Just let me know when. I'm sure I can probably get Julie to watch Jamie."
Before she knew it, Lucy impulsively blurted out, "How about today?" and Wyatt sent her a soft, approving smile before agreeing to meet her at the Starbucks not far from her apartment around 5:00.
Looking down at her, his blue eyes shone with pleasure, and Lucy could plainly see how happy she had made him. Without warning, something Julie had told her the other night popped into her head, "...never doubt how much Wyatt Logan loves you...he will go to his grave loving you..." Her answering smile faltered slightly as once more, Lucy was reminded that she wasn't the only who had been unhappy. It seemed Wyatt was willing to trust his whole future on whether or not she was able to forgive him, a sobering thought indeed.
Before either of them could say anything more, a little voice called from her doorway, "Miss Lucy, can you please help me with the Legos?" and the moment was lost.
Wyatt exhaled in frustration and said reluctantly, "You better go," as he turned to leave.
Without thinking, Lucy took his warm hand in hers and squeezed gently, "I'll see you at 5:00, okay?" and had to be content when one corner of his mouth turned up and he nodded before turning and striding down the hallway to the front doors. Watching him leave, Lucy felt better than she had in days. Maybe she was one of those annoying eternal optimists, but to her, it seemed like she and Wyatt were cautiously heading in the right direction, taking things one day at a time. Meeting him after school this afternoon for coffee and hopefully, a little honest conversation, was a vital first step if they had any hope of repairing their relationship, she concluded.
Just then, first bell rang, and excited, chattering students and teachers began to crowd the hallway. "It was going to be a long wait until 5:00," Lucy thought woefully as she hastened back to her classroom, but at this point, she was fairly confident it would be worth it.
By the time he made his way through the crowded school parking lot and climbed in his Jeep, Wyatt could no longer contain his relief that Lucy had agreed to meet him for coffee. "Almost like a first date," he told himself. Some of his pleasure dimmed, though, as he recalled how pale and exhausted she'd looked sitting at her desk, noticeable even under the little bit of makeup she was wearing. "That was all on him," he thought, with a guilty twinge.
He had been so worried as he and his son had approached the classroom. (What if she ignored him or turned away?) Stopping just outside the door, Wyatt had gently tapped his small wing man on the shoulder and motioned for Jamie to greet his teacher, smothering an affectionate grin when the little boy nodded eagerly and gave his father a tiny thumbs up. By the time Lucy had noticed the child standing in front of her desk, Wyatt had schooled his features in a self protective mask. No need to be openly wearing his feelings this soon in the 'campaign.'
Very early that morning, as he lay in bed thinking about Lucy, Wyatt had come to the conclusion that he might have a better chance of getting her to forgive him and earning back her trust if he looked at his problem the way he would a military campaign. After twelve years in the service, he was comfortably well versed in strategies and maneuvers, and the inherent orderliness of the idea appealed to him. Of course, Wyatt was certainly well aware that his relationship with Lucy was not some battle to be won, not really, but hey, he was getting desperate.
For a fleeting second, Wyatt considered that perhaps he should let Lucy go forever. Maybe she would be better off with someone like her ex rather than a bad-tempered mess with obvious anger and jealousy issues like him. But he instantly dismissed that idea. Naturally, it was probably incredibly selfish of him, but Wyatt loved and needed this woman too much not to fight with everything he had for the future with her that he dreamed of, if not the one he necessarily deserved.
And now, to his delight, the first step was complete–Lucy had agreed to spend a little time with him, just the two of them. Pulling his phone out of his back pocket, he hastily sent a text to Julie:
Hey? Can I ask a favor?
Sure, especially if it has to do with Lucy :)
It does...ok, I know you're squealing at your phone right now, but calm down, ok? You're probably scaring the girls, lol.
Should the fact that you totally predicted my reaction worry me?
Julie! Focus!
Ok, ok, sorry, what's the favor?
I know this is really short notice, but could you and the girls pick up Jamie at school today and keep him for a few hours, including supper?
Of course! Are you gonna share your big, secret plans with me? PLEASE?
Nope, but I promise I will tell you all about it when I come pick up Jamie, ok MOM?
You're such a bone stubborn Texan, Wyatt Logan, but you know I love you anyway.
I know, love you too, Julie B. I really appreciate this. Gotta go, your man is probably wondering where I am. Talk to you later.
She responded with a smiley emoji, and Wyatt sighed in satisfaction. Step two was a go. Now he just had to get through this long-ass day in one piece. (Sadly, to Bam's everlasting annoyance, a few of their recruits were surprisingly clumsy.) A suddenly optimistic Wyatt was determined not to blow this possible second chance that Lucy was giving him. It was too important–she was too important, and absolutely essential to his future happiness.
Feeling somehow physically lighter and in a much more cheerful state of mind than he had been in what seemed like weeks, Wyatt made his way to the base, already mentally counting the hours until 5:00.
A/N: Yes! Finally. (I've been trying to post this new chapter since last night.) Thank you, site support :) Hey, guys, so sorry for the long wait (a month, I think?) for this new chapter, hope it's worth it. Guess I got distracted writing a bunch of new stuff for January's TFP contest, which was just so much fun.
Okay, broken record time: I really do appreciate all the kind support and encouragement from everyone here for this beast of a story (that just seems to keep going and going) in the form of favorites, follows, and of course, reviews, lol... What an amazing fandom we have :)) And best of all, FIVE weeks from tonight, Timeless is back, baby! Hard to believe it's been a year since the Season One finale, but I have full confidence that Season Two will be even better. Let the countdown begin :))