Chapter 44
A/N #1: So sorry it's been a few months since the last update. After stepping away to write an angsty new season two fic, "Love, Hate and Honor," I was inspired to finally complete "Another Heart to Hold" (the sequel to "Holding Their Hearts Forever"), but now we're back to see what's going on with Lucy, Wyatt, and little Jamie...
Despite the damp mid-winter chill outside, the Logan apartment was warm and fragrant with the enticing scent of Ruth's homemade chicken soup simmering on top of the stove and a pan of blueberry muffins Wyatt had just taken out of the oven. Lucy and Jamie were setting the dining room table when there was a sharp knock on the front door. Amy was right on time. Her stomach clenched slightly. Being at odds with her sister happened so infrequently, it always made Lucy anxious to smooth things over between them when it did.
"I got it!" the excited five-year-old yelled, dropping the rest of the silverware in a heap on the table and running to the door. Holding tightly to the back of a chair, Lucy stood very still as she waited to greet their dinner guest. The next few minutes were probably going to be a little awkward. Amy Preston had never in her life been reticent about sharing her feelings, and Lucy had no doubt how freaked out she was going to be about the accident.
She started at Wyatt's deep voice near her ear as he wrapped a supportive arm around her waist. "Hey, try to relax. I'm sure you two will work through things and everything's going to be fine. I know this distance lately between you and Amy has been weighing on your mind for weeks now, but keep telling yourself that she's family...and whatever her reasons for being upset with you, they're coming from a place of love," he advised kindly, pressing a gentle kiss on the side of her head. Wyatt was right, of course, Lucy thought, and felt her nerves ease slightly.
Listening patiently to the little boy chatter as he dragged her into the dining room, it took a few seconds for Lucy's appearance to register with Amy. The indulgent smile fell from her pretty face and her hazel eyes widened in bewilderment at the sling her sister was wearing over top of a loose sweatshirt and baggy knit pants, as well as the large bandaid on her cheek. "Luce? What's going on? I noticed the bandaid Jamie was wearing, but you're hurt, too?" the younger woman stammered. "What happened to you two? And when did this happen?" Now that the time had come to tell Amy about the accident, Lucy hesitated for a few seconds, grateful for the solid, comforting warmth of Wyatt behind her.
"C'mon, sweetheart...you got this," he whispered helpfully in her ear, giving her a tiny nudge toward her confused sister. Amy met her halfway and pulled Lucy into a tentative hug, mindful of the sling she wore.
"Hey, Amy. I'm okay...looks much worse than it feels, I promise," Lucy soothed, leaning back and cupping her sister's flushed cheek. From behind them, she heard Wyatt quietly ask Jamie to help Daddy with something in the kitchen to give them some privacy. "Let's sit down and talk for a few minutes while Wyatt finishes dinner, alright?"
Amy nodded and followed Lucy into the front room where they sat silently on the sofa facing each other for a few seconds while she gathered her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Lucy explained she and Jamie were on their way to a birthday party on Saturday morning when a guy in a pickup ran a red light and hit the passenger side of her car. Although her car was pretty much totaled, besides some cuts and bruises, the worst of it was Lucy dislocated her shoulder and Jamie suffered a mild concussion that resulted in the two of them spending the night in the hospital. "But we are going to be just fine," she hastened to add.
To her credit, while she did gasp and get a little teary-eyed, her often impetuous sister didn't interrupt Lucy even once, merely clasped her hand reassuringly. When she finished, Amy sat completely still for a few seconds, a bemused expression on her face. "Geez, Luce, I go away for the weekend and you end up getting in a car accident," she joked with a shaky laugh. "Seriously, though, thank God you and Jamie weren't injured worse than you were." Lucy nodded in agreement.
After a brief hesitation, Amy continued. "I'm glad you invited me over 'cause I hate how things have been a little tense between us lately. Not proud of it, but I suppose that's pretty much on me. I have been a little pissed off at you and acting kinda bitchy, but here's the honest truth...when you were dating Dr. Noah, while I never thought he treated you all that great, I certainly didn't worry much about it because it was obvious-to me at least–that the relationship would never be serious enough to move beyond casual dating. Fast forward a few months later after you moved to San Diego, though, and bam–you fall for Wyatt Logan so hard and so fast it made my head spin."
Lucy felt her cheeks warm. There was a lot of truth in what her sister said; however, in spite of falling so quickly for Wyatt, her love for him was the real deal, and it was kind of weird to hear Amy acknowledge that.
"Don't get me wrong–I'm thrilled for you, except...the thought of how easily he could break or at least bruise your heart scares me a little, so I couldn't help but worry when you two had a fairly serious fight. Afterwards, Luce, you just seemed so, well, devastated, which really shook me, so I did feel you might've been too quick to forgive him for hurting you. That being said, I see now I should've trusted your judgment, and so for that, I owe you an apology. I love you, big sister, very much, and want more than anything for you to be happy. Ever since Mom and Dad passed away a few years ago, it's been the Preston girls against the world, and us not getting along really sucks because I truly don't know what I'd do without you," she whispered thickly.
Lucy's throat tightened at her sister's emotional, albeit rambling apology. Leaning in, she carefully wrapped her good arm around Amy and held her close. "Oh, little sister, I love you, too," she responded warmly, her heart lighter now than it'd been in weeks. Despite her reluctance to spoil the sweet moment, though, Lucy's nagging unhappiness at being caught these last few weeks between the man she hoped to marry some day and her beloved sister compelled her to speak. As she'd told Wyatt earlier, it was past time to set some clear boundaries. Best to just get it over with, she told herself.
Drawing back to gaze into Amy's teary hazel eyes, Lucy took a steadying breath and said, "Actually, I'm really glad you're here, too, and that we're talking things out because there's something I need to say. You're right, there has been an emotional distance between us lately. It was quite clear you weren't overjoyed about my reconciliation with Wyatt after the big argument he and I had last month, and I understand it's because of your concern for me–which I sincerely appreciate because you are very important to me, too. However, to put it bluntly, my relationship with him is my business. There are things between Wyatt and me that are private, things you know nothing about, and I'm sorry, but that's the way it should be. While you will always be my little sister-and of course I value your opinion–the bottom line is whether you approve or not, I love Wyatt and want a future with him. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings here, but please, please don't ask me to choose between the two of you, Amy."
Deliberately pretending not to see how the younger woman immediately stiffened up at her unexpectedly straightforward manner, Lucy held her ground, waiting patiently while a host of varying emotions passed over her sister's always expressive face: surprise, maybe a touch of annoyance, and finally resignation. With a dramatic sigh, Amy grudgingly allowing that maybe her temper and long-standing protectiveness of Lucy had gotten the better of her in this instance. "And wow–you actually used your 'teacher' voice on me, Luce. I suppose I deserve it though, since I've been such a pill. Alright, I'll take my reprimand, Miss Preston, and promise to do better, alright?" she grinned unrepentantly. Lucy shook her head fondly. Her sibling was notoriously stubborn to the point of being hard-headed at times, but could always be counted on to keep her word...and that was good enough for her.
The sisters looked up at the sound of Wyatt politely clearing his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but the food's ready when you are, and I've got a impatient five-year-old at the table wanting his supper," he said, giving Amy a tentative smile as he helped Lucy to her feet. "Everything okay, sweetheart?" Wyatt whispered, relieved when she only nodded and gripped his hand tightly. He had no doubt Lucy would share the details when she was ready. They followed the younger Preston into the other room where Jamie was indeed waiting. The little boy's adorable pout quickly turned to a sunny smile when Amy sat beside him.
During the casual meal, Wyatt said little, content to listen to his son chatter while the siblings got caught up with each other. Aware of Amy Preston's polite enough-yet understandably guarded–attitude toward him at the moment, he still recognized the effort she was making to keep the conversation light, even as he felt her speculative glance from time to time. After the stressful weekend they'd had, it was especially great to see Lucy noticeably relax and even get some color back in her face as she laughed and enjoyed her younger sister's funny stories about the trip she just got back from.
Not to mention how much Wyatt appreciated Amy's sincere attention when Jamie eagerly-vividly-recounted what he remembered of the accident, even if his own parental guilt made it hard for him to hear the upsetting story again. Looking down at the table, he started at the feel of Lucy's small hand wrapped discreetly around his. Gazing into her warm brown eyes, he saw no trace of blame or recrimination, merely a patient understanding, and took comfort in the reassurance she offered so effortlessly. Was it any wonder he loved this amazing woman with all his heart?
By the time they finished the simple, delicious meal (because nobody made soup as good as Ruth's), he noticed both Lucy and Jamie were starting to lose steam despite the fairly early hour and sleeping most of the afternoon. Best if they all turned in early, Wyatt decided, what with the Valentines Day activities planned for tomorrow. Wiping his mouth and setting down the napkin, he stood to start clearing the table. Catching Lucy's eye, he nodded towards his son, who was rubbing sleepy blue eyes and struggling not to yawn.
"Sweetheart, why don't you take Jamie upstairs and get him in the tub while I clean up the dishes," Wyatt suggested, ignoring her surprised frown as easily as he anticipated the five-year-old's immediate protest. One stern glance, along with the possibility of missing his class party tomorrow, however, and thankfully, Jamie hastily subsided. "Go ahead now, son, and tell Miss Amy goodnight, and then go on upstairs with Miss Lucy and get your bath," he instructed firmly, "I'll be up to tuck you in after I finish cleaning up, alright?"
Pulling out Lucy's chair, Wyatt put his hand under her good elbow to help her stand before leaning close and tenderly kissing her forehead. "Thank you, Ma'am," he murmured. "Sorry if that was a little on the bossy side, but you and Jamie are both fading fast, and I'm sure under the circumstances, your sister will understand if we cut the evening short." She nodded, sending Amy a faintly apologetic smile before turning to offer the little boy her hand.
"Yes, Sir," Jamie mumbled dejectedly, scrambling out of his chair and going to Amy's side to hug her (grinning shyly and nodding his head when she whispered something in his ear) before reluctantly taking Lucy's hand. Neatly stacking the dirty dishes to carry into the kitchen, Wyatt rolled his eyes when the sounds of the overtired five-year-old fussing about going to bed early drifted down the steps and broke the not uncomfortable silence. Glancing over at Amy, he was relieved to see a faint smile on her pretty face and surprisingly, a familiar twinkle in her hazel eyes. "Uh, sorry about that, Amy...my son has been a little cranky the past 48 hours or so," Wyatt started to explain before she interrupted him.
"Hey, absolutely no apology necessary, Wyatt. In all fairness, your son's had a rough couple of days," the younger woman pointed out, "So I think he's entitled to be a little out of sorts." She shrugged carelessly at his obvious surprise. "What? Jamie is usually a sweet, well-behaved little guy, and I've always thought you're an excellent father, Wyatt...although your boyfriend skills could use a little work." Amy observed, arching an elegant brow in his direction rather challengingly. Ouch. Direct hit...
Then a split second later, she unexpectedly changed the subject by offering to wash the dishes. Wyatt stared at her in confusion for a few seconds before responding. "Well, thank you, I appreciate that. But you're company, Amy, so I don't expect you to help..." his voice trailed away when she gave him what he privately called the Preston look because he'd occasionally seen the very same implacable expression on Lucy's face in the past. Since he'd learned from past experience it would serve no purpose to argue, Wyatt acquiesced gracefully, leading the way into the kitchen. It took but a minute to stack the dirty dishes on the counter beside the sink and start running hot soapy water while Amy picked up a dishcloth.
They worked companionably side by side without speaking, Amy getting started on washing and rinsing the dishes while he put away the rest of the soup and muffins. Once the last piece of silverware was placed in the drainer, she pulled the plug to let the water out and wiped her hands on the damp towel Wyatt offered her. Taking a seat at the kitchen table, she pulled out her phone, seemingly distracted by the device while he dried the dishes before looking up suddenly and asking bluntly, "So, this is probably none of my business, Wyatt, but since you were married before, do you love my sister more than or at least as much as your wife?" He froze at the stunningly direct question.
Jesus...little Preston does not mess around when it comes to protecting her big sister, he thought wryly, mentally shaking his head. While a part of him was vaguely offended at such an innately personal-not to mention pretty intrusive-question, Wyatt also realized because it was Amy (rude as it was) doing the asking, her motive came from a place of love and concern for Lucy. Busying himself for a moment with putting the last of the dishes in the cupboard and leaving the silverware to air dry, Wyatt took his time replying. Wiping his hands and setting the dish towel beside the drainer first, he sat down across the table from his (hopefully) future sister-in-law, who watched him expectantly.
"I can't speak for other guys, of course, but feeling more or less isn't really how love works, Amy, at least not in my experience," Wyatt answered quietly. "Something like that would be extremely unfair to both of the women I've been fortunate to fall in love with. While there's a few things Lucy and Jess have in common I was obviously drawn to, like having gentle, sweet personalities and being beautiful both inside and out, they are also very different in certain ways." He frowned, not entirely sure how much he wanted to share with the younger woman, potential family member or not.
Lost in thought, he looked up when Amy reached across the table and rested her hand on his arm. "Excellent answer–both fair and reasonable. I'm truly sorry if I crossed a line with you or if you think I'm being super rude, but Lucy's future happiness is extremely important to me, and I need to know she'll be loved and cherished the way she deserves to be. So I'm just looking for a little reassurance here. As for your wife, I've always been a bit curious. Will you tell me a little about her, Wyatt? Please?" she coaxed. Staring at her blankly for a few seconds, Wyatt sought to collect his thoughts before speaking. While not exactly sure why his girlfriend's sister was interested, he guessed it couldn't hurt to share a few basic things–plus her attitude towards him had definitely thawed, so there was that.
"I'm not exactly the 'romantic' type, but I guess you could say Jessica was my first love since we met in high school back in Texas," he began with a wistful smile that Amy returned. "I was a senior and she was a couple years behind me. First time I noticed her, I was sitting in the cafeteria with some friends. She was pretty as a picture...fairly tall and slim, long, shiny blonde hair, and a smile that about made my 17-year-old heart stop." Wyatt's cheeks heated slightly at the intimate admission.
Clearing his throat, he continued, "Anyway, Jess' family had moved to my town over the summer, so she was new to our dinky little high school. By the time the last bell rang that afternoon, I had gotten up the courage to introduce myself and ask for her phone number. Now, unsurprisingly, there were a few other guys who'd noticed the new girl-including a couple of my buddies-so she definitely could've had her pick. Lucky for me, Jess must've seen something in me she liked 'cause we had our first date that weekend. I think maybe I started falling in love with her before the second date, and she felt the same way. We were inseparable the rest of my senior year until I left for Pendleton."
It had been quite some time since he'd revisited those early years with his wife, but surprisingly, instead of the usual sorrow and regret Wyatt often experienced on the rare occasion he ventured down 'memory lane,' sharing her with Amy actually felt kinda nice, and not nearly as sad as usual–due in large part to Lucy and her generous, loving patience with him..
For all that she was usually a real live wire, Amy Preston turned out to be a very good listener. Over the next few minutes, he briefly recounted returning to Texas from San Diego when Jess graduated from high school two years later and how they'd gotten engaged that weekend and then married by the end of the summer. Looking back, it struck Wyatt anew how tragically few years he'd had with his wife. Not that many, but thankfully, they were all good ones, he reflected pensively.
"Jamie was born a couple years after we were married. Jess had always hoped to start a family sooner rather than later, and even though we were both pretty young, I think it was the right decision for us. As it turned out, the last year and a half or so of her life did include the child she wanted so badly...and I'm extremely grateful for that. Jess had an easy pregnancy and was a real natural at being a mother. A big part of my sorrow over her passing is that our son was only eight months old when he lost his Mommy."
Wyatt fell silent, lost in bittersweet memories. "Hey, Wyatt?" Amy asked interrupted his thoughts hesitantly, "Um, I'm sorry if I upset you by asking about your wife. It sounds like Jessica was a wonderful person. Thank you for sharing her with me." She gave him a tentative smile, and it suddenly occurred to him as he glanced across the table at her that Lucy's younger sister was about same age as Jess was when she died. So damn young...
"She was only 23 years old," Wyatt said abruptly, "But Jess did a lot of living in those 23 short years, and I like to think Jamie and I made her happy, you know, gave her a good life. And it's okay, Amy, you didn't really upset me. I'm an only child, but I understand how much you love your sister and how important her happiness is to you. As for my wife, well, time passes and eventually the grief lessens. And with Lucy's love and endless patience, talking or even thinking about Jess isn't nearly as painful as it used to be–and that's a good thing, I think, because eventually my son will naturally be curious about his mother."
He stood, ready to excuse himself to tuck Jamie in when Amy reached for his hand. "One last thing, Wyatt, and then I swear I'll never ask you again-what does my sister mean to you?" Wyatt sighed mentally. Amy Preston was so young and unbelievably tenacious, practically to the point of rudeness, but she was Lucy's only family, so Wyatt tamped down his annoyance and answered as calmly as he could manage, starting with the elephant in the room.
"Before I answer that, you need to know I understand why you've been perturbed with me. No offense, because the details are none of your concern, but yes, I messed up big time and hurt Lucy, so of course that hurts you and–whether you believe me or not-it about kills me to cause her pain. Despite that, since your sister is an extremely forgiving woman, she and I have been able to work through some issues the past few weeks, and I think we're in a pretty good place right now in our relationship." A faint weariness washed over Wyatt, and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to be done with this intensely personal conversation and just curl up in bed with Lucy for the rest of the night after Jamie went to sleep.
Inhaling deeply, he made himself finish. "Amy, she's everything...kind, loving, smart, funny, and so pretty she takes my breath away sometimes. I don't have all the fancy words a woman like Lucy deserves. Hell, to be honest, just about the last thing I expected when Jamie started kindergarten six months ago was to meet someone I was interested in dating, let alone fall hard for. Since Jess died, I'd devoted myself to my career and raising our son, so sure that part of my life was over. Thank God it didn't take long for my thick brain to figure out what my heart seemed to know almost right away: your sister is my miracle second chance at love, and I'm so damn grateful to have her in my life...forever, if she'll have me." He was shocked when the younger woman abruptly jumped to her feet and threw her arms around him.
"Oh my gosh, that was just beautiful!" she exclaimed fervently, hugging him tightly. "And I think you are much more romantic than you realize, Wyatt Logan. My sister is one lucky woman, and I'm so glad you found each other because I know you and Jamie make her happy. Hey, thanks for being so nice to me, even though I was kinda being a jerk and you probably wanted to tell me to screw off 'cause I was being incredibly pushy about your personal feelings–something I'm sure no guy ever wants to talk about. Um, yeah, so with that being said, are we good now?" Amy looked so wide-eyed and Wyatt guessed, hopeful, he had to smile.
"Little Preston, you are something else, you know that? To answer your question, yes, if you're good, I'm good. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go upstairs and tuck my son in. I'll send Lucy down to say good night. Thanks for helping clean up, Amy." Wyatt's eyes widened when he looked over and saw Lucy standing quietly in the doorway, watching the two of them solemnly. He wondered briefly how long she'd been there and how much she'd possibly overheard of his conversation with her sister, but now was neither the time or place.
As Wyatt smiled and started to move past Lucy, she awkwardly grabbed at his hand and tugged him close for a quick kiss. "Your very sleepy son is in bed waiting on you to tuck him in, Daddy," she breathed against his lips, "I love you, and will see you upstairs in a few minutes, okay?" Satisfied by his murmured, "Love you, too," Lucy watched Wyatt pensively for a few seconds as he walked away before turning to face her sister.
"Girl, you really got it bad for that man, don't you?" Amy teased affectionately. "Listen, I better get going, got an early class in the morning. Besides, Wyatt's right, you're still really pale and need your rest. Don't be overdoing it tomorrow at school, alright? Talk to you soon, Luce," she promised, shrugging into her jacket and picking up her bag before giving Lucy a careful hug and cheerfully bidding her goodnight. Standing in the open front door shivering slightly in the chilly early evening air until Amy was safely inside her car and pulling away from the curb, Lucy sighed in relief. Not only had she cleared the air with her sister, but apparently Wyatt had, too, and that pleased her very much.
Since Wyatt was still upstairs with Jamie, Lucy went ahead and locked the front door and turned out all the lights downstairs before tiredly climbing the steps. Inside his bedroom, she removed the sling and managed to get out of the sweatshirt and pants she was wearing and was struggling to pull one of Wyatt's tees over her head just as he walked in. "Whoa, easy there, sweetheart, you're gonna hurt yourself," he scolded mildly, moving to help her with the shirt. "Okay, all done. Why don't you climb into bed while I get you one of your pain pills." Lucy grimaced, but knew he was right. Her shoulder was really starting to ache, and if she didn't get in front of the pain enough to get some rest, it was going to be another long, sleepless night, which meant tomorrow would be more of an ordeal than it had to be.
Once she obediently swallowed her medication, Wyatt got her comfortably settled under the covers before changing into his sleep clothes. Drowsily watching him undress, Lucy's heart filled with emotion as she recalled his sincere, beautiful words to Amy earlier...
...she's everything...
...takes my breath away sometimes...
...the last thing I expected was to meet someone...
...my brain figured out what my heart seemed to know almost right away...
...your sister is my miracle second chance at love...
...grateful to have her in my life...
...forever, if she'll have me...
No worries there, Master Sergeant, Lucy thought drowsily as the man she loved slid under the covers and protectively wrapped himself around her. Sighing in pleasure, she relaxed in his strong arms, soothed by his warmth and familiar scent. Lucy's last coherent thought before drifting away on a wave of exhaustion and pain pills was that she very much wanted forever with Wyatt Logan, too...
A/N #2: To be honest, when I started working on this new chapter, I really didn't intend for it to be so Amy-centric, but then again, it had been a while since we've heard from her. Too, it occurred to me that Lucy feeling like she's caught in the middle of Wyatt and Amy not getting along would be hard on her because she loves them both, so obviously it was important for a few things to be straightened out between the Preston sisters–plus, writing Amy is always lots of fun. I'd be thrilled if the clever Timeless writing staff figured out a way to bring her back whenever fans are lucky enough to get another movie. Next up in the First Steps universe is Valentines Day-and maybe some surprises :) Only a couple more chapters, I think-already have the epilogue written! As always, sincere thanks to everyone still interested in this story for your favorites, follows and nice reviews. I appreciate you more than I can say... :))