Chapter 45

A/N #1: Just wanna give a quick shoutout to loyal reader and (guest) reviewer Shelly, who always says the nicest things–thank you, my friend, for your faithful support of this story from the beginning :)

Valentine's Day

"All that you are is all that I'll ever need..." - Ed Sheeran

Lucy was alone the next morning when she woke. Running her hand over Wyatt's pillow, she found it cool to the touch. Stupid pain pills–she didn't even hear him get up, Lucy thought grumpily. Yawning widely, she cautiously got herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Regarding her less-than-attractive reflection in the mirror over the sink, she sighed despondently. In spite of the nap Wyatt insisted she take yesterday and a halfway decent night's sleep, the woman staring back at her looked exhausted and washed out. Ugh. No wonder her sister seemed so concerned last night when she caught sight of her. Mindful of the lingering soreness in her shoulder, Lucy carefully splashed some cool water on her face before bundling her tangled hair in a loose topknot. Feeling marginally refreshed, she walked out of the bathroom and stopped short, a faint smile curving her lips.

Looking quite pleased with themselves, the Logan males were sitting on the side of the bed with a large tray of food between them, including a single red rose. "Happy Valentines Day, Miss Lucy!" Jamie exclaimed with a dimpled grin. "Look, see, Daddy got you a pretty flower and made breakfast with bacon and eggs 'cause he said today is a special day for people we love and we get to eat in bed and he let me put butter on the toast all by myself. Are you hungry, Miss Lucy?" Pausing long enough to gently rub noses with the enthusiastic five-year-old, Lucy leaned down and softly kissed Wyatt good morning.

"What a nice surprise. Thank you, love," she murmured against his firm, warm lips. "Happy Valentines Day." Wyatt's azure eyes glowed in response before he stole another kiss. Settling herself against the headboard, Lucy patted the bed invitingly. "Why don't you sit beside me, Jamie?" After the little boy eagerly scooted in place on her uninjured side, his dad handed over a travel mug of hot coffee for a grateful Lucy along with a juice box for Jamie. "This looks delicious, guys," she complimented, "And I feel pretty special myself getting to have breakfast in bed on Valentines Day with two such handsome men like yourselves." Lucy chuckled at the nearly identical expressions of male pride father and son wore.

Over breakfast, they talked a little about the trip to school this afternoon for the Valentines Day class party, and then, to Lucy's surprise, Wyatt announced that while she was sleeping earlier, he'd made reservations for the three of them to have a nice meal at Galelli's this evening. "I'm impressed, Master Sergeant, you were able to get us a table on such short notice," she noted approvingly, "and on Valentines Day, no less."

"Thank you, Ma'am. Guess it helps to know the owner. I know it's probably not the most romantic idea for Valentines Day, but considering the circumstances..." Wyatt's nonchalant shrug as he neatly stacked their dirty dishes on the tray and setting it on top of the dresser was betrayed by the faint blush warming his face. That's so sweet that Wyatt thinks I would care about having Jamie with us for dinner-because of course I don't mind, she thought wistfully. Opening one of the drawers, Wyatt pulled out a couple of envelopes, one white and the other bright red, and handed them to Lucy before taking a seat on her side of the bed.

Jamie's face lit up at sight of the envelopes. "Yay! Good job, Daddy! You remembered the valentines!" he praised, much to the adults' amusement. "Open this one, Miss Lucy, it's from me," the excited five-year-old instructed, pointing to the white envelope. Lucy withdrew a sheet of white paper folded in half like a greeting card, her heart swelling with emotion at the simple message painstakingly written in red crayon on the front. I LOVE YOU. On the inside, the little boy had added a few lopsided pink and purple hearts and his name in slightly crooked block letters with a smiley face beside it. "See all the pretty hearts? I colored them for you 'cause girls like hearts, Daddy says...and see, look here on the front, Miss Lucy, it says I love you," he told her proudly, "Daddy helped me spell 'love' 'cause I didn't know how."

Heart swelling with emotion, Lucy gently traced the letters on the front of the sweet handmade card. "Oh, Jamie, thank you, it's the most beautiful valentine I ever got. I love you, too, sweetie, and yes, I agree, your Daddy definitely knows a lot about love," she responded, sending her boyfriend a tender smile. Wrapping her good arm around the child, she lovingly kissed the top of his blond head as he happily cuddled against her. Lucy could sense Wyatt watching her intently as she picked up the red envelope and with Jamie's help, slowly removed a delicately pretty card, sighing in pleasure when she peeked inside.

Beneath the simple-yet moving-words, "I'm so lucky you're my Valentine," Wyatt had written in a neat masculine hand, I love you, sweetheart, and am very grateful every single day to have someone like you in my life. I hope this is the first of many Valentines Days we will spend together. Love, Wyatt. It was so perfect...and so him. Favoring him with a radiant smile, Lucy nodded and whispered, "I hope so, too. Thank you, Wyatt, for the card and lovely rose, and breakfast in bed, too." Yes, the Logan men definitely had a way about them, she decided, reaching out to lovingly caress his stubbled cheek.

Turning his lips to kiss the palm of her hand, Wyatt husked for her ears only, "You're very welcome, Ma'am, glad you like everything. And for your information, if you behave yourself this afternoon and don't overdo it, there might just be another Valentine surprise today...but before you get all excited, you'll have to wait for it until this evening." His dark blue eyes gleamed in amusement when her hand dropped from his cheek and she narrowed her eyes at him in warning. Hmm...two can play at that game, soldier...

"So mysterious," Lucy observed calmly. "Well, Master Sergeant, it's possible I may have a surprise for you as well...but I think maybe you'll have to wait, too, until later tonight." In response, Wyatt wordlessly leaned in even closer, brows drawn together slightly as he deliberately stared at her mouth. Helpless to prevent a shiver of desire at the heat of his dark blue gaze, she shook her head and putting her fingers on his firm, warm lips, scolded breathlessly, "Alright, that's far enough, buster. You're not gonna get any Valentine secrets out of me, even if you try using those dangerous kisses of yours to make me talk."

Judging by the oh-so-confident expression on his handsome face, Wyatt must have been quite pleased at having his kisses branded dangerous, but thankfully, before things progressed any further, Jamie abruptly sat up and huffed, "No, Daddy! No kissing Miss Lucy right now 'cause we are busy. Can you kiss her later so we can get my Valentine box ready to take to school? Okay, Daddy?" Biting her lip, Lucy's eyes danced merrily at the disappointed expression Wyatt wore at not only having his smooth move interrupted by his son, but scolded for it as well.

Sighing dramatically, he grumbled, "Aww, no fair, son. I really, really wanna kiss Miss Lucy now 'cause I love her and she's so pretty, but if you insist, I guess I can kiss her later," before reaching over an amused Lucy to gently tickle the little boy's tummy until he giggled helplessly. The rest of the morning went quickly as the three of them settled down to the business of getting ready. With Wyatt's patient assistance, she managed a hasty shower and got dressed in her favorite dark red sweater and black dress pants, raven curls held off her forehead with a matching red velvet band.

"Valentines Day is definitely your holiday, sweetheart, because you look amazing in red...it's actually my favorite color on you," he shared, stepping back to smile at her appearance. Cheeks pinking at the warm admiration in his brilliant blue eyes, Lucy thought that this evening (after they returned from the restaurant and a certain little boy went to sleep) might be the perfect time to wear the naughty dark red lingerie from Victoria's Secret Wyatt got her for Christmas.

While the Logan men were getting dressed, Lucy managed to gingerly apply some mascara and tinted lip gloss with her left hand so she wouldn't appear completely washed out. After all, wouldn't want to worry her young students by showing up for the party looking as tired and in pain as she still felt at times. When the guys were ready to go, an excited Jamie looked adorable (and holiday appropriate) in a long-sleeve red thermal shirt over a white tee and dark jeans like his Daddy's.

About ten minutes before they left for the school, a local dealership dropped off a rental for Lucy to drive until her insurance paid off her totaled car and she could buy a new one-although just the thought of getting behind the wheel of a car filled her with an almost smothering dread. At least Lucy wouldn't have to face that ordeal for a little while yet because Wyatt had already promised to take her and Jamie to school every day until she was ready to resume driving. He was such a good man, she thought affectionately, and to be perfectly honest, Lucy herself was grateful every day to have Wyatt in her life.

"Oh, how a quiet love can drown out every fear..." - Jessica Katoff

The moment she and Jamie walked through the classroom door accompanied by Wyatt carrying the large plastic container of cookies, they were immediately surrounded by a crowd of very excited students who'd been waiting all morning for their arrival. Lucy especially got a kick out of the way some of his young friends gathered around to exclaim over the bandage on Jamie's forehead.

Apparently Wyatt had noticed as well. "Bloodthirsty little beasts, aren't they?" he observed in a dry undertone, setting the cookie container down on her desk before turning to survey the lively scene. Trying her best not to giggle when he playfully waggled dark brows at her, Lucy put her bag down beside the cookies and properly greeted Mrs. Ford, a lovely older woman with more than 25 years' experience and a brisk, no-nonsense way about her the children instinctively responded to.

"Thank you so much for coming in to cover my class this week on such short notice," she said, offering her fellow teacher a warm smile. Lucy introduced Wyatt as Jamie's father to Mrs. Ford before he helped her set out the refreshments on a table in the back of the room. High-pitched voices filled the air as things soon got rather chaotic, so much so that Lucy actually felt a little bad for her substitute. Normally, her students were much better behaved, but then again, holiday class parties tended to get them stirred up.

Quickly, though, between them–and with a little assistance from honorary 'Room Dad' Wyatt-the two women managed to get the enthusiastic kindergartners settled at the round tables with their Valentines boxes in front of them and started helping them distribute the valentines they brought for their classmates. Fortunately for Jamie, with Lucy's help, along with signing all his cards, he'd finished the Spiderman-themed box he wanted to make before the accident.

Once the festivities were underway, she was strongly 'coaxed' by a (predictably protective) Wyatt to take a seat and relax. Lucy was impressed by how skillfully the experienced dad (and Army Training Instructor) dealt with her rowdy young students-and it was clear that Jamie was very happy and proud his Daddy came to help with the party. Wyatt really was wonderful with children, firm but patient, and so loving with his own son, she reflected with a contented sigh. Oops. There went that craving for a baby Logan of her own again. Lucy blushed when she noticed him watching her curiously. "Are you ok?" he mouthed from the other side of the room, frowning slightly despite her faintly embarrassed nod. Good grief, Lucy, quit daydreaming and focus...

Unfortunately, the persistent ache in her shoulder seemed to get worse as the minutes passed, sling or no sling, and she was very glad when the next hour or so went by fairly quickly. Although Lucy could sense Wyatt's concerned gaze occasionally, she was determined to tough it out. There would be enough time for her and Jamie to rest once they went home and before their dinner at Galelli's, plus neither of them would be returning to school until the first of next week. Right now, there were plenty of little faces and hands that needed wiping off and valentines and leftover treats to be gathered up before the dismissal bell rang. Thank goodness for Wyatt, she thought gratefully, best "Room Dad" ever...

Since he was usually working all day at the base, and therefore never had the chance before today to spend any time volunteering in Jamie's classroom, Wyatt was pleasantly surprised by how much he was enjoying himself. Aside from the Baumgardner sisters and of course, his own son, he really didn't have too much experience being around small children and frankly, wasn't sure what to expect beforehand. Now that he was here, though, Wyatt could see why Lucy was so happy and fulfilled teaching kindergarten. These boys and girls were bright, funny, and very enthusiastic about nearly everything.

For starters, Wyatt lost count of how many times he heard, "Mr. Logan, Mr. Logan," during the afternoon (and he got a kick out of how proud Jamie clearly was that his Daddy was helping out at the party today). And to give credit where it was due, Lucy had called it about the heart-shaped sugar cookies because they were a big hit with the kids. He made a mental note to text Julie later on to thank her again for bringing the girls over yesterday to help make them.

By a country mile, though, the best part of the whole thing for Wyatt came as the party was finally winding down. After the valentines were opened and exclaimed over and the delicious treats were devoured, Jamie and Miss Preston were presented with brightly-colored, handmade cards from the students that proclaimed Get Well Soon and We Miss You. Each child had painstakingly written their name in surprisingly legible block letters on the two cards and added various smiley face stickers to personalize them. Swiping a little self-consciously at her happy tears, an emotional Lucy hugged everyone and thanked them for the beautiful card while Wyatt quietly helped Mrs. Ford finish cleaning up and got their things together so they could leave when everyone else did.

"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart." - Jane Austen

As predicted, the Valentines Day party had pretty much worn out the recovering patients. A quick glance in the rear view mirror revealed Jamie nodding off practically as soon as they drove out of the school parking lot. Reaching for Lucy's hand, Wyatt squeezed it gently and observed, "Little man's just about passed out from all the excitement. At least he should go down easy for his nap when we get home. How you holding up, sweetheart?"

He bit back a grin at the giant yawn that inadvertently escaped when she opened her mouth to reply, and focusing his attention on the road, pretended not to see out of the corner of his eye the blush pinking her cheeks as she mumbled, "I'm fine," rather unconvincingly. While he certainly appreciated Lucy's devotion to her students and they'd definitely had a good time, all the activity of the past hour and a half probably hadn't helped her recovery too much, which was why a nice, long nap was in his girlfriend's immediate future as well.

Still, he understood why being able to attend the class party meant so much to Lucy. She'd become quite attached to 'her' kids since practically the first week of school back in September, and it was obvious to him the feeling was mutual. It warmed Wyatt's heart to see how much her students adored Miss Preston. This might be Lucy's first time teaching children this young, but you'd never know it. The woman was a natural-born teacher, and he'd always be grateful she was Jamie's first experience with school.

His son was so tuckered out, he didn't even open his eyes when Wyatt swiftly unfastened the seat belt and scooping him up, followed Lucy inside and carried him upstairs. Careful not to wake the sleeping child, he hurriedly stripped off his coat, hat, and outer clothes, leaving Jamie in his tee shirt and briefs. Once the little guy was all snugged in under his covers, Wyatt neatly stacked his things on the dresser for when they went out to dinner later on. Their reservation at Galelli's wasn't until 6:30, so hopefully both Jamie and Lucy could nap a couple hours before it was time to leave.

It was hard for Wyatt to keep his expression blank when he walked into the bedroom. Lucy was still dressed, slumped on the side of the bed, her face pale and drawn in sharp contrast to the vivid red sweater she wore. "Hey," she said tiredly, "I really tried, but couldn't even start getting undressed besides slipping off the sling because my limbs feel like they're full of lead. Could please you help me take off my sweater and pants?" The poor thing looked so exhausted, Wyatt couldn't bring himself to tease her even a little about being asked to strip off her clothes. Although he might save this particular memory for later when she was feeling better...

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied with an indulgent smile, "Hang on a second, though, and let me get your pain pill first." By the time Wyatt retrieved the medication and a glass of water from the bathroom, Lucy had apparently given up and was curled up on her side, barely able to keep her eyes open. Setting the glass and medicine down on the bedside table, he grabbed one of his worn tee shirts from the dresser before reaching down and gently tugging her into a sitting position so she could swallow the pill. After that, it took all of about two minutes for Wyatt to whisk the sweater up over Lucy's head, slide the black pants down her long legs and drop the shirt over her head after removing the pretty red headband.

Just as he had with Jamie, Wyatt drew back the thick covers and helped Lucy settle in and get comfortable before securely tucking her in, mindful of her injured shoulder. Gazing up at him, she blinked slowly and sighed, "Thank you for taking such good care of me, Wyatt. I know we probably should've skipped the party and rested instead, but I really hated to disappoint my class..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to stay awake. Caressing her pale cheek, he sighed mentally. Now was not the time for a stern lecture.

So despite his natural concern for her well-being, Wyatt couldn't bring himself to scold Lucy too harshly for wanting to attend the class party-not when he knew it meant a great deal to her. "Sweetheart, I know how important this afternoon was to you, I do, but now that it's over, it's time to get serious about taking care of yourself, okay? After we get back from supper tonight, I want your promise you'll rest up until you have to go back to school on Monday, alright? I love you, Lucy Preston, and your complete recovery is my number one goal for the next week, so close your eyes now and get some sleep. I'll wake you in plenty of time to get ready to go to Galelli's."

She nodded drowsily and murmuring love you, too, obediently closed her eyes before almost instantly drifting off. Sitting on the side of the bed, he watched Lucy sleep peacefully a few minutes longer, tempted to join her before deciding against it. She needed her rest and besides, Wyatt wanted to take advantage of the unexpected down time to finish some laundry and a few other chores that had been neglected since the accident early Saturday.

He worked diligently over the next couple hours as the rest of the afternoon flew by without a peep out of the sleeping patients. Before going upstairs around 5:30 to wake them, he checked to make sure Lucy's Valentines Day gift was wrapped and securely tucked away in the pocket of his leather jacket so he could give it to her at the restaurant. He was quite pleased with the elegant silver Pandora "L" charm and key ring he'd chosen. It was feminine and classy, just like she was. Luckily, Wyatt hadn't waited until the last minute to shop and stopped at the mall on his way home after work early last week. However, nice as the gift was, of even greater significance was the single key he'd slipped on the ring-a key to the front door of his apartment...

"I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day..." - Nicholas Sparks

The idea to ask Lucy to move in with him and Jamie had first come to Wyatt during the terrible time in January while they were sorta 'taking a break' from each other. His unexpected loneliness and yearning for Lucy had grown day after endless day while they were apart. Then, in the middle of one sleepless night, he came to the startling realization that when things had improved between the two of them-and they would, because he believed it with all his heart-he felt absolutely ready for the next step in their relationship. Contemplating the idea occasionally over the past few weeks, he'd cautiously examined it from all angles. And the more Wyatt thought about it, the more he liked it...knew in his heart it could work. Hell, they practically lived together now, he reflected solemnly, so it hopefully it wouldn't be too momentous a change in their relationship.

More than anything, Wyatt longed for the security of knowing that the woman he'd fallen in love with loved him just as deeply and wanted to share all of his life. Of course, since they'd been dating less than six months, he supposed there was the remote possibility she might consider it too soon yet to think about living together-let alone eventually getting married-but in his mind, their marriage was only a matter of time.

Wyatt honestly couldn't remember ever being so sure of anything in his life, not even the important decisions made years ago to enlist in the service and marry Jessica. He and Lucy were meant to spend the rest of their lives together, raising Jamie, and God willing, hopefully one or two little ones of their own. Right then and there, Wyatt made up his mind. The next day, even before buying the pretty key chain for Lucy, he stopped at a nearby hardware store on his way home from the base and had the key to his front door copied, hiding it in the back of a kitchen cupboard until he thought would be the perfect time, on Valentines Day. He could hardly wait to see her face when she opened the pretty unique gift.

As for this being their first Valentines Day together, well, to be honest, it was turning into something a little different than Wyatt could've anticipated or had originally intended because of the accident. He supposed some women might not think it very romantic to share at least part of an evening usually devoted to love and intimacy and desire with a five-year-old. But then, fortunately for him, Lucy Preston wasn't just any woman, was she? Because she knew from day one Wyatt and Jamie Logan were a package deal, and that seemed to suit her just fine. Thank God. No, his sweet Lucy was special, and Wyatt was so damn grateful that she loved both the Logan men without reservation...

"To feel the love of someone we love is a fire that feeds our life." - Pablo Neruda

A/N #2: You know, I really need to stop promising First Steps is nearly complete, because every time I do, I end up writing over 4,000 words that only move the story time line forward maybe 24 hours, lol, (and therefore, not really getting too much closer to the end). Oh, well, their first Valentines Day together for this version of Wyatt and Lucy is probably important enough to spend a couple chapters on it, I think, especially when Wyatt has been secretly making some serious plans...Thanks bunches to all of you still following this story–I sincerely appreciate your endless patience, as well as favorites, follows and reviews :))