AN: I replaced Ch.22 on the same day I'm updating this. You may need to go back a chapter if you're reading this on 1/26 or 1/27. A longer chapter since you have waited patiently for updates. Some moments from the series have been borrowed to use in a different context. Thanks for reading.

Ch. 23

Walt and Vic sat together on the porch after everyone had left the cabin. Victor had joined them for the weekly get together and seemed to enjoy himself. The awkwardness of last night's meeting was gone for the most part and the tension that Vic seemed to carry while Victor was near had eased. He was happy that things between Vic and her father were going well. So far it had turned out much better than he expected. He took a lock of her hair in his fingers and smelled it, before smoothing back into place. He was still captivated by the smallest details about her. How her hair smelled after a shower. The way she twirled a lock of her hair as she read. The freckles that would appear on her skin after being in the sun for too long. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"What're you thinking about?"

She leaned back into him and sighed.

"About what an amazing man you are."

"And?"

"How lucky you are to have me."

He nuzzled her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin.

"Mmm hmm."

"And how lucky I am to have you."

"Mmm hmm."

He moved to the other side of her neck.

"And?"

He felt her shiver as his teeth made contact with her earlobe.

"And about how different my dad is. It seems almost too good to be true, but I don't want to think that way. It's not fair to him, especially since he's come so far."

"Then don't. Just take it at face value and enjoy it. We'll deal with the rest as it comes."

"Easier said than done, but I'll try."

"That's all anyone can ask. Does your Dad ride?"

"Yeah, he was on the mounted patrol for a few years."

"Why don't we invite him to ride tomorrow, then?"

"I think he'd like that. Walt?"

He focused on her as she turned to him.

"Thank you for doing all of this for me. Sean never cared enough to even notice that things with my parents weren't right."

"You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome regardless. I know I've said this a lot lately, but I'll always have your back, Vic, even if it means defending you from your own family."

"I think I'll be the one to go pick him up tomorrow."

"That will give me time to prepare the horses for riding. You sure?"

"Yeah. I can always stop the truck and kick his ass to the curb if I need to, but I think it'll be ok. I wonder if he'll be in for the same shitty treatment I've been getting once he gets home and they find out what he's done. I don't even know if he told them what he was up to."

He chuckled knowing full well she would kick him out of the truck, followed by a bunch of cussing and some sign language if he upset her again.

"Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of the hell they've been putting you through and that he doesn't have to deal with it other than to put an end to it for good."

Walt tightened his hold on her as they watched the clouds float across the azure sky.

"I'm happy for you Vic. This is good. It's progress."

"It feels like it. And it feels like a weight is being lifted from my shoulders…our shoulders."

"It does. Vic?"

"Hmm?"

"If things continue to improve with your father, will you want him to be at our ceremony?"

"I don't know. Maybe. If things continue to go well."

"You don't have to decide today. Have you given any thought to destinations?"

"Yeah, though you haven't given me the first clue about what kind of budget we're looking at…other than you want to pay for it without using the money I have from the divorce."

"We do need to go over both our financial positions and how we want to handle money. I've put aside some of the money from the life insurance for Cady and some toward retirement. I figured we could use some of the remainder for the wedding. Martha and I had a tradition we followed. We lived simply and were both diligent about putting as much money into paying bills and savings as we could. As a reward, we always put some aside to take trips as a family to get away and have some fun at least every other year. We can pretty much afford to go anywhere with above average accommodations."

Her snicker at his comment made him smile.

"Would above average mean the Travelodge or the Motel 6 in Sheridan?"

They both laughed.

—-—

Vic and Walt woke early and followed their routine until they parted ways. He to take care of the horses and her to pick up her dad. Climbing in her truck, her thoughts strayed to her Dad and what brought on the change of heart. She knew Walt was an intimidating man when he wanted to be, but her dad was one in his own right. And if Walt wasn't there in person then there wasn't much to be intimidated by, except his intelligence. Rather than assume, she decided to let him explain.

Soon enough, she arrived at the hotel and texted him that she was there. She was a little nervous, but not like the other night at dinner. Antsy, she decided she would meet him in the lobby. Just about to sit down, he called her name.

"Vic, good morning."

"Morning. Ready to go?"

She really looked at him as he stood before her. There were more lines on his face. Small spots littering his once clear skin betraying his age. He definitely had more white in his hair and less of it. Time was flying by and she was losing time with her family that could never be replaced. As long as he was here and behaved, she was going to take advantage of it. She stopped him and walked into his space to embrace him and sighed in relief as he held her tightly. She pulled back and they walked to the truck.

Before she pulled out she called Walt and told him she was taking the scenic route. She sometimes did this when she needed time to think and she always let Walt know so he didn't worry. He had showed her the spot he would come to and she fell in love with it. She wanted to talk to her dad and felt it might be easier if it were just the two of them. She pointed the truck toward the scenic route and put her shades on. They rode in silence until she rolled up to a secluded spot under a tree where she often came to think. As she drew closer, her thoughts kept going back to how they turned their backs on her and how Walt caused his change of heart. The control on her emotions was slipping. Oscillating between anger and hurt, she could feel her blood pressure rising and her vision narrow. Throwing the truck in park, she rolled the windows down and cut the engine.

"What the fuck, Dad! Why did you this to me?"

Emotions boiling over, it felt as if the cab of the truck was closing in on her. Her heart raced and her stomach churned. She flung open the door and stumbled out, trying to calm down. Not knowing whether to scream or cry, she could do neither as her body heaved trying to get air into her lungs. Realizing she was on the verge of hyperventilating, she bent over at the waist and tried to control her breathing. She felt her dad's hand on her shoulder and shrugged it off.

"Don't! Touch me! Fuck…"

—-—

Victor Moretti flinched at his daughter's tone. While not unaccustomed to her sharp tone or foul mouth, she had been so much different with him, until now. His hand jerked back involuntarily when she made it clear she didn't want to be touched.

"Vic?"

Her hand went up with the universal sign for give me a minute, so he waited. He did this to her. He caused this turmoil. All the things he said to her ran through his mind as he watched her with concern.

"Hey…"

He tried again to approach her and this time she didn't say anything or shrug him off. He rubbed her back, then slid his hand down her arm to grasp her hand. Tugging gently, he led her to the tailgate, dropped it and motioned for her to sit. He got up on it next to her and put his arm around her carefully, not wanting to upset her further.

"I know I fucked up Vic, in a big way. Nothing I can say or do will take back the words and actions or undo the damage that has been done. I know that."

"Why are you here? Why did nothing I said or did get through to you but one conversation with Walt, a complete stranger, and here you are with your tail between your legs. That's fucked up, Dad. You never heard me. You never listened."

Her voice sent chills down his spine. It was cold and hard. Unlike how she had been speaking to him since he got here.

"I'm listening now, Victoria. I can't explain why your begging and pleading fell on deaf ears any more than I can explain why the phone call from Walt was the catalyst for all of this. When Walt called the first time I hung up on him. When he called the second time, I told him to stop calling and then hung up on him. The third time I answered he said 'I will show up on your doorstep if you hang up again'. I could hear in his voice he meant it, so I begrudgingly setup a time where your mother and I could talk to him at his request."

He took a breath and gathered his thoughts. He didn't want to make excuses.

"This stranger called us out of the blue wanting to talk about you. A stranger who wouldn't take no for an answer. A stranger who threatened to travel cross country and show up on our doorstep to have this talk. I knew this man meant business and we were going to listen to what he had to say whether we liked it or not."

He thought about the indignation he felt at the audacity of this man to make demands of him.

"After the first call, I looked him up in the system and on the internet. I called other local law enforcement leaders in the area. I found no one who would say a bad thing about him other than he had crappy taste in beer and losing his wife had hit him hard. They all viewed him as a local legend, not as eccentric as the previous sheriff, but a larger than life man who is nearly invincible and won't stray from what he believes is right."

Suddenly her demeanor changed and she smiled wistfully at the mention of Walt. He didn't understand what she saw in the lawman, but he could tell she was smitten with him.

"Walt was very straightforward in conveying his opinion of us and his disdain for how we were treating you. He made that very clear. Do you know how embarrassing it is to be dressed down by a man thousands of miles away who knows your own daughter better than you?"

Her smile faded and it broke his heart. He had missed so much with her. Certainly because of the job, but also because he just didn't make time for her the way he did for the boys. He just kept telling himself he would make it to her events next time. That there would always be another. He let too much time slip away.

"Once he made that clear, he extolled your virtues as an officer and his partner. Words like honor, courage, and integrity were used to describe you. I asked him if he knew what you did in Philly and he said yes. I'm ashamed to say I was surprised that you could get a job once it became known you turned in a fellow cop, but I dismissed it as desperation because it was a small outfit. I was wrong. He admired you for doing it and hired you in spite of it. He said he trusted you as a partner and a friend."

He watched as Vic's countenance changed again.

"Walt was the first man who wasn't threatened by me. He never put me down if I knew something he didn't or figured something out before him. He didn't dismiss my ideas because I'm a woman. He was a little over protective, but I thought that was partly because I was new to the area and naïve about the dangers that lurk around here. Also because I'm smaller in stature and female and he is terribly old-fashioned in some ways."

Her words and tone were one he never heard from her about anyone she was with. They were thoughtful and held a deep respect. She never spoke about Sean that way.

"If I may, why do you say Walt was the first? What about Sean?"

She huffed her answer and her tone of voice said it all.

"Sean? Please! He was always putting me down and making snide remarks about me. You certainly never contradicted him when he did it in front of you. It's almost as if you expected him to treat me that way. Walt is so, so different. I never knew what it meant to love and be loved. I never knew that a man could be gentle, tender and sensitive without being weak. I never knew it was ok for me to be strong and independent. I knew after being with Walt for this past year or so that I had never had a healthy relationship with a man. Not with you. Not with my brothers. Not with Sean or Gorski or any other idiot that I dated. Walt is the first man I have been with and the first to allow me be the woman I am. Foul mouthed and quick tempered. Independent and strong. Smart and sexy. He also allows me to be weak, needy, grumpy, and emotional. Walt loves me for who I am, not who he expects me to be."

It was becoming clear to Victor that his daughter was truly in love with this man who has to be nearly 20 years older than her. He had hoped that she might be convinced to come back to Philly, but he knew that wouldn't be happening now.

"I think what got through to me, more than anything else Walt said, was that you were the reason that he and his daughter were no longer estranged. He was a father on the outs with his daughter and that spoke to me on a level you had no way of reaching. He didn't go into detail, but made it clear to us that without your intervention they may still be estranged. Why did you interfere?"

"I'm going to pretend you phrased that question politely. He asked me to move in with him while he and Cady were still on the outs. I'm pretty sure she didn't even know we were dating. I felt that it would be insensitive and hurtful to Cady to move in with her dad and have her find out by showing up to the cabin. I didn't want to become another thing for them to fight about. I overheard a fight they had in his office and he said something very hurtful to Cady. I've been on the receiving end of hurtful words from my dad, though not the same ones, and I wanted to help her. I didn't know her well enough at that point to be a friend to her, but I knew that someone had to do something or they would just grow farther and farther apart. So I planned a week for them to get away together to see a game at his alma mater, where he played college football. I arranged for everything and made them stay in a hotel room together for the week. I figured they couldn't ignore one another in such close quarters. Fortunately it worked and they didn't come back hating me for it. You may call it interfering, but I was helping Walt do what he was supposed to do. Talk to his daughter about a major change to his life."

Victor cringed. It was an insensitive way to frame the question because she obviously did it out of love for both of them.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I asked. I don't want to make excuses. I don't want to hurt you anymore. I want to get to know you. I want to be a part of your life. I want to spend time with you. I thought about you moving back to Philly, but I know that isn't going to happen. I can tell you're happy here. You're different here. At ease in a way you've never been. It looks good on you."

Glancing over, he saw Vic smile.

"I hated it when we first got here. I mean really hated it. The weather. The animals. The lack of technology. Mediocre pizza. The slow pace of things. Sean gone all the time. Walt's old ass Bronco that never can tune in a station. I was miserable, but I forged on not having anything to go home to. Walt taught me a great deal about the job and Wyoming. We worked extremely well together. I learned how to deal with the weather and what to do about the animals. I learned about the people and their eccentricities. I got a partner, but also made a friend. There's a rhythm to life here that I had to get used to, but once I did I enjoyed it. I can't imagine being anywhere else."

She hopped off the tailgate and he figured they were ok for now. He marveled at the swiftness of her emotions and how the mere mention of Walt could calm her.

"Let's go. Walt will come looking for me if we're gone much longer."

She chuckled, obviously not bothered by the man's protective streak.

"That doesn't bother you? That he would come looking for you like an errant child?"

"You have a real shitty way of asking questions this morning. No it doesn't bother me. It did at first, because I thought it meant he thought I was weak or incapable of taking care of myself. But as I got to know him better, I knew he looked after everyone he cared about. Me being his partner and friend, made that protective streak a little stronger which caused some friction at work. When we became more than friends and knowing how his wife died, I knew that instinct in him would be even stronger. So we talked about it and came up with some compromises. If I needed space, he would give it to me, but he would like to know where and a time frame. Normally, I would call and tell him we'll be a bit longer but I'm sure he's out at the barn by now."

"What does losing a wife to cancer have to do with this?"

"I'll give you a pass on that one since you don't know. This goes no further than us. Not to Walt. Not to anyone at home. If you can't make that promise, then drop it."

He looked at his daughter and considered her words. Something terrible must have happened to his wife.

"You don't need to tell me, Vic. I don't want you to betray his trust. I'll assume that whatever happened would make his protective instinct for you off the charts."

"That's not far off the mark. At any rate he doesn't have a cell so if we don't get a move on, he'll be looking. Damn."

Victor looked out the windshield to see a truck coming toward them.

"Speak of the devil."

Vic grinned as she said it, slowed the truck and Walt pulled up alongside. Victor thought he would speak up.

"You keep her on a short leash."

"Actually, sir. I was worried about you, not Vic. You wouldn't be the first person she's kicked out of a vehicle or slugged and left on the side of the road."

Victor thought he could provoke a reaction from Vic, but it backfired. He had slipped back into his old way of talking to her a couple times today with his condescending attitude she always griped about. He shut his mouth and watched them.

"He's behaving himself, then?"

"Mostly. Made a couple remarks, like the snide one he just made to you. I had a minor meltdown, but we knew that would happen sooner or later. We had a chat, mostly productive and I realized we were running a bit behind."

He observed Walt as he nodded, then winked at his daughter. An unspoken conversation happening that he was excluded from. A genuine smile emerged on Walt's face that made the sheriff look 10 years younger. Left to his thoughts, the truck rumbled down the road and Vic's music came though the speakers.

TBC