Ch. 2 Insomnia
Walt lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't remember the last time he had gotten a decent night's sleep. The past couple of years had literally been one thing right after another. He had hoped that once his lawsuit was over, it would ease his mind. With Malachi Strand on the loose and Jacob Nighthorse doing who knows what, that had not been the case. What was plaguing him tonight wasn't related to a case. It was related to a certain woman who was frequently on his mind.
The conversation with Vic's father replayed over and over in his head. It struck him as odd that she hadn't mentioned her father was in town. He could chalk that oversight up to the fact that their plates were both so full right now. She was still trying to recover emotionally from the loss of her child. They were entangled now with the FBI, Malachi, and the Mob. Walt let out a sigh. When had life in Absaroka County gotten so damn complicated.
"She wants to leave this place."
It kept echoing in his mind over and over. He had long held the fear that she would leave. He had been frozen once before when Sean had insisted she quit. He had dodged a bullet that time. The marriage was in ruins and he knew that Vic didn't like ultimatums. From anyone. She had given no indications recently that she was thinking of leaving Wyoming and returning to Philly. He had been enjoying their newly rediscovered closeness and it hadn't crossed his mind that she might want to leave Durant. Leave him. That was it, wasn't it. It wasn't about work. It was about him. Since she had been shot, Walt had been opening himself up to her in a way he hadn't before. She had done the same. He was the one who held her when she had breakdowns about her baby. She was the one who had kept her unwavering faith in him during his trial.
Was she going to break it to him tomorrow? He had offered to give her a lesson in horseback riding. Before her father had come on the scene, he had been looking forward to it. The thought of being alone with her filled him with a sense of apprehension and excitement he hadn't felt in a long time. Now, he was almost afraid to face her. He didn't want to interfere in her life choices but what if she asked him him opinion? He had feigned neutrality once before. He didn't think he could do that now. They had come too far. He had only recently allowed himself to start thinking of her in new terms. He had finally acknowledged to himself that she wasn't merely a deputy or friend. He was in love with her. He had been for quite some time.
He had let his mind wander. His discipline had been slipping as of late. He had reached out and touched her during their recent stakeout. He hadn't been able to help himself. He had admitted to her that same night that he couldn't lose her. That could be taken many ways. Vic was perceptive and it wouldn't surprise him if she knew what he was thinking. Walt ran a hand over his face and tried to shut his mind off. He needed his sleep. He had fought the urge to call her as soon as her father left. He had wanted to ride over to her trailer and ask her for the truth. Was she leaving? Why hadn't she told him? Instead he had come home to an empty cabin and several cans of Ranier. He had hoped the beer would help take the edge off. There would be no rest.