Ch. 8

He was still sitting up with her straddling him. Her legs had relaxed ever so slightly. His head rested on her chest, his chest heaving. Her face was bent into his hair, her hands wound their way through the unruly mess. His heart was hammering so loudly, he was sure she should be able to hear it. Her own breathing was just beginning to slow. Gradually, their hold relaxed and she finally slipped from his grasp. He grunted in protest but saw she was only moving to lie down. She, more or less, flopped onto her back and ran her hands over her face. She looked as drained as he felt. Walt gingerly lowered himself next to her. His fresh wound reminded him of what they had been through today. Once he was settled, she rolled towards him and rested her head against his arm. Walt pulled the sheet up around them. The sweat on his body was causing him to feel cool now that the adrenaline rush had subsided and he was coming back to reality.

Reality.

It was something he didn't want to deal with right now. Professionally it had been a good day. Malachi was gone. Jacob Nighthorse had been spared but would likely do jail time. He was proud of the way his team and the tribal police had worked together. Everyone had come through in tact, save his stab wound and some minor injuries to Nighthorse and Henry. It had been a productive day for them all and there was a lot of work yet to be done.

On a personal level, it had been nothing sort of life altering. He had kissed Vic in his Bronco. He knew when he did it, there would be no taking it back. He had known for quite some time, he had feelings for her. The past few months, he had come to realize how deep those feelings went. He hadn't imagined today would be the day he would actually act of them That moment had bounced around in his head before. Reality had been so much better than anything his mind had conjured up. After the operation was done and everyone was safe, her concern had boiled over into anger and frustration with him.

"What kind of bullshit move was that?"

Walt stared, unsure of which move she meant. She had taken him by his arm and pulled him away from everyone else.

"Standing in front of a moving vehicle that's speeding towards you? Really, Walt? Jesus!"

He continued to stare at her, trying to focus. Her face was flushed and damp with sweat. He was overcome by the temptation to kiss her again. Walt blinked. Now wasn't the time.

"He was getting away."

Her hands were firmly planted on her hips.

"He would definitely have gotten away if you had been dead, dumb ass."

Walt winced. He knew why she was so upset. This had been an ongoing issue between them for quite some time now. He had known it would come to a head sooner or later.

"I'm sorry."

He tried to keep his voice calm and quiet. She heaved a breath.

"No, you're not. You never are. You never consider what you put other people through. You only think about the moment, Walt. It's selfish."

He lowered his eyes, knowing there was some truth there.

"I am sorry I scared you, Vic. Thank you for pushing me out of the way."

She gave a slight nod and glanced off in the distance.

"You're welcome."

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

He could feel himself relaxing. Her breathing had evened out. Her fingers were caressing his side lightly. The touch was like a baby's breath against his skin. He knew she had to be as tired as he was. It had been a long draining day, preceded by more like it. He turned his head slightly, so that her hair tickled his chin. He wanted to touch as much of her as possible. The arm that wasn't cradling her was running lightly over her head, smoothing the hair as he went. Her own hand had come to rest on his skin, relaxing. Sleep was overtaking her. He could feel its warming grip taking over his own mind as well. As much as he wanted to sleep and let his mind and body rest, he also wanted to savor this. He wanted to savor the feel of her in his arms and the smell of her in his bed. Tomorrow, the sun would rise and bring with it a host of questions and conversations.

The truth of the situation was not lost on him. He was still the Sheriff of Absaroka County. She was his deputy. She worked for him. There was a marked age difference between the two of them. He had to admit, though, it didn't seem as wide as it once had. The past year had brought about changes in her. She seemed older than she had and maybe even older than she should be. He knew that was a natural part of life. The death of his wife had made him feel ancient. Grief and tragedy had a way of doing that.

He glanced down at her. She was asleep now. For once, she looked peaceful. He stilled his hands, not wanting to wake her. Now that all was quiet, he could feel an ache taking up residence in the area around his stab wound. Malachi had gotten in one last hit at him. He had suffered worse, however.

"Please stop with this invincible shit, Walt. You need stitches."

She was bent over, inspecting the wound. Her hands were warm as they moved over him. He took the moment she was occupied to look at her.

"It wasn't even a big knife, Vic. I'll be fine. I've had worse."

Her jaw tensed as she straightened up and studied him.

"You need to go to the hospital and let them look at it."

He shook his head slightly.

"I just need to go home and clean it up. It'll heal in it's own good time. Most things do."

Her lower lip was pulled between her teeth as she considered him. The scene was dying down. Nighthorse had been taken to jail for the night. Mathias and his crew were dispersing. Henry had gone to the hospital to be checked out. Ferg was already on his way back to the station with Zach to wrap things up for the night. Everything else would hold until tomorrow. They had done all they could do tonight. He did just want to go home.

"Why don't you come with me?"

It sounded like an invitation and not just to check on his wound. Her eyes were intensely focused on his. Her truck was parked at the station. He could tell she was thinking about the kiss in that moment. Her gaze moved to his lips and then back up to his eyes, never losing that burning intensity. He extended his hand and touched her bare forearm lightly.

"We'll go by the cabin and I'll clean it. Okay? You need to decompress anyway. We both do. Then I can take you to get your truck."

He didn't really mean the last part. As scared as he was of where this was headed, he wanted to get there. She finally relented with a nod.

"Fine. If it starts looking infected, though, you're going to the hospital."

"Deal."

She smiled at him then for the first time all day, some of the tenseness washing away from her face. It was a warm smile. He couldn't help but return it. Something about her made him feel like a shy teenager all over again.

His mind was churning less and less. He relished the sensation of this moment. It was long overdue and something he had thought about often. He was tired, though. He knew tomorrow would be another big day for them both at work and at home. This was the turning of a page and a moment when both their lives hinged on change. He didn't want to think about that now. He wanted to fall asleep with the feel of her next to him. He could feel his eyes closing and the fatigue overtaking him. He would go willingly this time. His mind and his body needed respite. She was here with him in the quiet darkness of his cabin. The rest could keep until tomorrow.