The warmth inside the building was noticeable even inside the foyer. There was a large glass and wooden door ahead of her, a hallway running to her left and right. Shrugging, she shut the outside door, stomped the snow off her boots and headed though the glass door. A couple of steps in she stopped and simply stared the place was fucking incredible. It looked like a movie set in Hollywood, oregon beams and planks in the walls, stained and glossy. Full length glass doors opening out onto a balcony and probably a swimming pool, no doubt buried under a foot of snow. Above a massive fireplace, an elk carrying impressive ivory was mounted, and other unfortunate heads decorated various parts of the walls.

Plump leather sofas in dark brown circled the fireplace, a dining table seated for fourteen and then folding doors presumably separating the kitchen from the lounge area. The floor was real stone slate and expensive looking carpet under the sofas and dining set. An enormous wrought iron candelabra carrying at least two dozen lamps lit the main area, and floor lamps were placed strategically, allowing the option of an intimate space.

It was luxurious and expensive, yet comfortable and appealing. The warmth had her shedding her jacket, hat and gloves, piling on a small seat next to the door. Obviously it was centrally heated as there was no fire lit in the marble mounted fireplace, but a few more cautious steps into the room showed a huge freestanding log burner, the orange glow adding to the warmth in the room. Not really sure what to do with herself, she picked a comfy looking chair and sat, and lost herself in the everchanging flicker of the flames in the glass window of the logburner.

When Walt appeared quietly beside her and spoke she jumped lost inside your head again girl, pay attention to your surroundings, how could you forget such a simple thing. Well she had been forgetting a lot of things lately, apparently when your brain tries to explode, that's a side effect.

WALT

He was startled mostly by how short her hair was, and how dark. She had told him she used to be brunette, but he hadn't really understood what that meant. It didn't look good on her, she was already thin and pale, and her face had hollows where it shouldn't. What seemed like a permanent frown crinkled her brow, he couldn't tell if it was from pain or another reason.

Lena had explained that Vic was not herself after the surgery, in fact probably hadn't been herself since the belt on the head at Chance's farm. Which explained a lot of things. But this woman sitting hunched and oblivious in front of the fire, he didn't recognise her at all, and he was worried. Why was she even here?

"I will show you which room you are in if you like" he spoke quietly, concerned when she jumped, and turned wild eyes in his direction. He gestured to the corner of the room "This way" and he waited while she eyed him suspiciously, rising to stomp to the far doorway, yanking it open and glaring at him over her shoulder

"What are you waiting for?"

He sighed and strode his way past her to the last door on the right, waiting in the hallway as he pushed the door open "The best room in the house, all yours". She passed four other doors before reaching the open one, and gasped quietly as she walked in. The room was decorated in pastel shades of peach and apricot and white, soft thick carpet on the floor, expensive fabric draping the windows, the huge bed was heaped with so many pillows you could barely make out the quilted silk covering. Fresh flowers in a pretty arrangement on the sideboard, and a pair of French doors would open out onto the terrace, and what would be a stunning view any other time of the year.

Her voice was low "What the fuck Walt? How the hell did you end up in THIS place?" and he couldn't judge the expression on her face but it looked accusing. He shrugged and leaned against the doorway, unwilling to enter her personal space any further.

"I'm house sitting for Omar. More correctly I'm horse sitting for him, and I needed to be near the horses, so he invited me to stay in his hunting lodge. The barn is right next door" and he tilted his head back over one shoulder in indication and then waited for the barrage of questions he would have expected from Vic.

There was a long silence as she prowled the room, opening cupboards, discovering the door to the ensuite before she finally perched gingerly on the side of the elaborately pillowed bed and stared at him, eyes narrowed. Her tone was doubtful "Why the hell are you not being Sheriff? You never take holidays and now you are shacked up in this place?"

Walt sighed, he didn't really want to do this now, or at all if he was honest. But she was here, and they were going to have to work it out, because if the storm settled, she could be here for longer than she realised. Henry wasn't available to play referee and there was so much history, so much unsolved between them. God he hated to deal with this shit.

"I'm still the Sheriff but I'm not actively working right now. We needed staff after what happened with Branch and you leaving, so I reached out to the local counties. Turned out there were several deputies willing to get some experience here in Durant, and one guy from Campbell County who was ready to step up and be Sheriff in Training. I've worked with them all for the last 6 months or so, and now have stepped aside to let them take the reins".

He took a deep breath "Things have changed a lot since you left Vic, including me" and with that interesting statement he straightened up, gave her a firm nod and disappeared down the hallway.