Despite being up very early, Vic and Walt had been later than normal getting to the station thanks to a quick stop at Vic's so she could grab a shower and a fresh uniform. She had returned to his truck smelling clean and fresh, her hair wet, twisted into a bun and a few drops of water still shimmering on her neck from her shower. Walt found himself staring at the way the droplets clung to her skin, wondering all sorts of things he shouldn't even have been thinking of. He shook himself and started driving towards the station, stopping at a bakery to grab something to eat. He'd asked Ruby to call a tow truck to go and get Vic's car, as just a battery problem wouldn't have stopped it if the engine had been running.

Their whole morning had included many more casual touches than was normal. Mainly just their hands, handing over and accepting coffee cups, reaching for the baked goods at the same time, he had even laid a hand on the small of her back again at the front door of the station. The warmth of her back radiated up his arm with a tingling sensation that made him think about heart attacks for a moment. Once inside the office they were all soon pouring over documents, pictures and maps trying to find a drug dealer that had recently started operating around the Absaroka and Cumberland counties, selling mainly ecstasy, but also anything that would give a person a break from reality. The progress was slow as the guy seemed to be very careful.

At lunch time he had closed the door to cut off the noise of the main office as Cady had come to visit him in his office for lunch. She'd picked up their order from the Busy Bee and now they sat across from each other by his desk, him eyeing his paperwork with one eye, Cady frowning at his half-hearted dedication to his food.

"Ok dad. What is it?"

"What do you mean punk?"

"What is up with you? You're not really eating your food, more like playing with it, but you're not really doing your paperwork either, as you seem to be reading the same couple of lines for the fifth time."

Walt knew he'd been caught out. He had fallen easily back into his role as sheriff while sitting on the porch with Vic that morning, but that didn't mean that she hadn't been occupying his thoughts. Half of him wanted nothing more than to take them to the next level, to have everything he could with her. The other half was frankly terrified at the consequences of such action, not just how it would change their working dynamics, but how the people closest to them would react.

What would Vic's parents in Philly say when they found out that she'd essentially kicked her successful husband to the curb and switched to a much older backwater sheriff? What would Henry say in all his wisdom, would he think it's a good idea, or would he call Walt a fool and an idiot to think that such a woman would want him? And most important of all, what would Cady say when she found out that he was seeing someone who was only a scant handful of years older than she was? He'd always known that Vic and Cady weren't close, maybe they were too different, or maybe they just hadn't had the time or the opportunity to get to know each other. He realised that he'd been chewing the same bite for much longer than normal and swallowed, wiped his mouth on a paper napkin and took a gulp of his drink. His daughter was giving him the stare he usually gave to stubborn suspects who refused to talk.

"Cady… What- What would you think if I told you that I- that I might be interested in someone? Romantically." He managed to get the words out, wondering what her reaction might be. She obviously was astounded that he'd actually said something that wasn't completely evasive, or totally shutting her out.

"Really? Are you worried I'm going to throw a tantrum because you're ready to try and find someone to be happy with rather than spend the rest of your life mourning mom? You know me better than that. I want you to be happy dad. I want you to find someone you can move on with, like I'm doing with Branch." She looked serious when she said it and Walt believed every word. He was just a bit hesitant about when Cady found out who he was thinking of moving on with.

"So, you and Branch, huh?"

"Yes. Me and Branch, but you knew that already. We've not been sneaking around anymore." She replied with a happy smile. Walt was relieved to know that his daughter could be that happy with someone. "So who is it?"

"Who, what?"

"You know what I'm talking about dad. Who are you interested in romantically? Is it Lizzie? I thought you guys called it quits?"

"We did. It's not Lizzie."

"Spill."

"We're still figuring things out at the moment. I'll tell you as soon as we're both on the level."

"You're going to talk? Voluntarily?" He could hear the joking tone in her voice and smiled at her, shaking his head. His life was going to get very interesting soon with two strong, stubborn, beautiful women in it. If he could sort through his feelings and actually talk to Vic before someone else took the chance.

VWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVW

Henry was standing at the bar, drying a glass before putting on the counter and pouring a shot of whiskey into it and pushing it towards the man sitting on a bar stool, who looked like that should be the last drink of his night.

"Walt. What a nice surprise. What can I do for you?"

"Henry. Can we talk in your office?"

"Sure. Angie, take the bar for a while will you?" The girl he was talking to nodded and Henry started moving towards his office door with Walt following.

"So, what is it? I assume its police business; otherwise we could have conversed in the bar."

"Not exactly. I need your advice. And your discretion." Unconsciously his hand rose to the back of his neck to smooth through the hair there.

"You have it."

"What should I do about Vic?"

"What should you do about Vic?" The look Walt gave Henry was stern and serious, but it just brought a smile on his oldest friend's face. The silence between them stretched as Walt stared at Henry and he looked back.

"Alright, you win. What do you want to do about Vic?"

"I- We- She spent the night. On my couch." He felt the need to clarify.

"On your couch." Judging by the tone of Henry's voice, Walt had done something wrong.

"I did offer the bed, but she wouldn't hear it."

"Not to share the bed?"

"No. It wasn't like that. Although…"

"You wanted it to be."

"I think we both did. The morning after was nice. Better than nice. I wanted it to last."

"So you care for her." Henry gave him a shrewd look. "Normally in such cases one asks the person one cares about out on a date. Dinner, movie, drinks, something."

"But…"

"But you are concerned about the opinion of others. Perhaps even your professional relationship?"

"Yes. She is my deputy after all. And younger by about a decade."

"She is. Does she feel as you do?"

"I think so. She seems happy to spend time with me."

"Then ask her out."

"But…"

"You wanted my advice, this is it. You have mourned your wife for two years and apart from the brief thing with Lizzie this is the first time you have shown any interest. You are allowed to find new happiness. Ask her out. Who cares what everyone else thinks, so long as you are both happy."

"Cady and her are almost…"

"Yes, she is younger, but consider this Walt, she left her husband after she met you and she stayed in a place she professed to hate when she first moved here." With that Henry turned and headed out the door back into the noise of the bar. Walt stayed perched on the edge of Henry's desk for a moment longer spinning his hat slowly in his hands, deep in thought.