Henry excuses himself to work on another order leaving Walt sitting there to decide on his own what to do next. Not one to linger for long, he stands, grabs the bag and the beer and starts to leave but stops before he reaches the end of the bar. If Henry didn't expect him to be on time, then Vic doesn't either. He sets everything back down and checks his watch. Stepping behind the bar he reaches for the telephone. Vic has kept him off balance all day and it's time to take back a little power with a surprise or two of his own. There's no reason they can't share control equally in this whole thing. After making two calls he's satisfied and gets himself back on track.
He swings the Bullet downtown on the way to Vic's house stopping at the flower shop. He goes inside, ignoring the closed sign hanging on the door. The pleasant jingle of the bell greets him and a voice calls from the back, "I've just about got them ready, Walt."
"Thanks Lisa."
The owner of the shop steps into view carrying a simple arrangement of white and yellow daisies, "Are you sure this is all you want? I could whip up something a little more fancy without any trouble."
'These are perfect, Lisa. I really appreciate you taking the time to come downstairs and fix them up for me after hours."
"I'm more than glad to do it. You probably don't know this but when Martha was first diagnosed with cancer she asked me to look out for you if she didn't make it. Besides, it's been a long time since you've bought flowers from me so I figured it was important. Ruby usually calls when you want something for Cady. I can't even remember the last time you came in here yourself to pick something out."
He lets Lisa keep her assumption about who the flowers are for, "It was the week before Martha died."
She stops short with a sort of lost expression on her face, "That's right. You wanted to surprise her with flowers before she went to Denver to have those scans."
"Yep."
She shakes her head slowly, "Martha was one of the good ones."
"Yep."
Walt is patient while Lisa takes a moment to think back on her friend, "Walt, I heard what happened. You know, small town and all. I still can't believe Barlow Connally would do something like that. I mean, he always seemed so normal."
"Well, In all my years on this earth I've learned people are capable of anything. I'd like to say that I'm still surprised, but I'm afraid I've gotten used to it. Not much surprises me anymore."
"I suppose not."
"What do I owe you for the flowers?"
Back in his truck Walt contemplates his conversation with Lisa. He hated cutting her off like that but he didn't want to get sucked into a long discussion about Martha. She and Lisa were childhood friends and Lisa had stood up with Martha at their wedding. She had taken Martha's death particularly hard. He wondered what she would think about him moving on with someone else and made a mental note to set up a time to take lunch over to her shop so they could have a talk about it. Right now, however, he has other things on his mind.
When he turns onto Vic's road he sees a truck parked in front of her house with a tarp secured over the bed. He narrows his eyes when a tall man with sandy brown hair comes walking out the front door with Vic by his side. She's smiling up at him and appears to be talking excitedly. She shakes his hand barely glancing over as Walt pulls in behind his vehicle. Walt waits until the man has driven off before getting out.
He can't keep the edge out of his voice, "Who was that?"
"Walt Longmire, I'm not used to seeing this side of you. Feeling a little possessive this evening?"
He'd be lying if he hadn't thought more than once that Vic would wake up one morning and recognize what a mistake she was making waiting for a relationship with him when she could have anyone she liked: someone younger, better looking, less jaded. Seeing a more appropriate man than he pulling away from her house, knowing he was in there alone with her...
"Where's dinner?" Vic interrupts his rampant thoughts before they go too far and he realizes how ridiculous he's being. Vic was expecting him to show up with food and she wouldn't be having some secret tryst where she could get caught. She wasn't the type to have one coming in the front door while another goes out the back.
"Didn't you get the message to go by the Red Pony and pick it up?"
He'll ask about the mystery man later sure there's a simple explanation for his presence.
"I did." He glances down to see her bare feet, "You need to get some shoes on."
"What?"
He brushes past her to enter the front door. He heads down the hall into the kitchen and opens the silverware drawer.
"Walt, what are you doing?"
She's followed him inside.
"I don't like eating with plastic."
He's finishes gathering everything he needs and turns to see her standing there, feet still bare, "You ready?"
Vic gives him a curious smile, "Give me a minute."
She disappears upstairs and returns wearing a pair of sandals that show off her slender feet perfectly. She sets her hands on her hips.
"Okay, I'm ready. Where are we going?"
"You'll see."