Chapter 17
A/N #1: My sincere apologies to those patiently waiting readers for the lengthy delay between updates. Been under the weather for the past month or so and also super busy at work, so I really haven't had a lot of time to write or felt much like it :/ Super quick shout out also to guest readers like Michelle and Jules that I'm unable to respond to personally–thank you for the encouraging reviews :) Finally, since it's been several weeks since we last visited Wyatt and Lucy in 1881, here's a quick recap of the previous chapter...
It's the middle of March, a month now since the winter social. While Wyatt is struggling with a private vow to keep his hands (and lips) to himself, Lucy has dedicated herself to conquering her long-standing fear of horses, spending a little time each day with the Sherwins' mare, Maisie. She decides one Saturday morning—with Wyatt by her side for support—to at least sit astride the horse. After she does, when he asks what she wants to do next, Lucy forces down her anxiety and agrees to slowly moving forward a few steps...and before they know it, she has ridden a full circle around the large corral...
Stopping the patient horse beside the mounting block once more, Wyatt leaned in close to Maisie and murmured, Well done, pretty girl, in her ear before grinning up at a clearly excited Lucy, who proudly exclaimed, "Did you see? I did it, Wyatt! I rode all the way around the corral."
"Yes, Ma'am, you sure did," he agreed, grunting in surprise when she abruptly swung her leg over the pommel and flung herself into his arms. And just like that, every damn one of Wyatt's best intentions over the past month went out the window. He groaned under his breath at the sensation of her small body sliding down the length of his. Good lord, sweetheart, I'm only human...
Then the teacher had to go and hug him tightly, pressing her cool cheek against his neck and further testing his wavering self control. Lucy's warm breath sent a shiver down his spine, causing Wyatt's overwhelmed senses to promptly forget all about the fact they were out in the open—where anyone with two eyes could witness what was going on.
Discreetly inhaling the sweet scent of her dark, windblown hair, Wyatt's hands trembled at his side as he resolutely willed himself to remain as still as possible. It was vitally important to him that Lucy be the one to make the next move–but dear God, he hoped she wanted him to touch her as much as he wanted to because Wyatt wasn't sure how much longer things could stay as they were without him losing his damn mind. Maybe it was time to listen to his grandpa's wise advice...
Flashback
After his evening walk with Lucy, Wyatt was sitting at the big desk in the front room going over the monthly accounts, a boring task he'd undertaken since retiring from the Rangers and coming back home to live. Paperwork was definitely his least favorite part of running a horse ranch, but unfortunately, a necessary one. It was a foolish man indeed who trusted his family's livelihood to an outsider-a wise lesson his grandparents had preached since Wyatt was a child.
Luckily for his concentration (and distinct lack of fondness for numbers in general), he had the room all to himself. Knowing the man the way he did, Wyatt guessed it was likely his grandpa was in the kitchen begging their housekeeper for "a little something sweet" as he did most evenings, while Gran was at the dining room table helping Lucy with a project for her students.
Frowning at a hellishly long column of numbers that was giving him a bit of trouble, Wyatt barely noticed at first when Gramps sat down beside him with a plate of Martha's ginger cookies, still warm from the oven and smelling like heaven. "Should I be worried about the way you're glaring at those figures, son?" James asked after a moment, biting into a cookie with relish.
Wyatt dropped the pencil, and exhaling tiredly, scrubbed his hands over his face. It was a damn pity Lucy was in the middle of something. He imagined a smart woman like the teacher would probably be quite good with sums. "No, sir," he muttered, reaching over to snag a warm ginger cookie of his own, smiling in spite of his frustration at the first bite. Miss Martha was still hands down the best baker in the county—and worth every blessed cent the Sherwins paid her. The two men chewed contentedly until Gramps abruptly broke the silence.
"Since the women are busy in the other room at the moment, and it's just us men, there's something I need to discuss with you, Wy." Aww, hell. Wyatt suddenly lost his appetite, the delicious treat turning to sawdust in his mouth. He was well familiar with this particular tone of voice—it usually signified that whatever it was, his grandpa meant business. Swallowing the last bite of cookie, Wyatt picked up the pencil and began tapping it nervously on the desk.
James grinned at the telltale gesture. "Take it easy...nothing to get fussed up about," he soothed. "Just thought you should know that even though she's trying her best not to show it, your Gran has been chomping at the bit wanting to ask you about Lucy since the two of you go out walking after supper most nights. Now, so far, I've been able to talk her down…but you know how she is…"
Dismayed, Wyatt nearly snapped the pencil in half before very carefully setting it down. Dammit. He dearly loved the woman who raised him—but should've known the old girl would be hoping he and Lucy spending some time together meant a marriage proposal was imminent. Pretty certain that he wasn't gonna like the answer, he nonetheless managed to respond calmly enough, "Alright. What about her?" Easily sensing the tension Wyatt was trying like hell to hide from him, James shook his head fondly at his grandson, compassion shining in his dark blue eyes.
Instead of answering directly, though, strangely enough, Gramps began talking about Wyatt's late wife. "Now before you get all worked up about your Gran—and what you likely assume is her trying to meddle in your personal life—I want you to think about something, Wy. Back before your marriage, during the days when you were courting Jess, tell me, what were some of the things the two of you liked to do? Did you go for long walks or maybe ride together, sit with each other at church services every Sunday, occasionally share meals either here with us or at her parents' house?" What? Why would he bring up Jess out of the blue? More importantly, where was he going with this?
Wyatt stared at the older man in confusion for a few seconds...and then it hit him like a big-ass rock to the head. Shit. He didn't have to be as educated as Miss Lucy Preston from San Francisco to realize everything Gramps named off just now was uncomfortably close to the kind of stuff couples who were courting did before they took the vows...and he and the pretty brunette had been doing all of them on a regular basis the past month. Good Lord. Had Wyatt been so stubborn about denying his growing feelings for Lucy that he'd convinced himself they were nothing more than friends? He felt like a damn fool...or maybe a coward...
"Your poker face needs some work, son," James observed mildly, "You know full well I've been able to read your thoughts since you were just a little fella—and I've got a pretty good idea what going through your mind right about now. Before you go any further with doubting yourself, though, I want to say first off I'm proud of you for setting aside your natural desires and treating Lucy respectfully in the weeks since you kissed her after the social—especially considering what a lovely young lady she is and how lonely you've been since losing Jess. Man to man, I'm sure it hasn't been easy." Well, hell. The comment was embarrassing, but uncannily accurate, too.
Possibly a little flustered as well by the unexpected compliment, Wyatt was helpless to stop the blush heating his face at the reminder of his unacceptable behavior towards her that evening (or then again, maybe it was the memory of those highly enjoyable kisses the two of them had shared and Wyatt ached to repeat). Before he could try to form some kind of answer—or mercifully change the subject—it seemed this awkward conversation his grandpa started wasn't quite finished yet.
"The way I see it, there's not a single thing wrong with you and Lucy spending time together and getting to know each other better. That's what most young folks do, are meant to do. I'd wager a lot of the time, such circumstances often lead to a proper courtship, followed by marriage–but then again, sometimes not if the couple doesn't happen to suit for whatever reason."
Wyatt eyed the older man impatiently. "Are you just making random observations here about men and women or is there a point to all of this?" he asked dryly—despite having a damn good idea exactly what the answer to the question was. In some ways, James Sherwin was worse than his beloved Betsy about usually knowing what he wanted (and how to get it).
"I guess my point is, no matter what you prefer to call it in your head, you and Lucy being alone with each other every day, even for a little while, would be considered by most folks' standards to be courting. Might not have occurred to you, but if Betsy and I are wondering about whether the two of you are becoming more than just friends, then I'd say there's a good chance that there's a possibility Lucy is, too," he said solemnly. Caught off guard by the remark, Wyatt immediately felt guilty at the thought of inadvertently causing Lucy any further distress.
"And don't you owe it to her to decide sooner rather than later if the two of you are officially courting or not? She's a fine woman from a good family, and I've no doubt would make any man—not just you—an excellent wife and mother for his children. It really comes down to this, Wy. If for some reason, your mind and heart just can't take that logical next step with Lucy, then the only honorable thing you can do is cut her loose."
James reached for another ginger cookie as he waited patiently for a response. Wyatt was silent for a good long while, the ranch accounts forgotten as he pondered his grandpa's words. It was true…even thinking about the teacher being someone else's wife and bearing his children made Wyatt's chest painfully tight, like he couldn't catch his breath. He dimly recognized the emotion to be a kind of jealousy, but was that feeling really the same as the love a man should have for his wife? Because the plain truth was, he did still love Jessica, still grieved for her passing, so how could he even think about loving another woman—even one as special as Lucy Preston?
"I...I don't care to think about Lucy marrying another man, Gramps," he grudgingly admitted with a heavy sigh, "and I do enjoy her company...but what if...what if I can't fully love her the way she deserves? I feel like part of me died and was buried in that coffin with my wife and baby son. Is it really fair to give Lucy only part of my heart?"
James' face softened at the uncertainty trembling in Wyatt's voice. "You're a good man, Wy, and every single day, you make me and your Gran so very proud to be your parents," he said warmly. Wyatt blinked rapidly at the sudden moisture in his eyes. Must be some dust in the air or something...
Swallowing hard against the big lump of emotion in his throat, he managed a husky, thank you, sir, before Gramps—thankfully pretending not to notice—counseled, "If there's one thing I've learned in my many years on this earth, Wyatt, it's that the human heart is a remarkable organ, capable of healing and expanding and loving as many people as you want it to, even after losing part of it from a terrible loss like the one you suffered. Have faith, son, and trust if you are starting to get serious feelings for Lucy, your heart won't let you down..."
End Flashback
James' words echoing in his mind, Wyatt closed his eyes and rested his cheek against Lucy's soft hair, all too aware that whatever he decided in the next couple seconds about courting her, their relationship from this day forward would be changed forever. Was Gramps right? Was he finally ready to risk what was left of his heart with Lucy? He inhaled sharply at a fleeting vision of his sweet wife the last time Wyatt had seen Jess alive. She and baby Mattie were standing in the doorway of their little house in town, smiling and waving as he swung into the saddle and left for his next Ranger assignment, fully confident he'd see them in a month's time. But God, it seemed, had other plans for Jessica and Matthew Logan...
And now, after learning to live all these months with the lingering grief from such a terrible loss, suddenly there was another woman in his life...a woman he'd been strangely drawn to from the first time they met. What did that even mean? Help me, Jess, to make the right choice, his conflicted heart begged. And in that fraught moment, Wyatt would swear he could almost hear his wife's soft voice urging him to choose love. And just like that, a welcome peace began to sooth the rough edges of Wyatt's scarred heart. Thank you, honey, he thought gratefully. I will always love and miss you and Mattie.
Even as he made up his mind in that instant to take a chance with Lucy, she was leaning back, slim hands resting lightly on his chest. Biting her lower lip, she gazed up at him with wide eyes...and what even a simple man like him could see was a kind of yearning. Despite the scary newness of his decision and his natural instinct to go slow with this whole courting business, Wyatt knew in that instant, he was a goner. Wrapping his hands around her tiny waist, he slowly lowered his head, Lucy's dark amber eyes fluttering shut as his lips closed over hers. At last, he thought gratefully, drinking in the sweetness of her mouth and savoring the warmth of her slight body melting against his.
All too soon—even as the distant sound of voices gradually penetrated his desire-fogged brain—the woman in his arms gasped and tore her lips from his. Instinctively dropping his arms and taking a step back, Wyatt's heart sank clear down to his dusty boots. Holy hell, once again, courting or not, he'd gone too far. Before he could offer a hasty apology for taking advantage, though, Lucy shook her head and shyly peeping up at him, blushingly explained in a husky whisper his kiss was fine—it was that she'd been startled because Maisie nudged her. Rather insistently, in fact. They both turned to look at the mare, who tossed her head as if to say, that's right...you two need to quit fooling around and pay attention to me.
Taken aback (yet greatly relieved he actually hadn't overstepped with Lucy with his "fine" kiss), Wyatt burst out laughing, and then, a second later, she started giggling, all the while Maisie regarded them smugly. "Looks like someone might be a little jealous," he observed wryly after a moment, grinning at the brunette and reaching past her to stroke the horse's long neck affectionately.
"Jealous? Of who, exactly?" Lucy asked curiously, looking between him and Maisie. His own mouth still tingling from the kiss they'd just shared, Wyatt's breath caught, distracted by her plump lips and the rosy color warming her face. Damn, but the woman was even more tempting after she'd been kissed, he mused absently. Mentally shaking his head, Wyatt forced himself to pay attention.
"Well, of you, of course," he answered. "I don't think it's a secret to anyone on the ranch that you and Miss Maisie have become pretty fond of each other over the past month. I'd say in her mind, that makes you special." It was clear from Lucy's delighted expression how happy that made her.
"What a coincidence, then," she beamed, gently rubbing the mare's nose, "since I think Maisie is a very special horse." Wyatt impulsively decided right then and there this would be the perfect time to tell the teacher about the conversation with his grandparents.
"Glad to hear it because I have a surprise for you," he told her, pleased when she moved a little closer to him. "Once I noticed the bond growing between you and Maisie these past weeks, I talked it over with Gran and Gramps, and they decided she should be yours-that Maisie should belong to you."
Lucy's eyes widened in shock, her small hand clutching his sleeve. "What? You told your grandparents she should be mine? Oh, Wyatt, that is so sweet of you, but I couldn't...Maisie is much too valuable to just give away," she protested weakly, even as he noticed the longing on Lucy's face when she stole a quick glance at the mare that betrayed her true feelings. Mind racing for a solution, Wyatt stared down at her for a long moment, and then in a flash, it came to him. Exactly how to get the stubborn little thing to accept the horse–in a way that would also allow Lucy to keep her pride...
With a drawn-out sigh, Wyatt fixed a sad look on his face and made a show of scratching the back of his head. "Alright, then, if that's the way you feel, I guess that's that...still, seeing how you're kinda new around these parts, it would be unkind of me not to tell you, Miss Preston, that turning down a fine gift like this could be considered what I guess some folks might call committing a terrible breach of good manners," Wyatt drawled regretfully, struggling to keep from reacting to the puzzled frown that quickly appeared on her pretty face as she chewed over his words. Ha! Gotcha, sweet Lucy...
And then the experienced card player threw down his winning ace (so to speak). "Why, here in Texas, it's considered a serious insult to refuse a gift that's given in good faith, no matter what its value...but hey, if you're sure..." He could just about see her mind working furiously to come up with a reasonable argument–which was quite entertaining since the lady did not possess much of a poker face. And now to seal the deal. Reaching for Maisie's reins, Wyatt turned away from Lucy and began leading the horse toward the open barn doors.
"Wait!" she called out hesitantly when he'd gone maybe two steps. Wyatt tried like hell to wipe the satisfaction off his face before turning around, but from the way her eyes narrowed suspiciously, apparently, he was less than successful. "Now, hold on a minute...I know that look...why, I think you just made that up, Mr. Logan, to get me to accept this horse," Lucy said accusingly, before shocking the hell out of Wyatt a second later by throwing her arms around his neck once more and hugging him tightly.
"Never let it be said that a Preston from San Francisco ever committed a terrible breach of manners," she whispered in his ear, the prim and proper words somehow driving his long simmering desire for her even higher. The fierce need to get this woman alone somewhere and taste those tempting lips of hers once more rose up in him–and suddenly, the decision to court Lucy Preston looked to be the smartest gamble he'd ever taken. Damn...what he wouldn't give for a little privacy right now...
"Yes, Ma'am," he managed in a low voice, reining in his hunger for the moment when she pulled away. Despite instantly missing her touch, Wyatt couldn't help smiling at the look of wonder on Lucy's face as she stroked the mare's soft nose–and hell, if he wasn't mistaken, there looked to be a faint sheen of tears in those pretty eyes of hers. For goodness sakes, you'd think he'd given her a fortune in gold instead of an aging horse well past her breeding days.
Considering Wyatt spent time with the woman every day, he probably shouldn't be all that surprised by her humble reaction. Lucy was quite unlike most women he was acquainted with (well, besides his Gran). Though it seemed clear to him, at least, from her perfect manners and well-made clothing the teacher very likely came from a well-to-do family in San Francisco, in the few weeks Wyatt had known her, she was always pleasingly modest in her behavior around other folks, treating all she met kindly, especially those less fortunate. More than just beautiful on the outside, Lucy had a bone-deep goodness, a sweetness, about her a man couldn't help but be drawn to...a feeling that appeared to grow stronger in Wyatt's lonely heart every day.
Blinking back happy tears, Lucy sighed as she stroked Maisie's velvety nose, scarcely able to believe Wyatt and his grandparents were gifting her with the beautiful horse. Not since her 18th birthday right before her father fell ill had anyone been so generous. What a momentous morning. Not only had she successfully begun the journey to overcoming her fear of riding after so many years, but the man she'd fallen in love with finally kissed her again after days spent yearning for his touch. Lucy realized it was extremely improper to fling herself out of the saddle and straight into Wyatt's strong arms (shamelessly making no effort to hide how much she wanted him to kiss her), but oh, how the reward outweighed the sin as far as her wayward heart was concerned...
Turning away slightly from Wyatt, she closed her eyes and gently pressed trembling fingers to her swollen lips. If Lucy concentrated, she could still feel the firm caress of his warm mouth on hers...and it was heavenly. How she wished there was some way of knowing for certain the man's true feelings towards her. Was it sheer foolishness on her part to hope he might in some small measure return her newly-discovered feelings of love for him? she wondered, frowning slightly when a discouraging thought popped into her head...
What if...what if Lucy meant nothing more to the cowboy than a guest of his grandparents—a woman he'd impulsively kissed a few times because the circumstances happened to be conducive to a bit of romance? Her heart ached dully for a moment before swiftly filling with shame for even considering such an awful notion. Stop it this instant, she chastised herself. Such an assumption was grossly unfair and in no way a true portrait of the man Lucy was learning more about every day.
Wyatt Logan was a kind, respectful widower who'd proven countless times he was anything but careless in his actions. Despite possessing rugged good looks (that always made Lucy's heart beat faster), he truly seemed oblivious to the admiring glances bestowed on him from a quite a few of Brady's female residents–and was therefore absolutely the last man she could imagine trifling with a woman's feelings. Not to mention she rather suspected a remorseful Wyatt had likely vowed to keep his hands to himself when it came to Lucy—even before offering her a sincere apology for the kisses he'd stolen weeks ago. Her late father would definitely approve of such honorable behavior.
Papa, I've given my heart to a good man, Lucy reflected wistfully, quietly sighing at the familiar pang of sorrow that thoughts of her father sometimes brought. Not for the first time since meeting the cowboy, she wished the two men had known each other before Henry Preston passed away. She thought her father would be pleased and quite relieved if Wyatt would ever ask to court her—in light of the fact it was extremely unlikely Lucy would ever return to San Francisco since whatever the future held for her, Texas was her home now.
When she sadly recalled the dark days of his eventually fatal illness (and the rare occasion they spoke of Lucy's future), her father appeared to take great comfort in the fact she was being courted at the time by Noah Cooke in the hopes his only child would marry the young doctor and be taken care of the rest of her life. Of course, due to the tragic circumstances of Papa's wasting health, theirs hadn't been a normal courtship by any stretch of the imagination. Completely devoting herself to nursing her father, Lucy very seldom left their Nob Hill home. It was to his credit, she supposed, that Noah faithfully visited at least twice a week during those sad, exhausting months, seemingly content with the scant crumbs of attention a physically and emotionally drained Lucy was able to spare. No wonder the man was understandably shocked and angry at her decision to move away from San Francisco to attend college in Texas...
"Lucy? Are you alright?" Wyatt asked hesitantly, interrupting her chaotic thoughts. Goodness, Lucy, now is not the time for daydreaming. Even as she turned to face him, he looped Maisie's reins to one of the corral posts and lamented, "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have kissed you like that, especially after promising to be mindful of my behavior and not take advantage..." She hurriedly stopped the rush of words by placing her hand over his mouth, shivering imperceptibly at the warmth of his firm lips on her fingers before dropping her hand and squeezing his muscular arm.
"Please, Wyatt, don't...there's no need," Lucy implored, gazing up at him. "I haven't forgotten your promise, but after all, it was made a whole month ago...and now we know each other a little better, don't we?" She hoped desperately the cowboy would figure out the meaning behind her deliberately vague words. A young lady had to have some pride, after all. Watching him intently, Lucy's breath caught at the slow grin gradually blossoming on Wyatt's handsome face as he contemplated the question. Oh, those wicked dimples...
"I believe you might be right," he agreed after a few tortuous seconds, dark blue eyes glowing warmly. They stared solemnly at each other, so close, she could smell the faint fragrance of his shaving tonic. Despite the usual hustle and bustle of a busy horse ranch going on around them, it felt to Lucy as if they were the only two people in the world. Still, highly aware their privacy could be interrupted any minute now, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves...determined to take a chance...and share her true feelings.
"So maybe...well, maybe I'm the one who should be apologizing for taking advantage by throwing myself at you rather boldly," she declared bravely. "I don't know much about the custom here in Texas, but where I come from, kissing me just now wouldn't necessarily be viewed as a broken promise if...if I welcomed your embrace," Lucy stammered breathlessly, modestly dropping her gaze. Her heart pounded fiercely at the sheer audacity of her comportment this day. Heavens, her finishing school teachers back in San Francisco would be grabbing for their smelling salts if they knew...
A distracted Lucy started at the gentle touch of Wyatt's finger along her flushed cheek. "If that's an invitation, sweetheart, then this is my answer..." he growled softly before drawing her lips to his once more. Yes. Heart racing in anticipation, Lucy's mind went delightfully blank as his mouth sent tingles of desire rushing through her body. Nothing else in that moment mattered...and then all too soon, it was over. She could've cried when he abruptly jerked away from her, panting lightly, until she heard the deep voice of James Sherwin behind them and understood. Thank goodness Wyatt still had his wits about him...
"There you are! Betsy and I were wondering where the two of you had gotten off to in such a hurry after breakfast." Willing her own frantic breathing to slow down (and hoping her rosy cheeks might be explained by the chilly early spring air), Lucy turned to see the Wyatt's grandparents smiling at them. Sudden gratitude for the older couple's generosity filled her heart, helping to ease her disappointment about the interrupted kiss and leading her to impulsively hug each one in turn.
"Thank you, thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Sherwin, for giving Maisie to me!" Lucy exclaimed happily. "It's so kind and generous of you, too generous by far, actually, but your grandson has assured me I would be in danger of committing a serious breach of Texas etiquette if I refused to accept her," she said, pretending to frown sternly at Wyatt, who merely shrugged and grinned sheepishly when the older couple turned to look at him.
James nodded approvingly. "You're very welcome, Lucy, though it was an easy decision when Wy asked. We are tickled to death by the way you and Maisie have taken to each other. She's a sweet lady who's given us many fine babies over the years and deserves a good retirement, so you are actually doing us a favor by spending all this time with her." Patting Lucy's arm fondly, Betsy smiled in agreement.
Watching Wyatt with his grandparents, it struck Lucy how much she liked this small family–and how sad she'd be to eventually leave them and move into town. As someone who'd always lived in the city, it had been quite a pleasant surprise to realize how quickly she'd adapted to ranch life. Though Mrs. Sherwin hadn't mentioned it once since her arrival, Lucy vaguely recalled something in her teaching contract with the school board that in addition to her wages, they'd also provide her a place in Brady to live. It was a generous offer, to be sure—yet one that would surely break Lucy's heart when the time came for her to go.
In only a few short weeks, her kind hosts and their attractive grandson had become a sort of surrogate family for a young woman with no one else in the whole world. Lucy could scarcely bear to think how lonely it would be to live by herself day after day...and worst of all, unlikely to see very much of the man she was in love with except on Sunday mornings at church service. Lucy sighed quietly. If only there was some reason for her to to remain at the ranch...
While the men discussed a couple of the mares who were expected to give birth within a week or two, she and Mrs. Sherwin made plans to drive into Brady after lunch to leave correspondence at the post office to go out on the evening stage. They would be stopping at the general store and dressmaker's as well. Now that the weather was warming up, Lucy's wool skirts would be much too heavy for a Texas spring and summer, so she planned on ordering several lighter weight skirts and a nice dress or two for church.
As she started to accompany the Sherwins back to the house, Lucy was surprised when Wyatt tugged on her sleeve. Gazing at her intently, he asked if she'd like to help him with Maisie. "After all," he reminded Lucy, dark blue eyes glowing with humor, "she's your horse now. Why don't you lead her back inside?" Oh, how she liked the sound of that. Nodding eagerly, she carefully wrapped the mare's reins around her hand and tugged gently. Tentatively clucking her tongue, Lucy was thrilled when Maisie obediently followed.
It was peaceful in the stables this time of day once the morning's feeding and grooming was done, with the hired hands scattered about the ranch, busy with other chores. An appreciative Maisie was delicately nipping chunks of apple from Lucy's hand as Wyatt brushed her thoroughly. She was chattering away about nothing in particular when without warning, he abruptly stopped grooming the mare. His large hand clenched tightly on the brush, Wyatt turned to face her, dramatically changing her life in the space of a heartbeat when he squared his broad shoulders and announced in a gruff voice, "Lucy, I think we should start courting..."
A/N #2: Woohoo! Wyatt has FINALLY decided to court Lucy! My gosh, I thought the stubborn man would never get there. (Though, in typical Wyatt fashion, he failed to actually ASK her, lol.) Have to admit, I struggled quite a bit with this chapter (part of the reason it took so long to write) until I decided Wyatt really was ready to commit. I didn't intend for this chapter to be so Wyatt-centric, either, but then again, while Lucy has already realized she's in love with her cowboy, this was a big, scary decision for Wyatt because of his tragic history. Poor guy had a few things to work through. My deep appreciation for those readers who are still hanging in there with me on this nearly 100,000 word beast of a fic I began writing well over a year ago. Don't worry, though, there's still more to come. With the holidays fast approaching, however, this will probably be my last update in 2022. I look forward to starting the new year writing about these wonderful characters who continually inspire me. As always, my thanks also for all the favorites, follows and kind reviews–they mean more than I can express :))