Ty had worked the night shift, coming home tired but unable to sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching Amy sleep. She looked so peaceful, and his heart skipped a beat as he thought of what might have happened if the bullet had hit its mark. He couldn't forget the conversation he had had with the police. Why would anyone want her dead?

She was working in the arena with the horse. It had been a challenge to get him to trust her, but finally he came around and things were going well. The crowd was quiet as she worked with him. Then she caught a glimpse of him and saw the flash from the gun. The horse fell. Blood squirted everywhere. She heard screams from the crowd. Then everything went black.

Amy rolled over to reach for him. "Ty! TY!" She bolted upright, not fully awake yet.

"Hey." He touched her hand. "Amy, I'm here. It was just a dream."

Her body relaxed as she felt his touch. She pulled on his hand, letting him know she needed him. Ty lay down, letting her move into him. Slowly, he brought his arms around her, wrapping her safely in his embrace. She let out a sigh as she rested her head on his chest. He closed his eyes, wondering what her dream was about. Not able to fight the tiredness, he sighed and gave in.

He awoke hours later to the sound of Amy's voice, telling him it was noon and time to get up. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up. "What time did you say it was?"

Leaning in to give him a kiss, she responded, "It's noon, but it's okay; you have the day off, remember? I made breakfast for you; it's staying warm in the oven."

Ty pulled her down, flipping her over on the bed, his lips leaving kisses down her neck. She didn't resist his actions until she remembered she had her boots on. Pushing him back, she attempted to get out of bed. "Ty, my boots will get the sheets all dirty."

He reached down and pulled her one boot off and then the other. "Better?" His lips landed on hers.

Amy smiled through his kiss. "You're crazy; you know that?"

"Yeah, but you love me just the same. Right?" Amy didn't answer right away, and his hands found their way to her ticklish spot.

She squirmed. "Ok, I love you, even if you are crazy." She kissed him more passionately.

"I'm going to jump in the shower; care to join me?" he asked as he tried to get up.

"Oh, no you don't, mister." She pulled him down again. His smile betrayed him as his lips found their way to the spot on her neck that always made her moan.

"Ty." Amy's voice was breathy. "If we're going to accomplish anything today, we need to get going."

He continued to lavish kisses down her neck until they heard footsteps on the stairs. He jumped up, sprinting for the bathroom as Amy grabbed her boots and walked to the kitchen.

"Everyone decent up here?" asked a very familiar voice.

"Yes, Grandpa, come on up." She pulled a cup out of the cupboard and poured him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks Amy." As he sat down at the table.

"Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if Ty could take a look at one of my cows. Not real sure what's going on with her, but she seems to be off her feed and has lost some weight."

Ty opened the bathroom door, walking over to Amy and kissing her forehead as he grabbed a cup for some coffee.

"Morning, Jack—well, afternoon for you."

Jack smiled. "I take it you worked the night shift last night?"

Ty nodded. "I heard you talking to Amy about the cow. I'll check on her; it's not a problem. I have the day off, so I'll catch up with you later, if that's okay?"

Jack nodded, getting up to leave. "Thanks for the coffee, Amy." He gave her arm a squeeze.

They spent the afternoon doing all the horses' vet checks. Ty checked them over and administered all the needed shots, and Amy filled out all the paperwork. They finished up just in time for dinner.

Walking over to the ranch house hand in hand, they spotted Jack sitting on the porch.

"Hi Grandpa. What're you doing out here?" Amy asked.

Jack was grumbling about the stove not working and Lou being stuck at the diner when Amy had an idea. "Give us an hour and then come over to the loft, okay?" Jack looked up and just nodded.

Amy spun around, pulling Ty with her, and headed back to the barn. Ty wondered what the heck was going on.

"Amy, what are you doing?" he asked as she pulled him up the loft stairs.

"We are making dinner Ty." She opened the freezer door and pulled out the big pan of lasagna they'd made a few days ago and a loaf of French bread.

"We can have lasagna and some garlic bread and a salad. Do you think that'll be enough?"

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yes, that'll be plenty." He kissed her cheek and walked over to turn on the oven.

Amy made the salad while Ty spread the garlic butter on the bread and popped it in the oven. They got out the plates and started setting the table for three when Georgie came up the stairs.

"Ty, Amy, are you up here?" she yelled.

"Yes, Georgie, no need to yell," Ty responded, setting another plate on the table. "Is Katie with your mom?" he asked. Georgie nodded and flopped down on the couch. A few minutes later, they heard Jack and Tim having a discussion as they walked up the stairs. Ty gave Amy the raised eyebrow and put another plate out.

It was a little cramped around the table, but it worked and everyone ate dinner. Jack and Tim bickered about anything and everything, and Amy tried hard to keep the peace, changing the subject several times. Finally, Jack had had enough of Tim and told him off and left. Tim got up and stormed off down the steps and Georgie didn't even say goodbye as she was on her phone when she left.

Ty flopped down on the couch in utter frustration until he heard what sounded like sniffles. He looked over at Amy, who was standing at the sink. Her back was to him, but he could tell by her body movements that she was crying. He got up and walked over to her, putting his arms around her. She turned and buried her face in his shirt.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sorry your dad was such an ass tonight. But dinner turned out great."

She sniffed back the tears and looked up at him. "No, I'm sorry. It's not your fault that my family is so dysfunctional, and thank you for helping with dinner."

He wiped the tears from her cheeks and brought his lips to hers. "They're my family too, Amy, so no need to apologize. I'm just sorry that no one seemed to care about the trouble you went to to fix them dinner."

She hugged him tight. "I love you, Ty."

"I love you too, Amy." Taking her hand, he led her over to the couch. He sat down, pulling her into his lap. Her head rested on his shoulder as she snuggled into his body. They sat for a while, just enjoying being together.

Ty went to kiss her hair, and she turned her head to meet his kiss. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. The kissing continued until it wasn't enough; he wanted to show her just how much she was loved. He picked her up, carrying her to their bed, making slow, sweet love to her, not needing or wanting anything in return.

She lay in his arms, her body soft and warm against his. He couldn't imagine life without her. She made him want to be a better man, and he asked himself everyday how he was so lucky to have her as his wife. But when they drifted off to sleep, her dreams were anything but sweet.

Ty awoke to the smell of coffee and the sound of the shower running. His mind recalling her restless sleep last night and the dream the night before. The police officer's words echoed in his ears. It had been a while since he'd had an update on the case, so he made a mental note to make a call to the Las Vegas police.

Amy walked out of the bathroom in her robe, her hair all wrapped in a towel. Ty smiled. "Good morning."

Walking over to him and placing her hands on his waist, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips. "Good morning to you too. What smells so good?"

"I made some ham and eggs for breakfast. Do you want some?" he asked, getting two plates down before she responded.

Amy put bread in the toaster, and they sat at the island eating when Ty asked, "Amy, do you remember the dream you had night before last?"

She looked up at him, pausing to think. "No, I don't recall having a dream. Why?"

"Right after I got home, I was sitting on the edge of the bed and you bolted upright and called out my name like you were frightened. You don't remember that?"

She sat staring into space, trying to recall what kind of dream it could have been to frighten her enough to cause her to call out his name. "I really don't remember, Ty."

"It's okay; I just wondered what had you so upset." His words made her start to wonder too.

"What would you say to going for a ride? We can check out that cow that Jack's worried about and give the horses some exercise at the same time."

She turned to look at him. "I think that's a great idea, Dr. Borden, and I'm sure Spartan and Harley will love the attention."

"Great, why don't I finish up here and you go get dressed." He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

She nodded, standing up to leave when his arms reached over and pulled her to him. He planted a kiss on her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers played with the back of his hair as the kiss became heated.

She pushed him back. "Ty, will you stop already? We'll never get anything done today if you don't get your head in the game." She wasn't willing to admit to him that she was enjoying all his attention.

He stated his case. "It's your fault; you kissed me back. Besides, we haven't had a lot of time together lately, and I've missed you."

She dropped her head. "I know, and I'm sorry. It is my fault that we haven't had much time for us."

"Hey, it's not your fault. We've both been busy. Have I told you how much I love you?"

Her arms went around him hugging him tightly. "I love you too." Tears began to well up in her eyes.

He rubbed her back, not sure what was up; it wasn't like her to get emotional. But he held her tight, letting her know he was there for her and wanting her to feel safe.

"Everything okay, Amy?" He looked down at her tear-stained face.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I need to get dressed." She started walking towards the bedroom.

"Okay, I'm going to go talk to Jack a minute."

She nodded and watched him as he descended the stairs.

Ty was talking to Jack in the office when Amy came down the stairs. She came over to the two of them and noticed that the conversation they were having came to an abrupt halt.

"So, do we know where this cow is that we need to check out?" she asked.

"Yup, sure do, and I have the supplies I think I might need, so we just need to tack up the horses."

It took about fifteen minutes to saddle up and pack Ty's vet supplies in the saddle bags.

"Amy, you ready to go?" Ty asked.

"Yup, all set, and I packed us a snack so we don't get hungry."

He smiled. "Why am I not surprised that you would think about your stomach on a trail ride?" He hugged her.

She stuck her tongue out as he reached to tickle her side. Jack cleared his throat as he walked out into the barn, hiding his smile as a memory of a moment between him and Lindy crossed his mind.

They made their way out of the barn with the horses, mounting up and heading across the yard. Jack stood in the barn door and waved as the pair headed off towards the river and the foothills beyond.

…..

Getting into the country wasn't as hard as he thought. All it took was finding the right resource and money for a fake passport, and he had a brand-new identity. He didn't want to fly straight to Calgary just in case someone was watching his moves. So he flew to Edmonton and then rented a car to drive the rest of the way, not wanting to make it obvious where he was headed.

He had been watching her from a distance, not wanting to be noticed. He took notes on when and where she went in a day. It was easier to keep tabs on him, because his job was away from Heartland; the only problem was that he worked different hours all the time. Amy was never alone. Someone was always around the ranch, making it difficult for him to put his plan into action. But today it seems from what he could see, he was going to catch a break. They were leaving on horseback.

Leaning up against the tree, he took a swig from his bottle. All he needed now was a horse, and that should be easy enough to find. After all, they were in Alberta horse country. Right? A wicked grin spread across his face, and his trigger finger began to itch. The only decision left for him to make was whose name was going to be on the bullet.

….

The two riders were enjoying the warmth of the sun on their faces as they rode through the fields, lost in the splendor of the mountains rising up in front of them. They rode for some time before Ty spoke.

"What're you thinking about?" he asked as he watched his wife.

"Nothing, just enjoying the view and the wind in my face," she said.

"Really? You look awfully serious for someone who isn't thinking," Ty stated.

Amy looked over at him. "You know me too well."

"So, are you going to tell me, or do I have to start tickling you again?" He reached his hand over to touch her side.

She pulled away, giving Spartan a kick. "You'll have to catch me first." Spartan took off. Ty gave a heel to Harley and started galloping after her. She didn't let on that she had remembered a portion of her dream, or nightmare was more like it, and it did scare her.

….

As luck would have it, a cowboy was checking fences along the road. He pulled over, acting lost, and asked for directions. The unsuspecting man got off his horse to show him which way he should go.

He dragged the cowboy's body into the weeds before mounting the horse and taking off for the foothills, stalking his next intended victim—or maybe victims; he was still uncertain about that little detail. But he would know when the right time presented itself.