A/N: I know it's been awhile since I've updated this story, but I was finishing up two other stories. Now, I can solely focus on this one and so updates will be coming much faster. Hopefully, there are still some readers following this story and if there are please enjoy this chapter. :)
Chapter Nine
"So, I was thinking we could do something together today, you know, hang out," Rebecca said as she lay back on the bed, her cell phone pressed to her ear. "We haven't really spent any time with each other since I got here."
"I know, and I'm sorry." Ty apologized from the other end of the phone. Rebecca felt her hopes fall. "But I promised Amy I would go look at a horse with her today and then I have to stop by the clinic for a little bit."
"Wow, you've become a man of business, Mr. Borden," Rebecca joked. She sat up and plucked a strawberry out of her breakfast bowl.
"Yeah, that's the life of a vet student," Ty agreed, chuckling. Then he grew serious. "How are you today, after last night?"
Rebecca sighed, biting into the strawberry. She's been trying to forget about yesterday's events, but to no avail. She just couldn't shake the feeling that Adam wasn't going to take this well. "It's better if I don't think about it." Rebecca told her brother truthfully. She took another bite of the strawberry and then put the end back in the bowl. "So, sitting around here today isn't an option, but, besides you, I don't know anybody else here. And you just said you were busy today, so I don't know what to do."
"I'm sorry," Ty said and Rebecca felt bad for making him apologize for spending time with his fiancee. "You can hang out at Heartland today, and then we can get dinner at Maggie's, if you want?"
Rebecca couldn't help, but snort out a laugh. "I'm sure the last thing that family wants is for me to come back around after yesterday. They probably can't wait for me to leave." Even though she meant it as a joke, a part of her believed it to be true. If it were her, she wouldn't let someone like her on her property again.
"That's not true," Ty reassured her. "Becky, you are not responsible for Adam coming the way he did. No one blames you."
Maybe they should, Rebecca thought to herself. "I don't know, I'll think about it," she finally said out loud. "Dinner sounds great though, but let's make it a double date. You bring Amy and I'll bring a hot cowboy I met a few days ago."
"Oh, do I know him?" Ty asked. His tone changed a bit to something that Rebecca couldn't determine.
"Possibly," Rebecca grinned, thinking of the cowboy.
"Am I going to have to give him the brother lecture?" Ty asked again, jokingly, but Rebecca detected a hint of seriousness in his voice. "Let him know what will happen to him, if he hurts you."
She laughed. "Ty, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." she told him.
"I know," Ty said quietly. They were silent for a moment, and then Ty said, "I guess I'll see you tonight then." Rebecca agreed and they both said their goodbyes.
Rebecca tossed the phone on the mattress and got up, deciding to risk it and go to Heartland. If they kicked her out, then she'll deal with it then. She pulled on a pair of faded, form-fitting jeans, a yellow thermal shirt, and her black boots completed the look. Stuffing her cell phone into the pocket of her leather jacket, Rebecca hurried out of the cabin.
/X/
The dabble-gray mare cantered smoothly and elegantly around the large outdoor arena. Her neck was arched beautifully as she moved on the bit. Her short, black mane flopped in the wind, and her matching tail swished from side to side. She was the perfect picture of an obedient show horse, except she looked unhappy, with her ears pinned back. Her rider sat lightly on her back, and he didn't kick her or pull on her mouth. There was nothing to the naked eye that Amy could see wrong with the mare. In fact, the mare hasn't even acted out or shown any defiance since they've been out here, so Amy wondered if they were even watching the right horse.
All of a sudden, the mare tossed her head and broke into a breakneck gallop. The rider calmly tried to pull the mare up, but it was futile. Amy saw that the mare had taken the bit between her teeth; she had all the control. But the mare wasn't trying to dislodge her rider, she was clearing just galloping full-out without any intent to harm. Then, as strange as it began, the mare slowed to a trot and then a walk. She allowed her rider to lead her over to the fence.
Hal Davis, the owner of Champion Run Stables and the mare, turned toward Amy and Ty. He was tall, probably in his thirties, with cropped black hair and he was dressed neatly in jeans and black polo shirt. "There you have it, Cascade Falls." he said. "We can't get through a training session without her pulling some stunt like that."
"Well, she definitely wasn't spooked," Amy replied. "Are you sure there's nothing physically wrong?"
Hal shook his head. "All our saddles are custom-made to fit each horse, and we've had a vet check her out two times." he explained. He nodded toward the young, blonde rider. "Brant, go ahead and untack her." The boy, Brant, nodded and dismounted.
"Yeah, Scott and I couldn't find anything wrong with her," Ty added.
Amy stared after Cascade Falls as Brant led the mare away. She couldn't help but notice the way she kept tossing her head, almost as if she resented Brant's hold on the reins. "I'll do it." Amy said, determinedly, and then turned back to Hal and Ty. "I want to help her."
"Great," Hal replied, clapping his hands together. "I'll go tell Brant to bring Cas out to your trailer." The man hurried to the barn, seeming relieved now that Amy was going to 'fix' his horse. But Amy was pretty sure the mare didn't need any fixing.
"What are you thinking?" Ty asked, stepping in front of her.
"I'm not sure," Amy admitted. "But I'm pretty sure Cas didn't bolt just now. She wasn't scared, angry, or in pain. She actually seemed happy to be galloping on her own, enjoying her freedom. But she wasn't fighting Brant for control. I don't know, it's tricky, I haven't gotten it all figured out yet." She sighed as she watched Brant come out of the barn with the dapple-gray mare in tow, who was now wearing a black-and-gold travel sheet instead of a saddle.
"Well, if anybody can figure that horse out, it's you," Ty said as he put his arm around her.
"Well, with you supporting me, how can I not?" Amy replied, smiling. They started walking over to Hal and Brant, who was standing by the Heartland trailer. Cas was staring at the trailer interestedly. Amy had the sudden thought that the mare had probably never been in a trailer this small before.
"I'm so glad you've agreed to fix her," Hal said when they approached, though Amy winced at his choice of words. It was like he implied that Cas was a broken toy that he was going to get fixed. "She's a special one." He patted Cas' neck.
"We'll do our best," Ty told him as he took Cas' lead from Brant.
As Ty loaded the mare into the trailer, Amy turned to Hal. "So, I'll call you in a few days to let you know how she's doing." she replied.
"No worries," Hal smiled an easy smile. "I know she's in more than capable hands."
"Thank you," Amy said. She shook both Hal's and Brant's hands and then turned to Ty, who was waiting by the trailer. Ty nodded to the other two. Together, they got into the truck to take Cascade Falls to Heartland.
/X/
"Knock, knock!" Rebecca called out, poking her head through the door of the Heartland ranch house. There was a small child's voice asking Who's there? And then a woman's voice, inviting her in. Rebecca stepped cautiously through the entryway and into the kitchen. Lou stood in front of a two-year-old, a dark pink sweatshirt in her hands. Katie stood with a misshapen mass of a stuffed animal clutched in her arms and a stubborn expression on her face. It was only when the little girl turned that Rebecca saw that the stuffed animal was an octopus; green with gold luminescent scales.
"Oh, hi, Rebecca," Lou sighed, putting Katie's coat on the back of a chair. Taking advantage of her mother's preoccupation, Katie scampered away before Lou could grab her.
"Sorry, is this a bad time?" Rebecca asked, thinking that she shouldn't have come. "Ty said, it would be okay if I came over."
"No, of course you can stay," Lou said. "It's just that I have to run out to get a few things from the store, and Katie is in an uncooperative mood today. Of course, nobody is here to help me, so I'm stuck here."
An idea struck Rebecca just then. "If you want, I can watch Katie for you, while you go to the store?" Rebecca offered.
"Actually, that would be great," Lou replied, visibly relieved. "Do you have experience with kids?"
Rebecca was shocked; she didn't expect Lou to go for the idea. "I've babysat a few kids before." Rebecca told her honestly.
"Great!" Lou exclaimed, scooping up her coat and bag. "She just ate, but she might not be ready to take a nap just yet, so just let her play until she tires herself out. If she goes outside, make sure she wears a coat, but not that one..." Lou pointed to the pink sweatshirt draped over the chair, staring at it for a moment. Then, she went over and pulled a small, black sweatshirt from the coat rack in the entryway. "She wears this when she goes outside, so she doesn't get her nice clothes dirty. We like her to look somewhat decent when we go out." Lou explained, giving a laugh at the end. She handed Rebecca the sweatshirt and then, scribbled something down on a post-it. "This is my cell phone number, if anything goes wrong. You can call Ty or myself, but she shouldn't give you any trouble."
Rebecca took the post-it, smiling through the woman's obsessiveness, and put the note in her pocket. "Got it. Everything will be fine." Rebecca answered her.
"Okay, I'm leaving," Lou nodded, back toward the door. "Mommy, loves you, Katie!" With a wave to Rebecca, Lou was gone.
"Okay, Katie, it's just you and me now!" Rebecca called out to the little girl, walking further into the house in search of the toddler. She found her in her room, sitting on the floor with her stuffed octopus. "Hey, Katie, do you want to go on a walk and see the horsies outside?"
"Puss?" Katie said, questioningly, holding up the octopus.
"I think we should leave him in the house so he doesn't get dirty," Rebecca suggested, but in her mind, she didn't think the two-year-old wouldn't go for it. Katie stared at her for what seemed like a few minutes and then finally put Puss the Octopus down without complaint.
Katie willingly let Rebecca put her sweatshirt on. Though, they struggled for a bit; Katie kept trying to put the wrong arm in the wrong hole. Afterward, Rebecca led Katie outside and they started walking to the barn, their hands swinging as they went. When they got closer to the barn Katie pointed excitedly at the corral.
"Pony!" the little girl squealed.
"Is that your pony?" Rebecca asked her. "Do you want to go pet him?" When Katie nodded, Rebecca picked her up, so that she would be able to reach better, and walked up to the fence. The pinto pony walked up to them with pricked ears. Katie giggled softly as she pet the pony's soft face. Rebecca's heart warmed watching the toddler enjoy her pony, she couldn't help but smile.
"This is sweet,"
An icy chill slid down Rebecca's spine and her smile disappeared as she instantly recognized the voice. But it wasn't the voice she'd become accustomed to, it was filled with a cold detachment. Rebecca turned slowly around, her grip on Katie tightening. Seeming to sense her fear, Katie grew quiet and her brown eyes were wide. Adam stood merely ten feet away, in the same rumpled clothes he was wearing yesterday.
"I knew you'd come back here," Adam said. He wasn't slurring his words, but Rebecca knew he was drunk. It surrounded him like a second skin. "I didn't want to believe it, but something told me you had lied. That you weren't coming back. Why, Rebecca, why would you do this to me?"
Rebecca looked around desperately, searching for anybody, but nobody else was here. She wondered briefly how Adam could have gotten here, but quickly pushed it to the back of her mind, it didn't matter, he was here now. And she was faced with the harsh reality; she was here alone with her extremely, volatile ex-boyfriend and a two-year-old girl. Adam took a step toward them and Rebecca automatically took a step backward, her back colliding with the fence. She was trapped. Rebecca realized that she may not be able to escape this situation, so she had to do what she could to keep Katie safe.
Keeping one eye on Adam, Rebecca knelt on the ground, placing Katie on her feet. The little girl stared up at her with fearful eyes as Rebecca took her by her shoulders. "Katie, I need you to be a brave girl and listen to me," Rebecca told Katie, unsure if the little girl was understanding everything she was saying. "When I say so, I need you to run as fast as you can to the barn and hide. And don't come out until I tell you to, okay?"
Katie just stared at her.
"Cute kid," Adam said, glancing at Katie. He gave her small wave. "Hi, pretty girl."
"Don't talk to her," Rebecca replied as she stood back up, making sure she stood between Katie and Adam. "She has nothing to do with you, just leave her alone." With that, Rebecca told Katie to go and, to her relief, Katie did just that. They both watched the little girl run into the barn.
"What happened to us, Becky?" Adam said quietly. It almost sounded like he was talking to himself. "That you don't trust me around children."
"Don't do that. Don't put this on me," Rebecca replied defensively. "You're the one who started drinking and then decided to take off without telling me. I spent weeks not knowing if you were alive or dead! Do you have any idea what you put me through?!"
"I was trying to get sober, for you." Adam explained, but his explanation fell flat.
"And picking up a phone to let me know you were alright, didn't occur to you?" Rebecca accused him. She tried to keep her voice down, but her emotions were running on high. "You didn't do this for me. You ran away because you were a coward, who couldn't face his problems or-"
In a flash, Adam was in front of her, pinning her to the fence with his hands. Rebecca heard the horses in the corral behind her bolt away, panicked from the sudden, violent movement. She gasped out loud, fear making her heart beat faster. Once again, Adam had changed right before her eyes. His eyes were black and fathomless and his face was a twisted mask of rage. Rebecca was suddenly more afraid than she'd ever been before. She didn't know what this Adam was capable of.
"Don't you dare say that again!" Adam growled, slamming her back into the fence. It sent a shock through her back and tears brimmed her eyes. His fingers were like claws digging into her skin from where he was gripping her arms tightly. "Everything I do is for you. I only want the best for you, but you keep ruining it!"
"Adam, you're hurting me," Rebecca whimpered.
To her surprise, Adam dropped his hands, his face softening and his eyes were glassing over with unshed tears. "See, why do you have to make me hurt you? Why can't you just come home with me? Becky, I love you, please just come home with me!" He seemed to be begging her now. Rebecca shook her head, her body shaking as she tried to blink back tears.
The slap stung her cheek hard and it knocked her a little off-balance, but she remained on her feet. Rebecca put a hand to her stinging cheek as a tear slipped down her face. Adam's fist was harder when it collided with her face and this time she did fall to the ground. Rebecca cried out as her vision went black for a moment. She didn't have time to move though, because Adam was right there, looming over her. He yanked her up by her hair, so that her face was close to his.
Rebecca saw that his face was wet with his own tears. "Please don't make me do this!" Adam pleaded, his voice quiet. She wasn't sure if he was talking to her anymore or to himself. It looked like she could reach out and pull him back from this. So, she tried.
"Adam-"
His name was barely off her lips when there came a shout from somewhere and the slam of a car door. Adam's face changed to panic and Rebecca felt him slip away from her. He let go of her and she fell back on the ground, unable to catch herself. She tried to call out to Adam as he ran away, but she heard the jeep start up and it was too late. Adam was gone. There was another shout and then Jack was right in front of her.
"Rebecca, are you alright?" Jake asked her as he helped her to sit up.
"I'm fine," Rebecca answered, wiping tears and dirt from her face. Her head ached from where Adam had grabbed her hair and she could barely open her right eye. "Is the baby okay?"
"Katie? What do you mean? Where is she?" Jack questioned her gently.
Rebecca was confused for a moment. "Katie? Oh, I told her to go to the barn and hide," She shook her head. "But that's not-" She didn't get to finish the sentence though, because another face appeared before her. Ty.
"Is she okay?" Ty asked Jack. "Amy and I were just driving up when we nearly got hit by somebody speeding away in Rebecca's car." He didn't say who it was, but Rebecca saw by the strained set of his jaw that he knew who it was.
"She says she is, but her eye says differently," Jack said. "Do you got her? She said Katie is the barn."
"Yeah, I have her. Go," Ty told him, and Jack hurried off. Ty turned to her. "Becky, what happened?" Rebecca just shook her head unable and not wanting to say anything.
"Ty, we should call the police," Amy spoke up. Rebecca looked up at her, having just noticed she was here.
"Yeah," Ty agreed and he pulled out his cell phone. But Rebecca grabbed his wrist before he could do anything.
"No, please, don't call the police," she begged Ty. Ty just stared at her with a mix of confusion.
"Rebecca, the police have to know about this," Amy said, hoping to talk some sense into her. "If we don't, then he's just going to do this again. We have-"
"No!" Rebecca snapped at her. She didn't mean to, it just came out. She was still hurting and tired and she just wanted to lie down. Ty must have seen this because he reluctantly gave in.
"Okay," Ty sighed. "Let's get you inside and then we'll go from there."
So, with Amy and Ty helping her, Rebecca walked slowly toward the ranch house. Behind them, Rebecca could hear Jack consoling Katie, but Rebecca's mind was elsewhere. It was on the fact that just for a moment Adam had seemed reachable. But now that that moment was gone, Rebecca didn't know if Adam was lost to her for good.
A/N: I know that chapter was really intense, so please tell me what you think after all that in a review. The next chapter will be up soon. :)