CHAPTER 14

This was a different kind of departure than the last one she had three months ago. The walk to the gate at the airport in Calgary had them arm and arm once again, but this time Amy and Ty were together without the family looking on. She said her goodbyes back at the ranch to Grandpa Jack, Lou, Georgie, Katie, and Peter, who had just gotten home after an extended business trip. She took the time for each of them to give her a warm send-off.

"Soooo, I guess you're all set then?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I have everything."

"You know, I am having a little trouble reading you this morning."

Amy's eyes flinched at his observation. "What do you mean?"

"You seem a bit…. off today, like you are especially worried about something?" he posed as more of a question than comment.

"I am just thinking about things I need to do once I get to Spain, I guess. I'll have to catch up with….everything."

Ty was puzzled by her evasive reply.

"Is there anything in particular that is bothering you?"

"No….It's…. just, there are some issues to deal with when I get there. The horses have been moved around a lot lately and I haven't been there to keep them or the riders calmed down if there have been any flare-ups. Ahmed seemed agitated about something when I called to make arrangements to fly back. He is insistent on going to Abu Dhabi. I have told him I thought it would be too much for the horses and the team to add another show to a schedule that was full enough in the first place. With the success we had in the early season I think he wants to demonstrate to his people that he has grown into his father's shoes, so to speak. The competition in Abu Dhabi is the closest show available for him to display the progress he has made as a serious leader to the people in his country who doubted him, not as a spoiled son of a leader. He has his mind made up to do it, and since I have been have been away from the team….let's just say it has made him less confident about a good outing when we get there."

"Well, Ahmed should know by now that you are the one who can get the job done." Ty reassured her. "Just do what you know is right. That always seems to work out for the best, doesn't it?" He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly toward him and kissed her forehead.

The couple had come to the gate where Amy's flight was sitting ready to board its passengers. Ty's heart was beating faster now and he was consciously making an effort to remain calm and not embarrass himself in front of her.

"You OK?" She asked, knowing her fiancée all to well.

"OK as I can be, I guess. I'm not goanna lie, I won't ever feel good about letting you go for this long and so far away, not now, not fifty years from now. I like having my best girl around." He said, trying to lighten the mood.

Amy stepped in front of him and looked up into his misty green eyes with her own which were misty blue. "I am going to miss you too, you know. But we only have five weeks this time, right?"

"Five minutes is too long, if you ask me, but we will get through it and then we can get on with our lives."

Ty pulled her close and reached down to give her the kiss that he knew would have to last for much longer than he wished. Before he knew it, Amy had disappeared through the tunnel leading to the passenger door on the aircraft.

"Damn, I hate this." was the only thing he had left to say, to nobody but himself.

Her journey was delayed in London in route to its destination of Malaga Airport in Spain. Layovers in airports were not Amy's favorite thing, reminding her how nice it was to travel in Ahmed's private jet without the inconvenience of waiting to change flights or having to find her way in unfamiliar places. She was not looking forward to sitting in the uncomfortable seats in the terminal for two more hours before she was to board the next to last switch over in Spain.

Amy had been turning many thoughts around in her head during the day and the pressure of uncertainty and indecision was building into a nagging headache. She was thankful for Ty not asking the questions she had expected during her visit. As usual, his way of handling it was to let her talk about whatever was troubling her as much as she wanted, do what he could to help ease her mind, then, just let her work it out the way she needed to. She also knew how he must be feeling right now and knowing that she had revealed less than one hundred percent of her situation to Ty, or Lou, or another living soul was causing some regret to overcome her. The feeling that Ty had somehow sensed it wouldn't leave her alone.

With all of the hours in the air, layovers, and loss of time to a series of advancing time zones, Amy had spent most of a complete day, finally reaching the airport in Malaga. Ahmed was waiting when she arrived to take her to his chartered helicopter for the remainder of the way to Vejer de la Frontera and his family's private villa overlooking the village.

The Prince seemed as nervous upon seeing her as she was to see him and he tried to cover it up by rushing people along to get her luggage loaded and the flight started as quickly as possible.

"How was your time at home, Amy?" Ahmed asked.

"I had a wonderful time! It was great to see everyone and spend some time with all of them." She answered, trying to keep details to a minimum.

"And, Ty?" Ahmed asked, getting right to the point. "How is he dealing with your returning to the job at hand?"

Amy thought a second, and then said, "Well, he certainly doesn't like to have me so far away for this long, but he's OK with it, for now."

Ahmed gave her a nod and said, "We have a lot of things to discuss after you have had a time to rest from your journey." He said.