Author's note: I could say I'm sorry for not having updated in a while, and you'll get the usual excuses: I was too busy; life happens; writer's block, etc., etc... In any case, here's Chapter 20, which brings Lou into the picture. I had to address the Dude Ranch issue, so this is my take on what probably happened behind the scenes. It was never explained how or when or why Lisa was no longer involved with that business. I tackle that here. No, Jack and Lisa still aren't back together yet (c'mon, you know it didn't happen that easily!) but things may be turning a corner on that...

Chapter 20:

The Waiting Game

Lou sat silently at the kitchen table, staring at the paperwork before her. It had arrived that day in a business envelope that bore postage marks from France; the return address from Toulon. For a moment, Lou wasn't quite sure what emotion she was experiencing. It wasn't sadness, exactly, or even regret. It was a little bit like grief. Yes, Lou decided: it was like grieving a loss. In this case, it was the loss of a business partnership.

A sigh puffed her cheeks as she re-read the very familiar legal jargon on the pages. Memories preyed on her mind of the time Tim sold his share of the Dude Ranch to Lisa. Uncomfortably, Lou thought of how unhappy she was during that period of her life. Dubai had been a disaster, and her father simply couldn't handle the running of her precious business in her absence. Tim's selling of his share to Lisa after she offered to help seemed the prudent solution to the problem. That they endured a rocky start due to a massive clash in vision for the Dude Ranch was beside the point. It hadn't been easy, but Heartland Equestrian Connections survived—and thrived—during their partnership. Lou had to admit Lisa's years of experience gained from running her own business was an invaluable and often intangible asset she had not appreciated enough. Long forgotten were disputes over "tacky" décor and the ill-timed operating of noisy excavating machinery during leaf-peeping season. Two admittedly head-strong, savvy women found ways to work together for a common goal of success.

Now, with the stroke of a pen, that successful partnership was dissolved. Lou put her signature on the designated line, formally agreeing to buy back Lisa's share—effectively making her the sole owner and operator. She sat back in her chair, exhaling again. Part of her was glad her grandfather was still in Arizona while this transaction was taking place. Lou suspected Lisa planned it that way, and she appreciated the other woman's discretion. They had mostly corresponded via email but had spoken on the phone a few days earlier to smooth out some final details. During that call, Lou could not help but hear the resignation in Lisa's voice:

"I'm giving you a fair price for it, Lou. I think our reasons for having me as a partner have reached their conclusion. You're perfectly capable of running this on your own, now."

"So, you're really staying in France for good?"

"Um, yeah, it's time to move on. My next step is to sell Fairfield, but…"

"But what?"

"Oh, I don't know. I have to do it, but I guess I don't quite want to let the family farm go just yet. Honestly, if you had told me a year ago I would even be considering selling this place, I would have told you that you're crazy. It breaks my heart to think of it no longer being in the Stillman name, but other than the land and the house, there's nothing left for me in Hudson."

"You still have us, you know. What about Katie?"

"Katie will always be my goddaughter, and of course I'll visit..."

That had been the end of Lou's attempts to persuade Lisa to otherwise remain in Hudson. As she stuffed the document into the return envelope, Lou concluded any effort expended to convince Lisa to stay belonged solely in her grandfather's hands. This was his relationship to fix, if he indeed wanted it fixed.

It was unfortunate that things had come to this. For all their differences and disagreements, Lou had a healthy admiration for the other woman. She, along with Peter, would not have asked Lisa to be godmother to Katie if their relationship had been a genuinely negative one. Lou considered the main reasons she felt Lisa's involvement in the family's affairs often crossed the line into meddling were due to a mix of jealousy and resentment.

Jealousy, because Lisa seemed to have it all together all the time; resentment because of how she seemed to stake a claim on the role of matriarch by dint of being romantically involved with Jack. Her kindness, too, could be overwhelming. It was Lisa who had secretly obtained for her the dream wedding and bridesmaids dresses when it seemed impossible. Such a gift must have come at a great expense, yet Lisa never once reminded Lou of it. Fishing for compliments or signs of gratitude was not a sport Lisa played.

The screen door from the porch entrance slammed shut and Tim shuffled in.

"Hi, Dad," Lou said, too late catching the despondent tone in her voice.

"What's the matter?" Tim snapped upon hearing the glum note.

She ignored his surly delivery. "C'mon, Dad," she sighed. "You know it hasn't been easy with Grandpa being away."

"You know he's not going to live forever, right?" Tim asked as he removed his boots. "This heart attack is just the kind of wake-up call this family needs."

"Thanks, Dad," Lou grumbled in sarcasm, trying to ignore the wave of anxiety that swamped her at the thought of Jack's inevitable mortality. She glanced down at the sealed return envelope instead. "I just signed the deal to buy back Lisa's half of the Dude Ranch."

"Honey, that's great!" Tim declared. "I mean, don't get me wrong: Lisa helped out when you needed it most, but she's not here anymore. You need to take control again. You've got this."

"Yeah, I know," Lou agreed. "It's been really hard not letting Grandpa know about all this when I've spoken to him on the phone. It's just what he needs to hear, right? That Lisa has one less reason to stay in Hudson."

"What happened between them is plain sad," Tim sniffed while making his way into the kitchen. "That old man is too stubborn for his own good. He should have just taken my advice and kept his mouth shut about what happened in Paris. That's what got him in this mess in the first place."

"I thought things were looking up when she came back from France to see him after… you know…" Lou struggled to speak. "I thought they were going to Arizona together."

"We all did," Tim put in.

"But then she left without a word, and he's down there by himself."

"When's he supposed to get back, again?" Tim asked.

"One more week," Lou answered. And it can't happen soon enough.

"Great!" Tim exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "That gives me enough time."

Lou shot him a quizzical look. "Enough time for what?"

"You'll see!" Tim said, smiling slyly, while rummaging in the fridge for something to drink.

"Why do I not like the sound of that?"

"C'mon, Lou," Tim sighed, turning around with a carton of orange juice in his hand. "I did not ask for this responsibility, but with Jack out of the picture, someone needs to start thinking about the future of this place."

"Okay, what is that supposed to mean?"

"Let's face it, Lou: when your grandfather gets back, it'll be more than time to put him out to pasture. I mean, he shouldn't even be in the saddle what with his arthritis and after that heart attack."

Lou folded her arms. "I don't like the idea of his working himself into another heart attack, either, but…"

"See? Then you agree with me," Tim interjected. He poured the juice in a glass and took a long swallow.

Biting her lip, Lou decided to drop her protests. It wasn't worth the effort to argue with her father. Jack would soon return and after that, things would hopefully be back to some semblance of normalcy.

"I've gotta go into town to mail this," Lou said, getting up from the table. "Katie's napping right now. Could you…?"

"Yeah, yeah, go," Tim muttered, waving her aside. "I'll watch her."

She grabbed the keys to the SUV along with the envelope. "Thanks, Dad. See you later."

"Thanks for letting me use your phone," Jack said to his hosts after having finalized his return travel details. Changing his flight back to Calgary to an earlier one hadn't been as much of a hassle as he thought it might be.

"It's no problem, at all," Henry Groves said. "Are you sure we can't convince you to stay any longer?"

"Yes, Jack," Annette added. "You're in no way an imposition."

Jack nodded. "I know, but it's time I got back. You've both been very good to me."

"When does your plane leave?" Henry asked.

"Tomorrow at 2:35 p.m.," Jack said with a pout. "Couldn't get a seat on the next nonstop, so I've got a stopover in Vancouver. It was the next cheapest option."

"Then let's take you out to dinner tonight as a farewell," Henry suggested.

"That's a great idea," Annette agreed. "You've got to be tired of our cooking by now."

Knowing it would be pointless to protest such generosity, Jack smiled and replied in the positive. His thoughts, however, were already jumping ahead to the future: to home. He just had to endure one more night in the company of people who were not family; one more night of sleeping in a bed that wasn't his. He'd touch down in YYC at nearly 11:00 p.m., local time. If he was lucky, he could be at Heartland around 1:00 a.m., and he could at last be tucked under his own blankets in familiar surroundings.

As good a horse as Blaze had been during the week with Saddleback Tours, Jack thought with great affection of his long-time steed, Paint. He hadn't ridden that faithful four-legged companion since suffering the heart attack, so he very much anticipated getting back in the saddle. It was maybe a little fanciful, but Jack wondered if the horse missed him. Amy would probably tell him yes; for a moment, the cowboy indulged the idea that maybe Paint did feel his absence.

Home.

If he were honest, Arizona had been more than okay. Jack again didn't know what he'd done to deserve such kindness from all these strangers he'd met along the way. The trip would have been exceedingly dull had it not been for Kristen and all the Saddleback Tours folk. He was grateful, too, for Tess and Roger, the couple in Flagstaff that welcomed him into their home. Even though that home would never be his and Lisa's, the fact remained it was a beautiful location they could both have enjoyed. Finally, Henry and Annette's hospitality ensured Jack would leave with a mostly positive mental memory book of Arizona. He knew, however, that when he revisited all these experiences and images, there would be a glaring blank spot, like a missing picture in a photo album. That spot could only be occupied by Lisa, and for that reason, Jack's heart remained heavy. Nothing was going to change the fact she should have been with him on every step of the journey. Ah, well, it was too late for them now. There was no turning back the clock and resetting that awful argument in front of a rented hospital bed in the living room. His thoughtless words had pushed Lisa away, and she had taken her leave, never to look back.

Evening fell on the Toulon countryside. Lisa felt her mood dipping along with the setting sun while she sat alone on the porch. Earlier that day, she had seen her sister off to the airport for departure back to Canada.

"Rachel Judith, have a safe flight," Lisa had said affectionately.

"Thanks, Lisa Renée," Rachel had answered in kind. They embraced warmly, with promises to keep in touch as frequently as possible. Lisa had waved to her sibling as she headed towards the necessary security checks. When she could no longer see Rachel through the small throng of travellers and airport officials, Lisa made her retreat.

A barely touched glass of wine sat at Lisa's elbow. She couldn't help but think of the conversations shared with her sister during her brief stay, especially talk that somehow gravitated towards Jack.

"You still love him, don't you?" Rachel had asked.

Lisa had wanted to shout Yes!

Instead, a more restrained, uncertain response fell from her lips. "I do, but…"

"Look, sis, I know you're ready to sell Fairfield, cut ties all ties to Hudson, and hide out here in Toulon for the rest of your life," Rachel said. "But if there's even one chance of you two getting back together, I think you need to take it. Forget what I said about being cursed when it comes to love. You were happy when you were with him. I know you were."

"Okay, yes, I still love him," Lisa said.

"Then go back there and tell him before it's too late."

"How can I go back?" Lisa protested. "How can I go back when he doesn't feel the same way?"

"Are you sure about that?"

"He practically threw me out of the house, Rach; told me he didn't want me with him in Arizona. I told you. It was ugly that last fight we had."

"Yeah, but you also told me it was your own silly fault for getting that hospital bed in the first place."

"I know, I know!" Lisa groaned, putting her hands to her face.

"Maybe Arizona was good for him, Lis. Did you ever stop to think that maybe he missed you? That he regretted leaving you behind?"

I think about it all the time. "Yeah… I did," Lisa admitted. "But don't you get it? The ball is in his court now. I can't just show up on his doorstep after all that. He needs to make the first move. I couldn't bear to go see him and then have him tell me he doesn't want to see me again."

"Well, I can't tell you what to do," Rachel sighed. "But let me know when you seal the deal on the Fairfield sale. I may just want to come out for one last look at the place, just to say goodbye."

"Okay, I'll do that," Lisa replied, gripped with anxiety of what the future would bring when she dissolved all ties to Hudson.

Now as she sat in the swiftly gathering darkness of night, Lisa took the wine glass to slowly swirl the liquid. Pleasant aromas of oak and caramel tickled her olfactory senses. She tilted her head to take a long gulp. The wine hit the back of her throat awkwardly and she nearly gagged in discomfort. Her eyes momentarily teared up.

Was it too late to try to salvage things with Jack?

Things were starting to move forward with the Avignon business plan, thanks to the funds from selling her share of the Dude Ranch back to Lou. Lisa was glad Lou readily agreed to that, as it kept Dan placated for the time being.

Spring was almost over. Summer would fly by in no time, and her ex-husband would want to hear that Fairfield was on the market. He would want to hear that the horses not already earmarked for France would be sold.

Lisa sipped from the wine glass, draining it to the dregs while her mind buzzed with all the possibilities and choices facing her. Logically, she knew she couldn't stall forever when it came to Fairfield. The questions remained, then: should she wait for some sign from Jack that he wanted her back in his life, or should she make her intentions known?

No. He needs to make that call, Lisa thought defiantly, as she got up from the porch to enter the house, taking her empty glass with her. I can't have my heart broken again.

I'm waiting, Jack. But I can't wait forever.

TBC