Sunday
A gentle presence moved through the loft, ruffled her hair, tickled her nose, touched her lips, breathed lightly into her ear. "Mmmm. Oh Ty." She sighed happily, contented. "I've missed you so much." She admitted, then begged. "Please stay."
She wanted, no needed, to kiss him, to be kissed, to hold him, but mostly to be held. She was more than ready, more than excited to see him, to look into his green eyes, to touch him.
She opened her eyes. He was not there. She looked around, he was gone. She was alone. A frown crept onto her lips as sadness resurfaced from her soul, stabbing her chest, slicing her heart, for the millionth time. Amy shed no tears, there were none left to shed. Instead, a slight shiver, a tiny tremble traveled down, throughout her body, took hold.
Again, the gentle presence made itself known. A warm breeze blew in from the open hay door, ruffling her hair, tickling her nose, touching her lips, breathing lightly into her ear. "Oh." She muttered. She chastised herself for being so gullible, so hopeful, so willing, so needy.
He made it very clear. She had changed. She was no longer what he loved or wanted. He was done. He drew the line, insisted on the break, imposed the silence, clear in his distain, his disgust. He drew his boundary between them.
So, she drew her own boundary. She had removed her engagement ring from her finger, ending their engagement. She had removed her promise ring too, ending maybe even more. She wanted to seize control of her life, her path forward. Now she had to live with the consequences of those decisions.
Her mind began to wander, drift. Oddly, high school physics surfaced. Amy wasn't a particularly good student, wasn't interested in most subjects, wasn't even interested in being there, if truth were told. She preferred to be at the ranch, working with horses, being with Ty. Regardless, some lessons stayed with her, stuck in her brain.
Newton's third law of physics states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Although not physics exactly, she believed the theory to be applicable in her work with horses. If she was calm, the horse eventually became calm. If she trusted the horse, the horse eventually trusted her. Same thing was true for negative things. Mr. Mullen was mean, violent to Spartan, in turn, Spartan became mean, violent. Action, Reaction.
Applying that theory, the force of Ty's action equaled the force of her reaction. Or, her impetuous, impulsive, knee jerk reaction to his actions, his words. Action, Reaction.
She couldn't go back, erase the past. What's done is done. She reacted, made a decision. She could only go forward. If Grandpa and Lisa are any proof, a breakup may be the path to something better. She could only hope.
She decided that she would strive to be the best friend she could possibly be to Ty. Maybe he'd come around. That's where they started after all.
She sat up in bed, stretching her arms overhead, bending to right, then to the left, centering again, folding forward, touching her toes. Slowly the stiffness from her body, remnants of sleep were released. The clutter in her head, ache in her heart were eased a little more with each exhale. One vertebrae at a time, she rolled back into a sitting position.
Pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, she gazed across the room. The Hummingbird print, the brilliant colors, blue and gold wings and tail outstretched from its body jewel-colored green and purple, reaching, extending spoke to her. The single golden eye trimmed in ruby, stared at her. She managed a brief smile. Stretching her arms wide, mimicking the hummingbird, reaching, extending, attempting to gather strength.
She reached for her phone, though it was very early, not quite 6, she sent a text anyhow.
"Good morning Summer. I am waking to Hummingbird and Butterflies. Just beautiful. Thinking of you. Thank you. Amy."
Immediately she received a return text. "Dearest Amy. A glorious way to start the day. Sah Sen is a joyful messenger of affection, peace and good fortune. It's wings signify love, beauty and healing. Thinking of you. Summer."
Amy thought about the friendship between her mom and Summer. She thought about what Mrs. Bell had said about Summer. About being true to herself. She thought about her own friendships, her own truth, her own journey, her own healing and where they may lead her.
Then she sent another text. "Would love to have dinner with you this week, if you have time."
"How about Wednesday evening? At Mangia. It's Italian."
"Perfect. Is 6:30 too late?" She texted, wondering if they served fried zucchini blooms, a smile formed on her lips.
"Perfect. See you then."
She got out of bed, padded to the coffee maker switching it on, then settled into the chair at the old table by the open hay door. Before she opened her notebook, she looked out, across the yard and beyond. A light fog hugged the damp grass as the overnight dew rose with the warming sun. Before her, the milky ribbon shifted, flowed, moved, almost like a slow river, then dissipated into nothingness.
She looked at yesterday's agenda, her plan. She checked off every item, feeling satisfied, accomplished. She thought about Sally Ride and Cassidy, their new partnership, their new beginning. She had brokered that, would be witness to its growth. Amy smiled at that prospect.
Turning to another blank page, she repeated her mantra, "Okay Amy. One day at a time."
She wrote. Sunday To Do List:
Morning chores, Parsnip, Midnight, Soraya, grocery, Mrs. Bell, night check, Matt Baldwin at 8.
Another busy day.
She quickly got dressed, brushed her teeth and hair, made her bed, then finally made her way down the loft steps. The horses were just beginning to stir. Spartan made a loud racket when he heard her, stretching his head out as far as he could, shaking his head, getting her attention. She went to him straightaway.
"Hello Spartan. How's my handsome boy?" He responded in a low nicker, nodding his head, rotating his ears, watching her every move. As she rubbed his neck, fingers combed through his mane, his eyes closed in contentment, the whiskers on his muzzle tickled her as he smelled her neck, nuzzled her ear. "That tickles!" She giggled.
"Did you sleep well Spartan?" He inhaled quickly, then blew his breath out through his nostrils and lips, vibrating with a loud purr.
"Good to hear." He whinnied, asking her the same, continuing the conversation. "Me? I slept okay. Had a dream that Ty came into the loft, kissed me this morning. But it was just a dream." She sighed, laid her head against his neck. "Oh Spartan."
In the stall next to Spartan, Harley nickered, stomped once to get her attention. "Well, good morning to you too Harley! You are such a handsome boy too." She patted his neck, then ran her fingers through his mane. "Thank you for being Spartan's best friend."
Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Do you miss the days when the four of us would ride together?" He seemed to nod. "Me too." She put her forehead to his neck.
She exhaled loudly. "Well. At least Ty and I will have coffee together." She was excited at the prospect, giddy, goofy almost. So just for fun, she started playing with words. "You know. Friendly Coffee, Coffee Friends..Coffee with Friends...Friends with Coffee..Friends with Benefits..." she giggled, put her hand over her mouth.
She whispered to the two, she shook her head. "Oops! Don't tell Ty that I said that. Promise?" They both nodded in unison.
She chucked, "Let's stick with Friends with Coffee. We'll keep the benefits thing between us!"
Chores called. She moved on, busied herself with barn work, mucking, watering, feeding, grooming, hoof picking. Parsnip and Spartan turned out, she checked on Midnight, still restless and uncooperative. She mixed up his feed with chamomile, honey and a banana hoping to bribe him, relax him with goodies and sweets.
At 7:00am, Amy composed a group text, "RCMP will be at the barn office at 8. Please be here sharp. We have to fill out forms. Thx." Sent it.
Then she sent another text at. "Pick you up at 7:45. Let's have a good long chat before you go back. Promise I will listen this time. :) "
Ty still had not shown up, oddly enough. She was disappointed, yes, but not worried. It was Sunday, after all, the usual day to sleep in. She glanced at Harley, head hanging a little low, his friend in the field and his man nowhere to be seen. She took pity him and the other horses in the barn, gave them their morning feed and water, she skipped the grooming then turned them out. She watched for a moment as Spartan and Harley greeted each other amongst the field grasses and wild flowers, then ran off playing. Friends.
At 7:25 her chores and Ty's chores were done, Ty still had not arrived. Despite looking forward to coffee with him, she really couldn't wait any longer. She didn't want to be late. She ran upstairs, chugged a cup of coffee, filled a travel mug with the remaining coffee, turned off the pot, washed it. Flying downstairs to the office, she placed the mug and muffin on a napkin on the desk. She hastily wrote a note.
"T. Enjoy. A.
Ps. Garlic promotes longevity, amongst other things."
Next, she ran to the house to shower, then got into her truck, drove out the dirt drive, plumes of dust and tiny pebbles spewing behind her, through the Heartland gate on to the paved road to town.
Ty slowly woke, sat up, stretched, feeling well rested for the first time in weeks. He reached for his phone. It was dead, despite being on the charger all night, puzzled, he looked at his watch, 7:34. He had overslept. "Damn."
He got up, flicked the light switch. Nothing. Flicked it a few more times. Nothing. Tried another switch. Nothing. "Grrhh. Really? No power either?" He opened the front door to let light into the dark trailer, quickly dressed in yesterday's clothes, brushed his teeth with toothpaste, still no water either. "Damn it Caleb!" then "Damn!" For good measure.
Missing her by at least 20 minutes, he jogged into the barn, calling for her. Silence. He really needed a cup of coffee, more than that, he wanted to see her. He looked around, her chores and his were already done. The horses were all turned out, excepting Midnight.
Figured that she was upstairs in the loft, taking two steps at a time, without knocking, he entered the loft. The coffee pot was off, empty, cups clean, her bed was made, she was not there either. He saw her notebook on the table, it's pages fluttering in the breeze. Thinking she had left him a note, he glanced at the page, today's ToDo list. The entry, Matt Baldwin at 8, was the only thing that registered.
Ty descended the loft stairs quickly, heart beating fast, his face flushed, mind unfocused. He bumped into Lisa, almost running her over. "Whoa." She squealed as she lost her balance.
Jack reacted quickly, catching her, breaking her fall. "Gotcha Lis."
"Oh Lisa. I am so sorry. Are you okay?" Ty was slightly embarrassed.
Lisa smiled, unfazed. "Oh honey. I am fine." She batted her eyelashes at Jack. "Got my handsome cowboy to catch me."
"Glad you're okay." Ty lightly kissed her cheek. "Sorry. I just wasn't expecting you or anyone, but Amy."
"What's the hurry Ty?" Jack asked, then, "Looks like you got all the chores done."
"Ah..I .." Ty started to respond, then rendered speechless, caught off guard as Lou walked in with Scott. They hadn't talked since Ty quit the Vet Clinic, so it was a bit awkward, uncomfortable.
"Morning Ty!" Lou said, coffee in hand, with Scott by her side, with an identical cup in his. He just nodded to Ty.
"Morning Lou. Scott." Ty returned. "What's going on? Did I miss a barn party invite?"
"Didn't you get Amy's text?" Lou asked.
"No. My phone is dead. What did she say?" He replied.
Before Lou could answer, Nick Harwell walked in with Walter and Cassidy Anderson. Lou and Scott greeted one another, began to rehash the previous day. While Nick described Amy's win and face-off with Syed in plain fact, Walter provided a running commentary, wild exaggerations, and comedic relief, keeping everyone in stitches.
Ty felt like an outsider, listening in, with nothing to add. His unease grew as he learned of Amy confrontation with Syed, her refusal to sell Sally Ride to Ahmed, her decision to work with another single, rich guy. He worried about her whereabouts while everyone else seemed unfazed.
Like the silver ball in a pinball machine, Katie raced into the barn, weaving her way through the crowd, banging into Ty, bouncing off, then making a beeline for the office. Her focus was singularly set on coloring with the fruit scented markers that Amy kept in the desk. Georgie entered the barn on her sister's heels but stopped when she saw Cassidy. The two teenagers hugged, immediately began talking and giggling. They headed toward the office as Lou instructed, to keep an eye on Katie.
Entering the office, they found a mess, Katie with muffin crumbs and marker streaks on her face, desk drawers open, paper and markers strewn about, coffee puddles spreading across the desk and dripping onto the floor. Georgie asked her sister what happened, Katie just shrugged. So the older sister found paper towels, cleaned up the mess, throwing everything soaked into the trash.
Feeling a bit lost in the crowd, Ty pulled Lisa aside, asked. "What's going on? What did Amy's text say?"
"Not much. We're supposed to meet her here at 8. Sign some papers or something." Lisa offered. "Guess I'm surprised that she isn't here yet."
"I was supposed to meet Amy earlier. But she wasn't here when I got here either." He didn't tell her he had overslept, was late over an hour late. Ty looked at his watch, it was now ten minutes past 8. "Should we be worried?"
"She probably just running a little late, maybe she had something to do first. Bet there's a good explanation." Lisa tried to reassure him.
His stomach was getting tied up in knots. "Amy is usually pretty punctual." He headed toward the office to charge his phone.
Caleb walked in, stumbling a bit, obviously a little hung over. He saw Ty, called to him. "Hey buddy! What's going on?"
Ty, hearing his friend's voice, "Caleb. You're here too? What's going on?"
"Amy said to be here at 8. So here I am." Looking a little green, he burped, then asked. "Have any coffee around here?"
"Nah. Amy moved it to the loft." Ty said.
"Let's get some. She won't mind."
"Caleb. She's living up there now. We can't just go up there." He already made that mistake.
"Ty. Man. You're my best friend. I'm dying here." Caleb plead. "Come on. What's the big deal. It's just coffee."
He wasn't going to be sway. "Let's go into the office. Maybe there's something there. You probably need to sit down anyhow." He directed Caleb into the office, into a chair, plugged in his phone. He wanted to call her, text her. Anything.
Just moments later, a grinning Amy, pretty with her hair braided on one side, entered the barn with Mrs. Bell on her arm. Soraya, unsmiling, was right behind them.
"Good morning everyone. Thanks for coming. Sorry to be late." Her voice chipper and clear.
"Well Mrs. Bell. How are you?" Jack bellowed his greeting, hugged her. While Jack and Lisa greeted Mrs. Bell, Amy and Soraya stepped away to greet Lou, Scott, Nick and Walter.
Returning to Mrs. Bell, Amy doting on her friend, asked her if she'd like to sit down. On her affirmative, Amy carefully guided her elderly friend through the group toward the office.
He heard her voice despite the crowd noise, almost like radar, flew from the office to see her. "Amy! Thank god. I was worried. I was looking for you." Ty talked fast, excitedly but was clearly relieved.
"Well. You found me!" She smiled, replied. "I missed you earlier. I left you a note."
"Um, I.." Ty was cut-off before he could finish his sentence.
"Well. Mr. Borden. Aren't you gonna say hello to your honorary grandmother?" Mrs. Bell said, holding her arms wide open for a hug.
He smiled, hugged her. "Hey Mrs. Bell. Its a nice surprise to see you." Amy smiled to see them embrace.
"Ty. Would you please get Mrs. Bell a seat in the office?" Asked Amy, he nodded then offered Mrs. Bell his arm.
"Thank you Ty." Mrs. Bell gushed.
Amy announced. "Thanks for coming everyone. I know it's early. Grab a chair or wall in the office. The RCMP Officer will be here momentarily. He just texted me that he got hung up."
Walking into the office, Lou whispered to Lisa. "I sure hope that Matt Baldwin is coming. He's such a cutie. Lucky Amy." Lisa nodded, Ty overheard.
Despite her bad hearing, Mrs. Bell added, "That young man sure is nice. He has a nice booty too." Lou and Lisa looked at each other, giggled.
Amy rolled her eyes, chose to ignore them, "I am going outside to wait for Matt." She said to no one in particular, though Ty heard her loud and clear.
"Who's Matt Baldwin?" Ty asked Jack, after settling Mrs. Bell and watching Amy leave.
"Matt? Oh, well, he's the RCMP officer who has been patrolling Heartland, well mostly protecting.." He cleared his throat, "Amy." Jack added, leaning up against the bookcase. "You know. He keeps tabs on her, trails with her. And, as you know, that can be a chore."
"Thought that was Mark Rodriquez?"
Jack shrugged. "RCMP reassigned it to Matt." He paused, then suggested, "Don't know why. He's Amy's age. Anyhow, they seem to get along."
"Good to know." Ty said, frowning slightly.
As soon as Matt arrived, Amy brought him into the office. Ty watched them, their body language, how close they stood to one another. They seemed working as a team. Amy introduced him, then he apologized for his tardiness, greeted those he knew by their formal name. Then she introduced him to those he didn't know.
When she got to Ty, Matt said. "You must be Ty Borden. Don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting. Matt Baldwin. RCMP." He extended his hand to Ty.
Ty shook his hand firmly while continuing to size him up. "That's right, Ty please. Nice to meet you."
Matt continued with the formalities. "Heard a lot about you, Mr. Borden. Poachers at the wildlife sanctuary, right?"
Ty nodded, wondering how he knew.
"Good work. Bad guys are in jail now. All thanks to you." Matt was honestly complimenting Ty.
But, Ty read it as sarcasm, maybe as a backhanded compliment from a rival. He was suspicious of Matt so he played it cool. "Didn't do much." Ty responded.
Matt added, "Mr. Borden. You are much too modest. Your report, assistance and identification enabled the arrest of pretty dangerous poachers." Then he paused, then added. "I understand that you are also Ms. Fleming's boyfriend or rather, fiancé, correct?"
"Actually, I am neither." Ty said bluntly. Then he glanced in Amy's direction but didn't really look at her. In Ty's mind, she clearly had already moved on to this Baldwin guy. He was not going to stand in her way.
His words stung Amy, even if they were true, he wasn't her boyfriend or fiancé. But more than his words, the way he said it, the way he looked at her, the way he cut to the quick, pierced her heart. Amy just stood there, unable to speak or move, trying her best to not to show any emotion.
"My mistake. My apologies. Mr. Borden. Ms. Fleming." He said, then glanced at Amy, seemingly unaffected, unmoved. He let it drop, changed the subject. "Ms. Fleming. Are we waiting for others?"
"I invited a few others...including my dad. They are not in town though. So let's get started, officer. Please." Amy said.
"Will do. Everyone. Thank you for coming this morning. Ms. Fleming invited you here because she cares deeply about each of you and is concerned about your safety when it comes to Mr. Ahmed Al Saeed and his staff. She has asked me to help you each complete and notarize restraint and protection orders against them. By putting these in place, RCMP can protect you. These orders give RCMP legal standing to arrest or deport Mr. Ahmed Al Saeed and his staff if they do not heed the orders. Each order will remain in effect in perpetuity, unless you decided to suspend them. Questions?"
"Are we obligated to fill these out?" Ty asked in a biting tone, uncharacteristically uncooperative. "I mean, I certainly can take care of myself. Clearly." Added, putting on his tough guy persona.
"That's my main man Ty." Caleb added, trying to fist bump with him. Ty ignored him.
"Mr. Borden. You are under no obligation to sign, of course. But, by not doing so, you put everyone in this room at risk. Your own safety may be of little importance to you. But, please know, your safety is highly important to others in this room." Then he challenged him. "Is their safety not as important to you as yours is to them?" Matt made his case.
Everyone just stared at Ty who said nothing in response. His shoulders sagged a bit under the weight of their stares.
Matt nodded, continued on. "I have filled out the paperwork for each of you. You just need to review each order, add your address and phone number, list the main locations that you frequent, and sign in my presence so I can notarize and stamp the order."
He paused. "I am also going to give you my personal cell and the direct RCMP number so if you see or hear anything you can let us know." He then added. "Because of Ms. Fleming quick actions yesterday as soon as she encountered Mr. Salb, RCMP was able to tail and question him."
Lou raised her eyebrows to Lisa who smiled.
He looked at Ty. "Would you like to go first, Mr. Borden?"
"No. Not really. Mr. Baldwin. Ladies always come first." He looked right past Amy to Mrs. Bell. "Mrs. Bell, would you go first?"
Hearing Ty's words, his tone, seeing his expression, Amy quietly stepped out of the office, left the barn, to get some air. She walked to the field fence to watch the horses run and play. Upon seeing her, Spartan and Harley came running to the rail for pets and coos.
Much to her surprise, her dad pulled up in his truck pulling a horse trailer.
Tim parked, walked over to her. "Hey Amy."
"Hey Dad. Wasn't sure if you were in town." She said. "Glad you got my text. Thanks for coming."
"What text? Guess I missed that." He grinned, then gave her a bear hug that she did not return. "What? Are you mad at me?"
She hadn't seen or talked to him since the night he invited Ahmed to dinner, pushed her to continue to work for him, suggested that she had a relationship with him. The night that all hell broke loose. He didn't know that she and Ty had broken their engagement. She still harbored anger over his role in the entire situation. She chose not to respond.
"Amy? What's going on?" Tim asked.
"Dad. The RCMP is in the barn office. You need to go in, sign some paperwork."
"Oh. Did they finally find my stolen cattle? Geez. It's only been what 3 or 4 years? They are worthless." He ranted on.
She shook her head. "No. Dad. Its's not that. It is a restraining order to protect you from Ahmed and his crew."
"Oh. I don't need anything from them. RCMP is worthless. Plus, I can protect myself." Tim waved his hand, batting away Amy's words like he was swatting away flies.
Amy gave up. "Okay dad. Whatever you want to do." She sighed. "So. Why are you here then?"
"I just bought a new range horse. He's in the trailer. I mean Hots Shots did. He's a real winner. I need you to work with him on driving cattle. You know, get him in shape, train him."
"Sorry dad. No, I can't." She said.
"Ah come on, Amy. You can squeeze me in. It's just a tune-up. I won't take too much of your time. You don't have that much on your schedule anyhow since you dumped the prince." He sucked on his teeth, making a weird noise. "It's a shame really." He said under his breath.
"What is a shame, dad?"
"You know. You made a mistake with the prince. If you kept working with him, maybe shackled Ty, you wouldn't need these stupid restraining orders." He huffed as she shook her head in disgust.
"Dad. Let it drop." She was adamant.
"Fine. Let's focus on my horse."
"Dad. I am not going to work with you or your horse. I don't work with horses for family any more." She tried to explain.
"Oh, so you won't work with me and my horse, but you'll work with Ty and Caleb." He said bitingly, then huffed.
"Actually I don't work them anymore either."
"Great. That means you do have time for me and, um...ah..Champ..um..Charlie." Guessing at the horse's name. "Yeah, Charlie."
"You don't even know the horse's name. Typical." She rolled her eyes.
"Of course I do. His name is Charlie." He kept the pressure up, pushed her. "Aw, come on Amy. Come take a look. He's a beaut. I've spent a ton of money on him, too."
She stood firm. "Listen to me dad. No." She started to walk away, "Got to go."
He grabbed her arm, pulled her back. "Amy. You do want me to make a living, or not?" Trying to make her feel guilty.
She pulled her arm loose from his grip. "Of course I do." Her voice was calm, even but she pressed her lips, narrowed her eyes, fisted her hands. "My answer is still No."
"Amy. You can't say No to me, I'm your dad." He grinned widely at her. "Come on Amy." He leaned forward, getting in her face.
"Yes, you are my father. But, I don't need you to tell me what to do or not do, when to jump and how high any more." She tried to control her tone, anger.
"So that's how you treat your father now? Nice." He said with disgust. "Real nice Amy. After all I have done for you."
She smirked. "What you have done for me? Who are you kidding?" She shook her head.
"High and mighty these days, huh Amy?" He said almost spitting his biting words. "Learn that working with the prince?"
"Goodbye." She walked with purpose, without looking back. She was shaking inside.
The group had migrated back into the main breezeway of the barn. Ty watched Matt smile when Amy entered the barn door. Waving as he approached her, he said. "Amy. I mean, Ms. Fleming. We have everyone's signed orders except yours."
"Great. Thanks Officer." She smiled, then spoke to the small crowd. "Thanks everyone for coming here so early on a Sunday. I want each and everyone of you to be safe. I couldn't live with myself if you were harmed, in any way. These orders are just another way to keep you safe. So thank you."
Matt added. "Please do not hesitate to phone me and RCMP if you see or hear anything suspicious or unusual."
"Well, that's it everyone. You are free to go." Amy concluded quietly.
Jack announced. "Lou and I are making a big Sunday breakfast. Please be our guests and join us at the ranch house for hot coffee and plenty of food." The crowd murmured their appreciation as he kissed Amy's forehead, then whispered. "Amy. You did good. Thank you."
"Thanks grandpa." She muttered.
Smiling, he grabbed Lisa's hand, headed out the barn door and towards the ranch. Everyone followed including Ty who did not look back as Matt and Amy headed into the office.
Orders quickly signed, Amy suggested that Matt go the the ranch for breakfast. "Aren't you going to join?" Matt asked, Amy shook her head, No.
He stopped, put his hand on her shoulder. "Amy. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Everything is good." She continued. "It's just that I have to get some work done upstairs."
"Okay, then. I am starved so I am going head to the ranch."
"You should. They cook up a great Sunday breakfast." She smiled at him. "Matt. I really do appreciate you coming out so early and doing this. And for watching out for me. Thanks." She shook his hand. As he turned to leave the barn, she ascended the steps to the loft.
Sitting on the bed, her stomach rumbled, complained of hunger. Frowning, she had very little food in the loft. While she brewed another pot of coffee, she settled at her table with a half glass of orange juice, a muffin, an apple and a blank sheet of paper for her grocery list.
There was a barely audible knock at her door. "Come on in Soraya." She guessed.
"Hey." Ty said, peeking in around the door.
"Hey." She smiled. "What's up?"
"I thought smelled coffee." The corners of his mouth curl up ever so slightly.
"Wow! You've got a great nose if you could smell coffee all the way from the ranch house." She teased.
"Yeah, well, I forgot my phone in the office." He explained. "I missed coffee with you this morning. Sorry."
"No worries. Figured you had overslept."
"It is Sunday after all." They said at the same time, then laughed.
A beep sounded indicating that the coffee was brewed. "Have a seat." She said as she bought them each a cup and a napkin. "Wanna split the muffin and apple?" She offered.
"Yes! I am starved." He grinned.
"Why? Didn't you eat at the ranch?" She wondered. "They definitely have much better food and coffee."
"They were still cooking when I left. Plus, when Matt walked in without you.." he trailed off.
"Matt? What does he have to do with the price of eggs?"
"I don't know."
"Ty. Just tell me."
"I just read..um..heard things, from Jack, from everyone really." He tried to explain.
"What did you read, what did you hear?" She pushed.
Then he told her everything, starting from the beginning. Oversleeping, no power, not getting her text, looking for her in the loft, reading her To Do List, worrying about her, hearing about Matt, how he was protecting her, spending time with her. Matt asking if he was her boyfriend or fiancé.
"I just didn't know what to think." He shrugged as he looked at her.
"Thank you for telling me. It's explains some things."
"Sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"Um. Well. I am sorry that I missed our coffee." He said sincerely. "Sorry that you had to do my chores. Thank you by the way." He shook his head. "Sorry that I came up here, into your loft, snooped in your notebook. I shouldn't have done that. It isn't my place. Any more."
"Apology accepted." She smiled, meaning it. "Did you get the note I left for you in the office? I left coffee and a muffin too."
"Yeah. About that. No, I didn't get your note. And, for sure, not the coffee and muffin either."
"Oh. Too bad." Then she added. "It was a good note." She laughed.
"Tell me then."
"Nope!" Teasing him.
He grinned, ran downstairs, she followed him, found him digging through the trash.
"What are you doing?" She laughed. "I hope you aren't looking for that muffin."
"Georgie said Katie spilled coffee all over the papers on the desk." Continuing to dig, then he said, "Found it." Pulling a coffee stained paper from the can. As he read it, his face registered confusion.
He read aloud "Garlic promotes longevity, amongst other things." He looked her. "What in the world?" She started giggling.
"Come on up. I'll tell you."
For the next good while, she told him about her visit with Mrs. Bell, shelling yellow peas, making split yellow pea soup and corn bread.
"You know. That soup was pretty good. Cornbread too. Really good." He paused, then with a straight face added. "I didn't even get sick!"
Her eyes got wide. "Shut up you!"
"Kidding." Smiling, he added. "Chef Amy! Who knew?"
"Chef no. But I am learning. And it's kind of fun." She was beaming.
"I am happy for you!" Then he asked. "But what does that have to do with your note? What does that have to do with garlic?"
"Remember how I told you Mrs. Bell is always teaching me things?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, I had to mince garlic for the soup, I said it smelled bad. It reeked really! So she decided to teach me about the virtues of garlic, the stinking rose." She started giggling, thinking back to their conversation.
"Stinking rose? That's a new one."
"Well. So remember this is Mrs. Bell telling me. Okay?"
"Sure."
She exhaled heavily. "Okay. First. Garlic has fiber to keep you regular." She laughed.
He cocked his head. "Regular?"
"Yes regular. And, of course, Ty, being irregular is no laughing matter."
"Good to know." He grinned.
"Let see. Garlic has vitamin C and B something or other. It prevent colds."
"Probably B6." He said authoritatively. "Also good to know."
"You are so smart, Dr. Borden." She teased.
"But, of course, Ms. Fleming."
"And, the Italians think it promotes a long life."
"Bene! Capisce?"
She laughed, raising her eyebrows at his lousy attempt at Italian. "And..,"
"I can hardly wait!"
"And the stinking rose promotes..a strong sex drive...and" she started laughing so hard she fell off her chair and started rolling on the wooden floor.
He was laughing too, got on his knees next to her. "What else?"
"So I was kinda shocked that Mrs. Bell would say that. You know, she's an eighty some year old woman and she's talking about Sex Drive! So I said Who Knew?" She laughed. "Then she said..." Amy couldn't catch her breath.
"What? Tell me!"
"She said.. the Italians and...get this...Mr. Bell!"
They both giggled, laughed, their chests heaving, until their sides hurt.
He sat up, so she did. He looked at her, with a serious expression. "I miss this."
"Me too."
Then with some hint of pain in his voice, said. "Be honest. Are you dating Matt?"
"What? No! Why would you think that?" She was shocked.
"Matt Baldwin at 8. It was on your list. I thought it was a date." He confessed.
"No. No. That was for 8am. For signing the orders." She explained.
"Okay." He nodded, but still unsure.
"Ty. Listen to me. No. I am NOT dating Matt. I don't want to date. Any one. Period." He looked away, hurt. She touched his face, drew his gaze back to her.
"Please. Ty. I want to focus on being a better, kinder person. A more honest, open minded, trustworthy person. I want to be brave, independent, educated. I want to be respected." She searched his eyes.
He said nothing, his face emotionless, but his eyes were dewy.
"Ty. You were right. I have changed." She paused. "You told me that I am not the girl you fell in love with..."
"Amy don't.." He begged, not wanting to open old wounds. He started to get up.
"Shh. It's okay." She smiled, touched his hand, continued. "That's how you feel. And. It's okay."
She waded in further. "Ty. You fell in love with was 15 years old girl. But, I am a 22 year old woman now. Of course, I've changed. But, so have you." She looked into his eyes.
He shrugged.
"Funny. The new Amy isn't all bad, once you get to know her. And, I kinda like her." She shrugged her shoulders, laughed, with tears glistening in her eyes.
"Ty. What hasn't changed is that I want you in my life." She held his hand. "But, I know I must earn your forgiveness, trust and respect first. Earn your friendship again."
"Just friendship?"
"Yeah. For now. Okay?" She nodded, hoped.
"Okay." He whispered, nodded.
Amy's cell phone dinged indicating a text. "Sorry Ty." He nodded, she looked her phone. "It's Soraya. Breakfast is almost over. I have to take her and Mrs. Bell home."
"How about I take Mrs. Bell home? Think she has a few chores for me." He offered.
"She'll love that!"
"Okay then."
"Okay then." She ventured. "Ty?"
"Yeah?"
"Ty will you promise me something?"
"What?"
"If you ever want, need to know anything about me, anything at all, ask me. Please don't ask anyone else. Don't listen to anyone else. Don't assume that they or you know the truth. Just ask me. Then listen. I will be honest. I have nothing, absolutely nothing, to hide from you."
"Okay." He nodded, sighed, looked like he wanted to ask something.
"Please just ask."
"Okay. Um. This is a weird question."
"Go for it."
"How much did you sell Sally Ride for?"
"35k."
"That's what Lou said. How much did Ahmed offer?"
"Through Syed, he offered 50k, then 100k. Then he said to name my price."
"Wow, Amy, what if you said a million?"
"I don't care really. I told Syed that Sally Ride and I were not for sale, that we couldn't be bought. That I would not do business with them that day or ever again."
"Oh...um..was it hard?"
"What? To say No?
"Hard to turn down all that money?"
"Not one bit. I felt oddly calm, empowered."
"Um. So. How much did you make?"
"On Sally Ride? 15k."
"Wow! That's a good amount. What will you do with it?"
"Save it. Someday I plan on buying a ranch. A horse ranch. Someday."
"Is Walter Anderson rich?"
"No. Walter is a just a rancher living on his family farm just like grandpa. He bought his daughter a horse. Her horse, Sugar's Plum, was getting older, probably too old to jump, had too many memories tied to her. He had been looking for a new horse for her. Cassidy and Sally Ride just clicked."
"You said Cassidy was lost. What did you mean?"
"At 14, Cassidy's parents got divorced. Her mom was her best friend, her coach, her idol. Her mom got her involved in jumping at a very early age, on Sugar's Plum. Walter said Cassidy was her mom's mini-me."
"The lost part? Sounds kinda ideal."
"Her mom now lives in Vancouver with her new family, new life, new baby girl. She really doesn't have time for Cassidy."
"Oh. Poor kid. Not at all what I heard."
"Things rarely are what they seem."
"Guess not." He pushed on. "Did you get a job at the Polo Club?"
"Yes. I will be training Cassidy and Sally Ride. Two hour sessions, 4 to 6, three times a week for two months. I will make 100 per hour or 600 per week."
"Oh. I heard it was 3000."
"Yes. I could have earned that much. If I was willing to train 6 girls, two hour sessions, 5 times a week. I just wanted to work with Cassidy."
"You could have made 5 times as much."
"So? For me it's about the healing the horse, helping it reach it potential, finding the right owner. Not the money."
Her eyes got a little misty. She said quietly. "I admit, I got off track."
He was silent, as he processed the information.
"Anything else?" She asked.
"No I'm good."
He helped her get to her feet. They just stood there, facing each other, awkwardly. Not sure what to do next. Ty broke the silence. "Ms. Fleming. May I hug you?" He asked quietly.
She smiled, "I'd like that, Mr. Borden." He pulled her close, almost took her breath away. She hugged him just as tight. They inhaled, exhaled together releasing, chipping away at the hurt. The sweet embrace lingered for only a few seconds.
When they parted, she smiled, quipped. "Remember. Life is too short no matter how much garlic you eat."
"Oh my god. You are turning into Mrs. Bell."
"Why thank you!" She laughed.
They headed for the stairs, walked towards the ranch. Side by side.
"Night check tonight?" He asked. "8?"
"You got it. Plus, you owe me by the way." She grinned.
"Yes. Yes I do!" He grinned back, trying to imitate Caleb.
They walked into the ranch, removed their boots, headed into the dining room, each taking a empty seat, Amy next to Mrs. Bell, Ty beside Jack. Several had left, only the longtime group remained.
They didn't join the conversation immediately, instead just listened to chatter, laughter, sarcastic remarks, old stories.
Lou sensed something was different between the two, so she watched for clues, sleuthed like a big city detective, observing expressions, glances, checking Amy's hand for rings, examining Ty's words.
Soraya interrupted Lou's work, announced that she had to leave. "Hey Mr. Bartlett. Everyone. This has been so great seeing everyone. Eating all this good food. Thank you." Then she pouted a bit. "I really hate to leave good company. But...I have a flight this afternoon, I still have to pack. Amy, you're gonna help me, right?"
"I sure am. I'm ready to leave when you are." Then she turned to Mrs. Bell. "Mrs. Bell, Ty has offered to drive you home. I understand that you have chores for him."
"Oh. I do indeed." She turned to Ty. "That would be lovely Ty. My adopted, handsome grandson is going to drive me home." She clapped her hands together, everyone smiled.
Amy kissed her forehead, "I will see you tonight Mrs. Bell."
After hugs and goodbyes, Ty escorted Mrs. Bell to his truck, Amy and Soraya went to hers. Watching them depart from the front porch, Lou said aloud. "Amy and Ty are back together. Wedding is just around the corner."
"How on earth do you know that?" Jack sounded doubtful. "I did not hear that!"
"I know my sister." She grinned.
Fanfiction is working again. Yippee. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Tell me what you think.
SBR.