Mitch put on his boots while Tim was tailing him. There was a sense of urgency in both of them, but for different reasons.
"What was Lou talking about?" Tim wanted to know. He didn't like seeing his daughters unhappy, and when all the signs of the cause were pointing it being because of a guy, he wasn't about to let it go. He had been absent from the struggles of Amy and Lou too long, so now that there was fights to be fought and bad guys to deal with, he was going to be there to help them.
"I need to go", Mitch said, taking his jacket, but he didn't bother putting it on.
When he opened the door and stormed out, Tim hastily put on his boots and followed him.
"Go? Where? We are in the middle of a meeting! Not to mention", Tim said as he grabbed Mitch by the shoulder before he could pass the gate of the house and stopped him, "you still didn't answer my question. What have you done that's made Lou so upset?"
Mitch sighed, turning around and avoiding Tim's eye contact. He knew there was a lot at stake here, for him personally, but more importantly for Amy. He couldn't mess this up.
If it were up to him, he would have just told everything right here and now - fully aware of everything he could lose for coming clean - as it was weighting on him so much and he was ready to just be free, but he needed to ask Amy what her plan was. So far they had only talked about telling Lou. Amy had done her part, but Mitch wasn't sure if Lou was ready to listen to him anymore - maybe later, but definitely not now - so the least he could do was to make sure Amy would be okay talking about this with her family.
"I can't say anything - yet", Mitch said, then looking at Tim.
"When then? What am I supposed to do with an upset daughter if I don't know what she's upset about?" Tim asked, gesturing toward the house. Surely Lou would eventually tell him, but she had made a point of forcing Mitch to tell him instead.
"I need to talk to Amy first", Mitch replied.
"Amy?" Tim echoed, wondering what this had to do with her. The wheels inside his head turned and when they locked in place, he shot his gaze at Mitch. "Wait... What's happened with Amy...?" He has a bad suspicion, but needed Mitch to confirm it.
Mitch just sighed. He couldn't say. He was half-way out of the farm already since Lou had kicked him out and he always had his trailer to park someplace else, but it wasn't going to be as easy for Amy. He didn't want to leave her lie in the fire while he was out of there.
"I'll talk to you later", Mitch just said and turned around.
"No, no", Tim wasn't done having this conversation yet. "We are talking now. Now!"
He grabbed Mitch's shoulder again, this time forcing him against the fence. Unlike with Ty, Mitch was somewhat prepared for this attack due to Tim's tone and instead of being bullied this time, the younger man swiftly switched places with Tim and tried to contain him and his temper.
"I don't want to fight you and you don't want to fight me", Mitch said, holding Tim in place firmly, still trying his best not to hurt him, especially because he knew about Tim's past injury with his shoulder and because he was still somewhat frail after his brain surgery. "Let's just leave it at this and we'll talk later. Okay?"
With nowhere to go, Tim had no option but to agree. "Fine. But we are not done yet! Not with this and not with our future!"
"Trust me, I know..." Mitch said, letting Tim go and then putting on his jacket as he turned around and walked toward the barn.
Tim was left at the gate, rubbing his shoulder and spitting out his bitterness.
When Mitch arrived to the barn, his heart was racing quicker. He walked around, looking for Amy, but even though the lights were on and the doors were not locked, he couldn't find her downstairs. Looking at the door that lead to the loft, he gave it a knock.
He waited for a while, then finally hearing steps coming down.
The door opened and Mitch took couple steps back, giving Amy room but also to take in her body language. She looked sad and her eyes were glistening from tears. She was trying to wrap her arms around herself, to give herself something that would soothe her. He wanted to hug her, but something held him back.
"Well... I told her", Amy said after a long minute.
"I know", Mitch replied, nodding. "She was pretty upset."
"With me, too", Amy shared. She sighed, feeling her throat closing in.
"Tim heard everything. Pretty sure Jack and Lisa couldn't help but hear it as well. Lou didn't say what had happened, but the way she said things... I think everyone has questions. I didn't tell anything to them yet, because I wanted to ask how we are going to go about this. Are we going to tell together, or...?" he asked, unsure what Amy wanted to do.
"Mitch, I..." Amy tried to speak, but the words just didn't come out. She looked at him for a long time, hoping somehow he would get what she was saying, and make this easier.
"What...?" Mitch asked, worrying. What had been said between Amy and Lou to make her this upset? When the woman in front of him didn't say anything, he reached out his arms, stepping closer, because maybe she just needed to be held right now.
"No", Amy said, putting her arms in front of her and shielding away. Mitch respected that and stepped back like in some kind of dance. He looked at her with confusion. "I don't think I can do this... I'm so sorry."
"Do... what?" Mitch asked for her to clarify.
"Us. Or whatever this is. Anything. I think it's best for me to be alone", Amy said, looking down.
Mitch was speechless.
"I know I lead you on and I'm sorry for that, I didn't think it would go like this, but I just... I've come to realize that whenever I care about anyone, it just hurts people around me and I don't want that to them", Amy explained. "I don't want to hurt you or my family."
"I get that, no one wants that, but..." Mitch was trying to take it all in simultaneously while trying to come up with something to say, "you aren't hurting me."
"Ty attacked you - because of me", Amy pointed out. Surely he had not forgotten about that. "My family is going to hate you if I'm with you. All because of your connection to Lou." She wasn't sure who she had tried to kid with thinking this was going to be okay. Maybe she had been so blinded by feeling content for a change that she had not been thinking.
"Ty didn't attack me because of you. He attacked me because of himself", Mitch reminded. They had been through this. If they hadn't, then there wouldn't have been any kiss to begin with. "I just want you to remember that. I don't want you to go blaming yourself. - I'm sorry if I pressured you too soon. I didn't mean it, but that doesn't matter. If that's how you feel, then I should give you your space. But... no one's good alone. I don't mean that you would have to choose me or anything. Maybe I'm not what you need right now - or ever. But I just think that you shouldn't choose loneliness because you being with someone or being happy hurts someone else. You should choose your own happiness. Whatever that is for you."
Amy wiped the tears from her eyes to the side of her hand and bit her lip. Her and happiness just didn't seem like the kind of combination that was in the cards for now, if ever. The best thing she could do was to keep the peace and stick to status quo. That way no one got hurt. She didn't want to bring any more pain or suffering into this world. Heck, her whole life's purpose was to take that away.
"I feel like Tim's probably not going to let this slide, so... what do you want me to tell him when I'll see him the next time?" Mitch asked.
"I'll talk to him", Amy said.
Mitch looked at her with concern. Even though it was her family, he felt like by agreeing he would be sending Amy to the lion's den. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I think it'll be better if it comes from me", Amy said, knowing how hard Tim had always been with the guys who were involved with his daughters, so since this was not going to go anywhere, it was probably best he'd hear it from her.
"If you're sure", Mitch said.
Amy nodded. "I am."
"Okay..." Mitch said, thinking what else there was to say. "Uh, just so you know... I don't know if I have a job here or at the Dude Ranch anymore, I think I'll need to check. I won't be staying at the Dude Ranch, that's for sure."
Amy felt like she was just causing more chaos; now Mitch wanted to leave for good.
"Lou kicked me out", Mitch explained. "And as long as she's here, I doubt she wants to see me around. Which... I get." He didn't want to leave, as this was the best job he had ever had, but he also didn't want to make this hard.
"But you work for Grandpa", Amy said. "At least here at the ranch."
"I know. But I will have to assume Jack's loyalties lie with Lou", Mitch said. "And Lisa's, too."
Amy didn't feel so sure about that. Grandpa sure had gone great lengths with Ty too, even when things weren't good with him and/or Amy was hurt by him. Then again, he had now changed his ways and promised to stick with her after Ty's recent stunt.
But Mitch's situation was nothing close to it. Still, Amy wasn't sure what to think when it came to her Grandpa. Lisa was another question mark as well.
"I'll talk to him and Tim tomorrow", Mitch concluded. "About the business side of things. To know where I stand. If you don't want to see me anymore, I need to think what my future will be with Jack and Tim. Jack seems to be already out, but... I don't know what's gonna happen with Tim."
"No. I want to see you, just..." she sighed. "You know. As friends."
Mitch nodded a little, looking down. At least they had that.
Amy then watched him with desperation in her eyes. "I wish things weren't this complicated... Maybe if... the time or the place was different. Maybe if there weren't all these expectations and we would just be free to be us."
"Yeah..." Mitch said, but at the same time felt bad for Amy. It seemed like ever since she had been just a teenager, this family had counted her to make their problems go away. Starting from financing the ranch, to fixing their horses and now to keep herself in this glass cage where she would be ready for them - always - but it rarely seemed to work the other way around. But Mitch knew better not to stick his nose into other family's business. Perhaps he didn't know the whole story. "Maybe..."
"I'm sorry..." Amy wanted to say one more time.
Mitch smiled gently. Of course he was disappointed, but at the same time he felt for Amy. "You have nothing to be sorry for. We're good."
Amy looked at him. She wanted to press against him and for him to close her to his embrace, but that would only make this more painful. She needed to conceal her feelings, which by now, did not took that much effort as it once had.
"I'll see you around", Mitch said, not sure what that would mean for them, but he surely hoped this would not be the last time they would see each other.
"Yeah..." was all Amy could say before her throat turned too dry.
She watched him walk away and when she heard the truck door shut outside, Amy let out a long exhale that brought the tears out. Her heart was breaking inside - yet again - but it was up to her to pick up the pieces. Like always.
How did it hurt to be so broken about something that almost could have been, but never really was? That was such a strange thing to mourn about.
