Amy grabbed a pop tart and slid into a seat next to her mom.
"Is Baron leaving today?" Amy asked.
"Fingers crossed!" Her mom said. "His owner will be by this afternoon to inspect his progress." Marion said with a roll of her eyes.
"Oh, boy! You weren't kidding," Amy said, wrinkling her nose.
"The man's an ass," Jack cut in.
Amy and Marion both laughed.
"Here! Here!" Marion said, holding up her coffee mug, and clinked mugs with Jack and with Amy's glass of orange juice.
"What are you doing today, grandpa?" Amy asked.
"I'm heading over to Fairfield this morning and Lisa and I are going to go for a ride. Then we're planning to head back here for lunch and we'll take a ride here."
"Two trail rides?" Amy said, waggling her eyebrows.
"And lunch?" Marion said, her eyebrows shooting up.
"Spending the whole day together?" Amy said.
"Things must be getting serious," Marion finished.
Jack rolled his eyes, "We are just enjoying each other's company. No need to put too fine a point on it."
"What are you doing today?" Marion asked Amy, changing tacts.
"Maggie's picking me up to head over to hang out with Soraya. Jessie is planning to come by Maggie's to join us."
Later that afternoon, when Amy was at Maggie's with her friends, and Marion was working in the barn, Jack and Lisa returned to Heartland and had a nice relaxing lunch together. They laughed and talked, having sandwiches and coffee in the kitchen. After they finished eating, Jack leaned over the table toward Lisa, narrowing his eyes at her challengingly, "So, are you ready for another trail ride?"
Lisa leaned forward toward Jack, narrowing her eyes right back at him playfully, "I am game if you are."
He leaned forward further and captured her lips.
They broke apart smiling broadly, "You ready?" Lisa asked.
"I was born ready," Jack said cheekily, stood up, and ushered Lisa toward the door with his hand on the small of her back. He helped her on with her coat and dropped a kiss to her cheek before pulling on his own coat. They headed out to the barn to tack up Copper and Paint.
Jack and Lisa groomed and tacked up their horses and went out on a lovely ride together. They rode over the fields, through the woods, across the river, and had fun racing each other as well as ambling along stealing kisses.
When they were riding back toward the barn, Jack started trying to think of a way of extending his date with Lisa. True, they had spent the whole day together, but he so enjoyed spending time with her, and wasn't looking forward to bidding her adieu. But it had been a long time since he had courted anyone, and he knew that things were going well with them. But how did you show someone that you wanted to spend more time with them without them getting the wrong idea? Jack shook his head, and turned his attention back to Lisa. They had plenty of time left together before she headed home, so maybe something would come up.
As Heartland came into view, Jack saw that the Brookland Stables trailer was pulled in front of the barn. 'Well, looks like Marion's getting her wish,' he thought, 'Baron must be heading home.'
"What's Brookland Stables?" Lisa asked.
"A new local race stable, according to Marion. I would of thought you'd know them."
"No," Lisa said, shaking her head, "never heard of them."
"The guy who owns the place is a nastly piece of work," Jack said with a scoff.
"Well, then it's a good thing I haven't crossed paths with him," Lisa said, smiling.
Jack chuckled along with Lisa. And they pulled the horses up to a halt and dismounted. They were smiling and laughing, when Marion walked out of the barn with Baron in tow, and Dan Hartfield following behind them.
"Dan," Lisa said, sounding for all the world like she'd just been punched in the gut.
"Oh, hi, Lisa," Dan said casually, turning toward her. He motioned for Marion to go ahead and take Baron into the round pen.
"What are you doing here?" Lisa said, handing Copper's reins over to Jack, as she approached Dan, her hands emphasizing her point.
"Marion's working with my horse Baron," Dan said casually, gesturing to Marion and Baron.
"I don't mean what are you doing at Heartland. I mean what are you doing in Hudson? What are you doing in Canada?" Lisa said, her voice belying her agitation. It had become very clear to both Jack and Marion that these two knew each other. And knew each other well.
"Isn't a man entitled to follow a woman he's crazy about?" Dan said, with a sly smile.
Lisa set her jaw, and she swore she could hear the sound of Jack's teeth gnashing together as he set his own jaw.
"I'm pretty certain that's considered stalking in most countries," Lisa said, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to calm herself down.
"Always so overdramatic," Dan said with a sigh, rolling his eyes toward Marion, as if she would agree with him. It was clear from the expression on her face that she did not sympathize with him at all. "You're going to have to get used to having me around, Lisa," Dan said, reaching out a hand, and putting it on her shoulder, she stepped back angrily, shrugging it off, "because I live here now."
Lisa laughed angrily, rolling her eyes, "You own Brookland Stables." It wasn't a question.
"I do," he said, with a sly grin. "I tried to get you to go into business with me, but you refused. I would have been a much better ally than an enemy," Dan said, tipping her chin up at him, as she was angrily staring at her feet, her arms crossed tightly across her body.
Marion hissed, a low rattling sound coming out of her mouth, as Baron stood next to her, the muscles in his body tight. He could tell something was going on.
"Don't touch me!" Lisa said, stepping away from him.
"Now, now, is that anyway to greet someone you haven't seen in awhile?" Dan asked in a sickly sweet voice.
"It is if it's someone you hoped never to see again," Lisa said curtly. Then added, "Especially when you find out the person has opened a business in direct competition with your own."
'You go, girl,' Marion thought. Jack stood there, watching the exchange and not liking what he saw. These two definitely knew each other. And if this Dan Hartfield didn't stop touching Lisa, Jack was going to knock his teeth down his throat. He stood between Paint and Copper, his body taut and ready to spring into action.
"Now, Lisa," Dan said, slowly, taking a step towards her, "you know I would be more than happy to pool our assets." He reached out a hand and stroked her upper arm, as he dragged out the word assets.
That did it, Jack snapped to action, he dropped both horses' reins and stepped forward aggressively. "I think the lady asked you not to touch her," Jack said fiercely. "I think it's time for you to leave."
"What are you going to do about it, old man?" Dan asked nastily.
"Dan, stop!" Lisa said, her arms still crossed tightly across her chest, addressing him as she would scold a child.
"I don't appreciate the way you're talking to her, and I don't appreciate the way you're throwing your weight around here!" Jack said, walking up and putting his hand on Lisa's shoulder, she relaxed into his touch.
Dan took in the sight of them standing there together, not liking the way this old cowboy was touching Lisa at all. He opened his mouth to speak, "Oh, yeah, well, my horse is leaving Heartland. And I will talk to my wife anyway I want!" Here he emphasized the word wife. It hung in the air like a heavy grey cloud.
Jack felt Lisa take in a sharp breath, as he froze. Wife. Dan had said wife. Jack removed his arm from Lisa's shoulder, shaken, he could feel his resolve shaking as he pondered the word wife. Marion stood frozen in the round pen. Even Baron stood frozen.
"EX-husband," Lisa said, when she was finally able to speak. "Capital E, capital X. Dan here is my ex-husband"
"I always forget the ex part," Dan said with a laugh.
"Wishful thinking on your part, I'm sure," Lisa said with a scowl. "Dan, look, I'm sure Marion here has done a wonderful job with your horse. There is no reason that you should take him from Heartland in a huff. I was just a bit surprised as I haven't seen you in years."
"Yes, well, you wouldn't answer any of my calls," Dan said.
Lisa nodded, holding up her hand, "I'll grant you that, and now I find out that you have moved to my hometown and opened a race stable in direct competition with mine. It's just a lot to take in."
Dan smiled, "But you're glad to see me right?"
Lisa glared at him. No response was needed. The look on her face spoke volumes."Let Marion show you what she's done with the horse. You won't regret it."
"Where are you going?" Dan asked.
"To live my life. Which is frankly none of your business at this point." Lisa said, walking back toward Jack and the horses. Jack handed her Copper's reins and they headed back to the barn to untack.
"So, that's your ex-husband." Jack said.
Lisa nodded apologetically.
"Sorry I yelled at your ex-husband. That's not my place," Jack said, sheepishly, scratching his neck.
"Jack," Lisa said, with a laugh and a smile, "Dan can be a right jerk sometimes. You can tell him whatever you want, the ruder the better."
Jack chuckled. "He doesn't seem to want to let you go. Can't say I blame the guy."
Lisa smiled sweetly at Jack, "Well, he has no choice in the matter. I let him go a long time ago. And besides," she added, "I told you, he sees me more as a failed business deal than as a person. That's why he wants me back. It has nothing to do with actually wanting me back. He just doesn't want to have failed."
Jack smiled, stepping behind her and rubbing her shoulders, "You're tense."
"I can't imagine why," she said, smiling.
"Want to get out of here?" Jack asked.
"Yeah," Lisa said, smiling, and turning toward him, "will you drive me home in your truck please?"
"My pleasure," Jack said with a smile. And they turned and walked toward Jack's truck, Jack's hand protectively on the small of Lisa's back. They smiled and waved at Marion as they left.
Dan Hartfield watched as they drove off. He didn't like this Jack Bartlett and he certainly didn't see what Lisa saw in the old cowboy.