Hello Everyone.
Hope you enjoy this story, I am still actively adding chapters as I finish them. Please let me know your thoughts, good or bad by submitting a review. I am new at this so your comments are helpful to me.
I have edited and reloaded this chapter.
Thank you. SBR
"What do you want me to do Amy?" His voice breaking, his eyes tearing up. He looked at her, hoping to find something, anything to fix this.
"I don't care Ty. Do whatever you want to do." She said resolutely trying hide her hurt. Hoping that he would step-up, accept blame, apologize.
"I can't do this Amy. I think we are done." He was not willing to give in. He set his jaw.
"Maybe we are." She admitted in a quiet, but determine voice, looking at him directly in the eyes.
"There are no maybes". There it was. The door to a resolution slammed shut. She looked at Ty once more then she just turned on her heel and walked out of the barn.
Dexter needed her. If he was ever going to heal, he need to be exercised. She went back to work, directly to the pen, swung up into his saddle and urged him on. She pushed Ty's words out of her head, out of her heart. And she did what she knew. She rode a horse who needed healing.
"Do something. Don't just do nothing." Mallory implored. Amy does not respond.
From the corner of her eye, Amy saw Ty saying good-bye to his traveling buddies. Blair seemed to be on top of the world. Smiling. Why not? She has two guys wrapped around her finger. She has Grant in her hip pocket and Ty on a string. The Three Amigos again. Good for them.
Once Grant and Blair drove off, she murmured in his ear, "Good boy, Dexter." and patted his neck. She reached down opened the gate and guided him toward the open hills. Alone at the ridge, she pulled up with a "Whoa" and started to cry. She laid her head on Dexter's neck, stroking his coarse mane, seeking comfort.
Back at the barn, she untacked Dexter and settled him in his stall. A noise came from the loft. Amy could have sworn she heard her name. "Ty?" Exhausted, she started to up the stairs, almost by habit. Near the top step, she stopped, changed direction and headed to the house instead.
Slumped on her bed, she looked around her room. It was still decorated like she was a 12 year old. Lace curtains, a flowery bedspread, stuffed animals. Ribbons, buckles, horse books, toy horse models, too. Her dirty jeans from yesterday left on the floor. Pictures of her mom and family. Amy standing on her horse's back when she won the Ring of Fire Competition. Soraya and Amy at graduation looking so happy and hopeful.
Ty was there too. The two of them together, smiling, before her high school dance, at the Fall Finale, learning to ride the Norton. The painting from Ty's airplane crash hung on the wall. The teddy bear that he bought her at the fair and the journal he gave her to continue her mom's legacy were on the book shelf.
Her life to date, her innocence, her youth, her triumphs all on display. It all seemed meaningless now. What was once reminders of happiness, now reminded her of the loss in her life. It all mocked her somehow. She began to think back over the last few months and how she arrived at this point.
Deep down, Amy knew she had given Ty a hard time about the plans for his solo trip. She pushed him to come with her on the Ring of Fire Tour. To be together. But, he wanted to go on his own, without her. He wanted to travel before he was tied up with school and vet tech work. Alone.
But, he hurt her feelings. Instead of expressing her hurt, she handed him back his promise ring in an attempt hurt him too. She did it without thinking. Without considering its result.
By the next day Amy realized her err. So she chased Ty as he headed out the Heartland gate to the way to his adventure. Screaming his name, he brought Old Blue to a quick stop, jumped out and hugged her tightly. They made quick amends, hugged again, kissed and promised to stay in touch. Each wanting the other to have space to pursue their individual needs, she to the Ring of Fire Tour and he to the open road. She got her ring back but not without a cost.
Thinking about that, she glanced down at her hand. Seeing the dainty ring made her tears flow. Again. Sobs came soon after. Hugging her arms around herself, she rocked back and forth.
All those months on the road, the phone calls and emails, Ty failed to mention Blair. He talked about Connor and Grant. He said picked them up along his travels and they quickly became traveling buddies, the Three Amigos. The rich details of their adventures, their fun, traipsing across the country together, finding themselves were mostly unmentioned. When they talked on the phone, Ty mostly gave Amy only the day's highlights and focused on reassuring Amy that he loved her and missed her.
No mention that Connor was a she and she was beautiful, had that perky little English accent.
When he came back to Heartland, he was not alone but with Blair on his Norton, the same bike that Amy and Ty worked on for hours together. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, his body, sitting in Amy's spot. He took off his helmet with that smile, those green eyes, that boyish sexiness, not for Amy but for the prize he brought back. Amy stood frozen in disbelief. He stepped up, hugged her and said he missed her.
He introduced Blair saying that her boyfriend, Grant was getting Old Blue fixed. He couldn't wait to see Amy, so he and Blair rode the Norton to Heartland.
But, Amy wanted to be with Ty alone. She didn't want to share. Suddenly Blair was everywhere. Appearing when Amy and Ty kissed, talked, and even when they argued. She told stories, things Amy did not know. Capturing Ty's his attention, his arm, his time. She seemed to have a certain sparkle, a smile for only Ty. Blair was so bubbly, helpful, friendly.
And, Ty being Ty, made Blair feel welcomed, spent time with her, showed her around. He even encouraged her to compete against Amy in the cross country run. He acted like the perfect host, like it was the most natural thing in the world to have her at Heartland.
In her own home, Heartland, Amy felt out of place, uncomfortable. Seeing Ty and Blair together was unbearable. Amy tried her best to be nice, to act like normal.
She told Jack, her grandpa, that she felt like green-eyed monster. She told Lou that she was hurt, she wanted Ty to come home alone, to her.
She did as Lou suggested, Amy talked to him, told him her feelings. He said that Blair was just a friend, nothing more, nothing happened. Later, he said that he made a mistake in bringing her home. "Amy, this is me coming home to you alone", he said, just to appease her.
Looking back, Amy felt like Ty misled her, maybe even lied.
Amy's thoughts spun out of control, "What about that kiss? Was it really just Blair? Did he lead her on? He said he took the high road, sure. Just another dig at me. That I led Chase on, when he kissed me."
She sighed, more questions, more doubts surfaced. "I did kiss Chase back, and it did make me tingly. Maybe Ty felt the same way about Blair. Tingly, excited. Why didn't he admit it? What else did he conveniently forget. Did they hook up like Blair said? Oh, oh. I feel sick to my heart."
She straightened herself, spine now erect. "Fine. I refuse to play the fool", she said out loud.
She back to the barn. At the top of the loft stairs, she surveyed the room. Drawers were open, his things were gone. He was gone again. He had left her just like he did the night of the Fall Finale years ago. But, this time with no kiss. He just ran.
"Never again. I'm done too Ty". With that she headed to the house for dinner.