Chapter 1
It was an odd set of circumstances that brought Lisa Stillman to Kentucky and the Derby that year. A business acquaintance from Alberta proposed a deal for Lisa to back him on the purchase of a pair of promising thoroughbreds that he wanted Lisa to board, train and race in exchange for future breeding rights and a percentage of winnings. It was a good deal and Lisa had to admit that it had been years since she'd been to the derby. As always she couldn't convince Jack to accompany her even though Heartland was in good hands. She tried to convince Georgie to come along with her but she had classes and things she had to take care of that week at the clinic.
Though the derby festival ran two weeks Lisa was there for the race itself, a few days before and after and the track was abuzz with news. The favorite, Cloister, had two bad showings in his last two races though his owner said they had "tracked down" his problem, he said it was actually minor and taken care of. Attempts by reporters to locate the mysterious trainer who fixed this problem or in fact locating Cloister proved impossible. A few days before the race Cloister appeared at Churchill Downs ready to run. As it turns out the owner was completely right, Cloister dominated from the first turn and took the derby by three lengths. In fact, he clocked the fastest finish, the last ¼ past the last turn in race history though not in the top 10 finishes.
She sat in the bar at the Derby club waiting for the crowd to clear a bit. She sipped her wine and watched the monitor showing the awards ceremony. It was towards the end when the owner, John Branch walked over to a young woman in a cowboy hat and hugged her as the camera panned back to Cloister and his jockey. Lisa stared at the screen, her glass suspended in her hand midway to her mouth which was agape. She quickly glanced over at the TV and the picture was different.
"Not much of a race in the end, ready to go Lisa ?" The man sitting next to her looked over "Lisa, you Ok ? Ready to go, I'll drop you at your hotel."
"I'm sorry Ron, yes I am."
Ron Thornton was a breeder from Kentucky with roots to Alberta. She had looked at his horses and agreed to the deal. They arranged delivery and Lisa was scheduled to leave back to Calgary the following morning.
Back in the hotel Lisa paced back and forth over and over again. Her hair was different, of course, colored and she was older but it was her, it had to be.
"I'm sorry Jack, I have to stay a few more days, maybe a week."
"Why Lis I thought the deal was struck ?"
"I know Jack but somethings come up and I have to check it out."
"Something with the deal, Ron ?"
"No no."
"Then I don't understand and I'm a bit uncomfortable with how this conversation is going. Do you need me there Lis ?"
"No Jack, it's that, I think I." The pause was too long and Lisa was clearly upset, Jack could hear it in her voice.
"Lisa please it can't be so bad that you can't tell me."
"I think I saw Amy Jack, her hair was different and it was just a glimpse but the more I think about it the more I know in my gut it was her."
"I'm coming down there Lis."
"No Jack, let me see if I can make sense of this and I'm scared that."
"If more of us get involved we may scare her away. Tell me what you think you saw and about that gut of yours."
Lisa described the scene she watched on the monitor and Jack interrupted. "We watched Lis, we didn't see that."
"I know Jack, that's just it, the monitors at the track are different, they stay on the scene rather than get cut back for the broadcasts. He walked off to the side and the TV's stayed on the horse but the monitor showed the owner John Branch walk over and hug this woman, Amy ! Listen Jack, you heard this story, Cloister had a problem in his last two races then disappeared until he was delivered here to Churchill Downs. The rumor mills ran than Cloister was fixed by some mysterious trainer and then that race, he dominated. It has to be her Jack, Amy fixed that horse, it all fits."
"Lis are you sure ?"
"How can I be sure at this stage Jack, I keep replaying it in my head, it's her Jack, it has to be."
"Lis it's been 8 years."
"We still get the check and a letter every year Jack and you've gotten others."
"From Switzerland."
"It's just a bank Jack, an untraceable bank."
"See what you can find out and keep me in the loop. Should I ?"
"Don't tell anybody anything, I'm waiting for several calls."
"Calls ?"
"John Branch for one and the people at the track will see if they have the monitor footage. I may hire an investigator."
"They've never done any good Lis."
"Now I have a starting point Jack."
Lisa returned to Calgary a few days later disheartened but not giving up. John Branch left right after the derby for an extended trip. All the leads she had floundered so she hired a PI firm, gave them all the information she had and went home.
The days and weeks that past were brutal for the two of them but they were kept busy. Cloister went on to win both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes completing the Triple Crown. Lisa scoured all the broadcasts she could but never caught another glimpse. Lou was gone off to Nashville, they had Katie, Caleb and Mitch Cutty, a ranch hand Jack hired who was now a partner in the cattle, took care of most of the work. Caleb was still partnered with Ty and they had taken Jack up on his offer and took him on as a partner in the stock business. Jack's part was allowing the horses to be kept and trained at Heartland. It was all they could do to make up for Amy's share that first year until her first check and letter came.
Ty was more of a silent partner in the business, he had finished vet school and was offered and accepted a position as partner in Scott's practice. He dated every now and then and actually had two somewhat longer term relationships, now he was single again and watched closely by every available woman in Hudson. He ate at the house every now and then, they were his family after all and he was a partner in Heartland's business.
"You sleeping Ok Jack, you're looking tired these days."
"Not sure what's been keeping me up Ty, I'm fine though, saw Trish just a few weeks ago for a check-up."
Ty looked at Lisa who had also been off lately and said nothing. He wished Lou was around so that he could ask about it but of course she wasn't. He'd ask Georgie if she knew anything. Georgie worked at the clinic with Ty and had an apartment in town with Wyatt, they were engaged and Wyatt was hoping to enter Law School. Georgie was entering her 1st year at UC Vet School. They'd get married in a few years. The plan was to open a second clinic where Ty and Georgie would go while the original clinic would stay with Scott and Cass. It was in the early planning stages.
As always before leaving Heartland Ty stopped in to see Harley. He also visited with the other horses.
"Evening Ty"
"Hey Mitch, just stopped in to see Harley, how's it going ?"
"Fine, no worries. Just down to do night check and close up."
Ty nodded as Mitch set off to work in the new barn. New barn sounded strange almost as it was almost 5 years old. The new barn and his seeing the stairs to the loft brought her face up to him again. The last time he saw her. She had dropped him off at the trailer after bailing him and Caleb out of jail after a bar fight.
"I think I'll go away for awhile Ty unless you want me to stay ?"
"You should go, figure things out."
"I really didn't think I had things to figure out but Ok."
"Figure out what you want in life Amy."
"I thought I had, to be with you and work with horses."
"I think you want more than that, more than this."
"I don't know what this is Ty or what this means to you, is it so easy for you to let me do it on my own rather that with me as my partner ?"
"I don't want to keep you from your dreams."
The memories flooded back as Ty left the barn and drove off the property. Jack and Lisa watched him from the porch.
"I thought there was hope for him with Helena."
"Do you think Amy married ? Found anyone ?"
"I have no idea Jack and no idea what was in his mind when he let her go. I hope she's happy."
The weeks went by and the summer progressed. Lou came and went, ranch life continued as always, Mitch was engaged to Jen, Wyatt's mom and they seemed happy. It was awkward for Lou who had dated Mitch early on but she was never around very long anyway. She had told them that after Nashville she would go for a Maggie's in Calgary which would keep her closer to home but that was at least a year away. Mitch and Jen were to be married at the ranch in September. Mitch would move out then and Georgie and Wyatt would take the loft. It was weird but it fit. Jack was growing into the idea.
It was an unusually cool day in July when Lisa spotted the email from the PI firm, she had stopped checking the folder she had set up everyday, nothing came but the weekly reports that arrived with an invoice and a report. Nothing, they had found nothing.
Lisa opened the email and gasped as she scanned it
Subject: Amy Fleming
Alias/Professional name: Amy Flamande
Address : Pegasus Stables, Ithaca, NY
Occupation: Owner/Operator Pegasus Stables, Equine Rehabilitation and Rescue.
Marital Status: Single
Children: 3 (adopted) – Jackson Timothy Grainger Fleming A/K/A JT, Jack, 6 years old, Charlotte Grainger Fleming A/K/A Charlie 14, Madelyn Grainger Fleming A/K/A Maddie 14. Note, Charlotte and Madelyn are identical twins.
Picture: Attached, please advise.
"Lisa what's wrong, what is it ?"
"It's Amy Jack it has to be, I can't believe it, how can I not have put this together ?"
"What are you talking about, they found her ?"
Before he could read the words Lisa clicked on the attachment. They both stared at the screen and stared. Tears formed in their eyes. It was Amy, her hair was different but it was her. She was standing with two girls in jumping outfits, both had reddish hair and blue eyes. Each of the girls had what Lisa knew had to be Warmbloods, both grey and there was a little boy, who also had reddish blond hair and blue eyes. He had a crutch under one arm, a leg brace and the most adorable smile.
"Who are those kids ?"
"They're your great grand children, they're adopted apparently. The little boy must have been an infant, his name is Jackson Timothy. They call him JT. And the two girls are Charlotte Grainger and Madelyn Grainger, obviously identical. Grainger must be their family name."
"She, well they look very happy. She never married ?"
"Doesn't say, just that she's single now."
"What should you have put together Lisa ?"
"Pegasus Stables has very quickly become one of the premier facilities in the states Jack. They opened, I don't know 7 years ago maybe. They're building a surgical facility at the ranch so that a horse can go straight into rehab. How she keeps her name out of everything is beyond me or maybe I heard it and never put the two together which is another thing I should have put together had I heard it. Flamande, listed as a professional name is an old style French way to refer to a person from Belgium, a Fleming."
"Well I'll be, she looks healthy and happy. What do you think, should we call, write ?"
"I'm flying to Buffalo tomorrow Jack and driving to Ithaca and you are going to cover for me."
"What are you going to do Lis ?"
"For one thing hug my granddaughter and her children." Lisa was crying again and had gone back to the photo.
She closed the file and password locked it from prying eyes, then closed her laptop.
"I'm shaking Jack."
Jack put his arm around her and led her to the couch by the fire.
"I guess she's doing well, she sends those checks, few hundred thousand by now."
"I remember Georgie talking about taking a summer internship there, at Pegasus, last year or the year before. I wonder if she applied ?"