Tim had picked Shane up early and they would be out all day. Amy didn't object to his plan of avoiding Lou's arrive at all cost. It would be better to ease them together anyway. Lisa had a business meeting in the city and would be gone too most of the day. Jack had made a few excuses but Amy had managed to convince him to stick around the ranch. Him finally realizing he was being petty. So he sent Ty to do the feed run instead. Jack sat next to Amy on the porch enjoying his morning coffee as the pair waited for Lou. Amy's breath caught as she seen the yellow taxi round the bend in the driveway. "Please, be nice." She whispered. She avoided eye contact before she ran off down the two steps to the drive. Her smile wide as the door opened and Lou's brown hair came into view. She stopped as Jack met her just a few steps from the car as he grabbed the bags from the driver. "Lou!" Amy smiled as Lou turned from the car now Jackson in her arms. "Oh my gosh!" She shrieked at the surprise of how old he had gotten.
"Hi!" Lou beamed just as happy to see Amy for the first time in almost 3 years. Neither could get over how the other looked. Lou especially. Seeing Amy all grown up. They hugged as best they could with Jackson in her arms. "Hi, Grandpa." Lou said with less emotion.
"Hi. And hi there." He said smiling at his great grandson. He reached and touched the toddlers hand. "He's gotten big."
"Yeah, wow. The pictures you send don't do him justice." Amy said reaching for him to hold him. But Lou didn't seem to want to let go. "Come on, come to Aunt Amy." Lou smiled down at her son and since he didn't seem to make strange she let go of him. Her smile faded however as both Jack and Amy caught sight of her baby bump. Feeling suddenly self-conscious she reached for one of her bags and started for the house not saying a thing. Jack shot Amy a look as they followed her to the porch.
"I can stay at the dude ranch if that's better." She said turning around.
"No. Don't be silly." Amy said.
"If that's what you want." Jack said at the same time. Amy glared at him. "I just mean you are welcome to stay wherever you feel most at home."
Lou sighed setting her bag down. "Look, go ahead. Tell me I told you so." She folded her arms across her chest. When no one spoke up she did again. "Yes. Okay, I'm pregnant. I wanted to tell you sooner but we all know how that went last time."
"Lou..."
"I'm so happy for you. Congratulations." Amy wrapped her in a hug. "I want to know everything later, okay?" Lou nodded. "Do you mind if I show him the horses?"
"Sure. Just don't turn him into a rodeo star." She joked.
"Wanna see the horses?" Amy cooed as she walked away from the house and toward the paddock.
Lou watched her go before looking back up at Jack. "So where's Dad?"
"Not here." He answered flatly.
"Grandpa?"
"He moved away. A few years back. Okay?" He picked up the bags and went into the house.
"What?" Lou asked following him into the kitchen.
"What did you expect? That things were gonna stay the same."
"I don't know. Maybe." She sighed looking around. The house looking so different with Lisa's things.
"You clearly didn't stay the same."
"I really did want to share the news with you. I just didn't know how'd you react."
There was a moment where neither said anything. And she wondered what Jack was thinking. But all of a sudden he hugged her. Lou smiled as tears fell. "I'm sorry." She said brushing them away.
"Don't be sorry. It's okay." He grabbed her shoulders. "Jackson seems like a great kid."
"He is. He really is." She nods whipping her face. "Peter and I are happy." Jack smiled nodding and for the first time it felt like a weight had been lifted.
Amy and Lou sat on Amy's bed watching Jackson play with a few toys she had packed. "So...tell me everything." Amy explained happy.
"Everything?"
"Yeah. Like when are you due? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"
Lou couldn't help but laugh. "No, we want to surprised. And I'm almost 5 months." She grabbed Amy's left hand. "Now tell me about you?"
"It's nothing." Amy pulled her hand away a bit embarrassed.
"My little sister is getting married. That's not nothing." She smiled.
"Yes. Yes, we are officially engaged. We are planning for a fall wedding before Caleb's back on the winter circuit."
"Wow! That's soon."
"You sound like Dad and Grandpa." Amy sighed.
"Speaking of Dad. Grandpa said he moved? I mean he's been talking about selling Big River. I just didn't think he'd actually do it." Lou frowned slightly sad at the thought.
"Yeah, I guess. We visits a lot though. And right now he's helping train his race horse." Lou nodded feeling a bit jealous. "He's, uh...he's visiting now."
"Oh...great." She tried to hide her disappointment.
"Hey, it's gonna be fine. He knows your here. But..."
"But he's not happy about it." Lou finished interpreting Amy.
"No." Amy shakes her head. "But he'll come around. He can't stay mad forever." Lou nodded before turning away to hide her tears.
Lou walked toward the barn just taking in the familiarity of it all. It felt like home. Even after all this time. She stepped out of the way as a motorcycle came racing up the driveway. Ty stopped it and got off glancing her way as he took of his helmet. He brushed his hair out of his eyes as he studied Lou. "Hey, stranger." She smiled. "I almost didn't recognize you." She pulled Ty in for a hug.
"I could say the same." He laughed pointing at her stomach.
Lou self-consciously place her hands on her bump. "You never quite lose the baby weight." She joked. "It's so good to see you."
"How's...everything?" He pointed toward the house. Lou sighed. "That great? Well, if it helps the anger does eventually fade to disappointment."
"Great." Lou kicked at the ground. "Guess we both can relate."
"Amy told me what happened. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. No ones fault. I knew it would end badly. I just didn't expect to be shunned." She glanced up to notice a blue pickup truck pull up to the house. "Who's that?"
"Shane, please! You have to stay." They both heard Amy yell as she followed after the young boy that got out.
"He's taking me back to dude ranch." He said as he brushed past her near the fence.
"Tim." Ty stated blankly answering her earlier question.
The pair had been slowly walking to the house for dinner but had stopped when the truck pulled in. Lou swallowed hard before looking back at Ty. "You still living in the loft?"
"Yeah. Why?" Ty raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Yeah. Uh, you wanna see it?" He asked knowing the answer already and finally getting her hint to go anywhere but the house.
Lou sighed as she sat on Ty's bed. "I'm sorry." She glanced around nervously.
"Don't be. I felt the same. Heck, I'd still like to disappear." He laughed sitting across from her leaning on his dresser.
"Amy giving you that hard of a time?" She asked looking up.
Ty shifted nervously. "You could say that."
"She came around before. I'm sure she's just adjusting. Sounds like a lot has changed and you and I know how she is with that."
"It's different, Lou. We're not teenagers anymore." He sighed. "I made a lot of mistakes."
"Like what?"
"The reason I'm here is...well, I got arrested. Needed someone to bail me out. Jack insisted I stay here."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What's you plan then?" She tipped her head.
"I don't know." Ty folded his hands on his chest. "I haven't thought that far yet."
"You can't be the ranch hand forever."
"Honesty, the only thing I ever wanted isn't a choice anymore."
Lou watched him thinking. "I've know Caleb for about 2 years. He's a good kid."
Ty looked away embarrassed that Lou had figured out what he was referring to. He'd always thought Amy would be apart of his future. So he wasn't gonna lie seeing her happy with someone else was painful. Her happiest meant everything. He always had. So he knew there was nothing he could do to change that. "It's okay. I'm not good enough for Amy anyway." He stood up and left leaving Lou sitting there.