Author's Note: There will be more "Heartland magic" that's wholly unrealistic in this chapter as Amy works with Herring. (Just go with it, okay?)

There will also be more very uncomfortable stuff, so I reiterate the trigger warning and the abusive comments will not be tolerated piece.

My grateful thanks to all of your lovely comments and reviews. One can never be sure how a story will be received, so I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far.

To Joy48: have no worries about your comment. It was perfectly understood by me that you were glad it is not cheesy. (And I hope I can continue to live up to that, but in all honesty, it's the Heartland universe. There will be some sappy moments, guaranteed.)

All that said, here's the next installment as the investigation into Val's death continues. More theories will be flying around again after this!

To the childless wife he gives a home, and gladdens her heart with children.

- Ps. 113

Chapter 4:

Let the Dead Bury Their Own Dead

Tuesday, April 23

Hudson Funeral Home

Ashley Stanton slipped on a pair of sunglasses, ostensibly to shield her eyes from the bright sunshine as she stood outside the funeral home following the service for her mother. Several old high school acquaintances, family friends, some Briar Ridge clients, business associates, and members of the showjumping community lined up to express their condolences to the Stanton siblings.

Jesse Stanton, with his girlfriend Tessa draped on his arm, did most of the talking, for which Ashley was grateful. At this moment, she thought standing here and listening to the usual platitudes and expressions of sorrow to be almost intolerable. She longed for this part of the proceedings to be over, but people kept coming.

After what seemed like an eternity, the queue came to an end. Ashley realised she had not really recognized nearly half of the people who shook her hand, hugged her, or patted her arm, but she did remember Amy and Ty. Amy had offered a long embrace. That one felt authentic; after all, Amy knew what it was like to lose a mother. Jack Bartlett and Lisa Stillman had been right behind. Jack had spoken several words about Val during the service. He spoke more kind words about her again in the line; words that described the healthy, neighbourly respect they had eventually come to have for each other.

I never truly appreciated how much of a decent man he is, Ashley now thought. Oh, Mom... I can see why you had your eye on him.

With a pang of disappointment, it dawned on Ashley there was one person she had not seen. He probably didn't even come, she thought despondently, not after the way Mom drove him away... Or after the way I treated him.

However, the person she was thinking of was observing everything from a distance, waiting for the right time to approach.

"Are you okay?" Jesse asked, turning to his sister when she did not make a move to the town car.

"I'm fine," she replied distractedly. "I just need a minute."

"Okay," Jesse replied, giving her shoulder a slight squeeze. "We'll be in the car. Reception's in half an hour, though; don't be too long."

"I know," Ashley mumbled. "You two go on; I'll be there."

Jesse nodded. "All right. Let's go, Tessa," he said to his girlfriend, and the pair headed to the waiting vehicle.

Having seen this exchange, Caleb finally saw his opportunity. He turned to his wife. "I'll be right back, Cass. There's something I've gotta do."

Cassandra nodded, already having figured out exactly what was going on in her husband's mind. "Of course. I'll meet you back at the truck."

"Thanks, babe," he said, and strode towards his ex-wife.

Ashley's eyes went wide behind her dark lenses at the sight of this blond man she had once been head over heels in love with.

"I'm real sorry for your loss, Ash," Caleb said, taking her cold hands between his.

She allowed him this small gesture of consolation before gently pulling away; his genuine concern for her feelings was beginning to break through her resolve not to cry again.

"Thank you, Caleb," Ashley finally responded, dabbing at her red-rimmed eyes with an already damp tissue. "Coming from you, that means a lot."

"Aw, shoot," Caleb said with a wry, sad smile. "Val and I may have had our differences, but we buried the hatchet a while back."

She stared back at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. She admitted you were happy back when we were together. She was sorry for her role in our divorce. I honestly think she meant it."

Ashley blew out a shaky breath and shook her head at this revelation. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I let her come between us."

"Water under the bridge, Ash. You have your life with what's-his-name, and I have mine with Cass."

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"I'm divorced. Again." Ashley said, dropping her gaze.

"Oh," Caleb said. "I did kinda wonder why you were up here alone. I mean, a husband ought to be there to support his wife at a time like this, if you ask me. Sorry."

"It's all right. Anyway, I heard through the grapevine you're going to be a father," Ashley said, trying to force some brightness into her tone. "You must be very happy."

"Yes! Yes, I am," Caleb replied, a smile blossoming across his face despite the somber nature of the meeting. "Cass and I, well, we were trying a long time."

"Congratulations," Ashley said charitably.

"Thanks," he replied, making an effort to suppress his joy out of respect for her current pain. "Take care of yourself, Ash."

"I'll try," she managed to say, blinking away a new flood of tears.

"I guess I'll see you around," Caleb said, touching her shoulder gently before turning to leave. "'Bye."

The lavish funeral reception was held at Briar Ridge, complete with a caterer and tents so the attendees could be well fed and sheltered. Jack begged off attending this part of the day's proceedings; Lisa felt compelled to put in some face time, mostly because other members of the private investors' group decided it would be a good idea to show united support for Jesse and Ashley.

Lisa thought Jesse was putting up a brave front as she watched him interact with clients his mother had courted over the years.

More like glad-handing, she mused, watching as Jesse flashed toothy grins and enthusiastically shook hands with other would-be mourners. Lisa immediately rebuked herself for the uncharitable assessment. He's just been through a terrible loss, but he knows he can't be seen as falling apart—not that anyone would fault him if he did.

In fact, she remembered behaving in a similar fashion when her father, Matthew, passed away, leaving her to pick up the pieces at Fairfield. I also wanted to show I had the strength and positive attitude to take over when we lost Dad. I needed people to be confident Fairfield was in good hands with me at the helm.

She noticed Tanner Gunn was now in deep conversation with the Briar Ridge heir. Lisa caught snippets of their conversation, but eventually diverted her attention as she was starting to feel like a voyeur. Instead, her eyes fell on Ashley standing under one of the tents, looking as if this was the last place she wanted to be while her brother's girlfriend prattled on to her about something or other. The younger Stanton sibling seemed to be barely paying attention; Tessa was blissfully oblivious to this fact.

"It's so tragic," a new voice to Lisa's right caused her to turn in surprise.

"Oh, hi, Emma," Lisa said, recognizing Emma Fitzroy, one of the newer members of the investors' group. "Yes, it certainly is tragic."

"I wasn't the biggest Val Stanton fan, but you've got to admit she was a helluva businesswoman," Emma remarked. "I can't believe something like that could happen. I mean, getting shot while out riding a horse? It's crazy."

"It is," Lisa murmured, sucking in a breath as she recalled finding Val. Emma clearly had no idea of all the grisly details. She was at once grateful Chief Parker and Nadir Jutley had respected her request for privacy on that matter and kept her name out of the papers.

Emma was shaking her head pityingly. "Jesse Stanton really has his work cut out for him."

"Yep. He sure does," Lisa said vaguely, looking over at Ashley and Tessa, wondering if and when Jesse's girlfriend would figure out Ashley probably wanted to be left alone.

"Er, I'm sorry. I forgot you and Val were friends," Emma said, misinterpreting in Lisa's tone a veiled rebuke. "I probably shouldn't have said what I said."

"No, it's all right," Lisa commented, now turning her full attention to Emma. "If I'm honest, I wasn't the biggest Val Stanton fan, either."

"Oh? I'd just thought with you and your husband being her neighbours and long-time acquaintances and all..."

Hmm, she was paying attention to Jack's speech at the funeral, Lisa thought. Sharp lady. "You know, Val and I..." she began, then trailed off.

"Val and you...?" Emma pressed.

"Years ago," Lisa said, deciding to level with Emma, "Val tried to pursue Jack, despite knowing he and I were a serious item at the time."

Emma made a face, showing her disapproval. "Ow, that's terrible."

"It was," Lisa said, "but she eventually backed off when Jack wouldn't reciprocate her overtures, and when Jack and I finally got married."

"Wait, wasn't she seeing Dan Hartfield?" Emma asked.

"In recent times, yes, to my utter and complete surprise," Lisa responded.

"Oh? How's that?"

"Dan's my ex-husband," explained Lisa, "so that was a little... awkward, to say the least."

"Wow, that is pretty awkward," Emma commented. "I had no idea."

"But they actually seemed to enjoy each other's company, so who knows?"

"I saw Dan a little while ago at the hors d'oeuvres tables," Emma said. "He actually looked kinda morose."

"Maybe she meant more to him than he realised," Lisa said with sincerity. "Would you excuse me, Emma? I'd like to go talk with Ashley for a moment."

"Of course, Lisa," Emma said.

Lisa made her way over to the tent where Ashley was still being subjected to Tessa's chatter. It was a lame excuse, but she no longer wished to be talking about Dan and Val, and she did, in fact, have a message to deliver to Ashley that she had forgotten to give at the funeral home.

"Pardon me," she said, once she was close enough for Tessa to hear, not the least bit concerned she was interrupting. "I'd like to say a few words to Ashley."

A look of relief flashed across Ashley's face as Tessa's long-winded narrative was brought to a halt.

"Hello, Lisa," Ashley said, leaning in to accept a hug. "Thank you for coming."

"You're welcome. We didn't get a chance to speak for very long after the service, but I wanted to let you know my nephew, Ben, sends his condolences."

Ashley's face brightened a little at this. "Ben! Oh, tell him I send my thanks, Lisa. He was such a fun guy. I loved having him at Briar Ridge when he was here in Hudson."

"Have you kept up with riding at all?" Lisa asked, ignoring Tessa, who seemed peeved at being silenced. "I remember you and Ben were once fierce competitors on the circuit."

"No, I haven't," Ashley admitted with a sad shake of her head. "I retired from showjumping when I left Hudson. Law school was too demanding."

"I can imagine," Lisa said. "Ben had to give it up, too. But his horse, Red, sired Herring. Your mom was interested in buying Herring from me. It's why she was out at Lookout Point that day."

"Oh, Lisa," Ashley said in dismay, "I hope you don't think that any of this is your fault!"

"No, no," Lisa replied with a shake of her head, "but I am sorry for what happened."

"Lisa," Ashley said slowly, her face crumpling, "I—I know you were the one to find Mom..."

"I was," Lisa answered, trying to keep her voice even.

"I know the police said Mom was shot, but they won't give us any real details. Did you see anything? Anything at all?"

Tessa kept glancing between the two, looking like the unwelcome third party in a private conversation.

"I'm sorry, Ashley," Lisa said. "I told the police everything I saw, and aside from Herring and your mother, there was nothing else out there that I could see."

Tessa, sensing an opening, let out a "tut" sound and shook her head.

"Jesse's been thinking of hiring a private investigator, you know," she blurted out.

Ashley pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at her brother's girlfriend.

"Oh?" Lisa asked, looking now at the young woman with feigned interest.

"Yes," Tessa remarked smugly, finally glad to be noticed. "He thinks the police are dragging their feet. After all, why have they not named any suspects? It's been a week, and nothing concrete. It's ridiculous, don't you think, Lisa?"

"We haven't been formally introduced," Lisa now said with a tight-lipped smile, irritated Tessa had presumed immediate familiarity so as to call her by her first name.

"I'm Tessa. Tessa Haywood," the young woman said. "Jesse's girlfriend."

"And I'm Lisa Stillman," Lisa said.

"I know," Tessa said with a smile and a slight giggle. "Jesse mentioned your name to me after you and Jack spoke to him in the receiving line."

"What is it you do, Tessa?" asked Lisa.

"I'm an executive assistant," Tessa remarked with an air of superiority.

"Mm. That's nice," Lisa said.

"Yes," Tessa chatted on. "I work for a big firm in Calgary."

Good for you, Lisa wanted to say, but held her tongue. She remembered the days when "executive assistant" used to be "secretary", and coming from Tessa, the modern title sounded more pretentious than ever.

"Sounds like you're probably quite busy," Lisa commented politely.

"I am," Tessa giggled again as she glanced towards Jesse, who was still speaking with Tanner.

Busy, indeed, Lisa thought, guessing Tessa Haywood probably spent more time with the elder Stanton sibling in Hudson than anywhere near her "executive assistant" job in Calgary. Val could not have been too happy with this match, Lisa thought, considering how low-class Tessa seemed to be, despite her conventional beauty that would have turned many heads, and had obviously turned Jesse's.

Yup, she has "gold-digger" written all over, Lisa thought. It's only a matter of time before she sinks her claws totally into Jesse. I'll bet there's going to be a wedding announcement soon enough, at least once a respectable period of time has passed after the funeral, or not...

She turned back to Ashley, deciding Jesse's current and future marital status was really none of her business. "I don't want to take up any more of your time, but I do want you and Jesse to know that if there's anything you need from us, don't hesitate to reach out, okay?"

"Okay," Ashley said with a positive nod. "Thank you. Both you and Jack were always good friends to my mother. I actually won't be staying in town much longer, maybe just long enough to help Jesse take care of Mom's affairs, but she would be happy to know we have your support. So thanks, again."

"You're welcome," Lisa spoke with a sad smile, gently patting Ashley's shoulder. "Take care."

Following the funeral, Amy was back to work with Herring. She saddled Spartan just outside the barn in preparation for another round of desensitizing the other horse. Once again, Remi had risen to the occasion, as the recovering Herring responded well to her presence just as Sassy had responded positively to her.

The traumatized horse was no longer balking at either Amy or Ty when they approached his stall. That alone was an improvement, for which Amy was grateful. She massaged his forehead for a few moments while talking softly to him. When Herring seemed calm enough, Amy slipped a soft halter rope around Herring's muzzle and neck and then opened the stall gate. From the corner of the stall she had claimed for herself, Remi jumped to her feet, tail swishing expectantly.

"Okay, Herring," Amy whispered, imagining the horse could at least understand her gentle tone since he could not understand her actual words. "We're going to meet Spartan, now. Let's go."

She led him slowly outside the stable, hoping he would react well in Spartan's presence. As if on cue, Remi followed. Spartan stood patiently beside the open barn door. Once the black Quarter Horse entered Herring's field of vision, however, the chestnut horse stiffened. Amy felt the tension in the halter as Herring dug in his hooves and pulled back.

"Herring," Amy uttered, looking back at him. "Come on, you can do this."

Herring nickered and strained against the lead. Amy did not want to force anything this time, so she slackened the length and turned to stand in front of Herring to block his view of Spartan. She rubbed Herring's forehead again. "It's okay, boy. Spartan's not gonna hurt you."

Amy backed slowly away from Herring, drawing his lead with her as she did so. She took a quick glance behind her and stopped when her shoulder was about to touch Spartan's nose. In a quick motion, she turned and hoisted herself into the saddle, still keeping hold of Herring's lead.

To her relief, Herring did not react negatively to having Spartan in his field of vision again. Amy clicked her tongue and took Spartan's rein in her free hand.

"Let's go, Spartan," she commanded, directing him to turn. The horse complied immediately, clomping off to the left. Amy felt the tension increase in Herring's lead. He was still refusing to budge.

"Come on, Herring," she called. "We're moving, now."

The chestnut horse obstinately planted his hooves in the ground.

"Whoa," Amy called, directing Spartan to stop, which he did. She peered back at Herring, on the verge of disappointment that this next step in his therapy was not going as planned. Remi sat down nearby, thinking perhaps nothing was happening so she could take another rest period.

Herring angled his neck in the dog's direction, blinking at her as she panted. He's interested in Remi because he feels safe in her presence, Amy thought. Let's see if he's interested enough to follow where she leads.

"Remi: up!" Amy commanded. The dog hopped to her feet, her tail once again wagging expectantly. Herring's ears swiveled forward.

"Remi, go run!" Amy instructed, throwing her arm forward.

The dog took off across the yard towards the pond. Herring's head turned to watch Remi's flight. He nickered once, raised his right front hoof and pawed the air, as if trying to decide whether to go or stay.

"You want to follow your friend?" Amy asked Herring. "Let's go, then."

She urged Spartan to start walking in the direction Remi had taken. To her delight, Herring also began to move. It was slow at first, but Amy was okay with that sedate pace because it meant Herring was no longer fearful of being so near to another four-legged beast his size.

"Good, Herring," Amy said encouragingly as the walk continued. "Good boy."

When they finally reached the pond, Remi was waiting expectantly. Herring approached the canine and nuzzled her for a few seconds, which Remi patiently endured. Spartan took the opportunity to take a drink, and Herring followed suit. The two horses stood side-by-side on the shallow bank, quietly lapping at the water as if they had been lifelong stable-mates.

"Good boy, Herring," Amy said again, an irrepressible smile spreading across her face.

Next Day

Briar Ridge

"Mr. Stanton, thanks for meeting with us," Detective Toby Kavanaugh said, as he and Detective Constable Jennifer Patterson sat down opposite the younger man in what was once Val's private office.

"Anything to help the Hudson police get to the bottom of why I had to bury my mother yesterday," Jesse stated. "I'm concerned that the investigation is going nowhere."

Kavanaugh and Patterson exchanged a glance at Jesse's not-so-subtle dig at their effectiveness as investigators.

"As you're aware, we first theorized your mother could have been the victim of an unfortunate hunting accident," Kavanaugh began.

"Right," Jesse said. "And I also know you guys have come up with absolutely zilch on that one."

"And that leads us to the next logical line of investigating," Patterson said, "which is that this was a targeted attack."

"You mean murder," Jesse said.

"Yes," Kavanaugh said seriously. "Briar Ridge is a very successful operation, and your mother was among one of the wealthiest in Hudson. Can you think of any reason why anyone would want your mother dead? Any enemies she had you're aware of?"

Jesse tented his fingers under his chin reflectively. "As a matter of fact, Detective, I can think of several people who would want my mother dead."

"Oh?" Kavanaugh responded, surprised he was being so forthright. "Tell us more."

"My mother was indeed very successful, but she could rub people the wrong way," Jesse said. "I won't hide that fact from anyone. In fact, I butted heads with her myself."

"So you're placing yourself on the list of people who would want her dead, Mr. Stanton?" Patterson asked.

"Of course not," Jesse replied, "but I know how you cops think. I'm an obvious suspect, aren't I? After all, I was the last one to see her alive, right?"

"Right," Patterson said in agreement.

"But that doesn't mean I killed her, as you all know I was right here when she was shot by whatever lunatic did this," Jesse said. "I'm just putting it out there right now that despite suddenly being thrust into the role of head of the family business, I still have a lot to learn when it comes to running things around here. My mother was the reason the business expanded into the great success it's become. She had to rub people the wrong way. She had to play hardball, because it was the only way people were going to take her seriously after my dad died and left her in charge. Without her, it's going to be difficult living up to her standards and keeping things afloat here."

"Your mother had a will, I take it, Mr. Stanton?" Patterson asked.

"Yes, she did," Jesse replied. "And before you even ask, yes, she named me the legal heir."

"Was your sister, Ashley, happy with your mother's choice?"

Jesse shrugged at Patterson's question. "You'd have to ask her that. But if Ashley was ever interested in being part of the family business, moving away and studying law was a funny way of saying so."

"All right, let's talk more about those other people who rubbed your mother the wrong way," Kavanaugh said. "Anyone in particular we should be aware of?"

Jesse tented his fingers again. "I'm sure if you check your records, you'll find my mother had several unpleasant interactions with an activist group called 'Animals Have Rights Too'. In fact, she filed a restraining order against some of their members."

"That's fairly serious," Kavanaugh said. "Had they threatened your mother lately?"

"If they did, my mother didn't tell me," Jesse answered. "But I'd definitely check them out, if you're looking for suspects. You never know what those nutty people are capable of."

"If they did send recent threats to her, and you can find evidence of it, they'd be in violation of that restraining order," Patterson said. "It would be grounds for us to bring them in."

"I'd have to poke around her files," he said, gesturing around the neat stacks of folders, a computer, and several locked filing cabinets in the office.

"We would be able to search more efficiently than you would," Kavanaugh said.

"Come back with a warrant, and I'll let you conduct that search," Jesse said with a tight smile, cocking his head to the side.

"We will," Kavanaugh said.

"All right, let's move on. Your mother would have been considered a very wealthy widow," Patterson said. "Did you notice her receiving any undue attention from anyone after your father passed away? Any suitors whose interest seemed more fiscally motivated than romantic?"

Jesse scoffed. "I think you missed the part where I said my mother rubbed people the wrong way."

"That doesn't really answer my question," Patterson said.

"Okay, my mother and a man named Dan Hartfield seemed to be having something going lately, but he's probably just as rich as she was, so he definitely wasn't after her money."

"How long had they been seeing each other?" Patterson asked.

"Look, I don't think it was anything serious," Jesse said. "I didn't keep tabs on my mother's private life. But if I had to guess, I'd say it had been over a year or so."

"Anyone in your mother's past we should be looking into?" queried Kavanaugh. "Someone she jilted, perhaps?"

Jesse just shook his head and smirked. "No. After my father died, my mother put most of her energy into expanding Briar Ridge and ramping up operations, which didn't leave much to entertain requests from potential suitors. If anyone was doing any pursuing of a relationship, she was the one doing it."

"Oh?" Kavanaugh said. "How's that?"

"Okay, look, I really don't want to say anything, because gossip makes my skin crawl," Jesse said. "But there was a time when I think my mother was trying to start something with our widowed neighbour."

"Which widowed neighbour might that be?" asked Kavanaugh.

"Jack Bartlett over at Heartland ranch," Jesse replied. "He eventually remarried, but to be honest, I don't think his new wife was happy with the attention my mother had been paying him."

"And who's this 'new wife'?" Kavanaugh asked.

"Lisa Stillman."

"The same Lisa Stillman who discovered your mother's body?" Patterson asked.

"That's correct," Jesse answered.

"All right, thank you very much," Patterson said.

"Anything else, detectives?" asked Jesse.

"You've certainly given us some avenues of investigation," Kavanaugh replied. "We understand this is a difficult time for you, so we won't take any more of your time today. But if something else occurs to you that you didn't share today, please call us immediately."

"Thank you, Mr. Stanton," Patterson said as she and Kavanaugh stood. "You've been very helpful."

Both left their cards on the desk in front of Jesse.

"Anything I can do to help catch whoever did this to my mother," Jesse said, also rising from his seat. "I'll see you out."

Fairfield Stables

"Thank you for meeting with us for this follow-up interview, Ms. Stillman," Detective Kavanaugh said, as he sat opposite Lisa in her office. Detective Constable Patterson occupied a third seat.

"You're welcome," she said, looking at the two of them. "How can I help?"

"We know you discovered Val Stanton's body on the morning of the 15th at Lookout Point," Patterson said.

"That's correct," Lisa said, suppressing a shudder at the memory.

"How long would you say you knew Val Stanton?"

"I've probably known of her for close to thirty years," Lisa replied thoughtfully. "I mean, I was born in Hudson, but I didn't always live here, and neither did Val. She was from somewhere in Ontario, and I think she moved here when she married her late husband. I was at boarding school in France for much of my teen years, and I was in the 'States for close to ten years with my ex-husband before moving back. So I would say I was only acquainted with Val shortly before moving to the US, but definitely more so after my return."

"And how would you describe the nature of that acquaintance?" Kavanaugh asked.

"Uh, it was... Complicated," Lisa said honestly. "But in the end, I'd say we were mostly friendly."

"'Mostly friendly'?" Patterson repeated, lifting an eyebrow. "Would you care to elaborate on that?"

Lisa frowned. This was not the direction she was expecting this interview to take. "I don't want to speak ill of the dead," she said at length. "Val could be a shameless flirt, especially when it came to Jack, my husband."

"Val Stanton flirted openly with your husband? And how did he take those overtures?" asked Kavanaugh.

"He rebuffed her," Lisa said flatly. "She eventually got the message."

"Yet you still remained 'mostly friendly' with her," Patterson said skeptically. "How did you take those overtures?"

"Look, we were neighbours and we travelled in the same social and business circles," Lisa said, trying to explain. "Jack knew her as a neighbour for longer than I did. I wasn't pleased with how she fawned over my husband before and after I married him, but she knew there were lines that shouldn't be crossed, and to her credit, she never crossed them."

"Okay, let's shift gears a little," Kavanaugh said, deciding they had spent enough time on that angle. "Val Stanton was shot riding your horse, Ms. Stillman, isn't that right?"

"Yes. Yes, that's right," Lisa said, a pout pulling at her face as she failed to block the mental replay of finding Val and the traumatized Herring.

"Can we ask why she was riding your horse?"

"I told Chief Parker this already," Lisa said, thinking back to when the senior officer spoke with her about Herring's ownership at Lookout Point.

"That's fine," Kavanaugh said easily, "please tell us again."

"Val is—was—interested in buying Herring," Lisa responded.

"Didn't Val Stanton own plenty horses already?" asked Patterson.

"Of her own? Maybe," Lisa said reflectively. "Val buys—sorry, Val bought horses mainly to train them and sell them, not to ride them herself. She was long past the days of being in showjumping competition. But recreationally, she was interested in Herring for our club's hunter-jumper events. Our faux fox hunt club."

"And how long have you owned Herring?"

"From his birth," Lisa replied, growing more perturbed by the line of questioning. Surely these detectives did not think either she or the matter of Herring's ownership had anything to do with what happened to Val, did they? "Would you like to see his papers?"

Kavanaugh waved aside her question. "No, no. Just curious."

"Anything else, detectives?" Lisa asked.

"Not at this time, Ms. Stillman," Patterson said. "Thank you for your cooperation."

The two officers stood to leave. "We may have more questions for you later, Ms. Stillman," Kavanaugh said. "But if you think of anything else, or remember anything else about the morning you found Ms. Stanton that you think might be pertinent to our investigation, please call us immediately."

Kavanaugh and Patterson left their cards on Lisa's desk.

"I will," Lisa said, but wondered now how her answers must have sounded to the investigators.

You did nothing wrong, she thought to herself. You're not responsible for what happened out there to Val. They must know that, right?

Amy woke suddenly, seized by an intense, painful cramping sensation in her abdomen. She forced herself to take a deep breath and to exhale slowly, but felt no relief. This pain was unlike any she had experienced before. The day she had some severe cramping when pregnant with Lyndy to the point Cass recommended she get checked by a doctor played in her mind. This cramping was far worse, if that was possible. She flipped on her bedside lamp. Aghast, she noticed with a start she was spotting. Heavily.

Oh, no. This isn't good.

"Ty," Amy called out shakily. "Wake up. I think I need to go to the hospital."

Ty slowly stirred at the sound of his wife's voice. He thought he heard her moving about the loft.

"Amy?" he answered sleepily, reaching out to her side of the bed and coming up empty. He pulled himself up, squinting against the glare of the lamp.

"Amy?" he called out again when he did not see her.

"In the bathroom," she managed to articulate as another painful spasm caused her to double over. "Something's really wrong..."

Ty heard her agonized gasps, flipping his heart into overdrive. His feet hit the floor in an instant. Two seconds later he was at the open bathroom door, looking in on Amy. No longer was she merely spotting; his eyes were drawn immediately to a splash of red on the bathroom floor.

"You're hemorrhaging!" Ty exclaimed, forcing back the panic he could feel building up inside him like a geyser. "I'm calling an ambulance."

"Hurry," Amy groaned. I can't be miscarrying... please... I can't lose this baby...

One Week Later

They watched a dejected Ty leave for his shift at the vet clinic. Breakfast had been such an awkward affair. The young man's despair had still been so tangible, it was impossible to ignore, but impossible to address.

"I wish Amy would say something to him," Jack eventually huffed. "Anything."

"What do you expect her to say?" Lisa asked. "Jack, she's grieving. They're both upset. What she's just been through..."

"You can talk with her. Please?" Jack entreated, his eyes full of compassion.

With consternation she asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"She's shut Ty out. Lou isn't here right now, and I certainly have no words for her," he declared. "You've been where she is, Lis."

Despite Jack's imploring, Lisa agonized over what he was suggesting. "But—I'm—I'm not her mother," she protested. "God knows I've tried my best to make both Lou and Amy understand I never wanted to replace Marion—or their Grandma Lyndy."

"And they know that," Jack insisted, tenderly taking her face between his hands and locking his eyes on hers. "They know. But right now, Amy doesn't need Marion or Lyndy. She needs you. And she needs to hear your story."

Lisa broke the gaze first, struck by his sincerity, but nevertheless uncertain she could be of any genuine help. Her long-buried insecurities about her place in this family were resurfacing, and she was struggling to squelch them.

"At least think about it," Jack beseeched. "I'm worried about her. It's killin' me that there's nothing I can do, and it's killin' Ty, too."

"All right," Lisa relented. "I'll think about it."

"Thank you," he breathed with relief, knowing without a doubt Lisa would do more than think about it; she would act on it. He leaned down to kiss her, and she allowed him to hold her. It never failed that his embrace helped soothe worries and vanquish her fears as it did in that moment.

Lisa mounted the steps to the loft not without a heavy sense of trepidation. Nothing about the impending conversation was going to be easy, but the time had come to have it.

The blinds were all drawn; lights remained off. Lisa opened the baby gate and side-stepped a few scattered toys on the floor. In the dimness of the room, she tried to locate the person whom she had come to see.

"Hello, Amy?" Lisa called softly when she did not immediately see the younger woman.

A soft fluttering sound reached Lisa's ears, and the privacy curtain separating the bedroom from the rest of the living space drew back. Amy stepped forward hesitantly, directing her gaze toward her visitor with dull, clouded eyes. Wordlessly, she ambled out, dressed in a housecoat; hair in a messy ponytail. She did not bother to maintain eye contact.

"What did you want?" she asked in a voice that was a bare, monotone whisper.

"I wanted to see you," Lisa said, ignoring the lack of greeting and courtesy. "Thank you for letting me come. Please, sit down with me." She settled into the couch and encouraged Amy to join her by patting the space beside her.

Ignoring the invitation and making a pointed statement about personal space, Amy plopped down in a seat opposite Lisa, her arms wrapped protectively around her waist. Lisa sensed something very close to hostility emanating from Amy, as if she were just bristling at her mere presence. Lisa was not particularly troubled by that negative attitude. She was simply grateful Amy was open to having her here in the first place when she had seemingly shut herself off from everything and everyone else. It had been days since she had been down to the ranch house; a week since she had dealt with Herring; a week since the night the ambulance's ear-splitting wail had awoken them all.

In those ensuing days, Lisa and Jack had stepped in to mind Lyndy when Ty was at the vet clinic; in fact, Jack was minding the toddler right now. Georgie, bless her, had volunteered to handle some of the ranch chores that Tim did not have time to tackle.

How to begin? Lisa honestly did not know with certainty Amy's current frame of mind and heart, but she could guess her thoughts were a jumbled mess of guilt and possibly anger; her heart was probably in shreds. She took a steadying breath before speaking again, hoping Jack was right about her ability to bring Amy some kind of comfort and support in her crisis.

"Amy, I know how happy you and Ty were when you announced you were going to have another baby," she said slowly.

Amy flinched and a shudder raced through her frame. She sucked in a sharp breath and a shadow crossed her face at the mention of the word "baby".

"… And I want you to know I'm here for you, and I understand what you're go—"

"Just stop!" Amy exploded, her sudden, violent shift in emotion catching Lisa off-guard. Amy shot up to her feet, eyes ablaze; her usually lovely features deformed by an ugly scowl. "You don't understand, Lisa! How could you understand? You-you don't even have kids of your own!" She ducked her head and turned away from Lisa, yet remained rooted to the spot, lips quivering as she simmered in rage, arms now locked tightly over her chest.

Lisa regarded her serenely. While it pained her to hear those words, she placed no blame on Amy. "You're right, Amy," she said quietly. "I don't have kids of my own. At least, none that are living."

Amy started. Her eyes darted back to Lisa. "What do you mean 'none that are living'...?" Comprehension gradually dawned. "You—you had a miscarriage, too?!"

Lisa slowly held up all the fingers on her left hand and one more on her right hand.

Amy gawked as the number registered. "Six? You had six miscarriages? Oh, Lisa… Oh, I'm so sorry!" she cried in horror, her indignation instantly forgotten. "I didn't mean—I…"

Lisa got up right then as a sobbing Amy rushed to her and fell into her arms.

"I'm so sorry, Lisa," she gasped again, her own personal misery spilling out along with self-recrimination.

"Shh," Lisa whispered, rubbing soothing circles into Amy's back. "It's okay, honey. You couldn't have known. It's okay."

Presently, Amy calmed down as the tears and sobs petered out. Lisa used her thumb to wipe some of the moisture away from Amy's face. They sat together on the couch, ready now to talk in earnest.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Amy asked. It was not meant as an accusation, and she immediately regretted her tone. "I'm sorry; that came out wrong."

Lisa waved aside her worry. "Amy, honestly, it all happened a long time ago—obviously, when I was still married to Dan. It's just not the kind of thing people talked about. Even now, I think, there's still quite a bit of a stigma when it comes to miscarriage. It's not a happy subject. It gets awkward. People just want to avoid pain. And nobody wants to be the center of gossip."

Amy nodded in understanding. "I certainly don't want the whole town knowing and talking about it," she murmured, "especially after our very public announcement at Maggie's."

"But in this case, I think it was wrong of me not to have talked about this earlier with you, or with Lou, even… I guess I was reluctant to because I'm not your mother, and I've never wanted to take Marion or your Grandma Lyndy's place in this family," Lisa explained. "The opportunity to talk about such things never really presented itself, either."

"Does Grandpa know?"

"He knows," Lisa responded with a nod. "In fact, he's the one who thought I should speak with you."

"But, Lisa, six?" Amy sighed, closing her eyes to stave off a new flow of tears. "How did you stand it?! Just losing this one… it's horrible. I can't imagine…"

"It wasn't easy," Lisa admitted with a sad shake of her head. "But Dan and I—we had busy lives. We had our business to run. We were still in the 'States at the time, you know? I didn't have my family around. I mean, my sister and my parents knew, but they were here in Canada. So, I just put my head down and plowed forward because I didn't think I had another choice. In the long run, maybe it might have been better if I had talked to someone, maybe on a professional level, even, because our marriage didn't last. Partly because Dan had no idea how to support me in that situation, and later because my father got sick and I came back to Fairfield to care for him.

"If I'd brought those children to term, maybe things might have been different. But see, the kids I wasn't able to have with Dan—it's like they've all been restored to me because of Jack. I have children now, Amy: I have you and Lou; I have Lyndy and Katie, Georgie and Ty—you are all so much more than I ever dreamed I could have. Yes, I liked that life I had before I married Jack, but I love that my life includes all of you, now.

"And Amy, you have Ty. You still have Lyndy and the rest of us. You're not alone."

Amy leaned into Lisa. "Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome," Lisa said, caressing her hair. "If you need to talk about this, you call me, okay? I'm here for you. Anytime."

"I will," Amy promised.

TBC