The van was running, headlights ablaze, when the exhausted cowboys and inmates reached the stable yard. Corrections officers emerged from inside to wait for their charges to untack their mounts and turn them out where flakes of fresh hay awaited them. The men took their time to care for their horses, ignoring the impatient stares of the officers while they brushed them down and checked for any cuts or injuries that may have occurred and gone unnoticed.

The men were buzzing about the events of the day, oddly recharged once they were back on the ground and focused on putting the animals to bed, so to speak. A few of them were even smiling, though if pointed out would be sure to erase it and continue on then disgruntled. They tried to maintain their tough exterior even when thoroughly enjoying something. It was a common trait that the people who spent enough time with them soon deciphered. The officers even stood back shaking their heads as they began to congregate in front of the bus to prepare for the journey back to the prison. Those smiles didn't last much longer once roll began being taken as one by one they loaded onto the bus for another dank and dreary night behind bars. For many those nights seemed endless.

Ty was last to arrive back at the ranch, having taken his time in hopes that he would have the barn to himself. Of course he couldn't be so lucky and instead hoped he could go about his business without anyone trying to make it their own.

"Hey, Ty, hey!" Brett waved out of the bus window. "Hope your ego isn't too bruised after that girl of yours showed you up today out there."

"Mine's not, if yours isn't. How's that bus seat treatin' ya?" Ty quipped, though could still see the smirk on Brett's face as he let his arm hang limp against the side of the vehicle.

"About as good as your pride, Romeo." Brett tapped his hand on the metal before pulling it back inside and leaving Ty to walk Harley to his stall. It was times like that that made Ty wish they could go back to the old days of being strictly an equine rescue facility, before his grandfather decided to take on the task of bettering humanity. At least then it was easy to find a moment to yourself despite being trapped on 600 acres in the middle of nowhere. One wouldn't think it would be so difficult, but would be surprised to discover the contrary.

Jack was bent down in the stall next to the one Ty entered, unwrapping Paint's legs, running his hand along the tendons to check for heat or swelling. His equine partner was getting up in age and more susceptible to injuries so Jack took great care in looking after him. Some would say more than himself, and they would be right. But any true horseman cared for his horse before himself, it was just the way of life where he grew up.

"Couple of the guys noticed you were off your game today," Jack commented casually.

Ty busied himself pulling off Harley's bridle to replace it with his halter. "Yeah? I could say the same for most of them." Which wouldn't exactly be a fair assessment considering the majority got up close and personal with a cow for the first time that afternoon.

"Look, I didn't invite Kit to purposely piss you off. She approached me offering to help. I knew if I said no she'd know it was because of you. Truth be told I think it was the only way she could find an excuse to come over." Jack left the stall to toss the wraps in a grooming kit.

"It's not like our gates are locked," Ty mumbled, pulling off his saddle and walking it out to throw on a rack. Jack stood outside Harley's open door, pushing it closed so the horse didn't decide to stroll back out.

"I'm sure she knows that. What she doesn't know is how to approach you. Neither do I anymore, for that matter."

"So you're saying this is my fault." Immediately Ty got all up in arms, causing Jack to just sigh and pull off his work gloves.

"No." The exhaustion began to creep into his voice. Ever since Ty came back from jail there was this perpetual tension between him and the universe. It didn't matter who it was, the moment they opened their mouth he was ready to go rounds. "But you guys have been circling each other for months without getting any closer. At some point you need to talk, really talk. It's bothering you just as much as it is her or else you wouldn't be so defensive any time anyone mentions Kit."

Ty remained next to the saddle rack, resting his hand on the horn. Once again he resented the fact that Jack was right. He knew all of this and realized the train wreck he made of his relationship with Kit. He hated when people pointed it out to him. "Well, it's not anyone else's business." He really didn't want to get into it with Jack, again. When this all started it was worse, but after Kit stopped calling every day and randomly showing up at Heartland, Jack began to back off too. But it was just recently that Kit began nosing her way back around and the first time in months she set foot on the property. So it was all being jumpstarted again, leaving Ty in the difficult and unwanted position of needing to face it before it boiled over completely. He was aware of it happening eventually. He couldn't just avoid Kit forever and act like they never happened, but he was okay with trying for as long as possible – as immature as that did sound.

Jack was just as tired of the whole thing. He felt terrible that his grandson was treating Kit so poorly when the girl was nothing but supportive. Then again, Ty dealt with a lot over the last couple of years. Reintegrating with society after all the turmoil he faced couldn't be easy, especially not when a bus load of inmates arrived every day to remind him of his mistakes. So he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I promise this is my last time bringing it up. So, in closing, all I'm going to say is you're a damn fool." Jack headed out of the barn to see off the rest of the inmates, pausing just inside the door. "Oh, and remember what I said about the sleeping in the loft tonight." He pointed toward the old dusty stairs.

Ty's mouth hardened into a thin line as he stared at his grandfather but didn't bother to retaliate. He didn't feel like having another argument that night, especially not about the girl in the house. He was having enough women problems without adding that one to them. Unfortunately, that too was a pretty unavoidable conflict unless he took Jack's option to move out to the loft, effectively surrendering his own home to a completely selfish stranger. Ty scoffed at the thought as he walked back to Harley's stall.

Lending his signature to a form one of the prison guards handed him, Jack then stood back to wave the van off before turning to head back to the house. For the time being he was going to leave Ty to simmer on his own, which seemed like something he needed to do. Plus, he was starving. Walking up to the porch, he pulled open the screen door but upon trying to get into the house came to find the door was locked.
"What the…" He leaned down to peer into the window, looking for signs of Amy, whom he assumed was inside somewhere. "Hello?" He knocked on the window.

Amy jumped awake from the doze she'd fallen in against the wall of her room. She was on the floor sorting her clothes, Lobo sprawled on his side beside her. "Oh my God, what time is it?" She panicked, pushing a pile of socks from her lap to get up as Jack hammered on the door again.

She looked down at the dog, reaching for his collar to urge him up. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit." She meant to put him outside before anyone arrived back.

"Come on, buddy." Shuffling down the hall she paused in the dining room, peering toward the kitchen to see if Jack could see them through the windows. She eyed the side door across the living room, wondering if they could make it there without being spotted. It was either that or dropping the dog from a window, which wasn't even an option giving the weight and assumed age of the animal. "Okay, Lobo, be quiet and stay low." Crouching down, Amy held the dog close as she guided him behind the table, trying to stay below it as they passed by the doorway to the kitchen to the other end of the house. "Good boy," she whispered, quietly opening the door and giving him a push out.

As soon as she stood to rush to open the door for Jack, he appeared in front of her, making her jump back. She had no idea if her startled expression hid her guilt for having Lobo in the house when she was specifically told he was to remain outside, but could only hope it did.

Jack looked at Amy with suspicion, then over her shoulder. If she was Ty he'd assume there was a guy sneaking out a window somewhere, but given what he knew about Amy, very much doubted that to be the case. "Why was the door locked?"

Amy swallowed. "I didn't feel comfortable staying here alone with it unlocked." Yet, she was now realizing that she left the side door completely vulnerable to intrusion if anyone so desired. "I meant to unlock it when you guys came back but… I kind of nodded off and forgot," she admitted lamely.

"And to… let the dog out too, I assume." Jack pointed down to Lobo who was still lingering on the porch.

Amy was quiet. Caught red-handed she wasn't sure how to fabricate a lie without Jack seeing right through it if he saw the dog come out of the house. "I was just… um," she fumbled, mentally kicking herself for not being quicker, but she had nothing.

"The dog stays outside," Jack reiterated, walking into the house and shutting the door behind him. Amy stepped back, her gaze falling to Lobo sadly as the door was shut on him.

"But, why?" She couldn't help herself. "He's not destructive. He's house trained. He does stink a little but that's nothing a proper bath can't fix and he doesn't have fleas." Despite openly admitting she just had the dog in the house all day, Amy wanted to know what the big deal was. Ty explained he was a farm dog, but Amy didn't see how when he was too old to do much of anything but lay around on the porch. That was all she saw him do since she'd been there.

Jack headed for the kitchen, opening the cabinet for a pot that he began to fill with water. "That's just how things are around here. We don't allow animals in the house. Never have."

Amy stood in the doorway, biting her lip. That wasn't really an answer but she thought better of debating it. If she was going to make a real attempt at trying to find her place at Heartland, she figured following "house rules" was a start. "Okay. Sorry."

She lasted all of ten seconds before opening her mouth again. "I just feel like he'd do much better if he was allowed inside. He's got such a thick coat this heat can't be good for him and it looks like he's got arthritis. It doesn't seem fair the poor old guy is banished outside," she blurted.

Jack set the pot on the stove and turned on the burner before turning to look at Amy. "He's spent his entire life outside. He'll be fine. And given we don't have air conditioning he's probably better off out there anyway. Gets kind of stuffy in here during the summer." If she lasted that long she'd find out soon enough. Even so, learning that new bit of information already had her mind reeling.

"No air conditioning?" And she was just beginning to accept her house arrest. "Not even one to put in the window?" She wasn't expecting them to have climate control central air, but come on, everyone had an air conditioner.

"Nope. Got a couple of fans we can pull out, but usually we just open the windows and take cold showers." Jack said matter-of-factly. It worked well enough for them this long, why change it.

Amy was certain her face gave away her appalled thoughts. She was a girl. While she grew up in a world of tough love, there were just some things she had to put her foot down for. Things a girl needed to feel like a lady. Cold showers weren't one of them.

"Anyway, unless you're planning on staying for the long haul you won't have to worry about it, right? You'll be outta here before the crickets start chirping."

Amy stepped up to lean in the doorway. Her head bowed as she toyed with her fingers. "Not necessarily," she murmured, causing Jack to turn around.

"No? Wasn't a few hours ago you were ready to hitchhike to Anywhere But Here."

Amy shrugged, not replying. She had the impression Jack would have been more surprised if she really did leave instead of stay around.

"What changed your mind?"

"Nothing. I haven't completely decided yet. I have a few phone calls to make first," she shrugged. More like one, and she had no idea how she expected it to go, but could only guess not well.

"I see. And these phone calls… Why did you wait until now to make them? Why not when your father gave you the ultimatum?" Jack sensed a lie. Or something like Amy was trying to hold onto what little pride and control she had left.

"Circumstances change."

"How so?"

Amy pressed her lips together trying not to make a show biting her tongue. "When I make a decision I'll let you know. I said I would stay until Monday so let's just leave it at that for now, okay?" She hated the idea of admitting defeat so easily.. She lost the battle by climbing on that bus out of Vancouver, but refused to lose the war without putting up more of a fight.

Jack raised his brow Amy's way. Whatever conversation they just try to have when's around in a complete circle. Despite getting nowhere, he realized that while Amy didn't want to be at Heartland, she had no idea where else to go but desperately wished she could come up with a viable option before she had to do what she dreaded and admit that Heartland was it. He would give her the time she needed to reach the terms of acceptance, but would keep her busy while she did.

"Well, until then, you still need to help out around here." Opening the fridge Jack pulled out an armload of vegetables and placed them on the table. "There's a knife and cutting board in the dish rack."

Amy sighed, but refrained from arguing as she stepped into the kitchen to contribute to their evening meal. Truth be told she liked having something to keep her occupied so she didn't go stir crazy inside of her own head.