Passing through the gate to Heartland, Ty swore under his breath when he recognized Tim's blue Ford heading right for him. Pulling over to the side, he hoped the older man continued on by without acknowledging him but couldn't be so lucky as he began to slow down and stop right alongside of Ty, rolling down his window then gesturing for his son-in-law to do the same. After a moment of hesitation, Ty obliged. "I have nothing to say to you, Tim." He wasn't even going to pretend to make small talk.
"That's alright, then you can just listen." Ty didn't look as if he was willing to do that either, but Tim started before Ty decided to take off. "I know what you think of me and what you think I think of you and you can hate me all you want but I want you to know that I never doubted your ability to make my daughter happy. She loves you and no matter what I think or say she's never going to stop loving you. I'm not naive to think she won't choose you over me because she already has."
Ty sighed. "What are you getting at, Tim?"
"I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you've done for Amy and I couldn't ask for a better man to call my son-in-law. You stand up for her, your relationship, your life together, no matter how much of a wreck its become over the last months."
Ty scoffed and rolled his eyes, finished, and reaching to put his truck into gear so he no longer had to listen to his father-in-law prattle on about how he screwed everything up for Amy and their family. "Goodbye, Tim." The man didn't deserve such a courtesy, but he grabbed it before Ty could speed off, actually reaching out of his window as if to grab the wheel from Ty's hand.
"Ty, wait. That's not how I meant it."
Against his better judgement, Ty stopped and slid his resentful gaze to the older man. "Then just tell me what you are trying to say. I'm done with these games, Tim. I'm done with your ridicule and uncanny ability to insult me while making it sound like a compliment."
"I'm sorry." Tim spat. "Okay? I came to apologize to Amy - and to you. I was wrong. I was wrong about everything and I know that doesn't change how I've hurt you or what happened, but I will make a promise to support any and all future decisions you and my daughter make together - whether I agree with them or not." He paused to take a breath and test to see if he caught enough of Ty's attention to keep him listening. He seemed to be, though Tim could tell it was with thin patience so Tim continued on before it wore any thinner.
"I told Amy I didn't think you were ready to have a baby and I don't, but only because you two have such a great and inspiring partnership I want to see you take it and make it flourish. You've talked and talked about having a business together. What are you waiting for? Do it now. While you're young and before you're tied down with other responsibilities that can't be pushed aside."
"Since when is having a family such a burden? Obviously it was for you when you took off to follow the rodeo and leave yours behind. Amy and I will have that future together, and if it comes years after our children are grown then so be it. We want a family, too, and it doesn't matter to us which order it comes in." Ty felt like they just kept circling this same argument over and over again and never seemed to get anywhere but locked in a stalemate. It was exhausting and he was tired of the tension it created in the family and the stress it caused Amy with her father and husband constantly at odds. "Anyway, because of the accident our finances are going to be pinched for a while." Ty regretfully admitted. They'd come up with a solution, a financial plan thanks to Lou, to pay off the expenses without depleting their savings, but it wouldn't leave them room to invest in a ranch any time soon. Still, at least it was an answer to their trouble.
"Let me help you." Tim offered without a moment of hesitation that Ty was just as quick to decline.
"No. Tim. The last thing I want is to be indebted to you - again."
"It's not a loan, Ty. Call it a peace offering. I don't want to have to watch you two to continue struggling through this for years to come. Amy's been through enough pain to last a lifetime, watching your hard earned money whither away like her happiness after losing the baby is adding salt to an already open wound. I won't let that happen and I know you don't want to either. So, please, Ty. I'm asking you again. Let me help."
"Hey, Georgie. Is Amy still around?" Ty asked after parking in front of the farmhouse and catching the girl on her way from turning Chloe out in the pasture.
"Um, yeah, she was in the barn with Spartan." Georgie replied, gesturing over her shoulder.
"Thanks." Ty placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before going to find his wife who was making a futile attempt at hauling her saddle back to the rack she'd taken it from.
Ty wasn't surprised to find her in such a compromising position, but his concern for her health had him moving to quickly grab the tack before she could injure herself. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't try anything that could get you hurt. Am I going to have to stick Caleb on you again?" He joked in all seriousness, lifting the saddle into his arms and expecting to find that look of guilt shining in her blue gaze.
"Like he would stop me," Amy argued, recalling how easy it was to talk him into relenting his vigil to let her work with Chloe. "But I wasn't going to ride." She sighed, figuring it was best to just admit to Ty that her father had been there. "My dad came to see me. I just wanted to have a getaway if I needed one."
"I know," Ty stepped around Amy to lift the saddle back onto Spartan's back. "He caught me at the gate. We had a little chat as well."
Amy's breath caught. "Oh?" That made her nervous for understandable reasons, hoping that her reconcile with her father wasn't going to be broken again because he said the wrong things to Ty again.
Reaching beneath the horse to grab the cinch, Ty glanced back at Amy with a reassuring smile. "Don't look so worried. It started out about as well as you could imagine but," he sighed, actually feeling satisfied about their encounter for once, "we managed to find a common ground."
Amy couldn't hide her surprise, and subsequent intrigue. "Really? What was it?"
"You," Ty replied simply, tightening the cinch then letting it go as he turned to place his hands on her arms. "We want the same thing for you Amy: to get passed this. You and I both need to move on or our broken hearts are only going to hinder our future plans."
"I want to get passed this, Ty. Things have been better, you know that. But it's not going to just go away all at once."
"I know, but your dad was right about one thing and that's our savings reopening these old wounds every time we lose more of it in attempt to remove them out of our life."
Amy looked up at him. "What are you saying? That we should call Charles? I thought you agreed we wouldn't."
"Your dad is going to take care of it, Amy. He's offered to pay it off so we don't have to worry about it anymore. And I told him yes." Turning away, Ty went to grab Spartan's bridle, Amy standing stunned for a moment before quickly following.
"Ty, no. I thought you couldn't stand the idea of owing him anything and now you went behind my back to make a deal with him that does just that? What is going to happen to us if he comes to collect? I'm tired of this civil war between us, Ty."
Throwing the reins over Spartan's neck, Ty removed his halter to slip the bit into his mouth. "It's not like that this time, Amy. I made sure of it. Tim promised there would be no strings. I'll make him put it in writing if you want, but I believe him this time. He's trying to make things right and he's doing it for you. We both are. This is for our future, and I'm doing what any husband would do and securing it." Tightening the throat latch, he finally stopped and looked at his wife. "It's already done, Amy. We're not going to worry about it anymore. It's time for us to really start moving on."
Amy remained silent, no longer willing to dispute Ty's executive decision and instead letting herself appreciate what he did for them - what her father was doing for them. Her expression softened as she gazed at him lovingly, eventually nodding. "Okay." She stepped forward into Ty's outstretched arms that folded securely around her middle and drew her in close as she encircled his shoulders with her arms, touching her forehead to his lips briefly before burying her face into his shoulder. "I love you, so much." Her voice cracked as she was overcome with emotion, pressing her eyes shut to tears that threatened to fall.
"I love you, too," he said quietly with his lips pressing into her hair. He stood there holding her tightly for a long moment. "Come on, we're going for a ride."
A/N: I know I said there were only 2 chapters remaining, this being one, but it turned out differently than I expected and rather than shove everything into one chapter, I decided to split it in half because the next one is utterly important and deserves it's own light. Which means that now there are 2 remaining chapters. As always, enjoy. :)