Remembrances of the Past
Amy was beginning to develop an appreciation of the schoolwork and the internship Ty had with Scott back in Hudson. Amy thought of what it must have been like for Ty the past couple of years. She had sometime taken for granted Ty's workload, instead thinking of her time with Ty selfishly. Now with two weeks completed at CSU's summer program, Amy knew how difficult balancing academics and working were.
Brigitta and Amy were working with a horse at the equine center that was recovering from a mountain lion attack.
"Do the families living in Rist Canyon see many mountain lion attacks", asked Amy. Amy recalled her run in with the cougar at the Heartland barn and how Ty had protected her that night.
"Not often, but with the drier than normal spring, the cats come out of the higher elevations and down to our area."
Brigitta continued, "In the fall, we often see black bears eating the choke cherries clean off the bushes around people's properties, but they usually don't bother people."
Amy sighed as she related her experience the past fall riding her horse Spartan and their encounter with a large bear. "Ty rescued me and Spartan."
Brigitta asked, "So you seem pretty fond of this young man - Ty?"
Amy realized she was probably gushing a bit about Ty, but she was happy thinking and talking about him. "Yea, Ty and I have known each other for 4 years; since I was 15 years old. He started working at the farm for my grandpa, after my mother had agreed to sponsor him in his work program, before the accident and my mom's passing."
Brigitta sensed a strong bond had developed in those 4 years. "So, you know Ty well than? As a boyfriend?"
Amy felt comfortable talking to Brigitta, even though she was her advisor and teacher at CSU. Amy said, "Ty and I have worked together with horses and been through a lot of ups and downs in the past. There are times I think Ty knows me better than anyone else, almost as well as my mom knew me in some ways..."
"It's just lately, with the pressures in our lives, we've at times sort of gone separate ways... but Ty is still working with me on our farm at Heartland."
"Well Ty sounds like a special fellow and a big part of your life. I hope your time at CSU does not dampen your relationship in any way."
Amy seemed more at ease now. While they were in Fort Collins, Amy used her cell phone, which had a good signal and called her grandpa Jack to tell him things were going well and to say hello to Ty for her.
Amy ended the phone conversation saying, "Grandpa… can you please tell Ty I'm fine, but I do miss him".
Jack said, "I'll let him know sweetheart…".
They finished their work for that Friday afternoon, and started up the canyon. As they travelled over the canyon road, Amy noted the large sign at Whale Rock that alert people's attention to the fire danger in the canyon. It read, "HIGH".
Pulling into the driveway of the Erhardt stables on Rist Canyon Road, they could hear the phone ringing in the hay storage area. Brigitta grabbed the phone on the 5th ring and said, "Hello".
Within a few minutes, Brigitta hung up the phone and returned to Amy, who was doing evening chores. "We have an invitation to dinner tomorrow evening", said Brigitta. "Mr. Richards and his wife are entertaining us. Are you up for a home cooked meal?"
"Sure thing... I'm not doing much else and I am not a party girl like my former short term roommate at CSU - Katie." Amy smiled and was glad she was not much for random partying.
"Alright, Saturday evening around 4 pm, we head a few miles up the canyon to Mountain Meadow for dinner. Dinner, with some wine and a tour of the meadow barn..."
Amy emailed Ty to tell him she had survived the first couple weeks of classes and was going to eat dinner with her new friends, the Richards, up the canyon.
After dinner, Amy took a short walk down the fire road and breathed in the fresh air. At 8000 feet, Amy was quickly adjusting to the thinner air of the mountains. Amy returned to the stable to check on the horses and then headed off to retire for the evening, wondering if her being away from Heartland this summer was dampening her relationship with Ty.
Jack and Ty were enjoying a couple beers while watching the NHL finals on television. The hockey season was almost over at this time in June. Jack asked Ty if he had heard from Amy today.
Ty said, "We exchange emails a couple times a day... she even took time to call me on her cell phone while at lunch between classes yesterday."
Jack said, "I am glad you two are talking while apart this summer."
Ty thought about his separation in the past couple years when he had left Heartland, once to live with his dad and then again to travel in the western United States on rodeo tour. He remembered how often he had thought about Amy on the road away from her. He harbored some regrets at having been away from Amy so long in both cases.
Ty said, "Yea, she says she survived the first two weeks of school and is meeting some friends living in the canyon there... an elderly couple - the Richards. She loves living at the horse stables."
That name - Richards - stirred a memory in Jack. As he thought back, he ask Ty if he knew the Richards' first name... Ty did not, but he quickly Googled the name with the general town name of Bellevue, Colorado that Amy had given him for postal mail. Within seconds, Ty told Jack the name of the couple was Dean and Ann Richards.
Jack thought for another moment.
"You know, when I was running yearling calves 30 plus years ago, I would buy from the livestock yards down in Sheridan, Wyoming and I made friends with a Dean Richards, who bought cattle there as well. However, I think he raised cattle back in the state of Iowa."
"An interesting coincidence Jack... but probably not the same Richards family..."
As Ty and Jack opened up another round of beer bottles, and they forgot the coincidence and concentrated on the hockey game.