Peter Shares with Amy

The next morning, Brigitta and Amy took a little different route to the main CSU campus, turning right at Bellevue and heading south over the road along the four large earthen dams of Horsetooth Reservoir. The view of the large man made recreational and agricultural irrigation lake was breathtaking. Equally impressive was the view looking east at Fort Collins as the sun rose. The road curved downward to the east and past CSU's football stadium before arriving at Taft Hill Road.

Amy's classes went by quickly in the morning and she headed over to the cafeteria to eat lunch. As she found a place to sit down to enjoy lunch, she noticed a group of men in business suits enter and take their place in the food serving line. Amy did a double take.

Standing in line was a familiar face, one she recognized as family. Amy got up and walked over to interrupt. As he turned to face her, his eyes lit up.

"Peter! Oh my gosh, what in the world?", gasped Amy as she hugged her brother-in-law.

"Amy... how are you... what are you doing here?"

"Well, duh, I am eating lunch. You know school I'm here at CSU this summer?" said Amy.

"Hey sis... forgive my slight shock. Lou will be angry at me now.", he smirked slyly. "I was planning to surprise you later on this evening."

You know where I am at right? Rist Canyon Road?

"Your sister gave me the address, and I have it on my GPS, so yes I should be there around 6:30 this evening" said Peter.

"OK, see ya then."

Before Amy returned to her lunch, she asked, "Oh, Peter... how is Ty getting along with the horses and everything?" Amy was really asking Peter if Ty every talked about her.

"Ty is doing fine according to Lou, and Caleb is helping out with chores and work. You know Amy, as a brother-in-law who really cares about you and Ty - believe me when I say he is behind your schooling this summer... but I think he is missing you."

Amy looked down avoiding Peter's eye contact; "I keep hoping that Ty does not forget me while I'm here this summer."

"Amy, I am going to share something with you - something your sister shared with Ty...". Amy looked a bit puzzled, but wanted to hear what Lou had shared with Ty.

Do you remember when Ty took you to that high school formal dance and you found out he could dance?", said Peter.

"Yes", remember the fact that Ty did indeed impress by dancing with her and that Ty gave Amy a promise ring.

"Well, your sister and I were the dance lesson instructors... but more importantly Ty was worried about embarrassing you Amy."

"But Ty would never embarrass me..." said Amy who now looked up at Peter.

"Your sister told Ty something I think is still true today... and you just confirmed... you adore him. But remember this… it is clear Ty adores you as well".

"Listen Amy, you and Ty have something special, something great, something at that time your sister wished she had with me in our relationship. Ty still adores you; he has and will not ever forget you".

Amy looked at Peter with a smile, "Thanks for sharing with me... it makes a big difference to know that you and Lou are so supportive of Ty and myself."

Peter needed to finish the conversation, "hey, I have this business research meeting and we are making this a working lunch, but I promise to spend some time later this evening with you." Hang in there..." and with that Peter gave Amy a hug and turned to the food line and the lunch meeting ahead.

When Amy came back to her stable loft home up Rist Canyon, she stopped to grab the mail at the fire road entrance. All the letters were for Brigitta, except one postcard sized envelope postmarked Hudson, Alberta, Canada. The handwriting was one Amy recognized immediately as Ty's cursive script. Amy excitedly walked up the lane to the stable's loft room. Amy opened the card's envelope. A couple photos were paper clipped to the postcard inside the envelope.

Dear Amy - I hope this postcard finds you well. Caleb and I have been working hard and keeping the horses well cared for here. You are missed by all of us and especially your baby niece... and yours truly. I hope you find the photos here a reminder of us here at Heartland. -Ty

Amy looked at the photos - one of Spartan grazing in the field next to the Heartland barn. The other photo brought a special smile to Amy's face... the photo showed Ty sleeping on the couch with Amy's baby niece sleeping on Ty's chest. The baby and Ty were cheek to cheek.

"Awww... how cute", sighed Amy. Thinking back, Amy's feelings about Ty came to the surface. With a tear, she said aloud, "You will be a wonderful father someday".

Amy arranged the photos alongside the horse painting Ty had given her on his airplane trip with Scott almost 2 years ago - the trip where they had crashed in the mountains and she thought she had lost Ty.

Amy worked on some homework for an hour before Brigitta called from down in the stable, "time to move some hay and do chores Amy".

About and hour later, Peter's black SUV pulled up the fire road and parked near the stable hay mound doors. Peter hopped out and called out, "anyone home?"

Brigitta and Amy said, "in here" and Amy dropped her hay bale and ran to give Peter a hug.

Amy introduced Peter to Brigitta, "this is my brother-in-law Peter Morris".

"Good to meet another Albertan...", as Brigitta stacked the hay bale and nodded at Amy.

"Well, actually I grew up on a farm near Estevan, Saskatchewan - but am now an Albertan by marriage to Amy's sister" as he laughed.

"Well its still good to meet you Peter - I need to start some dinner, care to stay?"

"Sure - hey I'll help Amy stack this hay in the meantime" as Peter pulled out a pair of leather work gloves from SUV.

Brigitta headed up the loft stairs, while Amy and Peter started moving hay bales.

"You sister sent you a care package with me, and it's in the SUV. Remind me, so we get it up to your room later", said Peter.

"OK", said Amy.

Amy asked, "you know Peter... when you told me earlier today about how Ty felt about me yet, it made me feel better... and today Ty sent a postcard and some photos... but I'm not sure how to move forward."

Peter interrupted, "since your niece was born, you and Ty have built a solid trust in each other. I think you are moving forward."

"But we are apart now with me in summer school here almost 1000 miles away from Heartland" as Amy continued stacking hay. "It does not feel like we are moving forward at all".

Peter picked up the next hay bale and started, "Amy, come on. Part of that trust Ty has in you is that you can take some time off and go to university classes this summer".

"And you and your grandfather trust Ty to take care of the horses while your away here studying", continued Peter.

Amy smiled, "you may be right... when did you get to be such a wise brother-in-law"?

Laughing Peter said, "When I married your sister?..." and Amy giggled at the joke.

"Seriously Amy, 10 months ago, when Ty was still living in Caleb's trailer and giving up on his dreams... their was a point when your grandfather recognized Ty's dream slipping away and he intervened".

Amy stopped lifting her hay bale and looked at Peter directly, "what did grandpa have to do with Ty back then?"

Peter hesitated, than continued, "Look Amy - Ty was feeling very guilty about the circumstances of your breakup... he had drifted to skipping school and not working... Ty was bottling up his feelings... he had given up on himself."

Amy mentioned that she knew Ty was playing pool and drinking with Caleb at the time.

Peter puts a hand on Amy's shoulder, "your grandfather recognized Ty's problem and took him on a motorcycle road trip that almost put them at the Saskatchewan border. Jack offer him a choice to get back his life at Heartland or 'shove off and move on with his life" Jack could not bear to see Ty not move forward - with his studies and work. Deep down, I think Jack also wanted Ty to come back to the family at Heartland - and you."

Amy felt a tear start to form in her eyes. "Ty was hurting... and I was pushing him away... I was oblivious... that stupid box with Ty's stuff in it...", Amy thought a bit then said, "grandpa always seems to be looking out for Ty".

"Amy - Ty made a choice to come back to Heartland... to not give up on his life there... to not give up on you... your grandpa just helped him see what he might be giving up".

"Why has Ty not told me his side of the story?" asked Amy.

"You will have to ask Ty...", as Peter drew a breath, "your grandfather and Ty have a close relationship... something I wish I had". "Over the 2 years I have know them, Jack has molded Ty... given him advice... shown a pride in Ty... grown to respect and love him as part of the family."

"Your grandfather may not say it, but he knows how much Ty loves you Amy and he has encouraged Ty with his life choices in regard to you."

Amy stared at Peter, and then gave her brother-in-law a kiss on the cheek and a big hug. "Thanks..." as tears of happiness slipped down her face. Even Peter had a misty eye himself. "As brother-in-law are measured, by sister definitely caught a winner."