Chapter 5
It's early morning at the ranch when Lou asks, "It's been a couple of days now and I hate to keep bugging you about it, but have you heard from Ty yet?" Any replies, "No Lou, not yet. I've tried calling and went by the trailer a few times also, but he wasn't there and Scott still hasn't heard from him yet." Lou, looking out the kitchen window, says, "Maybe he knows." Amy asks, "Who's that?" Lou replies, "Caleb...he just drove up."
Caleb walks into the house and immediate says to Amy, "Is this some kind of joke? Are you out of your mind or something?" Amy's struck by Caleb's sudden statement and asks, "What are you talking about?" Caleb opens a rolled up poster he has in his hand and says, "I'm talking about this. You and Chase putting on a clinic together next weekend?" Amy takes the poster from him and looks it over with Lou. It's the same one Chase used once before only with different dates.
Amy angrily exclaims, "Not again! I don't believe it! Where did you get this?" Caleb answers, "I pulled it off the wall across from Maggie's this morning. There had to be at least a couple dozen of them taped up on there. Someone, and I think we all know who, is posting them all over town."
Angrily tearing the poster in half and throwing it down on the table she says, "I'll deal with this later. There's no way I'm doing another clinic with him. Caleb, have you heard from Ty lately? Does he know about this?" Caleb replies, "So, I guess you knew nothing about this then?" Amy replies, "No I didn't. I told Chase explicitly that I wouldn't do another clinic with him! Tell me, have you seen Ty?" Caleb replies, "I haven't since the night he got back from Calgary. We went out for dinner and then a few drinks afterwards. Chase walked into the bar we were at and Ty tried to ignore him, but then Chase bought us a round of drinks and Ty walked over to him. They briefly said something to each other and for a moment there I thought I might have to pull them apart, but then Ty just turned away and we left."
Amy asks, "Did Ty say what was said?" Caleb answers, "No...he didn't want to talk about it." Amy asks, "Did Ty say anything about going somewhere...I mean, we haven't heard from him since he got back from Calgary." Caleb responds, "I'm not surprised. He didn't say much to me after we left and nothing about planning to go anywhere. So what are you going to do about this clinic with Chase?" Amy replies, "I'll take care of it myself, but I'm worried about Ty." Caleb offers, "I don't mind beating the crap out of him if you want me too. Ty already got a couple of real good shots at him way back when and I'd really like to get a few shots at him myself."
Amy has a look of surprise and asks, "When did that happen?" Caleb answers, "A few years ago. The last time Chase was here. Ty told me about it. He said he brought Mrs. Bell into town one day to buy some muffins for Sugarfoot and she pointed out Chase's truck as the one that ran her off the road. Ty went over to Chase as he was walking to his truck and he punched him pretty good a couple of times. One for running Mrs. Bell off the road and another for hitting on you. Ty said that he dropped like a sack of crap. Mrs. Bell was watching and got a real kick out of it too. I'm surprised she or Ty never said anything about it, but then he knows how you feel about him fighting. It wasn't much of fight though, just a quick beating." Amy responds, "Well, he's got another one coming his way...this time from me! He's going to wish he never set foot in Hudson again!" Caleb says, "That's what I like to hear...it's about time!"
Just then, Tim walks in. "Amy, there's something I need to talk to you about, honey." Tim looks down at the table and sees the torn poster. Pointing at it, he says, "What happened to this? That's what I want to talk to you about." Amy replies, "You know about this?" Tim answers, "Yeah, I talked to Chase Powers a few days ago about you two putting on a clinic together. I thought it was a good idea and told him to start planning it."
Lou speaks up, saying, "You had no business doing that, dad. You have no idea the trouble you caused! Amy told you emphatically that she wasn't going to do a clinic with him, so why in the world would you go behind her back and give the okay for something like this!" Tim apologetically replies, "I had no idea he would move on it so soon. That's why I'm here. I just wanted to talk about it with Amy again...to see if I could convince her to do it. It's important to her career."
Turning his attention to Amy, he says, "Listen, honey...I was only acting in your best interest." Angrily, Amy replies, "Best interest?...you have no idea what that is! When are you going to stop interfering in my life?" Tim, realizing he overstepped his bounds, says, "Just give me a chance to make this right. I can fix this." Amy replies, "You've done enough already. I'll handle it now. From here on dad, when I say no...I really do mean no!"
Amy storms out of the house and into the barn followed by Caleb.
Lou says to Tim, "You just don't get it do you? This is Amy's life. It's hers to decide what she wants and doesn't want. She's worried now about Ty...he's missing and the last thing she needs is for him to find out about this on top of everything else." Tim replies, "Okay, I get it. But if those two are going to get married then they're going to need more money than what little Ty brings in. I was just trying to help." Lou responds, "I know you were, but you have to let them do this on their own. Right now though I'm not so sure there will be any wedding." Tim asks, "Why?" Lou says, "Have a seat and I'll tell you all about it..."
"...Why am I the last to know these things? I was even the last to know that Ty wanted to marry Amy." Lou replies, "I know. I was there when you and grandpa had it out over that, remember? Listen, Grandpa doesn't know about this yet. We just put it all together a few days ago. That's why Amy is so worried and frankly I am too." Tim asks, "Where is Jack anyway?" Lou replies, "He went fishing up at his cabin." Tim replies, "Just like him...everything is falling apart and he goes off fishing."
...
Meanwhile, Caleb has Amy take a seat in the office to cool off. Seated across the desk from her, he says, "I shouldn't tell you this, so you have to swear on your life, your family's life, your children's life..." Amy interrupts saying, "Okay Caleb, I get it. I won't say anything."
Caleb continues, "Especially to Ty or he'll kill me. That day you got back, when Ty got home after that dinner. Well, I was at the trailer when he got there. He was pretty upset and just about bit my head off for no reason. We had a few beers and then he told me that he saw you and Chase together in Vegas." Caleb pauses and then asks, "What is it with with you and him? Haven't you learned anything yet? The guy is a real piece of work, so why do you keep getting involved with him?"
Amy sighs and says, "I know, but it's not what you think. It was all just a stupid decision on my part."
Sliding forward in her seat, she then nervously asks, "What else did Ty say?" Caleb continues, "I was just going to get to that...he said that he got there just as your show began. He was proud of you and what you accomplished. After the show, he tried to make his way to the back to see you. He wanted it to be a surprise. That's when he saw you leaving with Chase. He couldn't make it over to you in time, before the two of you left and he had no idea where you two were going. So, he took a cab to your hotel and waited for you to arrive. That's when he saw the two of you walking into your hotel. He wanted to wait awhile for Chase to leave before going up to your room, but he never saw Chase leave. I don't know what he was thinking, but from the way he described it, it didn't sound good at all. He was pretty pissed off, so he took a cab right back to the airport and came home. To make matters worse, once you got back, he was waiting for you to say something about Chase, but you never did. It's been eating at him this whole time."
Amy tries to hold back her tears and says, "Caleb, you have to believe me. There's nothing between Chase and me. He walked me to my room and I said goodnight...that was it. Nothing happened. Earlier that evening he talked me into joining him for dinner and then making an appearance at the clinic he was putting on the next day. That's all...nothing else! I had made up mind later that night to come home, but then he showed up at my hotel the next morning just as I was about to leave. I let him manipulate me again, just as he's done before, but that is finally going to come to an end."
Caleb responds, "I believe you, but you might have a hard time convincing Ty. You see...there's something else you should know. Something I haven't told you yet." Amy asks, "What is it? What haven't you told me?" Caleb answers, "I'm only telling you this because I know you love Ty. Caleb pauses for a moment while Amy waits worriedly about what he's going to say next. Caleb then continues, "He didn't go to Vegas to just surprise you. He went there to ask you to marry him. He wanted it to be something special, but that was all screwed up when he saw you with Chase. Even if he had stuck around and went up to your room later, I doubt he would have asked you."
Amy's eyes begin to tear. After pausing briefly, Caleb continues, "Ty told me that he had bought an engagement ring months ago, before you went on that tour. He was going to ask you right after your audition, but then you said something about not tying each other down...something like that and after you said that, he didn't feel it was the right time, but once the tour ended, he thought you might have felt differently."
Amy can't hold her tears back any longer and breaks down crying. Caleb's curious, so he asks, "What if Ty had asked you to marry him?...what would you have said?" Wiping the tears from her eyes, she says, "I wish he had. I love him so much...I would have said 'Yes'."
Caleb moves from his chair over to Amy and tries to console her. Finally regaining her composure and wiping the rest of the tears from her face, she says to Caleb, "Just like I promised not to say anything, you have to promise me that you'll never say anything about telling me what you just did." Caleb answers, "You have a deal. I won't breathe a word of it." After moving back to his chair, he says, "Okay...now what are we going to do about Chase?" Amy replies, "I'll deal with him, but in the meantime, I need you to find Ty."