Chapter 7

Not far from Heartland, on his way to town, Jack spots Mrs. Bell's cart stopped on the side of the road. Mrs. Bell steps from her cart as Jack pulls up and parks behind her. "Oh Jack, I'm glad you stopped. You have perfect timing."

"What seems to be the problem, Mrs. Bell?"

"Pointing down to her left, she says, "It's this darn wheel. It's wobbling again and I'm afraid it might come off."

"Let me have a look and see what I can do."

"I would appreciate that...thank you. Ty told me not to use the cart until he came by later to have a look at it, but I thought it would hold up well enough for a quick trip to town and back. I guess I was wrong."

"So you know Ty is back...when did you talk to him?" Jack asks as he's inspecting the wheel.

"Just this morning when he brought me some flowers. He didn't need to do that since I have so many in my garden, but I appreciated the thought. My Sugarfoot is such a little rascal sometimes, he thought the flowers were for him and he tried to eat some of them."

"I guess seeing Ty again was a surprise."

"Not so much this morning as it was a few days ago when he first arrived, but I knew he would be back."

Jack walks to his truck to retrieve a wrench and as he returns, he says, "I should have this fixed for you in a few minutes. So, Ty came by a few days ago?"

"He told me I was the first one he came to see. He's such a wonderful young man and I'm his honorary grandmother you know."

As Jack places the wrench on the end of the axle, Mrs. Bell continues, "It was so nice talking with him again. I just wish he had let me know where he was, so I could have written him back."

Jack is surprised by the sudden revelation that Ty had written to Mrs. Bell. "He wrote to you?"

"Uh-ho, I guess I shouldn't have said anything. He asked me not to, but I suppose it's alright now since he's back."

"When did he write?" He asks, trying not to reveal how annoyed he is that Ty had written to her and while he's still working on the wheel.

"Every few months after he left, just to let me know how he was doing."

Jack's initial annoyance turns to growing anger at the news that Ty had been writing to Mrs. Bell all along. Continuing to hide his emotion, he says, "Every few months?...and you didn't bother to say anything to anyone?"

"He asked me not to, but I would have if I thought he was in any kind of trouble."

"I'm sure you would have and I appreciate that. It looks like the wheel will hold now. Where are you headed?"

"I was on my way home."

"Tell you what..I'll follow you to make sure you get there safely and then I have one extra errand in town."

"Thank you, Jack."

...

Amy is straightening up the kitchen table when Tim walks in. Still angry with him, she hesitantly acknowledges his appearance. "Dad...why are you here?"

"So you're talking to me...that's good. I was in the area and thought I'd come by and apologize for what I said the other night. You were right...I had no business saying what I did."

"That's right...you didn't." She says sternly.

"So...where's Jack?"

"He went into town...do you plan to apologize to him too?"

"I should have known he would have heard by now...yeah, I guess I owe him an apology too."

"Yeah, you do and it wouldn't be a bad idea to apologize to Ty as well for the way you spoke to him."

"I guess you're right about that too."

"Okay dad, I know you. You didn't come here just to apologize...there has to be another reason you're here, so what else is it?"

"Yeah, there is something else. Why haven't you taken that job yet that Jesse Stanton is offering you? You've turned down several lucrative jobs over the years and it's had an effect on your reputation and career. Remember how long it took to recover from turning down Stewart Forest? You can't keep doing that and expect to continuing making a living as a trainer."

"We've had this conversation before and you know why I turned down those jobs. How is it you know about the job Jesse offer me anyway? Did he say something to you?"

"Not in so many words. I bumped into him in town the other day and he happen to mentioned it in passing. I'll tell ya, if you pass on this opportunity you're making a big mistake. You need to seriously consider it. Jesse can afford to pay you a very good salary and you need that job. Work is slowing down and those 2 rescue horses you're trying to rehome are costing the ranch money."

"That's my business, not yours!"

"Not wanting to start another arguement with his daughter, Tim turns to leave and as he does so, he says, "Listen, I don't want to argue with you over this again. Think about what I said, it makes good business sense...Take the job!"

"Lou walks into the house as Tim is leaving and she asks him, "What's going on?"

Tim stops long enough to say, "Amy will tell you all about it. You need to talk to her, Lou, and tell her I'm right!"

As Tim walks out the door and curious about what she had missed, Lou asks Amy, "So, what was that all about between you and dad? Did it have something to do with last night?"

"No...he did apologize, but then he went off about me not taking that job at Briar Ridge. He's been a real jerk lately."

"I know what you mean. He's been cranky for the last couple of weeks and it seems to be getting worse. I wonder if something is bothering him."

"Whatever it is, I wish he would just mind his own business and not take it out on everyone else."

...

With Mrs. Bell safely back at home and Jack having calmed down some after recalling how fond Ty was of Mrs. Bell, he engages her in another conversation about Ty. Knowing there was something that Ty was hesitant to tell him, he thought Mrs. Bell may provide some insight as to what it was. After a lengthy talk during which she showed him a few of the letters Ty had written, Jack excuses himself. "It was nice talking to you, but I should get going. I still have those errands to run and I'll make sure Ty drops by to have a closer look at that wheel."

"Thank you, Jack...oh, and do you think you can ask him to bring by some of those rice cakes Sugarfoot likes so much? I forgot all about them when I was in town."

"Sure...have a nice day now."

...

After completing all his errands in town, Jack has one more stop to make before returning to the ranch. He pulls up to the vet clinic where he sees Ty's truck parked.

Ty's sitting in the office completing some paperwork when he notices Jack standing in the doorway. "Hey Jack, are you looking for Scott?...because..."

Jack interrupts, "No...actually I'm here to see you. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"So, you were writing to Mrs. Bell all this time and you couldn't drop a note to me and let me know you were okay?"

Ty sets down his pen and let's out a long sigh, "I explained that already, Jack. Besides, I guess I always had a feeling that she would eventually let it slip and say something to let everyone know I was okay."

"You were right about that. She did let it slip, but not until earlier today. By the way, I fixed her cart wheel the best I could, but you should still go by and see what you can do with it. She asked that you bring by some rice cakes for Sugarfoot too."

Jack pulls up a chair and takes a seat as Ty wonders what he's going to say next. "Okay, I'm just going to say it...what is it that you've been holding back? I know there's something that you wanted to say to me a few times, so how about you just get it off your chest. I had a long talk with Mrs. Bell and I think I already know some of it...even about your dad...she showed me some of your letters. She said that your letters arrived so regularly that she could almost predict when one would arrive...That is, up until a little over a year ago when she didn't receive one for almost 4 months. I think whatever it is that you have been avoiding has something to do with that period of time."

"You're right, Jack. I guess now is as good a time as any to talk. Those other times just didn't feel right and I would appreciate it if you kept it just between us, at least for now..."

Ty starts from the beginning and explains why he avoided answering some of the questions he was asked while Jack sits quietly listening. He allows Ty to say what he feels he needs to, with little interruption. Some of what Ty had to say, he already surmised from the letters. Whereas others came as a surprise.

Once Ty is finished, Jack offers his thoughts, "You see, Ty...life has a funny way of not paying attention to what we plan for our future. So, I'm going to remind you of something you said to me and then I'm going to leave you with a word of advice. It was you who told me that life got in the way. You were right...it has a habit of doing that. No one can predict what their future will hold, you just have to roll with what life throws at you. I know it can be extremely difficult at times, but you need to move on and not tie yourself up. You've already proven that you're capable of doing just that."

As Jack gets up to leave, Ty says, "Remember Jack, I would appreciate it if you kept all this just between you and me."

"I will, but you have to do something for me too."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I suspect you have another reason for coming by the ranch to check on Paint and I think it's to talk to Amy. I know you have a decision to make, so if you are going to talk to her then be careful what you say...okay?"

"I know what you mean...I will, and Jack.."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the advice."

...

It's mid morning the next day and Amy has just returned to the ranch after taking Spartan out for a ride. While putting Spartan's saddle away her phone rings. "Hey Ashley...I didn't expect to hear back from you so soon. I guess you're calling because you found out something?"

"I did."

"I know you Ashley, So please don't tell me you talked to anyone other than the college."

"I didn't and you'll probably be surprised by what I found out."

"Okay then, give me a moment while I go into the office."

Amy takes a seat behind the desk and then asks, "So, what did you find out that would surprise me?"

"First let me ask you this...did Ty ever say anything about how he did in School?"

"No, not really. He said it was hard, especially at the beginning when he had a lot of catching up to do and when he fast tracked...why?

"So he never said anything about the grades he got?"

"No, he didn't. What are you getting at?"

"Well, he finished the last 2 years under a scholarship and graduated with honors among the top in his class. Why wouldn't he say anything about that? I would be bragging all over town."

"Yeah, I know you would, but I don't think it's something Ty would do. It wouldn't be like him...at least the Ty I use to know. Anything else?"

"No, that's all the information they would divulge. Are you sure you don't want me to check further into his background?"

"Yes, Ashley, I'm sure. I should'nt even have let you check with the college, so please don't try to dig up anything else and don't say anything about this to anyone."

"Okay, I won't, but I wish I could see the look on Jesse's face if I were to tell him. He thinks he's so smart and likes to brag about his degree, but the truth is he barely even graduated."

"What is it with you two?"

"It's just that mom knew I wanted to come back and take over running Briar Ridge for her, but she gave the job to Jesse instead. She didn't want me to drop out of law school before I graduated and I think she didn't want me being so close to Caleb either."

"So, this is all about who runs Briar Ridge?"

"That and Jesse doesn't have the passion necessary to run the business like I do and remember, he's a jerk, so don't trust him."

"Listen, I gotta go. I just heard someone talking outside."

"Okay, talk to you again soon and don't forget to keep me updated with..well, you know. Bye."

Amy puts her cell phone away in her pocket while listening closely to the voices that are becoming more distinguishable as they move closer to the barn. One is Jack's and then she recognizes the other as Ty's.

As the two walk into the barn, Amy catches part of the conversation. "...So, you managed to fix that wheel for Mrs. Bell?"

"Yeah, Jack. I had to bring a part from town and it should be fine now." She hears Ty joking add, "She should get another hundred thousand miles on it."

"You didn't forget the rice cakes did you?"

"Picked them up first, so I wouldn't forget."

Amy steps out of the office, greeting Jack first, "Hey grandpa." And then Ty, "Hi...I guess you're here to see Paint?"

"Yeah, I am. Like I told Jack, I wanted to see for myself how he's coming along."

Jack decides it's a good time to leave Ty and Amy by themselves, saying, "You know, Lou left me with a long list of things that need to be done down at the dude ranch and since I don't have a ranch hand yet to help out around here, I guess I better get started. Ty, if you need anything I'm sure Amy can help."

"Sure grandpa, I don't mind."

"Okay, Jack. If there's anything you should know, I'll tell Amy and she can pass it on to you."

As Jack walks out of the barn, Ty looks over the stall gate at Paint and Amy informs him, "The medication seems to be working well and Georgie and I have been routinely massaging his joints."

Ty responds, "That's good to hear. How about any herbs? I assume you still like to use them."

"Yeah, I've been doing that too. There's this herbal extraction I've been using as a supplement to his feed that's suppose to be good for arthritic horses. It has celery seed, dandelion root, willow extract, all the good stuff."

"Thats good...you should keep doing that"

Amy watches as Ty opens the stall door and steps in, first patting Paint and then gently rubbing his neck while asking him, "So fella, how about we make this easy for both of us and you tell me what's going on?"

Amy smiles while Ty pauses, looking into Paint's eyes and waiting for an answer. "Okay then, I guess you don't feel much like talking. I don't blame you...I wouldn't feel much like talking either if my joints were bothering me. So, what do you say we have a look?"

Amy's impressed by Ty's manner of examining Paint as he continues talking to him calmly. Paint reacts by allowing Ty to feel and move his legs without the slightest sign of resistance. "I don't think that's something they teach in vet school. He seems to be able to make a connection with Paint and so quickly too." She thinks to herself.

When Ty is finished with his examination, he says, "Jack was right. He does seem to be doing well. I know Scott suggested to Jack that he soon consider retiring Paint. Has he done that?"

"Yeah, grandpa retired him. He's been spending most of his time out in the field with the other horses."

"That's good, but I suggest he be kept in his stall when it gets too cold. The cold air will only worsen his condition."

"Okay, I'll let grandpa know. Ty, I have to ask...where did you learn to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Handling him like you did...talking to him. I couldn't help noticing that he didn't offer any resistance."

"It's just something I picked up along the way. A friend use to do it and I guess I just picked up on it. It seems to work well most of the time. Why do you ask?"

"It just reminded me of something."

Ty thinks for a moment and then grins, "Oh, I know what it is. It's that miracle girl thing. Well, I'm no miracle boy. Not even close. Its just something I like to do to try to calm the animal as much as I can before and during an examination. After you've been kicked, scratched, and bitten enough times, you'll try anything and that seems to work pretty well. By the way, Caleb mentioned to me that you don't do that miracle girl thing anymore...why? You were so good at it."

Amy let's out a sigh. "I just seemed to lose the ability over time."

"What happened?"

"Maybe I'm thinking to much, trying too hard, or not concentrating enough. I don't know what it is and I don't know how to get it back. I tried, but I can't do it anymore."

"Yeah, but you did once before. You went and saw that guy Victor and you got it back."

"I tried that again, but it didn't work, so eventually I just gave up."

"That doesn't sound like you. I can't remember a time when you ever gave up."

"Well, sometimes things change."

"I know what you mean."

Remembering what Ashley had told her about starting a conversation and deciding that this one isn't going in the direction she suggested, Amy quickly changes the subject as Ty closes the stall door. "I see you're back to wearing a tshirt and faded jeans. It looks like you haven't even shaved since I last saw you. I think I like that unshaven look better."

Ty gives her a boyish grin and says, "I don't see much purpose in dressing up when I might have to stick my arm in the backside of a cow."

"I see your point. So..." Amy pauses as she clasps her hands in front of her, nervously wondering what to say next.

"Yeah...so". There's an awkward silence as Ty pauses for a moment before continuing. "I guess I should tell you that I had another reason to come out here and see Paint. Actually I used it as an excuse. I was hoping you would be here when I came by, so we could have an opportunity to talk if you're willing."

Amy unclasps her hands and her shoulders drop in an obvious sign of relief. "I'm so glad you said that. We do need to talk and I really want to. Maybe we should go into the office?"

"That's fine. I think we'll be more comfortable there and it's more private..."