A year later…

Junior kissed his wife on the cheek as she left for work, leaving him to watch the morning news. Usually, all Junior did was watch the bottom of the screen where the stocks were scrolling by; but today, the reporter's words caught his attention.

"Today, ex-jockey, Kris Furillo was found on a country road in the Sierra Nevada Mountains," the reporter stated. Junior sat up a bit. "Police found her laying on top of a horse body, believed to be champion horse, Wildfire, with ten stabs wounds. Veterinarians say that the cause of the horse's death was poisoning. Furillo is currently hospitalized and is in critical condition. Authorities are unsure of the perpetrator for this horrendous crime." Junior's typical morning had just become one filled with panic. Not only had he been repressing his feelings for Kris for a year, but seeing hearing that she was in such a state tore his heart out. Junior immediately got into his car, and drove to Raintree.

"Dude, do you know how ridiculous you look?" Matt asked as Junior pulled up. Junior hadn't changed or done anything to his hair before coming, he realized, looking down at his attire.

"That's not the issue here," Junior told Matt, getting out of the car. "Have you heard the news?"

"I've been leading tourists since dawn. What happened?" Matt questioned, a look of uncertainty across his face.

"Kris is in the hospital, in really bad shape," Junior informed him. Matt's face fell.

"How bad?"

"Critical." Matt shook his head angrily. "Do they know what happened?"

"She's been stabbed ten times. Wildfire was poisoned. It could've been anybody." Matt turned to Junior.

"We have to go see her."

"I know, man. That's why I came over. Get your stuff ready, we're flying out in two hours."

"Junior, you might want to get ready, too." Junior smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. Just meet me at my house pronto." Matt laughed, then his face turned serious again.

"Junior, what does Laura think about this?" Junior's eyes widened.

"Crap it!" he shouted, getting out his cell phone. "I have to call her."

"Been married a year and you still forget to include her in your life."

"At least, my life that includes Kris."

"But it doesn't anymore," Matt commented.

"Right. That's exactly why I'm getting on a plane to go see her." Junior paused. "Maybe you should just go-"

"Junior, you're coming." And that settled it.

Just a few hours later, their plane was landing in the Sierra Nevada area.

"Can you believe we're here?" Matt asked, taking in the mountain air.

"Can you believe why we're here?" Junior replied sadly. Matt put his hand on Junior's shoulder in attempts to comfort him.

"She'll be alright, Junior." Junior nodded his head. "Called Laura yet?"

"I told her that it was a business meeting." Matt shook his head disapprovingly.

"Dude, she's your wife. You're sort of…I don't know. Not supposed to lie to her about going to see your ex girlfriend. Don't you think she'll find out?"

"Maybe," Junior replied, shrugging his shoulders. "But I'll tell her that I didn't see the news."

"Like she'll believe that." The friends hopped into a cab, ready for an hour drive to the hospital.

"Do you think she'll be happy to see me?" Junior inquired, honestly worried about Kris' reaction to him.

"Probably not," Matt stated honestly, thinking of how Kris reacted to their last meeting. "What you did was sort of…not right."

"Oh, and what you and Kris did to me was?" Junior questioned angrily.

"No," Matt assured his agitated best friend. "But she confessed her love, then you said you couldn't see her again, then kissed her. Sort of makes for a never want to see you again moment."

"It's just…I didn't mean to kiss her. I just…did." Junior explained, knowing that the explanation seemed quite stupid when put into words.

"You admitted that you had feelings for her-"

"But that I had, have, feelings for Laura, too. And you're the one who told me to burry those feelings."

"That's because that's what I did with Kris. I didn't know that Kris loved you, too."

"So you're saying, if you'd known, you would've told me to dump Laura and go for Kris?"

"I don't know," Matt stated. "But things worked out like this, so we have to deal with it."

"If I had been with Kris, she probably wouldn't have been stabbed."

"Wildfire would still be with my mom." Junior looked to Matt.

"How'd your mom take it?" Junior inquired. Matt sighed.

"She was more upset about Wildfire than Kris." Jean still hadn't managed to forgive Kris, despite the fact that the girl might be on her deathbed.