Chapter 3

Amy walked into the kitchen on Wednesday evening after talking on the phone with her two best friends.

''Mom, Grandpa, can Soraya and Ashley come over for a sleepover on Friday? Pretty please?'' Amy asked.

''Well.. Friday is your last day of school and it is finals week and I know that you all worked hard. So, if it's okay with your Grandpa, then it's fine by me,'' Marion told her daughter with a smile.

Amy looked at Jack with pleading eyes and siad, ''Please Grandpa?''

''Okay, okay, they can come over,'' Jack said chuckling.

''Thank you!'' Amy exclaimed. She gave them a quick hug before she got the house phone again and shared the news with Soraya and Ashley.

''Hi Lou,'' Amy greeted as she put the phone down.

''Hey sis,'' Lou smiled, ''Hi Mom, hey Grandpa.''

''Hi Sweeetie,'' said Marion.

''Hi Lou,'' greeted Jack.

While Lou made herself a coffee, Jack got up and said that he's going to go check on the cattle.

''I'm going to get some of the finances done,'' Lou notified, she took her cup of coffee and headed to the barn office.

''Okay,'' Marion stated while Amy nodded at her sister with a small smile.

''Mom, we get off early in school on Friday because we only have one exam,'' Amy imformed.

''Oh? What time?'' asked Marion.

''The exam start at 08:30 and we have to be in school by 08:00. Then the exam is over at 11:00,'' Amy replied. ''Ty said he'll bring me to school and home,'' she continued.

''You and Ty spend an awful amount of time together,'' Marion teased.

''Mom!'' Amy exclaimed, her cheeks turning bright red.

''What?'' Marion asked innocently. ''Is there something going on between the two of you?''

''No, there isn't,'' Amy mumbled, her head down.

''Do you want something to happen?'' Marion asked, too curious not to.

''I... I, yeah, I want something to happen,'' Amy said slowly. ''But it probably won't, will it?'' she asked, dissapointment laced in her voice.

''And why wouldn't it?'' Marion aksed. She has seen the way Ty Borden looks at her daughter, at his best friend. It was a look of pure love.

''Mom, I really doubt that Ty feels the same way. Out of all the girls he could have, why would he choose me? The girl that got bullied to the point where it broke her?'' Amy asked, looking away.

''Amy, Sweetie, I don't know if you want to hear this from me,'' Marion said as she took Amy's hands in her own, ''but Ty does feel the same way.''

''Really?'' Amy asked, her eyes shining with a new light it them.

''Really,'' Marion confirmed.

(x)

''Do you want to go for a ride before the girls come over?'' Ty asked when he parked his truck infront of the ranch house. ''Maybe we could go to the river and cool off?''

''Yeah I'd love that,'' Amy replied happily, ''just let me get changed.''

Both teens climbed out of the truck and jogged to the house, when inside Amy went to her room while Ty stayed in the kitchen chatting with Marion.

''Marion?'' Ty asked, all of a sudden shy.

''Yes?'' she asked.

''Would... Would you be okay Amy and I dating?'' he asked quietly.

''I would be completely okay with it,'' Marion replies honestly.

''Really?'' he asked again.

Marion didn't get the chance to reply becuase Amy ran down the stairs and said, 'You ready to go?''

''I am,'' Ty replied. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Marion nod slightly.

Amy rode Spartan and Ty rode a bucksin Quarter Horse gelding named 'Prince'. They set out at a walk through Heartland's lush fields until they reached the trail that leads to a small pebble beach by the river where the current was weak.

When Amy and Ty reached the beach, they dismounted form their horses, took off their western saddles and mounted them again. Then, they slowly and carefully lead them into the cool water. The two were in the water for 15 minutes with the horses before letting Spartan and Prince graze on a small patch of grass that Jack put a fence around.

After putting the bridles down by the saddles, Amy and Ty ran into the water. They splashed water at each other. All of a sudden Ty grabbed Amy by the waist, but, he lost his balance, dragging Amy down with him, he landed on his backside with Amy sitting on his lap. Throughout the fall Amy's arms wrapped around Ty's neck.

''Amy,'' Ty whispered. He brought his right hand to Amy's cheek and his left one made it's way to her mid-back.

''What?'' Amy whispered softly. Ty gently caressed Amy's cheek repeatedly with his thumb.

''I, um, I love you.. And I have for a long time.. I wish that we became really good friends years ago and under better circumstances-'' Ty stuttered while Amy listened intently.

''Ty,'' Amy interrupted as she ran her thumb along Ty's bottom lip, ''I love you too.''

Ty grinned at Amy before gently pressing his lips to hers.

When the kiss was broken, Amy and Ty were breathing rapidly. Ty waited until his breathing slowed, then he stood himself and Amy up.

(x)

Amy, Soraya and Ashley were sitting on the floor in Amy's bedroom with three pizza boxes infront of them.

''So, are you and Ty, like, dating now?'' Ashley questioned before she took a bite of pepperoni pizza.

''Yeah,'' Amy said, smiling shyly. Ashley and Soraya sqeeled.

''Do you want ice-cream?'' Lou's voice traveled up the stairs. Amy looked at her friends, who, in synchronizatioin, said,

''Later.''

Amy got up and walked over to the door, which she opened, and yelled down, ''We'll have some later Lou!''

''Back to the subject,'' Soraya said, ''How did you guys actually get together?'' she continued.

''We went for a ride to the river after school,'' Amy started. ''After a while we put them in the small pasture that Grandpa fenced off. After a few minutes of messing around, Ty suddenly grabbed me by the waist, but her lost his balance and we fell over. Me landing on his lap,'' Amy looked down blushing.

''That's so adorable,'' Ashley said after Amy finally finished.

''You guys are going to be the cutest couple,'' Soraya said as she laughed.

''What movie should we watch?'' Amy asked half an hour later, '' 'Grown Ups' , 'Pitch Perfect' , 'Flicka' or 'International Velvet'?''

'' 'Grown Ups','' said Soraya
''Yeah, we haven't seen that one in a while,'' Ashley agreed.

''We actually chose a movie without a problem this time,'' Amy laughed, and soon, Ashley and Soraya joined in. ''Ladies, time for the important question... What snacks?''

The words 'ice-cream', 'popcorn' and 'potato chips' were heard.

''Got it,'' Amy said, ''I'll be back in a bit. Will you make the floor comfortable while I'm gone?''

''Yeah, of course we will,'' Soraya said happily.

Amy walked down the stairs to find Lou sitting on the couch reading a novel.

''Lou, will you help me make ice-cream sundaes?'' Amy asked softly.

Lou looked up from her book, and said, ''Sure! What other things are you taking upstairs to snack on?''

''Popcorn and potato chips,'' Amy replied with a laugh. ''Do you want to join us? I'm sure Ashley and Soraya wouldn't mind. We're watching 'Grown Ups','' Amy continued as she took out glass sundae bowls from the cabinet above the counter.

''Really? I would love to,'' Lou smiled. Amy turned to Lou and grinned at her.

The two sisters set to work, putting chocolate, cherry and vanilla ice-cream in the bowls, topping each one off with a few strawberries, then, Lou stuck a spoon into each one as Amy put popcorn in the microwave. Lou got a bag of salted potato chips from the press while Amy got two bowls.