Chapter One Hundred Forty-Five

Challenges

A/N – As I began the last chapter my focus was on two things, Wyatt surviving his bronc riding and the naming of the rodeo for Jack. His influence on the family and others within their company is significant and I hope I showed that respect from the people that mean so much to him. And although Wyatt did survive, I expect the story will not end because his girlfriend is still worried about it. I will have fun working through that. I have a few more things to cover this summer, a lot of them ideas that have come from you. It is date time for our young couple and I think our main couple may have a few challenges coming their way. As always I will move off these main stories some but I will be focusing on them. Looking forward there are some good things on the horizon for the business and continued growth of the family. I am feeling good that it will be fun. Keep your ideas and comments coming and I hope you are enjoying the story. Mild Mature Content Enjoy!

Over the nest few days after the rodeo stories and bragging was everywhere. Rusty was on top of the world at his overall winner title and was enjoying his prowess. Haley had to turn him down a notch but he was trying to get the most out if it but she enjoyed seeing him so happy. Wyatt also continued to receive congratulations and encouragement from the staff. Even Jack and Tim made a point to talk to him and tell him how proud they were. Lyndy was rarely not by his side so when the two old rodeo stars spoke they kept their enthusiasm low key, understanding that she was still not totally on board. She was coping but was having nightmares of him falling off the horse and getting stomped on. She had not seen it first hand but had heard stories, especially what had happened to her Grandpa. After dinner one night she got her mom's attention and they headed out to the porch. Amy and Ty knew their daughter needed her mom as they had heard her restless sleep the last few nights. Ty kept the others occupied as mother and daughter grabbed some tea and headed out. They sat quietly for a few minutes and Amy spoke up, "We have heard you the last couple of nights and so has Wyatt. He asked dad if he knew what was wrong, although I think he knows. Do you want to talk about it." Lyndy smiled and laid her head on her mom's lap. After a few seconds she sighed, "Mom, I understand why Wyatt wanted to do it, but when he fell off that stupid horse I could hardly breath. All I pictured was him laying in a hospital bed all banged up or maybe even…" She couldn't continue and began to sob. Amy rubbed her back as she spoke between breaths. "Mom I can't lose him, I love him so much. When he hit the ground all these crazy things went through my head. I know he liked the challenged but this whole stupid cowboy thing makes me mad. Why does he have to take those kind of risk, doesn't he want to be with me?" Amy took a second to answer. "Honey, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he loves you. Sometimes a man needs to stretch his limits and try something new. Remember when I told you how mad I was with your dad when her bought the Norton. He had just survived a plane crash and now a motorcycle. I was livid and told him so. We didn't speak for days as I watched him working on the bike in the Quonset Hut. After I settled, we talked and he tried to help me understand that he just wanted a new bike. I was honest too, telling me it scared me as he could get hurt or that it could take him away from me." Lyndy smiled remembering what happened next, "And then he took you for a ride." Amy smiled nodding her head yes, "Lyndy, I don't think Wyatt wants to be a rodeo star and I am confident he never wants to leave you. I know it is hard but try to be understanding and supportive, but never be afraid to tell him how you feel." Lyndy smiled and hugged her determined to talk with Wyatt and be honest but understanding. Before they could get up the front door swung open wildly as Wyatt stormed out and glared at his girlfriend, "Really Lyndy, stupid cowboy thing! I am going for a drive." He stormed to his truck, started it and sped off. Lyndy could hardly move as she felt her world collapsing around her. Ty came out and he looked at Amy silently communicating heading out to Old Blue to follow his son. He looked at his daughter who was crying out of control barely able to stand. As he pulled out he saw her siblings heading out for support.

Inside the house Ty was keeping the kids busy. Maddie asked, "What is going on daddy, why are mom and Lyndy on the porch, can I go see them." Ty put his hand on her shoulder and without saying anything she had her answer. The kids were cleaning up and Wyatt volunteered to do the dishes. They kids headed to the living room to pick out a family movie and Ty started making popcorn. Wyatt could hear the muffled conversation on the porch since the window was open but gave them their privacy. He couldn't help but hear Lyndy's voice raise. What he heard caused him to freeze in place continuing to dry the same plate. Lyndy said, "But this whole stupid cowboy thing makes me mad. Why does he have to take those kind of risk, doesn't he want to be with me?" He placed the plate on the counter and supported himself as tears came to his eyes. How could she say something like that. He knew she was upset but not wanting to be with her, that was the furthest thing from the truth. She was everything to him and he had been planning a date for the end of the week that was going to be romantic and special. Now that was the farthest thing from his mind and his worry turned to anger. He had been upset with Lyndy before but never angry, and this brought that feeling out of him. His rage grew and he was startled when he felt Ty's hand on his shoulder, "Everything Ok buddy, you seem upset." It was always easy for him to talk to Ty but this time no words came. He was furious and felt betrayed by the most important person in his life. Growing up he had many struggles until his grandma took him in. When she wasn't able to take care of him and eventually died, the Bordens not only took him in but assured him he was part of the family. And the most important part was that he met and fell in love with the woman of his dreams, the person he wanted to spend his life with. Now, one statement had ripped that from him and he had no idea what to do. He looked at a very concerned Ty but the only thing that came out was, "I have to go." He grabbed his keys and wallet and stormed out the door, JT came running in as the noise scared him, "Daddy what's wrong, is Wyatt Ok?" The girls followed him in with the same concern. They stood wide eyed when they heard Wyatt yelling on the porch. They couldn't understand it but he was angry and talking to Lyndy. Ty gathered them in and quietly spoke, "I am sure everything is Ok, I am going to go after Wyatt and you need to go out quietly and be there for your sister. Both of them need us now." Ty stood for a minute until he and the kids headed out. He couldn't help but remember how Amy initially acted when he bought the Norton. He smiled to himself, "I hope they are up for it." He grabbed his keys and wallet and headed out the door, only needing to glance at Amy understanding what was happening. What shook him was seeing his daughter completely destroyed sobbing uncontrollably in her arms. He walked to the truck and saw Wyatt's taillights in the distance. He knew where he might be going and as he pulled out saw the other kids heading out and hugging their sister in support. He knew everything would be Ok when he caught Amy waving to him.

Ty headed into town to the cemetery where Wyatt's mom, dad and grandma were buried. As he expected when he pulled up he say Wyatt sitting in front of their grave markers with his head in his hands shaking. He parked a bit away and walked up slowly. A few feet away he quietly called his name. His heart sunk as he looked over to him, his eyes full of tears and a complete look of devastation on his face. He sat down next to him and Wyatt leaned on his shoulder. Trying to catch his breath he spoke shakily, "Why would she say that I don't want to be with her or love her because I wanted to ride a bronc. She said I was trying to be a stupid cowboy." Ty processed his comment and thought through what he would say. In the earlier years of their relationship he remembered several blow ups they had, especially over Chase and Blair. Each of them were very emotional and sometimes those emotions boiled over into chaos. He saw the same thing with Lyndy and Wyatt and this was their first big thing. He knew he was hurting but also knew they would work things out. He smiled, "Let's go for a walk." There was a path that swerved through the cemetery down to a pond. They walked silently as Wyatt seemed to settle some. Wyatt finally spoke, "I just don't understand, she came and watched me practice and admitted she was still nervous but was feeling better about it. She even laughed and told me just don't make it a career. I just don't believe she would say that" Ty gently smacked his shoulder, "That my friend is the question every man has about the women he loves. Wyatt, she was really shook when that bronc through you off the first time. Actually she was scared out of her mind. From the beginning of your ride until you sat up smiling she hadn't taken a breath. And when she saw you were Ok, she almost collapsed in my arms. I could feel her relief and when she settled she wanted to run to you." He looked at him, "Really, she was that upset, she never told me but she has been a little more clingy lately. You think that is why?" Ty smiled seeing the realization in his comment and his clearing eyes. "But I still don't know why she would say that about me?" He smiled, "Wyatt, she was and is scared. When you flew off that horse she saw you hurt, in a hospital bed or even worse. Lyndy is so much like her mom. Like Amy loves me she loves you and when they see us hurt they react emotionally. First they are relieved that we are Ok but then second they are questioning our decision making. After my plane crash Amy was livid when I took my savings and bought the Norton with the hope I could work on it with Jack. Well it didn't go well but when we finally settled down she told me what bothered her the most. She was scared that I would get hurt again and she couldn't stand that possibility. Wyatt I think that once you both settle down, you need to talk to her. I am sure it will all be good." He smiled and they headed back to the ranch and home. As they pulled up, Lyndy was sitting on the porch waiting for him with Amy. The two of them got out of the trucks and Amy took Ty's hand and went inside. Wyatt sat next to Lyndy but not too close. They sat for a few minutes as inside the house the kids were straining to see what was going on. They had never seen Lyndy so upset and were genuinely worried about the couple. Amy grabbed them, "Give them some space and stop staring out the window. Come on into the lounge so we can get ready to watch the movie. Maddie help you dad with the popcorn. Annie and Addie get some drinks and JT come snuggle with you mom." Ty added, "Don't worry guys, they will be alright but leave them be to work it out themselves. And that means you Maddie." They all laughed quietly and went to work.

After several uncomfortable minutes of quiet, Wyatt spoke up. "Lyndy, I may have overreacted when I heard what you said." She didn't give him time to answer and looked at him, "You think, Wyatt I was so scared when that stupid bronc threw you off. I thought you were really hurt or even worse." She hesitated as the tears began to fall and she couldn't catch her breath." She leaned into him and he relished her touch. He was tentative in returning the contact as they sat silently. "Lyndy I should have been more serious about you concern. I thought after you watched me practicing you were kind of Ok. I know you were still worried but I hoped you felt better. You know you were the only thing I thought about as I was getting ready but had to focus when the chute opened. It was weird, I felt myself floating off the horse and I swear I looked over and saw your face. Seeing your eyes hurt me worse than the fall did and I felt like I had betrayed your trust and love. I never wanted to hurt you because I love you so much. But I really wanted to do this, does that make sense." It was quiet for a moment and Wyatt thought the worse. Lyndy leaned back, her tear fill eyes a little clearer. "Wyatt, I love you and never doubt that you are everything to me. When I saw you flying off that horse my heart stopped and I felt like I was out of my body. Wyatt when you hit the ground I thought you were hurt or even dead. I have never felt so empty. But then you sat up right away and I saw a little smile on your face. I am sure dad told you I let out my breath and collapsed in his arms, completely exhausted. I was happy but still really mad at you for putting me through that." They sat for a few seconds to gather themselves. Lyndy continued, Since the rodeo, I have made sure I was near you a lot, I needed to know you were Ok. I know you have heard me at night, I have not been able to sleep. When you heard me I was talking to mom about it and I got upset and said some things out of fear that I guess you heard." He looked into her eyes with remorse, "Yea I did and all I heard was that you thought I didn't want to be with you. I was shocked and thought maybe you didn't anymore, that you didn't love me because I rode that bronc. Lyndy I have lost a lot in my life and the thought of losing you was too much for me to handle." Wyatt was in tears telling he how he felt. She reach up and pulled him in for a kiss and held him tightly. Amy glanced out the window and smiled to Ty whispering, "I think they will be in soon." After a few minutes, a composed Lyndy whispered. I think we both overreacted a bit and I won't lie, it still scares me. But I am Ok if you want to do it again, just promise me you will be careful. Let's go in, sure they are all anxious to see if we still are together." They walked in arm in arm smiling as Lyndy went to hug her mom and Wyatt shook Ty's hand firmly, thanking him with his eyes. Everyone sat down to watch the movie as Lyndy and Wyatt sat close. Addie looked back at them, "So is the drama over and can we watch the movie?" Amy looked at her sternly as Annie added, We pick out a cool movie, it's about a rodeo competition and a new rider." Before she finished she laughed, "Just kidding." Everyone laughed comfortably as Addie spoke up. "No for mom's benefit we will watch Black Beauty for the 100th time. Secretly they all loved the movie. JT jumped onto Wyatt's lap and hugged him whispering, "I am happy you guys are Ok." Lyndy heard his comment and pulled him between the two of them. The happy family was ready to enjoy their night.

The buzz of the picnic and rodeo was still prevalent at the company's many businesses. As always staff loved how the Board took them all in as family and the events of last weekend reinforced that and reinvigorated them to work even harder. And based on the business so far this summer the extra effort was needed. To say business was booming was an understatement. Not only were all of the parts of H.E.E benefiting from their increased notoriety but so was Hudson as a whole. The restaurants, shops, bars and motels were all seeing a lift in business. The Dude Ranch and Fairfield had just so many places so families needed other outlets. Jenn had a great relationship with the other motels and B&Bs in town so she always moved clients their way when they were full. The effect of the extra people in town was causing he overall growth of Hudson and it's local businesses. When clients and their families were there they shopped and ate. H.E.E. especially The Miracle Ranch, Vet Clinics and Marion Fleming Equine Center were putting the town on the map and helping everyone who had a business in town. Behind the scenes Lisa, Jack and several others were working on two pretty significant projects. First off the transition of the Briar Ridge facility was on schedule. It was determined that they would not change whet they did but simply incorporate the methods used by Amy and the team. The sign for the property would have an addition designating it as a part of the Marion Fleming Equine Center. The other project was some additional land acquisition. The old Mallon property, where Amy and her mom had rescued Spartan was going on the market. The owners, came to Lisa and Jack first before they put it up for sale. It was located in a perfect spot bordering Heartland, Tim's property, which was used for cattle land and the Miracle Ranch. Lisa had the property surveyed and they were going to look at it and how the purchase would fit in for them. Lisa had scheduled a Board meeting in mid-August to go over everything in more detail. Amy and Ty were as busy as ever and the kids were keeping more than busy themselves. But they still had breakfast every morning and dinner almost every night and most importantly, Amy and Ty made sure the kids still had fun things to do as well as the two of them spent time together. Lyndy and Wyatt were getting back to normal and spent a lot of time together with the horses and each other. They were excited about their date this weekend, both hoping to themselves that they could continue to grow their relationship. As the end of the week came, Amy and Ty were checking their emails before they got to work.. Ty joked, "You know we are so busy, maybe we should hire like an assistant or business manager, just someone to take over the paperwork and email part of our jobs." Amy though for a moment, "You might be right but I don't want to lose that personal touch that we have with our clients." He smiled, I understand, so whoever we hire needs to know what they can handle and what comes directly to us." She smiled in agreement and her eyes drew to an email with Urgent in the subject line. She read it several times and spoke up, "Ty you want to go to Red Deer this weekend?" He smiled, "Any chance to get away with you I am all for." She giggled, "Settle down Mr. Hot Stuff. Actually, I want to have Lyndy and Wyatt go with us, they can help us with this one."

Amy told Lyndy that they wanted to have lunch with Wyatt and her. She was not worried, just wondering what was up. Amy spent some time and called the client for some details and logistics. The client's name was Sarah Plummer and with her husband, Vince, they owned a pretty substantial cattle ranch just outside of Red Deer. She mentioned that she had seen all about them on the internet and that she had actually met her many almost 20 years ago briefly. Her 17 year old's horse was having some disturbing behavioral issues and had even hurt their son, throwing him off violently. She spoke directly, "Amy, my husband wants to get rid of the horse but my son has had him a very long time and doesn't want to lose him. We have tried everything and you are the only one that can help him." Amy smiled, "Well I will bring my husband who is our lead vet and also my daughter and her boyfriend. They are both 16 and are very good with horses and I thought they could talk with your son, better than we could." Sarah agreed and made a comment that didn't make sense, "Well he has a lot of his dad in him and is kind of bull headed sometimes. Chucky is from a previous marriage and luckily Vince's influence has helped him a lot." They talked a while longer and decided that they would head up Saturday morning and stay the weekend. Sarah offered rooms in their house, but Amy said she had already booked a hotel less than 5 miles away. She laughed, "Well you will at least eat all of your meals with us and I will pay for all four of your services." As they finished Amy had a weird feeling that she remembered this person but just couldn't put it together. At lunch they went over the plan with Lyndy and Wyatt. JT would spend the weekend with Trent and Mallory along with the always present Doug and Shawna, who the boys had become friends with. Maddie was going camping with Gwen, Sylvia and their parents and the twins were going to hang out with Katie and Clay to help them get ready for the baby. Clay was also going to take them and a bunch of their friends to the mall and a movie on Saturday. As they went over everything and ate, Lyndy sat nervously thinking of how to ask. "So you said we are getting a room at the hotel, how is that going to work. Will you and me share a room and Dad with Wyatt." She sat hoping that wasn't the case but still had to ask. Amy smiled, "Well your dad thought we could get adjoining rooms so I did. One for us with a king bed and the other with two queens for you two." She sat a little dumbfounded, "So Wyatt and I will sleep in the same room?" Ty laughed, "Yes, I mean we know sometimes you guys fall asleep together and we trust you. I mean our rooms will be connected and we will keep the door open." Wyatt and Lyndy decided not to say anything as Amy smacked his arm. "Dad is kidding you guys. We trust you and anyway, hotels do not have thick walls." She giggled tickling Ty and whispered, "That's means you too lover boy." Lyndy turned beet red, "Mom. Really, maybe we need to keep the door open and keep and eye on you." Wyatt finally laughed, "You know babe I think you are right." They all laughed and for the rest of the lunch they talked about the client and the horse. Since they would be together all weekend, kind of alone, Lyndy and Wyatt decided to move their date to the next weekend. At dinner, Amy filled the kids in on the weekend plans. Addie laughed, "So mom and dad, you are promoting that your daughter and her boyfriend stay in the same room together, really." There were some giggles when JT spoke up as usual, "Addie, be nice, Lyndy and Wyatt are awesome and respect each other." The group sat quietly astounded at his perceptive comment. He smiled a little and added, "And the rooms are connected." They all laughed and tickled their always fun little brother.

While Lyndy and Amy finished packing, Ty and Wyatt loaded up the horses and tack in the large trailer. They had recently had the company logo painted on the sides and it really looked great. They decided to take Wyatt's truck as It was more than big enough to haul it and there was plenty of room inside for them. After hugs, goodbyes and behave yourself conversations they headed out. Red Deer was about half way between Calgary and Edmonton so a little over two hours from home. The ride up was fun and since Ty drove it was his music playing in the car. Lyndy cringed when some of the songs came on but Wyatt liked it. Amy glanced in the back now at them and noticed they were very close as it seemed their little rift was over. She grabbed Ty's hand and sang along with some of the older songs. GPS announced they were a couple minutes away as they drove down the drive and saw a very old entry gate like Heartland that said, Plummer Ranch, est. 1890. They smiled as they all noticed the similarity to home. As they pulled up to the ranch house a woman, her husband and 4 kids came out. The kids looked similar in age to their kids. Right away Amy noticed the oldest boy was on crutches hobbling out next to a younger brother. They hopped out of the truck and went to meet the family. One of the little girls spoke, "Mommy it's the Miracle Girl." The group laughed and Amy kneeled down smiling at her, "You can call me Amy, Ok, and this is Dr. Ty, my daughter Lyndy and her boyfriend Wyatt." She giggled, "My brother has a girlfriend, but I think boys are weird." She reminded the Bordens of little JT as Lyndy joined in the conversation, "I bet you are 5 years old, what's your name?" She smiled broadly, "My name is Isla Plummer and how did you guess my age?" She laughed, "Well I have a little brother named JT and he is five. You are a lot like him." The group smiled and Sarah asked them into the house, "Let's have some coffee and I have some food set out. We can talk about Skyler." Amy was having visions that she had met this woman before over 15 years ago. Ty noticed she was quiet as they all got a drink and grabbed some pastries on the table. Lyndy and Wyatt volunteered to take the three other kids to the barn while Amy, Ty, Sarah Vince and their son, Chuck sat and talked. Finally it hit Amy like a brick that she did in fact know this woman. She looked at Ty and asked it they could have a moment and stepped outside. Ty was really worried as it seemed she had seen a ghost, "Do you guys mind if we have a second to talk." They stepped outside and he looked at her. Sarah was afraid she remembered as she was trying to hide the fact that they did meet in the past. "Amy, what's wrong, you look like you have seen a ghost." She tried to gather herself, "Ty, Sarah came to Heartland right before we got engaged do you remember when Chase showed up with his new wife, hoping I could help her learn to reign her horse. Ty, Sarah was that woman." Ty took a moment to gather his thoughts which unfortunately immediately became dark with the memories of someone he hated deeply. He took a breath and whispered, "Well we need to ask her, but by the look on her face, she knows. Remember what you say, "It's all about the horse."

They walked back in and immediately Amy looked at Sarah and smiled meekly, "Sorry, we needed to talk." Before she continued, Vince spoke up. "Chuck, let's go have Dr. Borden meet Skyler and let mom and Mrs. Borden chat." Ty smiled at him realizing that some time alone would be good. As they left the men kissed the cheeks of their wives and headed over. Sarah refreshed Amy's coffee. "So, I guess you realized that I was married to Chase Powers. Before we left after that really weird experience, I told him I was pregnant and at first it was great. We traveled around and Chuck was always there. You may not know but Chase insisted we name him Charles Powers Jr. and that was his given name." Amy smiled, "Well I never knew that and to be honest we never really had any relationship although he thought we did. I feel I can tell you this now but when he came to see me he said I still had a thing for him. Trust me it was the farthest thing from the truth. He almost broke Ty and I up, I really despise him" She smiled, "Trust me I know and have been impacted by the thrill of the Chase. Less than 2 years after Chuck was born, I caught him cheating on me with not one but several "buckle bunnies." He tried to talk his way out of it and to be honest he was a horrible father and husband." Amy blushed, "Sarah you don't need to be that detailed with me, it is none of my business." She grabbed Amy's hand, "Oh yes it is. He lied and blamed the whole relationship thing on you saying you pursued him and he was innocent. I stupidly believed him and blamed you for everything. I realized later that he was lying, especially when I heard about you from several people I know that have used the Equine Center and watched his eyes wander to every good looking woman he saw. They said you, Ty and your family are wonderful and kind people. So, when this happened I wanted to call you but didn't want to tell you. I feel bad, but I really wanted you to come." Amy smiled, "Well I won't lie, Chase Powers brought nothing but problems to Ty and I but I hold nothing against you or your son. As Ty reminded me on the porch, it's all about the horse." They hugged and started to head over to the barn. When they arrived, Ty was looking over Skyler. Vince took Sarah into his arms smiling, "This guy knows what he is doing hon, it was a good idea for them to come here." Lyndy and Wyatt helped him as he did a complete examination, similar to when they check in horses at the ranch. He tested range of motion and took several vials of blood. Chuck marveled at how calm his horse was, "Dr. Borden how are you doing that, the last two vets we had look at him couldn't get him to cooperate at all." As he ended his comment, Amy noticed that Skyler looked over at his rider and his eyes drew wide and he reared his head back. She smiled, "Chuck, have you been able to get close to him since you were hurt?" He shook his head no and Lyndy spoke up, "Mom I can feel that he got nervous when he heard Chuck's voice. I think he is upset that he hurt him. His body is much more tense since he came in the stable." Amy put her arm around Chuck, "Now don't be worried, we will figure this out and work toward getting that bond back that you have." With a thought of removing him from the horse's view she asked him, "Can you take Wyatt around and show him the rest of the place. Wyatt is very good with horses, in fact he road a bronc in our company rodeo last weekend." Lyndy rolled her eyes, "Really mom." They all chuckled as the two young men headed out. The rest of their kids had went back to the house along with their dad to start getting ready for dinner and stay out of the way. Sarah and Amy stood next to each other while they watched Ty and Lyndy work. Sarah had to tell her something and was trying to determine how.

The rest of the day went well and after some work by Amy and Lyndy, it seemed that Skyler was much more calm. Toward the end of the day, Amy walked with Chuck into the stable to greet his horse. Lyndy and Amy had both joined up with him so hey thought it might work for him too, with their help. Ty had found a concern and was in their barn office going over some things he had found. Amy went to join them so Lyndy and Wyatt worked with Chuck getting him reacquainted with his best friend. Ty sat with them and went over what he thought was a physical concern. "I think Skyler has early stage kissing spine. I expect that he is a ranch horse and works a lot with the cattle. It is a condition where the bones that stick out from each vertebra in the spine touch or rub each other, causing pain and inflammation and is very hard to find. We have seen it many times in similar horses and it is treatable. I will give you guys some massage methods as well as potentially offer acupuncture which is another popular treatment. Dr. Cassandra Odell, from our team, is one of the foremost experts on it in Canada and we can have her come up and work with your vet team to learn how. Chiropractic care can also help to relieve pain and improve range of motion. Surgery is an option but only for severe cases and I don't believe we are close to that yet. I will send you some information on it and before we leave we will begin massage and do one acupuncture treatment. Amy and Lyndy have gotten pretty good with it as well. Finally when you can, have your team take some x-rays and send them to me. Have them give me a call and I will let them know what I need pictures of." As they walked out back to the round pen Sarah's eyes opened wide. With Wyatt's help Chuck was running Skyler around in circles. Lyndy was giving directions and told him to stop and turn in and walk toward the fence rail. To her amazement Skyler dipped his head and walked up behind her son nuzzling his shoulder. Chuck was overwhelmed as he began to tear up. Amy smiled and spoke softly, "Well it seems your bond with Skyler has paid off. Lyndy will give you a treat so you can turn around and thank your horse for coming to you." They all watch quietly as he turned and rubbed his forehead giving him a treat. Skyler gobbled it up and nuzzled into him almost knocking him down. Chuck's smile was broad and he whispered, "Hey buddy I am Ok and I love you." Ty, Amy and Sarah went back to the house to get ready for dinner and fill Vince in. Wyatt and Lyndy helped Chuck brush and put Skyler away. In just a short time they had become friends and they got along well. Dinner was a lot of fun as they enjoyed some Plummer Home Cured Steaks and they were delicious. The plan was for them to leave after lunch and a few more sessions with Skyler. As they left Sarah told Amy that she needed to talk to her privately before they left tomorrow. She smiled and hugged her, so happy she asked her and Ty to come visit.

At the hotel, the room thing worked out well. They decided to close the door but leave it unlocked. Lyndy laughed and went to it as she heard her parents laughing and giggling. She yelled through the door, "Hey you kids, keep it down we are trying to sleep. She smiled and joined Wyatt in his bed and got comfortable. After a little make out session they both fell asleep peaceful and in love. The four of them got up early, packed, checked out and headed to the ranch. Vince had promised a large county breakfast and they were not disappointed. As soon as they finished, Ty and Lyndy spent some time with Chuck talking about the medical treatment for his horse. "You need to either do the massage yourself or be a part of all of his treatment and it will improve your bond. I will not say that Skyler will be 100% but he will be a lot better, just be easy on him. It's time to enjoy your friendship." Chuck smiled and went to hug him. Amy, Wyatt, Sarah and Vince looked on with teary eyes. The two friends were back together. They rest of the morning, Amy and Lyndy worked with Chuck on things he needed to do so his bond would continue to grow. Amy smiled, "Chuck, my mom passed away many years ago while we were saving a horse. That horse became my best friend for many years until he passed a couple of years ago." Lyndy grabbed her mom's arm as she wavered. "But I can assure you, no matter how close we were, I still needed to take the time to reconnect and grow our love for each other. It is that way in life and with your horse, never forget that." He smiled understanding with no words spoken. At lunch, they all sat and discussed everything that needed to be done moving forward. Ty reminded them about the x rays he needed and that Cass would be up in a week or two. Amy also committed to visit before the school year started and Sarah interrupted. "Amy could we come to your place, I know the kids would love it." She smiled, "Absolutely." After they finished the group went on a quick trail ride to see more of the ranch. Sarah and Amy rode next to each other a little behind the group and hesitantly, Sarah spoke up, "Amy I have to tell you something else about Chase. He has very little to do with his son but does have a legal right to visit him two times a month. He was hear last weekend and one of the kids mentioned that the Miracle Girl was coming to help Skyler. His sick eyes went wide and he started talking about you to and all the fun you had. He told me something and I need to let you know. He has a show close to you next weekend and he said, "Maybe I will have to check up on my girl." Amy sat quietly as she whispered, "Just be careful Amy he is a sick man." They hugged and caught up with the group. Amy was going to make sure Ty was aware of what Sarah said. It had been a great weekend and Chase Powers would not ruin it.