This story idea came to me after seeing the promo trailer for Heartland Season 17, Episode 5, which has not aired as of this posting. I got this idea in my head, and it might be way off base, but the promo mentions Lisa suffers a loss. This is where the idea took me…
She never expected to get a text like that. News that shocking shouldn't come in a text, but she wasn't placing blame. Stunned. She was simply stunned. Sad, confused, shocked-so many emotions. Lisa sat there just staring at her phone almost willing the message to change if she stared at it long enough.
"Lisa-It's Richard. I have no idea where in the world you are living or if this is even your number, but you need to know this-got your number from Dan's phone. He suffered a massive heart attack and didn't make it. Sorry to drop this on you but knew you would want to know."
Lisa let her breath out, not realizing she had been holding it. Instinctively, she wiped at her eye too. Gone? Dan was gone? What was she feeling now? Without thinking, she called the number back, Dan's number, the number that had texted her. She realized her error as it was dialing, and she was about to hang up when a voice answered, one she hadn't heard for a very long time.
"Lisa, it's Richard."
"Richard," she sighed, "I'm so sorry. I wasn't even thinking and dialed Dan's number. He's gone?"
"He is…gone," Richard sighed. "Can't believe my little brother is gone."
"What happened?"
"He was at a polo match, still playing polo, and he just collapsed, right off his horse. Paramedics tried to revive him, and the hospital did too, but they said it was a massive heart attack, more than likely dead before he hit the ground."
"Oh my," Lisa said, biting her lip and trying to hold back the tears as she sat at the kitchen table nodding. "Richard, I'm just so very sorry. I don't even know what more to say."
"He still loved you," Richard told her. "He told me that about a year ago."
"What?" Lisa almost hissed into the phone her voice hitched as she asked that, now her sadness changing to shock. "Not to speak ill of the dead, but Dan never loved me. He loved my money and the business he thought we could build. Looking back, our marriage was not that of a true love. I'm sorry, Richard, but telling me that, no, we aren't some long lost love story."
"He claimed differently and even said he wanted to tell you. Sorry, I don't know why I jumped right to that, but it is still right there in my mind like we talked about it last week. It was a year ago, last time I saw him. He didn't talk about you very much to me, and even then, when I tried to prod him for more or suggest that he try to tell you that, he waved it off. He seemed conflicted."
"Or delusional," Lisa instantly spit out and then even put her hand to her mouth like that would stop what she'd said. She shook her head, "Really, Richard, I am sorry, but I can very well guess why he wouldn't discuss more with you or about any of this nonsense."
"What's your theory then? He refused to say more."
"Ahh, well," she gestured with her hands, not that he could see her, "how about I've been married now for over 10 years."
The line was silent for some time. Lisa closed her eyes and sighed with so many emotions going through her mind. Even now, she couldn't just grieve however she was supposed to. She was dealing with some long-lost love confession her ex-husband had apparently made.
"He never ever mentioned that. I wouldn't have said something about this if he had. I had no idea."
"Mmm," she nodded, "well, Dan did know, and he and Jack have never been friends. He did anything he could to stir the pot when he was still in Hudson. Ahh, where was he living? Last I heard, he was in Florida. I haven't spoken to him in a couple of years since we sold off the last of our joint horses. I didn't run into him in France last few trips either, but those for me have been few and far between. I'm not traveling as much as I was; I'm happy being at home, and a lot of my time has been busy traveling the racing circuit in the U.S.."
"He was in Florida, Palm Beach," Richard told her. "Where are you living these days? Still have Fairfield?"
"Yes, I still run Fairfield. Thinking about it now, Dan sent me a congratulatory card when my horse won the Kentucky Derby. That's the last I heard from him, what two years ago. I've still got Fairfield and still live in Hudson, just not at Fairfield. My husband, Jack, has a ranch here where we live."
"Well, then, my next question is a little awkward, and I suppose I know the answer. We will be having a service here, and I was going to ask if you wanted to speak, knowing that he still cared very much for you."
"No," she said quickly and shook her head. "Please understand, Richard, that I am very sorry to hear about Dan. I really can't believe it. He was only 65," she sighed, shaking her head. Dan was five years older than she was, so it was always quick math to calculate his age. "Speaking at his funeral, though, no I can't do that. I don't want to do that. Our marriage was short-lived, but created long-lasting scars. It took me a long time to heal from that, and I've been really happy the last 17 years I've been with Jack. I cannot in good faith speak."
"I understand. I wanted to ask, especially since I didn't know anything about your current life. You are welcome here for the funeral. I know that has to be your decision, but we would welcome you. We will bury Dan in Palm Beach. He bought a ranch down here and was doing okay."
Lisa rubbed her temple, absorbing it all. She sighed into the phone, not sure how she wanted to answer that, "I appreciate that, Richard. Please know this is a shock to me too, your call, and I cannot commit to anything right now. I'll think about it and will let you know. Jack will be part of any decision I make about my ex-husband now because that is important to me."
"Understood. I will send you all of the details just so you know. It's been a long time, Lisa. I'm sorry we had to speak under these circumstances."
"Yes, me too," Lisa nodded. "Ahh, forgive me, but are you still married to Trish?"
"I am," he told her. "I'm the only brother who kept my marriage together. Larry was divorced too, but he passed away two years ago."
"Again, I'm so sorry," Lisa frowned as she listened. "Please give my best to Trish. I always liked her."
"I will, and you take care, Lisa."
"You as well, Richard, and thank you for letting me know." The call ended, and Lisa looked at the phone with Dan's name and contact information there. Gone. Gosh, it was hard to believe. Heart attack. Heart attack on his horse playing polo, something he loved.
Lisa just sat there, dumbfounded as the details played over in her mind. She shuddered as some similarities came to light and felt badly for thinking the thoughts she was. Jack. Just based on ages, never in her wildest dreams would her ex-husband die first. It was horrible to think that, but Jack's advanced age was no secret. Heart attack-Jack had had a heart attack too, 11 years ago now, one year before they'd married, which was not something that she'd ever forget. She'd almost lost Jack-in more ways than one, first to the heart attack, and second, to their awful break up that still made her almost cry. She'd almost lost him because of all of that, and looking back over these last 10 years, what a miserable life she would have had without Jack. She regretted they let a year slip away from them when he did have his heart attack, a year of both being too stubborn to go after the other. Life had taught her to embrace the living, and she was so very grateful for each and every day she had with Jack. He was her world and made her so happy. She was so very glad she'd given their relationship one more chance, and they'd finally gotten it right. She'd never felt this deep of a loving connection with Dan. He'd used her for her money. Not only had Jack had a heart attack, he'd been on his horse, riding Paint just as he loved doing. Dan was playing polo, one of his favorite things. Goodness. Why did this have to be so similar? Dan was gone. Jack, the true love of her life, was alive, out with the cattle, and married to her. She shouldn't be comparing things, but she couldn't help where her mind was taking her.
Lisa let her mind wander more, and as she collected her thoughts, she closed her eyes and sighed. She had been married to Dan so long ago and thought she was so in love. Now, though, she saw it for what it was, young, stupid decisions and some idealistic view of love. Really, Dan was in love-with her money and place in society. That's all it had been. Whatever he'd tried to tell Richard, she shook her head. It didn't matter.
Lisa picked up her phone, now aware she'd missed her meeting, but that wasn't the call she need to make. She pulled up her contact list and sat back.
"Hi," she sighed, her voice wavering. "Where are you? Something's come up, and I need to talk to you."