A Beacon in the Storm - Chapter 1

by lifein3d

This is a short story about Amy and Ty. It doesn't fit into any particular time line for the show so I'll give you some perspective on where everyone's at. Amy and Ty are engaged but not married yet. Ty has moved into Caleb's trailer. Jack and Lisa are married. Lou and Scott are a thing. Mallory's parents are on tour till the New Year so she's staying at Heartland and doing he

7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Hey, loser!" She announced, alerting him to her presence.

"Ashleigh?! What are you doing here?" Ty asked in surprise. He'd been lost in thought and hadn't heard her enter his hospital room. "Caleb said you weren't coming in till tomorrow."

"I wasn't planning to. But I heard a rumor that you're being an insensitive dumb ass and I wanted to come see for myself. So, I came a day early." She added with her signature smile. But then she walked to the side of his bed, caught his eye and got serious.

"So, what's the deal? You develop some Loner-Bad-Boy Don't-Need-Anybody complex, feeling sorry for yourself or... just being a jerk?

"Yeah, well…. Not one of my better days." Ty acknowledged for the second time that afternoon. He breaks eye contact and stares out the window. Reluctant to face another dressing down.

"You think?!" She pauses. "For the record, if someone risked their own…."

Ty cut her off. "You're a bit late to the party, Ash. Jack was here an hour ago and said the same thing you going to." He sighed, staring down at his hands as if the answer was written on his palms. "I just …. I need …."

Ashleigh waited patiently for him to respond. But seeing him struggle, softened her tone and asked. "What triggered it? Something Amy said or did? Caleb said that you snapped at her. More than once."

"I don't know. Amy's been here every day since the accident and …" He pauses, wading through his thoughts. "I love her for finding me and wanting to help. I do." He pauses again, not yet finding the words.

"Buuuut?" Ashleigh adds before turning to retrieve a chair from the corner. She does this partially because the new boots she's wearing are making her feet sore. But mostly to give Ty more time to figure out how things got to where they are. She places the chair by his bed, hangs her coat on the back and then sits quietly facing him. Waiting. She knows from prior ill-advised attempts to corrupt him that he has a good heart and she's come to consider him a friend.

Ty stares at his hands a bit longer, then out the window for a moment before looking at her. "I know she wants to help. But the way she talks about it. Like after it's all done, I'll be home and everything will go back to normal. But it won't. And when I look at her, it's like I feel that expectation and … sigh" He stops. Feeling himself getting worked up about it, he runs his hand through his hair in frustration.

"So maybe she needs to step back a bit and let you navigate this part on your own. I get it. My mom was sometimes doing things to quote help me." She said, making finger quotes. "And after while, I kinda got to resenting her for it because it felt like she didn't trust me to be able to accomplish things on my own. So, then I just stopped caring and did whatever. Till Caleb found me that day after she'd cut off my credit cards and I ran out of gas."

"I don't know how to talk to her about it. At least, I need to apologize. I tried calling but it went to voice mail so I know she's upset."

"She's okay. I spoke with her on the way here. She's not sure what she did wrong and is a bit confused, and sad about it. I told her you were just being a jerk because you suck at dealing with self-inflicted wounds. And that's what this is, Ty. You know that, right?" She asks, expecting confirmation.

"Yeah, I do." He says finally, looking away. "I've beaten myself up at least a thousand times for not pulling off the road that night."

"And let me guess. It wasn't because of what happened to you. But what could have happened to Amy. Right?"

"If anything had happened to her… " Ty shared, voicing aloud for the first time, the fear that had haunted him since the accident. Feeling the emotion coming on strong from hearing his own words, he lays back and closes his eyes for a moment, willing himself calm.

Ashleigh noticed and, feeling bad for him, cheerfully offered a solution. "You know, you wouldn't have that problem if you sucked more as a boyfriend. Then Amy would never have come looking for you. Problem solved!"

Appreciating her attempt to lighten the mood, Ty took a deep breath and sought clarification. "Very insightful." He shared, opening his almost dry eyes and looking at her. "Where were you six weeks ago? And just to be clear, you're saying I suck at the wrong thing? So, if I sucked at being a boyfriend, Amy wouldn't have come looking for me and wouldn't have been here and had her feelings hurt when she learned that I also suck at dealing with self-inflicted wounds."

"He can be taught!" She announces with a huge smile as she raises her hands in victory. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"Very funny." Ty chuckles, feeling a bit lighter about the whole thing.

Then Ashleigh flips to serious mode again. "Well, actually…. the thing I think you're not used to is people worrying about you. Like they actually care that you're okay. It took me a while to get used to that with Caleb." She admits, letting Ty in on her own moment of self-reflection. "He's like a big teddy bear who just loves you whether you think you deserve it or not."

Appreciating her sharing and insight, he adds. "Yeah, I've been getting that message from everyone since the accident. Jack, Lisa, Lou and even Caleb. They all tell me they're glad that I'm going to be okay, but then get mad at me for putting myself and Amy at risk."

"Yeah, we love you like family so don't do stupid things that make us worry about you." Ashleigh summaries.

"As for whether you deserve it, Ash. I get it. I do. I'm there some days. Most days, actually." Ty shares, finishing his thought.

"Well, Amy obviously sees enough good in you to risk her own safety, Ty. So maybe you and I just have to learn to trust what other people see in us, especially when we can't see it ourselves." She pauses for a moment, fidgeting with a tissue she pulled from her coat pocket. Then dabs the tip of her nose. "When I brought up the idea of going to university to study business admin and accounting, Caleb was all for it. At first, you know, I thought he was just using it as an excuse to get rid of me. But then he said he'd come see me on the weekends when I wasn't too busy and then he said he had no doubt that I could do it." She sticks the tissue back in her pocket and finishes. "When he says things like that, they feel so genuine and solid, I have a hard time not believing him."

"Yeah." Ty agrees. Feeling the same about Amy's words to him. "Anything you have to say, I'll listen." And she did listen. She was the only person he told why he was sent to Juve. She listened and didn't judge him or hold it against him. She even went so far as to say she was glad he was there because she wanted his awkward moment of sharing to end on a happy note. "Who does that?" he remembers thinking after she walked away. But, like Caleb's words to Ashleigh, they felt solid and genuine. And just to prove it, the very next day she asked him why he hadn't told her sooner. It was like she was saying "I will listen to anything you want to share. But it won't make me feel any less about you." And that moment formed a big part of the foundation on which their relationship was built.

Ty and Ashleigh went quiet for a moment, reflecting on words shared and just feeling really comfortable in that space. Ty, realizing that his mind was clear for the first time since the accident, gains a new level of appreciation for Ashleigh, a friend he never expected to have. He watches her for a moment, lost in her own thoughts. Then pipes up.

"For the record, Caleb stood right about where you are and said that if you were out in the storm, he wouldn't hesitate to go look for you."

"He actually said that?" She asked, somewhat surprised. And humbled. "Awwww. My teddy bear loves me."

"He definitely loves you and thinks you're worth it, Ashleigh." Ty affirms, watching her whole demeanor change as she feels the words soak in like warm cocoa on a cold winter day. She sits quiet. Then reaches into her coat pocket for another tissue. She doesn't need it. It's just something to fidget with while she lets her thoughts settle.

"So why is that so hard to accept some times? I thought my so-called "friends" cared. Till they found out my mom had cut me off. Then they suddenly got busy and didn't want to hang out anymore."

He ignores her question because he knows that she knows the answer. Addressing it would only add to the hurt she still feels so he shifted gears. "You know what's weird?"

"What?"

"I never imagined you and Amy actually becoming friends."

"What can I say. I think I was a bit jealous. She had this identity. This ability with horses and all I had was a reputation. But in a weird way, Amy's a lot like Caleb. Yeah, she can be crazy jealous and insecure at times, but she's genuine. What you see is what you get. There's no agenda. And they both have good hearts."

"That's what makes it hard. I know she's just trying to be supportive and she has been. Running errands for me and adjusting the covers and whatever else I need or even hint at."

"But then you fell in the hall."

"And she rushed over and wanted to help me up and it made me feel like a small kid whose mom was coming to rescue him after he fell on the playground and scraped his knee." I know that sounds weird but….

"And she wanted to kiss it and make it all better?" Ashleigh posits, finishing his thought. She leans forward as he's getting quieter as he speaks.

"Yeah. But she can't." He stops for a moment, thinking back to that moment when the pain shot up his left leg and he lost his balance. "Taking those first steps made it all so real and maybe overwhelming. I'm going to have to be careful walking, wear special shoes or get inserts for my existing shoes to protect the front of my foot. Running may not be in the cards for who knows how long and I have no idea what the pain level is going to be. Right now, the meds are keeping most of it at bay. But I don't want to be on them forever."

"Ty, you had surgery five days ago. This was your second attempt, taking a few steps in the hall. So, talk with her. Amy's not fragile and I'm pretty sure you can't scare her away. But maybe switch it up and tell her more how you feel and less what you want. Let her in. You're way too good at living inside your own head, Ty. That doesn't bode well for the people who love you and want to help."

"I know. She's gotten pretty good at drawing me out. But then I get so tongue tied around her."

"Yeah, I've seen it. Not pretty." She teases. "Well, at least you're not having a pity party over losing a few toes. Do you know how many people lose body parts each year? Over 185,000! We're talking arms and legs, Ty! Not just a few toes."

"I'll keep that in mind." He concedes, smiling at her.

"You know you're stubborn enough to get through this and keep going. Right?!"

"I'm getting there."

"Just don't shut out the people that love you. I know that's maybe something you're not 100% use to yet, but it seems to be a packaged deal with Caleb and Amy and Jack and Lou. Not really sure about Mallory."

"It depends on the day." Ty offers. "Some days, I think she likes me. Other days, she watches me like I'm some weird science project."

"You are a weird science project." She jokes before getting up. "That's all I came to say. Caleb's waiting for me down stairs. I'm going to reconn in the children's ward. I found a cute elf costume and Caleb and I are going to surprise some kids tomorrow. Call me weird, but I love doing things that put a smile on his face."

"Ashleigh Stanton, a hopeless romantic?! Who knew."

She grabs her coat and moves the chair back in the corner where she found it. Then turns back to him for a moment.

"As simple as it sounds, it feels really good to feel loved. That's what Caleb does. See ya."

And with that, she was out the door.

…..

Back at Heartland, Lou is busy in the Kitchen. She has a ham in the oven and is at the sink peeling potatoes. Mallory has been roped into chopping carrots into small chunks for a honey carrot recipe that Jack likes.

"You know potatoes are healthier with the skins on. I thought they were gross at first when my mom started doing them that way. But I just add more butter and they taste okay." Mallory shares, in between bites of carrot.

"I tried, but Grandpa doesn't like them that way. Even if I run them through the food processor, he claims he can still taste them." Then turning to look at Mallory, adds. "I hope you're chopping more than you're chomping."

Ignoring the chomping comment, Mallory asks. "Should I talk to him? I know he can be stubborn about things like that."

"I'm thinking you should just let this one go." Lou says, grinning to herself and turning back to the sink. "Thanks for helping with the carrots, by the way."

After another minute or so, Lou finishes pealing. She grabs a knife and cutting board and joins Mallory at the table.

"When's Amy coming back? I haven't seen her since this morning."

"She's headed to Scott's to check on Harley. Scott has been exercising him on the new treadmill they got. Says it seems to be helping; at least to a point."

"How big does a treadmill have to be for a horse to use it?" Mallory asks. Her curiosity piqued. "That would be too funny if you went to the gym and there was a horse using one of the treadmills."

"From the pictures Scott sent, it's pretty big. And it has railings on all sides to keep the horse from falling off. I'll show you photos after you're done with the carrots. Scott sent Amy and me a couple.

"Cool! So, what's it like walking without all of your toes?" Mallory asks, switching subjects without missing a beat. Her pace at carrot cutting slowed considerably as her curiosity increased.

"Well, from what I've read, if you lose the big toe, you can have issues with balance. You have to be careful not to take too big a step. Also, running is not something you'll want to do because it puts pressure on the front of the foot. And the front of Ty's foot is going to be extra sensitive for a while."

"But Ty still has his big toe and the one next to it. Right?" She asks, putting the knife down so Lou doesn't worry so much.

"Yes, he has both of those. All he needs is a slight adjustment to his walk, then he should be okay. He will have to have special shoes or inserts for his regular shoes. And he'll need to be extra careful not to hit his foot on anything. Hitting your toe is bad enough. Hitting the front of your foot can be much worse."

"Yeah, my dad hit his toe on the door frame once. Said it felt like he shoved it out the back of his foot. I think he limped most of the next day. When he does stuff like that, mom just looks at him and shakes her head."

"I think we've all done that." Lou shares. "You almost done there or are you going to eat that last one."

"Nah, I'm kinda full. I like them better raw."

"I've noticed. But I think you'll like them with the honey on them even better."

Just then, Jack comes in the house. Lou saw him drive up about an hour ago and head straight into the barn. That usually meant that whatever had happened, hadn't set well with him and he needed to talk it out with Old Paint.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour. Hams in the oven and we're working on the potatoes and carrots now."

Not getting a response, Lou tries again. "I take it your talk with Ty didn't go very well."

Jack, noticing Mallory sitting at the table, alters his intended reply. "It went okay. I think he got the message."

"So, you drove all the way to the hospital to holler at Ty for hollering at Amy?" Mallory asks, ever curious as to the goings on and the people involved.

"He didn't really holler at her." Lou corrects. "He just sorta barked at her a bit."

Giving Lou a very stern look, Mallory explains. "That's one notch below hollering. And if he said what he said loud enough it's as …"

"Mallory! Enough! What I discussed with Ty is really none of your concern." Jack states, putting an end to the discussion. Or so he thought.

"It doesn't sound like a discussion." She voices quietly. Then jumps right back into it. "So why did he bark at her?" She asks. Her piqued curiosity piquing.

Jack took a moment to hang up his coat and sit down on the bench. Then he just stared at her. Mallory knew what that meant and the discussion was over. Lou saw it also and decided a bit of distraction was needed.

"Mallory, put the chopped carrots into the pan on the stove. It's not hot so just dump them in. Then add two tablespoons of butter."

"You having me cook them?" Mallory asks, a bit surprised.

"Doesn't your mom let you cook at home?" Lou asks, curious as to how that would really work and then quickly deciding she didn't want to know.

"Sometimes. But only when she's really close by to watch." Mallory shares as she carries handfuls of carrots to the stove. She drops a couple on the way. Lou and Jack both watch as she picks each one up, rinses it off in the sink and adds it to the pan.

"Well, all you're doing is warming them up for me. I'll be mixing in the honey and maybe a bit more butter if it needs it." Lou explains. Then adds "Thanks for rinsing off the ones you dropped."

"Yeah, Mom wasn't very happy when she found out what I did with the celery. It was an accident, but rinsing is definitely the way to go." Mallory confirms, causing both Lou and Jack to chuckle. They watch as she grabs a measuring spoon from the drawer and proceeds to very carefully scoop just enough butter to fill the spoon level and then flick it into the pan with her finger. "All done."

"Good, now turn the stove on medium and I'll take over from there."

Suddenly, Lou's phone rings. She puts down the knife and quickly wipes her hands on a towel before picking it up. "Hello" she says, once the connection is established. Walking into the hallway and away from people, she confers with the delivery person. "Yes, the cabin on the left. Thank you." She finishes, barely above a whisper.

Ending the call, she cannot help but feel excited about her late-night rendezvous with Scott. They'd planned this for right after Christmas but with Ty getting in the accident, they decided to put it on hold. Plus, Scott had been out on a couple late calls with Dozer which also interrupted their plans. But tonight, it was happening and she had ordered something special for the occasion.

Taking a moment to calm herself down, she walked back into the Kitchen in time to see Grandpa rushing over to the stove to turn the burner under the carrots down. "Mallory, I'm pretty sure that is nooot medium." Jack informed her.

"Well, it looked medium to me." She explained as she quickly moved out of the way.

"I'm guessing you don't do that much cooking at your house." Jack surmised, quickly lifting the pan and turning the burner down.

"Not really. Mom lets me help her bake things. Mostly cookies and brownies and such."

"That sounds like the perfect job for you." Jack affirms as he holds the pan until the bright orange glow of the heating element has faded to a dull red color. After eyeing it for a bit, satisfied that all is well, he sets the pan back down, grabs a cup of coffee and takes a sip.

"Looks like you're cooking up a feast, Lou. We expecting company?"

"Ashleigh came in a day early, apparently also to have a discussion with Ty. They're coming here for supper. Scott and Cassandra are coming as well. Ty's going to be discharged in three days and so we thought we'd put our heads together and see what we can do to help him get acclimated to his new situation."

Seeing that Mallory was off in the Living Room reading a book she stole from her parents; Jack sits down at the table.

"I was going to read him the riot act, Lou. Amy was upset when she called me."

"But then you got there and you saw him. Right?" Lou affirmed. She'd noticed the same thing the day before when she stopped by. She arrived just in time to watch them get Ty up on his feet for the first time. I hurt her to watch how much it was hurting him.

"I don't know how to say it. He just looked defeated. Like he'd been thrown off a horse and didn't know how to get up."

"It's going be hard for him, Grandpa. They've got him up on his feet and it's only been five days since the surgery. It's got to be hitting home. Especially after what happened today. And I think part of his barking at Amy is because she doesn't understand that yet. She's thinking everything will be like it was before. But it won't. Not for a long time. If ever."

"So maybe we should add that to the list of things to be discussed over dinner." He proposes, taking another sip of his coffee. "Amy needs to be realistic in her expectations. Every step that boy takes is going to remind him of the decision he made."

"And who he put at risk because of it." Lou adds with thoughts of Amy out in the storm still lingering in the back of her mind.

"This is new territory for all of us. I think we need to trust that Ty will tell us what he needs. And from talking with Dr. Ferguson, phantom pain may be an issue for a while."

"Should make for an interesting meal." She confirms before getting up with her pan of potatoes and walking over to the stove. She stirs the carrots, adds a bit more butter, then puts a lid on them and sets the egg timer for six minutes. Heading to the sink, she adds water to the potatoes and turns the burner on High to get them boiling.

"Can you and Mallory set the table please. And there are dinner roles in the grocery bag on the table. Put them on a plate and make sure the butter dish is full. Caleb loves butter."

"Caleb loves food." Jack corrects, catching Lou's eye as he gets up.

Not missing a beat, Lou adds. "And Caleb loves Ashleigh."

"That's old news! I figured that out four months ago." Mallory announces from the Living Room.

They just grin and go about their business.

Jack appears a minute later to grab some plates and silverware. "So how many places, Lou?"

"Ten, Grandpa. Dad is with Casey, visiting her family."

Five minutes later, the table is set with places for everyone they're expecting.

…..

"Thanks for letting me know, Ash. Really? He said that?! Yeah, that sounds like Ty. I wish he could see his heart as well as I do. I've tried talking to him. I know Lisa and Lou did also. Maybe it'll sink in at some point but he's grown up learning to rely only on himself and he's wired to expect to lose the things he loves. It took me a while to figure that out but understanding that helps me understand how he thinks. And why he makes the decisions he does."

Amy pauses to take drink of her cooling hot chocolate. "Okay, I'll try not to be a helicopter girlfriend. Thanks for telling me." She takes another sip and almost spits it out. "Wait, you and Caleb?! I want a selfie!" She declares, trying to visualize the two of them. "Yes, you can have the kids in the photo too. I bet they'd love that." Amy smiles, thinking of Ashleigh as Santa's helper. She has no problem with Caleb as Santa because that big heart of his makes him perfect for the role. "Hey, I gotta go check on Harley. You go do your reconn and give Santa a hug for me. See you for dinner? Good! Bye." Amy puts her phone down and drains the rest of her cold hot chocolate.

She'd pulled into a parking lot when Ashleigh called. Figuring she'd have a few things to say. Hearing what Ashleigh shared with her caused some mixed emotions. She was glad that Ty opened up to her about what was troubling him. She just wished it had been her that he was able to talk with. "That will come, Amy. You just have to be patient." She tells herself.

Amy knew from talking with Dr. Ferguson that they had Ty stand up for the first time yesterday. They made sure he was pretty much pain free, but it was still a challenge. And then today with him trying to walk. "Oh, Ty. I'm so sorry."

Getting back on the road, she thinks about what Ashleigh said about her being always right there whenever Ty needed something. How her being a helicopter girl wasn't always the best thing. About two miles later, she realized that she was hovering out of love but also out of guilt. As if she could somehow absolve herself by being right there to minimize the fallout. "This is going to be harder than I thought. I'm gonna have to add that to the list of things to talk with Ty about. And I have to figure out how to forgive myself. Maybe I need to talk to Lou again." Amy hears herself, remembering Lou's comment about not getting to own what happened to Ty.

Deciding she's thought enough about everything for now, Amy cranked the radio to drown any further internal commentary. A Calgary station, CFWE, had switched from Christmas music to back to Country. And for the next few minutes, Amy heard Randy Travis sing about a drug that makes him feel like he feels when he's with his girl. Pulling into the parking lot at the clinic, she switched off the radio and then the car. "If only Ty had a prescription for those." She thought as she exited the vehicle and zipped up her coat.

"So, how's Harley doing?" Amy asks, walking into the back room to join Scott and Cassandra. Coming in the front entrance, she followed the rather loud humming sound to its source.

Pausing for a moment, she takes in the sheer size of the machine. "Wow!" She adds, walking over to inspect it. "Can you tilt the bed?"

"Yes, but there are other things you need to do to keep the machine stable and the animal safe. And there are sensors along the track to stop it quickly if the animal faulters in any way." Scott shares, walking over to her side.

After inspecting as much of the machine as she can see, Amy is satisfied that it's sturdy enough and there's no risk of it collapsing and hurting Harley. She also notes that he's still in the harness he was transported in. "Like Scott hasn't checked this setup a hundred different ways! Seriously, Amy?!"

"I thought you were going to take the harness off?" She asked, still not acknowledging Harley, who's been looking down at her from above.

"I only put it on when he's on the treadmill. He's still showing some weakness in his back legs and I thought it best to keep him in it while he's on the machine."

"Are you going to keep the treadmill?"

"Not sure yet. It does take up a bit of space. After Harley has recovered, I'm not sure how much use I'd get out of it. So maybe we move it to Heartland if things work out." He hesitates, not sure how much he wants to share.

Getting impatient, Cassandra fills in the details. "The dealer said that we could keep the treadmill… IF we feature it in at least one video showing Harley running on it. They said the PR from that video would more than cover the cost and would definitely get them some new business. Harley is pretty famous. Have you seen his Facebook page? It's crazy!"

"But you don't want to?" Amy asks, knowing Scott's allergy to any type of public exposure. "You wouldn't be the one running." She confirms with a smile and a shoulder nudge.

"Very funny." Scott replies.

Cassandra chuckles. "I'd pay a few bucks to see him run on that."

"You'd be laughing all the while you're jacking up the speed." Scott countered, knowing full well what she was capable of.

"You know it! Payback for the cat vomit I had to clean up when I got in this morning. Beyond gross!" Cassandra added, pinching her nose with her fingers. "I'm going to have to scald myself when I get home. I stink."

Fed up with being ignored by everyone, Harley gives a loud snort. Hovering over them by a couple feet, they feel the rush of air and a few particulates fly by.

"Great. Icing on the cake." Cassandra laments as she moves out of range and checks her hair for organic particulates.

Taking Harley's cue and switching gears, Amy climbs up on the front of the treadmill. "How is my brave boy?" she asks as Harley lowers his head and tries to lip her ear. "Do you like the treadmill? I hope so. You have to heal up so Ty can ride you again."

"You think he'll be able to?" She asks, looking down at Scott. "Ride, I mean."

"That depends on how his feet are feeling, Amy. My guess is that pain levels will pretty much dictate how quickly he heals and what level of movement he has."

"Yeah." She concedes as Harley bumps her with his head. She uses both hands to scratch the sides of his neck and slowly work up to around his eyes and muzzle. "You're doing so good, Harley." She tells him, switching to rubbing under his chin, something that he particularly likes.

"So how fast has he been going on this thing?" She asks.

"Just a trot. If we try and go faster or go for more than a couple minutes, something happens to his back legs and he falters."

"You ruled out muscle death, right?" Amy queried, growing a bit concerned for the lack of progress. Harley has been exercising on the machine for three days now with no improvement.

"We did and we've been drawing blood every other day just to rule out anything new. That tells me it's strictly a nerve problem and the only way to solve that is to work the legs."

"Are you adding anything to his feed?" She asks, scratching his neck and then doing some T-Touch.

"Yes, the herbs you suggested with his food and also a new medicine in his water. It's supposed to help repair damaged nerves."

Amy continues to focus on Harley, pushing all thoughts of Ty and what happened earlier, out of her mind. Doing so affords her a familiar calm that she's come to appreciate. She takes a long slow breath and thinks about Harley's situation for a moment and then has an idea. "You wanna go faster, Harley? You do like running so how about we try something. How about you chase me? You want to do that?"

"What are you thinking, Amy?" Scott asks, overhearing her conversation.

"I think Harley just needs some encouragement to go faster. Do you have a ladder available?"

"Yeah, in the store room. I've got a ladder and a step stool. If you're planning what I think you're planning, go for the step stool. The top step is wide enough to stand on and should put you at about the right height."

"Good, I want to be eye level with Harley, but several feet in front of him. I want him to try and catch me." She says, feeling more excited about it the more she considers it. "I think he just needs a reason to go faster."

"Curious. I never thought of that but it may just work. He's on the machine and in the harness. And you are the Miracle Girl." Scott posits, thinking it through along with any possible issues that might arise.

"Ty and I use to race. Him on Harley and me on Spartan. So I know he likes to run, Scott." Amy continues, her excitement continuing to grow.

"Let me go get the stool. I'll send Cassandra here as she'll need to be a second spotter." Scott informs her before heading to the store room.

Amy continues to talk with Harley, trying to get him excited for the race about to happen. She scritches his neck and up by his ears and again under his chin. "Are you ready for this? Are you going to catch me?"

A few minutes later, Scott returns with the step stool and Cassandra.

"Scott tells me you and Harley are going to race?" Cassandra asks. Puzzled as to how that could work.

"Yes, we are. I'm going to stand on the stool and try and get Harley to come after me. To follow me. I'm hoping it will encourage him to try harder. Maybe figure out those back legs finally so he can come back to Heartland. I'm really hoping he'll be there when Ty gets back."

"When is Ty being discharged?" Cassandra asks, taking up her position at the back of the treadmill.

"In three days, if all goes well." Amy replies, excited for the prospect of Ty's return but feeling less at peace about him being front and center in her thoughts once again. She takes a moment to lock those thoughts away and put her focus back on Harley.

"Just how fast are you planning to push him, Amy?" Scott asks, setting the step stool up where she pointed.

"As fast as he wants to go. If everything looks good, follow my lead and add speed!" She replies, feeling ready to jump out of her own skin. "Wait! Can this machine handle it?" She asks, suddenly feeling a bit concerned but not enough to dampen her enthusiasm.

"According to the sales rep, it's built using the same parts as their larger flagship model. And that one can handle a Belgian horse at a full gallop. Shouldn't be a problem, Amy."

Scott thinks about it then tells Cassandra "If I give you a thumbs down, I want you to lower the harness. Thumbs up means bring it up."

"Okay. Let me grab the controller for the winch. What are you thinking?" She asks.

"If Amy can get Harley to actually gallop and his legs look stable, I want to slowly put more of his weight on them and see if he can handle it."

"Do you think that's a good idea? What if he falters while at a full gallop?" Cassandra asks, visualizing how traumatic that could be for the horse.

"Scott, how about we do this over a couple of days?" Amy suggests, tempering her own expectations and enthusiasm in exchange for a safer approach.

"I'm not going to put all of his weight on them. Not today, anyway. But we do need to get him there if you're going to take him home in three days, Amy. Do you have some free time the next two days?"

"I'll make time. I really want Harley back at Heartland with Ty. I think it will do them both good." Amy shares, looking from Scott to Cassandra. "They can finish healing together."

"Sounds like a plan." Cassandra agrees. "Lock the two of them in a stall and have them work it out."

Taking up their stations, Scott steps back so he's facing the left side of the machine. That allows him to monitor Harley's gate. He's holding the wired remote in his hand. Cassandrea watches from the back, monitoring for any side movement of his legs and has the winch control in-hand. Amy is standing on the top of the step stool. This puts her eye level with Harley, just as she planned.

"Ready here." Cassandra calls.

Amy focuses on Harley as Scott starts the treadmill. Harley's steps are smooth and look normal has he begins.

"Show me what you can do, Harley. Come on." Amy encourages, gesturing with her hands for him to follow her. Harley presses up against the bumper on the front of the treadmill as he tries to get closer to her.

"There you go! That's my good boy. Come on Harley!" Amy continues.

Scott increases the speed and Harley begins to trot. His movement steady and assured.

"You are doing so good, Harley!" Amy calls. She leans toward him and skritches his muzzle as he continues at a steady gate.

"Let's hold there and see if he gets past the 2-minute mark, Amy." Scott calls.

Things look good for the first 70 seconds or so, then a misstep by his left rear leg causes Harley's backend to drop. Fortunately, the harness caught him so he didn't fall. But the unexpected movement startled him and Scott hit the STOP button on the treadmill.

Amy quickly jumped from the stool and climbed up on the front of the treadmill. "Hey, it's okay. You just stepped funny. That's all. You're safe." She says in a soft voice, stroking his neck with her hand as she works to calm him. "There you go. You're okay, Harley. That's my good boy."

"Scott, I think he felt something in that left leg." Cassandra shares, continuing to watch Harley's movements through the treadmill railing. She explains further. "He'd just picked up the right leg and the left one collapsed a bit"

"Let's back him out and check that leg." Scott says as he walks to the back of the machine. He presses a button on the controller and the airbags on the front and sides deflate. He then hangs the controller on one of the provided hooks on the side rail, removes the two lock pins and opens the back gate.

Amy walks Harley backward out of the machine and she keeps him calm as Scott examines the leg. He checks for any abnormalities in the knee or other places along its length. He also checks for any bruises that may have occurred while on the treadmill. Finding nothing suspicious, he has Amy hold him steady as he compresses the leg and moves it in different directions.

"How does it look, Scott?" Amy asks, feeling anxious.

"I don't think pain caused this. I've moved the leg through the same motions and he had no reaction. I'm thinking it's still nerve related." Scott concludes.

"So, let's try it again." Amy suggests. "I know he wants to, Scott."

"I'm not sure that's advised under the circumstances, Amy. It'll be the fourth time today." He replies, feeling a bit frustrated. He's hoping that Amy will concede but he knows she won't.

It's been a long haul for both Scott and Cassandra. They've run tests, walked Harley around both inside and outside the facility without a problem. But have made no progress on the treadmill since day two. Yes, he did get into a trot, but it didn't last. Something always happened causing them both to sigh in frustration.

"Scott, I know he wants to do it again. I can feel it. He just needs some encouragement. Please, just one more try." She pleads. "You want to run, don't you, Harley. Enough of this hanging around going slow business for you!" she says, using both hands to skritch his neck.

Not giving up, Amy offers another argument. "Didn't you say that the only way to resolve a nerve problem is through exercise? What could be better and safer than the setup you have right now, Scott?"

"Okay. But the animal is in my care and I will stop it if I don't like what I see, Amy. Agreed?" He states, looking at her and waiting for confirmation.

Hearing Scott's patent declaration about the animal being in his care, Amy knows that she's pushing her luck. That too does absolutely nothing to temper her excitement and she quickly agrees.

They walk Harley back onto the treadmill. Close and lock the back gate. Amy climbs up on the front and keeps Harley company was Scott reinflates the air bags on the front and sides. Doing so causes Harley to shift to the center of the treadmill where he should be. "There you go, Harley. All set."

Cassandra moves back into position. She grabs the control for the strap winch. "Ready." She says, feeling less than enthused about the situation.

Still feeling a bit frustrated, Scott takes a bit longer to make sure the machine is set properly. He then reviews the controls on the remote, working through the speed-up and slow-down sequences. You can really injure a horse if you immediately stop the treadmill while the horse is in a trot or going faster. So he errs on the side of caution and walks through the sequence.

The treadmill also allows the tread to freewheel by disconnecting the motor from the drive roller at the back of the machine. Ten heavy metal disks inside of that one-foot diameter drive roller act as a flywheel, providing momentum so the horse feels like he's actually pushing against the ground. The number of disks engaged is dictated by the weight of the horse. Part of the profile info that Scott entered after the machine was installed.

Finally, he looks at Cassandra and then over at Amy who's waiting patiently on the step stool. "Ready." He announces as he starts the tread.

"Let's go, Harley. Let's show Scott what you can do." Amy calls. She watches as he walks for about 30 seconds or so. Everything looks good so Scott increases the speed, pushing Harley into a trot.

"Two minutes, Amy." Scott calls out. He's expecting the same result as the last time. And the time before that and the time before that. But he and Cassandra watch with the same level of dedication they did the first time that morning.

Amy notices Scott's change in demeanor and ramps up her efforts with Harley. Standing on the step stool, she turns around and pretends to be jogging, encouraging Harley to keep going. "Come on, Harley. Doesn't that feel good?" She calls to him. "Come on Good Boy!"

When they hit the three-minute mark, Scott increases the speed of the treadmill. This causes the front bumper and air bag to extend, pushing Harley further back and allowing space for the full extension of his front legs. Side bumpers also expand, helping to keep him centered on the track.

After another minute, Harley shows no sign of tiring. Scott looks on in amazement as the display shows forward pressure on the tread increasing. Harley is actually pushing the tread faster than the motor is driving it.

Suspecting what's about to happen, Scott takes his cell phone out and sets it up on a shelf to record the action. "She is the Miracle Girl." He tells himself, feeling excited for the first time in two days. When Amy turns to look at Harley, she sees the same thing Scott does. Harley wants to run!

"Scott!" She calls out.

"I see it, Amy. Give me a second." He puts his hand on the speed control, looks at Cassandra who gives him a thumbs up. He confirms the location of two other switches he'll need.

Stepping back, he takes a deep breath, confirms his fingers on the right controls. "Go for it, Amy!" Scott calls.

"HARLEY! Come and get me!" Amy calls as she jumps down from the stool and runs part way to the far wall. She quickly turns and calls to him, waving her hands and jumping. "Come and get me!"

Harley takes off like a shot! Or at least as fast as the treadmill will allow. Scott quickly adjusts the speed to keep up with him. And when it gets high enough, he flips a switch to disengage the motor so the tread freewheels with Harley driving it. And Harley is driving it! Pushing steadily into a full gallop!

The thundering sound of hoof beats fill the room as three people watch Harley push himself even faster. The thick rubber pad covering the tread does little to dampen the pounding of reenergized hooves.

"Holy Crap!" Cassandra exclaims, walking over by Scott to take in the full scene. Harley is running like a spirit that's been set free. And that spirit wants to run! "Tell me this machine can handle it!"

Amy stops jumping and shouting for a moment and watches Harley run. She senses joy in his movement. He isn't struggling or straining. He is flying. His spirit has been restored and is free. She cannot help but feel joy for him.

"Come on Harley! Come on!" She calls, jumping up and down, waving her hands and reveling in the excitement of that moment and so so happy for the horse who was ready to sacrifice himself to save them.

After another 20 seconds or so, Scott calls to her. "Time to slow him down, Amy. We don't want him to overheat and cause other problems."

Amy jumps up a few more times. 'Yeah! Harley!" She calls. Then slowly walks toward the front of the treadmill. This causes Harley to slow down to a speed where Scott reengages the motor which, thanks to specialized circuitry, adjusts to Harley's speed.

When he slows to a walking pace, Amy moves the step stool in front of the treadmill and climbs up. "You caught me, Harley! You caught me!" She exclaims, feeling the happiest she's been in a long time.

Scott walks over and stops the recording.

"I think that should do nicely." He tells them.

"I can't believe you got him to gallop, Amy! That was incredible!" Cassandra gushes.

"You have to keep that treadmill, Scott. If you don't, I'll take it off your hands. Lisa may have a use for it also, now that I think about it."

"That was amazing, Amy. I think your fiendish plan is going to work. If Harley shows no degradation from this little run, you can probably take him home in three days, like you plan."

Amy comes over and hugs him. "Thanks, Scott! You and Cassandra put a lot of time, effort and energy into helping him get better. It's only because you got him this far, that he was ready to run."

"You and I both saw it, Amy. He just needed the encouragement and you definitely did that."

All three of them hugged briefly. Each of them caught up in the joy of the moment. For Scott, it was the fulfillment of a promise he made when he realized what Harley had done and more importantly, was prepared to do. "I will free the spirit of that animal."

For Cassandra, it started out as with any other animal in Scott's care. But she came to understand how important his healing was to Scott. She sensed the respect that he felt for Harley and so her drive came from wanting to help Scott. Yet, underneath that often cynical and crusty exterior, she held a great love for the animals in her care. Often talking to them when no one was within earshot or taking a dog or cat out of their cage for a while just to roam around. Joy was there for her as well, just below the surface.

For Amy, watching Harley run felt like pure joy. She desperately wanted to restore what had been taken from him so that he could be free and reconnect with his rider.

"Mission accomplished!" Amy announced, pulling away.

"Let's get him cooled down and brushed." Scott said, switching off the machine. He unlocked the rear gate and Amy backed Harley out of the machine and guided him over to another room so he could be washed and brushed.

Scott checked all four of his legs and used his stethoscope to make sure all the internals sounded like they should. Cassandra sprayed him with a hose on one side while Amy brushed the other.

"Good boy, Harley! You do love to run. Don't ya!" Amy said, taking a break and putting her arms around his neck. This lasts for a couple seconds till Cassandra accidently sprays her with the hose.

"Do I look like a horse to you?!" Amy says, stepping back. Hands on her hips. Huge smile on her face.

They have a good laugh, followed by a few more accidental sprays. Soon the brushing and wash are done and Harley is placed back in his stall with a fresh bed of straw, a full water bucket and extra treats.

All three feel like a tremendous weight has been lifted. Scott calls Dozer to give him the good news. He'd been asking about Harley just about every time they talked. He lets Amy tell the folks at Heartland.

"I think I'm going to wait and show them the video. Can you send it to me?" She asks Scott, still feeling like she wants to jump out of her skin.

…..

Ty was happy that the rest of his afternoon was free of visitors. There was the occasional check in by the nurse on duty. Margaret made it a point to stop a couple times during her shift, just to see how he was doing. She didn't check his pulse or blood pressure. She just walked straight to the side of the bed and talked to him. He appreciated that and found her to be a great sounding board at times.

Having witnessed his barking episode earlier that day, she did offer the chance for him to vent when he felt that he needed to. It could be about anything. But the goal was to get the schmuntz as she called it, out of his head so he could continue to move forward and not alienate the people who loved him.

They'd removed the IV last night and he was now taking oral medication to manage the pain. Sitting in his bed finishing his dinner, his feet were not causing him any serious discomfort and he almost felt normal.

"Normal?! There is no normal." He told himself. "Normal isn't coming around for a long time." The voice in his head reminded him. As if he didn't know that already. Especially after today. He closes his eyes for a moment, trying to push the thoughts away. He succeeds after a bit and then distracts himself watching the comings and goings of people and vehicles moving about the hospital grounds.

Taking the last bite of his BLT, he washed it down with a mixture of apple juice and Sprite. Coke, his preferred non-alcoholic beverage, was not allowed due to the caffeine. After a bit of experimenting, he found just the right mix of the juice and soda to make it interesting.

He was just about to take a bite of a chocolate chip cookie when the door opened and Dr. Ferguson strolled in. Coming over to the side of the bed, he eyes Ty up and down for a moment.

"I hear ya had a wee scunnered earlier today? You get all testy or something?" He asks. Then moves to the foot of the bed so he can check the bandages on Ty's feet.

"Something like that." Ty admits, putting the cookie down.

"Sorry I missed it. I had a couple surgeries and a patient visit that took longer than I expected. He's a new patient, starting out where you've already been, Ty." He shares this as he pokes at the bandages a bit, checking for any bleeding or other signs of trouble. Satisfied, he moves back to the side of the bed.

"This is the hardest part of the road you're on, Ty. Up till now, you've been a passenger, riding along on gurneys and wheel chairs. Kept pretty much pain free till today. Today was a smack-you-upside-the-head reality check. Again, I'm sorry I wasn't here but you knew this was coming. You just didn't know how bad it was going to be until you tried to take that first step."

He pauses for a moment, letting his words soak in. Ty laid back in bed and closed his eyes. He remembered exactly what it felt like and hearing the doctor's words acted like a magnifier for the pain he felt.

Dr. Ferguson put his hand on Ty's shoulder and continued. "But I promise you. Every step you take is going to get easier. Your feet are still healing and it's going to take time. But it's important that we get you walking so that the bones, ligaments and surrounding tissue get use to movement again."

Dr. Ferguson pauses after this, looking for any acknowledgement from Ty. He becomes concerned that Ty's withdrawing into himself and he doesn't want that to happen. He's seen it with other patients who get caught up in the pain trap and don't put in the effort. This makes their recovery take that much longer and become much more painful.

"Ty, look at me. I need to know that you're still onboard with this." He asks after another pause.

"I'm here." Ty says, opening his eyes and looking at the doctor.

"Good. I'm glad. Do you remember when I walked in here and we shook hands?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember what I said?"

"Something about meeting me half way."

"Exactly. And that's where we are right now, Ty. I've done my part. I've removed what was no longer viable or healthy and have left you with two very good feet. Now you have to figure out how to use them and take care of them. But you will get there. The steps you take every day will get easier. Okay?"

"Okay." Ty says with about as much enthusiasm as Dr. Ferguson hoped. He made a mental note to have the staff keep a closer eye on him over the next couple of days.

"Do me a favor if you would. Don't piss off the people that love you. You're gonna want them around. Especially that cute blonde one." He shares with a grin, tapping Ty on the shoulder for emphasis.

"Yeah, I'm hoping to fix that."

"So, here's the deal and what I really came in to tell you. You're being discharged in three days. But, you need to prove to me that you can walk on your own or with that fancy cane and not fall. I'm going to stand half way down the hall and you are going to start from the end and walk toward me. If you can walk that distance with a reasonable amount of stability, I will sign your discharge papers and you can go home."

"Are you up for it?! I need to know now, otherwise I'm going to get Margaret on your case and you don't want that to happen. Trust me!"

"Margaret?! She seems really nice." Ty said in surprise.

"Aye, she is that. But if she thinks you're not putting in the effort, she'll be on you like a tic at a blood bank. You've been warned."

"Interesting visual." Ty shares as a grin appears for the first time since the doctor came in. "Thanks for coming by. And for the pep talk. I know you're trying to help so I will try very hard not to get on Margaret's bad side."

"Good. Are you going to eat that cookie?"

"You want half?"

"Deal. There are more than a few things I avoid on the hospital menu but that cookie is a winner."

Ty breaks the cookie in half and the doctor grabs a piece.

"See you tomorrow, Ty. Any pain we need to know about?" He asks.

"No. They're not really hurting right now. The meds you have me on seem to be doing the trick."

"Good. We'll up them slightly tomorrow. Maybe take the edge off and help you move forward a bit."

"I appreciate that. Thanks."

Dr. Ferguson turns to head toward the door but then stops. "Let me know if you get another chocolate chip cookie. I'll arm wrestle you for it."

…..

It's about 6pm that evening and everyone is gathering at Heartland. Lisa and Lily returned from their shopping trip, walking in with a bag full of groceries and two pies from Maggie's. Lily also bought a non-alcoholic sparkling cider Lisa recommended. Amy arrived shortly after them. Anxious to share the good news about Harley, she spoke with Lou briefly, then shuffled off to take a quick shower before the meal.

Scott and Cassandra arrived after Connor, a vet student they hired part time, showed up to mind the store. And right after them, Caleb and Ashleigh.

Jack is the first to greet them. "Caleb, it's good to see you. Or should I call you Santa?" He asks, extending his hand. Amy had told him about Caleb and Ashleigh's plans for the Children's Ward and Jack was impressed. And pleased.

"Hey, Jack. Thanks for inviting us." Caleb says, while they shake.

"Caleb, you and Ashleigh are family. The doors always open to you both." Lisa declares, coming over for a hug.

"Oh, don't tell him that. He eats here enough as it is." Jack says. Half joking, half not.

Ashleigh hands a bottle of wine to Lou and then gets an unexpected hug. "It's good that you're here. Both of you." She shares, pulling back. "How were the roads?"

"A bit slippery, but manageable." Ashleigh shares after glancing at Caleb. They decided not to mention that they almost wiped out on the way back from university. Caleb's quick maneuvering kept them out of the ditch.

"What's important is that you made it." Lisa affirms. "Come into the Living Room. The foods ready, the tables set and the fire is warm."

"That sounds perfect." Ashleigh replies, putting her coat on an available hook and then sitting down to unzip her knee-high boots. Caleb waits for her and they both walk into the Living Room to see a table full of food.

Scott, having taken a spot on the sofa to warm up, had only seen the table with the place settings. Getting up and turning around he noticed the serving dishes piled high. He ventures back into the kitchen. "You do know how to set a table, Lou."

They kiss before Lou hands him a second serving plate full of ham and a bowl full of mashed potatoes.

"These won't last long. You're too good a cook." Scott affirms before another quick kiss. Then in a softer voice "We still on for 11?"

"Yup!" Comes the equally quiet reply and a knowing smile. "Can't wait." She says before making sure everything was out of the oven and off the stove.

"The food looks amazing." Cassandra adds, suddenly feeling very hungry. "Anything you need help with?"

"Thanks. I think we're good." Oh, one thing you can do is set out another butter dish. Caleb will eat one stick himself so we'll need an extra. It's on the counter by the coffee pot.

"I heard that." Caleb informed them.

"Just thinking about you, Caleb. Don't want you going hungry." Lou calls.

"Jack, you want to open that bottle of wine Asheigh and Caleb brought?" Lisa asks, handing him the cork screw as she collects wine glasses from around the table.

Jack remembers the cider that Lily brought and opens it first. Lily notices and thanks him as he fills glasses for her, Cassandra, Amy and Mallory. Next, the wine is uncorked and glasses for the others are filled.

"Peller Estates Private Reserve" Sounds pretty fancy." Jack shares, reading the label. "Don't think we've had this one."

"My mom likes it. It's a dry fruity wine that I thought would go well with the ham." Ashleigh offers.

"It was very thoughtful of you, Ashleigh." Lisa comments. "You too, Caleb."

"Don't look at me, I'm strictly a beer man." Caleb replies, almost in protest. "Ashleigh just sent me a photo of the bottle and said to pick one up."

"Drink what you like, Caleb." Lou advises. "Everyone here does."

"You still don't like alcohol, Amy?" Ashleigh asks as Amy joins them in the Living Room after her shower.

"No. Before Lisa came, there wasn't anything other than beer in the house. Lisa likes a wide variety of wines but I never developed a taste for it. The one time I tried it, it just gave me a headache and made me tired."

With all the food on the table and small talk waning, people move around the table and find their seats.

Jack sits at the head of the table with Lisa on his left. Next to her are Lou, Scott and Cassandra. At the opposite end is Amy. And on her left are Lily, Caleb, Ashleigh and Mallory; who's next to Jack. Amy looks around the table and notes the only person missing is the one she misses the most. She wonders what he's doing and decides to send him a text. Their day hadn't ended well and she's been thinking about him pretty much since they parted. Except when she was cheering Harley on.

"Sitting down to eat and missing you. Wish you were here." She texts.

Am moment later comes the reply. "Miss you too. I'll be there soon so save me a spot."

"Not soon enough. " She replies, before being interrupted by Jack. She puts her phone away and doesn't see his reply.

"Before we get started, I'd like to make a toast." He announces, grabbing his wine glass and standing up.

The rush to grab fresh rolls and butter halts as everyone grabs their wine glass. Once they're all raised, Jack continues.

"To all the people at this table who have and continue to support Ty. His road ahead will be challenging, but with our help, he will heal and find his way forward. Thank you. To the road ahead."

"To the road ahead." They all reply, clinking glasses and taking a sip.

"Oh, that's good." Lisa comments.

"Val definitely has good taste." Jack affirms, taking another sip.

"Nah, I still like beer." Caleb counters right before Ashleigh pokes him.

Then they got busy eating. Rolls were quickly buttered and consumed to keep rumbling stomachs quiet. Ham, mashed potatoes loaded with butter, honey carrots and cranberry pineapple sauce all made the rounds. Talking was reduced to a minimum as mouths were busy with more important matters.

As stomachs filled, conversations picked up.

"How are your classes going, Ashleigh?" Lou asked.

"Really well. It seems I have an aptitude for numbers. I'm loving the accounting class." She shares with everyone.

"Good for you, Ashleigh." Jack responds, pleased with her decision to take classes and make something of herself.

"Are you going to take over for your mom?" Lisa inquires. Curious to know if there's any truth to the rumors she's been hearing.

"Eventually, that's the plan. She wants to retire about the time I graduate. So, she's going to ease me into it during the summer months. Then she'll stick around for a year after I graduate to make sure that I don't screw it up. She'll still have control for a few years beyond that but I'll be running the show."

"You'd doing a double major in Business Management and Accounting?" Cassandra asks. She's been thinking about taking classes in business management so she can help run the clinic and take some of the pressure off of Scott. It seems even more important now that Ty is going to have to cut back his hours for the foreseeable future. Plus, Ty told Scott that he'd rather stay focused on the medical side of the business and leave the bean counting to someone else.

"Yes. Mom said that if I was going to be successful, I needed to understand the business inside and out. That means knowing our customers and how the business really operates financially. Basically, I need to know what all the numbers mean and how to tell whether the decisions I make are paying off."

"I'm impressed." Lisa admits. "It sounds like you'll have all the skills you need to take over and grow Val's legacy."

"I'm happy for you, Ashleigh. I'm sure Val has a lot to teach you. Much of it you won't find in any textbook." Jack affirms, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Jack." Ashleigh replies, grateful for his words. She looks around the table and notices other people smiling at her. It felt strange to be with a family that interacted the way they did. How they talked with and encouraged each other. It was still relatively new for her as it was usually just her and her Mom at home. And her mom wasn't the most supportive type when she was there.

"You think you'd have time to help me figure out the rough stock business?" Caleb asked in between mouthfuls of potatoes. "I'm not sure I'm making a profit." He admits.

"I can help, but it'll cost you, Cowboy." Ashleigh replied with a mischievous smile. This causes a huge smile to appear on Caleb's face. Much to the delight of everyone else at the table.

"Are you going to expand?" Lisa asks. "I've heard Val talk about it a few years back but nothing ever happened."

"She mentioned it to me, and I do want to open the stables to more people. We still get a lot of high-end horses and their owners, but I think we can definitely increase our clientele. I've heard from staff that a number of people have inquired about our fees and ended up walking away. I'd like to make some adjustments so that doesn't happen. That may include building a second barn on adjacent property. Plus I have an ace up my sleeve if Amy agrees to help."

"Amy, you're going to help?" Lisa asked in surprise. This news got Lou's attention also.

Seeing the concern on at least two faces, Amy explains. "Ashleigh and I just started talking about it. Val's been having trouble finding a competent trainer. She's found one that can do okay with the basics and most horses. But some of the more challenging ones are beyond her abilities so she's asked me to work with them. No more than sixteen hours a week and just for behavior problems." Amy explains.

"Are you still going to have time for my horses at Fairfield?" Lisa asks, concerned about the time commitment.

"Yes. Absolutely. Ashleigh agreed that she'll shuttle horses to and from Heartland if they need a lot of work. That will save me travel time and also allow me to work with them whenever I'm not at Fairfield. We have more open space and are better equipped to handle the more challenging horses. They'd still pay me for the work and we'd be away from the distractions of other horses and their riders.

And there's no exclusivity. Meaning that customers from Briar Ridge can refer people to me directly if they need help with a horse. So it will allow me to grow my customer base while helping both you and Ashleigh." Amy finished, hoping it would ease Lisa's concerns.

"How is that going to work with Ty coming home in three days?" Jack asks, confused about the time table and concerned that Amy is stretching herself too thin at a time when Ty needs her by his side.

Hearing the concern in his voice, Amy responds. "Nothing is set in stone. Any agreement I have with Ashleigh won't go into effect until she has the authority to make it happen. Most likely this summer." Amy shares, looking at Ashleigh for confirmation.

"Well, Mom did say she'd be open to you helping out sooner if you have the time. But she'll defer to you as to if and when that could happen." Ashleigh explains. "We don't have any horses that require your services at the moment. We've cancelled contracts with two of the more troublesome owners so they're no longer an issue."

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to work with their horses." Amy laments. "I remember you telling me about them and their behavior problems."

"The horses weren't the problem, Amy." Scott shares, putting down his fork and sitting back. "At least one of them wasn't. I paid a visit to the stables a couple weeks back and saw the condition of one of them. The owner tried to tell me it was an accident but the bruises were too deep for me to believe that. He and his horse bailed when I threatened to call the SPCA."

"Good riddance to bad rubbish." Ashleigh declared. Repeating one of her mom's favorite phrases. "He was always late paying the fees and I we had at least one stable hand come away with bite marks. I did call the SPCA and gave them his name and the horse's situation. They'll catch up with him if he moves to any other stable in the region."

"Surprisingly, we've had similar problems at Fairfield in the past. So, as of two years ago, all interaction with any horse on the grounds is recorded digitally. We've also trained our staff to look for signs that a horse is being abused. If we get a report of an animal being mistreated or showing signs of trauma, we can review the video and take action. Recently, it was a stable hand who got a bit rough with a horse. We don't tolerate it and they're warned when hired that if I get a report and we confirm the issue, they are out the door." Lisa explains.

"Some people should not be involved with horses. Period." Jack affirms before getting back to the Ty discussion. "And what about you and Ty." Jack asks, looking at her.

"I'll be there for him Grandpa. I think I just need to back off a bit and let him tell me what he needs. Me being a helicopter girlfriend isn't the best thing and I'm pretty sure that's why he got upset with me." Amy replies, looking at Ashleigh who smiles back at her.

"Good luck with that!" Cassandra shares. "Getting Ty to talk about anything non-work related is more difficult than surgery." Reaching for a second roll. She adds "Not that I really want to hear it."

"I'll just ask him." Mallory decides. "Dad says I'm really good at asking questions."

A number of people voice their agreement. "Oh, yeah." "That's for sure!"

"I suspect that's because you keep asking until you get an answer. Right?" Scott posits, smiling at her.

"What's the point of asking if you don't get an answer?" Mallory retorts, looking around the table.

"How about you let me do the asking?" Amy requests, looking at her. "I'll see him tomorrow. We have a few things to talk about."

"Yeah, like that whole barking thing." Mallory suggests, before a tap on the wrist from Jack shuts her down.

Not surprised and not exactly thrilled that Mallory knows about events between her and Ty, Amy takes a moment to collect herself before responding. She puts her fork down, glances around the table and notices several pair of eyes on her. She takes a drink of cider and then responds. "Ty has been through a lot and has more challenges ahead of him. Today was the first day that they had him walking and it was very difficult. Harder than he expected, I think. It's understandable that he would get frustrated at times, Mallory. But he and I will keep talking and work through it together."

"And we'll be there to help, whenever and wherever we can." Jack affirms, with agreement for everyone around the table.

Lily, touched by the love for her son, reaches for Amy's hand and squeezes it gently. Amy turns and smiles at her and they share a moment. Their relationship has grown stronger since Lily arrived and Amy feels closer to her now more than ever. Yet she's notice moments when Lily feels awkward, as if she feels like she's intruding, or she gets lost in her thoughts or is on her phone texting.

"When are you going back, Lily?" Jack asks, after swallowing the last bit of ham and taking a sip of wine.

"I'll be here until Ty is settled, if that's okay with everyone." She replies, after a bit.

"You're more than welcome. We have plenty of room."

"I appreciate that. And thank you to everyone for being so kind. I was hesitant about coming but I'm glad I did. It makes me happy knowing that Ty has family that truly cares about him." She continues, looking from face to face.

"You're family, too." Amy affirms.

"It's a packaged deal with these people, Lily. No matter how you find your way here, as long as you make a good impression, they all latch onto you like you're family. Ask me how I know." Scott tells her, before smiling at Lou.

"When did you ever make a good impression?" Lou asks, teasing him.

Scott's words cause Lily to go silent for a bit. Amy notices and reaches for her hand. Then leans in and whispers "The important thing is that you're here."

Lily smiles at her and then focuses on finishing the last bit of potatoes on her plate. Amy does the same with the ham and cranberry relish.

It takes only a few more minutes for the main course to done. There's a cup of mashed potatoes and two small pieces of ham left on one of the serving plates. Both butter dishes are empty.

"Time for pie!" Lou announces, getting up.

"Not a moment too soon, Lou." Scott voices. "He's had a hankering for a slice of the pumpkin pie since he spotted it in the Kitchen.

"I'll help you." Lily adds, getting up from her seat.

"Mallory, can you collect the plates and bring them into the Kitchen, please." Lou asks, not really thinking what she's asking.

Lisa pipes up. "Mallory, how about you grab the silverware and I'll grab the plates." Then she turns to Jack. "You want to top off the drinks? I'll bring dessert plates and forks."

A few minutes later, drink glasses have been replenished and Scott is scooping Vanilla ice cream onto plates holding slices of pumpkin pie.

Slices of grasshopper pie are also making the rounds to curious adults. Caleb takes a bit of his. "Oh, that's good. I could definitely get to liking that."

"It's made with Crème de menthe." Lou shares. I love the flavor of it with the graham cracker crust.

Refocusing the group, Jack speaks. "So… Ty is due to arrive here in three days. Is there anything we need to do to prepare for that? Anything we need to change to minimize the risk of him injuring himself?"

They all take a moment to look about the room.

Lou is the first to speak up. "I think we need to put night lights in the hallway and all the rooms that Ty may visit after dark. He needs to be able to see to get around."

Amy is second. "Grandpa, can we rotate your chair by the fireplace a bit more to the left. The front legs stick out and I'd like Ty not to run into them. He likes to sit by the fire some times."

"How about we figure all the routes he's likely to take and make the path just a bit wider. Especially if he's going to be using the special walking cane." Jack decides.

They all quickly agree on a short list of changes. Lou offers to pick up more night lights on her next trip into town. Jack corrals Scott into helping him move some of the furniture after they're done eating.

Scott's hesitant at first. Anxious for his late evening rendezvous with Lou to get started, especially after all of the times they had to reschedule. But he relents, figuring it won't take that long. "Happy to help, Jack."

"Good. We have a plan. If anyone thinks of anything else, be sure to speak up."

"I'll check with Dr. Ferguson tomorrow, Grandpa. I'm sure he'll have some ideas." And shares.

Satisfied with their initial plan, they get down to the business of eating the delicious pies.

"This pumpkin pie is really good, Lou. What kind of crust is that?" Lisa asks, enjoying her first flavorful bite.

"It's still a pastry crust but with a bit of cinnamon, sugar and just a hint of clove. It adds to the flavor of the pumpkin." Lou shares, feeling pleased with her experiment.

"I think you're going to win me over by the time I'm done with this slice. Or I may need a bit more." Scott shares.

"I'm with Scott on this one." Jack offers. "I'm liking the flavor of the crust and the pie."

"Sign me up for more of this grasshopper thing." Caleb shares. "I'm really liking the taste of it."

"So, maybe you're not just a beer man after all." Ashleigh tells him.

"Hey, I can evolve." He replies with a smile.

"Good to know, Cowboy." She says, leaning in for a kiss.

The meal continues until the last bits of pie and melting ice cream are consumed.

"I'm stuffed!" Caleb announces, sitting back in his chair.

"It must have been all that butter." Mallory proposes.

"Hey, I only used about half a stick. Not my fault if the food tastes good." Caleb responds in his own defense.

Knowing that Lou and Scott have their evening planned, Amy offers to do the dishes. "It'll help me think about how I want to say what I want to say to Ty, tomorrow."

"How about you wash and I'll dry?" Lilly offers.

"Perfect." Amy says, getting up from the table.

…..

A short while later, everyone has dispersed to wherever they need to go. Caleb and Ashleigh left after lots of thanks and a few hugs. Jack and Scott moved Jack's corner chair and the sofa as planned. Then Jack and Lisa commandeered the sofa to sit by the fire. Lou and Scott departed for one of the cabins.

That left Amy and Lily on cleanup duty. Mallory offered to help but after almost knocking over a few plates, decided there must be something better to do elsewhere.

"Thank you for helping today, Mallory." Amy said, smiling at her as she left the Kitchen.

Mallory mumbled something about cremating the carrots as she walked into the other room. She grabbed Knucklehead from the mantel and sat down with the Cribbage board and a deck of cards.

Amy looked at the stack of dirty dishes and then at Lily. "You up for this?"

"Bring it on! I think you and I will make a great team." Lily shared, feeling grateful for the opportunity to help. But also, the chance to talk with Amy in private.

"I like your 'Can Do' attitude. And it is really good to have you here." Amy said as she fished two drying towels out of the drawer and handed them to Lily. Then she took a thicker towel and placed it on a clean spot on the table.

"We'll need the extra space to stack the dishes while they're drying." Amy informs her.

She then returns to the sink, puts the stopper in the drain and begins to fill it with hot water. She adds more than enough dish soap and puts on the hot pink rubber gloves that Lou's been using.

While Amy fills the sink, Lily scrapes the leftover bits of food off the plates and into the garbage. She then organizes all the dirty dishes. Glasses are closest to the sink as they get done first. Those are followed by the silverware, then the dinner and dessert plates and finally, the serving plates.

"Wow, you've done this before." Amy shares, impressed by how well she has everything organized.

Lily debates for a moment, then tells her. "I volunteer at a woman's shelter. I help prepare and clean up after the evening meals. I help other ways too, I guess. Unfortunately, there are usually a lot of dishes so I've had a lot of practice."

"I think that's wonderful, Lily." Amy says. "That's why you got here so late that night."

"No. That was my regular job. I work at a dental office, answering the phone, scheduling patients and ordering supplies. It pays the bills and I make enough to tuck some away for a rainy day. Usually, I work from 8am until 2pm but people filled in for me while I was recovering from surgery so I owed them a few evenings."

"I'm sure they appreciate your help at the shelter." Amy offers. Not sure how much to probe but glad that Lily is finding ways to reach out and help people. The sink is full so she turns off the water allowing them to talk more softly.

"It wasn't easy at first. I showed up just wanting to do things, like the dishes and clean. But one day, a lady and her son showed up. She looked pretty bad and I knew right away what had happened. She wouldn't talk to anyone there. Just kept her son close and stayed in the corner of the main room."

"I'm so sorry. I cannot believe that people can be so…" Amy stops, not sure how to complete her comment.

"Pick a word, Amy. Evil. Angry. Mad. Abusive. Manipulative. Savage. Hateful. Mean. Cruel. Heartless." Lily says with little emotion. Talking more like a clinician than the victim that she was.

"So what happened to the mom and boy?" Amy asks, wanting to move the conversation along and anxious to know.

"Well, she wouldn't talk to anyone. Wouldn't even accept food. She was still scared that her husband would find her."

"Did he?" Amy asked, feeling anxious.

"Not a chance. They have armed guards at both entrances and solid steel doors. Private security during the evening hours. And there are multiple cameras at all entrances so people can see who's walking up."

"That's smart."

"True. But it's the signs that turn all but the meanest away. When they read that they were being recorded, along with the license plate on the car they drove up in, they usually turn around."

"Did her husband show up?" Amy asked, her concern growing.

"Just once. He somehow found out where she was and actually came up to the door and started banging on it. We had him recorded and called the cops as it was during the day and he was technically, trespassing and drunk driving."

"What happened to the mom?"

"Like I said, she wouldn't talk or accept any food. I felt bad for the boy moreso so I filled a plate with food left from the dinner and brought it over and set it on the table next to them. I told the boy it was okay and he could eat. I'd watch over his mom. The boy looked at me and then at his mom. She looked at me for almost a minute before telling him it was okay. She kept looking at me, like she saw inside me and what I had gone through."

Amy was in tears, hearing the story. Lily noticed but kept on talking. She needed to talk. To get it out of her system as part of her own healing.

"After a bit, I sat down next to her. I told her my husband used a bat. Then asked her what hers had used. She showed me the bruises on her arm from where he'd twisted it. Said there were others in other places. Then she leaned into me and just started to cry softly while her son ate."

Amy couldn't help but pull Lily in for hug. There was a genuine ache in her heart, for the lady and the boy but also for Lily and what she went through. They stay like that for a moment before Lily pulls back.

"It's the hardest thing I do, Amy. I show up there each afternoon, knowing someone is going to walk through the front door and have their own story. I do it for the little bit of absolution I feel when I'm able to connect with the mom or sometimes a teenager girl. I tell them my story and they tell me theirs."

Feeling the need to respond, Amy searches for the words. "It makes me sad to hear that the abuse happens. But I'm sure that the women that show up, are grateful that you're there. I'm sure you help more ways than you realize."

"I appreciate your saying that. You have a very kind heart. Patient, too. Especially important when trying to have a relationship with my son."

Feeling a bit lighter at the change in topics, Amy quickly adds. "He's worth every moment I have to wait for him. He's got your good heart. We all see it in how he genuinely cares about people and animals. I think it's also the reason you help out at the shelter. It's your heart telling you to do so."

"I never imagined that he would find his way into such a wonderful family. It's more than I ever could have hoped for."

"Well, he did show up like a juvenile delinquent. But Grandpa set him straight and I think caring for the horses also did him good. He really cares about them and how they're treated. He even got into a fight with a guy about it."

"But what you do is even more important, Amy. You're able to reach him when he gets lost in his head. I've seen you do it."

"Yeah, he does go quiet at times. Like now, I know he's hurting but it's not about what happened to him. Ashleigh told me what he said about me risking my life to find him."

"I'm so grateful that you did, Amy. I felt so bad about the boots, but then you told me what you and Harley did and… I'm just so grateful."

"My life is so much better with him at my side. He helped me move forward after my mom died and he's been a big part of my heart ever since. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found him. I just wish I could have …."

Lily knows where she's going and cuts her off. "You couldn't have talked him out of it, Amy. Once he makes his mind up, especially where emotions are concerned, his actions are set. He doesn't reevaluate the situation to see if it's still the best option. I think it comes from protecting me when he was younger. He'd come home and find me being attacked or hit and he'd make the snap decision that he was going to intervene, no matter what."

This she shares like a clinician. Words, once thick with emotion, now presented without any.

"One time, Wade was drunk and hitting me and Ty just laid down on top of me to protect me. He thought he was going to lose me so he acted. I think deep down, that same thought drove him to be on the road that night. The other part is that he doesn't believe enough in himself to think that he won't lose you. Life hasn't been fair to him, Amy. I wasn't. And I'm his mom."

Overwhelmed by this new level of sharing, Amy feels her relationship with Lily grow stronger. She takes a moment to file the information away for later consideration. Then offers. "You were in a different place back then. You're not there anymore. You're helping people that are. You and Ty are here with us. And that's all that matters right now."

"I appreciate you saying that. I do and I try. One day at a time, Amy."

Lily gets busy drying some of the dishes that have piled up since she started talking. She also feels closer to Amy and gains a better understanding of why Ty loves her so much and why he felt he needed to get to Heartland.

Lily studies Amy for a moment as she washing the dishes. She watches how she meticulously cleans each utensil and plate, removing stuck bits of food and rinsing each item before placing it in the drying rack. After a bit, she hears Amy start humming one of Lyndy's songs.

Amy notices her watching and looks at her with a curious smile. "What?" She asks.

"You just seem so happy, Amy. It's good to see after what's been going on the past few days."

"I actually do feel happy. I mean, Ty's surgery went about as well as it could have. We all love Dr. Ferguson and even Ty thinks very highly of him. Harley made great progress today. Annnnnd, Ty's coming home in three days! I don't know what to expect after that but for now, I'm happy."

"The only thing you can do for Ty is be there when he needs you and remind him that you're not going to leave him."

"I'll be there. We all will." Amy affirms.

…..

Later that night in Dude Ranch Cabin #3, the one on the right, Lou and Scott are having their own holiday celebration. It's been rescheduled several times due to Ty's injury and other events. But they have a warm fire, a bottle of wine, cheese, crackers and the whole evening to themselves.

They sit next to each other by the fire, sipping wine and letting thoughts of the day settle. Prepping for the meal was a rush, but it was worth it to have so many family members and friends around the table.

"You really think that Ty's going to be discharged in three days?" Lou asks, spreading some port wine cheese on a cracker and handing it to Scott.

"It all depends on how much progress he makes between now and then. I got there before Amy and he was walking back and forth along the hallway. Not fast and not far. But he was walking."

"That's definitely progress. He could barely stand up straight yesterday." Lou adds, grabbing another cracker and adding a bit of cheese.

"From here on out, it's just a matter of him healing and adapting to the changes." Scott answered before popping the cracker into his mouth.

"I still wake up some mornings thinking it was all a dream. That Amy didn't ride off into a storm and Ty is healthy and has all of his toes." She laments, before taking a bite of her own cracker, catching the crumbs with her free hand.

"I've wished that were true a few times. Ty's been through a lot and it's going to be a hard adjustment for him. Plus, I can't imagine what Jack was feeling when he heard that Amy had taken off."

"Lisa said it him pretty hard. She flew home early and talked to him about it. Didn't share much, other than to say it brought back feelings from Marian and Amy's accident."

They go quiet for a moment, each replaying moments from that stormy winter night.

"I can't believe Amy went out in that storm. Gives me the shivers just thinking about it." She says, moving closer to Scott for warmth.

"Life is risky, Lou. Sometimes the people we love make us do crazy things to keep them safe." Scott shares, pulling her closer.

"And sometimes we need to think about the people who love us and make better choices." Lou counters, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Given how Ty grew up and the fact that his home life wasn't the best, I doubt he's used to people caring about him. Even now, I don't think it registers."

"I guess we should be thankful that Amy did find him before anything more serious happened."

"That's what I'm choosing to do." Scott finishes, with a sigh.

He tops off their wine glasses, grabs a few more crackers and snuggles back against Lou. The crackling fire has warmed the space nicely and both are feeling very relaxed. Despite Ty's accident, it's been a good year for the two of them. Business at Maggie's has never been better and Scott's phone was ringing off the hook the first three days after Ty's accident. People called to inquire about Harley or to schedule appointments with the vet who treated the famous horse.

One older lady called, asking if Scott could come and check on two of her horses. She hadn't seen one of them in the past day or so and wanted to make sure they were okay. She said he should bring that cute tow truck driver, just in case the horse was stuck somewhere out in the field.

Scott has been sharing more of his day-to-day activities and frustrations and Lou started doing the same. Sharing the bad news and frustrations helped them to anticipate the other's mood when they saw each other next. It smoothed out some of the rougher spots as they had more insight into their partner's demeanor.

"So, tell me again about Harley and the treadmill. I could use some good news. Did he really take off trying to catch Amy?"

"You had to be there, Lou. I though Amy's idea was crazy, but we'd tried other things and they weren't working. Harley still had issues with his back legs so what could it hurt."

"She actually stood on a step stool and called to him?"

"Yes, she did. He started out walking, and after a bit more encouragement, got into a trot. We'd been able to get him into a trot previously, but he couldn't maintain it for very long."

"Didn't he falter a couple times? Amy mentioned something when she got back but she was talking so fast, I could only pick up every other word."

"Yeah, she was pretty excited about it."

"He did falter but we still had the harness on him so we slowed a bit till he got comfortable and found his footing. Then we started up again and he got into a trot and wanted to keep going. Fortunately, Amy and I both saw his change in posture and knew what he wanted to do."

"What did you do?" She asked, moving away so she could look at him. She could tell he was getting excited just reliving the experience. She'd been to the clinic and was familiar with the treadmill and how it was set up.

"Well, Amy called to me and I expanded the air bladders on either side to keep Harley centered on the tread. They pretty much lock him in place. Then she jumped down, ran toward the opposite wall and called to him and he took off. I cranked the speed and he kept wanting to go faster so I disengaged the motor and Cassandra and I just stood there watched him run. Amy was jumping up and down calling and he was running, Lou."

"You got video, I hope. Tell me you got video." She asked, riding his wave of excitement. Then finally giving in and hugging him. "I'm so happy that you were able to help him. I know what he did during the storm had an impact on you. You did a very good thing, Scott." She shares, kissing his cheek.

"Thanks. Harley is a very special horse. And we got video. I'm sending a copy of it to the sales rep tomorrow. I'm pretty sure he's going to let us keep the machine once he sees it. I've asked that we be able to publish the video first. We'll talk about them donating the machine and include contact information."

"That's perfect." Lou says sitting back up and looking at him.

"I don't think I've ever experienced a horse feeling joy like Harley did when he was running, Lou. I don't know how better to describe it. It was like he was free again and he just wanted to run."

"Well, he had an excellent veterinarian nurturing him back to health." Lou said, giving him a kiss and moving in for another hug.

"It wasn't just me, Lou. We could get him only so far. It was Amy who got him to run. Or actually, she got him to realize that he could run again. It was just incredible."

"I'm sure Ty will feel better knowing that Harley has recovered." Lou says, sitting up and reaching for her glass of ice water. They'd been drinking wine since they got to the cabin and Lou was now balancing that out with some water as she had to be up early the next morning. She tips the glass to take a drink and the ice shifts, causing water to spill onto her blouse.

"Shoot! I just had this dry cleaned." She complains, putting the glass down and grabbing a napkin to dab up the water. "Oh, that's cold." She declares, feeling the water soak through to her skin. The damp material now clinging to her body, showing more of her curves to Scott's welcoming eyes.

He grins as she absently dabs the material above her right breast where the water landed. She gets some of it, but the rest follows the curve of her skin under the thin material of her bra and causes the nipple to swell. This causes Scott's grin to grow just a bit wider and trigger bit of swelling in other places.

"Need more napkins, Lou?" He offers, enjoying the show.

"It's ruined. I just bought this a month ago!" She continues, then notices him grinning. "What's so funny? This wasn't a cheap blouse." She protests. Finally stopping and looking at herself, she notices what he noticed.

"You like the show?" She asks, feeling suddenly frisky. She cups the breast in her hand, emphasizing the taunt nipple. She's usually not this forward and Scott is curious as to how far she's going to take it.

"I have no complaints, Lou." Scott shares before pulling her in for a kiss.

She pulls herself back upright after the kiss by pushing with her right hand off of his chest. Then her hand slides down to his jeans and finds the bulge that's been growing since the show started.

"So, you do like the show!" She announced, flashing a mischievous smile. "My! My! Dr. Cardinal! What would you prescribe for a person in your condition? I'm sure there must be some treatment for it." She says as she slowly rubs the material, further exacerbating his condition.

Doing his best to ignore the growing pressure in his southern region, he advises her using his most professional sounding voice. "In situations like this, Lou, I believe a hands-on approach is best." He then sets his jaw and maintains a most professional demeanor until Lou rakes her nails along that same stretch of material. Then he just sighs and sits back to enjoy the game.

Seeing the effect she's having on him, she switches to her Candy Striper voice. "I think you might be right, doctor. But I cannot assist you looking like this. It would be most unprofessional. So I'm going to go change and I'll be right back." She then flashes a smile, gives him one more rub and a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't go away." Then she runs into the bedroom and closes the door.

Happy to be decompressing after orchestrating a meal for ten people and excited to spend some quality time with Scott, Lou quickly undresses, throwing clothes everywhere. She's anxious to have Scott see her in the green baby-doll outfit she ordered on-line. She wasn't going to get it, but Scott has been going out of his way to tell her how beautiful she looked. He also surprised her with a beautiful silver bracelet for Christmas, which she's been wearing ever since. And she's having fun with the role playing thing they got going on.

Stripped down to her birthday suit and anxious to help Scott with his growing situation, Lou carefully opens the box, moves the tissue paper out of the way and finds a slightly different outfit. "Oh my gosh! This isn't what I ordered." She says aloud. Suddenly feeling disappointed.

Not sure what she's looking at, she lifts the garment out of the box and examines it. What she's holding can be best described as naughty nautical Christmas pajamas. The soft flannel material has images of Christmas trees, snowmen, elves and sailing ships on it. The top, which she's holding, is long-sleeved with a high neck to keep the wearer warm. The bottoms, made of the same material, look more like sweats than PJ's. But they have elastic around the waist and leg openings to keep the chill out. Overall, they look quite comfy and she's not that upset. "These might actually be okay. It does get chilly in the cabin when the fire goes out." That notion holds until she turns the top around.

The naughty part of the naughty nautical Christmas pajamas comes from the fact that there are three 3-inch "portholes" in the garment; two strategically located in the top and one on the bottoms. Covering each porthole is a gift tag made of the same material. They are attached at the top so they can be flipped up out of the way. Lifting a gift tag reveals a pocket into which a plastic card can be placed. The card dictates what should be done to whatever happens to appear through the porthole beneath it.

"I can't wear these." She says, aloud. "Can I?" She sits down on the bed, examining both garments and debating what to do. She's buck naked, Scotts waiting for her, primed and ready and her plan has just taken a wrong turn. "Why is this happening?!"

She remembers seeing something else in the box so she sets the top down to look. She finds a small stack of cellophane-wrapped thin plastic cards. They're meant to be placed in the gift tags. Ripping open the cellophane, she reads some of the cards. The first one says "Lick me!". The second one triggers an "Oh, my gosh!". The third triggers a blush and "Would Scott really do that?" quickly followed by "Do I want him to do that?" "That's just…. kinky!" she finishes the sentence in her head. Then imagines Scott following the instructions. Very diligently following the instructions. Finally, she arrives at the moment of truth. "What am I worried about?! I'm a horny successful business woman and mother, dating a guy who loves me and is sitting in the other room ready to ravage me!"

A minute later, she has the outfit on and is looking at herself in the mirror. The hole in the bottoms is also covered by a gift tag. Being made of the same material, it isn't quite as obvious. "I'm good with that. Let's not put it all out there right away. It'll be a nice surprise." She tells herself. "I'm okay with whatever happens. Maybe even really okay with it."

She's still checking herself in the mirror when Scott opens the door. "I thought you got lost…." Startled, she turns around, treating Scott to his first look at the naughty nautical Christmas pajamas with both upper deck portholes open.

"Wow! Just when I thought this day couldn't get any better." He shares, walking over to her and scanning her from top to bottom. "You wearing that makes me wish that Christmas happened every day, Lou."

Overcoming her embarrassment, she flips the gift tags down and hands him the deck of cards that came with the outfit. "You don't get to open your present just yet. You need to pick three of these cards and follow the instructions to the letter."

Scott, scans the cards and decides the night is quickly going to get a whole lot more interesting and fun. Though not obvious from his quick look at her, he's pretty sure where that third porthole is. "How about I shuffle them and you pick? Then neither of us will know what we're supposed to do."

Anxious to get her hormones on the road, Lou quickly agrees and picks three face-down cards. She then turns around and without looking at them, places them in the gift tag pockets. "All done. Let's go back out by the fire where it's warm. Then you can follow the instructions and open your present." She says, grabbing him by the hand and leading him back by the fire.

Had a photograph of Scott been taken at that very moment, doctors would argue for years, how it was physically impossible for a smile to get that wide.

…..

Meanwhile, in Cabin #1, on the left…

Warmth from the glowing fire made the space just the right level of cozy. Ashleigh and Caleb were enjoying some alone time since getting back from university. They'd stopped off and picked up another bottle of the sparkling cider from dinner that they both liked. Though Caleb wasn't 100% sure about it, being a dedicated beer drinker. They also purchased some caramel corn and other munchies.

Never in a million years did Caleb think someone like Asheigh would want to be with him. But when he found her in her stalled car that morning, he met the real Ashleigh and that's the girl he fell in love with.

Ashleigh didn't think much of Caleb at first. Thought him naïve and maybe a bit too simple minded. But then they started talking and she learned that he holds a pretty well informed and level headed view of the world. And he holds two truths regarding life and love. "If you get knocked off your mount, you get up, dust yourself off, fix what's broken and you keep going." And about love… "If you truly love someone, you stay true to them and do things to remind them why you love them. Often. Period." Ashleigh found that she was more than okay with that.

Their relationship grew slowly as they talked more and Ashleigh realized that he listened to her and encouraged her when she talked about goals and things she wanted to do. Then somewhere down the road, she started doing things to put a smile on his face. A smile that was always genuine, as was the look in his eyes whenever he saw her. She could just be herself with him. And she grew to love him for those simple reasons.

They took their time mixing eating with talking. Asheigh told him about her visit with Ty and how she was worried about him. Caleb told her of multiple phone calls he'd received on the Santa hotline. Apparently, he was a hit at the hospital and they wanted him to come back the next couple of days. And definitely bring a helper if he had one.

"Ty just needs to take it one day at a time. I know guys who have lost toes due to accidents at the rodeo and or just dealing with livestock. It's gonna take time and there'll be some rough days, but he'll get into a routine and won't think about it afterwhile." Caleb shared, feeling confident having talked with other guys on the circuit.

"So, we'll do what you and I always do, Cowboy. We support the people we love." Ashleigh shared before kissing him and stealing half the cookie from his plate.

They both sat back and went quiet for a bit. They'd talked pretty much the whole way back from Uni and were content just to be next to each other and enjoy the crackling fire.

Finished with the munchies, Caleb got up, closed up the snacks and threw the trash away. He straightened out the thick blanket they'd been sitting on and then sat his butt down next to her.

"I hope you're not disappointed, Cowboy. I had a fun outfit ordered for our special night together. But they must have sent the wrong one."

Ashleigh had entered the cabin before Caleb and opened the box without looking at the label. Instead of the naughty nautical outfit she expected, she found a beautiful green silk teddy. When she walked into the room wearing it. All Caleb said was "You make that outfit look even more beautiful, Ash. Green is a great color."

Very little was said after that.

…..

It was about 8:30 the next morning. Ty was lying in bed after a restless night thinking about Amy. Replaying the scene from yesterday over in his mind, it's the look on her face that makes him wish he'd done something different. But he couldn't change it and after many more repeats, he fell asleep.

Gaining consciousness at the start of a brand-new day, he opens his eyes to the dimly lit room. The shades were closed, keeping the room in almost total darkness. Blinking several times to clear his vision and wipe the sleep from his eyes, he looks around the room and notices Amy sitting in a chair by the wall. She'd been sitting there for about 20 minutes, waiting for him to wake up. She was in no hurry and had no where else to be.

"Hey. How long have you been sitting there?" He asks, noticing her coat resting on the back of the chair and her boots off to the side.

"Not too long. How are you feeling?" She asks, not moving from her spot.

"I'm okay. The pain meds they're giving me are helping. I can walk without it hurting too much now."

"That's good. You're making progress." She replies, keeping her excitement in check.

Noticing her change in approach. Or lack of approach, he grows concerned.

"I need to tell you something but you have to come closer."

"What is it that you want to say?" She asks, getting up and taking a step. She starts to worry, thinking it has something to do with events from yesterday. She's not 100% sure where this conversation is going so she sticks to her plan.

"You're still too far away." Ty says, waving her closer. His awkward movement showing that he's not fully awake yet. Amy notices and decides that he's not mad and that she'll play along.

She takes two more steps, putting her about two feet away from the side of the bed.

"Is this close enough?" She asks, a smile starting to appear.

"Nope, still too far." Ty explains, shaking his head. Sorta.

She closes the gap and is standing right next to the bed.

"I think this is close enough." She says, putting her hands on her hips in an act of defiance. But still smiling as she's liking this game. Whatever it is.

Ty's response is to turn slowly onto his right side and lower the railing on that side of the bed. Then he pats the mattress next to him.

"Not close enough." He shares, looking at her with a boyish smile.

Amy very carefully climbs into bed, making sure to keep her feet away from his. It takes a bit but she ends up on her left side facing him.

"How's this?" She asks. Her bright blue eyes sparkling with thoughts of mischievous things.

"Much better." He says, using his free left hand to move the hair away from her face. Then he just looks at her for a moment. Still caught up in the love he sees in her eyes and the fact that she's right beside him.

"What did you want to tell me?" She asks.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hollered at you." He concedes, feeling once again, the ache his actions caused.

"It's okay. I was hovering too much." She said softly, using her hand to trace a path along the side of his face. Her touch, warming every cell along its path, making all the other cell jealous and Ty ache for her. He pauses for a moment, savoring her touch, then continues.

"You were just trying to be helpful. And you have been, Amy. I don't think I'd be this far along if you weren't here to help each day."

"True, but I think I put all of these expectations on you. Telling you that things will go back to normal when you leave here but they won't. I didn't really understand that but I do now. Or maybe I didn't want to accept it." She admits.

"Dr. Ferguson said that sometimes our actions are driven by the guilt we feel. He heard what happened yesterday and he talked with me about it this morning." She continued. "I think I wanted to think that everything would go back to normal so I wouldn't feel guilty for taking so long to find you."

"Amy, I would have been in much worse shape if you hadn't. I owe everything to you. You have nothing to feel guilty about. You told me how you didn't want to risk Harley and I understand that. But you did find me and I'm going to be okay." He pauses for a moment, getting caught up in the emotion of his own words.

Then he continues, sharing something he'd never told her before. "I didn't know what was going to happen to me right after the accident. The back of the truck started to skid and then all I remember is a loud bang. When I came to, I couldn't move and the truck was getting so cold inside. And then I just got mad at how stupid I was for not pulling off. I thought about what I was going to lose. That I was going to die there and it was my fault. … I just needed to see you. I don't know why but I just…."

"Shhhhhhh..." Amy says, putting a finger to his lips and then kissing him.

"Revel in what's been saved." She said aloud. "You are safe now and you will recover from this, Ty."

"I think I'm going to have to come up with a new normal. I can't just slip on my shoes and head out the door. There are things that I'll need to think about and I'll have to be more careful when I walk. At least until I get a feel for what I'm able to do and how to move."

"So I'll be there to help when you need me. But you have to promise to tell me what you need. You can't just live up in your head, Ty. I need you to talk to me. Even if your frustrated or mad or just having a crappy day. I don't care. I want to hear all of it. Okay?"

"I promise to try, Amy. But it cannot be one-sided. I need you to share with me also. The good. The bad. And everything in between. It's not fair if you're carrying all the emotional baggage. I know I'm not very good at showing emotions so maybe talking about how I feel with you will help."

Then she repeated one of her favorite lines. "Whatever you have to say, I'll listen." And then she kissed him very tenderly. "And whatever you need me to do, I will do. Because I love you."

"I love you, too." He said, leaning in for the third of many kisses.

"One of the things I like about lying next to you is that I can lean in and kiss you whenever I want." She said, flashing a huge smile and those bright blue eyes.

"Do you feel like kissing me often?" Ty asked, partially curious but also just wanting to see what she'd say.

"Only when I'm close to you."

"How close?" Ty asks, putting his nose right up against hers. "This close?"

"Oh, definitely!"

Then he leans back. "What about now?"

"Yup. Still within the kissing zone." She replies, her smile getting bigger.

Ty carefully maneuvers himself as far back from her as he can. "How about now?" He asks, hoping for another kiss, or to see her smile grow even brighter.

"Oh, definitely still kissable." She says, growing curious as to how far he's going to go.

She watches as he slowly rolls onto his other side, lowers the railing and very carefully stands up next to the bed and turns to face her. "What about now?"

"Even more so. Definitely a double smooch." She proclaims. Her heart swelling with his determination.

Ty carefully takes two steps back. "What about now?"

"I'm thinking a double or maybe a triple-smooch. Not sure why, but the urge gets stronger the further away you are." She shared, knowing what he was doing. Every step he took was hurting but he was trying his best to ignore it and focus on her.

Taking three very careful steps back and never breaking eye contact, he asked again. Her response was to get out of bed, walk over to him and place her hands on either side of his face and pull him in for a very sensual and passionate kiss.

"That's one." She announced, after pulling away and catching her breath.

Ty couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her eyes sparkled, even in the dim light and she looked so beautiful standing right in front of him.

Kisses two and three took a bit longer but not too long. Amy knew that Ty was pushing it, being on his feet like he was. So after their third breathless kiss, she took his hand and carefully walked with him, back to his bed. She waited for him to settle, then disappeared for a moment to change into her very own hospital gown, and then crawled in next to him.

To be continued…

---

Author's Note:

A huge thank you to everyone who's waited patiently for the next chapter! I do apologize for the delay and I can only hope that after reading it, you'll think it was worth it.

This is the longest chapter I've ever written and I wanted to show a lot of progress in terms of Harley's condition and Ty's.

This is also my first attempt at writing a scene with more than four people in it. I'm not 100% sure that I'm happy with it but that's how it goes some times.

The amputee stats came courtesy of Bing AI. I don't think that includes all of North America but the numbers are still staggering.

The treadmill is a figment of my imagination. Any similarities to existing products are purely coincidental.

Same for the naughty nautical Christmas pajamas.

My thanks to everyone who's followed this story and provided feedback. I do enjoy the writing process and am grateful when I have the time to get into the right frame of mind to do so. As I said, I cannot force it and do find myself, like the readers, getting frustrated at times.

I want to know what happens to the characters as much as you do. I pretty much know how I want it to end, but how they get there can vary, depending on what sort of mood I'm in and what I'm trying to accomplish in a chapter.

I wish you a very happy and joy filled holiday season. A Merry Christmas for those of you who celebrate. And a New Year with lots of new adventures and great memories to be had. Take care. Stay safe. Laugh often. Love much. And please stay tuned!