Amy and Ty - Tuesday evening
"Hello Amy." He replied softly, a bit uncertain. Taking off his aviators, his eyes took the whole of her in, every nuance, every change. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Somehow more self assured.
Ty moved a single step closer, still maintaining a healthy distance, trying to read her body language, bracing for whatever was to come. Everything he deserved.
"It's good to see you." He ventured, hoping against hope that she would feel the same.
She had played this moment over and over in her head, for nearly four years, planning all the things she would say and do. Initially, her plotted response vacillated from a tongue lashing, to slap in the face, to pretending she didn't care. As time went on and her heart healed, her script changed, mellowed. With the news of Alicia and Michael's relationship, for her friend's sake, she had vowed no matter what, to remain cordial, cool, calm and collected. Nice.
Now seeing him, when she least expected it, when her heart was light, happy, soaring with the beauty of the wild horses, every vow disappeared.
Her smile widened, her eyes lit up. "Ty! Oh my gosh!" Her tone bubbly and bright, her body buzzing with nervous energy. Yet, so taken aback the sight of him, she froze in place, held her ground, not daring to step closer. "What on earth are you doing in Corolla?"
"We're here to vet the horses." He replied vaguely, keeping his own swirl of emotions in check, keeping his place in the sand. "What about you? Why are you here, so far from Heartland?"
"I'm on vacation." She said, then laughed at the thought, playfully averting her eyes for just a second.
"Amy Fleming on vacation? Jack Bartlett okayed that?" He teased her, letting his guard down some.
"I know, right." She laughed again, then explained. "I just finished my first semester at University so we're celebrating." She shared without reservation.
"Well, that is cause for celebration. Congratulations. Good for you. School seems to agree with you." He said, not letting on that he already knew.
"It does. I mean it's hard, way harder than I ever thought it would be. So much reading and homework. And the tests! Who knew?" The words tumbled out, flowed like no time had passed between them. "But, I actually love it."
"What did you take?" Likewise, he relaxed into their friendly conversation, despite the distance between them.
"Biology, Chemistry, Botany, Stats and Literature."
"Wow! That's a full load." He was impressed.
"You're telling me!"
"What was your favorite? Botany?" He guessed.
"Oh, I loved that class, especially the professor, Dr. Singh. It was cool learning the why behind each plant's medicinal properties." She pushed a stray hair away from her face. "But, my favorites were actually the labs, both Chemistry and Biology. I like the hands on stuff."
"Get that. So, straight As?"
"Don't know yet, but I hope so. I worked really hard this summer." She admitted.
"I have no doubt you'll do well. You're the most determined person I know." He was honest.
"You must not know many people!" She quipped, raising one brow.
"No one quite like you." He confessed, putting his hands in his pockets to resist the urge to wrap her in his arms.
"I bet!" She rolled her eyes. He smiled.
"So, tell me, what's your plan?" He asked like so many times before.
"Plan?" Her eyes flashed innocently, but her lips formed a mischievous grin.
"Come on. Amy. I know you. You have a plan." His eyes held hers.
"Well, if you must know, I want to become a vet." She grinned.
"Amy. That's great! You'll be awesome. Combining medical and behavioral sides?"
"Yes, exactly. I want to deliver the best combination of treatments. To do that, I have to know the science, biology, chemistry, you know, and diseases, treatments and medicines." Amy sighed. "But, without schooling and a degree, it just seems that I am always waiting for a vet to validate my diagnosis and treatment methods."
"You're right. No fun waiting on a vet." He chuckled.
"You know what I mean." She averted her eyes, then offered up. "I've already applied."
"To vet school?"
"Yeah. The Dean gave me credit for my work at Heartland and Fairfield." She explained. "And, some of other things I've done."
"As he should." He agreed. "UC will be lucky to get you in their program."
"Unfortunately, given my stellar high school grades..." She made a funny face. "my acceptance is dependent on how I did this summer. And my MCAT score. I should hear any time now. Maybe even today."
"Are you going to focus on horses?"
"That was my plan originally. But, I've been working with Scott. He's opened my eyes to the other possibilities."
"I heard you were working together." He revealed. "How is he?"
"Scott? He's good, you know, the same. He's a such great teacher and mentor. And, honestly a good friend."
"Yeah. He was for me too." A twinge of regret surfaced, he pushed it away. "We attended the same vet conference last May. I didn't get a chance to talk to him but I saw him on stage when your photo won." He admitted. "The one with the fawn. Mouth to snout, huh?" His lopsided smile emerged.
A smile returned to her lips. "Yeah. That was a crazy morning. We were out riding and a doe and her two fawns were crossing the river and that one got swept away. We were just lucky to be in the right spot. I didn't know that Scott submitted it."
"It's a great picture."
"Thanks." Amy replied, then admitted. "I saw your photo too. The one with the black cougar. She was really something else. So beautiful. You know, you both have the same color of eyes." She added as an after thought.
"You saw that?" Ty was surprised.
"Yeah. Scott sent me the link to the conference. I heard what you said on stage too. You were so well spoken."
"Hardly."
"You were. I'm really proud of you, Ty. I am." She said seriously, then added. "You've become so much more than the boy in the loft." She smirked at the reference, but her expression conveyed her sincerity. "I always knew you'd accomplish big things."
"Thanks." His forehead lowered slightly before raising his eyes to hers. "I meant what I said about you. On that stage. About being a natural, an inspiration. Being grateful to you. Without you..." His words were mangled.
She cut him off, insisted, "You'd still be great. So, tell me about your work. You're in Vancouver, right?"
"Right. Well. Um. I'm a surgical vet at animal rescue with two other vets. We specialize in wildlife and ferals, but we have fair number of domesticated animals too." He said with a touch of pride.
"Your work seems to agree with you."
"Yeah. I love it there." He nodded. "The people at the Rescue are great. More like family than coworkers. The city is terrific. Plus, the ocean and mountains are right there. The work itself is challenging, not at all routine. I never know what to expect. Cougars, bears, snakes, eagles, you name it."
"I'm happy that you found your place in the world." She said sincerely, concluding that Hudson would never hold the same interest for him.
He nodded reflexively. "Yeah, seems so."
"Um. I saw you on the news releasing some eagles back into the wild a few months back."
"You saw that too?"
"We all did. Grandpa, Lisa and me. Michael Barnes didn't tell you?" For a second she seemed perplexed, but let it pass. "Doesn't matter, we were just happy to see you alive and doing so well. And the eagles. It was pretty cool watching them take off, then soar into the sky. So...majestic."
"That was a good day." He reflected. "When they came in, they were so sick. Some couldn't even sit up straight. When we lost two right off the bat, we weren't sure that any would make it."
"That's horrible. Weren't they found at a dump or something?"
"Yeah. Poisoned by consuming a euthanized hog that had been illegally dumped there."
"Terrible." She commiserated, shaking her head, back and forth.
"Yeah it was."
"Good thing they found their way to you."
He smiled at the compliment. "We did another release a few days later. It was pretty cool as Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, a mated pair, performed a midair courtship ritual." He motioned with his arms and hands to demonstrate the cartwheel. "I can send you the video, if you like."
"Yeah. I would." She rolled right into her next thought. "There's this bald eagle who's taken to sitting in a tree by the river. It has a blue band on its leg. Scott thinks it was probably banded in Vancouver."
"Now that you mention it, the banding company said that Freedom, one of our eagles, had been tracked to High River. How crazy would that be if it was him?"
"Very crazy." Her eyes narrowed, then asked seriously. "Wait. Are you spying on me?"
He chuckled, joked back. "Yes, I am. I train eagles for the RCMP to spy on beautiful horse whispers because they are known to break into feedlots and release stolen horses. It pays pretty really well." He teased.
She smiled again. "So, you flew all the way from Vancouver just to check on the horses? Are you that good or are there no vets in North Carolina?"
He laughed. "Neither. We started an externship with UC vet school." He pointed to the logo on his shirt. "We're on mission with a couple of 4th years."
"You mean like the externship you had in vet school?" She figured.
"Exactly, except this one focuses on wild horses, here in the states, Canada and Africa." He said excitedly.
His passion was not lost in her. "That's very cool, Ty." She could feel herself pulling back even more. "Will you see the Nambid Desert horses in Africa?"
He was surprised at first, then remembered she heard Mirna speak. "Oh, that's right. I'd heard that you had attended Mirna's presentation at UC."
"You did?"
He nodded. "The speaker, Mirna Hickerson, is my boss at the Rescue. Not sure if you remember, but she also led that externship when I was in school. Anyhow, she's passed it down to us to run."
"Oh, I didn't make the connection. Well, she's a very dynamic speaker. She won us over."
"She does that to people. She raised over 30k for our externship from that one presentation." He crowed.
"Sounds like a very successful night for you." She thought back to that night. Dressed to the nines, first rubbing elbows with the wealthy then extracting foxtails barbs from Spartan's mouth.
"Yes, it was." He paused, unsure if he should mention it. "Um. We really appreciated Andrew's generous donation too. Please tell him thank you."
"I will." She said, almost immediately regretting it. Amy turned the tables. "So, you're leading the externship with Claire?"
His eyes almost popped out of his head, he tripped over his tongue. "Um. Claire? How? You mean Claire Russell?"
"Yes. Wasn't she an extern with you." She inquired innocently.
Caught, he stammered, "Um, no. I mean yes. I mean no." He took a breath, regrouped. "Yes, she was an extern, no she's not leading this. Michael and I are. We externed together."
"Oh. So he's here with you?" She surmised, moving on.
Before he could answer, her phone dinged with the arrival of an email, interrupting. "Sorry. I got to check this." She said as she pulled her phone from her sarong pocket. She stared at the screen, unmoving, her hair hanging around her face.
"Everything okay?" He asked.
"It's from Dean Singh." She said, not taking her eyes off the device.
"Well? What does it say? Did you get in?"
Her eyes looked up at him. "What if I didn't?" She said in a quiet voice, her doubts on full display.
"You will." He reassured her, taking another step forward. "Want me to read it?" He offered.
Stepping forward, now within arms length, she held out her phone to him. "Would you?"
"Sure." Accepting the cell phone, he bent his forehead towards hers, his eyes embraced hers. "Remember when you opened my acceptance letter?"
"Of course." The distant memory of that afternoon in the loft flooded her brain. "That was a good day." She said flatly.
"This will be too. I got a good feeling." He touched her forearm. "Ready?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah."
She scrutinized his face, searching for clues, as his eyes dropped to the phone, clicked open the email, began to read.
"Dear Amy. Congratulations!" He spread his arms wide. "Amy! You did it!"
She screamed, jumped with joy. "Oh my god, I did it!" Hurling herself into his arms, laughing, nearly knocking him over in her exuberance.
Laughing too, his arms naturally closed around her, pulling her into his chest. In turn, her arms squeezed around his waist, her body still vibrating with excitement, still bouncing. They still fit.
The comfort of her embrace moored him, his eyes closed, feeling her soft, warm body against his. Filling the hole burned in his soul. Her hair, a familiar scent of lavender, lulled his free hand to stroke it. "I'm so proud of you." He said tenderly.
Almost immediately, she pulled away, stepped back, eyes shining, grinning. "I'm proud of me too." Bouncing on her toes like a little kid, she implored. "Read it all to me."
Shaking his head, he chuckled. "Okay." He caught her eye, then began to read. "Here goes. Dear Amy. Congratulations! I am delighted to inform you that you are accepted into the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine class of 2022 starting in the fall 2018 semester. Given your outstanding academic achievement, excellent GMAT score and impressive credentials, we are also granting you a partial scholarship."
"Scholarship? No way! Let me see!" She grabbed his wrist, taking the phone, peered into the tiny screen. "Oh my god! Look! Straight As too!"
She screamed, began to dance around, jumping, spinning, waving her arms, phone raised to the air, in pure happiness.
"Congratulations Amy. I knew you could do it." Ty shouted, enjoying her joyful celebration mere feet before him.
Laughing, he rushed in, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, spun her around.
"Stop! Ty!" Laughing so hard, she couldn't catch her breath as they fell together into the sand.
"Get your fucking hands off of her!" A male voice demanded, forcibly pulling Ty off of Amy and to his feet.
As Ty stumbled to regain his bearings, a clenched fist connected with his mouth, sending pain throughout his jaw and teeth, his head jerked back, knocking him back to the ground.
"No! Brent! Stop!" Amy screamed, getting to her feet, pushing him away, standing between them. "You're hurting him."
"Okay, okay." Brent took a step back, breathing hard, hands up, keeping his eye on Ty. "Don't you dare move!" He warned.
She knelt to Ty's side. "Ty! Are you okay?" She asked, drew her hand to his cheek, moving a long lock of hair.
"Ouch." He recoiled from her touch.
"Sorry." She said. "You need a bag a frozen peas."
"I'm fine." He said, sat up, rubbing his chin. He reached over, retrieved his baseball cap from the sand, dusted it off, put it back on his head.
"Brent, why did you do that?" Her eyes flashed, her jaw set as she turned to address Brent.
"I thought he was hurting you?" He shrugged.
"Well, he wasn't." She shot back. "Ty is an old family friend." Her remark caught Ty's attention.
"Sorry man." Brent offered Ty a hand up, which he took. Ty muttered thanks.
He then gave Ty's appearance the once over. "You kinda look like a vagrant. No offense man."
"Yeah, none taken." Ty rubbed his chin again.
"Men. Ridiculous." Amy shook her head. "Why are you here, Brent?"
"Alicia was worried when you didn't show up or return her call. She asked me to come get you." He pointed to his FJ, parked in the sand.
She looked at phone. "Shoot." She called her. "Alicia. I know. I know. Sorry. Lost track of time. Yes, Brent's here. Yeah. Headed your way. Bye."
"I might as well introduce you. Brent, this is Ty Borden, he's a vet in Canada. Ty, Brent Jones, our landlord while we're in Corolla."
The men acknowledged the other with a nod.
Brent narrowed his eyes. "Are y'all here with Dr. Cook for the horses?"
"Yeah, we just arrived from Blacksburg." Ty replied.
"Thought so. My brother said he carried some Canadian vets from Carova Beach."
"Josh?"
"Yeah. He said y'all came by way of the Hokie Bird."
"We did."
"Cool. Well, good luck tomorrow. Sounds like y'all have your work cut out for y'all."
"So I hear."
"Sorry for the lack of hospitality." He reached his hand out, Ty shook it.
"I would have done the same thing. Right Ames." He smirked.
"Punch first, ask questions later. Yep."
"look Amy. I got to get you back before Alicia hunts us both down."
"Let me get my things." She turned, walked to beach blanket. Both men watched her, her hair swinging with each step.
Returning with the blanket clutched to her chest, Ray-Bans on, she walked up to Ty. "Ty, it was so great seeing you." She reached up on her toes, kissed his cheek. "Take care of yourself."
"Um. Wait." He touched her arm. "Could we get together while we're here?"
"Sorry. I can't. We have plans tonight."
"How about tomorrow?" We could really use your help with the horses round up and check. Please?" He was desperate. "There's only two of us."
Her interest was peaked. "I'd like to but we have flight out tomorrow afternoon."
"It's first thing in the morning. Is 5 too early? I can change it to 6, if that's better. I promise I'll get you back in time for your flight." He scrambled.
"Maybe."
"Maybe? As in yes, but 5 is too early?" He asked hopefully.
"Yes, 5 is too early. But that's okay. Text me the details."
He smiled. "Wait. I don't have your number."
"Bet you can figure it out." She said cryptically.
He frowned. "How?"
She smiled, then looked to Brent. "We should get going."
The three walked to toward topless FJ40 parked in the sand, Amy between the two men.
"So tomorrow? Were you serious?" He asked.
"Of course I was serious. See you in the morning. 5 sharp." She touched his arm, then climbed into the passenger seat.
Brent fired up the old 4x4, drove away, headed south down the beach. Ty watch until they disappeared, then he called Michael.
Hey Readers. Hope you enjoyed this despite its shortness. Let me know what you think...
SBR