In Season 17 Episode 8 Caleb tells Amy he's moving to Kelowna. This story follows Caleb as he sets up life in a new town and finds an unexpected opportunity away from Heartland.

—Last night

Caleb knew that Amy ran to him out of fear. He also knew that no matter what happened, he was leaving with Carson in the morning. He intended to lay in the grass with Amy, watching shooting stars until she was calm enough to drive home. As far as he was aware, Amy had told no one else about the panic attacks. Over the years the episodes became few and far between. Honestly, he was surprised when saw her parked outside his house. And he was even more surprised with what happened next.

The Road to Kelowna

Caleb stayed true to his promise. Operating on zero sleep, Caleb started on the road to Kelowna. With the bed of the truck packed high, He adjusted the rearview mirror lower to keep an eye on groggy Carson in his carseat. Father and son drove away from the rising sun, west toward the Rocky mountains. It was a new beginning for them, and not one Caleb nor Carson was excited about.

"I'm hungry daddy."

"OK buddy. Me Too. How 'bout a picnic Breakfast?"

He stopped outside Canmore for gas, coffee and muffins for Carson.

Parked the truck. Unbuckled Carson. Grabbed his coffee, Carson's milk, the food and something to sit on from the passenger seat. They walked down to a little field that overlooked the braided river. Carson ran in circles around him.

Caleb always liked this little town at the foot of the Rockies. Yes he did. He inhaled the rich air.. Ions rising from ice cold rivers raging with glacial melt energized him. Evidently, it had the same effect on his son.

"That's my boy. Use up all your energy. We have a long ride."

"I'm galloping."

"Gallop yourself over here, buddy, and take a seat.."

Caleb shook out the towel.A whiff of her-hay, chai tea and bergamont-floated past. His mind flashed to his hand tangled in her hair. Her thighs closing against his hips.

As he spread the towel on the ground, a shiny object fell to the grass.

"Look daddy. I found gold." Carson said, holding up his discovery.

"Oh wow. Carson, can I have that?"

"Why?"

Trying to appear nonchalant, Caleb took a few deep slow breaths to keep his heart from beating out of his chest, like he did in the rodeo before a ride, like he taught Amy when she spiraled with a panic attack. He wasn't going to cry in front of his son–not in this majestic setting. He wasn't going to soil this vortex of good vibes with tears.

Quietly Caleb explained, "It's an earring. Like for girls."

Plopping down on the towel Carson said, "Ok. Daddy, Paw Patwow is my favowite. I'm hungwy".

They ate. Carson climbed over some rocks pretending the ground was hot lava. They peed in the bushes like men do. Caleb saved half his coffee for the ride. He opened the console. Fished out an old paycheck envelope. Wrapped up the earring and stowed it safely away. He convinced Carson to wear a nighttime pullup. Placed Carson's box of hot wheels and picture books within reach.

Caleb pressed on, up and over the continental divide and back down the other side. Carson listened to story books and ate goldfish crackers. Caleb tried not to think about Amy. But everything he passed was Amy. The steel bridges spanning raging rivers. The highway cut into the mountain side. The meadows waving with wildflowers. The alpine lakes filled with unbelievable turquoise water. The elk grazing in those meadows. The summer skies holding inevetitable storms. The blazing afternoon heat shimmering off the pavement. All Amy.

Casa Cass

After nine hours on the Canadian Highway, Caleb found Cass's townhouse. Swanky complex. Landscaping. A playground. He unloaded everything he could into her garage. And dam, if that little guy didn't out him.

"Daddy has an ewing, Like a giwl. It's bewy pwetty."

Caleb pretending not to hear his son's ramblings, "OK. Cass. Tomorrow 8:30 am. Right?"

Cass was annoyed, "You don't have to be there."

Cass was always annoyed.

"I'm going. Cassandra. See ya in the morning buddy."

Walking to his truck, he heard Carson behind him. "Daddy's gonna teach me to pee in a bottle. A big big bottle."

Taking a cue, Caleb grabbed a full gatorade bottle off the floor of his truck and carried it to Cass's trash bins, drizzling urine on the shrubbery as he went.

Cass was not impressed.

"Hey, my manly odor is known to keep bears at bay," he justified out loud, tossing the plastic bottle in the recycling. Marking his territory. Yes he was.

School Yard.

Caleb spent the night at the fairgrounds sleeping in his truck. Who was he kidding? More like attempting to sleep. Rumpled and scruffy, he drove to the school at 7:30. Parked around the corner. At 7:45 he leaned against a tree and watched the families arrive–moms and dads in pairs, some moms alone. No single dads, tho. Realizing that as a man standing outside a school without a kid, he probably looked sus. He tried to look less sus. He walked closer. A woman with a tablet in a bright yellow case approached.

"Can I help you?"

Flashing his trademark grin, he introduced himself, "Caleb Odell. Carson's dad."

The woman tapped and scrolled on her tablet for awkwardly too long.

"He's new. My son. Carson?"

She kept scrolling. More tapping.

Finally, "Are you Mr. Odell?"

"Yes I am."

At 8:15 Cass arrived with Carson firmly attached to her leg. Cass marched over and introduced herself to the tablet-lady as 'Doctor Cassandra Lee'.

"Dr. Lee! So nice to meet you." the tablet lady gushed, impressed like Cass spent her days curing cancer, instead of cutting the balls off innocent puppies or prescribing flea medicine. "Your husband already checked in."

"Soon to be ex-husband. EX-husband.", Cass made it clear to everyone in the line-up that Carson comes from a broken home. Great.

Caleb wanted to take a first day of school picture of Carson. Carson wouldn't let go of Cass. Someone took a photo of the three of them. At 8:30 the front gate of the school opened. When Carson saw the playground, he could not let go of Cass' leg fast enough, running straight to the monkey bars. Climbing was his jam.

"Bye Mommy. Bye Daddy."

And that was it.

Fairgrounds

Back at the fairgrounds, Caleb sat on the tail gate of his truck, a second cup of Tim Horton coffee beside him. Caleb stared at the photo on his phone. He forwarded the photo to Amy with a message, "Carson's first day" and immediately regretted it. There they were, mom, dad and son. Amy didn't have that luxury; she brought her daughter to school without her mate, alone. Ty would never see a first day or last day or any day. Lindy would never know her dad. In retrospect, sending Amy the photo felt like a silly flex. It wasn't even a good picture. Cass in her scrubs looked impatient, he looked confused and Carson looked downright terrified. And what would Amy feel when she saw him with Cass? Did he have to rub it in? Caleb felt like an ass.

That wasn't his most pressing worry. Caleb needed an apartment with a bedroom for Carson. He must get that squared away before the hearing. He needed a job, a real world job. Caleb had worked for love and worked for money and rarely did those paths intersect. On the way into town he saw a Home Depot. Maybe they'd let him work shifts around Carson's custody schedule. Neither love nor money; nevertheless, he wrote Home Depot on the list.

A shiny new Red F350 with tinted windows rumbled past, kicking up dust. Abruptly the truck stopped. Now what? Like his morning couldn't get any worse. He didn't look up from his phone.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Or, is it The Crazy Cowboy from Okotoks, Caleb Odell?"

"Rich Wannstat!" Caleb rushed over to shake the older man's hand.

"Caleb, What brings a first rate bronc rider like yourself to this second rate rodeo town?"

"Aw Rich, well…my wife. I mean…ex wife, she…"

"Ex Wife? Say no more." Rich held up both hands in surrender style. "I got four of those myself."

"You have me beat by two."

"Sounds like we have some catching up to do, son. You hungry? "

"Yes I am." Caleb wasn't lying.

"Hop in. You're about to dine on the best steak and eggs this side of Revelstoke."

Caleb was excited. Sure, the meal sounded good. But Rich Wannstat wasn't a man to waste time socializing. He ran rodeos, traded stock, brokered endorsement deals, and was rumored to dabble in real estate and luxury yachts. If Rich Wannstat wanted a sit down, you best believe he had an offer waiting in the wings. The day just got a whole lot better. Yes it did. Rich tossed his truck into gear and away they went.