Chapter 13

Lisa woke up feeling well rested, and although she was in pain, it was way less than it had been previously. She got up without help and went to the kitchen to take her pain meds and have some breakfast and a cup of coffee.

Lou and Peter were sitting at the table in the kitchen drinking coffee when she walked in. Lou jumped up from her seat. "Do you need any help with anything? I can make you some breakfast if you want. Grandpa is still out checking on the herd."

Lisa waved Lou off. "I'm fine. I'm just going to have a cup of coffee and some toast." Lisa grabbed a mug and was about to pour herself a cup.

"Wait," Lou said to stop Lisa. That's not your mug. You brought the bright one from Fairfield because you said it was a nice way to start your day."

"Oh, well. Thank you, Lou." Lisa poured her coffee into her brightly colored mug, made a piece of toast, and joined Lou and Peter at the kitchen table.

Peter straightened up in his chair and leaned over to Lisa. "You know, I had to stop Lou from making a huge breakfast. She tends to go overboard when she's worried about someone. I figured you didn't want the fuss."

"You're right. I don't want a lot of fuss. I can pour myself a cup of coffee and make a piece of toast on my own just fine.

Peter excused himself to go get work done before his flight back to Vancouver in the morning.

Lisa looked at Lou. "There are other things that I do need help with. Lou, I was going to ask if you could help me get cleaned up today. I just used hand wipes yesterday, but I feel gross and want to do a little more. I need to wash my hair, too. We may not have the sort of relationship where you feel comfortable doing this, but there isn't really anyone else I could ask. I have a meeting with Edwin today, and I want to not look like a mess."

"Of course I'll help. I understand not wanting Grandpa to help. Amy told me about how you traumatized her."

Lisa sighed. "I really didn't mean to do that. I promise to try not to traumatize you, too."

Jessica walked in right as Lisa was talking. "Who did you traumatize?"

Lou laughed. "Amy. She was helping Lisa get cleaned up a bit and mentioned that she didn't want to ask Grandpa for help because she doesn't remember being intimate with him."

"It wasn't one of my finer moments. I really did feel badly about that." Lisa blushed a little.

Jessica joined in laughing with Lou. "Yeah, that would be awkward. I promise never to mention anything about that with your dad, Lou."

"Thank you. He has already traumatized me enough. When he was dating Miranda, I walked in on them at the dude ranch." Lou shuddered at the memory.

Once Lisa was done with her breakfast and had taken her pain meds, Lou stood up. "Let's go into the bathroom. I can help you clean up in a way that preserves your modesty as much as possible. I can also wash your hair if you don't mind leaning over the tub."

Jessica stepped in. "I can help too. I broke my arm a while back and have experience with this as well. We'll get you all set for your meeting."

"Thanks, ladies. This is one thing that I really wish I could do on my own," said Lisa.

Lou and Jessica worked together and helped Lisa get all cleaned up. They did it all very quickly and efficiently. One of them would hold a towel and not look for Lisa so she could wash up the parts she could reach and then Lisa would put the towel over areas she wanted to keep covered while they washed parts of her body she couldn't reach.

Lisa was struggling with the hairbrush, so Lou took over. She brushed and dried Lisa's hair and even styled it for her. Lisa was debating whether or not she should bother with makeup. She felt like it might look weird with the way her face was bruised, but she also wanted to wear something. Jessica helped her figure out what makeup looked good that she could redo herself later. A little mascara, powder, blush, and lip gloss, in addition to bathing and washing her hair, had Lisa feeling more like herself than she had felt in a while.

Jack was walking into the house right as Lisa had finished up. He was taken aback when he saw her. "You look beautiful."

Lisa blushed at Jack's compliment. "This was all Lou and Jessica. They helped me get cleaned up. I almost feel like I had a real shower. It's amazing what a little soap, shampoo, and water can do for your outlook on life. It was kind of a lot, though, and I could use a nap before my lunch and my meeting."

Jack waved her off. "Go take a nap. I can wake you up before lunch so you have time to freshen up and eat."

"Thanks, Jack. I'll see you later." Lisa went to her room and was asleep almost immediately after lying down.

Jack went into the kitchen where Lou and Jessica were chatting. "Thank you for helping Lisa get cleaned up. It's one of the few things I can't do for her."

Lou smirked at Jessica and then turned to talk to her grandpa. "We know, and it's totally fine. We're happy to help. Lisa has done so much for us over the years. I feel like the least we could do is help her out. She so rarely asks for our help."

A little before lunch, just like he promised, Jack woke Lisa up from her nap. "Lisa, it's time to wake up."

Lisa stretched and looked up at Jack. "Really? Man, I passed out. I don't remember anything after lying down. Getting cleaned up must have tired me out more than I realized."

"Do you need any help getting up?" Jack asked.

Lisa tried to move but was unsuccessful. "I'm kind of in a weird position, and I can't get any leverage with only one arm. So, yes?"

Once Lisa was out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom to see how much her hair was messed up after her nap. It only needed a little work to get it looking presentable again. She was thankful for all the help she got from Jessica and Lou, but she also realized it wasn't sustainable. She didn't want to depend on them the whole time she was in a cast. Lisa began to think about hiring someone to come and help her a few times a week. She decided to bring it up with Jack at some point since she lived in his house.

Jack was making some sandwiches when Lisa came out of the bathroom. "I hope sandwiches are okay for lunch."

Lisa sat down at the kitchen table. "That's fine. I'm not really that hungry. I don't do enough to work up an appetite these days, and I'm a little nervous about this meeting with Edwin."

"Okay, well, your sandwich is ready. You can go ahead and eat." Jack set Lisa's sandwich down in front of her.

Lisa and Jack chatted about the weather and what was going on with the family in an attempt to distract themselves from what was coming. They were both more nervous about Lisa's meeting with Edwin than either one of them would admit.

It was about twelve-thirty when Amy came into the house. "I'm sorry. I intended to be in sooner, but I was making a breakthrough with this horse, and I didn't want to stop. I'll get cleaned up real quick and make a quick sandwich."

Jack stood up. "I can make you a sandwich while you get cleaned up so you have one less thing to worry about."

Amy popped her head into the kitchen before jumping in the shower. "Thanks, Grandpa. That would be super helpful."

Lisa suddenly remembered the discussion at dinner the night before about the truck. "Did you call the police about what happened to your truck and the stuff that was in it this morning?"

Jack nodded. "I did. I gave them my information. They said someone would call me in the next few days. I probably won't hear anything until next week. It's Friday, so I doubt anyone deals with that stuff over the weekend."

"What are you going to do about getting a new truck? I'd be willing to go shopping with you. I'm a pretty good negotiator if you need one, and it would be nice to get out of the house for a bit." Lisa was starting to feel a little stir crazy. She wasn't used to not being able to travel freely.

"Oh, I know you are. When I broke a bunch of ribs, you rode out to meet someone who was buying cattle from us. He tried to lowball you, but you stood your ground and even got an extra 10%." Jack looked very proudly at Lisa. "Maybe we can go sometime next week. I'd like to get going on it. I can't go too much longer without a truck of my own. Plus, you'll eventually be cleared to drive and will need your car back."

Amy came rushing into the kitchen after her shower and inhaled her sandwich. Looking at the clock, it was just a few minutes to one. "Thanks for the sandwich, Grandpa. You saved me some time so I can be ready. So how is this meeting going to go? Lisa, do you want to tell Edwin about the amnesia, or do you want me or Grandpa to do it?"

"I should tell him. I'm his boss." Lisa didn't really want to do it, but she was responsible for her business and knew it was her job.

There was a knock on the door just then. Jack got up to answer the door. "Hello, Edwin. Come on in. We should move to the dining room. There aren't enough chairs in the kitchen.

Edwin said hello to Lisa and Amy as they sat down in the dining room.

Lisa turned to Edwin once everyone was settled. "Edwin, I asked you to come here partially because I'm just not up to going back to work yet, but also because something happened during the accident that will impact my ability to do my job. When I woke up in the hospital, I had no memory of the last 17 years of my life. My memories haven't come back yet either."

Edwin looked shocked and struggled to find the words before he spoke. "I prepared myself to see you all banged up from the accident, but I wasn't ready for this. I'm so sorry that happened to you. What can I do to help?"

"I would appreciate it if you could keep this from my other employees at Fairfield. The only other people who know now are my doctors and the people in this house. I'd like it to stay that way." Lisa hoped that Edwin would be amenable to what she was asking.

Edwin took a minute before he responded. "That may be difficult. You are generally very professional, but you are also kind to all of your employees and know little things about their lives. I'm not saying that I'm not willing to go along with it, but I have questions about how it will work."

Lisa was surprised but thankful that Edwin voiced some of her same concerns. "I understand that. I have questions about it too. It's less about my employees and more about my business reputation. This is a cut-throat business, and I have many colleagues who wouldn't hesitate to try and rip me off. The fewer people who know, the better."

Edwin nodded and said, "Okay, I can certainly understand that. When I was training for the Olympics, people were ruthless in how they dealt with each other. One of the things I appreciate about you is that you aren't ruthless. You're a tough businesswoman, but you don't stoop to doing anything nefarious."

Amy was watching the conversation unfold and decided to jump in. "What if you had a directory made with photos? Or what if you made some sort of get well soon card or poster where you take pictures of everyone and they put a message next to their picture? We could add names later once it was here."

Edwin smiled at Amy. "I kind of like the get well poster idea. We could even have people pose with horses so that you could get to know the horses that are at the stable as well. We can say that you aren't up to coming back to work yet. I don't want to lie. You aren't up to it, and the cast on your arm may scare some of the horses."

"It already has here," Lisa admitted. I was in the barn, and Amy's horse, Spartan, was kind of freaked out by it. He only got close when Jack showed he wasn't afraid of me or the cast."

"Aww, you didn't tell me about that," said Amy. "I'm glad the two of you figured out how to get him comfortable with it. Horses are funny about things like that."

Jack had been thinking about something, and their conversation seemed like a good opportunity to bring it up. "What if you hired Georgie to come work for you for a little while in the office? She has worked for you before and has expressed interest in following in your footsteps. She has also dealt with people in that world and knows how to handle herself."

Lisa thought for a second. "Didn't Lou tell me she's in Europe training for the Olympics? How would that work?"

Jack shook his head. "She was, but she's back in Florida now. She felt like the coach in Europe helped her a lot and gave her some tips and strategies to be better, but she didn't like living in Europe so she went back to Florida to continue her training."

"Where would she stay?" Amy asked. "The house is full as it is, and Dad and Jessica are in the barn loft."

Jack looked at Lisa. "Your house at Fairfield is empty right now. She could stay there and continue to train when she's not working. It's just an idea. She would have to be willing to do it, but it does seem like a good solution to eventually get you back to work. She can fill you in on all the business stuff, and Edwin can keep you up to date on all the horse stuff. It would also keep you from having to tell more employees."

Lisa wondered if this was the solution to her problems. Georgie living at her house would prevent her from moving home, though. She wouldn't feel any more comfortable living with a young girl than she did with the family. "Okay, call Georgie and see if she would be willing to come work for me for a little while. She can stay at Fairfield. You're right. The house is empty. I would pay her well to do the job too. She would basically be my proxy while I get up to speed here on everything."

Jack pulled out his phone and went outside to call Georgie. Edwin pulled Lisa's laptop and cord out of his messenger bag. "Here is your computer. This will probably help you get up to speed on everything, too."

Lisa pulled the computer closer to herself. "Thanks. I've been wanting to look at this. I hope that I can get into this, or Jack has the passwords like he did for my phone. So, how have my horses been?"

Edwin smiled and sat up straight. This was something he knew he could do. He began to inform her all about the horses in the stables.

Amy asked, "How is Platinum Bow doing? He was so attached to Lisa. Remember when he faked a limp so she would spend more time with him?"

Lisa looked incredulous. "My horse was faking a limp? That seems a little far-fetched."

Edwin nodded. "It's true. I thought Amy was insane when she suggested it, but he really did only limp when you were around. The trainer would get through a whole training session with the horse, and then as soon as you walked into the arena, Bow would start to limp. That horse really loves you, and the feelings were mutual. You even bought out your investors who were rushing you to either sell him or get him back on the track before he was ready. Bow was too important to you to sell, and you didn't want to put him back on the track too soon and risk reinjuring him."

Jack walked back into the house and sat back down at the table. "Georgie said that she can come. She said this is actually the perfect time to come home, and she had already been thinking about coming back for a visit. Her horse has a minor injury, so she can't train right now anyway. She said if she's still needed here and her horse is better, Quinn will bring him up so she can continue training. Oh, and she wants it to be a surprise for Lou, so don't say anything about her coming. She's going to text me once she has her flight information so we know when to pick her up at the airport."

"Great. I'm looking forward to meeting Georgie. I hope she can handle this job." Lisa wasn't sure how any of this was going to work, but she had to try while she figured out a more long-term solution.

"I think she'll be good. I don't know why I didn't think of it before," said Amy.

Lisa hoped that Jack and Amy were right about Georgie. As much as she wanted to go back to Fairfield, she couldn't until things were more settled with her memory. It was safer for her at Heartland.

After talking things over with Edwin, Lisa felt better about the state of her business. "Thank you for coming out here today. I really appreciate it. I'll be in touch. Please keep me up to date with everything."

"You're welcome. Let me know when you want to come out to Fairfield, and we'll be ready for you. Everyone has been so worried. They've gone above and beyond to make sure that your stables are in good shape." Edwin stood up to leave.

Lisa stood up as well to address Edwin. "Please thank everyone for their hard work for me. I couldn't run my business without any of you."

"I better get going. I'll show myself out." Edwin turned and left the house.

Lisa sat back down at the table and took a deep breath, and sighed. "I'm glad that's over.

Jack patted Lisa's hand. "Me too. It seems like everything can continue like it has for a while. I feel better knowing that Georgie will be there. I'm not crazy about lying to people, but I do understand you want to protect your business."

"I just hope Dan doesn't find out. He'll try to take over my business if he does." Lisa knew she had some horses with Dan 17 years ago, but she wasn't sure if they were in business together at the present time.

Jack and Amy look at each other. Jack motioned for Amy to leave, and she excused herself from the room and left the house.

"What? Why did you get weird about Dan? What's going on?" Lisa demanded.

Jack took Lisa's hand in his gently. "We need to talk."

To be continued