Chapter 2

After a restless night, Lisa had finally fallen asleep around 2am. She'd woken close to 9, and shuffled to the bathroom, hoping a hot shower would refresh her a bit. She stood in the heat and let her mind wander as the water washed over her. Rachel had text her flight plans the night before and she was arriving later that day. She would have dinner with them, and then Lisa was bringing her over to Fairfield. Lisa was encouraged that Rachel was willing to come help but was still surprised that she was coming so soon and had started to worry that there was more going on than the death of their aunt. Rachel had always been a flighty and mercurial child, and that hadn't changed much when she'd become pregnant with Ben at 17, and as she'd grown up. Lisa had cleaned up more than one of her little sister's messes over the years, and she was getting a strong feeling that she may have to again.

She shook off those thoughts as she dressed in comfortable clothes and styled her hair simply, forgoing makeup, knowing it wouldn't help with how exhausted and worn out she felt. She sighed in the mirror, still feeling old and used up before shrugging and leaving the bedroom. She was surprised when the house was quiet, knowing it was close to 10am now. The house was usually a flurry of activity on Saturdays by now, but it was eerily still today. She walked into the kitchen for some coffee and was relieved to see Lou and Peter sitting there, quietly looking at something on Lou's computer. Lou looked up as Lisa walked though.

"Morning Lisa, how are you? Were you able to get any sleep? Grandpa told us to let you sleep in so we've been trying to keep things quiet." Lisa smiled at Lou's ramble as she sat at the table with them with a fresh cup of coffee. She patted Lou's hand in thanks.

"I'm doing ok honey, thank you. I was able to sleep some, but I'll admit it did take a while. Now, take my mind off this, what are you two up to?" She sipped her coffee and looked at them expectantly, hoping the inquiry would quelch Lou's desire to dig into her feelings. She wasn't ready to talk about Evelyn's death at length. Lou studied her for a moment and seemed to see the resolve in Lisa's eyes, surprising Lisa when she let it go and turned the laptop so she could see. She decided to take that win and not comment on Lou's rare display of understanding Lisa's emotions.

"Well, we thought we'd make Katie an album of her trip pictures for her birthday. She had such a good time. We found this place online where you can upload all your pictures and choose a layout for a little book full of pictures. You can even add graphics and headings. It's pretty fun."

Lisa looked at what they'd done so far on the website and smiled.

"This looks great you guys; I think Katie will love it!" Peter smiled at her.

"Thanks Lisa, you know she'd been a little down about Parker moving away before this trip and we thought it may help cheer her up even more. She did seem to make some good memories with her other classmates on the trip".

Lisa was going to respond, but was interrupted by Jack walking into the house, talking on the phone, and laughing with whomever was on the other end. They all turned to watch as he hung his hat on the hook while he talked and didn't notice them sitting there. As he turned toward them, he paused mid-sentence and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, Ben, Lisa's right here, let me hand you off to her." Lisa's eyes widened at that, and she took the phone when Jack walked over and handed it to her, only noticing then that it was her phone, not his own.

"Ben? Hi honey." She smiled as Lou and Peter quietly got up and left her to her call. Jack sat down next to her as she talked with Ben. She teared up a bit when he mentioned how sorry he was about Evelyn but was touched when he knew her well enough to change the subject and tell her how the final wedding plans for him and Krista were coming along. Lisa and Jack had really been looking forward to attending his wedding, and it was now only about 6 weeks away. Jack was even willingly traveling with her to London for the wedding. Amy and Lyndy were also coming, while Lou and Peter and their girls attended a family event on his side in Montreal. Ben had really warmed to Jack after he'd married Lisa, and had been back to visit Heartland several times, and had brought Krista to meet them once they'd gotten serious. They all loved Krista and thought she was a great fit for Ben. Lisa had worried about him after his previous long-term relationship had ended badly. He'd been very hurt and it took him a long time to recover. Krista had been a breath of fresh air when she'd dropped into his life. Ben, and Krista once they'd gotten to know her, had become family to everyone, and Lyndy and Katie fondly called him "Uncle Ben" since they both got too confused when they tried to explain his actual family connection.

She let time pass as Ben chatted with her, and when she was finally saying goodbye to him, Jack was no longer sitting next to her at the table, but she could hear soft voices in the living room. She walked out there and smiled when she saw Jack sitting with Lyndy on his lap, showing her one of his new fishing flies and explaining why it was superior to the others. She hadn't even noticed anyone else enter the house while she was on her phone call but knew Amy and Lyndy must have entered at some point. She sat down next to them on the couch and welcomed Lyndy when she flung herself into Lisa's arms for a hug. She smoothed Lyndy's hair down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hi honey" she smiled at Lyndy as the little girl cuddled into her.

"Hi Lisa. Momma and I went to town, and I got a new coloring book this morning. Do you want to see it?"

Lisa nodded and Lyndy scampered happily off to her room, and Lisa smiled up at Jack. He been such a steady rock for her last night, through her disturbing dreams and tossing and turning. Not once complaining that she'd kept him awake when he had to rise early for chores. She had no idea what she'd do without him. He leaned over to gently kiss her and when he tried to pull back, she put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him back in for a deeper kiss. He pulled back again and looked at her in surprise. She stroked his jaw with her thumb and whispered at him "Just kiss me Cowboy" and groaned in relief when he seemed to understand she just needed to be close to him, so he pulled her closer and she sank into the deep kiss, her stomach swirling as they embraced. They pulled apart at a nearby giggle and both looked to see Lyndy watching them, a silly grin on her face. Lisa let go of Jack as Lyndy climbed back up next to her and wiggled between their laps. Lisa sent Jack an embarrassed look over the girl's head. He just shook his head at her, biting back a grin. Lyndy continued to softly giggle, and Lisa looked down at her.

"And what are you giggling about little miss?"

"I like when you guys kiss." Lisa's eyebrows raised in shock as she felt her cheeks flush, still embarrassed. She caught Jack's eye and she smiled when she saw he was also surprised at Lyndy's comment.

"You do huh? Why's that honey?" Lisa asked her, smiling, so Lyndy would know she wasn't upset, just curious, although she was mortified that Lyndy had caught them in such a heavy moment.

"Well, momma says it's cuz you love each other, and it makes me feel happy." Lisa put a hand on her heart and caught Jack's eye again before hugging Lyndy. Her mortification lessened a bit at Lyndy's comment.

"Thank you, Lyndy, that makes me feel very good. You are such an angel". Lyndy grinned back up at her and they flipped through the new coloring book together, which was, predictably, full of horse pictures. She was still sitting with them, Jack and Lisa chiming in occasionally about the different horses, when Amy came back in and called her outside to meet the new horse she was working with. Lyndy gave them each big hugs and scampered off again with Amy. As the house quieted again, Lisa settled against the back of the couch, resting her head on the back, turning it toward her husband, who offered her his hand. She clasped it in both of hers and sighed deeply.

"You alright?" He quietly asked.

She looked into his loving eyes and sighed again. "Yes, I think so. It was nice talking to Ben. He and Krista will fly out for the service. I'll just have to send them the information once we have it settled. Speaking of Ben, you answered my phone when he called?" at his nod, she asked "Where was my phone?"

Jack sheepishly ran his hand over his chin "Well, I knew Ben would likely be calling and I wanted you to sleep, so I took your phone with me. Hope you don't mind." He looked up at her and she was surprised at the nervousness he was showing. She squeezed his hand clasped in hers in thanks.

"Oh Jack, of course I don't mind. Thank you for making sure I got some sleep, and I'm sorry I kept you awake for so long last night. You must be tired too."

"Don't worry about me Lise, I'm actually feeling pretty good. Might be an early night tonight, but I really have been alright. I'm glad you got to talk to Ben. He seemed ok the few minutes I spoke with him, but I know it was hard for him to hear about Evelyn. You've told me how she's filled the grandmother role for him." Lisa nodded, knowing that was likely how Ben was feeling right now, that he'd lost his grandmother.

"It was hard for him, but I think it helps that he has Krista. He said she's been very supportive through all of Rachel's…chaos, and then with this news. Kind of like how it helps me to have you." She pulled one of her hands free and with it on the back of his neck, pulled him in for another kiss. He smiled at her when they pulled apart, shifting his eyes around as if looking for something. She looked at him in confusion, her fingers raking through his hair at his neck. "Honey, what are you looking for?" He grinned at her and spoke before capturing her lips again.

"Just making sure no one is lurking to giggle at us again."

Lisa laughed into the kiss and let him pull her closer. She sank into him and let him kiss her cares away, pulling away only when she needed breath. Her chest heaving, she rested her forehead on his and gazed into his eyes. "Hi Cowboy" she whispered. He smiled back and pulled her suddenly into his lap, making her yelp and laugh in surprise. He settled her in and wrapped one arm around her back and rested one just above her knees. She draped her arm across his shoulders, rested her head against his and closed her eyes, comforted by her husband's arms.

"You sure you're alright? You can talk to me, you know" he spoke softly again, and she smiled, nuzzling her nose against his cheek.

"I am alright, it's sad, but I remembered something last night that Evelyn said when we spoke a few months ago. She told me how much she's enjoyed her life, and how much she's enjoyed this family in the last 10 years. She had a lot of good years and had wonderful friends and family in her life." She felt Jack's hand on her face and smiled when he gazed into her eyes.

"She did have a good life, how could she not, when you were a big part of it." Jack pulled her in a little closer and she kissed his cheek in thanks, resting against him. She helped him shift when he scooted into a more reclined position, and they rested together in silence.

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She was startled when the front door banged, glancing at the clock, realizing she'd drifted off for about an hour. Amy and Lyndy walked in and Amy paused when she saw them all cuddled up together and grinned when Lisa's eyes met hers.

"Would you two like the room to yourselves?" She raised her eyebrows and was startled when a snort of laughter came from her grandfather, startling Lisa as well. She looked down into his eyes, thinking he'd also dozed off. She smacked his shoulder and yelped again as he sat up and plopped her down next to him, making Amy and Lyndy laugh. Lisa rolled her eyes at Jack and turned to properly greet Amy after Amy ushered Lyndy off to change her clothes.

"Sorry Amy, we just dozed off a bit with the house so quiet." She straightened out her wrinkled shirt as Amy perched on the edge of the coffee table in front of them.

"It's ok, it was pretty cute actually. And Lyndy told me outside that you two were 'being cute and kissing' earlier, so I'm glad you got a little time to yourselves, even if it was short lived." She smiled as Lisa blushed a bit at the reminder of Lyndy catching them practically making out.

"Ah, well sorry about that, she kind of…caught us in a…moment." Lisa awkwardly stuttered out, Jack chuckling beside her. He draped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her head with affection.

"Oh Lisa, it's totally fine, she's definitely seen you two kissing before. I'm not really concerned about her seeing a married couple who love each other kissing." Amy smiled at her in reassurance, and Lisa blushed again.

"Well, thank you, but…well…it ah…wasn't exactly just a kiss. We were…a little…tangled up." Jack laughed again.

"It wasn't anything indecent Amy, don't worry about it. Lisa's just a little embarrassed." She rolled her eyes again.

Amy laughed and reached out to rub Lisa's shoulder when the older woman blushed again. "Lisa really, it's fine. You two have never been indecent in front of any of us. I promise I'm not worried about what Lyndy saw. It's good for her to see that you two love each other." Lisa laughed, looking down into her lap. She held her hands up in surrender, looking at both of them in turn.

"Okay I surrender, Lyndy saw nothing untoward." She laughed with Jack and Amy.

"I'm glad to see you're doing alright Lisa" Amy offered. "I'm so sorry about Evelyn."

"Thank you, Amy, I am doing ok. It's hard, but it's comforting to me that she loved her life and lived so long. She was already 96." She patted Amy's knee and stood, trying to ignore the emotions rising up again.

"On that note, I'm going to freshen up a bit. Rachel will be here by 4, and I want to run to the store and make sure Fairfield's fridge is stocked for her." She didn't see the glance Amy and Jack exchanged and turned back when Jack spoke.

"Oh Lise, I should just come with you, I need new wire for the fences anyway. I can grab that while you're getting groceries." She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms as he ambled toward her.

"Are you just not wanting me to be alone and making up something you don't actually need to come with me?" She tried not to smile and remain stoic, a little touched that he was that worried but not wanting him to know that yet.

He looked at her in silence as she waited, and she saw him bite back a grin.

"Yes" he answered simply, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise, and she heard Amy laughing again behind him. Lisa shook her head, and stepped up to her ridiculous husband, grasping his arms and leaning up on her toes to kiss him gently.

"Thank you honey. You can come with me, and don't even have to pretend to go buy wire. Let me just grab a sweater and my purse." She winked at him with a smile before heading to their bedroom, hearing Jack and Amy cracking up as she walked out of the living room. She smiled, glad to have such wonderful people in her life that made this loss easier to bear.

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"Lisa, a taxi pulled up, it's probably Rachel" Lou called out later that day. Lisa walked into the kitchen from Lyndy's room, where she'd been helping her arrange her stuffed animals for a tea party, and peeked out the kitchen window next to Lou. As the passenger got out of the taxi, she spoke.

"Yes that is Rachel, thank you Lou." She quickly made her way out of the house and down to greet Rachel. She and Jack had successfully stocked the Fairfield kitchen earlier that afternoon, and he'd had to gently remind her she didn't need to go overboard in the house for Rachel's visit. She'd started to get into her head about washing sheets and towels, but he'd lovingly reminded her that Rachel thought of the house as home, and she knew how to wash things if needed, though she likely wouldn't need to. Lisa had reluctantly agreed to just making sure the kitchen was stocked, but now that they'd been home a couple of hours, she was glad he'd insisted they not do more work, as she was already exhausted. She quietly watched as Rachel finished paying the driver, and as the taxi drove off, she stepped up to greet her sister.

"Hi Rach." She gasped in surprise when Rachel spun quickly and flung herself at Lisa.

"Lisa! Hi!" Lisa sighed when the strong scent of alcohol hit her, realizing Rachel had likely drunk herself across the skies of Canada on her flight. She awkwardly patted Rachel's back when her sister continued to cling to her as her bags sat where she'd dropped them. She gently pulled back from the embrace, trying to catch Rachel's eyes, but rolled her own when Rachel became immediately distracted by Jack ambling up behind them.

"Jack! How are you?!" Rachel all but shouted as she none so gently nudged Lisa aside to get to him. Lisa watched as she picked up Rachel's bags, Jack's eyes meeting hers over Rachel's head as she flung her arms around him too, and knew he was likely getting the same whiff as she had upon the greeting. They both listened as Rachel spun around and waxed lyrical about the ranch's views and fresh air, as she usually did. Jack gallantly caught Rachel's elbow when she stumbled in her heels on the dirt.

"Rachel, good to see you again" Jack attempted to capture her attention "I'm sorry it's not for a happier occasion." Lisa rolled her eyes again when Rachel gasped, as if she'd forgotten about the death of their aunt since just the night before. Lisa was suddenly engulfed in a hug again.

"Oh Lisa, I'm so sorry! How horrible this is, it's just you and me now." Lisa sighed, Rachel's theatrics making it known that she didn't really care that much. When Rachel was actually sad, she got very quiet and bitter. Her loud exclamations now didn't fool Lisa into thinking she was suffering much at all. She was sure her younger sister was a little saddened by their aunt's death, but Lisa doubted it was affecting her deeply.

"Yes well…" Lisa pulled back from Rachel again and attempted to lead them up to the house, Jack following behind and gently taking Rachel's bags from her. She smiled at him in thanks and tried to refocus her sister again. "It is you and me now, and you know…your son, who is getting married soon and will likely have his own children."

Rachel just waved her off in a huff as she stumbled up the stairs to the door, Lisa steadying her as she opened the door to usher her inside the house. "Really Rachel, did you drink the plane out of alcohol?"

"Oh Lisa, you know I'm a nervous flyer." She waved her off again and turned to greet Lou, who Lisa knew had likely watched the whole thing from the window and had already deduced Rachel's state, since she'd also arrived drunk the last time she'd visited.

"Oh hello Lou!"

"Hi Rachel, nice to see you again, I'm very sorry about Aunt Evelyn." Lou accepted a hug from Rachel after tossing the dishtowel on the counter and led her into a chair at the table. "You must be tired from traveling, let me get you a cup of coffee."

"Oh thank you honey, you're such a gem. She's really a keeper, this one, Lisa." Rachel haphazardly patted Lou's hand after taking the offered cup of coffee and took a sip, looking around distractedly. Lisa smiled at Lou, trying to conceal a smirk, knowing Lou had offered Rachel coffee to sober her up, not because she actually thought Rachel might be tired. Lisa's kept eye contact with Lou while speaking.

"You're right Rachel, she's definitely a keeper!" Lisa grinned with warmth at Lou, confused when Lou's eyes filled very suddenly with tears. She was about to ask her what was wrong, but Rachel spilled her coffee and Lou rushed to help clean it up. When they'd wiped up the coffee and Lou had refilled Rachel's cup, Lisa looked at Lou again and the younger woman's eyes were free of tears. She shook her head and considered that she'd maybe been seeing things in her exhausted state. Lisa shook off her thoughts and tuned back into the conversation, thinking she'd keep an eye on Lou, just in case, fling that occurrence away with her other recent odd reactions.

Rachel was regaling Jack and Lou with an outrageous story of her run through the Toronto airport to get to her gate in time. She doubted any of the story was remotely close to the truth, but she'd long ago given up on trying to stop her sister from dramatizing things.

"I was the last one on the plane, and of course, everyone was glaring at me as though it was my fault. I mean, how can I help it if I get delayed through security and trapped in the bathroom by the cleaners?! Then, this creepy guy sitting next to me was trying to hit on me the whole flight and asked if I wanted to join the mile high club with him." Lisa raised her eyebrows, wondering if that one might be true. Rachel was still a knock-out at 52, and she did get hit on quite a bit. It embarrassed her son to no end, the men hitting on her often his own age or even younger. Lisa could actually see it happening on a plane. Especially since her sister had been drinking and likely was flirting with the man, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Well, that sounds…harrowing. I'm glad you've arrived safely Rachel." Jack helplessly responded, shrugging when Lisa looked at him with mirth in her eyes. He tried so hard to relate to her sister, but she knew they'd likely never be good friends, which was honestly fine with her since they didn't see Rachel very often. She smiled at Rachel and joined in the conversation, trying to let go of the bitter turn her thoughts often took with her sister. She would just try to enjoy her sister's visit and help with Evelyn's service.

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After dinner, Lou and Amy were cleaning up the dishes, smiling at a burst of laughter from the rest of the family that had settled in the living room after the meal.

"I'm glad dinner went well with Rachel, especially with the way she arrived." Amy softly said as she dried the clean plate Lou handed her.

"Yeah me too." Lou responded absently, her thoughts rushing to that look Lisa had tossed her way earlier, full of love. Since Grandpa and Amy had knocked her down a couple of pegs the day before, she'd begun really seeing how much Lisa loved this family, herself included. She felt horrible about the things she's said to her grandfather yesterday. She'd been thinking about his words almost non-stop for 24 hours, lying awake the night before, stewing in silence as Peter slept peacefully. She didn't know why she had this issue with Lisa still, but she'd promised Grandpa she'd figure it out.

"Lou?" Amy's voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked over and then down when Amy gestured into the sink. She was holding a soapy plate, the water still running. She quickly rinsed the soap off, and handed Amy the plate, shutting off the water.

"Sorry, lost in thought I guess."

"Yeah I know. It's ok. I get that you have a lot on your mind right now. I feel like, maybe…you're starting to see what you've been doing all these years? With Lisa I mean." Amy spoke softly, so they wouldn't be overheard.

"umm…yeah…I have." Lou blinked swiftly as tears rose again. Amy grabbed her hand and squeezed.

"Hey…it's ok. I'm here if you want to talk, ok? I've realized today that I haven't always been great with her either. I was thinking earlier that I want to make sure she knows how much I love her, especially right now, but then I realized that I don't think I've ever told her that I love her."

At Lou's gasp, Amy peeked into the living room, seeing the noise hadn't been noticed. She turned toward Lou, who had gone almost green in the face. She led her gently into a chair at the small kitchen table, sat down next to her and gripped her hands.

"Lou, what is it?" She was alarmed at the tears on Lou's face.

"I…I just, I've never told her that either Amy. What must she think of us? All these years, and we can't even tell her that? What is wrong with us, with me? I feel like such a horrible person. Grandpa is right you know, she's never been anything but wonderful to us, and I've resisted really knowing her at every turn." She cried softly into her hands and leaned in when Amy hugged her close.

"Hey, we'll make it better ok? We'll do it together." Lou nodded into her little sister's shoulder, wondering when Amy became the wise one, knowing it was probably a long time ago. She was glad to have a sister she could also call her best friend. They sat in a hug for long moments, until Katie came in to see what they were doing. They played it off as missing Evelyn, and Katie seemed to buy it, so they dried their tears and joined the family, reminiscing with Lisa and her own sister about their aunt.

Lou felt a little better, but when Lisa was looking another direction, she catalogued the older woman's face, realizing how much she had aged in the last few years. She certainly wasn't old yet, but there were more lines around her eyes, and she got tired more easily these days. Time had marched on for Lisa as well, and Lou was starting to understand just how much of herself Lisa gave to those she loved. Lou resolved to figure herself out and make sure Lisa could feel confident in her support and love.

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Later that night, Lisa tiredly pulled away from Fairfield after settling her sister in. She'd been a hit at dinner, telling outlandish stories and talking enough for everyone. Jack had wisely kept wine and beer off the beverage options for dinner, so Rachel had sobered a bit and at least hadn't been obnoxious. Thankfully, she knew the family was fond enough of Rachel to enjoy her stories and didn't mind her pretty much taking over the conversation for the evening, but even after all these years, it still wore Lisa down to exhaustion. She'd absently listened as Rachel rambled all the way to Fairfield once Lisa had finally convinced her to leave Heartland for the evening. The little she had heard and retained was complaining about Ben's soon to be in-laws, who apparently thought they were better than Rachel, complaints about her current job, that she'd been at less than a year, and yet again, complaints about how hard it had been to be a single mom, even though Ben was now 35 years old and had been away from home for over 15 years. She'd ushered Rachel into their childhood home and made sure she was settled, having finally gotten out of there at what was now nearing 11pm.

She reveled in the silence as she made the drive back home, pulling into Heartland 15 minutes later and parking in her usual spot. The autumn night had cooled considerably in the couple hours she'd been gone, and she shivered in her light coat as she trudged to the door, smiling when the door quietly swung open and her handsome cowboy greeted her.

"Hey there, finally got away?" He guided her through the door at her slight nod, and waited patiently as she removed her shoes and coat, and took her purse from her, setting it on top the wine cooler and turning to pull her into his arms. She sighed and leaned into him, resting her head on his chest, comforted by the beat of his heart. While she'd been trying to enjoy her sister's visit, even just seven hours into it, she was spent.

"I'm sorry honey, you were going to have an early night, you didn't have to wait up." She spoke into his chest.

Jack rubbed his hands over her back and spoke softly. "It's alright. Peter and I were chatting, and I honestly didn't realize how late it had gotten. How about we get to bed, we both need some sleep". She nodded against his chest and pulled away to let him lead her to their bedroom. Within minutes, they'd both changed into comfortable pajamas, and she was curled up in his arms again. Just before falling asleep, she murmured into the night "Love you cowboy" wanting to ensure he knew how much she appreciated him, but unable to voice more in her exhaustion. As she drifted into slumber, she heard his deep voice responding, "love you too Lise, so much".

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Thank you! Chapter 3 coming soon!