A/N – Thanks for all the reviews. To to suggestion that Charlie and Lou get together, that not a pair I ship. Charlie always struck me as a one woman man, he was devoted to her. More in a few days. Enjoy !
Chapter 50
At about 5:00 in the afternoon on a hot Friday at the beginning of August and just two days before having to leave, Ty walked out of the medical barn stretched to the sky and then sat down on a double hay pile that stood between medical and the rescue barn. He, Bert and the three seconds had just finished a 6 ½ hour surgery on Brighton, it had gone well, they had been through the surgery at least a dozen times over the past 48 hours trying to foresee any problems, assuming of course Brighton had the wherewithal to stay down and come back out of from under the anesthetic. Now it was up to the horse.
He had his head down, eyes closed, his fingers laced through his hair and his palms holding up his head while taking some deep breaths and getting focused. He felt the slight shift in his seat and pulled back to look.
"Oh hey Ty" April said with a smile. "You looked like you needed a friend."
"I'm good April, thanks though, nice to know you're looking out for me, I've just been concentrating on something for a long time and needed to calm myself for a while."
"That's happens to me when I study too long, just got to slow down."
"So how do you do that April ?"
"Usually I draw unless I can ride. Just get on Tristin or Kite and ride off, drawing is good though."
"Well a ride would be good but I don't have the time and I don't draw very well, I guess I'll take a hot shower and hug Amy and hopefully that will help. Eating sabbath dinner at the Koenig's tonight."
"Oh it's nice and Aunt Meg's a good cook. I like the chicken soup best but Jax likes the Kugel."
"Where is Jackson anyway ?"
"Getting washed and changed to come to dinner at our place and the twins have a date and will come home with Uber."
"And Jackson ?"
"Sleeping over. Girls have jumping tomorrow and you and Amy have a date." She said with a giggle. "I had a date this week."
"Was that a date ?"
"Not until Jax picked me up which was a surprise, he wore a button down and his cowboy hat and he picked me some daisies on the way, you pick a girl up and give her flowers, that's a date."
"Good surprise ?"
"Oh the best and he even had ice cream sandwiches, after we had our lunch sandwiches which he made of course we went for a walk on a trail to explore which was nice and when we got back Jax pulled them out from behind a log. Black cherry double chocolate chip, my favorite, and on Gran's oatmeal raisin cookies, my favorite again."
"Sounds pretty special April."
"Oh it was, I gave him my drawing, did you see it ?"
"He showed me right off, I helped him put it up in his room."
April had drawn a picture of Jackson who was sitting against Merlin in the meadow with one of his summer reading books. Ty had to admit that it was good. Jackson was pretty easily identifiable. The perspective was a bit off but overall it was easy to see that April was a good artist.
Ty was thrilled the special outing Jackson and he planned had been so much fun for the two. He remembered Tuesday morning just as rounds were about half way through when JT came charging into medical with a package that was delivered to Ty. Bert was nice enough to smile and step back while Ty cut the box open on one of the surgical tables. The package contained a triple insulated wide mouth thermos used to transport lab samples. It came with two discs, one for the top and one for the bottom, once the discs were frozen they would keep the contents inside frozen for up to 12 hours.
"It says the discs and the thermos liner have to be frozen for 4 hours first."
"I'll take 'em to the house." Jackson said.
"Won't work, they need 0 degrees Fahrenheit, so we need the lab sample freezer." Ty explained.
"I'll put them in JT and set a timer." Katie said taking the three objects.
"Jackson you go make 2 ice cream sandwiches and put them in the house freezer. In 4 hours we'll put them in the container with the discs and pop them in the sun. If they're still good by dinner, you've got a special dessert."
"Ok Dr. Borden, fingers crossed." JT said scooting away.
Putting the packing away Ty looked up "sorry, he's an anxious one."
"Yes he is, excuse me for asking Ty but how much exactly does a cryovac ice cream sandwich thermos run these days ?"
"Your point Bert ? This is very important to him"
"I'm just saying Ty, oh forget it. Let's get done."
Georgie and Katie smiled at him and Georgie put her arm around Ty's waist and squeezed. "Amy's right, you're a marshmallow."
Of course it worked, a little too well and they determined after dinner that Jack would need 20 minutes between, opening the container and having it warm up enough for the sandwiches to soften up enough to be edible.
"No problem, I'll figure something out, maybe a walk after lunch before dessert and I just have to remember to open the container first."
"There you go" Ty said, "one special dessert."
"In a cryovac container." Amy said and then whispered "No, I don't want to know."
"Love you Ames."
"Good thought ? You were smiling." April asked shaking him from his memory.
"The best, about Amy, and you and Jax, and everyone else." Ty answered "I guess I should get going, want to walk me to the house ?"
"Sure thing, I'll wait on the porch." April answered jumping down. Ty stood up and soon she had his hand in his, he looked down at her golden smile as she starting skipping or dancing along he wasn't actually sure which but he just just played along when she neglected to release his hand.
They had decided Monday night that the West Canada house fit them almost perfectly and told Trev and Charlie first thing Tuesday. Ty easily made his peace with Betty, Amy had told him that it was all really family money anyway and it became very obvious to Ty that this was important to Betty. Ty and the family would decide and it would be Betty's gift.
Amy rode Prince a few times during the week and after setting an exercise and readiness routine scheduled him for a full extension workout the following week. Ty would be gone for that. She also spent some time with Boxer and his videos. Every spare second which was driving Ty nuts. Amy hated watching dressage and it was almost hypnotic to her. Ty would talk and literally have to shake her free from the iPad.
"Getting anywhere ?" He asked one night sitting in the bedroom with her while he read.
"Stiff neck coming on" Amy said, "probably headaches."
"How about you medical folks, anything ?"
"Nothing yet either." Ty answered. "I can help with that neck, maybe stave off that headache."
Amy stretched, "that would be nice."
"I'll start the tub."
Ty got up and started the water, turned down the lights in the bathroom and lit some candles.
"Somehow this is starting to look less like my therapeutic session and more like yours Dr. Borden."
"I will massage your neck and shoulders and soothe your temples with my fingers. Your well being is my foremost concern."
"You have no idea how aroused I am right now Ty, I think you're on to something" she said giggling. She stood at the entrance to the bath and raised her hands. Ty pulled her blouse over her head and immediately laid his lips on her neck.
Wednesday afternoon Amy and Ty dropped Lou and Tim at Syracuse Airport PrivateAir terminal for their flight to Calgary. After speaking with Amy several more times, Lou was going to think before acting and wanted to speak with Nicole, phone or Skype would work just as well. They drove from the airport to the foundation offices in Ithaca where Ty spent at least an hour shaking hands and getting hugs. They sat with Trev and Tom Carmichael and went over the preliminaries for what they were starting to call their retreat home and looked at the public survey maps on file that they had pulled. A local surveying firm drew in additional surrounding lines delineating state and federal land management.
Tom laughed, "I've looked at it for two hours, it's like some bizarre cluster fuck of agencies surrounding this 1000 acres, I'll go to the NYS Department of the Interior first and ask them to sort this crap out. Maybe one of them will take the lead like they did with Pegasus."
"This area here Amy, it looks perfect for what we talked about." Ty asked circling a spot off Cranberry Lake with a fairly dense piece of woods with a nice sized clearing in a part of it. "Is that ours ?"
"Looks like it's borderline." Tom said following a line with his finger.
"Looks like a great spot for a rescue and research facility, access to the estuaries, the lake and wilderness. This seems like a decent logging road to the clearing for access. Pegasus run with research access granted to Cornell, or state and federal agencies might pull some decent weight to get us conservatorship over a part of the surrounding land. Also, I'd feel better leaving the property and having the kids out. A human presence will curtail bears and coyotes to an extent and hunters for sure." Ty explained.
"So you want more than approval, might not be a bad way to go." Tom said. "Let me make some calls, I'll start with our friends at wildlife. I also have some calls in to some associates in the North Country about the Spelts."
Rather than head back to the ranch they strolled around Ithaca's downtown. Arm in arm, Amy's head tucked snuggly against Ty's side, they wandered through the shops and small malls in the Ithaca Alliance and stopped at one of Amy's favorite places Autumn Leaves Used Books and Angry Mom Records, both housed in the same building, 3 floors of used books and music. She pulled Ty away after 30 minutes with the promise that the store wasn't going anywhere.
They seemed both to understand that their time together was limited and they spent these moments wholly concentrating on each other. They passed soft brief kisses as they strolled or when they came together in a shop, the soft natural shifting of their hands done lovingly coupled with a small pat or touch. They stopped at a bench in the park to rest and take a breather. They kissed and whispered their love.
They walked over to S. Meadow St. and stopped at the Ithaca Bakery for a treat and coffee before heading back towards the truck. Just a few hours together, focused, another memory together to fall back on.
After leaving April on the porch Ty walked in and kicked off his surgical clogs before heading into the kitchen.
"Coffee Ty ?," Betty asked "I put it up when Amy got the text that you were done."
"Thanks Betty, lid please, I don't trust myself across the living room. Amy in the library ?"
"I think, the surgery went well ?" She asked turning the top on the coffee cup.
"It did, hopefully the result will be what we expect and that lucky guy will spend his days soaking in the sun and taking in the ladies. Seems you'll have an empty house tonight Gran, have plans ?"
"Bath and a movie in utter silence."
Ty glanced over and made sure no one was coming.
"If I can figure out how to make it in for an overnight can I count on you to help me get her free, maybe dinner and a show in the city or dancing ?"
"She'd love that, of course I'll help, just let me know."
Ty took a sip of the hot brew, sighed and stood up to leave. He walked over and kissed Betty on the cheek, "I'm going to miss you too Betty, I go home to an empty house, that smile of yours would go a long way."
"You should stay at Heartland then Ty, take my advice."
"Maybe I will, I doubt anyone will mind, Georgie's room is free."
As the hot water ran down his body Ty stretched. As always these days his thoughts strayed to Amy, he just left her in the library, he could still taste her, the feeling of her lips were still on his. His body reacted of course and he laughed and commented to himself softly, "I'm like a fucking 12 year old, just thinking about her drives me insane."
He had laid out pleated dark grey cotton slacks and a dark blue shirt, though he never really minded dressing better he was dismally short of clothes to fit the bill and made a mental note to do some shopping in Calgary. Maybe Wyatt would come along, Ty was awful at fashion.
His thoughts strayed to Brighton and he grabbed the iPad to see if there were any notes added after almost an hour. Brighton had arrived on Wednesday while Ty was with Amy in town. The seconds were there to welcome him and get him settled. He came with recent bloodwork so they let him settle with a mash prepared by Vi to boost his immune system and keep him a little calmer with some chamomile. He'd been on a special diet with supplements they had shipped to Brighton's home, what he got now was even more heavily supplemented.
Ty spent most of the evening Wednesday and most of Thursday running though tests from Boxer and Brighton and running though Brighton's surgical scenarios. He, Bert and the seconds were inseparable during much of this time, They needed to be ready for anything, double surgeries were stressful not only for the horse but the surgical team as well. Familiarity lessened stress and the prep sessions bred familiarity.
Ty's one respite on Thursday was fishing with Jackson in the morning. They were both in a good mood knowing they'd fish together again on Sunday. Of course the looming separation was between them and Jackson asked Ty questions about Canada, Alberta, Hudson and Heartland. What Ty would be doing while he was away, if he thought he would get to fish, or ride or hang out with his friends who Jackson asked about.
"Well Caleb is probably my best friend, he's a cowboy, rodeo, partner in the Heartland stock business and teaches in your Grandpa's Rodeo school. He's married to one of my partners in the vet clinic Cassandra, we went to vet school together. They have two kids, younger than you, a boy and a girl. Scott Cardinal is like a big brother who also came to Heartland after getting in some trouble like me. He's sort of like my teacher and older brother all rolled into one."
"So Caleb's like Cars I guess."
"Pretty much Caleb is my Cars."
"So that's it huh, mom's got tons of friends."
"Well there's my friend Bob who runs the Hudson nature rescue. We've travelled all over the world to help animals. I also have a friend Jason who I've also travelled with."
"No girlfriends ?"
"Girlfriends how Jackson, nobody like your mom if that's what you mean, but Cass is my friend and some others."
"So what do you do with your friends, riding, fishing ?"
"Well, no, we don't fish or usually ride together, I guess we just hang out and talk, sometimes play pool, watch sports."
"Doesn't sound like much."
"I guess it doesn't."
"So this is better, me and you, like we're best friends."
"This is definitely better Jackson."
"Uncle Bert plays pool, he says I'm still a little too short but you can play him, he can make the ball jump over another ball, it's pretty cool."
"What else can Uncle Bert do ?"
"He can make the ball go around too but jumping is really neat."
"Masse and jump shots, thanks Jackson that's good to know."
"I guess you'll be pretty busy when you're away."
"I won't be too busy to answer a call Jackson unless I'm with a patient."
"I don't have a phone anyway."
"I'll tell gran to let you use the phone whenever you want to call me."
"Awesome."
"But, you have to also let me do my work."
"So that you can get done and come home, well back here."
"Pegasus is home for me too Jackson, wherever you guys are from now on is home for me. I'm not going home, I'm leaving home."
Jackson popped his fly a bit looking for a bite "I'll miss you." He said it softly, Ty was actually unsure if he was supposed to hear it, a wisp of sound floating past on the breeze.
He felt the tear form and let it fall, it rolled down his cheek and into the river. For perhaps the first time in his life he really didn't care and felt no reason at all to be ashamed or embarrassed by it. "I'll miss you too son" he answered softly, his words carried off by the soft breeze following his tear upstream.
After the nice time Amy and Ty had together on Wednesday afternoon, they were apart for all of Thursday and Friday until the evenings. They made love each night with the passion of two new lovers who were to be separated, a passion neither had ever felt for another person, far beyond what either felt so long ago.
Amy freely admitted to herself that she was sad that Ty was leaving and Jackson had certainly whispered it to both of them but no one seemed to be as sad about it as Ty. He didn't voice it but it was there in his body language as soon as he was near them. She could feel it laying against him at night. "You have to stop beating yourself up Ty, this is all real, I'm really here in your arms and I love you, we all love you, go to Alberta, get done and come home to us."
"Betty suggested I stay at Heartland, Georgie's room is open, yours still has the bed but a bunch of Lisa's Fairfield work, she uses it as an office."
"I can't imagine Grandpa or Lisa having a problem with it you may be more comfortable with the love around. Lisa won't let you mope, don't be mopey."
"I'm not mopey but I will miss you all."
Amy started kissing Ty's chest, her hands roamed down his side and across his stomach followed her Amy's soft kisses. "How about a special memory for those missing me times."
"How special ?" Ty groaned as Amy's kisses closed in on their mark.
"I'm thinking pretty special." Amy whispered shifting her body a little, then a little more as her hair trailed behind her against Ty's stomach.
Ty tried not to think of that moment while he was dressing for the Koenig's Friday evening but there it was rearing it's ugly head just as Amy walked in. "Hmmm, hold that thought sweetheart but I am running late" Amy said smiling and then glancing back and smirking as she walked to the bathroom pulling off her blouse.
She was out speeding towards the closet 10 minutes later. Ty sat with the iPad checking updates while Amy dressed in a nice sage green dress. She pulled out a pair of light brown boots with carved floral work in some greens and golds and pulled them over her hose.
"How do you always look so beautiful ?" Ty said walking over to her.
"Ty, stop" she whispered blushing. He reached across and lifted her head slightly "Don't shy away Ames, you are beautiful" he whispered leaning over to kiss her softly. She sighed and lowered her head to his chest and whispered "I love you Ty."
Driving over to the Koenig's home Ty looked over at Amy who shuffled closer in the seat so he could get his arm around her. "We should get a car Ames, all dressed up in the ranch truck ?"
"What should we get ?"
"Bert's got that Porsche, that's nice."
"That Porsche is Meg's Ty, they use it when they go out. She drives that to school every day."
"Really who would have thought, well yellow lambos are out I have a perpetual dislike of those, maybe something vintage but not outlandishly expensive."
"We can look, it's the next driveway Ty."
Where Ty thought Bryce and Roberta's house was impressive it was nothing compared to the Koenigs all Brick Federal style house. Originally built in 1823, it had been restored three times since then, the latest two years ago. Meg and Amy drove Bert crazy over 10 months of tag team decorating, the last two spent in the apartment above the barn that Georgie and Wyatt would occupy.
This was a formal house befitting two tenured, published, long standing Cornell professors. The center hall boasted a huge crystal chandelier that hung down 3 stories from the center of the stained glass observatory in the ceiling through the elaborate staircase that snacked up the center of the house. Ty looked around, there were several large open doorways to a large parlor on one side and a formal dining room on the other. Ty saw the set table through the door. They were led the other way into the parlor room where he noticed that Bert was mixing a small pitcher of Manhattan's.
The small talk in the parlor turned to Ty's absence and then slowly to Amy. "Ty being away is the perfect time for your overnight Amy, you're due, Trish needs a date."
"And we're discussing this now why Meg ?"
"To involve Ty in this endless battle of course." Bert answered laughing.
"What battle are we discussing ?" Ty asked.
"Amy's due for her yearly overnight in the hospital to have her brain examined, we do it every year, still haven't figured out how it works though." Bert added laughing.
"How long has this been going on ?" Ty asked sipping at his Manhattan his eyes fixed on Amy's.
"Since she filled out a full medical form for the adoption and Trish saw it." Meg answered.
"Ames ?"
"Ty ?"
"What are we talking about here ?"
"I get a brain scan and MRI along with cognitive and other tests, tactile, fine motor skills, like that to gauge if there's been any physical changes in my brain and it's functions. It's easier to just check in and get it all done."
"Why ?"
"Repeated concussive trauma."
"She went blind Ty !"
"Thanks Meg, I was there. Ames ?"
"It's so boring."
Ty took out his phone and dialed.
"Hey Ty, thought you were with Meg and Bert."
"We are Trish, I'm texting Sandra and Bridget and telling them that you and they will coordinate Amy's hospital stay and Amy will be there."
"Excellent, I'll arrange to call them first thing Monday from the Neurology dept. Thanks Ty, see you in the morning."
"Night Trish."
Ty took out his phone and started to text, a minute later he looked up and took a sip.
"I'm not sure how I feel about the orange Bert, it's different."
"I go back and forth, Meg what do you think ?"
"It makes it not a Manhattan, changes the flavor profile but it's a nice change."
"Before I send this, do I have to arrange a flight for me to drag you or will you go peacefully ?"
"I'll go and you don't have to come Ty." Amy answered resignedly.
"Thank you my sweet." Ty said finishing his drink, reread his text and hit send. "Another ginger ale ?"
"No, food please I'm starved."
"Food it is." Meg said standing "Thank you Ty, that was way easier than usual."
"Should we do the dentist next ?" He asked.
"No, I like going to the dentist and Benny gives me a lollipop."
Ty got up with her and slipped his arm around her waist. Amy reached up and kissed his cheek. "You were so decisive just now, sort of got me turned on."
"I think that could have gone either way."
"Nope, I started off pretty horny, that show you put on before, this could only have gone one way." Amy whispered. "Should we sneak off ?" She added as they came into the dining room.
"This is my payback isn't it ?" He whispered back helping her with her chair and sliding it in.
"Bitch huh ?" Amy asked when he reached over to kiss her.
Dinner was fun and very traditionally Jewish. It started with Meg lighting candles to welcome the sabbath and Bert saying a blessing over the wine and Challah, a traditional braided egg based bread a little on the sweet side.
Ty was game to try everything and liked it all with the exception of too much grated horseradish with his fish. He was warned of course. The fish course was followed by chicken soup and then by roasted chicken, kugel which Ty had heard from JT was a sweet noodle casserole, green beans and carrots glazed in honey. The dinner was served with wine, which was exceptional.
They talked about a variety of things including Georgie's wedding and them taking the apartment and then the kids.
"How was fishing yesterday Ty ?" Bert asked.
"Good, we took a few, spent a lot of time talking about Alberta."
"Like ?" Amy asked.
"My friends, who they are, what they do, what we do for fun, were any girls."
"Girls ?" Amy asked.
"He's 7, I don't know, he was looking for reassurances and I gave them to him."
"He's scared to lose you, that's sweet." Meg sad.
"I don't want him to be scared, he called Alberta my home, it's not."
"You told him that I hope." Amy asked
"Of course, I told him in no uncertain terms that I'm leaving home to go to Alberta not the other way around and that wherever you and they are is my home now and forever. I hope it's enough, I'll miss him as much as he'll miss me."
"That may be Ty but you'll both process that differently, him as a 7 year old."
"I get that Bert, Oh Ames, I told him I would ask Betty to let him call me whenever it gets rough and he promised to not take advantage."
"That was nice Ty, we'll see how he does, we'll deal with it." Amy smiled "JT will be fine, maybe a little mopey, you have that in common."
"Bert mopes too, maybe all men mope." Meg added.
"I don't mope." Ty said.
"I don't mope either, except now, explaining that I don't mope." Bert explained. "Let's have dessert and coffee and look at that summer cottage you're contemplating. Cognac Ty ?"
"Sure, can't say I have much experience with cognac but I'm game, and we're calling it the retreat, cottage, I don't know."
Bert walked off while Ty and Meg got the iPad to connect to the TV and returned a few minutes later. "This is Tesseron Extra Legende, it's a small batch but it has a light distinctive taste where cognac is generally a stronger more empowering flavor. It's a good introduction and Meg actually prefers it."
Dessert was an apple pie which Ty thought was amazing and raved about it, the crust was perfect and flaky, as a plus Ty wasn't that into sweets and this pie that bordered on tart was fantastic.
Meg smiled "welcome to Central New York Ty, that's how we like our pies, sometimes depending on the secondary Apple we add no sugar at all. Almost every recipe has Granny Smith apples, I use them and Cortlands for this one, Macintosh work equally well."
"Different apples for pies than other things ?"
"Oh sure" Amy said "there's eating apples, applesauce apples, cider apples, juicing apples, baking apples, pie apples, some are interchangeable like Macintosh, you can eat and make a pie and a passable applesauce but Cortlands are good for pie and applesauce but not eating."
"Well, this is really good pie." Ty said after sipping his coffee.
They cued the video and watched it through twice. Meg and Amy went on and on over it's perfection while jabbing a bit at furnishings, dark corners, lack of room focus and other things.
"It was perfect when we watched it all those other times." Ty said confused.
"It is perfect Ty, just not personal which is what we're talking about." Amy explained.
"Personal." Ty repeated.
"Reflecting Amy's aesthetic, art work, fabric selection, things like that, the things that make a house into a home." Meg explained with a smile. "Amy loves glass and while the windows certainly show that they are impersonal but a spectacular piece of hand blown sculpture in a nook, chosen with love, purchased with sacrifice, placed and properly lit, reflects the owner's personality."
"I get that." Ty nodded.
"The chandelier in the master, all that light from outside wasted on muted surfaces. I'll have to look, we need something that will stand out on it's own, lit or not." Amy said stopping the video at the outside shot. "It's lifeless."
"How many people will see that view Amy ? It's shot from a helicopter outside the bedroom window."
"I know Bert but it's just as lifeless from the inside." Amy explained.
"This is about that auction isn't it ?" Bert pressed. "the Chihuly."
"It's not about that." Amy answered indignantly.
"Auction ?" Ty asked.
"There's a glass blower from the Pacific Northwest, Dale Chihuly, Amy loves his studio's work. A couple years ago there was an auction for a clear chandelier, gorgeous, it had colored tips, she wanted it for the library and Charlie stopped her mid bidding, she was so far over budget at that point." Meg laughed, "especially after that stunt at the treehouse with those wild horse paintings. She was fit to be tied."
"She's told me about the Chihuly, but don't you have those sculptures ?" Ty asked.
Amy looked at him and then over at Bert and Meg, "Yes, fine, I definitely have some smaller pieces but that chandelier would have been perfect in the library and this is not that Bert."
Ty smiled, knowing Amy, this was definitely that. "Go find one Ames, Betty's buying the house, we can buy the chandelier."
"And a car for you." Amy added.
"For me, so my choice ?" Ty added with a smile.
"Well, I should have a say don't you think ?"
"And the chandelier ?" Ty asked "I get a say too ?"
Amy looked over at him and smiled "Depends."
"Depends on what ?" Ty asked knowing full well what she would say.
"On whether you agree with her choice or not" Bert blurted out.
"I need her to admit it Bert."
"Admit what, you don't like my taste suddenly ?"
"I love your taste but you Amy Fleming are a control freak." Ty laughed, "that hasn't changed at all."
"The house looks beautiful, that saloon is a bit out of place." Meg laughed and saved Amy from further embarrassment.
"Yeah, we're tearing that out Meg" Amy said, "replace it with a small kitchenette and maybe a soda/ice cream fountain. We'll need a piano for Sabrina and music nights, with the theater already in place I assume there'll be tying stations and the like in this room though I like the stage and dance floor, we'll figure something out."
"And the pool table."
"Yes my love, we will keep the pool table."
"So it comes furnished like that Amy ?" Meg asked, "included ?"
"Seems that way, there are some pieces that they may want I guess but right now I don't know."
"And those four boats at the dock ?"
"We don't know that either Bert." Ty explained "but check this out" he continued pulling out his iPad where they had transferred a digital copy of the property survey.
Ty pulled out his Apple Pencil and circled the area showing Bert where he thought they could put a wildlife rescue center and his thoughts about involving Cornell. When he was done he looked up at Bert staring at him.
"What ?" Ty asked.
"What ? Bert mimicked, "not enough on your plate Ty ? Build whatever you want, find vets, talk to Lorin, with either Amy or I present of course, the man's a shark, but you have a job Ty, several already actually and we need you focused on our work."
"I'm focused" Ty said with a grin.
"Good, because I want a paper on Brighton's surgery and I think you should author it."
"How exciting your first paper !" Amy clapped.
"Not a co authorship ?" Ty asked looking at Amy with a smile, and nodding his head knowingly, more playful revenge.
"I'll second author and the seconds will contribute but no, you need to publish and this will be a good surgery to start with I think." Bert explained. "Besides, you worked on both sites."
"I'll need some help, I've never really done this."
"Get your notes together, go through the video, read through some others to get a feel for style and write. We'll get it right together and you'll do better next time." Bert explained "something to keep you busy when you're away."
"Like Jackson's summer reading assignment ?" Ty asked laughing.
"You know Ty, there's a saying, everything I ever needed to know I learned in kindergarten. Weird thing is, it's true. It's why we write up all our surgeries as case studies. They're not all worthy of publication but they are usually one offs. The right set of circumstances brings them to us and the only way to keep them fresh in our minds is to write them up and do that review and study them. I rotate our surgeries through lectures, students need to see the world outside of the norm and we need to use the results of those surgeries in future surgeries."
"How about we have the seconds author a follow up on rehab, I'll second that one and we can add Vi and Sarah as a contributors as well, the whole process." Amy added.
"We can do that and let's start with that brace Katie and Barb came up with for transport." Bert added. "How do you like the cognac Ty, another ?"
"Maybe a touch, long day out and riding tomorrow."
"So what's the plan for tomorrow ?" Meg asked.
"John and Trish will come by, coffee, and then we'll head out. Fair opens at 10, we'll take the long way north I think."
"This is one of the nice ones, like Syracuse ?"
"Yup, nice higher quality stuff, I'm looking for a weaver for some variety and there is that house. Last year they had a row of furniture craftsman, I'd like some nice colored rugs for the bedrooms, it'll be a nice day, the food is good, nice ride, my handsome beau, we'll stop for dinner on the way home."
They didn't stay late, Jackson had called to say goodnight and the girls texted when they got home. Bert handed Ty a disc containing Jackson's surgical program, "don't stress over it, most of it's done and very successful."
"I'd just feel better seeing it and understanding it."
"Well, call Dr. Sherman with any questions, don't fixate, just ask." Bert reiterated.
Since JT was at April's for the night and most of the next day they stopped in to see the girls before ending in their bedroom.
Snuggled in Ty's arms after making love. They lay quietly, Amy's hand softly resting on Ty's belly, he gently kissed her head "Ames, have you been hurt, injured since, well since"
"I left Ty, you can say it. I took a bad spill a few years ago, concussion, broken collarbone, dislocated shoulder, why ?"
"Just this appointment, you sure I don't have to be there ?"
"You don't, it's nothing, but with the kids, I feel better doing it since my dad had that shadow. Trish assigns herself as my nurse and doesn't leave my side the whole time, it's more formality than anything. I don't want you to worry sweetheart, I'm good and now I have you to take care of me."
"I'm leaving."
"You're definitely not leaving Ty, you're taking a trip."
"Why does it feel like leaving ?"
"Because you have a family now, but we're good Ty and we love you and that will bring you home to us, every time."
"Pretty sure of yourself."
"I've got the Marauders to drag you home my love, run and I'll find you."
"I love how our relationship is built on that trust."
"So do I, every girl should have a biker club handy to drag their man home. Goodnight Ty.
"Night Ames."