Ty-Tuesday Afternoon in Corolla
Ty stood motionless, rooted to the spot as the old FJ drove away, taking Amy with it. As they vanished from view, the joy he had just felt shifted into a quiet sadness, overshadowed by regret. But his expression remained stoic, hiding the growing ache deep in his chest.
Reaching for his phone, he called Michael. Before it rang once, he hung up, uncertain that his voice would hold steady.
Instead, he tapped out a text. "Just saw Amy." He looked at her name for a moment, then backspaced, deleting it.
"Just saw a couple of wild horses, a mare and foal." Satisfied with the revised text, he sent it.
Michael texted back right away. "Beautiful I bet."
"More than I ever imagined." He wrote, not thinking of the horses.
"See any open wounds?"
"Didn't get close enough before they took off. I'm gonna search a bit longer."
"Don't be long. The guys are getting hungry."
"Go ahead. I'll catch up with you." Ty texted.
"I'll text you when we figure it out."
"Thanks."
"Believe you owe me a local brew."
"Believe it's at least two."
Shoving the phone into his pocket, he took in deep breath, took off walking. He needed time alone to think, to rehash, to process.
In his mind, he rewound time, replayed the first sight of her, standing on the beach, facing the ocean. Wild horses gathered before her, her gift on full display. A soft smile rose on his lips. He could have stood there, observing her from afar, for the rest of his life. Watching the Miracle Girl never got old for him.
When she turned to him, her eyes wide, her expression full of disbelief, his heart quickened. She was so much more than he remembered. In his mind's eye, he took her in, took his time. Her long blonde hair, waving in the salty air. Her irises, a vivid blue, even at ten paces. She was the same but changed. Gone was the modest horsey girl in jeans, flannel shirt, cowboy hat and boots. Now, a full fledged woman, stunning, graceful, self-assured. Comfortable in her own skin and in the world beyond Heartland. Ty felt a newfound appreciation throughout his entire being.
He had never seen her in a swimsuit, no less a bikini. This one nicely cradled her curves accentuating her lovely breasts, taunt stomach, slim hips, toned legs. Damn, he thought, she was beautiful, so incredibly sexy. How he longed to gather her in his arms, hold her, kiss her, never let go.
Then Amy smiled wide, her eyes sparkling, clearly happy to see him. That really got him. He couldn't take his eyes away from hers. Bits and pieces of their lively conversation came back to life, making him chuckle at the memory. He was amazed at how effortlessly they slipped back into their old rhythm, talking, bantering, laughing, and teasing each other. Being with her felt so right, like coming home.
He missed that, he missed her. Her easy laugh, quick wit. Her warmth, her light, her determination. The way she made him feel, like he could do anything, be anything. Her unwavering belief that he was accomplished, good, somehow worthy...all beyond reality. All the things that drew him in so many years ago, still did. All the reasons he loved her. And, he still did.
She caught him off guard. It was as if she knew nearly as much about his life as he did about hers, his job, Vancouver, the eagles, the vet conference, the cougar, Mirna.
Claire.
He certainly wasn't prepared for Amy to mention her so casually, though he probably should have. Afterall, Jack had warned him that she knew about Claire and that was the cause of their breakup. But, if she was angry about her, Nova Scotia, or anything else, she didn't show it, didn't linger on it. It seemed like it was all forgiven and forgotten, or at least put on hold by Singh's email.
Being with her when she received her UC acceptance, just as she had been with him when he got his, felt like déjà vu, it was as if it was meant to be. He laughed, imagining her celebrating, dancing in pure joy, giggling. He could almost feel her in his arms, the warmth of her skin, the softness of her body, laughing as they tumbled into the sand together. His arms and heart ached for her, longing for her presence now.
For a split second, he wondered if she felt the same, if she missed him, if she still loved him, if she was thinking of him right now.
Almost immediately, he dismissed the thoughts.
She was clear. Abundantly clear. He was just an old family friend. Nothing more. Just as her text said and Jack affirmed, she'd moved on, he was water under the bridge, no longer of any consequence in her life. She didn't need him, didn't want him. She didn't love him any more. She was simply being her usual kind self, as she always was with everyone.
He could see she was happy, confident, and thriving. She was successful in her work, honing her talents, pursuing her dreams, excelling in school, pushing herself far beyond the small world of Heartland.
He wanted all of that for her, and more. Her happiness meant the world to him. He couldn't have been prouder of her, truly. Even if she was with someone else.
Suddenly, he flashed back to that pivotal day years ago. Mirna's call had jolted him from a deep, exhaustion-fueled sleep, informing him of the rare cougar sighting in Nova Scotia, offering him the opportuniity to go, to save the endangered big cat. And, he jumped at the chance.
Mentally, he started ticking off every foolish mistake he'd made back then. Skipping the flu shot, despite Celina's repeated warnings, during what turned out to be Canada's deadliest flu season on record. Traveling to Nova Scotia, even though he felt awful and had a pounding headache. More than that, standing Amy up without a second thought, never bothering to let her know ahead of time. Even worse, keeping Claire a secret from Amy, after everything played out with Blaire and Ahmed. And to top it all off, not telling Mirna, Celina, and Claire about Amy, even though she was the most important person in his life.
He didn't think, didn't hesitate, he just acted. He took the bait, hook, line, and sinker. Never once did he consider that Ahmed was the one who had cast the line, reeling him in and pulling him further away from Amy.
"I'm just like my dad." He muttered to himself, frowning. He recalled all the times his father had abandoned them to chase after some fleeting promise, swearing he'd return with riches, only to end up beaten, broke, or in jail, sometimes all three.
He stopped in his tracks, looked out at the graying ocean, its hue now reflecting the darkening sky and his sullen mood. A object, rolling in with the foamy surf, caught his attention. Venturing into the water, he picked up a gray whelk, the empty home of a sea snail. Pouring out the salty water, he headed ashore, lowered himself to hardened sand facing the ocean, just beyond the tide's reach. Elbows on bent knees, he focused on the spiralled shell, turning it over in his hands, its ridged exterior battered and worn by ocean forces.
Fragments of his past with Amy resurfaced, overwhelming him. Like his father before him, he counted the times he had abandoned her, sometimes for hours, other times for months or years, shutting her out, pushing her away, in search of solitude, adventure or the company of others. And, often he returned to her a beaten, broken man, not unlike his father. His shoulders sagged, a bitter knot tightened in his throat, and his eyes began to burn.
Suddenly, a heavy raindrop splashed onto the crown of his cap, quickly followed by others, each one striking him until they ran down his face, mingling with his salty tears. He remained there, silent and despondent, allowing the rain soak him, until the downpour subsided and his tears had dried up.
The sun broke through the dark clouds, casting a muted spectrum of color across the ocean's horizon. Pulling out his phone, he snap a picture, texted it to her. He needed her counsel.
No surprise, she called back immediately.
"Hey Ty. Nice picture." Celina said, relieved to get his text.
"Hey Momma C. How are you?"
"Good. Guess you make it there okay." She said casually, though a nagging feeling had been gnawing at her stomach for the past hour.
"Yeah." He replied flatly.
"Ty, what's going on?" She knew him so well.
"I ran into Amy." He didn't waste words.
"Amy? Like in Amy Fleming?"
"Yeah."
"Wow! No kidding? How did it go? You okay?" She asked worriedly.
"I'm fine."
"You don't sound fine. Where are you? Still on the beach? Are you alone?" She peppered him with questions.
"Yeah." He sighed heavily as he rose to his feet, whelk in hand, and started walking again.
"Okay. Start from the beginning." She coaxed him. "Tell me everything."
"There's not much to tell."
"Where did you first see her?" She prompted.
"On the beach. She was standing there with a couple of wild horses." He began slowly but gained momentum as he retold her of their reunion.
When finished, Ty wistfully confessed. "It was really good seeing her."
"Sounds like you had a nice visit. How come you don't sound happy about it?"
"I don't know." He shrugged one shoulder.
"Is it your jaw? Does it hurt? Think you should see a doctor?" She asked, already knowing his answers, but asking anyway.
"Nah. That's nothing." He said, rubbing his tender jaw, already swelling under a scruffy beard.
"Ty, something's clearly bothering you."
"I screwed up."
"Screwed up? How?"
"Inviting her to help tomorrow." He allowed.
"Hardly. You need help with the horses. And, she said yes, didn't she? Wild horses are right up her alley."
"Yeah, but...Jack said..."
"Who cares what Jack said? Amy is a grown woman. She can decide for herself. And, she already said yes." She said, then warned. "So, tell me where you screwed up."
"We never decided where to meet. I can't call her because she didn't give me her number. She just told me to figure it out. Whatever that means." He said, clearly frustrated.
"Then figure it out. It can't be that difficult to get her number. Can't you call someone in Hudson? How about one of those online directories? Or you can look for her in town. Corolla isn't that big, it only has 600 residents, for heaven's sake." Celina pressed. "Go after her. That's what she wants."
"I'll try." He said quietly.
"You'll try?" She echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. "For someone so smart, you can be incredibly thick headed sometimes." She threw her hands up in frustration.
"You sound like Jack." He remarked, frowning but not contesting it.
"And you sound like you're not even willing to make the effort. What's going on?" She pressed.
"Because.." He started.
"Because what?"
"What if it goes bad? Or worse, what if it goes good? I don't want to hurt her again."
"Why do you think that you'll hurt her?"
"It's what I do. It's what I've always done." He sighed, his voice heavy. "I break promises, I don't show up, I disappear. I hurt people. It's who I am. I'm just like my dad. I'll just hurt her again. And, I don't want that."
"That's not who you are, Ty," she replied firmly. "I've known you for four years. You're a good, honest person with a big heart. You care deeply about people and animals. You go out of your way to be kind, trustworthy, and hardworking. You deserve love—and you have it, from so many, including me. I just wish you could see that. You are loved, Ty. Never forget that. And despite what you may think, you are not your father. Not even close."
"But.."
"Not buts. Yes, you made mistakes. So what? We all do. We're all human—even you. You love Amy, and from everything you've shared about your meeting today, I believe she still loves you too. You just need to talk to her. Have an honest, open conversation and tell her the truth about Nova Scotia. Clear the air."
"I don't want to hurt her any more than I already have."
"Then don't. Be gentle, but be honest. Tell her everything in your heart, everything that happened. Everything Ty. You hear me? Don't just say it's complicated. You owe her that at least."
He nodded.
"And apologize. Sincerely. Tell her you miss her. That you love her. Tell her you'd like to amends. To start fresh, as friends."
"Friends." He repeated.
"Yes. Friends. Start there and see where it takes you."
"Okay."
"Promise?"
"Promise." He said, sincerely. "Thank you, Celina. What would I do without you?"
"Good thing you'll never have to find out." She smiled. "Oh...Ty, hold on for a second."
She put herself on mute. After a minute, she unmuted. "Ty? You still there?"
"Yeah."
"I'm putting you on speaker. Mirna wants to talk to you."
"Ty?" Mirna voice came through clearly.
"Oh hey. Mirna. Um, how are you?" He stumbled a bit, completely unprepared to hear her voice.
"Good. How's the new mission going?"
"You mean with the Banker horses?" He asked, trying to refocus his thoughts.
"Is there another mission?" Mirna said sarcastically.
"Right. We go out first thing in morning."
"Have everything you need? Have enough help?"
"Think so." Ty replied. "Michael's leading this one."
"And, Amy Fleming is gonna help out." Celina interjected.
"Well. It's not a certainty." Ty retorted.
"She's there with you? No kidding! Well, good for you both." Mirna exclaimed.
"She's here on vacation. It was just coincidence that we ran into each other." Ty explained.
"It's fate." Mirna suggested. "Regardless, from everything I read, she'll be an asset to you and the mission."
"Everything you read?" Ty asked in surprise.
"Yeah, Singh had me review her vet school application. Quite impressive. Stellar references. You know she's been accepted in our new class starting Monday."
"He knows. Ty was with her when she got Singh's email." Celina added.
"See, it is fate!" Mirna chuckled, then asked hopefully. "Maybe you'll take Singh's offer now?"
"No, I told you. I turned it down." Ty was resolute.
"You need to reconsider then." Mirna said bluntly.
"Why would I? I still have a job at the Rescue, don't I?" He said pointedly, a bit irritated with Myrna.
"Don't be like that." She caught his tone. "Promise me you'll give it more thought." She instructed him. "And, what about the VT offer?"
Sensing there was more to it, he questioned her. "Why are you pushing so hard? What's going on?"
He heard her sigh heavily. "Ty, I've made a decision..."
"Mirna..." Celina said sharply, cut her off.
Suddenly, he heard Rescue's bell followed by a loud commotion on the other end. "Help!" An anguished voice cry out. "My dog's been hit! Please. Oh god...he's bleeding."
"You came to the right place," Mirna said, guiding them toward the back. "Let's get him into an exam room." The dog whimpered in pain. "Celina, lock up. I'll need your help."
"Sorry, Ty, I've got to go. Find Amy, okay?" Celina said quickly before disconnecting the call. Ty stared at his phone, silent.
Still gripping the whelk tightly in his hand, Ty pulled his arm back and flung it into the rolling waves. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and focused on his breath—steady and controlled. In and out. In and out. In and out. Until his mind quieted.
When he opened his eyes again, the worn whelk had been carried back to the shore. He picked it up once more, this time noticing how its smooth interior gleamed with iridescence, a vibrant array of shifting rainbow colors as he turned it in his hands.
From inside his pocket, his phone rang.
"Hey Michael." Ty answered.
"Ty. Where are you?" Michael said urgently, his voice sounding unlike its usual self.
"On the beach. Everything okay?"
"Yeah. But, we need to talk. Where can I meet you?"
"Michael, what's going on?" Ty asked, worried.
"We need to talk in person." Michael said, remaining evasive.
"Michael, tell me, is it about tomorrow?" Ty guessed.
"No, no. That's all good. Everything's set." Michael sighed heavily, unsure how to continue. "It's...Alicia."
"Alicia? Is she okay? Are you? Did something bad happen?"
"No, no. We're all good. I promise." He reassured him. "Just go to Schoolhouse Lane. I'll meet you on the beach there and tell you everything. Okay?"
"Whatever you need, man. I'm on my way." Ty said, hanging up before rushing toward the path.
Sitting by the sand dune just past Schoolhouse Lane, Michael rose to his feet as Ty approached.
"Hey." Ty spoke first.
"Hey." Michael returned without enthusiam. "Let's walk." Ty nodded.
The two friends walked quietly side by side for a few yards while Michael took a moment to collect his thoughts and summon his courage.
Stopping in his tracks, Ty broke the silence. "Michael. Spill. What is going on?"
He faced Ty, locking eyes with him. "Ty, you're my best friend. You've always had my back, over and over again. I want nothing but the best for you. I want you to be happy." He said, his expression serious.
"Are you breaking up with me?" He chuckled, unsure of where the conversation was headed. "Because it definitely sounds like it."
"No. Of course not."
"Wait! You're replacing me as your Best Man then?" He joked, still trying to lighten the mood.
"Definitely not," Michael answered. "But you might want to reconsider." He then added, "Amy Fleming is Alicia's Maid of Honor."
"Ha! Good one!" Ty laughed, giving his friend's shoulder a playful shove.
"Ty. It's true." He said, taking a deep breath. "Alicia and Amy are friends. In fact, they're best friends, and have been for a while. Amy is Alicia's Maid of Honor." He repeated.
Surprised, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Seriously?"
Michael nodded. "Yeah. They are here, right now, in Corolla, vacationing together."
"Oh, wow. I did not see that coming." He said, shaking his head, back and forth. Before he could say anything else, Michael continued.
"To be honest, Ty. We were planning to tell the both of you, but we wanted to see how things unfolded between us first." He explained. "We didn't want to complicate things any more than they already were."
"How long have you known?" Ty asked.
"Since our third date...so a couple of months."
Ty nodded, processing the information, then asked. "So, I'm guessing Alicia wasn't too happy about us being friends?"
"Not exactly, no. She actually tried to break things off when we figured it out." He admitted with a frown. "She's really protective of Amy. And vice versa. They've been through a lot together."
"And now?"
"She's still a little cautious, but she's come around. I sold her on your virtues."
"Ha! I bet." Ty sighed. "So, I assume Amy knows too?"
"Yeah. Alicia told her last night."
"Oh, that makes a lot of sense now." He said. "Guess you heard we ran into each other on the beach and talked."
He gave a faint smile. "Yeah, I called you soon after Alicia called and told me."
"And here I thought news traveled fast in Hudson." He joked, then became serious. "So, how is she? Is she okay?"
"Amy? Alicia says she's fine now. At first, she was ticked. You won't believe it, but she thought we had planned everything just to get you two together." He explained.
"She did? That would have been quite the trick. Everything about this trip has been so crazy unpredictable."
"Right. Alicia told her about Chincoteague ponies and the Pythiosis outbreak."
"Did she tell you that Amy's gonna help vet tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Heard that you invited her." He said, raising his brows. "Very smooth of you."
"Smooth? Right. I was kinda shocked she agreed..after everything." He smirked. "I guess you heard she got accepted to vet school at UC. She's starting Monday."
"Well, that is great news! She'll do well."
"Alicia didn't mention it?"
"No, but we didn't talk long. They were getting ready to go to out."
"Where are they going?" Ty asked.
Michael tensed a bit. "Ty. You are my best friend and Amy is Alicia's. Things between you and Amy aren't exactly ideal." He said, trying to be tactful.
Ty nodded. "That's one way to put it."
"When we figured out about you and Amy, we had a long conversation." He started. "We decided for our relationship to work and to still maintain our separate friendships with you and Amy, we needed to stay out of the middle between you two. Hope you understand."
"Sure, but what does that have to do with where they're going tonight?"
"Everything. From now on, if Amy wants you to know something, she'll have to tell you herself. Or you have to ask her. Same goes for you. You'll have to tell her. Alicia and I aren't playing the middleman. We're going to be Switzerland. Completely neutral."
"Okay, but can you at least give me her number? I need to talk to her." Ty tried a different tactic.
"Can't do it. If she wanted you to have her number, she would've given it to you."
"But, she doesn't know where to meet me in the morning."
"You'll have to figure it out on your own." Michael shrugged.
"That's what she said. Figure it out."
"Sorry man."
"Okay. Do you have Josh's number?"
"You mean, Josh Jones? The guy that drove us here?"
"Yeah," Ty replied with a grin. "Is that allowed under the Alicia-Michael Pact Act?"
"I believe that is allowable." He chuckled, pulled out his phone, tapped away at the keyboard. "Just sent his contact info."
Ty glanced at his phone. "Thanks, got it." He said, as he typed out a text to Josh.
"Are you going to tell me why?"
"Turns out I met Josh's brother, Brent. He came to drive Amy back to their rental. Brent is their landlord while they're Corolla. He may know something. At least, he'll know where they're staying."
"Good detective work."
"If that fails, I'll call Mirna. She reviewed Amy's vet school application."
"Really? Wow."
"Crazy, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Hey. Let's go back to our place. I need a hot shower." Ty suggested.
"Looks like you got caught in the rain." Michael glanced at him.
"Yeah. Look what I found." He handed Michael the whelk.
Simultaneously, their phones dinged with a text message.
"It's Henry." Ty said as he read the text. "Tired of waiting. We're headed to the Village Idiot to eat then hear the Blackbirds. We'll save you a seat."
Michael grimaced.
"What was that look for?" Ty asked, catching his expression.
"What look?"
Dear Readers.
This chapter is a long time in coming. Lots has happened since my last posting. For one, we went to Corolla, NC on vacation. The same place that this chapter and many others are set. Its a beautiful little town with victorian flair on the northen outer banks. We saw lots of wild horses, kayaked on the sound at sunset, drove our jeep on the sandy beach, stayed above the kayak shop. Most everything was as I imagined after researching. Hope I conveyed it adequately in my writing.
Another note. In 2014, Canada and Alberta had the deadliest outbreak of influenza on record to that point. Many died during the flu outbreak that year - most were not vaccinated and many suffered from sepsis complications before their death. Ty went to Nova Scotia in 2014, unvaccinated, contracted the flu and then sepsis. Luckily for us, he survived.
Lastly, I wanted to thank you all for your patience, loyalty, reviews and PMs. You are greatly appreviated.
Happy Veterans Day to all those that served and actively serve your country. We are indebted.
SBR