Coastal Kayaks
The white curtains billowed gently beside the open windows as a soft breeze from the Sound drifted into the dimly lit room. The scent of fresh linen on the bed, courtesy of Michael, lingered in the air, mingling with the fading warmth of steam from their showers. But none of it offered much solace.
Lying stiffly side by side, their backs propped against pillows on the queen-sized bed, they wore identical pajamas made of orange cotton, with buttoned shirt and pants, couresty of Alicia and the sale rack at Walgreens. Their feet were bare.
Ice packs rested against their injuries, Amy's draped over her slinged collarbone, Ty's pressed to his rib cage with his arm. Though exhausted, neither could sleep.
Instead, they stared at their phones.
Amy let out a slow, heavy breath, her lips pressed into a straight line. Ty's own weary sigh followed soon after.
"What are you reading?" He asked, tossing his phone on the nightstand.
"A Roanoke Times article about the Chicoteague ponies and the Pythiosis outbreak. What a horrible disease."
"Yeah, it is." His voice was quiet, almost resigned.
"Have you read it yet?" She offered her phone to him.
He shook his head with a sigh. "Don't need to, I lived it."
"You should." She suggested, giving him a side glance. "It has a really nice section on you and the team. Eight surgeries in 24 hours. Incredible."
His jaw flinched.
"Kinda cool too that Dr. Singh flew down to support you."
"Yeah, I suppose." After a pause, he lamented. "Doesn't really matter. If the stats hold true, most of those ponies won't make it."
"Maybe you caught it in time. Maybe the ponies will beat the odds." Amy said, hope buoying her words. "Have you heard how they're doing?"
"Yeah, Bonnie just texted." He sounded deflated. "They're holding their own, except Essie, a five-year-old mare. She's already had some regrowth. Next 24 hours are a wait and see."
Amy's disposition slumped. "Oh, Ty. I'm so sorry."
Frowning, he forced a huff through his nose. "I just hope we don't find cases tomorrow. Don't think we're up for more surgeries."
She nodded, her eyes dropping back to her phone. After a moment, her thumbs moved across the screen. "I want to show you something."
"What's that?"
"That mare we saw on the beach." She handed him her phone. "Look at her right hind leg."
Ty squinted at the screen, zooming in on the photo. "When did you take this?"
"This evening. Alicia and I were on the beach. She and the foal came up to us. She kept chewing on her leg."
"Damn." He muttered under his breath.
Amy hesitated, then asked what she didn't want to. "Is it…?"
Ty sighed, eyes still locked on the screen. "The picture's not that great, so I can't rule it out."
"I read it's pretty itchy."
"Yeah, it is."
"Do you think that's why they're hanging out at the beach? So she can roll in the wet sand?"
"Maybe." He looked back her. "Maybe she just likes to roll in the wet sand."
"Ty, she's still nursing. If we take her to that farm, he has to go too. He's too young to survive on his own in wild."
"If she even has it..." Ty opened the door to doubt.
"Hope to god she doesn't. But if she does, we're gonna have to deal with it." She paused. "Shouldn't we give her foal a chance to live wild?"
He didn't answer immediately, pressing lips before replying. "I don't know. It would be an extremely painful ending for her in the wild."
"Sounds like it's painful either way."
"True, but in captivity, we could manage her pain and provide room and board for him." Ty argued.
"Ty." She shifted, trying to sit up, forgetting her injury. Grimacing as pain shot through her shoulder, she sucked in a sharp breath. "Man."
"Amy, careful. Lie back." He said tenderly, reaching over to help, adjusting her ice pack after she settled against the pillows again.
"Better?" He asked tenderly.
"Yeah." She gave him a small, grateful smile.
Looking to the ceiling, she gathered her thoughts. Her eyes returned to him, serious. "The thing is, the Corolla herd is small and dwindling. Yesterday, it was around a hundred. And you heard Michael. Seven were removed to the farm. Plus, Maude."
Ty watched her, her passion lying just beneath her building argument.
"If we remove them too, the herd will shrink to ninety." She calculated, keeping her emotions in check. "That's a good twenty or thirty horses below the herd size needed for survival and genetic diversity."
"Is that so?" He was impressed. "Where did you get that?"
"At the Wild Horse Fund." She shrugged with her good shoulder. "I talked with the guide there. And I read their book." She pointed to the kitchen. "It's in my bag, if you want to see it."
"Might be a marketing tactic to get donations." He suggested.
"Might be. What if we consulted an objective expert then?" She asked innocently, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Know an objective expert in Corolla?" He said, a tad sarcastic.
"No. But, what about Dr. Parker at UC? He's a professor of genetics and molecular biology." She suggested. "He'd be objective."
Ty hesitated. "I don't know him."
"I do." She raised her brows. "And...I even have his email address."
"Amy, it's almost midnight." He cautioned.
"It's only 9:45 in Calgary. He doesn't have to read it tonight. Or even respond." She reasoned.
Ty sighed, shaking his head. He knew he couldn't convince her otherwise. Her mind was already made up. "Okay. Email him."
Email sent, the two lay side by side, staring into the darkened kitchen, waiting for a response, in silence. Seconds ticked off, turning into minutes.
Restless and impatient, Amy let out a heavy sigh in frustration.
"We can't expect that he'll respond tonight, Amy. It's late." Ty offered.
"I get that." She shrugged with her good side, then grumbled. "I just can't believe they're making us lie around and skip tomorrow over these stupid little injuries."
"Michael promised that we'll be in the thick of things."
"Hope so. But, Alicia can be pretty stuborn."
"We're pretty stubborn ourselves." He shot back.
"Yes, we are!" She said in her best Caleb voice. "If we were at Heartland, they'd slap on a bandaid and send us right back to work."
Ty chuckled. "Ain't that the truth? Cowboy up." He smirked. "I remember my first cattle drive. My horse threw me right over the ridge into the freezing river ravine—about twenty feet below. Cracked a few ribs. They just wrapped my chest up tight and sent me on my way. Hurt like hell. I didn't get a single day off."
"Sounds about right." Amy gave a small laugh. "Wait, didn't Mallory teach you to ride, like, the day before?"
"Yep. My horse bucked me off then, too." He laughed, then grimaced, grabbing his side.
"Bucked you, huh? Mallory had a different story."
"Okay, I couldn't stay in the saddle to save my life." He shook his head, grinning. "Good times."
"Yeah." She grinned in return. "Things were simpler back then."
"Yeah. Better, too."
"Hmmm." She savored that thought. "Maybe so."
Ty shifted his position. "How is Mallory anyhow?"
"She's good. She married Jake Anderson a couple of years back."
"About time."
"No kidding!" She agreed.
"They still in Paris?"
"No, Colorado. They live on a ranch down there."
"Really? Good for them."
"Yeah. They actually held their wedding at Heartland, right down the center aisle of the barn, of all places."
"In the barn?" He was surprised.
"Yep. It was kind of impromptu, but nice—little white lights, tulle, wildflowers." She grew sentimental as she reminisced.
"Pretty." He said, watching her expression.
"Yeah, it was." She said dreamily. "Their families couldn't make it on such short notice, so it was real small. Just us. Well, and Copper, of course."
"Of course."
"Mallory asked if I had heard from you." Amy said.
"She did?" He was both surprised and touched.
"Yeah. She would have liked it if you were there." She reflected in a gentle tone.
"I would have liked that too." His said softly, almost wistful.
"And, Grandpa walked her down the aisle, wearing his best, and only, suit." Amy chuckled. "Weddings and funerals, you know how he is."
When Ty didn't respond, not even a smile, she cocked her head.
"Ty? What are you thinking about?"
He hesitated, shaking his head. A faint frown tugged at his lips, and though he tried to hide it, the slight jut of his bottom lip betrayed him. "Nothing."
Amy knew him so well. "Ty. It's Grandpa, isn't it?"
"Jack? No." His response was too quick, too dismissive.
"Then, why didn't you want to say hello to him earlier at the restaurant?" She asked, pushing him to open up.
He rubbed his fingers over his beard, pressing on the tender spot where Brent's fist connected, delaying his response. "I talked to Lisa a few days ago. Jack too."
"Oh really? They didn't mention it." She pursed her lips. "What did you talk about?"
"A donation to the externship." He said vaguely.
"They made a donation too? That's great!"
"No, Amy, they didn't." He replied, shaking his head.
"Really?" She was taken aback. "I'm surprised. You're doing such amazing work. When I get back, I'll talk to them about it."
"Amy, don't..." He stopped, searching for the right words. "Jack wants me to.."
"To what?"
Ty changed his tack. "Jack just wants what's best for you. He wants you to be happy. He always has. You're his granddaughter. He loves you. I get it."
The lines between her brows deepened. "Okay. But what does he want you to do?"
"He wants me to steer clear of you." He blurted out, his voice serious and resigned.
"You mean his ten-foot rule." She tried to inject humor.
Ty let out a sharp breath through his nose, more scoff than sigh. "Hardly ten feet. He'd prefer I pack up and go back to Vancouver. For good." His tone was laced with sarcasm.
"Are you serious? Why?" She pushed.
"You know why, Amy. Because he wants to protect you…from me. He says I'm stupid, irresponsible, can't be trusted. You name it. He wants me to shove off, move on." He said than more he had intended.
"That's ridiculous. You're none of those things. You're intelligent, hardworking, and you have a good heart. Look what you've done for those wildies. Don't let anyone tell you any different." She meant her words with every core of her being. "That includes Grandpa."
"But, Jack said..."
"Ty. Don't let him fool you. Grandpa loves you. He misses you. You're like a son to him." She touches his arm, lying across his chest, cradling his injuries.
"Maybe once upon a time." He lamented.
"No, I can promise you, that hasn't changed." She let that hang for a second. "He's just hurting."
He exhaled heavily.
"Does he know about Singh's offer?" She didn't miss a beat.
"Yes, but.."
Her eyes narrowed. "Is Grandpa the reason you turned down Singh's offer?"
"No. I had already turned it down." He didn't dare mention how much she factored into that decision.
"Hmm." She fiddled with her phone. "Hey. Let's take a selfie."
"Now? Seriously?" He tried to protest.
"Come on." Amy coaxed, leaning her head next to his. "Smile." She snapped a picture.
She smiled, then sent it to Jack with the caption. "Look who I ran into!" She showed it to him.
"Amy! I can't believe you just did that." He gasped.
"I know. It wasn't the best picture of us. You look like a prisoner."
"We both do." He groused, then grimaced. "Ohhh."
"Careful. Let's take another one. Smile this time." She took another. "Much better. I'm sending it to you. So we both have it."
"Seriously. Jack is gonna hunt me down and break all my ribs."
"You're with me." She shrugged her good shoulder.
"Like I said.."
Amy's phone vibrated startling both of them.
She glanced down at her phone.
"Jack?" He guessed.
She shook her head, her eyes not leaving the screen. "No. It's Andrew." Her voice was quiet.
"Oh." He shifted awkwardly, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. The ice bag dropped to the floor with a dull thud. "I'll give you some privacy." Without waiting for a response, he stood and quickly walked out of the rental, barefoot, without another word.
Nearly fifteen minutes later, Amy stepped onto the deck, easing onto the wooden chair as Ty stared into the distance. The Sound dark, backlit by a soft glow from the Currituck mainland lights. The small side table wedged between them widened their gap.
Perched on the edge of her seat, she briefly observed his profile. When he didn't look her way, she exhaled softly, sank back into her chair. Her gaze drifted toward the open water, taking in the quiet expanse before her, contemplating her next words.
Taking her time, she turned in her seat to face him.
"Ty, I want to tell you about Andrew." She finally spoke, her voice tender.
"Not necessary." His reply was flat. "You don't owe me anything."
"I know, but you said that you wanted to be honest. I want to do the same." She explained.
"Okay then." He turned in his seat to face her. "I'll listen."
"Okay then." She shifted in her seat, then began.
"Andrew came into our lives about a year and a half ago, hoping to earn a spot on the Canadian Equestrian Team. He asked me to be his trainer and coach."
She paused, exhaling slowly before continuing.
"I said no, more than once. But then I rode his horse, Dandelion Wine. Something special about her made me reconsider. Lisa boarded them at Fairfield, where we spent months in rigorous training. And before long, Andrew became a regular at Heartland too. Mostly, at the dinner table."
"Only after he made the team last year did we start dating."
Her words were measured, carefully chosen, as if she were reading a report rather than recalling a relationship. She hesitated, debating how much more to reveal.
Ty said nothing, his expression unreadable, but she could feel the weight of his silence.
"But, that's all over. We broke up a few months back. Right after that UC event where Mirna spoke." She said as if it was someone else's story.
"Oh? What happened?" The corner of his mouth twitched.
"Nothing bad, if that's what you mean." She replied, before revealing more.
"Andrew came into my life when we both were a little lost and needed someone to love and to be loved. He's a really good guy. And, I love him and still care deeply for him. We were together for over a year after all." She said truthfully. "In the end, we just had different goals, different plans...so, we ended it."
Ty scoffed. "You say that. Yet he's still calling late at night. And, you're still answering."
Amy exhaled, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You sound like Alicia." She let out a tiny laugh. "Honestly. We've just friends."
"Friends? Seriously Amy? I read that article. The guy's still in love with you. Clearly he wants to marry you."
"You read that?" She asked, but wasn't all that surprised.
He nodded.
"That article was written months ago, right after the breakup. Andrew was upset. Understandably." She sighed. "So was I."
"And now?"
"Time heals all wounds, they say." She said. "Given enough time, I suppose, they're right."
"So you talk every night?"
"Heavens no." She laughed, shook her head. "The World Games start Thursday in Mill Spring. Alicia and I are going. We're actually leaving tomorrow afternoon. We were just working out some last minute details."
"Do you have to go?"
"Have to? No, but I want to. We all worked hard to get them there. I want to see them compete and, hopefully, win. I made a promise to him." She said honestly, then adding. "And, I plan to keep my promise."
Though she didn't mean it as such, Ty took it as a dig.
"Nice. Guess you think I don't." He said sarcastically.
"No. That's not what I meant." She clarified. "My promise to Andrew is just that. A promise to him. It has nothing whatsoever to do with you."
The slight breeze picked up, cooling the air. And their conversation.
Amy's left hand gripped the chair's arm as she shivered, wincing slightly. "I'm gonna head in."
Ty reached across the space between them, his warm hand covered hers.
"Hey." His voice was low, conciliatory. "I'm sorry. I just can't seem to say the right thing."
"It's okay. I'm can't seem to either." Amy admitted. "We're both just trying to navigate this...awkwardness we find ourselves in."
"Yeah, I guess."
"We just have to make the best of it. For Alicia and Michael's sake." She said gently.
Ty hesitated before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper. "Only for them?"
Amy considered his question, but an answer, even a simple yes or no, felt too soon, too much.
"Ty..." His name was all she could muster.
She drew her hand away from his and stood. "Let's go in. I'm getting cold."
As she stepped toward the door, she glanced up at the endless sky, as if searching for an answer, maybe, or the courage to give one. Then, without another word, she went inside.
Ty followed behind, making a beeline into the kitchen, flipping on the lights, rummaging through the cabinets, until he found what he was searching for.
"I'm gonna make some hot tea. Want some? Might warm you up." He suggested, over his shoulder, filling a tea kettle with water from the sink.
"That sounds nice actually. Thanks." Wrapped in a throw, Amy settled onto a chair at the kitchen table. The sand dollar, found on her morning walk, rested on its smooth wooden tabletop. She ran her fingertip over the etched star at its center, its simple beauty.
"Ginger or toasted coconut?" He asked, putting the kettle on the stove.
"Ginger, please."
His stomach rumbled. "Do you have any food? I'm starving."
"Check the fridge. Think there's some yogurt and jam in there. Berries too."
"Do you mind?"
"Help yourself."
He opened the refrigerator door, pulling out various items, placing them on the table.
"We have some bread. Over there." She gestured towards the toaster. "Oh, and some nuts and chocolate." She said, pulling both out of the gift basket.
"No thanks." He scrunched his nose. "Think I'll stick with the yogurt."
"Why's that? You were never a yogurt guy."
"Jaw's kinda..." His fingers went to his mouth, gently massaging the tender spot.
"Still hurts, huh?"
He shrugged.
"Maybe you need a nice bag of frozen peas." She grinned, teasing. "Like old times."
He smirked.
She laughed. "Seriously, I put our ice packs in the freezer before I went outside. Need one?"
"Nah." Putting their cups full of hot tea on the table, he took a seat across from her. "Here." He said, pushing a cup toward her.
"Thanks." She said, wrapping her one hand around the steaming cup. Leaning in slightly, she pursed her lips, blew gently.
Watching her, he brought his cup to his nose, inhaled. "The smell reminds me a bit of Buffalo Trace."
Amy looked up at him through her lashes, noticing for the one hundredth time that day how handsome he was, despite his unkempt longish hair and now butchered beard. "Buffalo Trace? Is that a good thing?" She wrinkled her nose.
He chuckled. "Oh. It's a bourbon, out of Kentucky. It smells good actually." He held his cup to her.
She inhaled the aroma. "Mmmm. It does. So you drink bourbon these days?"
"Not really. I mostly stick with beer. But, occasionally, my friend, Rick, the bartender at Roscoe's."
"Roscoe's?"
"Yeah, it's the neighborhood dive in Vancouver. Anyhow, he has me order a bourbon flight to try out three or four different ones."
"That's cool. Do you have a favorite?"
"Hmm. Lately, I like Angel's Envy. It's pretty smooth. Why?"
"No reason. Just curious."
He raised his cup. "Toast?"
"What are we toasting?" She asked, amused.
"How about to long lost family friends?" He suggested it a bit sarcastically, a reference to her remark earlier.
"Good one. To long lost family friends." She echoed, unphased, her tone light. "Cheers."
"Cheers." They clinked cups, each took a sip, each watching the other.
A loud growl from Ty's stomach broke the moment.
"You better feed that beast." She smiled.
"Yeah." He said, sinking his spoon into yogurt, fruit, and jam concoction. "Want some?"
"No thanks."
"You sure? It's fig jam. Did you know it's an aphrodisiac?" He said seriously, though he had a boyish grin on his face, the one that she adored.
She couldn't help but laugh. "Who told you that? Mrs. Bell?"
His eyes lit up hearing her laugh. "No, Celina. She's Italian." He said as if that explained things.
"Celina? You mentioned her earlier. Is she another vet?"
"No, she's our office manager at the rescue. She was Mirna's first employee when she started the rescue like 30 years ago."
"Oh."
Sipping on her tea, she watched as he hungarily wolfed down the entire bowl of yogurt, layered with fruit and jam.
"Have more." She suggested.
"No. I'm good." He patted his stomach.
Putting her cup down, Amy took a deep breath, then asked, bracing for his answer. "So...tell me about Claire. How did you meet?"
He too took a deep breath, followed by a long exhale. "I met her for the first time in Nova Scotia during the cougar mission."
"Okay." She muttered, not sure what to say next.
"She was a vet student at OVC in Guelph from St. Mary's Bay. She's part French, part Aboriginal, I think Mi'kmaq."
"She's very beautiful."
He shrugged.
"Whatever."
"Anyhow, she was a late addition to the externship. She replaced Michael for that one mission and the remaining two." Ty explained.
Amy was confused. "Replaced Michael? Why?"
"His dad had a massive heart attack. He's doing fine now, but at the time it was...uncertain."
"Mickey, right?"
Ty said, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "How'd you know his nickname? Alicia?"
"Yeah. She told me lot about him, not just about his big ears and nickname, but about his wife dying right after Michael was born, about how he took Michael to work with him every day. So sad."
"They're very close." Ty offered.
She sighed. "I bet his heart attack hit Michael hard."
"Yeah." Ty's voice softened. "He was a wreck. He dropped out of the externship, then took off time from school just to take care of his dad. I really didn't see him until the very end of our fourth year."
"Alicia didn't tell me that part."
"Maybe it's all a part of the whole Alicia-Michael Pact Act." He said wryly.
"Probably so."
Ty tilted his head, a playful glint in his eyes. "Maybe we should have our own. Ty-Amy Pact Act?"
"TAPA?" She raised a brow on amusement. "Okay. I'll bite. What do you propose?"
"Maybe we just give the other room to be honest." He said earnestly.
"I can live with that."
"Pinky swear." He held up a crooked finger, which she accepted with her own.
"Pinky swear."
For a moment, they stared at each other, fingers latched, bracing for what was to come.
"So...back to Claire." Amy started, breaking their connection.
Ty exhaled. "Right. Amy. You need to know...Claire is not my girlfriend. She never was. She's just a friend."
She arched a brow. "So, just a friend, huh? Does she know that?" She tried not to sound snarky, but failed miserably.
"Amy." He gently scolded her.
"Well, she said she was in front a whole room of vets at that conference." She reminded him.
"Good point, she certainly did that." He shook his head. "But, no, we're only friends."
She sighed, rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Just hear me out. It's not what you think." His tone measured.
She hesitated, holding back saying something flippant, but instead gave a small nod.
He cleared his throat. "That day that I was supposed to drive home, to Heartland. I was exhausted, exams wiped me out and I had this pounding headache. I decided to take a nap first. Mirna called when I was dead asleep. There had been a couple of credible sightings of the Eastern Cougar in Nova Scotia."
Amy said nothing, only nodded for him to continue.
"Al King convinced Mirna that we should go."
"Who's Al King?"
"He's this weathy Saudi Arabian who donated a lot to the externship. Like 60k. Apparently, he gave another donation right before Nova Scotia. Back then he was in Hudson, at Hillhurst."
"No kidding. Never heard of him."
"Didn't think so." He said, not ready to tell her if his belief that Al King and Ahmed were one in the same. "Anyhow, when she asked me go, I was still half asleep. I said yes without thinking. I wish I had said No."
"For what it's worth, I never resented that you went Nova Scotia. Not then, not now. I wanted you to experience the externship fully." She said, meaning every word. "I hope you know that."
"I do." He said, his voice quiet. "But it doesn't change the fact that I should have handled the whole thing differently. And, I'm sorry I didn't. I could have avoided hurting you."
"I appreciate you saying that." A soft smile played on her lips.
He sighed deeply knowing more was to come.
"Keep going." She encouraged him.
"Okay. Well, the whole trip was jinxed from the start. Our flights were delayed, then that big snowstorm hit. When we got there, like I said, we met Claire for the first time. By the time I called you, things were already crazy rushed."
"I remember."
"Looking back, I wish I told you about her right off the bat." He admitted.
"Me too." She conceded, then asked. "Did you at least tell her about me? Or us?
He pressed his lips, then shook his head. "No, not that day. I didn't have the chance."
"I see."
"But I did tell her later." He mentioned, then waited for her to say something else, anything else but she didn't.
"Anyhow, the three of us spent hours in the freezing cold searching for the cougar, looking for tracks or any kind of sign. We found nothing."
"That's disappointing."
"Right. So, Claire and I went searching for the person who reported the sighting. I'll never forget his name. Theo Nasser."
"Theo Nasser." She repeated.
"Yeah. We called his number, checked his address, even asked at local watering holes. Nothing. No one knew him. He had vanished into thin air. We think the whole thing was some made up hoax."
"Theo Nasser. Does kinda sound like a made up name." She made a face. "What did you do?"
"Nothing we could we do. By the time we got to the bunkhouse, it was after midnight. And, because of some stupid screw-up, they only had one room left and it only had one bed."
Amy's lips pressed into a thin line. "Nice." She muttered under her breath.
"Hardly." Ty let out a short, humorless laugh. "Then the power to our room went out. I tried to fix it outside at the breaker box, but couldn't. When I got back, Claire was under the covers, sans clothes."
"Naked?"
"Right. But, I didn't care. I was beyond exhausted, freezing cold and still had a splitting headache. So I wore all my clothes, plus my coat, hat, gloves, boots, you name it, to bed."
Amy started to say something but stopped herself.
"The next thing I remember, I woke up in a hospital bed in Digby a week later."
She jolted, her eyes widened. "In the hospital? Oh my god, Ty, what happened?"
"I had the flu." He said, like it was nothing. "Mirna found me naked outside in the snow talking gibberish on my phone and called the ambulance."
"The flu? It must have been a real bad case."
"Yeah. I had the H3N2, which led to a bout with sepsis. They put me in an induced coma." He hesitated. "They said I was lucky that I didn't go into full septic shock and die."
A tiny gasp escaped her. "Oh, Ty. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Are you okay now?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." He chuckled lightly. "Took a while to recover and regain my strength but I'm good."
"Good to hear." She said, then paused, her forehead creasing.
He noticed immediately. "What?"
"I just wish someone had told me. I would have been there for you. We all would have. No matter what."
"I know." He acknowledged, then tried to explain. "When I applied for the externship, we weren't together, remember? So I put mom as my emergency contact."
"Oh? Not Grandpa?" She said, then thought better of it. "Nevermind, it's not important now. I'm glad she was there for you."
Ty exhaled, unable to meet her eye. "She wasn't. She never knew. She was in rehab. In lockdown actually."
She placed a hand over his, giving it a small squeeze. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks." His voice was quiet, unwilling to say more.
"Ty, she loves you very much. If she could have, she would have been there." Amy offered.
"Maybe." He withdrew his hand from under hers, as if he didn't deserve to be comforted. He glanced at the gift basket. "Mind if I have some wine?"
"Help yourself." She said, watching him closely as he lifted the bottle from the basket, then rummaged noisily through the drawers.
He found a corkscrew and quickly pulled the cork with a sharp pop. Pouring the red wine into his cup, tea remnants floating on the surface, he paused, then asked as an afterthought. "Want some?"
"No thanks." Amy said, then watched him drain his cup in one swallow.
"Don't know why I asked. I know you don't drink." He said, pouring another cup. "Unless that's changed... like everything else." He added.
"Hey, you okay?" She leaned in, even more concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He swirled the wine in his cup, staring into it as if searching for something. His voice was quieter now, almost distant. "Want more tea?"
"Sure. That would be nice. Thanks."
"Ginger?" He asked over his shoulder, filling the tea kettle.
"Yes. Please."
Putting the kettle on the stove, he turned back to her, still unable to look her in the eye.
Picking up the bottle of wine, she read the label aloud. "Sanctuary." She tilted the open bottle toward her nose and inhaled. "On second thought. A bit of wine might be nice."
"Really?" He asked, surprised.
"Please." She set the bottle back on the table.
"Hmm, okay." He rinsed her cup, dried it, then filled it with wine.
Raising the cup, she swirled the wine gently, then closed her eyes, deeply inhaling, taking in its bouquet again. "I smell blackberry, vanilla. Maybe a tad oakie." Her eyes lifted to him. "What do you smell?"
Ty raised his cup to his nose, inhaling. "Smells like an old saddle to me."
She inhaled again, nodded. "Yeah, I can smell the leather now too."
"When did you start drinking?" He asked.
"Drinking?" She echoed, pondering his question. "Lisa introduced me to wine during our travels to France. Wine is a such cultural thing over there. There's this art to it. Opening the bottle, taking in its body and bouquet in the glass, tasting it on the tongue and the back of the throat. Pairing it with foods to bring out the flavors. Marking the occasion. I learned to appreciate the wine itself. It was never just about drinking."
He hummed, taking it in. "So, I read that you and Lisa are partners now?"
She nodded. "Yeah, three years now. I love working with her, she's really an incredible business and horse woman. And, I enjoy that side of the business, finding good stock, breeding, training, retraining, rehab."
"And what about Heartland?"
"Still my passion. My Fairfield work funds my work there."
"Good balance then?"
"Very. Might be something to consider for the rescue."
"Maybe. I saw an advertisement for an underwater treadmill with Andrew and his horse where Fairfield was quoted."
"Oh that?" She chuckled. "Yeah. We purchased it for a racehorse that got injured. But, we got free service as payment for that endorsement."
"Nice. And, you trained the Canadian Team?"
She shook her head no. "It was just for a couple of weeks before they headed to Europe. It was no biggie." She said humbly.
"Sounds like a big deal."
"It wasn't." Lifting her cup to him, she said. "I'd like to make a toast."
"Okay?"
"To old friends." A gentle smile played on her lips.
"To old friends." He said back. "No matter what."
"No matter what." Amy repeated, as the clinked cups. They each took a sip.
"I can taste the berries. You?" She said.
He took another sip. "Yeah. I think so. And vanilla."
Ty put his cup on the table. "Amy. I didn't tell Mirna and Celina about you because I wanted them to see me as, I don't know, serious."
Her brows scrunched. "You mean, like 'all work and no play'?"
"Kinda." A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"I know you wanted to do a good job."
He nodded. "I wanted them to know the externship was my top priority, that I was fully committed to the work. That nothing would hold me back."
"But, Ty, I never wanted to hold you back."
"I know." He conceded. "It's just that not every vet is cut out for that kind of work. Several externs dropped out early on. I guess I just wanted to prove that I wasn't one of them."
"I get that." She reminded herself that she was exactly like that, focused soley on the work, not willing to give up on any horse, no matter how challenging or dangerous.
"I felt like I was making a real difference."
"Grandpa called you an eco-warrior. Like you were going off to war into the unknown with each trip."
He smiled. "Funny. We called ourselves that. Eco-warriors."
"And, you loved the adventure, the excitement, the unpredictability of it all."
"I did. Still do." He admitted.
"Did you want to work for Mirna after vet school?" She asked point blank.
He hesitated, then nodded.
"I see." She said taking in this new information. "You never mentioned that."
As if a referee had blown a whistle to end the period, the tea kettle on the stove began to scream, loud and shrill. As Ty turned to shut off the flame and remove the kettle from the heat, Amy pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
He retook his seat. "For what's it worth, Michael knew all about you back then. About us. But, I asked him not to say anything to Mirna and Celina." He offered as a consolation, then added. "Mirna and Celina know all about you now and know that you're here."
"I suppose that's something."
They sighed in unison.
"Looking back, I guess, everything seems to have happened for a reason. It all makes sense now."
"It does?" Ty asked, taking another sip of wine.
"Yeah."
"How so?"
"That day you went..." She began to narrate from her side of the story. "Everyone was home, Peter, Lou, Dad, Lisa, Grandpa, the girls. Even Scott was there. Lou and I made this big dinner, fancy dessert. We even set the table with Grandma Lyndy's good china." She sighed. "We waited dinner for you. By the time you called, dinner was...late, the ribeye roast overdone and salad wilted. But somehow, everyone was excited for you and wanted to hear about your mission to Nova Scotia."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Well, except Dad."
He frowned.
"You know Dad, always needling. For some odd reason, he brought up Blaire, that she was there. In Nova Scotia. With you."
"She wasn't. I haven't talked to her in years."
"I ignored him. We all did." She shrugged her good shoulder, then continued. "By the time dishes were done, it was very late when I went out to do night check. I remember how bitterly cold it was outside. The wind was howling and the snow was coming down so hard, I almost didn't see him."
"Who?"
"Ghost. He was standing in the far pasture."
"Ghost?" He repeated.
"Yeah. He must have come to tell me you were sick. That you needed help."
"Oh."
"I panicked. I was terrified that something bad had happened to you… or worse. I ran to the loft and called you. Twice."
Ty frowned, struggling to piece together any memory from that night. "Did we talk? I honestly don't remember any of it… I was so out of it."
Amy's face remained unreadable, her features eerily still. But her eyes told a different story. A watery sheen took hold, though she tried blinked them away.
"It took a while for you to answer." She continued, her voice even, almost detached. "And when you finally did, you sounded like you were distracted." She wrinkled her nose slightly, the only shift in her expression.
"Distracted? What time was this?" He asked.
"It was late. Maybe around eleven."
He did the math quickly. "So, one in the morning in Nova Scotia. I bet I was dead asleep." He conjectured.
"Maybe." She considered, then dismissed it. "But it wasn't like that. You were short, annoyed that I even called. You asked what I wanted, like I was bothering you. Interrupting something more important. I told you I saw Ghost and that I was worried about you. Wanted to make sure you were okay." Her expression didn't change.
Ty's stomach twisted. "I bet I was delirious with fever. I didn't know what I was saying."
"I'll never forget, she said, 'Ty, honey, come back to bed. You're nude.'" She swallowed. "Then you hung up."
His stomach dropped.
She blinked back a tear. "I couldn't believe it. So I called back right away. But this time, she answered."
Ty paled.
"She said you couldn't talk. That you were busy. But, she kept talking to you, like I wasn't there. She kept calling you honey, wanting you to come back to bed. Then she hung up."
"Amy. I'm sorry."
Then, for the first time, her expression broke. A single tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another. She didn't wipe them away. She only shook her head, as if trying to push the memory away.
She let out a shaky breath, then dragged her sleeve across her face, wiping everything away...tears, emotions. When she looked at him again, she was clear-eyed, calm.
"At that moment, I realized that you had moved on. You wanted a different life, something adventurous, wild, unpredictable, something I couldn't offer. You wanted someone else, someone I couldn't be."
"Amy, that's not true."
"Ty. It is true. For three months, I talked to you every day. You were so happy, excited about the next mission, or the last one. Ty, you loved that work. You were in your element. And, I was happy for you. I really was."
His shoulders sunk under the truth of her words.
"You were only an hour away, not even once did you come home. Or invite me there. And in all that time, you didn't tell the people you worked for about me. Or us. And you certainly didn't tell me that you wanted the externship to become your life. For three months."
"I'm sorry."
"So I made a decision. And, as much as it killed me, I sent that text. Looking back, I think I did us both a favor. Look what you've accomplished. Me too. We would have never done those things if we were together."
"But I wanted to be together"
"Funny way of showing it."
"But, your text said..."
Incredulous, she chuckled. "Are you being serious? Are you telling me that my stupid text was the only thing that kept you from coming to get me? It's not like you didn't know where I lived. Or how to get a hold of me through a dozens of other means. Four years, Ty. How long am I supposed to wait?" She shook her head.
"But, I couldn't, at first. I was sick. But when I could, I tried. I did." He said, almost sounding pathetic. "I called. I sent letters. I.."
"I didn't hear a word from you. You wrote Grandpa. You wrote Scott. Mrs. Bell. And, Caleb. I got nothing."
"I wrote you."
"You didn't come get me." She pointed out.
A beat of silence.
Amy pushed up from her seat. "I need to get some air." Her voice was steady now, determined. "Alone." With that, she walked out the door.
Stunned, Ty froze, unable to think straight. He debated whether to follow her.
Suddenly, a gaggle of voices, jagged laughing and muted words rose up outside, interrupting the kitchen's silence.
A boisterous male voice rose above the others. "Well, hey there Amy! Nice pajamas!" He catcalled to her.
Without pause, Ty rushed out the door, taking his place at her side at the deck railing, his arm protectively wrapped around her waist. She pulled away ever so slightly, noticeable only to Ty.
"Hey Ty. Hope we didn't wake y'all." He said looking up from the decked walk below. A dozen or so people swarmed by him, each wearing a life jacket and headlamp, carrying a long kayak paddle.
"Brent." He replied in return. "Nah man. We were awake. Out for a paddle?"
"Yeah. Perfect night for it." He said. "Heard about your accident with the washed up log. Y'all okay?"
"Yeah. A bit banged up but we'll be fine." Ty replied.
"Y'all lucky y'all didn't hit a horse." He said, somewhat in jest.
"Yeah, we are." Amy agreed.
"Broken collarbone I hear."
"You heard right."
"That's tough." Brent said emphatically. "Well, I'll let y'all go. Got some gear to put up."
"Brent. Could you leave the gate unlocked? I'd like to walk out to the Sound." Amy asked, leaning slightly over the railing.
"Y'all going together?"
"Yeah." Ty answered before Amy had a chance. She scowled at him.
"No problem. Lock up when y'all are done."
"We will." Ty promised.
"Y'all need headlamps. I'll leave a couple on the rail down here." As he turned to leave, he warned. "Wear shoes. Y'all get splitters otherwise."
"Thanks Brent."
He raised his hand in a wave as he walked away.
"I want to go by myself." She told him.
"Too bad. I'm going with you."
"Fine." She retorted and headed inside. Following behind, he found his sandals, slipped his feet into them. From behind, he heard her.
"Err." She muttered, struggling to fasten the strap on her sandal with one hand.
"Let me help." He said softly, walking to her side of the bed.
"I don't need your help." She insisted, though her tone said otherwise.
Ignoring her, he bent down before her, securing the straps. He stood, then held his hand out to her. "Come on."
She nodded. Taking his hand, she stood. With only inches between them, they lingered for a moment, still holding hands, not moving.
"Thanks." She whispered, looking up at him.
"No problem." He returned, smiled, then stepped back. "Let's go."
Walking in silence, they kept to their respective sides of the four-foot-wide boardwalk, their headlamps bouncing as they advanced toward the Sound, lighting up the long wooden path ahead. The humid air was heavy with the scent of salt and marsh, mingled with the earthy aroma of seagrass. All around them, the night pulsed with the songs of crickets, katydids and frogs, chirping, hissing, and croaking in a jarring, yet rhythmic chorus.
Amy stopped in her tracks.
"Look." She said, her voice hushed as she pointed to a muddy flat a few feet beyond the boardwalk. Caught in the beam of her headlamp, a raccoon hunched at the water's edge, gnawing on a small fish as water lapped gently beside it.
"Cool." Ty murmured, then pointed further down the flat. "There's another one. And look...two more."
"Must be the neighborhood dive." She deadpanned.
"Looks like it." He smiled at her humor.
"Come on. We're almost there."
Further down the boardwalk, they reached the pavilion, flanked by racks of kayaks, stacked on the right side. "We paddled from here last night." She mentioned as they walked through it. "At midnight."
"How was it?"
"Pretty incredible actually. We stopped in the middle of the Sound, laid back in our kayaks, and stared up at the sky. Just looking at the moon, the stars and the planets. Everything seemed so...endess, possible, you know?"
"Funny, I did the same thing from Assateague beach around midnight too. The sky was incredible."
"Guess we were looking at the same thing from two different viewpoints."
"Yeah. Guess so." Ty reflected. "Maybe we still are."
"Maybe."
Overhead a gull of some sort flew by, crying a lonely call, diverting their attention for a moment.
The boardwalk came to an abrupt end, mere yards from the pavilion, culminating in a small square dock. They carefully lowered to the dock, sitting at the edge, their feet dangling just above the brackish water. They took in the Sound, the distant glow, the lapping water, under the starlight sky.
"What's that?" Ty pointed to a ramshackle wooden stand protruding from the water, not far from the dock.
"It's a duck blind. Apparently, Corolla is on the Atlantic flyaway migration route. According Brent, this place is duck hunter's paradise in the autumn and winter."
"Not sure I'd climb into that old rickety thing."
"Probably part of the whole scary experience. The Sound is full of water moccasins too."
"Amy, get back! Water moccasins are poisonous." Ty warned, quickly pulled his feet in, scooting back on the dock.
Amy laughed, slowly followed suit. "So the fearless Dr. Tyler Borden is afraid of snakes, huh?"
"Cottonmouth? Yes, I am. Those snakes bites are nasty."
Amy turned off her headlamp, then laid back on dock, her knees drawn up. Flicking off his light beam, Ty looked back at her as she gazed skyward, then repositioned himself next to her, his feet stretched out, his hands folded over his chest. "God. Look at that view."
"Yeah. Beautiful." She agreed. They gazed skyward, in quiet comfort, enjoying the other's proximity. Several minutes passed.
"Dr. James said something last night as we stargazed."
"Dr. James? The Chincoteague pony vet?"
"Yeah. He's pretty cool. You'd like him."
"Hmm. What did he say?"
"He said that there is a reassurance in the beauty of stars, moon, planets and in their predictability, their constance. They hold a promise of tomorrow. Of a new beginning. An opportunity to complete what was started, right wrongs. Make amends."
"That's nice thought."
He sat up, leaned over her. "Amy. I'm an idiot. I really messed up and hurt you, the one person I love more than anyone or anything in this world. If I could, I would take it all back...but I can't. I am sorry."
She didn't know how to respond, she wasn't ready to forgive him.
"I miss you." His voice cracked, heavy with emotion.
His words touched a tender spot, stirring an ache in her heart.
"I miss you too." She admitted quietly.
His heart lightened. He smiled, lay back down, a bit closer than before, his hands by his side, eyes transfixed on the sky.
She turned her head to him. "Ty?"
"Hmm?" His head turned towards her.
"Tell me the real reason why didn't you come back?"
It was a question he had grappled with for a long time. He had always told himself—and others—that it was complicated. But was it really? The hardest part was admitting the truth to himself. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke.
"I felt like I had cheated on you."
Amy frowned. "What do you mean? You felt like you had? I thought you said you didn't."
"While I was really sick and unconscious, I had this reoccurring nightmare that seemed so real. We were in bed at that bunkhouse, naked, Claire and I both were. The sheets were all rumpled and sweaty. Like we had, you know."
"Sex?"
"Yeah." He admitted. "When I finally woke up, I was in this huge fog. I was so weak, I could barely talk. I couldn't do anything for myself. I couldn't feed myself, go to the bathroom, bathe, walk. Nothing."
"That must have been so scary."
"It was frustrating and scary. But, Claire was there, the whole entire time, helping me, feeding me, telling me that I'd get better." He hesitated. "Kissing me. Soon, the doctors and nurses referred to her as my girlfriend. So did Mirna. I honestly thought I was losing my mind. I mean, I barely knew Claire. And you and I were together."
"Why didn't you tell them the truth?"
He shook his head. "I honestly didn't know what was real anymore. When I called you, you had block my number. So, I called Heartland and got your dad. He did his best to rip me a new one, called me a liar, a cheater and everything else in book. He said you knew about me hooking up with Blaire. And that you had moved on. He warned me never to contact you or anyone in the family."
"He never told me that you called." Amy said, though not at all surprised given her father.
"Then I saw your text, I couldn't believe it. Then there were the angry messages from Jack and Lou, even Caleb, demanding answers, telling me how much I had hurt you, how disappointed they were in me." His voice faltered. "With everything stacking up against me, I started to believe it myself. I figured… why else would all of this be happening?"
Amy shifted uncomfortably on the cold wood of the dock, but said nothing.
"Amy, I swear, nothing happened between Claire and me that night in Nova Scotia. I was too sick. Claire can confirm that."
"Then why are you so sure now?"
"Honestly…I wasn't. Not until this summer. I finally asked Claire what really happened. She told me we didn't sleep together, that I had taken off my clothes in a some kind of fevered fit. She was asleep when Mirna found me outside. It was probably Mirna you heard on the phone that night."
"You may not have slept with Claire, but Ty… you still weren't honest with me." Amy's voice was quiet but firm, cutting through the humid night air.
"I know." He exhaled, his voice heavy with regret.
She hesitated, then forced out the words. "Letting you go was the right decision." Even as she said it, her throat tightened, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "For both of us."
As she struggled a bit to sit up, Ty offered her his hand, which she accepted. "I'm tired. Let's go back." Her voice was strained, unsteady. Fumbling with her headlamp, she turned it on and started down the boardwalk. Ty followed without a word.
Back at the apartment, Amy grabbed the ibuprofen while Ty retrieved their ice packs. Neither spoke as they settled into bed, side by side, each nursing their injuries in the quiet darkness.
Amy stared at the ceiling, her mind replaying the night's conversation.
"Amy?" Ty's voice was soft, uncertain.
She closed her eyes. "It's late, Ty." She wasn't ready to say more.
A pause. "Okay. Good night."
"Good night."
A moment passed. Then she felt it, the warmth of his hand hovering just near hers, hesitant, waiting.
She turned her head, studying his profile in the faint glow of the moonlight filtering through the window. He was watching her too. Slowly, he reached over, fingers brushing against hers before gently taking her hand.
"Is this okay?" His voice was barely above a whisper.
She hesitated, then nodded.
Without thinking, she shifted closer, resting her head against his shoulder. The moment she did, the weight of everything crashed over her, and before she could stop it, a quiet sob escaped her lips.
Ty didn't say anything. He just held her hand a little tighter.
And for the first time in a long time, she let herself really cry.
Well Readers. The conversation that you were waiting for... probably not the kiss and make-up you were hoping for. But, still a few more chapters ahead. Tell me your thoughts.
SBR
ps. Fixed the grammatical issues that LifeIn3D found. Thanks!