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the-real-tc · 2 years

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Review: Heartland Ep. 1503 Bad Moon Rising

(A truncated version of this was posted on Facebook.) I feel like I'm still holding my breath after watching Ep. 1503 on Sunday. Episode writer Ken Craw left us with a bit of a cliffhanger when the credits started rolling on "Bad Moon Rising". It's not often that we get a touch of fear and dread on Heartland, but it's been building ever since the season began with the serial break-ins happening in Hudson. And now, our beloved family has fallen victim to the thieves, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The break-ins are still going on in Hudson, and everyone is on edge. Lisa convinces Jack to install a security system. He manages to do it with Parker’s help, but not without a few hiccups involving a destructive raccoon and a thirsty Lyndy who only wanted a night-time glass of milk. (If you didn’t immediately want to hug that poor kid when she accidentally tripped the motion sensors... way to go, Jack. You’ve probably traumatised your great-granddaughter for life.)

The second plot point is Amy lending a hand at Cooper's equine therapy centre ("Higher Ground"). It seems that on top of being super busy, his horse trainer up and quit on him. Amy has agreed to step in on short notice, but only until Cooper finds a real replacement. The current "busy-ness" is a gala Cooper's been planning to raise awareness for the centre.

For now, Cooper has six kids (teens, really) from a group home outside of Hudson. We soon learn the names of two of them: “Mac”, a scowly youth with his ubiquitous backwards ballcap, and “Logan”, a tall, lanky kid with an easy smile and a mop of curly hair. We soon also learn which one to trust, and which one to avoid — especially if we’re of the equine species. Third plot point: Paula Westfield is on the warpath over the break-ins. She nastily blames Cooper’s recent batch of kids for the unsolved crimes, and wants Lou to take action and shut down Higher Ground immediately. (Side note: it’s during their conversation we learn where Georgie’s been, which is Florida, training for a chance at the Olympics. The startled look on Paula’s face—and her attempt to be gracious about it when she totally wasn’t—was priceless.)

We don’t know what to believe about Cooper’s kids, but one of them (Mac) causes Challenge the horse to spook and react violently when Amy tries to pair them up. It’s Logan to the rescue, though. He jumps into the pen and gets between Challenge and Mac just as Amy rushes in to calm the horse. Belligerent Mac acts like he did nothing wrong, leaving Amy and Cooper at a loss as to what to do, since they don’t know what triggered Challenger. Lou tries to make good on her promise to Paula to check out the centre and OH MY GOSH! Is that Clint Riley?

Hi, again, Clint. It’s good to see you... maybe? It seems Clint is there because they’ve also received calls about the possibility Cooper’s kids could be involved in the break-ins. Cooper denies they could be, but neither Lou nor Clint would be doing their due diligence if they didn’t at least take a look.

While trying to get to the bottom of Challenge’s issues, Amy learns lanky Logan has a great instinct for horse behaviour. We also learn he’s reluctant to bond with any horse because he won’t be there long. His dad is coming to get him very soon Logan says, and they’re going to be reunited. (As viewers, we obviously sense this ain’t happening exactly the way Logan hopes it will.) As it happens, just as Logan says he’ll be outta there like *that*, he snaps his fingers, causing Challenge to spook. It’s the clue Amy’s been looking for: loud, unexpected noises are the trigger. Anyway, Amy is impressed with Logan’s natural ability with horses. He’s curious about how she gentled a wild horse like Challenge, so she takes him out to see the wild herd, and the splashy paint she wants to gentle for her stepmother, Jessica Cook.

(Side note: warm welcome to Drew Davis aka Logan. He’s already charmed his way into my heart with his easy-going manner and easy smile. I hope he gets more screen time as Logan is a very likeable character already.)

Paula accosts Lou again in her office, demanding to know what’s being done about Higher Ground. Her place was nearly broken into the night before, but the perpetrators were scared off by one of the grooms. She declares if Lou won’t take action, other people in her circle will (“pillars of the community”) and that the Centre is going down, and that Lou will probably go down with it. (Side note: Kate Drummond is so great in these scenes as Paula, you love to hate her. But the best—or worst, depending on your interpretation—from her is yet to come. More on that later...)

Lou learns Cooper’s Centre is in serious financial trouble. He’s pretty much pinning all his hopes on the success of the gala. He might be a great social worker, but he’s a lousy accountant. Lou offers to help him due to her business acumen, but things aren’t looking good.

Despite Amy’s work with Challenge, the horse still reacts negatively to Mac, a sign the horse might not be safe to remain at the Centre and be around kids. Logan is distressed about this, since Amy tells him she doesn’t know where the horse would end up, since he can’t go back to his herd. It doesn’t take long before we find out why Challenge reacts to Mac, and why he’s scared of loud noises. Mac has locked him up in a stall and has unleashed the full measure of his cruelty: he’s throwing bang snaps at Challenge, the gunpowder exploding and sending off sparks everywhere, while the other kids just stand around and do nothing. Logan angrily grabs Mac’s bag of “party favours” away; Mac accuses him of being a thief just like his father. That sends Logan back at him with a fist. Mac deflects the blow and scurries off, leaving Logan seething. The other kids slowly leave, and Logan is alone with Challenge. He gently releases the horse from the stall and walks him out back to the paddock. A much calmer Challenge seems to sense he’s got a friend in Logan.

Later, the whole Heartland household is all dressed up for the gala and waiting for Jack in the kitchen. Jack comes rushing in and pulls out his bolo tie from a box also containing an antique watch engraved with the initials “J.E.B”. Lisa comments she’s never seen the watch before and Lou asks why he never wears it; Jack makes light of it, saying it’s just a piece of metal before tossing it back into the box on the kitchen table. (Foreshadowing, anyone?)

The gala turns out to be a very swanky affair, attended by what looks to be a large contingent of Hudson high society, including (pro) Fairfield clients Lisa quietly called, and (con) Paula Westfield’s “pillars of the community” who are probably there to see Cooper’s dreams are crushed.

Cooper’s kids are also guests at the gala. Logan tries to tell Amy about Mac’s actions, but they’re interrupted. Meanwhile, the security system is being a pain with a pile of motion alerts being sent to Jack’s phone (rascally raccoons), so he decides on Lisa’s suggestion to just shot off the camera alerts. (Foreshadowing, anyone?)

All seems to be going okay for Cooper as he stands up to say a few words... until Paula interrupts and says a mouthful—a damning mouthful—about the “criminal element” the centre has brought in, since some of the kids have a juvenile record. Clint finally steps in to stop her, but the damage is done. Paula leaves, and several guests follow in her destructive wake.

You’d think things could not get worse, right? They do. Logan, having heard Paula’s accusations, confronts Mac, asking if he’s had anything to do with the robberies. Mac denies it; Logan says he doesn’t trust him. Mac needles him by referring to Logan’s soft spot for locked up animals—like his father. Logan loses it and hauls off with a punch that knocks Mac to the ground. Appalled, Amy and Cooper (and everyone else, really) can’t believe what they’re seeing. Logan blurts out that Mac’s been torturing Challenge.

With that, Emma Fitzroy, one of Cooper’s early donors and supporters, tells him she’s re-thinking her support after that disturbing display. It’s like the last nail in the coffin for Higher Ground, Cooper says. Lou, Clint, and Amy try to bolster his sinking spirits, but he can’t bear to hear about it right now.

You’d think things could not get worse even after this, right? Oh, they do.

Upon arriving at Heartland... The lights are out. The screen door is off its hinges. A window is broken. Remi is barking out on the porch at the door. Lou pulls up next to the truck in the SUV and Amy’s on the phone to the police. Lisa begs for Jack’s phone so she can see when the break-in happened, except... when he tried to turn off the camera alerts, he turned off the whole system. Jack grabs a tire iron from the truck, and demands Lisa stay back. Inside the house, it’s a disaster zone. Thoroughly ransacked. And the thieves are long gone. Jack looks like he’s on the verge of tears at this violation. Cut to credits.

I have so many thoughts about this episode that I’ll probably share as the week progresses, but for now I can say I’m still really uneasy about how absolutely trashed the ranch house was, and how upset I am at Paula Westfield’s audacity. She’s ruined Cooper with her accusations.

It’s also a foregone conclusion Jack’s watch is gone. Despite his lack of sentimentality when Lisa and Lou commented on it, there’s got to be something more to it. Jack Bartlett, after all these years, you continue to surprise us.

Ken Craw really left nothing on the table with this one. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. But Heartland being Heartland, I await the happy resolution to this.

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golllly18 · 6 years

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Heartland: Ty & Amy- Pregnancy (Part 2)

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blazingstar29 · 2 years

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Jack Bartlett and Lisa Stilman vs Holley Shiftwell and Mater

The product of a conversation with @thedragonemperess

#pixar cars #lightning mcqueen #cars #heartland #jack bartlett #lisa stillman #holley shiftwell #tow mater

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weirdletter · 5 years

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Masters of the Weird Tale: William F. Nolan, Centipede Press, 2015. Limited edition. Cover art and frontispiece by David Ho, internal illustrations by Rodger Gerberding, info: centipedepress.com.

Sixty-five years ago, the August 1954 issue of If was published. Not only did it include fiction by Raymond F. Jones, Poul Anderson and Theodore Cogswell, Philip K. Dick, Robert Sheckley, and Richard Matheson, as well as artwork by Ed Emshwiller, Virgil Finlay, and Frank Kelly Freas, but also a short story entitled “The Joy of Living” by one William F. Nolan. The first professional sale for Nolan, it was nearly overlooked among such a star-studded line-up. Over the next six decades, Nolan would continue to refine and improve his craft to the point that within a few short years he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Matheson, Ray Bradbury and George Clayton Johnson as one of the “Southern California Sorcerers” as likely to be found as the writer of a screenplay for The Twilight Zone or a feature film as he was to appear on a magazine cover or the jacket of an anthology. Equally at home with crime, science fiction, and horror, Nolan has particularly excelled as a master of the macabre tale. Herein you will find collected over 750 pages of his best work (over 75 stories!), showcasing his career as it has stretched and grown over nearly seventy years. Masters of the Weird Tale: William F. Nolan is a cornerstone volume for any serious collection of modern weird fiction. This collection includes all of Nolan’s classics: “The Small World of Lewis Stilman,” “The Party” (here reprinted under Nolan’s preferred title of “Ashland”), “Death Call,” “Saturday’s Shadow,” “A Lonely Train a’Comin,” “Boyfren’” and dozens of others. This fine volume is enclosed in a handsome slipcase with ribbon marker and includes 11 full page illustrations by Rodger Gerberding, a frontispiece, title page, and dustjacket by David Ho, a fine introduction by Jason V Brock, a new preface by Nolan himself, and appreciations by Ray Garton, Thomas F. Monteleone, S.T. Joshi, Lisa Morton, and others. The edition is limited to just 200 signed and numbered copies, and the book is signed by William F. Nolan, David Ho, and Rodger Gerberding.

Contents: Author’s Preface Introduction: The Roots of a Master by Jason V. Brock Into the Lion’s Den The Joy of Living The Small World of Lewis Stillman The Ragged Edge S.T. Joshi Appreciation And Miles to Go Before I Sleep One of Those Days Death Drag Just Like Wild Bob FasterFaster! To Serve the Ship Encounter with A King He Kilt It with a Stick Two Coffees Jenny Among the Zeebs Toe to Tip, Tip to Toe, Pip-Pop As You Go The Day the Gorf Took Over Lisa Morton Appreciation Starblood Kelly, Fredric Michael Violation Coincidence Dark Winner Dead Call A Real Nice Guy The Partnership Saturday’s Shadow Death Decision Lonely Train a’Comin’ The Pool Paul B. Johnson Appreciation Fair Trade Joe R. Lansdale Appreciation The Zürich Solution Something Nasty Of Time and Kathy Benedict The Halloween Man Ceremony A Final Stone Ray Garton Appreciation The Yard My Name Is Dolly The Sky Gypsy The Cure Major Prevue Here Tonite Stoner 2On 42nd St. Ships in the Night Shadow Quest Gobble, Gobble! Him, Her, Them Getting Dead Babe’s Laughter The Visit On Harper’s Road The Giant Man Fyodor’s Law The Francis File Vympyre Boyfren’ An Act of Violence Simply An Ending Heart’s Blood Once Upon a Time In Real Life R.C. Matheson Appreciation Some Time in Kansas City Listening to Willy Maybe It Was Joe Killing Charlie DePompa Scotch on the Rocks The Tragic Narrative of Arthur Bedford Addison With the Good Samaritan Mommy, Daddy, & Mollie At the 24-Hour Wolf Song The Alien The Man Who Stalked Hyde To Be With Amy Zachry Revisited What Love Is This? John C. Tibbetts Appreciation I’ll Be Watching Dark Waters The Last Witch (A Fantasy in Seven Parts) Ashland The End: A Final Dialogue Descent The Shop of Heart’s Desire On the Ridge at Iwo Just the Way Things Are Thomas F. Monteleone Appreciation Story Sources and Credits

#book #collection #masters of the weird tale #william f. nolan #weird fiction #dark fiction #horror fiction #dark fantasy

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the-real-tc · 3 years

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Fic Update! Wide River to Cross: Chapter 26—We’ll Get to the Other Side

Author's Note: Okay, kiddies. We're here. We've seen the episodes, so we know how it all goes. I'm just filling in some blanks, as I've been doing this whole time. One thing in particular to note: When Lisa pulls up to Heartland like we see at the end of Ep. 714, I have made the creative decision to set that event the morning following their "rescue". It does not make sense to me she visits Jack the same afternoon. (There simply was not enough daylight hours left for it to have been the same day.)

Also, I have chosen not to cover what happens directly after Lisa's arrival, as this was done expertly well in a story called Better Than Before by another author here that goes by 'Wildflowers606'. I really could not have done a better job of that, so go read that story if you're looking for what could have happened.

I think there's one more chapter left to finish things off in my story, so stay tuned for at least another, because of course I have to cover a certain elopement...

Chapter 26: We’ll Get to the Other Side

Lisa tried not to let the anxiety of being separated from Jack eat away at her.

I should have insisted on going with him, she fretted. I will never be able to forgive myself if something happens to him out there. Cinders may be a valuable horse, but he’s certainly not worth the price of Jack’s life.

The horse had calmed down in the time Lisa had been down in the pit with him. She continued to maintain contact with him, rubbing his head and his mane every so often; talking softly, letting him know he had not been abandoned. She had also got over the initial stress of waking to find Cinders had escaped sometime during the storm. All kinds of dark scenarios about the horse’s fate had played in her mind then, so she was thankful the animal seemed to be unharmed by this little misadventure.

“Can we even get him out of here?” she remembered asking Jack when they found Cinders down in the gully not far from a creek near their campsite.

Jack’s quick assessment of the situation produced an answer she did not want to hear: the sides of the gully were too steep to navigate, and downed trees would need to be cut to provide a suitable passage out.

I guess I’m not as “prepared” as I claimed to be, Lisa mulled, recalling how Jack asked if she happened to have a chainsaw back in the trailer, which of course she did not. Memo to myself: add “chainsaw” to list of tools to always have in the trailer.

Without access to the clock on her iPhone, it was difficult to judge the passage of time, but Lisa guessed Jack had been gone for close to two hours already. Her stomach growled, reminding her the last time she had eaten was the paltry portion of granola the evening before. To keep herself somewhat occupied, she popped a piece of gum into her mouth. That, at least, got her salivary glands going, helping to ease the edge of thirst coming on.

Better for Jack to have that bottle of water than me, she rightly decided. How much longer should I wait? At what point should I leave Cinders and go after Jack? Oh, why did I let him go alone?

“You won’t be gone long,” she remembered emphasizing when he promised he would be right back. She had purposely held onto Jack’s outstretched fingers for a few seconds when she handed him the water bottle; now she prayed that would not be the last time they ever touched.

Please come back, Jack, I’d be lost without you; I’ve been lost without you this entire time we’ve been apart.

***

The tightness in Jack’s chest was nearly unbearable. Hiking up the mountain to find a cell signal is the kind of exertion you really didn’t need, you dummy, he berated himself. You could croak up here and they wouldn’t find your body for days. Lisa would never forgive you, one part of his mind chastised. She’d blame herself for the rest of her life. You don’t want that, do you? Without ever telling her the reason you wanted to take this trip in the first place?

I’m sorry we ever parted in the first place. I love you, Lisa. I love you, and I want you in my life for the rest of my life... if you’ll have me...

At least the climb had not been in vain, and Jack had the assurance Ty and Amy were on the way to their location. They would be bringing his chainsaw and fuel for the truck. And Ty will be bringing my heart pills. I just have to make it back down there, Jack thought. The angina attack was not letting up. A sudden bout of vertigo nearly caused him to stumble and lose his footing.

Okay, take it easy, he told himself, squeezing his eyes shut. Don’t panic. You haven’t eaten breakfast... He paused in his descent and sagged against an old tree, heedless for the time being of the protruding branches poking at his shoulder. Jack threw open his coat, hoping his breathing would not feel as restricted. This action, however, did little to relieve the pressure in his chest and neck. Deep breaths. Slow and steady, now, he coached himself. He breathed in, counted from one to five, exhaled, and repeated the cycle five more times.

Gradually, the dizzy spell passed. Jack consciously returned his breathing to a normal rate. He took a few sips of water, giving relief to his parched throat and bone-dry mouth. The pain in his chest was still there, but not as pronounced. He wiped away the sweat under the brim of his hat. It was time to resume the walk back to the gully. Lisa’s going to be worried if I stay up here too long. I have to get back to Lisa. He reminded himself not to rush; not to overwork his heart; to keep breathing deeply and steadily. I have to get back to Lisa.

***

Ty glanced over to where Amy sat next to him in the truck. She had been quiet the entire ride so far, but he knew her silence was not of the same quality as last night during his birthday dinner. Last night, she had been mute due to worry. This morning, it was due to anticipation.

Amy loves her Grandpa Jack so much, he thought. If anything had happened to him, I don’t know what she would do. I don’t know what we would do. It was already so rough on the family when he had that heart attack last year. Thank God he’s okay now. But with that thought, Ty remembered the bottle of pills he now carried, burning a hole in his coat pocket. Jack had sworn him to secrecy on that one, leading the young man to worry maybe Jack was not as “okay” as he claimed to be to Amy during their brief conversation.

Based on Jack’s hurried instructions, Ty estimated they had perhaps another half-hour of travel before they found the correct Range Road, along with Lisa’s stranded truck and trailer. I hope Jack will still be okay when we find them...

Amy stared steadily at the road. The beauty of the rolling hills to her right-hand side did not entirely escape her notice, but her thoughts were still mainly focused on her present “rescue” mission.

I’m so glad they’re okay, Amy mused. Simply seeing Lisa’s number on her call display had been enough to disperse the anxiety that had been holding her hostage all night long. The sound of Jack’s voice on the other end lifted her spirits completely and renewed her energy—energy that had been sapped due to lack of sleep in the preceding hours.

In time, Ty found Range Road 135, noting how absolutely far off the beaten track it was, and how far away it was from Jack and Lisa’s intended destination. How in the world did they get so lost? he wondered as he continued along the trail, keeping his eyes peeled. Soon enough, both Ty and Amy spied Lisa’s empty truck and trailer.

“There it is,” Amy exclaimed, leaning forward excitedly in her seat.

“I see it,” Ty commented, keeping his own excitement under wraps. And not another soul around, he contemplated, thinking how they had not encountered any traffic in either direction for the past hour-and-a-half. He slowed Jack’s truck and brought it to a stop a short distance behind the trailer.

“I hope they’re still okay,” said Amy as she hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Me, too. Let’s go,” Ty said, exiting the truck.

In minutes, they were hiking down into the woods in search of the trail Jack had mentioned, carrying a shovel and the necessary chainsaw and jerrycan. Ty surreptitiously made sure he still had Jack’s medication with him. You’d better be okay, Jack, he thought. This family needs you more than you know.

***

Lisa’s heart leapt upon hearing Jack’s voice calling her name. She spun around, seeing his approaching figure. He appeared to be absolutely worn out, but to her eyes, he could not have looked more wonderful. She climbed up the side of the gully hurriedly to meet him, throwing her arms around his frame.

“Ohh, you’re back,” she breathed, thoroughly relieved he had returned safely. You’re back. I don’t want you to ever leave me like that again, she thought. They held on to each other for a few sweet moments before separating with the happy news Jack had indeed managed to get a cell signal. Help was on the way.

“Good!” Lisa exclaimed. She held onto him again, this time in celebration of Jack’s success. They would be on their way home in a matter of hours, and they could finally put this whole miserable failure of a trip behind them.

Jack did his best to hide his utter exhaustion from Lisa as they climbed back down into the gully together. Last thing she needs right now is to worry about me, he decided. She’s got enough to worry with this horse being stuck down here for so long without food and water. I sure hope he got in a good drink when he crossed the river last night. Stupid horse. Could have gotten himself killed running off like that by himself...

***

It took Ty and Amy about two minutes to find the trail Jack had mentioned, and about thirty minutes later, they came upon the shelter Jack erected next to the rain-doused firepit.

“They can’t be too far now,” Ty commented. “Let’s find that creek.”

“Right,” Amy said, pausing briefly to take in how Jack and Lisa had stretched Cinders’ stall sheet to cover themselves during the night, along with the spruce boughs for bedding. Earlier, she had wondered how they managed to spend the night, especially through the storm. Definitely not a motel room, Amy thought mirthlessly, recalling Tim’s comment from the evening before.

The young couple picked up the pace, knowing they were getting close now to their stranded loved ones. An intermittent drizzle started falling, evidence the weather front that brought last night’s rains had not completely moved on.

***

Lisa looked over to where Jack stood in the gully. Ever since he had come back, relaying the fact Amy and Ty were coming, he had spoken nothing further. The grey pallor Lisa thought she had observed on Jack’s face when he returned seemed to have cleared. Still, his silence was concerning. What if he’s on the verge of another heart attack? she thought. All that climbing up and down that mountain... Oh, why did I let him do that? I should have been the one to go. Knowing she was risking getting him upset just for asking, Lisa went ahead anyway, doing her best to sound nonchalant about it:

“You okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” he answered easily, seeming quite unperturbed; showing no sign whatsoever her question was probing too deeply or breaching any invisible boundaries.

Okay, Jack, Lisa thought decisively. That’s the opening I’ve been hoping for ever since I came back to Hudson. Time to talk for real, now. I need you to hear me; it’s now or never.

“You know what I thought a lot about when you had your heart attack...” she began slowly.

Jack listened with a heavy heart while Lisa unburdened herself. Every word she spoke—reminding him of their squabbles about vacation homes and trips to France—pinched his conscience.

She’s right, he thought miserably, bringing his tired body to rest against a downed tree branch. It really was all so silly and unimportant, just as she said.

Lisa then delivered the line that made him die a little inside: “... all I really wanted to do was just... I just wanted to spend time with you.”

Jack ducked his head guiltily. I wanted to spend time with you, too, Lis. I wanted that so bad.

“I was so happy when you came back last winter,” he blurted out before even realising he was saying it.

She stared at him with a mix of shock and disbelief. We can’t be remembering the same event, Lisa thought, nearly scoffing at this admission.

“You were?” she asked skeptically, then saw him avert his gaze. You sure didn’t seem happy to see me when I came back, mister. What’s going on in that head of yours? Why? Why were you being so unreasonable when all I wanted was to be there for you? Lisa wondered for the hundredth time. Maybe now I’ll get an answer.

The whole uncomfortable episode played back in their minds of that night, both thinking of the awkwardness of the hospital bed occupying a space in the living room at Heartland.

Jack felt a return of the dread he experienced when Lisa summoned him from his room to show him what she thought would be helpful in his recovery. The same sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. A sour taste erupted in his mouth as he thought again of how it might be for them in some hypothetical future where he was a total invalid, and she was reduced to playing nothing but a nursemaid.

Lisa recalled how dishevelled he appeared that January night with his hair falling over his pale face, dressed in his robe, the light gone out of his eyes. Where was that lively, exultant greeting she longed for? Where was the bright smile, the crushing embrace, and the smouldering kiss that signalled he missed her as much as she missed him?

Back in the present moment, when Lisa almost demanded Jack explain why he had resisted her help, he finally admitted his deepest insecurity about the nature of their relationship, and that he did not expect her to understand his reasoning.

“You’re a lot younger than me, Lis,” he muttered, after she declared he had no way of predicting the future; how anything was possible, including the fact she might be the one needing care instead of him ten years down the road.

He’s been worried about our difference in age this whole time? Lisa thought incredulously. How could he even think that would be a stumbling block for us? It’s exactly as you expected Jack, Lisa thought, I don’t understand your reasoning.

Lisa adamantly declared it was damned stupid of him to think he was doing her some incredible favour by “sparing” her a future of taking care of him.

“Don’t you get—don’t you get I was all in?” she said passionately. “I was all in because I loved you, not because I felt sorry for you. But that’s all water under the bridge now, because if loving each other was enough, we’d still be together, wouldn’t we?”

Maybe we shouldn’t go to Arizona together!

Jack could not help but remember his angry, careless words from that night. I regret that so much, Lis. I need to tell you that. I need you to know...

“For what it’s worth, Arizona wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Jack admitted.

“Yeah? Too hot?” Lisa guessed, despite her heavy heart at the bitter memories of how they parted; of how much she had been looking forward to spending time with him in that famed desert state.

“No,” Jack murmured. “Too lonely. I spent the whole time there wishing you were with me.”

He looked up at her, wondering even now if it was too late to bring her back into his lonely life; if she would forgive him. Lisa gazed back at his downcast face, watching his expression carefully to gauge his sincerity.

“I’m just too damned stubborn to pick up the phone, and too damned stubborn to say ‘I’m sorry’,” Jack said.

“Jack?!”

Lisa started at the sound of Ty’s shout. “Here!” she called in response before rushing up the side of the gully to meet with Ty and Amy.

When Jack was sure no one was looking, he quietly asked Ty for his heart medication. He slipped a pill under his tongue and waited for the blessed relief to take effect.

***

A calm quiet filled the cab of the truck as Jack and Lisa got back on the road again to Hudson.

The time spent together with the trapped horse had finally provided the opportunity for the former lovers to communicate certain truths. The air had mostly been cleared; all that was left now was to decide if whatever it was they had was still worth holding onto.

An idea had been brewing in Lisa’s mind ever since Jack issued his apology of sorts. I am going to need something to get that stubborn cowboy to come out and say everything I bet he still wants to say—before we were interrupted when Ty and Amy arrived... The way Amy helped her to guide Cinders across the river provided that way; Lisa bided her time until she was sure she would have the best chance of success. I hope this works, she thought, as she pretended to fiddle with her iPhone.

Jack’s hopes of convincing Lisa to stay in Hudson seemed to be slipping away when she suddenly begged him to stop the truck. She had at last picked up a cell signal, she told him, and needed to speak with her real estate agent immediately lest she lose the chance to accept the offer on Fairfield.

Not if I have anything to say about it, Jack thought, almost in a panic now, watching her step outside onto the road as she hoped to recapture the finnicky cell connection. I’m going to lay my cards on the table. The rest will be up to her. She said she ‘loved’ me back there in the gully. Did she mean that in the past tense, only? No, I have to believe she still does...

Lisa stood with her back to him. Almost hating herself for the pretense, she informed him she had a signal again; that the call was going through. She heard him grouse that this was crazy; that she should at least wait until they got back into town. But she would not be deterred. I’m forcing you to play your hand, Jack. Don’t let me down. From behind, she felt him reach for the iPhone. He grabbed it from her hand and ended the call.

“What are you doing?” she asked, feigning ignorance, though her heart surged in triumph.

“I don’t want you to sell,” he declared. “Just hear me out. Maybe it is enough.”

“What is?” she asked in confusion.

“Earlier you said loving each other ‘wasn’t enough’. But you’re wrong,” Jack said, the lines of his face drawn into deep sadness. “It is enough, Lis. I still love you, and I think you still love me. We just have to figure out how our lives fit together.”

Lisa held her breath, keeping her own thoughts from spilling out, waiting for him to finish all he wanted to say.

“Now, I don’t know how that’s going to work; only that I want it to, and I hope you do, too. So will you please... just... stay?” he beseeched.

Lisa searched his eyes—eyes which seemed to be holding back tears. The expression she beheld revealed a tormented heart on the verge of breaking at the prospect of another goodbye, this time one that could be permanent.

Without giving an answer, Lisa held out her hand for her phone. “Will you let me think about it?” she asked instead. Once again, she hated stringing him along like this, but she wanted to be certain he meant what he said.

Jack swallowed and sucked in a ragged breath. After a few moments, he finally responded, almost in submission. “Okay.” He placed the phone in her hand.

“I promise I will have an answer for you tomorrow,” she added, noting the bleak disappointment on his face. If she had instead read relief, it would have been over for them.

“Okay, good,” Jack said with a little more enthusiasm. “You can be sure I will be waiting.” Don’t let me down, Lis, please.

“Um, can we get back on the road, now? I’m starving.”

“Oh, sure! Let’s get going,” Jack said, scrambling back to the driver’s seat.

They stole occasional glances at each other the rest of the way, not quite sure what to say to fill the silence, afraid anything else would break this tenuous new connection.

He said it! He still loves me, Lisa silently exulted. He wants me to stay. Jack wants me to stay! She did not know if it was the lack of food that was causing the light-headed sensation or if she was riding a heady high of emotion. Either way, she was already quite certain what she was going to tell the real estate agent when she got back to Fairfield.

She didn’t flat out say “no” when I asked her to stay, Jack thought, feeling more upbeat than he had in months. That’s got to be a good sign, right?

***

Jack exited the driver’s seat and relinquished it to Lisa when they finally arrived at Heartland.

“So... I’ll be hearing from you later?” Jack asked tentatively as he peered through the lowered window.

“Scout’s honour,” Lisa said with a smile, pulling the three-finger Scout salute.

“Okay, then,” Jack said, not knowing if he should chance a goodbye hug and a peck on the cheek.

“We’ll talk soon,” Lisa said as she started the engine.

“’Bye,” Jack said with a small wave. He backed away from the truck and watched Lisa reverse and drive off. Only this time, he had a strong sense this was not a goodbye that would be of the permanent sort.

***

A hungry and tired Lisa unloaded Cinders from the trailer in front of a surprised Fairfield stable hand named Laura.

“Wow, we expected you back yesterday afternoon, Ms. Stillman. I thought you were taking this horse to Montana. Is everything all right?” she asked in confusion.

“Yes, everything’s all right, Laura,” Lisa responded. Better than they’ve been in a very long time, in fact. “And yes, I was taking Cinders to Montana. Not anymore. It’s a long story.”

“Okay,” Laura said slowly, intuiting her boss was not going to say anything more on the matter.

“Please see that he gets a good meal and a good watering,” Lisa instructed. “He’s been through a lot over the past twenty-four hours.”

“Will do,” the young woman said eagerly.

“Thanks, Laura. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few calls to make.” But not before I have a shower and something to eat!

“Let’s go, Cinders,” Laura said, taking the halter to lead the horse to the stables.

***

Jack knew Tim would not stop hounding him about the failed trip to Montana and his status with a certain woman. The trick now was how to forestall his ex-son-in-law until he had heard a definitive answer from Lisa about his request for her to stay in Hudson.

It was already a sure bet Tim would be inviting himself for dinner, Jack figured, and what was the deal with Jade Virani’s presence at Heartland? Well, there was one thing—or rather things—no longer present at Heartland, and that would be Tim’s flock of sheep. Jack noticed their absence almost right away, which meant Tim had finally got rid of them.

One less headache to worry about, Jack thought happily. Things just keep looking up!

Incredibly, when dinner time rolled around, Tim did not immediately pester Jack about what happened on the road trip. Instead, he regaled everyone with how much of a profit he made selling his sheep, and how Georgie mistakenly believed he had sold Clover, her 4-H sheep, along with the rest of the flock. Jack thought he noticed Jade and Georgie exchange a couple guilty looks during that part of the story. Since no one had yet explained why Dr. Virani’s daughter was with them, he asked as politely as he could.

“So,” he began, casting a look in the teen’s direction, “what’s the deal with you, young lady?”

“Me?” Jade asked innocently. “What d’you mean?”

“I mean: what brings you to Heartland?”

Jack did not miss Tim’s look of consternation. “She’s here because I promised Tricia I would look after her for a couple days while her mother has an operation,” Tim interjected.

“Oh, did you, now?” Jack muttered. “Rare act of charity?”

“You could say that,” Tim answered. “She was in a bind. I couldn’t say ‘no’, Jack.”

Jack nodded agreeably, though he privately wondered, as always, what angle Tim was working, since he seldom did something out of complete altruism.

“Thank you for letting me stay here, Mr. Bartlett,” Jade piped up. “I know I didn’t exactly make a good first impression and all, but I like it here a lot.”

“Is that so?” asked Jack, remembering when the teen stupidly decided to go for a joy-ride in his truck.

“Totally,” Jade replied, pasting a smile on her face.

“Well, isn’t that nice,” Jack commented. “How long do you think you’ll be here?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Jade said with a shrug. “But my grandmother should be out of the hospital by now. I guess my mom will be flying back home soon.”

“That’s good,” Jack said before returning to his meal.

“Now, Jack,” Tim said, “be nice. After all, Tricia is your doctor now. You want her to still make house calls, right?”

“I am being ‘nice’,” Jack retorted, narrowing his eyes at Tim.

“No, you’re being grumpy. What, things not go as you planned on that road trip with Lisa?” Tim asked, thinking he had found a weak spot to exploit.

Jack put down his knife and fork. There it was: the question he knew was coming. “That is none of your business, Tim, despite you poking your nose in it all the time.”

“Shame.” Tim shook his head pityingly. “You had all that time together with Lisa—alone—and you blew it. Again.”

Irritated now, Jack said: “I didn’t ‘blow’ anything. As a matter of fact, I told Lisa exactly how I felt about her and that I wanted her to stay.”

This seemed to surprise Tim. “You did?”

“I did,” Jack confirmed.

“And what did she say?”

“She said she needed to think about it.”

Tim’s face fell in disappointment. By now, Georgie and Jade were squirming uncomfortably at the direction of this conversation.

“Who’s ‘Lisa’?” Jade whispered to Georgie.

“Jack’s old girlfriend,” Georgie whispered back.

“Jack had a girlfriend?” Jade asked a little louder than intended.

“’Had’ is right,” Tim said, having heard Jade’s question. “Until he let her get away.”

“All right, enough,” Jack groused in annoyance. “I did not let her ‘get away’!”

“That’s not the way I see it,” Tim muttered under his breath.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, and I’m going to tell you again that’s enough,” Jack said, glaring at Tim.

By now, Georgie and Jade were looking desperate for a change in topic. “Hey, do we have anything for dessert? I’m still hungry,” Jade said, hoping it was enough of an interruption to derail the conversation.

“Yeah, dessert would be great!” Georgie agreed brightly.

Tim rolled his eyes; Jack was secretly grateful for Jade’s less-than-polite request.

***

As much as Lisa wanted to simply head to bed after having showered and eaten a quick meal, it was still early enough to catch her real estate agent. The conversation was a simple one: Lisa advised the woman she would be turning down the offer from the potential buyer; furthermore, Fairfield was to be taken off the market until further notice.

“Is everything all right?” the realtor asked, surprise mixed with a touch of dismay evident in her tone.

“Yes, everything is fine,” Lisa said, a smile playing on her lips. “I’ve just decided I need to stay in Hudson for much longer than I originally anticipated...”

With that issue taken care of, Lisa next placed a call to her sister in Montreal. “I hope I’m not calling at a bad time, Rachel,” she began.

“Not at all,” Rachel responded.

“I wanted you to know I’ve decided against selling the family place.”

“What? Really!” Rachel nearly squealed. “What happened? Did you and Jack make up?”

“Umm... not quite,” Lisa said, enjoying holding her younger sibling in this tiny piece of suspense.

“What’s going on, then?”

“We got stranded on a road trip to Montana yesterday,” Lisa said. “Things were said. Some very good things. In fact, he said the very things I always hoped he would say. He doesn’t know about Fairfield yet, but I am going to tell him tomorrow morning after we’ve both had a chance to get some rest.”

“So... you’re not back together again... ‘yet’. Is that what I’m hearing?”

“Exactly,” Lisa said.

“Well, that’s real good news, sis,” Rachel said. “I’m so happy for you. You sound happy, too; happier than I’ve heard you sound in forever.”

“That’s because I am,” Lisa affirmed, the smile lingering on her lips. “I am.”

“After all you’ve been through, I wish you two the best,” said Rachel.

“Thanks, sis,” Lisa said. “That’s pretty much all I called to tell you, so have a good night and we’ll talk again soon, okay?”

“You bet, sis,” Rachel responded. “Good night.”

***

“Grandpa, it’s Lisa,” Amy said, when she saw the woman’s number on the call display on the kitchen extension. Jack dropped the morning paper as if it were burning his fingers. As quickly as his arthritic legs could carry him, he jumped from his seat and bounded over to the phone.

“Hello, Lis!” he greeted her brightly.

“Good morning, Cowboy,” Lisa said gaily. “Is it okay if I stop by in about a half-hour?”

“Of course it’s okay,” Jack replied. “I’ve been expecting you, after all...”

“Right,” Lisa said. “See you soon.”

“See you soon,” Jack echoed, and heard the click in his ear that told him Lisa had ended the call. Right away, he set a fresh pot of coffee brewing.

Amy observed his movements and thought to herself something had changed in him overnight. Something, or someone had re-lit the spark in him that had been missing ever since suffering the heart attack. Without thinking too hard about it, Amy had a pretty good idea who that someone was, and she was pleased her grandfather had not given up on that person. Good for you, Grandpa, she thought as she sipped her tea. Dad might have nearly screwed everything up for you earlier, but I’m so glad you and Lisa seem to have found your way back to each other.

Jack caught himself humming while pouring himself another cup of coffee for the wait. The morning sun was shining brightly, clear evidence the stormy weather had moved on. He sat himself down on the bench on the front porch, keeping his eyes open for Lisa’s arrival. He refused to think she would be bringing news he did not want to hear. As such, his mind was already running ahead of him: to what he would say, and how he would show her he meant what he said about loving her and wanting her to stay.

You’re not committed to me!

Lisa’s complaint from their early days needed to be crushed for good, Jack thought. I’m ready for that commitment, Lis, and I think you are, too. All he had to do now was find the right time to prove it to her.

Almost as if she had set a timer, Lisa pulled up and parked her car thirty minutes after her call. Jack put down his mug and went to meet her.

“Hi,” she said, a sly smile forming on her lips.

“Hi,” Jack replied, taking in her freshly styled tresses. He listened with a burning heart as she informed him she had taken Fairfield off the market for now. She searched his eyes for some sign this was the answer to his question he was hoping to hear.

It did not even matter to him she added “for now”. He further did not even care she was keeping Cinders. All that mattered was she was here and she was staying. It would be up to him to convince her to change that “for now” to “forever”.

That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long, long time, Lis, he thought, as he lifted his hat from his head and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She laughed happily, thrilled her news had elicited this response from him. She pressed her lips to his again, just for good measure.

When they pulled back from each other, Jack’s face had grown serious. “You won’t regret it,” he said. And she could tell he meant it.

Chapter 27: Love is a Fire

#heartland #heartland fanfic #heartland fanfiction #Jack Bartlett #Lisa Stilman #JISA #My fics #Wide River to Cross #update #Chapter 26 #We'll Get to the Other Side #Jack and Lisa

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the-real-tc · 3 years

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Update! Wide River to Cross. Chapter 25: Shelter from the Storm

Chapter 25: Shelter from the Storm

Jack was unable to hide his irritation from Lisa on the fateful drive, threatening to defenestrate the GPS unit if it dared to inform them one more time it was “recalculating” their course. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to go completely ballistic as the gas in the truck finally and inevitably dwindled down to nothing on the way to Montana—Wayne Mosley’s ranch nowhere to be seen.

When the engine sputtered and died, causing the truck to roll to a pathetic stop on an isolated, unpaved dirt and gravel logging road, a furious Jack hopped out of the driver’s seat, mentally kicking himself for allowing Lisa’s blind faith in her precious GPS unit to guide them. The silent tension between them that had been building when they first began realising they were far off course finally stretched to breaking point.

Disheartened at what had happened, Lisa expressed her own disappointment that the GPS had led them so far off course. Compounding their problem was the fact their remote location meant cell service was non-existent.

Knowing that lashing into Lisa in his anger would be a bad move, Jack wisely scaled back his ire. Calmly, he offered to hike back to the main road with Lisa’s cell in the hopes of picking up a signal in order to call for help. He did not expect Lisa to want to tag along, grimacing inwardly at her surly comment about being left behind with nothing but gum to survive on if something happened to him. He further did not expect Lisa to bring Cinders with them, but he yielded to her logic that leaving the horse on the side of the road would be unsafe for several reasons.

“You do what you need to do,” he uttered in a conciliatory manner, but could not help tacking on an impatient “Please hurry it up... we’re losing daylight.”

“Yes, sir,” an uncommonly churlish Lisa shot back.

The GPS unit chose that very moment to provide an update: “Continue on current route for 79.5 kilometers.”

That did it. Jack’s anger boiled over. He yanked open the driver’s side door, closed his hand around the device and heaved it with all his might into the bushes. As if to mock him, the muffled GPS voice from the other side of the road responded with its now-predictable “Recalculating” phrase.

“That make you feel better?” Lisa ribbed him, before ducking back behind the open trailer door.

Jack grumbled and bit back a retort.

The route through the woods Jack assumed would lead them back to the main road instead took them even further off course. With the setting sun and with sinking spirits, he finally stopped walking when he came to the conclusion the main road was nowhere in sight, and they were not going to be finding it anytime soon.

From 5-star hotels to the bush, Jack thought, dreading having to admit to Lisa they were lost, and even worse, it was too late in the day to trek back to the truck for the night.

“We’re going to have to find a place to set up camp,” Jack told her, after they traded playful jabs at each other over his own blind faith in his sense of direction and her trust in modern technology.

A look bordering on disgust crossed Lisa’s face. “I hate camping,” she admitted, a hair short of whining.

“Didn’t you used to be a Girl Guide?” he asked in near disbelief at her hatred of the activity, knowing their choices were limited.

Lisa rolled her eyes, recalling those times as a Guide, which were not entirely all pleasant. “Yes, best years of my life,” she said, words dripping with sarcasm.

“Well, surely you went camping with them,” Jack responded, as if this somehow settled the matter.

“No, I didn’t. I avoided it!” Lisa protested.

Amused now, Jack asked, “How did you manage that?”

“Well, I sold a lot of cookies,” Lisa joked, as she followed Jack with Cinders still in tow.

Jack gave a light laugh, trying to imagine a 10-year-old Lisa conning her neighbours into buying copious amounts of cookies. He found he could actually believe it happened that way, given the successful businesswoman she had grown up to be.

“We should have been there and back by now,” Lisa said conversationally. She had just peeked at her phone, and sure enough there was still no cell service available. “I hope they’re not worrying about us back home. I’m sorry my GPS got us so off-track.”

Jack looked back at her with a wry smile. “It’s all right, Lis. Things could have been a lot worse. We just have to get through tonight. At first light tomorrow, we’ll head back to the truck and hike up the logging road to the main highway until we get into cell range. No more short-cuts.”

“Right,” Lisa said. “No more short-cuts.”

“And I’m sorry I got us lost even more,” Jack said.

She looked at him with a slight smile, not daring to say at this point what she was thinking: I can’t think of a better person to be lost in the woods with than you, Jack Bartlett.

Moments later, Jack figured they were on a spot that was just as good as any. “This will do,” he said, noting the presence of a few dead branches and closely spaced trees. “I’ll need to borrow Cinders’ stall sheet.”

“Of course,” Lisa said. She tied the halter to a nearby massive, uprooted tree stump and removed the sheet. “Sorry, boy,” she said, as if the horse would understand. “We’re going to need this tonight.”

Jack stood by, wondering how he would actually manage to make a suitable shelter with just the stall sheet and its limited number of straps.

“Here,” Lisa said, handing him a roll of paracord and a Swiss Army knife she withdrew from her large shoulder bag. “I think these will be useful.”

“I thought you said you ‘hated camping’,” he said, grateful for the items, nonetheless.

“Oh, that’s not for camping; that’s for emergencies. You never know when you’re going to need to tie something back together. A Girl Guide is always prepared,” she said with a grin, paraphrasing the Guide motto. “Besides, haven’t you ever watched NCIS?”

“No,” Jack replied, as he unravelled a length of the orange cord and cut it to start lashing together a few dead branches to form a simple frame for the stall sheet.

“Well, one of the characters has a set of rules he tries to drill into his agents,” Lisa explained. “One of those rules is ‘Always carry a knife’.”

“Good rule,” Jack said, thinking now about his Arizona trip and how he had not thought to use his knife in the absence of a can opener during his failed attempt to camp on the shores of Bartlett Reservoir.

Now that Lisa was over her initial dismay they would actually have to camp for the night, she buckled down and started gathering evergreen boughs for bedding along with pieces of wood for a fire. Jack continued to work on the shelter. His humming while working stopped Lisa in her tracks.

It was a familiar tune, but she could not put her finger on why she knew it, or where she could have heard it. “What is that you’re humming? I know that; what is that tune?”

“It’s called ‘Walk Me Over the Bridge’,” Jack answered with a smile, pleased she had recognized it. There’s things I have been meaning to tell you, Lis, he thought. Maybe...

“Ohhh, yeah,” she said with a nod, recalling now when Amy and Jack performed the song at Caleb and Ashley’s wedding.

We never got around to talking either yesterday at Heartland or in that long drive we just took, thought Lisa. Maybe...

The makeshift shelter was at last finished. “Well, it’s not much,” Jack said, breaking Lisa’s thoughts, “but it will at least keep the wind off you. I just got a couple more things to do, and it’s all yours.”

“What do you mean? Where are you gonna sleep?” Lisa asked in surprise.

“I’ll be just fine by the fire,” responded Jack nonchalantly.

Lisa had no ready rebuttal. Knowing they were still miles apart from each other, he was playing the chivalry card. She could not fault him for it in the slightest, but she had honestly assumed he had built the shelter for two. Before she could convince him to change his mind, he was off again, searching for additional spruce boughs appropriate enough to make a bed for himself. He was back in ten minutes, hauling several boughs behind him, which he arranged near the small pile of sticks that would soon become fuel for their campfire.

“Here,” Lisa said, handing him her insulated water bottle. “Take a break. You’ve more than earned it.”

“Thanks,” he uttered gratefully, taking a few sips.

“Hungry?” she asked.

“Don’t tell me you have a picnic lunch packed in there, too,” he said, gesturing to her shoulder bag.

Lisa laughed lightly, thinking, as Jack was, of their long-ago lunch of turkey-and-swiss sandwiches and coffee. “Granola bar,” she said, tearing open the packet to reveal two slim, crumbly bars.

“Better than nothin’,” he said, removing his glove to take one of them. “I thought you said you only had chewing gum on you.”

“A Girl Guide is always prepared,” Lisa repeated the motto with another smile. “But seriously, that is kinda all I have left in my bag that’s edible.”

“Well, we’ll be back home by tomorrow,” Jack said after swallowing a bite. “I promise I won’t let you starve.”

“I know,” Lisa said warmly. “Thank you.” She took a bite of her own piece of granola while glancing over to where Cinders was tethered. The horse seemed to be doing fine, if not a little bored at his current circumstances.

Wayne Mosley probably thinks I’m the biggest flake, Lisa thought of her Montana client who was supposed to be in possession of Cinders right now. Either that, or he’s worried something has happened to us. What a mess this is.

Presently, Jack finished eating his meagre granola supper. With the sun nearly fully set, the temperature was dropping noticeably. “You wouldn’t happen to also have some matches in that bag of yours, would you, Miss Girl-Guide-who-hates-camping?” he asked Lisa.

“You mean you can’t start a fire with two sticks, Cowboy?” Lisa chided playfully, but she fished inside her bag anyway, pulling out a matchbook that had been there for ages. “I hope these still work.”

“I’m sure they’ll do just fine,” Jack said. It took a few tries, and after wasting four of the flimsy matches, Jack managed to catch some kindling, which he blew into a larger flame to ignite the bigger pieces of wood Lisa had collected. Soon, a cozy fire was burning. He stretched out on his “mattress” of spruce boughs, re-arranging a couple so there was a good barrier between his body and the ground. It was by no means the most comfortable sleeping arrangement he ever had, but he could rough it for one night. He was further glad Lisa had not voiced a single complaint since revealing she hated camping.

Another woman would probably have whined and grumbled the whole night, Jack thought in admiration. She’s so accustomed to luxury, but she’s putting up with this whole situation like it’s nothing. She sure is something else... something special.

Lisa lapsed into silence once she finished her last chunk of the granola bar. She took a sip or two of water, knowing it would be wise to conserve some for tomorrow. She gazed at the fire, watching the flames dance. This is the last place on earth I expected to be right now, yet somehow, being here with Jack makes everything feel safe. It makes everything feel like it’s going to turn out, if only we can get a chance to talk things through...

The sun was fully gone behind the mountains now; the light from the fire their only source of illumination. Jack propped himself up on an elbow and stood. “Well, I better make sure he’s good for the night,” he said, moving to check on Cinders. A weary Lisa let him go about this chore as an echo of his earlier humming rang in her mind. She envisioned herself with Jack, back when they were still together, at Caleb and Ashley’s simple little wedding reception. It took her a moment to realise Jack actually was humming again, bringing a small smile to her face. The memory of the way he had held her in his strong, yet tender arms as they danced made her once again realise how far apart they had drifted. The smile slid from her face. Will he ever hold me like that again? She wondered.

After determining the horse was fine as he was, Jack ambled back to the place he set for himself by the fire, half-lying down, half-leaning on his side. “There we go,” he sighed.

Lisa could not contain herself any longer. “That’s just silly,” she blurted out, looking at the man she still loved, wondering how on earth he thought she would be okay with him sleeping out in the open. “Plenty of room in there for the both of us.”

Jack looked in the direction of the “lean-to” he built. A flash of lightning unexpectedly lit up their surroundings, followed by a crash of distant thunder.

“And a storm’s coming,” Lisa said, as if to further cement her point it would be foolish for Jack to stay where he was. “Come on.”

Jack peered up at the sky considering the alternative for a few seconds before taking Lisa’s hand. She helped haul him up, and they both retired to the cover of Cinders’ commandeered stall sheet.

***

Ty’s birthday dinner should have been a happier occasion, but both he and Amy could not quite get into a celebratory mood. Not being able to reach Lisa on her cell phone was an unwelcome and persistent distraction.

“You’d think they would have called if something happened to delay them,” Amy fretted, picking at her dinner entrée with her fork.

Ty sighed. “I agree,” he said. He did not give voice to the morbid imaginings going through his mind, which was that Jack could have suffered another heart attack while driving.

“Every time I try Lisa’s cell, I get no response,” Amy added. “I don’t know what to think.”

“You’ve tried what, five times already?”

Amy nodded. “And I’ve left two messages. I’m sorry I haven’t been very good company tonight, Ty. I wanted this to be special for you.”

Ty eyed his fiancée’s half-eaten meal. “It’s okay, Amy,” he said, reaching out a hand to touch hers. “I’m upset about this, too. Do you want to go home?”

“You don’t mind?” she asked apologetically.

“Of course I don’t mind,” Ty replied. “Besides, there’s not much we can do sitting here in this restaurant.”

“You’re right,” Amy said. “Thank you for being so good about this.”

Once the bill was paid, they were on the road again to Heartland. They were nearly home when a new thought occurred to Amy. ”You know what,” she said with a renewed optimism, “I have Wayne Mosley’s number. He’s the guy in Montana who bought Cinders. I’m going to call him right now to see if Grandpa and Lisa were there.”

“Good idea,” Ty said.

Amy pulled out her cell and fished out the business card Lisa gave her earlier that day. Wayne answered almost immediately. After introducing herself, Amy quickly explained the reason for her call.

“I expected them here hours ago,” Wayne informed Amy. “I tried calling Lisa’s cell number and her business line at Fairfield when they didn’t show, but I only got voice mail.”

“We haven’t heard from them, either, Mr. Mosley,” Amy said while Ty pulled his classic GMC truck to a stop in front of the ranch house. “All I can tell you is they left Hudson around ten-thirty this morning.”

“Then they really should have been here by now,” Wayne said. “I’ve bought horses from Lisa in the past and they were always delivered on time, so this is highly unusual.”

Wayne’s news that Jack and Lisa had not, in fact, made it to his place struck a new chord of panic in her.

“And whereabouts are you in Montana?” asked Amy, trying to hide that panic as she climbed out and hustled behind Ty to the house.

“I’m pretty much just immediately south of the border,” Wayne replied. “It’s a ranch near Lower St. Mary’s Lake. You could be here in three hours from your location, tops.”

If they never made it to Wayne’s place, then where are they? Amy thought. She covered the mouthpiece to tell Ty how Wayne had been expecting Jack and Lisa hours ago, but that they never showed.

“’Kay, just please let me know if you hear anything,” Amy begged Wayne as she stepped inside the kitchen.

“I will,” Wayne replied. “I appreciate the call.”

“Okay. You have my number?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it on my call display.”

“Great. Thanks,” Amy said, and ended the conversation.

Tim, having heard the tail end of the conversation and the note of worry in his daughter’s voice, asked if everything was okay.

Both Ty and Amy explained to him the details of the brief phone call with Wayne. Predictably, Tim made light of the situation.

“They probably stopped and got a motel room. It’s a long way to Montana,” he suggested.

“No,” Amy argued, “if they had stopped, Grandpa would’ve called.”

Tim privately conceded she was right about that, but advised there was little any of them could do right then. “It’s pitch black out there,” he said, trying to be reasonable.

A flash of lightning and clap of thunder caught their attention. “Not to mention that storm,” Tim added, gesturing towards the kitchen window.

Indignant now, Amy exclaimed, “We can’t just sit here!”

Again, Tim tried to take a measured approach. “Well, It’s a little early to be sounding the alarm,” he said. Jack and Lisa, alone in a truck for hours, he thought, as if that’s not going to spark some old feelings! And all thanks to me and that little make-believe story about the guy selling his cows. Ha!

“I’ll bet Jack and Lisa got back together again and they’re so wrapped up in each other, they forgot to call,” Tim posited merrily, finishing with an amused chortle.

Amy and Ty, however, did not share in his amusement. The storm worsened, leaving them both still deeply concerned about the missing pair.

***

The lost and fatigued travellers lay side by side beneath the relative cover of Cinders’ stall sheet, listening to the storm that raged above them. Neither breathed a word about their current sleeping arrangement.

Privately, Jack was grateful Lisa had invited him to take his place next to her. Had he remained outside, he would have been soaked to the skin by this point. As it was, the wind still drove some of the falling rain into his open side of the lean-to. He brushed some of the moisture away from his face with impatience. I take it back, Lis, he thought. France really wasn’t so bad, after all. I’d rather be there than here right now, because at least I’d be warm and dry... it was the last time we were truly together. He ached to take her in his arms and hold her even closer, to shield her from the rain, to kiss her and make up for all the lost time and harsh words; to prove to her he still loved her. Yet, he knew he could not possibly make that move right now. They were physically closer than they had been in over ten months, but the present uncertainty over the state of their relationship would keep them apart.

The spruce needles poked uncomfortably at Lisa. She tried not to move around too much so as not to disturb Jack. Being so close to him was agonizing, especially when she could not be sure of where she stood with him. Does he want me back in his life? Is that what he hoped to talk about on this trip, or was he going to give me the kiss-off? This isn’t how I imagined our “reunion” would go, Jack, she thought. You’re right next to me, and I still can’t tell you everything I want to tell you... She could hear his steady breathing now, despite the noise of the thunder that continued to rumble around them. Exhaustion was starting to take over now. In a final attempt to make herself more comfortable, she rolled onto her side, purposely facing Jack. Her last thought before slipping into dreamland was how much she wished he would enfold her in his arms as he had done so many other nights when they were in France. I had no reason to doubt your love and commitment to me then. I want us to be like that again, Jack... I’d like you to love me again, because I never stopped loving you.

Both were completely unaware when the fire sputtered and died under the relentless downpour, and neither heard the tiny snap of the tether when Cinders broke free and trotted off into the woods in fright and confusion.

Chapter 26: We’ll Get to the Other Side

#heartland #fanfiction #wide river to cross #my fics #Chapter 25 #shelter from the storm #Jack Bartlett #Lisa Stilman #JISA #update

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