Heartland

Chapter Six.

Chapter Six: Starting Fresh.

I woke up in Ty's bed with him next to me and across the room, Maisie was sleeping in my bed. I turned to face him. He was still asleep. I kissed him awake.
"Want to go for breakfast and pick some things up for Maisie?" I asked. He smiled, opened his eyes and replied,
"I can't. Jack has Caleb and I on fence duty today."
"Okay," I replied. I kissed him again and then jumped up.
"Moo," I cooed as I shook Maisie awake. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"Mommy!" she exclaimed as she jumped up and hugged me. I laid back on Ty's bed and she laid in between us. I kissed Maisie on the cheek and she giggled. Ty kissed the top of her head.
"We could be a cute little, young, family," I said and then laughed.
"I would love that," he replied as he put his arm around me. He kissed the top of my head.

In an hour I had Maisie in preschool, and some shopping for her done. When I got home I parked Ty's truck in front of the barn. I went into the barn carrying all the clothes, toys, and other essentials that I bought for her up to the loft. I walked down the stairs and Ty was turning the horses out to the pasture.
"Are you having fun?" I asked him as he led Spartan out the back barn door. I followed him out to the pasture gate. He let Spartan run off towards the herd.
"Tons," he joked.
"Hey Ty! Let's go!" Caleb yelled from his truck.
"See you later?" Ty asked.
"Of course," I replied.
"Dinner tonight at Maggie's with Maze?" he asked as he left the pasture.
"Count on it!" I yelled to him as he ran off to Caleb for fence duty.

I walked into the house and saw Jack at the table reading the paper.
"Wow, I didn't think people read those anymore," I joked as I opened the fridge and got out the orange juice.
"Tara, just the girl I wanted to see," he said. I sat down at the kitchen table.
"What's up?," I asked.
"Look, with Maisie around now, I know how much work you have to do with her and the horses. I just want to say that Maisie comes first. Get her to school and get her home. I only expect you to help out with the horses in the barn when you have Maisie and when she's at school. If someone else is watching her, I want you to do whatever I ask of you," he said. "Count on it," I replied.
"Great, now catch up to the boys and go check fences," he said.
"Yes sir," I replied. I put the orange juice in the fridge and went to the barn to saddle Sky.

I ran into the boys right next to the dude ranch.
"Hey momma," Ty greeted.
"Looks like I'm on fence duty too boys," I said.
"How have you been?" Caleb asked.
"Great," I replied. He didn't ask about my wrist. It was still bandaged and Lou helped me change it every four to six hours. I dismounted Sky and continued walking along the fence with the boys. I led Sky behind me.
"How long does this usually take?" I asked.
"A few hours," Ty replied. I stopped walking and mounted Sky.
"Ain't no way I'm walking then," I said with a laugh.

I was back at Heartland before seven. I beat the boys by half an hour.
"Get cleaned up if you still want to go to dinner," I said to Ty from Sky's stall as he walked in the barn.
"I will," he replied as he went up to the loft. Maisie came running into the barn,
"Mommy you're home!"
"Hi baby," I said as she jumped into my arms. I walked out of Sky's stall and shut the door behind me. I put Maisie down.
"We're going to dinner with Ty," I told her.
"Yay!" She ran off and up to the loft.
"She's beautiful," Caleb said as he walked out of the barn office.
"Thank you," I replied.
"Is it weird, you know, being a parent?" Caleb asked.
"At first it was and then I had to give her up. In the end it's all worth it. Are you and Ashley thinking about it?" I asked.
"It's come up," he replied.
"You'll be a great dad when the time comes," I assured him.
"Thanks," he replied.

I waited in Ty's truck for him to come out with Maisie. In a few minutes he came out carrying Maisie. They got in and Maisie snuggled up to me. Ty started his truck and we drove down the long Heartland driveway.

We stayed in town until eight thirty. Maisie fell asleep on the way home.
"Do you like having Maze around?" I asked.
"She's amazing," Ty replied.
"I was thinking about getting her a little pony, but she's almost big enough to have her own horse," I said.
"What are you going to do when you're eighteen?" He asked.
"Probably take Maisie and move back to Texas," I replied.
"What if we're still together?" He asked.
"I didn't know we were," I replied in a funny voice.
"Well, I figured at this point we are," Ty said.
"We most definitely are," I replied with a laugh. "If we're still together and want to get serious. I'd love to stay in the area." I snuggled up to him.

When we got back Ty carried Maisie up to bed. When he came back down I was in Sky's stall. Caleb had let all the other horses in while we were gone. He came into her stall. I sat in the bedding watching her and he sat next to me.
"When I found the blood in here I looked Sky over for ten minutes looking for a wound of some sort. That was until Jack called me to the house, where I found your half dead body in a pool of your own blood," Ty said.
"I'm sorry," I replied.
"Never do that to me again," he said.
"I promise, never again," I replied.
"I still worry about you," he admitted.
"Ty, I have Maisie now too. Even if I did stress cut, it wouldn't be severe," I admitted.
"I don't want you too at all!" Ty stressed.
"Okay, I promise. I'll try to quit, but cutting is like a drug, it's hard to quit." I explained. Ty sighed.
"I know, I'm sorry," he said. I put my head on his shoulder and we sat there for a few more hours.