The Scout

Chapter - 4

The Scout
-Sharing-
Chapter 4

Amy noticed a connection with Ty from the very first minutes they met, now he seemed distant. Their visiting and small amount of levity was comforting and made the darkest valleys in the last few months seem even more distant.

She adored Ty's cute smile; he was rugged but clean, sophisticated but down to earth at the same time. She found him very intelligent, but thoughtful and kind. Amy enjoyed being with him; she felt safe and protected. She missed being held and kissed and fussed over by a man. She had been held and kissed, but no one had ever actually fussed over her. Cowboys don't fuss.

In the last 12 hours since Ty had carried her out of the Rebel camp, 3 times Amy had thought about kissing him. She had never wanted to kiss a man so bad before. Amy figured that by kissing this amazing man, she would finally discover if he was for real, or an angel. She imagined in her mind, closing her eyes, Ty wrapping an arm around her as they stood, he leaned down and with the gentle, but powerful strength of a Marine, kiss her like he loved her. Amy sort of, but not really laughed at the absurdity of her daydream. She was practical like her mother, and pushed those thoughts away; ......but they kept returning and returning.

Amy wasn't one for BS. If there was a problem, she wanted to talk about it and clear the air. Her Grandma Lyndy never liked people beating around a bush. But these were very different times from when she used to clear the air with Soraya or Lou. Ty was a man, and Amy knew understanding men was impossible. As a woman she needed to share her feelings, men wanted to solve her problems. Sometimes that was important, but other times she simply needed to be held.

He was on the government payroll. Being his friend wasn't necessarily in the playbook. She had only known Ty for about 12 hours; he seemed amazingly nice, but what if he was one of those psychos with a      split personality or simply had mood swings. Then what. Amy made herself face reality. With her broken foot, winter approaching, and the constant need for safety, navigation, shelter, heat, food, and water, Amy's chances of surviving alone were slim. She decided she must not ruffle his feathers, ........but moments later, Amy did what Amy wanted to do......

She was still atop his shoulders. Amy was a very perceptive woman & that unsettled some men. She could tell Ty was getting tired, even though his pace hadn't changed since the early morning. She remembered promising herself, she would ask him......... but with a man she knew it was a crap shoot his reply would be pure BS!! But Amy was pretty good at seeing through BS. She listened to his breathing and watched where he placed his footsteps. Her hands were wrapped around his neck & she could feel his rough unshaven beard from several days. Amy observed Ty often took a slightly longer route down the trail. Instead of walking over all types & sizes of rocks in a straight line, he weaved his path to limit the amount of movement and jarring motions. He was being gentle and careful with Amy, so as not to disturb her sleep. She had never met a young man who was so considerate. Amy would often stand next to a horse and simply observe its behavior, she could learn a lot in 5 minutes. She decided to be gentle and considerate with Ty in her questions. She counted to 5, took a deep breath and began.......

Ty, um, ......... are you ok?? You've been quiet since before our last stop. Did I say or do anything to hurt your feelings?? If I did, ......I'm sorry, but I need to know.....

Finally he spoke; just hearing his voice was comforting for Amy. Um, no, it's all good Amy!! I'm sorry I've been quiet. I guess that's a part of my personality that comes out when I'm worried about something. Amy sighed and figured this meant he was just a normal guy who was worried. No weirdo tendencies.......

After a minute, Amy said; what you're worried about, can you tell me, or is it some classified military info?? You might have to shoot me?? She laughed. No, it's not classified at all, it's just, I don't know, uncomfortable to talk about. Amy took a chance and used the feisty side of her personality, & whispered into his ear; But you're a Marine, you're not supposed to be scared or worried about anything!! You know, just kick the door in!! Right!! Isn't that what you Marines do?? When in doubt, kick the door down, then ask questions!! Worked for John Wayne, right!! She saw him smile just a little.