#caleb odell

Wherever Lisa drifted in the crowd, Jack wasn’t far behind. Amy wondered if he even noticed how he gravitated toward his wife. She found herself spending a lot of time watching them interact within the venn diagram of their marriage. It was as fascinating as it was inspiring. Amy knew better than to believe in the fairytale she imagined for their love story without even knowing all of it. Jack’s brooding while Lisa was gone for those few months said a lot. She was sure that was probably the root of some arguments over the years. So far as Amy understood, Heartland was Lisa’s home base, but she still owned and operated quite a lucrative farm of her own not far from there, as well as her breeding investments in France. 

Feeling eyes on her, Amy’s gaze drifted toward Caleb who grinned and waved, beckoning her over. He arrived not long after Lisa to set up the music, getting into an argument with Soraya over the playlist he was supposed to send her yesterday but didn’t. Amy kept out of what felt like a lover’s quarrel, though spent much of the afternoon waiting for the tension to snap between him and Jack. Caleb didn’t entirely ignore his old boss, but there was clear animosity in their curt pleasantries. They hadn’t spoken a word in the last couple hours since the party came into full swing.

Sighing, Amy stood and wandered over, figuring she could use another drink anyway. 

“You looked a bit lonely sitting there. Wanna give it a try?” Caleb lifted the headphones from his ears and held them open for Amy, who hesitated. 

“I really have no idea what I’d be doing.”

Caleb only shrugged and dropped the headphones over her head. “Neither do I, really. But I sure look cool doing it.” 

Amy resisted the urge to roll her eyes while she shifted over in front of a control board that looked like a complicated network of dials and buttons all backlit by neon LEDs. The entire thing was hooked up to a laptop where Caleb’s Soraya-approved playlist displayed. 

“So, I just pick a song?” She scrolled through the list. “Then what?”

Reaching around Caleb explained the Cue and Sync buttons, allowing her to mess around with the transitioning of songs further down the track. Then he tapped the large round platter in the middle, indicating to her to spin it. She jumped, laughing as the track scratched like an old school record. It was a cool device to mess around with but after two songs she’d had her fill and handed Caleb back his headphones. “Thanks, that was neat.”

“Anytime,” he grinned. “So how are you liking Hudson?”

Amy looked out toward the crowd. At Lisa who was in the middle of regaling a small group with a story and Jack who smiled warmly while he listened. At Soraya who was laughing at something her friend Jen showed her on her phone. Then her eyes landed on Ty leaning up against the fence sipping from a red solo cup  and nodding absently at something their vet, Scott, was saying. “It’s not exactly what I expected.” Was it a surprise to hear Ty spent time in prison? Yeah. But could she believe it? Also, yeah.

“Is that good, or bad?”

Amy shrugged. “Both. But I’m here for the foreseeable future so I just have to take it in stride, I suppose.” Her attention lingered on Ty while she answered, which she only realized when he glanced up to find her looking in his direction. Blinking, Amy turned away to give Caleb a smile. “So what do you do when you’re not-” She mimed scratching a record, missing the way Ty’s expression hardened at the ease with which Amy was able to be so close to Caleb when she could barely stand to be within three feet of anyone else. He didn’t get it. Then reminded himself that there were a lot of unknowns when it came to Amy. He just wished it didn’t annoy him so much to be left in the dark. 

“I’m a rodeo stock contractor,” Caleb replied, moving around tracks on the controller to keep the playlist running.

“I have no idea what that means,” Amy shook her head, passing a sideways glance toward Ty who was no longer against the fence. Her head swiveled to find where he wandered off to but Caleb’s explanation demanded her attention. 

“The short of it is I buy roughstock for rodeos. Broncs, bulls, steer. Ever been?” 

Amy’s brow lifted. “To a rodeo? No. Coming to Heartland is the first time I’ve been within touching distance of a horse.”

“Well, we’ll have to get you to one some time.” His smile was wide, genuine. Amy once again wondered if this was him flirting or merely trying to make friends. Her attention moved to Soraya. No way was she about to let herself get involved in another undefined, yet clearly drawn relationship. 

“Uh, yeah, I’ll tag along with Soraya next time she goes.” The name drop was intentional. She needed to gauge Caleb’s reaction to the idea of Soraya potentially cock-blocking his chances. 

“Alright, awesome.” Caleb merely continued grinning, seemingly oblivious to his questionable signals. 

Amy let out a breath, more confident now that he was merely just trying to be nice. Otherwise, he probably would have preferred she went alone, right? “That BBQ is calling my name again. Thanks for-” she waved a hand over the table, smiling as she stepped away toward the cooler to grab another can of ginger ale on her way back to the food table. As great as Maggie’s chili was, Stumpy’s pork barbeque was going to undoubtedly turn into a craving. She idly wondered if she could get Jack to talk him into making a large enough batch for her to freeze. 

The music quieted as Caleb changed to a slower song, increasing the volume instead on the cacophony of conversation.

“You and Caleb looked pretty buddy-buddy.”

Dropping the tongs with a clatter, Amy shot Ty her signature glare. Pop-up book from hell, indeed. “Jealous?” Stupid thing to conclude, but why else would Ty care that she was talking to Caleb?

“Because you seem perfectly fine with him hovering in your personal space? No. Just curious as to why.” Grabbing for a plate, Ty put himself deliberately in her space when he had to lean near her to reach. 

Amy stilled at the closeness, but otherwise didn’t flinch away. Her jaw tightened when Ty purposely lingered inside her invisible fence for a few seconds longer than necessary. She breathed again when he leaned away, though still watched her closely while waiting for some kind of response. 

“What are you even talking about?” She avoided eye contact while loading a bun with a heap of barbeque.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Ty insisted quietly, taking the tongs when she shifted down for the cole slaw. 

“No,” Amy replied sharply. “I don’t.” She continued shuffling down the length of the buffet, putting distance between them that Ty continued breaching. 

“Okay. Pretend you didn’t jump out of your skin that day you ran into me in the barn. Or how you freeze any time someone even comes close to touching you. That is if you don’t jerk away first.” He kept his voice low enough for only her to hear, glancing around them to ensure no one else was close enough to eavesdrop. He might want answers, but the whole town didn’t need to know their business. 

“Oh.” Reaching the end of the table, Amy grabbed a napkin. “Yeah, see there is this little thing called boundaries. I like mine.” Nevermind the fact that he cornered her and scared her half to death once already.

“Right.” Ty shook his head but didn’t push. Amy gave him a look as if asking if that was all before returning to her spot at the picnic table where she’d been pretty much all evening. 

Gathering his plate, Ty nearly walked right into Kit when he turned around. Her appearance startled him, figuring by now she didn’t plan on showing up. “Ah, hey.” The tension was palpable as she gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Hey.” “Did you just get here?” “Not long ago, I-” she paused. “I wasn’t sure if I was even going to come.” Understandable. Selfishly, Ty hoped she wouldn’t have if only to avoid this awkward encounter. “Well, Lisa will be happy to see you and there’s plenty of food.”

The disappointment on Kit’s face at Ty’s reply was clear, but he didn’t know what she expected to happen. Claiming he was glad to see her would be a lie and would probably lead to yet another misunderstanding.  Saving her dignity, Kit didn’t push  for a conversation that would likely end the same as their last. Even she knew now wasn’t the best time. “She was, yeah. It’s nice to have her back.”

Ty nodded in agreement. A strained silence spread between them before Kit broke it. “I’m just, uh, gonna grab a plate to go. I really only came for Stumpy’s barbeque.”

Though he didn’t fully believe that, Ty chuckled. “I promise not to tell Lisa.”

Kit’s laugh was strained. “Thanks.” 

“Have a good night, then,” Ty said, finding no reason to continue lingering. “Hey,” Kit said, stopping him. “Do you think we could try our last conversation again? Maybe over coffee?”

And there it was. “You’re the one who drove away, Kit.” After pretty much accusing him of having a relationship with Amy of all people. “I know and I realize that maybe I wasn’t being fair. I want to have a chance to get everything out in the open.” “I told you everything,” Ty insisted. “You didn’t want to hear it.”

Pressing her lips together, Kit’s chin trembled like she was trying to hold back tears. “I’m sorry. I heard the gossip and it struck me off guard. I’m ready to listen.”

Maybe it was his perpetual guilt over how he treated Kit white he was gone, but somehow Ty found himself agreeing. “Okay. Sure.” 

Kit let out a relieved breath. “Great. I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Um, sure, yeah.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t use the inmates as an excuse over the weekend. He didn’t know see how yet another discussion of his fuck ups and lack of communication would change anything, but he backed himself into this corner on his own and now he needed to see it through. —-------

Flustered and having lost his appetite, Ty joined Amy at the picnic table. Amy lifted her eyes slowly from her plate, narrowing them with suspicion when Ty sat across from her. There were plenty of other places for him to sit. Like with Kit, for instance. But he wasn’t paying her any attention, instead watching Kit at the buffet so Amy went back to eating.

“I think I messed up.” Ty said suddenly. Amy glanced up then around, wondering if he was talking to someone else. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“With Kit.” 

Amy sat up straighter, putting her hands up. “Uh, uh. Your girlfriend, your problem. I’m not getting involved with your lover’s quarrel again.” Last time it was accidental, she sure as hell wasn’t about to do it by choice.

Ty scoffed, turning back toward Kit only to find her gone. “That’s fair.” 

“Damn right it is,” Amy grumbled before shoveling a forkful of food in her mouth. 

Pushing his plate back, Ty stood and reached his hand over the table. “Let’s dance.”

The dumbfounded look Amy gave him was almost comical with a mouthful of barbeque. “Wh-what?” “Dance.” He wiggled his fingers at her. Amy stared at his hand while she swallowed her bite of food. “I-I don’t-”

“If you don’t know how that’s fine, you’ll learn if you’re here long enough.” They were invited to and hosted enough gatherings that Amy would have ample opportunity. The shock wore off to be once again replaced with suspicion. “Why are you being nice all of the sudden?” Because he was trying to test a theory. Instead of answering, Ty merely continued to stare her down with his hand out in invitation. 

“What about Kit?” Amy asked, looking around the yard at the gathering of people. She was grasping at straws now. 

“I don’t see her, do you?” In a way he was relieved for that, though probably wouldn’t have asked if she was still there. That was something he’d have to unravel with himself later, preferably before he had coffee with Kit. “Besides, it’s not like you guys are in competition.”

Amy frowned, unsure how to take that comment. Ultimately, she decided he was right. She wasn’t vying for Ty’s affections, so if Kit wanted to lay claim she could do so without a fight. Amy just didn’t want to be accused of something she didn’t do. Out of excuses, Amy sighed and got up. She didn’t accept Ty’s hand but walked around the table to join him on the patch of grass designated as a dance floor. Amy still hesitated when Ty held his hands up again for her to take. She chewed the inside of her cheek feeling the regret sinking in. She should have declined. Giving herself into his hands put her in a place she might not be able to escape. “We don’t have to.” Ty said, though kept his hands open in front of him. Amy glanced at the people around them. Witnesses in all directions. Then she placed her palm against Ty’s, sucking in air when his fingers curled around her hand, the other finding her waist, connecting them together. She placed her free hand on his shoulder. 

He moved and she nearly tripped over his feet in her distraction. Then stiffened in his grasp when his hold tightened to steady her. “Wow, you are pretty bad at this, aren’t you?” He teased, covering up the fumble and trying to take her mind away from her fear. She was a ball of solid anxiety in his hands, her movements stiff and her attention somewhere other than him. His voice focused her attention, though, and when Ty moved again, Amy matched his steps. “Not many opportunities to dance in the city.”

“I seem to recall Vancouver having a stellar nightlife. Though they’re not necessarily dancing the two-step.” Amy knew all about Vancouver’s club scene. Being a college student made it almost mandatory to spend weekends on the town or suffer FOMO come Monday. Freshman year was the time to explore and experiment. To live and learn before getting serious in the next few years. Live was precisely what Amy did, but the lesson learned was harsher than she ever expected. Ty sensed Amy’s mind drift when her eyes stared over his shoulder. “I take it the club scene wasn’t really your thing.”

“Not really,” she answered quietly. It was too loud, too crowded. Too many bodies grinding up against one another beneath strobing lights that only succeeded in giving her a headache. Yet her decision to leave put her in more danger than staying would have wasted her night. Leaving in a group was always safer than alone. The memory caused anxiety to bleed through her veins, her heart leaping into a sprint. Ty could feel her tense further, her hand sweating in his. Looking in her eyes, her pupils dilated to nearly consume the bright blue iris. She jerked away from him, her mouth opening to allow larger airflow as panic began to consume her. “Amy, hey.” Ty didn’t move, merely tried to get her to focus on him. He learned his lesson with trying to touch her when she was in this state. “Hey, you’re okay. Look at me.” Blinking, Amy glanced up at Ty’s worried expression. Shaking her head, she looked for a break in the crowd. “This was a bad idea.” Spotting one, she bolted through it, nearly plowing into Lisa. “Whoa, hey.” Seeing the frightened look on Amy’s face stopped Lisa in her tracks. “Amy?” Feeling her lungs constrict, Amy was barely able to murmur an apology as she darted for the house, desperate to place a solid barrier at her back. Lisa turned to watch her leave, grabbing a hold of Ty when he tried to follow. “What’s going on? Is Amy alright?”

Ty paused, looking toward the house just as the front door shut behind Amy. “I don’t know. She, uh, she got spooked by something.”

“Oh? By what?”

By him. Again. Proving his theory. “Grandpa didn’t tell you?” Of all the things, Ty would have thought Ty’s theory would have been among the first things he clued her into if for no other reason than to ensure Lisa treaded lightly. 

“Tell me…?” Jack got her up to speed on quite a bit since she got back, including the heated rivalry that caused so much trouble between Ty and Amy since she arrived. Judging from the way they were just dancing, Lisa figured they found a way to smooth things over. Perhaps not. 

Ever since Scott hired Cassandra, now married to Ty's best friend Caleb, Amy had regarded the other woman as a threat. First, for Ty's affections—however irrational that fear—then for his job and position as partner at the veterinary clinic. As Ty drove down the familiar track and under the gallows gate, the thought crossed Amy's mind that she could not pinpoint the moment she ceased thinking of Cass as a rival. Somewhere along the way, the two had managed to forge a bond, and tried to carve out time in their busy schedules to socialize. The fact Cass and Caleb were Lyndy's godparents was a testament to that friendship.

"How did Cass react to the news?" Amy asked her husband.

"Like she was on cloud nine," Ty replied with a wide smile. "Practically floated out the door at the end of her shift when Scott told her last week."

"Well, I'm glad for her," said Amy, smiling at the mental image of an ecstatic Cassandra. "Not that I'm complaining, but I've been wondering: how can Scott afford having two partners now?"

"I'm not really supposed to say anything about it yet," Ty said, "but a group of local investors stepped in. They're interested in supporting businesses in Hudson, especially since so many of them had a rough time recovering after the flooding back in 2013... Anyway, somehow Scott's clinic came to their attention. Apart from run-of-the-mill puppy and kitty stuff, you know he's got steady work with the Polo Club."

"Right," Amy said with a slight nod.

"He's Tim's go-to guy at the rodeo school, and Hillhurst picked him for their on-call veterinarian, too," Ty added. "Plus, he's most likely going to be getting that coveted position of resident veterinarian at Spruce Meadows. So, things are looking really good for him and his new investors."

"I'm happy things are working out for him," Amy said. "He's come such a long way from the day Clint brought him to Heartland and Mom sponsored him."

"Yeah, he's worked hard for it," Ty acknowledged. "Personally, I'm humbled to be part of it. He's a great boss."

"Partner," Amy corrected.

"Oh, he still signs the paycheques," Ty chortled. "But you're right. He's a good partner—and boss."

***

Jack noticed Lisa's unusually reticent demeanour on the drive in to Hudson. He guessed it had something to do with the one-year anniversary of the deaths of Lanny and Paige Barick, with whom she had been acquainted. There had been a memorial in Calgary for the couple along with a press conference earlier that day which Lisa attended. Family members gave an impassioned plea for justice and for closure to the whole tragic affair. Business friends and associates that included Lisa pledged a monetary reward in exchange for information leading to an arrest and conviction since all leads had gone cold.

Though a year had gone by, the fact no one had been apprehended in the crime weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of all who knew Lanny and Paige. The case hit even closer to home, as Lou had been questioned by Calgary detectives about her role dealing with Lanny's investment portfolio. There had not been any irregularities Lou could identify from her end, and the law enforcement officers moved on to different avenues of investigation.

Instead of letting Lisa stew in her silence, Jack chose to pay her a compliment as a way of breaking the ice. On more than one occasion he had been compelled to call her out on not confiding in him when she could have used his emotional support.

"If I haven't already said so tonight, you look beautiful," he said, gently rubbing her knee.

This brought a quick smile to her face. She cast a brief, sideways glance in his direction. The sound of his voice and that simple touch had the much-needed effect of lifting her out of her pensive mood. Jack was right: the reminder about Lanny and Paige had upset her more than she was willing to admit. Her mind had been occupied with the way police had initially been tight-lipped about the investigation, and how the rumour mill had churned out all kinds of wild, sordid theories.

"Thank you," she managed to reply, dragging her thoughts back to the present moment. "You don't look so bad yourself, Cowboy." She adored how handsome and dignified he looked in the combination of the suit she had custom-made for him, bolo tie, and pristine white hat. He cut an impressive figure with his height and his build. While he would be considered a senior in terms of chronological age, Jack Bartlett was far from a stereotypical frail and doddering old man. "I know you don't like getting dressed up, but I'm glad you did."

"Well, when my gorgeous wife goes to the trouble of getting dolled-up for a celebration, I guess I have to make sure her husband isn't the goat in the room."

The two of them shared a light laugh at his old, personal self-deprecating description; Jack gave himself a mental pat on the back for managing to lighten Lisa's mood. Now he could be assured they would enjoy the evening without some dark cloud hanging overhead.

"I think it's a fine thing you and those other investors have done for the vet clinic," Jack said, sensing he could now talk freely about any topic. He did not know all the details, but was marginally aware of Lisa's involvement in the group's decision to boost Scott's operating capital.

"Scott has done so much for so many people in Hudson, including Fairfield," Lisa commented. "He was a safe investment; a total no-brainer. And now that he can afford to bring Cassandra on as a partner, I think Ty feels better about his own choice to cut back on his hours there to build his practice with Amy at Heartland. Everybody wins in this one."

Jack was brimming with pride. "You just think of everything, don't you?"

"At least when it comes to the people I love."

***

Maggie's Diner, though by no means high-class in terms of decor or dining fare, was Scott's choice in venue for the small celebration. After all, as he put it, he had "an in" with the owner, and Lou was only too happy to oblige his request.

The guest of honour stood with Caleb; the happy pair were chatting with a few other guests when the Bartlett-Fleming-Borden clan arrived.

"Cassandra, congratulations on making partner at the clinic!" Amy declared upon seeing the other woman, moving in for a friendly hug.

"Thank you!" Cass said, beaming. She accepted the embrace before returning to her husband's side. Caleb mirrored her smile as he snaked his arm around her waist.

At the appropriate time in the evening's festivities, Scott took to the small stage area, palmed the microphone, and began reading from a speech he had prepared.

"I'd like to thank all of you for coming tonight," he started. "I've been so lucky to be able to mentor such a great young veterinarian like Cassandra. I'll say a few words about her, in case some of you don't know. She's not only an excellent veterinary surgeon, but she also specializes in veterinary acupuncture, a procedure you would have had to go to Calgary for if you wanted it—before she started working with me."

Light applause ensued, and Cassandra gave a demure smile at this praise.

"Let's not forget all the crappy graveyard and weekend shifts; all the thankless times she picked up the slack when my other partner took side-trips to Mongolia and B.C. with Vets Without Borders…" Scott continued. "Make no mistake: she's more than paid her dues. It's not always easy running a 'country' vet practice. But having Cass on staff is a fantastic asset, and I wish I could have made her a full partner sooner. Now, thanks to our new private investors, I can finally afford it!"

Scott glanced over at Lisa with a broad smile at that moment. She sent a wink in tacit reply. Few would have known she was attending the party not only as a long-time client and friend, but also as the official representative of the investor's group that made Cassandra's partnership fiscally possible.

"Please put your hands together to congratulate my newest Hudson Veterinary Clinic partner, Dr. Cassandra Fay Odell!"

Cass basked in the adulation.

Someone called "Speech!" which was followed by a few guffaws. But Cass seemed game, so she boldly approached Scott on the small stage. He passed the microphone to her outstretched hand before bringing her in for a hug.

"Thank you, Scott," she said as she looked out among those gathered. "This has been an amazing evening, and I am so proud to be working for such a great mentor and boss. I love my job, and I am thrilled to be accepted into the practice as a full partner."

Polite applause followed these words, but Cass was not finished.

"Scott mentioned his other partner—Dr. Ty Borden. For those of you who don't know, he's the adventurer of our little veterinary trio. He's been to far-flung places with names I can't even pronounce with Vets Without Borders. We started out as pretty fierce competitors, but over the years, Ty and his wife Amy have become close friends with me and my husband, Caleb.

"In fact, we're godparents to their little girl, Lyndy. This is particularly meaningful to me and Caleb, because we've been trying to start a family for a while but haven't really been having much success. Watching Lyndy grow from babyhood into the adorable toddler she is has been a real joy."

Amy and Ty grinned up at Cass, though the rest of the party-goers were starting to wonder where this discussion was leading.

"Now, there's a tiny announcement that needs to be made," Cass continued. "Amy and Ty were a little concerned that this announcement would have stolen my thunder, but I told them it would be a perfect opportunity, since we're here with so many friends and loved ones, so... Amy; Ty, get on up here."

Ty grasped Amy's hand to lead her up towards Cass. Lisa glanced up at Jack as if to ask What's going on? but he seemed equally puzzled; Georgie and Lou likewise shrugged at each other.

"Uh, thanks, Cass," Ty shyly spoke into the mike before passing it to Amy.

"Stay up here, Cass," Amy said to her friend. "Anyway, it's so good to see all of you here tonight; our family members and good friends. It's actually a double-announcement, by the way."

Ty leaned close to the mike and added: "Yeah, Cass talked about our little girl, Lyndy, who's now nearly two years old and growing bigger every day."

"So, the reason we're up here is to tell you all that we are, in fact, going to be having another baby," Amy said, as Ty draped an arm around her shoulders.

Applause filled the diner, with Jack, Lisa, Lou and Georgie staring up at the young couple in happy wonder.

"But like Amy said, it's really a double-announcement," Ty uttered when the clapping petered out. "Caleb, man, you need to get up here."

"Get up there?" a confused Caleb repeated. "Why?"

"Just get up here, you goof," Cass called.

"All right," he said, dazedly walking up to his wife.

Cass took the microphone from Amy while smiling slyly at her husband. "I mentioned before Caleb and I were hoping to start a family," she began to tell the crowd. "Well, it looks like the Bordens and the Odells will have to start planning for a joint baby shower, because I'm pregnant, too!"

"Whoa!" Caleb cawed as a million-watt smile brightened his face. "Babe, so that's why you've been so secretive this week... and I thought it was all about your partnership announcement. But this announcement is even better."

"It is!" Cass replied, matching his smile, and the couple shared a deep kiss, which resulted in more clapping, hooting, and cheering from the crowd.

***