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Chapter 10: The Big Surprise


The next morning Amy wakes up to Ty stroking her hair and pushing it back around her ears. As she opened her eyes, she saw Ty smiling and looking intently into her eyes. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. How lucky am I to be greeted every morning by such a sweet, sweet smile, this beautiful face, and those lovely green eyes. I love you so much, that I am so overwhelmed with emotion that I can't explain. When God made you, he didn't leave off one thing."

Amy reaches out and touches Ty's face, then his lips, "Babe, I feel the very same thing. It is if we are one together. I guess that is what the Bible means when it says 'the two will become one'. I am so happy that we decided to take this adventure. It has put me back to when you and I were on our honeymoon. I felt that oneness with you, then, and it is awesome that it has never changed over all these years."

Ty, kisses Amy on the lips and embraces her, "We need to do this more often. Since we have had the kids, we have focused so much on them that we have forgotten how awesome it is for just the two of us, together, loving each other!"

Amy, sits up, fronts Ty, and crosses her legs, "Ty, you know how you have committed so much to your career as a veterinarian, and how you have worked with the Border's group to save wild animals around the world. And, how we setup Heartland to become a sanctuary for injured wildlife. And also, how unselfish you have been to share your knowledge with others through our book and seminars!"

Ty, "Amy, where is this going?"

Amy, "Well, this is your surprise. Before we left, the Canadian Veterinarian Society called me and told me that YOU are this year's recipient of the Canadian Veterinarian Of the Year Award. You have been recognized by your peers for all the effort you have put into your career and you have been rewarded for it!"

Ty, completely speechless, looks at Amy and begins to well up. Amy, sharing in the emotion, tears up and grabs hold of Ty and they sit there speechless just holding on to one another.

Amy, "And that, Ty, is your big surprise! When we get back, there is going to be a presentation at this year's national convention and they are paying for us to come so that you can be presented the award! Surprised!"

Ty, shaking his head, "I can't believe this. I never expected any accolades for the work that I do. I do it for the love of the work, and that I feel that God put me, no, God put us in this position to take care of His animals."

Amy, "That is what I told the committee. You are so humble in your work, that getting acknowledged for the effort is something you would never have pursued or dreamed of getting. That is why I asked them to wait to announce it until we got back from France so I could surprise you! Are you surprised!"

Ty, "Amy! Surprised, I don't know what to say! Amy, this is for you too! I would have never taken this path without watching how you handled troubled horses, like your mother!. Or letting me go to Mongolia when you were pregnant with Lyndi. So Amy, this award is as much about you as it is about me!"

Amy, "Ty, this award is about you and all the effort you have put into your career. I might have prompted you on your path to loving animals, but your passion came from within and from God!"

Amy puts her arms around Ty and hugs him with all the effort she can muster. "I am so proud of you. And I know that the family will be just as proud as me when they find out."

Ty, "Wow! This was a surprise that I would have never, ever figured out!"

Amy, "How about we pack up and head to our next adventure.

Meanwhile, at the Villa, Katie, Lyndi and the boys are taking a trail ride along a trail that borders their neighbor's property. The ride took them over some hills and to a beautiful lake that was surrounded by trees and had natural beaches along several of the shorelines. There was a place along the way where a rope was hanging from a tree that you could swing out on into the lake. Today, Jason, the youngest son of Felipe, and some of his friends were swimming and swinging on the rope. Jason was a handsome young man that could speak a bit of English. He was firmly built from the hard work in the vineyards and had a dark complexion and deep blue eyes. As the kids rode up to greet them Lyndi looked at Katie and said, "Wow, Katie look at that guy. He is gorgeous!"

Katie, "Lyndi, what! You are too young for him. Matter fact, I don’t think your parents wouldn't approve of you even dating."

Immediately, Jason walked up to Katie, who was mounted on the horse, and smiled, "An what is your name and where did you come from?"

Katie has become a very beautiful woman. Like her mom, she, too, had beautiful, long flowing hair, blue eyes from her dad, and was very, very fit from all the Olympic training Quinn had put her through. "I am Katie, this is my cousins, Lyndi, TJ, and Tyson. We are staying at our Villa and I think you are swimming in our Lake!"

Jason immediately retreats, and moves away to which Katie responds, "No worries. We aren't going to bust you!" Jason, still pushing back, retreats even further.

Katie, "Looks like you guys are having fun. Mind if I try?" Katie dismounts her horse and walks slowly over to the rope. She looks at Jason and asks, "So how do you do this?"

Jason, still shying away because of the issue with Georgie and the fight, says," Take the rope and go to that cliff. Then, run off holding on until it starts to swing back."

Katie, "How deep is it?"

Jason, "About 10 feet so you won't get hurt. Do you know how to swim?"

Katie, "Well yes! I would try this if I didn't."

Katie now takes the rope and goes up on the cliff. She immediately swings out on the swing and does a backflip into the water. Lyndi and the twins are in awe at Katie's acrobatic maneuver, when Jason says, "I see. You have done this before."

Katie, coming out of the water, takes the towel that Jason was holding and begins to dry herself. Jason, "So what is your story?"

Katie, laughing "I am not sure I want to tell you, being it is our first date and everything!"

Lyndi chimes in, "She is an Olympic equestrian jumper and is going to be in the Olympics this year in Paris!"

Tyson, "Her sister is an Olympic gold medalist and is known all over the world!"

Katie, "Enough guys! What is your story?"

Jason takes back the towel and motions to his friends. "Boys, it is time to go!"

Katie, is taken back, "What is the matter? Do I intimidate you?"

Jason, "No, it's just when you find out who I am, you probably won't like me anymore!"

Jason and the guys jump into their cart and head back to their villa leaving Katie and the others trying to guess what that was all about.

TJ, "What did he mean by that?"

Katie, "I am not really sure."

Lyndi, "Maybe it has something to do with what happened the other night with Georgie. "

Katie, "Maybe so, but he surely was a good looking guy! Let's head back and see what Georgie has to offer about him. Plus, I am soaking wet and need to get out of these clothes."

The kids head back to the Villa to get with Georgie and find out what Jason meant.

At the Villa Georgie and Quinn are sitting by the pool with Jack. Katie and the kids ride up and go into the pool area. "Georgie, the strangest thing just happened. We were riding by that big lake and there were some boys swinging on a rope into the lake. One of the boys was really cute so I decided to find out a little more about him. When I confronted him and asked him about his story, he pulled away and said once I found out who he was, I wouldn't like him very much. What gives?"

Georgie, "Was he tall, well built, with a dark complexion. Did he have real blue eyes?"

Katie, "Yeah! All of that!"

Georgie, "He was the boy that fought with me and put me at the hospital the other day. He and his brother came over and apologized, but I still don't know what to think about him. He was really out of control, and he didn't care that I was a girl!"

Quinn, "I think it best you steer clear of him, Katie. Even though we have mended those fences, I don't think I am ready to trust him around you girls."

Jack, "I am with Quinn. It's best you stay clear of that boy!"

Katie and the kids take their horses back to the stable to brush and put them up.


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