Thoughts of Eric

Crossing the finish line after the blue car had pulled ahead, Ryan lets out a breath. She'd made a fatal error out there. Maybe her mind was on too much. Maybe she wanted to let the new guy get a pop. But anyone would be willing to bet it was the first. Ryan thought people should earn their spot even if they were new, and tonight the new guy had.

Parking her car and sitting in it for a moment, Ryan finally gets out and throws a smile to Eli, shaking her head. She was far from perfect and it was having people beat her sometimes that still made racing worthwhile. "I don't know if we should call him a rookie or not. Not everyone could have seen that opening and taken charge. Well, I guess I should be a good sport and see what this guy is like."

Giving her brother a pat on the arm and letting him know she would be back, she pushes past all the other people who were huddled close to see who had beat her. Removing her gloves and getting to the front of the crowd she gives the man a look up and down.

"Good job out there tonight. Name's Ryan McKade...I'm the one everyone bet would come in first. I guess their pockets are gonna be a little sore now though."

Ryan holds out her hand to the stranger. Her grin held even if she did have her own ego that was sore. But this brought a new challenge and in a way, it kind of excited her.


The morning seemed to move fast and the trip into town seemed to go even faster than Stacy wanted after everything that had happened with Eric. It was an odd feeling that had gone on this morning and not something she had intended. Her daughter walking in on it made it even worse.

Making sure Ashlee has everything she needs as well, it doesn't take them long before they are back at the ranch. No matter how she wanted to stall to recompose herself, two things she knew - she couldn't stay away long in case anything happened, and no matter how long she was away, it didn't stop Eric from entering her mind.

Taking in a deep breath of air once back at the ranch, Stacy heads to the dining hall. A nice cup of coffee to take with her on her rounds sounded good. Getting up the steps, the slight movement of the swing catches her attention and the sleeping body in it makes her stop. Just standing there, it was almost like time seemed lost and the only thing she could do was take a few steps closer. Without even thinking twice, she knew who it was. He looked so peaceful just lying there, fast asleep without a care. The sun casting its blanket of light over him just added to the whole moment of it.

Not even realizing why, Stacy reaches out and softly brushes away a peace of hair that had fallen into his face before it can disturb him from his peaceful state. A sudden shout from across the way brings her mind back to attention and what she was doing. Even if it wasn't directed at her, the thought of someone seeing her like this brought color to her cheeks as she turned to head back inside. What was happening? She'd never even dreamed of acting like this before, let alone with someone she hardly even knew.


Sticking her hands in her pockets, Hope follows after Kip as he goes to the bench, easing down next to him. It brought a pang to her heart to see the tears roll down his cheek. He'd been hurt badly by someone he trusted. She'd never understand how someone could do that, and it always hurt to see someone suffer from it.

"Yeah, I understand what you're saying about being told something over and over again. After a while you do think it's true...but that's when you have to fight back even harder and prove they are wrong."

Leaning back on the bench, Hope takes in a deep breath of the crisp air. Thinking about her words for a long moment she just watches Kip and the plant before laying a hand on his shoulder to give his back a soft rub. "With God's help, Kip, we can always be replanted. It can be a slow process but it can happen and it's worth the time to replant it. But you have to give it time, let those who care help and not expect it to happen overnight. Trust me, Kip, even the lowest of people can be picked back up again with God's help."


Looking to Gunner, Bree gives a large smile. She enjoyed every moment with Gunner, no matter how big, how small or how strange.

"I'd love to go looking at the stars with you."


Giving a chuckle at JT's comment about Bree not being little anymore, it put a smile on Amanda's face. It was easy to tell how much of a daughter Bree was to JT and how he cared. It was a heartwarming picture and it made Amanda like JT for it even more.

Feeling his arm wrap around her, she leans into it, resting her head on his shoulder. It felt nice to have his strong arm around her, sheltering her from the cold, at least if she was cold still she couldn't feel it through the color on her cheeks.

"I guess I do fit pretty well, huh? Your shoulder is not all that bad either for a pillow. I might be able to get used to this."

Tilting her head a little so she could look up at JT, Amanda smiles. She'd wondered for a long time what this was like - to sit with someone you cared about and just talk. It had been something that seemed so far away and had been forgotten with her line of work. But tonight she remembered and enough time had been wasted - she wanted more times like this.

"I think you're doing alright. Maybe...if you do it a little more often it will just come naturally again."


Sapphire gives her brother a soft smile at his comment. She could understand his worry - maybe even a little frustration about starting over. It was a big deal and a hard thing to do at that. "I think you're doing a pretty good job so far."

Pushing her plate away from her a little so she could lean on the table, she just studies Scott for a moment. So much had changed, but she loved her brother dearly and that would never change. She wanted to be there for him, to help him and do all she could.

"You just have to take it slow. Don't try and do it all at once or you're going to frustrate yourself and most importantly, make sure you pray and ask God to help."

She knew Scott would be okay. He had so many people who cared that they all would help him fit in again. Everyone missed him, knowing he was back and getting better it would make them all very happy. "I don't think you're going to have to worry about fitting in again. I have a feeling you're going to be just fine."


Feeling Justin's hand on her face, Beth doesn't shy away, but leans her head into it a little bit. His touch was rough but still had a softness about it, and it was warm. The feeling sent chills down her spine and put butterflies in her stomach. Her eyes close for a moment and she just enjoyed the tender feeling.

"Not a requirement but fun to make anyway!"

As Justin removes his hand, Beth's eyes open again and she can feel a little heat crawl up her cheeks now. Looking at him, a smile crawls to her lips as she steps into the elevator. As the doors slowly close, she gives one last wave to Justin.

Once she was alone in the elevator, Beth leans her head against the wall. Her stomach was still doing flip flops and it was such and odd feeling, but she couldn't deny she kind of liked it too. Tomorrow would be another day, and seeing Justin seemed to be the bright spot of it all.


Rick's words linger in Katie's mind for a long moment if she was ready or not. Was she ready? Could she be okay dealing with this change? Was everything really going to be okay? Many questions flew through her mind as Rick injected her with the first shot. The biggest question was though...would Jason be okay?

"Any idea how long this is going to take or how many doses?" Maybe once she knew for sure Jason was okay, this feeling she had would go away. Knowing he was alive and well would make it all worth it.

Letting out a long sigh and swinging her legs onto the bed, Katie lies down on her side facing Jason. She wanted him to be okay more than anything. She just wanted him to be himself again. So they could laugh, hug, kiss and just be together once more.


Sticking his hands in his pockets, Nate gives a nod, signaling he was ready as well. Almost everything was set. Con was in place, Wyatt, Dalton and himself went over their plan one more time, and things were clear. Now it was just getting there and seeing if everything really would pan out how they wanted.

Once making sure Chance was in and Wyatt climbed into the driver's seat, Nate jumps into the passenger seat. Waiting until they start out, he fiddles with a few things, making sure everything was working right.

"Dalton, can you hear me? I've got the radios all set up. Do we have a strong connection coming in on them?"

Back at TJY, Dalton sits in his office and sets to work pulling up radio feed and area feed, making sure everything was looking okay. Hearing Nate's voice come through, he nods to himself. "I hear you loud and clear. Everything is looking good so far."