Special

"Yeah, I did get her from the shelter," Zach confirms. "First day I went there, I spotted her and fell in love." He grins. "I'd like to think the feeling is mutual but it might just be the doggy treats she likes."

Hearing about Beth's sister, Zach barely hears the rest of her phrase. His mind seems to halt. Cocking his head, he seems to study Beth a little more deeply. Did she know her eyes said so much? He wondered. "I do like cats," he answers absentmindedly. "Cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, reptiles - whatever."

His expression remained pensive, despite the light topic. Before he allows the subject of animals to continue, he reverts back to Beth's previous statement. "You said both your parents were gone? So... with your sister... I mean..." He wasn't trying to draw attention to it, but his tone of voice said more that he was intrigued and undoubtedly compassionate. "That's gotta be rough." There was no pity in his words - perhaps it was rather a gentle understanding. He was clueless about the situation - maybe Beth had nothing to do with her sister. But he had an inkling that wasn't the case. And maybe...maybe he did understand more than one might think.

He sips his drink and gives her a small smile. "I guess it's a small world. I... have a great uncle at Brookshire. Not too many people know about it," he admits. "The family likes to keep it quiet. Uncle Harry was in Vietnam and a few years after he got back, the memories got the best of him. His wife couldn't handle it anymore so he was taken to Brookshire and...never left."

Zach gives a slight shrug. "I go see him sometimes. Usually he's just sitting staring out the window. But every once in a while I get a smile. Sometimes he'll even converse about the weather - those days make it worth a trip."

Chuckling softly, he shakes his head. "Not even the guys I work with every day know that. Consider yourself special."


A little bit of color enters Reese's cheeks but he holds his gaze on Angelica. A smile curls his lips. "I think I like that answer." His voice had grown quieter. "You know that I... have a bit of history. A small corner of my heart will always belong to Wyatt's mother. But for a long time I didn't even think the rest of my heart could belong to anybody else. You, Miss Lockheart, have proven me wrong."

The heavy subject of the Elite is forgotten and his eyes sparkle with a renewed youthful vigor - something few would ever witness. "You're so much more than I ever thought... and you mean so much more to me than I've probably ever said. I know sometimes I get so busy with work that that's all I talk about and sometimes I forget to tell you how important you are to me. So for the record... I've fallen in love with you, Angelica. And I don't plan on stopping any time soon."


The last thing Eric expected from the young girl was a hug, so as he's pulled in, there's a moment of hesitation and his eyes go wide. But the moment is so very brief. For in that simple gesture, he felt the unexplainable warmth of innocent acceptance. No matter what anybody else thought of him... no matter his past mistakes... no matter if he felt he fit in here at the ranch or not... Ashlee accepted him for who he was, shown through her willingness to show him affection. Perhaps Eric wouldn't realize all that until later... right now, it was as simple as him feeling so very good.

Chuckling, he wraps his arms around Ashlee in a strong hug. "Well thank you too... for being you." Giving her an extra squeeze for good measure, he draws back and smiles at her. Tilting her chin up with a gentle finger, he winks. "You just keep on being you and everything will turn out just fine."