Stick close

Mick nods in agreement. "Thanks. Do what you want, but I might suggest Clint and Wendy first, just since I'm not sure Cindy needs anything else to worry about right now. I do agree about getting BJ away from it though. He thinks a lot of Dylan, surprisingly, and I don't want to scare him either."

...After making arrangements, it was a short while later that Mick returned to Dylan's bunkhouse, then a couple hours after that, when he opted to move him to the house. With Dan's help, he gets his son to his feet long enough to coax him to the house and get him into the spare bedroom.

Lying down on the new bed, Dylan wasn't sure, but for some reason, it felt softer than his own. Shaking as another wave of chills hit, he burrows farther under the blankets, not caring anymore about getting up. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come.

Leaving the bedroom door slightly ajar, Mick stands with Dan in the hallway and sighs. He nods though. "Thanks for all your help. I may need you again. In the meantime, if you could let Jade know what's going on, that'd be good. I need to tell Stacy too so she can stick close."


Grooming Static, the sound of curry combs and brushes filled the barn aisle. Eric looked over at Ashlee on the other side, grinning a little as she worked at helping him with his horse. Static wasn't a small Appaloosa by any means, but she wasn't afraid, and the gelding seemed to take a liking to her, too.

Although he worked, Eric's eyes wandered every once in a while to outside where he could just see the main house. He'd gotten wind of what was happening with Dylan as word spread through the family. He wasn't sure what Ashlee knew though, or what Stacy wanted her to know, so he'd asked her to help him out in the barn so she didn't go looking for Dylan.


Ariel grins a little and turns to sip her drink again, taking a moment to think. Swiveling the stool back so she was looking at Trey again, she sighs. "Yes... we all mess up sometimes. Nobody's perfect no matter how hard we try." She pauses, pursing her lips. "It's just some of those things we do to mess up are less acceptable than others... Getting upset is one thing. Trying to drink it away is another. Speaking your mind before thinking is one thing. Being mean is another. And if we always just say, 'I'll try, but I know I'm gonna mess up again,' then it kinda defeats the purpose of trying to change."

Reaching out slowly, Ariel cradles the side of Trey's face with her palm. "But I don't really want to slap you. I do appreciate you coming tonight. It was very sweet of you, and I really do like the flowers. I've... never been given flowers before."

Letting her hand drop, she straightens a little again and stirs the ice in her punch. Giving Trey a sidelong glance, a new smile creeps out and she shakes her head. "What am I gonna do with you, hmm?" Sighing, she lifts her glass in a toast. "To us. And the sometimes-rough road of making friendships."