Jen sat up in bed, yawning and stretching. She had a mission. After Sam had left to finish school at an academy her aunt paid for… Sam had gotten a boyfriend. Jake had never said anything, but Jen knew he was as heart broken as a dense Ely would ever get. So she was going to cheer him up.

She had done that over the years, when Jake was down she'd banter with him so Sam wouldn't have to deal with him upset. They never got along when Jake was gloomy. Now Jen really had to cheer him up. He was on the verge of running down to Frisco and ripping the "Other Guy's" head off.

Jen glanced at her clock. 4:30, good.

She pulled on some faded and holey jeans and a red tank top. The tank top had a stack of waffles drenched with syrup and words that said "Sweeter than This".

She pulled on her rose/tan boots and gray hat. She had a habit of skipping breakfast, maybe that's why she was so skinny…

"Face it Jen, no guy ever looks at your chest," she said sternly. She sighed.

The morning was crisp but she could feel the sun warming the land already. She rode in the direction of Three Ponies Ranch. This was going to be a challenge.

Jake sighed as he looked down at his food. Bacon, two Sunnyside up eggs, and two pieces of toast, besides black coffee.

"Mom, I'm not hungry," he said. Silence fell.

"Jake… you're not… hungry…?"

He shook his head.

"Are you sick?" Maxine asked her youngest son.

He shook his head again.

"Well son, drink your coffee at least," his dad said, earning a glare from Maxine.

"Can I go for a ride?" he asked. Maxine nodded. He grabbed his black hat and shut the door behind him.

A ways from the ranch, he saw some curious tracks. It looked like dragging legs and elbows? He dropped off of Witch and studied them.

"What the heck…?" he wondered out loud. He followed them a few hundred feet to a grove of aspen.

Then a chirpy bird voice spoke up. If there was one person on the planet he couldn't deal with it was Jen. Sure, he had always distracted her by bickering with him so she wouldn't turn sour on Sam, but he didn't count her as a friend… exactly.

"Jake don't go, I need to talk to you!" she said as he was turning around. When she gasped in pain he wheeled Witch around.

Jen sat with tears in her eyes and her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Jennifer?" he started.

"Ow Jake…" she started. When she jumped up and grabbed his leg he groaned.

"What the… Jen? What is this?" he sounded very annoyed.

"Jake, I want to talk to you!" she said, holding his leg tight.

"Jeez Jen, I guess I don't want to talk to the girl who sent Sam away!"

"Jake, you know what? I wasn't hindering her academic possibilities!" Jen said, words muffled by the denim of Jakes Wranglers.

"You know I liked her!" he said.

"Yeah Jake, and I'm sorry… but it was San Francisco and an academy…" Jen said. Jake sighed, he knew she was right… but… it was his Sam…

"Jen… just let go…" Jake said. He would have kicked her off, but she was a girl, a delicate girl. And then she looked up at him with her pleading blue eyes. Dammit, he was always a sucker for her eyes… not that he would ever want her to know that.

"Okay..." he said. Jen smiled and pulled away. He wheeled Witch away for a quick getaway.

"Jacob Ely don't you ride away from me!"

Then Jake felt something land behind him. She'd actually jumped on a running horse. She locked her arms around his waist and twisted, pulling them both off. They fell with a thud on the ground. But it wasn't even ground. It was a hill, so they rolled. Jake locked his arms around her head so she wouldn't get hurt.

Once they stopped, Jake groaned. Jen straddled his waist, her hands on his chest. He wasn't getting away.

"Jen…" Jake started. Jen obviously didn't understand the awkward position they were in.

"No Jake, you aren't getting away now, I want to listen to me. I miss Sam too, and I wish she were back here. But Jake, you know she has opportunities. She's not like us, tied to the land and limited. I thought I could go further… and I wanted to, but this place is in my blood, I've never been anywhere else. Jake you know it, she has more than we do. She had such a wild spirit, she shouldn't be limited to this place," Jen said. Then caught her breath.

Jake knew she was right. He jerked his hands away when he realized they had gone to her waist.

"Jen… I'm sorry… I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at me… I let her go. Dang it! I didn't even kiss her," Jake said.

This guy is really hurting… Jen thought. It reminded her of how he felt after her accident.

Even though she was already on top of him, she hugged him.

"Jake, it'll be okay," she said. He hesitated, then hugged her so tight she couldn't breath.

Jake closed his eyes and pictured he was hugging Sam. It wasn't the same. Jen as thinner. She was kinda boney. She was also softer… and gentle… she felt very delicate.

"Friends again?" Jen asked into the chambray of his shoulder.

"Mhm…" Jake said.

They went for a ride, and they were silent for the most part.

He keeps everything so bottled up that he loses it sometimes…

Wow she was soft.