As the sun started to peak through the clouds on River Bend Ranch, the hens started to awaken and the rooster gave a loud warm welcome into the new day. The horses gave small snickers as if to tell the rooster he needn't make so much noise because they had heard and were awake. Blaze started barking inside the bunkhouse until Dallas, Ross or Pepper finally let him out.
Inside the house Gram was bustling around making breakfast as Brynna, was in her room changing into her daily work uniform. Sam's dad was probably outside already, starting out the day properly.
Sam stirred in her bed, kicking her covers as she tried to untangle herself. "Uggh." She groaned. In an instant, she remembered her plans to help her father bring in the cattle. She sat up right and looked at her watch, 5:32. She sighed, she wasn't late, he probably wouldn't have gone out now. Since it was so early, and the cattle had just settled. She heard Brynna in her room, which used to belong to only her father since her real mother had died several years before. She could bet Gram was in the kitchen already, since she always woke early to start breakfast and get prepared for the day. Sam decided she'd better dress up and do her chores early just in case Jen or Jake; her two best friends, happened to come with news that needed to be dealt with fast.
Quickly Sam jumped out of her bed looking through her drawers for a pair of jeans, socks and any shirt that matched this Early Spring day. She chose her old jeans and a new t-shirt she had bought the week before at the mall in Darton. She rarely went shopping at all, especially for clothes, but when Gram had mentioned it she remembered she needed a new pair of jeans and some new t-shirts since all her others were worn out. As she put on her socks, she heard Ace's warm neigh from the barn. Ace was her Cow horse, he used to run with the Phantom's heard; the Phantom was her old horse that had accidentally kicked her in the head when he was a colt, he'd run away spooked and turned out to be the legendary Phantom. Sam got Ace when she'd come back from San Francisco 1 year before, after her accident with her horse, Blackie, known as the Phantom. At first Ace had out witted her but after a short while they became friends and he rarely tried those stunts except when he was in the mood to make her angry. However, Ace was the best horse to Sam, next to Blackie, he was smart and always listened to all her commands even when his instincts told him not to.
As Sam finished putting on her socks she heard the front door open and then shut. The next second she heard the chair at the table scratch the floor as someone, probably her dad sat down. Sam decided this was a good a time as any to head down to breakfast. She had a feeling everyone was waiting for her.
Sam ran down the stairs just as Gram finished setting the last spoon on the table. "Good you're here." Said Brynna not looking up from her folder.
Brynna worked for the BLM, where they caught wild horses, brought them onto their land, and waited until someone came to adopt them and give them good homes. Sam's dad looked up from his napkin on the table in front of him. Sam's dad was a cowboy all right! He never used many words in any conversation and he never showed or talked about his feelings. His face was almost always expressionless and he never backed out on any thing he said. He had started to worry about Sam's safety a lot, ever since her accident and he expected Sam to act like a cowgirl too! She was working on it, hard! However, she was soft hearted about horses and an expert on wild horses; it's what sometimes disappointed her father when she made the wrong the decision for the right reason, but she couldn't help it!
She knew a couple other cowboys, too like one of her best friend's: Jake Ely who was way too over protective, like her father over her accident, and he felt responsible about it since he was there when it happened. Then there was Dallas her father's foreman who had been on the ranch even before Sam was born, and Jed Kentworthy, Jen; Sam's other best friends, father.
Sam didn't know how to respond to Brynna since all she had said was, "Good you're here." Sam had no idea whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, whether she had news to tell Sam or a job. "Good morning." Sam said, making it sound more like a question than a sentence. Gram came in the kitchen right at the second when Brynna was about to answer, with two dishes on both her hands one holding toast and the other sausage and Maple Syrup, homemade, Maple Syrup. Gram liked to make her family fresh food, not already made store food that, like she said had," Too many, chemicals that were used to make the food last more than it's will." Sam agreed it tasted better then store food.
"Sit yourselves before I feed this food to the dog, who'd eat it faster than the time it would take you to sit!" Gram said, as Sam and Brynna both sat down at the table. Brynna took the silence to tell Sam what she was about to have said before Gram had come into the kitchen. "Sam you won't be helping your father with the Cattle today." Brynna said studying Sam as Sam gawked at her and her dad, "Wyatt and I have decided to get You, Jen and Jake to go get the cattle. Jen and Jake already know and are going to meet you in-" Brynna broke off to check her watch, " about an hour." Sam frowned, why would they get her Jen and Jake to do this with her? "Why would you change the plans?" Sam asked, still frowning. Her Dad broke in, "We want to get you ready for the cattle drive and the only way is if we get someone experienced to help." Sam felt angry and slightly jealous. That's not fair, she thought, she only stayed back the last time so she could be the one to witness Dark Sunshine's birth to Tempest, her filly, who's sire was her horse Blackie. Why should she need their help? She could do it without Jen and Jakes help, especially Jakes; he would tease her for sure, at the first honest mistake. "But that's not fair! I could do it without their help!" Sam boasted. She rethought her sentence, after seeing her father's disappointed expression, she could tell he'd expected more of her.
She frowned and glared at Brynna.
"It was probably all Her idea," Thought Sam. She was mad at Jen anyway.
She'd insulted Sam once again about being too over protective and obsessed with the Phantom. That might be true in some ways, but from her best friend, it was hard to hear.
Now, she has to have her and Jake helping with the cattle.
"Dad, you know that I could do it on my own!" Brynna coughed in the way signaling for attention. Sam spun on her heel and started to glare at Brynna. "Brynna, I know this is all your fault! You don't need to tell me that again." She could feel Gram's and her Dad's eyes on her.
Brynna opened her mouth and closed it again. Then she opened it again, "I'm- I'm-"She tried again, "I'm- just trying to do what's bet for you."
If looks could kill, Brynna would have been melted.
"Making me feel distrusted won't help you do anything good." With that, she marched out of the house, to the pen house, so she could gather the eggs.