Samantha Foster looked over her shoulder and watched as River Bend grew smaller and smaller as her horse Ace galloped away. After Sam had finished all her chores and made sure that Dad and Gram didn't have anything else for her to do, she asked permission to go for a ride before dinner. Dad said it was fine as long as Sam was home in one hour. Without a minute to waste, Sam had ran to the barn to saddle up Ace and be on her way. She wanted to make it to the Phantoms secret valley before dusk.
Sam enjoyed moments like this. When her life was calm and peaceful. After she graduated two years ago its seemed like everything in her life was bizarre and she only had a few moments to enjoy herself. After Cody had come, the Forster household was constantly busy and Sam rarely had enough time to herself. But she enjoyed having a younger sibling, especially since she had been an only child. When Jake had been here with her she had kept herself busy with the tasks that Dad had assigned them. But Jake had left and he did took her heart with him.
Never in million years did Sam think she would have fallen in love with her best friend. But she did, and she knew that he had fallen for her too. Something had happened the summer Jake had left but whatever happened, he took it with him when he left for college. After Sam had graduated she left to attend a small college in Florida that invited her to study with them for a year. She hadn't been home the times Jake had come home so she hadn't seen him since the day he left for college. And she knew that he was gong to be shock when he found out the news tonight when the neighbors all gathered at river bend to welcome Jake home for good.
Sam arrived at the secret valley twenty five minutes after she had left River Bend. That meant that she only had five minutes to wait for the Phantom before she left. It always took her longer to get back to the ranch than it did getting out of there. She silently sat in her saddle and thought about the evening that she had in store for her. The Ely's, Kenworthy's, everyone was going to arrive at the family ranch within two hours which was why Sam had to be home soon. Sam had told Gram that she wanted to make an announcement tonight when everyone will be together. Gram tried to prune her for more details but after her third attempt she realized that her granddaughter wasn't going to spill and left Sam alone.
Sam was pulled out her thoughts when she heard a neigh. she looked around for the Phantoms herd but she caught sight of a rider instead. She focused more clearly and she saw Quinn riding towards her. He pulled Chocolate Chip to a halt and Sam looked him over. She laughed at the Ely and asked him "what forced you to look nice?" Quinn blushed and looked down at his outfit. He had on a nice pearl colored snap down shirt with straighten blue jeans and his brown boots. On his head his black Stetson hat was placed on his combed hair. Unlike Jake, Quinn's hair was short and was a comb over. Sam knew for a fact that he never looked this nice. Not even for her parents wedding.
"A little lady told me I better look nice tonight or I was gonna be in big trouble." Quinn replied. Sam laughed.
"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for tonight?" Quinn asked with a sudden change in his tone. Sam looked down at her watch and saw that she had to be back at the ranch in fifteen minutes or Gram was gonna ring her neck. She looked over at Quinn and he gazed back into her stare. She didn't know why but she felt as if she was going to make a decision that she was going to regret.
She shook those thought out of her head and smiled. Quinn casted her a look and Sam sighed. She wheel Ace and heard for home with Quinn by her side.