We arrived at the Slocum's fancy-smancy ranch. It was basically the base of Linc's cowboy act. He sure enjoyed playing cowboy, that man. Jake dismounted and rung the doorbell. I heard the thumping of feet down wooden stairs. Then who should open it but Rachel. I felt like barfing. Then she started fluttering her eyelashes and speaking in a sugar sweet voice. "Oh hi Jake. What brings you here?"

"Came to report on your horse."

"Would you like to come in for a while to talk about it?"

"No thanks. We were out riding and thought we'd deliver the message that Shoshone Princess is training well."

"Oh. Well, that's good. We should go for a ride sometime. I could borrow a horse, I'm sure."

"Yeah. Maybe some other time." Remember I said I felt like barfing when she flirted with Jake? When he sounded eager, I had to lean over to Ace's other side and do the dirty deed for real. I came up, green as anything I'm sure. Jake didn't look that concerned, but then he was pretty busy. In a barfingly (no, I didn't do it again) sweet voice, she thanked him for his hard work on her horse and kissed him on the cheek lightly. He seemed to have liked it and that's when I totally lost it. "Jake? Are we going to go riding or should I go to Jen's?" Rachel's voice answered, devoid of the sickly sweet padding this time. "Jennifer's out with her parents, Samantha." Jake reluctantly bid goodbye to his new found best friend and strolled back to his horse, remounting. Then we continued riding down the driveway. He glanced back and I felt like bursting into tears. Why me? Rachel? Why Rachel? RACHEL? Jake turned to me. "See? She's not that bad. I think I will go riding with her. She's sweet. Real pretty too." I usually wasn't the crying type, but when I heard Jake sing her praises though, oooohhh. I wish it were me. A big fat tear slipped down my cheek. He was still talking about Rachel.

I noticed we were now near the Phantom's hide-out mountain. The tear was still there. Why should I wipe it away when I wasn't ashamed of it? I knew that my...need for Jake was childish and selfish, but I couldn't help myself. Jake looked over. "What's wrong, Sam?"

"Nothing." I looked away from him. "It can't be nothing. You never cry." That's when I turned to him and screamed. "JAKE! LOOK OUT!"

A boulder crashed down the hillside towards us.

Oh gag me! Mmmmppphhhffffttt. Thank you. Not really. RachelXJake? Oh tell me it's not so! Perhaps I wrote a tragedy! And leaving you at that cliffhanger! Just review and turn the chapter marker.