AN: I'm over my writer's block! EEEEK! I wrote about 10 pages for me to update the story with. Sorry I haven't updated, I've been super busy then I actually had forgot my login:O I know, eh? LMAO, it won't happen again, I promise:) Anyway, Enjoy!
Sam rode into Three Ponies and spotted Jake in the barn. " Jake!"
When he saw her, he threw down his pitchfork and stormed out of the barn.
He grabbed Nike's reins,"What the hell are you doing?"
Sam lifted her head, revealing her tear-stained cheeks.
"Sam, what happened?", his voice instantly softened.
Still crying, she tried to explain, " Me...and...my dad..we..."
"Shh, it's OK", Jake said, hugging her in his arms and gently pulling her off Nike.
Sam cried into his chest, glad that Jake understood her need to be comforted. Usually he would have hated her hugging him.
Sam pulled away from Jake, wiping her tears. "Can I see Ace?"
"Sure"
They walked side-by-side into the barn where Jake had prepared a stall for Ace, next to Quinns horse Chip.
Ace let out a long whinny when he saw her coming down the aisle and slung his head over his door.
Sam ran down the aisle and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in his familiar horsey smell.
Now that Sam was thinking clearly, she turned to Jake, " Why did my dad give you Ace?"
Jake gently explained, " Your dad blames Ace for you falling off and me for letting you ride in the storm. I'm not supposed to see you and he wanted Ace off his ranch so I took him."
Feeling a lump form in her throat and blinking back fresh tears, Sam nodded.
"Sam, he can stay here as long as he has to. I'll take good care of him. And, you; Obey your dad and be safe. I don't want you getting in trouble trying to come see me."
She nodded and squeezed him into a hug, " Thank you"
"It's nothing", he said, releasing her.
He looked down at her cut which was bleeding slightly. " Let's go inside. I'm going to check your cut, you might have popped your stitches"
She followed him inside and the minute they walked throught the door, Maxine rushed to hug her, "What happened Sam?"
Sam sat down at the table and explained what had happened while Maxine sent Jake to get fresh gauze.
Getting back, Jake handed the box to his mom and sat down beside Sam.
She checked Sams cut over before smiling and announcing, " You're lucky Sam. They're all still in. But take it easy for a few days. Jake can drive you back"
Sam gulped, She hadn't told Maxine the whole story. She hadn't told her that she'd been forbidden from seeing Jake.
Maxine shooed them towards the door, " Go on. Jake can bring Sweetheart back tomorrow"
"But my dad would want her home. It's no problem, I'll ride her."
"I'm not letting you ride"
Sam desperatly looked at Jake for a way out, but he seemed even more confused than her.
Maxine looked at the two teens and huffed, "OK, what are you hiding from me?"
"Umm, uh, I'm, uh...forbidden from seeing Jake. I...ran away", Sam stammered.
She gasped. "Why?", turning to Jake she exclaimed, "What did you do? Did you do anything to Sam?"
Luke, who had just walked into the house turned to Jake, fixing him with a stare. "Explain. Now!"
Jake struggled for words so Sam interrupted " He didn't do anything! My dad's just assuming stuff!"
Everyone turned to her. "I don't know what he thinks Jake did, but he's innocent"
"I believe you.", Maxine said, " Does Grace know about this?"
Sam shook her head, "I don't think so."
"I'm going to call her and let her know what's going on" she said, "You two can go sit in the living room"
Sam followed Jake into the livingroom and sat down on the couch. She wasn't looking forward to facing her dad. "Jake, I'm sorry I got us into trouble"
Jake sat down on the other end of the couch and sighed, "It's fine. It's not your fault, your dad's just assuming stuff"
"Ya, I just want to know what he thinks happened. It wasn't your fault I fell, it ws my idea and you came so I wouldn't go out alone"
Jake was silent.
-Later-
Sam woke up, hearing voices. Opening her eyes, she took in her sorroundings. That's when she noticed that Quinn, Nate and Bryan were standing in front of her.
I must've fallen asleep while I was waiting for Maxine.
Sam lifted her head off Jake's shoulder. Then she suddenly realized that not only had she fallen asleep at Three Ponies, but she had fallen asleep on Jake's shoulder.
Sitting up, she faced the three boys. "What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing Sammy", Nate answered, "We just got home to see you sleeping on Jakey-boy over theres shoulder"
Sam blushed, "I swear that was an accident"
"Are you sure about that?", Bryan added,smiling.
"Yes!", she insisited.
"So since when are you and Jake together?" Nate asked.
Sam noticed Quinn had clenched his fists and wasn't saying anything.
"What?", Sam exclaimed, "We're not dating"
Quinn seemed to relax when he heard this.
Hearing her yell, Jake stirred and soon woke up. Looking at his brothers sleepily, he looked for an explanation of why he heard yelling.
When noone offered an explanation, he turned to Sam, raising an eyebrow.
" They thought we were, uh, dating", she managed.
"What?", Jake yelled, "Why?"
Sam blushed, "Well, I uh, apparently fell asleep on your shoulder"
Jake blushed, "Oh"
Sam nodded then jumped, hearing someone knock on the door. She heard Luke greet her dad with a simple "Hi".
"Where's Sam?", came the reply.
She quickly looked at Jake, this couldn't be good.
Quinn, Bryan and Nate looked at eachother baffled, then back to Sam and Jake.
"What happened?", Quinn asked.
"Well, uh, my dad forbide me and Jake from ever seeing eachother, gave away Ace and I, uh, ran away", she explained.
"Why?
"I honestly don't know" Sam answered truthfully.
Just then, her dad burst in to the livingroom, "What the hell did you think you were doing? And why the fuck would you come here? You do not disobey me! ", he yelled.
Sam started crying and tried to find a way out. She really didn't want to be here right now.
Luckily, the three Ely brothers stepped in front of her, sheilding her.
Turning to Jake he yelled, "What did you do to my daughter? Don't touch her ever again!"- "Wyatt!" Maxine yelled interrupting him.
Everyone turned to Maxine, " Wyatt! You're being to hard on them! I don't know what you think Jake did, but i know my boy and he's innocent. He could never hurt Sam. And you're being too hard on Sam! What do you expect her to do when you get rid of her horse and forbid her from seeing her best friend?"
"You don't know what happened when Sam got hurt!"
" Ace fell on her, it was an accident"
"No! You don't know what happened when they were in the cave over night! You're son", he paused, "Took advantage of my daughter while she was hurt!"
Everybody was shocked, but Sam recovered first.
"What? No he didn't! He would never do anything like that!", she exclaimed and Maxine added, "Why would you even think that?"
"She fell asleep on him for god sake! And apparently, Jake seemed to have no problem lifting her shirt for Dallas and she didn't care. Oh, and the best part! When Dallas and Pepper got there, she had no shirt on, only HIS jacket! Explain that!"
"Wyatt, I'm sure they have an explanation", she said turning to Sam and Jake, "He was just taking care of her"
" Her shirt was wet, torn, dirty and covered dried blood. Keeping it on could get the gauze wet, rip it off and she could've got a chill and went into shock."
Her dad still looked skeptical so Sam added, " He gave me his jacket to put on, and he turned around without me needing to ask. And when he lifted up the jacket, I knew he'd stop at the top of the cut"
"See Wyatt, they did nothing wrong. I think you owe them an apology, and Jake his job back"
He rubbed the back of his neck, clrealy embarassed, "Fine. I'm sorry. And bring Nike back tomorrow when you come for work"
Jake nodded.
-Later-
Wyatt stood by the roundpen, talking to all the cowboys.
" If you see Sam and Jake doing anything suspicious or anything,uh, you know, like a girlfriend and boyriend, tell me."
They all nodded, "Sure"
"Oh and try to stay with them as much as possible so they aren't alone in the barn"
"Yes boss", Dallas and Pepper answered. Ross simply nodded.
-Next Morning-
Sam woke up and had a shower before headed down-stairs to grab breakfast.
"Hey Gram", she greeted her gram," I know I can't ride, but after I eat can I bring Sweetheart a treat? She might be lonely without Ace"
"Well, I guess that'd be OK"
Rinsing her plate, she grabbed an apple for Sweetheart.
She slipped on her boots and walked across the yard."Sweetheart", she called, holding out the apple for the mare.
The old mare gladly accepted the apple, chewing gave her a pat before heading back inside the house.
-TIME JUMP-
Sam woke up early and quickly changed into track pants and a was finally allowed out of the house though she still couldn't ride.
The last two weeks, she was stuck inside while her stitches healed and she was going stir crazy.
Running through the kitchen, she quickly grabbed and apple for Tempest and ran out to the barn.
Tempest sniffed the apple before gladly gobbling it up, bobbing her head.
Walking into the feed room, she started putting hay into haynets for the horses lunch. It was one of the only chores she could do that didn't involve heavy lifting.
When she finished, she slowly climbed into the hayloft, sitting in front of the window over-looking the pastures.
She saw Dark Sunshine and her foal Tempest in their newly built corral, their new colt to in the roundpen, Blaze sitting on the front porch and the saddle-herd in the ten-acre pasture.
She watched as Tank wandered to close to Strawberry, earning a tail swish and bared teeth.
He got the warning and backed away, grazing near the fence.