A/N: Hey guys, thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. They make me smile. I Loved the story suggestion, but after reading through the real Phantom Stallion books i realised that the next cattle drive wouldn't be until autumn, as this story began in summer, not spring and the big Catlle drive is held in spring. I'm hoping that Sam and Jake will have rebonded before Autumn... But i loved the suggestion, if i'd set this a little sooner i would have definitely thought of some way to work it into the story. =)
I hope you guys like the new chapter. I'm working on getting them written and edited as fast as i can so that i can update quickly. But i promise i won't wander away from this until i finish it. There won't be any abandoned status! Scout's Honour! =) Please Review! E xx.
Chapter 11: Gram.
Sam was almost dressed for the party over at Three Ponies Ranch. Everything was all organized and ready to go. She had the old guitar Gram had given that used to belong to Grandad ready by the door. Gram had dug it out of her top cupboard when Sam had asked Dallas and Nate to co-teach her to play.
Jen had left around lunch time, after she and Sam had both worked with Frost. Jen had not been pleased when she realized Jake was here. Gram however had managed to distract Jen while Jake slipped out of the house, so that he could pretend he had been in the barn. Sam had narrowed her eyes as he'd jogged across the yard after stopping on the porch to snag his duffel bag and wink at Sam.
After Jen had left Sam had asked Jake to get up on Frost to help teach her to accept male riders. She'd had Dad Dallas, Ross and Pepper all get up on her, but she wanted to see how the mare would do with Jake, as a man she hadn't grown accustomed to during her healing process here on the ranch. She'd done well, ignoring Witch's demanding jealous whinnies. She hadn't played up beneath Jake at all and Sam was beginning to feel confident about taking her to the rodeo in Reno to sell her. It would be sad to see her go, but Sam knew she couldn't keep all the horses she saved. They just couldn't afford so many horses on River Bend. And she already had Ace, Tempest, and Witch.
Well… Had Witch. Now that Jake was back Witch would be going back to Three Ponies. Sam didn't feel too sad about that, after all, the mare was still lazy. Sam had taken to keeping her in a stall in the barn rather than in the Ten Acre Pasture because it made her so much easier to catch. It also kept Witch and Strawberry from fighting. She'd spent the afternoon paying attention to Frost, putting her through all the paces she could think of, testing the mare's limits. Jake had spent the afternoon by her side, pushing Witch through the same activities. Sometimes he offered small suggestions on improving something slightly, but for the most part they had worked in comfortable silence.
He'd left a little over an hour ago, mumbling that he better get home before his mother started to worry he'd forgotten the way home. He'd piled Singer into his truck and borrowed their horse float to trailer Witch back over to Three Ponies ranch where she belonged.
Now Sam had to decide on something to wear. Which was proving impossible!
"Sam honey didn't you tell Quinn that you would be over there by five o'clock tonight to plan out all the songs the group of you will be playing tonight?" Gram called from down the hall "Because it's almost four thirty now… Oh!" Sam whirled around to look at Gram where she stood in her bedroom doorway.
Gram raised her eyebrows at Sam. Sam glanced down at herself, she was only wearing underwear at the moment. When she glanced around the room she understood why Gram was staring at her as though she had sprouted wings. Her room looked like a department store had thrown up on it. All over the room clothing laid in crumpled heaps, some on the floor, others piled on the bed. Sam had been going through her entire wardrobe trying to find something to wear.
"Land Sakes, Samantha! What happened in here?" Gram exclaimed, bustling into the room looking exasperated. Sam felt herself begin to blush a little. She'd been being ridiculous. Just because Jake was home didn't mean she should act any differently to how she always did. She shouldn't be in here trying on a million different outfits. She should be dressed and ready to go.
"Honey, is all this because Jake's home?" Gram asked her when Sam didn't reply. "Because, while you might have forgotten, that boy has seen you covered in mud from head to foot, actually if I'm remembering correctly he was the one who caused you to be covered in mud." Gram said chuckling at the memory. Sam smiled a little at that.
"Sam, shut the door a minute." Gram told her, settling herself onto the foot of Sam's bed and picking up some of the discarded articles to fold. Stiffly Sam did as she was told, just knowing as she did so that this was going to be an uncomfortable conversation. As the door clicked closed softly Sam couldn't help feeling that she had just shut off her only route of escape.
Slowly Sam turned back towards Gram, acutely aware that she was only wearing her underwear. Gram didn't seem to mind though.
"You're as bad as Wyatt when you get that stubborn look in your eyes Sam." Gram stated as her eyes scanned Sam's face, her eyes were soft though. "You both get it from Eldon." Gram murmured, her eyes misting over as she spoke the name of her long-dead husband.
"Are you ok Gram?" Sam asked cautiously, Gram rarely mentioned her lost husband, at least, she didn't mention him to Sam.
"Of course I am honey." Gram said, focusing back on Sam and smiling at her "Now then" Gram began, watching Sam closely. Sam felt herself begin to shift restlessly so she clenched her fist and walked slowly back to her wardrobe.
"Samantha when are you going to admit it?" Gram asked her sternly.
Sam clenched her fist a little tighter and didn't turn around as she replied
"Admit what, Gram?"
She heard Gram sigh exasperatedly, so she turned.
"Sam don't play dumb with me. You might have convince the rest of the world that you just bit your lip and clenched your fist about Jake leaving, but you have photo evidence hanging on your wall. Even this morning Jen said she didn't know how much he hurt you by leaving. Your Wyatt and Brynna might have guessed that you were hiding some of how much it hurt you but Honey, I was here, the pictures on your wall that I took, don't do justice to the amount of pain you were in. I didn't say anything to anyone because I saw how hard you worked to keep your feelings under wrap." Gram said with a sad sort of smile.
"None of us said a word when you left the house late at night to meet your mustang at the river. We didn't mention it when you started that braided horsehair necklace, which is now thicker than Dallas's fingers. You threw yourself at every task we could give you with such intensity that it scared me honey. You locked away any form of emotion for so long, shutting down like a cowboy in a crowd. You worked at your school work until you were getting top marks in everything and it still wasn't enough for you, was it?" Gram didn't give her time to answer the question although Sam suspected it was rhetorical anyway.
"Even with all the ranch work we threw at you and the time you were taking to gentle your mare, you had to Get Brynna to give you a job at Willow Springs in the corrals with all those mustangs, you had to get in touch with Trudy and Preston and help them out with their "Wild Horse Eco-Vacation" program, which Wyatt is still calling a dude ranch. You had to build your friendship Ely boys that are still living at Three Ponies Ranch. Lands Samantha, you threw yourself at life so hard I thought it would break you." Gram said slowly
"It took me awhile to realize that you had broken already. I held you when you cried the day he left Honey, but I suppose that I convinced myself that just that one big good cry would empty your hurt. You were so reckless honey, so much so that I feared we'd lose you like we lost Louise. Thank the stars we didn't." Gram paused for a moment.
"After that incident with the stampede, I think you snapped. Somehow you threw yourself even harder at life. Only this time when you threw yourself into everything you could, you threw in your whole heart." Gram told her. "And it worked for you I think, these past four years you learned so much that if we all fell off the face of the world tonight you could keep this ranch running with as much efficiency as ever."
"Thanks Gram" Sam mumbled, hooking her fingers into the waistband of her underpants when she realized she had no jean pockets and watching her feet as she scuffed her left foot against the carpet
"You're welcome honey, but now Jake's back." Gram stated, Sam looked up at her with raised eyebrows, not entirely sure where the all the stuff she'd done in the past few years connected to Jake's return.
"Sam, he's intending to stay. We all know that, even you. I want to know when you're going to admit to yourself that you still love him. You never really stopped, honey." Gram told her. Sam fidgeted.
"Now, while you still haven't admitted it, your obvious distress over your clothing for tonight is a sure sign. Would you like my help honey?" Gram asked her, a smile wrinkling its way across her lined faced. Sam nodded.
"You're intending to ride over aren't you?" Gram asked her as she got to her feet. Sam nodded again.
"Would you be open to changing your mind and taking your truck? I think you should, that way we can dress you in something that isn't jeans for a change. And Cody wants to go over to Three Ponies with you." Gram told her as she strode towards Sam's wardrobe.
"I guess I could Hester." Sam replied, referring to her Chevrolet truck "Make it easier to take my guitar. Cody can come with me, that way he'll be out of the way for your trip over with Brynna."
Gramm nodded with a smile and patted Sam's cheek.
"Well then I think you should wear this, with these shoes." Gram told her, holding out article of clothing for Sam to put on. "Go on and put those on and get downstairs. Cody is ready to go and if you don't get going you are going to be late. I won't have those Ely boys ringing my phone off the hook looking for you so they can organize themselves again!"