Chapter 21
Brynna ended up losing her baby. She came home the next morning and Dad put her right to bed.
"I'm sorry, Brynna," Sam told her.
"Thanks Sam," Brynna's voice was dull.
"Anything I can do?" Sam asked her father.
"No honey, but thanks," Dad put an arm around her and went up to be with his wife.
"I feel so badly," Sam told Gram.
"It happens," Gram was matter of fact.
"I know, but I still feel bad for her," Sam said. "For both of them."
"They know and appreciate it," Gram told her.
Sam nodded.
"I have news about the Kenworthys," Gram got Sam's attention.
"What?" Sam asked.
"Trudy's taking them in for awhile," Gram said. "Linc had them thrown out of their home this morning."
"All because of me," Sam sighed, feeling horrible.
"Honey, it's not your fault," Gram assured her. "Lila was fed up living on the same ranch with that monster. She's told me things that are just too much for a body to have to put up with."
Sam looked at her Gram, but Gram didn't tell her anything.
"When that man goes down, he's going to go down hard," Gram went on.
"We can hope," Sam bit out.
"Don't wish him ill, Samantha," Gram warned her. "What goes around comes around, so only think good things."
"Do you know how hard that is?" Sam asked.
"If it were easy, then we'd all be perfect," Gram pointed out.
Gosh, Sam hated it when Gram made sense.
"I'll go out and do my chores," Sam said, getting up from sitting at the kitchen table. "At least the chickens aren't throwing my friend out on her butt in the cold."
Gram started to laugh and Sam laughed with her, getting her coat on and going outside.
Sam fed the chickens and the horses. Then she took Ace into the barn to groom him.
"I feel so bad for Jen and Brynna," Sam told her horse.
She smiled as Ace bobbed his head.
"You do too, huh?" Sam continued. "It was nice of Trudy to take them in though."
"You weren't around when Jake and I thought she was a witch," Sam laughed. "She was so mean then. Then she took in the mustangs and she had something to live for again."
"Now she has a pasture full of horses and a house full of people," Sam went on as she rubbed her horse. "I got it. How about if we ride down there?"
Sam left Ace and went to get her tack. She quickly tacked up her mustang and swung up into the saddle.
Sam turned left once over the bridge and headed towards Three Ponies. She glanced in as she passed, not seeing anyone in the ranch yard. She continued towards Deerpath.
She saw Jen immediately when she came up the path towards the lavender house. Her friend was in one of the corrals with the Kenworthy palominos.
"Hey," Jen greeted her.
"Hi Jen," Sam rode up to the corral on Ace. Silly, Jen's mare, came over to touch noses with Ace. The two snorted a greeting at each other.
"I'm sorry, Jen," Sam told her. "I feel like it's my fault you got tossed off of Gold Dust."
"Well it is," Jen grinned at her. She held up a hand when Sam opened her mouth to say something. "It's been a long time coming. It's not your fault. Not really."
"Thanks, but I can't help thinking that it is," Sam murmured.
"Do you want to go for a ride?" Jen asked. "I'd like to take a look around Trudy's property since I haven't really been here much."
"Sure," Sam nodded, pulling Ace back so Jen could get Silly out of the corral.
Jen grabbed a lead from that was draping over the corral fence and snapped it on Silly's halter. She led the big palomino mare out and tied her to the railing.
Sam sat on Ace while Jen saddled and bridled her horse, then swung up on the mare.
"I need to ride Witch," Sam mused. "I've been neglecting her."
"Wanna stop and get her?" Jen asked, gathering her reins.
"Silly's not cycling?" Sam asked.
"Nope," Jen shook her head.
"Let's," Sam smiled and started for Three Ponies.