Chapter 28:

Snowflakes danced on the playa while Sam clung low to Ace's neck. The small little gelding galloped across the frozen ground and tossed his head, happy to be out of the barn since the weekend. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving and even though she knew it be a rough one without her family, she was eager to get War Drum Flats where he best friend awaited her company. Jen was home for the holiday and Sam couldn't wait to catch up.

A tall yellow horse pranced in place as Sam pulled Ace up to a stop next to her. He snorted and touched noses with Jen's high strung palomino Silly.

"See boy," she told Ace, "I told you she'd be here. He missed Silly."

"And I missed you!" Jen exclaimed. She leaned out of her saddle and gave Sam a hug. Sam hugged her back through the thick layer of jackets. Both girls were bundled from head to toe in winter gear.

"I missed you, too, Jen," replied Sam. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," said Jen, pushed her glasses up further to her nose. They began walking their horses around in silence before she spoke up again. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. Tell me all about what happened with that creeper Flick."

Sam gave her a vague rundown of what happened and how Flick ended up behind bars. Jen itched with excitement but Sam could tell there was a look of sadness in her eyes.

"But you're okay?" she asked after Sam had finished the saga.

Sam nodded back, "Yeah, I think so. I still have nightmares. Well honestly I still have nightmares about everything. That and the accident."

She was happy Jen was here to listen, she knew she could tell Jake everything but Jen's reactions were more sincere.

Jen lightly flipped a blonde braid over her shoulder. "Understandable, I just can't believe him. What a creep!"

Sam gave a giggle at Jen's sudden outburst. This was the Jen she loved and knew. And had missed having around.

"I mean," she continued, "What type of man does that? A monster, a sick monster that's who," she ranted.

Sam held up her hands, "Down girl, it's okay now. He can never hurt me or the horses again."

"Thank goodness for that," said Jen. "And you held a gun to him? My little shy Samantha? Since when did you turn into such a badass?"

"Just slightly crazy," Sam corrected. "I lost all composure when I saw Jake though," she looked around the playa and wondered what Jake was doing now. Tomorrow they would be going to his family's ranch for Thanksgiving, a tradition she normally spent at home with her family. The feeling in her gut wouldn't go away the more she thought about missing them.

"I bet he almost had kittens when he got to you," continued Jen. "How is that going?"

Sam gave a small smile, "Good, actually. It's getting pretty serious," she blushed.

Jen squealed with delight but shook her head, "That dog, Ely. I knew I had him figured out since day one."

When Sam shrugged sheepishly, Jen prodded her for more details, "…And?"

"And I really like him,," Sam said shyly. Jen couldn't contain the grin that lit up her face as Sam looked over to meet her gaze. "Ok, I admit it. You told me so, you were right. I love him. It just took us a while to realize it."

Jen kept the satisfying grin and reached down to pet Silly's silky white mane. "That's because you're too stubborn and he's too shy. I think everyone knew deep down you guys would end up together. Even your dad and Gram probably knew."

Thinking it over in her head Sam wondered how her father and grandmother would react. Surely her dad would know there was no better man more perfect for her than Jake. He had always been a hard worker and that's something Wyatt admired about him.

Ace gave her a small crow hop to remind her he was still there poking along through the frozen desert floor. Sam reached down and rubbed the white freeze brand on his neck.

"What about you and Ryan?" she asked Jen.

Jen shrugged back, "We're fine. Nothing has changed besides the fact that I'm always studying and he's always on the phone talking to 'business partners'." She held her fingers up in quotations and it left Sam wondering what more there was to the story.

"He's thinking about leaving the ranch," she said sadly.

"What?" Sam gasped. "What about you? And your parents? Didn't they split the ranch with him?"

Nodding so fast a braid flipped behind her shoulder, Jen continued, "Dad has offered to buy the ranch back now that the breeding program has turned into a huge success. Harmony Ranch will be a back to full time operation of cattle and breeding program. Ryan had really let the cattle side of business down. He isn't keeping his promises he first made when they agreed to all of this."

Sam took in Jen's words lightly. She never cared for Linc Slocum's son. He'd played her before over an Appaloosa colt and from then on out she always made sure she was on alert anytime she was around him. That didn't change the fact that her best friend had been dating him for a little over a year. Sam would keep her thoughts and comments to herself on what she thought about Ryan when she was around Jen.

"He'll figure it out," Sam said, hoping to cheer Jen up. "You two have been through a lot."

Jen just shrugged and pulled her coat tighter against the wind. "I'd like to say I agree but I'm not so sure right now. I've been so busy with school I barely have to talk to him and when I do come home he blows me off to make plans in town. He's testing my patience."

She leaned over her saddle and looked Sam right in the eyes. Sam couldn't help but to notice how sad Jen looked just by talking about Ryan. Before she was excited to be home and was itching to tell Sam all about school. Now her best friend held the look of exhaustion and defeat.

"I wish I had what you and Jake have," Jen said softly. "There's no denying you two have a strong connection ever since you were little kids. It's rare to find someone so special like that."

Sam felt the comment tug at her heartstrings. Jen was right, she was lucky to have found her soulmate at three years old. But this was just the beginning of the their real relationship, what if it didn't turn out like a fairy tale as Jen expected? Was she mad or envious Sam was gifted a hardworking man compared to Ryan? She couldn't decide if Jen's words were on the fine line between jealousy or the painful truth so she decided to pull a Jake Ely move and remain silent, riding along shivering against the cold.

Later the next morning Jake woke her up before the five thirty alarm she had set. She peeked an eye open and saw him shirtless, pulling on a pair of jeans over his long johns. Even though they shared the same room and slept together in clothing very thin, she still couldn't get used to seeing him so bare all the time. He often felt comfortable in boxer briefs or athletic shorts and always slept shirtless. Meanwhile Sam wore her old nightgowns or boxer shorts to bed. Even in the darkness he looked handsome in every way imaginable.

"Come on, Brat," he said, gently shaking her shoulder. "Time to get up."

Sam grumbled and pulled the covers back over her head. What was she thinking agreeing to help Jake do his chores all day before their Thanksgiving feast at the Ely's? Thanksgiving. A time to celebrate with family. Family that was no longer here. That is why she agreed to spend all day on the range with Jake, to keep her mind away from home where he family no longer was. Gram wouldn't be in the kitchen baking since sun up. Dad wouldn't be carving the turkey like he did every year and Brynna wouldn't be smiling at his side holding an almost three year old Cody. The pain was to much to bare so she volunteered so spend the day with Jake, out in the pastures sorting stock and checking fence rows.

At first he was surprised but when Dallas spoke up and volunteered to watch Cody on his "rest day" around the ranch, Jake didn't have an excuse to say no.

Before they rode out he made sure she was bundled up in three layers and wore a scarf along with her hat. She crossed her arms and pouted like a child, assuring him she would be warm but an hour into riding she wished she had put another flannel on under the hoody and jacket. Every so often they stopped to mend a hole in the fence line but rarely spoke a word. Even though her fingers were frozen she couldn't imagine how much harder this would be come December and January when temperatures plummeted. How did her father work so hard in the bitter cold every winter? He did it just to provide for his family. Sam's heart sank. She was weak and often times complained about her chores around the ranch. Taking a mental note she swore to herself to do better for the ranch, to keep it alive and running for as long as she most possibly could. That was the main goal in life. Her next goal was to…

"Y'okay?" Jake's small and short question brought her attention back down to Earth. He handed her the fencing supplies and mounted Witch.

Sam nodded in response. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Jake waited. And waited. They rode along until finally he gave in, "What's on your mind then that's got you so tense?"

She frowned and met his eyes, "What makes you say a fool thing like that?"

Shrugging, Jake moved his stare to the cattle nearby. "I ain't no horse whisperer but even your cow pony can feel the uneasy way you're jerking those reins."

Ace let out a huff of cold air. Sam reached down and patted his neck, "Sorry boy," she told him.

"Alright," Sam replied. "To be honest I'm just wondering how you or my dad and even your dad does this year after year in the cold. Next I'm thinking about how much of a sissy I am for being cold when winter isn't even completely here yet. And lastly, I suck at running the ranch. My father would be ashamed."

She hung her head and hated herself for admitting it all to Jake, but like ususal he was the only one who would listen to her secrets. Or more so, she blabbed them to.

Jake tipped his hat up after considering her words, "You're doing good, Brat. Ranching's hard work. It's even harder when you're," he paused trying to think of the right words, "trying to raise a family."

The comment caught Sam's attention. Did Jake imply he wanted to start a family with her? Or was already by helping to raise Cody?

She figured it was the latter when the words whispered from out of her mouth too quickly before she could think, "You are my family."

He rode Witch closer and reached down pulling Ace to a stop.

"And you're mine, too, Sam," he said. She looked up to meet his soft brown mustang eyes.

"I know it's going to be rough but we can do this, just like our parents have done for generations," he continued. "You can trust me, I won't let anything bad happen to it. I want to help you run it, not run it by myself."

"Well you're doing a good job," she told him back. "Better than I ever could have done alone."

He gave her that lazy tom cat grin that made her go crazy for him, "I look at it this way; you've bossed me about this long in my life since we were kids I might as well let you continue, Princess."

Sam narrowed her eyes but couldn't help to smile at his joke. "You wouldn't like me any other way."

Jake rolled his eyes and Sam bit her lip, holding back a giggle.