When Lucky, Pru and Abigail returned to the barn they found Thunder already racing around wth me holding onto his reins with my left hand. "You look better." Lucky told me once Thunder pulled up beside my friends.

"I feel better. You won't believe this but Grayson raced me and I beat him and Xerxes to the end of the Tarrell Circuit track." I announced getting three blank stares for my trouble. "Is it that impossible?" I added with a slight frown on my face Thunder turning around before Lucky hurried after us.

"I didn't mean it like that, Mia. I was just surprised. You must be getting better if you beat Grayson of all people." Lucky apologized and I nodded, waiting until they saddled their own horse before we headed out for a ride.

"We did take off before him but I still beat him back to the finish line so I count it as a win." I told them once we reached the hill where Thunder and I had first seen the herd.

"I would have loved to see the look on Grayson's face when you crossed the finish line." Abigail said and I grinned, remembering how wide his eyes were as Thunder rushed past Xerxes.

"Grayson probably looked the same as he did when I beat him." Lucky agreed and I giggled leaning over Thunder's saddle as I looked past the hill finally seeing the horses from a week ago. "That's Spirit's herd." She told me.

"That's pretty awesome. I've never seen wild horses before." I pointed out, watching as they wandered around eating the grass near their hooves. "Living in the city you miss a lot."

"I noticed that when I first moved here. That's where I met Spirit and Pru and Abigail." Lucky said all of us hearing horse whinnies. "Boomerang and Chica Linda as well of course."

"Of course." I smiled watching the horses as my mind wandered back to the race and when I sighed Thunder snorted. "Is something wrong, Thunder?"

"You're thinking about him aren't you?" Abigail asked and I turned my head staring at her until she laughed. "I knew you liked him...not sure why but whatever." She added and I blinked feeling very lost until Lucky cleared her throat.

"Be honest, Mia. You don't actually like that jerk...do you?" Pru asked and I bit my lip unable to think of anything convincing to say.

"I really don't know. One minute he's being a jerk to me and the next he's actually having a race with me." I admitted feeling very confused about everything until Abigail interrupted my thoughts.

"You can't trust Grayson. He'll make you think he's being friendly then...bam!" Abigail shouted and I jerked in my saddle as she gave me a grin. "He'll steal Thunder out from under your nose."

"Abigail, when has Grayson ever been friendly to anyone?" Pru answered and after thinking about it for several seconds Abigail just shrugged. "Exactly my point."

"Grayson never acts friendly or nice to anyone." Lucky agreed and I sighed wishing they'd stop focusing so much on Grayson. "I mean he did help my dad escape Jane 'Butch' Lepray so he;s not all bad."

"He still wants to take Thunder away from me so you're right. I shouldn't trust his nice guy act." I replied steering Thunder back down the hill. "Come on let's go for a ride!" I called out as Thunder took off at a canter and I laughed as my friends raced after us. We spent a few hours racing around the forest until it started to get dark which didn't bother me until the PALS had to go home.

"We'll see you tomorrow." Lucky agreed until Pru cleared her throat and she cringed. "Oh yeah. After school right." She quickly added as we raced back to the barn. Lucy and Spirit reached the barn first and I grinned determined to at least get second place with Thunder. But as we reached the barn I relaxed my grip on Thunder's reins my right hand throbbing and Thunder slowed turning his head once he came to a complete stop to see me grimacing.

"I might have put a little too much stress on my hand. Maybe I'll spend tomorrow resting it." I admitted and he nodded at me not caring when Pru and Abigail raced past us. Content to let them win Thunder took his time walking into the barn and after I climbed off his back he walked with me back to his stall. "You get some rest okay? I'll come past tomorrow as usual." I told him and he snorted gently nuzzling my head before he blew my hair over my face making me giggle.

I waved goodbye to the PALS before I started to walk back to the hotel hoping I'd make it back in time for supper. I had just reached the town and as I was making my way back to the hotel I heard footsteps which caused me to start walking faster my injured arm at my side. Whoever it was followed me for a block until I grew frustrated that someone would have the nerve to follow me and I spun around.

"Enough already! What do you want?" I shouted and Xerxes blinked back at me his nose inches from mine. Blinking I looked up my eyes narrowing when I saw Grayson staring at me just as shocked by my shouting. "Are you my official stalker now because that's just being creepy." I muttered as he climbed down once I resumed walking back to the hotel.

"I'm not stalking you, Missy. We just happened to be walking the same way." Grayson protested and I rolled my eyes as he led Xerxes along the street.

"In the dark when no one but us are around? Besides you have a ranch don't you?" I pointed out and he paused thinking of a reason until I sighed. "Admit that you were following me and I won't have you arrested." I joked and he actually blinked at me until I gave him a quick grin. "I'm joking, Grayson."

"That wasn't very funny, Mia. I was heading this way on my way back to my ranch and I happened to see you walking alone. Not safe a woman walkin' alone in the dark you know." Grayson told me and I just shrugged as we turned the block the hotel now in view. " 'Specially a woman who lives in the big city and has never set foot in the frontier."

"Is that some friendly advice, Grayson?" I asked and he nodded still walking beside me. "If Thunder was here he'd protect me from anyone." I answered as we headed straight for the hotel and Grayson just shrugged following right beside me until the hotel was only a few feet away.

"Gotta be able to protect yourself you know. Can't always expect other people to take care of you." Grayson told me once we reached the door to the hotel.

"Alright I'll listen but only because you stitched up my hand. Now it's getting late so I'd better go in. Goodnight, Grayson." I replied waving before I headed inside gently closing the door behind me.

Grayson just shook his head steering Xerxes back towards his ranch missing me poking my head back out the door with a faint smile on my lips.

Closing the door I turned around in time to find Althena standing there one eyebrow raised at me and I sighed. "Sorry I'm getting back so late." I apologized and she just nodded as I quickly made my way back to my room.

The next morning I grabbed my gloves pulling them over my hands and even with an aching and sore hand I decided to see how far Thunder and I could run. Remembering that the PALS would be at school until that afternoon I took Thunder out of the barn leading him a few feet before I carefully climbed onto his saddle, taking a deep breath when he started to walk.

"I'm okay, Thunder. My hand's just a little sore. Do you want to ride out to that stream?" I offered and Thunder snorted breaking into a canter so I held onto his reins tightly with my left hand looking forward to a few hours away until Thunder reached the stream and once I saw someone already there I shook my head.

"Okay why are you following me?" I complained as I climbed down from Thunder's back and after filling his canteen Grayson straightened.

"How am I following you when I was here first, Missy?" Grayson pointed out and I started to argue until I remembered that Thunder and I had gotten here after them. "Told ya."

"Alright so you're not following us then. What are you doing here anyway?" I asked Grayson my arms crossed against my chest and he chuckled, moving back to Xerxes until I blocked his path. "Well?"

"Missy, you don't own the frontier in case that slipped your mind." Grayson countered and I just snorted at him as he stared me down. "Now what exactly are you doing here?"

"So you're allowed to come and go as you please but I can't?" I asked and when he shrugged I snorted at me. "I came out for a ride and you just happened to be here. Since you're here I have a question for you." I added and he fixed me with two raised eyebrows.

"What's that?" He asked and after I told him he shook his head. "Uh uh. There's no way I'm teaching you anything." He told me pushing past me and I rolled my eyes as he headed for Xerxes until Thunder blocked his path.

"Oh come on. You gave this big speech about me not relying on anyone then you won't help me." I pointed out as he tried to push past Thunder until Thunder lowered his head and Grayson shook his head turned back around. "If you're so good at living in the frontier you should be able to teach me."

"Of course I could but what's in it for me?" Grayson countered and that threw me until he chuckled. "If I teach you what do I get in return?"

"Well I could pay you." I offered and he chuckled walking past Thunder and I hurried over before he could climb back into the saddle. "Okay so I don't have much after coming out here but I'll think of something." I said and he pulled himself up turning Xerxes around until Grayson was leaning over the saddle.

"How 'bout this? If I manage to teach you how to survive out here you do something for me?" Grayson suggested and I nodded getting a faint smile for my trouble. "You don't even know what it is yet."

"As long as it's not giving Thunder to you a deal's a deal." I replied lifting my left hand up and he just shrugged, shaking my hand with a grin on his face. "No backing out."

"Same goes for you too. Now I have work to do so I'll see you tomorrow morning outside the hotel." Grayson said as Xerxes walked past his horse breaking into a canter once they were out of sight.

Thunder rolled his eyes at the pair before he walked back to me gently nudging my back. "He won't try and take you from me, boy. He made a promise and I know he'll keep to his word." Hearing that Thunder blinked at me until I sighed. "I know, I know but I'm going to have to trust him if I'm going to prove to my dad I can make my own way out here without his money."

Since we had a full day to wait until Grayson got back Thunder and me spent the day racing around the forest and canyon, seeing how fast Thunder could run. Once we got back to the barn the PALS were already waiting there for us and I grinned as Thunder rushed over to them skidding to a halt once we reached the barn.

"That was awesome!" Lucky said as I climbed down from Thunder's back and I grinned waiting patiently as they went to saddle their own horses.

As we rode out into the forest I noticed a strange looking rock and when the PALS noticed me staring at it they led me to it. "That's Skull Rock. You don't want to go further than that because Grayson's ranch is there." Lucky pointed out and I frowned slightly wondering what was so bad about the ranch. "He hates it if we go anywhere near the place."

"Especially after we broke his window." Abigail commented and I tilted my head until she added. "Well Lucky broke it with the rocking chair but he didn't have to get so angry. It was an accident." She admitted and I just shrugged looking past the rock until Lucky shook her head.

"Believe me you don't want to make him angry. He's mean and he even bought the land where our favorite water hole is just to kick us out of it." Lucky explained and I chewed my lip wondering if they were being truthful.

"I didn't think he'd do something like that. Guess I just try and see the good in people who aren't." I muttered turning Thunder around. "Maybe we should go in a different direction."

We rode our horses in the opposite direction and as Thunder raced along I found myself wondering if asking Grayson for help may not have been the best idea.

"Something on your mind, Mia?" Pru asked and I blinked not realizing everyone had been staring at me for the last few seconds.

"I just remembered that I asked Grayson for advice. He's meeting me tomorrow at the hotel." I admitted and Lucky shook her head Spirit pulling up aside me. "I know how that sounds but I didn't know that he was that mean."

"What advice did you ask him for?" Abigail asked and once I explained Pru shook her head at me. "You know you could have asked us for advice? Or Lucky's dad?"

"Anyone would have been better to ask but Grayson." Pru agreed and I groaned, rubbing at the bridge of my nose. "Sorry but it's the truth."

"I knew I shouldn't have asked him but I did and now I'm stuck. Maybe it won't be that bad." I answered and Thunder shook his head. "On second thought it probably will be."