"Sam? Are you there?"

Sam blinked. "Yeah. Sorry, but can you make this quick? I've got another person on hold and also, i'm trying to finish my algebra."

"Okay," Ryan said. "Wait, who else are you talking to? Is it Jen?"

"Yeah.."

Ryan laughed nervously. "Okay then, well I probably won't be needing you now. But if you don't mind, could you tell me what she said?"

Sam never really knew Ryan to be a nosy person. And she was confused about this whole thing. Was there something she didn't know?

"Uh, Ryan, is there something you want her to say? I'm confused."

"You mean she didn't tell you already?" Ryan asked.

"Well, she was about to tell me something until you called."

"Oh. Well you can have her tell you. I need to go anyway. Bye," Ryan said, then quickly hung up.

Sam switched back to Jen.

"Hi! Sorry, that was Ryan," Sam apologized. "So, is there something you want to tell your best friend?" Sam smiled innocently even though no one could see.

There was a long silence before Jen said, "Sorry Sam I have to go, but I promise I'll tell you later!" Jen said, and with that, hung up.

Putting down the phone, Sam groaned. She hated waiting.

"And now to make matters worse, now I have to finish my algebra!" Sam stared down at the scattered papers before her, sighed, and went to work.

There was a single knock at the door.

"Coming!" Sam yelled, wondering who it could be. "What? No one's there-"

"Brat calm down I'm right here," Jake said. He stood to the right, leaning against the door.

Sam laughed."Oh! Well, geez Jake, you don't have to be practically hidden."

"So are you gonna let me in or what?"

"Oh, right," Sam said, wondering why this was so hard. Jake never just randomly came to the door unless he needed to.

"That one girl-whatever her name is-she's late." Leaning against the wall, Jake blew through his lips and watched the clock.

"You mean Tiffany?" Sam asked, opening up the fridge. The coolness inside made her feel good.

Jake nodded. "Been 15 minutes."

Sam snorted. "No surprise, since she's Linc's niece and all."

Jake flashed Sam a confused look.

"She's also living with Linc for a week," Sam added, then Jake shrugged, still unsure.

"Are you thirsty?" Sam asked.

"Naw, I'm fine."

Shaking her head at Jake's contentment, Sam snatched an ice cool Dr. Pepper and sat down, glancing at Jake every now and then. He wasn't the best at having decent, friendly conversations.

"Jake, Sam began, getting his attention.

"Yeah?" Jake said, walking over to the table, and when he studied each chair carefully like it was the hardest decision in the world, he sat down at the farthest chair from Sam.

"We're..we're like, still friends, right?" Sam asked, biting her lip so hard it felt like it was going to bleed.

Jake stared at her blankly for a second. "Why do you ask?"

Sam sighed. "Well, first of all, we never have actual normal conversations like normal friends do, and second of all, most of the time we don't get along."

Uncomfortable, Jake rubbed the back of his neck then said, "Look Sam, I don't know much about this stuff. Though honestly, I think we are. Just because we don't do what 'normal' friends do doesn't mean anything."

Although she had expected him to say some sort of a native american saying, like he usually did when he gave her advice, Jake kept quiet. Fidgeting, Sam wished she hadn't brought this up.

"I'm going outside." Clearing her throat, Sam got up and dashed out the door without another word.

"Wha-"

The door slammed before Jake could finish. A minute later, he opened the door and caught up with Sam.

"You should go home too," Sam said. She could feel her mind spinning in circles faster and faster and she didn't know why. Stopping, Sam looked up at Jake. "I don't think she's gonna show up today anyway. After all, Ace is my horse and you know me, I don't care darn well how he acts around younger kids. It's not like he's going to do the same thing to Tiffany as he did at that parade, and plus, I'd be sort of happy if he did cause then Linc wouldn't want to use him ever again-"

Jake's strong, cold hands grasped Sam's shoulders and shook them until Sam yelled for him to stop.

"You're blabbering," Jake yelled back.

"Well maybe that's because I'm nervous!" Sam snapped, looking up at him with harsh eyes. Slowly, Sam sat down on the lowest porch step with her head leaning against the rail, and when it became too hard to hold her tears in, she let them fall.

She didn't even try to stop crying when she heard Jake sit down too.

"I'm guessing this has to do with Ace."

Even though Jake spoke softly and quietly, It seemed like he had to force every single word out of his mouth.

All Sam could do was nod. She'd prefer it if he just went home now, instead of having to listen to her mope, but Jake's tone made it clear that he wasn't going to leave any time soon.

"It'll be fine. What's the worst that can happen?" Jake asked. "I'll be with ya, brat. If he runs away or something, that's when my roping skills will come in handy."

All the time while Sam was listening to Jake try to cheer her up, she wondered to herself why she was so nervous. She knew it wasn't just because of Ace going to Reno for stinkin pony rides. Something else was making her feel scared. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"-Your Gram."

Sniffing, Sam looked up and saw Gram's car crossing the bridge. Sam stood up, quickly wiping away her tears and making sure it hadn't looked like she had been crying. "Jake, go home."

Nodding, Jake started toward Witch. He turned around and pointed his finger at Sam.

"I don't know what's up with you brat, but you surely are actin' different," He said, and then turned back around and left.

Puzzled, Sam stood there still watching Jake as Gram huddled onto the porch with two heavy bags of groceries.

"Sam, would you please get the other two bags out from the trunk and bring them inside, instead of just standing out here? It would be a big help."

"Sorry, right away," Sam said, then went to the car and heaved the bags of groceries inside the air conditioned house where it felt good.

"So how was Tiffany's lesson?" Gram asked, putting milk inside the refridgerator.

"She didn't show up," Sam said. Gram's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Oh, well that's a shame," Gram said, washing her hands. "Why was Jake here then?"

Sam thought about what she should say. "Um..he and I were just talking. Hanging out. You know, what friends usually do?"

Gram looked from amused to skeptical.

"I would imagine you and Jen doing that, not you and Jake."

Rolling her eyes, Sam put the last of the groceries away and closed the fridge. "Well anyway, I'm going outside to groom Ace. See ya." Sam waved, then shot out the door, strutting toward her horse.

Normally, Ace would be calling to her by now, with grass dangling from his mouth. But now, the bay stood still, gazing intently toward the wild side of the river. The only sound he made was a quiet nicker, and Sam could see his whole body tremble.

"What is it, boy?" Sam whispered toward the gelding. His eyes stayed fixed on whatever it was that remained invisible to Sam.

Carefully stepping closer, she tried to follow Ace's gaze and saw nothing, until a branch shook from what seemed like probably a horse.

Sam's spirit rose. Maybe it was the phantom, taking a drink from the cool and refreshing La Charla river, while his band patiently waited far behind. But the only thing wrong with that was, it was rare for him to come this close to the ranch in pure daylight.

Suddenly, out of the rustling pinion pines, appeared a lanky tobiano with a white mane that fell down into his big, dark eyes. Completely ignoring both human and horse, the paint slowly lowered his head to drink like he had done it all his life.

Why hadn't she ever seen him before? Sam wondered, walking as slow as she could, her mouth open in amazement as the gelding lifted a foreleg and playfully splashed the water. Then, he backed away, swinging his head from side to side, and this time crashed into the river with all four legs.

As soon as Sam let out a fit of giggles, she covered her mouth, regretting she ever did.

Don't bolt, Sam thought, trying to send out the message telepathically. When the fiesty tobiano lifted his head and stared at her, standing still as a statue, it seemed like it had almost worked.

"Hi, big guy," Sam crooned, carefully walking closer and closer, eyes still on the gelding, until she was almost to the river. He didn't budge.