Sam shook her head, letting Ace fall into a gentle lope as she angled towards La Charla. Who did Jake think he was, anyway? Sighing as Ace splashed into the river, lowering his head to drink, she noticed tears on her cheeks. Sliding from his back into the ankle-deep water, Sam pulled Ace's saddle off and draped it over a log, letting him play in the water as she flopped back onto the sand, resting her forehead on her knees. Her thoughts drifted, coaxed by the intense heat. She thought back to how she had met Jake's eyes, and the bizarre feeling that had swept through her. No way. Jake might as well have been her brother, that was the only kind of liking she felt for him. He would be going to college soon anyway, so it wouldn't matter. Drifting towards sleep, she didn't hear Witch's hooves on the ground behind her, and didn't realize Jake was there until he sat in the sand by her side.

Sam jumped. "Stop doing that!" She snarled. Jake was avoiding her eyes, watching Ace splash in the water.

"Your dad sent me to make sure you weren't chasing that stallion." He said quietly.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Well, you can tell him that I wasn't." She stood, but Jake caught her arm and pulled her back into the sand.

"What's your problem, Brat?" He demanded, staring at her. "You look the same way Jen does when she's talking about Ryan Slocum." His eyes widened and he made a face of disgust. "Oh geez, you don't like him, do you?"

Sam glared at Jake, scrambling to her feet. "No, of course I don't." She looked at Ace and walked over to him, resaddling him.

"What is wrong with you?" Jake's voice had gotten quieter, as it did when he got irritated.

"Nothing." Sam forced her voice to remain calm as she swung onto Ace's back.

"If it's about that stallion-" Jake started to speak, but Sam shook her head.

"It isn't. I'm sure he'll be fine. I'll see you at school." She fought to keep her voice level as she turned and trotted towards home.

Monday morning Sam sat on the bus, arms folded and a frown causing Jen to look at her in mild concern. "You look like me." Her friend said with a hint of amusement. Sam looked over at her.

"I just feel really weird lately. All that stuff with Hotspot on Saturday…" Sam's voice faltered.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Jen said, voice sympathetic. Sam stared at her.

"How could you forget something like that?" She asked, bewildered.

Jen grinned slyly. "I didn't get a chance to tell you, did I?" She let the moment stretch, then said calmly, "Ryan asked me out last night."

Sam tried to be happy, but her mind was spinning. She barely made it through her classes, worried about what had happened to the Phantom. As she started towards the bus after school, a car horn made her jump.

"Get in, Brat. Your dad wanted me to give you a ride home." The one voice she could have gone without hearing caused her to sigh. Turning, she got into the passenger side of Jake's truck.

"Are you goin' to tell me what's bothering you?" Jake asked, sounding slightly irritated.

Sam shrugged. "Just a lot going on, in case you didn't notice. Hotspot, the Phantom, Dad's cattle, Ryan asking Jen out…"

Jake's eyes widened. "Ryan Slocum?" He shook his head. "Jen should know better."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Why don't you go tell her that, she won't listen to me."

Jake pulled over just before going over the bridge and turned off the truck. Sam stared at him, and when he didn't speak for a few moments, she figured he didn't want to waste time driving all the way up to her ranch. Sighing in irritation, Sam started to get out, but Jake locked the doors. "What's wrong?" Sam asked Jake quickly, looking instinctively for the white blur of the Phantom.

"Exactly." Jake said, staring at her. Sam sank back against the seat. "That horse has been in trouble so many times, but NOW your starting to act strange."

Sam met his gaze, noting that his eyes were completely unreadable. "Mustang eyes." She said softly.

"You called me that on Saturday, what is wrong with you?" Jake demanded, voice quiet in anger.

Sam looked down. "Just open the door Jake."

"Not until you tell me."

"You don't want to know."

"Try me."

"Why haven't you ever asked me out?"

Silence stretched between the two of them, and Jake's hand moved to the back of his neck as he frowned. "You might as well be my sister. Going out with you would be like incest." He said quietly. Silence fell again.

Sam reached across Jake and unlocked the doors. "Right." She said quietly, feeling a strange burning in her throat. As she started over the bridge, she heard Jake's truck pull away.

"I'm heading to Dr. Scott's to check on Hotspot!" Sam heard Brynna's voice just as she stepped into the house, and stood aside as her stepmother rushed outside. Frowning, she moved into the kitchen where Dad was sitting alone, hands cupped around a mug of coffee.

"That mare's got a broken cannon bone, Sam." He said quietly. Sam's eyes widened.

"But-" Before she could speak, Dad was talking again.

"And your stallion killed one of my best bulls. I've been talking with Brynna, and she disagrees, but it seems like the best thing now would be to get that horse taken to Arizona or Montana."

Sam stood there in disbelief. "Well, thanks for having Jake take me home, I didn't really know what to say to Jen…" She said quietly, fuming silently. Dad frowned.

"I never asked Jake to take you home." He said just as softly as Sam started up the stairs to her room.

((Well, what do you think? Seems like Jake just wanted more time alone with Sam. Things are going to start picking up soon. Please review!))