Chapter 3
"Beep! Beep!" Sam's alarm screamed at her to wake up.
"Ugh." Sam groaned as she stuck her arm out to shut it up.
"Samantha, wake up, wake up!" Cody was already in her room tugging at her arm which now hung out of under the covers.
"Go away" Sam mumbled as she turned her body to give her back to Cody.
"Sammy!" he whined, "We have to go outside there's big surprise." He said then he giggled, and was about to say something else when Brynna walked into her room.
"Okay, Cody stop harassing your sister," Brynna said clearly amused and even more clearly cutting off whatever Cody was about to say, "and Samantha breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes so I suggest you start getting ready." The twinkle in her eyes as she said the last part made Sam wonder why it was there and what it meant but she obeyed regardless.
She could hear Gram cooking and talking from where she was and it comforted her. She needed comfort, Sam still felt shaky over what happened last night. The memory attacked with ferocity but the pain that shot through her chest was a mere echo of what she had felt last night. She felt her cheeks and they felt rough where the tears had etched themselves on her face. Her insides began twisting and knotting and a cold shill ran down her body. Cody's laughter traveled up the stairs and it began to calm her down, this was a new day, a happy day. Her insides unknotted and her body seemed to be returning to normal. Sam heard the horse's neighs and trots floating through her window and all uneasiness left her.
Sam began to get ready and seeing as if she had some time she decided she felt like dressing "up". She found her favorite jade colored muscle-shirt that fit her snuggly around her curves which gave her the body of a woman, rather than that of a scrawny awkward girl. She put on her favorite pair of jeans which she found draped over her desk chair and put on riding boots. Sam turned on the curling iron and proceeded to doing her makeup. Though she wasn't a big makeup user through time she had learned a few tips and tricks. Sam's usual makeup was natural looking and gave her a faint glow, she refused to wear liquid makeup, however, because it made her face feel heavy and herself feel awkward. Today however she was feeling bold and though she kept her face as natural looking as she could she ventured on to put on light green eye shadow and outlined her eyes with black eyeliner and mascara. Sam finished her makeup and moved on to curling a few strands of hair here and there. She finished getting ready in less than twenty minutes and looked herself in the mirror.
Sam had left the awkwardness of preteens and entered into the stage in her life where she was becoming a woman. She no longer saw a small little girl in the mirror, her body had changed way too much, her face had thinned, and her frame was a little taller. She felt fresh and cute, maybe even pretty. Sam hoped she now resembled her late-mother.
God knows how much I wish you where here to watch me grow up mom. Sam sighed.
Then you could tell me how much I suck at putting on makeup. Sam continued the thought and giggled sadly.
"Samantha, breakfast is ready." Grams voice carried all the way into her room, followed by the smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Sam's stomach growled.
"Coming" she yelled back. Samantha Anne Forster gave herself a quick once over and left her room with a satisfied smile on her face.
"Wow, don't you look nice" Gram told her as she walked into the kitchen.
"Ouch, Gram don't sound so surprised" Sam said with mock hurt.
"I bet you are probably more surprised than me honey" she said giggling, "Sit down and finish eating because I'm going to need your help cleaning the house before you go off and check on the horses." She added.
"Double chores?!" Sam groaned because she obviously still had ranch chores to do.
"Now Samantha stop complaining," her fathers voice came from behind her "but, no you do not have double chores, so once your done cleaning your free to do whatever you please." He finished and sat down for breakfast.
Sam sighed in relief, she was in the mood to go riding, maybe she would even be able to catch a glimpse of the Phantom. They finished breakfast and everyone headed off to their 'jobs'. Brynna headed off to the BLM offices where she worked as director of Willow Springs Wild Horse Center, Dad headed off to work outside, and Cody followed. Gram asked Samantha to clean up after breakfast and then head on upstairs to clean while she took the downstairs.
Once upstairs she turned on the bathroom radio and began vacuuming and dusting the hallways and rooms. After a while a familiar tune started coming out of the radio.
"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you been here all along so why cant you see you belong with me, you belong with me." Sam sang along.
Ironic. She thought but kept cleaning and singing feeling like Cinderella in the process.
"And you've got a smile that can light up this whole town, I haven't seen it in a while…" Sam continued singing the Taylor Swift song avoiding the obvious thoughts that where coming to her. Finally the song ended and so did Samantha.
"Gram is there anything else you'd like for me to do downstairs" she let her voice carry down to her.
"No, darling, thank you" Sam's gram answered. Sam smiled. Yay, I can go riding now. Ill call Jen. Samantha thought to herself.
She headed downstairs and saw her grandmother cleaning the living room. She was about to offer help when the phone rang.
"Can you get that Sam" her gram ordered.
"Sure I was headed out anyways" Sam answered while walking to the kitchen to get the phone.
"Hell, Forster residence Samantha speaking." She answered the way she had been taught to answer the phone so long ago.
"Hello, Samantha its Maxine." Maxine Ely's voice came from the other end of the phone. Sam's heart skipped a beat.
"Good morning Mrs. Ely, how can I help you" she answered trying to sound normal.
"Sorry to bother but I was wondering if your Gram or Brynna was available, see I have a favor to ask." Mrs. Ely told her.
"Brynna's at work but let me go get Gram, excuse me" Sam answered with a shaky voice.
Sam set the phone down and went back into the living room.
"Gram, Mrs. Ely's on the phone and asked for you." She told her Grandmother with a voice so void of emotion that it made her grandmother give her a funny look. Samantha followed her Grandmother into the kitchen, but instead of waiting for the phone to be free so she could call Jen she headed outside grabbing her brown Stetson. She needed to calm down, fast and there was no better way to clear her mind than to spend the rest of the morning and hopefully afternoon with horses.
Instead of heading towards where Ace was she went to the barn. Samantha began feeling curious over who had taken over her chores since most of the ranch hands where out with her Dad. Yet the barn was empty of humans so she turned back to get to Ace.
"Well whoever it was I'm going to have to thank them" she said with a smile and headed back out of the barn towards Ace.
Finally she was mounted on Ace and out riding. Sam was so happy and relaxed she didn't even notice where it was that she was headed, she just let Ace run. When she saw the river ahead of her she was a little taken aback. She felt Ace stiffen at her reaction and worked on calming down her body to be able to calm Ace down. She dismounted and let Ace take a drink.
Figures. She thought bitterly. This was the same place where so long ago her heart was shattered into millions of tiny pieces. What was wrong with the world? He had come back before and never had she reacted like this. Never, had the entire universe conspired against her and constantly kept reminding her that he exists. Why now?
Samantha just wanted to get out of there, maybe she'd head off to Gold Dust Ranch and surprise Jen, or even go to Deerpath Ranch and see if Mrs. Trudy needed any help. Anywhere but here. Sam thought as she headed towards Ace. Sam was about to mount Ace when she heard a horse coming from behind her and before she could turn around and see who it was a voice made her freeze in place.
"Hey, brat." The voice said hitting her like a lightning bolt electrocuting her in place, shocking her out of her senses.
"Jake!" she said shocked.
Samantha turned around and was standing face to face with the man who had plagued her dreams the night before.