Disclaimer: I don't own Phantom Stallion and Bold dialog is from the book, so I don't own that either
I don't know how long I worked for, at least an hour. Sam came back from riding and Grace from grocery shopping. I briefly considered helping carrying in groceries, but I didn't feel like talking to anyone. I worked for a while more, all the groceries got put away and so did Ace.
I sat on a stump and watched the horses in the ten-acre pasture. Sam walked hesitantly towards me. About half way across the yard, a determined look came on her face and she walked a little faster. I flinched at that look.
Sam was probable the most stubborn person I've ever met. I half-halfheartedly considered walking away, but I knew Sam would just follow me. The first thing out of her mouth was, "What's wrong with you today" At least she was being direct.
"Nothin'" I replied
"You decided to come over and finish half the bunkhouse reconstruction all alone for no reason?"
I really didn't want to talk about it, so I said, "Just being neighborly"
Of course Sam didn't leave it at that. She retorted, "If you were being neighborly you would've yelled 'hi' at me and Jen"
"Didn't know you'd taken to being so sensitive," I started then thought better of it. I let out a breath and instead said, "I don't want to talk about it, okay" Natural I thought that was the end of it. It was silent for a second till Sam asked,
"Does it have anything to do with your grandfather?" I glared at her and considered throwing something at her, but I realized being such a small town she'd find out about it anyway. I shook my head and looked out towards the mountains.
"He wants me to do some kind of manhood initiation thing" I glanced at Sam; she had a small frown on her face, but quickly lifted her eyebrows to erase it.
"Really?" She said. I knew she was trying to get me to explain. I decided to cut her some slack and continued the conversation.
"Really, he doesn't care that I don't have time getting ready for track season either."
"What kind of initiation thing are you talking about?" Sam asks
"Grandfather doesn't care what we do. Like it doesn't have to be Shoshone, but he says we shouldn't turn our backs on the old ways. We should master at least one thing."
"So your brothers have to do something with you?" I kept my face deliberately blank and replied,
"They've already done their stuff."
"Oh" Sam says and grits her teeth together, an action that has the strange ability to be either incredibly annoying, or adorable, like a little kid trying to keep quiet. This time it was the latter, so I decide to elaborate.
"You're dying for details aren't you?" Sam nodded. I sigh remembering I really don't like to talk a lot, and explaining what task my five brothers "mastered" might just use up my daily allotment of words. But, valiantly I continued,
"Kit went on, like, an old school vision quest. Surviving in the wild, living off the land. That sort of thing. Nate learned to be a fancy dancer and he performed at powwows in Reno. Adam built a canoe the old way and he still hauls it out to Momument Lake sometimes. Bryan built a sweat lodge. Dad calls it our Indian sauna. We all use it once and awhile. And Quinn learned to drum. Grandfather had him play at some ceremony last fall. And then there's me."
"Mom says it's important to do something, because it will make Dad and Grandfather happy. But she can't fool me the history teacher part of her thinks it's great."
"She brought up all these examples of family traditions, like joining your parents' church or the fraternity your dad was in at college, stuff like that's a lot more commitment then this. She actually suggested I make a teepee. Can you believe it? Like Darrell-"
I cut off, and not because I used up all my words, I just didn't want Sam to have anything to do with Darrell and I guess maybe I was a little, tiny bit insecure. After a thoughtful silence Sam tentatively said "You wear your hair long."
Like that made me "unique". Tons of guys have long hair just like mine. So I retorted "Other guys have long hair"
She made a face at that and looked up at the sky. After staring for a couple of minutes, she got a smug little smile on her face and turned to me, and said "Hey, Gram's making a cake and she wants you to come eat some of it. Think you can hang around that long?'"
I nodded and at the sound of hooves, I turned to see Brynna and Wyatt ride in. You could really tell they loved each other and were meant to be. They were talking and laughing, the same manner as did Sam and I. Was that why everyone assumed we'd get together? We connected because we were friends; I didn't like her did I? Sam's eyes flicked towards them then back to me. I quickly lowered my eyelids to hide my confusion.
"Strawberry looks like a different horse when Dad rides her," Sam grumbled
"She knows he won't put up with any nonsense, that takes the burden off a horse, knowing she can't be in-charge." I considered the concept, not knowing where you stood with someone could be quite a burden. I was experience that first hand, did I like Sam, more importantly did she like me? By the time I finished the thought the Fosters were dismounting.
"It seems we're having company" Brynna remarked.
"We are? When?" Sam asked with suppressed excitement.
Wyatt replied in typical cowboy fashion, short and vague "Few hours from now."
Brynna laughed and explained further, "I guess because it's the first nice day in a while everyone was out for a ride. Once we invited the Kenworthys and Slocums, we couldn't wait to ask your family, too, Jake."
"We'll double the number of places you need at the table," I said. It was really amusing to watch Sam try to do mental math. She slightly scrunches up her face and gets a little furrow in her brow, before she finished adding up all the people Wyatt added more,
"Might as well as see if Trudy and Helen wanna come, too," he said. Sam's face went blank for half a second before her eyes widened and she blurted out,
"isn't that like twenty-four people" She was close it was twenty-three. Three Kenworthys, two Slocums (ugh); Rachel was in France (yay!), eight Elys, nine counting Grandpa, Trudy and Helen, the four Fosters plus their three ranch hands. Brynna and Wyatt laughed,
"It won't be a sit-down deal" he said.
"It's a potluck. Everyone will bring anything they feel like, biscuits, butter milk pie-whatever. We'll drag a table out here." Brynna finished while vaguely gesturing towards the ranch yard. " and the best part," Brynna went on, "is we all have scrap wood from earthquake damage and no one's taken the time to burn it yet, so we're going to have a bonfire!" She sounding excited and it did sound fun,
So I said, "Cool"
"That is so cool" My echo Sam added. Wyatt shook his head at her, but he was smiling. "And Jen's coming too?" She asked way eagerly.
Brynna answered, "Yes in fact her family is riding over together," I told myself the twinge I got in my gut was because Sam with Jen always led to trouble, there was no way I was jealous that Sam was so happy to see her other best friend when I was right there. I needed to be leaving soon anyway. I dusted off the blade of the saw I still holding, setting it aside I announced
"I'd better get going, " Sam immediately protested,
"But I need to tell you something" The fact that she didn't want me to leave gave me a weird feeling, a combination of smug relief and nervous anticipation. I pushed it aside, it was ridiculous to feel that way. What could happen with her dad standing right there. Besides, we were just friends, best friends, but that's it. So I began
"Mom will be-" only to be interrupted by Sam.
"What about Gram's cake" I hated when she interrupts me so I continued,
"Mom will be asking for everybody's help, and if I'm not there, who knows what kinda chores they'll leave for me.
Sam actually let me finish a sentence, but quickly replied, "I just-" only to be interrupted by Brynna,
"You'll have plenty of time to talk tonight," I looked at Sam sensing her Brynna's sing-song tone and the implication behind it. Sam began again in a deliberately level tone.
"But there's this thing..." only to be interrupted by her dad.
"It'll wait"
"It won't wait," She tried again, I started thinking maybe Brynna wasn't far off with that implication and it might not be so crazy if I like Sam. She got too more words out. "I need" before she was interrupted by her dad, who said with a laugh.
"For cryin' out loud Samantha, let the boy go." I started to laugh too, but then she turned and glared at me. I had enough sense to stay quiet and find out what she wanted later. I got up on Witch and rode away. Before I kicked Witch into a trot, I watched walk into the house without a backwards glance. Maybe she didn't like me, that glare was pretty impressive and wouldn't she watch me leave, even if she only thought she might like me. See her today left me willing to admit that there was a chance that I might like her a more then a friend.