Chapter 8

"My bad." were the first two words out of Sam's mouth. Jake stared at her in unmasked shock, but Sam's tongue froze on that last word.

Daisy Sunshine Roberts's face was the description of anger. She held her pale forehead, glaring resentfully at Sam.

Oh my gosh! Sam's realization of the situation sunk into her like a rock into an ocean. She had tripped in the doorway, collided with Jake and let go of the plastic pitcher. But, why was Daisy Roberts there?

"Uh, are you going to say somethin'?" Jake hissed his mouth barely moving.

Sam's astonished gaze stayed on the preppy cheerleader, seeing that Daisy's low-cut white blouse was drenched with iced tea, which made it more of a brown runny color.

"Jeez, Daisy," Sam managed to say, cringing at her squeaky voice. "Um, are you okay?"

"Nice goin', Darlin'!" yelled a voice from the accumulating crowd. It wasn't too hard to figure out who said that.

Gram came to the rescue as usual, shepherding Daisy and Sam into the house, leaving Jake's surprised face and the cowhand's dumbfounded expressions behind. Just before the screen door slammed shut, Sam saw Jen mounted on Silk Stockings, her hand covering her mouth.

"How about you go help Daisy find some new clothes?" Brynna suggested kindly, not even blinking at the blonde's drenched clothes.

"O-okay." Sam stuttered, starting for the steps. Once the two girls reached Sam's small bedroom, the cowgirl was discreetly aware of the Horse and Rider magazines and fancy tack catalogs scattered around, as well as Sam's dirty shorts and old faded bed sheets with small brown ponies on them.

"Nice bunnies," Daisy rudely commented, sidestepping the rug that her mom had made her when she was four years old.

Sam's ears burned, and she forced herself back from a very rude comeback. The rug was one of the only things she still remembered from her relationship with Louise.

"Here." Sam jerked a black t-shirt and pair of skinny jeans she hated and tossed them to Daisy. Even though the jeans weren't Sam's idea of comfortable, she figured Daisy'd like them. Plus, she had to resist a tempting urge to not give Daisy a pair of neon orange and purple shorts and a ratty t-shirt, from her San Francisco Middle School.

"Where's your bathroom?" Daisy asked stubbornly, hands on her hips.

Sam tried not to sigh. She was missing out on what Darrell and Jen were saying right now, and plus, why was Daisy there anyway?

"I'll just go downstairs. The bathroom is the door on the other side of the hallway." Sam informed, leaving before the preppy girl could answer.

Once downstairs, Sam confronted a questioning Gram. "You've got into more trouble than I could have ever imagined, Sam."

Sam bit her lip and nodded. "But why's Daisy Roberts here?"

"She was taking riding lessons from the Kenworthys'. Her dad is making her since she never rides her horse." Brynna explained, continuing, "So she just came with the Kenworthys and I also invited Eric Roberts."

"Oh-" Sam said, just as Jen bustled in through the door.

Jen stopped to give the Forster ladies a friendly grin. "Sam, can you come help me with Silly, she's being a problem horse today."

Sam nodded, understanding where Jen was going. Jen had perfect control of her frisky mare, and as Jake would do, didn't like to ask for help unless there was blood involved.

"Oh my gosh, Sam!" Jen practically yelled once they were two hundred yards away from the house and the company. "I cannot believe it! Here I was, trotting over River Bend Bridge when all of the sudden there was a plastic pitcher in the air and Daisy was drenched in it!"

Sam winced, throwing a glance over her shoulder. Thank goodness only the Elys had been there when it happened. Now Trudy and Preston, Brynna's new "substitute" for Willow Springs, Al Gray; were all arriving.

Just as Sam suspected, Jen only stroked Silly's forelock and kept on talking. "-I think it was the funniest thing I've ever seen excluding the time you and Jake almost plowed into that Brahma bull statue…"

Sam snorted. "Funny alright, especially when it's not you."

"Your gram said she wants you to help." announced Jake. Sam whirled around, and as usual, hadn't heard him come.

"I will." Sam told him, starting once more towards the house. Jen stayed by the post, retying Silk Stockings in case she got a notion to try to escape for attention.

Jake walked by her, but steps ahead of her. Sam knew he was embarrassed about that incident, but oh well. It wasn't the first time that had happened.

...

"Mom, we can't go!" exclaimed Jen, her eyes growing wide beneath her glasses.

"We'll stay for those fancy fireworks." Lila Kenworthy assured. "But you need to get lots of sleep tonight, if you're gonna be teachin' Daisy bright and early next mornin'." she drawled.

Jen cast a glance at Sam and mouthed, Oops. Sam rolled her eyes and mouthed, Tell me!

"Oh, look, they're startin'!" announced Quinn Ely, pointing at the lightened up sky. The contrast between the bright colorful lights and the dark black Nevada sky made it eery and cool.

Sam self consciously went over and sat by Jake, who had saved a lawn chair for her. Jen sat on the other side of her with Darrell. Sam noticed that Eric Roberts was revving the engine of his Dodge, and Daisy sat sullenly in the passenger seat. All evening Daisy had spent it in the house or ogling over Gabe Preston. At least she got over Jake, Sam mused, glancing at the side of Jake's face.

Jake threw a small "tomcat" smile at her, and widened his eyes a quarter of a millimeter when a huge firework went off, sparkling the sky with fire.

"It's a good thing it ain't any closer." Wyatt deliberated to Luke Ely. The two ranchers stood by the picnic table, glancing wryly at the sky.

"Yeah." Luke agreed. "What a waste of Slocum's money."

Sam knew they were really awed by the display of color though, because they continued to watch.

"Holy freakin' cow manure!" yelled Darrell when a fancy firecracker spelled out Happy 4th!

A few of Jake's brothers and Gram shot Darrell a funny glance. Jen started to laugh, her red, white and blue braids swinging out.

"I'm glad you don't do that to your hair." Jake reluctantly told Sam, looking at her chestnut-red locks. Sam chuckled. "Yeah, well, if I cut it off again, will you get mad?"

Jake gave her a long sidelong glance. "It's uh, prettier, when it's long like it is now."

"I wasn't going to anyhow." Sam assured him, gasping over a huge explosion in the sky. It wasn't often that she saw fireworks, especially ones these good.

After the grand finale of firecrackers, Lila and Jed pulled Jen over to Silly and forced her to mount up and leave. Darrell hopped in his graffiti-covered bug and sped off ten minutes after the Kenworthys left. Sam was glad he stayed longer, so she could ask about Daisy.

"Jenny has to help her get used to her Saudi Arabian horsey, who's name is Jacob!" chortled Darrell.

Sam and Jake had laughed too, since Darrell said "Saudi Arabian horsey" instead of an Arab.

"Eric Robert's is payin' her big bucks, and she's only gonna do it for a few weeks." Darrell had continued, taking a swig of Mountain Dew.

The Elys and Trudy Allen and Preston were the last to leave, but Jake stayed longer to help clean up. Jake made Sam go to the barn and make sure Ace wasn't trying to undo the bolt.

Once in the barn, Sam flipped on the lights and screamed, plowing into Jake from the behind.