"Sam! What happened?"

Brynna let the door slam as she ran over to Ace. Sam wasn't there.

"Sam? Where are you?"

Still no answer. Worried, Brynna frantically walked over to the other side of Ace and gasped.

"Why am I on the ground beside Ace?" Sam grumbled, her head dizzy from the fall. Brynna kneeled down and immediately checked Sam's forehead for bruises. Sam would have collapsed if her step mom wasn't holding her up.

For a second Brynna thought she was unconscious, until Sam stood up and mounted her horse without a problem.

"It's funny," Sam said, turning Ace to face her step mom, "I can't remember anything that happened since..since..when I went with Jake to see Witch give birth!" Sam said, suddenly recalling that night.

"And Ricardo..." Sam had her finger pointed in the air, remembering that stallion who kept making a fuss. All of the horses were. Suddenly Sam remembered when Ricardo got out, and her trying to keep him their, and then...

Sam gasped. "Oh. My. God."

"What, dear?" Brynna asked, thinking her step daughter was insane.

Sam opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Then, unexpectedly, she burst out laughing.

Brynna folded her arms and shook her head. She didn't have time for Sam's ridiculous behavior. "What!"

Sam laughed harder. When she saw Brynna's face, which was not the happiest, Sam fought to keep herself under control.

"I just realized what happened to me over the past..two weeks." Sam smiled, looked at the ground, then continued, "I lost my memory."

"What?" Brynna said in shock. "No, you didn't, 'cause remember just last week your dad and I showed you the note Jake left you?"

Sam looked skeptical. "What note?"

Brynna sighed impatiently. "You know, the one he wrote to tell you he let Tempest loose?"

"What?" Sam yelled. "Oh, no, he didn't, not my baby!"

Ace and Sam were off loping toward the barn before Brynna could respond. Brynna shook her head and walked toward the house. "Sometimes I just don't get a word she says."

As soon as they were in the barn, Sam hopped off her horse and looked inside Sunny's stall. Dark sunshine immediately backed away, showing the whites of her eyes. Sam sighed. Tempest wasn't there.

"I hate Jake Ely!" Sam shouted, getting back on Ace. "Come on, we gotta find her. Or should I have Jake help me since he's the one who let her go?" Sam smirked. "Off to Three Ponies."

Sam didn't care how fast she went on Ace. The sooner she got there, the sooner Tempest would be found and put back into her warm, cozy stall with her mother. It was where she belonged.

"Just a little faster, boy."

Obeying Sam's signal, Ace picked up his speed. Pretty soon everything around her became blurry and it was hard to see. Sam squinted, but fortunately Ace knew where he was going. Sam put his reigns up higher on his neck, telling the gelding she was depending on him all the way.

Finally Three Ponies Ranch came into sight. Sam slowed down Ace. They were both sweaty and breathing hard from determination.

Looking around for a sign of Jake of his brothers, Sam quickly ground tied Ace and headed for the Ely's door. Jake answered.

As soon as she saw his stupid face, she had to fight back the strong urge not to punch it. Sam's hands were already curling into fists. Breathing hard in anger, Sam stared into his eyes, ready to give Jake Ely what he deserved.

Instead of smirking at how frustrated she was, like he usually did, Jake avoided her eyes and frowned. "What do you want?"

"What I want-" Sam paused. "You-" Her brows furrowed. How could she even begin to say how angry she was?

Tears pricked at the back of Sam's eyes. She refused to let them fall, even though her voice quivered, choking them back.

"How could you?"

Sam's expression turned to sadness. Looking up into his eyes, she saw nothing in his face except wood. Plain, hard, dry wood.

"How could I what?" He asked.

"Stop playing dumb with me, Jake, you know what you did."

Jake said nothing.

"You know!" Sam said impatiently. "Tempest might die because of you! I used to look up to you, Jake. I thought of you as the best cowboy in Nevada." Sam paused, fighting back the tears that kept threatening to fall. "I bet this is Darrell's fault. He's changing you. Isn't he?"

"How did you-" Jake's eyes widened. "You got your memory back?"

Sam rolled her eyes up to the sky. "Yes, I did, now can you please help me find Tempest?"

Jake's eyes furrowed in confusion. "Now..what's all this you're talkin' about? I never let Sunny's foal loose. Why would I do that?"

But...

Sam's mind veered back to the note Brynna had told her about. She said he had written it. Something wasn't right.

Oh well, Sam thought. Right now she just wanted Tempest back.

"Never mind. Someone let her out.." As Sam was thinking, she put her hands in her jean pockets. Her fingers touched something that felt like crumpled up paper. She took it out.

"The note!" Sam said, unfolding it. "Hear, read it." She handed it over to Jake.

Sam watched Jake's expression go from confused to mad as he read it. When he was done, he looked at Sam but said nothing.

"Well?" Sam said. "Who do you think could've written it?"

Jake read the note again and, eyes focused on the paper, said, "This looks like a girl's hand writing." Jake met Sam's eyes.

"Okay, so you're saying you think someone's framed you?" Sam asked.

Jake nodded. "Don't know why. Now, do you wanna find that foal or not?"

Sam smiled, "Yeah. Hurry and get on Witch."

Sam ran over and mounted Ace. "I just hope she's still alive," she whispered to herself.

In a minute, Jake was riding bareback beside Sam.

"Let's go to Gold Dust Ranch. She's met Shy Boots before, so she might be there," Sam said.

"Good thinkin' brat," Jake said. Soon they were off running toward Gold Dust Ranch in hope that Tempest was there, safe and unharmed.