A/N Hello again everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend, it was a great chance for me to get some writing done. As we all know these characters all belong to the lovely SM. Much love to all of my reviewers, it always lifts my spirit and makes me write that much faster once I get that notification! Hope you all enjoy!

She had to fight Rainy to keep her in a walk. They both needed a good run, a hard release of the tension that had surrounded Rosalie since she'd first heard Jasper's voice, but Rosalie cared more about Rainy's health than she did about herself. After a round around the corral to convince Rainy they needed to walk first Rosalie came up beside Edward and Alice while Jasper was talking to them about the ride.

"So once you guys start to feel comfortable, I figured we'd take a nice trail ride around the property, show y'all the land."

Rosalie laughed, "Well that'll take all day! There's too much land to cover."

Jasper shook his head, "I figured that we'd just take them down the East range and curve around the third pasture then come back, so they can get an idea."

Rosalie nodded while Rainy pranced prettily in place. Rosalie laid a hand on her arched neck, her pale fingers a stark contrast to the mare's dark grey dappled coat. The simple touch of Rosalie's calming fingers were enough to quiet the mare and she relaxed obviously. The connection that the two had formed in the process of her breaking was, as her father had predicted, astounding.

After about ten laps of the small corral filled with the laughter of Rosalie and her friends as they learned the feel of the horses they decided they wanted to try the trail. Rosalie, after a few warm up walking laps had moved onto intermittent trots and canters when it was safe. At this point Rainy was begging to play and Rosalie wanted to indulge her. She flashed her renowned heartbreaking smile over her shoulder at Jasper before speaking.

"How about we show them how we play, Jasper?"

Jasper's mouth quirked into a teasing grin, "I don't know Rosalie, I think you might be outta practice. It wouldn't seem fair…"

Rosalie shot him a firm look. "Name the challenge." She wasn't concerned. Yes, it had been four years since she had ridded seriously, she had been a champion before she'd left, and riding before she'd walked. She knew she wouldn't be up to her old speed, but her technique was flawless. Always had been. And what she didn't have in speed, Rosalie made up in determination not to lose.

Jasper's teasing grin was now a brotherly smirk. "Well I suppose I'll go easy on you since it has been four years… How would you feel about a barrel race?"

Rosalie's smile brightened, "oh brother dear, that's a mistake on your part, but I'll chalk that up to time blurring your memory of my skill." Jasper dismounted and walked quickly to the storage unit nearby where the barrels and other equipment were stored. Rosalie smoothly dismounted and walked over to help him set up. It only took them a few moments to get the barrels in place and help Alice and Edward dismount and lead their horses to a safe vantage point. It had been decided that Alice would be the official timekeeper, and she held the dusty stopwatch in her left hand firmly.

"Rosalie are you sure you're up for this?" Alice murmured when Rosalie handed her the stopwatch, quietly enough that only Rose would hear. "It's been almost four years since you've ridden…"

"Don't worry Alice, time has passed, but riding is something I'll never forget how to do."

Alice nodded but her face still held a mixture of excitement and nerves as Rosalie mounted Rainy.

"I'll go first Rose," Jasper volunteered, "just in case you change your mind and decide to back out."

"Oh Jasper, we both know you're just scared to see what you're up against, but that's fine, age before beauty afterall."

Though their words and tones were mocking, both of their faces were alight with excitement. It was like they were sixteen all over again, and they were enjoying their time together despite the circumstances. Jasper flashed a quick smile in Rosalie's direction, and with a wink and a tip of his dark wide brimmed hat to Alice he mounted.

"Be sure to keep that finger ready on the stop button Darlin' because this is gonna' be quick." He walked Wrangler, his dark bay quarter horse, over to the gate and leaned down to whisper into his ear for a moment before sitting up in his saddle. Rosalie knew that he and Wrangler were phenomenal together, moving as a team, and entirely comfortable with each other's movements, but she wasn't worried. Jasper and Wrangler had gone through the same breaking process as she and Rainy, and they were a forced to be reckoned with, but she and Rainy were magic.

The minute Edward pressed down on the blow horn Rosalie had handed him Jasper was kicking Wrangler off. They moved like lightening, getting up to speed almost instantly. He moved with Wrangler as they circled the first barrel, kicking up dust as they went and her breath caught. She missed this so much that it physicall hurt her. She missed this ranch, her brother, her horses. He was around the second barrel now and nearing the final still at a breakneck pace. They rounded the turn and with Jasper's heels alone pushing him on Wrangler blazed through the gate as Alice's thumb pressed down on the stopwatch.

Jasper moved his hands along Wrangler's neck his soft words and caresses enough to calm him after the intense race. Only after Wrangler was soothed and walking slowly around the outer ring of the corral did Jasper look to Alice.

"Well? How'd I do?"

Alice scrunched up her nose at the clock before meeting Jasper's eyes. "13.2"

Jasper's face split into a grin. "Well I'll be, let's see if little Rose can beat that."

Rosalie nibbled the insides of her cheeks nervously. That was a great time. At her prime, Rosalie could have beaten it without a second thought, but now… She looked around and noticed that a crowd was gathering not, drawn by the encouraging cheers of Alice and Edward as Jasper rode. Rosalie knew the face she would lose if she backed down now, so she smirked at Jasper instead.

"Oh Jasper, have you forgotten how I ride? You'll have to do better than that to beat me…"

Rainy pranced over to the gate, her pulse beating excitedly under the skin of her neck. She was excited, and both she and Rose were strung as tightly as a violin as they prepared to start. Rosalie caught sight of Emmett out of the corner of her eye leaning on a fence post watching, as she leaned down to Rainy's ear. She'd show him.

"Com'on Rainy, let's remind them what we're made of." With a gentle pat on Rainy's shoulder she sat up. When the blow horn sounded, all Rose needed to do was squeeze and Rainy was off.

Barrel racing requires a lot of trust between horse and rider, and the moment Rainy Day's hoves touched the dust inside the arena, they didn't just trust one another, they were one. Rosalie moved around the first barrel without fault, her seat firm and her legs urging Rainy faster. They rounded the second with a slight tug of the reins and Rosalie's body followed Rainy's as they rode the curve, never once out of control. Her heart beating in her ears she pressed harder, pushing Rainy toward the final barrel and they flew across the ground. Rosalie hadn't felt this good in years.

The last barrel was ridden like a dream and before Rose knew it, they were crossing the gate and slowing to a stop. Rosalie was flying high. She could feel the adrenaline rushing through her and the satisfied snort of Rainy at her rubbings was so familiar Rosalie ached. How could she have left… How could she have waited so long to ride again? She kissed Rainy's warm neck briefly before pulling her into a walk around the inside of the corral so as to avoid the crowd. She simply had to look up at Alice to know the time.

"13 even." Alice said with a bright smile. It only took a few moments for the gathered crowd to support Rosalie with their polite clapping. Rosalie fought the urge to hang her head. Yes, she'd beaten her brother, but a 13 second run for her was poor. Usually she and Rainy could run at least a 12.5 easy. Usually it ran even closer to 12 seconds. She was disappointed, in herself mostly. She'd been a star before she'd left, and before she'd left the crowd would have gone wild after her run. But now she'd left, after a huge scandal which no one seemed to be on her side about, the people she'd grown up with had grown distant.

She smiled gently at Jasper, trying to save face. "That was a great run Jasper."

He brushed his shoulder against her leg and held out a hand. "All right Miss Champion, you aren't too good to help me clean up the mess we made are you?"

Rosalie laughed quietly, taking his hand and dismounting fluidly. "Well I do need to be kept humble."

They made quick work of the barrels, and Rosalie couldn't help but notice that Emmett was hanging around the corral watching her as she cleaned up. Once the barrels were put away he walked up to her and Rainy silently. Rainy nosed his chest pocket and with a smile he offered her a sugar cube, never taking his eyes off of Rosalie.

"I've never seen you ride before, you're good." Rosalie searched his eyes for a moment, and after sensing his sincerity bit back the retort that bubbled to her lips. Instead she just pulled her eyes away from those deep dark eyes. The feelings that they stirred inside of her were anything but welcome. She swallowed and attempted to compose herself as she nodded.

"Thank you." Probably best to keep her response short so her voice didn't tremble. Determined she dragged her eyes from her hands on Rainy's reins and met his. Hell if she'd let this man make her feel out of control. The second she met his eyes again she felt a pool of molten lava swirl in her belly. He was smiling at her, genuinely smiling. God, he had dimples. Huge ones, in both cheeks, and just enough scruff to keep him from looking like a boy. His lips were full and his skin darkened handsomely from the Texas sun. His brown hair was curling sweetly in the heat and she knew he was a heart breaker. Just like Royce.

But, her brother held him in high regard, and he was the barn manager, she was going to need to at least interact with him so she spoke again.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let's just forget it." She wouldn't apologize, not even for Jasper. This was the best she would do.

"That an apology?" He questioned his left eyebrow arching up toward his temple.

"No, but it's an olive branch."

He nodded and turned to walk away. Rosalie swore softly under her breath. "We're all going for a ride… if you'd like to come?"

"Oh Miss Hale…" He shook his head laughing. "That was my olive branch sweetheart. Ya'll enjoy your ride now; I've got work to be done."

Goddamn it! Rosalie thought. He'd turned his back and walked away from her again! This was just getting ridiculous. How was it that he was making her so furious, and at the same time all she wanted to do was jump his bones? She blew out a quick breath before turning Rainy around to face the others.

"Ready to have some fun?"

Alice and Edward laughed and nodded, and the four of them were off. As she was riding around the ranch, she couldn't help but think of all the memories this old place held. She remembered all the times she and Jasper had roamed these fields, together and apart. She had planned to get married out here, next to the oak tree that her Great-Great Grandaddy had planted when he'd bought the ranch. He and his wife had planted it, and their children had watched it grow. It was beautiful. But life wasn't always worthy of the nature we live it in.

She remembered races, camp outs, cattle runs, sneaking out and coming home. She knew that no matter how much she tried to run from it that this ranch was in her blood, her ties to it as deep as the roots of that oak tree. As they road across the grassy land she closed her eyes and smelled the sweet familiarity, loving the caress of the breeze on her cheeks. When Rosalie saw the Ranch came back into view in the distance she knew that she wouldn't be leaving until she'd settled this. She'd run to New York to escape the past, the criticism of not only everyone in town, but also her father, and the shame at what had happened. She'd left to show that she was stronger than what had happened, but instead she'd shown weakness. It might take some time, but she wasn't going to be happy until she'd resolved everything that had happened four years ago.