Chapter Seven

Written by: The Equestrian Writer

"Ace!"

As soon as the word left Sam's mouth, Witch came to an abrupt stop and Sam was jumping down from the mare. She ran over to her mother and fallen horse. Louise was just picking herself up from the ground when Sam got there.

"Mom, are you alright?" Sam asked.

Louise nodded, "But I think he was shot," she looked over at Ace and Sam did the same. Ace was still down, but he was thrashing, trying to stand up.

"Easy boy," Sam soothed, taking a step towards Ace and then another. "It's okay." The gelding's ears pricked at the sound of her voice and then all of a sudden, he launched himself to his feet. He stood shakily, his legs splayed out, a lather of sweat had gathered on his neck. But that wasn't what scared Sam, it was the long stream of blood running down her horse's back right leg.

"Ace's been shot!" Sam exclaimed, turning back to Jen and Jake. Jen instantly mounted Silly again, saying something about getting help, and kicked the mare into a gallop towards River Bend. Sam watched her go and then looked at Jake, by now her eyes were filling up with tears.

"Don't cry," Jake told her, taking a step forward. "Keep him calm…" He trailed off as he looked over at Ace. Sam did too. The gelding had his neck lowered, more sweat had lathered up on his neck and his eyes look glazed over.

"What's wrong with him?" Sam cried.

"He's going into shock," Jake said snapping into action. "Get that saddle off him," When Sam didn't move, Jake looked at her. "Now!"

That snapped her out of it. She hurried over to Ace's side and started fumbling with the cinch. When she finally got it undone, Sam pulled the saddle from the gelding's back and threw it to the ground. Ace wobbled, but didn't fall. Sam could tell the gelding was using all the strength he had not to fall.

"Where are they?" Sam cried. "What's taking so long?"

Jake put his hands on her shoulders, "Sam relax, they'll get here," his voice was calm. Their eyes locked for a moment and Sam's breath caught in her throat. Finally, Jake dropped his hands and turned away, muttering something.

A squeal of tires make Sam jump a little, but relief flooded her when her father and stepmother jumped out of the truck. "Dad!" Sam called. "Ace's been shot,"

"The vet's on the way," Wyatt said. Sam nodded, turning to look back at Ace. She laid a hand on the gelding's neck, but he barely flicked an ear in acknowledgement. Tears welled up in Sam's eyes.

"I don't believe we've met, I'm Brynna Forster," Sam heard her stepmother introduce herself to her mother, who she temporarily forget was there. She looked up just as her mother introduced herself and to see her father go pale.

"Louise,"

"Well, the bullet didn't hit anything major, but he did lose a lot of blood," Dr. Scott explained as he stepped out of the stall, taking his gloves off. "I've bandaged the wound up and gave him some antibiotics, but he will need to come to the clinic, so that I can get the bullet out." He bent down and put his stuff back into his bag and then straightened up. "I can come back later today with the trailer and get him, save you the trouble."

"Thanks, Glenn," Wyatt said as walked with the vet out of the barn, Brynna followed quickly after. Sam walked up to the stall door and rested her forearms on top. Ace stood at the back of the stall, head lowered. He looked better than before, but he was also sedated. Either way, Sam's stomach was still in knots. She felt her mother approach her from behind.

"I'm going to go say hi to Gram," Louise spoke quietly. Sam nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Louise squeezed her daughter's shoulder and then pulled her into a hug. "He's going to get through this." She pulled back to look into Sam's eyes. "He has you." Choking back on a sob, Sam hugged her mother one more time before letting her leave.

"I'm going to leave too," Jen said, after Louise left. "My parents will be wondering where I am,"

"Ok, thanks for everything, Jen," Sam smiled at her friend.

"Hey, that's what friends are for," Jen smiled back. She started walking to where Silly stood tied. Then, Jen turned back around and said, "Call if you need anything!"

"I will," Sam said. After Jen and Silly jogged out of sight of the barn, Sam turned back to Ace, his position unchanged. "It's all my fault,"

"No, it's not," came the gruff whisper. He had been so quiet, she'd forgotten he was here. She heard the sound of his boots on the concrete floor come closer until he stood just next to her.

"Yes, it is," Sam said, her voice low as she sniffed back tears. "I wanted to get my mother back so bad, I didn't even stop think of what could happen. If I hadn't been so insistent on going, Ace would be fine. I was selfish and stupid." The tears overcame her finally.

Jake shifted, obviously uncomfortable with her crying, but he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to him. Sam didn't object, though it was very not like Jake at all. "Sam, no. You are the most un-selfish person I know. You put others before your own life."

"How come you always know what to say to make me feel better?" Sam asked him, wiping her tears away so that she could look at him.

"I know you," Their eyes locked. "Ace will be fine as long as he has you." Sam didn't say anything, she couldn't. She suddenly became conscious that Jake's arms were still around her. Then, Jake lowered his face to hers until their mouths were only inches apart. Sam's heart was beating fast.

"Sam,…" Jake breathed.

"Sam!"

Sam and Jake jumped away from each other and stared toward the barn door. Wyatt Forster was standing there, looking at the two of them. "Come inside for a moment." he told his daughter, and turned and walked toward the house.

Sam looked at Jake, not knowing what to say after what just happened, or not happened. She didn't even know what it meant. Finally, she said, "See ya around," and rushed out of the barn.

Wyatt Forster sat in the large armchair in the ranch house living room, opposite Louise, who sat on the couch. An awkward silence hung between them, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Wyatt cleared his throat.

"You've been alive all this time," he paused. "Why didn't you try and contact us?"

"I wanted to…." Louise's voice was quiet. "Oh, gosh, I wanted to. But I knew if I did….. I was protecting all of you."

Wyatt stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, a sign that he was a little uncomfortable talking about this. "So, you let us think that you were dead? You let Sam believe you were dead."

"Wyatt, please!" Louise pleading, wanting him to see how much she hated what happened. How much she wished she could go back and do it all differently. She stood up from the couch and walked up to him. "Caleb threatened to kill our daughter if I dared to contact any of you. As much as it hurt, I knew if I stayed away, Sam would be safe." A tear slipped down her cheek.

Wyatt didn't say anything, he couldn't. He couldn't stop staring at the woman he had lost years ago. The woman he loved. She was older now, but she wore her auburn hair in two braids with daisies in her hair just like before. She was still as beautiful now as she was then, maybe even more. Without thinking, Wyatt moved a piece of stray hair back behind her ear.

"Dad?"

Startled, Wyatt withdrew quickly and turned to look at his daughter, who was the miniature version of her mother. Louise wrapped Sam up in another hug.

"It's been so long," Louise whispered in Sam's ear. "I have to keep reminding myself this is all real." Sam returned her mother's hug, she too, still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that this was real.

Wyatt cleared his throat, and the two broke apart, a smile on both their faces. Sam's father was still uncomfortable with public displays. "Sam, sit down," he told her. "We need to talk about what happened."

"I know what you're going to say," Sam said as she walked to the couch and sat down. "It was reckless, irresponsible, stupid-"

"Not to mention dangerous," Wyatt interrupted. "Sam, what on earth were you thinking? Going up against a potentially dangerous man and dragging Jake and Jen into it."

Sam looked down at her hands, he was right. She didn't think all of it through, instead she jumped in head first. "You're right, I just wanted-"

"I know what you just wanted, Sam," Wyatt ran a hand through his hair. "That's the problem." He sighed. "Sam, you're grounded for a week, no riding, and you'll have to do all your chores and any extra chores that I, Gram, or Dallas give you, understood?"

Sam nodded. She didn't try to protest the punishment, she expected it. But it still didn't make her feel like what she did was wrong. If she had a choice to do it over again, she would. Sam would not apologize for getting her mother back.

At that moment, Brynna came into the room. "Lunch is ready," she told them all. "I just put Cody down for his nap," Wyatt was the first to move, he put his arm around Brynna as they walked into the kitchen. Sam couldn't help but notice the tinge of sadness in her mother's eyes as she watched the two leave.

After lunch, Sam and her father were readying Ace for when Dr. Scott came to collect him to take him to the clinic. Sam spent most of the time in the stall with the gelding while Wyatt gathered the stuff together.

"Don't worry, Dr. Scott will fix you up, so it doesn't hurt anymore," Sam told Ace, stroking his bay neck. Ace turned to look her, the spark in his eye ever present. Sam smiled and rubbed the star hidden under his black forelock. "You're a fighter, Ace. I know you'll come back to me."

Suddenly, Ace pricked his ears and turned toward the barn entrance. A moment later, Sam's father appeared at the stall door with Dr. Scott.

"He looks better than when I left him," Dr. Scott commented. It was true, although Ace was still sedated, he was more alert and he could rest his right hind leg firmly on the ground for a few seconds at a time. "Do you want to lead him out to the trailer?"

Sam nodded and clipped a lead line to Ace's halter. The mustang gelding followed her quietly, hobbling along. Sam stopped frequently, so Ace could rest and not get too stressed. Finally, they reached the trailer and with Dr. Scott's help, they were able to get the gelding onto the trailer. Sam gave a Ace one last hug before stepping out of the trailer.

"I'll call when I'm done with the surgery and you can come see him," Dr. Scott said, answering Sam's unspoken question.

"Thank you, Glenn," Wyatt replied, shaking the vet's hand. Sam stood silently next to her father, she didn't trust herself to speak. They watched Dr. Scott get into his battered jeep and drive away.

Ace is going to be ok, Sam repeated to herself over and over again. She had to believe that he would be. If didn't come back to her, Sam shook her head. She wasn't going to go there. Ace was going make it through the surgery, and come home.

Both Sam and Wyatt turned when they heard the ranch house door open. Brynna stood on the porch. Her face was as white as a sheet and there were tears streaming down her face. She looked at them with shock, sadness, and fear. Wyatt hurried over to her, asking what was wrong.

"Cody's gone," came her reply.

A/N: I know, it's not fair to not give you an update in (how long has it been, never mind) and leave you with that kind of cliffy. But at least I gave you a little Sake moment in there. Now, I apologize for not update in a year? I'm sorry for that. Hopefully, I still have some readers. As always, please review.