I'M SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS MASSIVE,I WROTE THIS ON PAPER SO I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS 6K WORDS PLUS UNTIL NOW. JUST KNOW THAT THIS WAS NOT WHAT I INTENDED.
It is a good chapter though, in case you were wondering. It mentions the title, which is a 10/10 thing for a book to do. Also, the general concept of Jake; I am a huge fan.
I had a foal born at my house yesterday…most exciting and adorable thing to ever happen to me. Also his mama is basically the girl version of the Phantom and deserves a whole book series inspired by her.
"Is that duck face?" Kay-Lynn asked in a distinctly judgmental tone.
"It is not!" Sam said defensively. She swiped to the next picture. "See? Normal face, normal pose."
"Aww, Windy looks so cute in that one," Tasha cooed.
"What about me?" asked Sam.
"Don't push it."
"You look…sweaty," Kay-Lynn admitted.
"Hey!" Sam protested. "It's summer! What'd you expect?"
"I'm just saying, a little bit of leave-in conditioner goes a long way," Tasha snickered.
"You're the worst," Sam told her, shoving her phone back in her pocket, although let the record show that she didn't mind the ribbing all that much.
"Hey! Don't stop showing us horse pictures just because you're mad!" Kay-Lynn complained.
Sam turned to her, mind blown. "You mean you sat through all those presentations of Selfies With Tasha and Pebbles and you still want more horse pictures?"
Kay-Lynn shrugged. "One, I happen to be Windy's biggest fan. Two, it's a slow day, alright?"
"Well, okay then," Sam agreed. She dug her phone back out of her pocket. "This is the one with Jake in the background…this one…"
Tasha was not happy with this turn of events. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Samantha Anne Forster, what's all this about you not liking Selfies With Tasha and Pebbles?"
Sam was staring down the Phantom again. Well, trying to. The stallion seemed unaffected by her gaze, continuing to eat hay like nothing was going on. He was, of course, still aware of Sam's presence and every move. He wouldn't have made it in the wild if he didn't notice these types of things.
Sam had been in the pen with him twice since he knocked her down, once by herself and once with Jake's supervision. It had gone better, but the bar was low. "Better" meant that he hadn't caused her physical harm, not that she'd been able to halter him or touch him beyond brushing his nose with her fingers as he spun away.
It was disheartening. Sam maintained that she loved the Phantom more than anything, but she could only be knocked down (literally and figuratively) so many times before she stopped wanting to get back up.
"I hope all you need is time," Sam murmured, more to herself than to the horse in front of her. The slight flick of his left ear let her know that he'd heard anyway.
Sam's phone started to ring from her pocket, and the Phantom definitely heard that. He raised his head abruptly, a piece of hay still swinging from his mouth. "Oh, you're fine," Sam scolded, pressing the phone to her ear. "Jen?"
"You're not gonna believe this," Jen began, because why would you start with "hello"? "Ryan and I broke up."
"What?" Sam did her best to sound surprised. "Again?"
"Yes, again," Jen huffed. Over the phone, she sounded more annoyed than sniffly, which Sam took as a good sign. "It was the dumbest thing. As usual. I'm so mad at him."
"What'd he do?" asked Sam. She switched the phone to her other hand and leaned on the fence. She got the sense they might be here for a while.
Jen let out an exasperated sigh and dove into the whole thing, which involved a breach of contract, her parents, and a chestnut mare. Sam felt like she got whiplash just from listening to it, and to make matters worse, Jen concluded with, "So anyway, I'm going to dye my hair blue."
Sam didn't mean to, but she gasped. She regretted it instantly, knowing that in Jen's current state, disapproval would only fuel her fire. "You are not."
"I'm serious!" Jen insisted. Sam knew she was. "That's why I called you."
"It wasn't to share your major life event?"
"No, it's because I need to get out of here but I don't want to go to the drugstore by myself."
Sam switched tactics. "The logical, rational Jen Kenworthy I know would not make a big decision like this without sleeping on it first. Maybe even making a pros and cons list."
Jen loved making pros and cons lists. That one had to sway her.
She did sound notably perkier when she replied. "That's the science of breakups! Emotional distress can temporarily alter your brain! Thus the dopamine hunting, the seeking validation, and the need for an adrenaline rush. Anyway, were you mad because I said blue? It could be red. I'd look good as a redhead."
Sam paused, trying to think of a tactful way to approach this. "You know, you and Ryan have been through a lot together. What if you manage to work this out, then you're stuck with the breakup dye job?"
Of course, Jen had an answer for that too. "Easy. I'll just dip-dye it now so I can do a pixie cut if I change my mind. Or, wait. What if I just did a pixie cut now? Like, what's stopping me?"
"Common sense, I hope?" Sam asked. Jen sounded deadly serious, and she was obviously in a disturbed state of mind, so Sam brought out the big guns. "You said you wanted an adrenaline rush? Then come help me pony Tempest on a trail ride- I promise it'll make you forget all about dumb ol' Ryan and blue hair."
Jen sounded dubious. "How am I supposed to get an adrenaline rush from that?"
"I haven't worked Tempest in two weeks."
"Perfect, I'm on my way."
Sam's phone beeped as Jen hung up. She slid it back in her pocket. "Blackie, my dear, it looks like you're getting the afternoon off."
The Phantom shook out his mane, which Sam took to mean he was relieved. "Don't get too comfortable, though," she warned. "I'm not giving up on you. One day off changes nothing!"
It did not seem she had convinced him. The stallion went back to his hay, although Sam thought perhaps his expression towards her was a little kinder than it had been before. Although that certainly could have been wishful thinking.
Sam had Ace saddled and Tempest tied to the hitching post well before Jen arrived at the ranch. That turned out to be a good choice. Tempest felt the need to protest the idea of being brought in to work, and she tugged at the end of her rope like a fisherman trying to land the world's biggest trout. Sam was used to these shenanigans, and she stayed back; it was usually better to let the horse work through such things on her own.
Once Tempest quit with the acrobatics, Sam approached and started brushing her. The little filly leaned into the currycomb, reminding Sam how much easier it was to work with a mustang that had never been wild. Tempest had a crazy streak- that was perfectly clear- but at heart, she was soft and gentle.
And beautiful Sam couldn't deny that either. When the Phantom was two, he'd still been pitch-black, but cracks were starting to show in Tempest's ebony coat at three. The transitional coloring was perfectly accompanied by her awkward teenage body, her back that was too tall for her front and the head that looked like it belonged on an entirely different horse. She was still beautiful, though. It was not up for debate.
Jen and Silly arrived with a bang- a fast canter that turned into a sliding stop. Gravel flew; Sam shielded her face with her arm. If she needed more proof that Jen was out of sorts, this was it.
"I like your shirt," Sam commented as she swung into the saddle. Jen was wearing a pink-and-white tie-dyed shirt that had "boys suck" scrawled on it in Sharpie. Her blonde hair fortunately remained unaltered.
"Thanks. It's a small comfort," Jen replied, sounding dead inside. "Where are we going?"
Sam had thought that through. "We'll follow the river north until we get to Three Ponies, then loop around and come back."
While the proximity to Jake had to be a disappointment, Jen looked pleased with that plan. "A water crossing? Excellent. The river should still be pretty high."
"Why do you sound excited that it might be dangerous?"
"It's challenging, not dangerous! And would you rather I dyed my hair blue?" Jen retorted.
At least she was aware she was being unhinged. Sam sighed. "I really wouldn't. come over here; squeeze Tempest between out horses."
It was a precaution that may have been necessary, but it was also the best way for the two girls to talk. Jen sidepassed Silly over neatly and Sam wrapped Tempest's lead around the saddle horn. Ace wasn't exactly a roping horse, but Sam knew he'd do his best to hold his ground if Tempest got squirrely. That was his mustang heart shining through.
Despite Sam's earlier comment, she had no reason to think the water crossing would be dangerous- because of Tempest, at least. The black filly had grown up near the water, and Sam had been taking her to play in the river basically since Day One, so she knew what she was doing.
The actual problem was Silly. Jen's palomino mare was what one might call "selectively bombproof" and today, she had not selected "water". When she reached the river bank, which was fairly high as Jen had predicted, she snorted and shifted dramatically backwards, like she might spin and bolt at any moment. Of course, Jen found this challenge amusing and just laughed as she encouraged Silly to take a step towards the water.
The mare refused. Quite dramatically, actually. She dug in with her hind end as if to indicate there was no way, under any circumstances, she would take another step forward.
"Do you want us to lead?" Sam asked innocently. Her horses, of course, were completely unbothered by the babbling brook in front of them. Jen let out a frustrated snarl in response. Sam took that as a sign to be quiet for a while.
It took several minutes of encouraging, commanding, and getting smacked on the butt with a split rein before Silly made her move. As with everything else she did, it involved major dramatic flair. She took a flying leap from where she stood and launched herself clear over the river, not in a graceful arc or anything, but braced in a rearing position like a kangaroo. Jen barely managed to stay in the saddle.
"Say nothing," she ordered as Sam and her horses waded through the water without anything resembling an issue.
The tables turned soon enough when a jackrabbit scampered in front of them and scarred Tempest for life. She few as far backwards as her lead rope would allow, testing Sam's saddle horn and Ace's patience. Even when the rabbit was long gone, Tempest regarded every clump of grass suspiciously and snorted at every tumbleweed.
Despite the rocky start, the trail ride ended up being fun and somewhat therapeutic on Jen's part. Dealing with equine shenanigans seemed to loosen Jen up, and she began to talk about what was really bothering her. Sam was happy to listen. Given the circumstances, it was pretty clear she needed it, and no matter how much Sam liked to tease the on-and-off nature of Ryan and Jen's relationship, she really did want them to work things out. For the six or seventh time now.
"I guess I'm not really that mad at him." Jen confessed. "Well, no, I am. But more than that I think he's really stupid."
"And part of you really wanted that chestnut mare, right?" Sam asked sympathetically.
"Yes!" Jen wailed. "She has medals! Olympic medals!"
Sam reached out and patted her on the shoulder- which was really quite a feat, considering they were on horseback and Tempest stood between them. "You don't even ride dressage."
"I could learn to!" Jen insisted. She let out a sigh, and her shoulders slumped. "I don't know what I'm going to do."
"Give him lessons on financial decision making and eventually forgive him?" Sam suggested.
Jen made a face. "I'm more worried about getting my parents to forgive him."
"Oh, come on. It's not like he actually bought the horse! Or signed that contract!"
"Yeah, but he would have if-"
Jen never finished her sentence. Out of nowhere- or so it seemed- Silly reared. An experienced rider, Jen reacted correctly and promptly by throwing her arms around the mare's neck. Sam's horses also reacted promptly but not necessarily correctly- Ace spooked hard to the left and Tempest spun to the right. Sam did her best to keep things under control, but there was only so much she could do. The rope she'd wrapped around the saddle horn unwound and Tempest sprinted away, right back across the river.
Ace calmed down immediately after- while he enjoyed testing his rider, he was actually quite reliable- but Sam still felt her heart pounding in her chest. "What'd she spook at?" she asked Jen, although she was still watching Tempest's mad dash across the desert.
"I have no clue," Jen replied, pinching the bridge of her nose like she felt a headache coming on. "I'm…so sorry. She's a problem. An embarrassment. A disaster."
As if to prove Jen's point, Silly let out an Arabian stallion-style snort.
"Don't worry about it," Sam told her, although she herself was worried about it. Tempest was dangerously close to disappearing over the horizon, and the last thing Sam needed was for her horse to get eaten by wolves. "We'll chase her down. What were you saying about an adrenaline rush?"
Fortunately, Tempest was fairly track-down-able. Sam and Jen got ahold of her before she made it all the way back home, so nobody else even had to know it happened. After the chase, both girls felt much better, and Jen even intended to start speaking to Ryan again.
Time passed. Some things got better; some things got worse. Sam watched as Windy grew into an entirely different horse, one that was a lot more confident and eager to do as she asked. The Phantom, on the other hand, continued to keep his distance. He was curious, just not quite curious enough to approach her.
But that was all about to change.
It was Sam's birthday, a scorching day at the end of June. She had greatly reduced her birthday expectations- given how stern her dad and Brynna had sounded, she was pretty sure nothing would happen beyond Jen texting her "happy birthday" and maybe cinnamon rolls for breakfast. But she had one goal. Jake had agreed; it was going to happen.
They were getting a halter on the Phantom.
Sam approached him in the round pen with a new confidence. Despite every training session so far being a technical failure, she had learned from it, and despite his best efforts, the Phantom had too. He was ready. They were both ready.
Rope halter in hand, Sam took a step to her left, encouraging the Phantom to face her. He obeyed. She took a step backwards, and he followed. Good. On the sidelines, Jake had a face like a stone, but Sam could feel the approval as clearly as if he'd said "you're doing amazing and I'm proud of you". She was getting something right, finally.
Sam raised one hand and clucked. The Phantom began to trot around the pen, his tail streaming behind him. Not a chase. Not a push. A dance between the two of them.
Sam did her best to stay calm, but her heart was racing. It was like the whole world was screaming at her, "THIS IS IT! THIS IS HAPPENING!" and the pressure was getting to her a tiny bit. Even with Jake there, it felt like this was all on her, and it had never been more important she get this right.
It was almost like he'd never been hurt. The limp was gone, the wound had closed, and the hair was starting to grow back. Majestic, elegant, and regal, the Phantom looked like he belonged on the range with his herd. Sam wished more than anything he could be there, and he might have done anything in her power to set him free had she not found the moment of connection between them so beautiful.
She stopped and turned away, inviting the Phantom into her space. He accepted the invitation and followed her eagerly, but Sam still didn't rush. She waited until the Phantom bumped her arm with his nose, indicating he wanted attention. Then she turned, facing him head-on and holding her breath, hoping he wouldn't run away.
He didn't. Sam had known it early on; this time was different. He wasn't going to run away. He was going to trust her, because she'd earned it. Obviously there was still a chance she could screw it up, but Sam hadn't gotten this far to make a dumb mistake now.
"Hold it," said Jake.
Sam had been thinking the same thing. She paused, feeling quite small in front of the stallion, and gave both of them a moment for their heart rates to slow. No rush, she reminded herself, even though she was undeniably in a hurry to reach other, to connect. But rushing things had a way of ruining them- not like she knew that from experience or anything.
She took it slow. She reached out with one hand, and when the Phantom reached toward her in kind, she pulled back. The dance continued, push and pull, give and take, until Sam made the final leap of faith and pressed her palm to the Phantom's forehead.
She was holding her breath. She didn't mean to be, but she was. Keeping the unspoken promise she'd made, Sam removed her hand and took a couple steps back. At that point, she was pretty sure she heard Jake say "good", but she was far too mesmerized by the Phantom to invest any energy in that.
It wasn't like Windy. It wasn't like Tempest. The only way Sam could get a halter on the Phantom was if he genuinely, fully wanted her to. Without his consent, she wouldn't get any further than she already had.
She took the halter in her right hand and held it up slowly, not wanting to test the Phantom's reaction time. Recognition flashed in his eyes- he fully knew what a rope halter was, and he'd known that Sam was holding one even though she'd kept it out of sight, but there was something different about seeing it up close and personal. He hesitated- didn't run, just hesitated. Sam drew back again once a moment had passed. This time, she was sure she heard Jake say, "good".
She repeated the process, asking the Phantom for a little more each time until she finally pulled the noseband over his muzzle. Again, Sam held her breath- this was the moment of truth, after all- but nothing happened. The world went still; they had reached an understanding. When the Phantom looked at her, there was a new awareness in his eyes, and something Sam thought was even more wonderful.
Forgiveness.
She didn't get cocky at her first glimpse of success. She stayed methodical and slow, flipping the crown-piece over his neck carefully and tying the knot as if he might explode at any moment. Her heart pounded in her chest even though it was going well, all things considered- it wasn't the Phantom that was stressing her out; it was the fact that Jake was boring holes into her skull with his eyeballs.
Sam didn't let go of that breath until the knot was tight and she'd taken a couple steps back. Only then could she relax and fully believe they weren't going to fall apart. "Thank you, Zanzibar," she whispered. Her voice was almost completely inaudible, but she was confident that he heard- his ears swiveled towards her, showing how carefully he was listening.
The spell was broken. Sam was now free to burst out of the round pen and essentially tackle Jake in a hug. This seemed to surprise him a little bit- it wasn't exactly something she did often- and he had to steady himself on the gate. "Jesus, Brat! What's that for?"
Any self-consciousness she might have felt was nudged aside by the euphoria of absolutely nailing it. She did not release Jake from the hug and if anything, squeezed harder. "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? WE DID IT!"
"Was it really that hard?" Jake questioned as he squirmed away. Sam found it amusing that his cheeks were bright red, but she couldn't tease him for it- she was blushing too.
"It's not that it was hard," Sam declared. All things considered, the act of putting a halter on the Phantom had been quite easy. "It was just special. You only halter a horse for the first time once."
"Well, then you're eight years late with your celebration," he grumbled.
"This is different. You get that this is different, right?"
"Oh, shut your mouth."
It was something of a relief when Jake put her in a headlock, because that peculiar tension between them dissolved. Instantly, they were kids again, messing with each other like they were brother and sister. Sam didn't usually need reminding of how their relationship worked, but she was glad to have it today.
Jake stayed for dinner. Although Wyatt and Brynna had told her quite seriously there would be "no birthday celebration", there was at least a little bit of fanfare involved. Gram had made Sam's favorite foods and used the good china- if that wasn't a celebration, Sam didn't know what was.
"How did it go with the horse?" asked Wyatt as he scooped potatoes onto Cody's plate. He tried to sound casual and failed miserably. Sam wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been watching from the window the whole time.
Jake shrugged. "No casualties."
"It was a lot better than he makes it sound," Sam assured everyone. "It was a really beautiful moment. He's so worth it."
Embarrassingly, her throat threatened to clog up as she said it. Sam had no issue with getting emotional, especially over her horse, but really? At the dinner table? On her birthday? She quickly changed the subject and marveled over the green bean casserole.
Some people- namely Jake- seemed determined to prevent that from happening. He glanced at Sam before turning to Wyatt. "She did a really good job with that horse."
Her cheeks burned, and she wasn't sure if it was from talking about the Phantom again or the unexpected compliment. It wasn't like Jake to sing her praises. She tried to brush it off, but he pushed on. "If it had been me in with him, we wouldn't have got anywhere. But for her? It's like…"
He trailed off, as if suddenly realizing he was not the kind of person who said those kind of words. Relief mingled with curiosity; Sam couldn't help wondering how he might have finished that sentence and perhaps coming up with some ideas of her own.
She shut that down quickly. That conversation= over. Her focus= green beans. Unfortunately, as soon as Sam took her first bite, Wyatt spoke up with a furrowed brow. "So you're saying he's dangerous?"
"DAD!" Sam burst out, forgetting she was halfway through a mouthful of green beans. Gram immediately started lecturing her about chewing with her mouth open while Jake attempted to take his words back. Wyatt did not seem to be very receptive.
"He's not dangerous!" Sam eventually decided to just talk over everyone, because they were clearly getting nowhere. "He's just cautious. And slow to trust, which is normal for what he's been through, right, Jake?"
Jake nodded enthusiastically, grateful for the way out she'd offered. Wyatt let out a little "hmmph" that showed he didn't totally buy it. Sam knew her dad wouldn't be satisfied until the Phantom was tame enough to be led around by little Cody or maybe a dog.
"He didn't do anything dangerous- no kicking, no biting, no nothing," Sam reiterated. She knew that didn't mean he wasn't capable, but she made the executive decision not to share that. "Right, Jake?"
"Yep," said Jake.
Wyatt said "hmmph" again but in a slightly more agreeable tone. Sam hoped that meant the conversation was really over this time- it seemed like every time she opened her mouth, she stuck her foot in it, and she didn't want to risk blowing it in a way that cost her the Phantom. Still, it irritated her that things had gone downhill so quickly, and on her birthday of all days!
They moved past it. Brynna brought up Pepper's latest cooking video (he had recently gone viral on TikTok) and that kept everyone from minding Sam's business. Actually, dinner was downright pleasant until out of nowhere, Cody coughed a large mouthful of green beans across the table. It landed in the biscuits.
There was a moment of stunned silence. Sam wrinkled her nose and wondered if talking with her mouth full really seemed so gross now. Then Cody started to retch and suddenly the world was moving very fast again. Wyatt whisked the toddler from his high chair and ran to hold him over the garbage can. Brynna was right at his heels, and Gram instantly ordered the two teenagers to wait outside while she "wiped up".
Sam had no issue with that. Actually, the whole "vomiting toddler" thing had more or less wrecked her appetite. She should have known something was up as soon as Cody started eating his vegetables.
There was a possibility Gram had not meant for "outside" to be taken literally, but both Sam and Jake preferred that interpretation. They retreated to the front porch, which was notably cleaner and quieter. The sun was just beginning to set, bathing the grazing horses in a delicate golden light- including the Phantom, head raised proudly and fortunately still sporting the rope halter. He was beautiful. Sam wished she had her camera on hand; a blurry cell phone picture would do him no justice.
It was enough just to watch him, leaning against the porch rail. Her gaze shifted to Windy in the round pen next door, nibbling on his hay net. It wasn't all that interesting, realistically, but Sam heard a shriek and a hack from inside that encouraged her to really pay attention to the horses.
The railing creaked as Jake leaned on it too. Sam didn't have to look to know he was close to her- there was only so much room on the porch, so it wasn't realistic to avoid each other, although Sam still felt weird about it in some way. Like she was a little too aware of her own breathing and the positioning of her elbows. She kept quiet about it- that was the way things worked between her and Jake.
"I don't have a birthday present for you."
Sam blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Jake to talk of his own volition, especially about something clearly under the category of "personal". Despite their deep connection, their conversations were typically surface-level- except, of course, those moments they blew up at each other and put it all on the line. Bringing up her birthday didn't fit neatly into either of those categories.
"I didn't expect you to," Sam said once she'd recovered from her shock. "…but you do, actually."
He gave her a look, no words necessary. Eyebrows raised, half a scowl on his face. What?
Sam nodded towards the Phantom, specifically towards the halter on his proud head. "Him."
"I didn't give you that."
"You helped."
Sam surprised herself by leaning into Jake then- not a hug, exactly, but a willful brushing of sides. Jake surprised her by tolerating it. He'd never been the touchy-feely type, unless you counted shoving each other's faces in the snow when they were little or games of Ely Tackle Football, which was actually more aggressive than regular tackle football.
Would they have stayed like that? Would something else have happened? Sam never got to find out, because Gram bustled through the screen door, plates in hand. "Thought you two might like some cake!"
Sam and Jake jumped apart like they'd been shot- not like they'd been doing anything wrong, but by unanimous, wordless agreement, they did not want to share it with Gram. Sam accepted a plate of cake even though she was full of questions. "Is Cody okay?"
"Of course he is- you know how kids are." Sam did not, actually. "One minute everything agrees with them, next they're puking. He'll bounce right back."
Sam hoped so.
She looked down at the plate she was holding. "I thought we weren't doing anything for my birthday."
It was hard to tell looking at a single piece of cake, but she was pretty sure the "PPY" on her slice was part of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM".
Gram winked at her- actually winked. "No presents, no party…I don't think this counts for anything! Sometimes, a grandma just feels like making cake."
Truer words had never been spoken. Sam thanked her for the non-birthday cake and Gram excused herself shortly after, citing a desperate need to clean the kitchen that Sam would never understand.
She took a bite of cake which was, of course, fantastic. Beside her, Jake's slice was almost completely gone already.
Sam's cheeks warmed as she remembered how close they'd been standing just a few minutes before. If she concentrated, she could still feel Jake's elbow brushing hers on the railing, the only kind of touch a person could tolerate on a sticky summer evening.
But why would she concentrate on something like that?
That would be weird, right?
Right?!
"Happy birthday dear Sammy…happy birthday to you!"
Sam wrinkled her nose at the use of "Sammy", and she had to admit, Jen's singing voice was not all that great, but she brightened when her friend tossed a package onto her lap. "For me?"
"Who else would I be singing to?" Jen asked rhetorically. "Go on, open it!"
Sam untied the ribbon and pushed the wrapping paper aside, revealing a t-shirt that said "Redhead Girlboss" with a six-gun decal. "Uh…thanks?"
"Oh, that's from my mom. You don't have to wear it," Jen assured her. "My present to you is attempting to socialize the Phantom."
Sam left the shirt on the counter. "You're doing God's work, Jen."
The Phantom lifted his head when they approached, while Windy greeted them with a neigh. The tumbleweed of a two-year-old was becoming quite sociable, while the older stallion maintained a surly attitude. That was not to say he hadn't grown since being haltered- he had. However, he was not yet willing to commit to being a tame horse yet, and that was where Jen came in.
Sam armed her with a handful of carrot slices and a lead rope. Jen took them gratefully and entered the round pen, ready for whatever life might throw at her. Despite being a fairly loud and zany person in real life, Jen's attitude around horses was a cool, quiet confidence. Sam had seen that approach work for her many times, and she hoped the Phantom would be no exception.
Jen approached the gray respectfully, but not submissively- that was the key. The Phantom was an experienced leader; he was well-versed in all intimidation tactics. If he thought he could have his way, he was going to give it his best shot.
"Not too fast," Sam cautioned. She'd learned that lesson many times before: don't rush.
Although Jen wasn't known for taking orders well, she checked her pace. Sam nodded approvingly, enjoying her new position as instructor rather than student. No wonder Jake enjoyed telling her what to do so much.
"How long did it take you to get his halter on?" Jen asked. Sam knew what she was doing- calm, conversational tones would help keep the Phantom relaxed. It was like a white noise machine but for horses.
"Technically, a number of weeks. But that particular session was only…ten, fifteen minutes long?" The whole thing was a blur to Sam now. "It wasn't hard. He was ready."
Sam had gone into that training session with relative confidence. Admittedly, she wasn't quite there yet with this one, but the rules were the same for her as they were for Jen: don't show weakness and don't be intimidated.
"When's he getting gelded?" Jen asked conversationally. She was nearly to the Phantom now- he hadn't moved an inch.
"The fifth of July. Bright and early, too."
"And what's going on with you and Jake?"
Sam's eyes widened like a deer in the headlights. "Nothing. Nothing is going on with me and Jake."
Even though she was in the middle of something that could be considered important, Jen took the time to roll her eyes. "Right. Nothing."
"Yes, nothing! Why are you using that tone?" Sam demanded.
Jen shot her a look, once again taking her attention off the horse, a decision she would later regret. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You have to know what I'm talking about, at least a little."
Annoyingly, Sam started to blush. She shook her head as if that would get rid of it; she had no intention of fueling Jen's fire. "We're not, like, secretly dating if that's what you're trying to imply."
"Well, the thing is- hey!"
It was a good thing Jen had lightning-fast reflexes. She yanked her arm away right before the Phantom clamped down on it, all while Sam gaped. Instantly, the horse seemed to regret his decision; he whirled away and trotted off briskly. It wasn't exactly an apology, but it was remorseful in some type of way.
Jen clucked at him and made him trot around the pen. "I'm sorry about him!" Sam called sheepishly. She couldn't tell if she was surprised or not- while the Phantom was difficult in many ways that often seemed purposeful, physical aggression wasn't usually his style. "Please don't tell my dad!"
"Not telling your dad can be your real birthday present, because I doubt I'll get anywhere with the Great White here," Jen prophesied.
In the end, she wasn't entirely right. Eventually, the Phantom started to angle towards her and focus one ear on her, aka the bare minimum of respectful acknowledgement. Both girls had learned their lesson from earlier- this time, when they got a good note to end on, they took it. Jen dropped the carrot slices in the Phantom's feed pan and retreated to the safety waiting for her outside the gate.
Sam shifted to make room for Jen, leaning on the same panel. "Thanks for trying."
"No problem. I love putting my life at risk for largely ungrateful animals."
Oddly, Sam didn't really think she was joking. Her thoughts were distracted by the Phantom- he snorted and shook his head, coming dangerously close to slipping the rope halter over his ears. Sam sucked in a deep breath. She was going to have to do something about that, and soon.
Jen cleared her throat. "So, back to our earlier conversation…"
Sam pretended not to know what she was talking about. "Are you going to sing Happy Birthday again?"
"Regarding you and Jake…"
Sam sighed deeply. "I don't really know what to tell you, honestly."
"Well, keep in mind that I'm really, truly, neutral," Jen informed her. Sam didn't know if she could believe that. "I just want to know if I'm right."
Sam blinked a couple times. That one caught her off-guard. "Right about what?"
"You like him."
She didn't even phrase it as a question, which gave Sam the impression she was screwed. She gnawed on her lip before answering, not in words, but in the form of a tiny, almost-imperceptible nod.
It would have been better if Jen celebrated her rightness with a war cry. Her evil grin that channeled the Grinch made Sam so embarrassed she buried her face in her hands. "Stop! I'm not even sure! And nothing has happened between us!"
Jen patted her on the shoulder in a way that was probably meant to be comforting. "It's okay if you're not sure. Not to sound like your grandma, but anyone with eyes can see it."
"Oh, stop!" Sam complained. She paused. "What do you mean, sound like my grandma?"
"Anyone with eyes can see it," Jen repeated. "It's a small town; people talk."
"Tell me you're exaggerating."
"I'm exaggerating, but not that much, really."
Sam responded by rolling her eyes. She was used to people teasing her about her friendship- for that was what it was, a friendship- with Jake. It had started more than a decade ago, ever since their classmates started to understand the concept of cooties. She'd learned to ignore it. Only recently had it started to bother her again, and she took that as a sign- or perhaps a giant waving white flag- that something was changing between them.
It was only on her end; she was almost certain. Jake was…Jake. He wasn't interested in a relationship, with her or anyone else. Sam didn't even know if she was interested in a relationship, for crying out loud. There was just something about looking at him that made her a tiny bit curious about what it would be like to kiss him or possibly what he looked like with his shirt off. Normal stuff like that.
She didn't bother explaining it to Jen. It was highly unlikely she would understand.