"So…how'd you like being back at Riverbend?" Jake asked awkwardly. Sam glanced at him and smiled a little. Jake was many things, but a conversationalist was not one of them. The sheer fact that he was even attempting to make conversation with her told Sam that he really did feel bad for her; even when they hadn't fought Jake was never much of a talker.
"It's…different. I don't know. The house seems to empty. Especially now that Aunt Sue is gone." Jake grunted in response. "How have things been here?" Sam asked. Jake glanced at her, but Sam rambled on, not noticing. "I mean, I haven't really talked to anyone besides Brynna or Cody since I left. Sure, Jen and I e-mailed for a bit but I really haven't talked to you since…well since I left…" Sam was staring out the window, her voice trailing off. Of course, all she was doing was proving to Jake that she still was like a little girl. Here she was rambling, and though she couldn't remember what she said she was sure she asked a million questions and didn't give him space to answer any of them.
"It's been fine. The ranch is doing good. Adam, Nate, and I have been helping out Dallas and the rest. Though it hasn't been the same without your Dad." Sam nodded in agreement. An awkward silence fell over them as Jake pulled into Riverbend.
"Well, Jake, this is where we say goodbye. See you tomorrow?" Sam asked hopefully.
"Sure, Brat; see you tomorrow," Jakes replied. Sam jumped out of the van and walked inside. To her surprise, she found Brynna and Cody sitting at the kitchen table with a bucket of crayons and a couple coloring books.
"Brynna, hi. I thought you'd be at the bureau," Sam greeted, looking at her questioningly.
"Where have you been?" asked Brynna, budding anger seeping through her voice. "I woke up and you weren't here!"
"I was kidnapped by Jen and Darrell and the Ely boys."
"You couldn't left me a note or called or something!"
"I don't have a cell phone," Sam tried to reason. Brynna wasn't hearing it.
"Well you should! You can't tell me you lived in San Francisco and didn't have a cell phone!"
"I never needed it, I had no one's number to put in it."
"Well we're going to have to get you one. You can't just run off at all hours, Sam."
"I wasn't running off at all hours; it's the middle of the day I went and got lunch with my friends. It isn't like you needed me here," Sam said disbelievingly.
"Sam, if we're going to make this work, we're going to have to set some boundaries," said Brynna. Sam's gaped at her.
"What do you mean if we're going to make this work? You know, this was my home long before it was yours! I've been gone one fricking year, Brynna. This is my home! This isn't something that we just have to 'try' to make work! I'm eighteen years old! I'm not a child, you can't tell me what to do anymore!" Sam exploded.
"You do not talk to me like that! I am the adult here!"
"You're not my mother! You will never be my mother! You can't tell me what to do!" Sam yelled. She slapped a hand over her mouth. Brynna looked at her with hurt eyes. Cody, who had stopped coloring, looked as if he were about to cry.
"Go to your room. You are so grounded," Brynna ordered her, her voice low and hurt filled.
"Brynna…" Sam searched her eyes, trying to think of a way to apologize.
"Please, Sam, just go. And don't make any plans for tomorrow. You're going to be helping the Dallas, Pepper, Ross, and the Ely boys here on the ranch tomorrow."
"Yes ma'm," Sam replied. She felt horrible about what she said to Brynna. Sam was angry…but not even Brynna deserved that. For the rest of the night Sam could not get the hurt look in Brynna's eyes out of her head.
-The Next Morning-
Sam woke up before the sun did the next morning. It wasn't a surprise to her; she hadn't slept well in months. She got dressed and went down stairs and walked into the kitchen. As she opened the refrigerator she spotted a post-it note on the freezer.
Sam-
Gone to work. Cody is at the sitter's (Maxine)
Help the boys around the ranch. There is a baked pasta in the fridge for lunch. Bake at 425 for 35 minutes.
Brynna
"Great, that's just…so fantastic. Really," Sam muttered as she shuffled out of the house. She saw Adam and Jake working a horse in the corral. Adam, who was sitting on the fence saw her first.
"Hey Sam!" he yelled, waving her over. "Hey, Brynna told us you would be gracing us with your presence today." Sam rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, unfortunately."
"You must have really pissed her off."
"Yeah, well…yeah. Where's Nate?"
"He's helping Dallas, Ross, and Pepper with the cattle." Sam nodded in understanding.
"Well, what do you guys need me to do?"
"Uhh," Adam said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right now? If you want to go ahead and just muck out the stalls that'd be great. Especially Ace's. That is one messy boy you've got yourself." Sam smiled at the thought of Ace.
"Aye aye captain." She saluted. Before turning around, she watched Jake work with a new horse. Horrible with people, but when it comes to horses there is no one better than that boy. She smiled and gave a small chuckle at the thought. There was no one she would trust more with a horse than Jake.
Sam was already walking towards the barn by the time Jake realized she was ever there to begin with. He watched her walking away for a moment before returning his attention back to the horse. Little did they know, Adam had watched the exchange between the two and was taking mental notes on what had just happened.
-With Sam-
Sam walked into the barn and immediately over to Ace's stall. He tossed his head in greeting. Sam went up and rubbed his sleek coat.
"Hey boy," she whispered lovingly. "You probably want to go out for a ride, don't you?" Sam sighed. "Oh, Ace…I wish we could just run away." Ace gave a neigh, almost as if agreeing with her. "But I really have to stop running. Whenever I run people get hurt. Besides, anywhere I run here, Jake'll just follow," she giggled. "That, or I would run to him."
Meanwhile, Jake decided he had worked enough with the horse for one day and decided to let it wander about the ring. He jogged over to where Adam was leaning against the fence.
"She's coming along great, ain't she?" he asked as enthusiastically as Jake could get. Adam nodded.
"You're doing great with her. If only you were as smooth with female humans as you are with your female horses."
"What?" Jake asked, shooting Adam a confused look.
"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"No, I don't. Please enlighten me."
"Jake, you're antisocial, I know, but even you can't be that blind." Jake was getting annoyed now.
"What are you talking about, Adam?"
"I'm talking about you and Sam!"
"Me and Sam?" Jake stared, his eyes unreadable. "What about me and Sam?"
"Don't act dumb, Jake. As fitting as it is, it's annoying."
"It's not an act. What about me and Sam am I being blind about?" Adam sighed.
"Oh, little brother. You know, you're going to end up with Sam sooner or later, so you should just ask her out now."
"I'm going to…with Sam? You're insane. Sam and I are just friends."
"Sure, tell that to the lovesick look on your face when you see her."
"I do not have a lovesick look," Jake scoffed. Adam patted his back sympathetically.
"Sure you don't, Jake, sure you don't."
[A/N] Okay, after this new chapters start. Well, this is kind of a new chapter because I combined it with the last one, but still. Let me know what you think! Any input/criticism is welcomed, just please keep it constructive. Anyone who posts on here has to understand that reviews that are mean and unhelpful are the opposite of a motivator for writing.
I'm gonna stay where the love is right Whenever I run
I'm so tired of being a bird in flight
Good love takes work
Ah but that's alright
That's alright
Instead of running into the blue
I follow my heart
And there in your arms
Is where I find the love I need
And the best is yet to come
You're the only one
Whenever I Run by Keith Urban