Untamed by Terri Farley

he said, trying to sound mature. Then he jingled his truck keys like a lure and said to Sam, “Let’s go.”
    Since Jake shared the truck with his brothers, it was usually cluttered, despite the fact that he was a pretty neat guy. Tonight it was worse than usual. A huge mound of stuff hid the passenger’s side floor.
    â€œWhat is all this?” she asked.
    â€œDon’t worry about it,” Jake said as they rumbled across the River Bend Bridge. Then he glanced over and gave a short laugh. “Go ahead and put your feet down, Brat. You won’t hurt anything.”
    As they drove through the darkness, Sam thought the excursion was even more fun because it was a school night. In theory, she should be home studying, but she hadn’t even had to beg to escape.
    â€œHow’s Star?” Sam asked.
    The paint filly Jake had caught on Indian lands, then ridden in a cross-country race, was one of the neatest horses Sam had ever known.
    â€œFine, I guess,” Jake said, but Sam noticed his hands tightened on the steering wheel.
    â€œYou ‘guess’?” Sam said, but Jake ignored her.
    â€œWe’re supposed to head toward Antelope Pass,” he said. “And turn left on some dirt road.”
    â€œJake, why are you just guessing how Star is?”
    â€œI turned her loose, back where she came from.”
    Sam didn’t know what to say.
    Jake switched on the truck radio. The reception wasn’t very good. She made out a country tune, but not its lyrics.
    â€œAfter all your hard work…”
    Sam pictured Jake running through the night after the horse. Jake sticking to Star’s pinto back through a watery bucking frenzy. Jake, hair streaming like a warrior, riding Star at a full gallop across the range.
    â€œWas it because Witch was jealous?” Sam asked. She imagined Jake’s big black mare threatening the small pinto. “Or because you won’t have time to work with Star this summer?” She took a second guess when he didn’t respond but he just gave a slight shake of his head.
    Sam waited a full minute before she finally shouted, “Jake! Why did you set her loose?”
    â€œThe point wasn’t to get a new horse.” Jake pressed his shoulders against the seat back, trapping his buckskin-bound hair behind him. “I was supposed to show some adult skills and I did.”
    â€œI know,” Sam said, knowing her voice sounded weak.
    The radio’s static grew too loud to speak over, butJake didn’t turn it off.
    Sam was glad. Something about what Jake said disturbed her. As they drove toward Antelope Pass, she considered telling him about her mother’s note.
    Maybe later, she thought. As the static faded and a chirpy voice praised a new brand of chewing gum, another idea crossed her mind.
    â€œHey, maybe Star will go back to the Phantom!”
    Jake shrugged, but Sam thought something like jealousy crossed his face.
    Five minutes later, Jake hadn’t given a single indication he was irritated. Then, he slammed on the brakes.
    â€œThis is stupid. I can’t get over there without ripping out the oil pan on this truck.”
    The truck idled as they stared across the rocky, pitted terrain.
    Sam didn’t see any grass-tufted pools of water shining in the headlights’ beams.
    â€œIs this the right way?” Sam asked.
    â€œThis is how Dad told me to go,” Jake said. “But since you’re a ninth-grade expert on everything…” Jake’s sarcasm trailed off as he watched her. “Do you know another way?”
    Sometimes Sam thought Jake’s tracking skill was related to psychic ability. Not that she believed in mind reading, exactly, but now, as he’d watched her, Jake’s whole attitude had changed. He seemed to know she’d been out here today.
    So she tried to sound totally casual.
    â€œOn horseback, I think you can cross Aspen Creek, then ride up toward Snake Head