Kidnapped Colt by Terri Farley Page A

Jen shifted around to pull a small notebook from her jeans pocket. Then she flipped the notebook open and Sam saw a carefully lettered list.
    Another reason she earns straight As and I get mostlyBs , Sam thought. Jen was so organized.
    â€œI know we’ve discussed the schedule, but let’s cover it one more time,” Brynna said. “Jake, each morning you’ll work one-on-one with Mikki and Dark Sunshine in the barn corral.” Brynna glanced up to see Jake nod, then turned to Sam and Jen.
    â€œAt the same time, you two will have Gina working with Popcorn, starting with grooming, working through haltering, saddling, bridling, and finally riding. One instructs, the other models the task with another horse, okay?”
    â€œJust what we planned,” Jen said before Sam could answer.
    â€œAfter lunch, Jake will instruct Mikki on riding Popcorn, while Jen demonstrates on Penny—” Brynna broke off to shake her index finger at Jen. “You be nice to my horse, understand? And stay alert. She may be blind, but she knows the second your attention wanders.”
    â€œI’m excited to be riding her,” Jen said. “And I’m flattered that you’re trusting me with her.”
    â€œAt the same time, Sam, you and Gina will be working with Tempest, right?” Brynna made a quick swipe at the perspiration on her forehead.
    Though the kitchen was warm, it wasn’t hot. Brynna must really be sick.
    â€œAny questions about the schedule?” Brynna looked up as they all shook their heads. Then she met Sam’s eyes and gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m fine,”she said. “Nothing for you to frown over.
    â€œI’ll be at Willow Springs every day, so if something’s not working out, tell me and we’ll switch the schedule around. Jake, that goes double for you.”
    Jake’s brown eyes widened a little.
    â€œYou and Wyatt are so alike,” she said in a joking tone. “You think you have to tough things out. That may be true on the range, but not here. You’re not doing anyone a favor by keeping problems to yourself.”
    Sam felt a surge of appreciation for Brynna. Her stepmother had Jake sized up, all right.
    Brynna held Jake’s gaze until he said, “Okay.”
    Brynna turned to a green sheet in her folder. “About the girls…I can tell you that Gina—”
    â€œâ€”is proud of being a burglar?” Sam interrupted.
    â€œIt seems that way, doesn’t it?” Brynna said. “Actually, she only started acting up when her mother remarried. Apparently when the stepfather moved into their house, Gina’s grades dipped. She quit the softball team and stopped e-mailing her cousin in Colorado, the one who owns horses. Gina had pretty much cut herself off from her friends and all the things she liked and allowed her class performance to nosedive by the time her mom noticed.”
    Sam crossed her arms. “How did she go from that to robbing people?”
    â€œDo I detect a lack of sympathy for Gina?” Brynna asked.
    â€œYes. I mean, no, but you and Dad got married and I didn’t fall apart.”
    Brynna drew in a breath. She stared at her fingertips, slowly matching them together.
    What a stupid thing to say , Sam thought, especially in front of Jen and Jake, when Brynna’s feeling sick. But it was the truth.
    Instead of snapping at her for acting superior, Brynna rested her palms on the kitchen table and gave Sam a smile.
    â€œWe have done pretty well, haven’t we? But you can’t see through the walls of other people’s houses, Sam. Whatever went on in Gina’s home, she couldn’t cope with it like you could.”
    She didn’t have you, Dad, and Gram to help her , Sam thought. But that was too sappy to admit.
    â€œOkay,” Sam said, and Brynna turned back to her notes.
    â€œGina started her baseball burglaries—”
    â€œWhich she’s described