My Parents banished me to my Uncle's ranch:

"Tiggie, you are more than welcome to stay here with me. You can go to school here and I'll even help with college. But I'll also understand if you leave."

I looked immediately to Nate. He had that look on his face. The one that he had when he told me he loved me. I didn't know what to do.

Well on the one hand, I could save Jupe's life. His life. And then I would be forced to never come here again. But then I could also stay with Jack, since I'm eighteen and a legal adult. But I would never see Jupe again. And knowing Richard's hate towards Jupe...I shuddered at the thought.

"Screw Richard!" I pushed back my chair abruptly. I couldn't control this situation. There really was only one thing to do. I ran to my room. I ignored Nate knocking on the door and begging for me to just talk to him. I turned up the old radio in my room to try and drown him out.

I didn't want to hear his voice. I knew that if I heard it, it was going to impact my decision.

I paced as the music blared in the background. What if I...say yes to staying here and then go off and find Jupe myself and--that plan was stupid. Or I could leave and Jupe would be safe. Then after a while I'll come back! Ye--oh wait. Richard would know. He'd know...

I kicked the dresser and screamed to myself. I stopped my thoughts and tried to calm down. The music in the background crept up on me slowly. It was on a country station but this song seemed a little out of place. I run from hate

I run from prejudice

I run from pessimists

But I run too late... I was drawn into the song and I found myself really listening to the words.I run my life

Or is it running me I slowly turned on the radio, like it was trying to talk to me. Run from my past

I run too fast

Or too slow it seems

When Lies become the truth

That's when I run to you I stepped toward the radio and listened more carefully.

This world keeps spinning faster

Into a new disaster, so I run to you

I run to you baby

And when it all starts coming undone

Baby you're the only one I run to

I run to you... I didn't really listen to the rest of the song. Nate's image kept haunting me whenever the mention of 'you' came up.

I slid down onto the floor and let those lyrics wash over me. Eventually the song changed and I became aware of the lump I was sitting on. I pulled the book out of my pocket.

Damn book! It always seemed to keep popping up. I was afraid to look inside. I turned it over so the cover was facing me.

In the right hand corner was my mother's name: Erin E. Monte

I decided to open the book. It was a small thing, like the size of a day planner and on the inside was dark ink writing that read: "There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse." Stupid book...stupid quotes...stupid truth!

I flipped through a couple blank pages and stumbled onto a passage that looked like a small journal entry. It was dated four years ago in January.

I just watched my daughter and Jupiter out playing in the field. He seems to like her. I've been worried about mounting such a young horse but the trainers all think he's ready.

I flipped to another page dated a few days later.

I feel like I'm using this as a journal rather than a planner. But I've never been an organized person and this book would go to waste if I never wrote anything in it. Of course Richard is worried again about my trip to London. He's always been that way, but I love him for that.

A few tears escaped my eyes as I read on.

London is beautiful. People here are friendly to say the least and I've just become good friends with one of my competitors. His name is Allen Frey and he has a son Erin's age who is also back in the States. I can't wait to get done here and get back to see Erin. This damn rain is holding up my competing time. I don't think Jupiter likes it either. I've been thinking a lot about Erin lately. I'll be missing her birthday if the rain holds up. I feel guilty not being there but I want to give her my gift to her in person, so she'll have to wait until I get back.

My jaw dropped at the mention of 'Frey'. What a small world. Bryson's father and my mother knew each other. They had been friends. I turned the page to read more but there were no more entries.

And I knew why. That was the competition my mother had died in.

Great discovery Erin...Great fuckin' discovery! I threw the book at the wall and watched as a couple papers fell loose from the book.

I immediately regretted doing that. I hadn't meant to throw one of the last memories I had of my mother. I scrambled on all four's over to the book. I then picked up the couple of papers. They didn't match the same white color as the black book.

I flipped it over and read it's contents.

Name: Jupiter

Breed: Thoroughbred

Sex: Male

DOB: Foaled May 28, 1993

Sire: Stop the Fire

Dam: Viva La Vivi

Identifying marks: N/A, pure black gelding

Registered: Jockey Club (a strange stamp appeared next to the open blank)

Owner: Erin E. Tiggie

I was holding Jupiter's paper's in my hands. I looked to another piece of paper. This one was yellow and had my mother's signature scribbled at the bottom and there was an open space next to it. I had to squint to read some of the writing but when I finally did I jumped to my feet.

*(Nate's POV)*

I stopped knocking at her door after what seemed like a half hour. I walked back down the hall and found all the guys seated at the table, still eating breakfast. Steven had probably already filled them in on what was going on so I didn't bother.

Jack was sitting at the table rubbing his temples in clockwise strokes. I joined him and the others.

"She locked her self in and won't come out." I told Jack. He just nodded in understanding.

"It's up to her now." Jack mumbled.

"What is?" Danny looked around. He must have been the last one up. He was still eating eggs and bacon while the others had cleared their plates. He was alwas a heavy sleeper.

"Weather she stays or goes," Steven explained what had gone on and it still pained me to think that she could be leaving.

"Oh..." Danny looked up at me and then Jack. Something about the look on his face was troubled. "So she's still in her room?" Danny asked after a moment.

"Yeah..." I answered slowly. Danny shoved some more food in his mouth and swallowed loudly. He then shoved another bite in and did the same thing.

"Geezus Danny what the hell?" Isaac asked as Danny stuffed his mouth another time.

"Danny..." Steven asked accusingly. Danny looked up at me with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry Nate."

"What are you sorry for?" I asked furrowing my brow. Danny was starting to freak me out right now.

"Tiggie isn't in her room..." Danny said quietly.

"How do you know?" Steven shoved him a little. Danny threw up his arms in defense.

"I didn't know about all this!" He defended himself.

"What happen?" Jack growled out.

"I saw her walking around out back before I came in. She said she needed to get something. I didn't really thing anything of it."

"How long ago was that?" Ian asked Danny. By now we were all starting to panic. Tiggie was a runner. I couldn't believe I had forgotten. She was probably already to the Canadian boarder by now.

"Uh..." Danny glanced at the clock and then squinted his eyes down tight--causing his face to wrinkle. "Like...twenty minutes ago?"

Steven beat me to it. He slapped Danny over the head, then Ian did, then Isaac and if Jack and I hadn't been on the opposite side of the table we would have. Jack left the table and went to his Study to make a call.

"Great job jackass." Steven said slapping him again.

"Hey!" Danny covered his head like a little child. "I didn't know!" He shouted back.

I tried to think as hard as I could. "Where could she be going on foot?" I asked out loud.

"Maybe she just went for a walk?" Danny suggest but cringed back and covered his face before Steven could hit him again.

"She couldn't get that far. Maybe we can still catch her." Ian suggested.

"Are you kidding? Have you not seen her run. She's got at least twenty minutes on us. And thanks to this genius," Steven pointed accusingly at Danny, "we don't even know where she's headed."

"But--"

"He's right." I finally admitted. "I'm all for going to find her but...what are we bringing her back to? This. Her father..." If she wanted to run. Let her run. I couldn't force her to make a choice, no matter how much I wanted her to choose me.

"I'm sorry Na--"

"Richard is here." Jack announced. I looked up from the dinning room and out the window. Sure enough there was a cloud of dust being kicked up outside.

"Great..." I mumbled into my hands.

How is Jack going to explain that his niece--the woman I love--isn't here...and that we have no way to find her...

"Dammit Tigs..." I groaned. I got up and followed as Jack lead the group of us out to the big dirt lot in front of the house.

I watched as a black Cadillac rolled up first, followed by a back SUV of some sort and that was followed by that same commercial trailer--which I guessed Jupiter was still in. Richard was serious about making a trade.

And to all our surprise the last car to come up the drive way was a small red sports car--I was guessing a Spider--but I wasn't sure. I hadn't seen a car like that in a long time.

We all watched as a man in a black suit emerged from the small car. He was fairly well built for his age and he stood around the same height as Steven and I. He didn't remove his sunglasses, but I felt him and Jack starring each other down. When all the cars finally pulled to a stop he shut the door briskly and walked over.

He looked like something from a movie. Black everything. Black glasses. Black Suit. Black shoes. Black heart. Okay, maybe not the last one.

He walked over to Jack. I could feel the tension in the air. Jack was folding his arms across his chest and he wasn't budging.

"Jack," Richard nodded to him. Neither one offered a hand to shake.

"Richard," Jack said stifly.

I looked around as if for some miracle that Tiggie would just show up. But she didn't, and I slapped myself mentally for thinking she would come back.

"Where is she?" Richard didn't screw around. He went straight to the point. Jack faltered a little.

"She's not here." He admitted.

"What do you mean she's not here?" Richard demanded.

"That's an fancy car you got there." I hadn't even noticed Danny inching his way to Richard's car. He marveled at the small little thing.

"It's a Spider." Richard said pealing his attention away from Jack. Danny asked a couple questions and I realized what he was doing. He was distracting Richard. Steven caught on and soon everyone but me and Jack were crowding around that stupid little sports car.

"He's not going to like the news..." Jack whispered in my ear as Richard had finally had enough questioning and was turning back to Jack.