The Wild One

The Wild One is the first book in the Phantom Stallion series.

Blurb
It's been two years since Blackie, the horse Sam raised from a foal, threw her in a near-fatal accident. She's been separated from her family, her ranch and the wild mustangs she loves. Now she's home again, but her beloved Blackie has been missing since the day Sam was injured.

Then, on the night she returns, a mustang comes to Sam. Is it Blackie, grown up and gone wild? Is it the legendary stallion known as the Phantom? Or could it be both?

Plot Summary
Two years after a riding accident, Sam is returning to her home in Nevada after living with her Aunt Sue in San Francisco. As she and her dad, Wyatt, head towards River Bend Ranch, they see a helicopter herding mustangs, but they escape on a secret trail. They are then waved down by Linc Slocum, who greets Sam upon her return and discusses her lost colt Blackie, only for Wyatt to reaffirm "the wild ones never come back."

As they pull up on the ranch, Sam is greeted by her childhood friend Jake and and her grandmother, "Gram", and meets her new horse Ace for the first time. However, Ace is standoffish towards Sam and does not come to her calls. During lunch, Sam learns he was once a mustang and that he once ran with the Phantom's herd. They discuss the legend of the Phantom and Slocum's interest in capturing him. They also discuss her lost colt and Sam privately remembers the secret name she gave him: Zanzibar. Sam also learns that the summer cattle drive with Gold Dust Ranch is the following morning, and she is joining with Ace.

The night before the drive, Sam can't sleep and instead goes walking outside near the river when the wild stallion who lead the herd she saw earlier approaches her in the river, but spooks and flees. Remembering the stories of Blackie's father Smoke, who was black but turned white, she realizes Blackie had done the same and had returned to her.

The following morning they drive out to the desert and meet with Gold Dust's team to move their beef cattle to the summer pastures. Sam meets her own ranch's team, Dallas, Ross, and Pepper. When Sam saddles Ace, he puffs out his belly causing the saddle to slip, embarrassing Sam in front of the other cowboys. During the first day of the drive, Ace begins to challenge Sam whenever she loosens her reins. The following day, Ace tests her further by starting a bucking fit in front of the other cowboys, Sam takes control and wins their respect as well as Ace's. Dallas affirms she took charge and encourages her for the day's ride. Sam also realizes her sweater has gone missing.

That night Sam is picked to ride nighthawk on Ace, and hopes to talk to Jake about the earlier bucking incident. However they are approached by the Phantom instead, and the two horses greet each other like old friends. Suddenly they both take off at a run, Sam still on Ace's back, and race towards a tunnel that opens into a secret valley full of mustangs. Sam falls asleep in the valley, giving Ace a chance to be among his old herd, and awakes at dawn, realizing she will have been missed back at camp and is eager to leave before anyone else finds the hidden valley.

As Sam heads back to camp she is met by Slocum, who claims to have been looking for her. Slocum is disbelieving of Sam's claims she woke up for a ride, but is backed by Jake when he arrives. When Slocum returns to camp, Jake and Sam follow more slowly, and he reminds her he is an excellent tracker, and is aware she ran off with a wild horse. Jake also tells Sam the story of how Slocum tried to capture the Phantom by chasing the stallion in a truck. Once exhausted, he was roped and tied to a barrel of harden concrete, and only escaped when Slocum got greedy and tried to capture a mare as well. The incident left the Phantom with a scar on his neck. Slocum then tried to pay Jake to track the wounded horse, but Jake refused. Jake then warns Sam that Slocum would try to use her as bait. He also warns her that failed to keep her safe once, but it wouldn't happen again.

That evening, the Phantom appears near the camp, but is noticed by Slocum, who chases him on horseback overnight. However, the Phantom is agile enough to avoid capture. The next challenge of the cattle drive is to cross the playa, which is too large to detour but dangerous with quicksand under its dry crust, and the challenge is added to with a thunderstorm and rain. There is concern over the animals spooking and causing a stampede, or sinking into the quicksand and needing to be pulled out.

On the playa, Sam and Ace cut off a spooked cow, but when she's unwilling to return to the herd, Sam takes off her hat and waves it at her, shouting. In response, the cow bellows and the entire herd spooks and starts a stampede. The cows are herded without injuries, but a calf gets stuck in the quicksand and its mother abandons it. Sam goes into the quicksand to grab hold of the calf and the pair are pulled out with a rope. Sam takes on the responsibility of bottle feeding the calf and names her Buddy. While sleeping outside with Buddy, Sam notices Slocum's return to camp and sees his horse covered in blood from spurs.

Back at River Bend, Sam is cleaning out the barn when the Phantom returns to the river in daylight, and Sam talks to him, but when she stops he flees back to the range. Sam wonders why he continues to return. Gram later asks Sam where she goes when she leaves the house at night, and Wyatt admits they thought she and Jake were meeting in the middle of the night.

Sam, Jake, and Wyatt go to the mustang corrals at Willow Springs, run by the BLM, so Sam can see the horses. They meet Brynna Olson, who explains the BLM is only responsible for rounding up free-ranging horses and burros. Sam and Jake ask questions on reclaiming escaped horses, and Sam learns she has no evidence to prove the Phantom was once hers. Jake inquires if scars can be used as evidence, but is told they cannot, as anyone can make up a story on how a horse received a scar. When Miss Olson asks if they are missing a horse, Wyatt states they are not.

While they watch mustangs being unloaded, Miss Olson points out different horses to encourage them to adopt one. When she suggest Jake and Sam a mare would be nice for "their mom", Jake states Wyatt is not his father and Sam states her mom is dead. Though Sam admits to herself that Miss Olson has some horse sense and seems interested in getting the horses good homes, she decides the BLM is not to be trusted because wild horses should be free. When they leave, Wyatt and Miss Olson exchange friendly introductions, and signs of mutual interest. Once in the car Sam states that Miss Olson only mentioned "their mom" to find out if Wyatt was married, to which Wyatt seems angry and embarrassed.

Sam convinces Wyatt and Jake to pull over and shares her suspicions Blackie has grown up into the Phantom, and they agree with her. Wyatt and Jake begin to discuss how they can reclaim Blackie, but Sam declares that she doesn't want him back and wants him to remain wild. She states her concern is Slocum and his interest in the stallion. Slocum drives up to their car when they begin to discuss him and restates his interest in the Phantom. He tells them his cowboy Flick is working at Willow Springs and will inform him if the Phantom is brought in.

Though Sam wants to go home and check on Buddy, Wyatt states he promised Gram they'd be out all day and they go to eat at Clara's. While they eat, Sam asks what can be done to prevent Slocum from getting the Phantom. Wyatt states they'd have to adopt them, but that it is expensive and a four year old wild stallion would not help with ranch work. Sam begins to realize how tired her dad looks when he talks about money. When Wyatt leaves to buy a part for the well pump, Sam suggests Jake could help her train him again, but Jake states that the Phantom would have to be gelded because stallions can be dangerous and unpredictable. Jake adds that that particular stallion has already come close to killing her.

Sam and Jake discuss what happened the day of Sam's accident, though Sam is unwilling. Jake confirms the Native American horse taming worked on Blackie, but that he still has a horse's brain. They relive the moments leading up the accident, where Sam was struggling to get Blackie to ride through a gate. Sam and Blackie were both scared, though Jake was irritated she couldn't seem to deal with the gate they were riding through. Blackie then spooked and got pinned by the gate before taking off at full speed. Sam fell off the colt and one of his hooves collided with her head. Sam was knocked unconscious and her head wound began to bleed. Jake, terrified of moving her, left her to go get help. The incident left Sam with potential complications and lead Wyatt to send her away to California. Jake then states that he promised if Sam lived, he'd watch over her better and that he won't let anyone, even Wyatt, let that horse have a second chance to kill her.

On the drive home Sam continues to fret over Buddy and asks Jake if Gram would hear Buddy crying from the garden. Jake informs Sam the pasture she turned Buddy out in had rails removed and that Buddy "couldn't have missed" the opening. They are greeted at River Bend by Gram waiting for them confirming Buddy has gone missing. Sam admits this was her mistake and Wyatt orders Sam to find Buddy alone, as it's her responsibility.

Sam rides out on Ace looking for the calf and finds her being hunted by a pair of coyotes. Sam chases the coyotes off by shouting and waving her arms, only for Ace to refuse to allow Buddy to be put on his back. Sam instead leads Buddy home by rope. Wyatt informs Sam it was her fault that coyotes hunted Buddy, and that was how nature worked, and that they'd have never laid eyes on Buddy if Sam had been responsible in the first place. Sam asks Gram how much trouble she was in and Gram admits it was only worry, and that she and Wyatt remember waiting to see if she would recover from her accident. Sam then asks how Wyatt could let her go out on her own, but Gram informs Sam that her dad's jacket is still cold and that he had followed her in the dark. While Gram reassures Sam, Wyatt storms back into the room and declares that if Sam isn't mature enough to handle a six-week old calf she cannot handle a mustang stallion and that adoption is no longer on the table.

Wyatt punishes Sam for her irresponsibility with heavy chores, and Sam picks up on other duties without being asked to keep a low profile. Sam begins to research the adoption process for mustangs and studies "prohibited acts", making a list of things Slocum had done to pass on to Miss Olson. When the house is empty, Sam begins to call Willow Springs daily to inquire if they have any new horses, and hears that they only have the herd Sam had already seen. One day Miss Olson finally inquires who is calling, and informs Sam that they usually do not typically gather many horses between February and July. Miss Olson proceeds to ask Sam if there's a specific horse she is calling about, Gram walks into the house and Sam hurriedly ends the phone call.

Miss Olson later arrives to River Bend for a pre-adoption inspection, citing their interest. Sam and Miss Olson discuss mustangs while waiting for Wyatt to walk up to them, and Sam asks why Miss Olson rounds up wild horses if she thinks some of them do not adjust well to captivity. Sam is surprised by Miss Olson's passionate argument, but is saved from having to reply when Wyatt asks if they passed inspection and invites Miss Olson to stay for dinner, but she declines. Miss Olson suspects something is troubling Sam and tries to convince her to confide in her. She then tells Sam about her blind mustang mare Penny and suggests blind trust can be the most perceptive of all.

Later that night Sam brings her sleeping bag onto the porch in hopes the Phantom will appear, and begins to sing while she waits. The stallion appears and Sam meets him in the water, singing and talking to him. Sam notices the kitchen light turn on and when she moves her hands, the Phantom spooks and runs back towards the range, and Sam trips in the river. She returns to the house to see Wyatt waiting for her, in awe of what he saw. He notes that Sam will likely have a black eye.

Sam oversleeps the following morning, and Gram confirms that Sam has a black eye, suggesting she use some make-up to cover it. Jake reacts badly to Sam's black eye, assuming she did something dangerous. When Wyatt and Gram leave to deliver Pocahontas to Dawn Archer, Grams gives Jake permission to use her car in case of emergency. Sam proceeds to call the BLM to tell Miss Olson that the Phantom was once her colt Blackie and that she is afraid someone else will try and claim him. Miss Olson confirms that Slocum filed adoption papers and wanted to organize a capture of grays, but she hurriedly cuts off her statement, claiming she was being unprofessional. Sam also warns Miss Olson one of Slocum's cowboys was working at Willow Springs, though Miss Olson states no one by the name of Flick is working there.

While Sam inquires what Jake had done during the few days he was away, Miss Olson calls back and tells Sam that the Phantom has been brought in. She informs her that two new hires brought him in cross-tied and blindfolded, citing a complaint from a local rancher. When his blindfold was removed, he started acting dangerously, and if they can't calm him down, they will have to put him down. Sam realizes the blindfold was her missing sweater, an item with her scent, and states she will be there as soon as she can.

Jake drives Sam to Willow Springs, and they see Slocum coming up the road behind them. Jake threatens Sam that if she plans to get close to the Phantom again he will pull over and allow Slocum to pass them. Sam states that she is going because she told Miss Olson she would, and Jake assures Sam that horses cannot be adopted out until they are held, freeze-branded, and registered. Seeing Slocum catching up, Jake stops the car in Thread the Needle and removes part of the engine, giving it to Sam and telling her to run to the center while he blocks the way, warning her not to do anything stupid.

Sam runs to Willow Springs in time to see Miss Olson fire Flick, though her arrival is unnoticed. The Phantom is frantic in a pen and has wounded himself and other horses. Sam slips under the fence and approaches him. Sam reads the Phantom's body language and decides he is betrayed and acting like a normal, frightened horse. Sam calls his secret name and the stallion calms down and rests his head on Sam's shoulder.

After Sam leaves the pen, Jake calls her a fool, but hugs her, and Miss Olson debates what to do with Sam. Sam gives her the list of prohibited acts Slocum has committed. Slocum finally arrives, his being out of shape slowing his arrival. He claims that the BLM has recaptured his horse, citing the Phantom's scar. Sam is angered by this statement, but Miss Olson reiterates a scar is not proof of ownership. Slocum admits to several prohibited acts regarding the Phantom with careful leading from Sam, Jake, and Miss Olson and his adoption papers are deferred. Angered, Slocum threatens Sam before being forced off BLM property.

In the aftermath, Miss Olson works on making provisions for the stallion. Sam encourages Miss Olson to call her "Sam", but Miss Olson agrees only if she'll call her "Brynna". Though Jake thinks Wyatt will now let Sam adopt the Phantom, Brynna states that the BLM does not adopt out every horse they bring in, re-releasing several to enrich existing herds. Jake recites Blackie's bloodline and Sam realizes the Phantom's foals would improve future mustang populations if he is allowed free. Sam suggests if she can get the Phantom down the hill, he will return to the wild on his own, instead of forcing him into a trailer. Jake agrees to return to River Bend to get Ace and a trailer.

Sam attempts to get a halter on the Phantom, but is unsuccessful by the time Wyatt and Jake arrive with Ace. Sam retreats from the pen, understanding what the Phantom wants. She suggests they wait until dark and she leads the Phantom down the hill on Ace, like a Judas horse. Though Brynna, Jake, and Wyatt are wary, Sam convinces them she does not want to get hurt and sent away again, and will be careful. Wyatt then tells Sam that she looks a lot like her mom when she is absolutely certain of something.

Sam rides Ace as they lead the Phantom down the mountain side, the two horses running together, until she can see River Bend's lights in the distance. The Phantom runs towards the range and the river. Sam shouts his secret name and the Phantom rears. Sam understands the stallion promises to return.

Humans

 * Sam Forster
 * Wyatt Forster
 * Grace "Gram" Forster
 * Jake Ely
 * Dallas
 * Ross
 * Pepper
 * Brynna Olson
 * Lincoln "Linc" Slocum
 * Flick
 * "Bale Thrower" Hugh
 * "Clipboard"

Horses

 * The Phantom / Blackie
 * Ace
 * Strawberry
 * Banjo
 * Witch
 * Pocahontas

Other Animals

 * Blaze
 * Buddy