Chapter 11
Sam yawned as she stumbled into the ranch yard at four o'clock the next morning.
"Hey Sammy," Nate greeted her.
Sam waved in his direction and promptly ran into a hard chest.
"Oomph," Sam grunted as she tried to stay on her feet.
"Here," Jake shoved a mug in her hand.
She inhaled the scent of hot chocolate and coffee. Then she snuggled into her husband's neck and inhaled his scent. She like that better.
"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Sam asked, kissing his neck and smiling when he raised his shoulder in response.
"Yeah, you did a pretty good job of it last night," Jake grinned at her, kissing the top of her head.
Sam scratched her stitches as she blushed.
"Stop that, Brat," Jake moved her hand away.
"They itch," Sam complained, then took a sip from her mug.
"You don't have a hat do you?" Jake observed.
"No," Sam shook her head. "It's not something I needed in San Francisco. I have no idea where the one you got me would be."
"After the avalanche," Jake mused.
Sam nodded.
"Too late to call and ask your Gram to bring it," Jake said.
"I have a ball cap I can use," Sam told him.
"It will be better than nothing," Jake nodded. "Don't want your nose to burn." He pressed his lips to the end of it and she smiled at him.
Sam took a long drink from her mug and took off for the big stone house. Jake turned to watch her, noticing how the jeans she wore hugged her butt and her thighs.
"Quit lusting after your wife and help us," Quinn shoved him.
"Huh?" Jake grinned.
Quinn laughed and clapped his hand on Jake's shoulder. "It is good to have her back."
"Yeah, it is," Jake nodded.
All of them looked up as Sam came back out, adjusting a pink ball cap with the words San Francisco Chronicle on the front, upon her head. The four guys looked at each other and started to grin.
"What's funny?" Sam asked, picking up some of the supplies and handing them to Bryan to pack. "My boss from the Chronicle gave me this."
"I hear you're using that wussy pink backpack again," Quinn said.
"What of it?" Sam put her hands on her hips. "You want to borrow it?"
Nate, Bryan and Jake snorted. Quinn grinned.
"Love ya, Sammy," Quinn told her, putting an arm around her.
Sam hugged him back, glad that they all seemed to be picking up from where they left off two years ago. She did love them all like brothers, well except for Jake anyway, and was happy to have them in her life again.
"We ready?" Nate wondered, tossing his keys in his hand.
"Yep, if Pinky here is ready to go," Quinn said.
Sam hit his arm and Quinn laughed.
"Let's get out of here before we end up waking up the wives," Bryan stated.
"Or worse, the kids who wake up the wives," Nate said, quickly getting behind the wheel of his truck.
"Henpecked," Sam teased with a laugh.
"Whipped," Jake corrected, helping her into the truck and then getting in the backseat next to her.
"Oh my gosh, did Jakey just actually make a joke?" Quinn teased getting into the passenger seat.
"I'm not sure who it is that Sammy married, but it can't be Jake," Bryan got in on the other side of Sam.
"Jakey never jokes," Nate laughed.
"Pinky just married someone who looks like Jake," Quinn laughed.
"Har har," Jake grumbled.
"Will you quit calling me Pinky?" Sam huffed.
"Nope," Quinn shook his head, still laughing.
"Hammock stuffer," Sam countered, causing the rest of the Elys to burst out laughing.
They had missed her.