Chapter 21

"This is really your family?" Joe asked after reading Sam's finished story and viewing the photos.

"Yeah, scary isn't it?" Sam laughed.

Joe laughed with her.

"Our readers are going to love it," Joe said.

"I'm sure they will," Sam agreed. "I just want everyone to know what great firefighters they have watching out for them."

"This Quinn sounds unreal," Joe went on.

"He is unreal," Sam laughed. "I love him dearly, but he is definitely a pistol."

"How did his family react to his being the statue?" Joe asked.

Sam bit back a laugh. "His mother was mortified. The rest of the family wasn't too surprised, I don't think."

"They sound like a great family," Joe murmured, watching Sam.

"They are," she smiled softly.

"Now about this story in Utah," Joe changed the subject.

Sam raised her eyebrows and they went over the story.

"She's sorta a local girl who left to go teach there," Joe noted.

"How soon do you need me to go?" Sam wondered. "I have an ultrasound coming up to determine the sex of my baby."

Joe smiled.

"Do you care which?" Joe asked.

"No," Sam shook her head. "I have nieces and nephews through Jake and I love them all. The little boys are so much like their fathers, it's scary sometimes."

Sam couldn't help the smile. She loved the Ely brothers and their children.

"So you'll go to Utah shortly after your ultrasound?" Joe got back to business.

"Yes," Sam nodded. "As long as the doctor doesn't see anything that would prevent it."

Joe nodded. "I can live with that. Let me know."

"I will," Sam stood up and her hand cupped her rounded belly. She couldn't help the smile as she moved her hand over her belly.

Sam left the paper and got into her Mustang. She was heading home early today and wanted to spend some time with Jake.

She thought about Jen, vowing to call her today and set up a weekend to go and visit her friend. Jen was finishing up her last couple of years of veterinary school and living with Eric off campus. They would wait until Jen was out of college before they got married.

A bit later Sam pulled in to Three Ponies and parked the Mustang next to Quinn's Tahoe. She noticed that Jake's Avalanche wasn't there as she got out of her car.

She smooched to the horses as she crossed the yard. Sam missed not riding, but she would be grounded until the baby was born. She wondered if there was some way Jake could take her out to see how the Phantom was doing before winter kept them from it.

Sam pulled open the door and ran into a hard body.

"Hey Pinky," she heard Quinn's voice and took a step back to look up at him.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"Debi's got the kids down for their nap and I was hungry," Quinn explained. "I didn't want to disturb anyone. Dakota is teething and cranky, which makes Debi cranky." He grinned at her when she rolled her eyes.

"Go ahead and tell her I said that," his grin grew. "She said it herself this morning and tried to make up for it."

Sam waved her hand in the air. "I don't want details."

"Are you sure, Pinky?" Quinn teased. "I could go into great detail on what she did."

"Quinn," Sam hissed, slugging his arm.

Quinn laughed as he rubbed the spot where she had hit him.

"Hey, I'm heading into Darton to pick up my new SUV," Quinn told her. "Do you want to come with?"

"I didn't know you were getting a new car," Sam murmured.

"I'm not," Quinn teased. "I'm getting another SUV."

"Another Tahoe?" Sam asked.

"Nope," Quinn shook his head, grabbing her arm and steering her out the door. "Come with me and maybe I'll stop at Clara's and we can have an ice cream."

"Oh you are a sweet talker," Sam laughed, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and following him.

"You can buy since you insist on bringing that wussy pink backpack," Quinn told her, opening the passenger door of his Tahoe for her and helping her in.

"If it wasn't for this wussy pink backpack, as you call it," Sam informed him, "there wouldn't be a hot article on you and your family coming out in the Darton paper."

She raised her eyebrows at him when he looked over at her. He chuckled, backing up and then pulling out towards Darton.

"So did you get a picture of my best side?" Quinn asked, teasingly.

"I don't know about that but you were fully clothed for a change," Sam teased him back.

"Yeah, darn it," Quinn pretended to grouch, but he chuckled.