Chapter 37
"Thank you for my present," Sam murmured, looking up into Jake's face. She wanted to kiss him, but knew he wouldn't appreciate it in front of everyone.
"You can thank me later," Jake said softly, for her ears only.
Sam blushed and Jake grinned.
"Whose horse is this?" Dad was suddenly there.
"Mine," Sam turned to tell him. She could tell Dad wasn't all that happy at the prospect of another mouth to feed.
"She can keep him at Three Ponies when she's not home if you want, Wyatt," Luke told him, understanding where the other man was coming from. "Since she'll be moving there anyway in a few years. The boys will make sure he gets ridden regularly."
Dad looked surprised and looked from Luke to Jake then to Sam.
"It's very generous of you, Jake," Dad murmured. Sam knew Dad was upset at Jake springing this horse on everyone at her party.
"Did you train him?" Sam asked Jake.
"Not as often as I wanted to," Jake admitted. "Grandfather did most of it for me."
"Thank you, Mac," Sam did hug Jake's grandfather.
"Thank you Samantha for loving my grandson the way you do," Mac hugged her back while still holding onto the horse's lead rope.
"It's the easiest thing I've ever had to do," Sam smiled at the older man.
"Wanna leg up?" Jake asked.
Sam smiled and lifted her leg. Jake grabbed it and boosted her up on her horse. Toby never moved, just swished his tail once.
"Wow, he's tall," Sam noted, looking down at the ground.
"Just don't look down, Sammy," Quinn teased.
Jake took the lead rope from Mac and handed it to Sam.
"He's handsome," Jen said as Sam urged her new horse forward.
Toby stepped out at a walk and Sam rode him around the ranch yard.
"You have your good pants on, Samantha," Brynna reminded her.
Sam was wearing a pair of capri pants and sandals.
"I know," Sam nodded as she rode the horse past Brynna.
Toby was a perfect gentleman as Sam rode another lap around the ranch yard. Everyone could see by her wide smile that she was enjoying herself and liked her new horse.
"Nice horse," Pepper called to her as Toby walked by. Sam glanced over at him with a smile.
"You keep your hands off my horse, Pepper," Sam warned with teasing.
"I like those loud ones," Pepper teased back and Sam laughed.
"I'll put mouse traps on his back," Sam was still teasing the red-headed cowboy.
Pepper laughed.
Sam rode Toby up to where Jake was standing next to his grandfather and father and halted the paint. Toby snorted and Jake looked down at his shirt. Sam couldn't help the laugh. Jake's mouth twitched wiping off the small bit of horse slobber on his shirt.
Sam swung down from the sorrel tobiano and threw her arms around Jake, surprising him with a hug. His brothers all snorted in amusement.
"Thank you," Sam said to him.
"You're welcome," Jake responded and Sam took pity on him and ended the hug. "We'll go for a ride tomorrow and you can try him out under saddle."