Chapter 37
Sam watched Sheriff Ballard take pictures of the scene and then take casts of the tire tracks and the hoofprint with the strange marking on the shoe.
"Can you take those to someone's ranch and compare them to their horses?" Sam asked him.
"Not without a search warrant," the sheriff told her.
"Oh," Sam frowned. She had hoped the sheriff could go to Slocum's ranch and look at all his horse's feet.
Jake caught her eye and smiled, knowing what she had been thinking.
"Good work, Jake," Heck Ballard told him. "If you ever want to officially join the force, you let me know."
Sam was surprised and she could see Jake was too. It was quite a compliment to Jake that the sheriff had said that to him, Sam thought.
"Thanks," Jake said humbly and Sam was very proud of him.
She told him so once the sheriff left.
"How cool was that?" Sam put her arms around him to kiss him.
Jake shrugged as he kissed her back.
"So do you want to go into town tonight?" Jake asked, helping Sam mount Jester. Sam smiled down at him as he caressed her butt after she mounted.
"Even though I'm…?" Sam asked.
"I just want to spend some time with you," Jake said.
"Okay," Sam gave in and nodded.
Jake swung up on Witch and the two of them headed back towards Three Ponies. They held hands for a bit on the way, smiling at each other as they rode.
When they reached Jake's ranch, he dismounted from Witch and came over and held out his arms to Sam. She slid from the back of Jester into his arms, her own snaking around his neck as her lips found his.
"What time do you want me to pick you up?" Jake asked against her mouth.
"Are you feeding me?" Sam nibbled his bottom lip.
"'Course," Jake nodded.
"Five?" Sam tilted her head at him as she looked up into his face.
"Five it is," Jake pressed his lips to hers.
They stripped the tack from the horses and Sam brushed Jester out before turning him back into the pasture. She held the gate open while Jake turned Witch loose, shutting it once the mare had galloped off.
"I'll see you at five," Jake walked to Dad's truck with her.
"Okay," Sam blushed.
"Why are you blushing?" Jake wondered.
"You know why," Sam murmured, looking up into his eyes before looking away again.
"We'll just hang out if you feel like it," Jake told her. "If not, then we'll go see a movie or something after dinner, okay?"
"Okay," Sam nodded, still blushing.
He just kissed her. Sam clung to his mouth, not being able to help the way her body wanted to wrap around him.
Jake ended the kiss and Sam sighed, looking up into his dark face.
"Five," she repeated.
Jake nodded.
"Okay, see you then," Sam gave a quick kiss before climbing into Dad's truck. She waved at Jake before she pulled out and headed towards River Bend.
Jake smiled as she disappeared, then went towards the big stone house.