Winter Tears
I am SO sorry for how long this took to update! I've been reading the books over for the last week and it's getting my plot bunnies going again. This chapters rather short... and there'll be a pattern to these. It'll go back and forth between after Jake's accident in the first chapter to before it, like in this one. Umm... yeah, not mine. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Calm Before The Storm
"Hey, Brat!" The familiar voice she had been longing to hear but had not expected greeted her ears as she stepped off of the plane at the small Darton airport. Sam found herself grinning when strong arms wrapped around her from behind.
When they came face to face, she rolled her eyes. "Nineteen years with me and you still refuse to give that up, huh?" She teased, pushing at him playfully. "It's nice to see you again, Jake."
The twenty-two year old Jake smiled back, his mustang eyes as enticing as ever. "You, too, brat. How'd your first semester go?"
"Grades aren't posted yet, but hopefully pretty well. You?" The two had started to walk toward the double doors at the entrance, one of Sam's bags slung over both of their shoulders.
He shook his head. "I don't know yet either. I just got here yesterday."
Sam had figured as much. "Are we doing anything while we're both home?" She asked, dropping her bags in the back of his pick-up truck. It was rare that their breaks overlapped. The last time Jake had been home, she'd been stuck doing final exams, and the last time she'd gotten a break, Jake's car had been in for repairs so he couldn't leave.
"Riding?"
"That's a given. Besides that?" She teased, climbing into the passenger's seat.
He slid into the driver's seat, starting on the way back to River Bend. "I was thinking, maybe, we could try camping out for a few nights."
"As long as Dad and Brynna agree, sure." Sam agreed, amazed at how much college had forced Jake to change. He seemed to talk more, and she no longer had to spend hours reading him to understand what he wanted to say. She no longer wished he came with an instruction manual.
Not only had her family agreed - on the condition that they have a least some time at the end of the week to catch up, they even helped get everything together. Backpacks were filled to capacity, supplies were loaded into saddlebags, and Wyatt had even offered to drive out early to drop the tents and other supplied off early.
"You two be careful out there!" Brynna warned, as the family sat around the kitchen table. Sam entertained a three year old Cody while they enjoyed one of Grams magnificent meals, complete with a chocolate frosted cake for desert. It was a nice change after thriving on college food for the last few months.
"We will." Jake assured.
Sam was really hoping this new Jake was less protective, but somehow even now she doubted that.
"What horses are you taking?" Her father asked, as opposed to when he used to tell her which mounts would be best suited.
"Jake's taking Witch, and I'm going to get back on Tempest." The mare's coat had started to turn into the grey of her sire, and she still held that same feisty spirit, as well.
"Sure to be quite a site with two such opinionated ladies along for the ride." Gram laughed, well aware that they could both handle that by now. "Are you sure you're going to head out tonight, though?"
Jake nodded. "We'll make it to camp by nightfall." he glanced out the window. "We should be leaving, though."
With a swarm of 'good-bye's and 'be careful's, the two of them saddled up their horses, packs, sleeping bags and saddlebags in place and headed off.