Chapter 4

Sam was going to eat those words she uttered on roundup. Oh, she was having fun, but camping with the Elys was also different than anything else she had experienced.

Gram had driven her over to Three Ponies where Sam would leave with the Ely boys. When they had arrived, the boys had their horses already saddled and were loading supplies onto the two pack horses they were bringing with them.

Jake came over when Sam got out of Gram's Buick.

"Where's your sleeping bag?" he asked. "I'll add it to the pack horse."

Sam opened the back of the Buick and Jake grabbed her sleeping bag, bringing it over to Kit who tied it down on the pack horse.

She had a small duffle bag with her clothes and things in it. Jake came back to take it and tie it behind the saddle of the horse she would be riding.

"Have a good time, Samantha," Gram told her, giving her a hug.

"Okay," Sam murmured. Now that the day of going was here, Sam was apprehensive. She wasn't sure she could do this.

Jake motioned her over towards the horse he had tied her bag onto and Sam walked towards him.

"This is Daisy," Jake said. "She's really gentle that Mom rides her sometimes."

Sam held out her hand to the bay mare. Daisy snuffled her hand and lipped her fingers. Sam couldn't help the smile. Jake gave her a smile and nodded.

He left her to get acquainted with the mare and went back to where his brothers were getting everything ready. Jake double checked that one of his brothers had fastened the fishing equipment onto one of the pack horses. One of his jobs was to catch the fish, so he always made sure the equipment wasn't forgotten.

"We ready?" Nate asked. Sam looked over at him. At thirteen his voice had dropped. He too had gone through the up and down voice cracking for awhile. Now he sounded like a man and Sam wasn't used to it.

"Yep," Quinn's voice squeaked a bit. He grimaced. Sam wondered if he would be next to go through the voice thing. She glanced at Jake, not able to imagine him with a deep voice like Nate's, Adam's and Kit's.

"Where's your hat?" Jake asked her. Sam hadn't heard him come up behind her and she jumped in surprise.

"In Gram's car," Sam frowned.

"Her skin will end up burning if she doesn't have a hat," Bryan said, overhearing them.

"I have an old one that should work," Jake ran towards the house.

He was back within minutes with a small black hat. She bet it was the one he had worn when they had first met four years ago. Jake plunked it on her head and nodded.

"There," he said, satisfied.

Kit swung up into the saddle of his horse and the rest of the Ely boys followed his lead. Sam murmured to Daisy and mounted the bay mare. Jake came near to her on the gelding he was riding and checked on her.

Sam nodded at him to let him know she was fine.

Kit started for the range, one of the pack horses behind him. Nate followed Kit. Adam was next, with the other pack horse, then Quinn and Bryan. Sam and Jake brought up the rear.

"How far do you go?" Sam asked Jake.

"It will take most of the day to get there," Jake told her. "There's a valley in the mountains that we like to camp at. I think that's where we're going."

"Okay," Sam murmured.

"Relax, Brat," Jake grinned at her. "You'll have a good time, I bet."

"I've never camped before," Sam admitted.

"It's fun," Jake said.

Sam flicked her gaze to him.

"It is," Jake insisted. "It's the best to be able to spend your whole day outside."

"I like roundup," Sam said.

"It's a lot like roundup, but no tents and no cattle," Jake responded. "We just do whatever we feel like doing. Go swimming, play cards, eat, play ball, play on the horses, whatever we want."

"Go swimming?" Sam asked. "I didn't bring a bathing suit."

"Neither did none of us," Jake shrugged.

"Jake, I can't swim naked," Sam hissed.

"So wear your underwear," Jake shrugged again.

Sam gave him an astounded look. She had never imagined she'd be swimming without clothes on with a bunch of boys. Sam could just imagine what Gram and Dad would have to say if they knew.