Chapter 24
"Jake, Sam's here," Kit called to him when they came into the house. The twins had told Kit that they thought he might go and pick Sam up so she could come visit Jake. Kit had called River Bend, making arrangements with Sam's Gram so Sam could come over to Three Ponies.
"In here," Jake was in the family room watching TV.
"Hi," Sam smiled at him as she came in.
"Hey," Jake greeted her, seeing Kit's grin behind Sam.
"Quinn said you got ma, um, mo…," Sam couldn't remember the word.
"Mauled?" Kit suggested.
"Malled," Sam pronounced to herself and gave a nod.
"I wouldn't say mauled," Jake corrected.
"Bit?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, I got bit," Jake nodded.
"Can I see it?" Sam wondered.
Jake heard Kit snort. Jake had to grin.
Jake lifted the leg of his sweat pants and Sam gasped. It had a bandage over it, but she could see the bruising around the bite.
"I got five stitches," Jake bragged.
"Yeah?" Sam was impressed. "That's cool. When can you come back to school?"
"Prolly tomorrow," Jake answered.
"Quinn told me you weren't there to protect the older girls so I couldn't hit them," Sam plopped down on the couch next to him.
Jake laughed. Sam giggled.
"Wanna play a video game?" Jake asked.
"Sure," Sam nodded enthusiastically.
That's where Maxine found them when she got home from work. She watched them briefly from the doorway leading from the kitchen into the family room and couldn't help the soft smile.
The two of them were teasing each other as they played the video game. Jake killed one of her players and trash talked her as he did it. Sam stuck her tongue out at him, not giving up nor did she give in to him. She gave it right back to him as she wiped out a player of his.
"You kids having fun?" Maxine asked.
"Yeah, I'm killing Sam," Jake told her with a shout.
"Jake Ely!" Maxine yelped. "That's not a nice thing to say."
"But I am," Jake bit his lip in concentration.
"Ha!" Sam laughed as she got another of his players.
"Lucky shot," Jake scoffed.
Both of them knew it was, but Sam refused to acknowledge it.
With another smile, Maxine went down the hallway that led to the room she shared with Luke, to change out of her good clothes.
They were still at it when Maxine came back out.
"Are you staying for dinner, Samantha?" Maxine asked.
Sam glanced at Jake who gave her an encouraging look.
"Yes, ma'am," Sam sent Mrs. Ely a smile. Maxine returned it.
Maxine loved that Jake and Sam were friends. She felt Samantha was good for Jake. That Sam would be good for Jake for years to come. She remembered how Mac had felt that Jake and Sam would come to love each other some day. Maxine hoped so.
She had been friends with Sam's mother. Maxine had mourned Sam's mom when she had died. To her it would be full circle for Sam to join her family some day.
Of course, Maxine didn't have much to say about it. It would depend on Jake and it would depend on Sam. So much could happen between now and then, but she was hopeful.