Chapter 40
"Whatcha doin' Brat?" Jake's voice came to her the day before they were leaving for their camping trip.
Roundup had come and gone without incident. Dad had shook Kit's hand and wished him well with his rodeo career. Sam had bit her lip, not wanting to think about Kit's leaving.
"Playing with Jake," Sam told him with a grin.
"No you're not," Jake corrected her as he dismounted from one of the Three Ponies' horses.
"Sure I am, see?" Sam held up the turtle.
"How do you know it's the same one?" Jake teased.
"It's obvious," Sam rolled her eyes. "See? He's brown with black on top of his head, just like you."
Jake couldn't help the chuckle.
"Maybe Jake made babies that just look like him," he said.
"You can't make babies," Sam teased.
"Some day," Jake told her.
"You want babies?" Sam asked as she stroked Jake the turtle's head.
"Sure," Jake nodded, stooping down next to her. "Don't you?"
"I don't want to have to stay home and play house," Sam shook her head. "Ann likes to play house. It's boring."
Jake snorted. "I want lots of kids."
"Really?" Sam was surprised.
"Sure, my mom had a lot and I think it's good to have more than just one," Jake said.
Sam frowned. Her mom was dead so there was only her.
Jake seemed to realize it at the same time and he paled. "I'm sorry, Sam."
"It's okay," Sam murmured, but he saw the sadness in her face before she had looked down. "I still don't want to play house."
"No, me either," Jake agreed. He stood up and went down to the river. He squatted down slowly, his sharp eyes looking in the river for a turtle.
Sam looked over at him, as always surprised at how quiet he could be. He blended in sometimes so you'd never know he was there. That's why she hadn't known he was there the first time they had met. He had watched her from the shadows before making his presence known.
Jake's hand snaked out, grabbing a turtle out of the river. He held it aloft, his face almost triumphant as he turned.
"Yours still can't beat Jake," Sam told him with a grin.
"Don't call that turtle Jake," Jake responded.
"Neigh," Sam said before sticking her tongue out at him.
"Buzz, buzz," Jake retorted with a laugh. "Come on, Brat. Time for my turtle to beat yours."
"Your turtle will never beat Jake," Sam predicted as she picked up her turtle and took it over to where Jake was kneeling on the ground. Turtle Jake's legs were almost running in place as Sam knelt next to him.
"Go!" Jake shouted before Sam had Turtle Jake's feet on the ground.
"You're cheating," Sam accused, putting her turtle down quickly.
Even with Jake's turtle's head start, Sam's turtle overtook his, winning the race. Sam jumped up, dancing in place like they all did after they scored touchdowns when they played football.
"Yeah, yeah," Jake grumbled, though he laughed as he watched her. No doubt about it, she had spent way too much time with him and his brothers.
Neither of them noticed that Sam's turtle was headed for the river until they heard a small splash.
"Oh no," Sam yelped, running down to the river, going in headfirst after her turtle.
Jake fell over, he was laughing so hard. His laughter rang out as he rolled on the ground. His turtle made its escape to the river.
"Darn it," Sam's fists splashed the river when she couldn't find her turtle.
"I guess old Jake was tired of running," Jake was still laughing from where he laid on the ground.
Sam came out of the river, dripping wet. She stood over Jake as she dripped all over him, laughing when he tried to push her away.
"Get away," Jake laughed as he tried to shove her.
"I'm trying to cool you off," Sam reasoned as she laughed, still dribbling water on him. She wrung out her hair which dribbled all over him.
"I'll cool you off," Jake threatened, grabbing her and jumping into the river fully clothed, ignoring Sam's half-hearted screams.
The two of them dunked the other until they finally crawled out of the river to sit on the bank. Side by side, they turned their faces towards the warm sun.
"Ready to go tomorrow?" Jake asked some time later.
"Yeah, Gram's driving me over early," Sam responded with a nod. She opened her eyes to look over at him. "Are you sure you want me to go?"
"'Course," Jake opened his eyes and looked back at her.
"Good, because I can't wait," Sam told him. "I packed a bathing suit."
"Maybe you should have tried wearing it today," Jake teased.
"Maybe you should have taken your clothes off before you jumped in," Sam teased back. "Your mom is going to be mad."
"Nah," Jake shook his head. "She's used to it."
"Dad bred Kitty to Smoke," Sam told him.
"I know. We bred our mare back too," Jake said.
"Dad said I could have Kitty's foal," Sam announced.
"Yeah?" Jake was happy for her.
"We'll have foals at the same time," Sam couldn't stop the smile. "Wouldn't it be cool if they were born on the same day?"
"They could be," Jake nodded.
The two of them shared a smile before shutting their eyes and lying on their backs on the river bank.