Chapter 41
"Hey there, Sammy," Adam greeted her as she got out of Gram's Buick early the next morning.
"Hi Adam," Sam waved at him as she took her things out of the backseat. She didn't see Adam very much anymore since he was now in high school at age sixteen, dating and doing a lot of outdoorsy things.
"Hi Grace," Maxine came out of the house to greet the other woman.
"Hi Maxine," Gram smiled at Jake's mom.
"I'm so glad Wyatt allowed Sam to go with the boys again this year," Maxine said.
"I didn't think he would until you reminded him that Kit would be along too," Gram responded.
Maxine nodded in understanding. She couldn't say that she'd allow her nine year old daughter to go camping overnight with the older neighbor boys. However, she knew her sons felt that Sam was like a sister.
"It helps that they're still nine and not quite eleven," Gram's voice dropped so no one else could overhear them.
"Jake hasn't discovered girls yet," Maxine assured Gram. "Though his brothers already had at his age, he's not given any indication he's noticed that Sam's a girl he's not related to."
"I don't think Wyatt will allow it when they're fourteen and almost sixteen," Gram said.
"No," Maxine shook her head in agreement.
The two women exchanged a look of understanding. The soft smiles on their faces told the other that they both hoped the two youngsters would discover their feelings for each other at a later time. They both had plenty of time to do that as far as the women were concerned.
They watched as Jake helped Sam tie her bag behind her horse's saddle cantle. He tugged briefly on one of her pigtails and she lightly slugged his arm. The women's eyes met, their smiles sly as Jake stood next to Sam's mount and waited for her to get on her horse's back before he moved away and swung up on his own horse.
"Come on Quinn," Kit yelled towards the barn.
Quinn was in the barn saying goodbye to his colt. He spent as much time as he could with him.
"Coming, coming," Quinn muttered running out of the barn. "Hold your horses."
He grinned as he grabbed his horse's mane and swung up without touching the stirrups.
"Lands, your boys sure know their way around a horse," Gram told Maxine.
Maxine nodded her head, thinking about her oldest leaving home to ride bucking broncos full time. She sighed when Gram put her arm around her in understanding. Sometimes having sons was difficult.
"Bye Gram," Sam waved towards the women as Kit led the way.
"Bye Samantha, be good," Gram called, causing the Ely boys to start teasing her. Sam blushed, wishing Gram hadn't said that.
"Yes, Sammy, be a good little girl," Nate joked in a high pitched voice. Nate was now fourteen and would be a freshman in high school next fall. His voice was normally as deep as Adam's and Kit's.
"Shut up," Sam stuck her tongue out at him.
"Oh shut up," Bryan's voice did a fair imitation of Sam's higher one.
Sam stuck her tongue out at him and he returned the gesture.
That drew snorts from the other Ely brothers.