Jake beamed in response. "Better'n nothin', I reckon." He slid down from Fiona's saddle, looping her reins behind her ears to allow her to graze without tripping on them.

Glancing down at the stone, he suddenly felt a flash of self-consciousness and his right arm twitched. "...haven't in a long time," he almost-muttered, scuffing his boot in the dirt.