Along Came Love (7 page)

Samantha quieted.

"So…why isn't someone with you?" He asked
trying to best her.

Samantha's glance fell. She turned away and
muttered something under her breath.

"What?" he demanded, as though he had every
right.

"I said I'm not involved with anyone right
now. I haven't been here long enough to start dating anyone. I
haven't been divorced that long."

"From where?" Jake asked, ignoring the fact
that his niece was now staring at the two of them in wonder.

"Just a little north of the Double Bow
Ranch," she quipped, not looking at him as she continued her
task.

"Ah, so you live close to Rusty and
Hannah."

"Yes, I know Rusty, but I've known Hannah
even longer. I only went two years of high school here, we moved
west and went to school with Hannah my junior and senior year."

"Small world, isn't it."

"Yes," she replied casting him a quick
smirk.

When they both turned to Sammie Jo and
stared, she acted nervous, "Well, I guess I'll run over to Jackie's
house and see if she's about ready, it's just a few blocks away. Is
that okay, I mean, you don't really need me, now that Ms. Courtland
is here to help."

Jake meant to stall her plans, but Samantha
nodded, "Sure, run along honey, we'll be fine."

"Be back here by six," Jake instructed.

"I will, see ya," she waved and smiled as she
turned to leave.

A silence filled the air, and with it a new
tension. Jake felt uncomfortable. He was being turned on by a woman
he knew wasn't for him, and for no other reason than she was here
and he could look at her, talk to her and be with her. Be with her!
Woah! Flirt, maybe, but not be with!

His mind and body were racing in unison. But
the look on Samantha's face told him he wouldn't get very far. He
had to back off.

He climbed up the ladder once more and waited
till she brought him the lights.

"So, you plannin' on stayin' in
Sweetwater?"

"As long as I have a job, yes. And as I said
before my mother is ill, I won't leave her…"

"Is your job unstable or something?"

"No, not really, I mean, I tried to find work
back home, but there was nothing available, so I applied here and
got the counseling job. I wanted to teach originally, but the
positions were full here. It does give me a little more off time
though to be with my mom."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked about
that." Jake could have kicked himself for asking so many
questions.

"It's okay, really. Most everyone in town
knows about her illness."

"Is she going to be all right?"

"For a while…she's in remission they think,
and I hope."

"Is that good or bad?" He could see the hurt
in her eyes and how she was trying to shield herself from tears. He
felt like comforting her, but she probably wouldn't welcome his
arms. They were still practically strangers.Well, that wasn't true
either. She wasn't a stranger, but she constantly tried to act like
one.

He remembered the time when his father was so
sick, when Sammie Jo had first come to the 4 Bar None ranch, such a
long time ago. He remembered how worried he had been, it was one
reason he had stayed on so long to help at the ranch. He just
couldn't bring himself to leave his father yet. But Sammie Jo had
taken care of that for him. Without her, Cal would never have been
on the mend.

"Are you…going with anyone, engaged maybe?"
he asked out of the blue and could have bit his tongue off for
asking.

"No. A lot of the people I grew up with are
gone now. It seems I've been either too new in town, or too old."
She said quite finally. "And like I said, my divorce is barely
final."

"No boy friends then?"

"I guess you find that strange?" she added
watching his expressions change.

"A little, I mean, such an attractive
woman."

"It always comes to that doesn't it?"

"What?" he asked feeling as though he was on
the defense suddenly.

"What a woman looks like. Not her mind, not
what she is deep inside, but what she looks like on the outside.
Men buy the package, that's why years down the road, they are
divorced and alone." Samantha's cheeks pinked and she turned away,
as though to ignore him.

Jake stood there on the ladder staring down
at her, as though he couldn't quite believe the conversation had
gone so badly. He called her attractive and she bit his head off.
He didn't understand.

She always used to ignore him, and now she
was doing it again. It rankled.

Jake shook his head to clear it. The lady
obviously didn't want to engage in conversation with him, so why
should he bother. Only he was curious about her. He had actually
liked her all those years ago because she was so smart and
different from most of the other girls he knew. But when she
snubbed him back then, he shrugged and told himself she was too
young for him anyway, since she was two years younger. They only
had one high school year together, although he remembered seeing
her, since she was a very young girl. Now the years were no longer
important, and she still snubbed him. Obviously she had some
pre-formed ideas about him, that were incorrect, but he didn't know
how to set her straight, or even if he should try.

"I merely offered a compliment," he returned
moments later.

"Maybe you should reserve those for Laurie
Beth," she taunted.

"Yeah, maybe I should." He replied drily. He
went back to work stringing the lights. She kept untangling them
for him, and then she would climb the ladder half way, hand them to
him and go back down, without another word and without looking at
him.

The silence was unbearable.

"You know," he said as he came off the ladder
for the last time, and looked straight at her. "I think we've
gotten off on a bad foot here, and I'd like to amend that, if I
could."

Samantha looked up from her task and saw the
seriousness in his face. Startled, she blushed and then nodded,
reaching out her hand, "Truce?"

"Truce!"

***

Samantha took a quick shower, not because she
needed one, but because her temperature had gone up two notches
since being with Jake Travers. It was beyond silly to be that
attracted to the man. She felt pulled to him, as if destiny were
trying to tell her this was Mr. Right. But there was no Mr. Right
for her and she had to learn that. Four years ago, she'd been
married, and happy, she thought. But she hadn't realized how
married to his work, he was. Being a policeman was Pete's life,
Still, that wasn't all of it. He hadn't wanted children either,
something they neglected to talk about before marriage because he
always shied away from it. The fact that they couldn't have a child
together, left her forlorn, until she finally faced the truth,
their marriage was doomed.

Even when he was shot, nearly killed, he
wouldn't give it up for her. She felt she'd done everything to save
their marriage, but as the papers were being signed she noticed the
great relief in his eyes, and knew it was the best thing to do. A
year later he had married his detective partner and they were very
happy.

Tears welled in her eyes. Jake wasn't Pete,
and his job wasn't exactly high profile for getting shot, but she
wondered how much he loved his work. "I've got to quit fretting
about Jake. I've tried marriage and it didn't work out.Everyone
isn't meant to be as happy as Hannah and Rusty."

But all the talking to herself in the world
wouldn't make her thoughts stay away from Jake Travers. He was the
Sheriff of a small town, a family man if Sammie Jo were an example.
Not at all like her estranged ex-husband. Even so, he did have
someone, someone named, Laurie Beth.

Sobbing she went back to the sink and wet a
washrag and washed her face. She'd reapply her make-up once she
quit crying. She wasn't even sure why she was crying.

But she couldn't fool herself. Jake looked so
good. His hair was still a wayward kind of brown with sprinkles of
gray, his eyes crinkled when he smiled. He looked as though he
laughed a lot.

Looking into the mirror she saw a few lines
forming around her own eyes, more wrinkles when she smiled. She
sighed and reapplied her make-up.

"Going to the dance, dear?" her mother called
form the doorway.

"Yes, Mom. Can I get you anything before I
leave?" She felt so guilty leaving her mother even for one night,
but it would only be one night.

"No dear, don't fret over me. I'll be fine.
Enjoy yourself. It will do me a world of good, seeing you happy
again."

"Happy? I'm not unhappy, mother," she turned
to look at her.

The woman she adored the most in life, was
going through such a hell, and she wished she could make things
easier on her.

"Maybe, but a woman your age should be out
and enjoying herself more."

"You always did spoil me. Why don't you come
with me. You might really enjoy it."

Her mother smiled sagely, "I doubt that, all
that loud music. I'm afraid I'm not up to that. Don't you worry,
Mrs. Cargile is coming over to play chess with me…"

"Oh wonderful…" Samantha felt relieved. "I
remember her, she used to be a beauty operator. Remember, she did
my first perm."

"That's right she did. She had to give that
job up, too much hair spray, bad for the lungs."

"I'm so glad you are getting out a little and
finding your friends again." Samantha smoothed her mother's hair
and kissed her on the cheek.

"Now, you just run along and have some
fun."

***

The dance lights were twinkling, as the kids
began to mingle. They weren't dancing, but Jake figured it had to
be because they really didn't know how. He watched several of them,
trying to keep the beat of the music, but no one ventured out on
the floor yet.

He headed for the punch bowl. He'd get a cup
and go sit against the wall, where he used to sit when he was a kid
and watch the others.

The minute Samantha walked in he felt her
presence. His eyes found her long before she found him. She was
lovely. Mature cleavage awakened him, in that outfit. She looked so
different, from the women he knew, sophisticated, and yet almost
plain, beautiful, nonetheless.

Trying to get his mind off the new counselor
he went over to his niece, "May I have this dance?"

"Uncle Jake! Of course," Sammie Jo smiled
brightly.

Jake led her across the room as they danced
to the music. It was a slower dance, but not the kind to hug, thank
goodness. Jake wasn't even sure why he had to dance with Sammie Jo,
except it kept him from asking Samantha for a while.

Sammie Jo stumbled once, but Jake acted as
though he didn't notice. He led her all the way and she began to
relax. In fact, now that they were dancing, several others joined
them on the floor.

"This is fun," Sammie Jo smiled. "I've never
slow danced before."

"I'm just glad it isn't one of those fast
ones, I couldn't keep up," Jake laughed.

"You're a great dancer, Uncle Jake. So…do you
like Mrs. Courtland?"

Why oh why did she have to bring her up? He'd
been putting her out of his mind for the past fifteen seconds, why
did Sammie Jo have to reinsert her?

"She's nice."

"Nice? I thought maybe you two would hit it
off. I mean, she is singled and so are you…"

"Well…yeah, she's nice."

"So?"

"So, nothing. Now, here comes that cute
little guy you've been watching all night. I'm going to dump you in
his arms…okay?" Jake turned her lose and whipped her into the boys
direction.

Obviously the boy liked that move, he was
asking her to dance.

Just in time the music changed to something
fast and Sammie Jo backed away from the boy and began to move.
Jake's eyes got big and round. Where had she learned to dance like
that? He wanted to go over and shake her, no…just slow her down a
bit. Thriteen year olds didn't dance like that. Did they? But his
answer came when he glanced around at the other kids and saw them
all moving to the music. In small little crowds so the adults
wouldn't see them.

When the music stopped, Sammie Jo and her new
fella walked over to the punch bowl and talked. Jake watched and
sadly realized again just how much and how fast she was growing up.
He sighed a little loudly.

"You're very lucky to have family like that,"
Samantha said as she joined him.

"Yeah, I guess I am." He reflected, looking
directly at Samantha. "So how about you, do you have any kids?"

"No…"

"I'm sorry."

"No need to be, I am surrounded by them now!"
she gestured about the gym.

"Yeah, I guess you are."

"And no children from the marriage?" he
studied her face.

"Uh…no, no children And you."

"No, I tried it once too, and no, there were
no children."

"It didn't work out?" Samantha eyed him
curiously. "I never knew you married Jake."

"Didn't last long. It was years ago." He
shrugged.

"So I guess since your dad's getting married
it leaves you the bachelor of the family, too." Samantha watched
his face.

His glance caught hers, "Yes, a fact they
remind me of every now and then."

"That probably isn't fun, but I bet you can
handle it."

"You think?" he gazed into her eyes and saw
something there.

"Well, according to half the population, you
are one of the most eligible bachelors around?"

He studied her for a long moment, "Am I?"

"What about Laurie Beth?"

"What about her?"

"What about her? The way you were talking a
while ago, I thought you and her…well, I thought…"

"Yes, exactly what did you think?" He offered
her some punch and she took the glass to have something to do with
her hands.