Along Came Love

by

Rita Hestand

published by Smashwords.com

Cover by Sahara Kelly

Copyright 2010 Rita Hestand

Smashwords Edition

License Note

This book is licesed for your personal
enjoyment only. This ebooks may not be resold or given away to
other people. Please purchase an additional copy for each person
you share with. If your reading this book and did not purchas it.
or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return
it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for
respecting the hard work of the author.

Since The Travers Brothers series is a family
story, written for each brother, I'd like to take this opportunity
to thank my own family who for years put up with me not being
there, not being available and for continuing to love me
nevertheless. God Bless—Rita Hestand

Before she could put her foot on the second
step, she heard the creaking of the wood, she saw her foot going
through it and she went crashing to the ground. "Oh…no"

"Good grief, Al didn't fix that porch step,"
A man with a raspy voice from behind her startled her, as big
strong arms went around her for support,

At first she couldn't move, but the man
gently freed her foot from the sagging step and he picked her up in
his arms, and carried her to the porch.

It all happened so fast, she didn't know what
hit her. The man who held her was in total control though. Like
someone who'd just stepped out of a shower, his fresh clean scent
swamped her rattled senses. Hard muscled arms held her steady.

Her heart lurched in her chest as her eyes
locked onto the man that had rescued her. "You're the real estate
agent?" the woman gasped, as she pulled her sunshades up and into
her hair, then stared blatantly.

The man's smile was broad and sexy as he gave
her a full glance, "No, actually, I'm just doing this for a friend,
the agent is busy and I told him I'd come over, let you in and have
a look around. Let's move over here and sit in the swing, while I
have a look at your ankle."

He took her to the swing and gently deposited
her there, where he joined her. Glancing at her leg, he grimaced,
"Let's have a look."

"Oh really, it's fine," Already her ankle was
aching and the wood had scraped it until tiny beads of blood popped
up. The skin color was definitely turning shades of blue and
purple.

"Nevertheless, I think I'd have a doctor
check it out, you've already began to bruise. I'll have Al pay for
it, do you have a doctor in town?" the man was asking as he picked
her foot up and examined the damage. Despite the fact that his
hands were large, he was ultra gentle with her foot.

"Yes, my mother does, I'll be sure and see
him." She grabbed at her ankle.

Their hands touched ever so slightly, and she
felt as though his hand was permanently burned into her skin. A
silly reaction, he merely grazed her fingers. Recovering from the
shock of the man, and the assault on her foot by the porch step,
she sat straight and tried to put her foot down. "It will be fine,
really."

"Maybe, but nevertheless, you aren't walking
on that foot, till we have it checked out." He gently picked her up
in his arms again and began carrying her, this time into the
house.

Samantha squirmed in his arms for a minute
until she realized how silly that was. She had not right to
protest, he was right about her foot if the pain was any
indication.

He smelled divine, her mind wandered with
temporary insanity, putting the pain out of her mind for a
second.

Her heart fluttered and she was sure she
wasn't breathing. All feelings swamping her made her feel
faint.

"I think I can walk," she began, but he shook
his head.

"I'm sorry," he said with a boyish grin, "I
think I'm doing this all wrong. The name's Jake Travers. Don't mean
to appear like a cave man, but I certainly don't want you hurting
yourself further."

Recovering Samantha tried to smile, but she
was sure the smile didn't quite reach her lips. "Samantha," her
voice sounded shaky even to her.

His glance slid over her again appreciatively
as they entered the house.

"Just moving to Sweetwater?"

"Y-yes, as a matter of fact," she didn't
offer any more information. But her tongue shot out to lick her
lips that had suddenly gone dry.

"Well, this house is old, but well kept, I
think you'll find it plenty spacious." Jake

nodded glancing around the place.

The house was full of paint fumes, so he sat
her on a kitchen counter and began opening the windows to air
it.

"Al really shouldn't close a place up that's
been newly painted, but then he's in real estate, not construction,
a painter wouldn’t have closed it up. He said something about you
and your mother moving in here?" Jake asked, pulling his Stetson
off and combing a hand through his dark hair as he returned to her
side.

"Yes, just the two of us?" she countered
casting the man another glance. He doesn't recognize me. She wasn't
sure if she should be happy about that, or insulted, but

there wasn't a real reason for him to
recognize her, she hadn't seen Jake Travers in several years, and
then only at a glance. He hadn't seen her since she'd grown up.
Still, nothing had changed about Jake, he was still the most
gorgeous man in this part of Texas. Lethal is what he was.

"Well, this might be a little too intimate
for you, but in your condition, I insist on carrying you through
the house so you can have a look."

"Oh but," she started to protest but he'd
already picked her up again and carried her like a feather in his
arms. He wasn't even breathing hard. And his body heat seemed to
ooze through his clothes, or was that hers?

When she stared at him in surprise, he
grinned again, making her entire body react. She never once dreamed
of being this close to Jake Travers, and now that she was, she
couldn't control her reactions.

"This might sound like a line, but do I know
you from somewhere? There's something familiar about you."

Samantha cleared her throat. "That does sound
like a line."

"I'm sorry. I'm not good at flirting. But you
are about the prettiest thing I've held in my arms in a long time."
His smile oozed a southern charm all its own.

Flustered she blushed to her toes.

"And even prettier when you blush."

"I'm not blushing…" she rushed to say.

"Oh yes you are, and it's beautiful on
you."

Knowing he had embarrassed her he shook his
head, and adjusted her so he could look right into her perplexed
face.

"Relax, actually, I'm just a country sheriff,
doing a friend a favor, and a nice favor I might add. So…let's
start over, I'm Jake Travers ma'am."

"Samantha."

"Hmm, it fits you. But why do I have the
notion to call you Sam….?"

Another blush dotted her cheeks and he
chuckled softly in her ear. He made the name Sam sound so
appealing. Something about the way he drawled it over his tongue.
Or was she romanticizing everything he said and did.

He was doing it again, making a complete
idiot out of her. How could one man affect her so with nothing more
than a grin, and a sexy drawl when he called her name. How could a
man make a woman's name sound so…warm and comfortable.

She cleared her throat and her thoughts.

After staring long and hard at her, he began
drifting through the house. It was well taken care of, and Samantha
knew instantly she wanted it, if it was the right price. She loved
the bathroom with its claw foot bathtub, and spaciousness. Her
mother would love the view from the kitchen window, where a
beautiful meadow dotted the countryside.

"How much would this run, monthly."

"Al said he'd rent it for $800 a month, or
sell it for $32,000. It's only a one car garage and two bedrooms
with one bath, so he can't price it very high." Jake answered.

"Are you planning on staying here?"

"Well yes, as far as I know. I'd like to
speak to Al about the details though. Did he leave his card so I
can call him?" she asked not daring to look at the man
directly.

"Yeah sure, I've got one in my billfold. So
you are interested in it?" Jake asked reshuffling her in his arms,
so he could open the bedroom door.

The master bedroom had glass doors and a huge
patio door where she could stare out onto the town of Sweetwater.
She fell in love with it.

This would be her mother's room. Yes, she
loved the house. Her mother would love it too. This was exactly
what they needed.

The smaller bedroom had a bay widow which she
appreciated, which looked out over the small but manicured back
yard.

"I really like it, so would you mind telling
Al, I'd love to talk to him about the details."

"Sure, be glad to. He'll be glad to know he's
got a client. Now, let's go back to the kitchen and I'll give you
all the information." Jake said, not even out of breath from
hauling her around the house and garage.

After he'd given her all the information he
glanced at her face which was very close to his, "So will your
husband be negotiating the deal or yourself?"

"Oh, I'm divorced, just recently as a matter
of fact. No, I'll make the arrangements myself." She said writing
down the information and putting the card in her purse which she
dangled from her arm. "It's exactly what we need, and being the
last house on the block and overlooking the meadow from the kitchen
window, I know my mother will appreciate the feel of the country
too."

"That's great. I'm sure Al will be anxious to
talk to you. So, do you have a job here?" he asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do, at the Junior
High School." She said still trying not to look at him.

"Great. Well, under the circumstances, I
think it best if I run you by Dr. Adams place, and let him look at
that ankle."

She opened her mouth to protest but he held a
hand up, "I know you think it's all too much, but I'd feel better
about it myself. Your foot is already bruising. Besides, I insist
Sam. Al wouldn't like knowing you hurt yourself on the property,
and we take care of our own around here, you'll get used to that.
So, just endure my company a little longer. And don't worry your
pretty little head about the step either. Al will have that fixed
and the others too."

"Endure?" she raised a brow and her chin
arrogantly.

He stared down at her with a slight smile to
his all male lips. "I sense a tension in you, as though you don't
trust me or something. I really can't put my finger on it. Most
everyone trusts me from the moment they meet me. And you'll have to
excuse the curiosity, I'm a lawman and it comes natural after a
while. I'd be just as nosey if it was your mother I was talking
to."

"Are you Sheriff here?" she shrieked.

He smiled again, making his face more boyish
again, "No, I'm just home on vacation right now. I'm Sheriff over
at Peaceful. It's a few miles down the road."

"Oh…" her answer was a very pronounced
relief.

"That sounds like relief in your voice," he
frowned. "And here I thought I'd been as charming as I could
be."

"I'm sorry. I just don't happen to run into
Sheriff's very often." She tried to chuckle but it came out
strangled.

"Come on, let's get you over to the docs, and
then I'd say I owe you a big steak dinner," he said
matter-of-factly.

"Oh…you don't owe me a thing…" she began, but
he cut her off again.

"Okay, then have dinner with me, and I'll
feel better about this ankle thing." He smiled encouragingly.

"Is that why you're asking me to dinner?
My…ankle?" she didn't know where she got the brass to say such a
thing, and wished she could have put a stopper on her mouth, but
his grin was so infectious.

"Not at all," he returned huskily.

She smiled, despite herself.

He carried her to his pickup and drove her
around town to a doctor's office. He sat with her in the waiting
room and Samantha couldn't help but gawk. It didn't matter where
she went with him, he knew everyone. He was totally at ease. She
only wished she was.

"I'm sure you don't want to sit here and wait
for me to be seen," she insisted.

"Why not? I love your company, actually." He
said his expression quite serious.

Samantha eyed him out of the corner of her
eye. It seemed impossible, but here she was sitting at the doctors'
office with Jake Travers. The very man she had carried a crush for
most of her life. This didn't seem real. She had to pinch herself
to make sure it was.

After the doctor set her sprained ankle, Jake
drove her to a nice out of the way restaurant out on the
highway.