Along Came Love (10 page)

Jake smiled at his father. Glancing around
the kitchen at all the familiar earmarks of Emma's feminine hand,
Jake relaxed. "Dad, I took the bar to prove something to myself. I
suppose that I could pass it or not, and if I did, would it make me
feel differently. It didn't. But you're right there is something
different, I'm just not sure I want to discuss it yet. I'm not
trying to be secretive, but there are some things a man has to work
out for himself before he goes and tells everyone else. And I'll
always be around, you know that, Dad. You ever need me, I'm there,
you know that…don't you."

"Yeah…I guess I wished you'd move back
home…But…that's okay. I'm glad you told me this much though. I
didn't want to make a fool of myself bragging about you passing the
bar at my own wedding."

"I guess Deke's the one I have to worry
about," Jake cleared his throat.

"Yeah, you know Deke, he's had this same
pattern set in his mind about you for years. You try to tell him
something different, he'll be disjointed for a while. But he loves
you too and he'll get over it. I mean, I was surprised he handled
Clint and the rodeo thing as well as he did, of course Emma had a
storng hold on him about that one, too. It's funny, but for years I
worried about you boys not having a woman, and now, well, everyone
does…well…" Cal studied his cup of milk for a long moment. "So you
and Samantha, are you hitting it off?"

Jake shrugged, his mind going back to how
beautiful she had looked. But it wasn't the outside he liked so
much, it was what was deep inside her heart. "I've liked her a long
time dad, but never told her…"

"Well why on earth not?" Cal frowned
instantly. "You know a woman likes to hear it."

"She's kind of a skittish filly, dad. She's
been through one bad situation and she's afraid of falling into
another. Not that I blame her. I don't want to rush things myself,
I'll scare her away. She's not much on lawmen, you know. And Selma,
well, with her having cancer…" Jake sighed.

"I know, that's such a shame, but Bertha says
she has a better attitude than most about it. She's pretty upbeat
for someone who has been through the ringer a time or two. Bertha
visits her regular. Said the woman hasn't changed a bit since she
was a kid. I sure hate to see her sick though." Cal shook his head.
"But it's the craziest thing, Bertha says Selma acts as though
nothing is wrong and goes about her business. She's become active
with her hobbies and sees her friends regularly."

"She's only sick, physically dad, she's very
well, otherwise." Jake smiled. "I'd say Selma has it together more
than most."

"Oh, you seem to know an awful lot about her,
did Samantha tell you this?" Cal asked.

"No, Selma set me straight. I, like you, felt
sorry for her too, until she told me she was ready to meet her
maker and she knew where she'd be going."

"Selma told you this?" Cal looked at his son
strangely. "That's odd that she'd confess such a thing to you. I
mean, that's kind of private, don't you think."

Jake put the milk up and sat down again with
his father, looking deep into his face. The love he saw etched
there comforted him like a warm blanket, and he knew he could tell
his father anything. And he would soon…

"Why? She stood right there in the middle of
her living room and witnessed for me, dad. It was pretty mind
boggling."

"Well, I don't know, seems more like
something a person would tell a preacher, not a lawman." Cal
chuckled to himself.

Jake shrugged, "Maybe she just wanted me to
let Samantha know…"

Cal shook his head, "Yeah, of course, what
was I thinking. Sure, that's why, that makes sense. So did you tell
her?"

"I did…and she was glad to know it. Said she
suspected as much, but her mother had never talked about anything
like that with her. Just surprised like you that she told me."

"Well, it is a little unusual," Cal defended.
"I mean, you’re a lawman."

"Sometimes, unusual is good, dad…" Jake
smiled, as he thought about Selma.

When his father still looked puzzled he
smiled once more…"Night dad."

"Ya know son, I know exactly where I'm going
too…" Cal didn't look directly at Jake, but continued to talk. "I
guess I never talked about it much around you kids, but your
mother's constant 'Go to church' routine was quite effective." Cal
cleared his throat and didn't look directly at Jake. "She wanted
you all to be God fearing Christians and I did my best to encourage
it myself. Although…we've never sat down and had much to say about
it. But me and the Lord are on pretty good terms, I'd say."

Jake nodded, but the expression on his face
was not condescending, it was one of contentment. "I'm so glad to
hear you say that…and I thank you for all you've done. You've been
a wonderful dad. But it's really nice being able to talk to you
about it. I feel as though I can tell you anything."

"Night son…" Cal said with a tear in his eye
that didn't fall.

Jake glanced at his father, knowing they had
shared an extra special moment together, he leaned a fraction over
his father, kissed him on the top of his head and left before Cal
could react.

***

At one o'clock the next afternoon Jake was
knocking on Samantha's door. Selma answered again and smiled,
"Jake, how nice to see you again so soon."

"I came to pick Samantha up, we're going
horseback riding," Jake exclaimed.

"How wonderful, she didn't mention it," Selma
smiled, and opened the door for him. "Come on in, I'll see if she's
ready, then."

Samantha was rummaging through her closet;
she'd just stepped out of the shower, with a towel around her, when
her mother knocked on her door. "Samantha, Jake's here to take you
riding."

"Okay, thanks mom," Samantha sighed heavily
as she rummaged for a pair of faded jeans and t-shirt. Hurriedly
throwing them on, she combed her hair into a ponytail and came out
of her room.

Jake was sitting alone on the couch, as her
mother had gone into her own bedroom to lie down.

"Jake, I wasn't sure you were serious about
taking me riding, so I just threw this on, is it okay?" she asked
nervously.

"You look great. Are you ready?" he
asked.

"Yes, but let me check on mother first,
please…"

"Of course," Jake nodded.

Samantha went into her mother's room that was
cracked open. Her mother was lying on the bed, her eyes closed, but
fluttered open when the door opened. "Going out, dear?"

"Yes…I didn't think Jake was serious about
taking me riding, Mom. But well…we are trying to teach his niece a
lesson. You know the one I told you about, Sammie Jo. She's been
playing cupid and we can't get her to stop. Jake thinks he and I
can teach her a real lesson. That's why we're going out…"

"Oh…I had no idea." Selma sat up on the bed.
"Well, I hope you know what you are doing, dear."

"Yeah…so do I mom. Are you going to be
alright?"

"Of course I will, I'm just tired. I stayed
up too late last night with the girls over. Thought I'd get a
little rest. We're going to have a late afternoon tea downtown this
evening."

"How wonderful…" Samantha hugged her. "Oh I'm
so glad we moved back here. Things are working out wonderfully,
aren't they Mom?"

Selma smiled and hugged her to her, "Yes,
darling, they are, now you run along and let me catch a wink…"

"Alright, I won't be out late…"

"Don't worry, I can't promise the same,"
Selma chuckled.

***

The horse Jake picked out for her was gentle
and almost too tame, but Samantha didn't complain. She hadn't
ridden in a while and best not to be too bold she figured.

"So…where are we going?" she said once she
was mounted and looking at him.

"Thought I'd take you on a tour of the 4 Barn
None, " he smiled. "After all, we need Sammie Jo to see you with me
and this way, she can't help but catch a glimpse since she is out
with Clay scouting Indian heads."

"Alright, lead on…" she snickered.

The trails were narrow but well ridden and it
was easy following Jake's lead. He obviously thought she couldn't
ride. She had the greatest urge to show him, but decided it was
best not to be a show off. Funny how cowboys got the wild idea that
females couldn't do anything though.

He pointed out boundaries, and places of
interest to her, then he stopped along a creek and they got down
and had a drink of cool water from it.

"The water is tasty, not like town water,"
she smiled.

"Yeah, I enjoy it myself." Jake laughed. "You
know, I’m not much of a cowboy anymore. It's fun coming home and
playing at it again."

"You must like it in Peaceful," she queried,
waiting for his answer with interest.

"It's a nice little town, just like its name.
Peaceful."

"I guess I can't blame you for not wanting to
work in some stuffy old office." Samantha watched his expression
change. "You must enjoy it."

"Yes, I do, but that might change too."

"Oh, how come?" Samantha studied him for a
moment, surprised by this announcement.

"Things are working out for the better now."
Jake smiled. "My dad finally knows." He sighed.

"You told him?"

"He guessed it. He knows me pretty well. It's
my oldest brother that might not come to grips with it. But I think
in time everything is going to be just fine…" Jake said with a
quietness that surprised her.

"You do seem a little different lately and I
can't quite put my finger on what it is…"

"I'm not worried about it any longer. My
life's about to change, but for the better, that much I know. My
brothers will understand this soon too." Jake said staring at her
long and hard.

"Hey, let's sit here and cool off a little…"
Jake recommended finding a shady spot.

"Well, I'm glad for you, I guess…." She said
quietly joining him as he spread a blanket on the ground and
invited her to sit beside him.

"It still makes you jumpy, this lawman
thing…" he asked studying her face for the answer.

"Does it show that much?" she turned away to
look at the landscape. It seemed to take her breath away. "It's
beautiful here…"

"Tell me more about you and your ex…" Jake
pulled a weed and stuck it in his mouth.

She glanced at him, "You brought me all the
way out here, showed me the most beautiful spot on your ranch, and
now you want me to talk about my ex?"

"I'm trying to figure out why you are so
against lawmen…" he grinned. "You are against this profession I
believe…"

"Well…yes and no…" she hesitated. "I guess I
just happened to be married to a man that was more married to his
job than his wife. And I assumed that lawmen were basically alike
in that area."

Jake firmed his lips and nodded, "Some are.
But back in Peaceful, it's different. I mean the worst thing that
ever happens is old man Purdy forgets to move his car out of the
alley from the butcher shop, and Al can't make his deliveries on
Monday. So I gotta go tell him to move it, a traffic ticket every
now and then. And some mischief makers from the local high school,
but nothing like robbery or murder or anything really
dangerous."

She laughed. "You make it sound like
something off the television."

"It is, most of the time." He smiled. "I
guess the worse case I had was when Billy Tyler stole his grandpa's
truck to take his girl out in."

Samantha smiled, "What happened?"

"Billy didn't have a vehicle, and he wanted
to take Carrie Davis out. So he ran over to his grandfather's
house, waited till he went out in the field to check on something
and took the truck. The old man called me up on the phone and he
was laughing. Said he wanted me to scare the wits out of the boy,
but bring his truck back in one piece."

"Did you?" she chuckled.

"Yeah and I felt kinda bad about it later.
You see Billy was only twelve…"

"Twelve? Oh my goodness…."

Jake looked at her and his eyes went dark,
"You look pretty when you laugh…"

Her smile faded. She became quiet.

"Did you and Pete ever take rides into the
country, or sit by a fire and cuddle or dance to a really bad
fiddler's tune?" Jake chuckled.

Samantha relaxed and laid back a little. "We
seldom had those kinds of moments. That was what was wrong."

Jake nodded. "That's what I figured. You
know, it doesn't really matter what a man does for a living, as
long as he takes time for things like that with his wife. He can be
a fireman, a lawman, even a lawyer, but sometimes he has to take
time to be a husband."

"Pete didn't think so," she murmured.

"Sometimes, you have to take time for this,"
he said and before she realized what he was about to do, he reached
the distance, pulled her close and covered her mouth with his own.
It was a sweet, endearing kiss that began softly and lasted
forever.

When he pulled away, she was startled and
confused. "Why did you do that?"

"You didn't like it?" he queried.

She crimsoned, and wanted to make light of
it, but it had been so unexpected and so terribly sweet, she
couldn't object if she wanted to.

"I liked it…" she said, not daring to look at
him.

"Good, 'cause I plan on doing a lot more of
it…" he said softly, waiting for her head to lift and look at
him.

"Jake…we don't have to make it look that
good…" she said. "I mean, especially out here, who would see
us?"

"Them…" he pointed in the direction she
followed and she saw Sammie Jo and Clay coming straight at
them.

She stood up and composed herself. Sammie Jo
was definitely smiling and Clay did his best to hold his in.

"Hi," Sammie Jo called to them as she rode
up, hopped off her horse and joined them. Clay took his time.