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Something About Sam
by Susette Williams
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Romance

Copyright ©2006 by Susette Williams

NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

Acknowledgements

My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the following:

I'm especially thankful to God for giving me the ability to see stories in-depth and blessing me with the talent to write.

Thank you to my husband and six beautiful children. While writing with a large family has been challenging, you have all been wonderful in giving me time to write. Thank you for your patience and for believing in me.

Thank you to my church family who have read and encouraged me in my writing. Your enthusiasm for my stories, your smiles and anxiousness to read more have inspired and encouraged me in the long road to publishing.

Thank you to Ellen, Diann, Beverly, Lianne, Nancy, Lynette, Lisa, Jacqui, and Dina. I appreciated your input as critique partners and value your friendship even more. May you all continue to be blessed in your writing.

Thank you Lee. You've helped to make my dreams come true.

Dedication

To my husband and my own personal hero, Rob. You've been a blessing to me and I can't thank you enough for your support and encouragement as I follow my dreams. And thank you to my children, Delilah, Eric, Melissa, Gabrielle, Nehemiah and Nathaniel, for allowing me to dedicate time to writing. I love you all.

Chapter One

Samantha Marlow pulled off the highway at the exit she had marked earlier on her map and eased her truck over onto the shoulder. She opened the map and draped it across the steering wheel. With a quick glimpse, she verified her directions, carefully refolded the map, and eased back onto the road. Just a couple more miles to go and then she would be at Dampier's Ranch where her new life would begin.

It had been rough since her parents’ death. Samantha felt confident that taking a job in another town was the best thing she could do. Whenever she drove by her family's ranch after it sold, her heart ached and tears welled up in her eyes. Things would never be the same and it was time she moved on with her life.

Georgetown might have been a different town in Kentucky, but the surroundings looked pretty much the same as her hometown of Guthrie, Kentucky. The open fields of farmland and cattle ranches welcomed her along the road.

“There it is,” she mumbled a few minutes later when she spotted the large, wooden sign that read Dampier Ranch. Samantha held her breath. From the main road, the house looked like a miniature in a curio cabinet. The gravel driveway leading up to the house felt more like a country road. Dust wafted through the air with the crunching of her tires. Samantha stared without blinking, closing her gaping mouth when it began to feel dry.

“Wow,” she mumbled.

A breathtaking, white, two-story home with dark blue shutters and a wrap-around porch lay ahead of her. The long driveway could have doubled for a road in itself. Samantha pulled her truck up next to the main house.

“Lord, help me. I'm nervous.” She hopped out of the truck and tucked her shirt into her jeans.

Today she found solace in her own words, not having any family or friends close by to encourage her through this new experience she tried to muster up courage. “I can do this. I've got to."

Today, she chose to braid her hair into a bun, knowing it gave her a more dignified appearance. It was paramount that they take her seriously. With long, wavy hair, people thought of her as a petite, brunette Barbie doll. Samantha didn't believe the fallacy that skinny people weren't good cooks. She'd endured enough verbal jabs. Church socials gave her the ability to disprove their fun-natured jeers.

A week and a half after she mailed her resume to the Dampier Ranch, she received a brief scribbled note asking when she could start. It was signed, Zeb. Another comment saying the sooner she could start, the better, with the word better underlined. Her quarters would be a log cabin, located behind the house.

Samantha was both surprised and pleased Zeb hired her for this job so quickly. She assumed there would be a lot of other applicants and was ecstatic that Zeb had chosen her. If given a chance, she knew he wouldn't be disappointed.

As she climbed the stairs that led to the front door, she couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be to live in such a beautiful house. It would be romantic to sit in the double rocker with someone special and enjoy the sunset. Her parents’ had always enjoyed sitting on the porch after a long, hard day at work. At the top of the stairs, she paused to stare aimlessly at the floral glider. Her mind traveled back in time.

Visions played out before her of a middle-aged couple sitting beside each other holding hands on a porch swing, laughing and smiling at each other. Both wore faded jeans. Their skin, tanned by the brutal sun, revealed long hours spent beneath its glare. As Samantha's gaze focused upwards, it settled on the faces filled with glee—her parents. They were so much in love, sharing so much of their day together working side by side on their ranch.

Sighing, she wondered if she would ever find a love like theirs. It had been awhile since she had dated anyone. Most men didn't look past her appearances to see the person inside. They only cared how they looked with her by their side.

Samantha wanted a husband who would be tender and loving, one she could work side by side with on a ranch. She knew her parents’ never tired of being together. They took joy in their accomplishments and talked fondly of the hard times they had faced together over the years, that's what she hoped to one-day find, before she became too old to have children. Right now Samantha didn't have the luxury of worrying about marriage. She had enough concerns with taking care of herself.

When the wave of nostalgia passed, she walked the remaining few feet to the door and pressed the bell. No one answered so she rang it again. Samantha sighed, still no response.

“I wonder where they are?” Samantha stood with her hands on her hips and looked around. No dogs barked to warn the owners of an intruder. A breeze blew softly, carrying with it the sweet sounds of birds chirping.

Samantha decided to check around out back. There was a log cabin a few hundred feet behind the house. No lights were on. She didn't spot any telltale signs of children. Perhaps they were all grown. When she noticed corrals a good distance from the house, she drove down to see if she could find Zeb, the man she originally contacted about the job. She assumed Zeb must be a Dampier, but the newspaper ad hadn't listed a last name and he had only signed his return letter with his first name scribbled on it.

She assumed it was the one Zeb had mentioned in his letter when he hired her. There were no lights on in the cabin so she continued down the gravel road, hoping it was part of the Dampier's property. She hadn't driven long when the barn and bunkhouse came into sight. Samantha pressed a hand to her stomach in a futile attempt to still the butterflies that fluttered inside.

Samantha stopped her vehicle near another truck, less than fifty feet from the corral. Several men stood around leaning on the metal bars of the fence as they watched another man saddle-break a feisty mare. The mare, she mentally calculated, was around fourteen hands, jet-black with a long flowing mane, a truly exquisite horse. Samantha's eyes traveled upwards to rest upon the man in the saddle. She could tell the strength he possessed by the way he handled the mare. Brown, wavy hair peeked out from beneath his Stetson. Wide shoulders descended to a lean waist. His sleeves were rolled up, barely revealing his forearms, which were tanned a golden bronze.

He pulled the reins firmly, guiding the horse with his heels. Samantha watched in admiration from behind the steering wheel. A sudden wave of awkwardness came over her as uncertainty pulled like rubber bands, stretched to their limits, making her doubt her decision.

She tried to muster up the courage to get out of her truck and approach the group of men gathered around the corral but was afraid they would question her cooking abilities when they saw her. More than once she'd been teased about her size from the men her father employed on their ranch. Samantha knew they loved to get her goat, but with jibes like, “you can't trust a skinny cook,” how could she not have a complex? With her slender figure, she knew she looked as if she didn't eat much herself. What if the men didn't believe she could cook? Truth was, she had never held a job as a cook before but had always cooked for her family on their ranch. How much harder could it be to cook for a few extra men?

A light tap on the window startled her, bringing her cascading back to reality. Samantha hadn't noticed that the men had begun to disperse. She was surprised by the dark hair stranger's sudden presence beside her vehicle. As she rolled down the window she saw a slightly amused look on his face.

“Can I help you?” He raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, resting his forearm against her truck as his eyes casually scanned the contents of it before coming to rest on her face. Feeling like a magnet drawn to him, she couldn't look away.

“Hi. Yes,” she stammered. “I'm Samantha Marlow.” His dark eyes penetrated through her like mini laser beams. She swallowed the lump in her throat and mustered a weak smile. “I've been hired on as the cook."

“You're Sam?” he replied with a puzzled look, as he straightened his stance.

“Sam. Yes, short for Samantha."

“I'm sorry. There's been some kind of mistake.” His amusement was no longer visible. The strangers brown eyes squinted as his jaw squared and he took a deep breath.

“Mistake? What mistake?” Samantha's eyes grew wide. She had expected Zeb to be a little taken back that she hadn't given him her full name, but she was sure she could convince him of her abilities once she met him face to face. “Are you Zeb?"

“I'm Jake,” he told her, giving her a more scrutinizing stare.

“Maybe I should talk to Zeb,” Samantha suggested. “After all, he is the one that hired me."

Jake motioned for an older man to come over. His slouched back and stagger made the thirty or so feet he'd crossed seem more like a mile. The older gentleman eyed Jake, took a look at Samantha and scratched his head as he continued to saunter towards her truck. Jake walked over to meet him.

Samantha didn't like not being able to hear what Jake had to tell the older man. She watched as Jake rested one hand on his hips and motioned wildly with the other hand towards her vehicle. What were the two of them talking about? Samantha climbed out of her truck and walked over to them. She needed this job too desperately to be left out of their conversation. If they had something to say, she wanted to know what it was. Jake frowned as she approached them.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Um ... well ... ya never said ya was a woman,” the older man said in a raspy voice.

“I didn't see the part in the paper where it requested that only men apply,” Samantha countered. “Are you Zeb?"

“Right now I wish I wasn't,” he mumbled.

Samantha eyed him curiously. Even though he was older and looked a little rough around the edges, his blue eyes belied a touch of tenderness deep beneath their surface.

“Yeah. I'm Zeb."

“You need a cook and I need a job. I don't see the problem. In your letter, you said the cook had private quarters. So, what's the problem?” Samantha asked.

“You aren't exactly what we're looking for,” Jake told her flatly.

She wasn't winning ground with either of them. “Look, I really need this job. I don't have anything left to go back to. I've already sold my place.... “The words caught in her throat like a cactus. Samantha didn't know what she'd do if she didn't get this job.

Jake removed his Stetson, slapped his leg with it, and walked away, stopping several yards from her. Zeb approached him cautiously. They exchanged a few words, but she wasn't able to make them out. Their voices were too muffled. Please let me have this job, ran through her mind over and over again.

Her heart beat rapidly as Jake walked back over to where she stood with her arms crossed over her chest. She hadn't even officially started the job and he was going to tell her she was fired. Samantha wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek.

“I'll show you to your quarters,” Jake said, already heading around to the passenger's side of her truck. “Did you see the cabin behind the house?” He didn't wait for a response. “That will be where you'll room."

Jake slammed the door, his knees scrunched up against the dashboard. She couldn't quite read his expression nor understand the transformation that came over him. While he hadn't told her she'd been fired, he didn't seem very enthused she would be staying either. They rode the short distance to the cabin in silence.

When she stopped, Jake got out and headed around to the back of the truck. He hoisted the suitcases out as if they were weightless. Samantha hadn't noticed how tall he was till he walked past her.

Outside the cabin door he stopped and waited for her to open it for them. Once inside, Samantha reached to turn on the light switch, well aware of the presence of the man behind her. Stepping to the side, she allowed him to pass while she took in her new surroundings. His musk after-shave carried on the breeze after he brushed by. She forced herself not to turn and follow the delicious scent.

Jake's presence made her nervous. It didn't seem like Jake or Zeb objected to her, just the fact that she was a woman. Jake appeared to be more disturbed by it than Zeb was. Perhaps one day he'd find he liked her cooking, if he'd give her a chance to prove herself.

Oak cabinets lined one side of the wall in the kitchen. There was a range, refrigerator, and a microwave. Above the sink, a small bay window provided a view of the backside of the main house. The dining room opened into the living room. Accessible through the living room was one bedroom with a full bath. It was more than enough to meet her needs.

“Thank you,” Sam said. “I can't tell you how thankful I am to have this job. I promise you, I can cook."

“I hope so. It is what you were hired to do,” Jake stated in a flat tone.

For a moment their eyes held, locked together by an invisible current. Granted, it wasn't customary to have women working on ranches. The work was hard and the hours long, it was a grueling job. She and her mother were the only women on their ranch but she still couldn't understand why her presence bothered Jake so much. Samantha felt uncomfortable beneath his stare. She lowered her gaze to rest upon her entwined hands.

“Well, I'll leave you to get settled. Tomorrow's Sunday. Everyone on the ranch goes to church on Sunday. Would you like to ride with me?"

“Sure. What time?” Samantha had decided it best to accept his invitation, telling herself it was only because she didn't know her way around yet. Plus she reasoned that she needed to try and make friends with Jake. It would make life on the ranch a lot easier.

“I'll pick you up at nine. That way we'll make it in time for Sunday school."

“All right, see you then.” Samantha closed the door behind him after he left.

Until then, she could try and get a good night's rest without thinking about Jake towering over her. The scent of his after-shave and muscular build played havoc with her senses. She told herself it would be best to tuck thoughts of him from her mind. Now if only her mind would listen.

Chapter Two

Samantha awoke early Sunday morning feeling at peace for the first time in several months. Smiling, she stretched, thankful that the sun rose on the front part of the house and not on the same side as her bedroom. When she was younger, she would bury her head beneath the pillows to avoid the glare. Then as she grew older, her whole family woke before the sun had even taken its place in the morning sky. She lay in bed for a little while longer, enjoying the serenity. Reluctantly, she stretched again and pushed back the covers to climb out of bed. While making the bed, she mentally went over her morning itinerary.

Breakfast was first on the list. Samantha rummaged through the cabinets and found some flour, sugar, oil, and a few other miscellaneous items. Supplies would definitely be needed if she intended to eat that night. She wrote a shopping list on a scratch piece of paper while eating the biscuits she made for breakfast.

Thankfully, there were hardly any dishes to do. That would change soon enough though. Samantha wasn't sure how many men she would have to cook for, but it definitely would mean more dishes. She wrinkled her nose at the thought. Washing dishes was not high on her list of most enjoyable things to do, but it went with the territory.

Glancing at her watch, she decided she better hurry up and shower so she would have plenty of time to fix her hair. The long, thick strands took time to blow dry. Samantha had just finished putting on her lipstick when there was a knock. Gathering her purse and Bible she headed for the door.

“Good morning,” she beamed joyfully.

“Good morning, Miss Marlow. You look nice today,” Jake replied as he accompanied her back to his truck. Her long, bouncy curls swayed back and forth as she walked. Samantha's steps were graceful, almost as if she were floating on air. Jake shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. He wasn't accustomed to being side tracked by the beauty of a woman. Yet, he was finding it extremely difficult to keep his eyes off this one.

He opened the door and waited for her to get settled before getting in himself. It wasn't very far to church. They drove in silence. Samantha looked out the window. Jake was too deep in thought to force conversation, especially with the object of those thoughts. If he weren't driving, he would have enjoyed taking in the scenery himself, although his vision would have remained cast on his companion.

The church was a modest red brick building. Jake had attended there since he was a teen. When they entered, Reverend Gleason stood waiting to greet them. Jake walked over and shook his hand. “Good morning, Reverend Gleason."

“Good morning, Jake. Who's this lovely young lady with you today?” the pastor replied. Samantha blushed.

“This is Samantha Marlow. Samantha, meet Reverend Michael Gleason."

“Good morning, Reverend Gleason.” Samantha shook the pastor's extended hand.

“Will you be visiting us often, I hope?” asked Reverend Gleason.

“I believe I will be. I've just been hired on as the cook at the Dampier's Ranch."

A puzzled smile came across the preacher's face as he looked at Jake. Jake shrugged his shoulders and fought to suppress the involuntary grin he felt spreading across his face.

“Well, we're glad to have you here, Miss Marlow,” Reverend Gleason said.

During the service, Reverend Gleason spoke on healing. “In Acts, Peter told Aeneas to get up and take care of his mat. Jesus heals you. And in Luke a man suffering of leprosy knew he could be healed if it was the Lord's will. If you believe with your heart and you ask, God will heal you.” He gave an altar call and asked if anyone needed to be healed or delivered from anything that had a hold on him or her, to come forward for prayer.

After the service, Jake excused himself for a moment and went down to the altar to speak with Reverend Gleason. Samantha remained in her seat. Meditating on the previous service, she was oblivious to the voices around her.

Gazing towards the front of the sanctuary, Samantha noticed a strikingly beautiful redhead coming down the aisle towards her. She smiled at the woman politely. She could have sworn the red head turned her nose up at her while continuing to stroll down the aisle towards the exit. Shrugging off the incident, she picked up her morning bulletin. Surely she was mistaken. There was no reason the woman would have to dislike her; they didn't even know each other.

“Howdy, miss,” came a friendly, deep voice from behind her.

Startled, she turned in her pew to see where the unclaimed voice came from. As she turned, he stepped to the side and stretched out his hand toward her. Next to her pew stood one of the tallest men she had ever seen. It strained her neck to look up at his face, even when she stood.

Samantha placed her small delicate hand inside of his and shook it. “Hello,” she replied.

A smile flittered across his face, revealing pearly white teeth. “My name's Tex. What's yours?"

“Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam,” she informed him.

He gazed over her from head to toe. “You definitely ain't no Sam."

Samantha felt warmth sting her cheeks at his assessment. Trying to downplay her momentary embarrassment, she countered, “Well, it's what my friends call me."

“How about boyfriends?” he inquired.

Obviously Tex didn't possess a shy bone in his body. Samantha began to feel a little uncomfortable with the direction their conversation was heading towards. She glanced around looking for Jake. Her eyes met his and a faint smile came across his face. He was still talking with Reverend Gleason. Hoping to put Tex off she replied, “I don't believe that really concerns you.” For good measure she added a sweet smile to hopefully drive her reply home.

“Did you come with anyone today? Or might I have the pleasure of taking you out for lunch?” he suggested.

Apparently Tex didn't take hints very well or he was just very persistent. Samantha chose to believe the latter.

Samantha stole another glance to where Jake was still standing. Almost as if he could feel her eyes upon him, he looked and made eye contact with her and then glanced at Tex. Samantha felt her heart jump. She was unaccustomed to this feeling she felt inside whenever Jake looked at her.

She tried to refocus her attention back on Tex. Before carefully considering her reply she leaped at the first feasible excuse. “I'm sorry. I'm with Jake."

Samantha almost regretted it the moment she said it. Her pulse racing, she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. What if he asked Jake about his new supposed girlfriend? She decided it would be best to worry about that at another time. Right now, she needed to politely put Tex off. No matter how handsome he was, Samantha was not looking to complicate her life with a relationship.

Tex raised an eyebrow, causing his forehead to crease. “Well I'll be,” he bellowed.

Several people turned around to stare. Samantha wished she could become invisible. Tex commanded enough attention with his height. His laughter and boisterous voice drew even more attention. She fidgeted with the strap on her purse.

“Maybe another time,” he added and made his way over towards Jake. He and Reverend Gleason had just finished talking.

“Oh, great,” Samantha muttered to herself. Looks like she was going to have to find a way to get off the hook she had just gotten caught on.

* * * *

Tex extended his hand towards Jake. When Jake took his hand, Tex shook it vigorously. “Why, Jake, you lucky dog. How did you ever manage to rope yourself such a pretty gal?"

Both of Jake's eyebrows went straight up. “Excuse me?” Then it was as if it suddenly registered. He glanced from Tex to Samantha and smiled.

“Oh, her. She just showed up at the ranch,” he replied casually.

Tex began to shake his head. “Well, if something that pretty showed up at my ranch, I sure wouldn't let her get away,” Tex said, sporting a huge grin.

“Goodbye, Mike. See ya, Tex,” Jake said, laughing as he headed back to Samantha.

“Well, are we ready to go?” he asked when he reached her.

“Quite ready, thank you,” Samantha replied, and headed for the door at a brisk pace.

After they were outside, she slowed down. “I'm sorry if Tex got the wrong idea. I was trying to put him off as politely as I could."

Jake repressed a laugh. “Tex always goes after what he wants. It is hard to put him off. But it seems you managed to do it rather well."

Samantha blushed. “I hope I haven't messed anything up for you. I didn't even ask if you had a girlfriend. I just told Tex I was with you. He filled in the rest. Anyway, I'm sorry that things got out of hand,” she explained.

“Any time you want to use me you just go right ahead,” he said with a gleam in his eyes.

What was it with the men in this town? She would have to remember not to bother wearing blush. Her cheeks seemed to be staying a little red without it lately. “Thank you.” Necessity and wanting to change the subject brought about her next response. “By the way, can we stop on the way back to the ranch so I can get some supplies?"

“How about we stop for lunch first? I know this nice restaurant on the way,” Jake suggested.

Twice in one day she had been invited to lunch. Both times by devastatingly handsome men. “I don't know. I really don't want to be a bother,” she replied.

“You know what they say, don't you? If you go shopping on an empty stomach, you'll buy more."

With slight hesitation, Samantha agreed. Her stomach growled in anticipation.

They ate at a delicious steak house that had an all-you-can-eat buffet. In addition to his steak, Jake had three helpings off of the food bar. Samantha couldn't tell where he had put it all. Her father ate more than both she and her mother did, but not nearly as much as Jake consumed. She would keep in mind how much a man ate compared to a woman. It would be useful when cooking for the ranch hands. They wouldn't be happy if she didn't make enough to fill their hearty appetites. She probably should have told Zeb she was really only accustomed to cooking for three people. But she was sure it wouldn't be any trouble doubling or tripling a recipe.

On the way back to the ranch, they stopped at the local grocery store. By the time Samantha had gotten everything on her list, and a few things not on it, her cart was nearly full.

At the checkout counter, her total added up to a little over sixty dollars. As she was reaching into her purse to retrieve her wallet, Jake said, “Just put it on my tab."

“Yes, sir,” the cashier replied.

“Excuse me. I'll be paying cash. Thank you,” Samantha said in a firm voice.

“I'll get it,” Jake insisted.

Samantha felt her temper start to flare. She turned towards Jake.

“I'll pay for my own groceries,” she informed him, daring him to make an issue.

Jake nodded in agreement before stepping aside.

Samantha didn't say a word all the way back to the ranch, afraid she might explode if she did. He obviously knew the cashier if he could tell her to put it on his tab. Didn't he care what impression he might give the cashier or others by offering to pay for her groceries? Being new in town, she didn't need anxious tongues wagging to spread rumors.

After they returned to her cabin, Jake carried in her groceries in silence. Turning to leave he said, “Breakfast is at six. Just let yourself in the back door and make whatever you like. I'm sorry I offended you, Miss Marlow.” Jake left and closed the door.

The rest of the afternoon Samantha still felt irritated. After knowing him for only two days, he already wanted to provide for her. Samantha should have known better. Jake wasn't any different than the guys from back home. She was glad to leave Guthrie and all the unwanted male attention she used to get. She had never encouraged any of it. If nothing else, it made her leery of dating. Why couldn't men settle for being friends? Then after you got to know each other, if things progressed naturally it would be different.

She'd have to keep Jake at a distance in the future. He must have misinterpreted what she told Tex. By putting one man off she had accidentally led on another. With that thought, she decided she shouldn't be so angry with Jake, but she would still have to keep her distance.

Samantha sat at the table and started to make out a list of meals for the week, when suddenly it hit her. What had Jake meant when he told her to let herself in the back door? Surely there had to be a mess hall or something. Maybe there weren't very many men to cook for. She hadn't thought to ask. Samantha didn't fancy another run-in with Jake, so she decided she should go and meet her new employer to find out the necessary details.

Samantha went to the front door and rang the bell. While she was waiting for someone to answer it, she turned to face the road. The view from here is breathtaking, she thought to herself and let out a sigh as she watched two rabbits chase each other in the grass.

The door behind her opened. She turned to find Jake standing there.

“What are you doing here?” Her jaw dropped. It took her a moment to regain her composure.

“I live here,” he replied. His expression was unreadable.

Samantha wasn't quite sure what to think. “I came to meet the boss and find out what was expected of me. If you could introduce me to him, I would appreciate it."

“You've already met the boss. In fact, you chewed him out for trying to buy your provisions."

“You're the boss?” she asked, her stomach turned at the revelation. At least he hadn't fired her. He could have very well sent her packing when she'd made that scene earlier. Well, he was really the one responsible for that scene. He could have told her at any time that he owned this ranch.

“Boss, owner, employer, man who pays the bills. Take your pick. Others know me as Jake. Jake Dampier.” He gave a slight nod and tipped his hat.

Samantha's eyes grew wide. “You never said anything about it earlier."

“You never asked,” he replied nonchalantly and stepped aside. “Come in and I'll show you around the kitchen."

“I'm sorry about earlier.” Samantha's cheeks grew warm. “I was afraid someone might get the wrong impression by you offering to pay for my groceries. If I'd known you were doing it because you were the boss...

“I'm the one who should be apologizing.” Jake fidgeted with his hat, adjusting it further back on his head. “I had a lot on my mind and could have cleared it up. Communicating with women doesn't come as natural to me, the men—they're a little easier to handle."

Thankful that they were not going to have another scene. She turned her interest to her job. “Do all the men eat up here?” she asked.

“Just me."

“I thought I was supposed to cook for all the men. Zeb never said it was for just one,” Samantha stammered.

“The men all call Zeb Cookie ‘cause he's the cook. Cookie never says a lot of things. He told me he hired Sam Marlow. I was expecting a man,” he said, half-amused.

Even Samantha had to smile, “Seems Zeb, I mean Cookie, pulled one over on both of us. He never said he was specifically looking for a man. Now what do we do?"

“Well, you cook. I like breakfast at six, lunch at noon and supper around six-thirty."

Jake showed her where everything was in the kitchen and assured her he'd eat anything she made. She felt his eyes on her and knew he was assessing her slender figure. Samantha turned to face him. Their eyes met. The silence lingered between them. Her heart pounded while she waited for him to ask the questions she knew he wanted to ask. Could she cook? And, why was it important to work here? She didn't know the answer to the second question but she knew she could cook. But for one, single, handsome, man?

Chapter Three

Monday morning Samantha was up and dressed by five. Thereweren't any lights on at Jake's. Quietly she let herself in the back door. She put on a pot of coffee right away, just in case Jake got up early and needed some caffeine to get him going. For breakfast she made homemade waffles with fresh strawberries, fried eggs and sausage.

The sound of heavy footsteps, followed by running water let Samantha know that Jake was awake. She set the table for one.

“Smells delicious,” Jake said as he entered the kitchen.

“Thank you."

“Aren't you eating? Don't tell me you're on a diet,” he said and grinned.

His smile was so heartwarming. He looked a little boyish, kind of cute. Samantha smiled back.

“I ... well, I wasn't sure."

Jake put his hand up to stop her. “Well, now you are. Go ahead and grab another place setting."

Samantha was glad to not have to eat alone. There had been enough meals like that over the last months.

During breakfast she had a chance to ask Jake about his ranch. Samantha found out there were nearly two thousand acres. Jake's was one of the largest ranches around. They specialized in a variety of horses and Thoroughbreds. Buyers from all over the country came to look at his horses. It was obvious how proud Jake was of his ranch. He had worked hard to build it up with the help of his faithful friend, Zeb. God had blessed him immensely and it didn't bother him to give God the credit.

Samantha admired Jake's convictions. It would have been a lot harder for her to work for someone who didn't share her same convictions, or the same God. She had known some who were Sunday Christians and others who served money as their god. They allowed themselves to be so caught up with material things that they lost their focus on the one true God. She had often meditated on two scriptures, “Choose whom this day that you will serve," and "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Those two particular scriptures helped her to keep her life in the right perspective.

After Jake left, Samantha did the breakfast dishes. Jake hadn't specified that cleaning would be part of her job description, but she needed something to do in between meals to keep busy. She couldn't help but browse around in search of a task to tackle. Downstairs was kind of dark and dreary, except for the kitchen. It didn't seem fitting. Samantha thought about how she could enhance the living room. The drapes in the living room were a dark green. They kept the sunlight at bay. There were two matching couches in a floral print. The chairs, on either side of the fireplace, were hunter green. She decided if she ever got the chance to do some serious shopping in town, she would look for new curtains. The house definitely needed a woman's touch.

Stopping at the bathroom, she decided that should be the first area she would clean. She scrubbed the bathroom until it was spotless and hung clean towels. By the time she was finished, it was time to start lunch. She made ham sandwiches and cut up a salad.

“Looks good.” Jake was five minutes early. “Excuse me while I go clean up for lunch."

Samantha glanced over her shoulder and nodded. “What do you want to drink? Water or tea?"

“Tea will be fine, thanks."

Coming back into the kitchen he asked, “I couldn't find the bathroom downstairs. So I had to use the one upstairs. Where did this other room down here come from?"

Since he was smiling, she decided to tease him back. “I was afraid once the dirt came off, there would be nothing left but an empty room. I couldn't decide whether to scrub it or toss in a match."

“I'm glad you decided on the first choice,” he murmured.

Samantha laughed. While they ate their lunch she asked Jake if he cared if she took a walk and looked around. He told her he'd be glad to give her a tour after supper. She was excited when Jake left.

Samantha made a casserole that she could pop in the oven quickly and a pineapple upside down cake. With supper pretty much ready, she could hurry and clean the kitchen. She wiped down all the cabinets and straightened them all out to her liking. After all, since she was the cook she would have to be able to find things easily. Then she did dishes, swept and mopped the floor. Feeling rather satisfied with her accomplishments, she popped the casserole in the oven and headed back to her cabin for a quick shower.

Samantha didn't feel the least bit tired. Her shower was invigorating, coupled with the excitement of getting to tour the ranch and see the horses was enough to keep her going all day. Letting herself in the back door, she headed over to check on the casserole.

After turning the oven off, she set the table.

She decided to wear jeans and her boots in the hopes that Jake would suggest going riding to tour the ranch. It had been over four months since she'd last ridden a horse. Slouching into one of the chairs, tears began to well up in her eyes as she thought of her horse, Lazarus. She missed him so much. If only she hadn't been forced to sell him. Well, there was nothing she could do about it now.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Jake said softly.

“You're here. I didn't realize it was that time already,” she said with a forced smile. She quickly got up and began serving supper. “I'm going to have to tie a bell around you so that I'll hear you come in next time."

Jake came up behind her and took the plate out of her hand. He sat it down and tilted her chin up so that they were looking into each other's eyes. “If there's anything bothering you and you'd like to talk, I'll be glad to listen,” he said tenderly.

“I'd rather not talk about it right now.” There was such tenderness in his eyes that Samantha had to look away. She didn't know Jake well enough to want to share her burdens with him. “Thank you though. I was wondering if we could possibly go riding, if you don't mind?"

“We can go riding any time you like,” Jake said as he touched a finger to the end of her nose.

Samantha's heart jumped. She wasn't sure if it was the excitement of getting to go riding again or if it was his touch. As innocent as his touch had been she still felt an unusual stirring deep within her.

Jake carried his plate to the table and sat down. During their dinner, the conversation remained light. Afterwards, Jake called down to the stable and had Zeb get one of the ranch hands to saddle up a couple of horses so they would be ready when they got there.

Samantha's mouth dropped in awe. Saddled were two Arabian horses. There was a bay one and a highly prized white Arabian horse. The white Arabian horse had to be Jake's personal horse. The horse responded to his presence. He nudged at Jake's hand demanding to be rewarded with a familiar pat. “This is Lightning. These are the only two Arabian horses I have. Kind of my own personal indulgence. I breed Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds."

Lightning's name fitted the spirited white horse. Samantha stroked the other horse gently. “What's her name?"

“Misty Morning."

They rode Misty Morning and Lightning over green rolling pastures and circled back around the north pasture. The wind flowing through her hair felt good. For the first time in months she felt at peace and was able to put aside the unpleasant changes in her life. Nature had a way of revitalizing her sagging spirits.

“It's getting late. We better turn back for tonight.” Jake took the lead and led the way back, cutting across the pasture instead of following the fence line. They stopped outside the barn and tied their horses to a hitching post. Jake placed his hand in the small of her back and made a sweeping motion with his other hand. “Shall we?"

Jake showed Samantha the ranch hand's quarters and introduced her to Zeb. “Zeb, I'm sure you remember the cook you hired for me. Sam meet Zeb, otherwise known as Cookie,” Jake said.

Zeb smiled and scratched his head, “Looks like a Sam to me."

“Hello.” Samantha smiled and shook Zeb's hand, feeling the calluses beneath his grip. “I know we didn't exactly get a proper introduction before. It's nice to meet you.” His back arched slightly with age, giving a false sense to his true height. Even hunched slightly, he was still a couple inches taller than Samantha was. His skin was wrinkled and the beating of the hot sun's rays had darkened it, making it appear rough and dry.

Some of the other men teased out loud, “Hey, Cookie, why can't we have a cook that looks like that?"

“Yeah, meal time would sure be a lot more pleasant,” shouted another.

“I told you these rascals would want to replace me. You can't bring a pretty filly like her around here and expect to get a lick of work out of them.” Cookie turned and waved his hand at the men to go back to the mess hall. “You varmints get back in and finish your coffee or I'll have you up before dawn working.” Turning back to Jake, Zeb said, “See what I told ya."

“I promise I'll keep her to myself,” Jake said smiling. Samantha was distracting for any man. Jake could only pray to have her for himself. He had never been so charmed by a woman before. Most of the women he had ever met were interested in him only for his money. They didn't really care about what he did for a living. He wanted a real relationship with someone who could also be a friend and a helpmate. Samantha actually showed an interest in the ranch, not the blank stares or changed topics other women gave him when he talked about it.

When they were alone, Samantha said, “If I knew them better, I'd have teased them right back."

Her low giggle tickled his ears like a refreshing breeze. The slight flush in her cheeks and smile on her face showed him she could take things in stride. It would have been interesting to see Samantha give the guys a little of their own medicine.

Jake and Samantha unsaddled their horses and put them in their stalls. When they got back up to the house Samantha offered to put on a pot of coffee. “I know it's getting late, but I need to finish up the dishes."

Jake was glad she wasn't leaving yet, for some reason he didn't want to part. He had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed being with Samantha. “Tell you what,” he said, “you put on the coffee and I'll help do dishes."

Kicking off their boots as they went in, Samantha readily agreed. After the dishes were done, Jake suggested they have their coffee out on the front swing. A gentle breeze sent small wisps of hair floating across Samantha's face. Jake was tempted to tuck her hair behind her ear for her, but relinquished the thought when she reached up and did it herself. Samantha sat her cup down and leaned her head against the side of the swing.

Gently rocking the swing, Jake slipped his arm behind Samantha. It was nice to watch the setting sun with her beside him. He started to comment on the brilliant colors, but noticed her eyes were still closed.

“Samantha?"

Jake smiled when he realized she'd fallen asleep. Carefully, he picked her up and carried her to her cabin. Placing her gently down on her bed, he covered her up and kissed her on top of the head.

“Goodnight, darling,” he whispered. Then he turned off her alarm clock and locked the door on his way out of the cabin.

Jake sighed as he headed to his own bed. He couldn't believe he was falling in love. He hadn't even had a crush on anyone since he was sixteen. Samantha was different. She was kind, genuine, and she was honestly interested in the ranch. She seemed to understand things. He had finally found that special someone he could share his life with. Now all he would have to do was win her over. Samantha was not one who could be easily impressed. Jake felt confident that as long as he wasn't pushy, she would gradually allow him to get closer to her. Perhaps she'd eventually tell him what was bothering her.

With thoughts of Samantha on his mind, Jake finally drifted off to sleep. The next morning when he awoke he looked out his bedroom window to see if there were any lights on in Samantha's cabin. It was dark, as he expected it would be. He left her a note before he left the house. He didn't want her to feel bad about sleeping late. Jake knew she had to have been very tired. She never even woke up when he carried her back to her cabin.

Samantha stretched out in bed as she awoke. Suddenly, realizing it was daylight, she glanced at the clock beside her bed.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed as she jumped out of bed. It was a quarter after nine. Samantha knew she missed breakfast but she better hurry if she didn't want to mess up lunch, too. She kept wondering how she could have overslept. Then again, she still had her clothes on from the night before. She tried to remember the previous evening's events.

“I must have fallen asleep,” Samantha mumbled out loud. Jake must have carried her back to her cabin. Samantha started to feel a little embarrassed and humiliated for having fallen asleep on Jake the night before. What must he think? Heat rose to her cheeks as changed her clothes and rushed over to Jake's house.

Samantha slipped in the back door. Noticing there was a note on the table, she picked it up. It read, "Samantha, sorry I couldn't be here for breakfast or lunch. Had to leave early. I'll just eat with the men. Be back at six for supper. Jake."

What a relief, maybe she hadn't messed up too badly. Although, she hoped Jake hadn't done it on her account. She decided she would make a spectacular supper to make up for skipping breakfast and lunch. It wasn't even eleven yet. She should clean the leftovers out of the refrigerator and do some other housework before she would need to start supper. She wanted to make everything perfect to show Jake her appreciation.

Opening the refrigerator door, Samantha knelt on the floor to view the contents. “Yuck.” The sour cream had turned watery and green. Samantha decided it was best to retrieve the trashcan for this job. She would definitely need it. As she placed the trashcan next to the refrigerator she heard the front door open and close. Next she heard the sound of someone going upstairs. Samantha froze. Jake wasn't supposed to be home until six.

“Jake?” Samantha called out in a squeaky voice. “Is that you?"

No one answered. Cautiously she ascended the stairs. Jake's door was slightly ajar. She tapped on it lightly, waiting for a response. There was a moment of silence and then she thought she heard a low moan. Opening the door slowly, she peeked inside. Jake was lying on the bed with his arm across his eyes. Walking over to him, she gently touched her hand to his chest. “Jake, are you..."

Before Samantha even had time to finish her question Jake reached up suddenly without warning. He grabbed her by both arms and rolled her over him, pinning her to the bed beside him. His intense gaze bore through her like a hot branding iron. She lay next to him, feeling the warmth of his breath and the pounding of his chest. Samantha could see the pain in his eyes. Her surprise turned to concern.

His grip loosed a fraction. Then without warning, he brought his lips down on hers. His body relaxed momentarily as his warm lips covered hers in an inviting brief kiss that left her hungry for more. As swiftly as he had tossed her over him, he rolled back over and put his arm across his eyes again.

Astonished, Samantha lay there for a second, wondering if what just happened really had happened. Getting up quietly, she decided he must have temporarily gone out of his mind. Perhaps he was delirious. It was either that, or she was.

“I have a headache,” he moaned. “Just leave me be.” Hearing his plea, she closed the shades to make the room darker and then crept downstairs.

A little while later she returned bearing ibuprofen, a glass of tea, and a couple of wash cloths. Placing the tray on the nightstand beside his bed, she paused a moment to look at him. Compassion filled her heart, to see such a strong man brought down by a headache. Pain creased his brow, he moaned softly.

“Jake. Here, take these,” she said handing him the tea and medicine. Then she went around the bed to the bathroom to get the wash cloths wet. Folding one, she placed it behind his neck. The other one she folded and laid it across his eyes.

As he lay on his back, she gently massaged his shoulders, slowly moving her hands up to his neck. She couldn't help focusing her attention on his lip—warm and gentle looking. Samantha drew in a deep breath. She couldn't help wondering what pleasure his lips held. Just a tiny kiss had the ability to stagger her. As she began to massage his temples she resisted the urge to kiss him. His kiss had stirred something inside her that she wasn't aware was even there. She longed to explore that sensation again. This, however, was not the time and she was not so bold. Getting up to leave the room she paused momentarily. The phone on the nightstand caught her attention. She reached over and unplugged it.

Samantha decided to make a light supper that could be easily reheated in case Jake wasn't hungry right away. She settled on homemade chicken noodle soup and an apple cobbler for dessert.

While the food was cooking, she finished cleaning out the refrigerator and washed up the dishes. Then she began to quietly clean the house. Something about Jake brought out her motherly side, a need to take care of him. Sternly she reminded herself it was her job to take care of him and his house, but the task she never looked forward to doing when she was at home, now held a certain appeal. A little after three she put together a tray of food for Jake and some more ibuprofen. Quietly, she took the tray up to his room.

“Jake,” she whispered. “Jake. Sit up.” He opened his eyes. She waited for him to prop himself up against some pillows before setting the tray in his lap. Then she handed him the medicine.

“Thank you,” he replied huskily.

“Eat this. It will help you feel better. I'll be back in a little while for the tray.” She turned and quickly left the room.

Being near him brought a stirring feeling within. One she was unsure of. Her lips felt warm again remembering his kiss. Ever since he kissed her, she had been in a daze. So many uncertain emotions were pulsing through her.

Later she returned to retrieve the tray. Jake had fallen asleep again. She decided she would come back later to make sure he took more medicine and ate supper.

He had seemed to be out-of-it all night. Samantha wondered if Jake had these headaches very often. Her father used to suffer from them frequently. She remembered how her mother always nursed him through them. Samantha felt compelled to do the same for Jake. After all, he didn't have anyone else to look out for him. She should be there. Even more so, she wanted to be there for him.

Samantha said a prayer for Jake before going back to her cabin for the night.

Chapter Four

“Lord, please touch Jake. May his headache be gone and may he feel revitalized. I thank you for Your healing touch. In Jesus’ name, Amen,” Samantha uttered quietly in prayer when she awoke. She had hated seeing Jake in pain. But deep inside she knew that God could give him peace.

After her morning shower, she headed over to make his breakfast. Quietly she let herself in. Samantha wasn't sure how he was feeling or if he would be ready to get out of bed yet. If nothing else, she would take breakfast up to him.

Samantha made omelets and toast for breakfast. She topped it off with a cup of hot tea, orange juice, and ibuprofen for Jake, just in case he still had a headache. When she had finished setting the table and began loading the dishwasher, Jake strolled into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” Samantha whispered. It was a pleasant surprise to see him up after the way he felt yesterday.

Samantha's heart fluttered as Jake came over to stand next to the sink. In three long strides he reached her and stood close enough that they were almost touching. “Why are we whispering?” he whispered. His breath on the back of her neck sent chills down her spine.

“I thought you might still have a headache."

“I'm a lot better,” he said with a huge smile. He touched his hand to her shoulder. Samantha felt as if a surge of electricity had traveled through her. “Thank you."

They looked at each other. Samantha could see the sincerity in his eyes and felt it in his touch. Among other things she felt as he gently held her shoulder. A meaningless gesture, yet it had an overwhelming effect on her.

“I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Samantha asked, puzzled.

“I shouldn't have kissed you,” he confessed. “You startled me and instinctively I grabbed you. The look on your face reminded me of a frightened fawn. I reacted poorly. Please forgive me."

“It's okay. Don't mention it,” she told him, pulling her eyes away from his to hide her disappointment. Of course, she knew it wasn't good to get involved with her boss. At least that's what she told herself to ease the feeling of rejection.

“Why don't we go ahead and eat before it gets cold?” Samantha grabbed a dishtowel and dried her hands.

“Looks good. I'm starved.” Jake pulled out her chair for her and waited until she was seated before sitting down in his seat. He bowed his head and said the blessing.

Samantha sectioned off a piece of her omelet with her fork and took a bite. Jake had finished his, along with his toast, before she had even taken a bite of her toast. “You're sure in a hurry."

Maybe he felt as awkward as she was feeling. His kiss had been pretty disturbing. He may have regretted it, but deep in her heart she didn't—even though she knew it was wrong. Jake was her boss and it would be best for her to remember that. She wasn't there to win his heart—just his approval. And falling head over heals for him because of a simple kiss wasn't the way to do it.

“I've got a lot to do today. I'll be back in time for lunch. On Fridays I usually do paperwork and payroll, but since I quit early yesterday I have to go check on things and make sure they're running smoothly."

“Okay. I'll see you at lunch then."

Jake paused a moment to gaze at Samantha before he put on his Stetson and left. He drove down to the stalls and saddled Lightning to ride to the north pastures and check on some foals. Today the men were checking the horses and replacing shoes for any that were in need. Jake had some buyers coming in a couple of weeks and wanted all of them to be ready. This was the time of year when he sold the majority of his stock. The horse shows were profitable for his turnaround sales, but his buyers had come to expect him to have a special sale this time of year. He sold horses all year long, but this sale was for those interested in larger quantities, not just to buy a breeder or one for themselves. They had the first and best pick of the herd.

When Jake reached Zeb and the other men in the north pasture they had a stunned look on their faces. Normally he would have been down for at least three days with a migraine. After one of his headaches, he knew the men walked around on eggshells for a couple days. By the stares it was obvious that none of them could believe he showed up the next morning after having a migraine headache. Jake fought hard to hide a smile that threatened to break out.

“What're you doin’ here?” Zeb asked.

“Just helping out,” Jake replied.

“What about that monster of a headache you had yesterday?"

“Dr. Marlow nursed me back to health. My headache's gone. I've never gotten rid of one this quickly."

“Sounds like you need to keep your young Doc Marlow around,” Zeb replied with a smile. “She seems to have done a world of good for you."

“Seems to have,” Jake mused. Samantha had been good for him. Before, all he had was an empty house to come home to. She gave him a reason to look forward to going home. He never realized how lonely he was until this week.

Samantha didn't seem like an employee. She was more of a friend or a wife. He had never given serious consideration to getting married. Why would the thought of a wife suddenly pop into his head?

He'd known Samantha less than a week, but everything seemed so right. She had all the characteristics of a good wife. She could cook, kept his house practically spotless, and she was definitely a sight he could get used to staring at across the table for the rest of his life. Silently Jake prayed, “Lord, if there's something you're trying to tell me, please make it clearer to me. If it is Your will then let it be. Amen."

Jake finished helping out in the north pasture until eleven. He looked forward to having lunch with Samantha. Filled with a new sense of peace, he rode Lightning back to the stables and unsaddled him. Taking a little time to groom him, Jake finished up by giving him part of an apple before heading up to the house.

Samantha had a light meal waiting for them. After lunch she announced she had to head into town and do the shopping. Jake couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Even though he had work to do in his office, it was nice having Samantha around.

“Back in time for supper,” Samantha said as she started to leave.

“Do you want to go out for supper?” Jake asked.

“Sorry, I have to work.” She waved goodbye as she smiled and walked out the door.

Jake stood in the kitchen with his mouth slightly open. He was going to say something else, but Samantha didn't give him a chance. “She's good at putting men off,” he thought to himself. Next time he'd have to give her the night off first. Then she couldn't use the excuse of having to work.

Doing payroll, Jake couldn't help but think of Samantha. Pay to the order of Samantha Marlow glared back at him as he stared at her check in his hands. It felt funny having to pay her, even though she deserved the money. She made wonderful meals and cleaned the house to boot. He hadn't expected to get a housekeeper, too. Somehow she'd come to feel like more than an employee to him. Thinking of her as hired help put a distance between them. She was beginning to feel like a friend. With the reality of writing out Samantha Marlow's paycheck, Jake realized she was right to refuse his offer of supper. He understood why she reminded him of their business relationship.

* * * *

Samantha decided to stop and look through one of the department stores at the mall. She hated how dreary Jake's living room looked. Maybe she could find something on sale. She went into Casey's department store. Samantha knew she couldn't afford to buy curtains at their regular price. She decided to check the clearance shelves before going onto the sales display.

It used to bother her a little at first when she had to start looking at the clearance section for clothes and shoes. But she began to make a game of it and it became fun saving money. After all, the clearance items were just what the store was moving out to make room for their new merchandise. Other people paid more for it when they bought the items when they were first put out on display. She waited until they were marked down and saved money.

In the last four months she had learned a lot about tightening her budget. After her parents’ death she had to sell everything to pay hospital bills and debts. Her father's life insurance had lapsed when he was in the hospital and Samantha didn't know it until it was too late. The insurance company had refused to pay after her father died. Her mother's insurance wasn't nearly enough to bury them, much less pay off the debts. Their family's ranch had been handed down for three generations. When her parents’ passed away, a neighboring farm had purchased it, the livestock split up and sold at auction.

Why both parents? Why did they both have to die? So many times she had prayed and asked God those very questions. One day she would know the answer. But that time was not to be now. Her father had had a mild heart attack while driving and he lost control of his vehicle. When he swerved across the on-coming traffic, a car hit them on the passenger's side. Her mother was killed instantly. Her father spent nearly a month in the hospital after the accident. Between the heart attack, his injuries, and the guilt of causing the accident, he couldn't bear to go on living. Especially knowing the love of his life, his wife, would not be waiting for him. He no longer had the will to live.

Samantha had faith that everything would work out. God had always met her needs. Even now she believed He would continue to do so.

She was contemplating this while rummaging through the curtains on the clearance table. “Here. These will do perfect,” she said to herself. She found a pair the shade of hunter green to match the chairs and couches. She could tie them back and put a shear curtain underneath them. It would match perfectly and allow more light into the living room. After paying for her purchases, she did the grocery shopping and went back to the ranch.

Samantha carried the groceries into the kitchen and set them on the table. Something on the table caught her attention. There was a note from Jake lying on top of an envelope. Apprehension setting in, she picked up his note. The note read: “Don't worry about supper. I went into town. Jake."

Samantha read her name on the envelope. She was a little anxious to open her first paycheck. After all, she didn't even ask what the job paid. Stunned when she opened the envelope, she pulled out a chair and sat down. Jake had paid her a generous wage. She knew what they were able to pay their help on her parent's ranch. What Jake had paid her was definitely too much. She would have to do a lot more around here to even begin to warrant being paid this much. Maybe she would take it up with Jake later.

After she finished carrying in the groceries she put them away. For supper she nibbled on a sandwich and a piece of fruit. It was lonely, eating by herself, in Jake's kitchen. His vacant seat was a constant reminder that she was alone and she missed her time with Jake. His smile and friendly conversation was something she had begun to look forward to. Putting her empty plate in the sink she resumed her chores. She couldn't wait to see how the curtains would look hanging in the living room. Since Jake wasn't going to be home, it was the perfect opportunity to hang them.

Samantha took down the drapes and cleaned the windows. A thin layer of dust lined the windowsills. If she remembered, she would clean all the windows tomorrow. Taking a step back, assessing her accomplishment, she was quite pleased. They were dark, but pulled back. They allowed the sun to shine through the window illuminating the living room. Her lips turned upward to form a smile at the satisfaction she felt with her accomplishment.

She had just finished cleaning the living room when Jake came home. “Working overtime?” he inquired.

Samantha smiled, “No, but I do need to talk to you about my paycheck. I think you overpaid me."

Raising an eyebrow, Jake's eyes twinkled. “That's the first time I've ever had someone complain about making too much money."

“I believe in fair wages. You've been more than fair."

“We never did discuss wages. I was only hiring a cook and I got a housekeeper to boot. So I paid you for both jobs. I thought that was fair,” he replied nonchalantly.

It wasn't easy to argue with him. He made everything seem so simple. Samantha gave a wry smile and nodded.

“So what have you been up to since I've been away? Looks like you've been busy."

“I hope you don't mind. I thought these curtains would look a little nicer,” she said, hoping not to offend him.

“It definitely looks brighter.” He didn't have the heart to tell her he liked it darker in there sometimes when he was suffering from his horrendous headaches. “I was going to take Lightning out for a ride. Would you like to help and take Misty Morning out for her exercise?” Jake asked innocently. If he struck out again he would know that she was trying to keep their relationship strictly professional. He would also take it as a sign that theirs wasn't a relationship to be developed.

“I'll go change,” Samantha said, heading for the door as she spoke.

Jake felt relieved that Samantha had agreed. He took that as an encouraging sign. While she was changing, he went down to the stables and saddled the horses. He rode Lightning back and held Misty Morning's reins. Samantha was sitting on the back porch when he returned. The sight of her when he rode up sent a warm sensation through him. He hollered, “Get some bread and we'll feed the fish!"

Instinctively, she did as asked. When she climbed up on Misty Morning she asked, “What fish?"

“There's a pond not too far away. It's nice and quiet. I think you'll like it."

Samantha assured him she was sure she would like it. Everything Samantha had seen so far on the ranch she liked. Jake was an easy person to work for and just as easy to talk to. He provided all the necessities his employee's needed. He treated the horses just as well, too. Samantha thought about how God had blessed him. The only thing Jake didn't have was a wife to share it with. “Lord, he has so much, and yet you chose to take what we had away. I don't understand. But I know you have remained faithful. I'm sorry if I sometimes seem ungrateful. Through blessing Jake you have also blessed me. I have a home and a job; you have met all of my needs. Thank you. Amen.” A feeling of contentment settled over her as she silently prayed that prayer.

“You're awful quiet tonight,” Jake said softly.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking of how faithful God is,” she replied.

Jake smiled and nodded his head. They rode the rest of the way in silence. The beauty of the pond and their surroundings captivated Samantha. There was a bridge extending across the pond and flowers all around it. Jake told her he had hired a company to make the setting tranquil. When he needed a quiet place to pray or just have peace, he went there. It was definitely peaceful. The setting had the ability to take one's breath away.

They tied the horses to a branch and walked across the bridge. It was a comfortable, cool evening. Samantha had dressed in a light sweater and jeans. Jake was also wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt. He had rolled the sleeves up a little, revealing his gold watch. He wore boots, too. His were rounded in the toes. Samantha repressed a smile. She didn't really care for the pointed toed boots some people chose to wear. Friends often joked that the pointed boots were for killing roaches in corners. Just the thought of it disgusted Samantha.

Letting her thoughts trail back to her surroundings, she breathed in the crisp clean air. The sun had started going down. Before long it would be nightfall. A gentle breeze was blowing around them. A single strand of hair blew across Samantha's face. Jake reached up and pulled it away, tucking it behind her ear. As his fingers grazed her cheek she took a deep breath. His touch made her feel a variety of mixed emotions. No one had ever made her feel so jumpy and yet so alive.

Their surroundings were perfect, even a little romantic. The water rippled beneath the gentle winds. They broke the bread into tiny pieces and tossed them across pond. The fish readily ate the bread. Samantha wished this moment would last forever. The peace she felt at this moment was immeasurable.

Darkness was beginning to surround them. Regretfully Jake suggested they head back. If only this moment could have lasted forever. Samantha felt comfortable and secure with Jake, like there wasn't a care in the world. All the old pain and loss she had felt in the past year subsided in this magical place. Even if she didn't get to work with horses, she was glad she had come here.

After they finished taking care of the horses they drove back to the house in Jake's truck. He opened her side of the truck for her. “Thank you for everything, Jake. I've never been more at peace than I have this week. I appreciate you hiring me and being such a friend.” Samantha reached up and gave his neck a quick hug. Then she turned and headed to her cabin.

Friend was a start. But he wanted something more. How much more even he didn't know. Her arms around his neck had stirred something deep inside him. He had never felt such an urge to shelter and protect someone before. This was definitely a good sign. “Thank you, Lord,” he said under his breath.

Saturday morning, over breakfast, Jake told Samantha about the upcoming sale. Even though it would keep him busier than usual he promised her they would try and go riding every night. Her response was one of pure joy. She smiled her satisfaction.

When Sunday morning came, they drove to church together again. Reverend Gleason was there to greet them when they arrived. “Good morning,” he said with his usual smile. “I trust everything's going well?"

“Quite well, thank you,” Samantha replied.

Reverend Gleason gave him a curious look. Jake's hand rested at the small of Samantha's back. By the look on the pastor's face, it didn't slip the sagacious preacher's vision. Reverend Gleason prided himself on his perceptiveness. As a friend, and a pastor, he felt it was his obligation to look out for his flock.

During worship service Reverend Gleason asked for anyone needing healing to come forward for prayer. Samantha reached over and touched Jake's arm, “Jake, can I go and pray with you about your headaches? It says where two or more are gathered that God will be there also. My father used to suffer from migraine headaches, too. Please, can I go and pray with you?"

Jake had not yet resolved himself to go down to the altars for prayer. He would have refused, except for the sincere look in Samantha's eyes. She obviously was concerned and truly wanted to help. He had never prayed with anyone else for healing, keeping to himself being pretty much his style, especially growing up in foster care.

After the sermon last week, he had gone to talk to the pastor about why God didn't always heal you when you asked. Jake had realized he had never gone down to the altar to lay that request on God. Samantha took his hand and led him down to the altars that lay in the front of the church. She knelt beside him, still holding his hand. While praying, he felt a tingling sensation. It was as if a burden lifted from his shoulders.

* * * *

After they said their good-byes to people at church, they went out for lunch. Jake had insisted on paying as usual. It was customary for a date to pay, but they weren't dating. Samantha was starting to learn she would never get her way and not to even bother fighting him on some issues. Paying for dinner out was one of them.

In the afternoon they went riding together. Samantha was enjoying the time she spent with Jake. During the week she rarely had a chance to talk to anyone else. Jake was great company. Not that she longed to be with anyone else. He filled the time between work with his presence at meals and kept her company in the evening. During the day, there were too many chores to keep her busy and from feeling lonely. The only time she spent alone was at bedtime.

When Samantha was alone in her cabin that night she couldn't help but think about Jake. She hadn't had a boyfriend in such a long time she had forgotten what it was like to have a man paying special attention to her.

She and Jonathan were friends, even if Deidre had suspected there might have more between them, there wasn't. He and Samantha had been friends since kindergarten. She did miss Jonathan some, not as much with Jake around though. Friendship and infatuation were at different ends of the spectrum. She felt only one of those things for Jonathan, and it definitely couldn't be anything near infatuation. Now Jake...

Chapter Five

Jake was busy getting everything ready for the sale. He had agreed to let Samantha groom the horses. Every day after breakfast that next week, they drove down to the stalls in his truck. Jake took Lightning out into the pastures and rounded up his most promising mares and stallions. He had a couple of the men take them back to the stables. Samantha and one of the hired hands groomed and checked them over.

Every day at lunch Samantha would drive back to the house. Then she prepared the food and did up dishes. Jake usually rode Lightning back to the house for lunch. After lunch Samantha cleaned and did laundry while Jake went back to work. Then she'd put on a casserole for supper and head back down to the stalls to finish helping.

When it was time for supper, Jake and Samantha would drive back to the house together. Then they ate supper and did dishes together. Sometimes at night they pulled out a deck of cards and played a hand of Rummy, took a walk, or just sat on the porch.

Jake enjoyed working with Samantha. It was nice to spend even more time with her than before. On Thursday, Jake was helping Samantha groom the last of the horses. They were nearly finished when Samantha asked, “Jake, would you mind bringing me a bucket to fill?"

Samantha pointed to a bucket behind him. Jake picked it up and headed toward her. “We're almost done."

Without warning, Samantha turned the hose on and pointed it directly at him. Samantha laughed as the water seeped into his clothing and he gasped from the cold chill. She had completely soaked him before he was able to reach her. Turning to shield himself from the spraying water, he turned off the hose. Quickly he turned back to Samantha who was about to take flight and lifted her. Jake proceeded to carry her over to the horse's trough.

“No. You wouldn't!” she exclaimed in a loud shrill voice as he plunged her body into the cold water. Laughing the whole time, she took her hands and flung water on him. Not that it made any difference to his already drenched body. His heavily saturated clothing clung to his moistened figure like an uncomfortable outer skin.

Jake extended a hand and helped her out of the trough. They were standing close enough to feel each other's heavy breathing after their laughter had subsided. Jake gazed into her beautiful green eyes. It took everything within him to resist the overwhelming urge to kiss her soft, pink lips. “How about we shower and go out for dinner?” Jake suggested.

Samantha smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

* * * *

Jake took her to a cozy, quiet restaurant. He didn't want to share Samantha with anyone. Words could not describe the love he was feeling inside. Thankfully he wouldn't need to describe it either, putting his thoughts to words was never his strong point. Samantha had waltzed into his life and taken it by storm. His house felt like a home, not something he'd had the luxury of feeling growing up.

Their eyes constantly locked, as if he they were looking into each other's inner being. Jake found it hard to look away from the eyes that bore into his. Occasionally he would see a flicker of something in them and Samantha would lower her gaze to rest upon her plate. Her eyes glimmered by candlelight. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. There was something unmistakable revealed in their depths. Tonight they became soul mates. Something inside them connected. Something that could never be described, only felt.

“Would you two like some dessert?” their waitress asked.

“No, thank you.” Samantha's eyes widen as she held her hand up in protest.

“I'm stuffed, too.” Jake wiped his mouth with his napkin and tossed it back on the table next to his plate.

“Okay. Well, you both have a good night and come again.” Their waitress smiled and laid their bill on the table near Jake.

“Shall we go?” Jake stood and waited for Samantha. When she stood, he placed a hand casually behind her, guiding her as they walked. His stride paced comfortably with hers. It felt natural to have her by his side, like a saddle that fit perfectly. You didn't know it was there, but without it you wouldn't be comfortable for very long.

Back at the ranch, Jake couldn't bear the thought of their evening coming to an end. An empty house didn't hold much appeal next to spending time with a beautiful woman who captivated his thoughts when she wasn't around.

“It's so wonderful out here.” Samantha looked up at the sky. “I love it when the sky is clear and you can see every star twinkle."

“Want to sit on the porch for awhile? We can enjoy it for a little longer.” Jake smiled when Samantha nodded. He took her hand and walked with her to the porch, letting her take a seat on the glider before he sat next to her and draped an arm behind her. His heart raced when she didn't pull away, but edged a little closer into the crook of his arm.

Samantha had been working for him nearly three weeks and they had come to know each other better. Yet, there was a lot that he didn't know about her past. One thing he did know was that he enjoyed being around her more than he did anyone else on earth.

“It's getting late,” Samantha said in a soft voice, covering her mouth to ward off a yawn that followed. “We should call it a night."

Reluctantly Jake agreed. He had buyers coming to the ranch the next couple of days and he had plenty to do beforehand. They had already decided that she would set up a refreshment table down at the stables for their guests.

He held her hand while they walked around the porch to the back of the house and continued holding it all the way to her cabin. Stopping outside the door he turned to face her. Under the soft glow of the porch light, Jake noticed a rose tint to Samantha's cheeks.

“Today's been wonderful,” he said as his lips came down on hers. His kiss was long and lingering. Samantha melted in his arms. When he finally pulled his lips away, she put her hands against his chest. Jake drew her closer into the circle of his arms. A strong sense of protectiveness came over him. No one had ever made him feel this way before. He breathed in deeply, the floral fragrance adding to his euphoria as he hugged Samantha a few moments longer.

“Goodnight,” Jake said as he bent and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He was afraid to kiss her on the lips again. Afraid he might not stop. He hadn't planned on her being so responsive. It was hard to pull away. One thing he did know, he didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize their relationship which was quickly becoming more than employee and employer.

* * * *

Samantha couldn't remember how she had gotten into bed last night. All she could think about was Jake's kiss. She felt as if she were floating on cloud nine. Reluctantly, she forced herself to get out of bed.

The morning quickly evaporated as Samantha prepared desserts for the refreshment tables. Jake had one of the hired hands help to set up the tables and carry the heavy jugs of tea and lemonade. Usually he hired a catering company, but Samantha had insisted on doing it herself.

After baking, she put on one of her prettiest dresses and wore her hair down. Jake hadn't asked her to dress up specifically, but she wanted to make a good impression on his behalf. She felt like a showpiece when Jake gazed at her. A look of appreciation filled his eyes.

“I wish I would have hired the caterers,” Jake said as he took in her attire.

Samantha smoothed the front of her pale, yellow dress, hoping to placate her jumbled nerves in the process.

“I don't want any of the buyers coming and getting any wrong ideas. You're already spoken for.” Jake shot her a questioning smile.

Samantha's heart leaped with excitement. “I guess you'll have to keep a close eye on me today and make sure the only desserts they get are on the table,” she said teasingly. It was nice to think of Jake looking out for her, even if the thought warmed her cheeks.

As the day progressed Samantha noticed that Jake had only introduced her to some of the older men. Whenever he did, he always put his arm around her waist. She finally got up the gumption and asked him why he hadn't introduced her to anyone younger than fifty. He replied, “You don't show the fox where to get the chickens."

Jake could really turn on the charm when he wanted to. Jake was the only man by whom she could see herself caught. She'd even slow down enough so he could catch her. Samantha smiled. The thought of being in his arms warmed her. In the midst of the crowd, they both managed to sneak a few chance glances at each other.

Later when Samantha was getting a drink for someone, Jake came over and put his arm around her shoulders. Samantha smiled, expecting to see an older man when she turned around. Instead, a ghost from her past greeted her.

“Samantha, I want you to meet Marty Carlson. Marty, this is my wonderful cook, Samantha.” Samantha's body went stiff. Jake looked at her for a moment, and then glanced at the gentleman she had just finished serving, but said nothing.

“Hello, Mr. Carlson,” Samantha said, forcing a smile to her lips.

“Sam, call me Marty. Jake's been telling me what a help you've been.” Marty smiled, his gold tooth glistened in the sunlight.

“Are you okay?” Jake whispered. When Samantha nodded, he excused himself so that he could go talk to another buyer. Marty tipped his hat and nodded as Jake walked away.

“We've missed you. Guthrie hasn't been the same without you. Neither has Lazarus,” he added.

He had been the one who bought their ranch and her horse Lazarus. Samantha shuddered at the thought. If only she could have found someone else to purchase her horse. But the bill collectors kept calling, adding more pressure to her already distressed state.

“He misses you terribly. Maybe you could come and see him sometime. I'm sure he would like that,” Marty suggested.

His suggestions were more than Samantha cared for. Her trust for Mr. Carlson went about as far as she could throw him. Unfortunately, if she ever hoped to buy Lazarus back, she would have to be nice to him. “I've settled in here and have a good job. Do you think maybe I could make payments and buy Lazarus back from you?"

“Oh, I don't know.” Marty smiled. “Tell you what, we'll get together tomorrow and work something out."

The thought of getting Lazarus back made her heart quicken, while the thought of seeing Marty again turned her stomach. She didn't trust him. Before, he had tried to use her horse and her family's home as a bargaining chip. Time may have passed, but she hadn't changed her views. An honest trade, making payment for the purchase of her horse was still all she'd agree on, never a marriage proposal. Not before, and certainly not now.

* * * *

Jake couldn't help the uneasiness that plagued his gut. He quickly helped a customer, passing him off to one of the ranch hands so they could show him the breed of horse he was interested in while Jake made his way back toward Samantha. She was filling drinks for a couple from Kansas.

Marty caught up with Jake before he had a chance to get very far. “There's a few of your horses I'm interested in purchasing."

“All right,” Jake told him and wrote down what Marty wanted, chancing an occasional glance in Samantha's direction. He was still wondering about her reaction earlier. What had made her uncomfortable when he introduced them to each other? And the more he thought about it, he was sure Marty called her Sam. “Do you know Samantha from somewhere?"

“Yeah, Samantha's from the same parts as I am. Knew her folks, too. Poor souls, shame what happened to them.” Marty went on to tell him how Samantha's parents had died and how he had tried his best to help her through her situation. “Yep, I tried to help the girl out as much as I could. Bought that fool horse of hers and ended up having to sell him. He was a real spitfire. Wouldn't let no one near him."

Jake's heart went out for Samantha. It had to have crushed her to lose her parents and her home all in less than six months. That was enough for anyone to go through. Perhaps the memory of her loss had made her uncomfortable with Marty.

“Who did you sell Sam's horse to?"

Marty told him he had no idea where the horse was at present. “As feisty as he was, he might have ended up at the glue factory,” he chuckled.

Jake wished he could give her something of her past. Something to make up for all she had lost. He didn't want to let on to her that he knew about her situation. He wanted her to share her grief with him when she was ready.

* * * *

Saturday, Marty was pulling in with his trailer when he recognized Samantha's truck. He gave his hired hand the check to give to Jake and instructed him to pick up the horses he'd purchased, then come back and wait for him outside of Samantha's cabin.

* * * *

While washing dishes, Samantha heard a knock on the door. Jake said he'd be busy with customers. She didn't expect to see him until dinner. Smiling, she hurried and dried her hands and hurried to open the door. She flung the door open wide and was greeted with an unwelcome surprise. To her dismay Marty was standing there. He stepped inside grinning like the cat that had eaten the canary. “Good morning, Miss Marlow,” he drawled.

“What are you doing here?” Samantha asked, her voice sounding louder than she intended. Her pulse raced, making her chest pound.

“Yesterday I mentioned that we should get together today. I thought we'd discuss the details about your horse. Have you given any more consideration to my previous proposal?” he asked.

“I told you months ago and I'm telling you again. No! I won't marry you! I don't love you. All I want is my horse,” she exclaimed feeling a little nervous, her eyes widening in concern.

A wicked grin came across his face. Samantha shuddered as goose bumps ran up her spine. She could feel her stomach turning. A sick feeling came across her. Marty reached out, grabbing her arms; he drew her close to himself.

“You're hurting me!” she cried out.

“I plan to do much more than that and no one's around to hear you if you even try to scream,” he said as his mouth came forcefully down on hers.

Samantha pushed as hard as she could to get away from him. His touch and his kiss were disgusting. She recoiled beneath his grasp. Her screams muffled as he covered her mouth with his. Hot tears began to stream down her face. Lord, help me, she silently prayed.

Suddenly she felt Marty yanked away from her. Her body fell limply to the floor. Jake had come. He was an answer to her prayer as he dragged Marty outside.

“I don't need your kind of business.” Jake scowled as his fist struck Marty across the jaw. “Get off my property and don't ever come back. If you do, I promise not to be so nice the next time."

Fighting wasn't something Jake enjoyed. One too many times he'd dodged his own father's fist, but there was a time to fight and when it came, Jake never backed down. When Jake's anger unleashed, it was like a fierce lion. It was not wise to make oneself the prey.

Marty didn't reply. He picked himself up off the ground, dusted off his pants, and left. Jake stood there glaring at him until he was out of sight.

After he was gone, Jake went back into the cabin. He lifted her up carefully and carried her over to the couch. Attentively he deposited her on the couch next to him. She sobbed into his shoulder. “I'm sorry, Samantha,” he said softly, trying to comfort her. Marty's behavior was deplorable. He forced his tense muscles to relax and cradled her closer.

When Samantha's tears slowed down, she explained between sobs to Jake about her parents’ death, the loss of their ranch, and having to sell her horse to pay off debts. She told him that Marty had offered to marry her so she could keep it all. However, she could never bring herself to marry him, so she sold everything and moved to Georgetown in hopes of making a clean start.

Jake couldn't bring himself to tell her that Marty said that he had sold her horse to someone else. What a low-life Marty was, trying to use a horse that he didn't even have to worm his way close to Samantha. At the thought of it, Jake hoped he would never see the man again. The next time he wasn't sure that he would be able to control his temper.

Samantha's tears tapered off. Jake held her firmly in the circle of his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. It took everything in him to relax. His body wanted to draw up in fits of anger. He should have pounded Marty when he had the chance. Had he known the truth, he would have.

“Why don't you go freshen up? Then we'll head back down to the corrals together.” Jake smoothed a strand of hair away from Samantha's face and kissed the top of her head while his fingers followed down her back, along the silky flowing length of her hair.

He hated having to go back to the corrals, but he had to oversee things. There were still buyers who had to pick up their horses. Jake planned on taking Samantha with him so he could keep a close eye on her. His protectiveness was more dominant than ever now. Samantha needed him. And he needed her.

* * * *

Samantha asked Jake if she could take Misty Morning into the corral and work with her for awhile. He agreed, knowing it would keep her mind off things and keep her close enough for him to keep an eye on her.

He watched from a distance as Samantha taught her how to do lead changes and then how to walk without prancing. At first Jake's constant glances were to make sure she was in sight. Gradually he began to take in her progress, watching in admiration.

Samantha taught Misty Morning a tremendous amount in such a short time. Jake was impressed. He decided he would have to ask her if she would like to train the horse for an up-coming horse show, hoping that it would take her mind off of losing her own horse.

With the last of the horses claimed, Jake went to retrieve Samantha. She smiled when she climbed in his truck. He decided to break the silence that wafted between them, knowing Samantha's earlier encounter still preoccupied her thoughts. “We did rather well today. How about we go into town and celebrate? I thought perhaps dinner and a movie. What do you think?"

“That would be fine. I need to go back and change first,” she said quietly. “Jake?"

“Hmmm?"

“I'm sorry that you lost a sale.” Samantha stared at her fist, clenched in her lap.

Jake reached over and grabbed her arm, gently urging her to release her grip and hold his hand. He felt her fingers relax as he massaged the back of her hand with his thumb. “Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong, and I definitely don't want his money. My life is not dependent on whether or not I get his business.” Jake felt his temper begin to rise. Realizing he had started raising his voice, he apologized to her.

When they reached his house, he pulled into his driveway and parked. He turned off the truck and turned to face her. Her face tilted downward and there was a look of sadness on it. Jake reached over and turned her face towards him. “It's okay, Samantha. I don't care to do business with people like Marty. And I promise I won't let him near you ever again."

Silently he vowed to do whatever it took to protect Samantha. That promise he sealed with a light kiss on her lips.

Jake walked her to her cabin and checked to make sure that it was empty. “I'll be back in half-an-hour to pick you up.” He smiled and kissed her trembling lips.

“I'll be ready,” she assured him, not totally able to return his smile.

Jake knocked on the cabin door when he returned half an hour later.

“Just a minute,” she called out, her voice muffled. Jake smiled as he pictured her making her way to the door, possibly hopping on one foot to hurry and finish putting on her shoes.

This time she looked to see who it was before she opened the door. That simple gesture gave him relief. Hopefully she wouldn't make the mistake of opening the door without looking to see who it was first, again.

Samantha wore another yellow dress, this one covered with daisies. It had a sheer, floral, lace jacket to match. She lifted a slender ankle up behind her, resting a hand on his shoulder, while she straightened the strap to her sandal. Jake smiled when she walked over to the table and retrieved her purse, thinking about how his mental image of her hurrying to the door, scurrying to get her shoes on before she reached it, was probably what had happened.

“You look nice,” he said, giving an appreciative glance that covered her from head to toe. Samantha was a very beautiful woman. Escorting her made a sense of pride well up inside his chest.

“Thank you, Mr. Dampier.” Samantha smiled and curtseyed.

Raising an eyebrow in concern he asked, “You're not putting me off are you?"

Her smile held a touch of warmth. She walked over to him, rose on her tiptoes and gently kissed him on the lips. “What do you think?” she asked softly.

In a more relaxed tone, he replied, “Much better."

Jake took Samantha to a restaurant called "A Taste of Italy." The lights appeared dimmed, each table supplied with a lit candle, adding to the romantic setting. Jake's plan to bring her here was a spur-of-the-moment idea, one he couldn't have planned better if he'd had time to think about it.

Jake finished his salad and laid his fork alongside his plate. He watched as Samantha daintily stirred her fork amongst the lettuce leaves on her plate, smiling when she noticed him staring. “Would you like to see a movie after dinner?"

“That would be nice.” Samantha's eyelashes fluttered and her cheeks took on a healthy glow, before she met his gaze again.

The depths of her eyes drew him in like a magnet. He longed to reach over and take her hand, but the clutter of glasses, the candle centerpiece, and condiment holder created a line of defense between them.

An easy silence settled between them for which Jake was thankful. Asking Samantha about her past would only bring up the day's earlier events and cause her grief. His real reason for asking her to the show had been to prolong their time together, but it would also serve in keeping her mind distracted.

Wanting to keep Samantha's spirits up, Jake suggested they see a comedy. They watched one only recently been released. Samantha's laughter calmed his spirits as he tried to focus on the movie, his attention drawn more to the beautiful woman sitting next to him who had captured his heart and spurred his protective nature.

They laughed until there were tears in their eyes. When was the last time he had seen a movie? He couldn't remember that, or the last time he had had so much fun. On the way home they talked about funny scenes in the movie and laughed together again. It was good to have a friend and someone to share life with.

When they returned to the ranch, Jake walked Samantha back to her cabin, holding her hand all the way. Samantha turned to face him, looking up into his eyes. Her eyes began to close as a smile formed on her lips. The fact that she anticipated his kiss only fueled his desire more. He met her lips with his. The kiss was warm and gentle. It lasted only a moment, but seemed to go on for an eternity. A sigh escaped Samantha's lips.

Jake held her close, resting his jaw against the top of her head. She melted in his arms. Delicate hands encircled his waist. He could hold Samantha forever and then some. With great reluctance he pulled away, knowing they should call it a night. Otherwise, they would both be tired in the morning and it might cause a few heads to turn if they both yawned through service. Reverend Gleason might even take it as a sign of boredom. Jake resisted the urge to laugh, and squeezed Samantha closer, planting a kiss on her head before he released her.

“Goodnight,” they both said in unison.

Jake waited until Samantha was safely inside the cabin before walking to his own home, comforted that he would see her again in the morning.

Chapter Six

After church Sunday, Reverend Gleason stopped Jake before he left the sanctuary. “Can we talk for a few minutes?"

Jake looked around for Samantha, spotting her engrossed in conversation with an older couple. He turned back towards his pastor. “Sure. What did you want to talk about?"

“How have you been lately? Martha and I haven't seen you in awhile.” Reverend Gleason folded his hands in front of him. A stance the pastor often took when he began to delve deeper into conversation with people. When he talked as a friend, he was more relaxed usually putting a hand in his pocket and his eyes didn't squint, as they were now. Jake wondered why he was in the proverbial hot seat.

“Just fine. In fact I haven't had a headache since I went down to the altar for prayer,” Jake said.

“I've noticed that you and Miss Marlow have become kind of an item. As a friend and your pastor, I hope I'm not being too forward. I'm a little concerned that you two may be rushing things a little."

“I haven't proposed, Mike. If that's what you're asking,” Jake replied airily and chuckled.

“Marriage is an important step in anyone's life. We have a couple's class you both might consider taking. Everyone in the class is married, but it might give you both an idea of the road ahead if you're both becoming serious. Some people in the class are newly married. Others have been married for as long as twenty years. The class may help you understand some of the problems you may eventually face together. Perhaps it will help you to avoid some of them,” Reverend Gleason suggested.

Jake knew the pastor was trying to be helpful. Too many marriages were ending in divorce. Jake didn't want to rush into anything without giving it some serious consideration.

It was prudent that Reverend Gleason looked out for him. Yet Jake was astounded that the pastor would even ask him if he planned on getting engaged soon. He hadn't even entertained the idea. Sometimes Jake almost felt married, except for the parting at night. He recalled their kiss goodnight. With that thought in mind, he decided there would be some definite advantages to being married.

He had never thought about how long you should date a person before asking them to marry you. Or even if you date them long enough and you don't think of marriage, should you stop dating? For how long should you be engaged before you get married? Had Samantha and he made some kind of non-verbal commitment already? Or was she free to date others? Jake didn't even think of himself as eligible to date another. Did Samantha feel the same way he did?

“I promise I'll give it some serious thought,” he assured the pastor. If the truth were known, he was already giving it significant consideration.

Jake was in turmoil. There were so many unanswered questions running through his head. He thought it best not to mention any of this to Samantha until he could sort it out for himself.

Jake shook hands with Reverend Gleason and caught up with Samantha. “Ready?"

She nodded and turned back toward the couple she had been talking with. “Have a good day."

“You too, dear.” They smiled and looked toward Jake.

He nodded.

When they settled in his truck and started on their way back toward the ranch, he realized he was heading in the wrong direction. They had started making it a Sunday ritual to go out to eat. However, today he didn't feel much like eating. “Do you mind if we skip going out for lunch today? I've got a lot on my mind."

“No, that'll be fine.” Samantha reached over and laid a hand on his arm.

Glancing in her direction as he drove, she greeted him with a warm smile that reached into his chest and encompassed his heart. Maybe Reverend Gleason was right. When he looked in Samantha's eyes he lost all ability to think.

Life hadn't been so good growing up, but then he hadn't allowed any room in it for God either. Zeb had been the closest good example to what a father should be like and Zeb was the one who shared his faith with Jake, winning him to the Lord five years earlier. It wasn't a decision that he made easily. He let it brew in his head.

Over the years he'd made enough rash decisions to get him in trouble, he'd finally learned to slow down and think things through. But his friend and coworker, Zeb, never minced words. He had an ability to see things in black and white, unlike Jake who had to ponder things until he could discern the difference.

His pastor was right, he was rushing things with Samantha. After all, he hardly knew her. A few things from her past had seeped out, not that she willingly told him, like about her parents or losing her family home. Of course he couldn't remember sharing his past with her, either; it wasn't something he liked to talk about. When things were done and over with, you buried them, no sense in letting them dig in your craw till they festered, causing you worse problems and ache deep inside your very being. He'd had enough of that and enough disappointment.

“What are you thinking about?"

“Hmm?"

“I asked what you were thinking about?” Samantha frowned.

“Oh, nothing in particular.” Jake realized he wasn't giving Samantha his full attention. His mind was miles away in thought.

Jake knew there was no way he could give the questions, whirling around in his head, serious consideration as long as Samantha was with him. Whenever they were together, she was all he could think about. Even when he went to bed at night, thoughts of her filled his dreams. With morning's light she was always there. Breakfast was usually waiting for him when he came downstairs in the morning. Except for the night he had turned off her alarm clock, she had always had breakfast waiting for him. It was something a man could get used to. When they returned to the ranch, Jake asked, “Do you mind if we call it a day? I could really use some time alone to pray."

“That's fine.” Samantha wore a look of concern, but he didn't know how to tell her about all the things he was wrestling with inside.

Jake walked her to her cabin.

“Are you sure everything's all right?” Samantha stopped next to her cabin door and stared at him, her eyes glistened, an ache hidden in their depths.

“Yes, everything's fine. The pastor asked me to think about some things and I think I need to pray about them too.” Jake traced a finger along her cheek, longing to ease her tension. Lifting her chin, he covered her lips with his. Her kiss was warm and gentle. How was he ever going to think clearly after kissing her? This was going to take a lot of prayer and a clear head if he hoped to sort out his thoughts.

Jake said goodbye and went back to the house to get a canteen and his Bible. He drove down to the stables to get his horse. After saddling Lightning, he rode to his private place in the world, his place of sanctuary. Samantha was the only person he had ever taken there. That alone meant she was special to him.

He rode around the pond, hoping to reach a state of tranquillity. After a while, he felt his muscles loosen up and his shoulders felt less rigid. The wind was lightly blowing through the trees. The beautiful, fragrant flowers and the stillness of the pond helped to put Jake's soul at peace. He relaxed as he absorbed all of God's wondrous creations.

It always amazed him, no matter how hard a man tried, he could never create anything that could give such peace as the things God had created. Flowers, trees, the soft blue of an afternoon sky or the waters that filled nearly two-thirds of the earth could bring a calming affect. If there was something troubling a person, they could stare at a mansion's walls, castle walls, or anything else man made, and still not find an inner peace that one gets when they connect with the things of God.

Jake dismounted and tied Lightning to a small tree. Sitting on a bench, he opened his Bible. He read for over an hour, looking up scriptures on marriage, what a wife should be expected to fulfill and what the husband's responsibilities were. He was even more convinced there were a lot of things to think about, things he hadn't even considered.

Jake began to pray. He wanted to seek God's will more than his own. With God's blessing, he knew he couldn't go wrong. As he was praying for God to reveal to him if Samantha was the one for him, he heard a horse coming. He stood abruptly, turning to see the oncoming horseman.

“Jake, I'm sorry to disturb you. There's been an accident and I thought you would want to know about it right away. The ambulance just left,” Samantha spurted out, short of breath.

“What happened?” Jake asked as he mounted Lightning.

She explained to Jake that Elliot Myers, one of the hired hands, was thrown from his horse. “The horse got spooked by a snake and took off running. Thankfully the snake didn't bite either of them, but they think Elliot might have broken his hip."

Jake led the way back toward the ranch, ducking to avoid low-lying branches. When they reached the stables, Jake dismounted then helped Samantha down off her horse.

“I'll take care of the horses. You go on and head to the hospital.” Samantha nodded toward the stable doors.

“Are you sure?” Jake asked.

“Yes, now go on. Give me a call and let me know what's going on as soon as you hear something.” Samantha reached up and kissed his cheek.

“Thanks.” He gazed into concerned eyes, thankful for her help. “I'll call when I find out how Elliot is doing."

Samantha nodded. “I'll pray for him."

* * * *

After caring for the horses, Samantha went back to her cabin to await Jake's call. Pacing the floor, she laid her request at the feet of God. She paced back and forth for what seemed an endless amount of time. In reality it had only been an hour. The sound of the phone ringing startled her. She stopped in her tracks. Heart pounding, she headed to retrieve the phone in the kitchen.

“Hello, Jake? Is that you?” she asked in ruffled voice.

A sultry voice came across the line. “I remember when you used to be that excited to talk to me,” said the anonymous voice on the other end of the phone.

“Who is this?” Samantha questioned. A sudden dawning settling in, she thought she recognized the voice. “Jonathan ... Jonathan, is that you?” she exclaimed.

“How soon they forget their best friends,” he said in a voice that betrayed wounded feelings.

“You know I would never forget you. I'm sorry I haven't called, I wanted to give you and Deidre some space.” Samantha remembered the dirty looks Deidre gave every time she found out Samantha would be going out with them. Samantha felt as if she had been coming between them. After awhile, she made up excuses to avoid being a threesome.

She and Jonathan had been friends for most of their lives. After her parents’ death she had begun to lean on him more than she should have. Deidre was jealous of their relationship. It became harder for her to hide that jealousy. Samantha couldn't blame her. She had hoped that by her leaving that they would have the space they needed and hopefully would be able to work things out between them. Praying Deidre wouldn't feel so threatened with her out of the picture. She wished Deidre had realized that her fears were unfounded. There was nothing more than friendship between her and Jonathan. That's all there would ever be.

“I guess Deidre and I weren't meant to be,” Jonathan said in a solemn voice. “We called off the engagement."

“I'm sorry. You two seemed so perfect for each other.” A pang of sympathy swept through Samantha.

It was true. Except for jealousy, they made a perfect couple. They both liked old movies, rainy days, and bubble gum ice cream. That was a taste Samantha had never acquired, one she never lost sleep over either. When Jonathan would order a double dip cone filled with it, Samantha would just shake her head and tell him people weren't meant to eat bubble gum. You were supposed to chew it, not swallow it.

“Well, how have you been? And when are you coming home?” he asked.

“I'm fine and I am home. There's nothing left for me in Guthrie.” Samantha told Jonathan about Marty Carlson showing up there and of his ill intentions. She also told him how Jake had run him off.

A feeling of turmoil came over Jonathan. Something about the way Samantha had spoken about her boss. She had even been awaiting his phone call anxiously. His big brother instincts were kicking in, even if he wasn't her brother. He had been like one. She was the sister he had never had.

“You and your boss sound kind of chummy.” Jonathan couldn't help the death-like grip he held on the phone. Samantha had already lost her parents, her home, dealt with the low-life scum, Marty, and now she was working for a man that seemed friendlier than a boss ought to be. She needed someone to protect her.

“We spend a lot of time together. He hired me to cook and clean his house.” Jonathan heard her pause, waiting for her to continue. “We're sort of dating, unofficially."

“Unofficially?” Jonathan worried he might snap the phone in two. “As compared to what?"

“Well,” Samantha stammered. “We haven't made any commitments. We've gone out to eat a couple times, nothing special."

“And where are your quarters? Are you living in his house?” So help him he'd stomp the guy to threads if he laid one hand on Samantha. A cattle stampede would feel better than the tread marks he'd leave on the guy's hide.

“I room in a cabin out back, not far from his house.” Irritation laced her voice. “You can stop worrying. Nothing is going on. So you can stop letting your mind reel in fast motion."

His mind couldn't help but run quicker than a fly rod skimming across the water. Everything she said gave him reason to jump to conclusions.

“Look, Jonathan, I hate to cut this short, but I'm waiting for Jake to call. Elliot Myers got thrown from a horse when a snake spooked it and now he's in the hospital. Jake went to see him and promised to call me as soon as he got word. I don't want to tie up the phone line and miss his call. I promise I'll call you soon. Okay?"

“I reckon. You be careful, you here?” There had to be some way for him to keep an eye out for Samantha. Jonathan didn't like the idea of her being there on her own—well, almost alone. Come to think of it, if she were alone he might feel better.

“I will and you take it easy. Love ya.” Samantha's voice had a soothing affect on him.

He knew she did love him, like a brother. It was his self-proclaimed job to look out for her. Her parents would have wanted it that way. He could no more let them down than he could let her down. “Yeah, I love you, too. You be careful. I don't much like you being there on your own."

“Goodbye, Jonathan. Stop worrying.” She laughed and hung up the phone.

Samantha drummed her fingers across the table. She was feeling apprehensive. She gazed around the confines of her cabin. What to do. What to do. There had to be something she could do to await Jake's phone call.

Finally she settled on cleaning and rearranging the living room. That should keep her busy for at least an hour. She fetched the vacuum cleaner and a dust rag. Pulling everything out she vacuumed behind them.

When she attempted to move the couch, it didn't give way as easily as she had expected. After closer inspection she discovered it was a sofa sleeper. She hadn't anticipated that it would be so heavy. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed it by now. Maybe because she was rarely home to have a chance to sit on it. Oh, well, she thought. With great determination, she managed to move it on her own, straining her back a little in the process. Content with her newly arranged surroundings, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Surely Jake should know something by now.

Samantha took a couple ibuprofens and settled on the couch, trying to keep her eyes open during the news. The shrill sound of the phone ringing startled her from her semi-conscious state. “Hello?"

“Samantha, it's Jake."

“Hey, I was beginning to wonder if you'd call.” Samantha stretched and sat up, covering her mouth as she yawned. “How's Elliot?"

“Elliot definitely broke his hip and has a slight concussion.” Samantha heard Jake's sigh. “He's going to have to be out of work for eight weeks. His mother and sister were at the hospital. I just encouraged them to head on home. There's nothing more they can do tonight.

“When Elliot gets out of the hospital, I'm going to help him get situated at home. He's going to stay with his mother until he has recuperated."

Samantha caught herself nodding, not sure how to respond and realizing he couldn't see her either. “Are you coming home soon, too?"

“I'll be home in around an hour."

Samantha remembered he hadn't eaten lunch. Chances were he hadn't stopped for dinner either. “Do you want me to make you something to eat?"

“No, you go on and get some rest. I'll just grab a bite to eat on the way home."

“All right. Drive safely.” Samantha struggled to hide the disappointment she felt. She secretly hoped to see Jake tonight before she went to bed. It had been six hours since she saw Jake, but she still missed him.

She heard the click of the receiver, signaling Jake had hung up the phone. An empty ache encompassed her. Perhaps she was missing the touch of his lips as he kissed her goodnight. He hadn't kissed her since the night before.

She would see him soon enough, she reminded herself. Morning would be here in a matter of hours. Right now there were other things to think of. She felt bad for poor Elliot. God has a reason for everything. Sometimes we just don't know why some things happen. She prayed that Elliot would recover quickly.

Samantha went to bed feeling lonely. She missed the time she and Jake usually spent together. Offering to make him something to eat was a ploy in order to see him. Jake seemed to be distancing himself from her today. Her mind reeled over previous events, not pinpointing any reason he might have to be upset with her.

He said he had some things to think and pray about, although he didn't elaborate on them. Maybe he was having second thoughts about dating his hired help. Jonathan didn't seem too thrilled with the thought of them seeing each other either. Maybe Jake had a few doubts of his own.

Sleep evaded her wandering mind. She missed the feel of his lips against hers as his kisses haunted her. His tender embrace and the sweet warmth of his kiss gave her comfort. Tonight she missed that comfort.

Samantha tossed and turned all night. She was glad to get up, having watched the clock for most of the night. She showered and dressed quickly, anxious to get over to Jake's. Part of her wanted to let Jake sleep in. But if she took it for granted that he would and she didn't have breakfast ready, he might not be too happy.

After putting a pot of coffee on, she started breakfast. When breakfast was almost ready, Jake strolled into the kitchen, mumbling a good morning as he grabbed himself a cup of hot, steaming coffee.

“Good morning,” Samantha said softly. She had the urge to go over and hug him, but she still wasn't sure of his mood.

Jake sat in quiet, while he waited for Samantha to serve him his breakfast. Deciding to be a little daring, she came up along side of him and placed his plate down in front of him. Then bent over and kissed him lightly on his temple. Without so much as uttering a word she turned and fixed her own plate before returning to take her seat at the table.

She patiently waited for Jake to say grace. She could feel his eyes on her and opened her eyes to glance at him. He looked as if he were a little amused. Samantha was glad to see Jake's mood lighten up. If a little kiss would help, she would gladly make the sacrifice and kiss him every morning.

Jake winked at her and her stomach did a flip-flop. He closed his eyes and prayed over their meal. Her mind tried to focus on his words, but her heart wanted to skip and pattered in erratic beats.

“Are you going to the hospital today?” Samantha asked, forcing her mind to focus on intelligible conversation. She felt ashamed for the rampant thoughts she had about Jake. When she was a teenager, she hadn't been this head-over-heels attracted to anyone. Her parents always encouraged her to use her head and not run wild with her heart because a heart didn't have the ability to reason clearly. Now she understood what they meant.

“I going to have lunch with the others today so I can hurry and get finished early. I planned on leaving after dinner. Elliot's mother and sister could use a little moral support. They were both pretty distraught last night."

“Hospital food isn't the greatest. Would you like me to bake some cookies to take to them?” Samantha wanted to help, but silently she hoped he'd ask her to come along. He said ‘I’ when it came to leaving after dinner. That definitely didn't sound like he planned on taking her.

“That would be nice. Thank you.” Jake wiped his face with his napkin, then stood to leave. “I'll see you later."

“Goodbye.” Samantha watched as he grabbed his Stetson and left, not stopping to kiss her goodbye, she noted with disappointment.

When Jake left for work Samantha cleaned up and made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. While she baked, she wondered why Jake hadn't asked her to accompany him to the hospital. He didn't even kiss her goodbye this morning. Feeling like a lovesick puppy, she went about her tasks for the day.

After supper Samantha handed Jake the cookies for Elliot. “Will I see you later?” she asked hopefully.

“I'm not sure how late I'll be."

“If you'd like to talk, stop by the cabin when you get back."

“You might not want to wait up.” Jake headed for the door. “I'll see you tomorrow."

“Okay.” Samantha stood several feet from him, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She raised a hand a waved to Jake as he turned and walked out the door.

It wasn't like Jake to be distant. Something must really be bothering him. She decided she wouldn't push the issue. Her mother always said it was best to give a man space and let him sort things out, that they didn't connect with their feelings as well as women did. She would give him all the space he needed. When he was ready to talk, then she would be there to listen.

* * * *

Jake's chest clenched with guilt as he hopped in his truck. He hated to be reserved with Samantha, but he would never have a clear head to think with if all he could think about was her touch. Her kisses already clouded his head. Fighting the desire to kiss her before he left took strength he didn't know he possessed.

It was hard for him to focus clearly. They had to be right for each other. She was all he could think about when they were apart. If he could get by without her then he shouldn't pursue their relationship any further. But he was finding it extremely difficult to be without her. He decided to think about their relationship for a couple more days and then he would kiss her and explain why he had been putting on the brakes in their relationship lately.

Chapter Seven

“I've hired a man to take over for Elliot until he recovers,” Jake informed Samantha. “Is God good or what? Here I was wondering what to do until Elliot was better and able to return to work. Out of the blue, this man called and asked if we had any openings, said he needed a job for a month or two to hold him over until his regular job resumed."

“That's wonderful,” Samantha agreed.

Jake went on to tell her how it was hard to find good help for a temporary position. This situation worked out for both of them. Elliot's position would be held open, and the man wouldn't have to worry about leaving Jake in a lurch. Jake thought it was a definite blessing. Samantha was happy things were working out for Jake.

After supper Jake said he was going to the hospital for a little while to visit Elliot. He didn't have much time because he had to get back and show the new hand around. “All right. I'll see you in the morning then,” she told him. She felt like someone had just let all the air out of her balloon, another night alone. It still bothered her that Jake never offered to take her to the hospital with him. If nothing else, just for the company.

Unenthusiastically, Samantha went about the task of finishing the supper dishes. The thought of sitting around doing nothing depressed her. She resolved herself to taking a drive. Georgetown was a nice and quiet town. They had most of the popular fast food restaurants and there was even a shopping mall. Samantha decided to go browse through the stores.

She purchased an ice cream to eat while she walked through the busy corridors window-shopping. When she came upon a pet store she had to stop. The puppies were so cute. She considered the possibility of getting a dog to keep her company.

Dismissing the idea, she continued walking and looking around. She couldn't help think about the ridiculous price the pet store wanted for puppies. Then she started thinking about the price her horse had brought. Having to sell her horse was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do, but it was necessary in order to pay the bills after her parents passed away.

Samantha stopped outside a clothing store that displayed a mannequin with a ritzy black evening dress in the window. Maybe a new dress would catch Jake's attention. She licked the remnants of ice cream from her fingertips and wiped her hands on a napkin, promptly disposing of it in a trashcan before she went into the store.

Rummaging through one of the racks of dresses, she came upon a beautiful dark blue satin dress. It was sleeveless and not cut too low. She tried it on and it fitted perfectly, accentuating her figure in just the right places. If this dress didn't catch Jake's attention, then nothing would.

After paying for the dress she decided she would need a new pair of shoes to match. A couple of shops down she came across a shoe store that didn't look too expensive. Inside she found a variety of blue shoes displayed together. Holding each pair up next to her new dress, she became disheartened. None of the shoes looked right. Ready to give up on finding what she wanted at this store, she reached down and picked up her bag and her purse.

She noticed an unopened box that was different from the other boxes. Curiosity got the best of her. Putting her things back down near a chair, she reached for the box. Overwhelmed she gasped in surprise. The shoes matched. It was as if they were made especially for that dress. Her heart sank when she read the size on the box. It wasn't the size she wore. Samantha stopped the sales woman. “Do you have any other pairs of these shoes?"

“Oh my, I'm sorry. That is the last pair,” the sales woman offered.

“I'm not sure. I don't think they'll fit.” Samantha eyed the shoes once more, running a finger over the thin straps. “Wait a minute. These aren't the same size the box says they are."

Samantha picked up the other shoe. They were the same size she wore.

“Sometimes that happens. Someone will put shoes back in a different box.” The clerk let out a frustrated sigh. “It happens more than I care to admit. If you want the shoes, I can ring you up at the register."

“Yes, thank you.” Samantha handed her the shoes and followed her to the register to pay for them. With her purchases in hand, she decided to head home.

After returning home, she immediately hung her new dress. “I'll have to choose the perfect place to wear this. It definitely won't be suitable for church,” she mused to herself. It was too flashy to wear to church. Possibly a little too provocative.

Samantha watched television until she felt drowsy enough to fall asleep. When she went to bed, thoughts of Jake still filled her head. He seemed to be on her mind all the time, no matter what she was doing. She could always visualize his face. Jake captured more than her attention. He somehow managed to sneak in and do what no one else had been able to do before—capture her heart.

* * * *

Jake finished the last bite of scrambled eggs on his plate, then wiped his mouth with a napkin. Samantha grabbed both their dishes and began to carry them to the sink.

“I don't expect to be back until late today."

“Oh?” Samantha paused in her tracks and turned to look at Jake.

“Elliot is getting out of the hospital today. I told his mother I'd help get things ready for him and then go with them to the hospital to bring him home. Elliot's sister graciously invited me to stay for supper since I'm helping them. They wanted to do something to show their appreciation."

“That's nice of them,” Samantha said halfheartedly.

“Hey, look at it this way, you'll get the day off.” Jake turned and walked toward the door.

“Yeah, thanks,” she made an ill attempt to sound thrilled.

Samantha felt her spirits drop. Thoughts of Elliot's sister filtered through her subconscious. What did she look like? How old was she? Jake didn't mention a husband. Surely if she were married her husband would be the one helping out with Elliot. Why didn't Jake ask her to go along with him?

Shame on you, she told herself. You shouldn't go jumping to conclusions. Jake had gone to the hospital alone every night. Maybe it was more than just to see Elliot. Given that and his behavior lately, she wondered if he was hiding something. How Samantha wished things would go back to the way they used to be.

“I'll be off now. Have a good day.” Jake put his Stetson on and nodded as he headed out the door.

Samantha felt like a child who couldn't go. She wanted to pout. Her heart ached to be with him. Lately he didn't seem to want to be with her.

Samantha forced her mind to focus back on her job. She went upstairs and changed the sheets on Jake's bed. The smell of his after-shave still lingered in the air. His room always made her feel funny. She didn't want to invade his privacy. But as a man, there were some thing's men tended to overlook, like changing sheets on a regular basis.

Gathering his dirty laundry and bedding she headed downstairs to the laundry room. She threw the bedding into the washing machine and began to sort the rest of his clothes when she noticed a bright red smudge on his shirt. Was that lipstick? She stared at the stain in disbelief. She closed her eyes, willing it to be gone when she opened them again. To her dismay the offensive impression was still there and she knew the lipstick definitely wasn't hers. Samantha hadn't worn any since Sunday and the flaming red smudge was far from being a color that she would ever have chosen to wear herself. It was too dark for her. Maybe Jake had more than a passing interest in Elliot's sister? He'd seemed evasive this week, always running to their beck and call. Even the thought of Jake with another woman made her feel sick inside. She rubbed her temples as her head began to throb.

The rest of the day Samantha's cleaning was methodical. She contemplated going back to her cabin as she moved about in a daze, but knew she would just mope around there.

Around six she finally went back to her cabin. She had come to think of the ranch as her home. Now, looking around, she felt like a distant stranger. Jake had made her feel like a part of his home. If Jake did like Elliott's sister, she couldn't stay here and watch them date, not now. The thought of leaving the ranch made her cry. Her appetite depleted, she decided against making supper and having it go to waste.

Later that evening Samantha was still feeling down in the dumps when someone knocked on her door. She wasn't ready to face Jake yet. Her emotions were still running rampant. Feeling depleted, she reluctantly walked over to the kitchen window and looked out, always remaining careful since that frightful encounter with Marty. She couldn't believe her eyes. Almost running to the door, she flung it open.

“What are you doing here?” she exclaimed.

“I missed my favorite gal, so I came down to see her for awhile,” Jonathan said sweeping her up off her feet into his big strong arms. He topped six feet, all lean, bronzed muscle from long, hard work in the sun.

“Actually,” he confessed, “after I talked to you the other day I had an idea. Your boss needed a temporary replacement and I needed a place to nurse my broken heart. Gives me a chance to see my favorite gal for awhile too. Not to mention keeping an eye on her."

“What do you mean, your broken heart? What happened?” Samantha let him in and led him into the living room. They both sat on the couch, facing each other.

“Deidre called it quits.” Jonathan shrugged. “She was always jealous of you and me being friends. Said there was something more going on between us, but that we weren't willing to admit it."

“I'm sorry, Jonathan. I knew she didn't feel right about us being close friends. On more than one occasion I tried to tell her our relationship dated back to kindergarten and that you and I were nothing more than friends.” They had been the best of friends from the day she punched the class bully for picking on him. Since then, he'd been looking out for her. Samantha sighed. Moving away hadn't helped the way she thought it would.

“It's not your fault. When Deidre gets target lock on something, she won't let go till she proves her point. This time it ain't going to work. We're through."

Samantha reached over and patted Jonathan's hand. “I'm sorry."

What else could she say? Poor, Jonathan, she could tell he was pretending it didn't matter, but he couldn't mask the hurt in his eyes.

“You had a long drive. Are you hungry? Can I make you something to eat?” Samantha stood, planting a hand on each hip.

“I thought you would never ask. I have definitely missed your home cooking, especially your chicken and dumplings and peach cobbler. I'd walk a mile for that, even drive a few hundred,” he proclaimed with a grin.

Samantha chuckled. He could always make her laugh. She couldn't help but love him. If one could ever choose their siblings, she would have chosen him to be her big brother.

Handing him the remote control from the coffee table, she then headed for the kitchen. “You sit down and watch TV while I cook."

“Sounds good to me.” Jonathan chuckled.

The aroma of supper cooking filtered through the cabin, bringing Jonathan back into the kitchen, tracing the origin of the mouth watery aroma. Samantha laughed. “I knew it wouldn't take you long to find your way back in here. Go ahead and have a seat, it'll be ready in a minute."

“I can't thank you enough, you're making my favorite,” he said as he hugged her and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You're the best."

After supper they talked for an endless amount of time, catching up on the town gossip and everything that had been going on in their lives. Samantha omitted telling Jonathan that she and Jake had become close. She wasn't so sure they were an item any longer. The thought brought a mist to her eyes. Samantha tried to stifle a yawn.

“I can't believe how late it's getting,” she said glancing at her watch.

“Why don't we call it a night? We can get together again tomorrow.” Jonathan stood and headed for the door.

* * * *

As Jake drove up the drive, he thought he saw a truck leaving Samantha's, heading back toward the corrals. Remembering her earlier encounter with Marty, his heart began to race with concern. He had barely turned off the ignition when he lunged out of his truck, darting swiftly for Samantha's cabin. He knocked on her door, waiting as patiently as he possibly could. The surge of adrenaline he was feeling made him want to barge through the door.

Samantha opened the door. “Did you forget something?"

It startled her to find Jake, gaping in the doorway. She jumped, her eyes lighting up. “Oh, hi. I wasn't expecting you."

“That's obvious. Who were you expecting?” His irritation unmasked. The anger he felt was more than just concern. Churning inside him was not only a feeling of protectiveness, but also one of possessiveness, clawing at his gut with a vengeance.

“A friend of mine just left. If it's any of your business,” she said in a defensive tone, making Jake more irritated.

“Well, your friend just headed back to the corrals. I was a little concerned something might be wrong.” His tone softened with his last admission.

“I'm fine. Thank you for being concerned,” her response less harsh this time. “I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight,” she said as she closed the door.

Was he mistaken, or did she just politely put him off? She definitely didn't volunteer any information about this so-called friend. Or why he was heading back to the corrals? Was she possibly seeing one of the hands? He didn't recall her saying she was expecting company. Although he had been busy, he hadn't paid very much attention to her lately. Tomorrow he would make sure he amended that and would offer to take her riding after supper.

Sleep didn't come until the wee hours of the morning for Jake. When he awoke, he looked out of his bedroom window. He could see Samantha's cabin from his window. Her lights were on, so he knew she would be over to make breakfast soon. He hurried through his shower, hoping to be downstairs before she came over. When he entered the kitchen it was still vacant. Samantha hadn't arrived yet, so he went ahead and put the coffee on. He had a cup waiting for her when she came through the back door.

“Good morning.” Jake sounded perky this morning, sitting at the kitchen table sipping his coffee. He obviously slept better than she did.

Her tired mind didn't echo the same enthusiasm. Last night, it felt good knowing he was concerned for her, but she couldn't get past the thought of him having supper with Elliot's sister. Especially after finding lipstick on his collar.

“Would you like anything in particular for breakfast today?” Samantha headed for the stove and began to pull a couple skillets out from the drawer underneath. She stood as soon as she heard his chair scrap across the floor, setting the pans down with more force than she intended, clattering as they made impact with the burners.

“Whatever you make is fine with me,” he said as he walked toward her. The smell of his after-shave made her senses tingle. She pretended to look for utensils in the drawer next to the stove. She could tell that he was standing near her, sensing his presence, even with her back turned. Cautiously she turned around. Jake was standing right there, only inches away. He didn't smile, just stared deeply into her eyes, probing, almost as if he looked directly into her soul.

“I'm sorry that I've been busy lately.” Jake reached up and cupped her face in his hands, as he brought his mouth down to meet hers. How Samantha longed for his kiss. She began to relax, starting to give in, longing desperately to melt in his embrace. Just as she began to give into her desire, an image of his shirt stained with bright red lipstick brought her back into reality in an instant.

“Jake, don't,” she snapped, turning her head away from his kiss.

“What's wrong?"

“I'm just not sure about us. If you're seeing someone else I'll understand. I just want you to be honest with me,” there, she said it. Now it was up to him. Her pulse beat quickly, causing her heart to pound in her chest.

“What do you mean, you think I'm seeing someone else? I thought maybe you were,” he said with a slight laugh.

“I'm not amused.” Samantha glared at him, the pounding in her chest beating a full-fledged rhythm, now turning to the beat of a war drum sending out its warning. “I also asked you to be honest. Any idea how the lipstick got on your collar? I found it when I was washing laundry yesterday. I haven't worn any since Sunday, and it's not my shade, so don't try making up excuses."

Jake suppressed another chuckle. “Elliot's sister was crying on my shoulder at the hospital. She was very emotional and in tears,” he said softly. “Honest."

He crossed his heart with a make believe X signaling his sincerity.

“What about her making supper for you? I guess that was purely innocent, too?” she asked, still not feeling convinced that his behavior was above scrutiny.

“Well, if there was anything else to it, I think her husband would shoot me."

The color drained from Samantha's face. She felt ashamed of herself. How could she have even thought such a thing? “I'm sorry. You've been acting a little different lately and then with you being gone every night ... I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions."

“I forgive you,” he said as he lowered his head so that their lips met. This time she didn't turn away. She had been looking forward to his kiss for days. Butter couldn't melt any faster than she did in his arms. “Mmm. That was nice. I promise I won't wait so long to kiss you again."

“I hope not. I miss your kisses goodnight, too,” she said pouting.

Jake kissed her on the tip of her nose, “I'll make sure that I remember to kiss you every night."

With that thought, Samantha smiled. “Well, I better finish making breakfast or you'll never make it to work."

Jake's lips curved into a mischievous smile. Samantha smiled back and motioned for him to go sit down.

After breakfast Jake went to the north pastures to help repair some fencing. An inner contentment settled over Samantha. She was glad they had worked things out. She felt as if she floated on air all day. Chores and cooking were easily managed when she wasn't feeling weighted down with burdens. Now that she was in a better frame of mind she actually enjoyed doing her routine chores. It felt rewarding taking care of Jake and his home. His home, his life, and the man himself had become such a big part of her.

Samantha placed the homemade soup, sandwiches, and salad on the table. As usual, Jake was on time for lunch. While Samantha was serving, Jake came and stood close behind her. She straightened. “I love the smell of your hair. It smells like honey blossoms,” he said as he reached up to play with a strand of her hair, taking a whiff of it.

“Behave yourself young man. If you don't I'm going to have to send you back to work without lunch. Now have a seat,” she said teasingly. She couldn't concentrate with Jake standing so close to her.

Jake turned Samantha to face him and looked into her eyes for a moment. “Samantha, are you happy here?"

“Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

“I was just wondering, could you be happy here? I know you grew up in Guthrie, and Georgetown hasn't been your home for long. Would you be content living here, or do you think you'll move back there one day?"

Samantha wanted to be careful as to not read anything into Jake's questions. She didn't know if he meant living in the cabin and being his cook or why he asked if she might leave. “I am happy here. I don't miss home if that's what you mean."

“Good.” Jake kissed her forehead and went over to the table and took a seat.

Samantha wanted to know why Jake asked if she was happy here, but didn't have the nerve to ask. She wondered if he was thinking about a more serious relationship. Maybe he worried that she might want to move back home and he would end up losing her. This morning they talked about another woman, last night he worried about her welfare when Jonathan had been there. Perhaps it sparked other concerns. Hopefully she put his mind at ease.

After they had finished eating, Jake stood for a moment before heading for the door. He held Samantha's hand as she trailed behind him.

“I just want you to be happy.” He stopped at the door and turned to face her.

Jake's mouth came down to cover hers. His kiss was warm and gentle. How she loved the touch of his lips on hers and the feel of his arms around her. She was definitely happy here with him.

“I'll see you later,” he said as he departed.

Chapter Eight

Samantha had just finished drying the last of the supper dishes when Jake came into the kitchen. “I called Elliot earlier to see how he was doing and he's fine. Since he doesn't need any help, I thought it would be nice if we got to spend some time together. Maybe we could go riding tonight since I'll be home. What do you think? Interested?"

Moving to stand behind her, his face nuzzled against the side of her head. Samantha could feel the heat of his breath against her ear.

“Mmm ... I've missed you,” he mumbled.

Turning around to face him, she found herself totally engulfed in his arms. Before she had a chance to say anything, he was kissing her. First on the lips, then his lips trailed down to the hollow of her neck. Her body melted at his touch. Temporarily the world around them became non-existent. Everything blurring as Jake's sweltering kisses flooded her mouth repeatedly. Giving into the moment of passion, Samantha willingly returned his fervent kisses, her heart beating faster as the kiss intensified.

When their lips finally parted, their breathing was short, ragged breaths. Samantha snuggled closer into the curve of his protective arms, her lips tender and swollen. She reached up on her tiptoes to lay her lips upon his neck, provoking him with her tantalizing kisses. Jake let out a low groan and returned her kisses with an intensified passion.

At first, neither of them heard someone tapping on the back door. The knocking gradually became louder, penetrating the world in which Samantha and Jake existed. The persistent noise crumpled their enchanting encounter. Disheartened at the interruption, Jake reluctantly disengaged his lips from where he'd so succulently placed them on Samantha's.

“Keep my place,” he whispered to her. Jake crossed the room in three easy strides, opening the door to reveal their unwelcome visitor.

“Can I help you?” he asked the man on the other side of the door. Tall, lanky, blond hair, Jake recognized the man immediately. But he wondered why he would bother coming up to the house. Usually the men took problems up with Zeb. Then Zeb would relay what he thought was relevant to him. Jake couldn't remember his name, only that he wouldn't be around long. He said he needed a temporary job and he'd heard about Elliot. Zeb hired him immediately since they were short handed. “Aren't you the new guy I hired?"

“Yes,” the man replied. “I'm looking for Samantha."

Jake turned to face Samantha. Why would an employee of his be looking for her?

Samantha closed the gap between them, placing an arm around Jake's waist. “Hi, Jonathan."

Turning to Jake she smiled while introducing them. “Jake, this is my best friend Jonathan. Jonathan, I know you've already met the boss."

Jake opened his mouth as if to say something. Deciding against it, he closed his mouth without saying a word.

“I promised Jonathan I'd show him around town.” Samantha looked at him, shrugged, and arched her eyebrows. “Would you like to come with us?"

Tightening his arm protectively around her waist he replied, “I wouldn't miss it."

Jake didn't know Jonathan from the man in the moon. The fact that he had the audacity to come looking for Samantha at his house irked him, friend of Samantha's or not. He wondered why she hadn't told him about Jonathan beforehand. Maybe it wasn't a big deal to her, after all, he hadn't told her about Elliot's family, his sister in particular. He hadn't thought to mention her husband since he was out of town on business.

“You wouldn't happen to be fraternizing with the hired help, would you boss?” Jonathan insinuated, looking from the arm around Jake to his face. Jonathan sounded like he was teasing, but Jake felt an undercurrent that belied otherwise.

“I was until I was rudely interrupted,” Jake countered, underneath his breath.

Jonathan scrutinized Jake. He raised his eyebrows and lowered them.

“Sorry for the interruption,” he drawled. Jonathan took his stance, putting great emphasis on his next reply. “Samantha and I made a date for tonight."

Jake could feel the hair on his neck standing on end. He clenched his fist and released it. It took all his effort not to tighten his hold further on Samantha. Fear of squeezing her arm off and her reading his feelings that were already unchecked, kept him from grabbing her tighter. He took a moment to collect himself, assessing his rival.

“Maybe we should all be going now.” Samantha started to pull away.

“I'm ready if you are, darling,” Jake said as he placed a lingering kiss on Samantha's lips. He silently dared Jonathan to repeat his actions after suggesting he had a date with Samantha. While he might have had plans with his girl friend, it wasn't a date. Samantha's response to his kiss offered him some consolation.

After being apart lately, he'd prefer to be alone with her tonight. All day long his thoughts wandered to Samantha and how much he was looking forward to spending the evening with her. He thought he found the answer to his question. Neither of them had shown an interest in anyone else. He knew no other woman mattered to him, but he wasn't sure about the depth of Samantha's feelings and now he was forced to share her with her friend. Maybe he should give her more time before he told her all the things that had been going through his mind and been on his heart lately.

Walking out the door, Samantha took Jonathan's hand in her free one and reached for Jake's hand with the arm she had previously had around him. “Come on boys, let's go. Who wants to drive?"

“I will,” replied Jake. He kept hold of her hand as he opened the door on the driver's side for her to get in.

Reluctantly Jonathan let go of her hand and rounded the vehicle to get in on the other side. Wanting to gain ground in their non-verbal argument, Jonathan placed his arm around Samantha's shoulder. Jake, sensing the other man's possessiveness, was equally determined. After backing the truck up to turn around, he entwined his fingers with Samantha's and allowed their hands to rest on his leg as he drove.

Jake could feel her fingers tighten their hold on his. He ran his thumb along the top of her hand to try and help her relax. This surprising turn of events wasn't to his liking either. He felt a little bad for the predicament she was in, but it wasn't as if she hadn't asked for it. All she had to do was communicate. She had plenty of chances to tell him about Jonathan. But she had never even hinted that she knew Elliot's replacement. And especially so well!

Samantha felt torn between both men. She wished she could explain and put Jake and Jonathan's minds at rest. Her heart ached for Jonathan and Deidre and as a friend, he needed her now. Hopefully Jake would understand.

“Jonathan and I have been the best of friends since we were in kindergarten. He's been like a big brother to me ever since then,” Samantha added, hoping to dispel Jake's fears.

Jake smiled and his hold on her hand relaxed.

Turning to include Jonathan she smiled. “I haven't had a chance to really tell you about Jake.” Samantha paused, searching for the right words to say knowing Jonathan only wished to protect her like he would a baby sister. “He has been wonderful to work for and we have really gotten to know each other well."

Samantha could feel the atmosphere lighten around her. Both men seemed a little more at ease. Hopefully they both accepted where they stood in her life. It was ironic to have them fighting over her. Now she was beginning to understand how Deidre must have felt when she tagged along. She never meant to get in between Deidre and Jonathan. That's why when she realized Deidre didn't like a threesome. She started declining invitations to go out with them.

They were traveling along one of the main roads through town when Jake pointed to an old school. He told them how they had to build on to the back of the building as the population had grown in Georgetown. “When I went there they hadn't even given any thought to adding on. In the last ten years we've had an overwhelming increase in population."

The rest of the evening Jake was the perfect guide. He filled them in on the town's history and showed them little known points of interest, even Samantha was enlightened to learn about the area that she had grown to call home.

As they drove towards the ranch after their sightseeing ended, Samantha began to feel a surge of uneasiness again. She knew they would both have questions that they would want to press her with. Her suspicions were well founded. After Jake opened his door and climbed out, Jonathan put a hand on her arm to detain her. “I want to talk to you for a minute."

Jake continued to hold his door open, waiting for Samantha to get out. When she did emerge he gave her a look that defied any description. There was something she couldn't quite read in his eyes. It made her shiver.

“Jonathan wants to talk to me for a minute,” she informed him.

“That's okay. I'll wait for you in your cabin so I can say a proper goodnight,” he said giving her one of his ever so charming smiles and touched his hand to his hat with a nod at Jonathan before heading for Samantha's cabin.

“Where does he think he's going?” Jonathan asked. “The guy sure has a lot of nerve."

“The guy you're referring to owns all this property. He also happens to be cute and I think a lot of him."

“Whoa. When did all this take place? You sure didn't mention him last night."

“I just thought it was better to wait to tell you about him. He's been busy since Elliot's been out,” she replied defensively. “I'm not sure I should ask you if you like him or not, especially after this evening's childish behavior."

“He started it."

Samantha stifled an urge to grin at his boyish behavior. Putting on her sternest face she replied, “How do you think he felt having some man show up at his door asking to see his girlfriend?"

Jonathan's eyes widened. “Wow! So you guys are kind of serious then, huh?"

Samantha couldn't deny her feelings for Jake. “Don't sound so surprised. I have had an occasional boyfriend, thank you."

“But you haven't really been serious about any of them. This guy has really gotten to you,” he said in surprise. “You watch yourself. I still don't know that I trust him. He seems pretty possessive. Those rich guys can be funny. I don't want to see you hurt."

Jonathan was sweet in his own way. Sometimes he was a little overbearing in his protectiveness. But Samantha couldn't help but love him. She was the same where he was concerned, which is why he was so concerned about her association with Jake.

“I'll stop by tomorrow” He gave her a brief kiss on the cheek goodnight.

“Goodnight,” she replied.

The only thing left to do was face Jake. Hopefully he would be more understanding than she had been in the past. She jumped to conclusions concerning Elliot's sister and now she couldn't blame Jake if he was a little upset that she neglected to tell him about Jonathan. Since she and Jonathan were only friends, he shouldn't be too upset.

Having reasoned that out in her mind she reached for the doorknob and carefully turned the handle. When she entered her cabin there was only the light she had left on over the kitchen sink shining and she could see the television was reflecting light into the living room. A quick glance revealed Jake stretched out on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table.

As she walked into the living room Jake's eyes focused on hers. One side of his mouth drew up in a crooked grin. His Stetson lay on the back of the corner of the couch. Jake extended his hand and patted the seat next to him. Samantha readily complied taking a position by him on the couch. Jake encircled her in his arms, drawing her even closer beside him. He turned his gaze back towards the television, not saying a word.

Together they watched the rest of the news in silence. It was a nice, content silence. Samantha enjoyed even such a menial thing as watching the news with Jake. She was finding his company enjoyable no matter what they were doing, as long as they were doing it together. When the news was over, Jake lifted the remote control and switched off the television.

Placing a hand on either side of her waist, he hoisted her across his lap so that her body extended sideways. Without the light reflecting from the television, only the light in the kitchen glowed from a distance. In the dimness that surrounded them, she couldn't read his expression.

Jake started to gently stroke her back. Her body gave into his caress and began to relax beneath his touch. Snuggling up closer against him, she allowed her head to rest against the warmth of his body. He lowered his head and gently placed a kiss on her forehead. In anticipation, Samantha raised her head to look up at Jake. His lips closed on hers, covering them so that they became locked together as one. His kisses seemed to last an eternity.

“I think we better call it a night before we allow this to go any further,” Jake suggested.

Samantha could only agree by nodding her head. She felt slightly ashamed for her lack of self-control. But on the other hand she admired Jake for the control he maintained. Her head was still spinning after his kisses. Never had she felt so lightheaded after kissing anyone before. His always managed to overwhelm her. It was a good thing that Jake always seemed to be able to keep a straight head. He never allowed their kissing or caressing to get out of control. Hopefully he didn't consider her less lady-like because she had not exhibited the same reserve.

“Are you going to get up so that I can leave? If not, we're going to have to do something about this attraction between us.” He helped her to stand up and then followed behind her as she led the way to the door. Stopping at the door, he turned to kiss her goodbye. “Will we be going riding tomorrow or did you already make other plans?"

“Jonathan said something about stopping by after work. I think we may need to work something out unless you don't mind making it a threesome?"

“I don't particularly fancy sharing your attention with another man. Friend or not."

Samantha didn't doubt that Jake meant it. The expression on his face said he was quite serious. Apparently he wasn't going to make this any easier on her after all.

“Well, I guess we could spend every other day together. That way we could still be alone and Jonathan and I could still see each other.” Samantha thought she was being quite reasonable. It sounded like an acceptable resolution to their dilemma.

Jake took her in his arms and kissed her fervently. Samantha's head became foggy, unable to think.

“Who would you rather spend time with?” Jake asked playfully.

“That's not fair,” Samantha protested.

“Who said I had to be fair?"

“Jonathan doesn't know anyone else here other than me,” she continued with her objections. “What is he suppose to do?"

“Let him make new friends. Perhaps he could get his own girlfriend,” Jake suggested as if he were trying to be polite.

“He's already nursing a broken heart. It wouldn't be good for me to abandon him, too."

“I guess that means you'll be spending tomorrow night nursing his broken heart while mine is just beginning?"

“That's not nice. You know I want to be with you. How could you not know that I want to be with you?"

“Maybe because you're choosing to be with him instead. How about you spend one day a week with him and the rest with me? I think that's fair."

Samantha sighed, feeling her shoulders tense. Unfortunately this problem would not be resolved as easily as she hoped.

“Let's just take things one day at a time. We'll work something out eventually,” Samantha said with more optimism than she felt.

Jake was not as convinced as Samantha was. Nor was he willing to let a fox into his den. As time went by, the more he realized there were things he didn't know about Samantha. The way she reacted around Jonathan was a totally different side to her than he had ever seen. She didn't seem to mind when Jonathan lopped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her close. In spite of her claims, Jake got the impression that Jonathan would like to be more than friends with Samantha.

It looked like he would have to be patient for a little while. Elliot would be out for six to eight weeks. It would cause a problem for him and Samantha if he fired Jonathan just after hiring him, especially if his motive for doing so was purely personal. It was a tempting thought though. No. He would just have to pray for Elliot's speedy recovery. Jake had never hoped for a miracle more than he did at this moment.

“I'll let him have tomorrow night,” Jake conceded. “But then you're mine."

Jake would still have her through supper and while she cleaned up. Who said they had to have a quick supper? His mind began to churn. He could definitely throw in a few distractions before she got around to doing dishes.

With that thought in mind, Jake gave Samantha another kiss goodbye and even managed to smile. She returned his smile, but he knew she wouldn't have been too happy if she knew why he was smiling.

Chapter Nine

Jake seated himself at the head of the table. “Smells wonderful."

He watched as Samantha set out roast beef, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy.

“This is fantastic,” he said between bites. “Where did you learn to cook?"

“My mother taught me everything I know."

“She was a good teacher and you were definitely a straight A student,” he boasted.

“Thank you,” she replied hesitantly. Jake sounded rather cheerful tonight. She half expected him to still be annoyed with her since she was going out with Jonathan after supper.

After a couple bites Jake paused, “So, how was your day?'

“Fine, the usual. Laundry, dishes, cooking, nothing special."

Jake continued to ramble on over supper. He was exceptionally talkative tonight. Several times she stopped before putting another bite in her mouth in order to respond to something or other he had asked. Surely he couldn't have missed her that much today. After all, he did see her at breakfast and at lunch.

When supper was over he was still deep in conversation. Samantha tried to be polite but he hardly let her get a word in. Jake seemed to sense her frustration.

“Here, let me help you clear the table,” he offered, picking up his dishes.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

Samantha was running half an hour late already. She would have to hurry to not keep Jonathan waiting too long.

While Samantha rinsed plates off, Jake came and put his arms around her waist. “I'm very thankful to have you taking care of me."

Samantha turned to tell him she was glad to be there. She stopped short when she saw the gleam in his eyes.

“I'm going to be late,” she protested.

He kissed her to stifle her objections. As much as she would have liked to resist his kiss, she couldn't. His kiss was like a rich chocolate that melted, leaving an irresistible taste that she savored.

“That was nice.” She sighed, draping her arms around his shoulders. Her body leaned against his.

“I'm still not getting my work done any quicker by stopping to fraternize,” she teased, a smile playing about her lips.

“If you like my kisses, why should I stop?” With that he kissed her again.

“You're right,” she mumbled.

Taking his hand she led him into the living room and positioned him on the couch. Jake was both surprised and pleased at his small victory.

“Now,” she began, “when I'm done with dishes I'll kiss you again right before I leave.” Then she turned to leave the room.

Jake's mouth dropped wide open in astonishment.

“Keep your mouth open and ready for me. I should be done in fifteen minutes."

He closed his mouth and glared at her. She could be just as clever as he was. Or at least thought he was.

True to her word, she returned fifteen minutes later. “Jonathan's already waiting for me at my cabin. So one quick kiss and I'll be on my way."

Jake contemplated not kissing her at all. Pushing that thought aside, he rose to his feet and crossed the room to where Samantha stood waiting. He gave her a slow and lingering kiss, forcing himself to be gentle. When he finished kissing her, he gazed into her dazed eyes.

“Have a good night,” he said as he led her to the kitchen. Opening the back door he gently ushered her out of it and closed it behind her. Then he turned and left the room.

“Let her think about that all night.” He hoped her evening would be as miserable as his would be without her.

* * * *

The whole evening, Samantha's mind continued to wander back to Jake's kiss goodbye. Between thoughts of Jake and feeling a little guilty, she found it hard to enjoy the evening very much. Jonathan repeatedly tried to draw Samantha into conversation. Once he stuck his face in front of her and opened his eyes wide, tilted his head and stuck out his tongue at her. When she realized he was there, she jumped and laughed while apologizing for ignoring him again. Eventually he gave up trying to talk to her, which made her feel even guiltier.

“Why don't we call it a night?” Jonathan said, expelling a frustrated sigh.

“I'm sorry my mind's elsewhere. How about we have a picnic Saturday? I'll even make fried chicken.” Samantha hoped to make amends for being such a poor companion. Somehow she needed to make it up to Jonathan.

Things were proving to be more difficult than she could have imagined. She felt guilty for neglecting both Jonathan and Jake. But how could she keep one happy without hurting the other?

“Samantha. Yoo-hoo..."

Samantha blinked and gazed at Jonathan with a look of bewilderment.

“I'm sorry. I was doing it again, wasn't I?"

“Yes, you were. About Saturday, it sounds good if you promise to make pasta salad, too."

A smile formed on Samantha's face. “I promise."

When Samantha went to bed she was still sulking. The evening turned into nothing short of a disaster. Her only solace, there was always tomorrow. God willing, it would be a better day.

In the morning Samantha felt as if she hadn't slept at all. She was just setting pancakes and sausage on the table when Jake sauntered into the kitchen.

“Good morning. How was your evening?” he asked in mock politeness.

“Fine,” Samantha practically snapped at him.

“I'm sorry, did your evening not go well?"

Samantha pasted a smile on her face. “I told you it was fine."

Jake returned her smile. The only exception was that his was real. “I'm glad you had a good evening. By the way, a friend of mine invited us over for dinner tonight, so you won't have to cook."

So much for a quiet night, now she would have to dress up and meet his friends. Normally she wouldn't have minded, but she already felt tired and it wasn't even lunchtime yet. By tonight she would only feel worse.

If she hurried through her work, maybe she could take a nap before she had to get ready. That glimmer of hope helped to enlighten her spirit. “What time are we leaving?"

“I'll pick you up around six-thirty."

After breakfast Jake left to take care of a few things before returning to do his normal paperwork. Samantha was glad he remained tucked away in his office so she was left undisturbed to clean and do laundry.

By the time Samantha returned to her cabin she had three hours in which to nap and get ready for her date with Jake. When she entered the cabin she kicked her shoes off and headed directly for her bedroom. Her feather pillows would make a cozy resting-place for her weary head.

Sleep evaded her while she lay pondering the evening ahead. Other than Reverend Gleason, she hadn't met any of Jake's friends. The only time she had ever seen Reverend Gleason was at church. She wondered if Jake's friends would like her, or if she would like them.

Maybe it would give her a chance to find out more about Jake. There was so much about him that she still didn't know. He never talked about his family. In the past she had been hesitant to ask him about his family because she knew from her own experience that it could be painful talking about loved ones that you had lost.

When sleep finally came, it was a deep slumber, one of pure exhaustion. A shrilling sound invaded her dream world. She was still groggy when she reached for the phone.

“Hello...” Samantha answered in her halfway sleepy state.

“Hello. Is this the lady of the house?” the woman on the other end of the phone inquired.

“What? Oh, yes. Who is this?” Samantha asked as she was beginning to wake up a little.

“This is Jane Arlington. I'm with Hallister Telecommunications. I'm authorized to offer you our long distance promotional special. You can call anyone in the United States for just seven cents a minute."

By this time Samantha was almost completely awake at the rambling on of this woman on the other end of the phone.

“Excuse me. What time is it?” Samantha interrupted her.

“Time? It's quarter till six."

“Oh, no. I'm late. Bye,” Samantha replied as she practically slammed the receiver down. Glancing back at the phone she picked it up quickly and added, “Sorry."

Then she replaced the receiver again. She was too busy rushing to realize what she had just done was ludicrous until she hung up the phone. She laughed at herself as she hopped out of bed.

Jake would be there to pick her up in less than an hour. Samantha rushed through her shower and blow-dried her long brunette hair as thoroughly as she could. She raked her hairbrush through the long, tawny waves attempting to accomplish some form of semblance. Pulling the top layer of her hair back behind her head she placed a gold barrette around the wavy tendrils and allowed it to fall onto the unrestrained hair beneath it.

Carefully inspecting her wardrobe, she chose a forest green skirt with a matching jacket. Beneath it she wore a silky, cream colored blouse. Grasping the clasp she fastened a gold chain around her slender neck. After adding gold leaf earrings to each lobe, she applied a touch of eye shadow to enhance the hazel color of her eyes. Upon her delicate lips she applied a pale fuchsia lipstick. She had just stepped into her green sandals when she heard Jake's knock.

Upon answering the door she was rewarded with a smile. “You look wonderful."

“Thank you. I wasn't sure what I should wear. I hope this meets with your approval,” she teased.

“I definitely approve. I like your outfit, too.” His green eyes had a twinkle in them. Samantha had seen that twinkle before. Usually when he was teasing, his eyes would light up. Almost sparkle.

“Are you ready to leave?” A smile remained on his face as his gaze continued to sweep over her.

“You must have spent all afternoon getting ready,” he surmised.

Samantha chuckled. If only he knew. “Let me get my purse then I'll be ready."

She retrieved her purse from the coffee table and came back into the dining room. “So, whose house are we going to?"

“The Richardson's. You'll like Elizabeth and West. They're very friendly, open people. Well, Beth definitely is. Careful what you ask her though, she might just tell you. Whether or not you want to hear it,” he resounded in full laughter.

“I take it she's given you a little of her input."

“On more than one occasion."

“How long have you known them?"

“West and I used to go to high school together."

Samantha liked the way he smiled, as he remembered some things from the past. She would be careful prodding Elizabeth for answers about Jake's family. He hadn't made mention of parents and while she was curious, she didn't want to know anything too personal that he wasn't ready to reveal himself.

When they reached the Richardson's home Samantha felt apprehensive. Unconsciously she fiddled with her hands. Jake reached over and took them in his. Bringing them up to his lips, he gently kissed both of her hands then turned them over and kissed each wrist before placing them around his neck. Samantha watched his every movement before her eyes settled on his. The deep intensity of them warmed her down to her very being. She tilted her head slightly as his lips came to rest upon hers. His kiss was gentle, somehow reassuring. With it all her previous apprehension slowly dissipated.

West Richardson greeted them at the door. He seemed a little surprised when he looked at Samantha. Maybe she just imagined it. He had to have known they were coming. Perhaps he was not accustomed to seeing Jake with a date. Samantha dismissed the thought. She was probably reading more into it than there was.

“So, Jake, where did you pick up this beautiful, young lady? Is your car broken down? You're welcome to use the phone.” West told her.

Samantha laughed at his teasing. Or what she hoped was teasing. Jake did say they were invited. Jake laughed, catching her off guard. She couldn't help but let out a little laugh.

“I don't have to pick up hitch hikers to get dates. Samantha willingly climbed into my truck. Samantha, this is West Richardson.” As Jake was introducing them a woman in her late twenties came over and stood by West.

“I'm Beth. My husband and I are glad you could come. You'll have to excuse these two. They're both witty characters. They've been friends since high school and sometimes tend to forget they're grown men now.” Beth confided, nudging her husband in the side with her elbow.

Beth led Samantha into the sitting room. She introduced Samantha to two other couples and a very beautiful red head named Sylvia who didn't have an escort. It struck Samantha as being a little odd that Sylvia was the only person alone. Perhaps her date backed out at the last minute and she couldn't find someone else to bring tonight.

When Jake came in and said his formal hello's, Sylvia perked up.

“Hello, Jake,” she greeted him in a sultry voice.

A wave of jealousy came over Samantha. Instinctively she moved over to stand near him.

Over dinner Samantha learned more about the other couples at the dinner party. Beth and Sylvia exchanged a few glances that riled Samantha's curiosity. Samantha noticed how much silkier Sylvia's voice responded to Jake than to other people. She couldn't help but feel Sylvia was flirting with Jake.

Samantha did find out that Tom and Madeline Larimar were both Certified Public Accountants. Madeline worked for Tom. They fell in love and married. Then there was Tricia and Walter Spielman. Walter worked with West at an engineering firm.

If she could get Beth alone, perhaps she could ask her about Jake and now her mind also formed questions about Sylvia. She wouldn't ask about the woman in public. Maybe Jake would enlighten her later with details and hopefully put her wandering mind to rest.

As the evening progressed, Samantha was beginning to feel that she would never get a chance to talk to Beth alone. After they finished dessert, West suggested they adjourn to the living room as Beth started to clear the table. Samantha began helping her while the others went into the other room. She followed Beth into the kitchen with a handful of plates and silverware.

“I'm glad you stayed around to help. It'll give us a chance to talk,” Beth said.

While Beth washed Samantha grabbed a dishtowel and began to dry.

“Jake said you two had kind of a funny encounter meeting. Zeb sure is slick, not telling him he hired a woman. That's not unusual for Zeb to pull, there's a lot of things he neglects to say.” Beth laughed.

“Zeb acted like he was surprised.” Samantha didn't want to admit that she had used her nickname, which may have contributed to Zeb's confusion.

“No one knows for sure if it's on purpose or not. Zeb's notorious for leaving things out. But it seems to have worked out all right for both of you,” Beth said with a smile.

Samantha returned her smile and nodded in agreement.

“Can I ask you a little bit about Jake? He hasn't really talked about his family and I've been kind of afraid to ask. Since I lost mine tragically, I know it's hard to talk about it and I don't know whether to just bring up the subject or wait for him to,” Samantha confided.

Beth paused while washing a plate to turn and look at Samantha. “Jake doesn't have any family to speak of. Zeb's about the closest thing to family he has and they're not even related. Jake grew up in foster care. He went to work on a ranch his freshman year at high school. That's where he met Zeb.

“Believe it or not, there was a time when Jake was restless and into trouble. Zeb took him under his wing. West had tried to get Jake to go to church several times but never could convince Jake that what he needed was God. Jake was determined to head down the wrong path until Zeb got a hold of him. Somehow he made Jake shape up. After Jake gave his heart to the Lord his junior year, he never got into trouble again."

Samantha was surprised. She would never have guessed in a million years that Jake would have ever been one to cause trouble.

“God has really made a change in his life,” Samantha said in a barely audible voice.

Samantha dried a plate and stacked it with the others in the cabinet. With her questions about Jake answered, her mind wandered to the red head in the living room. She forced her mind not to think of her flirting with Jake. “I noticed Sylvia was the only one alone tonight."

Beth blushed and Samantha's heart sank. “Well, originally I was going to set her up with a friend."

Beth scrubbed a pot vigorously.

“And that friend wouldn't happen to have been Jake, would it?” Samantha swallowed hard, afraid to hear the answer.

“I'm sorry. I knew Jake hired someone. I didn't know you two were seeing each other."

“You didn't know I was coming?” It was Samantha's turn to blush.

“Jake called right before he was leaving. He said he hoped I didn't mind, he was bringing a guest.” Beth smiled. “I'm glad he did. Jake's a great guy and deserves to be happy. You're welcome to come any time."

“Thanks."

Beth dried her hands and hugged Samantha.

When they finished, Samantha and Beth went into the living room to join the others. Jake sat on a love seat and next to him sat the attractive red head, Sylvia. Her hand lay casually on Jake's arm like it belonged there. They must have been sharing something funny because Sylvia gave a low seductive laugh. Samantha felt a ping of jealousy, a very large ping.

When everyone was preparing to leave, Samantha was thankful. While she liked Jake's friends, she hoped she would never see Sylvia again. Silently she chastised herself for feeling that way. After all she had been trying to get Jake to accept that she and Jonathan were just friends. Jake didn't know Beth tried to fix them up on a date. At least she didn't think he knew.

Why should she feel jealous because a beautiful woman was friendly to Jake? A small voice kept reasoning with her, telling her that she had a right to be jealous. It was obvious, the way Sylvia was looking at him. Maybe something was going on between them before you came along.

“Oh, shut up,” Samantha mumbled to herself.

“What?” Jake asked.

Samantha whirled her head to turn and look at him. “Oh, nothing. Just clearing my throat."

“Sorry. I thought you said something."

Samantha was quiet on the ride home. Normally she wasn't prone to sulking. It wasn't easy for her to admit that she was being unreasonable and she was not prepared to start.

She still was convinced that it was different with Jonathan and her, but guilt plucked at her conscience. Questions formed in her mind that she wanted desperately to ask. Did Jake know that Beth planned to fix him up with Sylvia? He seemed oblivious to Sylvia's flirting. If Samantha asked him, she'd only open herself up to Jake's probing and she didn't want to fight with him about Jonathan.

More questions assailed her conscience. How would she feel if Jake went on a picnic with Sylvia? Visions of Sylvia smiling up at Jake soured her stomach. Okay, she wouldn't like it, but it was different with her and Jonathan. Jonathan didn't like her and she didn't like him. No one could honestly look at them and think they were anything more than friends.

The way Sylvia looked at Jake was a different story. Sylvia knew Beth was fixing her up with Jake and by the looks of it, she really liked the idea. Samantha's stomach tightened, twisting in knots when she thought of the possibility of Jake and Sylvia together.

She might not have believed the best of Jake when she found lipstick on his collar, but it was all an innocent misunderstanding. She wouldn't make the same mistake of questioning him with regards to Sylvia.

Sylvia was only a friend of Jake's and she had nothing to worry about. She should have felt comforted. Instead, her stomach fluttered and a sense of uneasiness tingled through her body.

Chapter Ten

Jake looked out his kitchen window, a smile lingering on his face. Normally rain might make him feel a little gloomy, but today he was happy it was raining. It meant Samantha's picnic with Jonathan would have to be canceled. Jake wore a smug expression until a few minutes later when Jonathan's beat-up pick-up truck pulled up next to the cabin. Inhaling a deep breath, Jake grumbled to himself as he headed for his office.

Unsuccessful at occupying himself, Jake emerged from his office nearly an hour later. To his dismay, a glance out the kitchen window revealed that Jonathan was still at the cabin.

When Jonathan's truck pulled away from Samantha's it was nearly seven in the evening. Jake wanted to trust Samantha, but when she had never mentioned Jonathan in the past and now appeared to be rather chummy with him, it caused him to question their relationship. He felt like a silly teenager with a jealous streak. Perhaps if he'd had parents around growing up, he might have had a better understanding of relationships. The foster homes he'd been in didn't set very good examples, at least not of what he'd seen from the few close friends he'd made over the past couple years. Jake glanced out the window toward the cabin again. What were the two of them doing all this time? Surely an hour or two would have been sufficient enough for a picnic.

That was it. He wasn't going to allow himself this kind of torment. If Samantha wouldn't make a choice, he would. With determination in his stride, he placed his Stetson securely on his head and headed for Samantha's cabin. In his haste, he slammed the kitchen door behind him, rattling the glass.

Long, swift determined strides carried him to her door. Without hesitating, Jake pounded his fist against the cabin door making it shake on its hinges.

* * * *

After folding the blanket they used for their picnic, Samantha finished moving the coffee table back to its original place in front of the couch when someone pounding on the door startled her. She thought of going into the bedroom and calling Jake or calling down to the bunk house for help. She didn't want to disturb them unnecessarily, so she stole a glance out the dining room window.

Something must be wrong to have brought Jake storming over. Panicking she ran to the door and flung it open immediately.

Jake stormed into the dining room and whipped around to face Samantha. His gaze beating down on her looked cold as steel.

“What's wrong, Jake?” Samantha asked. She was almost sure it was anger she saw in his eyes. But after she asked him what was wrong he turned away and walked into the living room.

Taking his hat off his head, he ran his fingers through his hair and then, with a determined effort, replaced his hat squarely on his head. Samantha knew that wasn't a good sign.

Turning to face her, he asked, “Don't you think you and Jonathan spent enough time together today?"

“You knew I was going to spend time with him today.” She struggled to keep from raising her tone to match his.

“Since it was raining all day, you obviously didn't get to go on a picnic, so what were you two doing all day here alone in your cabin? Don't you think it's a little inappropriate for the two of you to be here alone? People might talk."

“Excuse me?” Samantha didn't like the tone in which he hurled accusations at her.

“You heard me. What were you two doing?"

“I don't like the way you make that sound, and by the way, it's none of your business,” Samantha almost regretted the words as soon as she said them. The look in his eyes could have burned holes straight through her. It might be his business, in a sense, but anger clouded her mind like a heavy fog.

“You're right! It is none of my business.” With that Jake stormed out of the cabin, not even bothering to close the door behind him.

Samantha threw herself across her bed. Tears stung her eyes. Mentally she chastised herself for the heartbreak she felt. She shouldn't have told Jake that it was none of his business. If he hadn't been so judgmental, she wouldn't have lost her temper. It was hard to believe he could even insinuate there was something going on between her and Jonathan.

Perhaps when things cooled down, Jake would realize the hurt his accusations inflicted upon her. When he apologized she'd willingly forgive him. She knew things would be better in the morning. By then, Jake would have a chance to clear his head. He'd apologize then, she was sure of it.

Even the sound reasoning Samantha attempted to comfort herself with, hadn't worked. She still cried herself to sleep. In the morning her eyes were puffy and swollen from the endless tears she had shed the night before. Determined to look her best, she showered and applied a generous amount of make-up to cover the puffiness.

Time seemed to continuously tick away, yet there was no sign of Jake. Normally he would have already picked her up for church. But this wasn't normally. Maybe he wasn't going to apologize after all.

The finality of his words sunk in, making her stomach turn in turmoil and her heartache relentless. The agony was almost more than she could bear. A fresh stream of tears spilled down her cheeks, running her mascara and streaking her foundation. But the pain hurt beyond caring.

After half an hour, she had cried all she could, until her eyes seemed to have nothing left to shed. Pulling herself together, Samantha washed her face and reapplied her make-up. She knew she had already missed Sunday school, but she would make it in time for worship service. Determined not to give Jake the satisfaction of seeing her broken, she left for church.

Music filtered through the doors as Samantha entered the church. Service had already begun. Quietly she slipped through the doors that led to the sanctuary, taking a seat at the back near some parents who sat with their young children. Samantha forced a smile for the couple next to her and their two small boys.

Taking a hymnal, she opened it up to the appropriate page and attempted to sing. “We bring the sacrifice of praise...” rang through the air in unison. Those words sunk in as Samantha forced herself to sing along. Sacrifice meant at a cost, an offering. Singing this morning had been just that, a sacrifice. Something she forced herself to do, even though she didn't feel like singing. Before the worship part of service was over, she could feel her spirits lifting.

After Reverend Gleason took over at the podium, he asked the congregation to sit down. Samantha couldn't resist the urge to look around for Jake. She could spot him by his distinct features. His broad shoulders and wavy, brown hair were hard to miss. When her eyes focused on the back of his head, her breath caught in her chest. She felt an undeniable attraction to him. Then her gaze roamed to the woman seated next to him—Sylvia. Samantha thought she had seen her before the night of the Richardson's dinner party, but had never really paid attention.

Samantha couldn't help the surge of jealousy she felt when she looked at the two of them sitting so close together. Reverend Gleason's words were barely audible to her in her disoriented state. She was unaware of how long she sat staring at them. Jake must have sensed her staring. Turning slightly in his seat, he cast a glance to the back of church, his gaze stopping to rest on hers. Momentarily their eyes locked together. When she could no longer face his scrutiny, she turned away.

As soon as Reverend Gleason dismissed service, Samantha practically ran out the doors. She couldn't bring herself to face anyone, not now.

A fresh stream of tears rolled down her cheeks. She'd brought this one herself. Samantha frantically wiped at them while she drove back to her cabin. Reaching her destination, she turned off the ignition and yanked her keys out. Her hand reached out blindly, grabbing for her purse. Clutching it between her fingers, she hurried inside, slamming the door behind her.

In the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her already swollen eyes. Removing the remaining traces of make-up, she then ran a brush through her hair. Carrying the brush with her, she slowly walked into the bedroom and slumped down onto the mattress. Reflecting on the previous day's events, she realized there were things she could have avoided saying. Even things in the past she should have done differently. But now it was too late.

Her fingers remained clasped around the brush handle that she held, her hand resting in her lap while she thought about how she could rectify her predicament, knowing as long as Jonathan was around, she and Jake would continue to have problems. It was obvious Jake would no longer tolerate having to vie for her attention.

There was only one way she could think of to solve her problem and make everyone happy, hopefully. Laying the hairbrush down on the nightstand, she reached for the phone. Dialing an acquaintance, she began to put her plan in motion. Unfortunately, it would not come about as quickly as she wanted. Knowing she would have to be patient for things to work out as she was praying they would didn't make her feel any more at ease. The rift that formed between her and Jake was breaking her heart. She could only hope and pray that he hadn't totally given up on her.

By the end of the day, her already sinking spirits had sunk to a new low. Not only did Jake not call, he didn't come over to see her either. Not that she really expected him to, but she hoped he would.

Monday morning Samantha was just setting breakfast on the table when Jake strolled into the kitchen. “Good morning,” he said politely. His voice didn't reveal any emotion, other than casual politeness. Nothing more than one would display to any other civilized human being. His words were void of all warmth and feeling, emotions he normally displayed readily towards her.

“Good morning,” she replied, her lips attempting miserably to form a smile. Turning back to the stove, she busied herself clearing away the skillets from the eggs and sausage she made.

“Aren't you going to eat?"

“I'm not hungry. Go ahead and eat. I need to start some laundry,” she said as she put the skillets in the sink and hurried out of the room.

Jake knew that Samantha was just trying to avoid him. It was evident when she headed out of the kitchen towards the remainder of the house, instead of going into the laundry room that was right off of the kitchen.

While upstairs, Samantha made Jake's bed and gathered up an armload of dirty laundry that had accumulated over the weekend. Carrying her load, she adjusted it to her left hip so that she could see to maneuver carefully down the flight of stairs that descended into the living room.

As she walked down the hallway to the kitchen she inhaled a deep breath, attempting to muster up enough resolve to face Jake again. To both her relief and dismay, he had already left. His dishes now sat on the counter near the sink.

Dropping her armload of laundry, Samantha started the washing machine and then began to sort the laundry. Picking up one of Jake's shirts, she held it close to her chest. Sniffing, she inhaled a mixture of his musk cologne and sweat. She longed to have him in that shirt and her arms wrapped around him instead. Wistfully, she placed his shirt into the washing machine and then added his remaining dirty shirts.

Moping around, she mechanically cleaned, not really paying attention to her work. When lunchtime approached she settled on a simple lunch of soup and sandwiches. Jake was punctual, as usual. When he came in the back door he glanced at Samantha momentarily, his gaze then settled upon the table. To his relief, two glasses of iced tea sat at the table, although they were placed at opposite ends. Normally she sat next to him when they ate.

Jake was glad that Samantha was planning on joining him for lunch. Even though they were at odds with each other, he didn't want her to skip meals. She was already too thin and couldn't afford to miss meals.

When they seated themselves at the table, Jake said grace. Then he picked up his spoon and began to eat his soup, feeling at a loss for words.

Samantha noticed the crease in Jake's brow and wondered what was on his mind. The silence was killing her, eating her up inside. “So how was your morning?” she asked.

“One of the Quarter Horses got in with an Arabian and attempted to mate with her. Hopefully it didn't take."

“Oh, no,” Samantha exclaimed. This was definitely not good.

Jake seemed to take it in stride. “Oh, well, there's nothing I can do now,” he acknowledged with a shrug of his shoulders.

Samantha admired the way he was taking it in stride. There were a lot of things she admired about Jake, like his self-motivation. Not to mention his faith in God. She respected and admired his inner strength and convictions. Her admiration became clouded when she remembered his stubbornness and jealousy. A frown creased her brow. She still hoped they could eventually get past their petty disagreement. But neither of them was willing to bring it up, or discuss it.

The rest of the week remained pretty much the same, their conversations stayed on insignificant topics. After supper, Samantha finished cleaning up the kitchen and then retired to her cabin until Jonathan came over after work.

Jonathan sensed Samantha's despondency, but when he questioned her about it, she simply refused to discuss it with him. For the first time he could ever remember, he felt distant from Samantha. He wanted to go over and have it out with Jake, but Samantha warned him not to interfere. Against his better judgement, he relented.

Thursday, Samantha received the phone call she had been waiting for all week. When Jonathan came over that evening she appeared to be in a better mood than she had been all week.

“Saturday I would like you to come over for a special dinner. Will you come?” Samantha asked.

“Sure, are we celebrating something special?” Jonathan asked.

“Maybe,” was all she would reply.

Chapter Eleven

“Jake, I have a friend coming to stay a couple of days. I hope that's okay?” Samantha inquired.

“As long as it's a girlfriend, I don't mind,” he said with a smile. “Anyway, I'm going to be going out of town. I'll be leaving in the morning and I'm not exactly sure how long I'll be gone. So you two will have plenty of time to spend together.” Jake was sort of relieved that Samantha was having a friend coming. It meant that she would have less time alone with Jonathan. The thought of the two of them together made him wince. When he returned from his trip, he was planning on letting Samantha know how he felt about her. It was about time that they settled a few things.

Samantha knew she would miss Jake, but as it was, she would be better able to accomplish her goal without him there. The distance between them this week had been practically unbearable. She didn't know how much more of it she could stand.

That night for supper, Samantha made green bean casserole, baked potatoes, and grilled a couple of steaks. For dessert she made a peach cobbler that she planned to serve a la mode.

“Mm, what's the special occasion?” Jake asked as he came into the kitchen.

“I just thought you'd like a good last meal,” she replied.

“Why, am I dying?” he asked, his brows raised. He didn't like that thought, nor the thought that Samantha might be thinking of leaving, he immediately squelched his thoughts. They were too painful to consider.

“No, but you won't be eating my cooking for awhile, at least until you return. So I thought you might as well get one good last meal."

“That's true. Thank you,” he said softly. Her consideration touched him. “How about we take a walk after supper?” he suggested.

“That will be nice."

Samantha felt anxious thinking about being alone with Jake. Other than meals this week, they hadn't spent any time alone and not very much time together at all. During the week, the closest she had come to being near him was when she walked past his chair to go upstairs and retrieve the dirty laundry. During meals the length of the table separated them. With that distance seemed to grow another, an emotional distance. It was a barrier neither seemed to know how to cross. When her parents had disagreements they somehow just seemed to get over it, not that they'd had many she knew of.

After supper they walked down to the pond. Samantha held the partial loaf of bread she brought with her to feed the fish. They walked in silence, absorbing the late afternoon sun. Its rays still filtered through the trees, bringing warmth that surrounded them.

When they reached the pond Samantha walked a little ahead of Jake and stood in the middle of the bridge that extended across the pond. Untwisting the tie on the loaf of bread, she reached in and grabbed a couple of pieces to hand to Jake. He took them in silence and began breaking off little pieces before throwing them into the murky water. Immediately, fish began to swim and snap at the pieces of bread.

While watching the fish scurry after the breadcrumbs, a thought crossed Samantha's mind, “Do you ever fish here?"

With a little chuckle, Jake answered, “Yes, why?"

Samantha couldn't help but smile. The sound of Jake's laughter was delightful to hear. “I was just thinking about feeding the fish, that they would one day be feeding us. Maybe we should just eat the bread and continue to watch them."

“Then there would be too many of them and not enough water or food for them. So see, it's our responsibility to eat some of them to make room for their offspring."

“You may be right. But they almost feel like pets now. It would be hard to think of cutting one up and cooking it for supper."

Jake looked at her and laughed. “I'm glad I don't raise cattle. Otherwise I'd probably never get another steak again either.” Samantha joined in his laughter. He didn't know how right he probably was. Calves were cute. If she ever helped to take care of one, she would never be able to eat red meat again.

On the way back, Jake reached over and held Samantha's hand. Relief settled in when she didn't pull it away. While walking her back to her cabin, they silently enjoyed the setting sun, red and yellow glimmering across the horizon. When they cleared the grove of trees, there was a gentle clear slope of land that led back to Jake's home, covered by a blanket of dark green grass. The thought of the soft, plush grass between her toes made her think of younger, more carefree times.

At Samantha's cabin door, Jake turned to face her. His forest green eyes locked with her jade ones. She drew in a breath and held it, nervous, yet anxious, yearning for his lips to touch hers. Her eyes moved from his to settle on his mouth, she moistened her lips in anticipation.

“When I get back, we need to talk."

She could only nod in agreement, still gazing up at his lips. Slowly she brought her gaze back up to meet his. He stood there, still holding her hand, gazing into her tender, green eyes. Carefully he brought his other hand up to caress her cheek as he placed his lips upon hers. At first his kiss was gentle, questioning and then it deepened becoming more demanding. Reluctantly he broke the kiss. “Goodnight,” he whispered and turned, walking away into the darkening shadows of the night.

While dressing for bed, she closed her eyes, remembering the touch of his hand on her cheek. Thinking back to his warm, tender kiss upon her lips, she instinctively reached up and touched her lips. The memory would hold her until he returned. She was hopelessly in love with Jake. But he'd never said he loved her. She was sure he felt something. Otherwise, why would he always appear to be jealous of Jonathan? But Jonathan and she were only close friends. She'd try explaining things better when he returned. She had to make Jake understand. Hopefully by then Deidre and Jonathan would patch things up. It was the whole reason she asked Deidre to come visit, although she should have first told Jonathan that she was coming.

When Samantha woke up in the morning, Jake was already gone. She looked out her window to where his truck usually sat and let out a sigh. She was already starting to feel a touch of loneliness knowing he wasn't there.

A faint smile came to her lips at the memory of last night. It was all she could think about when she went to bed. Enough daydreaming, she thought to herself. She needed to get showered and dressed. Deidre was going to be there around ten. Samantha had already invited Jonathan to dinner. Everything was set in motion. She knew he was still in love with Deidre, but was too stubborn to go back and make things right. If Romeo wouldn't go to his Juliet, then she'd bring Juliet to Romeo. But this time there had to be a happy ending.

By the time Deidre reached Samantha's it was nearly eleven. After they ate a light lunch, Samantha took Deidre into town to show her around and pick up a few things for supper. She wanted to make sure Jonathan didn't find out she was there, at least not yet. She knew the timing needed to be just right and the setting perfect.

They stopped by the local store to get a few groceries. While passing through the produce section, they stopped to look at the scrumptious strawberries. They were deep red, large and looked mouth watering. They selected a quart for dessert to have with shortcakes.

On the drive home, Samantha and Deidre had their first real chance to talk in a long time. They had never been very close friends when Samantha lived in Guthrie. Deidre was jealous of the closeness she shared with Jonathan.

“I appreciate what you're trying to do for Jonathan and me. I'm sorry I haven't been the friendliest in the past,” Deidre said apologetically.

“It's not your fault. I can understand your jealousy, now more than ever."

Deidre returned a puzzled look to Samantha. “What do you mean?"

Samantha's lips turned upwards in a faint smile, “Jake has been jealous of Jonathan, even though Jonathan and I are only friends,” she conceded. “In fact it's come between us. With you two back together, hopefully he'll understand it's him I love."

“We're not back together yet. I hope he's glad to see me. I know I've missed him a lot. While you both go back a long way, it's been hard hearing him talk about you all the time. I'm sorry for the bitterness that I've felt against you."

“I'm sorry, too. I should have given you two more time alone and gotten a life of my own. After my parents’ accident, I didn't have anyone, so I leaned on Jonathan. I never meant to keep him away from you, I've always liked you,” Samantha admitted.

“Since Jonathan came here, the only thing he's talked about has been you. He seemed sad, sometimes a little quiet when he would think of you two splitting up. I know he's still very much in love with you. He just needs to know you can forgive him and take him back."

“I don't know. We'll see how things go tonight,” Deidre replied. Samantha noticed she turned to look out the window, as if she was reflecting on something. Things had to work out. That was all there was to it. It couldn't happen any differently. All of their happiness depended on not allowing jealousy to tear them apart.

Together Samantha and Deidre prepared meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and seasoned green beans for supper. Deidre cut up the strawberries for shortcakes while Samantha set the table for two, finishing it off with a vase of fresh flowers. Knowing Jonathan would be there soon Samantha hurried and finished doing up the dishes while Deidre freshened up.

Samantha washed and dried up the dishes she dirtied preparing dinner and was putting the last of them away when Deidre returned to the kitchen. “Don't worry about doing the supper dishes when you two finish eating. You two just talk things out. Maybe you could even take a walk,” Samantha suggested.

The door burst open, Jonathan came rushing in, “Deidre? Are you here?” He rushed over to where she stood near the stove. Hoisting her up into his arms, he swung her around in a circle. “I've missed you so much. I'm so sorry for everything. I love you,” he blurted out. Everything came rushing out in his excitement over seeing her again.

Samantha felt like a third wheel. She couldn't wait to leave them alone. As they kissed, gladness filled her heart, but she didn't want to be present during their reunion. She felt it should be special. She grabbed her purse and closed the door as she left. Things looked good; they should be able to work out their problems. It was obvious they still loved each other very much. That would give them a foundation to work on.

Deciding to take in a movie to occupy her time, Samantha drove to the theatre located in the mall. Deidre and Jonathan would need to have plenty time alone to work out their problems. Samantha couldn't think of much to do to occupy her time, since she didn't really know many people in Georgetown.

She stood in line waiting. Someone tapped her on the shoulder. “Howdy, Miss Marlow. Care if I join you?"

Turning to see who spoke, she agreed, “Sure, Tex. As long as it's just friends.” She didn't want him to get the wrong idea. In a way she was kind of glad to have company, with Jake gone and Deidre and Jonathan having dinner back at her cabin, she didn't relish being by herself to brood over her own problems.

“Where's Jake?” Tex asked, looking around.

“He had to go out of town this week."

“If you need anything, you just give me a call."

“Thank you,” she replied politely.

Tex insisted on buying her ticket. With tickets in hand, they went into the theatre and stood in line at the concession stand. He purchased buttered popcorn and two sodas for them to share during the movie.

Samantha couldn't help but think that it was nice not to have to be alone, even Tex was welcome company. He was actually very nice when he wasn't trying to hit on her. Together they watched the movie in joyous laughter. She was glad they decided on seeing a comedy, which was what she needed to lift her spirits. When the movie was over, Tex offered to take her out for a bite to eat. She hadn't eaten supper and the buttered popcorn definitely didn't fill her.

Over dinner she told Tex about Deidre, that she was trying to help get Deidre and Jonathan back together. “I was wondering which one you were interested in. At first it seemed you and Jake were becoming an item, then I heard talk about the other guy showing up at Jake's place. Since Jonathan has himself a girl, does this mean you're eligible?” he asked with slightly raised eyebrows.

“Tex, I'm sorry. It wouldn't be fair to lead you on,” Samantha said honestly.

Tex took in her words, before responding, “You're in love with Jake, aren't you, little miss?"

She nodded and told him they had a few things to work out. There were some minor misunderstandings. Samantha couldn't picture herself with anyone other than Jake. She had never been so much in love before. After she helped Jonathan and Deidre out, she could focus on her relationship with Jake.

Over the rest of dinner, Tex and Samantha talked about Tex's ranch. He invited her to come have supper with him so she could see the ranch. “I would enjoy the company, not to mention it gets awful lonesome eating alone."

“Well ... I ... guess it would be all right,” hesitantly she agreed. She was pretty sure Tex would honor her wishes and keep things as just friends. Holding on to that thought, she felt a little more positive about going. It would give Deidre and Jonathan more time alone this week and they wouldn't feel obligated to include her.

It was nearly eleven when Samantha got back to the ranch. “We were worried about you,” was the first thing she heard when she came through the door. Jonathan and Deidre were sitting cuddled together on the couch watching TV.

“Where did you go? We turned around and you were gone.” Jonathan's concern showing through.

Samantha laughed, “You two were busy, so I just slipped out,” Samantha said. “Hey, how did you know Deidre was here anyway?” That had been puzzling her all night. She tried to make sure he wouldn't find out, yet somehow he knew.

“She still drives the same car. If you didn't want me to know she was here, you should have hidden her car. As soon as I pulled up, I knew she was here. I couldn't help myself. I had to barge right in here to get to my lady love,” he boasted, then his lips descended on Deidre's.

“All right you two, none of that mushy stuff. I'm not leaving again. It's getting late and you have work to do in the morning. You can have her alone again tomorrow night, I've been invited to have supper with a friend."

“Who might this friend be?” inquired Jonathan.

“Tex, he's a friend from church."

Jonathan looked as if he wanted to say something. Instead, he and Deidre got up and walked to the door. Deidre stepped outside with him to see him off. A little while later when she came in, her eyes had a far off, dreamy look. “I'm glad you two worked things out. Does this mean the wedding's back on?” Samantha asked hopefully.

“Actually, he asked me to marry him again. He wants to get married right away so that I can't change my mind,” she said sheepishly. “He's going to ask Zeb if he can have a couple days off. He wants to go back to Guthrie to get married. That way our families can be there. It won't be anything big. I called my mother and asked if we could have it at her house. I'm so excited. Will you be my maid of honor? Please say yes."

“Of course I will. This is so exciting. You two are finally getting married and I'm so happy for you,” Samantha said. Opening her arms, she reached around Deidre's neck and hugged her. They belonged together. Samantha couldn't help but be happy for them. She was glad that things were starting to work out for them. Hopefully they would work out for Jake and her, too.

They stayed up late that night making plans. Samantha had never really given much thought to weddings before, now it made her long for her own. Without a groom, it wouldn't be much of a wedding though. Jake had never said he loved her, let alone asked her to marry him. Thoughts of walking down the aisle were nothing more than a fairy tale dream to her.

Deidre was making dinner for Jonathan when Tex called to say he was on his way to pick Samantha up. “You two behave yourselves while I'm gone. I'll be back late,” Samantha said smiling.

“You watch out for that cowboy. He tries anything and I'll make mince meat out of him. I don't think the boss will mind if I take care of that while he's away,” Jonathan said with a sheepish grin. Samantha looked over her shoulder on her way out and just smiled at Jonathan. She doubted Jake would want Jonathan getting into any fights, not that she really thought he would. Tex was not the kind of man to behave badly. He also lived by Biblical principles.

Tex had a huge ranch. Of course, it wasn't as massive as Jake's, yet it was an impressive site. It was a brick ranch style home with built on servant quarters. Walking into Tex's living room, Samantha was not able to hide the look of surprise that registered on her face. The elegant furnishings were nothing she had been accustomed to. “Is this early Victorian?"

“Something like that, I wasn't the one to decorate and I don't tend to pay attention to that kind of stuff. Not very manly looking, but it kind of grows on you,” he shrugged, giving a lopsided grin. Samantha was content with his answer, not pressing why he would allow someone else to decorate in something unsuitable for a bachelor and a ranch.

Tex led the way into the kitchen, “Would you like some iced tea?"

“That would be nice, thank you."

Opening the refrigerator he retrieved an ice-cold pitcher of tea, then he proceeded to get two glasses out of a cabinet and put ice in them. Setting them all upon a tray, he motioned to a door that Samantha presumed led outside. “I thought we would barbecue, that way we could have a chance to sit outside and talk awhile."

Tex placed the tray on the patio table. “I'll be back in a minute. I just have to get the steaks to throw on the grill."

The last time Samantha could remember having barbecue was when her father had cooked for them and some friends. Reminiscing brought a tear to her eyes. How she missed her parents. “What's wrong, little miss?” Genuinely concerned, Tex asked.

“I was just thinking about the last time I had bar ... be ... cue. It was when my parents were alive,” she sobbed.

In two easy strides he was next to her, lifting her up into his arms. “I'm sorry, I wouldn't have made it if I knew it would cause you to be sad.” He gently wiped away a couple of tears that ran down her cheek. “It'll be okay,” he said softly, trying to reassure her. “Would you rather go out to eat instead?” He would do anything if it would make her happy. He couldn't stand to see her cry.

“It'll be all right, I have to get through my first barbecue sometime, along with a lot of other things that they won't be there to share any longer.” Samantha sniffed and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. “Thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder,” she said forcing a smile.

“You can use my shoulder any time you like. Hopefully it won't be to cry though. You're too pretty to cry,” he said as he held a finger under her chin, tilting it upward, he then kissed the tip of her nose.

Wanting nothing more than to change the subject, Samantha warned him, “Don't burn the steaks, otherwise we'll have to go out to eat."

The rest of the evening was pleasant. Tex really was good company to have around. One day he would make some woman a fine husband.

On the way to take Samantha back home, they decided to stop for an ice cream. Samantha chose a Turtle Concrete, while Tex decided on a Hawaiian Delight. “That looks delicious,” she said eyeing his bowl of ice cream. His had pineapples, coconut, and macadamia nuts on it. Scooping up a spoonful, he held it out for Samantha to try. “Mm, that's good. Want to try my concrete?"

“As long as it's better than its name,” he said giving her a wide smile. She smiled back.

“I've had a wonderful night, thank you."

“What about tomorrow night?” he hinted at another evening together.

Samantha apologized and told him she was going back home for Jonathan and Deidre's wedding. They were going to get married in two days. She was supposed to be the maid of honor.

“I'll miss you. Let me know when you get back. Maybe we'll do something then,” he said hopefully. When he dropped her off at home, he walked her to her door. Samantha was glad he didn't try to kiss her. She didn't mind being friends, but she didn't want anything else from Tex than his friendship.

Chapter Twelve

The sound of the kettle whistling alerted Samantha that her water was ready for her tea. Searching the cupboards, she found a delicate china cup with small red roses in full bloom. On the shelf above the cups, she was rewarded with a small matching plate to place her teacup on.

Placing a tea bag into her cup, she carefully poured the boiling water, steam rising as she did so. Sitting down at Deidre's kitchen table she removed the lid from the sugar and retrieved two level spoonfuls, then replaced the lid gingerly.

Deidre's was a small efficiency apartment, they had agreed Samantha would stay there until after the wedding. Sitting all alone at the small pine table, she turned her thoughts to the numerous things left to do. Jonathan and Deidre were getting their wedding license then meeting with their pastor and seeing to other arrangements that still needed to be made. In the afternoon, Samantha was to go with Deidre to ‘The Bridal Boutique’ to choose their dresses.

After slowly nursing her tea, Samantha busied herself with her task. She had volunteered for one of the most important parts, making the wedding cake. Normally she was not extremely creative, but after talking with the woman from the store, she was sure she could successfully attempt a small tiered cake. It didn't sound too difficult. Her main concern was that it would remain standing when placed on the small plastic pillars.

She wasn't planning on assembling it until after they transported it to Deidre's parents’ home, where the wedding was to be held. Mrs. Hamilton, Deidre's mother, was gracious enough to offer to help Samantha to assemble the wedding cake. It would definitely be a balancing act as far as she was concerned. She didn't know how she would achieve it without Mrs. Hamilton's help.

Jonathan dropped Deidre back off at her apartment late in the afternoon. She seemed to chatter on endlessly. Her pre-wedding jitters were evident.

“Not nervous are you?"

“What would make you ask that? Surely there's nothing to be nervous about. I mean, after all, it's my wedding day. How many does one have in a lifetime? I only get to have one and it has to be perfect,” she rattled on. “Let's see, we have our license, we've already met with the pastor, the reception is at mom's, Joey and a couple guys from church are setting up tables and chairs. What's left? Oh my, we didn't order the cake, there's no way they'll have one done in time,” she exclaimed.

Bursting with laughter Samantha tried to comfort and reassure her, “Deidre, I made the cake this morning while you were out doing the endless task of preparing for tomorrow."

“Tomorrow, I can't get married tomorrow. There's not enough time. Oh, my, I don't even have a thing to wear.” The realization brought horror to her eyes as her mouth hung open in disbelief.

“Calm down, would you?” Samantha laughed. “That's where we're going next. At least you're not worried about your wedding night."

“Ah! What will I wear? What do I do? I've never..."

Samantha hugged. “Everything will be fine.” Samantha was still reassuring her everything was going to work out half an hour later when they were heading to the bridal shop.

Deidre fell in love with a gorgeous satin white gown with sleek straight sleeves. The bodice was detailed with miniature pearls, accenting the slightly revealing cleavage. The train flowed endlessly behind the dress. Even Samantha was in total awe. Whenever she decided to get married, she would want a dress exactly like this one, providing she could afford it.

“It's perfect,” Samantha exclaimed.

Deidre stared at her reflection in the mirror. Samantha helped her to position the veil in its place and then stepped back to view her in full dress. “You look absolutely beautiful."

“I can't believe this is all real."

Samantha could only begin to conceive the way Deidre was feeling. She longed to be in the same place, not marrying Jonathan, of course. Visions of a dream wedding, where she walked down the aisle in the beautiful detailed satin wedding gown toward an altar, and a handsome man dressed in a tuxedo turns around to await her arrival to join him there. The handsome man stands slightly over six feet, his brown waves slightly tamed and his green eyes are shimmering. She knows this can only be the man of her dreams, Jake. A sigh escapes her as she puts her fantasy aside to get back to the present and more pressing things.

It was hard to focus her attention on her dress when her thoughts continuously went back to the other wedding gown, the one she longed to wear. Not taking nearly as long as Deidre had to choose a dress, Samantha settled on a light pink satin dress with short sleeves that were very similar to the sleeves on Deidre's gown.

Neither woman slept very well that night. Deidre was nervous concerning the day ahead of her and Samantha lay awake wondering where Jake was. What was he doing? Was he thinking of her? Samantha was anxious too, but not for the same reasons Deidre was. She was anxious for the wedding to be over so she could return home and see Jake. Knowing it would still be a couple days before his return. She knew just being in his home, walking around the kitchen, touching the chair where he sat every day, would somehow bring her slightly closer to him. Just knowing he had been there, sat there. Thoughts of going home pulled at her heart, but not nearly as much as thoughts of Jake did. Instinctively she touched a finger to her lips, remembering their last kiss. A faint smile upon her face, Samantha closed her eyes and dreamed of an ideal wedding where she rode off into the sunset on Lazarus and her groom rode off beside her on his white Arabian horse.

The day of the wedding everything seemed to come together. They had close to fifty people at their wedding, mainly family and a few friends or people Deidre worked with. Deidre's brother, Joey was an amateur photographer, so he took their wedding pictures. Jonathan's Aunt Maybel had some silk flower arrangements she made for another wedding that she loaned them. Everything was beautiful.

After the minister pronounced them man and wife, Jonathan took Deidre into his arms and kissed her for what seemed an eternity. Everyone laughed merrily. Jonathan was ever so proud of his blushing bride. He told everyone that he was marrying her before she had a chance to change her mind again, boasting he couldn't let the prettiest gal get away from him twice.

Samantha couldn't help ushering up a small prayer heavenward, asking God to keep their wedding cake standing. As they sliced it, Samantha held her breath for fear that it would slide off its pillars. She didn't release her breath until they slid the first slice off, and fed each other a bite before playfully smashing the remainder into each other's mouths. With Jonathan's clean hand, he grabbed Deidre's wrist before she could smear the gooey cake onto his face, and licked her fingers so that there was nothing left to smear.

It was gratifying to see them so happy. Samantha hoped that one day Jake would feel that way about her, she longed to have him say that he loved her. It would be wonderful if Jake boasted of his undying love for her. She had been afraid to expose her feeling to Jake until she knew for sure how he felt. He used to hold her hand a lot and kiss her, but that didn't constitute love. She hoped he would be able to get over his jealousy since Jonathan and Deidre were married now. Her worst fears plagued her, that maybe he had given up on their relationship. He said he wanted to talk, but not about what.

Samantha spent the night alone at Deidre's apartment, while Jonathan and Deidre spent the night in the honeymoon suite at a hotel. Jonathan intended to come back to work in a couple days, not wanting to leave Jake in a bind until Elliot's return. Elliot was due to return soon, it was up to the doctor now, and he would let Elliot know when he felt it was safe for him to return back to work. After Elliot's return, Jonathan planned on going back to Guthrie. In the meantime, Deidre was going to stay with Samantha a couple days before she returned back to work and awaited her husband's return home.

On the drive back to Georgetown, Samantha's truck began to act up. Nearly making it home, she couldn't believe she was pulling off the road onto the shoulder, cautiously looking in her rear view mirror and then another glance over her shoulder to make sure it was safe to open her door. Before closing the truck door, she bent over and popped the lever for the hood.

Looking underneath the hood didn't bring her any closer to determining what was wrong with her truck. She really didn't know anything about how the engine worked. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she decided she should try to make it the last couple miles back to the ranch. Perhaps one of the ranch hands could help fix whatever was wrong.

Once back behind the steering wheel, she turned the ignition key. Nothing. It wouldn't start again no matter how many times she tried turning the key. “Great,” she mumbled disturbed by this minor irritation, before abandoning her truck.

After walking nearly a quarter of a mile, she finally reached a pay phone. Relief flooded over her when she discovered that there was a phone book in the booth. A phone call and nearly an hour later, a tow truck pulled up over in front of her truck.

“Sorry for the wait, ma'am. Can I give you a lift somewhere?” he asked as he began hoisting the front of her truck up. Grateful, Samantha gave him directions to the ranch.

The man towing her truck for her, Matt, as she had read his name on the tag on his uniform, recommended an auto mechanic that he assured her she could trust. “I'll drop your truck off, but you need to call them and tell them what you think is wrong and give them the go ahead to fix her up."

Samantha nodded, “Thanks."

Just what she needed! An unexpected repair bill to drain her already non-existent funds. Dismayed she placed a call into the auto mechanic, silently hoping they wouldn't keep her truck an endless amount of time. She enlightening the mechanic to what sounds her truck was making before she pulled over, including the failure of the engine to turn over when she turned the key in the ignition after she had gotten out and checked under the hood.

“We'll give you a call when she's ready, ma'am,” he told her before hanging up.

Samantha hung up the phone. In the past she had always been able to count on Jonathan to fix minor vehicle repairs, but now she was going to have to learn not to lean on him. Deidre would need him now; it wasn't her place to expect him to be there for the things she couldn't handle.

Sitting on the couch, exhausted, reflecting on the numerous changes that had occurred over the past year, Samantha couldn't help but wonder the future had in store for her, only God knew for sure. Hopefully, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, He would see fit to deliver her from the storms of life and bless her, directing her path to coincide with His will.

That evening, after eating a light supper, Samantha called Tex to let him know she had returned safely. Declaring she was utterly exhausted, she begged off early so that she could retire for the night.

Hoisting herself out of the kitchen chair, she trudged the small distance towards her bedroom. Feeling as if her feet were lined with lead, she lifted each foot with effort to carry her to her room. She couldn't remember when the last time was she had felt so tired and depleted, not at least since her parents’ accident.

Removing her jeans, she sat down on the mattress, feeling it give slightly to her weight. With the removal of each sock, her feet seemed pulled by gravity, plummeting back to where she had raised them. Her pillows beckoned to her, unable to resist the temptation to lay her head on them for just a few moments, she gave in. Fluffing her pillows slightly, she laid her head down welcoming the comfortable softness against her cheek. Still clad in her T-shirt and undergarments, she drifted off to sleep. Slumbering so soundly that even a herd of wild elephants wouldn't have been able to awaken her, she slept undisturbed until morning's golden rays were beaming through her bed room window.

Stretching as she yawned, Samantha regarded the clock on her nightstand, not caring that it was hours later than she normally arose. Jake would be gone a few more days by the estimation he had given her before he left, although he said he couldn't be sure exactly how long his business would take.

Samantha had offered Jonathan and Deidre the privacy of her bedroom whenever they returned, insisting that she would be okay sleeping on the sofa sleeper so that they could be together as long as possible before Deidre had to return to work. Elliot would be back soon, she assured them, that this would only be a temporary arrangement no matter what. She busied herself changing sheets and preparing for her houseguest.

Jake returned earlier than had been expected. To his dismay he couldn't help wondering where Samantha was. He had been anxious to see her upon his return. He assumed that she and Jonathan had possibly gone somewhere together since his truck was parked outside her cabin and her truck was no where to be seen. Disheartened he drove past the cabin, back to the corrals. Thoughts of them together unnerved him, making him wonder how much time they had spent together this week. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Jake couldn't wait for Elliot's return, it would be soon and then he could let Jonathan go his merry way. That thought delighted him immensely. He knew he should be ashamed, but he wasn't. Some things one should compete for, but affection wasn't one of them. Either Samantha would have to choose to be with him because she wanted to, or ... She was going to have to make a choice, and soon.

Jake was putting the new horse he had purchased into a stall when Zeb came into the barn. “Where'd that one come from?” Zeb asked.

Jake eyed him, giving careful consideration to his response. “It's a gift for a friend,” he told him.

Zeb let out a low whistle. “That's some gift."

Giving an appreciative glance over the horse, Zeb started to leave, halting momentarily when he remembered something. “By the way, Elliot will be back in a couple days."

“That's good news,” Jake replied merrily. Not much longer until the thorn in his side was removed, then that sticker could go back to where he came.

“Oh ... I gave that young fella filling in for Elliot the okay to take off for a couple of days. I figured it was the least I could do since he was getting hitched.” Zeb brought his hand up and rubbed the hint of a five o'clock shadow, as if he was giving some deep consideration to his thoughts. While he still continued stroking his jaw, but a little slower, he added, “He and Samantha headed back home for the wedding, oughta be back any day now. Other than that everything's been pretty much the same since you've been gone. Tom and Irv rode out and fixed the fence in the north pasture, day before yesterday. We're checking on a couple of the foals this afternoon,” Zeb said. “Anything else you want us to tend to?"

Jake had tuned Zeb out after he got to the part where Samantha and Jonathan had gone back home for the wedding. He was just in Georgetown. If he had known he would have tried to stop her from making a mistake. He was sure she felt the same about him as he did about her.

Jake couldn't believe how lightly Zeb delivered the news to him, as if it wasn't a big thing. Like everything was perfect, the way it was suppose to go. To Jake it felt as if there had just been a catastrophic earthquake, shaking his entire world, threatening his very existence.

He should have told Samantha how he felt when he had the chance. Instead, he allowed his pride and ego to get in the way. Now it was too late. Even if he had told her, it might not have mattered. After all, she had known Jonathan for most of her life. How could he have ever expected to compete with a childhood sweetheart?

A whirlwind of questions whizzed through his head, making him feel both dizzy and sick. Would Samantha leave now to continue her new life with Jonathan? The thought left a void in his heart. How could he ever hope to have her work for him, around his home without always longing for her? His world felt as if it had come to an end. Things would never be the same again. He knew he could never love anyone again the way he loved Samantha. He would have to try to maintain his dignity. Maybe it was better that he hadn't babbled on, telling her of his undying love for her, to have her reject it and him, only to choose another.

“Guess not,” Zeb said to himself when Jake never answered his question. “Reckon I'll be gettin’ back to work."

Feeling speechless, Jake waved him off, fighting for control of his rampant emotions. Finishing his task, he walked heavy-footed and with a heavy heart, to his truck, slamming the door as he climbed inside. As he drove closer to his home, the pain tore at his gut even more. He couldn't bear going inside, yet, to a lonely house. Everything would remind him of Samantha, the way his home had come to smell, and to the way it looked sparkling clean.

Slamming his palm against the steering wheel, he drove on, where he drove and for how long, he wasn't sure. His direction seemed aimless, which was how he felt his life was heading at the moment.

“Lord, where are you? Was I too blind to see what you were trying to tell me?” Jake uttered the words helplessly. “Lord, help me to be strong,” was the last utterance of a prayer that left his lips as he made his way aimlessly back home.

By the time he returned back to the ranch it was dark. Outside Samantha's cabin, Jonathan's truck sat, a painful reminder to what seemed an unfathomable reality he would have to learn to face.

Clutching his hand to his chest, he could almost feel his heart being ripped out. It was a pain almost unbearable. Remembering scripture didn't help to ease the pain or add comfort to his already sagging spirits. It was true that God never gave you more than what you could bear. It was evident by the fact that he was still standing there. How much more he could take he didn't know, nor did he have any desire to find out.

Standing beside his truck he stared at the glimmering lights that shown in the darkness. She should be sharing his bed and his life. Could this really be God's will that she be married to someone else? The thought of them together made him physically ill.

By morning his head was pounding, throbbing ferociously, he could have sworn he could feel his pulse at his temples. This was the first time in awhile since he'd had a headache. The thought of that made his head pound even more. All he could think of was the way Samantha had helped to take care of him, nursing him back to health and praying for him.

Samantha had noticed Jake's truck last night when she turned out the lights to go to bed. She wondered why he hadn't come over to let her know he was home. Maybe he was just tired. Anxious to see him, she practically ran over to the house to make his breakfast.

The aroma of fresh coffee sifted upstairs, alerting him to Samantha's presence. Sooner or later he would have to face her, he decided he might as well get it over with. Reluctantly he dragged himself and his throbbing head out of bed, trudging off to the bathroom to shower.

Sauntering into the kitchen, he knew he was about to face the most dreaded moment of his life. How did one gracefully concede defeat, much less go on as if everything was fine?

“Good morning. I hope you're hungry, I made a big breakfast. Thought you might have missed my cooking,” she teased, raising her eyebrows at him.

“I'm not really very hungry. I could use some aspirins though,” he replied dryly.

Samantha turned away from the stove, a look of concern reflected in her eyes. “Have you got a headache? Sit down, I'll massage your temples,” she offered as she headed towards him.

“No, thank you. I'll be fine,” he said side-stepping her, he grabbed a cup from the cupboard and poured himself coffee before walking out the door.

Dazed, Samantha could only stare at the door after Jake walked out so abruptly. The smell of bacon burning turned her attention back to the stove. She rushed over and removed the skillet from the burner before turning it off.

Rehashing everything that happened in her head, she couldn't think of anything she'd done to upset him. She couldn't understand what had gotten into him, why he was so distant. It wasn't as if he'd never had a headache before. Maybe brought on by a bad week? Samantha decided to shrug off the incident, chalking it up to his headache.

Once outside, Jake stood brooding to himself. What got into him? He should have at least acted civilized towards Samantha. At lunchtime he was still feeling bad for the way he had treated her, which contributed to his headache, causing his foul mood. Over lunch he still kept a distance between them in conversation.

Samantha sat across the table frowning. She couldn't take the waiting any longer. “Jake, are we going to finish that talk later?” she asked, referring to the talk he mentioned before he left nearly a week ago.

“What talk?” he asked casually.

“You said before you left that we needed to talk,” she gently reminded him, fighting a sense of irritation.

“Well, I don't think there's anything left to talk about,” he said flatly.

Samantha could feel her heart sink. Obviously he had given up on trying to mend their relationship. As hard as it was, she was going to have to learn to accept that.

Jake knew he should remain strong. He chanced a glance towards her. She sat there, her head hung low. He felt like kicking himself, he shouldn't take his anger out on her. He should be thankful he found out ahead of time, instead of after making the same mistake his parents had made.

Letting out a sigh, he said, “I do have a gift for you. Let's go down to the stables and I'll show you."

He drove in silence, not saying a word, even when they reached the barn. Samantha couldn't imagine what kind of gift he could have for her that he would hide down here. She followed closely behind him, till they reached a stall that was normally empty. Hearing a horse whinny, she slowly stepped around Jake to see. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, as she called the horse by name, in a low voice, “Lazarus!"

Tears flowed down her cheeks. She had given up all hopes of ever getting to see her horse again. “How did you get him from Marty?” she asked incredulously. “You said you had a gift for me, you don't mean you bought Lazarus for me do you?"

“Yes, he's for you."

Samantha couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. “But why?"

Jake shrugged his shoulders, “I didn't think it was right the way Marty was holding the horse over your head."

His look turning to one of disgust, he added, “He didn't own him any more, he sold him to someone else. I just did a little asking around,” he said without any further hint of emotion.

He wasn't expecting what would happen next, Samantha threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips, taking him off guard. The feel of her near him again was more than he could bear. In a moment of temptation, he weakened, giving in to what he had envisioned the whole time he was gone.

He returned her kiss with a passion that burned deep within his inner being. For a moment their bodies were entwined together as one. It felt so right, how could it be wrong? The sound of reason beckoned to him, bringing him back to reality, he released her immediately.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have allowed that to happen,” he stammered. Taking his hat off he ran his fingers through his hair before replacing his hat, feeling totally frustrated.

“Would you like me to take you back up to the house?” he stammered.

She was still so overjoyed by her gift, that she barely paid any attention to him after that kiss. “No, if you don't mind I'll stay here awhile longer. Thank you for everything, Jake."

“Don't mention it,” he muttered and then he turned and walked away.

For the life of her, Samantha couldn't imagine why Jake would buy such an expensive gift for her, especially if he didn't feel anything toward her. At least he acted like he didn't feel anything, but there was that kiss, that earth-shaking, mind-blowing kiss. A frown creased her brow as she remembered the apology. Why would he apologize for kissing her?

Maybe he had wanted a clean break and here she had just thrown herself at him. What he must think of her? Normally she was not accustomed to being so forward; she began to feel a little embarrassed about her behavior.

Her hands continued to stroke Lazarus as she checked him out thoroughly, making sure he had been taken care of in her absence. When she was going to head back up to the ranch, he started snorting and rearing up.

“Okay, you can come, too."

She rode him bare back up to the house. This was going to be interesting. Her horse had no intentions of letting her get too far out of his sight. Samantha reasoned that he was probably afraid he would never see her again. She smiled thinking of the love she shared with her horse. Together they rode as one, horse and rider molded together perfectly as one.

Chapter Thirteen

After finishing the supper dishes at Jake's and going back to her cabin, Samantha headed directly towards her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Once in the privacy of the bathroom, she let the tears she had been holding back begin to fall. After a good cry, she washed her face and gathered a sleeping bag and pillow in her arms before stepping back into the living room to face Jonathan's and Deidre's watchful eyes.

Her eyes still slightly swollen from crying, she tried to keep her face discreetly averted away from her company. Afraid to speak, for fear that she would not be able to contain her anguish, she made a futile attempt to keep busy. Putting her armload down, she traipsed into the kitchen, buried her head inside the refrigerator, and retrieved an apple for Lazarus. When she stood to her full height, Jonathan was standing there behind the refrigerator door.

“What's wrong?” he asked sympathetically.

Trying to sound positive, she spoke in a light-hearted voice, “Elliot will be back in a couple of days, so you'll be free to go back to Guthrie soon."

“Don't tell me that's what has you all upset? You can always come and visit us, you know,” he said as he put his arms around her, comforting her.

Samantha sniffed, “Well, it seems Jake won't be needing my services either. So now I have to look for another job, too."

Jonathan placed her away from him, a hand on either shoulder. “You're kidding? He's letting you go? I can't believe the nerve of that guy."

Jonathan walked away shaking his head in astonishment, still trying to take in what Samantha had just told him.

“If you two don't mind, I'm going to grab my things and go down to the stable to sleep tonight. Lazarus still won't go back to the stall without me. It looks like it might rain tonight and I don't want him to get wet."

Samantha wasn't feeling up to being pitied. All she wanted was to be alone so she could sort things out in her head. There was so much to think about, but it wasn't easy to focus on her future with her heart aching so badly.

Outside, Lazarus was still tied up. His excitement at seeing her was evident in the way he bobbed his head up and down, neighing at the sight of her coming out of the cabin. Samantha wondered if Marty had been mean to him. If she had suspected that Marty would have been abusive to an animal, she would have never sold him to him in a million years, no matter how badly she needed the money.

Jake felt like he could kick himself, he paced through the house, anguished over his poor behavior that day. It wasn't easy to get over Samantha. He needed some sort of closure. He knew it would be best if he faced the fact that she was married now. The only way to get past this was to accept it and go on. With that in mind, he decided he would go over and congratulate the newlyweds.

It was doubtful that Samantha told Jonathan about their kiss. If she had, surely he would have come over prepared to defend his wife's honor. He definitely needed to separate himself from Samantha to ensure that nothing like that would ever happen between them again.

He would miss her home cooking, not to mention the endless help she had been around the house. He was getting rather accustomed to coming home to a clean house, especially since he wasn't the one having to clean it, not that he had time to run a home on his own with his endless tasks around the ranch that needed his attention.

Going out the back door and down the stairs, he strolled towards the cabin. He still couldn't picture the two of them together without feeling as if someone had hit him in the gut, his insides twisting in pain. Her horse had been tied up outside all day, he wondered where he was now, maybe Samantha had gone riding. It seemed funny to him how devoted her horse was to her, that after months of separation, he couldn't bear to be away from her. Jake was sure he'd feel the same way. He would want to linger around wherever she was too. He also wouldn't want to be away from her. That's why he reasoned, it was better for her to seek other employment.

Knocking on the door, Jake was both surprised and embarrassed when Jonathan answered the door in his pajama bottoms. Why didn't he use his head? Of course newlyweds would be spending time alone. He was about to leave when Deidre came out of Samantha's bedroom wearing the top half of Jonathan's pajamas.

“Honey, what do you want to do while Samantha's gone?” she drawled suggestively.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was here.” She disappeared quickly back into the bedroom.

Jonathan had the decency to blush. Jake could feel his temper rising. It was bad enough that he took part in an innocent kiss, but they obviously had a lot more planned than that. He couldn't believe they had the nerve to plan their affair underneath Samantha's nose. His heart went out to her.

“Where is Samantha?” Jake asked in a dry tone.

“She took her sleeping bag down to the stables to sleep with her horse,” Jonathan ground out angrily.

“And you didn't stop her?” Jake shook his head in disbelief. Annoyed, Jake turned and left. He was fuming and couldn't believe the nerve of Jonathan.

Slamming the door of his truck, Jake drove recklessly back to the corrals. He hadn't meant to cause any problems by buying Samantha's horse back for her. He had intended it for a wedding gift. He just hadn't planned on Jonathan being the man she would marry, and it should have been him.

Maybe she was having doubts already. Nothing would please Jake more than to go down and get her and drag her back up there to see what her husband and friend were up to behind her back. Banging his hand against the steering wheel didn't help to relieve his frustration. There was no way he was going to be the one to tell her she had married a total idiot. He was sure she would accuse him of being jealous, suggesting that he would only say those things to cause trouble.

Jake decided it would be a good idea at least to check up on Samantha. He couldn't allow her to stay down at the stables all night, it wouldn't be right. Walking into the stables, he could hear the low soft murmuring of a woman's voice. He wondered who she was talking to, not wanting to eavesdrop or interrupt he walked in quietly.

“Oh, Lazarus, I don't know what to do. Sometimes things don't work out like you want them to."

Jake's heart went out to Samantha. She must feel the only friend in the world she has right now is her horse. That's why she's sharing her troubles with him. Not only had he shunned her, but also her own husband was being unfaithful at that very moment.

She should be happy since she was a newlywed. Since she wasn't, Jake figured she must already suspect something, otherwise she would be happy. If only he had been there to object before she made this awful mistake.

“Samantha, it's me, Jake. What are you doing down here?” he asked softly.

Samantha jumped and put her hand to her chest, “Oh! You startled me."

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I was concerned about you. Jonathan said you were planning on spending the night down here. I don't think it's a good idea."

Innocent eyes turned to stare at him. “It looks like it might rain and Lazarus won't stay in his stall."

“Why don't you try talking to him for a while and then we'll say goodnight to him. If he doesn't have a problem, we'll go back up to the house."

“I already told them I'd be gone all night,” Samantha said hesitantly.

Jake could feel his temper starting to flare, obviously she did not want to go back and face her problems. He couldn't allow her to stay down at the barn all night alone and it wouldn't be proper to ask her if she would like to sleep in the guest bedroom at his house either.

“You can't stay here alone. If you insist on staying, I'll stay with you.” The look on his face said he wouldn't argue the point.

“You don't have to. I'll be fine, really."

Samantha didn't know how she could handle being around him and not be able to touch him. She longed to feel his arms around her again. The thought of being around him began to make her feel apprehensive. How could she even begin to pretend she didn't have feelings for him still? If she faced reality, she knew she could never love another man the way she loved Jake.

Jake had left her with her horse and gone to retrieve some cots from a storeroom.

“Here, we can sleep on these,” he said as he began setting them up. This was one of those times she knew she would find it useless to argue with him.

“Thank you,” she said, giving in.

Samantha unrolled her sleeping bag and laid it on her cot. “Goodnight, Lazarus. Goodnight, Jake."

She felt kind of silly sleeping in a barn with her horse, before it had seemed like a good ideal. Now she wasn't so sure, especially with Jake there.

“Goodnight, Samantha."

In her cot, Samantha lay listening to the sound of Jake's steady breathing. Every time he exhaled she held her breath, remembering how it felt when he held her and his breath blew softly against her hair. The fragrance of musk drifted across to where she lay, tantalizing her nose with the aroma of his masculine smell, making it even more difficult to keep her mind off him.

In the distance, the rumbling of thunder beat its faint drum, threatening to grow as the chorus approached them in the dead of the night. Heavy droplets of rain began to beat upon the roof. Between the carefully orchestrated rains and thunder, Samantha drifted into slumber, and escape from the turmoil that gnawed at her insides.

Jake lay listening to the even, steady breaths that Samantha drew. He could tell she was troubled by something by the way she tossed and turned in the small cot. How his arms ached to hold her and comfort her, to reassure her that everything would be all right. But that wasn't possible, for he wasn't sure it would be, not for her and definitely not for him.

Before the sun had a chance to shine, Jake had awakened in the early morning hours, listening to the sound of Samantha breathing. Her restless slumber had not made it any easier for him to sleep, along with his troubled state of mind.

Getting up, he folded his hands together, resting an arm on either leg, he sat there just watching her while she slept. Her long brunette hair lay to the side of her face, looking so soft and silky. He resisted the urge to reach over and run his fingers through the delicate strands. How he longed to stroke his fingers against her soft cheek. He knelt beside her, wanting to sneak one close look at the lovely woman before him, longing to kiss her supple lips. Licking his lips, he remembered how inviting her lips had been before. She was a tempting sight, even in her sleep.

Bending his head a little closer to hers, he spoke quietly into her ear, “Samantha. Samantha, it's time to get up."

Stretching as she awoke, her arms brushed against Jake, she withdrew it quickly, almost as if she stuck it into a burning fire.

“Sorry."

“Good morning. How about I drop you off back at the cabin and you can lie down awhile. I can eat with the men this morning."

Her pulse accelerated to an alarming rate at his nearness. She could feel a burning sensation deep within. Struggling to control her emotions, she sat up abruptly, putting her feet on the opposite side of her cot, creating a more comfortable distance between them.

“I'm sorry. Did I sleep too late? It won't take me long to make breakfast,” she assured him.

There wouldn't be many more chances to share breakfast together, and then Jake would be out of her life forever. The thought of not being a part of his life anymore made her depressed.

“If you're not too tired and you don't mind, just make something simple,” Jake suggested.

“All right."

While Jake put their cots away, Samantha rolled up her sleeping bag. Since she had ridden Lazarus down to the barn last night, she had no choice, but to ride back to the house, in the close confines of his truck.

Samantha stroked her horse's head. He appeared to be more settled than the day before. “Goodbye, boy. I'll be back later,” she assured him.

Feeling suddenly shy and awkward, Samantha didn't know exactly what to say. “Jake?"

“Yes?"

“About last night ... thank you for staying ... it was thoughtful of you."

“Don't mention it."

Once they were inside, Samantha suggested that Jake shower while she made breakfast. He agreed by giving a nod of his head, and then headed for the stairs.

When he returned to the kitchen, the aroma of fresh brewed coffee greeted him, Samantha was folding the last omelet in the skillet. He sat down, sniffing in the wonderful aroma. His gaze focused on Samantha while her back was turned to him.

“Elliot will be back tomorrow,” he told her casually.

Samantha felt her shoulders tense up, there was nothing she could say in response. She put the last omelet on the plate, next to a slice of ham and turned to carry both plates to the table. Jake said grace before they began to eat.

“Will you be going back to Guthrie?” he asked inquisitively.

Her voice seemed to catch in her throat, “No."

Jake sensed her uneasiness. “I'm sorry, Samantha. I'm not happy about the way things have worked out, but I don't know what I can do."

He wished things could have worked out differently, but it was best to let her go. He didn't trust himself, one time he might give into temptation again. He couldn't allow that to happen, she belonged to someone else.

“It's okay, Jake. Don't worry about it.” She knew he wasn't feeling any better than she was about the situation, but if he didn't love her, it was best they went their separate ways. With nothing left to say they finished their breakfast in silence.

When Jake was leaving, he paused at the back door. Opening his mouth to say something, he stopped and closed it again. He couldn't think of anything to say that would help. Samantha sat there, turned towards him, her eyes looking strained. She looked so helpless he longed to comfort and reassure her, but that wasn't possible.

“Goodbye,” he finally said at last, and with that he was gone.

Chapter Fourteen

With Elliot coming back tomorrow, Deidre and Jonathan decided that Deidre would pack while Jonathan was at work, then they would leave as soon as he was done working. With their plans all settled Jonathan bent slightly to kiss his wife goodbye.

After Jonathan left, Deidre had an irresistible smile upon her face. “Do you think we could run into town for a little bit? I'd like to get something special to wear tonight,” Deidre suggested coyly, a twinkle lighting her eyes.

“What? Jonathan won't let you wear his shirts anymore?” Samantha asked in mock indignation.

Deidre blushed, laughing at Samantha's acknowledgment. The two women gathered their purses before heading for the mall, still chuckling to themselves. Samantha couldn't help but envy Deidre, she wished she had someone to look forward to being with. In her heart, Samantha knew the only someone she would ever want was Jake.

While they were walking through the mall, looking for an appropriate place to buy a negligee, Samantha thought she saw a familiar face. “I think I saw a friend, do you care if we go and say hello?” Deidre shrugged her shoulders, as if saying it really didn't matter to her.

Smiling, Samantha waved and hollered, “Tex."

He didn't reply verbally, but returned her smile and nodded. He was busy talking with a tall, slender blonde. As they approached the couple, Samantha offered a friendly greeting, “Hello. What are you up to?"

The tall blonde turned her nose up and with a, “Humph,” she turned and walked back into the store where Samantha assumed she was working.

“I'm sorry, I hope I didn't disturb something?"

“No, in fact I'm glad you came when you did,” he chuckled. “That was my ex-wife, she called to have me bring her something down and decided to use the opportunity to chew me out about something or other again. Actually, I'm rather glad you rescued me,” he assured her, his eyes sparkling as they took in the sight of her.

Samantha expressed her astonishment. “I didn't know you were ever married."

“One doesn't easily share his failures,” he shrugged. Samantha flinched slightly. She shouldn't have said anything.

Since he already mentioned it, he decided to willingly give the details of his failed marriage. “We were young and rushed into it. We should have taken more time to have gotten to know each other Unfortunately, not only did I lose a wife, but my best friend too. Their marriage didn't last much longer than ours did."

Realization dawned on Samantha, Tex had lost his wife to a friend, and someone he should have been able to trust. “I'm sorry,” she said.

“It's water under the bridge. So what brings you two ladies here today?” Tex asked good-naturedly.

Glancing at Deidre, Samantha smiled before answering Tex, “Oh, just doing some shopping. By the way, I haven't had a chance to introduce you to Deidre. Deidre, this is Tex. Tex, meet my friend and Jonathan's wife Deidre.

“I guess I should be saying goodbye to you. I'm not sure if I'll be going to the same church after Sunday. Elliot's coming back tomorrow and it appears Jake won't be needing my services any longer,” she couldn't help the watery glaze that covered her eyes as she said this. It was still hard for her to believe.

Tex didn't like the thought of Samantha walking out of his life so quickly, especially since they were just getting to know each other better. On the spur of the moment he formulated a plan. “My mother is coming to stay with me for a little while. How about you coming to stay and cook for her while she's here? You can stay in my mother-in-laws’ old quarters. She lived next to us for awhile. You could cook for mother and keep her company while I'm working. It would really help me out and in the meantime you could look for a job here in Georgetown."

It seemed like the perfect solution. Samantha couldn't bear the thought of going back to Guthrie. Being here near Jake would be hard enough, but living in a small town like Guthrie, she would be faced with more bad memories than she cared to remember. Marty Carlson was one of those memories. Without Jake around she definitely didn't care to ever face him again. Her eyebrows drew together in a disgusted frown. “All right,” she agreed and told him she would be over after lunch the next day.

Now all Tex had to do was call his mother and convince her to come and stay with him for awhile. It had been awhile since their last visit. He was sure he could convince her to come. She might even find the situation amusing enough to play along. Tex couldn't help hoping that with Jake out of the picture, perhaps Samantha would give him a chance. He knew she had only been interested in him as a friend, but that was because of the way she felt about Jake. Now he might be able to convince her that he was an equally charming suitor.

“Until tomorrow then,” he said and they parted ways.

“God's still watching over me, even when I'm not sure I can see him,” Samantha told Deidre. She was glad they had run into Tex, come tomorrow afternoon, she didn't know what she would have done to get by. Now she had a place to stay and a job. At least for a little while.

They finished their shopping and returned in time for Samantha to make lunch for Jake. She decided there was no need to tell Jake of her plans, after all it was no longer any concern of his.

Samantha had lunch ready right on schedule, but Jake was running late today. It wasn't like him to be late. Concern began to fill her with worry. Walking to the back door, she pulled the curtain aside and looked out. She could see dust stirring in the air behind Jake's truck as it headed up the road towards the house.

She finished getting their iced teas ready and was placing them on the table when he strolled through the back door. “You're late,” she announced upon his arrival.

“After tomorrow I'll probably be eating with the men, so I'll be on their schedule. I know I can't very well be late then,” he snapped. He mentally chastised himself. He hadn't meant to be so curt with Samantha. He had just been thinking out loud. After today he wouldn't have to look at his watch. She wouldn't be here for him to hurry home to. He would be coming back to his big, lonely house. It never really bothered him before. Now it began to feel empty.

Samantha was definitely a good cook, but what he would miss most of all wasn't her cooking. It was her. His life would never be the same again without her there to brighten his days.

He didn't have to be testy about it, Samantha thought to herself. “What time would you like supper? If you want it at a different time, I'll be glad to accommodate you."

“Same time as usual will be fine."

“Okay, you're the boss,” she replied.

It used to be so easy to talk to each other, now there seemed to be an unnerving edge between them, an invisible barrier they couldn't cross. Samantha wanted to leave on good terms. She had hoped to use Jake as a reference. In the past, she had only worked on her parents’ ranch so she was sure that she would need a reference from Jake since he was the only other employment that she had outside of family.

When Jake left she did dishes before changing bed linens and starting laundry. Jake had a healthy appetite, so there weren't many leftovers to clean out of the refrigerator. She vacuumed and dusted before starting supper. For supper she elected to make manicotti, cheese garlic bread, and salad with a French cheesecake for dessert.

Jake managed to be on time for supper, even a few minutes early. After he washed up, he came in to sit down to supper. “You really out did yourself tonight,” he observed with great pleasure.

“Thank you, I wanted to make a special dinner for you since it would be our last dinner together. I might also need a reference letter from you, too,” she admitted with a smile.

“That's why I get a special dinner?” he inquired, laughing heartily. “If I'd known a letter of reference would have gotten me special treatment, I would have used that any time I wanted something extra special,” he said jokingly. It was the first time he had joked with her since he came back.

“What ever you want Mr. Dampier. Can I get you anything else, sir?” she teased.

“Well ... I do need the stables cleaned out."

Turning her nose up, she replied, “Sorry, sir. My job is confined to the home's interior. You'll have to take that up with our yard man."

It felt so good to joke with Jake again. He had a wonderful sense of humor. Before he had gone away, he had always made her laugh. His smile was so charming and irresistible. When he laughed his eyes seemed to dance with joy, twinkling brighter than the stars on a clear night.

“I guess that would be me,” he assessed.

Dinner had been enjoyable. It was nicer being on good terms again. Jake had excused himself to finish some paperwork. When Samantha was done with dishes she left quietly.

It was still going to be light out for awhile, Samantha decided to take advantage of the opportunity to go riding. Inside her cabin, she changed into an old pair of faded blue jeans and a T-shirt before driving down to the stables to saddle Lazarus.

She was thankful that her truck had been repaired before Jonathan and Deidre left, otherwise she didn't know how she would have gotten around. The only thing that had been wrong with her truck was a broken belt, which didn't cost much to repair. The tow bill had cost more than it did to replace the belt. The whole ordeal had drained her cash reserve a little, leaving her with just enough money to get by for a week or two. She was thankful that she had another job to go to, even if it was only temporary.

She felt her heart begin to sink as she saddled up Lazarus. She hadn't given any thought about what to do with her horse. Maybe she could work something out with Tex about rooming him there for awhile.

Samantha road Lazarus down to the pond, dismounting and walking with him trailing slightly behind her, she followed the perimeter around the pond. This was truly one of the most tranquil places she had ever been.

Lord, thank You for meeting my needs. Samantha whispered her small prayer of thanks. God was still meeting her needs every step she took. She could see that he was there with her in every change that had happened in her life. She didn't always understand why some things happened, but she refused to give up trusting Him.

As the sun was setting on the horizon, Samantha headed back on Lazarus. When she returned to the stables, Jake was there to greet her.

“I was starting to get worried about you. I hope you're not planning on spending the night down here again?” Jake asked.

“No, I just wanted to go for a ride. I didn't feel like sitting alone in my cabin tonight.” After tomorrow it wouldn't be her home any longer, a thought saddened her.

“Where's your friend?"

“She and Jonathan went back to Guthrie after supper."

He eyed her warily. “Are you okay?"

“I'm fine. I still have to pack before I go to bed. So if you don't mind, I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you in the morning."

“Goodnight, Samantha,” he replied tenderly. Jake didn't care much for Jonathan before, but now he cared even less for him. It infuriated him that he could behave this way towards his new bride. Jake finished up what he was doing and decided to call it a night himself.

He knew his house would never be the same without Samantha there. In only a couple of months she had come to mean more than anything else in the world had to him. No one had ever meant so much to him before. Definitely not the foster parents who came and went. Not even Zeb had touched his heart so deeply. Before, his life had seemed so easy. All there had been to do was work and attend church. His life was so simple before Samantha came into it. Now that she was leaving, it was in a state of total disrepair.

After Jake finally went to bed, it was a little after midnight. He looked out his bedroom window. A light still remained on in the cabin. He knew that Samantha was still awake, probably finishing packing. Surely there was a lot on her mind, with her husband and friend leaving together, not even bothering to wait for her. It was the least Jonathan could have done. If they had said anything to him, he would have let Samantha go early. It distressed him to let her go. That was the hardest thing he had ever had to face. If she hadn't been married, he was prepared to fight for her. But he honored marriage vows, to him they were sacred, a promise of commitment between a man, his wife, and God. Jake had always tried to seek God's will. He was sure chasing after a married woman wasn't in God's will, no matter how much he wanted her.

Conceding that things weren't meant to be, he drew himself away from the window and went to lie down. It was a futile attempt at sleep. When he finally fell asleep, it was a restless slumber. The shrill ringing of his alarm going off awakened him to the new day that lay ahead. His eyes were blood-shot and he felt sluggish, not wanting to drag himself out of bed. A feeling of fatigue threatened to overwhelm him. He felt as if he hadn't even gone to sleep.

Even as late as Samantha had gotten to bed, she still managed to beat him up. He would definitely miss having breakfast ready for him every morning. She had spoiled him in such a small amount of time. She always had his meals ready for him, did his laundry, cleaned his house and most of all, she had been a welcome companion. He couldn't even consider hiring another person to take her place. No one could mean to him what Samantha did. Anyone else doing the things she did for him would be like a stranger interfering in his life.

“Breakfast smells good as usual.” He went over to the stove to take his plate from her. Her cologne smelled tantalizing. How he longed to reach over and touch her hair, to embrace her one more time. Inside he knew it was best that she would be leaving. With her around he would never be able to concentrate, much less contain his feelings.

He sat down at the table and poured syrup on his waffles. Samantha took her seat across the table from him, barely making eye contact, afraid that they would reveal the pain and the love she felt for him.

Neither one really knew what to say. This would be their last day together. They both wished it would never end, but neither one able to tell the other how they felt.

Finally Samantha broke the silence that lingered between them. “Is there anything special you want me to do around here today for you before I go?"

“No, you've done so much already. In fact, so you can get a better start, I'll plan on having lunch with the men.” There was no easy way to say goodbye. It had never hurt Jake so bad to have to say it.

“Samantha, I hope you'll be happy. If there's anything you ever need, don't hesitate to let me know. It's been nice having you here."

Jake didn't know how to express his feelings very well. It was part of the reason he had never told her how he felt. Love was not something he had grown up experiencing. God's love had been new to him. If not for that, he wasn't sure he would have ever been capable of loving anyone. If he would have been sure of these feelings before, and if he'd been able to tell her, maybe she wouldn't have married Jonathan.

“Well, I've got to get back to work,” he said and gave her a brief hug goodbye.

Chapter Fifteen

Waiting patiently, with the receiver cradled next to her ear, Samantha listened to the constant ringing, until finally it halted, moments later a male voice reverberated across the line, “Hello."

“Hello, Tex. This is Samantha."

“Well, what can I do for you?” he asked happily, more than willing to oblige.

“I was wondering ... could I ... could you...” she stammered.

“What is it, Little Missy? You know you can ask me anything?” he encouraged her gently to continue.

“Could I board my horse, Lazarus, at your place?” There, she finally asked him.

“Well, shoot, Little Missy, is that all you wanted? I was worried it was something bigger. Of course, you can keep your horse here,” he offered.

Tex showed up later with his horse trailer in tow to help Samantha transport Lazarus back to his ranch. Samantha was more than thankful for Tex's help. After loading up Lazarus, she took a quick look around, hoping to see Jake. There was no a sign of him anywhere near. His brown, wavy hair, strong defined jaw line and green eyes were forever imprinted in her mind. She would never forget every detail of the man she loved, not even the way he walked. When they were mad at each other, she still secretly enjoyed watching him walk away. A sigh escaped her as she thought of him.

“It will be okay, Little Missy,” Tex reassured her.

Samantha nodded, but she knew it was easier for Tex to say. He wasn't the one who had to worry about a permanent place to live, a job, or the most upsetting part, losing the only man she'd ever loved.

On a distant hill, in bordering the south pastures sat a lone horseman with watchful eyes. He remained still, perched upon his horse, observing what was going on at the corral below. Yet he remained unnoticed.

Good-byes had never been his strong point. He'd said them one too many times before, while growing up in foster care. Inside he knew he could never say goodbye again, at least to Samantha. It took all his will power to keep from riding down there to claim her for himself. To enfold her in his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless, gasping for air.

Samantha began to follow Tex back to his ranch, she felt as if she were being watched. But a glance around revealed nothing. No one was anywhere in sight. As she drove, she couldn't help feeling a crawling sensation run through her, sensing that something wasn't right.

Once they had settled Lazarus in his new stall, Tex took her back up to the house and showed her where she would be staying. It was still furnished from when his mother-in-law had lived there. The furniture looked coated with a layer of dust and a few cobwebs hung in the corner of the living room.

“There was no way I could handle my mother-in-law staying under the same roof with us. I added this place on to keep peace when she stayed with us,” Tex said.

“Was it that bad?” Samantha asked politely.

“Worse,” he chuckled.

Samantha was glad she wouldn't be staying under the same roof as Tex. She believed others would look upon it as questionable behavior for her to stay without a chaperone with a single man. With Tex's mother around, she hoped there wouldn't be any idle gossip at church concerning her working for one single man and then going to work for another single man, both from the same church. Unfortunately, she knew some people had a tendency to talk about others when they had nothing better to do. Usually the stories they were telling would get all blown out of proportion with each person adding just a little more of their own version to it every time it was retold.

Tex's laugh faded and he looked closely at Samantha, absorbing her beautiful image to carry with him. “Mother will be here in the morning,” he told her solemnly.

Samantha smiled, “Is there anything you'd like me to get ready before she comes?"

“No, you might have a time dusting here. You'll find some linen in a drawer somewhere, I'm sure. If not, just come and let me know, I'll round you up some."

“Thanks for everything, I really appreciate you helping me out right now."

“Don't think nothing of it. How about we go out for dinner and possibly catch a movie? It'll be a nice refresher after you're done getting settled in here."

Samantha flashed him an inquisitive glance, trying to read his expression. He leaned casually against the doorway that led into the kitchen. His arms were folded across his chest. She began to relax, feeling more at ease because she felt his offer was one of friendship. Her feelings for Tex hadn't changed. His friendship was what she sincerely needed right now.

“That would be nice. Just give me a chance to clean up a little around here and get ready. What time do you want to leave?"

Tex eased himself up to his full height, he towered nearly a foot above Samantha. “How about we leave around six?” he suggested as he strolled towards her, stopping just a few feet away from her.

Samantha tilted her head back in order to look up at him. “I'll be ready,” she promised.

Tipping his hat, he gave a nod of his head. “I'll see you then,” he replied before leaving.

She spent the afternoon scrubbing, dusting and polishing the furniture, then proceeded to vacuum and mop before she changed the bed linens. The scent of pine filtered through the air, it smelled clean and definitely gave the appearance of being lived in. Feeling satisfied with her achievements, she jumped into the shower to get ready for her evening with Tex.

Her muscles ached slightly from the vigorous cleaning she had done, but the work had helped to take her mind off of Jake. She was looking forward to going out with Tex. She was already beginning to miss having a friend to hang around with. It had been close to two weeks since she had gone anywhere with Jake. Jonathan and Deidre had kept each other company after the wedding. Samantha hadn't really gone out for a pleasurable evening since the last time she went out with Tex. They had a wonderful time doing nothing in particular. Tex was a handsome man; he was also funny and dependable, not to mention financially secure. Any woman would be ecstatic to have a man like Tex interested in them. So why wasn't she? She mused to herself. I guess we don't have a choice of who we fall in love with. It just happens when it does. God gave us this wonderful gift of love, why did it have to hurt sometimes? She decided to leave the future to God, in his time she was sure things would work out.

Samantha dressed in a sleeveless light blue cotton dress so she would be comfortable for the warm summer evening. She was sitting on the couch, thumbing through an old magazine she discovered while cleaning. Upon hearing his knock, she rose and placed the magazine on the end table before answering the door.

“Hello."

“You look mighty pretty. Of course, I think you always look pretty,” he said with a boyish grin.

“Thank you,” she said, blushing. It was nice to be admired by a man, especially a handsome one. However, that was not the kind of attention she was looking for from Tex. She valued the friendship that had developed between them. Changing the subject, she asked, “Will your mother be here for breakfast?"

“No, she won't be here until right before lunch.” They continued talking as they drove to the restaurant, enjoying the idle conversation.

“Shall I have a nice lunch waiting for us when she gets here?"

“I'm sure she would appreciate that. It takes a couple of hours for her flight and she doesn't really care to eat on the plane. I think she rates the food right up there with TV dinners,” he chuckled.

“What is your mother like?” Samantha asked cautiously. She had never given thought before that his mother might not like her. Tex obviously had money, his parents quite possibly did too. She had met some rich people in the past that turned their noses up at those they considered less fortunate than themselves.

“She likes a good home cooked meal. She thinks society has gotten a little too fast paced for itself with fast food, microwave dinners, and made to order take out. I guess you could say she's kind of old fashioned.

“I'm sure she'll fall in love with you, don't be surprised if she tries marrying us off though. She keeps wondering why I've never gotten married again. Mom thinks she's getting old and should be a grandmother by now,” Tex said thoughtfully.

The time he spent with Samantha, while Jake was out of town, made him think about his life, bringing about a yearning to settle down and begin a family. His words to Samantha were true, his mother had been looking forward to having grandchildren, but he had been longing to have a son of his own, too. Someone to carry on his family name, to hobble over to him when he came home and call him, “Dada."

He wasn't getting any younger, he'd be thirty-seven before the end of the year. If he wanted a family, he'd have to do something about it pretty soon. Visions of a family began to make him feel a little mellow.

“Let's let her know early that I'm not a candidate for your next wife. But I'll be glad to help her find one for you. There is that pretty red head that usually sits in back at church. I assume you will be looking for a wife who shares your beliefs?” Samantha acted like she was taking into considerations his requirements for a wife so that she could help match-make. Maybe if she helped to set him up with someone he would find the woman who was right for him. The more Samantha thought about it, the more she liked the idea. She would love to see him with the red head, and then she wouldn't have her claws into Jake.

“Let's see, what was the name of that redhead? ... Sylvia ... that's it. How about asking her out?” Samantha asked in mock sincerity.

“Don't tell me I have two of you to worry about now?” Tex exclaimed, exasperated. “Why don't we just get married and make everybody happy,” he suggested teasingly, a bit of hope lingering in the backs of his eyes. He kept that feeling guarded, or attempted to, not wanting to scare her off, ruining any chances of what he hoped could one day come true. He would be proud to call Samantha his wife.

“Who do you consider everybody? It would take care of you and your mother, but it wouldn't help my broken heart,” she retaliated defensively.

“I'm sorry,” Tex replied in a low muffled voice. “I was only teasing. I'm sorry that things haven't worked out the way you had hoped. I know it's hard going on with your life right now. But I'm here to help you if you like."

Tex sounded so sincere, Samantha bit her tongue. She felt guilty for the way she snapped at him. He had been nothing but helpful when she asked for anything. He was always there willing to lend a hand.

“You have been a treasured friend. I can't thank you enough for all you've done,” Samantha said softly, reaching over to gently touch his hand.

“We're here,” Tex announced as he pulled into a parking spot. He got out, stretching his long legs before he went around to Samantha's side to open the door for her. “Madam,” he said as he extended his arm for her to take.

Samantha couldn't help but recognize the restaurant when she got out of the car. Reminiscing about the romantic evening she had spent with Jake made her wistful. The waiter seated them at a secluded table. She couldn't help wondering if it was intentional. They were sitting next to the table where she and Jake had sat. Samantha was sure Jake had intended their meal to be intimate.

The waiter handed them their menus and left to retrieve the beverages they ordered. Samantha was engrossed in her menu, situated comfortably with her back towards the majority of the restaurant. Were she seated where Tex was, she would have been able to see Jake going to the register to pay for a takeout order. The sight of Jake didn't escape Tex. Intentionally he didn't attempt to make eye contact. He thought Jake caught a glimpse of him on his way out of the restaurant. Mentally he crossed his fingers and prayed he wouldn't stop.

Luck was with him. Jake paused only a fraction of a second, glancing over to where they sat before continuing to exit the restaurant. Tex decided it was best not to mention Jake's presence. He wanted Samantha to have a good time, not spend the evening pining for Jake.

Jake had intended on eating at the restaurant, but the memory of the evening he shared with Samantha overwhelmed him with feelings better left forgotten. On the way out of the restaurant he couldn't help but glance over to where they had sat together. Jake shook his head as if he was trying to clear it. He had to be hallucinating. He thought he saw someone, who looked like Samantha sitting with Tex. He knew that was absurd. Samantha had already left to go home. She couldn't be here. But everywhere he looked he saw her face. Her image imbedded itself on his mind, no matter what. He didn't seem capable of erasing that image. Not that he wanted to, it was just too painful to remember.

After supper Samantha and Tex had taken in a late show. Attempting to politely stifle a yawn, she covered her mouth with her hand. Every muscle in her body ached from all the scrubbing she had done earlier. “I can't seem to keep my eyes open, I hope you don't mind if we retire?” she asked.

“No, not at all. I'm kind of tired myself.” Tex escorted her to her door and waited to leave until she was tucked safely inside.

Accustomed to getting up early, Samantha woke early as usual. Sitting slowly in bed, she began to get her bearings. Once inside the shower, the water pulsating down on her face helped to revive her senses, helping to give her a new sense of determination. With that she chose a light, sleeveless summer dress, with little lilacs embroidered around the bottom of the dress. It was one her mother had embroidered for her.

Tex was already up, frying sausage and eggs, when Samantha let herself in. “I thought I was the one who was suppose to be doing the cooking?” she questioned.

“Old habits die hard. I haven't had anyone around in so long to cook for me, it kind of becomes a habit,” he said, a smile beaming wide enough to stretch from the east clear to the west.

His charm was difficult to resist. “Well, don't let it happen again. That's what I'm here for,” she warned him. “After breakfast, I thought I would get a room ready for your mother. If you can tell me which room you'd like me to set her up in and where to find the linens, I'll make sure it's taken care of."

“Why, thank you, little miss. You don't miss a trick,” he said, admiring her thoroughness. He hadn't changed the sheets in the spare bedroom since ... well since before he could even remember. There were some definite advantages to having a woman around.

They ate in the kitchen. Samantha noticed that it was modern, with sophisticated appliances including a dishwasher. She didn't doubt that his ex-wife had made sure to have all the comforts available to her. She spared no expenses when it came to the furnishings.

“You're quite a cook,” she commented appreciatively. Jonathan couldn't make anything more than a sandwich. She wasn't sure of Jake's cooking abilities, although he seemed to be a man who could handle any challenge that came his way. Engrossed in her thoughts, she wasn't aware that Tex was speaking to her. Giving her a nudge, Tex asked, “Are you still here with me?"

“I'm sorry, my mind must have been wandering,” she apologized for her lack of attention.

“I think it was taking a small vacation and the do not disturb sign was up,” he said jokingly. “Care to tell me what planet you were on?"

“On one not too far from here. Actually, I was wondering where you learned to cook?"

After wiping his mouth with his napkin, he laid it down on the table beside his plate. His face grew solemn as he answered, “After Mandy, my ex-wife, left me I had to learn to fend for myself. She wasn't much of a cook anyway. We had a cook come in to prepare supper through the week. On the weekends we just went out to eat."

“I'm sorry things didn't work out for the two of you,” she said sympathetically.

Samantha assured Tex she would have everything taken care of before he returned from the airport with his mother. She missed having her mother around. It had been nearly eight months since her parents’ death. An overwhelming desire to be accepted by Tex's mother came over her. She hoped that his mother would be pleased with her efforts.

The sound of a truck, crunching through gravel, alerted her of their return. Peeking out the window, she stole a glance at Mrs. Carrington. She was a slender woman, not skinny, but far from being plump. Burgundy flowers covered her white cotton dress that swayed gracefully as she walked. She was beautiful for her age, delicate. Everything about her seemed flawless. Samantha could only imagine how dazzling she must have been in her youth. Opening the door to greet them, Samantha stood in awe.

“Samantha, this is my mother. Mother, meet Samantha Marlow. She'll be here to help with the cooking while you're here,” Tex announced.

“Hello, Mrs. Carrington. It's nice to meet you."

“Likewise, my dear, but could you please call me Lily?"

“Yes, ma'am,” Samantha replied.

“Now you make me feel old, dear,” Lily said lightheartedly.

“I'm sorry, I was trying to be polite. You are one of the most beautiful women I've met,” Samantha babbled. She felt as if she were tripping over her own tongue, feeling at a loss for words.

“That more than earns you my forgiveness. Austin, my dear, I like her already,” she stated, turning towards her son.

“Austin?” Samantha asked in bewilderment.

“Yes, dear, that's his given name. They used to tease him incessantly, telling him his name reminded them of Austin, Texas, that eventually everyone started calling him Tex. The name just seemed to stick, especially with how tall he turned out to be. If you didn't know better, you might think he came from Texas,” Lily laughed.

“Are you and Austin ready to eat?” Samantha kept pace with their teasing nature, falling instantly in love with Tex's mother.

“Yes, dear, I think we are,” Lily replied, taking hold of Samantha's arm.

“Oh, great. Now I have two of you teaming up on me. I hope you're both not going to go around calling me Austin in public,” he asked wearily.

Samantha smiled sheepishly. She had no intention of telling others his name if he didn't want them to know, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

Tex informed them of his plans to attend the Kentucky Ranchers Annual Banquet, asking if he could escort both women. Lily seemed very interested in going, hoping to see some old friends of hers. Hesitantly, Samantha agreed to go. She didn't want to appear inhospitable, but Tex's earlier warning concerning his mother's matchmaking hung over her, like a thundercloud before the onset of a storm. It occurred to her that Tex might not be beyond matchmaking himself.

The thought of going out was somewhat appealing, still she couldn't help feel suspicious of his intentions, considering this was the first time he had mentioned the dinner and they had talked on several occasions lately, even before she came to stay there.

Chapter Sixteen

Samantha stood before Tex, adorned in her new dark blue satin dress. The blue shoes she bought to match the dress accentuated her dainty feet. A whistle of appreciation escaped his lips as he greeted her. “My, don't you look scrumptious?” he said, taking his hat off he brought it down in a slapping motion against his leg. “I promise to do my best to behave myself tonight. But as wonderful as you look, I'm apt to forget myself,” he warned.

“I will be more than happy to remind you of your place, Mr. Austin Carrington.” Samantha gently warned.

“Okay, okay. You don't have to resort to name calling. I'll behave if you do,” he promised, extending his hand towards her to shake.

“Agreed,” she said, as she took his out-stretched hand and shook it willingly. She enjoyed their light banter. He was easy to talk to and she derived a certain amount of pleasure from teasing him. He didn't seem to mind her sense of humor, never taking anything she said too personally, or appearing to be the least bit offended by her teasing.

Once they arrived at the banquet, Lily made herself scarce, politely excusing herself to visit with some friends she claimed to not have talked to in ages. The banquet was set up as a buffet, so after claiming their seats, Tex and Samantha headed up to stand in line.

Samantha and Tex were filling their plates when someone came up and slapped Tex on the back. “You old son of a gun, how are you doing?” the man bellowed.

Tex turned, a smile beamed across his tan face as he recognized his father's old friend. “Well I'll be, if it isn't Charlie Haddock,” he exclaimed.

Charlie gave Samantha an appreciative smile as he surveyed her, glaring like a wolf in pursuit of its prey. Tex appeared oblivious to his friend gawking at her.

“Charlie, I want you to meet Samantha."

“How do you do?” he grinned. Samantha noticed that when he smiled he was missing a tooth, while the others were tarnished from what she supposed was smoking. His faded blue eyes peered into hers, making her skin crawl.

“Fine, thank you,” she responded with a faint smile, forcing herself to be polite. Charlie held onto her hand after shaking it, longer than she thought necessary for a polite handshake. She wrenched her hand free of his as gracefully as she could without making a scene.

Tex and Charlie continued their idle chatter while Samantha carefully slipped away, wanting to avoid Charlie's scrutinizing stare. She had managed to work herself a couple feet away from them when an accusing voice came from behind her. “Don't you two seem cozy?"

Startled, Samantha lost her balance, nearly dropping her plate, when Jake reached out to steady her. She flinched beneath his touch, drawing away quickly. She felt as if a volt of electricity had rippled through her entire body. “What are you doing here?” she asked, exasperated.

Jake's green eyes gazed slowly over her, as if he were summing her up. “I was about to ask you the same thing,” he said, slight arching his eyebrows.

“What does it look like I'm doing?” she angrily retorted. His eyebrows shot up even higher at her hostile reply. “The same thing as you,” she spat, turning she headed back to her table.

“Wait up, sweetheart,” Tex said as he caught up with her.

Why did he have to add the sweetheart? Samantha didn't respond, but continued walking back to their table. She couldn't understand why Jake would care that she was there with another man. They weren't dating each other anymore, and he had been the one to put an end to that.

Curiosity gripped her. She couldn't help wondering if Jake was there with someone else. Glancing around the room, her eyes locked with Jake's. He had been staring at her. Next to him sat the beautiful redheaded Sylvia. A frown creased her face as she turned back to look at Jake. She could hardly pull her gaze away, catching her breath in a painstaking sigh.

Disheartened, she tried to focus her attention on the plate of food before her. Stirring her fork through her potato salad, she pierced her fork into a potato, taking the morsel into her mouth. The bitter mustard taste made her thirsty. When she reached for her glass, she realized she hadn't gotten herself one. In her haste to escape Jake, she had returned to her seat without getting herself a drink.

Tex noticed, “Would you like me to get you something to drink?"

“If you don't mind, thank you.” Samantha took a bite of corn after he left, trying to get the bitter taste out of her mouth.

“Why are you here, Samantha?” Jake asked in a soft tone, standing beside her seat. She hadn't noticed that he'd gotten up from his table and now stood leaning over her, his hand on the back of her chair.

Puzzled she replied simply, “Tex asked me."

“I thought you were going back home?"

“There's nothing left in Guthrie for me. I've decided to stay here. In fact, Tex was kind enough to hire me to cook for his mother while she's visiting.” Samantha couldn't imagine why he would be so concerned that she hadn't gone back home. Just maybe ... maybe he was having an equally difficult time getting over her. As soon as her hopes began to soar they dropped, remembering Sylvia was there to comfort him and keep him company.

“What about Jonathan?” he sneered.

“What about him? And why are we playing fifty questions?” If he wanted to know something in particular, why didn't he just ask her?

“So far I've only asked you four,” he quipped.

“Perhaps you should have just brought along a questionnaire. We could have both saved a lot of time and trouble."

“Hello, Jake,” Tex said casually as he approached their table.

Jake gave a slight nod of his head, a less than approving look upon his face. He didn't seem to be the least bit intimidated by Tex, even though Tex towered over him by several inches. “Have a nice evening,” he said to Tex, before turning to Samantha. “Goodnight, Samantha,” he said, nodding before he left.

“Are you all right?” Tex asked, taking his seat next to her.

“I'm fine. Sometimes he can get under my skin when he wants to,” she told him, smiling faintly to reassure him.

“Would you like to leave?” he offered.

“No, I think your mother is enjoying herself. I'd hate to ruin her evening,” she said, looking across the room where his mother sat, deep in conversation with a few old acquaintances of hers.

The rest of the evening Jake ignored Samantha, on several occasions she peeked to see what he was doing. One glimpse revealed him laughing heartily at something Sylvia had said. Samantha found herself wishing she were sitting in Sylvia's seat, sharing an intimate moment with Jake, enjoying his laughter and gazing into his green, mesmerizing eyes.

Samantha was thankful when it was finally time to leave. “Did you have a good time, dear?” Lily asked politely.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Who was that gentleman you were talking to this evening?” Lily continued, attempting to draw Samantha out of her distant mood.

“He used to be my employer.” Samantha didn't feel like explaining her past relationship with Jake, so she left it at that.

When they were back at the ranch, Tex opened the door for them. “Let me see mother inside and then I'll walk you next door."

“I'm perfectly capable of seeing myself inside, you two go on. Goodnight, Samantha,” Lily said, giving her a hug.

“Goodnight,” Samantha whispered, hugging her in return.

They walked to her door in silence. When reaching it she stopped, turning to face Tex. “Thank you for a nice evening,” she told him politely. She would have had a better evening if she hadn't run into Jake.

Who was she really kidding? The night would have been a fairy tale come true if she had been with Jake. All she could think about was being caressed by him, enfolded in his strong reassuring arms, surrounded by his love, having his lips lingering on hers. She closed her eyes, as she thought about Jake's lips upon her own. It was almost as if she could feel them, she melted, giving into the kiss. Suddenly startled by the realization that it wasn't a dream, she jerked away. “I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened."

Tex's eyes burned like a fire dancing with a warm glow. Dazed a little by her withdrawal he murmured her name as he lowered his head to kiss her again.

Attempting to take a step backward to get away from him, she backed against the door, having no place to go. “No, Tex, please,” she pleaded.

“You felt something Samantha, I know you did. Your kiss gave away the passion you were feeling too. I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I laid eyes on you. I never could have dreamed that you would feel this way about me. There's a fire that burns between us when we kiss,” he said, as his lips descended on hers again.

This time their kiss was different, the magic and yearning were no longer there. Disheartened, he released her and stepped back. “You weren't thinking of me before when you kissed me,” he stated. Samantha heard his exhale. It sounded as if he had let all the air out of his chest. For Tex, it was the sinking realization that Samantha would never be able to love him.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you,” she sobbed. She would have given anything not to hurt his feelings. “I think it's best if I leave,” she said as she turned and went inside.

Samantha wept as she packed her few belongings before she climbed into bed. She only left out what she would need to wear for church in the morning, along with jeans and a T-shirt to wear on her drive back to Guthrie. She dreaded going back there, but not as much as she abhorred the thought of staying here, facing Tex, knowing she'd hurt him and knowing she could never have the man she truly loved.

Samantha made breakfast for Tex and his mother, feeling it was the least she could do. It wasn't easy to face him, not after last night. But there were some things she still needed to take care of. “I hate to ask you, but I don't have anywhere to go with Lazarus yet. Could you keep him until I can have Jake come and pick him up, or until I find a place to board him?"

“You can leave him here if you like,” Tex replied unemotionally. His spirit seemed dampened, but he didn't allow his emotions to show.

“Thank you,” she replied. Tex had offered to let her ride to church with them, but Samantha declined, intending to leave town after service was over.

During service Samantha sat alone, not wanting to cause any more problems than she already had. Her emotions were running amuck, making it considerably difficult to focus on the sermon. She reasoned that it was appropriate to ask Jake to temporarily take over the responsibility for Lazarus. She more than appreciated Jake buying him back for her, but without a place to board him, she had no alternative but to request that he shoulder some of the responsibility, at least for a little while.

After service, she darted for the ladies bathroom to change before she departed for home. Nervous and feeling like a coward, she contemplated taking a chicken's way out by calling Jake to ask him to take care of Lazarus. That feeling was about to be short lived, when she went outside he was leaning against her truck.

In his outstretched hand he held an envelope out for her. “Just fill out this questionnaire,” he said teasingly, as he handed her the envelope. She started to get offended until she realized it was a pay envelope.

“Thank you,” she replied hesitantly. He always knew how to catch her off guard. Gathering the courage, she asked, “Could you possibly do me a favor?"

“Depends,” he said, standing uncomfortably close. “What would you like me to do?"

Samantha wet her lips. As she gazed at him, momentarily astounded, she blurted her request, “I need you to pick up Lazarus,” she began, feeling foolish, “Could you keep him for awhile until I get settled?"

Jake stared at her for a moment. “Aren't you working for the big guy anymore?” he asked, nodding his head in the direction where Tex was.

“No. At the moment I don't have anywhere to go with Lazarus. And I was hoping that since you were so kind to acquire him again for me, that perhaps I could talk you into keeping him until I get settled?"

“Where are you going?” he asked politely. Turmoil twisted his insides. He felt horrible, even a little responsible for the way things had worked out for Samantha.

“I'm going to go back to Guthrie and stay with friends until I can find another job,” she was no longer willing to battle wits with Jake. She surrendered to the knowledge that things were just meant to be and there was no use fighting anymore.

“You won't be going back to Jonathan then?"

She frowned, feeling puzzled by his question. “No, I presume he and Deidre are pretty busy nowadays."

Jake was surprised. Samantha didn't seem the least bit phased that Jonathan and Deidre were playing footsie. Obviously she considered their marriage over. “Why don't we go out for lunch, then we can discuss this further?” he suggested, opening his truck door. His truck was conveniently been parked next to hers. She hadn't noticed when he had come over there, too nervous having to confront him again. She climbed in and fastened her seat belt, then placed her paycheck into her purse without opening it.

They went to the steak house that they had gone to the first Sunday after they had met. Samantha smiled. Memories of that time came flooding back to her. “I still remember when we met,” she said thoughtfully. “Whatever happened to us?"

“I don't know,” he answered honestly. He had pondered that question on numerous occasions.

As usual, the restaurant was crowded on a Sunday afternoon. The church crowd overwhelmed the restaurant through the busy lunch hour. Patiently they stood in line waiting to be seated. After several minutes the hostess finally came to take them to their table. The busboy was just finishing wiping off their table when they approached it. Samantha thanked him before taking her seat.

When the waitress was finished taking their order, they both vacated their seats, heading for the salad bar. It was wonderful to be with Jake one last time. Hopefully they wouldn't argue and could part on good terms.

Jake sat quietly, deep in thought. He stirred his fork through his salad for a little while before laying it down next to his plate, then folding his hands under his chin he expressed, “I find that I'm not as comfortable eating with the men that work for me. If you're still interested in working for me, I would greatly appreciate it."

“Jake ... I don't want you to hire me back because you feel sorry for me. I don't want to be in the way and if you don't need my services, it won't do me any good delaying my departure."

“I do need your help. I don't have time to stop and grab a bite, much less keep up with the cleaning and the laundry. It didn't seem like a home until you came along,” he said wistfully, before adding, “Then I could actually begin to find things again."

Remembering his surprise at finding the bathroom spotless, she smiled. “If you're sure you need me, I guess we could give it another try.” Deep inside she hadn't been thrilled with the thought of returning to Guthrie, yet she wondered what direction God was leading her. Instead of giving into the uncertainty, she decided to relinquish herself to blind trust. With God she knew all things would work out. How they would work out she wouldn't know until His time.

They ate the remainder of their meal in polite conversation. He dropped her off at church to pick up her truck, then followed her back to the cabin. He readily carried her suitcases inside, setting them down on the floor in the living room. He turned and stood there, eyeing her apprehensively. “By the way, I gave you a bonus, it was supposed to be kind of a gift, to help you get a better start,” he explained shyly.

“What do you mean?” Samantha asked, hunting through her purse for the envelope. After retrieving it, she ripped it open, pulling her check out to examine it. Jake stood, watching her every move.

“Jake? You've made a terrible mistake.” She wasn't sure if there had been a computer error or what, but there was definitely a mistake.

“There's no mistake, I told you I gave you a bonus. Considering how well you've managed to get my house in order, I think you more than deserve it,” he proudly stated.

“It's not the amount I'm questioning, although that is way too much. You seemed to have messed up my name. The bank won't allow me to cash this with an improper name. You know my name's not Ramsey. You must have had a computer error,” she assured him.

“You didn't change your name when you got married?” he questioned in stunned disbelief.

Samantha laughed uncontrollably. “What are you laughing at?” he demanded. “I didn't realized I'd said anything funny."

“You didn't exactly, although I don't know what would give you the idea that I was married. Jonathan's married, I'm not,” she chuckled.

“I don't understand, how is it he's married and you're not?” Jake asked bewildered.

Feeling baffled herself, she told him, “Jonathan and Deidre got married when you were out of town. Whatever gave you the idea that he and I were married to each other?"

Jake's mind rolled back to the conversation he had with Zeb. All he had to do was say, “Zeb,” and Samantha understood. Zeb had a way of saying things in a totally different way than they were meant. No wonder Jake had been acting so peculiar when he returned home with her horse.

She didn't have much time to think about this. Before she could take a breath, Jake wrapped his arms around her and began twirling her around in the living room. When he stopped, he gently placed her back on her feet, staring into her confused green eyes his expression softened before his lips came down on hers. Teasing her with an excitement she hadn't dared dream she would feel again.

Gradually he pulled his head away from hers, both gasping, their breathing uneven from kissing. Samantha gazed dreamily into his sea green eyes. “Jake ... why did you buy Lazarus back for me?” She had often wondered this. Why would he spend such an elaborate amount of money on her?

“I intended for him to be a wedding present,” he said as he reached out to caress her face in his hands. His eyes held a look of longing, before his lips came down on hers again. Their kiss seemed to last an eternity, but it still didn't seem long enough for Samantha. She would have willingly remained locked in his embrace, kissing him forever. When Jake pulled away they were both breathing heavily. “Marry me,” he said in a husky voice.

He looked into her eyes, searching for a response. “You're the boss,” she answered, and again their lips became as one.

Epilogue

Early Sunday morning Samantha lain stretched out in bed alone, basking in the warmth where her husband had lain moments before. The phone rang, disturbing her from her dreamy state. Picking up the receiver, she answered, “Hello?"

“Don't tell me you're still in bed?” he asked in disbelief.

“Jonathan, hi. How is everyone?” she asked, excited to hear from him.

“Everyone's fine. Jacob and Teresa are squabbling as usual. Deidre's making breakfast, I had a few minutes and thought I'd call and talk to Jake. Is he around?” Jonathan asked.

“I'm here,” Jake said, he had grabbed the phone in the kitchen. Feeling slighted, Samantha hung up the phone. Whatever happened to Jonathan calling and talking to her? Somehow over the years he and Jake had developed a friendship Samantha would have never imagined possible.

Groggy and feeling a little worn out, she dragged herself from the welcoming warmth of their bed, trudging off to take a shower. The water pulsating on her body helped to refresh and invigorate her.

Downstairs she was greeted by two muddy figures, trudging in from out side, wielding a mud-laden puppy in their clasp, their eldest brother holding onto both of them by their collars. In horror she gasped, “What happened? Look at you two."

“Roscoe went through a puddle, we had to get him out of it,” they told her in disbelief, as if she should have already understood.

“Don't you dare put that mutt down in here,” she warned them. “You'll have to wait to bathe him until after church."

Reluctantly they took the puppy back outside and put him in the pen. He barked his disapproval, jumping and twirling around on his hind legs, wanting to continue to play with what he had already come to deem as his small charges.

Once inside, Samantha ushered them into the bathroom, instructing them to undress so that they could bathe quickly before breakfast. She bathed Matt first, sending him upstairs with his older brother, Charlie, to get dressed while she bathed the youngest of the three. Jason couldn't resist the urge to splash water, splattering the front of Samantha's dress. “Jason,” she cried.

Drying him vigorously with a towel, she patted his bottom and followed him upstairs. Charlie finished seeing to it that Matt had gotten redressed properly for church. He eyed his mother in surprise. “I know,” she said exasperated. “Can you dress Jason while I change?” she asked. Charlie nodded, smiling at his mother in understanding.

Ten minutes later they were all seated around the kitchen table. “Lord, thank you for this food we are about to eat and thank you for all your wonderful blessings,” Jake prayed.

The boys gobbled their food down appreciatively. Jason had attempted to save some on a napkin for Roscoe until Jake had squelched his plans, telling him there was no time for him to go out and feed him before church, fearing he would need yet another bath if allowed to do so.

Samantha began clearing the table of breakfast dishes. On her second trip to the sink, she stopped and ran water to soak them in until after church. Jake came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling his chin against her ear, “Mmm, you smell wonderful."

Turning off the water, she leaned her head back against the comfort of his chest. He turned her to face him, cradling her even closer in his strong arms. When she looked up to meet his eyes, they were gazing lovingly at her. His lips descended on hers, kissing her with a passion that surpassed the emotions he felt when they had dated. He had come to love his wife even more than he had nearly ten years before, when he had married her. He chuckled to himself as he remembered the days of old.

“What are you laughing about?” Samantha asked.

“I was just thinking about how things used to be,” he said, his eyes dancing merrily. “I remember when you used to be the one who was up first and always had breakfast ready for me."

Samantha slapped his arm playfully, smiling up at him. “That was before we had a puppy, three boys and a baby,” she said defensively.

Jake laughed heartily, until her words sank further in. “A baby?"

Samantha laughed, nodding her head, hoping silently that she would get a girl this time. Jake shouted happily, being the proud father that he already was. He hugged his wife closely to his body, whispering softly in her ear, “I love you. I always will."

* * * *

Dear Reader,

Jake and Samantha obviously have some communication problems. Although I make light of it in Something About Sam, it is a real problem that destroys marriages today. Jake and Samantha learn before marriage that some things get misunderstood. Most of us don't find out until after the “I Do's” are said and time goes on. One day we find ourselves not even bothering to communicate.

God has given me a desire to write and through that desire I hope to encourage others. Marriage is so precious and it's the hardest job you'll ever have. My husband and I work continually to make our marriage better. It's easy to misunderstand each other, especially when tempers may flare, but it never hurts to take the time to find things out. Good marriages don't just happen—they're made.

May God bless you in your walk with Him and in matters of the heart. Take time to speak to your Heavenly Father and to the one you love. The blessings far outweigh the sacrifices.

Love in Christ,

Susette Williams

About the Author

Susette Williams didn't develop a love for reading until she was in the seventh grade and began reading romance novels. After reading dozens of them, she felt she could write one, but never pursued that dream until after the birth of her twins.

Susette has been married to Robert Williams since September of 1983. After marriage, they discovered that they had both been praying for a mate and God answered both of their prayers together. They are blessed with six beautiful children. Their family resides in Cedar Hill, Missouri.

Susette's website is dedicated to helping other writers. If you're interested in writing or finding other books by Susette Williams stop by www.susettewilliams.com.