TIMELESS 3
Chapter 1
"Have you heard from Kit?" Sam asked Jake on the first day of school.
"Some," Jake told her. "He's doing pretty well. He won his first rodeo last weekend."
Sam couldn't help the smile. "Was your Mom happy?"
"Nah," Jake shook his head. "She worries. He caught his spur in the riggin' and pulled his knee."
Sam put her hand to her mouth.
"He's okay though," Jake assured her. "He's ridin' this weekend."
"He's the only famous person I know," Sam said.
Jake snorted.
"He's hardly famous," Jake told her.
"He is to me," Sam crossed her arms over her chest, making Jake smile.
They heard the bus coming and both picked their backpacks up off the ground and slung them over their shoulders.
"It's weird that Quinn and Bryan aren't here," Sam commented.
"Feels good," Jake grinned.
"I miss them," Sam frowned.
"You and every other girl in the school," Jake teased as he got on the bus.
Sam tried to push past him to get to the seat first, but Jake was stronger and he got the window seat in the back. Sam squeezed in next to him on the aisle.
"That's not fair," Sam complained. "You're bigger than me."
"Think of it this way, Brat," Jake looked down at her. "Next year I won't be here so you can have the seat to yourself."
Sam gasped, her eyes filling immediately with wet tears. She didn't want to think of going to school without Jake there. Just the thought of it made her tear up.
Jake saw her tears.
"What's wrong?"
"That was a mean thing to say," Sam blubbered.
"It's the truth," Jake shrugged.
Sam hit him. "It's mean."
Jake rubbed his arm, wondering why she was so upset at what he had said. It was the truth. This would be his last year in elementary school.
"Settle down, Sam," Jake told her, watching as she wiped her tears. "It's not like I'm disappearing off the face of the earth."
"Just out of school," Sam sniffled.
"So what?" Jake said. "It's not like we hang around at school."
"No," Sam murmured.
"Then what's the problem?" Jake wondered.
"Who's going to protect the blonds?" Sam asked him.
Jake's jaw almost dropped. He fought it, tightening the muscles in his jaw to keep it closed. In the end he just burst out laughing.
Sam giggled and their eyes met as they laughed.
"Maybe they'll leave you alone since I won't be there to protect them," Jake pointed out, his dark brown eyes lively in his face. They reminded Sam of wild mustang eyes.
Sam doubted it. She knew she had at least one person who disliked her. The curly haired blond who Quinn had broken up with because she had harassed Sam and tripped her, came to mind.
Jake saw the emotions pass over Sam's face and again he wondered at them.
"I'll still miss you," Sam looked up at him, her brown eyes huge in her face.
"I live next door," Jake reminded her.
"Five miles away," Sam said.
"So don't we see each other after school?" Jake asked.
"Sometimes," Sam murmured.
Jake shook his head, getting exasperated with her.
"Someone remind me why I stopped that day you were by the river," Jake grumbled, standing up when the bus stopped at the curb. He moved down the aisle, not seeing the shocked look on Sam's face.
