Chapter 19

Things where back to normal, sort of.

Samantha still found it a little embarrassing to look at Jake, but as more days passed so did that feeling. Things around the farm where quiet too. Chores, school, chores, dinner, chores. That's about how it went. Every now and then she'd go out on a date with Jake or hang out with Jen or even go riding on her own looking for her horse like old times.

Still. Everything just seemed to be so unexciting, comfortable, but unexciting.

"There you are brat. I've been looking for you." A familiar voice came from behind Sam.

"When are you going to stop calling me that?" Sam said as she turned around to look at Jake.

"Mmm." He hummed as he closed the distance between them and then pulling Sam by her waist into his arms, "Never." he smirked looking down at her.

Sam reached up and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Jerk." She said as she freed herself from his grasp. "Now help me finish cleaning the barn so we can get to dinner faster." She smiled at him.

The happy sort-of-couple started on Sam's chore enjoying each other's company. After a short while there was a knock on the barn door.

"Samantha is Jake in there with you?" Gram's voice came from behind the barn door.

"Yes he is." Samantha answered back while walking over to the door to open it. "What's up?" she asked as soon as she saw her grandma.

"Jake your mother is on the phone for you. She said it's important." Gram told Jake.

"I'll be there in a few." Jake answered as he started to put down the hay he was moving and cleaning himself off.

Both Sam and Jake walked hand in hand towards the house, right behind Gram. As they made their way inside Gram went back to fixing dinner and Sam went to serve herself a cup of iced tea. Jake went to the phone.

"Hey mom what's up?...What is it?...Who?... …. …. I'm right here…Nothing. I'm fine I'll be right there….bye." Jake's conversation with his mother was short and as he hung up the phone Sam could see Jake tense up.

"Jake are you okay?" Sam asked worried.

"Is everything okay?" Gram asked stopping what she was doing to look at Jake.

"Yea, everything is fine I just got to go home really quick. I'll call you later Sam. Bye." Jake said hurriedly and with that he went outside, ran towards his horse, and galloped off.

"Oh, I hope everything is okay." Gram said to no one in particular as she resumed her cooking.

I wonder what could have happened. Sam thought as she stared off towards where Jake had disappeared.

That night Jake didn't call.

The next day Jake didn't come help Sam with her chores. He didn't answer her calls either.

"Dad do you know what happened to Jake." Sam asked her father at dinner. She was frustrated and worried.

"Let the boy be Samantha." Her dad answered between bites.

"Wyatt can't you see the poor girl is worried." Gram chastised her son.

"He came to work while you were at school. I asked him if everything was okay after what your Gram had told me and he said that everything was fine with his family. Nothing bad happened. All he said was that they got a visitor." Wyatt told the family in general because he could see that it wasn't only Samantha that was worried.

"A visitor? Who?" Brynna asked.

"I don't know. He didn't say." Wyatt said in a tone of voice that said that was the end of that conversation.

Samantha tried calling again that night. And again no answer. She threw her cell phone towards her bed.

"Why isn't he answering!" She said aloud.

Her phone started ringing and Samantha's heart skipped a beat. It's Jake! She thought as she ran to get her phone.

"Hello?" She almost yelled into the receiver.

"Hey Sam." A familiar voice said on the other end. Familiar, but not Jake's.

"Hey Jen." Sam said and although she tried she wasn't successful at hiding her disappointment.

"Well geez glad to see you're excited to hear from me." Jen said snorting.

"I'm sorry Jen, it's just I thought you were Jake." Sam said trying to sound a little happier.

"Why would you think that?" Jen asked a little annoyed.

"It's just…okay listen. Yesterday Jake came over like he always does then his mom called him and he stormed off and since then he's been m.i.a. Well just from me apparently he came to work while I was at school." Sam told her best friend.

"Did something happen?" Jen asked concerned.

"No. According to my dad Jake said that everything is fine and that the Ely's just got a visitor or something. But still visitor or no visitor Jake should have called by now to say something." Sam said aggravated.

"Want me to find out what happened." Jen offered.

"How?" Sam snorted.

"Well Darrell is coming over drop something off for my mom, I'm sure since he is already here he could I don't know surprise Jake and find out what's wrong and then tell me and I can tell you." Jen said satisfied with her plan.

"What makes you say that Darrell doesn't already know?" Sam asked Jen skeptically.

"Well if he already knows then it will be a whole lot faster for him to tell me don't you think." Jen told Sam completely sure of herself.

"And what makes you think that Darrell will tell you, I mean Jake is his best friend." Sam said matter of factly.

"Oh Sammy girl, I have my ways." Jen said mischievously.

"Ew. Don't call me that." Sam said giggling. If anything this conversation was at least making her relax a little.

"Okay but seriously now I will get him to tell me. I'll call you tomorrow cuz I can hear his car now. Bye Sam and stop worrying okay." Jen said hurriedly and with that she hung up the phone.

I hope you right Jen. Sam thought as she connected her phone to the charger praying that Jake would call her and trying to get some sleep.

"Buzzz. Buzzz. Buzzz." The noise was coming from Samantha's dresser. Sam was slowly coming to her senses. She looked around the room expecting sunshine but it was still pitch black.

"Mhuh?" Samantha mumbled confused and still half-asleep. She looked towards her alarm clock; it was 3 A.M.

"Buzzz. Buzzz. Buzzz." The buzzing sound continued. Sam could see a bright blu-ish light coming from atop her dresser.

Oh! Who could be calling at this hour? Sam thought to herself as she got out of her bed and walked towards her phone.

"Hello?" Samantha answered in a sleepy voice.

"Samantha wake up like now! I have to tell you what Darrell told me." Jen's silently screamed succeeding in finally waking Sam up.

"Couldn't you wait until tomorrow morning?" Sam asked cranky.

"Samantha did you listen to me! I know why Jake's avoiding you!" Jen asked exasperated. Sam let the words sink in.

"Wait you mean to tell me Darrell actually told you. But how? And why are you calling this early?" Sam asked a little suspicious.

"Yes he told me, I told you he would." Jen said giggling darkly.

"Did you torture it out or something and why are you calling this early?" Sam asked again.

"How I got him to tell me is not important and well it just couldn't wait." Jen said this time a little stutter, kind of like if she was nervous.

"Do you mean to say that you just found out? Like right now? Like Darrell just left your house right now?" Sam asked completely awake now, and shocked. Jen stayed quiet.

"Answer me!" Sam whisper screamed.

"Do you want to find out or not?" Jen retorted.

"Of course I do but…" Sam started.

"Then stop harassing me." Jen cut her. "Okay yes I just found out. Yes he just left, sort-of, and how I did it doesn't really matter right now, I can tell you later, much later, right now what matters is Jake and what he's hiding, or much more specific WHO he is hiding." Jen finished.

"Who?" Sam said a cold sweat going through out her body.

"Sam sit down or something cuz this ain't gonna be pretty." Jen said a little nervous. Sam did as her best friend told her and sat on her bed. Her heart was pounding so loud she was afraid everyone in the house would wake up.

"Samantha, the Ely's didn't get a visitor, Jake did." Jen said quietly.

"Who?" Sam said though deep within her she had a pretty good idea of who.

"Dana." Jen said even quieter.

Two lonely tears raced down Sam's cheeks and fell to the floor.