Chapter 29
"How long are you home, Jake?" Brynna asked at breakfast.
"I leave Sunday," Jake answered, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Your appetite seems better, honey," Brynna said to Sam who was actually munching on a piece of toast.
"I am hungry, it just hurts to swallow," Sam put the toast down.
"Do you want some ice cream, Samantha?" Gram asked.
"Yes, please," Sam nodded.
Jake thought she looked dejected. He squeezed her hand under the table and she glanced at him with a smile. Brynna saw it and wondered at it.
Gram brought Sam a bowl of ice cream and put it in front of her.
"Thanks," Sam croaked, and swallowed noisily. "I do feel a bit better."
She looked over at Jake and he smiled softly at her, his eyes darting to Brynna and Gram afterwards.
"Maybe you can take a shower later," Brynna suggested. Sam blushed. Was Brynna suggesting that she smelled? Sam looked down, then up at Jake through her bangs.
Jake met her eyes and she knew he was telling her how much he loved her. Despite the fact that Brynna and Gram were in the room, Jake was able to tell her what he couldn't say aloud.
Sam thought it was probably because the two of them knew each other so well, that they sometimes knew what the other was thinking without saying a word.
She told him with her eyes that she returned his love. The two smiled so vaguely at the other that Gram and Brynna had no idea.
"I better go," Jake said when breakfast was over.
Sam frowned and Jake's heart sang that she loved him so much that she would frown when he had to leave her. He hated leaving her.
Suddenly the two realized that they were alone in the kitchen and Sam whimpered his name as she went into his arms.
"Shhh, baby," Jake murmured to her. "I'll be back later."
"Do you promise?" Sam asked, nuzzling into his neck.
Jake felt the goosebumps from her being so close to him. "Yes, I promise. I'll be back as soon as I can. Maybe you can sleep for a bit while I'm gone"
"No, I can't," Sam shook her head. "I haven't slept for days until last night when you were here with me."
"Sam, you have to sleep," Jake sighed. "You won't get better if you don't rest."
"I'm resting," Sam insisted. "It's just hard to breathe or swallow and I wake up a lot."
"You slept well last night," Jake pointed out, rubbing the back of his neck. He still wasn't sure where he stood with Wyatt.
"Just because you were there," Sam told him.
"I can't sleep with you again tonight," Jake warned her.
"Why not?" Sam pulled away from him.
"Sam," Jake groaned. "You know I can't. I don't want Wyatt telling me I can't see you again."
Sam sighed and nodded.
He was tempted to remind her that they had the rest of their lives to sleep together, but he didn't want her to misunderstand.
Instead, he planted a kiss on her forehead and told her he loved her.
"I'll see you later," he said before leaving.
Sam watched him as he walked towards his truck. She smiled at the navy Avalanche, remembering what he had told her about why he had bought the truck. My goodness, she loved him a lot. She was actually surprised how much she had grown to love him.
He glanced back at the house once before getting in his truck, starting it and driving home to Three Ponies.
"Where were you all night?" Bryan asked when Jake came into the house.
"River Bend," Jake responded.
"You spend the night at River Bend with Sam?" Quinn yelped.
"And you're still alive?" Nate was amazed.
"I slept on the couch," Jake told them.
"Anything we need to do today?" Jake changed the subject.
"Dad mentioned checking the fences," Quinn answered.
"Supposed to be a wet winter," Nate put in. "He wants the fence posts anchored down so we don't lose them."
Jake nodded. He hated riding fences, but if he couldn't be with Sam, he'd rather be out on the range riding his mare.
"I need to shower and change," Jake told them.
"We'll wait," Bryan said.
Jake nodded and headed down to his room. He missed Sam already. Jake smiled to himself as he stripped off his shirt as he reached his room.
As he pulled off his clothes, he thought about Sam and smiled softly. He couldn't help the smile whenever he thought of her.
Jake jerked the door open and looked down the hallway. When he didn't see any sign of his brothers he hurried to the bathroom and quickly shut the door behind him and locked it.
He started the hot water in the shower and got in.
He quickly finished up his shower and after drying himself off, went back to his room to change into his work clothes.
Jake was anxious to get out there and finish so he could get back to Sam.