Table Of ContentAlong Came Love
The Travers Brothers – Book Four
Rita Hestand
Smashwords Edition Along Came Love Copyright © 2010-2013 Rita
Hestand All rights reserved Digital ISBN:
Cover by Sahara Kelly
Other Books in this series: Chief Cook and Bottle Washer Courting Abby
Hannah’s Man
License Notes
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be
resold or given away to other people. Please purchase an additional copy for
each person you share with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it,
or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase
your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or
places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of
the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Dedication
Since The Travers Brothers series is a family story, written for each brother,
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my own family who for years put up
with me not being there, not being available and for continuing to love me
nevertheless.
God Bless—Rita Hestand
Prologue
Before she could put her foot on the second step, she heard the creaking of
the wood, she saw her foot going through it and she went crashing to the ground.
"Oh…no."
"Good grief, Al didn't fix that porch step," A man with a raspy voice from
behind her startled her, as big strong arms went around her for support,
At first she couldn't move, but the man gently freed her foot from the sagging
step and he picked her up in his arms, and carried her to the porch.
It all happened so fast, she didn't know what hit her. The man who held her
was in total control though. Like someone who'd just stepped out of a shower,
his fresh clean scent swamped her rattled senses. Hard muscled arms held her
steady.
Her heart lurched in her chest as her eyes locked onto the man that had
rescued her. "You're the real estate agent?" the woman gasped, as she pulled her
sunshades up and into her hair, then stared blatantly.
The man's smile was broad and sexy as he gave her a full glance, "No,
actually, I'm just doing this for a friend, the agent is busy and I told him I'd come
over, let you in and have a look around. Let's move over here and sit in the
swing, while I have a look at your ankle."
He took her to the swing and gently deposited her there, where he joined her.
Glancing at her leg, he grimaced, "Let's have a look."
"Oh really, it's fine," Already her ankle was aching and the wood had scraped
it until tiny beads of blood popped up. The skin color was definitely turning
shades of blue and purple.
"Nevertheless, I think I'd have a doctor check it out, you've already began to
bruise. I'll have Al pay for it, do you have a doctor in town?" the man was asking
as he picked her foot up and examined the damage. Despite the fact that his
hands were large, he was ultra gentle with her foot.
"Yes, my mother does, I'll be sure and see him." She grabbed at her ankle.
Their hands touched ever so slightly, and she felt as though his hand was
permanently burned into her skin. A silly reaction, he merely grazed her fingers.
Recovering from the shock of the man, and the assault on her foot by the porch
step, she sat straight and tried to put her foot down. "It will be fine, really."
"Maybe, but nevertheless, you aren't walking on that foot, till we have it
checked out." He gently picked her up in his arms again and began carrying her,
this time into the house.
Samantha squirmed in his arms for a minute until she realized how silly that
was. She had not right to protest, he was right about her foot if the pain was any
indication.
He smelled divine, her mind wandered with temporary insanity, putting the
pain out of her mind for a second.
Her heart fluttered and she was sure she wasn't breathing. All feelings
swamping her made her feel faint.
"I think I can walk," she began, but he shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said with a boyish grin, "I think I'm doing this all wrong. The
name's Jake Travers. Don't mean to appear like a cave man, but I certainly don't
want you hurting yourself further."
Recovering Samantha tried to smile, but she was sure the smile didn't quite
reach her lips. "Samantha," her voice sounded shaky even to her.
His glance slid over her again appreciatively as they entered the house.
"Just moving to Sweetwater?"
"Y-yes, as a matter of fact," she didn't offer any more information. But her
tongue shot out to lick her lips that had suddenly gone dry.
"Well, this house is old, but well kept, I think you'll find it plenty spacious."
Jake nodded glancing around the place.
The house was full of paint fumes, so he sat her on a kitchen counter and
began opening the windows to air it.
"Al really shouldn't close a place up that's been newly painted, but then he's in
real estate, not construction, a painter wouldn’t have closed it up. He said
something about you and your mother moving in here?" Jake asked, pulling his
Stetson off and combing a hand through his dark hair as he returned to her side.
"Yes, just the two of us?" she countered casting the man another glance. He
doesn't recognize me. She wasn't sure if she should be happy about that, or
insulted, but there wasn't a real reason for him to recognize her, she hadn't seen
Jake Travers in several years, and then only at a glance. He hadn't seen her since
she'd grown up. Still, nothing had changed about Jake, he was still the most
gorgeous man in this part of Texas. Lethal is what he was.
"Well, this might be a little too intimate for you, but in your condition, I insist
on carrying you through the house so you can have a look."
"Oh but," she started to protest but he'd already picked her up again and
carried her like a feather in his arms. He wasn't even breathing hard. And his
body heat seemed to ooze through his clothes, or was that hers?
When she stared at him in surprise, he grinned again, making her entire body
react. She never once dreamed of being this close to Jake Travers, and now that
she was, she couldn't control her reactions.
"This might sound like a line, but do I know you from somewhere? There's
something familiar about you."
Samantha cleared her throat. "That does sound like a line."
"I'm sorry. I'm not good at flirting. But you are about the prettiest thing I've
held in my arms in a long time." His smile oozed a southern charm all its own.
Flustered she blushed to her toes.
"And even prettier when you blush."
"I'm not blushing…" she rushed to say.
"Oh yes you are, and it's beautiful on you."
Knowing he had embarrassed her he shook his head, and adjusted her so he
could look right into her perplexed face.
"Relax, actually, I'm just a country sheriff, doing a friend a favor, and a nice
favor I might add. So…let's start over, I'm Jake Travers ma'am."
"Samantha."
"Hmm, it fits you. But why do I have the notion to call you Sam….?"
Another blush dotted her cheeks and he chuckled softly in her ear. He made
the name Sam sound so appealing. Something about the way he drawled it over
his tongue. Or was she romanticizing everything he said and did.
He was doing it again, making a complete idiot out of her. How could one
man affect her so with nothing more than a grin, and a sexy drawl when he
called her name. How could a man make a woman's name sound so…warm and
comfortable?
She cleared her throat and her thoughts.
After staring long and hard at her, he began drifting through the house. It was
well taken care of, and Samantha knew instantly she wanted it, if it was the right
price. She loved the bathroom with its claw foot bathtub, and spaciousness. Her
mother would love the view from the kitchen window, where a beautiful
meadow dotted the countryside.
"How much would this run, monthly."
"Al said he'd rent it for $800 a month, or sell it for $32,000. It's only a one car
garage and two bedrooms with one bath, so he can't price it very high." Jake
answered.
"Are you planning on staying here?"
"Well yes, as far as I know. I'd like to speak to Al about the details though.
Did he leave his card so I can call him?" she asked not daring to look at the man
directly.
"Yeah sure, I've got one in my billfold. So you are interested in it?" Jake
asked reshuffling her in his arms, so he could open the bedroom door.
The master bedroom had glass doors and a huge patio door where she could
stare out onto the town of Sweetwater. She fell in love with it.
This would be her mother's room. Yes, she loved the house. Her mother
would love it too. This was exactly what they needed.
The smaller bedroom had a bay widow which she appreciated, which looked
out over the small but manicured back yard.
"I really like it, so would you mind telling Al, I'd love to talk to him about the
details."
"Sure, be glad to. He'll be glad to know he's got a client. Now, let's go back to
the kitchen and I'll give you all the information." Jake said, not even out of
breath from hauling her around the house and garage.
After he'd given her all the information he glanced at her face which was very
close to his, "So will your husband be negotiating the deal or yourself?"
"Oh, I'm divorced, just recently as a matter of fact. No, I'll make the
arrangements myself." She said writing down the information and putting the
card in her purse which she dangled from her arm. "It's exactly what we need,
and being the last house on the block and overlooking the meadow from the
kitchen window, I know my mother will appreciate the feel of the country too."
"That's great. I'm sure Al will be anxious to talk to you. So, do you have a job
here?" he asked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do, at the Junior High School." She said still trying
not to look at him.
"Great. Well, under the circumstances, I think it best if I run you by Dr.
Adams place, and let him look at that ankle."
She opened her mouth to protest but he held a hand up, "I know you think it's
all too much, but I'd feel better about it myself. Your foot is already bruising.
Besides, I insist Sam. Al wouldn't like knowing you hurt yourself on the
property, and we take care of our own around here, you'll get used to that. So,
just endure my company a little longer. And don't worry your pretty little head
about the step either. Al will have that fixed and the others too."
"Endure?" she raised a brow and her chin arrogantly.
He stared down at her with a slight smile to his all-male lips. "I sense a
tension in you, as though you don't trust me or something. I really can't put my
finger on it. Most everyone trusts me from the moment they meet me. And you'll
have to excuse the curiosity, I'm a lawman and it comes natural after a while. I'd
be just as nosey if it was your mother I was talking to."
"Are you Sheriff here?" she shrieked.
He smiled again, making his face more boyish again, "No, I'm just home on
vacation right now. I'm Sheriff over at Peaceful. It's a few miles down the road."
"Oh…" her answer was a very pronounced relief.
"That sounds like relief in your voice," he frowned. "And here I thought I'd
been as charming as I could be."
"I'm sorry. I just don't happen to run into Sheriff's very often." She tried to
chuckle but it came out strangled.
"Come on, let's get you over to the docs, and then I'd say I owe you a big
steak dinner," he said matter-of-factly.
"Oh…you don't owe me a thing…" she began, but he cut her off again.
"Okay, then have dinner with me, and I'll feel better about this ankle thing."
He smiled encouragingly.
"Is that why you're asking me to dinner? My…ankle?" she didn't know where
she got the brass to say such a thing, and wished she could have put a stopper on
her mouth, but his grin was so infectious.
"Not at all," he returned huskily.
She smiled, despite herself.
He carried her to his pickup and drove her around town to a doctor's office.
He sat with her in the waiting room and Samantha couldn't help but gawk. It
didn't matter where she went with him, he knew everyone. He was totally at
ease. She only wished she was.
"I'm sure you don't want to sit here and wait for me to be seen," she insisted.
"Why not? I love your company, actually." He said his expression quite
serious.
Samantha eyed him out of the corner of her eye. It seemed impossible, but
here she was sitting at the doctors' office with Jake Travers. The very man she
had carried a crush for most of her life. This didn't seem real. She had to pinch
herself to make sure it was.
After the doctor set her sprained ankle, Jake drove her to a nice out of the way
restaurant out on the highway.
How was she going to do little talk with a man she'd known all her life. But
then, she didn't really know Jake Travers? She'd never been on a date with him,
never visited his home. No, virtual strangers would know more about each other.
"So, tell me about the real Sam…" he chuckled as he eyed her over a tea
glass.
She smiled despite herself, Jake Travers had a charisma all his own, and
always had. The boyish grin alone could curl her toes, especially when he aimed
it right at her. "Not much to tell, I grew up here, went to college at University of
Texas. Got married, started teaching, then my marriage began falling apart and
my mother got sick, and so here I am, back home again. End of story."
