Free Along Came Love by Rita Hestand Page A

Try
looking at Jake like any other man. And enjoy the experience. Who
knows, maybe it will lead to something, and I have a feeling that
Jake isn't at all like Pete. Oh, don't worry. Besides, I have an
invitation too, so I'll be with you, dear."
    "I'll try, I really will," Samantha promised.
"I'm so glad you are going."
    "Why, I wouldn't miss seeing Bertha take her
vows for anything. She's been alone so long. She deserves
this."
    ***
    Samantha was getting supplies for her office
when she bumped into Jake again.
    "Oh, Jake, how are you?" She tried to sound
natural. What was the man doing at Wal-Mart? It was the last place
she expected to see him.
    "I'm fine. Just getting some last minute
project supplies for the kids," he held up the poster boards.
    "How nice of you to take care of such things
for them." Samantha remarked casually.
    "I may not have kids of my own, but I'd do
about anything for my nieces and nephews." Jake chuckled, putting
the poster board into the buggy.
    "You should have had some of your own," she
inserted her foot into her mouth.
    "So I've been told." He adjusted his hat. "So
is my niece doing better in class now?"
    Samantha reddened, "Yes, I suppose."
    "Uh-oh, that sounds ominous. What has she
done now?" He asked pushing his hat back on his head.
    "Nothing…I mean…not really. It's just…"
    "Go on, tell me, better for me to hear than
Deke and Emma." Jake said.
    Samantha looked around her, coming closer she
whispered. "Well, it seems…well, she's pairing you and I together
now. I've done everything to discourage her but she seems
determined to bring you up every chance she gets."
    "Really," he smiled. He studied her a minute,
then pulled her by the elbow out of the line of traffic and leaned
into her a bit, "What'd say we grab a coke and talk about it?"
    "Oh really, it's nothing to worry about."
Samantha squirmed being this close was dangerous. Dangerous because
she couldn’t' take her eyes off Jake.
    "I've got an idea, and I think, if you
co-operate a little, it might stop her once and for all," he
smiled.
    "Well…okay, a Coke would be good." Samantha
nodded as he pulled her with him.
    "Good," he nodded at the McDonalds inside the
Wal-Mart. "This good enough?"
    "Well, yes, of course," she said before he
pushed both their buggies away and took her arm.
    He ordered for them and they sat at a table
in the back, so they could talk.
    "You know, there's only one way to cure her
of this." He insisted as though he knew exactly how to handle this
situation.
    "Oh…glad you figured something out, I hadn't
."
    "We'll just have to play along," Jake said
with a smile that tempted Samantha's sanity.
    "Play along?" Samantha nearly choked on her
soda.
    "It's the only way to put a stop to it." Jake
insisted. "I won't be home that long, I don't suppose, so it won't
take any major acting on our part, but I think we should play right
into her little scheme. Are you game?"
    "Jake, I'm not sure…"
    "Well, to make it look good, we'll date all
week, be seen at the wedding together, by then she should be good
and snared into our little trap." Jake chuckled.
    "Oh but, there has to be another way to stop
her from this foolishness," Samantha said, as a worry wrinkle
creased her forehead.
    "There might be, but I don't have the time to
do anything else. Stop fretting. Dating me won't be so bad, now
will it?" he grinned.
    She looked more than puzzled at him.
    "Good. I'll pick you up for dinner tonight,
at seven?" he smiled and was off.
    ***
    She couldn't refuse him fast enough, he
whirled around, took his buggy and went to the check out, leaving
her sitting there trying to figure out what she should have
said.
    This was one big mistake, Samantha
grimaced.
    And she should be home with her mother. But
if she could just harness some of her mother's humor this might
work after all. She knew Jake wasn't in love with her and she was
adult enough to handle that, she'd handled it all her life. But
dating him…
    ***
    That evening Jake