Read Along Came Love for Free Online Page A

little
at the time, they didn't want to be away from her. Now that she's
growing up they thought it would be alright to take one. This could
be what prompted her to do this, don't you agree?"
    Samantha smiled, charmed by his caring,
"Perhaps you're right. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt. And
if she really is having math problems, I suggest you have her stay
late for tutoring."
    "Sounds reasonable," he agreed with a sigh of
relief, and took Samantha's hand in his. He shook it lightly,
squeezed it and smiled, tipping his hat to her.
    "Thank you for your co-operation." She said a
slight smile to her lips.
    Jake looked deep into those green eyes and
smiled, "I never thought you were chubby. I just thought you were a
snob."
    With that, her eyes turned even greener, "I
never meant to….give off that impression."
    His look seem to galvanize her, "Yeah…I
seemed to give off a few wrong signals myself…"

CHAPTER TWO
    The next day, Jake picked Sammie Jo up after
tutoring and he saw Samantha again. She was standing at the front
door of the school with Sammie Jo and smiling. The transformation
that smile made had Jake reacting physically. Why did looking at
Samantha now give him such a kick in the gut? He was happy with his
life, except for a few small details he had to work out.
    Samantha had walked Sammie Jo to the front
door, but the minute she saw Jake she had turned away. Maybe it
wasn't him she was avoiding. Maybe it was men in general. But why?
She was beautiful, healthy, and for some reason he wanted to know
more about her. And now that he knew who she was, she was more
elusive than ever.
    "She's very pretty isn't she, Uncle Jake?"
Sammie Jo asked as she climbed into the truck and distracted him
from staring.
    "Who?" Jake asked trying to forget how
Samantha deliberately shunned him years ago, and was still doing
it.
    "Ms. Courtland" Sammie Jo giggled.
    "Yes, she's a very nice looking woman. Do you
like her?" Jake asked trying to concentrate on something other than
Samantha.
    "She's cool. I thought she was mad because I
wasn't catching on, but she is really very sweet. It's just such a
shame."
    Jake barely heard his niece, but his head
jerked around to stare at her, "What's a shame?"
    "I overheard some of the other teachers say
she was taking care of her sick Mother. That she has no one…no
husband, no children. Just like you…Uncle Jake."
    Wanting to change the subject, Jake took the
conversation in a different direction. "Not exactly, Pumpkin. Well,
I guess your folks will be home in a few days."
    "Do you think they will be sore?" Sammie Jo
asked, turning all her attention on Jake.
    "I think I can manage to smooth it over,
especially since you are taking the tutoring. But there are a few
other things we need to talk about before they get back."
    Sammie Jo reached to give him a quick kiss on
the cheek, "You are just the coolest, sweetest Uncle a girl could
have, Uncle Jake. So why doesn't Laurie Beth marry you."
    "Could be because I haven't asked her," Jake
answered quickly. Was marriage and kids all Sammie Jo ever thought
about these days. He really needed to talk to her about this, but
then again, he had to figure out how to go about it too.
    Sammie Jo reminding him about Laurie Beth had
him rattled again. He hadn't so much as given her a thought since
he left on vacation. Somehow a regular Saturday night with a lady
had gotten to be more of a habit, than a thrill. He certainly
hadn't considered it dating. Just having dinner with a friend, but
deep down, he knew Laurie Beth wasn't thinking along those
lines.
    Jake considered marriage, but he honestly
couldn't commit himself to Laurie Beth. He wasn't in love with her
and he knew it. Coming home reinforced that fact.
    Had he led Laurie Beth on all this time? Was
he among those callus brutes that took women for granted? Maybe he
should change a few things. He hadn't meant to. Just like Smantha
said she hadn't meant to snub him.
    Laurie Beth was just so sweet and