A Couple is Three: The Beginning (book 1 & 2 Completed)

Chapter 36 - Jailbait

Tuesday Afternoon, Calgary Stampede

"Samantha, can you walk with us to the ring?" John asked from his seat at the lunch table where he sat with John, Sherry, and Sharron.

"Sure thing," she replied from her spot at the coffee table where she was finishing her lunch with Josh, Jake, and Lily.

"Lily, you should get ready to go with them," suggested Sharron.

"No, Lily can stay here and take her time. I'm sure that wants to take her time getting ready and I'm sure that Samantha knows the way back to the trailer by now," John turned to wink at Samantha and Lily.

"But -"

"It'll be fine Sharron." John moved his hand to rest it on Sharron's.

As soon as lunch was finished, the boys grabbed their gear. The five of them, Josh, Jake, John, Jason, and Samantha, left the trailer and headed towards the stable.

Jason and John walked ahead leaving Samantha to walk Jake and Josh. They spent the whole walk talking just like they had done at the previous rodeo. As soon as they reached the gate, Jason and John told them that they would meet the boys inside and then they headed into the competitor's area.

"I wonder why your dad asked me to come?"

Josh looked at Jake as they held a silent conversation. Jake gave a little nod as if he was in agreement with whatever was running through Josh's head.

Josh hunched his shoulders in and looked towards the ground. "I think that he may have overheard me yesterday, telling Jake how I missed our true good luck ritual."

Samantha bit her lip, concern lined her face. "How much do you think that they know?"

Jake leaned forward and pulled her bottom lip out from her teeth where it had returned as soon as she had asked her question. "Josh didn't really say anything. He just told me how he wished that you could have told us good luck in private where it wasn't rushed or interrupted."

Samantha nodded her understanding. She remembered how awkward their ritual had been yesterday. Just before lunch, Chad had shown up at the trailer to talk to the families since he hadn't really seen any of them in the last year except for the John and Jason briefly at the last rodeo. Sharron, being the host mom that she is, invited him to stay for lunch. After lunch Josh and Jake had grabbed their gear so that they could head to the stables for their first day of competition.

Since Chad was still there, and not competing until the next day, it had been decided that he would stay to walk with all the women to the stand area prior to the start of the rodeo.

As the boys left the trailer with their fathers, everyone else had come out to wish them good luck. Samantha had only been able to give Josh and Jake each a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which did happen to catch the corner of their lips, for good luck.

Even then, their kisses were hurried as Bryan kept trying to push both Josh and Jake away saying "No, my Sammy." Jason had tried to pull him away, but they didn't really have the time to deal with the issue of his behaviour at the moment. So after the quick hug and kiss, Samantha had bent down to pick up Bryan to talk with him about sharing. It wasn't as if the quick good luck kiss had hindered their rides though as both boys had won their first round.

Samantha stepped closer to Jake until her chest was touching his. She threaded her arms up over his shoulders until she had one hand on the back of his neck and the other hand cradling the side of his face. "Good luck," she whispered before putting some slight pressure on the back of his neck.

Jake, without hesitation, wrapped his arms around her waist and brought his lips down to hers in response. "Be safe," he said against her lips as soon as they had finished their kiss.