Chapter Text
Whispered Words
With one touch of his lips to hers and her whispering those three little words that held so much meaning, he knew that losing her again would surely kill him.
Nothing Matters
Sam knew that with Jake by her side nothing else mattered. All of the bad things that plagued their past and all the heartache could be forgotten, because now she had her cowboy by her side.
Three Words
He may have been a silent cowboy, but after he said those three words for the first time he never missed an opportunity to tell her again. The first time he told her he had been so nervous he was shaking in his boots. Now it was second nature to tell her he loved her. Not only did he say it as he was leaving, but also when he took her out on a ride, or when she would get another one of her crazy ideas. His favorite time to tell her was the stolen moments in her father's barn when he would sneak up on her cleaning stalls and he was taking a break between tasks her dad had assigned him that day. She would start out mad that he had snuck up on her again, then he would call her brat in a quiet tone before pulling her into his arms. He would feel her relax before leaning into him and that's when he would whisper the words into her hair. After years of listening to his quiet soft voice she was attuned to him and would hear the muffled whisper that caused her to smile into his chest and lean a little closer into him. Her favorite moments were when they would be sitting near the river as the sun was setting. Nothing would be said between the two but Jake would look at her and after a moment his face would soften and open up for her to see all that he was feeling. Before he would even say the words she knew how he felt. Yet the sincerity and emotion in his voice as he said them took her breathe away every time. It didn't' take a genius to see that Sam caused Jake to open up around her during these moments. He never said much, but if those three words were all he ever said to Sam, she would be happy.
Feelings
It amazed Sam the feelings that burst through her when Jake simply asked her if she wanted any of his fries, especially after he had asked others standing around them before her. It was silly that the simple question had made her feel like she was floating. He cared enough to ask her instead of ignoring her. What was even crazier was the urge she had in the following minutes to hug him. He was lazily leaning against the horse trailer, propped up on a tire, eating his burger. It was nothing unusual. But her wanting to step closer beside him, sling an arm around his waist and snuggle into his side was. She imagined it would be comfortable and warm to have her head laid against his chest as his arm wrapped around her and kept her there. However, Sam would never know because no matter how bad she wanted to she could not act upon these urges. Jake was only her best friend and doing such a thing would be inappropriate. And even if it wasn't, Jake was not one for physical affection.
Little Things
There were many things that made Sam's day just a little bit better. Talking to Jen, riding out along the Playa, and sealing a few sacred moments with the Phantom were just a few. Later on in her high school career stolen kisses from Jake or some of the sweet nothings he would sometimes whisper into her ear were also added to the list. But nothing had compared to hearing Jake tell her how proud he was of her after she had finished the long hard struggle and graduated high school. Having his seal of approval caused a different sort of happiness to spread throughout her chest.