“I’m fine,” she said, hating that heat infused her cheeks as he studied her.

What was wrong with her? She and Sam had been neighbors for nearly two years now and were friends of a sort. Neighborly, anyway. He wasn’t her type, despite his physical perfection, and she certainly wasn’t his.

Not to mention he’d almost killed her dog.

Could nothing dampen her physical reaction to the man?

“I’m sorry.” He sat back on his haunches. “So damn sorry. I didn’t see the little guy and—”

“I know.” She reached out and covered his hand with hers. An immediate and unwanted spark of awareness zinged through her. She snatched her hand away before Sam noticed. When they’d first met, she’d literally walked into a wall because he’d flustered her so badly.

In addition to his piercing blue eyes, Sam was tall with a kind of natural athletic grace, like there was nothing he couldn’t handle. He wore his blond hair cropped and had an easy smile that lit up his whole movie-star-handsome face.

He had to know she had a major crush on him. From what she could tell, every single woman in Magnolia—and a number of the married ones—felt the same way she did.

Pull yourself together, she commanded silently. Maybe the post-adrenaline rush could be blamed for her overwhelming reaction. The letdown had only come once Sam had driven them to the vet’s office, where her sweet pup had checked out in good health other than the leg.

According to Dr. Kaminski, the attending vet, Tater’s fracture was simple, so the leg could be cast without needing surgery.

“Let’s take care of your leg while we’re waiting.”

“My leg?” she asked dumbly as Sam straightened and walked to the small sink in the corner of the empty break room. The vet tech had suggested she wait in the back instead of the lobby since she was wearing pajamas, a robe and fake sheepskin boots.

He looked over his shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. The kind he might offer some hysterical woman during one of his shifts with the local fire department. The kind that said, “don’t lose your mind on me, ma’am.” As if she were on the verge of...

She groaned as she shifted on the chair. Right. Her leg and the burning road rash she’d gotten from hurling herself in the path of his SUV, like she was some sort of superhero who could handle the impact and save her beloved puppy.

Her right leg had taken the brunt of the damage. From about midthigh to just above her ankle, her skin was a patchwork of red and raw wounds, inflamed and bleeding in several places. Somehow she’d become numb to the stinging pain with her mind focused on Tater’s injury.

“I’ll take care of it when I get home,” she said as he moved closer. He placed the bin of first aid he’d brought on the chair next to her and knelt in front of her.