“I thought I’d catch a ride back. Figured there was no telling when your fan club would let you leave.”

“You said ‘Only Your Love’ was one of your favorite songs. I figured you’d stay to hear it.”

She shrugged, unwilling to admit how hard it had been to leave in the middle of Jake’s performance. And what an easy decision it was to make because she didn’t want to see Sam dancing with someone else. “I’ve got it on my playlist.”

“You know I don’t want a fan club,” he said, running a hand through his blond hair. It was rumpled, a few loose strands standing up in different directions like he’d been tugging on them all night.

“It’s not a criticism,” she lied, because she had no right to judge whom he spent his time with or how many women from here or Magnolia he dated. “You’re popular, Sam. Those women are only human, after all.”

He laughed at that, but there was no humor in it. “Do you like my brother?” he asked suddenly, bending to scratch behind Tater’s floppy ears. The puppy leaned into the touch because he was no dummy.

“I like everyone in your family,” she said, trying hard not to imagine how it would feel to have Sam’s hands on her. A new low, jealous of her dog.

“I’m not talking about everyone.” Sam bit down on his lower lip, then looked up at her. “I mean Kyle. Do you like him?”

“Sure. He’s nice. A sweet guy.”

“Sweet,” Sam repeated, like the word was bitter on his tongue. “He thinks you’re sweet, too, and he isn’t wrong. You two will make a great couple.”

Bella blinked. “We’re not going to make anything.”

“He likes you. Likes you, likes you.” He stood, paced a few feet away before turning to her again. “A great couple,” he repeated, his voice strained.

Blood pounded through Bella’s veins like she’d injected caffeine directly into them. The way Sam was looking at her could only be described as... Longing.

Raw and untethered. The kind of look she’d never imagined receiving from any man, let alone the one standing in front of her. As if he were on fire and she was the only thing that could douse the flames.

Impossible.

Incomprehensible.

Undeniable.

She took a step closer to him, her fingers gripping the leash as if her puppy, who was currently occupied chewing on a stick in the grass, was some kind of lifeline to reality.

Except Bella didn’t want real life if it would take away this moment.

The desire in Sam’s crystal-blue gaze seemed to become almost a palpabe force.

“I don’t like your brother that way,” she said quietly.

“You should,” Sam answered immediately. “He’s a catch, whatever that means. Everyone says so. It’s all I hear about from my sisters and Jayne when he’s not within earshot.” Sam put his hands on his hips like he was giving a lecture. “When is Kyle going to settle down with a nice girl?” His voice had gone into a bad falsetto, but Bella didn’t smile.