Maybe she had been just a way to scratch an itch or a casual holiday hookup. She still didn’t understand how she’d managed to misread the way he’d looked at her and touched her, the feeling of connection between them as he’d moved inside her.

She refused to believe that Sam felt nothing for her, but what was she supposed to think at this point? The rest of the family had shown up shortly after Sam had driven away and Kyle stomped out the back door.

Kyle had apologized to her for the scene as she’d loaded her bag and Tater’s crate into the back of Jayne’s Subaru station wagon, and Pete had given her a tight hug and told her she was welcome back anytime. He’d thanked her for recognizing Sam’s unique gifts and holding him to a high standard, making tears prick the back of her eyes.

Jayne had offered to drive her back to Magnolia, but at the last minute had asked her to stay for a bit longer. All Bella wanted was to be home again, but she felt guilty for interrupting Jayne’s plan for the holiday so agreed to postpone their departure.

It was obvious Sam’s stepmom hoped he’d return to undo this mess, but Bella had only received one text. His message had been a simple apology and a wish for a Merry Christmas despite his behavior. She’d responded with a generic Christmas wish to him, unwilling to let him off the hook for his behavior but unable to call him out or ask him for more of an explanation. She wasn’t sure she’d want to read his answer.

“Do you think I’m going to have to move?” she asked as she picked apart the fluffy cinnamon roll without taking a bite. “I love my apartment.”

“Of course not.” Jayne shook her head. “You and Sam are friends, even though now you’re friends with benefits or however that works. Friends don’t run away from problems. They work through them.”

Bella sighed. “It’s awful to think about going back to having a crush on him while watching him cycle through other women again.”

“I think our little Sammy has gotten that out of his system,” Jayne said with a gentle smile. “He’s changed. Both his dad and I see it, probably his siblings, too, although it’s hard to relinquish family roles, especially during the holidays. He’s different, Bella, and not just because of you. But you’re part of it.”

“He just left,” Bella said, feeling miserable. “I chased him away from celebrating Christmas.”

“You didn’t do anything,” Jayne assured her. “And Christmas will still be here when Sam gets back.”

“What if he doesn’t come back? What if he went to find one of his old girlfriends?”

“You don’t believe that any more than I do.”

“I wouldn’t blame him.”

“Of course you would. You care about him, and you respect yourself. You hold him to a higher expectation than the rest of us do. It’s good for him. You’re good for him.” Jayne stood and refilled Bella’s mug from the coffee thermos she’d brought over along with the cinnamon rolls.