Mistletoe Season by Michelle Major

CHAPTER FIVE

BELLADREWAthick fleece over her head—a well-worn pullover that had been left on one of the hooks inside the door to the cabin where she was staying—and fastened Tater’s leash to his collar.

The sky was dark with a canopy of stars above her. She’d grown up with a wide night sky in the mountains of Colorado, but somehow these stars felt more like a blanket covering the surrounding hills. Even though her hometown was perched at nearly eight thousand feet above sea level, the sky had seemed so faraway. Now she almost wondered if she could reach up and gather the bright points of light in her hand.

Tater tugged on the leash, bringing her thoughts firmly back to the present. It was nearly midnight, and she’d fallen asleep on the sofa as she read a book after returning to the Andersons’ resort with Pete, Jayne and Kyle.

She didn’t know what time Sam had gotten back or even if he’d returned. There was no doubt he had plenty of options for where to spend the night before Christmas based on the number of women who’d sought him out in town.

Bella was all too aware of his popularity with the ladies. He’d earned a reputation in Magnolia, although she’d noticed that his social life had taken a severe nosedive in the past several months.

Even before that, he’d never brought a woman to spend the night at the duplex. And since they didn’t exactly run in the same social circles, everything she knew about his romantic life in Magnolia was secondhand.

Tonight she’d gotten an up close view of his appeal to the opposite sex. At least a half dozen women had approached him during the caroling event, including the two that had pulled him away when the Jake Combs concert started. Women who’d alternately flirted, then pouted, demanding Sam’s attention and gleefully reminding him of their shared pasts with a knowing wink.

It was as if most of the women in Ridgeway had allergies related to Sam. All that winking and feigned trouble catching their breath. Bella had wanted to start handing out inhalers just to calm the panting he seemed to invoke.

She felt like ten kinds of a fool because she’d actually started to believe there might be something special between the two of them. He’d stayed at her side for much of the time spent with his family, making sure she was comfortable and felt cared for. He’d looked after Tater with a protectiveness that melted Bella’s heart.

Her stupid, foolish heart.

It was to blame for getting her into this situation. Making her believe there might be something more than friendship or a sense of guilt between them.

But he’d allowed himself to be drawn away tonight without an ounce of protest. His brother had been sweet and asked her to dance, but Bella had feigned being tired. When Jayne suggested taking one of the cars to head home before the rest of the group, Bella had been happy to go along.

Sam certainly wouldn’t notice she’d left.

She smiled as Tater rolled onto his back in the dry grass, then glanced up at the sound of crunching gravel.

Her puppy gave a gleeful bark, and she quickly bent to shush him as Sam approached from the main cabin.

He wore the same faded jeans he’d had on earlier, only he’d also added a thick fleece over his denim shirt. The mountain air was crisp, although at the moment heat poured through Bella like someone had turned on the hot tap at the faucet.

“You’re up late,” he said with a hesitant smile.

“You’re home early,” she countered.

“Am I?” His smile faded. “I came looking for you when Jake Combs started ‘Only Your Love.’ Heidi told me you’d left with Dad and Jayne.” He drew in a deep breath. “And Kyle.”

“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.

She could barely breathe.

“He’s got so much to offer, and we need some more cousins in the family.” He let out a long breath. “They never wonder when I’m going to settle.”

“You don’t know what they say when you’re not in the room,” she pointed out.

He gave her a bland look. “I know.”

“You’re younger,” she offered. “You have time.”

“They’ve been talking that way about Kyle since he broke off his engagement. I see how he looks at you, Bell. I see how much my family would welcome you into the fold. It would be perfect.”

“No.” Her heart was kicking against her ribs so hard she thought maybe Sam would hear it. “It wouldn’t be perfect at all,” she said despite the pounding of blood between her ears. “Because I don’t like your brother that way. Not even a little bit, Sam.”

“Why not?” he whispered.

She almost laughed at that question. “Do you really not know?”

He shook his head.

“That’s how I feel about you.” She gathered her hands in front of her as if she needed protection from his response. There was no way she could say more, not without gauging his reaction first. And she was so darn afraid that one sentence was already too much. What if he laughed at her or walked away or, worst of all, felt sorry for her?

What if she’d misread this night or the look in his eyes? Maybe the light from the starry sky had led her astray.

Sam stared at her for so long, she almost started to fidget under the weight of his gaze. Oh, yeah. She’d probably misread it all.

But just as she was about to make a joke of things, he closed the distance between them and pressed his mouth to hers.