He caught himself staring at the way the light glinted against the strands of her hair. He jerked his focus to his plate.
“Huh,” Eli said knowingly.
“Don’t say anything,” Sam warned. Shortly after their server had taken away Sam’s plate, two guys left the bar and made their way to Gen’s table.
Sam’s torso tensed.
Gen and her friend raised welcoming faces. The guys’ body language communicated confidence as they chatted with the women. They were white-collar types around Gen’s age. No doubt they had more in common with her than he did. They’d probably never felt like outsiders in their life. They’d probably be better for her than he would.
After a time, Gen and her friend scooted over to make room for the men at their booth, and the food Sam had just eaten turned into a lump of sand in his stomach.
He was the one who’d told Gen they couldn’t be more than friends. So it was beyond stupid for him to feel jealousy now.
Except he did.
He’d told her they couldn’t be more than friends, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want more. He did. He wanted her to look at him with tenderness and keep him company and laugh with him and stay with him on his farm.
Their server returned with their check, startling him.
Gen and one of the men rose and moved to the jukebox.
Sam pulled his wallet from his back pocket and laid out bills to cover the cost of the meal and tip.
“Everything okay, man?” Eli asked with a note of concern.
“Sure. Everything okay with you?”
“I’m doing great.” Eli appeared to want to say more.
“Don’t say anything,” Sam told him for the second time.
“Fine.” Eli shook his head wryly and stood. “I’m glad we did this.”
“Me too.” Sam pushed to his feet.
“I’ll see you at the gym.”
They shook hands, and Eli made his way out.
Sam hesitated, split between wanting to beanywhereelse and wanting to talk to her.
Since they’d kissed, they’d texted each other about the next Fall Fun Day. He’d seen her gardening once and heard her doing laundry once. But they hadn’t spoken face to face. They’d agreed on friendship the other night. So he’d speak with her and, after he did, maybe it would get easier to be near her.
He crossed to the jukebox.
“Good evening,” he said and realized instantly that he sounded forty years older than he was.
“Hey,” she said warmly.
The guy with her gave him a mask of friendliness that didn’t cover the message of“Back off, I was here first.”
“It looks like you had the same idea my friend Ellie and I had tonight,” Gen said. “Were you craving fried chicken?”
“I was.”
“Same.”
Sam met the shorter man’s eyes and gave him a look that said,“Back off, I was here first”far more strongly. “Can you excuse us for a moment?”
