“Dr. Grant’s alone to the point that it’s not good for him. Between you and me, the youngest nurse here, Ellie, is crazy about him. She’s been doing her best to catch his interest—and she’s a pretty little thing—but she’s not having any luck. But you . . .” She eyed Leah speculatively.

“I’m not girlfriend material.”

“Piffle!”

Sebastian approached. “Markie,” he greeted the older woman.

“Dr. Grant.”

“Have you been pumping Leah for information?”

“Not at all!” she said with pretend outrage.

“Blasting her with a fire hose full of information, then.”

Markie tossed another cackle over her shoulder as she went about her duties.

“Sorry about that,” Sebastian said. “She’s always got her head so buried in everybody else’s business that she doesn’t realize when she’s making people uncomfortable. Did she throw me under the bus or praise me?”

“A little of both?”

“I—” A shrill sound interrupted him. He pulled his phone from his pocket. “My pager,” he explained. Clicking off the noise, he read the alert on the screen with a serious expression.

“I presume you’re needed elsewhere,” Leah said.

He lifted his head. “I am. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she said merrily to cover her sharp sense of regret. Their time together was at an end. There was no way to know when and if she’d see him again . . . when and if she’d encounter these delightful and highly unusual sparks and pangs. “Thanks for meeting with us.” She poked Dylan’s calf with her toe.

“Yeah, man,” Dylan said. “Thanks.”

Sebastian’s forehead wrinkled. “I wish we had more time.”

“Dylan and I have already taken too much of your time.”

“Will you be able to find your way out?”

“I was a math prodigy, remember? I’m more than equal to this hospital’s floor plan,” she said laughingly, waving him off. He was making her nervous about whatever situation awaited him at the other end of that page. She didn’t want to burn precious seconds.

“Good-bye.”

“Go save babies!”

Sebastian vanished around a corner.

“You have a crush on him, don’t you?” Dylan asked.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, beloved brother of mine.”

He did an embarrassing impression of her. Big, adoring eyes. Dazed smile.

“That is not how I acted just now.”

“You have a crush on him.”

“I most assuredly do not.” What I have are some dreams of him and melting sensations when he looks at me. Why had two people in the span of five minutes determined that she and Sebastian should be romantically linked?

“How come you never go on any dates?”

“I’ve been on some dates.”

“When was the last one?”

“Six years ago.”

“That’s forever.”

“No. Six years ago is six years ago. Forever is another mathematical concept entirely.”

“How come you haven’t dated anyone since then?”