“Because I haven’t been interested in anyone.”

“That’s weird.”

“No it’s not. It’s countercultural, but countercultural is not synonymous with weird.”

“What are you, thirty?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Probably time to get a move on. Tick tock.”

She sighed. “That’s the most asinine comment you’ve made all weekend. It accepts as logic several illogical conclusions. That women need a man. That women expire at a certain age. That—”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I haven’t dated because I haven’t met a man I wanted to date.”

“Well.” Dylan angled his chin toward where Sebastian had disappeared from sight. “Now you have.”

You have a crush on her, don’t you?” Markie asked Sebastian an hour later. “The woman who visited you today?”

He accepted the coffee he’d ordered from the barista at the coffee shop a half block down from the hospital. Slowly, he faced Markie. It might be coincidence that she’d made a coffee run at the same time he did. It was far more likely that she’d followed him here like a bloodhound trailing the scent of new gossip.

“That’s none of your business,” he answered.

“So you do have a crush on her. How’d you two meet?”

“No comment.”

“How long have you known her?”

“I draw the line at sharing her with you,” Ben had told him. “No comment.” He pushed through the door onto the sunny, busy city sidewalk.

Leah. Impossibly beautiful. Completely off-limits. He hadn’t had enough time to talk with her, look at her, memorize her presence before he’d been called away. And now she was gone.

He’d have liked to spend the rest of the day hitting a punching bag, but he had work to do. Which meant no vent for the grief and anger and desire twisting within.

Markie caught up to him, moving quickly to keep pace. “She told me that she doesn’t do romance. What in the world does that mean?”

“She’s not interested in falling in love.”

“Everyone’s interested in falling in love!”

“Not her.”

“But—but I could read her like a book. She does like you, Dr. Grant.”

“She’s never said so.”

“Maybe she hasn’t admitted it to herself. In time, she will. Don’t give up.”

“I wish I could give up.”

“Why?”

“Because even if she is interested in me, I can’t be with her. Ben loves her.”

Markie gaped at him, fell back, then rushed up to him again. “Does she love Ben?”

“No.”

“Well. Has anyone had the sense to ask her how she feels about you?”

“No.”

“I see. You’re determined to be a martyr.”

He grimaced. “I’m determined to do right by my best friend.”

“So you’re not going to do anything where this woman’s concerned?”

“No comment.”

He was going to do something.