“He cooked dinner for Gen the other night,” Natasha told them.
“Did he?” A gleam came into Ben’s eye. “Do you like him? In a non-platonic way?” he added for good measure.
“Yeah. I kind of do.”
“I’ve heard Sam has that effect on every woman in this town,” Ben said.
“Ben here still likes Leah Montgomery in a non-platonic way,” Sebastian stated.
“Oh! Of course.” Genevieve couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to ask for an update on Leah sooner.
Ben taught science at Misty River High School, where he was every eleventh grader’s favorite teacher. More than a year ago, Leah had moved to town to teach the high school’s advanced math students. Apparently Leah was very smart and very pretty. Ben had been interested in her from the start but wasn’t sure whether she had feelings for him in return. Thus, he’d been building a friendship with her in hopes that it might, one day, lead to more.
“Correction.” Ben took a sip of iced tea, then set down his glass. “I love Leah in a non-platonic way.”
Natasha leaned forward, flattening both palms on the table. “Love!”
“Love?” Sebastian asked skeptically.
“Did you forget to mention to us that you and Leah started dating?” Genevieve asked.
“No,” Ben answered. “We haven’t started dating. Do you have to date someone to love them?”
“Usually.” Sebastian spoke with the confidence of a doctor delivering a diagnosis.
“But not always.” Genevieve hadn’t gone on a single date with Sam, yet she could see how very easy it would be to tumble into love. “I think that love can come before dating in certain circumstances.” Inwardly, however, her protectiveness of Ben stirred. It was precarious to fall in love with someone youweredating. Even more so to fall in love with someone youweren’tdating. She could only hope that Leah would recognize Ben’s awesomeness and love him back.
“Ask her out,” Natasha urged.
“I’m going to. It’s just that I don’t want to make any mistakes. I’d rather take it slow and play my cards perfectly with Leah. You know?”
“What’s your plan?” Sebastian asked.
“I’m going to run with this friendship thing a little longer while simultaneously upping my flirting game.”
“What flirting game?” Sebastian asked, deadpan.
Ben socked Sebastian on the shoulder and bent at the waist laughing. “I have flirting game, man. And I’m hoping that Leah isn’t immune to it.”
“She isn’t immune to it,” Natasha said. “I’d bet a jumbo box of my kids’ Goldfish on that.”
“Good luck, Ben,” Genevieve told him. “If she doesn’t swoon over you, she’s crazy.” She moved her attention to Sebastian. “And you? Have you been swooning over anyone since we saw you last?”
“I have not.”
Women adored Sebastian. Sebastian, however, didn’t freely give his adoration in return. He’d had girlfriends from time to time, but he’d never appeared to invest himself in any of them. Which concerned her.
She didn’t want him to become a lifelong bachelor. Singlenesswas certainly biblical and—hello—she herself was single, so she didn’t have the right to thrust marriage aspirations on anyone else.
Nonetheless, shedidwant marriage for Sebastian. With his background and personality and scars, she’d always felt that he needed a family of his own just a little bit more than the rest of them.
He’d scoff at that if he knew that’s how she felt.Everyonewould scoff at that because it didn’t take good eyesight to see that Sebastian was already earning an A-plus at life.
“Are you still dating that oncology doctor?” Natasha asked him.
Ben began shaking his head even before Sebastian responded.
“No,” Sebastian answered. “It didn’t work out. Which is fine. You can count on me to make a good groomsman at your wedding to Leah, Ben.” He saluted first Ben, then Genevieve. “And at your wedding to Sam, Genevieve.”
