If I didn’t have to stay for Autumn’s wedding, I’d get on a plane today. “I thought maybe he’d call me.”

Autumn glanced over her shoulder. “You’re the one who left a stupid note. You call him.”

“He probably hates me.” We were at Autumn’s future home, where I was having a one-person pity party because my best friend wasn’t being very sympathetic. She adjusted the silver-framed photo of her and Brian, taken last year on their vacation to St. Thomas.

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’d want to hear from you, so stop your whining and pick up the phone.”

“How does he look at me?” I was pathetic, reaching for any little crumb that might prove Dylan had feelings for me.

“He can’t take his eyes off you. It’s true,” she said when I shook my head.

It wasn’t like I was in love with him.

“I don’t know, are you?”

“Didn’t mean to say that out loud,” I grumbled. I just really missed him.

“Well, you did.” She frowned when I refilled my wineglass for the third time. “Are you sure you want to drink that? You’ve gone through half the bottle already.”

“What? You’re the wine police now?” Yes, I wanted to drink it. All of it. Until I couldn’t remember Dylan’s name.

“Don’t get snotty with me, Jenn.” She pulled out the dining room chair next to me. “I’m sorry you’re hurting, but drinking yourself sick isn’t going to solve anything. And you do get sick if you drink too much.”

That was true. I pushed the glass away. I pressed my palms against my eyes, hating all the crying I’d been doing lately. Somehow my tears were mixed up between Natalie and Dylan, each one calling to me, asking for my love, my allegiance. How was I supposed to choose between the sister I loved more than anyone in the world and a man I could love like no other, but offered only an uncertain future?

“You thought you’d kept your heart safe.” Autumn wrapped her arms around me as I bawled like a baby. I hadn’t realized Dylan had stolen my heart until it was too late.

“So what are you going to do about it?” She let go of me and went to the kitchen, returning with a paper towel. “Sorry, I don’t have any tissues here.”

I wiped my face. “Leave.” I hiccupped. Soon I’d be on my way. I just wished it were today. Right now.

“Maybe you should talk to Dylan, tell him how you feel.”

“It’s been four days. If I meant anything to him, he would have called by now.”

“Have you considered that he hasn’t called because he’s respecting your wishes?”

“Well, he shouldn’t.”

Autumn rolled her eyes. “Do you even know what you want?”

“I have to go, so it really doesn’t matter, does it? I won’t break my promise to Natalie. Besides, Dylan’s not looking for a serious relationship,”

“He told you that?”

“Yeah, when we first got together.” I put my hand on my chest. My heart hadn’t healed from losing Natalie, and it was breaking all over again.

“I told you how he looks at you, like you mean something to him. Maybe he’s changed his mind.”

My heart gave a flutter of hope, but I crushed it. I almost told her that Natalie promised I’d feel her with me, but Autumn wouldn’t get it. Maybe Connor and Adam would because only twins could understand the connection that lived in our souls. They would get how much I needed to know she was with me.

“Come over and have dinner with me and Brian tonight. I’ll make lasagna.”

I forced a smile. “There’s an offer I can’t refuse.” Although I wanted to. All I really wanted to do was to go home, eat a tub of ice cream, and cry.

By late Friday morning I was ready to paint my apartment or wallpaper everything in sight or start collecting cats. Anything to get my mind off Dylan. I was going stir-crazy sitting in my apartment, missing a man who didn’t want me. I’d tried to read, but after staring at the same page on my Kindle until the screen went blank, I gave up on that. Turning on the TV hadn’t worked. The apartment was spotless since I’d gotten up at the crack of dawn and cleaned it from top to bottom. I’d gone through my clothes, deciding what I’d take. Not much, since I’d be moving around a lot.

I finished making a list of the things I needed to do before leaving, then looked around. Now what?

My phone buzzed, my mom’s name coming up. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Hi, honey. Dad and I visited Sean this morning. I knew you’d want to know that he’s been moved out of ICU and into a room.”

“That means he’s out of danger, right?”

“Yep. He’s listed as stable now.”

“Fantastic.” We talked for a few more minutes, and after hanging up, I decided I’d go visit Sean. It was something to fill the time before I had to go to work.

On the drive to Asheville I turned the volume up on my radio and sang along with the songs. Anything to keep from thinking about Dylan. At the hospital, after finding out Sean’s room number, I took the elevator up to the third floor.

I turned the corner and ran into a brick wall. “Oomph.”

Large male hands grasped my shoulders. “Sorry… Jenny?”

Dylan’s voice washed over me like warm sunshine. I squeezed my eyes shut to keep from curling into his chest and wrapping my arms around him.

“Are you okay?”

No, I wasn’t. “Sure.” I blinked open my eyes, glancing behind me. When I tried to step around him—because I really needed to get away before I did something stupid like cry, or worse, kiss him—he caught my wrist.

“Were you on the way to see Sean?”

Not trusting my voice, I nodded. Dylan’s fingers felt like a brand on my skin, hot and possessive.

“I just came from his room. He’s sleeping right now.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I guess I’ll come back some other time.”

He rubbed his thumb over the inside of my wrist. I wasn’t sure he realized he was doing it, but it was sending my senses into overdrive. My arm tingled all the way up to my shoulder, and if my lady parts got any hotter, I was going to combust.

“Jenny?”

“Hmm?” Whatever the question, the answer was yes.

“I noticed a coffee shop next door. Let me buy you a cup.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” What happened to answering yes to whatever he asked? Self-preservation, that’s what.

“Please, Jenny. I…” He swiped a hand through his hair. “Just two friends having a cup of coffee, okay?”

My stupid heart sank to my stomach at hearing him describe us as just two friends, even though I was the one who’d left him with no more than a cowardly note. He put his hand on my shoulder. My body responded to his touch like one of Pavlov’s dogs. I squeezed my legs together, willing the aching need to go away.

I guess I took too long to answer because he captured my hand. “We’ll walk. Easier than moving our cars.”

Five minutes later we were seated at a corner table, an iced coffee in front of me, a hot coffee for Dylan. He’d held my hand all the way over, which confused me. Holding hands had always felt like an intimate act between a man and a woman. Why was he touching me? I wished he’d just go away. Being with him again, even if only to talk, was messing with my head.

My hungry gaze roamed over him. The man was mouthwateringly sexy wearing his cop uniform—beige cargo pants, a dark brown Henley shirt, a brown leather bomber jacket, and the gun holster on his hip.

Handsome, dangerous, and not mine.