Page 24 of Homebody (The Long Road Home #21)

Chapter Twenty-Three

T essa wasn’t answering Dean’s texts or calls.

She wasn’t home either. He knew because, like a damn stalker, he’d driven to her apartment and knocked on her door. He’d even tried to peek in the window. Just to check on her out of concern and make sure she wasn’t on the floor unconscious or something.

Then he’d gone so far as to have his mother call Tessa’s landlord to come and unlock the door for him. Luckily they knew each other from church.

Dean’s excuse was that he had a sofa for her loaded onto a borrowed trailer hooked to his dad’s vehicle. The reality was, he just needed to know where she was.

By the time the landlord had helped him carry in the sofa and he’d returned the trailer, she still wasn’t home or answering her cell.

Ruby’s salon was closed. He’d confirmed that himself with a quick drive-by. The library was closed as well. And, shameful though it was, he’d even gone into the diner to confirm she wasn’t inside eating.

So where was she?

There weren’t that many places to go around here that she could be since she had no car…

Except the Muddy River Inn. Where he’d first met her.

Of course. That had to be it.

Throwing car into gear he might have broken the thirty-mile and hour speed limit through the village to get there but it couldn’t be helped. He needed to know she was safe.

At least, that’s what he told himself. He feared he also needed to know she wasn’t out with another guy.

The parking lot was nearly full. Dean saw an open spot… right next to Liam’s Jeep.

Liam was here. Was Tessa here too?

Dean let out a low growl he was glad no one was around to hear and swung into the spot. He threw the car into park, cut the engine and took the wooden set of stairs to the door two at a time.

He did a visual sweep of the space, starting with those seated at the bar and ending with…

Liam seated at a table littered with beer bottles, drink glasses and the remnants of what looked like a platter of loaded fries.

And with Liam were three women. One was Red, two he didn’t recognize, but none of them were Tessa.

That didn’t stop Dean from striding over. Liam smiled when he saw him. “Hey, Sinclair.”

“Walsh. Red.” Dean nodded in greeting.

“Hello, Dean.” Red smiled wide. “Nice to see you again. You alone?”

“Yes.” He hesitated. Ask? Don’t ask? Screw it. He was going to ask. “You see Tessa around?”

Red’s auburn brows rose high. “Not recently, no. Are you looking for her?”

“I am,” he admitted.

Liam raised one hand. “I might know where she is. If she’s still there.”

Dean narrowed his eyes to glare at his friend. “You do?”

Liam smiled wide. “Yes. But first, I think I should probably introduce you to my girlfriend. Dean, this is Natalie. We’ve been together since…” Liam glanced at Natalie for help.

“Since I got electrocuted and Liam saved my life,” the pretty curly-haired brunette supplied. “A couple of years ago now.”

“It was terribly romantic,” the other brunette at the table added. “Hi, I’m Harper.”

Immensely relieved to know Liam was taken, Dean tipped his head in greeting to the women he’d been introduced to. “Hi.”

“And as for Tessa…” Liam continued. “I hired her this afternoon as my new assistant. She was so eager to get started. I left her at the lab working.”

“You left her in the lab on her first day with the… body ?” Harper asked, eyes wide as she stared at first Liam and then Natalie.

“She’ll be okay. Gabe promised to be on his best behavior,” Natalie said.

“Gabe?” Dean asked, already hating the man, whoever he was.

“Gabe is one of my cadavers,” Liam explained. “And don’t blame me about Tessa being there alone. I told her I couldn’t stay, but she was so anxious to get started who am I to say no to her? The girl is brilliant. Have you read her credentials?”

Credentials?

Dean frowned until he figured out what Liam was talking about. Tessa’s side hustle. To get the job Tessa must have told Liam about all those research papers she’d written for the college kids who paid her. Bold move.

“Oh, yeah. The research paper she’s writing. Yeah, she is very smart.”

“So anyway, if she got involved and lost track of the time--” Liam began.

“Like you do when you’re working?” Natalie asked with a smirk and some audible attitude about what was obviously a touchy subject for the couple.

“Yes, like I do,” Liam said indulgently with a squeeze of Natalie’s hand. “She’s probably still at the lab. You know where it is. Go on over if you want. Knock on the door.”

“I think I will. Thanks.” Dean extended a hand toward Liam, feeling better now that he knew Liam was in a serious relationship. And feeling bad he’d acted like a suspicious ass to begin with.

Liam stood and grasped Dean’s hand, pulling him in during the handshake to say low, “Just tell Tessa you like her already, will you?”

Dean pulled back and met his friend’s gaze and saw the amusement there.

Liam was right. He should. And in a perfect world, he would. Unfortunately this situation was far from perfect.