Page 26 of Homebody (The Long Road Home #21)

Chapter Twenty-Five

D ean didn’t drive home from Tessa’s apartment. He drove to the Muddy River Inn instead. He needed a beer and someplace to get his head on straight.

Walking in, he found Liam was still there even though the women he’d been with before were not.

Dean pulled up a bar stool next to his friend. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Liam returned.

Dean caught the eye of the female working behind the bar tonight and pointed toward the beer tap before turning to face Liam. “You alone?”

“Yeah. Book club tonight at Natalie’s.”

He reached for the pint glass the bartender placed on the small white napkin in front of him and said a quick thanks before he glanced sideways at Liam. “Ah, book club. That explains why you’re here.”

“No kidding,” Liam said while lifting his own beer to take a swallow. “What about you? You find Tessa?”

“I did. In your lab with your favorite cadaver Gabe.”

“She all right?” Liam asked.

“Yes. Happy as a clam with a computer full of nerdy brain research to paw through. Why?”

Liam lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know. Just making sure. First day and all.”

“And because you left her alone on her first day locked in a lab with a dead body?” Dean asked.

“Yes. That’s one reason, smart ass.” Liam shook his head, but the shadow of a smile snuck through his scowl. “She still at the lab now?”

“No. She’s home,” Dean answered, his misery like a shadow coloring his words.

Liam glanced sideways at him. “I’m surprised you’re not there with her.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Dean sighed.

He could be with her. But sadly, just because he could didn’t mean that he should .

Liam frowned. “That sounds ominous. What happened?”

“Nothing. I dropped off some used furniture at her place. Then I left.”

“Why?”

“Why did I bring over furniture? Because she needed it. She owns like nothing,” Dean explained.

“No. I meant why did you leave?”

“I left because I’m leaving.”

Liam sniffed. “You’re talking in riddles, Sinclair.”

Dean let his chin drop on an exhale. “I mean I’m flying back to base in just a few days. I’m not going to start something with her now.”

Liam’s dark brows lifted. “You? I can’t count how many women you went through when we were together in Djibouti.”

Dean pulled his mouth to one side, unhappy at that characterization but unable to deny it was true. “This is different.”

Liam smiled. “No. You mean Tessa’s different.”

“Why are we talking about my love life?” Dean asked, leaning back to glare at Liam.

“Because we sure as hell aren’t going to talk about my love life. I’ve been serious with Natalie pretty much since I moved here. But if you’d like me to regale you with tales of date nights and couples’ parties with her friends and their boyfriends, I’m happy to do it.”

“No, thanks. I’m good.” Dean shook his head.

“What I’m saying is don’t miss out on what might be the love of your life because the timing is bad,” Liam continued with his unsolicited advice.

“It’s not just the timing. I’m no good at serious relationships.” Dean should show Liam the long list of women in his Do Not Answer contact list on his phone.

The proof of Dean’s ineptitude when it came to relationships was spelled out there in black and white.

“Did you ever think that maybe you’ve just never found the right woman?” Liam asked.

“You’re really going with the it’s not me, it’s them argument?” Dean asked.

Liam lifted one shoulder. “Could be true.”

Dean turned on the stool to face his friend. “So you’re a relationship expert now? You going to start a podcast?”

Liam smirked. “No and no. All I’m saying is that you said it yourself—this is different. How many times have you said that over your lifetime?”

Never. Dean kept that answer to himself.

“You thinking about it?” Liam asked.

After a long pause, Dean mumbled, “Maybe.”

He hated how much Liam enjoyed that answer as the other man broke out into an annoying grin.

Dean scowled. “Stop being so smug.”

“Me? Smug? Never.” Liam could barely drink his beer his smile was so wide.

But just because Liam was acting like a know-it-all ass didn’t mean he was wrong.

Twenty minutes later, as Dean stood at Tessa’s door, he really hoped Liam was right.