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Instead, I was hard, lonely and missing a woman I barely knew. We’d taken a step past friendship to the point that I cared a lot about this woman’s wellbeing. I needed to know she was safe out in the big bad world. Snagging my phone, I sent her a text.
Me: Be safe. Text me you made it safely.
When the reply came, I’d almost given up on her answering.
Natalie: You too. Thx again. Don’t be a stranger. We should do dinner before you leave NY.
Me: We should. Don’t be a stranger either. We’re practically neighbors.
That last bit was a reminder that our homes outside of New York were nearby. It was an hour before she replied.
Natalie: I arrived. And yes. If not in NY, there is always dinner in MD.
Maryland. Home would never be same, knowing her home base was so close. Things might be different for us when she returned there.
While I was in the shower, I got a call from Grant. He left a message, but when I tried to call back, I got his voicemail. It wasn’t surprising, considering cell service was spotty at his cabin.
Sitting on the sofa with the TV on in the background, I realized how alone I felt. I never believed myself to be someone who needed company. Yet, somewhere in the last few days, I’d gotten used to Natalie’s presence. In a weak moment, I picked up my phone, letting my finger hover over the call button after I’d pulled up Carrie’s contact.
It would be so easy to call her and have one night of forgettable sex with a familiar person. However, what would that solve? There was no getting back with Carrie. Though my moral compass fluctuated enough to allow me to fuck her one more time. Only there was no turning back the hands of time. I couldn’t lead her on and have a bad case of the regrets I’d called Natalie out for.
What did I really want? Natalie. I wanted to sink into her honey sweetness and lose myself. I wanted to wake up next to her one more time.
“Damn it, Liam,” I said out loud to no one. “You let her walk away.” I had because I had that much respect for her. She wasn’t just some random chick you meet with an itch you needed scratching. She was the kind of woman you introduced your mother to. That was the reason I’d let her go.
I had nothing more to offer her than one fantastic night. I still needed to figure where my life was headed. I hadn’t been home that long from deployment. Yes, I had a job with Uncle Ted, and I could do it well. The training I’d received in the military had given me other skills. I also could go back to the covert unit I’d been in. Possibilities.
By the time I got the call from my brothers for a meet, I was crawling up the walls. New York was dead because of the virus. My hotel was like an island I couldn’t get off. I’d been on the verge of going back home to Maryland when I got the text.
This time when I knocked on the door, I was let in without suspicion. Kalen, however, hadn’t lost his hostile gaze. I was led to the same room I’d come face to face with my father. Only he wasn’t there.
Four faces watched me as I came in and sat in the empty chair across from the sofa where Bails and Lizzy sat. Connor and Kalen stood behind their respective wives.
“First,” Connor began.
“Would you like something to drink or eat?” Bails cut in. She waved to the spread of finger foods and drink laid out on the coffee table between us.
“No, but thank you for offering,” I replied.
“I’m Bailey by the way, Kalen’s wife. I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself before. This is Lizzy, of course, Connor’s wife.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
“First,” Connor repeated, asserting himself again. “The kids are napping. No shouting or raised voices.”
“Fine with me,” I agreed. Just don’t say anything shady, I thought.
“The samples were submitted. The lab came back and said it could be weeks before we could get the results. Whatever this virus thing that’s going on, most labs joined to help develop testing for or are slammed doing testing for that with limited staff due to lockdowns. DNA tests that don’t relate to crime scenes aren’t high on the priority list no matter how much money we could throw at it in normal circumstances,” Connor said.
“What are you saying?” I asked, my bullshit meter on high alert.
“I’m saying, according to the lab, it will likely be weeks before we get results,” Connor said.
Kalen jumped in. “What Connor means is that you don’t need to wait around New York. We will contact you when we get them back.”
