Page 26 of Search for the Truth
Blake stopped next to their table. She handed him the candy in her hand.
“I’m not in the mood for coffee anymore, so how about we do dinner tonight instead?”
LIAMWASSTARINGinto his closet. Theo was inside and sporting a brown blazer that had only seen the world twice since being purchased at a strip mall in Florida. The teen flapped his arms, then did another twirl.
“This isn’t the worst thing you own,” he said. “It actually looks pretty decent, good with your jeans too.” Theo made a show of looking him up and down. “Unless you want to change into something else.”
Liam almost rolled his eyes. He avoided the urge. Theo had been in his apartment for less than a half hour and, in that time, had already made several jabs about his appearance.
“This isn’t some kind of date,” Liam said, once again. “I’m just going out to dinner. I don’t need to dress up any more than this.”
Theo didn’t hold back his urge to roll his eyes.
“You’re finally doing something social after business hours. With a woman.” He shrugged. “I feel like that’s as close to a date as you’re going to get. Why not make more of an effort?”
“Says the guy who refuses to say hi to his crush of, what did you say, five years?”
That seemed to hit home. Theo took off the blazer. Liam pointed to the hanger.
“Hey, I’m just trying to help a divorced man get his groove back.” He hung the blazer back up. “That’s not a crime. That’scharity.”
“That’s sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong,” Liam corrected. He backtracked through his bedroom to the kitchen. His badge was on the counter, his cell phone next to it.
Fifteen more minutes until he would be leaving.
Fifteen more minutes until he would be meeting Blake at the restaurant.
“Plus, this isn’t remotely a date. This isn’t even a social call. It’s about work.”
Liam said it with a little too much vigor. Maybe he was trying to underline the reason he had agreed to Blake’s invitation for himself too.
“After work hours though?” Theo prodded. “Do you know how rare that is for you? Sheriff No Work Talk After Clocking Out. You can’t expect me not to question this. Unless there’s somethingelsegoing on.”
“There’s nothing else going on. Blake just has a busy schedule I’m trying to accommodate. It’s not like turning down Deputy Gavin for some beers when he wants to complain about the medical examiner hurting his pride.”
Theo crossed his arms over his chest. He still looked skeptical.
“You met her for coffee this morning, you’re going to dinner with her tonight. What’s next?” he asked. “Staying at her house until morning?”
The boy cracked a grin.
Liam made sure to be stern.
“Don’t even joke about that,” he warned. “One word like that gets out, and all our ears are going to be filled with gossip that will most definitely put me in a mood. A mood that locks that front door, and that fridge, from a no-good, talkative teen.”
Theo rolled his eyes again but then caught whatever snarky remark he was about to say. Instead, he put his hands up in mock surrender.
“I won’t make a peep about your nighttimeworkmeeting with the beautiful, and rumored to be single, Miss Bennet at the fanciest restaurant in town. My lips are officially sealed.”
So, shewassingle.
Liam hadn’t asked and hadn’t planned on it either.
But now, he knew.
“Good,” Liam said to the boy’s promised silence. “I’ll grab you a plate to eat tomorrow if you don’t say another word about it, starting now.”
Theo mocked a loud gasp. Then he bowed.
