“Don’t tell Brad about what you saw at the restaurant,” Dawn told her husband that same night as she helped him close up D4. “You and Zack don’t know why Alicia was there with that man plus a kiss on the cheek isn’t the prologue for sex. Hell, I don’t even consider it anything romantic at all.”
Richard shoved the night’s money and checks into the money bag next to him. “You aren’t going to talk me out of this,” he told her. “We both agreed that Brad had a right to know and you’re wrong.
“A kiss on the cheek with a guy can lead to something more in a man’s head. I’m beginning to think that Lee might have seen the truth when the rest of us were blinded to the fact. I won’t let her hurt my brother.”
“Alicia isn’t a bad girl. I truly believe she’s in love with Brad and isn’t cheating on him. Don’t tell him about this lunch today. You could be making something out of nothing.”
“Brad is the closet to me and if he finds out about this from anyone else, he will be so pissed that I knew and didn’t tell him.”
Dawn crossed her arms over her breasts and shook her head. “I’m getting a bad feeling about this. Please stay out of it. You might be reading more into it than there is.”
Richard gave her a quick kiss on the mouth. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I feel he needs to know and I’m going to tell him. Secrets can destroy a relationship and I won’t allow that to happen to Brad.”
Turning away from her, Richard went towards the back of the restaurant toward his office. Dawn watched her husband’s retreating back with worry. She didn’t know why Richard couldn’t think Alicia’s lunch with that man wasn’t romantic, but he couldn’t.
It just worried her to think what harm was about to come to Brad and Alicia’s life because her husband couldn’t wait to find out what the truth really was.
For a fleeting moment, she thought about finding Alicia and talking to her about this before Richard got hold of Brad, but she decided against it, feeling it was Alicia and Brad’s relationship…not hers. Besides, she really doubted that Alicia was cheating on Brad. She saw how Alicia looked at her brother-in law and there was too much love in her eyes for her to be cheating on him.
Nibbling on her bottom lip, Dawn prayed that she had made the right decision by not getting involved.
Early the next morning, Brad stormed around Richard’s office shaking his head. He never thought this would be the reason his brother called him over here on a Saturday. He was on his way to pick up Alicia so he could take her to the pond, but he decided to stop by here first and now he was pissed that he had.
“You’re so fucking wrong,” Brad snapped hotly rushing up to his brother’s desk. “Alicia loves me and I’m crazy about her. She isn’t cheating on me. I don’t know what you thought you saw, but it wasn’t that.”
“Brad, I wish I was but Zack saw the same thing, Alicia handed the guy something and then kissed him.”
“On the mouth,” he snapped.
“No, it was on the cheek but anyone could see their connection. I knew I had to tell you,” Richard said. “Dawn told me to stay out of it, but I felt you needed to know. I would want to know if you saw Dawn kissing another man.”
Brad ran his fingers through his hair and the memory of the way Alicia used him to make Max jealous racked his brain. Did she do that to him again?
No, he wasn’t going to think like that. Not now. Not after all of the things they had shared over the past several weeks. Alicia wasn’t the same woman. She had changed and for the better. Richard was wrong about what he saw and he was going to prove it to his brother.
“Alicia isn’t cheating on me. You’re right about most things but you’re wrong about this. You aren’t any better than Lee. Don’t worry about me anymore. I can take care of my life without you or anyone else giving me their unwanted advice.”
Moving away from the desk, Brad rushed towards the closed office door. He opened it and was about to step out when Richard said.
“I’ll be here all day if you want to come back and talk in a more rational manner.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” Brad barked before walking out.