Dare to Succeed (The Dare 2)

“I don’t know if it’s really snooping.”

Caldwell laughed at Monroe.

“Mr. Cool and Calm is feeling a bit out of control I see. We need to be respectful. We’ll get to know her and gain her trust when she’s working here. Stay calm.”

“Stay calm? How the hell can you stay so calm when she smells so good, looks so good, and damn it I bet feels so good to hold?” Monroe asked.

“Patience, Monroe. Remember what our mamma always said, about good things coming to those who wait and patience pays off in the end.”

“Well can we fast forward through the bullshit and make Alicia ours already? This is fucking torture,” Monroe added.

“Well, when did she say she could start? That’s how we’ll know how long this torture might be lasting,” Caldwell asked.

“In a couple of days.”

“Well then, let’s have a beer and make a toast to getting through this so we can claim our woman and start working on becoming a family. God knows Mamma’s been hinting about grandkids and settling down. She’ll love that we’re considering it sooner than later,” Max said.

“Mamma finds out about Alicia, she’ll show up here and try to help,” Monroe added and all three chuckled.

“Then God help us we can get through to Alicia and prove our intentions are noble. Otherwise they’ll be hell to pay and Sianne Gordon is not the kind of woman we need to make angry,” Caldwell added and they laughed as Max grabbed the beers.

Chapter 3

“Please, Alvin, I’m fine. I’ve just been really busy with work,” Alicia said into the phone as she tried to get ready to meet Max, Caldwell, and Monroe at their house with the final idea for the window in their winery. She’d taken a couple of extra days to pull together a small replica of her idea on a stained glass piece. She figured if they liked it she would give it to them to use somewhere else in their house.

“Too busy to call me back? To talk to Tony? I doubt it. Unless you haven’t told me about some other fabulous job you got where you’re making a lot of money,” he snapped at her. She felt the tears reach her eyes. She hated when he got this way. He seemed to focus more and more on himself and his wants than hers. Plus the fact that he really believed she would be his financial savior. She didn’t need men like this in her life.

She used the special cleaner to shine up the 16 x 18 stained glass piece. It looked stunning and she hoped they liked it.

“Are you listening to me?” Alvin raised his voice.

“Yes. Of course I am but I need to get going.”

“Where? It’s nearly seven.”

“I have an appointment.”

“At night? With whom? It isn’t a date is it?”

“No. It’s business.”

“With male or female?”

“With none of your business.”

Alvin was silent.

“Don’t go making some huge mistake. Tony still wants you after everything, even the accusations that he cheated on you.”

“He did cheat on me.”

“You were upset about losing the business. Your poor decisions caused that. It’s no wonder you made up the lies about Tony having affairs and seeing other women. He would never do that to you. Don’t you be stupid now and start fucking a bunch of guys. Tony will never take back used goods.”

“I’m not used goods.”

“You slept with Tony before you were even married. Do you know what Mom and Dad would have done?”

“No, I don’t because I hardly knew them anyway. Besides, I’m not involved with anyone. Tony broke my heart in case you didn’t realize that.”