Chapter 33

Nolan

"That should just about do it,"I said as I shook Jonathan Bradish's hand, just as I heard the rumblings of Dawson's truck.

"I really appreciate everything you've done, Mr. Harding," Jonathan said with a sigh of relief. "This check is going to take care of a lot of stuff and then some," he said appreciatively.

"Please, you can call me Nolan."

That was the moment Dawson walked in.

"Everything okay?" Dawson asked as he looked between us.

Jonathan smiled. "Better than okay. Mr. Harding here went above and beyond," Jonathan said with a chuckle.

"Is that so?" Dawson said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Because of the error in the initial report, not to mention the initial findings—" I raised an eyebrow back at Dawson, who only sheepishly blushed. "I was able to file a complaint along with my re-eval and I escalated the claim above my supervisor so it would get pushed through faster, being as there were extenuating circumstances and someone's livelihood at stake." I smiled smugly.

"Breisinger cut me a check for thirty grand, Al," Jonathan said grinning ear to ear.

"Thirty grand? That's... that's more than—"

"It's what he deserves. This place is his business, after all," I said firmly.

Dawson didn't waste a second. He swooped in and hugged me tight, then kissed me with such appreciation I found it hard not to wrap my arms around him and do the same.

When we broke apart, his brother was shaking his head.

"I should have known," he said as I fought to regain myself, steadying my blush and my glasses, which had gone crooked from Dawson's prince charming moment.

"What do you mean?" Dawson asked, clearing his throat, casting me a sly grin.

"I mean, the tension between you two when you last showed up here was thicker than a fucking poundcake."

We both laughed, and I could see I was not the only one blushing.

"That obvious, huh?" Dawson asked with a chuckle.

His brother rolled his eyes. "Well that, and you've been talking about the guy for like, two years."

I turned to raise an eyebrow at Dawson. "Really now? I hope they were only good things," I teased him.

Dawson grinned devilishly.

"Actually they were terrible things. Long list of grievances."

I bet they were.

"Mhmmm." I fought my own smile as Dawson wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me tightly to him, pressing his lips to my forehead.