is.”
Dean spoke abruptly, almost as if he were annoyed. Alex knew that the man was busy, but something about his tone and body language set off an alarm in Alex’s brain.
He was lying. Alex didn’t know why, but he was certain of that fact.
“Well, you know someone who looks like him,” Brianne insisted. “Alex saw him. He saw him on television with you. You’ve got to know—”
Dean raised his palms in a helpless gesture. “I don’t know what you want me to say. If I don’t know the guy, I don’t know the guy.”
“But—”
Alex put a hand on Brianne’s arm. “Brianne, he doesn’t know him.”
Brianne looked at Alex, her eyes large and glistening with tears. “But you said—”
“I know what I said. But I was obviously mistaken.” Alex looked at Dean as he said the last word.
Dean nodded. “Exactly. I see a lot of people, man. Sometimes they run down to see me after a race. I don’t know who they all are. This guy—even if he was on the track that day—I don’t know him.”
Brianne wanted to cry. And she wanted to scream. Alex was giving up so easily. Why walk away now? After they had come so far?
Besides, she got the impression that Dean was hiding something. She wasn’t sure why—it was just a sense she had. Now was the time to stress to Dean just how important it was that they find Carter. Not simply act like they were two old friends in town hoping to touch base with him.
Alex stood. Reaching across the desk, he shook Dean’s hand. “Thanks for your time.”
Brianne stared at Alex in a state of disbelief.
“Come on, Brianne. We’ve taken up enough of Mr. Knight’s time.”
She didn’t move. Instead she tried to convey with her eyes her desire that they stay and press Dean harder. But when Alex extended his hand to her, she reluctantly stood.
“Sorry I couldn’t be of help,” Dean said.
“Hey, if you don’t know him, you don’t know him.”
Alex placed a hand on Brianne’s elbow and guided her toward the door, as if he didn’t trust her to go of her own free will.
“Take care,” Dean called out as they reached the door to his office.
Alex responded, but Brianne didn’t bother to even turn and acknowledge him as Alex ushered her out of the office. She was suddenly angry. With Dean Knight and with Alex.
“Going so soon?” Ginny asked.
“Yeah,” Alex told her. “Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.” Ginny fluttered her unnaturally long eyelashes.
Brianne wanted to throw something.
“Brianne, will you wait for me outside?” Alex asked.
Her eyes grew wide in astonishment. But when she saw the megawatt smile on Ginny’s face, she knew the deal.
“Fine,” she said tersely.
Brianne turned and marched out the door. She thought she heard Ginny say a goodbye, but she wasn’t sure.
Brianne stomped all the way to the car, yanked on the door, but found it locked. Silently she cursed.
“If you leave me out here waiting forever…”
Two minutes that seemed like two hours passed. Then the front door opened. Alex casually made his way down the steps, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“I see you have your priorities straight,” Brianne muttered as Alex reached her.
“Excuse me?”
“We’re here to find Carter, but you seem more interested in making a love connection with Ginny.”
“Brianne—”
“And Dean says he doesn’t recognize Carter, and you just say, okay fine, let’s go? Why exactly did you have me come down here with you if you were going to give up so easily? What was the point?”
“Brianne—”
“After getting my hopes up, telling me you were certain, you now you think you were mistaken. So does that mean you think you were wrong about Carter being alive?”
Alex pressed a finger to Brianne’s lips to silence her. “Bree, stop talking for a second and hear me out.”
“No,” Brianne said, stepping away from Alex’s touch. It looked to him like she was going to cry. “This is exactly what I
Dean spoke abruptly, almost as if he were annoyed. Alex knew that the man was busy, but something about his tone and body language set off an alarm in Alex’s brain.
He was lying. Alex didn’t know why, but he was certain of that fact.
“Well, you know someone who looks like him,” Brianne insisted. “Alex saw him. He saw him on television with you. You’ve got to know—”
Dean raised his palms in a helpless gesture. “I don’t know what you want me to say. If I don’t know the guy, I don’t know the guy.”
“But—”
Alex put a hand on Brianne’s arm. “Brianne, he doesn’t know him.”
Brianne looked at Alex, her eyes large and glistening with tears. “But you said—”
“I know what I said. But I was obviously mistaken.” Alex looked at Dean as he said the last word.
Dean nodded. “Exactly. I see a lot of people, man. Sometimes they run down to see me after a race. I don’t know who they all are. This guy—even if he was on the track that day—I don’t know him.”
Brianne wanted to cry. And she wanted to scream. Alex was giving up so easily. Why walk away now? After they had come so far?
Besides, she got the impression that Dean was hiding something. She wasn’t sure why—it was just a sense she had. Now was the time to stress to Dean just how important it was that they find Carter. Not simply act like they were two old friends in town hoping to touch base with him.
Alex stood. Reaching across the desk, he shook Dean’s hand. “Thanks for your time.”
Brianne stared at Alex in a state of disbelief.
“Come on, Brianne. We’ve taken up enough of Mr. Knight’s time.”
She didn’t move. Instead she tried to convey with her eyes her desire that they stay and press Dean harder. But when Alex extended his hand to her, she reluctantly stood.
“Sorry I couldn’t be of help,” Dean said.
“Hey, if you don’t know him, you don’t know him.”
Alex placed a hand on Brianne’s elbow and guided her toward the door, as if he didn’t trust her to go of her own free will.
“Take care,” Dean called out as they reached the door to his office.
Alex responded, but Brianne didn’t bother to even turn and acknowledge him as Alex ushered her out of the office. She was suddenly angry. With Dean Knight and with Alex.
“Going so soon?” Ginny asked.
“Yeah,” Alex told her. “Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.” Ginny fluttered her unnaturally long eyelashes.
Brianne wanted to throw something.
“Brianne, will you wait for me outside?” Alex asked.
Her eyes grew wide in astonishment. But when she saw the megawatt smile on Ginny’s face, she knew the deal.
“Fine,” she said tersely.
Brianne turned and marched out the door. She thought she heard Ginny say a goodbye, but she wasn’t sure.
Brianne stomped all the way to the car, yanked on the door, but found it locked. Silently she cursed.
“If you leave me out here waiting forever…”
Two minutes that seemed like two hours passed. Then the front door opened. Alex casually made his way down the steps, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“I see you have your priorities straight,” Brianne muttered as Alex reached her.
“Excuse me?”
“We’re here to find Carter, but you seem more interested in making a love connection with Ginny.”
“Brianne—”
“And Dean says he doesn’t recognize Carter, and you just say, okay fine, let’s go? Why exactly did you have me come down here with you if you were going to give up so easily? What was the point?”
“Brianne—”
“After getting my hopes up, telling me you were certain, you now you think you were mistaken. So does that mean you think you were wrong about Carter being alive?”
Alex pressed a finger to Brianne’s lips to silence her. “Bree, stop talking for a second and hear me out.”
“No,” Brianne said, stepping away from Alex’s touch. It looked to him like she was going to cry. “This is exactly what I
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