Ben studied the family as they were involved in a conversation other than the one he’d come over to have with them. The brothers were caught up in a topic most would think required privacy. The parents, after hearing of the possible pregnancy, couldn’t keep the grins off their faces, and kept leaning into each other. Shoulders bumping and rushed whispers going back and forth between the two. Pure joy radiated from them, damn near suffocating the room with the scent of a flower-filled meadow in springtime.

He looked to Carolline to gauge how she felt, and noticed she had the same contemplative look he held. While his family was small, consisting of only his mother and half-brother, hers was nonexistent. It had to be slightly overwhelming to be in her shoes. He had no idea how she would handle blending into such a tight-knit group. Ben had heard the Andersens were in each other’s pockets. Always knowing what was happening in one another’s lives. It was a far cry from the solitude and peace and quiet he knew she was accustomed to and held so dear.

The entrance of the woman, he presumed to be Kacie, broke up the men’s discussion. A charged silence fell over the group. Carolline, probably the best at reading uncomfortable situations, stood up and did what she did best. In that soft, comforting tone of hers, she introduced herself, breaking the spell over the room.

Dallas tossed away the paper Ben had brought over, and took the glass of orange juice from Devon. His focus on the potentially pregnant woman.

Devon’s kids came barreling into the room, dressed in pajamas and sporting crazy bedheads. Squeals of joy echoed throughout when they caught sight of their Uncle and his girlfriend. The youngest tried climbing the man like a tree, and the little girl scooped up Kacie’s hand to tug her over to a chair where she proceeded to crawl into her lap. The oldest boy picked up a bag Dallas must have dropped on the counter on the way in, and exclaimed at the huge pink box with Sweet Confections plastered all over it.

This was the chance Ben needed to gain Devon’s attention. He did have other things to do today, one of which included catching the people responsible for landing his friend in the hospital. Ben tapped Devon on the shoulder and nodded his head.

“Right.” Devon snatched the paper up, pressed a kiss to Carolline’s cheek and murmured softly in her ear, before motioning for Ben to follow. He led them to the office at the front of the house. Russell slipped in after Ben and closed the door behind them.

“I thought I would sit in, if you don’t mind,” Russell said before settling on the couch pushed up against the wall. It didn’t appear that Ben or Devon had much of a say in the matter one way or the other. Nor would he want to. If he had the backing of one of the founding families in what he wanted to do, then who was he to complain?

“Of course not,” Ben said. He waited for Devon to take a seat next to his father before handing the paper back to them. “The reason I came over today was because of this article. To say I was surprised to see it, would be an understatement. We haven’t released any information whatsoever, and I don’t think your buddy at the paper would do so without consulting you first.”

“He wouldn’t,” Devon confirmed. “Especially since it deals with the kids. We protect our own here, as I’m sure you know.”

Ben nodded. “Then we need to find out who did this. I doubt the man who escaped is the culprit. Why bring unwanted attention to himself?”

Russell grunted. “It would serve no purpose, that’s for sure. He failed, so why expose himself?”

“Right,” Ben agreed. “I have one of the deputies heading to Cheyenne to talk to the newspaper staff in person. See if doing a face-to-face will help, since they weren’t keen on disclosing any information over the phone. In the meantime, we’re looking at everyone who was involved in the incident. My first stop being you,” Ben directed at Devon. He didn’t honestly believe the man would say anything to the newspaper, but he had to cover his bases. It wouldn’t hurt if Devon had some ideas as well. People who held a grudge against him and his family, stuff like that. Which, from his check into the Andersen family background, would be any number of people.

A lot of people looked up to the Andersens, but there appeared to be just as many who weren’t their biggest fans. Their lenient and open views on half-breeds and humans pitted them against those who felt purebreds were far superior. The Purists, while dwindling in numbers, had a few strong and high-ranking members who could inflict damage when they truly wanted.

Devon chuffed low in his throat. “I would be offended by that if I didn’t know it was part of your job. I would never put my kids in danger or out in the open like that.”

Ben nodded. It was as he thought. “What about the nanny or her boyfriend? Do you think she would do something like that to get back at you for firing her?”

“No. The girl may have shirked her duties, but she loved the kids. Her failure and subsequent firing was expected. She was beside herself with guilt when she found out they had almost been taken.”

Ben nodded again. “That leaves the EMTs and hospital staff. I have the information for everyone at the scene. I’ll be checking with the nanny to cover that base. While I’m doing that, I’d like a list of everyone who came in to contact with Carolline and knew her connection with the kids. Since you showed up with her, I have a feeling that could be quite a few people.”

“We kept the number of people working on her case to the bare minimum. Even after I handed her over to another doctor. I insisted on it, and I would like to believe they followed my directions.”

“In any case, I’ll find out when I interview them. Get that list to me by the end of the day. Have a good one gentlemen. Oh, and Devon, it’s good to see you stepping up.”

Ben turned on his heel and was almost to the door when Devon’s voice stopped him. “It may have taken me a bit to figure out my priorities, but I’m all in. Carolline is mine,” he all but growled.

Ben turned and smirked at the man. “Good. She deserves someone who feels that way about her.” Ben opened the door and left, shutting the door behind him. He nodded his head at the officer parked out front and got into his car. He was happy to see Carolline surrounded by people who would love her. Now all he needed to do was make sure no one would rip that away from her.