Marc listened to Travis going on and on about the buildings he’d inherited from their grandfather, his attention only partially on his brother. Travis had the tendency to talk and talk and talk. Marc was used to it.

He still privately thought Lacy had the patience of a saint to deal with his youngest brother.

He had stopped off at Travis’ that afternoon, to have a meeting with his brother about the properties that they jointly owned. He’d been a private business owner before he’d become the governor, with a variety of interests. He’d be a business owner after his term ended. Travis managed all of Marc’s properties as well as his own while Marc ran the state, and a cousin or two managed his other ventures. What he made as the governor of Texas was but a fraction of his yearly income from his real estate and manufacturing holdings. But he’d never been a politician for the money. Far from it.

It was because his state deserved people busting their asses to make it the best it could be.

His brother was a phenomenal businessman underneath the lanky cowboy good cheer. Travis was probably one of the smartest men that he knew.

Travis had mentioned needing to run by the hospital to take Lacy lunch, and to check on the renovations of the complex he owned across the street. It was right next to the one that now housed W4HAV.

Since Marc was going that way anyway, he'd ridden in with his brother. His guards had followed in the car behind them. It gave him a rare bit of time alone with Travis. It seemed like lately he only saw his brother when he was using him for free baby-sitting. After his meeting with Rafe, he and Travis were going to meet back up, grab the kids, and take them fishing in the pond behind Lacy’s family ranch. Rafe planned to join them after his shift ended.

Time alone with his brothers and his kids was rarer than he’d like.

Travis led the way into the building. "Rumor has it Ari's around here someplace. Lacy wanted me to check on her, make certain she hasn’t hurt herself remodeling something that she shouldn't have."

“Do they expect she would have?” He didn’t like to even think about it. He found her slight clumsiness intriguing, but she was only that way when her mind was on something else. She’d get focused on whatever she was thinking about and outside surroundings wouldn’t always register.

"Lacy said Ari isn't exactly the best at remodeling. To be honest, I think Lacy was just worried about her. Mel’s latest find really shook our favorite fairy. So… Here I am. Just checking on the building, of course."

Marcus agreed with his brother. He wanted to check on her himself.

Travis had told him the latest news regarding Rafe’s birth family. And he had a strong suspicion what Rafe's opinion of that was. He doubted it was going to be good. He hated the idea of her handling it all alone. No wonder her friends were concerned. "What are they going to do about it?”

Travis just shook his head. "They're going to go through with it. Ari's going this weekend with Mel to talk to the man that practices medicine in Amarillo now. He’s been this close the whole time and Ari didn't know. But then again, look at how it happened with Rafe? Hell, if Rafe hadn’t been in Japan with me he would've met Ari—and Jillian—at Elliot's wedding. It’s hard to get past that."

Yes, Marc could see where it would be. What that Daviess woman had done to her own children disgusted him, but if she hadn't done it, he would've lost out. On his own brother. He wouldn't trade Rafe for anything in the world. Did that make him selfish? That he was thankful that he had his brother? Marc didn't know, but who was he to second-guess what life had in store for any of them?

He'd learned that lesson a long time ago.

They passed a man in the hall, and Marc paused for a moment. He hadn't realized Allen Jacobson was back yet. He had heard through the grapevine that the physician had taken some time off after what happened to him, Ariella, Rafe, and Jillian.

Allen looked a little better, but it was obvious the man was still grieving.

It was a pain Marc knew well. He’d always liked Allen and considered him something of a friend, though they were not close. He hadn't cared for the two men who had usually accompanied Allen everywhere—Lanning and Claireson, and that had kept him from putting a great deal of effort into much more.

Allen had been through real hell recently—the loss of the woman he loved, and the loss of his closest friend Logan, to that damned Solpalmitraln.

Logan had been addicted to the drug. The delivery guy that had tried to kill Jillian and Rafe had been stealing it.

Allen had gotten in his way. The woman Allen had loved had been involved in the thefts; that had been revealed to them since the delivery guy had killed her and left her for Jillian and a friend to find in the hospital corridor.

Solpalmitraln was the pin that everything had pivoted around. Marc hadn’t forgotten that.

Rafe had arranged a meeting with him and the supply chain for the drug. Elliot’s man Erickson was going to be there, as well.

He hoped Allen had people to help him through the stages of grief that Marc knew so intimately. No one should have to go through that hell alone. He was thankful he had his brothers when he'd lost Carissa. He’d never forget what they had done for him, or the children. Rafe had lived with them until Isaac was six months old and Rafe had been appointed to his charity group out of Africa. Those six months that Rafe had helped him with the baby had been the worst of Marc's life. He never would've made it through without Rafe. Or Travis. When Rafe couldn't be there, Travis had. Every opportunity he could.

His brothers had been there for him. Marc doubted he'd ever be able to pay that back.

Marc spoke with Allen for a few minutes, and then he followed his brother the rest the way down the hall. Travis knocked on the door with W4HAV emblazoned on the glass. Marc looked beyond his brother.

The light was on inside the charity, and the woman they had come to see was right there.

Marc smiled as his heart rate sped up. He had it bad, and he knew it. She had her long dark hair in two narrow braids and she wore a thin orange Finley Creek University tee-shirt and dark jeans. She looked like a coed, barely old enough to vote. Beautiful. He'd always thought she was beautiful. She unlocked the door quickly, a worried expression in her big brown eyes.

"Hi, we’re Lacy’s errand boys,” Travis said. "She was worried that you wouldn’t have lunch, or a ride home."

"I was going to call for Luc's car. She working today? I was going to swing by there before I left and see Jillian."

"So, what are you doing here by yourself?" Usually she had at least one guard trailing after her. He knew it was her brother's way of keeping her safe, especially after everything that had happened to her and her friends over the last year. And he understood it.

A guilty expression crossed her face. "I just needed some time here alone. I'm sure my guard is out there somewhere. He usually is."

Marc knew her brother wasn't stupid. He'd bet good money that Davis Lucas had more than one guard on his sister. He probably had at least one Ariella didn't even know about trailing her. Especially since she’d made it clear she didn’t like the guards’ presence.

"Consider us your escort, then." Travis smiled and patted her on the back lightly. “Just a pair of surrogate big brothers.”

Marc didn't feel the least bit brotherly when he looked at her. She looked up at him, and her cheeks heated.

Ariella knew that as well, too.

Now he had to plan exactly what to do about that. Getting her away from Travis for the moment would be a damned fine way to start.