mind and I’ll feel stupid again.”
“Don’t feel stupid,” Lance said. He leaned down and kissed her. He’d been wanting to for the last two days since he’d seen Marcus leaning against her desk and talking to her.
He wanted to make sure she knew that he was the only man she needed to kiss.
Her lips felt so right against his and he realized he’d been more than hungry for her. Lexi or no Lexi, was tired of denying himself Kate.
Mitch arrived at the picnic looking every inch the successful lobbyist. There was a part of Lance that envied his younger brother. But with Kate at his side and now his younger brother, too, Lance felt pretty good.
“You two seem happy,” Mitch said. “Did Lance finally talk you into staying on as his secretary?
Kate shook her head, and Lance realized there was still a lot of work for him to do before he had his Katie-girl back for good.
“Let’s go to my office at the house and call Darius,” Lance said.
“Right now?”
“Yes. I haven’t had a chance to check back in with him today and the press is calling, looking for an update.”
“Senator Cavanaugh is waiting for answers, as well. And until he gets them, I’m afraid that no matter what your relationship is with Lexi, he won’t back the bill we need him to,” Mitch said.
Lance was impressed with his younger brother. He looked nothing like their father and yet he had the old man’s drive. And Mitch was savvy when it came to dealing with politicians. Lance himself was only good with gas and oil people.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Mitch asked.
“Just wondering where you get this polish you have.”
Mitch shrugged. “Mom, I guess.”
“Probably. I always forget about her,” Lance said. Alicia Brody had done the best she could. And when she’d walked away from their old man, Lance knew it was because she’d had enough of the roughness of her life. He’d learned a long time ago to just bury his feelings of abandonment.
“You know, I get why she left me behind,” Lance said as they entered his house. “I’m the spitting image of him. But I never understood why she left you.”
Mitch rubbed the back of his neck as he headed for the bar in the living room. “I think she didn’t want either of us to be alone. I’ve always imagined she knew that if I didn’t stay she’d lose you, too.”
Lance didn’t like the sound of that. He’d always thought of himself as the protector, the one who’d kept Mitch safe. “Really?”
“Hell, I don’t know. I’m not a woman and to be fair, I don’t understand them,” Mitch said.
Lance laughed. His own situation with women was beyond complicated at the moment. Getting engaged hadn’t made his life any easier like he’d imagined it would. Although he’d resolved to be the man Lexi deserved, he just couldn’t keep his lips off Kate.
“Speaking of women, I got Lexi a necklace. Do you think she’s the type of woman who’d enjoy receiving it in public?” Lance asked.
Mitch poured two fingers of whiskey into a highball glass and downed it in one swallow. “No.”
“I wasn’t sure. I guess I’ll give it to her when she shows up at the house later. I’m glad she’s coming today.”
“Her dad asked her to. I believe he wants to know what we are like beyond the glitter of DC.”
“Cavanaugh knows what we are like. Texans, like him. And he shouldn’t forget that.”
Mitch poured some whiskey for Lance and held the glass out to him.
“To Texas boys.”
Lance clinked his glass against his brother’s and downed his whiskey in a quick swallow. He liked the burn as it went down.
The band started playing out back. “Let’s get this business with Darius wrapped up so we can enjoy the party.”
“Good idea.”
Lance led the way down the hall to his den. It was decorated in dark hues of brown and leather. He’d picked out the furniture for this room himself instead of leaving it to the interior designer. He’d known exactly how he wanted the room to look.
There was a Remington black and white photograph on the wall, and a portrait painting of Mitch and him that had been done when their first well came in. In the background was Old Tilly, as they liked to call her.
“Remember that day?” Mitch asked.
“Hell, yes. I think about it often. It was when I knew you and I were going to make it.”
“I always knew we would,” Mitch said. “Neither of us knows how to quit.”
“True that.” Lance dialed the speakerphone and Darius answered on the second ring.
“Darius here.”
“It’s Lance and Mitch,”
“Happy Fourth. I suppose you are calling about your arson investigation,” Darius said.
Lance liked that Darius was straight to the point. He was one of Lance’s best friends and the kind of guy that Lance knew he could count on.
“We are.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have much news. They are still saying arson and they found the source that started the fire but now they have to eliminate several possibilities as accelerants. Once they find the one used at your blaze, they will start investigating where the accelerant was sold.”
“How long do you think that will take?” Lance asked.
“Who knows? But I’m in touch with them every day and you can take my word that they are working hard on your case.”
Darius gave them a few more details and he and Lance made plans for drinks later in the week before hanging up.
“Are you going to be in town next week?”
“If I get Senator Cavanaugh back on our side. If not, I think I should stay in DC. This is a critical time in our dealings with him.”
Lance nodded. “Thank you for doing this.”
“It’s my company, too, and I want it to succeed as badly as you do,” Mitch said.
Lance believed that. When the old man had died, they’d both taken a vow to put the company first and make it the best damned oil and gas company in the world.
They’d had some ups and
