LITMIR.BIZ

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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 downs with hurricanes and workers’ strikes, but together he and Mitch had conquered everything that came their way. This arson issue was just a complication—nothing the two of them couldn’t handle.

      Kate tried not to think too much about the kiss that Lance had given her at the sign-in table. She just kept her sunglasses on and her head down as she stood in the sand, playing—of all things—beach volleyball.

      Lance was serving and he was very good at it. But then he was good at everything he did. And he was built for sports. Though most of the men who worked for Brody Oil and Gas were in shape, no one looked better to her than Lance Brody. She remembered last year when he’d taken his shirt off to give it to her.

      He was built like an Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter and from what she had heard of his past, he’d grown up hard with a father who liked to fight.

      “Kate!”

      She turned around to face the net just as the ball came toward her. She lifted her hands not to hit the ball but to protect her head. She really hated playing these kind of games.

      The ball bounced off her, heading toward the ground, when Marcus dove to the sand to hit it up. Joan took the ball and spiked it over the net.

      Kate was shaken by her near miss and decided it was time for her to stop playing. “I’m going to sit out.”

      No one objected and she felt good about that. She sat on the sidelines where she watched the rest of the game and she talked to some of the families of workers who’d been with Brody Oil and Gas since Mitch and Lance had taken over after their father’s death.

      A lot of people commented on her new look, telling her how nice it was. She thanked them. She was starting to get used to how she looked and no longer saw a stranger in the mirror.

      She grabbed a bottle of water as the game ended with Lance’s team victorious. She handed the water to him and he hugged her close. “We won.”

      “As usual,” she said, with a smile. This was one thing she’d really miss about Lance. When they were at his house, she never felt like his secretary.

      “Winning is what I do best,” Lance said.

      “Very true,” she said, thinking that was probably one of the things that drew her to him. He just had a positive attitude and kept on going until he achieved what he set out for.

      “Walk with me up toward the house.”

      “Why?”

      “Because I want to talk to you. Do you have all the fireworks set up for us?”

      “Yes. Exactly as they were last year. I have the music cued and the deejay is ready to announce everything for you.”

      Everyone wanted to talk to Lance and though he had asked her to stay with him, she soon found herself drifting to the outside of his circle. It was then that she spotted Mitch at the welcome table with Lexi Cavanaugh.

      The woman was beautiful and sophisticated and everything that Kate wasn’t. She’d be the perfect match for Lance—being a senator’s daughter, she knew how to socialize and work in the community. Brody Oil and Gas was always looking for ways to give back to the communities where their refineries were. And Lexi would be a conduit to that.

      “Join me for a beer?”

      Kate glanced over at Marcus. He had two Bud Lights and held one of them out to her. She smiled and took it. “Thanks for saving me from that ball earlier.”

      “No problem. You definitely looked like you were out of your league.”

      She shrugged. “I figured I should play at least one time before leaving.”

      “So the rumors are true,” Marcus said. He tipped his bottle back and took a long swallow of his beer.

      He was an attractive man, she realized. He was tall, at least six foot five, and had a neatly trimmed red beard. His hair was longish on the top but cut neat in the back.

      “Yes, they are true,” she said, sipping her beer.

      “I think it’s safe to say we are all going to miss you,” Marcus said.

      “I doubt it. There will be someone else in Lance’s office keeping you guys all organized.”

      “But that person won’t be you,” Marcus said.

      “I’d take that to heart but you didn’t even notice me until I had my makeover,” she said, looking at him closely. As attractive as Marcus might be, he didn’t hold a candle to Lance.

      “True enough. But that doesn’t mean I’m not telling the truth now.”

      “Can I ask you something?”

      “Sure,” Marcus said.

      “Why was I invisible before?” she asked. “It was more than clothes and glasses, right?”

      Marcus took another swallow of his beer. “It was more than that. I think it was your attitude. You weren’t invisible exactly, I’d say you were more of the girl next door, you know? Just a comfortable woman who we didn’t see as a sexual being.”

      “But now you do?’”

      “Yes, now I do. I can’t speak for anyone else.”

      Kate nodded looked away

      “I’m not the man you wanted to notice you,

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