28. The Human Element

The next day, West and Abby's official engagement announcement was released. The full story of their courtship and engagement photos were there. The donation to Abby's choice was also published.

It was a wonderful article and would make his brother look great.

The family photo was a lovely touch. They chose the one that included Trevor and Lily.

Lily hadn't been so thrilled over that. She'd seemed shocked, but Braylon wasn't. He had a feeling that West would do that, but he wasn't sure why.

Sure, he loved Lily, but it'd only been a few months. Though he didn't think anything would happen to end his relationship, it was still early for that to be published.

Braylon was in the office early, as always. Lily had stayed the night and they came in together. She'd been quiet when talking about work and he wondered what might be going on.

He felt like there was more than she was saying and it was hurtful she wouldn't confide in him, but he had to let her do her thing and hope if there were problems she'd come to him.

"Are you nuts?"

He turned to see Thomas standing in the doorway.

"Excuse me?"

"Your girlfriend," Thomas said. "First off, I think West is the idiot for the whole article, but there was no stopping him."

"It's his decision and I don't think he'd appreciate the insult," he snapped.

"It's my job to protect him and his business. The whole thing with Abby's background was a mess, but you swept it under the carpet. You should have let me handle it and expose it all so there was no more talk."

He ground his teeth. "That's not your decision. It was West's."

His brother wanted to protect Abby, not tell the world something personal and private that no one needed to know.

Thomas didn't always see the human element in things and that was why West gave it to him to deal with directly.

"I don't believe West is too concerned about this," he said. "You knew the article was coming out. We told you."

"But I didn't read it beforehand. If I had, I would at least have advised him not to put a picture of Lily with your family in it."

"Why is it any business of yours who I date and if they are part of my family?" he asked.

Thomas came into his office and shut his door. "Well, if you were half the attorney you think you are, you'd do a background check on the woman you're prancing around your family."

"I've met her family," he said. "I know what I need to know."

Thomas was shaking his head at him. "Still young and naive," Thomas said, tossing a file on his desk. "Just to open your eyes a little. Hope this doesn't backfire on your brother. But at least he'll know who is the one who had his back."

Everything in him wanted to deck Thomas, but he wouldn't.

After Thomas left, he opened the file and started to read the reports in front of him.

Lilian Baker, fourth child of Rae Baker, in prison for armed robbery and theft. That was the most recent charge and he recognized the address of Quinn's house as one of the targets. That Quinn was held as a hostage during a standoff. Karl Baker was also involved and just currently released from prison.

As he read on, he saw that Lily had been in foster care in Chicago until she was eighteen, then moved to Lake Placid with her sister.

Why wouldn't she tell him any of this?

Braylon sat there easily an hour reading everything and his anger just grew.

He stood up and marched to West's office. He had to tell his brother.

"Is he in?" he asked West's assistant.

"He's meeting with Laken."

"Perfect," he said, moving past and opening the door.

"Excuse me," Laken said. "This is my meeting."

"We need to talk. Business and family," he said.

"You look like you've had a bad morning," Laken asked. "Did you and Lily have a fight?"

"I'm sure we are about to," he said, tossing the file down on the table.

West and Laken opened it and sorted through and read it.

"You had Lily looked into?" Laken asked the disapproval in her voice. "Why would you do that?"

"I didn't," he said.

"Then who did?" West asked, frowning.

"Aren't you pissed over this and what could come of it?" he asked.

"Why would I be?" West asked. "Doesn't look to me like Lily has done anything wrong other than be born to a piss poor excuse of a mother. You'd never know her upbringing now. Do you know how hard it is to not become a statistic with her upbringing?"

"Like her brothers," Laken said.

"Brett and Annie are married and work," he said. "They are hard workers."

"They are," Laken said. "Lily has mentioned them. But I think what West is saying is that it's a cycle of working poor. Even Quinn looks to have struggled. She married well."

Braylon ran his hands through his hair. He didn't think Quinn planned it out. No way.

Not with the way Max loved his wife and Max's kids did too.

Lily had said that Quinn was a very simple person and would always be that way.

"So you think that is what Lily is trying to do?" he asked.

"Don't be an ass," Laken said. "I'm stating a fact. You better calm down. You said you're going to fight with Lily. Why?"

"Because she lied to me."

"Did she?" West asked. "Did you ever ask her if her mother was in prison? Have you asked why she doesn't talk to her mother or older brother much?"

"No," he said. "When she briefly brings up her mother she changes the subject after. I get the feeling she doesn't want to talk about it."

"Didn't you get all sarcastic with me when I said I knew everything about Abby and you said no one knows everything?" West asked.

He let out a sigh. "Yes."

"Then don't get mad at her for not volunteering it," Laken said. "Do you think I volunteer much of my life to people I date?"

"No," he said. He shouldn't be surprised his family was giving him shit.

"I'm sure no one does in our family," Laken said. "If you know what you think you need to about her, then why do you care about her family members?"

"If you're worried I'm upset over this, you're nuts," West said. "And I'm disappointed you'd think that. Especially considering who I'm going to marry. I don't give a shit about Lily's background. If you told me she had a criminal record like her mother, then maybe I'd want more information. But there is nothing in here bad about her. To me it just shows everything she overcame."

"The press is going to have a field day with this if they find out," he said.

"Then it's your job to squash it," Laken said. "Not make it worse."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" he asked.

"Get in front of it like you always do," West said. "Stop thinking with your heart and think with your head. Get the facts and then do what is right. I expect no differently. Trust me, you don't want Mom to find out otherwise. Consider this big brother advice."

He snorted. He hadn't expected this reaction from his brother, but maybe they were right. He was thinking with his heart.

His heart told him that he was hurt beyond words that Lily kept this from him.

The last thing he wanted to do was go storming into her office and demand answers. He didn't want to let on what he knew either.

"I want to know everyone that calls for a comment," Braylon said. "Tell Celia to come right to me."

"That's the brother I know and love," West said. "She was already given instructions to do that anyway. I don't believe there is much to worry about or she would have contacted you already. So far most has been positive."

"Good," he said. "I'm glad it's working out."

"It will for you too," Laken said. "If you get your head out of your ass. Now go, I've got work to talk about before I've got to leave for a meeting."

He left and went back to his office. Thomas was walking down the hall and smirked at him.

Rather than saying anything to him, he got to work and tried to figure out what to say to Lily later.

He sent her a text that he wanted to have dinner with her tonight. He told her he wanted to talk about the article. He made light of it so she didn't worry, but he didn't want her to say she couldn't meet.

He even offered to pick up dinner and have it at her place since he knew she'd have things to do. Laundry for one. She'd been at his place the last few nights and as much as he wanted her to stay more, she always used that as an excuse.

They never met at her place or had dinner though, but he'd give her a chance to come clean on her home ground. It was the least he could do the more he thought of it.

It also gave him the chance to leave if he didn't like what she had to say.