The next few weeks flew by and the Bluebonnets began to fade. Lizzy threw herself into making Helen's house everything she wanted it to be. There were many buying trips to Austin and Dallas where she, Helen, and Janie scoured the shops looking for that perfect object; that final touch that would make her and Helen's vision a reality.

She was determined to prove to Brian that she was good at her job, and also to show him that she was well and truly over the past, but it was hard because he had decided to take the hands on approach to restoring his mother's house, and he was always around.

Lizzy was trying hard not to care, but she could tell she had lost more weight. The thought of food just didn't appeal.

Janie and Lizzy were just getting out of the truck when Helen came out of the house to greet them. "All of the wallpaper samples are here, and I know which one I want. You were so right Lizzy, you said I would know it when I saw it, and I did." She pulled Lizzy into the cool interior of the house. The only area that was not full of workers was a back bedroom that was waiting for a coat of paint, so they had dragged in a couple of saw horses and made it temporary office.

They had just made it past the main living room when Brian came out of the kitchen with a giant bag of cement balanced on his shoulder. He was wearing nothing but a white muscle shirt and a pair of jeans. His muscles were flexing with the weight of the bag, and Lizzy swallowed hard at the sight of him.

"Elizabeth, Janie," he greeted, not bothering to stop.

"Brian," she greeted in return with a polite smile.

Janie's gaze moved with him as he walked out onto the front porch. "Oh my..." her voice trailed away as he sat the bag down and walked back into the main room and over to a set of plans by the window.

"Mom, do you have a minute? There is something that we need to decide."

Helen excused herself as she hurried across the room to Brian.

"Look at that tattoo on his shoulder," Janie whispered. "It makes him looks so dangerous."

The tattoo was more than evident since it took over his whole left shoulder. She could remember tracing it as they had laid in bed, talking. She looked away reminding herself that lots of women had probably done the same thing; and most recently it had probably been Heather.

"Let's get to work Janie," Lizzy said, pulling her towards the back bedroom.

"How can you be so unfazed by how gorgeous he is?" Janie asked looking over her shoulder. "Is it because you grew-up with him and he's like a brother?"

"No, he is not like a brother," Lizzy said softly, she couldn't even pretend that he was.

Janie looked at her closely, noticing for the first time that all was not well. Lizzy could have sworn she saw pity in her eyes. Poor Lizzy, dreaming about someone she could never have.

"Let's look at these wallpaper samples and see if we can guess which one Helen chose." Lizzy smiled.

"Which one has the most flowers?" Janie looked over Lizzy's shoulder at the sample book.

Lizzy laughed outright. It was true, Helen was drawn towards flowery things. Lizzy had a hard time trying to change her mind.

There was a lot to get through over the next few hours. Lizzy's parent's anniversary party was in a few days so she wanted to take the next few days off to spend with her family, and Janie was going to fly home tomorrow morning to take care of a few things in New York and have a few days off before returning to work.

Before she knew it the construction crew had packed up and left for the day and there was only her and Janie alone in the house. They were laughing about how right they had been about Helen's wallpaper choice, and Lizzy's subsequent attempt to change her mind, when Patrick Alexander walked in the room.

"Hello ladies." His gait had a little hitch to it as he walked past the door and towards the women.

"How is it coming along, are you giving my mother everything that she wants?" He walked up behind Lizzy who was standing at the makeshift table comparing samples.

Janie was sitting in the corner of the room taking notes.

Lizzy could tell that Patrick had been drinking by the smell of him.

"I think we are Patrick. Janie and I were just leaving for the day," Lizzy said, starting to pack up her stuff. Janie followed her lead and started packing as well. Lizzy had a bad feeling in her gut. Every one of her instincts were telling her to leave as quickly as possible, and Janie must be getting the same feeling because her eyes had gone wide, and she was fumbling her stuff as she shoved it into her bag. Lizzy was trying to be calm for everyone. Panic would solve nothing. It might even make a man like Patrick feel more powerful.

"Janie, why don't you head out to the truck and wait for me, I'll be right behind you."

Janie looked warily at Patrick and then at Lizzy.

"Please Janie," Lizzy insisted as she slowly kept gathering and organizing her stuff. The last thing she needed was Janie to get hurt, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if anything happened to her. She was there because of Lizzy.

"So you're just as successful as all of your brothers," Patrick said, leaning against the sawhorse next to her.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm in the early stages of my career."

"But now that my big brother has swooped in and saved the day your career is made. It seems everything he touches turns to gold. What do they call that, the Midas touch?" Patrick ran his finger along her arm and Lizzy held as still as she could.

"Tell me Lizzy, has my brother touched you?" He was staring at her intently. "Ah, I see, you're in love with him like every other woman he knows."

"Nonsense." It irked Lizzy that he was able to read her so easily. "Your brother has given me a job because he thinks I'm good at what I do and for no other reason."

Patrick started laughing. "That's right sweet Lizzy, it has nothing to do with the fact that Bryce made him a loan to start his business." He moved behind her and put an arm on either side of her, trapping her against the table. "Bryce must have called him up and asked him to give his sweet little sister a job."

"If you think that, you've never met my brother." Lizzy shook her head, dismissing the idea instantly. Bryce was much more likely to fund her himself than ask someone to do it for him.

Patrick put his mouth right up to her ear. "Tell me Lizzy, are you as innocent as you seem, or has my brother already helped himself?"

Lizzy had had enough, she reared back hitting his nose with her head then she quickly picked up her bag and moved towards the door. "Whether he has or hasn't is none of your business." She turned to leave, but before she could take two steps he reached up and grabbed her ponytail yanking her back.

"Oh I see, he has, hasn't he? Well my brother has always insisted what's his is mine as well, so maybe I should just help myself." He pushed her towards the wall and spun her around. "Let's find out exactly what my brother has had." He reached up and yanked at her button down shirt, ripping it open and tearing the sleeve.

"Stop," she yelled, pushing at him, she somehow managed to clip his jaw with her elbow which enraged him. His automatic response was to backhand her across the face. He hit her so hard, and she wasn't expecting it so she fell and hit her head on one of the sawhorses. She could taste the blood from where she had bitten open her lip.

"So you're a little fighter, and I thought you were a quiet meek little thing. This should be fun." He grabbed her arm, yanking her up and pushing her against the table. Lizzy had just started to lash out again when she felt his weight lifted off of her. She heard a crash and looked up to see Patrick pinned against the wall by Brian. Patrick's feet weren't even touching the floor, and Brian was holding him up with only one arm. He was breathing heavily and the hand at his side was fisted with blood trailing from it. Lizzy looked at Patrick to see where Brian had struck him, but she couldn't see any blood. Brian had fisted his hand so tight that he had cut it with his nails.

"Elizabeth, are you all right?" His voice was low and menacing. She had been afraid of Patrick, but she was terrified of Brian.

"Y-y-es," she whispered.

Brian looked back over his shoulder and took in her appearance. He must not have liked what he saw because his hand tightened around Patrick's throat.

"Brian," came a soft whisper from the door to the room.

Lizzy looked back over her shoulder to see Helen as white as a sheet as she took in the scene. She looked from Patrick and Brian to Lizzy and gave a muffled little cry when she saw her.

Lizzy immediately forgot about her wounds and stood up to rush towards Helen, getting to her just before she fainted.

Brian was oblivious to his mother or Lizzy as he squeezed harder at Patrick's throat.

"Brian," Lizzy said loudly and firmly. When she got no reaction she stood up and walked as steadily as she could towards him, grabbing his free arm as she reached him. She reached up and touched is face. "Brian, you're killing him."

Patrick was turning from red to blue, but something in her voice made him release Patrick and he fell to the floor. He looked over at his mother, registering her presence for the first time.

"She's fine, she fainted but I caught her." Lizzy moved back over to Helen.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now?" Brian asked Patrick barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was like that," Patrick said, shooting Lizzy a sour look.

Brian pushed him back up against the wall. "Don't even look at her."

"O.K., O.K." Patrick said, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Since when is it all right to treat any person the way you've just treated Elizabeth?" He pushed harder at Patrick.

"It's not, you're right, I need help," Patrick said, his voice trembling, whether from fear or regret Lizzy couldn't tell.

"You're just like him, aren't you?" Brian asked.

"I had little choice since you ran out and left me and mother there to fend for ourselves."

Brian dropped Patrick again and walked over to Lizzy and knelt down by his mother who looked at him with a glazed expression on her face. He helped her to sit up. "Its fine Mom, everybody is still alive."

Helen turned and looked at Lizzy. "Oh my dear girl, your beautiful face." She reached up and touched Lizzy's cheek and lip.

Brian stood up quickly and started pacing the room. Every once and awhile he would look over at Lizzy and then quickly away.

"Elizabeth, Janie is outside waiting for you. Will you please go home now?" His voice was controlled but he was still on the edge. His body language said it all.

"Brian," Lizzy objected, but he cut her off.

"Go Elizabeth, I have to take care of this now. I've put it off for too long."

Lizzy looked over at Patrick who had shrunk as far into the wall as he could. He was terrified of what his brother was going to do.

Lizzy helped Helen up. "No Mom, I need you to stay."

Helen just nodded, a resigned look on her face that said she knew what was coming. Lizzy helped her over to the chair that was in the corner, and then gave Brian one last look.

He was busy clenching and unclenching his hands, and his focus was on trying to keep control of his anger.

Lizzy picked up her bag and left the room without a word, and when she climbed into the truck Janie gasped.

"Lizzy! Did Patrick do that to you?" Janie demanded, putting the truck in drive

She must look terrible if Janie's reaction was anything to go by. Maybe she should be in shock, but she was too worried about Brian to even think about her own trauma. She had gotten to see Brian the warrior, and it had not been a pleasant sight.

"I was sitting in the truck waiting for you, and I was about to come in and check on you when Brian and his mother drove up looking for Patrick. I told him you were inside with Patrick, and that Patrick had been acting strange." She looked at Lizzy again with a worried frown.

"Maybe I should take you to the hospital?" Janie thought aloud in response response to Lizzy's continued silence.

"No Janie, just take me home." She leaned her head against the seat trying not to cry. Any chance she had with Brian was gone now for sure. He would forever see her as the one who came between him and his brother, and Helen wouldn't want anything to do with her in the future either, she would see her as the one that got between her sons. It was so unfair she wanted to cry. She hadn't done anything wrong.