She was standing at the stove heating up one of the canned soups and buttering slices of bread to make Zach a few grilled cheese sandwiches. A fresh pot of coffee was percolating, and Joel knew they all could use a boost of caffeine considering how early in the morning it was.

As he came up beside her and leaned against the counter, he noticed that she, too, had put on a pair of jeans and traded in his black T-shirt for a sweatshirt. Mostly, he didn't care for how quiet she was and how she wouldn't look at him, and wondered if his decision to keep Zach's possible visit to himself was the reason.

If so, he owed her an apology, and he wasn't above giving it. "I'm sorry, Lora. I should have told you that I set up a meeting here with Zach."

She slanted him a quick glance before placing two slices of buttered bread on the hot skillet. "Yes, you should have, but I do understand why you didn't." She added cheese to the sandwiches and two more slices of bread, and this time when she looked at him, the pain in her gaze was unmistakable. "God, Joel, I've never seen Zach look like this. So dejected and hopelessly lost, and it scares me. What am I going to do?"

"Do you realize that to you it's always about what you can do for Zach, and not what Zach can do for himself? You can't take care of this, Lora. Zach has to do it on his own."

She shook her head, a tinge of desperation etching her features as she stirred the steaming soup. "I have money in my savings that would go a long way toward helping him out of this mess."

"And bail him out like you have every other time in his life?" he asked incredulously. "I'm sure a part of Zach is hoping that you'll offer him the money he needs to help pay off his debt, but I can guarantee that he'll take your money, go and pay off what he owes, and then he'll start gambling all over again." Frustration raised his tone a few decibels. "If you give him the money, he'll continue to think there're no consequences for his behavior. There will be no one forcing him to be accountable for his debt. It would be nothing more than free money for him."

"You're right, but it doesn't make it any easier not to do it," she said quietly, and flipped both of the sandwiches over to grill the other sides.

Her anxiety and despair grabbed at something deep inside him and tugged hard. Realizing he had the power to offer her some kind of comfort from that worry, he decided to let her know what he had planned for Zach. "There's something else I need to tell you."

"What, more secrets?" She turned off the burner beneath the soup and cast him a skeptical glance. "Should I be worried?"

Her comment made him realize just how much he'd withheld from her during the course of their relationship. Keeping things to himself was a part of his personality, a function of how he'd grown up and dealt with more emotional issues that had spilled into his life as a marine, then a security agent. But now it made him more aware that she was the one person who managed to drag these things out of him, that he trusted her with so much of himself, and that was a scary prospect for him.

He mentally filed that away to think about later. Right now, they had her brother's problem to deal with.

"No, there's nothing for you to worry about," he reassured her. "Not only did I ask Zach to meet us here for the two of you to see one another, but I also have a proposition for him that would enable him to pay off this debt and give him a chance at a solid future."

Her eyes grew wide, and though she didn't ask for specific details, the gratitude passing across her features spoke volumes. "You would do that for Zach?"

Without thinking, he reached out and caressed his thumb along her soft cheek, that simple touch affecting him more deeply than it should have. "And for you."

Moisture welled up in her eyes, and she swallowed hard. "Thank you," she whispered.

The urge to take her into his arms and comfort her was strong, but with Zach in the cabin and already tossing around derogatory remarks about the two of them, the last thing Joel wanted was to have her brother walk in on them in an embrace, no matter how innocent.

So, instead, he turned around and opened one of the overhead cupboards. "Would you like some coffee?"

She nodded and returned her attention to preparing Zach's meal. "Yes, please."

He retrieved three mugs and poured coffee into each one while Lora put the grilled cheese sandwiches on a plate and poured the soup into a bowl. By the time everything was on the table, Zach was done with his shower and joined them in the kitchen, looking much more human than he had when he'd arrived.

Zach had shaved the grisly stubble on his face, and he'd combed his now-clean hair away from his face. His eyes were still a bit bloodshot-from lack of sleep or too much alcohol, Joel wasn't certain-but overall his tidied-up appearance and change of clothes was a huge improvement.

They all took a seat at the table, and Zach immediately started in on his soup and sandwiches like a starved man, which he most likely was. Joel decided to wait and give the man some time to eat his meal before talking to Zach about his proposal.

Lora took a sip of her coffee, sweetened with cream and sugar, and was the first to speak. "Zach, what happened to your face? Those look like fresh cuts and bruises."

"They are," he admitted, already finished with one of the sandwiches. "This is what you get when you make a payment on an outstanding debt, so you can imagine what happens when you don't." He gave his sister a lopsided grin, obviously meant to make light of the situation.

Lora wasn't at all charmed by the smile. "You made a payment? How did you manage that?" She frowned at him in confusion, then realization struck before Zach could reply. "Don't tell me you're still gambling!"

Zach's demeanor immediately changed, his entire body stiffening defensively, which was an answer in itself.

Lora stared at her brother in shock, unable to believe the depths he'd sunk to, yet he was digging himself deeper and deeper into debt. "You have no money to gamble, Zach," she said, stating the obvious. "Or should I ask, whose life are you playing with now?" It was a low blow, she knew, but she wasn't about to sugarcoat the situation.

Animosity tightened the clench of Zach's jaw. "Look, I borrowed some money from a friend, okay?"

"A friend?" Her doubt rang clear in her voice. "How much interest does this friend charge?" she went on persistently. "No matter who it is, you're borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, not to mention that my life has been at a standstill since you handed over my insurance policy as collateral. What happens when you don't win a poker hand, Zach? When you lose all the money you just borrowed from someone else?"

Zach dropped his spoon into his empty bowl with a loud clatter, a muscle in his cheek twitching with suppressed fury. "I'm doing what I can to get myself out of this fucking mess."

"What you're doing is digging yourself deeper into debt, not to mention doing desperate things in order to keep yourself, and now me, alive," she replied heatedly. "Your life is spiraling out of control and it has to stop."

The hand Zach had on the table curled into a tight fist. "I'm handling it, okay?"

Lora glanced at Joel, who sat quietly across the table from her, watching the bitter argument between her and Zach. Up to this point she'd dominated the conversation, and judging by the understanding look in Joel's eyes, he knew that she'd needed to vent and had given her that opportunity. But now, she needed him to intervene with that proposition for Zach that he'd mentioned earlier.

Joel cleared his throat and sat forward in his seat, and Zach automatically looked his way. "I have an offer for you," Joel said calmly. "One that would pay off your debt, get those thugs off your back, and eliminate the threat hanging over your sister's head, too."

Zach's gaze narrowed with suspicion, but was quickly eclipsed by a curiosity that got the best of him. "Go ahead," he said gruffly. "I'm listening."

"I talked with Jon, Ben, and Kevin, and we're willing to pay off your outstanding debt with this Lanny Mendoza guy, and anyone else you owe, in order for you to start off with a fresh, clean slate." Joel paused for a second to let that sink in before adding, "But, the new loan from us and our company, ESS, comes with a few stipulations."

"Of course it does." Zach replied drolly, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's hear it."

"In exchange for us paying off your debt and getting your sister's life insurance policy off the block for collateral, you need to agree to rehab for your gambling and alcohol addictions. Once you've completed that program, the guys and I want to offer you a job at ESS, which will pay you enough to make a decent living as well as pay back what you owe us."

Lora's mind reeled at Joel's generous proposal, and she had to resist the urge to jump up and shout "yes!" to the offer for Zach. But, it wasn't hers to accept, and she glanced anxiously at her brother. While Lora was thrilled and knew what a golden opportunity this was for Zach to start a new life for himself, as well as get the help he desperately needed, her brother clearly didn't share her enthusiasm.

In fact, Zach looked downright furious. "What the hell is this, some kind of fucking setup?" he demanded, staring hard at Joel. "I come here to see my sister, and you accuse me of having a gambling and drinking problem and want to lock me up in some kind of psychiatric facility? Nice way to show your gratitude for me saving your life, Wilde Man."

Joel didn't so much as flinch. "This is my way of showing gratitude, you ass. Quid pro quo. You saved my life, I'm trying to save yours, and you damn well know it, so don't start looking for someone else to blame for your problems."