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desk. He stood and swayed. Thaddeus did not move to help him—he knew better.
    The moment of weakness annoyed Carter, but it also reinforced why he needed Tess Brannick to succeed. Besides the lucrative marketing and military angles, there was a much more personal angle that Carter was counting on. Bigfoot was strength personified; perhaps the creature might provide a cure, or at least a treatment, for muscular degenerative diseases.
    But even if that failed, the discovery of bigfoot would define Carter’s legacy. When he passed, his name and image would live on as one of the twenty-first century’s greatest discoverers. He would be forever known as the man who found bigfoot. He would not live forever, but his discovery and his name would.
    “How much would help her succeed?” Carter asked.
    “Five hundred thousand dollars.”
    Carter did a quick calculation in his mind. “Make it a million. And make sure she signs the contract and that we get twice-monthly updates.”
    Thaddeus back out of the room. “Very well, sir.”
    He turned to the wall of windows, his thigh muscles protesting even this small exercise. Dr. Brannick, you have just become my greatest hope.

CHAPTER 9
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A fter the video conference call, Tess walked back to the banquet hall in a daze. Carter Hayes is interested in my work . She couldn’t believe it. She hit the button for the lobby as if she were sleepwalking. She crossed her fingers. Oh, please let him fund me.
    The doors popped open, and she resolved to force the meeting with Carter Hayes from her mind. He would be a wonderful benefactor, but he was not a lock. She had to focus on other possibilities. Composing herself, she stepped out of the elevator and headed for the main ballroom.
    But despite her best intentions, she couldn’t stop thinking about the meeting. As a result, she spent the next hour and a half speaking with people about her work without any real idea of what she was saying. She just hoped she was making sense. The time passed in a blur, and when she finally returned to her room, it was with great relief that she slipped back into her normal clothes: jeans and boots. Her feet thanked her profusely.
    But there was no time to lie down. She had another appointment—a much more enjoyable one. And sure enough, the minute she’d gotten changed, her phone chimed. She pulled it out.
    We’re outside .
    With a huge smile, Tess hurried down to the lobby and stepped outside.
    “There she is!” Pax jogged over, a giant grin on his face. He threw his arms around her.
    Tess hugged him back. “It’s so good to see you.”
    Pax pulled away, looking her over from head to toe. “You need to leave the forest more, but you still look great.”
    She grinned. He looked good, too—trim, tan, and his dark hair was lighter. But he also seemed a little fitter and stronger as well. “You too. It looks like married life agrees with you.”
    He looped his arm through hers. “That it does.”
    Pax’s husband Shawn walked over. And here’s the reason why Pax looks so good. Shawn was six foot six, with dark skin, dark eyes, a ridiculous amount of muscle, and a smile that lit up a room. A Navy SEAL for fifteen years, he’d given up going on active missions when he married Pax, but he still kept in phenomenal shape by putting new recruits through their paces at the Naval Special Warfare Center at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado.
    Shawn pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the ground. “Ah, my little sister.”
    She laughed, whacking him on the shoulder. “Put me down.”
    Shawn did with a smile. “We don’t like you being so far away. When are you moving here?”
    “Never. But you two are always welcome to move back home.”
    It was their running argument. Pax and Tess were as close as brother and sister could be. And when Shawn and Pax had started to get serious, that closeness had extended to him as well. They all wished they could move closer to each