He didn’t look pleased with her question. He looked away, at the wall, his jaw tight.

“And how did you know where to find me?” she continued when he remained silent.

“I hired an investigator,” he said after a moment’s pause.

Her mouth fell open. So much for being calm. “Why? So you could accuse me of being a whore all over again? So you could sweep in and upend my life? I don’t get it, Ryan. You hate me. I know what you think of me. You made it very clear when you threw me out of your life. Why the hell would you come looking to dig up the past again?”

“Damn it, Kelly!” he exploded. “You disappeared without a word to anyone. You didn’t cash the check. I thought you were out there hurt and scared—or dead.”

“Too bad for you I wasn’t.”

“Don’t you make this about me,” he growled. It was obvious he had only a tenuous grip on his control. “You took what we had and threw it in my face. You decided I wasn’t enough for you. I looked for you because no matter what you had done or how badly I wanted to forget you, I couldn’t stand the thought of you being out there somewhere scared and alone.”

He broke off and looked away. When he looked back at her, his eyes were shuttered. “I’ve answered your questions, now I want mine answered.”

They both glanced up at the sound of the front door opening and, to Kelly’s horror, Ryan’s brother, Jarrod, stood in the entryway. “Hey Ryan, the doorman told me you were back….” His voice died when he saw her. “Uh…hi, Kelly.”

Ryan watched as Kelly’s expression became glacial. Damn it, she was going to think he planned this. And while yes, the three of them certainly needed to hash out a few things, now wasn’t the time. He rose from his seat and headed in his brother’s direction.

It had taken Ryan months to see beyond his rage and jealousy to be able to entertain resuming a normal relationship with his younger brother. Before Ryan hadn’t given a second thought to Jarrod coming and going at will. He had a key. Ryan had always encouraged him to drop in and had looked forward to his visits.

But that was before Jarrod had slept with Kelly. Before the two most important people in his life had betrayed him. When he finally talked himself around to forgiving Jarrod and allowing him back into his life, he’d also considered that if he was willing to forgive his brother then perhaps he should also find Kelly and at least listen to her reasons why.

Things weren’t perfect between him and his brother now. Maybe they never would be. But they were better and Jarrod had started coming around more, even if he was more cautious than he’d ever been in the past.

Now Ryan had brought Kelly back and they’d all be forced to face the inevitable confrontation. A part of him dreaded it, but the other part of him knew he’d never be able to move forward unless this was fully resolved. But it would be done when he decided and not before. He and Kelly had too much to work out between them before they tackled the issue of Jarrod and her infidelity.