Did he look at Kate the way he looked at Nikki? Was he even now thinking about what it would be like to be with Nikki? Of course he wanted to fuck her. It was obvious. How could her brother not see it?

Her spine cracked from the sudden ignition of flames. The agony almost made her cry out, knees buckling. She felt heat at the back of her eyes.

Get him out of here, Ryker! Don’t you know what he wants to do to your wife?

Kate bit down on her cheek.

The burning sensation flared and died just as quickly. She rested her forehead against the wall.

Where was this coming from?

Andrew had never shown the slightest romantic interest in Nikki.

Their sex life might have been running on empty, but that didn’t mean Andrew was suddenly lusting after Nikki. When she looked at them again, Andrew was talking to Ryker, his eyes off Nikki.

You’re being ridiculous.

Yes, she was, but screw anyone who would fault her for having moments of jealousy. Sometimes it got bad when she knew he was out and at work or at the store, surrounded by pretty, healthy women, many of whom would jump at the chance to be with a successful, caring man (who still had all his hair and looked years younger than most guys his age). He was a man, no matter how many times their friends and family called him a saint. A saint simply because he didn’t run from her when things got bad. That wasn’t a reason to canonize someone. You were supposed to honor your marriage vows. If the sickness part came earlier than expected, that didn’t give you permission to jump ship.

Andrew hated it when people called him that. He was no saint.

Kate’s head reeled. She lashed out to grip the doorway’s edge.

“Kate!” Ryker said.

Andrew leaped to his feet, curling his arm around her waist before she fell.

“Hey, little crip. Did we wake you?” he asked. “I’m so sorry. We were trying to keep it to a dull roar.”

With all eyes on her now, her knees wobbling, Kate felt stupid for allowing even the most minor thread of jealousy to creep in. Nikki took her other side, fingering her wet hair from her face.

“It was just another one of my nightmares,” she said, knowing she had to sit down before she collapsed.

“Oh, honey, you’re burning up again,” Andrew said, leading her – practically carrying her – back to the living room.

“I’ll get some Tylenol,” Ryker said from somewhere at her back.

“One cold washcloth coming up,” Nikki said, disappearing into the bathroom.

When Andrew settled her into the bed, she said, “I’m fine. You all go back to having fun.”

He tucked Mooshy behind her head so she could sit up and take her pills. “We were just sitting around bullshitting.”