“That’s enough of that shit.” He was not here to track down a brunette so he could... what? Was the only role of a woman in his life to get her into bed? Disgusted with himself, he left the room.

Dylan took the stairs he’d walked, run, jumped a thousand times in his youth. He found Ava and some guy in the kitchen. Dressed in jeans and a pale blue shirt, she shot him a look, then a nod, before returning to look at the pot the guy was stirring.

This must be Zander, the mechanic boyfriend. His hair was short and dark, and he was tall. Ava came to his shoulder. Dressed in jeans and black sweatshirt, he looked pretty comfortable in the Howards’ kitchen stirring oatmeal.

“Hi, I’m Dylan.” He decided to go for friendly. Walking forward he held out his hand. After all, he’d lost his rights long ago to give a damn about his sister’s boyfriend.

“Zander.”

Points for the handshake. It was firm, and the small smile on his face genuine.

“That oatmeal?” Dylan nodded to the pot Zander had gone back to stirring.

“Yes. If you want some, the bowls are in there.” Ava pointed to a cupboard.

He didn’t but he got one down anyway.

“So what are you up to now? Last I heard you were studying law, Ava?” Dylan asked. She was his little sister; he should know what she was up to.

“No.” She was still looking inside the pot.

“No, you’re no longer studying law, or you’re finished studying law?”

She turned to look at him.

“Why are you interested?”

She hadn’t yelled or put any emotion into that question; she was just curious.

“You’re my sister, I’m interested.” Dylan absolutely refused to feel guilty. He’d tried to friend her on Facebook, but she’d never accepted. Plus he’d rung home occasionally, and she’d never wanted to speak to him.

“I was twenty-two years old last year and twenty two years before that. Why do you want to know now?”

“That cuts both ways, Ava,” Dylan said, wishing he’d kept his questions to himself. “You were never interested in me.”

As if his words had hurt her, she closed her eyes briefly.

“I was never allowed to.... No, there is no going back. Shall we just leave the personal stuff out of this and get through your visit as best we can, Dylan?”

“What were you going to say?”

“Mom wouldn’t let me contact you when you left, all right! Now just leave it alone, Dylan. You’ll leave again, and not come back like you did last time.”

This time her words had a snap to them; at least that was an honest emotion.

“Ava—”