“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.

“This isn’t a good time, man,” he said in a low voice when he reached his brother.

Unease flickered across Jarrod’s face, and he glanced nervously over Ryan’s shoulder toward Kelly. “I can see that. I’ll come back another time.”