Nothing should come between brothers. Certainly not a woman. But one had. Kelly had. Not only had it struck a blow to his relationship with Jarrod that he still hadn’t recovered from but it had destroyed his relationship with Kelly as well.

A relationship he was determined to rebuild.

But to go forward, he had to determine what had gone wrong in the past.

No matter what they’d vowed, at some point the past had to be addressed. It couldn’t be ignored forever.

He picked up his phone and quietly walked into the next room to call Devon and Cam.

CHAPTER 13

Ryan took Kelly to the doctor the next day. She’d assumed that she would go to the doctor. As in alone. And that Ryan would go back to work since he’d been out of the office for nearly a week.

But he’d ridden with her, gone into the exam room with her and stuck to her side throughout the entire appointment.

The doctor made noises about the swelling and noted that there was still protein in her urine. He asked her endless questions about how she felt and then issued a stern lecture about taking it easy.

Ryan latched on to every word and by the time they left, Kelly was sure that he’d lock her in her bedroom and not allow her out until the baby was born.

She was prepared to be stir-crazy in advance, but he said nothing. When they arrived back at the apartment, he didn’t make her prop her feet up even though that was precisely what she did as soon as they walked through the door.

“I think as long as you don’t overdue it that there’s no reason you can’t get around in moderation,” Ryan said. “The doctor was in agreement that we just need to watch you closely for any change and be sensitive to when you’re not feeling well to make sure it doesn’t develop into something more serious.”

Thank God he was prepared to be reasonable.

“I thought we could eat out tonight if you feel up to it. It’s cold but it’s not supposed to snow or sleet. I know you like going out.”

Touched that he’d remembered—although she wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t—she smiled and nodded in excitement. She did love the city at night. Loved the lights, the cozy restaurants and little hole-in-the-wall cafés and local eateries.

“I sent Jansen out for warmer clothing and a coat for you. Just until you feel up to shopping for yourself,” he said. “I’ll go with you when you want to. Just say the word.”

Knowing how much Ryan hated shopping, she was touched and idiotically emotional over the fact that he’d offered to go with her.

“We should also think about going shopping for the baby very soon,” Ryan said in a husky voice.