This Changes Everything by Jennifer Ashley Page 0,31

the break room by himself. Austin and I are in there grabbing coffee, and I pour Ryan a cup.

“Glad to be back?” I ask him.

Ryan snorts as he lifts his coffee. “Back to work instead of days of blissful ease in the wilderness with my lady? Sure.”

I toast him with my cup. “I hear you. So what did you guys do?”

“They had sex.” Austin leans on the counter, coffee in hand, grinning. “What do you think?”

Ryan flushes, but he doesn’t deny it or look ashamed.

“I meant in between the sex,” I clarify.

“It was beautiful. We hiked through slot canyons and fields yellow with wildflowers, found an old railroad bridge and ancient pueblo ruins. It was cool.”

Ryan loved that kind of thing—hiking over Arizona and discovering out-of-the-way bits of it. History and wild land. Now he had someone special to share those adventures with.

“What’s been going on here?” Ryan asks. “Besides the usual.”

“Zach’s sleeping with Abby Warren,” Austin answers promptly.

I take a swing at Austin, but he’s adept at avoiding me.

Ryan’s brows climb. “Yeah? She’s Calandra’s best friend. Don’t let me hear that blowback when you break her heart.”

I frown at him. “Why are you so sure she’ll be the one with the broken heart?”

“I know you, Zach. You aren’t easily satisfied. A woman wants a commitment, and you don’t commit.”

“It’s mutual drifting,” I say in my defense. “Or the lady decides she prefers someone else.” Ryan nods in sympathy, knowing what I’d gone through. “Besides, who are you to talk about running from commitment?”

“Okay, so I learned my lesson.” Ryan’s contented smile tells us he’s plenty reconciled to being married to Calandra. All the sex under the stars probably hadn’t hurt. “But if you’re not sure about Abby, break it cleanly and stay friends, so my wife doesn’t jump all over my case about it.”

The proud shine in his eyes when he says the words my wife have me and Austin busting up laughing. We have to hold on to each other, we’re laughing so hard.

Ryan tells us we’re assholes and walks out. But making fun of our oldest brother is why we get up in the morning.

I’m glad he’s back, so we can keep doing it.

Abby

When I pull into the driveway of the McLaughlin house off Central and Glendale, I gape, overwhelmed.

It’s an older property with a wide spread of land and towering old-growth trees. I live in a part of the city that was developed in the late 90s, the houses and apartments exactly the same, the landscaping sparse. This is Phoenix of a hundred years ago, when people sought shade and built houses with deep porches, in quest of coolness whenever they could find it. It’s an abode from the time before air conditioning and insulation changed the face of the city.

The house sprawls across the grounds in Spanish Mission revival style, which means lots of arches, stucco, and tile. It rises two stories, the second floor peeping out here and there instead of in one block. Bougainvillea, blooming in a riot of fuchsia, salmon, and scarlet, crawls up the walls in the sunny areas, and dark green citrus trees stand in a regimented line in one corner.

The drive is paved with brick and holds many cars and SUVs. A big welcome-home party. I see Zach’s pickup, and my heart sinks.

It took me a long time to decide to come. I debated about staying the hell home and preparing myself for a new life, but in the end, I knew I had to face Zach. I owe him that. Plus, Calandra would never let me hear the end of it when she found out.

I pick up the basket of wine and goodies I’ve brought for the returning couple, straighten my sleeveless dress, and leave the car. Zach mentioned that the pool would be ready for swimming, but I feel vulnerable enough without people staring at me in a bathing suit.

Noise leads me through a side gate to the backyard, which is humongous. More bricks pave the way to the pool, which shimmers in cool blue invitation across the yard. Another area of grass stretches alongside the house, and I can imagine the four McLaughlin brothers as kids running wild on it. Calandra and Ryan’s children will play there someday.

My heart is heavy, but I put on a smile and walk toward Calandra, who lets out a squeal when she sees me. Ryan, next to her, rescues the basket that falls from my arm while Calandra and I