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feeling pretentious. But there you had it. Jus was the baby. He had something to prove to the older boys.
    We wound through the city. I'd been so preoccupied with my problems, I'd left all the planning of our trip to Jus. I hadn't even bothered to look ahead to where the rugby tournament was being held.
    "At a local college," Jus said, and rattled off an Italian name. "They hold it here every year. We'll be staying at a nearby pensione . It's not fancy. More like a dorm." He frowned.
    I got the feeling he wasn't filled with warm fuzzies at the memories here.
    He smiled at me. "We just have to endure these next few days and then the fun begins. You'll love the Amalfi Coast." He squeezed my hand as we pulled down a tree-lined street and came to a stop in front of an ancient-looking building. "With any luck we can escape Naples for a day and take in Vesuvius and Pompeii."
    Everything in Italy was full of history.
    Jus pulled his hand free and sent a text. A minute later, Diana Green appeared on the front steps of the pensione along with two big, hot guys who bore a resemblance to Jus.
    Jus turned to me. "Brace yourself. You've entered the sports zone. Nothing but rugby talk for days on end." He made a point of shuddering before he handed me out of the car.
    Diana rushed up first to greet us. She was dressed as you might imagine—in sports gear emblazoned with the logo of their company, Rugby Explorers. She was more tanned than the last time I'd seen her. Toned and tall. She hugged her son and then me. She pulled back to arm's length and studied me.
    My heart stopped. For some reason I was convinced she would see I was pregnant right then. As if she had some great pregnancy-detecting superpower.
    Her critical eye glided over me. "You look very Milanese today. Are those Gucci sunglasses?" She raised one eyebrow.
    Jus pulled me free from her. "We came straight from business meetings in the fashion district—"
    He was cut off from finishing his sentence, ambushed by his brothers. Grabbed and wrestled around, hugged, teased. His brothers were each six foot five, at least. They dwarfed poor Jus, who was over six foot.
    "Boys! Let your baby brother go." Diana called a truce, but her smile was one of pure delight. As if boys will be boys and the horseplay was part of the fun. She made the introductions.
    Jus bristled at being called a baby.
    And now I could see exactly what Diana had meant when I first met her. Jerod and Jeremy were exactly the kind of guys I used to go for. Confident and charmingly cocky in the way strong athletes are. In full control of their bodies. Graceful in a masculine sense. Alpha dogs.
    Jus was the runt of her litter of boys. Muscular, but slightly built compared to the other two. And four or five inches shorter. You could not have gotten his two brothers in skinny jeans like Jus wore, for example. Their thighs were roughly twice the size of one of Justin's, and would look ridiculous encased in tight denim. Their biceps bulged beneath black T-shirts. Just the fact that they were wearing black in the heat made them badass, even though it seemed to be one of Rugby Explorers' signature colors.
    Called out by their mother, the big Js left Jus alone. And fuming. Suddenly they were all charm. The questions and compliments flew.
    "Jus, you married above yourself." Jerod winked at me as he grabbed my bags and carried them inside. "Surprised the hell out of us. We never thought you'd marry at all. What girl would want you? Kayla, what does a beautiful girl like you see in a dweeb like our baby bro?" His voice had just a hint of an Italian accent.
    "He's just so darn adorable!" I smiled at Jus, who, had he been a cartoon, would have had steam coming out of his ears.
    Jus took my hand and flashed me a smile of gratitude. "Some women just have good taste. Where's Dad?"
    "Kirk had tourney business to take care of." Diana followed us in. "He'll join us for dinner."
    Inside, the pensione was pleasant, but plain. As Diana