Colin shrugged. "Eight years or so, I guess. Luke's the one who robbed the cradle."

Luke took a huge bite of his sandwich, chewed, swallowed and said, "I've got almost fourteen years on Shelby, the crazy little witch. Young is good, trust me."

Patrick leaned toward him. "Don't you feel just a little bit like a dirty old man?"

Sound and movement stopped so suddenly, it was almost surreal. Only eyeb.a.l.l.s shifted between Colin and Luke. Luke slowly put down his sandwich. "s.h.i.t," he said. "You did it. You and the little one, Jack's niece. You did the nasty."

"What are you talking about?" Patrick said indignantly.

Colin put down his sandwich. "Yep. Not DeMille's books relaxing you, Paddy. Something else altogether. Someone else. Aw, man. You had to go for the mayor's niece?"

"Mayor?" he asked. Patrick stood up from his stool, yet Luke and Colin finally sat down on theirs. The older brothers looked a little weary. "There's no mayor here!"

"Okay, the king, then. Jack's pretty much running this town. Don't tell him that, though. He seems oblivious," Colin said. "What he's not oblivious to is his niece. He's been clear-he doesn't want her mixed up with any Riordan hooligan."

"It was consensual," Paddy said before he realized how awkward that sounded. Obviously all the wonderful s.e.x had killed off some of his brain cells. He certainly hadn't engaged his mind before opening his mouth.

"There we go," Luke said. "He did the teenager. c.r.a.p."

"She's twenty-three! She has two degrees! Two impossible science degrees-biology and chemistry! She's been valedictorian of every school she's been in! She's extremely smart."

"I know this," Luke said. "Jack told me. In fact, he told me at the same time he pointed to you and Angie and said, *That can't happen.' So now what, genius?"

"Nothing happens, that's what." Paddy said. "We're friends. We're both stuck in a weird holding pattern in our lives right now. She knows all about my situation, about Jake, about the Navy. And I know about hers, about her accident, her indecision about continuing med school."

Luke looked at Colin. Colin looked at Luke. "Think Jack is going to buy *weird holding pattern'?" Colin asked.

"I wouldn't count on it."

"Screw it!" Patrick said, storming toward the door. He whirled back toward his brothers suddenly. "This isn't about Jack. It's about us, me and Angie, sitting out rough waters in Virgin River. We're adults. I might be a little more of an adult if you're counting years but I bet I have a lower IQ, so that puts us pretty much even. So mind your own G.o.dd.a.m.n business, all right?" Then he stormed out the door and walked toward his Jeep.

"Hey!"

He turned around to see Colin standing on the porch. Colin, the king of bada.s.ses until his Black Hawk crash and Jilly.

"Lighten up, kid," he said. "No one accused you of anything."

"Really? Really? Because it sounded like you were pretty G.o.dd.a.m.n judgmental in there...."

"Nah, we were pretty Riordan," Colin said. "Take it easy, Paddy."

"I'm telling you, she's a good person! She's smart enough and mature enough to make a decision and I wouldn't-"

"Hey, slow down, Paddy. Riordans have a lot of rough edges, missed a lot of training growing up, but there was never a Riordan man who didn't take special care where women were concerned." Then he grinned. "Even, you know, the kind of naughty ones..."

"She's not naughty!" he nearly shouted.

Colin put up his hands. "Hey, I wasn't talking about the little Sheridan niece, pal. My thoughts drifted more toward Luke's taste for pole dancers."

"He always said it was you who favored-"

"We treat women right," Colin said, cutting off his younger brother. "We Riordans don't have a lot of sterling qualities, but we're good to women. And our friends. And, in tough times, to our brothers. Ready to settle down now?"

"She's good people, Colin," Patrick said. "I don't want either of you saying one negative thing about Angie."

"Patrick, man, no one would. But you have to tell her she's been outted. You wouldn't want word to get around to Jack and have her broadsided."

"I'll take care of her."

"Of course you will. You probably don't have to be told this, but she's a little...tender."

And with that, Patrick dropped his chin, looking down. He couldn't help feeling the weight of that. G.o.d knew he didn't want that to be the case-he wanted her to be as tough as she talked. That way he could leave her when he had to without feeling like a piece of s.h.i.t.

"It's okay, buddy," Colin said. "You can't always help who gets your attention. At least she's over twenty-one."

"Then why the reaction?" Patrick demanded.

"Because, kid-you have complications right now. *Commitments,' as you call them. Just let me know if you need someone at your back."

Patrick was quiet for a minute. "Thanks."

"Want dinner here tonight? I'm cooking for my little farmer."

"Sorry, I can't."

Colin studied him for a long moment. "Of course you can't," he finally said.

The Riordan men weren't known for sensitivity, though they did stick together. In fact, they could be rolling in the dust fighting one minute and the next backing one another up. Patrick, being the youngest, had never had great conflict with any of them. It was Luke and Colin who fought the most. Then it was Luke and Sean. Then it was Sean and Colin. There were times it was Luke or Colin and Aiden. But no one could stay mad at Paddy.

He'd had about enough of being called kid, however.

So, the old boys-Luke and Colin-had mellowed out beyond anything Paddy had expected. He was convinced it was their women. Two of the sc.r.a.ppiest Riordans got two of the best women-Shelby and Jilly. Nothing wrong with Sean's Franci or Aiden's Erin, either, but the latter two women hadn't had nearly as much challenge in taming their men.

Colin was right in what he said to Patrick-Angie was tender, even though she tried to appear worldly and brave. He should probably break things off before he added to her struggle with her family, with her uncle. They were going to part ways eventually, anyway. Probably better if it happened sooner than later. But he couldn't even think about it. Patrick hadn't had the kind of experience he'd shared with Angie with another woman in so long he couldn't... Oh, h.e.l.l, he was pretty sure he'd never had that kind of experience with a woman, and he was not without experience.

Once home, he got his stir-fry ready-chopped and marinated so that all that was left was to throw it in the pan. Then he settled in to call Marie.

"Hullo?" she said thickly.

Oh, please, he prayed. Let it be a cold.

"How are you today, Marie?"

She sniffed and snuffled. "Oh, Paddy," she said, crying. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I let myself have a bad day-I think I lost my mind a little bit."

"What happened, honey?"