Brian McFadden found the fact that he was relatively content a tremendous surprise. He missed his brothers and missed the craziness of the big house, but he was alright. In fact, if it wasn't for the hurt and anger that still hung between his oldest brother and himself, he was actually almost happy.

He enjoyed the work he was doing and enjoyed the peace and quiet of an evening alone - no arguments, no responsibilities. He had actually started reading again - something he hadn't had time for since high school. He had expected himself to go wild and crazy - out drinking every night, but now that he had no one to rebel against, he found himself perfectly content to sit down in the evening to a good book.

Murphy's had a very small library which was filled with friends and neighbors who asked far too many questions. He had taken to driving into Sonora and going to the bigger library there. He went nearly four days in a row, still avoiding Adam's calls and attempts to get together and "talk." He wasn't ready for that just yet. So, instead, he hopped on the motorcycle he'd bought two days after leaving home, - an old junker that he was nearly constantly fixing and adjusting, and headed over to the library.

It wasn't until the third visit that he realized, he was going to see her.

She had long blond hair, and green eyes. She was tall - the top of her head reached his shoulder. She had a pair of long, long legs, and when she smiled, Brian had to catch his breath. Her name was Caroline.

"Back again." She said seeing him.

"Yep." He nodded at her trying desperately to think of something clever to say.

"You keep this pace up and you'll be through our whole stacks in a few months."

"There are worse things. You're a librarian. Aren't you supposed to be pro-reading?"

"I am." She smiled at him.

"Well, alright then. Consider me a shining example of what reading can do." He grinned at her.

"What's her name?" She asked him.

"Who?"

"The girl who broke your heart and left with you with nothing better to do than go to the library every night." She raised an eyebrow at him.

He was stunned. How did she know so much about him? It was unnerving and that might be why he answered her honestly.

"Adam."

"Oh, I uh . . ." She blushed.

"No!" Brian said realizing how it must sound to her. "No. He's my brother. We had a falling out of sorts."

"Oh, not that there's anything wrong with . . ."

"No, indeed." He said laughing.

"You're laughing at me." She said pouty, and he felt his knees buckle a little.

"No," He smiled at her. "Well, maybe a little."

"So, you and your brother were close?" She asked.

"Yeah, I guess. It's sort of complicated." He sighed. "Hey, you want to go get some dinner, or a beer or coffee?"

"I'm working." She pointed out.

"Library closes at eight." He smiled at her. "Unless you've got a husband or something."

"No." She grinned at him. "No girlfriend either."

"A lucky break for me then." He felt ridiculously happy to hear this piece of information. "What do you say?"

"Alright." She smiled at him.

"I'll just go read for a while then." He told her. "I'm Brian, by the way, Brian McFadden."

"I know." She said. "I saw it on your card. I'm Caroline Duffy."

"I know." He told her. "I read it on your badge."

***7***

Talking to Caroline was so easy. It wasn't like the other girls he'd dated. In fact, the memories of those other girls seemed to fall away as he talked to her. He hadn't been home in two weeks; hadn't talked to any of his brothers - in fact had avoided his brothers, and yet he didn't feel homesick at all. He felt like he was finding a whole new home.

"So, you fought." She said on their fourth date in just as many days.

"Yeah. I'm not . . I'm not really proud of it. He was hurtin'. I understand that. I should've been more patient." He looked down at the plate of untouched food in front of him.

"It sounds to me like you were more than patient." She smiled warmly at him. "I can't imagine it."

"What?"

"All those brothers. You seem like such a solitary guy. I'm an only child." She said to him. "I didn't even have to do chores."

He laughed. "I can't imagine that."

"You miss them still?" She asked.

"Yeah." He found his voice was thick, surprised by his emotions - surprised that he would reveal them to her.

"You were sixteen?" She asked him.

"Yeah."

"When I was sixteen, I wanted a car and so badly! It was all I could think about and my father said if I could save two hundred dollars, he'd let me buy one. I babysat for hours and hours."

"What did you get?"

"Same car I have now, I'm sorry to say - a 1978 GTO which is a little worse for wear."

"I wouldn't be sorry to say that! A GTO! I think I might be in love with your car." He grinned at her.

"It's a little soon for love, don't you think?" She asked reaching across the table to take his hand.

"I don't know. Dad always said love hits the McFadden men hard. I never understood what he meant."

"You do now?" She asked coyly.

"I think maybe I do." He squeezed her fingers.

"So, you are going to introduce me to them."

"I don't know. We aren't on speaking terms just now." He sighed.

"Only because you don't want to. You said he keeps trying to talk to you."

"He does. I just don't know. I've never . . . this is the first time, I've ever had a life of my own. I never thought it would be something I would . . .I miss them, but it is nice, too."

"Everyone needs a vacation from time to time."

"You aren't a vacation, Caroline."

"I didn't think I was, Brian." She grinned at them. "Which is why you are going to set things right with your brother, and then you are going to introduce me. I must confess that I am intensely curious about this sister of yours."

"Oh, you two would get along like two peas in a pod. In fact, maybe I shouldn't introduce you. If the two of you joined forces there'd be no hope for the rest of us."

"Exactly."

"She came to see me last night."

"You didn't tell me that." She looked up at him surprised.

"No. It was kind of intense. I'm hard-pressed to disappoint her." He sighed.

"So don't. Go home, Brian. At least talk with him. You know he must feel as badly about things as you do."

"I know that."

"So what's holding you back?" She asked.

"I don't know. Pride maybe. It's no fun living a life of being second fiddle." He ducked his face embarrassed. "Not very manly to admit."

"You're plenty manly. I'm not from around here, but I can see how it would be. Sonora's small enough a place - people get dug in and think just one way about things - and about people. Take me. No matter how long I stay, I will always be 'that city girl' - an outsider."

"Not to me." He moved his plate out of the way. "You wanna go for a walk?"

"I do." She said with a smile. They paid the check and left the little cafe they'd been eating in. It felt as natural as drawing in air to reach for her hand.

"I meant what I said Caroline." He said pausing to pull her closer to him. "You aren't a vacation. I'm serious about it."

She laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "I sure hope so because I'm not the kind of girl to go around kissing every man who buys me dinner." She leaned in then and kissed him, and it was at just that moment that Brian understood just precisely what his father had meant about McFadden men and love. He even understood Adam better, but pushed thought of his oldest brother away - he didn't want to think of his brother just then.

She stepped back from him and reaching up put her soft hands on either side of his face. "You are a good man, Brian McFadden, and the thought of you being gone for even just one evening makes me a little sad. I look forward to you walking those long legs into the library each night. But I'm not going anywhere, so you go on home and make things right. I'll be right here soon as you get back."

He was ashamed to find tears gathering in his eyes and fought hard to keep them at bay. One tear escaped, despite his efforts, and she brushed it away with her fingers, and then kissed the wet spot it left. He hugged her tightly to himself then thinking how ridiculous it was that in just two weeks she'd come to mean so much.

"You just up and married her? Didn't talk to us? Didn't think about what it would mean for everyone - what it would mean for her?"

"I couldn't . . . you don't understand, Brian. I couldn't think about anything else. It happened so fast. I looked into her eyes and it was just . . .I can't explain it."

He leaned in and kissed her again, and realized that he never wanted to do anything else for the rest of his days. He broke away from her and said softly, "You got a middle name?"

"What?" She looked up at him startled.

"A middle name. You got one?" He asked running a hand through her long hair.

"Grace." She said perplexed "But why . . ."

"Grace." He repeated. "That's real pretty and it fits, too. You listen to me, Caroline Grace Duffy. I'm going home and face the music, but then I'm coming back to you. So don't set your sights on any other grumpy, broken-hearted, orphaned cattle ranchers who come wandering into your library." He kissed her forehead. "Because you already got one."