Nathan gave Crystal his jacket, and she dutifully hung it up for him along with her own. Then, as they sat down at the table, he made the introductions. “Crystal,” he said, “These are my brothers, Owen Lane, Alex Jordan.”

Crystal nodded and said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Then Nathan put his arm around Crystal and glared at his brothers. “Crystal is my woman,” he said seriously. “So, no funny stuff, you hear me?”

The other two nodded, and Owen said, “Of course. That goes ...