Alex did double duty, giving Hope away and serving with Ethan as Paul’s best men while Jenny was Hope’s matron of honor. They recited traditional vows, exchanged the rings they’d bought earlier in the day and shared a long, and according to Ethan, totally gross kiss. And then they were husband and wife, and Paul wanted to shout from the rooftops of the craziest place he’d ever been that this beautiful woman and her adorable son were now his family.

Life didn’t get much better than this.

Just before midnight back at home on Gansett, Mac locked up after another fun gathering with family and friends. He loved the time they’d spent with their island clan during the holidays, but he was ready for some alone time with his lovely wife after a frustrating few days. With that in mind, he shut off the lights and headed upstairs.

Tonight was the night to finish what they’d started multiple times. Both kids were back to full health, and he’d made sure Maddie had a three-hour nap that afternoon so she would be ready to have friends over, among other things.

He looked in on both kids and saw they were sound asleep, Thomas snuggled up to his favorite bear and Hailey with her thumb in her mouth. Perfect. All systems go. In their room, he saw no sign of Maddie so he went into the adjoining bathroom through the open door.

Her silk-covered back was to him and her hair swept up in a messy bun, leaving her elegant neck exposed. He approached her, placed his hands on her hips and had started kissing that lovely stretch of skin when he noticed the thermometer in her mouth.

Groaning, he dropped his forehead to her shoulder, wishing he could get the message to his hard cock that it was game off—again. The poor guy had been through hell this week. “What’s wrong?” She’d been fine all night, laughing and talking with their friends while serving as the ultimate hostess, as always.

The thermometer beeped, and she removed it from her mouth, giving it a passing glance. “I’m not sure. I started to feel woozy while I was getting changed. Hope I don’t have what the kids had.”

He wanted to moan, but this was no time to be selfish—or so he told his cock. “What’s your temperature?”

She took another look at the thermometer. “Hmm, perfectly normal. That’s odd.”

Something about the way she said that had Mac taking a closer look at her. “Are you fucking with me?”

An inelegant snort of laughter spewed from her, and then she bent in half, crippled with laughter.

“Oh, this is war, Madeline. This is freaking war!” Mindful of her pregnancy, he was careful but insistent when he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, putting her on the bed.