“Shh, honey.” His arms encircled her from behind, and his lips brushed against her neck. “It’s okay to be nervous. I am, too. But she’s really nice and made a point of telling me she’s not looking for anything from me—or us. She just wanted to meet me. Anything else that happens from this point on is up to us, and we’ll decide the next steps together. Okay?”

She relaxed against him, buffeted by his assurances as well as the way he wrapped her up in his love. Turning, she looked up at the face she’d loved for so long, she could no longer remember her life before Mac McCarthy had changed everything. As always, he looked down at her with love in his eyes.

“You have nothing at all to worry about. This doesn’t change anything between us. It doesn’t change anything that really matters. Perhaps, maybe… It might give us one more person to love in this world. And that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

When he put it like that, it wasn’t so bad at all. “No, it wouldn’t.”

“All I’m asking is that you meet her and make her feel welcome here.”

“I can do that.”

“I know you can, honey. And I want you to know I appreciate it. I appreciate the way you reacted earlier and that you invited her into our home. You’re doing that for me, and don’t think I can’t see that.”

“I’d do anything for you, Mac. You know that.”

“And vice versa. That’s what’s made us work so well for so long. But I’m asking a lot of you this time.” When his phone rang, he checked the caller ID and saw it was Adam. He put the call on speaker so Linda could hear, too. “Hey, bud. What’s up?”

“I have some news for you. Is Mom around?”

“We’re both here, and the phone is on speaker.”

“Hi, honey,” Linda said.

“Hey, Mom.”

“What’s your news?”

“Since I’d never want to be accused of pulling a Grant, I wanted you to be the first to know that Abby and I are engaged.”

“Oh, Adam!” Linda said. “That’s wonderful! Congratulations to both of you.”

“Thanks, we’re excited.”

“When did this happen? We just saw you a little while ago.”

“I popped the question on the way home.”

“So it was totally spontaneous?” Mac asked with a smile for her. She knew he was just as thrilled as she was to see their kids settling down with mates who were perfect for each of them. Not that long ago, Linda had worried that none of their sons would ever marry, and now one was married and three were engaged.

“Not totally. I’ve had the ring for a while and was waiting for the right moment.”

“Abby must’ve been thrilled.”