“It’s so nice to meet all of you.” Mallory seemed to be battling her emotions. “I know this must be so weird for you, and I’m sorry about that.”

“You look just like our grandmother,” Evan said.

“I wondered if you all would see it, too,” Big Mac said.

“I saw her picture yesterday,” Mallory said. “It was… Well, you can imagine it was rather overwhelming. I’ve wondered for so long about my father and his family, and to see that I so closely resemble his mother…” She wiped at a tear. “Sorry. I was quite determined to get through this without getting emotional, but it’s not every day a girl meets four brothers she didn’t know she had.”

Mac didn’t want to like her. He really did not want to like her. As he had that thought, he could hear Maddie’s voice in his head telling him to grow up and get over himself.

“Once you get to know us,” Grant said dryly, “you may wish you’d never met us.”

The comment made everyone laugh, and Mac felt himself relax ever so slightly. Maybe this wouldn’t be the cataclysmic event he’d imagined before she arrived.

“This is very true,” Linda said. “One minute they’re all standing around talking, and the next minute they’re on the floor wrestling like ten-year-olds.”

“Um, that’s Adam and Evan,” Grant said. “Not us.” He gestured between himself and Mac.

“We’re far too mature for that,” Mac said, trying to rise to the occasion for his father’s sake. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, he wouldn’t do for his dad, and if that meant welcoming a sister he hadn’t known he had into the family, Mac would find a way to do it.

“He likes to boss everyone around.” Adam gestured to Mac with his thumb. “Just ignore him. That’s what we do.”

Mallory seemed to hang on their every word, making no effort to hide her fascination and curiosity.

“Despite their often poor behavior,” Linda said, “we’re proud of them.”

“I feel like a crazy voyeur,” Mallory said with a nervous laugh. “I have so many questions.”

“Pull up a seat,” Evan said, giving up his barstool for her to take his place.

“Are you hungry, Mallory?” Linda asked.

“No, thank you. I was a nervous wreck before I came over, so I didn’t dare eat.”

“How about coffee?”

“That would be great. Thank you.”

Linda put a mug in front of her along with a creamer, sugar bowl and spoon.

Mac watched with fascination as Mallory put just a dash of cream in her coffee before adding two healthy spoonfuls of sugar—exactly the way he took his coffee. It was a coincidence, he told himself.