“You’ll pay for that later,” Mac said.

“I’m not afraid of you. I have things that you want.”

“Damn straight you do.”

“And that,” Jared said, “is our cue to move along, people.”

They got up and gathered the empty bottles and glasses.

“Was it something I said?” Mac asked.

“You know it was.” Maddie rolled her eyes at her husband, who was never shy about his desire to spend time alone with her. She loved that about him, not that she’d ever tell him that.

They said good night and thank you to Daisy and David for babysitting and saw them out the door.

Mac locked up and turned off the outside lights once they were safely in their cars.

“You didn’t have to run them off,” Maddie said as they went upstairs together.

“I can tell you’re about to fall over, but you’d never say so.”

“Don’t act like you know me so well.”

“I know you better than anyone, and I also know this pregnancy is kicking your ass big-time.”

“Yes,” she said with a sigh, “it is. I’ve never been so tired in my entire life. I can’t figure out why this time is so different than the last two times.”

“Um, maybe the fact that you have two other kids to contend with while you’re pregnant might have something to do with it?”

“Could be.”

“I need to be doing a better job of helping you out around here.”

“This is your busy season at the marina. You’re doing what you can.”

“I could spend more time at home. We’re not that busy, and I have partners who can help me so I can help you.”

“You don’t have to do that, Mac. So I’m a little tired. I’ll get through it. Taking care of the kids and the house is my job.”

He came to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “It’s our job, and I don’t mind taking on more around here while you’re busy growing Malcolm the third in there.”

She raised a brow. “Malcolm the third? First of all, how do you know it’s a boy, and second of all, Malcolm? Really?”

“Is this your way of saying you don’t like my name?”

“I like Mac a lot better than Malcolm.”

“So do I. So we’ll call him Mac.”

“There’re already too many Macs in this family, and Janey still wants to name a kid McCarthy and call him Mac. That’ll be mayhem.”

“Then we’ll call him M.J.”

“Along with P.J?” she asked, reminding him of his new nephew.