“Duty calls,” Mac said. “They can’t function without my leadership.” He left Kevin laughing and returned to the dining room table, where the others were hashing out ideas.

“You ought to do a video of photos from all their years together,” Mac’s recently discovered half-sister, Mallory, suggested.

“That’s a great idea,” Janey said, “and that can be Adam’s job.”

“Sure, brat, sign me up,” Adam said.

Janey stuck out her tongue at him. “Who else could do that?”

“No one,” he said, grinning. “I’m all over it.”

“The girls will handle decorations and the cake,” Maddie said as the others nodded.

“Owen and I have got the music covered, in case you wondered,” Evan said.

Sitting beside him, Owen smiled in agreement.

“Me and Francine will take care of gittin’ ’em there,” Big Mac’s best friend, Ned Saunders, said. “We’ll invite ’em out fer dinner.”

“Perfect.” Mac rubbed his hands together. “I love when my master plans come together so smoothly.”

“So what exactly is your job in all of this?” his cousin Laura asked.

“It was my idea. What else do you want from me?”

The entire group howled and threw balled-up napkins at him.

Laughing, Mac batted them away. “I’m so underappreciated in this family.”

“You’re perfectly appreciated,” Maddie said, tossing another napkin at him.

“I nominate Mac to pay for the whole thing,” Janey said. “All in favor, say aye.”

A loud chorus of aye votes had Mac groaning.

Mac’s son, Thomas, ran over to him. “Dada, why they throwing stuff at you?”

Mac picked up the blond-haired toddler. “Because they’re being silly.”

Thomas wrapped his arms around Mac’s neck. “I take care of you, Dada.”

Sighing, Mac closed his eyes and squeezed the little boy. When he opened his eyes, he caught Maddie watching them with tears in hers.

“I can always count on you, buddy.”

Thomas squirmed out of his embrace and scampered off to play with his cousin Ashleigh and his baby sister, Hailey.

Maddie reached for Mac’s hand, and he curled his fingers around hers.

“So everyone is going to AM’s bachelor party next weekend, right?” Evan asked, referring to Alex Martinez’s high school nickname. Paul had been known as PM back then.

“Can’t wait,” Grant said to murmured agreement from the other guys.

“However shall we entertain Jenny while the guys are off partying?” Sydney asked with a mysterious grin.

“Gee, I have no idea what we should do,” Maddie replied.

“They’re up to something,” Mac said.

“Do ya think?” Adam asked.

“You hired the male strippers, right?” Maddie asked Adam’s fiancée, Abby.

“All set,” Abby said. “They’ll be on the five o’clock boat, and we’ll bring them right to Syd’s place.”

“Wait just a second,” Luke said. “Syd’s place is my place, too, and I never signed off on strippers.”