Walking on gleaming hardwood floors, he passed a wall of school photos of the young McCarthy siblings on his way to the recently modernized kitchen that looked out over the marina and North Harbor. Mac remembered his father staring out those windows, taking in every nuance of the goings on below. The employees often joked about Big Mac spying on them from “The White House.”

Opening the sliding screen door to the expansive back deck, Mac went outside. The McCarthys had one of the best views of any home on the island, stretching as it did from the town beach on the far right to McCarthy’s to the two neighboring marinas, Gansett Boat Works and North Harbor Yacht Club. The other two were known for being far more expensive and exclusive than McCarthy’s, which prided itself on a family-friendly atmosphere. At the other end of the big, round harbor, a coast guard station and lighthouse guarded the western entrance.

Even though it was mid-June, the brisk sea breeze still held a bit of chill that was a welcome relief from the stifling South Florida heat. Mac stood there for a long time pondering his eventful arrival on the island and the odd conversation with Ned. He cringed when he thought about Maddie and how badly he’d wanted to kiss her. She made him anxious, as if he was constantly on the verge of saying or doing the wrong thing. Since he wasn’t used to being so uncomfortable around a woman, he would deal with it by not spending any more time than necessary with her. He couldn’t forget his plan to get back to Miami as soon as possible.

The screen door at the front of the house slammed shut. Mac turned just as his sister Janey came bounding through the sliding door to the porch.

She let out a shriek and launched herself into Mac’s arms.

Absorbing the blow, he took a step back to keep his balance, smiling at her enthusiastic greeting. As blonde and fair as he was dark, Janey was seven years younger, but they’d always been close.

Mac put her down and tugged on her sleek ponytail. “How goes it, brat?”

She play-punched him in the belly. “Don’t call me that. I’m all grown up, or have you been gone so long you forgot that?”

“To me, you’ll always be thirteen with braces. Are you driving yet?”

“Hardy har har. I’m even having sex, but don’t tell Mom.”

Mac feigned a heart attack. The idea of Janey having sex was way too much for him to handle, even if she was twenty-eight and engaged. “Spare me the gories, please.”

Janey grinned. “If you think it’s gory, maybe you’re not doing it right.”

“I’m so not having this conversation with you.”

Laughing, she added, “As much and as often as we can.”