“Oh,” she said, “look at you.”

“Don’t get all mushy.”

“You get more handsome every time I see you.” She caressed his cheek, her sharp blue eyes zeroing in on him. “But why do you look so tired and thin?”

He smiled to himself. Her children hadn’t called her Voodoo Mama for nothing. “Too much work, not enough fun.”

“We’ll have to see about fixing that while you’re home. How long can you stay?”

“A while,” he said, intentionally vague. The McCarthy kids had also learned a long time ago not to give her time for scheming.

“Don’t tell me you’re taking that old rust bucket for a ride.” She shuddered. “I hate that thing. I was always so certain you were going to kill yourself on it.”

Mac flashed his most charming grin. “There’s not one spec of rust on this bike, and I’ve got to get around somehow.”

“Use my car. I just got it out of the shop. I can walk to the hotel or grab a ride into town when I need one.”

Mac glanced at the yellow VW bug convertible in the driveway. “Not in this or any other lifetime, Mother.”

“Oh come on! It’s not that bad.”

“Um, yes, it is.”

She let out a gasp. “What in the name of God did you do to your leg?”

“I had a little accident in town.” He told her about his encounter with Maddie. “So I’ll be staying over there, helping her out with the baby, and covering her shifts at the hotel until she’s back on her feet.”

“You can’t work as a chamber maid! What will people say? You’re a McCarthy!”

Had he ever noticed before that his family thought they were better than other people on the island? Had Maddie tuned into that, too? Is that why she had such a beef with his parents? “So what? She can’t afford to lose the job, and it’s my fault she’s hurt.”

“She won’t lose her job. We’ll get someone else to fill in.”

“She doesn’t want that. I’m taking care of it for her.”

“No son of mine—”

Mac held up his hand to stop her. “Just because we own the place doesn’t mean we’re better than anyone else. I’m filling in for her, and that’s the end of it. Do we still have those old sleeping bags with the camping stuff?” Leaving her fuming in the driveway, he went back into the garage and found the sleeping bags right where he expected them to be, zipped into large plastic bags to protect them from mold.

“What’re you doing with that?”

“I’m sleeping on Maddie’s floor for a couple of nights so I can help her with the baby.”

“This is insanity, Mac. What will people say? She has a sister—”