Even as she said the words, however, she knew they weren’t entirely true. He had already proven he was different by insisting on helping her as she recovered. As for special? She’d have to wait and see, but she would not—could not—allow herself to expect anything from him.

She refused to ever again risk her heart for a man, especially one who had the power to crush her while moving on with his own life as if she’d never existed.

Never again.

Hours later, Mac carried Maddie and the wriggling Thomas back up to their apartment. Despite being peed and puked on, Mac had had done an admirable job—with her verbal assistance—of taking care of four babies ranging from nine to twelve months old. To say he’d never changed a diaper before, he’d caught on fast, and Thomas had taken an instant shine to him.

Maddie held Thomas with her good arm while Mac navigated the stairs and play-bit the fingers Thomas put in his mouth. Mac had barely made eye contact with her all afternoon. Was it because of the kiss or something else? Had he heard what people said about her?

Her stomach ached and her palms grew damp. How she longed to be just a regular girl with nothing that made her different, without the suitcase full of troubles she dragged behind her. Sighing, she wished she could somehow lose the suitcase.

“Why the sigh?” Mac asked as he lowered her and Thomas to the sofa.

She ventured a glance up at him to find him watching her.

“Does something hurt?”

My heart. My stomach. My knee. “No.”

He scooped up Thomas as if he’d been doing it all the boy’s life. “What comes first? Dinner or bath?”

“I can take it from here. Why don’t you go visit your parents?”

“Are you going to keep this up all night?”

“Just until you get the hint that I don’t want you here.”

“You don’t? I’m shocked and hurt.”

“Shut up.”

He shielded Thomas. “Don’t talk that way in front of the child.”

The look she sent him could’ve cut glass.

“I’ll repeat the question: what comes first, dinner or bath?”

Through gritted teeth, she said, “Dinner or you’ll have to do the bath twice.”

“Got it.” He glanced down at the stains on his T-shirt. “I should probably change first. I reek.”

Maddie couldn’t help but notice how he held Thomas just right, propped on his hip with a strong arm protectively around him. “You, ah, might want to wait until after dinner and the bath. It can get a little messy.”

“This baby thing is not for the faint of heart, is it?” he asked, playfully scowling at Thomas, who clapped his hands.

“Which is why you shouldn’t get involved.”