“Oh, we will,” Libby assured him. “Don’t worry about a thing.”

They listened as he started his motorcycle and headed down the driveway to the main road.

“Ugh!” Maddie said. “He’s the most aggravating person I’ve ever met!”

Libby raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“He’s bossy and pushy and—”

“Totally smitten,” Libby said with a smug smile.

“What?”

“You heard me. He’s got it bad for you.”

“He does not.”

“I’ve known him a long time, Maddie. I’ve never seen him look at any woman the way he looks at you.”

Unable to process that tidbit on top of all the other emotions storming around inside her, Maddie shifted Thomas onto her shoulder and used her good hand to burp him.

Libby perched on the end of the bed. “He’s one of the best guys I know. You’d be a very lucky girl to end up with him.”

“It’ll never happen.” Why was she even bothering to have this conversation? Like her “relationship” with Mac, it was pointless. “Linda McCarthy will never allow her golden boy to end up with the likes of me.”

Libby laughed. “The McCarthy brothers have made a blood sport of defying their mother all their lives. If she doesn’t like you, that’ll make you even more attractive to him.”

“Great, that’s just what I need—a guy who wants me only because his mother hates me.”

“That’s not the only reason he wants you.”

“Right. He wants the same thing every other guy wants.”

“You’ll underestimate him if you think that poorly of him, Maddie. Look at what he’s gone to do for you today. Do you think just any guy would do that?”

Maddie hated to admit that Libby had a point, but she wasn’t about to convince one of his oldest friends that she didn’t believe his intentions were entirely honorable. “You really don’t have to stay if you have other stuff to do.”

Libby reached for Thomas. “There’s nothing I’d rather do.”

Mac couldn’t believe it had finally happened to him, but he suspected he’d probably fallen in love with Maddie at some point in the last twenty-four hours. Since he’d never been in love before, he couldn’t say for sure. But he hadn’t ever felt anything even close to what happened to him when she looked at him with those caramel eyes that gave away her every emotion, especially those she didn’t want him to see.