Mac glanced at Maddie, who sent him a sympathetic smile. “My baby sister,” he grumbled as he rejoined her on the sofa. “Horrifying.”

Big Mac came back into the room with three bottles of beer and handed two of them to Mac and Maddie. “Hi, honey,” he said, kissing Janey. “I suppose you’ll want my beer.”

She plucked it out of his hand. “But of course.”

Big Mac shook his head and glanced at Maddie. “See what I put up with?”

Maddie responded with a girlish giggle, and Mac could tell that his father had already won her over.

Big Mac left the room muttering about a man not being able to get a beer in his own house and returned a minute later with Linda, who he seemed to propel ahead of him into the room.

“There you are,” Linda said, swooping in to kiss Mac. “And Maddie, hello, how’re you feeling?”

“A little better, Mrs. McCarthy. Thank you for having me.”

Linda’s smile was brittle, but Mac was certain only her family would know it as less than genuine. “It’s my pleasure. This must be Thomas, who I’ve heard so much about.”

As he thrust the baby up and into his mother’s arms, Mac hoped she wasn’t referring to the speculation around town about the baby’s father.

“Oh,” Linda sputtered. “My. Well. You’re a cute little fella, aren’t you?”

Thomas picked that moment to loudly fill his diaper.

Janey howled with laughter.

Maddie gasped, tried to get up quickly and grimaced when her injured limbs refused to cooperate.

Mac eased her back down. “I’ve got it.”

“You don’t want to deal with that.”

“Believe me, it’s the least of what I’ve dealt with today.” He took the baby from his mother and grabbed the diaper bag. “Come on, pal. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Before he left the room, he noticed his father and sister watching him with nothing but amusement while his mother fumed. Mac was torn between needing to tend to the baby and not wanting to leave Maddie.

“We’ll take good care of Maddie,” Big Mac said.

“Thanks, Dad.” On the way up the stairs, Mac caught Maddie’s eye and winked at her. “I’ll be quick.”

She sent him a grateful smile that warmed him all the way through.

Over the pot roast dinner Mac had requested, Maddie stayed quiet and listened to their banter. Mac clearly adored his father and sister as well as his three brothers. Maddie found it interesting that he tended to give Linda one-word answers but engaged more naturally with his father and sister. He kept Thomas on his lap and managed to eat with one hand in a manner that was more common after months—rather than days—of practice.