Maddie wondered if anyone else noticed that Linda completely ignored her as she managed to work a list of the island’s most eligible women into the conversation. Maddie could definitely see Mac with someone like Doro Chase or one of the other prominent women Linda mentioned. At least with Doro he’d be on an equal social footing and wouldn’t be fodder for the gossip mill the way he would with her. The idea of him with someone else saddened her, which was ridiculous, really. It wasn’t like he belonged to her or anything. What was she even doing here, eating at this table in the house where she was hired help?

Mac’s hand landed on her thigh.

Stirred by his touch—as always—she glanced over at him.

“Everything all right?”

“Of course,” she managed to say but could tell he didn’t believe her.

“Mom,” Janey said, “maybe you should can the social register for tonight. Mac’s here with a date. He doesn’t want to hear about other women.”

Mac sent his sister a grateful smile.

“No one told me they were on a date.” Linda’s frosty eyes skipped over Maddie and landed on her son. “I thought we were just having dinner.”

“I believe I was quite clear about that when we spoke earlier,” he said, apparently capable of the frosty stare himself.

Maddie’s stomach began to hurt.

“What’d you make for dessert, Lin?” Big Mac asked with a warm smile for Maddie.

“Chocolate cake for Mac.”

“Thomas is getting tired,” Mac said. “We aren’t staying for dessert.”

Thomas was fine, but Maddie appreciated that somehow Mac sensed she wasn’t.

“You can’t go yet!” Linda said. “You just got here.”

“We need to get the baby home, and Maddie’s still recovering from her injuries.”

“She looks fine to me.”

Mac got up and helped her out of her chair. “She’s not fine. I probably shouldn’t have dragged her out tonight.” To his sister, Mac said, “You’ll help Mom clean up?”

“Yep.” Janey got up to kiss him good-bye. To Maddie, she said, “If you ever need a babysitter for that cute little guy, call me.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Maddie said as Janey and her father started clearing the table.

Mac escorted Maddie to the front hall. “I just realized I forgot the diaper bag upstairs. I’ll be right back.” Still holding Thomas, he dashed up the stairs. As she watched him go, Maddie noticed the bruise on his leg from the bike crash had gotten dark and angry-looking overnight.

“You’re fooling yourself,” Linda said in an exaggerated whisper.

Startled, Maddie turned to her. “Excuse me?”

“He might be having fun playing house for now, but you’ll never get him to stay.”