“Have a good time, buddy.” Mac hugged Thomas and traded keys with Sydney. “Be a good boy.”

“Does he have any allergies or anything he can’t or won’t eat?” Sydney asked.

“Not that we’re aware of,” Mac said. “He’s not a big fan of vegetables.”

“Shocker.” Syd extended her hand to Thomas. “I bet Luke has some spaghetti we can make.”

“Sketti,” Thomas said with a bright smile.

“He likes it with butter and cheese,” Mac said. “No sauce.”

“Got it. Stay as late as you want, Mac. If he conks out, I’ll put him down at Luke’s.”

“Thanks, Syd,” Maddie said.

“Yes, thank you,” Mac added.

Hand in hand, Sydney and Thomas walked out of the room. Maddie could hear Thomas’s happy chatter all the way down the hallway.

“That was nice of her,” Mac said.

“Very.” Maddie fiddled with the blanket.

“How do you feel?” he asked, vibrating with tension he was clearly trying—and failing—to keep hidden from her. Unfortunately for him, she knew him better than anyone and could see right through his act.

“Fine.”

“What’s with the one-word answers?”

“Nothing.”

“Great,” he said with a sharp laugh. “That’s perfect. You’re mad at me?”

Maddie shrugged. “You were a little over the top earlier.”

Hands on his hips, he said, “At least that’s more than one word. We’re making progress.”

“Mac.”

“What?” he snapped.

“Come here.”

“I’m here.”

Maddie patted the bed. “Here.”

Reluctantly—or so it seemed to her—he perched on the bed, arms folded, shoulders set.

“Closer.”

“I don’t want to. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m mad with you.”

“I noticed, but I need you.”

Right before her eyes, all the starch went out of him, and he turned to her, one hand on either side of her hips. “What? Is something else wrong? Does something hurt?”

Laughing softly, she extended her arms. “Come here.”

“Are you mocking me?” he asked as he moved into her embrace.

“Never.” Choking back a laugh, she ran her fingers through the thick dark hair she loved so much and held him close until he began to relax—as much as he ever did.

“You’re making me crazy,” he muttered.

“I know.”

“You won’t even think about going to Providence for a second opinion?”

“Why do we need one? Cal said the early labor was brought on by the stress of what happened today. I need to stay in bed for three months until the baby comes, which totally sucks, but I’ll do what I have to.”

“Maybe we should just move to the mainland until the baby comes so we’re closer to real hospitals. We could stay at Joe’s place—”

Maddie pinched his lips closed. “I want to be in our home with our things, near our family.”

“But—”