THE TENSION BETWEEN Blaine and Tobias hung over them like a rain cloud on the verge of bursting, keeping Madigan on edge during breakfast. Thankfully, her mother kept the conversations light, steering them away from the topic of family, and her grandfather kept them entertained with stories about his last visit with Junie and Rosie and the stories they’d drawn on his arms. Tobias joined in where he could, asking questions and commenting as if Blaine wasn’t throwing visual daggers in his direction. Madigan told them about the new puppetry and storytelling gigs she had coming up, and when Maverick told them about the sculpture he was working on for the Dark Knights’ annual Suicide-Prevention Ride and Rally, Tobias listened intently, asked questions about the event and Maverick’s work. It wasn’t until her brothers, with the exception of Blaine, started joking around and Tobias joined in that Madigan felt like she could finally breathe again. In those joking moments, she saw glimpses of the man she had a feeling Tobias had tried to bury right along with his friend.

Everyone helped clean up, and as they got ready to leave, Madigan’s mother pulled her aside. “I’d say that went well.”

“What am I going to do about Blaine?”

“Nothing. You go on with your life, and those two will figure it out.” Her mother nodded in the direction of Tobias, talking with her brothers by the kitchen door, save for Blaine, who had gone outside with their father and grandfather. “That man can handle himself. He’s been through a lot, baby girl, and got the hard edges to prove it. But he’s got a tender heart. I might have swooned a little when he was talking about you.”

“Me too.” Warming with the memory, Madigan lowered her voice. “I really like him, Mom. But he’s lost so much. His sister, his father. He has a niece he’s never met. He lost the career he loved and his best friend. I want to help him with all of it, but I don’t know how.”

“Oh, honey, you already are,” her mother said with the confidence of someone who knew something Madigan didn’t.

“See ya, Mads. We’re taking off.” Zander waved from across the kitchen.

“Go,” her mother said with a smile.

“Bye, Zan. See ya, Zeke,” she said, heading over to Tobias as they went out the door.

“Hey, Blue Eyes. Maverick and Chloe want us to go out with them sometime.” Tobias ran his hand down her back.

She leaned against him, craving the contact. “Sounds good to me.”

“Good. I’ll look at our calendars and text you,” Chloe said.

“We’d better take off,” Maverick said. “We’re meeting up with my brothers and some of the guys in an hour to ride out to Plymouth. You two want to come?”

“Thanks, but I need to go see my grandfather,” Tobias said.