All eyes were on her grandfather as his expression softened, and he turned his hand over, giving hers a gentle squeeze. “I know you did, Mads, and I love you, but as I’ve told you, I don’t want you putting your life on hold for me. You’re a pretty young thing. You should be out dating, having the time of your life. Going out with a different guy every week until you find the right one.”

“Let’s not go too far,” her father said, giving her grandfather a stern look.

“I’m not putting my life on hold, Grandpa.” Madigan took another bite of the delicious food her mother had made.

“I haven’t seen you with a single young man since you moved back,” her grandfather said.

“Do you blame her, with four brothers and this one breathing down her back?” Her mother motioned toward her father. “When Mads went for a walk on the beach, the boys wanted to send out a search party.”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I go out with guys.” It wasn’t a total lie. She often went out with her brothers, cousins, and friends.

Her mother’s brows lifted curiously, and her father’s brows slanted.

“I mean a guy here and there, okay? Besides, I’m working on expanding my business to sell hoodies and T-shirts and other merchandise.” She told them about what she envisioned and shared pictures of some of the designs she’d put together over the last few weeks. “What do you think?”

“You never fail to amaze me,” her grandfather said.

“Thanks, Grandpa.”

“If anyone can make a go of it, it’s you, darlin’,” her father added.

“Honey, we are so proud of all that you’ve accomplished, but are you sure now is the right time?” her mother asked. “You’re already so busy.”

The last twenty-four hours had proven that she wasn’t busy enough. She needed a project in which to pour her energy and brainpower so her stupid heart wouldn’t have time to sneak in.

“Actually, I have more free time than I’d like, and you know how much I hate being idle. It’s not like I’d be launching a business from scratch. This will be an offshoot of my existing company.”

“Don’t kid yourself, darlin’,” her father said. “Launching a merchandise line is a big endeavor. You’ve already achieved more than most people will in a lifetime. You’re making more money than you could ever spend, and you’ve managed to maintain a schedule that allows time for yourself and family. We’d just hate to see you get so wrapped up in work that you lose sight of what’s really important.”