by Marie Force
Grant held up a hand to stop his father. “Start at the beginning. Who’s her mother? And I assume you knew her before you met Mom?”
Big Mac’s brows narrowed at the implication he might’ve been unfaithful to their mother. “Yes, son. I dated her before l met Mom.”
“Sorry,” Grant muttered.
“I dated her mother for a few months the winter before I met Mom. Her name was Diana Vaughn. She died recently and left a letter for Mallory, giving her my name and where she could find me.”
“So up until then, she had no idea who her father was?” Adam asked.
“No. Neither of us knew.”
“Wow,” Grant said. “That must’ve been shocking.”
“To say the least,” Big Mac said. “And I’m fully aware that it’s shocking for all of you to hear you have a half sister you never knew about, but I’m asking you to meet her, to give her a chance—”
“Meet her?” Janey asked, seeming panicked by the thought. “When?”
“She’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“I’m out,” Janey said, her chin quivering. “I’m sorry, Dad, but I can’t do this right now.” She rushed out of the room, and the screen door slammed behind her.
“Brat,” Mac called after her. “Wait.”
“Let her go, son,” Big Mac said. “I’ll talk to her later.” He looked at each of his sons, who were unusually somber in light of the bomb that had been dropped on them. “Does anyone else wish to leave before she gets here?”
Mac wanted to go. He had no desire to meet the sister he’d never known he had. He liked his life—and his family—exactly the way it was. However, the thought of disappointing his father in any way had him holding his tongue and remaining seated on a barstool when he really wanted to bolt the way Janey had.
One by one, his brothers demurred when their dad asked if they wanted to leave. When Big Mac’s gaze landed on him, Mac shook his head.
“I appreciate this.” His father made eye contact with each of his sons. “More than you know.”
Chapter 22
Linda served up eggs, potatoes and toast, which Mac ate because he was hungry, but every bite required effort to get the food past the lump in his throat. How could he feel so threatened by someone he didn’t even know? Under normal circumstances, any time he and his three brothers were in the same place at the same time, the insults would be flying, the laughter loud and raucous.
Today the four of them ate in silence as their mother stood watch over them and their father paced nervously.
“She doesn’t have anyone,” Linda said softly. “Her mother was her only family.”
“Is Dad going to require proof?” Mac asked. “He has assets to protect.”
“I don’t need proof,” Big Mac said.
“Dad, seriously,” Mac said, “I know you think everyone is as upstanding as you are, but that’s just not the case.”
“First of all,” Big Mac said, “I appreciate your concern, but I don’t require proof.”
“Dad, come on,” Grant said. “Anyone in this situation would be a bit skeptical.”
“I understand, but when you meet her, you’ll see why I don’t need proof. I also knew her mother quite well and have no reason to believe she’d lie about such a monumental thing.”
“People lie all the time about monumental things,” Evan said tentatively.
“Indeed they do,” Big Mac said. “I don’t believe this is one of those times.”
“Boys, follow your father’s lead on this,” Linda said. “I promise you no one is more skeptical than I was, but when you meet Mallory, you’ll see what we saw.”
Big Mac sent his wife a grateful smile.
“So you’re okay with this, Mom?” Adam asked.
“Okay with it?” Linda asked with a laugh. “What do you expect me to say to that? We were both surprised—shocked—to hear your father had a daughter he never knew about. But I don’t blame him, if that’s what you’re asking. He didn’t know. If anyone is to blame, if that’s the word you want to use, it’s Mallory’s mother, who made the choice to keep your father’s daughter from him for nearly forty years. She’s gone now, though, so there’s no point tossing blame around. All we can do is manage the situation we’re in.”
“That’s very Zen of you,” Evan said. “I wouldn’t have expected you to be so chill about finding out Dad has another kid.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve disappointed you by not flipping out,” Linda said with a grin for her youngest son. “One thing I’ve learned is that life tosses you challenges you never see coming. The only thing you can control is how you react to those challenges. I choose not to make the sudden appearance of a daughter your father never knew he had into a marriage crisis.”
“You see why I love her?” Big Mac said.
Mac was slightly relieved to hear that Mallory’s appearance wasn’t going to cause a rift between his parents, who’d always been solid as a rock.
The doorbell rang, ending the moment of levity.
“I’ll get it,” Big Mac said.
They heard him exchanging greetings with her and inviting her in. Though he’d seen her yesterday, everything was different now, so Mac held his breath as anxiety flooded his entire body. This sister he’d never known he had was older than he was. If his parents planned to open their arms and welcome her into their family, as it seemed they were going to do, he would no longer be the oldest sibling. He loved being the oldest and had always embraced the responsibility he felt toward his younger siblings, even if they chafed against his need to be the boss.
Would the arrival of this woman change the entire dynamic of his family? That thought caused the kind of panic he hadn’t felt since the sailboat accident.
Their father came into the kitchen with a dark-haired woman. Knowing what he knew now, Mac took a much closer look at her than he had the day before. And then he saw it—the shocking resemblance to the picture his father kept on his desk of their grandmother as a young woman. No wonder why he hadn’t required proof.
“This is Grant, Adam, Evan and Mac,” Big Mac said. “Boys, this is Mallory Vaughn.”
Each of them shook her hand as they tried to pretend they weren’t staring at her.
“Janey couldn’t be here this morning,” Big Mac said. “You can meet her another time.”
“It’s so nice to meet all of you.” Mallory seemed to battle her emotions. “I know this must be so weird for you, and I’m sorry about that.”
“You look just like our grandmother,” Evan said.
“I wondered if you all would see it, too,” Big Mac said.
“I saw her picture yesterday,” Mallory said. “It was… Well, you can imagine it was rather overwhelming. I’ve wondered for so long about my father and his family, and to see that I so closely resemble his mother…” She wiped at a tear. “Sorry. I was quite determined to get through this without getting emotional, but it’s not every day a girl meets four brothers she didn’t know she had.”
Mac didn’t want to like her. He really did not want to like her. As he had that thought, he could hear Maddie’s voice in his head telling him to grow up and get over himself.
“Once you get to know us,” Grant said dryly, “you may wish you’d never met us.”
The comment made everyone laugh, and Mac felt himself relax ever so slightly. Maybe this wouldn’t be the cataclysmic event he’d imagined before she arrived.
“This is very true,” Linda said. “One minute they’re all standing around talking, and the next minute they’re on the floor wrestling like ten-year-olds.”
“Um, that’s Adam and Evan,” Grant said. “Not us.” He gestured between himself and Mac.
“We’re far too mature for that,” Mac said, trying to rise to the occasion for his father’s sake. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, he wouldn’t do for his dad, and if that meant welcoming a sister he hadn’t known he had into the family, Mac would find a way to do it.
“
He likes to boss everyone around.” Adam gestured to Mac with his thumb. “Just ignore him. That’s what we do.”
Mallory seemed to hang on their every word, making no effort to hide her fascination and curiosity.
“Despite their often-poor behavior,” Linda said, “we’re proud of them.”
“I feel like a crazy voyeur,” Mallory said with a nervous laugh. “I have so many questions.”
“Pull up a seat,” Evan said, giving up his barstool for her to take his place.
“Are you hungry, Mallory?” Linda asked.
“No, thank you. I was a nervous wreck before I came over, so I didn’t dare eat.”
“How about coffee?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
Linda put a mug in front of her along with a creamer, sugar bowl and spoon.
Mac watched with fascination as Mallory put just a dash of cream in her coffee before adding two healthy spoonfuls of sugar—exactly the way he took his coffee. It was a coincidence, he told himself.
They waited on her, giving her time to collect her thoughts as she took a couple of sips of her coffee. “I’m an emergency room nurse. What do you guys do?”
The question seemed to break what remained of the ice, and the conversation flowed freely from there. Mac watched his father visibly relax when he realized his sons planned to make an effort where Mallory was concerned. If he could actually control the world, Mac wouldn’t have chosen for this to happen, but it had happened, and he’d do what he could to make it easy for his dad.
“I run the marina with Dad, and I have a construction company on the island, too,” Mac said when it was his turn. “I’m married to Maddie, and we have two kids, Thomas and Hailey, with a third on the way.”
Seeming to sense he was the toughest nut in the bunch, Mallory smiled warmly at him. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
Somehow Janey managed to get herself home, where she found Joe and P.J. in the sunroom together, the baby asleep in his father’s arms. The sight of them was all it took to trigger the tsunami of tears she’d managed to contain so she could get herself home.
“Janey, honey, what is it? Is something wrong with your parents?”
She dropped onto the sofa and curled up to him.
He wrapped his free arm around her and held her close.
Janey breathed in his familiar scent and that of her son, who’d had a bath in her absence.
“Baby, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”
“My dad has another daughter,” she said between sobs.
Her dog Riley scooted across the floor, dragging his hind end behind him until he was close enough to nuzzle her.
“What?”
Janey patted Riley’s head. “She showed up yesterday, out of the blue, claiming to be his daughter. And he’s happy about it.”
“Wait… Back up… She showed up from where?”
“Providence, I guess. Her mother just died and left a letter telling her who her father was. She came out yesterday to find him, and… And… I don’t want him to have another daughter. I’m his daughter. He doesn’t need her. And believe me, I know I’m being a total jerk, and I hate myself right now. But I can’t help it.” Sobs hiccupped through her, making her feel sick and stupid for being so emotional.
“Holy shit,” Joe whispered. “What did your mother say?”
“She was all calm about it because Dad didn’t know, and it happened before they met, so really, how could she be mad with him?”
“Still… They must’ve been totally shocked.”
“They were, but they’ve had some time to get past that. They found out yesterday.”
Joe kissed the top of her head and ran his hand up and down her arm. “I’m sorry you’re upset about it. Did you get to meet her?”
“I left before she came. I just couldn’t do it, and I feel so bad because I could tell Dad was disappointed when I left, but…I couldn’t.”
“Honey, listen to me. You just had a baby under extremely traumatic circumstances. Your emotions are all over the place. Your dad knows that. Don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s nothing you could do that he wouldn’t forgive. You’re his little girl.”
Hearing that set her off again. “I won’t be his only little girl anymore if he has another daughter, and yes, I do hear myself acting like an ass, but I can’t seem to stop feeling this way. I had a violently negative reaction to hearing about her. I don’t want her. I don’t want a sister. I’ve got my brothers and Laura… I don’t need her.”
“You’re shocked, and it’s perfectly natural for you to feel threatened by something—or someone—who has the power to change your whole life.”
“I don’t want my life changed. I like it the way it is.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have much choice in the matter, honey, if your dad has decided to accept her into his life.”
“He has! All she had to do is show up and stake her claim, and he’s all excited to have another daughter. Like the one he had wasn’t enough for him.”
“Janey,” he said, shaking silently.
“Are you laughing at me?”
“Of course I’m not.”
“Yes, you are! There’s nothing funny about this!”
“When you’ve had a little time to get your mind around it, you might feel differently.”
“How do I get my mind around a sister I never knew I had?”
“What did your brothers say about it? I’m trying to picture Mac finding out he’s not the oldest anymore.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t stick around long enough to hear what they had to say.”
“What’s her name? This sister you didn’t know you had.”
“Mallory.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“I guess.” Janey reached for the baby that Joe transferred to her arms. “There’s my little boy,” she whispered, running her lips over his soft head and breathing in the baby-fresh scent. “I wish I hadn’t run out of there the way I did.”
“You can always tell your dad that when you see him.”
“What if he’s mad at me?”
“He won’t be, Janey.”
“I didn’t know what to expect when they asked us to come over, but it certainly wasn’t this.” Her phone buzzed with a text message. “Can you get it out of my back pocket?” she asked, raising herself up.
“With pleasure.”
His predictable comment made her laugh. “What does it say?”
“From Mac. ‘Are you okay, brat?’ Want me to write back to him?”
“Just say I’m fine, and I’ll talk to him later.”
Joe sent the text and put her phone on the table. “You know your dad is going to be over here wanting to talk to you. If he’s not on his way already, he will be soon.”
“I don’t know what to say to him. I feel like a jerk for leaving the way I did.”
“Maybe just tell him that. He’ll understand, babe.”
“I’m going to have to meet this person, aren’t I?”
“The sister you never knew you had?” he asked with a teasing smile. “Yeah, you are.”
Though he’d planned to go to the marina after the meeting at his parents’ house, Mac found himself driving home instead. He needed to see Maddie. After two years of marriage, his need for her only seemed to grow exponentially every day, and he’d learned not to question it anymore. It just was. She’d know what to say to set him straight again.
He pulled into the driveway at the home he’d once surprised her with. Thinking about that day brought a smile to his face. After a brief time apart that damn near killed him, he’d gotten her back that day, and they’d been together ever since. Bounding up the stairs, he opened the sliding door and came to a stop when he saw her on the sofa holding Hailey as she slept.
Maddie gave him a quizzical look full of questions about what he was doing home early on a workday.
He went to her, took their sleeping daughter from her and walke
d his baby girl upstairs to her crib, where he tucked her in with a kiss. When he turned to leave Hailey’s room, Maddie was waiting for him in the hallway.
Mac took her hand, led her to their bedroom and shut the door. “Where’s Thomas?”
“At the beach with Tiffany and Ashleigh.”
Mac put his arms around his wife and hugged her.
“What’s wrong? You’re freaking me out.”
“Sorry,” he murmured, his lips finding her neck. As he breathed in the scent of summer flowers, a sense of calm came over him. No matter what happened, he would always have her, and she was all he needed.
“Mac? Honey, what is it?”
“My dad has another kid.”
Her entire body went rigid. “What?”
“Well, I guess she’s not a kid anymore at thirty-nine.”
“Start from the beginning. Don’t leave anything out.”
Mac told her about the woman who’d come to the marina the day before seeking his father and how she was actually Big Mac’s daughter Mallory.
“Wow,” Maddie said, exhaling a deep breath as she sat on the bed. “So you met her?”
“The boys and I did.” Mac sat next to her on the bed. “Janey left before Mallory got there. She was upset.”
“She loves being your dad’s only daughter. Almost as much,” Maddie said, glancing at him tentatively, “as you love being the oldest.”
“Yes.”
“Are you okay?”
“I guess. I mean there’re certainly worse things they could’ve told us.”
“Still… That must’ve been pretty shocking to hear.” She took his hand and held it between both of hers. “So what’s she like?”
“She’s actually really nice. She’s an emergency room nurse in Providence, and she looks just like my father’s mother as a younger woman.”
“So he’s not going to make her prove it, then?”
“There’s really no need to. The proof is in the picture. But you’ll be glad to know I asked the same question.”
Maddie leaned her head against his shoulder. “It’s okay to tell me this upsets you. I’d totally understand.”