“That baby kicked your ass,” Mac said.
“Shut up. How’d you two get out of the house tonight?”
“Grandparents,” Maddie said. “My wonderful husband arranged the whole thing, and we’re free until tomorrow morning.”
“What the hell are you doing here, then?” Evan asked.
“We heard there was going to be music,” Mac said, “but we arrived to WWE.”
“The music is coming back momentarily.”
“Well, get to it,” Maddie said. “We have other items on our agenda for this rare night away from our five children.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m on it.”
Evan kissed Grace and returned to the stage, amused by the interlude with his family and how they still treated him the same, which was a huge relief in the craziness that came with fame.
As he tuned his guitar for the next set, Evan was thrilled to be home.
* * *
“Why you gotta wrestle your cousin right on my dance floor?” Nikki asked her husband. And yes, it was still weird to think of him as her husband three weeks after they tied the knot over Thanksgiving weekend.
“He started it.”
“Did he, though?”
“All in good fun, babe.”
“I know.”
“He had to defend our honor,” Finn said. “That baby shit was old when we were in high school, and it’s ancient now.”
“They do it because you react every time,” Chloe said. “If you just ignored them, it would ruin their fun.”
“We’d rather wrestle them,” Riley said.
“Hell yes,” Finn said. “They can’t stand that the babies can take them.”
“We’re younger, stronger and sexier than they’ll ever be,” Riley said.
“Did you just refer to yourself as sexy?” Chelsea asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
“They weren’t raised that way,” Kevin said.
“I think they actually were,” Chloe said. “We’ve all seen you with your brothers, Kev. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“She’s got you there, Dad,” Finn said, laughing.
“I can’t deny that the original McCarthy brothers may have set a less-than-stellar example for our offspring,” Kevin said.
“In all seriousness, you set the best possible example,” said Evelyn Harper, Nikki and Jordan’s grandmother. “I love how close all you McCarthys are to your siblings and cousins.”
“It’s fun having everyone here and working together,” Riley said. He and Finn worked for Mac’s construction company, along with Shane.
“How’re you feeling, Chloe?” Nikki asked her sister-in-law. Her rheumatoid arthritis had been giving her grief again.
“I’m okay. The cold is always a challenge.”
