Page 47 of Under Pressure

“Careful, son!”

“Sorry, Gramps—the chair tipped on a balloon.” Sean picked up the large chair and carried it the rest the way—kicking balloons as he shuffled.

Don ushered the ladies into the kitchen. “Listen, Bluebell’s fiancé is coming too. I figured if he came, we could evaluate the two of them together and make an informed decision.”

“Don—” Polly ran a hand over her eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn’t used to her being this exasperated. “I’m not worried about Jonah. I’m worried about you.”

Rosa touched Don’s arm. “We all are.”

“Why?” Don frowned. He was fine. Peachy. A-okay. Was that smudge on his stove? He rushed over and wiped it with the towel hanging from the stove’s handle.

Polly threw her arms up.

The doorbell rang, and a moment later, people were pushing in.

“Don’t go anywhere,” Don told Polly and Rosa. “She’ll be here soon, and I want your opinions.”

Rosa wrung her hands and nodded. Polly folded her arms over her chest.

A gasp sounded behind him in the direction of the door, stealing his attention. First inside were Wayne and Sandy. Don headed their way.

Wayne was wearing jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a knee-length tweed coat that made Don want to roll his eyes. His son dressed like he wanted to be a rock star right along with Axel, shaggy hair, and all, which he emphasized by tossing his head to get it out of his eyes. What kind of sixty-five-year-old man did that?

Sandy looked nice as always. She had her blond hair, peppered with white streaks, pulled up in a twist, had on white pants, and a pink button-up shirt with a sweater.

“Wow!” Sandy said, clasping her hands over her mouth. “This is amazing. You did this for me?”

Don gave them each a hug. “It’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

Sandy hugged him tight. “Thank you, Don. This is wonderful.” A swell of emotion filled Don’s chest for his son’s wife. She’d always loved Don for who he was, despite what Wayne thought, just as she loved her husband for who he was. She’d always been a good mediator between them.

The second of Wayne’s boys was through the door next—Johnny’d managed to dress down today in a pair of gray checkered dress pants and a long-sleeved, V-neck sweater with black Oxfords—no socks. This time, Don did roll his eyes.

Johnny scanned the room with a hard, expectant gaze like he was preparing to head into battle. He hugged Don. “No Samantha today?”

“If it’d been my birthday, she’d be here,” Don said. “But I figured your mother would want you here for her party.”

Johnny’s jaw dropped at his implication that he’d pick Samantha over Johnny. “Gramps!”

Axel came up behind Johnny, holding Kate’s hand. He pushed an indignant Johnny out of the way. “I told you to be nicer to her.”

“I’m plenty nice to her,” Johnny grumbled. “She’s the one with the attitude.”

Stepping up to Don, Kate gave him a big hug. “You better get used to her attitude. She’s my best friend. She’s going to be around.”

Johnny quirked a grin at Kate. “Since you’re marrying my brother, I guess I can forgive you your poor taste in friends.”

Axel slugged Johnny in the arm, and Johnny flinched away with a dramatic lift of his leg.

Kate smiled at Don, then glanced around the bungalow, her eyes growing wider as she took everything in. “Oh, wow! This place looks . . .”

“Mental?” Johnny said under his breath.

Wayne whacked him upside the head. “Behave.”

“Nice!” Kate squeaked as her face turned red. Axel leaned in and kissed her on her temple.

“Thank you.” The tension that’d been growing in Don’s chest eased some more. Now that he had the approval of the birthday girlandKate, he felt better. Polly and Rosa acted like he was out of control or something. Couldn’t a man do nice things for the women in his life?

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