Page 77 of Under Pressure

Polly: I don’t know. Maybe we should leave them there to think about their decisions.

“No, I can’t stay here,” Harry said. “I wasn’t cut out for jail. Plus, I missed dinner and Virginia was making mince and tatties.”

Winnie: This is Virginia, I’ve commandeered Winnie’s phone. Harry? Are you there?

Don handed the phone over to Harry.

Harry: I’m here, sweetheart.

Virginia: I can’t believe you got arrested without me!

Harry: It wasn’t intentional.

Beddoe cleared his throat, drawing their attention again. “No, ma’am, I can’t just let them go. The homeowner is pressing charges.”

Don, Walt, and Harry all stepped closer to the bars to listen.

“There is no bail,” Beddoe said, his face turning redder and redder the longer he spoke to Rosa. “Well, with the hurricane coming, the judge and his family have left town. We’ll have to keep them until after the hurricane when the judge comes back and sets bail.” He wiped his head with the back of his hand. “Yes, I know they won’t run, but the law’s the law.” He pulled the phone back, looked at it, then spoke into the receiver again. “Mrs. Sanchez? You there?”

Silence.

“Well, is she still there?” Don yelled.

Beddoe flinched and put the phone back. “She hung up on me.”

Rosa: Polly, Nancy, Winnie, Virginia, I’m coming to get you. We’re going to the station to get ouramigos.

Nancy: We’ll be ready.

Don quickly sent one more text.

Don: Nancy, grab the shoebox on top of my piano. The one labeled Don.

Nancy: Why? Oh, never mind.

Don stuck his phone in his pocket. “That went well.”

Walt rolled his eyes and walked away, and Harry glared at him.

“Could’ve been a lot worse,” he said.

“We can’t get out,” Harry pointed toward Beddoe. “There’s no bail set and Jonah’s pressing charges. And a hurricane is coming. We’re going to be in jail through a hurricane. How is this not a worst-case scenario?”

Don took a deep breath and faced Walt sitting on the bench. “Because we’re going to use this time to our advantage.”

“Doing what?” Walt removed his NASA cap and ran his hand through his gray hair.

“Please, no more schemes to get Sean and Blue together,” Harry said. “By the time we get out, Blue will be married to the very man who put us in jail.”

Don straightened his spine. “That’s not what I want help with.” What he wanted help with was something a lot harder.

His feelings.

17

Chapter 17

Sean

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