Page 93 of Under Pressure

He got up and came over to the couch, taking a seat on the spot with the spring, and wrapped his arms around her. “Everything’s going to work out, Blue. In the end, it’ll all work out.”

She buried her face in his chest, desperately willing his words to come true, and let him rock her to sleep.

22

Chapter 22

Sean

Sean let Blue fall asleep on his shoulder, and somewhere in all that, Sean’s thoughts of “what if” slowly faded until he’d drifted off as well.

He’d woken hours later to Blue jolting awake in his arms. The wind thrashed against the metal siding and was so loud, that even at three o’clock in the morning, no one was getting any sleep.

Blue had fled his arms like a canary from a cat and soon everyone upstairs made their way downstairs. It was louder up there, and there were more windows. Even though Sean’d covered them with metal siding, being downstairs just felt like the right thing to do.

Gray and Knox started up another game of Poker on the floor and Gramps, Walt, and Blue joined in. Nancy and Polly each took one of two recliners at the back of the warehouse. They didn’t sleep, but kept one another company, chatting softly. Sean hoped the rest of Gramps’ friends were safe and sound. The Palms always did a great job of looking out for their residents, but Sean couldn’t help but worry. Especially when considering how quickly the storm had come on. They’d been in it before they’d even known it’d started.

At least the salvage team had gotten a hold of Gray and Knox hours before to let them know they were alive and on land. Sean hadn’t been there for it. The guys had only told him after the fact—while Blue had been showering. For maybe the first time in his life, he hadn’t felt weird not being right in the middle of everything.

Sean settled into his rickety, but comfy office chair and combed through paperwork he’d been putting off for weeks. He needed something to take his mind off the fact that he was once again about to lose the love of his life.

Blue’s laughter carried into him. “Oh, oh, is that a royal flush?”

“Get out of here,” Knox said.

“That’s the third hand in a row she’s won,” Gray tossed his cards down.

Don sat a little taller. “That’s my girl. She always could sweep at poker.”

She laughed again, and dragged her winnings of white powdered donuts, canned goods, and Skinny Girl Popcorn they’d dragged out of the cupboards upstairs. Sean had purchased the supposedly healthy snack a few days ago after noticing his twelve-pack had reduced to six. Knox had been right; he’d been putting on weight.

“Thanks, Don,” Blue said, nudging him with her shoulder.

He loved that she got on with his friends and family, but it only made his heart ache more.

Gramps glanced back at Sean, and his smile fell. Sean quickly looked away and went back to work. Not that it helped. Grandpa stood and stretched over his head. Any second now, he’d be heading this way.

Blue’s phone rang, and she jumped out of her skin pulling it from her pocket. “It’s my dad,” she said and answered. “Dad?” She waited for an answer. “You there? Hello?” She popped up off the ground and ambled around to find the best signal.

“Back left corner.” Knox pointed the way she should go.

Blue nodded and walked off. “Yes, I can hear you.”

Sean watched her until Gramps’ bulking frame blocked her from view. He held a shoebox in his hands. The same one he’d left jail with. Sean’d been wondering what that was about.

Sean didn’t look at him. He loved Gramps, loved being with him and teasing him, but he just couldn’t right now. The last person he wanted to break down in front of was Gramps, especially when Gramps was dealing with his own loss. He didn’t want to add to his stress.

Gramps didn’t give him a choice. He placed a picture of Nonna on top of Sean’s work. It was an old picture; one he’d only seen a few times in his life. Nonna must have been twenty-something years old. She stood in front of the first house they’d ever purchased, holding his dad as a one-year-old baby, in her arms. She had the biggest smile on her face, and man, did Dad have chubby cheeks.

“I’ve carried this picture of your grandma in my wallet since it was taken,” Gramps said.

Sean picked it up and ran his thumb over the smooth edge. Considering Gramps’ lifestyle, it was a miracle the thing had lasted so long, and in such good condition, but then again, Gramps did take care of his things better than anyone Sean hadever met. Everything in his house was immaculate. Always. “She was so beautiful.”

“Until the day she died,” Gramps said, taking a seat on the corner of Sean’s desk.

Despite himself, Sean glanced up. Grandpa smiled at him.

He handed the photo back. “I know you’re worried about me, Gramps, but I’m fine,” Sean tried to assure him. “I’m happy. I have good friends and a great family. I’m . . . I’m lucky.”

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