Page 69 of A Summer Mismatch
It was strange not driving to her grandparents’ house when she arrived at The Palms, but she turned toward Don’s house and parked in front. When Don opened the door, his eyes widened as he took in her dress.
“Grandma Winnie made it,” she told him before he could say anything.
He blew out a loaded breath. “It doesn’t seem like something she would make.”
Hearing Don confirm what she’d already thought filled her with relief. She and Cameron followed him into the house. “I’m worried about her. I don’t know if she’s doing too much or what’s going on, but she’s been stress sewing so much, her hands are swollen.”
“I think having the Byrds here has been getting to her.”
“I don’t want to add to her stress by going out with their grandson.”
Don patted her on the arm. “We’ll keep an eye on Winnie. You just go have fun tonight. Oh, wait, before you go.”
He walked into the kitchen and came back with a small velvet box. “Winnie wanted me to give you this. She was sad she couldn’t see you before you left.”
She opened the box and found a delicate pair of dangling star earrings nestled in the velvet. “They’re white gold. Harry found them in an antique store, and she thought you’d love them.”
“They’re gorgeous!” She slipped out her hoops and replaced them with the new star earrings, already feeling more shimmery and enfolded in love. “Grandma is lucky to have friends like you.”
“We’re lucky to have her.”
Julia took a deep breath to ease her nerves. “Well, I guess I better go. Wish me luck!”
Cameron gave her another hug and then pushed her out the door. “Bye, Joos. Bye.”
She laughed and let him guide her all the way out the door before he shut it behind her. He was so worried he wouldn’t get to stay with Don that he wanted to make sure she left completely.
Well, his antics had helped with one thing: the nerves she was feeling about actually doing this were settling. Her worries could wait for tomorrow. As for tonight, she just wanted to have an amazing time with Logan, and for once, she was going to let herself do so without guilt.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Winnie
Horacewalkedoutoftheir bedroom wearing his nicest suit. He had combed his hair back, and even wore his gold cuff links, which he always struggled to put on himself. Winnie’s heart jumped at the sight of him looking so handsome, and cutting such a nice figure. Horace had always been an attractive man, and in her opinion, had only grown more so with age.
“Why are you dressed so nice?” She looked down at her own slacks and blouse, perfect for a night in. “I thought we were going to watch a movie tonight.”
Horace dropped a kiss on her cheek. “There’s an event I need to go to. But we’ll watch the movie when I get back.”
“What event?” She wracked her brain for an event put on by The Palms tonight, but everything had been canceled in honor of the Watermelon Gala. She set down the dish she was washing and flexed her hands. They’d been hurting her more and more. And she was feeling a little lightheaded besides.
It was all this stress and secret-keeping getting to her. Retirement was supposed to be relaxing. Instead, she was feeling more wound up than she had in years. She wasn’t sleeping well, her appetite was waning, her hands were swollen, and her vertigo was something fierce.
Though she wished she could see Julia tonight in her lavender dress and new star earrings, she really had been looking forward to a night in with Horace. The Secret Seven was going to take care of making sure Julia and Logan had an amazingly romantic night.
And Winnie just had one job—keep Horace home.
Horace was looking at his phone, texting, and didn’t answer.
“Since when did you start texting all the time? You hate texts,” she teased him.
“It’s growing on me,” he replied absently. Who in the world could he be texting? Julia or Eliana most likely. Those two were going to drag him into the twenty-first century methods of communication if it killed him.
Eliana was already trying to convince Horace to do one of those reels with her next time she visited, and she’d caught Julia teaching him how to search out GIFs.
Winnie walked around the kitchen counter and stood beside him, trying to look over his shoulder, expecting to see one of her granddaughter’s names.
Instead she saw the name of the last person she ever expected to find on her husband’s phone. Smitty Byrd.
