Behind the counter, on a ladder and removing balloons that were half-filled, was Vera. Her hair was mostly gray now, but it was as wild as always and it was threatening to leap out of the band that was trying to hold it.

Near her was a little man who was yelling up at her. “You have no right! You can’t do that! I’ll sue you!”

Miguel and Mike paused for a moment to figure out what was going on. He looked at his daughter. “Let’s get her out of here.”

“Agreed.”

Miguel went to the boys and took the balloons out of their hands. “Go get something to eat and charge it to your grandfather.”

The boys ran away so fast it was hard to see them.

Jared put down his balloon. “You and my father! Still rivals after all these years.” Miguel just smiled.

The man who was yelling grabbed the ladder Vera was on and pushed it. Mike made a leap to steady it.

Jared spoke to the man. “How about if I buy you some lunch?”

The man didn’t release the ladder.

“I know where to get beer.”

With a grimace, the man let go of the ladder and walked around the counter. Jared looked at Miguel. “She’s all yours.”

“Always has been,” he said. Jared left with the angry man.

Vera looked down from the ladder to her daughter. “Hello. It’s good to see you again. Done anything interesting?”

“Not really,” Mike said.

Miguel held his hand up to his wife for her to come down and she did. When she was on the ground, he said, “Vera, my darling, what are you doing?”

She dusted off her trousers. “That man was tricking people. The balloons aren’t fully blown up so no one can hit them with the darts.”

“But if everyone is able to burst a balloon, they’ll all win prizes,” Mike said.

“So?” Vera asked.

“Every two-dollar dart thrown would win a ten-dollar stuffed animal. That’s not good economics,” Mike said.

“But think of the happy faces of the winners.”

Mike took a step closer to her mother. “What about the man who’s trying to make a living?”

“You won’t win,” Miguel said to his daughter.

Vera smiled. “I took care of that problem. I sent Kyle off with a truck and his dad’s credit card. He’s buying more prizes.”

Miguel gave a laugh that was more triumph than humor. “It’s not Adam’s day. Poor guy.”

“Poor Kyle when I get hold of him,” Mike muttered.

Vera looked at her daughter hard. “What has Kyle done to you?”

Miguel quickly spoke up. “He had a gate installed in the fence in the back, probably so out-of-towners can get in for free. He messed up what Michaela and Kelly had planned.”