“Nana, you’re not wrong, but I don’t know how to describe what I’m feeling. I mean... I am happy. Or at least...” He acknowledged her skeptical look. “At least satisfied. I’m not unhappy, you know? I like my job. I have a nice little house that’s paid for and a fun little hot rod to drive. I have good friends, like Mark Hudson and Finn and Zoey.” He straightened the papers on his desk and dropped his pen in the red Buffalo football mug he used as a penholder. “I’ll never be over losing Becca, and I don’t think I should be.” He’d loved his wife, and expected to grow old with sweet, beautiful Becca at his side. “But I don’t want to be alone forever, either. I just... I feel like I’m stuck. Like I’m waiting for something, but I have no idea what.”

His grandmother watched him in silence. Her lips were pinched together, but more in deep thought than anger. “You’re clearly at a crossroads. A threshold of some sort. I wish I had a better answer for you, Michael, but the solution won’t be found in avoiding your family. Or snarling at them. If you don’t like our questions, you can easily tell us to stop asking. No reason to beat around the bush in the McKinnon clan. You know that.”

Oh, yes—he knew. His family didn’t pull any punches.

Mike nodded. “And if I don’t show up, can I expect more family members to be making appointments at my office in the future?”

Nana chuckled as she stood, and Mike scrambled to his feet. She gave him a wink as she turned to go. “This visit was your cousin Kelly’s idea, and was approved by vote at the last pub-business breakfast meeting. So it’s a safe bet there will be more appointments made if needed.” She paused at the door. “Dinner is at three this Sunday.”

“I’ll be there, Nana.”

She hadn’t been gone twenty minutes when his sister, Mary, texted him.

MT: Nana says you folded like a house of cards.

He frowned.

MM: What else did she tell you?

He watched the floating bubbles, sure Nana wouldn’t have shared their personal conversation.

MT: I was kidding! She just said you were coming this Sunday. But now I’m curious about what ELSE you said?

Mike should have known his twin was just poking at him. And he’d fallen for the trap. His phone pinged again.

MT: Mike? Should I be worried?

Uh-oh. He’d fired up Mary’s twin sense.

MM: Everything’s fine. I’m just busy. And tired. C U Sunday.

MT: You work too hard. You need a paralegal or something.