Chapter 86

The next day, Brianna was upstairs in the bathroom with Romeo who had just awakened from his nap when they heard the gate buzzer. "Sounds like we've got company. I wonder who it is?"

Romeo shrugged. 

They were descending the stairs when Jon opened the front door to admit their visitors.

Brianna's eyes narrowed and her brows snapped together in a frown.

"Hi. I'm glad you could all make it." Jon greeted them. "Please, come in."

Edward stepped into the foyer and glanced around.

"Oh Jon, your home is lovely!" Sara gushed as she too glanced around.

"Thank you, but I can't take the credit for it. My wife chose the decor."

"Who dat?" Romeo asked. 

"That," Brianna answered grimly, watching her brothers and their families add to the crowd in the foyer, "is my family."

"Aunt Bri!" Danielle saw her first.

"Hi Dani." She used the shortened form of her niece's name just to aggravate her brother and father.

"And who is this little sweetheart?" Sara smiled at Romeo as she approached them.

"This is Romeo." Brianna kissed his cheek. "Romey. This is my mom Sara and this is Danielle. Can you say hi to them?"

"Hi." He murmured shyly, hiding his face in Brianna's neck. Then he noticed the plastic container in Sara's hand and his head popped up. "Yummies?"

Sara grinned at his hopeful inquiry. "For dessert."

"Hey Bri." Lisa greeted her sister-in-law, Rachel a step behind. "I have to say I was more than a little surprised when Sara said Jon called and invited the whole family over. I didn't think you were ready for that yet."

"I'm not."

Rachel, Lisa and Sara exchanged looks.

"You mean....you didn't know?" Rachel guessed.

Brianna shook her head. "Nope. No warning at all."

The other women all winced.

"I'm sure he meant well." Sara offered.

Brianna just grunted.

"He's not as smart as I thought he was." Lisa tsked. "What are you going to do?"

"Absolutely nothing. This is his party. He didn't ask for my input or agreement, so he can run the show himself." His betrayal cut deep, but right now her anger drowned out the pain. She knew from experience that would come later. "Let's go sit in the living room."

They'd almost reached the doorway when Jake came running in. He glanced at all the people, then made a beeline for Brianna. "Who are all dese people?"

"They're my family." Brianna explained, introducing them. When she started for the living room again, Jon reached out for her arm as she passed. She shook him off and continued on.

"Brianna." Edward's frown was matched by his tone of voice.

"Yes Father?"

"You're being rude."

"I'm sorry, did you need something? I was taking my boss' guests into the living room where it's more comfortable, then since apparently you're all staying for dinner, I need to go into the kitchen and see what I can find that's suitable to serve and that can be prepared at such short notice." Her smile was her professional one, but her eyes, when they met Jon's were glacial enough to freeze lava.

When she once again turned to leave, Richard and Michael shivered. 

"Brrr." Michael gave Jon a sympathetic look. "Got your work cut put for you there, man. She is pissed."

"That's one of the reasons women don't make good executives." Edward shook his head. "They're too sensitive and emotional."

Jon sighed. This surprise wasn't turning out like he'd thought.

After introducing Steph and Jesse, Brianna left Romeo with the other kids and escaped to the kitchen where she slammed a few cupboards under the pretext of looking for dinner ideas, to release some of her anger and frustration.

"Feel better?" Sara asked from the doorway.

"Not really. I'm going to stick my head in the freezer next. Maybe that'll help."

"I don't think he meant to...."

"Treat me like an employee rather than a partner?" Brianna clenched her hands and blinked her stinging eyes. "I thought he was different Mom. I thought he understood! I thought he recognized my abilities - my capabilities - and appreciated them! But he's just like the rest of them." She frowned into the fridge. "And to top it off, I have no idea what to make for dinner. There's no time to thaw anything. I don't suppose Father would go for spaghetti?"

"For a family dinner?" Sara's look said she should know better.

"Right." She sighed. "Well this family dinner is going to be nowhere near Father's standards."

"It'll be fine. I'll help you."

In the living room, the men sat together on one side of the room, the women on the other watching the kids play.

Edward glanced around the room, his approval evident. "Your wife didn't work outside the home did she? It shows."

"She ran her own dojo for awhile."

"But not after the children came I bet. It's obvious she was proud of her home and family."

Jon clenched his jaw and noticed Rachel and Lisa did the same, all of them thankful Brianna wasn't in the room to hear her father's comments.

Stephanie wasn't sure what was going on, but she felt the tension in the room and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it had something to do with why Brianna was upset.

From the moment Brianna set dinner on the table, she braced herself for her father's opinion - which he always felt compelled to express. Today was no different.

Swallowing, he pushed food around on his plate. "Not your best effort Brianna, but I guess it will do."

"Sorry Father, but since I didn't know you were coming until you walked in the door, it was the best I could do."

"That's no excuse. A good hostess is always prepared for company. If you're going to teach Stephanie how to cook, maybe you'd better get some of your mother's recipes."

Brianna forced down the food in her mouth, but didn't take anymore.

Stomach sinking, Jon began to realize what a huge mistake he'd made.

"So Stephanie, now that you're in high school, do you have any ideas on what you'd like to do after you graduate?" Sara changed the subject.

"I'm not sure yet. I kind of like journalism."

"Then I could finally get a decent story written about me." Jon commented, smiling at his daughter.

"But I really like the idea of running a clothing line."

"You want to design your own clothes?" Lisa asked.

Stephanie shook her head. "No. I like fashion, but I'm not good at designing. I'd like to run the business side so that the designer wouldn't have to worry about it."

"You really think that would be an appropriate career for you?" Edward questioned.

Brianna stiffened and glared at Jon.

"Maybe. Or maybe Brianna just makes running everything for Dad look so easy because she's so good at it." Stephanie answered.

Brianna winked at her.

Romeo hit his plate with his fork. "Yummiest now?" He directed his question to Sara.

Sara smiled and stood. "Yes. It's time for dessert."

The women all got up and helped clear the table. Jon started to rise to help, but Richard distracted him and he sat back down.

"So what's next with your music?"

"I performed last night at a fundraiser for a local family health centre and I'll probably join some friends at a show on New Year's Eve."

"Southside Johnny?" Michael guessed. At his brother and father's surprised looks, he shrugged. "He's a local legend on the Jersey shore. I've heard of him."

Jon smiled. "Yes. I've known him a long time."

"And what about your band?"

"My songwriting partner is coming out in January to see what we can come up with."

Entering the room in time to hear that, Brianna's brows rose and her gaze flew to Jon's.

"Are you planning another tour?" Richard asked.

Jon shrugged. "I'm not sure I want to leave the kids that long yet. Brianna suggested releasing an album but not touring it."

"What would be the point of that?"

"Income." Edward answered.

"More than that actually. Creative release would be the main reason to do it." He saw a flash in Brianna's eyes that could have been anger or pain. Either way, his hole was getting deeper.

"Sounds like you're going to be busy sis." Michael commented.

"Apparently." Her voice was subdued.

"Yummies!" Romeo chortled.

Brianna turned to him and laughed. "Did you get any in your mouth?"

Romeo nodded and grinned, his face covered in chocolate and sprinkles.

Edward frowned in disapproval.

Brianna ignored him.

When the Wilson family finally said their goodbye's and left, Brianna finished cleaning up, then took Jake and Romeo upstairs for their baths.

"Bri..." Jon stopped her as she was climbing the stairs. He needed to apologize, but he didn't know where to start.

But Brianna didn't want to hear it. She held up a hand and pinned him with a look, her pain obvious. "Don't talk to me right now."