The news about the offer being rejected somehow didn’t come as a shock. I shrugged. “He was adamant that BAM wouldn’t get the land. I wonder if he’ll sell to someone else.”
“His lawyer says it’s going to family.”
“Oh. Well, maybe the daughter will reappear. Maybe she’ll move in.”
“No idea. Shame, though. I know you love that view. Dad was going to build two houses there, and one was for you.”
“I know. It’s fine. I love my little place.”
I lived in the BAM compound in the smallest house we had. It was still generous, but it was more of a cottage than a house. It was tucked into a small break in the woods and had a simple floor plan. Two bedrooms, a lovely bathroom, an open concept living room/kitchen area, and a wide, screened-in porch I liked to sit in during the warm weather. I could see the water, but not the way you could on the bluff. The scope there was vast and mesmerizing.
He nodded. “Okay. I am off to ‘plant some stuff,’ as you say. Then I need to head home and see my girls.”
“How are they?”
A warm smile crossed his lips, and his eyes were soft. “Awesome. Hal has all the adoption stuff started. Soon, they’ll both be mine legally.”
I smiled at his words. Liam had met Paige when our brother Ronan had started dating her roommate, Beth. He fell hard and fast for Paige—and her little girl, Lucy—and, to everyone’s shock, had married her and moved them into his house at the compound in a short period of time. He had been steadfast in his determination, and I had to admit, I had never seen him happier. He was settled and calm. He loved being a daddy to Lucy, and she adored him. Paige was already pregnant, and he was so excited about welcoming a new baby into their lives. Our parents were over the moon. Grandbabies, Ronan’s wedding, plus two more to follow, I was certain, with Paul and Jeremy both finding women they loved. Our family was expanding rapidly with my siblings all settling down.
That left me the single one of the group. It didn’t bother me, although at times, seeing the closeness Liam shared with Paige, or Ronan with Beth, I felt a little tug in my chest. But the fear of opening myself up again was too great. I liked being single, answering to no one. One serious crash and burn was enough. I’d had a few relationships since then, but they were casual and ended amicably. I never let my heart get involved again.
“I’m happy for you.”
He stood. “Come for dinner one night. Just you. I mean, family is great, but—”
I laughed. When we were all together, it was loud and crazy. Lots of voices talking, raucous laughter, and tons of teasing. And that was just my immediate family. When other households in the compound joined in, it was nothing short of chaotic. It was nice to do the small gatherings on occasion.
“I’ll call Paige. I’ll bring dinner too, so she doesn’t have to cook.”
He grinned. “DoorDash, you mean?”
I laughed with him. I wasn’t much of a cook, except breakfast and spaghetti. Those, I did well. The rest of my repertoire was simple and limited. So, Liam was right. DoorDash and I were great friends.
I held up my finger. “This wields great power.”
He laughed as he walked out of my office.
“That it does, my sister. That it does.”
Chapter 4
Ava
Saturday afternoon, I wandered around the beach. The sun was high in the sky, its warmth welcome as I strolled. I headed to the far edge, disappearing around the outcropping of tall rocks. The beach became stonier, large boulders and huge rocks piled up, tossed around like feathers in the water and ending up in this cove over hundreds of years. BAM chose to leave this portion wild and let nature do her thing. As kids, we had spent many happy days exploring the rocky expanse, but now I used it to sit and watch the water, a private place. I knew a lot of us did the same, yet we rarely ran into each other here.
It was also the break between us and the Owenses’ property. BAM owned the stretch of beach, but at the end was a rarely used trail that led up to Mr. Owens’s place. It was overgrown but still passable, or at least, it had been last year when I would go to visit. I usually took the easier route, skirting the two properties, when I would go to visit him, but occasionally I would take the shorter way of crossing the rocky beach and climbing the hill.
Perched on a flat rock, I enjoyed the view of the water and sipped from an insulated cup of coffee, appreciating the smooth flavor. Jaxson, Gracie’s husband, had turned us all on to his favorite brand of coffee, and I especially loved it.