“Plus Reid. You know he’ll want in,” Maddox stated.
“Five.”
“Van and Halton would probably share. Maybe another semi,” Aiden mused. “If designed right, it would look really cool.”
I laughed, and three sets of eyes looked at me.
“Sandy?” Bentley asked.
“A BAM compound. Only you, Bentley.”
He chuckled, then became serious. “I can’t imagine sharing that spot with anyone else. It stirred something inside me the day we looked at it. Emmy finally made me realize the reason I keep backing out of starting to build is I don’t want anyone else to live there but us.”
Aiden jumped up. “Let’s do this. BAM!”
A couple of years later, Jordan and I sold the condo and moved here. We loved the house—the peacefulness of the area, the light-filled rooms, and having the boys and their kids around so much. The added bonus for Jordan was his boat that was parked right at the end of the long dock. He often took the boat out for a sail on sunny days, and I knew he looked forward to more time on the water.
We had all the privacy we wanted, but the center of the “circle of life,” as Aiden dubbed it, was constantly busy. There were a couple of fire pits, a large pool, swings, and plenty of places to sit and enjoy. The three front houses, the largest buildings, had direct access to the beach. Aiden was on one end, Bentley on the other, and Jordan and I between them. Behind us, Maddox and Richard shared a place on the other side of Aiden’s, Reid was in the middle, and Van and Halton split the last house. The houses were all staggered so they could see the water. In the summer months and holidays, our little grouping was bursting. Other times, it was Aiden, his family, and us. I loved it all the time.
Today, however, was a special day. It was my husband’s birthday, and he was retiring. I had a huge day of celebrations planned, and everyone would be here. Richard and his family had flown in yesterday. Gina, Eric, and their children would arrive later this morning, Warren travelling with them. Colin was coming out with Miranda, his wife now for almost six years. They had two children, and we saw them often. Sadly, Jennifer wasn’t able to come from Europe, but she sent Jordan a gift he would open later. Aaron came to see us last week while he was in town, still as busy as ever and unable to attend today since he would be out of the country on business.
I startled at movement out of the corner of my eye. Jordan stood, holding two mugs of coffee. “Room for one more on there?”
I smiled and shifted forward on the lounger. He slipped in behind me, handing me a mug. “I saw you down here and figured you’d need a refill.” He slid his arm around my waist, tucking me tight to his chest, dropping a kiss to my head. “Hello, my darling,” he murmured against my hair.
I leaned my head on his shoulder, peeking up at him. “Hello, my love.”
“You’re up earlier than usual. Today have you in knots?”
I laughed. “Today is simply a day of joy. I have caterers coming who will look after the meals. The tent is already set up in the circle. The band will be here for music and dancing later. Our family will be here—all of them,” I added drolly.
His chest rumbled in amusement. “All hundred of them.”
“It feels like it some days.”
Bentley and Emmy had three children and Aiden five, thanks to the surprise addition of triplets from Cami’s last pregnancy. She made him get a vasectomy after that. Maddox and Dee had two. Reid and Becca had two, but Becca was pregnant with their third. Van and Liv had their three, and Halton—the man who swore he would never have children—had four, and Fee was heavily pregnant with number five. Richard had the same number—five little VanRyans running around, driving him crazy. Or so he said. Watching the way he played with them, his patience never giving out, was an amazing thing to witness. Both he and Halton were natural fathers, and it warmed my heart, seeing them with their children. Add in Colin’s two, Gina and Eric’s three, and the compound would be bursting with everyone today. I was Nan to all of them, and Jordan was Pops. We loved our titles and the craziness that happened when any of them was around. Hugs, kisses, playtime—all of it. They loved spending time on the boat with Jordan, cooking in the kitchen with me, walking with us on the beach. We loved every moment.
We’d also invited some friends—many of whom we met at the dancing club and through our boating adventures. I planned it so the daytime was filled with family-friendly events, and once dinner was over, I had hired enough caregivers so the parents could relax and enjoy a night of dancing and fun while the kids happily slumbered in their beds.