Sandy: Vested Interest #7

by Melanie Moreland

  Van laughed, sipping his coffee. “I just wanted to see this spectacle, Sandy. Carry on.”

  Once I stopped laughing and got Reid out of the headlock Aiden had him in, I explained it would be Colin, but shared my idea for the day, and they were all fine.

  Each man stood in the aisle, tall and handsome, waiting for me to pass. It was the longest, most emotional walk down the aisle I could have asked for. Van, Richard, Reid, Maddox, Aiden, and finally, Bentley were all demonstrative, the gruff and stern businessmen fading away and the loving, wonderful men they were inside, present and waiting. As they bent for a kiss and a quiet word, I gave them a rose and told them why they were so special to me.

  Bentley—his leadership and loyalty to those he loved.

  Aiden—his strength and the protectiveness to the people he called family.

  Maddox—his wisdom and sense of humor.

  Van—his innate goodness and the depth of his love for his family

  Richard—for the bond he had with my boys and the tenacity he possessed.

  Finally I got to Reid. I could barely speak as I met his eyes. I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, whispering three words, “My favorite son.”

  He kissed me back, tears in his eyes. “My mother.”

  They all made sure I saw their cuff links, all eager to make me smile. Each of them was extraordinary to me in a different way, and I loved them all dearly. I was grateful for waterproof mascara as I made my way toward Jordan, who waited patiently, tears glimmering in his eyes as he watched me with the boys.

  Finally, we reached the front row, and Colin wrapped me in his arms and kissed my forehead before he took his place at the end of the row. “I love you, Nan.”

  I pressed my final rose into his palm. “I love you.”

  I swept my gaze across the small gathering. All my boys sat with their wives, their hands clasped together, the love and happiness for me evident on their faces. Aaron beamed at me from his place, sitting beside Jennifer and Colin. Jennifer had only arrived today, coming straight from the airport, so she’d declined to be part of the ceremony, electing to sit with her dad and brother. But her smile was wide and open, and I knew she was happy for me. Around her throat was the necklace I had given her, and Aaron had a rose pinned to his lapel and cuff links in his sleeves.

  I turned to face Jordan, who held out his hand. I slipped mine into his and we moved forward together, one final step in our journey toward each other. His grip was warm and sure, the look in his eyes leaving me no doubt of his love. I inhaled deeply, a sense of peace and wonder filling my body.

  “Dearly beloved…”

  Bentley stood, tapping the side of his glass. We had kept things informal, very little in the way of speeches. Jordan and I had thanked everyone for coming, and there had been the usual lifting of glasses and brief moments of seriousness, but other than that, it was casual.

  I looked at Jordan, confused. He bent close. “He asked, my darling. They all did. I couldn’t refuse.”

  I sighed and sat back, even more confused when Aiden, Maddox, and Reid all stood as well.

  Bentley tugged his sleeves, then met my eyes.

  “Good evening. My name is Bentley Ridge.” He indicated the small group around him. “These are my business partners.” He was formal as he introduced each of the men standing beside him. I tried not to laugh since I was certain everyone in the room knew who they were.

  Bentley cleared his throat. “Sandy works for my company. Technically, I am her boss.”

  “Except we all know who runs the place.” Aiden leaned in with a wide grin as he spoke into the microphone.

  Everyone laughed, including me. Bentley elbowed Aiden out of the way. “Move it, Tree Trunk. I’m talking.”

  “You always are,” Aiden shot back.

  Bentley rolled his eyes. “As I was saying, Sandy works at my company, but she is so much more to me—to us—than an employee.” His voice lost its cool tone, instantly warming. “She is our family.”

  I felt the tears begin. Jordan pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He pressed a kiss to my head. “Steady, my darling. I don’t think you’re going to make it, otherwise.”

  “Sandy met me, Aiden, and Maddox many years ago—”

  Aiden interrupted again. “Don’t worry, Sandy, we won’t say how many years.”

  A chuckle erupted from my lips, and I shook my head in amusement, grateful for the reprieve.

  Bentley rolled his eyes and continued.

  “As I recall, we were having a debate about how to do the laundry properly. Apparently, none of us got it right, and Sandy slipped through the bushes to correct us.” He smiled at me. “Since then, she has charted our course, guiding us through a lot of rough waters.” He winked. “That one was for you, Jordan.”

  Jordan laughed and waved. “Got, it, Bentley.”

  Bentley became serious. “At BAM, we hold family dearer than anything. And none are as dear to all of us as Sandy is.” He looked at Jordan. “We wish you all the best. Nothing but smooth sailing and sunny skies.” He held up his finger. “We are entrusting the woman we all consider our adoptive mother to you, Jordan. Take great care of her, as she means the world to us.”

  I heard Jordan catch his breath, and he nodded. Tears threatened again for me.

  “You have always been part of our family, Jordan, but now those bonds are even tighter. Welcome to the BAM clan. I suppose if Sandy is the matriarch, you are now the patriarch.”

  Aiden leaned in, once again providing comic relief. “I’d like to discuss my allowance.”

  The room broke into laughter again.

  Maddox stepped forward, pushing Aiden out of the way. “We know Sandy well and thought we would share a few of our insights with you. Since you’re a newly married man, we thought you could benefit from our experience.”

  “Oh boy,” I muttered, knowing the serious part of the speech was done.

  Jordan threw back his head in laughter. “I’m listening, boys.”

  “Never tell her what to do. Let her think it’s her idea. It’s best that way,” Maddox deadpanned.

  “Because it usually is,” I called.

  “She hates lettuce on any hot sandwich,” Aiden advised. “She gets really ornery about it.”

  “I’ll remember that,” Jordan assured him.

  Bentley grinned. “Never try to sneak in the lights with the whites. You do not want to have to listen to that lecture. My ears burned for days.”

  Jordan nodded sagely.

  “Always make sure she has coffee before asking her to make a decision.”

  “For the love of god, don’t put cream in her tea,” Reid instructed.

  “If she asks you about a dress, a blouse anything—the answer is perfect. You look perfect.”

  The boys went on, making everyone laugh—especially Jordan. As we’d lived together for a while, he already had discovered all these things about me, but I knew the boys wanted to make me smile.

  Bentley took control again. “I think we’ve covered it all, except this.”

  Richard and Van joined the boys, a solid wall of men staring at Jordan, no doubt trying to intimidate him.

  Bentley met my gaze across the tables with a subtle wink. “Sandy is a queen to us. Treat her that way. Or you’ll answer to us. All of us.”

  The guys all flexed, and I had to smother my laughter.

  Aiden finished it off. “We know how to get blood out of a carpet. Sandy taught us.”

  Jordan’s shoulders shook with mirth.

  “Of course she did.”

  “Happy, my darling?” Jordan’s voice murmured in my ear.

  “Very much so,” I responded.

  “Quite the speech from your boys.”

  “I hope you’re scared.”

  “Frightfully so.”

  “Good. Such sage advice for the newly married man.”

  We both chuckled.

  The boys had followed up their “speech” with hugs,
laughter, and a lot of back slaps.

  “Have I told you how exquisitely beautiful you are?”

  “Not in the past ten minutes, no.”

  “Remiss of me. Your beauty eclipses the sun today, Sandy.” He chuckled, running his fingers over my cheek. “There’s the color I love.”

  I shook my head, pretending to be exasperated, while secretly thrilled. He could still make me blush. I hoped that never changed.

  After our brief but emotional ceremony, we’d had pictures taken while our guests sipped champagne and nibbled on canapés. There had been many “family” pictures. Of us with Jordan’s children and grandchildren. Colin, Jennifer, and Aaron. My boys, their families, large group shots. All of which I planned to put on the walls in the condo.

  I had moved in with Jordan a few months ago. Aiden teased me mercilessly about living in sin and demanding Jordan make an honest woman of me whenever he could. Reid gave him a hard time as well, and Jordan took it all in stride with his usual good humor. He surprised me with a proposal on Valentine’s Day and the request we get married soon. He kept the ring as another surprise, extending our celebrations for days.

  I gave Colin the house the way Max and I had planned. He had been grateful and excited, surprising me when he asked if he could keep some of the furniture. He kept Max’s den exactly the way it was, and after adding some pieces of his own, made it into his place. He was still seeing the pretty nurse he had brought to meet me. Miranda was lovely and suited Colin well. She understood his drive and dedication, her own personality much the same. I was certain they would be living in the house together before long.

  “Are your feet sore?” he asked, drawing me closer.

  I had danced all evening. All my boys, and Jordan, kept me on the floor. Even Reid had practiced and moved me around with far greater ease than at Van’s wedding.

  “A little. I added an extra gel cushion on the bottom, so not as bad as last time.”

  “Good plan. I don’t want you sore.” He lowered his mouth to my ear. “At least not yet. That dress is driving me crazy, my darling. I can hardly wait to get it off of you.”

  I shivered, loving the deep tone to his voice. Jordan was a passionate lover, and I looked forward to being alone with him soon and seeing exactly how much he liked my dress.

  He lifted our hands which were clasped together on his chest and kissed my knuckles. “Am I going to find out your surprise soon, my darling? It’s highly unusual for the groom not to plan the honeymoon. I’m getting more curious every moment.”

  “Soon.” I grinned.

  “What are you up to?”

  “I want to enjoy every moment of tonight with our loved ones. Then the next two weeks you are mine. Utterly mine. Only us—alone.”

  He pulled me closer. “I love the sound of that, but I’m going to go mad with speculation. You didn’t even allow me to pack a suitcase. One suit and a bag of toiletries isn’t much for two weeks.”

  I hid my grin by laying my head against his shoulder. I had bought him everything he would need, and it was already waiting for him. My things were there as well. I had planned this honeymoon out to the last detail. Jordan had been surprised when I’d informed him that I was taking care of the honeymoon, but he’d finally agreed when he saw how much it meant to me.

  Colin, Bentley, and Van had helped me. Especially Bentley, who, after I talked to him about my idea, became very interested in the concept and purchased the item I required to make Jordan’s dream come true. Bentley decided it was an excellent investment and BAM would get a great deal of use from it. I knew it was useless to argue with him.

  “You’ll know soon,” I repeated.

  Jordan sighed, his breath warm on my forehead. “All right, my darling. Keep torturing me.”

  I tilted up my head, meeting his gaze. “That’s what wives are for.”

  He covered my mouth with his.

  “Yes, they are.” He smiled against my lips.

  Hours later, we arrived at the marina. Jordan slipped from the limo, looking confused but holding out his hand to help me from the car. I tugged his hand, excitement coursing through my body as I led him toward the dock.

  He laughed, the sound uneasy. “Are we spending the night on the boat? It’s not exactly what I had in mind for my wedding night.”

  “Nope.”

  I stopped near the end of the docks where larger boats were kept, smiling as I saw what Bentley had arranged. Small lanterns lit up the wood planks all the way to the end, where, moored and floating in the harbor was a large, beautiful houseboat, aptly named, New Beginnings.

  I turned to Jordan, who was staring at the boat with undisguised lust. I waved my hand. “Ta-da!”

  He blinked, then looked at me. “You arranged a night for us on this boat?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “I arranged the next two weeks on this boat, Jordan.”

  He gaped at me, speechless. I pulled him down the dock and onto the boat. Inside, he stared, his gaze bouncing from the comfortable cabin, the well-equipped galley, the outside seating area, and down the hall to the sleeping quarters.

  “I don’t understand.”

  I stepped in front of him. “You told me once you dreamed of taking one of these boats and touring the Thousand Islands. I told Bentley and asked him for help in chartering one. He became so interested, the company bought one. They did some work on it, and we get it for the next two weeks for our honeymoon.”

  “You did this for me?”

  “Yes. Hiding it from you was hard, but Bentley and Van covered well.”

  “They did. I never suspected or heard anything.”

  “I wanted to give you—give us—this.” I cupped his cheeks. “Two weeks of the open water, relaxing in the sun, and time together.”

  “Sandy,” he whispered, then clasped me in his arms, laughing and crying at the same time. “This is amazing, my darling. Simply amazing.”

  He kissed me hard, lifting me off my feet. “I should have carried you over the threshold.”

  I smiled against his mouth, kissing him again before he set me back on my feet. I eased back before he could distract me. I indicated the pile of documents. “Those are all the maps and courses. There will be someone here in the morning to show you how it all works and answer any questions.” I smiled. “Bentley offered to get someone to drive it, but I said no. I wanted to be alone with you.”

  He moved to the counter, looking over the papers. “Good. I have manned one before. I went with a group of men on an excursion a few years ago. They travel slowly so you have a chance to enjoy your surroundings. As long as I have the maps and chart our course, I’m good. I’ll know where we can dock, and we can decide what stops we want along the way.”

  He looked up from the charts, his eyes filled with excitement. “I think this is the best present I have ever gotten, Sandy. Thank you.” He held out his hand. “The best part is I get to share it with you.”

  I let him draw me to his side. I nestled against him as he slowly flipped the pages, tracing paths with his finger, tapping various spots. “So much to choose from.”

  “Bentley assures me if you enjoy it, we can have it again, Jordan. We don’t have to see it all on one trip.”

  He abandoned the maps and wrapped me in his arms. “I’m looking forward to seeing everything with you, Sandy. Lots of boat trips, new cities, galleries, and places to explore. I want us to live every moment together and enjoy whatever life has to offer.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  He bent, nuzzling my lips. “I think our course can wait until the morning. Right now, there are other things I want to explore. Like what you’re wearing under that sexy dress and how fast I can get you out of it.”

  I slid my arms around his neck. “I like that idea.”

  I gasped as he swung me into his arms. “Then let’s go and explore, my darling wife.

  Eight years later

  I woke, blinking in the early morning. The sun wasn’t even up ye
t, the only sounds outside the gentle waves breaking on the shore and, much closer to my ear, Jordan’s deep, steady breathing. His arm was thrown over me, and he was a wall of warmth against my back, keeping me safe, even in his sleep.

  I eased out from under his arm, sliding my feet into my slippers and grabbing the leggings and long shirt I had left at the end of the bed. I slipped into the bathroom, quietly dressed and got ready, then headed for the kitchen. I switched on the coffeepot, overriding the timer I had set for later. I couldn’t wait that long.

  Once it was ready, I headed outside and walked to the beach to watch the day begin.

  I settled in the lounger, drawing my legs to my chest as the dawn broke. Thousands of shards of light scattered across the water, reflecting like diamonds in the early morning sun. The gulls soared high, swooped and dipped in their graceful flight, and I knew the rest of the world would soon wake. I loved coming out here in the mornings, enjoying the peacefulness of the place. Most evenings, Jordan and I sat on the back deck watching the sunset together, but the mornings were usually mine alone.

  BAM never did develop the resort Bentley had planned for Port Albany. More than once, he had approved plans, only to stop construction before it started. Aiden and Cami’s house sat alone on the beautiful land, with no neighbors. Bentley didn’t even commence building his own planned cottage.

  Finally, Aiden and Maddox met with him, asking his reasoning. I sat in on the meeting at their request. Aiden was worried that Bentley would sell off the land, and he wanted to purchase some of it to ensure their privacy if that was the case. Bentley surprised us all when he hesitated, drumming on the desk with his fingers, tugging on his sleeves—all nervous tells for Bentley, who usually displayed no nerves at all.

  “I don’t want to sell or develop it. At least, not to outside interests.”

  “What do you want to do with it?” Aiden asked after exchanging a glance with Maddox.

  Bentley was silent, then he met my eyes. I saw something in his expression. It was wary and unsure—very unlike Bentley.