Sandy: Vested Interest #7

by Melanie Moreland

  “Just tell us,” I encouraged, wondering at his reticence.

  “I want to keep it. Build houses for us.”

  For a moment, there was silence.

  “Us?” Maddox questioned.

  “Well, anyone interested,” Bentley amended.

  “I’m confused,” Aiden admitted.

  Bentley leaned back. “I was talking to Richard one day while he was here. The night we were at your place for dinner, Aiden. We were on the deck, looking at the water. He wondered why I had never gone ahead with the resort idea. I told him honestly part of it was due to the fact that I didn’t want you living with a resort in your backyard, Aiden. He agreed that was good planning but asked why I hadn’t divided the land and built some houses. Then he jokingly said I should build a BAM compound. He said he would even buy a share in a house if it was a private community.” Bentley paused. “I laughed with him, but then…” His voice trailed off.

  “You want to build houses for us to live in?” Maddox asked, shocked. “Bent, I’m not much for out-of-town living. You know that.”

  Bentley leaned forward. “What about weekends or the summer? Your kids love going to see Aiden. So do mine. What if we had a place to stay for a night or two—longer if we wanted?”

  Aiden clapped his hands. “That is an awesome idea.”

  Bentley looked my way. “Any chance you and Jordan would like to live out that way?”

  I laughed. “Jordan would love that. He’d pitch a tent there tomorrow if I told him. We’ve been talking about looking for a place close to the water for retirement.”

  They all made a face at my words, but we all knew it was going to happen at some point. Years before, I had gotten so busy that I’d hired a new assistant to help me keep up. Fee was hardworking and fit in well. She was married to Halton, and they were now part of my extended family. They had a large bunch of children, so she only worked part time these days. But she was an amazing asset to the company, and I knew she would step into my role easily. If they gave her a couple of assistants, she could work around her children’s schedule and be everything the boys needed her to be. She was a natural leader, and she could handle it.

  “How many houses, Bent?”

  “I was thinking six. I spoke with Richard the other day and asked him if he was serious. He said he was if he could share since they would only be able to come in the summers and the occasional holiday now Gracie is in school. But he loved the idea.”

  “I should talk to him about shared ownership,” Maddox mused. “That might work out well for us both.”

  “Maybe a semi-detached. You each have half.”

  “That would work.”

  I smiled to myself. Bentley, Aiden, and Maddox were close. But Bentley and Aiden had a special bond. I knew Maddox had always felt a bit outside their friendship, but since meeting Richard, he had formed his own bond there. It was good to see.

  “How would you design it?”

  Bentley sat up, excited. “The way the land sits, it’s perfect. Almost a ring of houses, one set higher than the other, but all with views of the water. The center would be a common area.”

  Maddox nodded. “And BAM keeps the land, right? Same as Aiden? He owns the house, but the land is leased.”

  “Yes, a lifetime lease with the option for his children to re-lease for another ninety-nine years. And so on until BAM ceases to exist, then the land goes up for sale.”

  “And the houses?”

  “If you want it built, BAM designs it, with your input. They’ll have the same feel but not the same look. Each one will be individual.”

  “I count four in this room,” Aiden said.

  “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 t
hrough 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.

  It promised to be a great day. I wanted to celebrate Jordan’s birthday and retirement with those he loved the most. Our twenty-six-plus grandkids and great-grandkids ranked highest for him. He thought of Colin and Jennifer as his as well, despite their being grown-ups, the same way I felt about his kids. He and Aaron got along very well, even making a few fishing trips together. We were truly a blended family, but somehow, it all worked for us.

  “Thank you for today.” Jordan murmured. “It’s going to be wonderful.”

  I patted his hand.

  “Have you told Bentley your news yet?” he asked.

  “Yes. He suspected I would want to cut back once you finally retired. He wasn’t shocked.”

  “I bet he wasn’t happy either.”

  “Fee will still be there part time. He was so worried about her leaving to be at home with her kids, he’s going to let her hire two other assistants so they can all job share. I suspect Agatha is going to be the star—she’s a natural, and the boys like her. On any given day, there will be three people to look after them. They’ll manage.”

  Jordan chuckled. “Three people to cover you stepping back to three days a week.”

  “Two days a week.”

  Jordan sat up, twisting me around. “Two?”

  “Happy birthday. You said you wanted more time with me. You got it. I’m going in on Mondays and Thursdays. The rest of the time, I’m yours.”

  He kissed me, tasting like coffee and mint and Jordan. “Best gift ever.”

  I chuckled. “Let’s see if you think that when I’m ordering you around.”

  He leaned back, sipping his coffee. “I like you bossing me around.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  We were quiet, listening to the sound of the water.

  “I suppose I should go get ready. I have a lot of organizing to do,” I murmured, loathe to move.

  “Stay one more minute.”

  “All right.”

  He tightened his arm around me. “Thank you, Sandy, for today. For loving me. For giving me this beautiful, crazy, outrageously large family to be part of.” He drew in a slow breath. “When Anna died, I wasn’t sure I would ever really live again. Our life together has been so much more than I ever expected.”

  I turned and looked at him. “You gave me my life back as well.”

  “It’s been amazing.”

  “We still have years ahead of us.”

  He leaned forward and kissed me. “I look forward to them all.”

  Fireworks exploded, brilliant flashes of light streaking across the sky. Rockets spread thousands of stars in the dark, twisting rivers of diamonds floating through the air, disappearing into the water. The children who were still awake cheered. For those who fell asleep, there would be an earlier display for them to look forward to tomorrow that the boys would take care of. All around us, the adults oohed and aahed, enjoying the spectacle. Jordan held me close, his breath warm on my neck as he rested his head beside mine. He brushed his lips over my neck, making me shiver, silently conveying a promise of more later. It was a promise I looked forward to him keeping.

  The day had been a success. The afternoon had been spent with all the children and the families gathered in the circle. There were games and a barbecue, lots of laughter and teasing. Aiden tackled Maddox into the swimming pool, then Richard jumped in to help Maddox attempt to drown Aiden, and soon the pool was full of adults and kids alike, splashing, dunking and acting silly. Even Bentley got in on the action. I stood to the side, laughing at the antics, seeing Jordan in the middle of it all, enjoying himself immensely.

  Dinner had been another wonderful affair, and there was music and fun until darkness descended. Then the kids went to their respective houses, while the adults danced and partied. I made sure there were lots of games and fun for the children and that their caregivers knew to let them come outside for the fireworks.

  My feet were sore from dancing again, my body tired from running around all day, but seeing the happiness on Jordan’s face, it was worth it. Having our large, chaotic group of family around us was perfect.

  There had been one unexpected to surprise—for everyone.

  We had finished dinner, and people were lingering over coffee and dessert. I watched Reid stand, cross the floor, and come to stand beside Jordan. He leaned down and spoke briefly to him. Jordan listened, smiled widely, and nodded.

  Reid straightened and moved the center of the room, holding a glass of wine in his hand. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled, getting everyone’s attention.

  “What is he doing?” I leaned over and asked Jordan. “We aren’t doing speeches. You said you didn’t want to.”

  “An addition,” he replied. “An excellent one.”

  I looked over at Bentley, who seemed as confused as I was. Then I focused my attention on Reid. He had changed in the past years, growing and maturing. No longer relying on T-shirts and jeans to hide behind, he had become comfortable in his own skin. He wore suits and ties, carried himself taller. He was confident and well-spoken now. Respected by his peers and fellow staff members. He was protective of his wife and children and was an amazing father—family came first for him. Both his own, and the BAM one.

  He cleared his throat. “Can everyone hear me?”

  There was a return of yeses, and he smiled.

  “I know today is all about Jordan. His birthday and retirement—on which I congratulate him for both.”

  After the smattering of applause, he smiled. “With Jordan’s permission, I’m going to point the spotlight on to someone else for a moment. Our gracious hostess, Sandy.”

  I startled and began to protest, but Jordan caught my eye and shook his head.

  “Most of you know my story. Many of you don’t. I won’t bore you with it, except to say my childhood wasn’t good. I made some mistakes as a teenager and ended up in jail.”

  There were some murmurs in the crowd, and he lifted his shoulder. “I was an idiot and made bad choices.”

  He turned in my direction. “After I got out, I needed a job. I saw an ad for the IT department and showed up unannounced at the BAM offices, resume in hand.” He paused. “The first person I spoke to was Sandy.”

  “Hey, I was there!” Aiden protested.

  Reid grinned. “Yes, you were. But it was Sandy who convinced you to give me an interview.”

  Aiden laughed. “Truth.”

  “Anyway, Sandy, for some reason, saw something in me. When I started working there, she took me under her wing and cared for me. She became my friend, coworker, and so much more.” His voice caught. “She became the mother I never had. In fact, I would go so far as to say, if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here today.”

  I felt the tears gather in my eyes. Jordan slipped his hand over mine and squeezed.

  “Sandy is all about tough love. She tells it like it is, but her honesty is always laced with kindness. She is caring, warm, and I truly adore her. I am grateful—we at BAM are all grateful—to have her in our lives. She is the glue that holds us together.”

  He paused, clearing his throat. “She has been with me for every step of my journey, and as she and Jordan begin this next step in theirs, I wanted to tell her I’m ready to return the favor.” He met my watery gaze. “I support you in anything you do, one hundred percent.”

  “Unless it’s not working at all,” Aiden shouted out.

  I laughed at his announcement.

  Reid nodded sagely. “Unless it’s that. You get her part of the time, but not all yet, Jordan.”

  “Got it!” Jordan retorted.

  “Sandy gave me some good advice once. She told me to grab life. Live it. I’m thrilled to see her taking her own advice and running with it.” He studied me for
a brief moment.

  “I think Sandy is special to each person here tonight. Adoptive mom to many, Nan to—” he waved his hand “—hundreds, friend, co-worker, and of course, beloved wife of the star of the show, Jordan.”

  Jordan did a catcall. “Sandy is always the star.”

  “Which is why, my friend, we are here today. I know you think it’s for you, but really, we’re all here for Sandy.”

  “I knew it,” Jordan responded, winking at me.

  Amid the laughter, I wiped my eyes.

  “So, before we get to dancing and celebrating Jordan again, I would like to raise my glass and propose a toast.” He lifted his glass, waiting until everyone joined him.

  “To Sandy, our hostess. Our mother, and our friend. Thank you for everything. As usual, you have outdone yourself.”

  I could barely swallow my sip.

  Reid huffed out a sigh. “I will let you get on with your evening. Thank you.”

  Applause rang out, and I stood. When Reid approached, I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight.

  “That was not part of the program,” I chided gently.

  “You’re allowed one mistake. You deserve a little spotlight.”

  I cupped his cheek. “I love you, my boy.”

  Despite the glimmer of tears in his eyes, he smiled. “I know. I’m your favorite.”

  I winked and he chuckled, enveloping me in his arms once again. “I love you, Sandy.”

  A large bang brought me out of my musings, and I glanced up at the sky as the trail of brilliance erupted. Feeling the emotion of earlier hit me again, I wiped away a tear. I met Bentley’s gaze, and he smiled knowingly at me. He had been as surprised as me at Reid’s impromptu toast, but he was pleased.

  “Our boy has grown up, Sandy,” he murmured as we danced.

  As usual, away from the office, his demeanor was warm and relaxed. He was charming and witty, at ease with himself. He loved spending time with his Emmy and their children. They were his entire world. Emmy stood in front of him, and his arms held her close. She was so small, she fit under his chin, and he had to lean down to rest his chin on her head. I loved watching them together.