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.
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.”