"You remember Jed? He was friends with one of the kids of the old man. He told me the guy wanted to move to warmer weather so I jumped on it. I need something physical to keep me busy. D.C. offered me a desk job, but there's just no way," Chad said with excitement.
"Hell yeah," Lucas jumped in the conversation. "I'm thinking I'll be out with you guys instead of locked in the office all day."
"I'm not coming out of retirement so don't plan on staying out there too much," Joseph said with a glare directed at his oldest son.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Lucas answered with a chuckle.
"Now that you have the land, when are you going to fill it up with kids?" Joseph asked, making all the men groan.
"There's nothing wrong with marriage and kids. Half of you in this room are already taken, so quit the groaning," George jumped in.
"I'm not as easily lassoed as these guys, so back off," Chad said with a chuckle, though he eyed Joseph for an extra second to make sure he knew Chad didn't want him playing matchmaker. He had a sneaking suspicion the old man had something to do with the marriages of his kids and nephews. George and Joseph were twin brothers and had got the idea into their heads that life wasn't complete without a whole herd of grandchildren climbing all over him.
Chad wasn't one of their kids, but being best friends with Mark made him a prime target. He could practically feel the arrow aimed straight towards his chest.
"I don't know what you're talking about, boy, but a good woman to warm your bed at night isn't the worst thing," Joseph said.
"I have plenty of women to warm my bed. I don't need to put a ring on any of them," Chad answered back. Joseph shook his head and went back to talking to his brother. The boys all laughed, happy with their small victory. Chad could hold his own any day of the week.
While everyone was occupied, Chad stepped out on the balcony, needing a few moments alone. He'd been bluffing Joseph. He certainly wasn't a monk, but he barely had time for himself, let alone finding myriads of women. He just wasn't interested in tying himself down in a relationship. There were too many complications.
He looked out over the large back yard and sighed. It had been a long time since he'd been able to relax and smell the flowers. He wasn't sure if retirement was a good or bad thing. At least with his own land, he could work night and day if he desired. He wouldn't have to answer to another person, and more importantly, he wouldn't be responsible for other people's lives.
"Time for dinner," Katherine called. Chad took a calming breath, then stepped through the door. He kissed Katherine on the cheek as he passed by. She was like a mother to him. He didn't know how his life would've turned out if it hadn't been for Joseph and Katherine. They were the kind of parents every kid dreamed of having. He'd bend over backwards for them – all they had to do was ask.
***
She was sick of it. While she loved each one of her brothers, she was tired of their overbearing, overprotective, he-man tactics. She had to get away for a while, take time for herself and prove she wasn't some delicate flower needing twenty-four hour supervision.
Brianne Lynn Anderson, or as everyone called her, Bree, was the youngest of four children. Her siblings were all strong, stubborn, alpha males who treated her like she was still ten years old, even though she was twenty-eight and a college graduate.
She hadn't managed to keep a boyfriend for longer than a few weeks because once they met her brothers they went scampering for the hills. She was so disgusted with the cowards for running that she wasn't even upset when they left. Still, she'd like to actually find out what it was like to be treated like a woman. She was probably the oldest living virgin in the United States. Her brothers would like for her to die an old maid.
She jumped in her car and quickly hit the gas pedal. Her father had summoned her to Joseph's mansion for a welcome home party for some friend of Mark's, but she figured it was the perfect time to escape from her overprotective family. She jumped on the freeway and started driving south - the farther she pulled away, the bigger her smile became. Freedom flashed over and over in her mind. Even though it was overcast and cold she flipped open her sunroof and stuck her hand in the open air. She laughed with pure joy at what she was doing.
Maybe by the time she returned, her family would realize she wasn't a little girl anymore and they could let her live her own life. She loved them – but she could only take so much pampering.
***
Chad sat on the couch holding a glass of deep amber whiskey, smiling as he enjoyed the warmth from both the liquor and the flames in front of him.
The Macallan sixty-year-old Single Malt Whiskey was like butter on his tongue. He laughed at the idea that anyone would spend sixty thousand dollars on a single bottle of alcohol, even one that tasted as good as what he was sipping. Chad was incredibly wealthy by anyone's standards, but sixty thousand...