Cope nodded along. “Jude and I are right across the street. “Carson and Truman are two houses to the right of Ten, and Fitz is five houses after that.”
“You all live in the same neighborhood. Wow. I wish we had our friends close by.” River sounded envious, and Ten couldn’t help but wonder if someday he and his brother would live in the same place.
Living close to their friends and family was the best decision he’d ever made. “When Ronan and I were dating, he lived in Dorchester, a suburb of Boston, and I lived here in Salem. I wanted to raise my family out of the city, and he agreed with me. We knew it was meant to be when the house near Carson opened up.”
“Now, Carson’s the one you mentored when his gift was new, right?” Barb asked.
“Right. Carson and his younger brother, Cole. As time went on, they asked me to join the business partnership, and the same thing happened later with Cope. Ronan, Jude, and Fitz share the second level of the building to work their cold cases, and Cole’s wife has a bakery next to the shop in the same building.” Ten thought back fondly to the days when it was just him and Carson and Cole. “When I met Carson, he and Truman had just gotten together. Soon after that, I met Ronan, and Cassie started dating Cole.”
“Then Jude and I met when I came up here from New Orleans,” Cope added.
“And then cameallthe kids. Brooke will have more friends than she’ll know what to do with,” Ten laughed. There was nothing he loved more than when everyone got together.
“That’s for sure,” River agreed. “How many kids are there?”
Ten snorted. “Well, you know there’s Everly and Ezra, Aurora, Wolf, and Lizbet.”
“Carson and Tru have triplets, Brian, Samantha, and Baby Bertha. They’re eight years old now.” Cope continued. “Cole and Cassie have three kids, Laurel, Brady, and Lexi. Oh, and there’s Riordan and Faulk with Macy and Isla.”
“Wow, that is a lot of kids. Are there any more on the way?” Barb asked.
“Only your little bundle of joy.” Ten would never admit it out loud, but he was always reading his friends to see if there were any more kids in the future for them. So far, the answer was no.
“Carson will lose his mind when he meets you,” Cope said. “He’s been dying to have another baby for years. I think he just misses the infant stage. When we brought Lizbet home from the hospital, he was a total baby hog.”
“My sister is the same way.” Barb laughed. “She can’t wait for this baby to come.”
“Does she have a family of her own?” Ten asked.
“Not yet. Kate’s been dating a guy named Matt for a few months now. Everyone’s fingers are crossed that this is the one.”
“He’d definitely the one. Matt’s going to propose on…” Ten snapped his mouth shut. Sometimes he forgot that not everyone wanted a glimpse into the future.
“Propose on what?” Barb asked breathlessly. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”
“On the Fourth of July during the fireworks.” Ten sighed happily. It was going to be a memorable proposal.
“Oh my goodness. Kate will love that.”
“Now comes the hard part. Do you think you can keep that news to yourself for a few weeks?” River asked his wife.
“I think so.” Barb didn’t sound so sure of herself. “You know, Matt texted me the other day and asked if I was free for lunch on July first, which I thought was weird at the time. Now, I’m wondering if he wants me to help pick out a ring?”
Ten nodded. “That’s exactly what wants, and moneyisn’tan issue.”
“That makes sense. Matt’s a former football player. He was with the Tampa Bay Bucs for about eight years. According to Kate, he was a dog during his playing years, but now he wants to settle down and get married.”
Ten saw Kate’s future open up before him. Gorgeous wedding. Three kids, two girls and a boy. A lifetime of love interspersed with laughter, disagreements, joy, and hope. He’d keep that to himself for now.
Looking up in the mirror, Ten saw River studying him. He couldn’t help but wonder what he saw. Brother. Psychic. Uncle. As far as Ten was concerned, after spending nearly forty years as an only child, River was the greatest gift he ever could have received.
These two weeks were going to bring him and River closer together. Ten couldn’t wait to get the party started.
3
Ronan
While Ten walked around introducing River’s family to everyone, Ronan followed behind, asking what everyone wanted for dinner. There were thick steaks and chickens done on the rotisserie. Jace had really found his sweet spot with the poultry. He was even talking about cooking a Thanksgiving turkey on the spit. The kids surprised him by not wanting anything to do with hot dogs and hamburgers and instead chose to eat the adult food.
