17. Berkley

This might be one of the best Black Fridays ever, seriously. Not one of us shopped. We bounced between my parents' house and Uncle Rob and Aunt Talia's house. The guys helped the menfolk with the outdoor Christmas decorations, and the girls helped on the inside. Ryder and Jasper fit right in with everyone, though this wasn't Jasper's first time being around our family. It's making me dread leaving Sunday, but that probably has something to do with my family being here and the food Mom keeps cooking and leaving out. I swear I'm going to actually have to start exercising after this trip. The downside of our little vacation is that Sienna isn't around. I can see it in Ryder's eyes when he watches all the kids playing tag football with each other, and as much as he says he would be fine without kids, that deep gut feeling I have says not only does he want children, but I want to be the one to give them to him.

"What has you so deep in thought?" Peyton knocks my shoulder with hers.

"Oh nothing. I mean, well, there's more. I miss Virginia because you guys are here. Texas though, that's where my heart is." We're standing out on my parents' front porch. The guys are wrapping my parents' white picket fence with lights and garland.

"Then Texas is where you need to be. As if we all won't come invade your place when it's so cold up here and we want a break from the snow," she huffs. Peyton isn't wrong. We had to pack more winter clothes for this trip than I remembered, and it's dog cold about now.

"You're right, and don't give me that look. You've always been right when it comes to these things. Now, tell me, where are you going on vacation?"

"Hush, I'm not always. And wouldn't you be surprised to know that it all of a sudden got changed to a working vacation? Chance has a meeting down in South Carolina, something about a new build on the beach, and he needs me with him. The only plus side now is that it's completely paid for. Not only that, apparently, I'm only needed two of the seven days, plus maybe an evening here or there." Peyton shrugs her shoulders like it's no big deal. The truth of the matter is, she's halfway in love with Chance, and he's either in denial or oblivious.

"It's still a vacation. Take it as a win, but I expect updates." I point at her. She laughs and gives me a side hug before leaving.

I grab the blanket that's on a chair, sit down on the porch swing, and snuggle while I wait for Ryder to take a break. This is how it usually is, only this time, our family has grown. We all jump from one house to the next, not that it's a huge gap. Growing up with your cousins next door is out of this world amazing, and then also annoying at times.

Bridger would come into our playhouse and toss a frog in it. We'd retaliate by putting baby powder in his sock drawer, causing him to cuss up a storm in the morning. It was double payback that way. Aunt Talia would march herself up the stairs, not caring that her son towered over her, grab his ear, and take him to their father. That was the pisser. Uncle Rob would just shake his head and tell him to quit talking like trash with the way he was cussing.

I'm reminiscing about our childhood when Ryder walks up the steps. My eyes light up. He's wearing a beanie on his head, a black vest, a flannel shirt beneath with a green, yellow, and blue checkerboard pattern, worn-in jeans, and boots. I love him out of clothes, in his work uniform, even the cotton shorts he wears to lounge in, but there is something about seeing him dressed like this. It makes me want to find the nearest surface available and do a whole lot more than cuddle.

"Oh no you don't, not here. It's been two days since I've been inside you, and as much as it's killing me, it won't be happening today either." He stomps towards me. Ryder's right. My parents didn't mind us sharing a room. They both know we're adults, but we also knew that there was no way I could be quiet. Plus, their room is just down the hall, and as Ryder says, yuck.

"I know. I love my family, but I think next time we come back to visit, we stay at the bed and breakfast instead. Sleeping next to you and not having you inside me, it really sucks." Ryder sinks down beside me, his arm going around my shoulders, and kisses the side of my head.

"We might have to no matter what, but at least have adjoining rooms. Something tells me Melody and Tanner may join us, or we'll be bringing Sienna up here for spring break."

"What aren't you telling me, Ryder?" I ask.

"Tanner pulled me aside before we left. He's asking Melody and Sienna to move in with him."

"That's great news! Why keep two places when they can have one? And not for nothing, you can tell he worships the ground Mel and Si walk on." I think about how Ryder and I are basically doing the same thing, but my rent is dirt cheap and he hasn't said anything.

"Which brings me to the next topic at hand. We need to figure out what we're doing with our own living arrangements. We're at your place more than mine. You want to look at getting rid of them both and starting fresh? Maybe build a home or find a fixer-upper like Jasper and Aspen did? Or we could keep one of our places." Clearly, Ryder has put a lot of thought into this.

"You think we can do something like buy? I'm still young, and while I don't have any student loans and my credit is great, I haven't been at my teaching job very long," I tell him honestly, because before I met Ryder, I knew I'd want a home of my own. Not to rent an apartment or a condo, I looked at owning a home as an investment.

"I'm not a mortgage broker, but I think between the two of us, we'll be alright. We can start looking into it when we get home. You didn't answer though, fixer-upper or new build?"

"Oh, my goodness, never a fixer-upper. I mean, I know Jasper and Aspen didn't have a lot to do with physically fixing their home, but I think I'd prefer a new build. That way, it's built to our modifications and we can keep up with it easily. What do you think?"

"Thank God, because I'm no handy man. My hands only work in the kitchen and on you." He winks.

"I can't wait to see what our future holds," I murmur into his chest. We may not be married yet, yeah, we're still on that newness level, but when you know, you really freaking know.

"Ditto, sugar. Ditto." We spend the rest of the afternoon with my family, knowing tomorrow we'll be heading back to Texas for a late Thanksgiving with Melody, Tanner, and Sienna. For right now, though, there's no other place I'd rather be.