With another quick scan of everyone, I placed my hand on the side of her face as she leaned into it. “How I’m the luckiest man in the world. Thank you for giving me all of this. Thank you for never giving up on me.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Never. I love you, Layton.”
My lips pressed to hers as we heard Emma and Nickolas yell out.
“Oh gross! Grandpa and Grandma are kissing!”
Laughing, I kissed Whitley’s nose and looked up. “Who wants to see Grandpa do a cannonball?”
Gunner
Earlier that same day
Walking up from the barn, I stopped and took in the sight before me. My heart was filled with so much love and happiness, I needed a moment to stop and catch my breath.
Looking up, I smiled. “Gramps, you would have loved this.”
Focusing my attention back on everyone, I took it all in as I slowly let my eyes scan across the yard as twelve little ones gathered around a pi?ata. It was something we did every year on Gramps’ birthday. Today he would have been a hundred and five. My chest ached any time I thought about him and Grams.
Taking a deep breath in, I slowly blew it out.
“You okay?”
Turning, I smiled at the beautiful blue-eyed beauty in front of me. “Yeah. Thinking about Gramps and Grams.”
Ellie walked up to me and flashed me that same smile that melted my heart still to this day. She was a far cry from the young girl with the sprained wrist who sat next to me and watched Cars. She was so much more. She was my everything.
“I miss them too, Gunner. But do you now what makes it easier for me?”
I grinned and nodded my head. I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud and Ellie knew that. “They somehow knew it was time and they went together, Gunner. Let that comfort you that they’re together forever.”
Grams and Gramps were found laying together in bed five years ago. Their fingers laced together. A love like theirs would only allow them to go together. There would be no way one could survive without the other.
Pulling in a deep breath, I smiled.
“Look at this crazy group we have.”
Ellie giggled and rested her head on my shoulder.
“We’re blessed.”
“Hell yeah we are.”
My heart felt full as I looked to each one of them.
Mireya. Libby and Luke’s first and the first grandbaby of the bunch born. Next to her was her younger brother, Trey. He was spit and fire like his granddad, Jeff. Trey was trying to push Mireya out of line and she was having none of it. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Luke take Libby’s hand in his and kiss the back of it.
Then we had my sweet Bayli. Not yet a young lady, but itching to be one. She stood in heels that clearly belonged to Alex. Joshua Drew was next to her yelling for her to help him on his turn. She was a wonderful big sister to Joshua. I was pretty sure Ellie secretly hoped they fought like cats and dogs like Alex and Colt had.
Alex and Will were sitting at a table totally lost in one another. The way Will looked at my daughter made me smile. It was clear how much he loved her. My chest felt tight knowing my daughter had followed her own dreams and had accomplished so much.
The twins were standing a bit off to the side. Arabella was attempting to braid Charlotte’s hair as well as Grayson’s.
“Oh my. Meagan is going to be brushing out knots tonight in Charlotte’s hair,” Ellie said with a chuckle.
I grinned. “I doubt she’ll mind. I got to give props to Gray. That has to hurt with the way Arabella is putting all those little ponytails in his hair.”
Ellie laughed and agreed.
Jacob attempted to try and sit on his sister Hope’s shoulders while Grace started laughing.
“Jacob Bennet! You’re going to fall and break your arm!” Grace called out.
“No I won’t, Momma. Hope promised to break my fall if I fell.”
Grace frowned and shook her head. “Don’t count on it, Buddy,” she replied as Noah wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her cheek.
The sight before me was something I found myself longing to see more and more. It warmed my heart when we were able to have everyone over.
“Grandpa!” Anissa yelled running as fast as her little legs would take her. I bent down and scooped her up in my arms. She was the spitting image of Lauren with her blonde hair and the bluest of blue eyes. “Hey, sweetheart. Everything okay?”
Nodding, she rested her head on me, causing that overwhelming sense of love to hit me hard . . . right in the chest.
“Oh, how we have our granddaddy wrapped around our little finger.”
I nodded. “And that’s okay. She is perfectly fine in my arms.”
Ellie winked and looked back over to everyone. “Dear lord, look at Hunter.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched Colt and Lauren’s son running around in circles with a bag over his head. Yep. That’s my grandson.
Shaking her head, Ellie said, “You wouldn’t know Hunter is three years older than Anissa with the way he acts.”