Chapter 104: Bryn

California.

I’ve seen pictures and watched shows that have taken place here but being here is a lot different. For one thing, the weather is so different. It’s winter and yet here it still feels like springtime. There is a cool breeze but it’s not cold enough to justify the jackets we’re wearing. I even bundled up Henry expecting it to be cold! Yet the longer we are outside waiting for our rental car the warmer I get and have to slip my jacket off.

Our little nugget is still asleep so I don’t mess with him trying to take a layer off. Besides he’s a tiny thing so he could use the warmth.

“Sorry love, I don’t know why the car isn’t here yet.” Nolan says when he rejoins us.

He had stepped away to talk to the rental people and from how it looked it wasn’t a pleasant conversation. Nolan can be good about not showing how much he’s really feeling but I could see how angry he was.

“I can’t blame them. Can see this place? It’s chaos.” I wave a hand out in front of me to prove my point.

He sighs. “Yeah. This place has a reputation for being a more difficult place to land but it was the closest to where we needed to go, so we had no choice.”

I slip my arm through his and rest my head on his shoulder. “We’re okay for now. Don’t worry.”

He had been able to find us an empty bench to sit on, and even though it was not the most comfortable it worked out well. At least we didn’t have to stand this whole time and wait.

“The weather is a lot different.” He points out and I smile.

“I was thinking the same thing, but it’s kind of nice. I wonder what it will be like closer to the beach.”

The beach!

I can’t believe we are going to have a beach just a few feet from our back door. The place I chose isn’t as close to the rink as I would have liked, but the closer we got to it the more crowded things felt. I had looked through a lot of listings and found a small area called Sunset Beach. From the pictures, the main street had that small-town feel that I love so much and people described it as calmer and less crowded than the other beach towns.

The only time I have ever been to a beach was one my parents saved enough money to fly us out to Hawaii one summer. They saved for five years to take us when we were still only making ends meet. It was the best summer of my life until I did my year abroad. So to be able to live near the beach is…amazing!

To be able to strap Henry in his carrier and walk only a few feet to dig my feet in the sand sounds like heaven.

“Ah! There it is, finally.” I lift my head and let Nolan jump to his feet.

He grabs Henry’s carrier and as many of our bags as possible. I laugh as he struggles and manage to grab a bag from him before he topples over. The car is a simple sedan and the man who climbs out smiles at us.

“Sorry guys. It’s been a busy day. Let me help with your bags.” He runs around the side of the car and pulls the trunk open.

Nolan hands our bags over to the guy and opens the back passenger door to set up Henry in the back seat. Once he’s set up I slip the last bag into the trunk and the man slams it shut. He slides his sunglasses up onto his head and looks me over. I scowl at his blatant staring but I don’t have to say a thing because Nolan appears next to me and clears his throat to get the guy’s attention.

“Thanks for driving the car here. Will someone be picking you up?” He asks moving subtly so that I’m standing behind him.

“I am picking up a rental so I will drive that back. You guys enjoy yourselves.” The guy says before he hands the keys over to Nolan.

Then the guy winks at me before pulling his sunglasses back down and sauntering off.

“What is it about you that has every guy in the immediate area wanting you?” Nolan asks with a sigh.

I glance his way to see if he’s actually upset but she doesn’t seem to be. He shakes his head and climbs into the driver's side of the car. I peek into the backseat window and see Henry is still asleep so I decided to sit up front with Nolan. He already has the car started when I buckle myself in and as soon as I’m done he grabs my hand and holds it in his. I smile at the small action just like I do anytime the guys do something as simple as hold my hand. With the baby, we have been getting so busy that we don’t always get to do little things like holding hands.

As much as I have enjoyed messing with the guys, I miss being…intimate with them. I want to feel them again and that’s made me hyper away from every little touch.

“Let’s go home.” He says and I nod with a smile.

Home. This was going to be home for us now, and that has me feeling both excited and scared all at the same time.

The drive from LAX to Sunset Beach is 40 minutes long without traffic, and apparently, that means nothing since according to everyone there is always traffic. So we of course get stuck in it and I end up falling asleep. About thirty minutes in Henry wakes up and starts crying. Nolan stops at a small Thai restaurant on the way and I feed Henry as we eat lunch. The restaurant has an amazing vegan menu and I end up stuffing myself so much that I feel like I’ll burst. The feeling won’t last long though.

Since I’ve been breastfeeding Henry I feel hungry all the time! It’s embarrassing, to be honest, but the guys are amazing and make sure I have everything I could possibly want. They even ordered groceries ahead of time so that I could eat something as soon as we reach the house. As much as I adore them for it, I have a different thing in mind for our first evening here. There is a burger place on the main street that I want to try and a small bakery that offers vegan cupcakes.

It’s going to be amazing and I can’t wait!

We finally make it to Sunset Beach and drive down the short Main Street. I watch people walk by looking so relaxed and happy. The sun is lower in the sky now but it's full of color. Oranges and pinks paint the sky and it’s such a stark contrast to the dark color of the ocean. I roll my window down and breathe in deep. There is a breeze here too and it only makes the air smell fresh and I’m already addicted.

“There it is,” Nolan says as we pull up to our new house.

From the front, it looks small but it’s long and the rest of the house is hidden behind a bunch of palm trees and a gate to give us privacy. It’s huge compared to our old place but we needed a bigger space for all of us. Especially as Henry grows and…our family grows.

The guys have mentioned causally that it would be nice to have a big family, and I’ve become more comfortable with the idea as Henry grows. I of course want to enjoy Henry for at least a year or two before we add any other babies, but trying for more is going to be a lot of fun.

Nolan parks the car and jogs around the car to open my door for me. The guys never let me open my door for myself. They made a whole deal over it, and I gave in. It’s something small that makes them happy so why not. Once I’m standing on the sidewalk walk he opens the back door and carefully lifts Henry out of his car seat. Our little guy scrunches himself into a bean shape and stretches out adorably as Nolan passes him over to me. I chuckle and kiss him on his forehead before breathing him in. I love his baby smell.

We walk up the short distance to the front gate entrance and Nolan unlocks the door. He leads me inside and I smile at how beautiful the house is. So many trees and the house hidden among them makes it feel like we’re the only ones on the street.

It’s perfect.