football field. To the south was a large rectangular pool, and to the north was a coach house that had been converted to a guesthouse. The rest of the island had been left in Mother Nature’s care.
Isabel thought it would be fantastic to own her own island. Nathan’s Bay, tucked in its own cove but looking out on the wide expanse of the Atlantic, was a perfect hideaway that provided privacy, space, and safety. It was so peaceful and quiet, yet less than thirty minutes away was Boston. There was such energy there. On Nathan’s Bay you could have both worlds.
Dylan told her that developers had tried for years to buy the island or at least a chunk of it, but Judge Buchanan, the patriarch of the large family, wouldn’t sell. To him the island would always be a safe haven for his six sons and two daughters.
Isabel strolled across the lawn and entered the house, which was still buzzing with the activity of a large family. She had met all of the Buchanans, but the only ones she knew well were Dylan and Jordan, and now she was learning a bit about Michael.
Theo was the oldest and was married to Michelle. Theo worked as an attorney for the Justice Department and also had a law practice where he and his wife lived, in Bowen, Louisiana. They had left their nine-month-old twin boys at home. One of the babies was getting over an ear infection, so Michelle’s brother, John Paul, and his wife, Avery, moved in to watch and spoil the little ones.
Michelle’s father was on rocking chair duty. No one had seen much of Theo or Michelle since they’d arrived. They were both so sleep-deprived, they had been taking continuous naps.
Nick, the second oldest, and his wife, Laurant, were also there without their children, Samantha and Tommy. They lived nearby in Boston but decided to leave their little ones with their nanny and have several days and nights of peace and quiet on the island. Jordan told Isabel that none of the brothers wanted to miss any of the celebration. It had been a long time since they had all gotten together.
Noah and Jordan also lived in Boston, but they, too, had moved in for the weekend. When Noah Clayborne married Jordan Buchanan, he was immediately accepted by the rest of the family, which meant he was treated like one of the brothers, and that sometimes translated into “every man for himself.” So the moment he and Jordan arrived at Nathan’s Bay they quickly snagged one of the large bedrooms on the second floor with a king-size bed.
Dylan and Kate grabbed the other premium-size room.
Alec, the third Buchanan son, and Regan had flown in from Chicago the night before. They got stuck sleeping in one of the smaller bedrooms with a queen-size bed. Even sleeping at an angle, Alec’s feet still hung over the bed, but he didn’t mind, as long as his wife snuggled up next to him.
The fact was, Alec could sleep anywhere, anytime. He’d been accused by his brothers of falling asleep during a speech—a speech he was giving.
Sidney, the other daughter, was working in L.A. and wasn’t going to be able to make it back to Nathan’s Bay for the festivities. She needed to finish her documentary before the deadline. Although she would miss seeing her brothers and her sister, she had spent a long weekend at home with her parents just the month before and was able to have her own celebration with them.
Zachary, the youngest, also couldn’t make it. The Air Force owned him. He’d graduated from the academy and was now somewhere in Iceland, flying those sleek jets he was crazy about.
Judge and Mrs. Buchanan were away on a short and well-deserved vacation and would be returning home soon. They rarely had time to get away, but their children had encouraged them to take a few days for themselves. Besides, with their parents away, the siblings could prepare for the party.
The judge had reached retirement age; however, his dedication to the law had kept him an active member of the court. Because of his example, most of his sons had taken up professions in the law as well. Theo was a federal attorney. Nick and Alec were FBI agents. Dylan was a police chief in South Carolina. Zachary, thus far, seemed to be headed in a different direction because of his passion for flying. And that left Michael. With his service in the military and his education in the law, he could choose any number of careers, and yet no one except Michael knew what his future would be.
Even without the younger siblings there, the house was bursting at the seams.
As the family had grown over the years, so had their home. Their parents had expanded and remodeled the kitchen and had added a master bedroom suite on the first floor. A long hallway separated it from the rest of the house, which gave them more privacy when their big family was visiting. And it seemed there were always a few children or grandchildren staying with them. There were five bedrooms on the second floor and two small bedrooms on the third floor that were rarely used.