Dan returned to the library after seeing Mike off. Dan said, "Well, Lover, it looks like we have our work cut out for us. God, there are so many irons in the fire I don't know which one to grab next."
"Don't let this overwhelm you, Sweetheart," Sandy said. "Make a to-do list of the things that must be accomplished tomorrow, then go down the list until you have completed all your tasks. I'm sure you'll see it through. I need to concentrate on the Brian Neely issue for now. I also need to make sure that Craig is satisfied with Jim Watson as his replacement. Then, we need to sit down with Jim to see if he will accept the job. It will be quite a change for Jim and his family to relocate to London. Yet, I feel that Jim is ready for the move, and is the best choice for the VP slot. Craig doesn't have much time to give Jim a crash course."
"Don't worry about the boys, Sandy. I'll make sure that they are all settled in, and work out a schedule with Penny and Pete. I'm sure your mother will have all the legal issues settled very soon. I talked to her earlier today and she expects to have everything finalized by the end of the week."
"I hope we don't run into any delays with the adoption the boys," Sandy said. "I'd like you to screen the candidates that the employment agency is sending us to take care of the boys, and our babies that should be arriving in a few months."
"I'll be glad to take care of that, Sandy."
"Thanks, Dan. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for bed. This has been a nerve-racking day."
"You can say that again, it was a revelation when Craig found out about Brian. I'm worried about what damage he may have done to the company."
"It may be true he is up to something shady, but the damage would be minimal. Sure, the WorldCom deal will cause us some setbacks, but nothing that will hurt the company a great deal."
"Well, I glad that for that, Sandy. Let's head for bed, I have a busy schedule for tomorrow."
"Thank you for coming in today, Mrs. Brown," Joel Kline said. "I hope you had a pleasant trip."
"I would like to know what this is all about, Mr. Kline. Your agent mentioned something about an inheritance concerning my nephew, but wouldn't give me any other information. He said I had to meet with you in your office."
"That is correct, Mrs. Brown. He also told you to bring you nephew along with you today. Is he waiting outside?"
"No, I did not bring him."
"Alright, Mrs. Brown, let's get down to the reason you are here today. First of all, you did not bring your nephew today because you chased him away over two months ago. Jeremy is in safe hands now, and will remain so, if my client has any say in the matter. Jeremy was found abandoned several days ago. He was a street child sleeping in the woods. He told me that you kicked him out after school was out and told him to get lost. Is that true, Mrs. Brown?"
"He is a liar; he ran away and has been gone for two months. I've tried to find him, but I've not had any luck."
"You are a liar, Mrs. Brown. You made no effort to find Jeremy. I've checked with the Sheriff's department and they have no record of you filing a missing persons report. I happen to believe Jeremy. Let me tell you what I know. My detectives have learned from Jeremy and his friends that he did leave when you told him to get lost. You never reported him missing and did not care what happened to him. Yet, you continued to collect his child support and trust fund checks every month. You agreed to be Jeremy's guardian after your brother died. Your responsibility is to shelter him and see that he is feed and clothed. Your cabin is hardly a suitable environment to raise a twelve year old boy. We have a documented record of the shed he lived in. Certainly the Child Welfare and Protection Services would remove him from that environment. Not to mention your worthless live-in boyfriend. My detectives have statements from the locals that you and your boyfriend get tanked up every day."
Mrs. Brown said, "Your evidence wouldn't stand up in court. I will swear that Jeremy, the little queer, was always running away. He is downright defiant and a trouble maker. I've caught him with other boys doing dirty things. Any court will be on my side. The kid needs to be in a mental institution."
"My evidence will not only stand up in court, Mrs. Brown, but any judge will throw the book at you. I am sure, based on the evidence that we have collected, that you will be looking at jail time for many years, for child abandonment, cheating the taxpayers out of child support, and theft of Jeremy's trust fund allotments."
"Now let's cut to the chase, Mrs. Brown. My clients are willing to not press charges against you, if you agree to sign over guardianship rights of Jeremy. They are willing to adopt him and raise him as a member of their family. In return, you will notify the Social Security Administration, and Jeremy's trust that you are no longer responsible for the boy. My clients have agreed to pay you $1,200 dollars a month for the next six years. That will reimburse you for the lost income you would have received for Jeremy until he reaches his eighteenth birthday. If you agree to these terms, you will not try to find or contact Jeremy again. Should you attempt to contact him, you will forfeit your monthly income, and my client will notify the authorities what you have done to Jeremy. The statute of limitations does not apply to government fraud or child abandonment."
Mrs. Brown said, "You tell your client I accept his offer; I am glad to be done with the little faggot."
"Good, I thought you would see it our way. Here are the documents ready for your signature. Please read them over carefully, and when you are ready, I'll have a notary come in to witness your signature."
Mrs. Brown read the documents and the release forms. "I am ready to sign these papers."
Joel called his secretary in to notarize her signature. He said, "I think that covers everything, Mrs. Brown. I will file the documents with the proper court and mail the letters to Social Security and to Jeremy's Trust Fund Administrator. You will begin receiving your check on the third of every month. Please let my office know it you do not receive the check on time. Good bye and have a nice day."
Joel called Sandy after giving Mrs. Dunnlap his good news. "Your mother talked to her good friend, the judge, in Juvenile Court, and was asked that the papers be delivered to her clerk. She sees no reason for not granting you guardianship of Jeremy; he does not even need to be in court."
"That is good news, Joel, you did a good job. Let me know when it is official."
Joel said, "Will do, by the way, Mrs. Brown called the school to release Jeremy's school records to me. I'll send them on to you as soon as I receive them. I know it takes a little longer this way, but I didn't want Mrs. Brown to know where Jeremy would be attending school."
"Good thinking, Joel, again, thanks for your fast work."
"Don't mention it. I'm glad it turned out the way it did, Jeremy deserves a break, he is a good kid."
"Yes, he is, and I know he will turn out to be a fine young man. He won't have to worry about his future anymore."
Dan and the boys returned from the stables and met Sandy in the hall. Sandy said, "My, don't you all look smart in your riding kit. Dan, you did a great job getting them fitted out."
"It was easy," Dan said, "the shop had no problem. The stable manager had Lloyd's mount delivered today. Lloyd fell in love with his horse. Now they all have their own mounts, and this afternoon we all took a short ride on the bridal path."
Lloyd said, "Uncle Sandy, thank you for my horse, she's much better than the one I had in London. She's very gentle and just the right size for me."
Chip and Jeremy chimed in, "Yes, thank you for the great mounts. We'll take good care of them."
"You're welcome, boys, you must thank Uncle Dan also. The horses are a gift from both of us." Sandy said, "Chip, why don't you take Lloyd up to say hello to your father and then get cleaned up for dinner. I need to talk to Uncle Dan and Jeremy."
The two boys took off, and Dan and Jeremy followed Sandy into the library and closed the door. Sandy said, "I wanted you both to know that I received a call from Joel this afternoon, he told me that Jeremy is officially my ward. We should be receiving all your school records in a few days, Jeremy, so you will be able to start school shortly."
Jeremy ran over to Sandy and hugged him, "Thanks, Dad, I was so afraid that my aunt would cause us some problems."
"She didn't, Joel is a smart lawyer, he knew what buttons to push to have her accept our offer. Six months from now Joel will put through the adoption papers. Then you will be our son legally."
"That's great; I'll be a Dunnlap then."
Sandy smiled, "Officially, you will be, but you are my son now, and that's what counts. Why don't you run along and get ready for dinner."
After Jeremy left, Sandy kissed Dan. "Well, it looks like we have three sons to raise, Sweetheart. I hope we are up to the task, they are so full of energy."
Dan smiled, "Don't worry; I'll find activities that will burn off some of that energy. I like the feeling of us being a family now. The boys are good with the animals. They want to learn to groom and saddle their own horses. Lloyd is a little short, but we found a step stool that he can use to groom his mare, and to put the bridal and saddle blanket on. He's not strong enough to lift the saddle yet, but give him a little more time and he will do that, too. He's a cute kid and smart as a whip. In fact, all three boys are fast learners. Of course, this is all new to Jeremy, but he remembers everything he is told. I love those kids."
Sandy said, "I love their Uncle as well. We'd better take our own advice and wash up for dinner."
Sandy and Dan were working in their study when Sandy's cell phone rang. He answered the phone and spoke to Mike.
"Hi, Sandy. I wanted to keep you posted on what my people have learned about WorldCom so far. Your VP, Brian Neely, has been a busy guy. Not only has he made a lot of calls to WorldCom and their brokers, but he has also made a number of calls to Nippon Industries in California. I was able to learn who are the major stockholders and investment banker for Nippon. It is owned by ART Corporation. I had a heck of a job tracking them down because they are a privately held corporation. I had to go through one of my CIA connections. In any event, he told me, off the record, that ART is owned by Ryan Spencer. You should know him, he owns lots of farm land and property not far from Atlanta. Ryan's full name is Ryan Templeton Spencer. Does that name ring a bell?"
Sandy said, "I wonder if he owns Templeton Plantation? If he is the same guy, then I know him. I think I met him at one of Mac parties. I know that Templeton is one of Pete's customers, but I don't know if he has ever met Ryan Spenser. I know the Atlanta newspapers were going on a while back about a big scandal involving Spencer Industries. As I recall, his father and his in-laws were jailed for having Ryan kidnapped. That is about all I know about the Spencers."
Mike said, "I'll check with Mac to see how much he knows about Ryan Spencer. Why don't you check him out with Pete? I'm still sifting through reports, but I wanted to get to you with this information."
"I appreciate that, Mike, keep up the good work. I'll check this out with Pete and have some answer for you the next time you call."
Sandy dialed his brother. "Hi, Pete, I just learned from Mike that the other firm that was bidding against me on the WorldCom deal is Nippon Industries. It is owned by ART Industries, who in turn is owned by Ryan Templeton Spenser. He also owns, among other things, Templeton Plantation. Does that mean anything to you?"
"It sure does, Sandy. I know Templeton Plantation well, they are one of my best customers. I don't know Ryan Spencer personally, but I have met him at a few conventions. He seems like a nice guy. I do know that he has a home on the grounds of the Templeton Plantation. I've seen pictures of the place and it is quite impressive. He also has offices in Atlanta. I never heard of ART Industries, but I have heard of Templeton Industries and they are big. It wouldn't hurt to arrange a meeting with him. I'm sure he'll talk to you since we are suppliers."
"Thanks, Pete, I'll do that tomorrow. Love you, bro." Sandy closed his cell phone and walked over to Dan's desk to tell him the latest on Brian Neely.
Sandy called Craig's number. "Craig, have you given any more thought to hiring Jim Watson for Europe?"
"Well, I've run down the list once again," Craig said, "and I feel that Jim is the best man for the job. What is our next step?"
Sandy said, "I'll get together with Jim tomorrow morning and offer him the job. We'll give him a few days to think about it and talk to his family. If he agrees, you and I will sit down and decide on a salary and relocation package. After that you and I can lay out his responsibilities. From that point on you will teach him the ropes."
Craig said, "Sounds like a winner. The more I think about Jim the more I feel I've made the right decision."
"I'll call you after my meeting with Jim."
"By the way, Sandy, the boys would not shut up about those horses of theirs. They are thrilled. It was all I could do to keep them from visiting the stables again to make sure their horses were set for the night. I had to call the stables to assure them that everything was okay."
Sandy chuckled, "I wonder how long that is going to last. I'm sure when they start dividing their time with soccer, swimming lessons, and homework, they won't be spending as much time with the horses. But, I'm pleased that they like the horses."
Craig said, "I'm glad they have so many new interests to occupy their little minds. It will make it easier for both of us when the time comes. I still can't thank you and Dan enough for making this less painful for me."
"Dan and I are the ones that are grateful, Craig, they are two wonderful boys, and we are happy to do our part to raise them the way you would."
"Good night, Sandy, and God bless you and Dan."
"Mr. Dunnlap, Jim Watson has arrived for his appointment," Flo said.
"Thank you, Flo, please ask Jim to come in."
Sandy stood and shook Jim's hand, "I'm glad you were available to see me on such short notice. I know you have a busy schedule. Please sit down, Jim, I have a pressing issue that I'm hoping you will be able to help me solve."
"I appreciate your singling me out, Mr. Dunnlap. How may I help?"
"Jim, I have been following your progress with the firm and have kept close tabs on you. You have taken charge of every project we have given you, and have done an outstanding job. I feel that you are ready for your next promotion. I would like you to consider heading up our European office. I know you have spent time in Europe working with Craig Shelby, and I feel you would be the best candidate for that job. How do you feel about relocating to London?"
Jim said, "I am shocked that you would consider me for that important post, Mr. Dunnlap. There are so many more seasoned executives that would give their right arm for that position. This is a great opportunity and I would very much like to learn more about the job and my responsibilities."
"Please call me Sandy. Yes, this is a great promotion for you and I am convinced you will do well. You are correct in your assumption that some of my senior executives would like that job; some of them have dropped subtle hints. However, you were first on a short list of six possible candidates, and Craig and I thought you would be the best man for the job. It doesn't hurt that you speak German and Spanish. Why don't you give it some more thought and talk to your family about the position and the move. I'm sure they need to be brought into the picture. Let me say, that if you do decide to take the job, you will be promoted to VP and General Manager of Europe with a very substantial increase in salary and benefits."
"This is quite a morning for me, Sandy, and unless my wife decides to divorce me, I will accept the job."
"That is a wise move, Jim. You are not to mention this to anyone until I announce it in our newsletter. Unless you have some extremely important task for today, I think it may be better if you took the rest of the day off. I don't think your mind will be on your job today. If anyone asks, say you are on a special assignment for me."
"You're right, boss, the wheels are turning a mile a minute, and I would not be able to concentrate on anything other than your offer. Thank you again for offering me this great opportunity."
"You're welcome and you've shown that you are ready for this promotion, Jim." Sandy stood and shook hands with Jim, "Good luck with the wife."
Jim thanked Sandy again and left.
"Mr. Dunnlap, I have Mr. Spenser on line, he is returning your call."
"Thank you, Flo, please hold all calls until I complete my call with Mr. Spenser."
"Ryan, this is Sandy Dunnlap of the Dunnlap Corporation. I don't know if you remember me, but I met you at one of Mac Stevens gatherings. I think you know my brother, Pete Dunnlap, of Dunnlap Plantations."
"Sandy, to be honest with you, I don't remember meeting you. I'm sure if I saw you again I would remember your face. I met so many of Mac's friends at his gatherings, it's hard to remember everyone. I certainly remember meeting your brother, Pete. We buy a lot of his products, he runs a great operation. How may I help you?"
"This is a delicate business matter and I would prefer to discuss this with you in person. It is has to do with your company, Nippon Industries. I wouldn't bother you if this wasn't urgent."
"In that case, Sandy, I will be happy to meet with you today. If your schedule is open, how about joining me for lunch today?"
"That would be great, Ryan. Will you be at your Atlanta office?"
"No, I'm working at home these days, if you don't mind, Sandy, I would rather you fly over to Templeton Manor. I can have my pilot pick you up and fly you here if that is convenient?"
"Thank you for the offer, Ryan, but I have my own bird here at Dunnlap; I can fly over to meet you. If you give me the name and number of your pilot, I'll have my pilot contact him for directions."
"Good thinking, Sandy, that would be by far the easiest." Ryan gave Sandy the information and ended the call.
Sandy called Dan to let him know that he would be flying over to see Ryan for lunch, and toask him to tell Craig that it looks like Jim Watson is interested in accepting the job. He called his pilot and gave him the name of Templeton Manor pilot and asked him to call him for landing instructions at the Templeton Plantation.
Sandy's helicopter touched down on the landing pad at 11:45. A van was waiting to take Sandy up to the Manor. The driver greeted Sandy and drove him to the main entrance of the Manor house. Sandy mounted the stairs and was met by Burton, the butler. "Good morning, Mr. Dunnlap, welcome to Templeton Manor. Mr. Spencer is in the library. Please follow me."
Burton knocked on the door and opened it. Ryan was seated behind an exquisitely carved antique mahogany desk. Burton said, "Mr. Dunnlap, sir."
Ryan stood and walked over to greet Sandy, "Thank you, Burton. Thanks for joining us for lunch, Sandy. Now I remember meeting you at Mac's party. There is a strong family resemblance between you and your brother, Pete."
Sandy smiled, "That's because we're twins," Sandy said.
"What a surprise! Why don't we sit down and chat before lunch is ready. My partner, Murdoch McDonald, will be joining us for lunch. I think you must have met him at the Retreat as well. In any event, Murdoch also owns a number of companies in the US and Europe; he may be able to add something to the pot, so to speak. I've visited Dunnlap Plantations, do you live close by your brother?"
"We live about twenty-five helicopter minutes apart. I live just outside the Dunnlap city limits. That's where Dunnlap Industries is located."
"Well, it is nice to own your own town. I suppose you could compare Templeton and Oakdale Farms as a small city as well. Most people don't connect the two. I would like to wait until Murdoch joins us before we discuss your problem with Nippon Industries. I looked up Nippon Industries after you called. That company is owned by ART Corporation, that in turn owns Rytem Industries, which is my offshore conglomerate. Let me give you a brief rundown on my company, Sandy. Templeton Corporation owns Oakdale Farms, Templeton Plantation, Manor House Industries, ART Corp and Rytem Industries. I am also the majority stock holder in Spenser Industries, which I plan to split up in a month. My partner owns McDonald Industries, a conglomerate that has substantial control of a number of companies in the Common Market and Great Britain. Murdoch and I have set up a joint venture company that controls the overseas corporation owned by Templeton Corporation, Spenser Industries and McDonald Industries. Templeton Corporation also owns a private investment banking firm. Nippon Industries is in the process of being folded into our new joint venture operation. That is why I want Murdoch to be part of our discussions."
"My God, Ryan, you have a lot on your plate."
"You are right about that, Sandy. I didn't know until a year ago just how large my family businesses were. Let me just say that I have a nice nest egg to fall back on in my old age."
Ryan's cell phone rang and he answered it. "Thank you, Burton. Murdoch is waiting for us to join him." Ryan led the way down the main hall to the dining room.
Murdoch stood when Ryan and Sandy walked into the room. Ryan made the introductions. "Sandy, I would like you to meet my other half, Murdoch McDonald."
Sandy shook Murdoch hand and said, "Now I remember you, Murdoch, we met at the Retreat last year. It is good to see you again."
Murdoch said, "The pleasure is all mine, and I do remember your face ,and it is nice to see you again. Ryan tells me you have some questions regarding Nippon Industries. If you can shed any light on the operations, we will be happy to help you. Why don't we sit down and have lunch, I'm starved."
Ryan sat at the head of the table with Murdoch and Sandy seated on either side of him. Burton poured the wine and returned with the first course.
Ryan said, "Sandy, why don't you tell us why you are interested in Nippon Industries?"
Sandy told them about WorldCom and of the months of negotiations he and his executives had with them to purchase the company. He told them that one of the other bidders in the early stages was Nippon. "However, Nippon backed off when they learned that we were one of the bidders. Nippon was also one of our component suppliers. We also farmed out some of our software products to Nippon. In any event, WorldCom was asking top dollar for the company." Sandy went on to tell them that WorldCom was playing brinkmanship signing the final agreement, and of the latest incident with his VP, Brian, and the behind the scenes game he was playing with WorldCom."
Ryan said, "From what you have told us, it sounds like you have a rotten apple in the barrel. I hope you are able to learn what Brain is up to?"
Murdoch asked, "Do you know what's in this for Brain? If he is your executive assistant and a VP, why would he even get involved with WorldCom? From what you have told us about Dunnlap Industries, he had a clear shot at upper management."
"My Division President, Hal Golden, thinks it's because I've found my significant other. Hal thinks that Brian may be worried that Dan will stand in his way of moving up the ladder."
Murdoch said, "Personally, I think you are better off finding out about him now, rather than later. I think Brian has a serious character flaw if he thinks that way. Would Dan have been a threat to Brian down the road?"
"Absolutely not," Sandy said. "Dan is interested in the business, but does not wish to become a line manager. He is happier developing software programs for the agriculture side of the business. He enjoys working for my brother, Pete. In any event, he doesn't want a job that won't allow him flexibility to be home every night, or to be available for the children in the event they need him. He has great parenting skills and loves the children. They feel the same way about him. I better stop talking about Dan, I could go on about him all day, he is a great guy and I love him very much."
Ryan smiled, "Murdoch and I both know the feeling. I would like to meet him after this mess is cleared up. Now, how can we help you, Sandy?"
Sandy said, "I've wasted too much valuable time trying to purchase WorldCom. Granted they manufacture a good product that can be integrated into our new systems, and I realize they hold some basic patents on some of the products we are using in our processing equipment; however, they are not the only company with that technology. My feeling at this point is to walk away from the deal, and perhaps use them as suppliers. I know Nippon Industries makes a good reliable product. My thought at this point is to talk to Nippon, and a few smaller companies, to see if they can fill the gap and can come up with the same components to cut WorldCom out."
"Other than their foot dragging and not letting you audit their books, what is the main reason you are thinking of backing out of this deal?" Ryan asked.
Sandy smiled, "You are pretty sharp, Ryan, it's true that I have safeguards built into the new contract, but the one thing that I don't know is who really hold the patents on WorldCom products. They have been stalling on that one important issue. If they can't come up with the patents, we would have to pay a royalty to the patent holders on every item that is manufactured. What would be the sense of buying the company if I cannot make a profit on the end product?"
Murdoch said, "Look, Sandy, after you called, both Ryan and I, started looking into Nippon Industries and had a talk with the President. He said that WorldCom came back to him about two months ago with a very nice deal. They told him that Dunnlap Industries wanted to buy them out, but that they were not satisfied with the deal. They did say that they were developing an advanced program that would make a huge profit for the company. However, they needed the capitol to develop the program and build a pilot plant to test the software and process controls. If we would finance the project, they would develop the product and give us fifty percent of the profits on the product after their original investment were recouped."
"Did they say how the new process would be used?" Sandy asked.
Ryan said, "It is a new automated process for poultry and hog processing."
"Oh my God," Sandy said, "now it all makes sense. It didn't dawn on me until this moment. Let me tell you of an incident that happened four months ago. Pete wanted to modernize and speed up his processing operations. He sat down with my chief engineers, and Dan and me, to come up with a program that would be more cost effective. My people and Dan have been working on the project for months and finally developed a software program that would accomplish the task. We had some design engineers develop a new streamlined production line, and developed new equipment to complete the job. Dan, my chief of engineering, and I ran the program and it looked great. It needed some fine tuning but the overall program was a success."
"Two months ago, the engineers ran the revised program and everything that could go wrong did. At that time Brian Neely bad mouthed the program and placed the blame on Dan's inexperience. The news spread throughout the departments."
"I believed in Dan's work and had seen first hand how well the first tests turned out. Dan couldn't believe that his program was so far off. So he came to me and asked my help in running the program once again. Well, guess what, someone had rewritten some of the software code and changed the programmable controllers. It was not the original program that we had run before. As we worked out the bugs, we also developed a new software program and control system that would be unique in controlling this new software process. Fortunately, I had my attorneys patent the new system before the first test was made. I learned a long time ago, never to wait in filing a patent until after it was perfect. Now with this revelation from Nippon, I have a pretty good idea who screwed up Dan's program, and why Brian was seeing WorldCom on the side. I'm willing to bet that Brian gave them a copy of our new system. Now, all I need to do is prove it, and see what else my creative executive assistant is planning behind my back."
Murdoch said, "You expect a certain amount of dissension in the ranks, and certainly some executive may disagree with your decisions, but disloyalty and corporate theft is about the worst thing that can happen in a company. It would certainly put a doubt in your mind about a conspiracy at high levels. You are lucky that you found out about this, Sandy, at least you can cut you losses."
"Sandy, how would you like us to handle this WorldCom issue? Ryan asked. "If you are right about the program, I don't want my company to get stuck lending a bundle of money to a company who is playing two ends against the middle. They may make a good product, but from what I can see they are not honest business men."
Sandy said, "I think you should ask your President not to close the door. Ask him to extend the time for you to study the plan. In the meantime, I would like to enter into a joint venture with Nippon Industries. I suggest that we purchase the two small companies that compete against WorldCom and merge them into Nippon. This would give Nippon the capacity to manufacture the components I will need in the future. I am willing sign a two year exclusive contract with Nippon that will keep them busy."
Ryan and Murdoch smiled as Ryan said, "You've got yourself a deal, Sandy. I'll have a talk with the President of Nippon, and have him explore the feasibility of purchasing the two firms you mentioned. After we have all our ducks in a row, I'll have him contact you and work out a joint-venture contract."
"Well, gentlemen," Sandy said, "this has been an enlightening and profitable lunch, and I look forward to working with you both. I can't tell you how relieved I am how this had turned out."
"Murdoch and I feel the same way. We enjoyed meeting with you, and since we are neighbors, we should make an effort to get together again on a social level. If your schedule permits, why don't you and Dan, and your boys, spend a weekend with us? This will give you the chance to meet our children."
"I would like that," Sandy said. "Well, gentlemen, it's been a pleasure, but I must get back to the office."
Murdoch and Ryan walked Sandy to the van and waved him off. Ryan said, "I like him, it will be nice to meet another couple our age living in our own back yard."
Murdoch smiled, "Yes, sweetheart. I wonder what Dan is like?"
Ryan said, "I'm betting he is as nice as Sandy."