Chapter 4 Matt
FOUR
MATT
Muffled music and laughter drift through the door.
I look for a doorbell or a knocker, but there isn’t either.
And with everything going on inside, it’s not likely anyone would hear a normal knock.
So I raise my fist and pound firmly on the old oak.
A minute later, the door swings in and Lee appears.
“Hi, guys!” She’s wearing jeans, a pink sweatshirt with little red and white hearts scattered over it, and pink Converse high-tops.
Her smile is huge and welcoming. “I’m so glad you made it! Come in!”
She steps back and Charlie goes first, walking into her open arms. They hug, and when she lets go, he walks farther into the living room, glancing around. Lee raises her eyebrows at me and tentatively opens her arms. “Do you hug? We shook hands last time, and I totally respect a no answer.”
“Yes, I hug.” Grinning, I step into her embrace, handing Charlie the vase of flowers that we brought for her. After a quick squeeze, she steps back and points at the flowers. “Are those for me?”
Charlie holds them out to her. “Yup. I chose the flowers. Matt picked the vase. It’s one of his.”
She raises her eyebrows and makes an oh face as she takes the vase from him. “That’s so sweet! Thank you both.” She presses her nose into a sprig of lavender and inhales deeply. “I love that smell.”
Charlie makes a gesture like he’s wiping sweat from his brow.
“Whew! Good. Because I tried to pick flowers that were attractive, and pink, purple, or white. But I also didn’t want anything with a heavy scent, since I wasn’t sure if you liked that or not.
Plus, I’m kinda into the whole flowers that send a message thing, and all of those”—he gestures at the flowers in the vase—“mean some version of friendship or good fortune.”
Lee grabs Charlie in a one-armed hug. “You are the sweetest. Thank you both.” She turns and hauls me into a second hug as well.
“And I adore this!” She takes a closer look at the tall, angular vase glazed a light green color.
“You should bring some of these to the farm store to sell. People will snatch them up!” She steps back and gestures for me to enter.
“Sorry. I should let you come inside.” I move to stand next to Charlie, and she closes the door behind me.
“Everyone is spread out downstairs. Some people are in the kitchen, where we have lots of food set out, so help yourself. Some are in the dining room, where we’ve set up the bar, and there are places to sit and eat.
” She gestures to the room right behind her.
“Some folks are in the living room. That’s where the music is.
There are beers and sodas in the fridge, so help yourself.
But follow me first, and I’ll introduce you to some of my friends. ”
We trail after her into the living room, and I scan the group, wondering if I know anyone.
But as expected, it’s a mix of faces I don’t recognize.
Not that it’s a big deal. I have no problems striking up conversations with total strangers.
Lee pulls us into a group of six women. Two of them are holding hands, so I assume they’re together.
Another two women are holding hands, but one also has her arm around a third, so they might be a throuple.
“Everyone, this is Charlie and Matt Ward. Matt and Charlie, this is Stasia and Kris.” She indicates the two women holding hands.
“And this is Carmen, Marie, and Teddie.” She indicates the three intertwined women.
“And this is Ines.” She gestures to a woman who is strolling over from the dining room.
Ines waves. “Flying solo tonight.”
I sympathize. Empathize? Both, maybe. “Same.”
Teddie’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, I thought maybe you two were married. Did I hear you have the same last name?”
Charlie laughs and shakes his head. “Matt’s my brother. He takes after our mom, and I look like our dad.”
She blushes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make things weird.”
“No, it’s fine. Really.” I smile reassuringly. “I’d be lucky to find a guy half as amazing as Charlie.”
He throws his arm around my shoulders and gives me a hug. “Same, brother. Hard same.”
Lee makes an oh face at us. “So sweet! It’s nice to see other siblings who get along. Everyone always thinks it’s odd that my brothers and I have such a close relationship.” She turns to her friends. “Charlie works on my parents’ farm, and Matt owns Pottering Around.”
As everyone chats about what they do, I catch a flash of bright pink from the corner of my eye.
I glance into the dining room and freeze as I see the last person I expected to run into tonight.
The attractive but aggressive guy from the coffee shop is standing in the hall.
He heads in my direction, and I’m not prepared for another confrontation.
I turn to the group, smiling in a way I hope looks casual.
“Excuse me.” I duck behind Charlie and hurry through a door into what I assume is the kitchen, based on what Lee said.
My guess is confirmed, and I try to blend in with the five or so people who are congregating around a kitchen table loaded with delicious-looking food.
I have no idea why I’m hiding. Or attempting to, at any rate.
How do you hide in a ten-foot-by-eleven-foot room with only five people for cover?
And it’s not like this is a huge house. I’m going to run into Attractive-Agressive Guy at some point.
So I might as well pull up my big-boy pants and get it over with. Right?
“Hey there.” I spin around, half expecting to see him right behind me, but then the voice and the woman in front of me register in my brain, and I relax. She’s petite, with dark brown eyes, long, curly, black hair, and a smile that puts me at ease. “I’m Ari. You’re either lost or hiding.”
I can’t stop the laugh that bursts out of me. “I’m Matt. And maybe a bit of both?”
“Yeah, been there. I’d say hide behind me, but”—she gestures to herself—“I’m not going to be much help in that area. If you stand in that space next to the fridge, you won’t be seen from the door.”
I immediately slip in next to the fridge, and she steps in front of me. “Thanks. There’s this guy—“
She snorts. “There’s always this guy.“ Her grin turns into a frown. “Wait, is he bothering you? I can tell Lee and she can toss him out.”
“Thanks, but it’s not that kind of situation. He’s just someone who got a little aggressive at this coffee shop we were both in, and I’d like to avoid another incident. I don’t need that vibe tonight.”
She nods like she gets it. “I hear ya. But if this guy tries anything, I can get Lee. Or her bestie, Jake. They’ll deal with him.”
The door I came through swings open and I peer around Ari, then immediately plaster myself against the side of the fridge as I catch sight of the bright pink shirt.
Ari glances around like she’s trying to determine who I’m hiding from but gives up after not seeing anyone suspicious.
Attractive-Agressive Guy walks out the other doorway which, I assume, leads to the dining room, and I relax again.
“Thanks. False alarm, but I appreciate the assist.”
“No worries.” She gestures to the food. “Definitely have something to eat while you’re in here.
It’s all amazing. Lee can cook like nobody’s business.
She has a lot of friends who cook, too.” Ari smirks.
“None of those friends is me. Not only am I not good at it, I hate doing it. So parties like this are heaven to me.” She snags a bunch of grapes from the fruit bowl and pops one in her mouth.
“I graze and get to avoid cooking for myself.” The spread is amazing, and my stomach growls loudly, so I step over to the table and load a plate before moving back to my hiding spot.
Ari fills her own plate as the dining room door swings open.
I take a deep breath, resigned to dealing with the asshole from the coffee shop, but it’s Charlie who appears. “There you are. I wondered where you got to.”
I hold up my plate. “Food.”
He snorts. “Yeah, should’ve known. It looks incredible, though.” He pulls up a chair and holds out his hand to Ari. “Hi. I’m Charlie, Matt’s brother.”
She grins at him. “I’m Ari. Nice to meet you.”
I gesture to my plate. “Grab some food. Definitely get some of this potato stuff.”
Charlie laughs. “Potato stuff? Very descriptive.” It doesn’t deter him from piling a mound of it on his plate.
Ari brandishes a plastic fork. “Looks like you’re in good company, and I should go mingle. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” She toasts us with her plate, and Charlie and I return the gesture, then she wanders into the dining room.
“So, what was that about?”
Having some food in my stomach is making me feel more grounded and better prepared to face Attractive-Agressive Guy if I have to. “You remember me telling you about that jerk from the coffee shop?”
“The one who got in your face and was all ‘I know what you did’?” He gestures with a full spoon of potatoes and I worry it’s going to fling off and hit me. Thankfully, it doesn’t, and he puts the spoonful into his mouth. His expression morphs into surprised pleasure. “Wow. This is really good.”
I ignore the comment because I already told him that, and I’m trying to explain my panic. “Yeah. So that guy’s here. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s him.”
Charlie squints at me as he bites the meat off of a mini spare rib. “How sure?”
I hand him a napkin because he’s getting sauce all over his fingers and lips, and although I’d like to believe he wouldn’t wipe the mess on his pants, I’m not completely sure of that.
“Like, eighty-five percent sure? I did only see him the one time. And he was dressed professionally, and in subdued colors. If it’s the same guy, tonight he’s gone out on a fashion limb and is wearing a bright fuschia dress shirt. ”