5. Matt
Chapter 5
Matt
I t’s Friday night and I’m sitting with Danny at Big Chowder. The place is right on the water and fits the idea of a perfect small-town restaurant. I got a lot of welcome homes as I walked in, and other locals have sent drinks our way. It’s only been a few weeks since I’ve made Starlight Bay my home again, but I’ve slowly become accustomed to the neighborly way of everyone all over again.
“So how has it been being back in town?”
The bartender slides fresh beers our way. I tap my bottle to Danny’s and we each take a drink. “In some ways it feels like I’ve never left and in other ways everything has changed.”
“I get that. I went away to school and expected things to be so different. But when I graduated and came back here to teach in our old high school,” he chuckles, “I just kind of moved along with the town, never missing a beat.”
“I see how easy it is to fall into that now.”
“It was the same old, same old. Everyone still loved to be here on Friday nights, at the winery on Saturday nights, and then gossip about it at church on Sunday. Only this time? We were allowed to be a part of it because we were finally legal to drink.”
I laugh behind my beer. “Sounds about right.”
“So what happened? You weren’t good enough to make it pro?” He elbows me and I chuckle.
“In the back of my mind, I always knew I wouldn’t make it, but when you’re a twenty-one-year-old punk, being told you’re the hottest thing out there, getting laid every night, you can’t help but think you’re always going to be on top of the world. You start thinking you’re untouchable. Then when it all gets taken away,” I shrug, “reality hits hard. That’s when humility set in. And honestly, that’s the biggest reason I didn’t want to come back home.”
He nods while drinking his beer. “You seemed to do all right in the end though.”
“I did, for a while. Right after I graduated, I landed a great coaching job with the high school team just outside the college I went to. That’s where I met my ex-wife. But being married to a small-town coach wasn’t enough for her. Even after she landed a top executive position, it still didn’t seem like anything I did for her was good enough. Eventually, I realized nothing ever would be. When she was offered a high-profile job in California, she wanted us to move. I said no.” I shrug and pick at the label on my beer bottle. “Things had already been falling apart long before that, but her saying she was going whether we followed or not was the final nail in the coffin. So she left, and my son and I stayed for a couple more years. I didn’t really have a clear direction, no real plan. Looking back, I guess I owe my uncle for giving me purpose again.” I finish off my beer and signal to the bartender for another. “What about you? No girlfriend?”
A vacant look passes over his face before he answers, “No. No one who’s really grabbed my attention I guess.”
I nod and accept the fresh beer from the bartender, lost in our walk down memory lane. Until he hits me with the next question.
“How was it with Kylie the other day?” I snap my head toward him with narrowed eyes and he laughs, putting up his hands. “It’s a small town. Everybody knows she’s getting married in the place you now own. They’re waiting for gossip and fireworks.”
I shake my head. “No fireworks. We’re friends now, if you can really call it that; it’s been so long.”
“Man, you were high school sweethearts! You’re the perfect movie right now.” He slides his hand across the top of the bar. “It’s been fifteen years and you’re back in town. She’s marrying a guy nobody likes, and you’re the hometown hero. Sounds like a perfect setup to me.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I guffaw. “The timing was never right and there’s nothing to change that. I was ready to move on from this town. She tried but couldn't do it. We connected over social media a few years after graduation but I was with my ex-wife. Now I'm single and she’s getting married. The world just never aligned for us.”
I hear the bell above the front door ring and when a girl walks in, I realize it’s Kylie‘s sister and give a nod. I notice Danny looks twice then turns his head back to stare at the TV and lets out a breath. I notice her stare lasts a moment longer than it should before she walks to the other end of the bar. There’s definitely a story there.
“Want to explain what that was about?” I ask.
He answers with a clipped, “No,” and I laugh at his response.
“Something about those sisters, isn’t there?" He gives me a side-eye before letting out a nervous laugh.
“She’s hot. But she’s a know-it-all.”
I chuckle. “She does like things her way.”
He makes a humming noise. “There’s got to be a little give and take, ya know? I mean, I’m an easy going guy, but I don’t need a run down on every item in my fridge and why it’s bad for me.”
“She put you on a diet, big boy?” I joke with him.
He rolls his eyes. “Rigidity is not my thing. Even her schedule has a schedule.” He lowers his voice. “Including sex.”
I nearly choke on my beer. “That doesn’t sound romantic at all.”
“It wasn’t.” He finishes his beer and taps the bar top for another. “The only time she’d let her guard down was when I’d pick a fight. So it became our thing. How fast could we piss off the other person, ya know?” he shakes his head. “I shouldn’t have to pick a fight to get a blow job.”
I’m almost falling off my chair, I'm laughing so hard. “Oh, Danny Love. It must be the name.”
He rolls his eyes. “Something like that.”
“You know, opposites attract and all that. I bet you two would actually be really good together. I don’t think you’re as different as you’d like to think.”
“We don’t even like each other; how would we be good together?”
I laugh. “We’re practically pushing forty, Danny. Sometimes you gotta just bend a little.”
“Says the guy planning his ex’s wedding. I’ll just call you the rubberband man.”
“Okay you gotta let that go.” I point at him and he laughs. “Sadie’s been down at the winery for the last couple of days. She doesn’t seem so uptight to me.”
“Oh yeah? Are you going to give her a job as a bouncer?”
I huff a laugh. “She wants to be an event planner, and from what I’ve seen with her planning this Wine Day event, she’s really good at what she does. I could use somebody like her.” I pause, musing for a moment. “Maybe I’d even sell the place to her.”
“You’re gonna sell the winery?”
“I don’t know if it’s worth taking on if I’m not sure I’m even sticking around here.” I go back to picking at the label on my bottle. “I don't know if this is where I belong anymore.”
I don’t know if I can watch her get married, I think to myself.
“I think this is a perfect spot for you. Liam too. It wasn’t so bad growing up here.”
“I know, but it also feels like a dead end here.”
As a kid, I had big dreams of getting out of this small town. Back then it felt like a trap. A nowhere place with the same old jobs and same old people who knew everything about everybody. Right now, it feels like I'm stepping right back into that by taking hold of the winery. But as an adult, I see how the camaraderie of this place feels safe. The nosey neighbors are actually looking out for you. But am I setting Liam up for the same feelings I had? I don’t want him to feel trapped.
Another jingle of the bell, and I see Kylie walk in. It’s like we are both instantly aware that we are in the room with each other. Maybe her sister sent her a text or maybe she just knows I’m watching her. Her eyes find mine and hold me hostage as she walks over to her sister.
“I think your dead end just turned into a U-turn.”
I grumble at his words but my blood starts to pump when I watch her put her purse down and then walk toward us. “Well, hey, guys, what’s going on?”
“Hey, Ky!” I narrow my eyes on Danny. I don’t like the way he says her name with such familiarity. She leans in and gives Danny a quick kiss on the cheek and my hands clench.
“Matt, did you see my request for the extra bottles of white? I left the list and sent you color ideas for the tables.”
“Yes. I found a note, but I wasn’t sure who it was from. I figured it was your sister.”
She homes in on me. “I told you I was going to help you.”
“You did say that, but I wasn’t sure if that was a real offer or not.”
She puts her hand on her hip and acts annoyed. “Are you calling me flighty?”
“No, I'm saying your sister is extra-organized.” Danny makes a noise next to me and I take notice.
“When I say I’m going to do something, I do it. You’re on a time schedule for this event, so I’ll make sure things get done.”
I raise a brow and fold my arms across my chest. “Oh, so it won’t be like when I had to remind you seventeen times to change the oil in your car?”
With both hands on her hips now, she stares at me.
“Or that there was a pep rally the Friday before every home game? I always loved the way you looked surprised that we had to be at the field.”
She crosses her arms now, mimicking my pose right down to the raised eyebrow. “You know, you’ve been gone for quite some time. Maybe things have changed since you’ve been away.”
“You’re right, maybe things have changed, but I’ll bet you twenty bucks that your inspection on your car is expired right now.”
She rolls her lips and tries to hide her smile because I’m right. “Mr. Byrne, your know-it-all attitude won’t get you anywhere in this town.”
With a smug grin, I reply, “No, but my charm and good looks will.”
She huffs but I see the fire in her eyes. “I’ll leave you to your boys’ night.” She turns on her heel, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder. My eyes drop right to her ass as she heads back to her sister.
“Eyes off the prize, Matt,” Danny chuckles beside me. “Damn, if I didn’t know better…”
“Don’t go there. it’s just two old friends having fun.”
Just fun. There’s no room for me in her life anymore.