Chapter 14 #2
“If I knew for sure when he was going to be home, I’d show you, but I don’t. And it would look odd if he came home and found us gathered around his sock drawer. But it’s exactly what I would’ve picked out myself.”
Matt watched the group on the dance floor and shook his head. The song “Y.M.C.A.” was as old as dirt, yet everyone seemed to know it, and there always seemed to be one person at events like this who requested it.
“Nice job today,” his cousin Jake said as he and his wife, Charlie, sat in the empty seats across from him.
“Thanks, but I had help.”
Even before Adam asked him to be his best man, Matt had known that he’d be filling the role when the time came, which meant he’d be responsible for the bachelor party.
Unfortunately, Adam hadn’t given him much time to plan.
Thankfully, he’d gotten some unexpected help from Evie’s maid of honor, because the happy couple wanted a joint bachelor/bachelorette party.
“The brewery tour was Kathryn’s idea. I just did the research and booked it.”
He’d known, even before they started tossing around ideas, that he wanted to avoid anything that might draw unwanted attention because of him.
After all, the day was about Adam and Evie, not him and his fans descending on the group, which could easily ruin it for not just the happy couple but everyone else.
When Kathryn proposed the idea and said she’d heard that some companies offered private tours, he jumped on the internet to see if there were any in his cousin’s area.
Not only did it sound like something everyone would enjoy, but a private tour would reduce the risk of unwanted party crashers ruining the day.
Matt had found not one but three companies that provided such tours.
And when he’d called Kathryn back the following day to discuss the options, he’d shared an idea of his own to prolong the couple’s day.
Well, maybe it hadn’t been 100 percent his own.
A sponsored ad for a romantic night of dinner and dancing aboard the Serenity as it cruised along the Potomac popped up during his brewery search.
And although he hadn’t come up with the idea of a dinner cruise, it had been his idea to reserve the entire boat so it was just for their group.
Regardless of who deserved the credit, Kathryn had immediately approved of the plan.
In fact, during the entire planning process, they’d only disagreed on one aspect: who should foot the bill.
Kathryn insisted she should help, and he’d been just as adamant about paying for everything.
It had taken some intervention by Liv before they’d settled on a compromise—one he wasn’t honestly comfortable with but had been necessary.
“I should’ve known. Event planning requires more brain cells than you have,” Jake said.
“Hey, I said the brewery tour was Kathryn’s idea. I suggested this.” Matt gestured around him. “And I wouldn’t talk about brain cells, Prince Charming. You’d be lost without your better half.”
If looks could kill, Matt would be dead on the floor. His cousin hated it when people used the nickname the media had given him years ago.
“Speaking of better halves, who’s the woman you’ve been photographed with recently? I didn’t recognize her.”
Before he answered, Theo pulled out a chair for Brianna at the table and raked his fingers through his windblown hair. “Whoever requested this song should be thrown overboard.”
“If Sara were here, I’d blame her,” Jake said, referring to his younger sister. “She’s got a thing for 70s music.”
While some of Matt’s cousins were there, others weren’t arriving until Friday or, in a few cases, Saturday morning, just in time for the wedding. Jake’s sister and her husband fell into the second category.
“My money is on Tory. I saw her talking to the DJ, and when the song came on, she jumped out of her seat,” Aiden said.
“Maybe I’ll bribe the DJ on Saturday night so that if anyone requests it at the reception, he doesn’t play it.” Theo flagged down a server and ordered a Manhattan.
“Oh, come on. It’s a fun song. Everyone loves it. You’re just being ornery,” Brianna said once everyone placed their drink order and the server walked away.
Matt exchanged a look with Aiden and then Jake, and he knew they were all thinking the same thing. Who used the word “ornery” in everyday conversation?
“Since Brianna likes it, perhaps I’ll pay the DJ to play it Saturday night,” Matt said.
As he expected, his comment earned him a death stare from Theo.
“Enough about the music. I’m curious too about the woman you’ve been photographed with. Is she an actress who’s just starting out?” Charlie asked.
“In her dreams, maybe.” Although Brianna whispered the comment, Matt heard it. Based on everyone’s expressions, he wasn’t the only one.
He clenched his teeth until he knew he could speak and not tell Brianna what he thought of her.
“No, Liv’s not an actress. She owns a catering company in Maine.”
“She catered my friend’s wedding last weekend. The food is probably the best you’ll get, considering the area, but it’s nothing special. Gina only hired her because it was the only option. I kept telling her Orchard Harbor was a terrible place to get married, but she wouldn’t listen to me.”
Why are you joining this conversation?
Matt envisioned himself tying his napkin around Brianna’s mouth and then locking her in a storage closet for the rest of the cruise.
“C’mon, Bri. The food at Gina and Blake’s wedding was outstanding.” Matt hadn’t expected Theo to contradict his girlfriend and come to Liv’s defense. “And there isn’t anything wrong with Orchard Harbor. It’s just small and a bit out of the way.”
Yes, he had a feeling his brother would be sleeping on the floor tonight.
“You consider what we had at the reception outstanding? What do you consider subpar, then? Dog food?” Without warning, Brianna pushed back her chair and stood. “I need some air.”
He’d seen people overreact before, but Matt suspected Brianna was upset about more than Theo disagreeing with her about food.
“Someone’s not happy. What did you do?” Jake asked once Brianna was far enough away that she wouldn’t hear him.
Theo glanced at the door as it closed behind his girlfriend. “I didn’t do anything. She’s—”
“Just a bitch and always needs to be the center of attention,” Aiden said, interrupting his twin.
“Don’t start again, Aiden.” Standing, Theo headed toward the door.
“So, um, Liv owns a catering company. How did you meet her?” Charlie asked.
Matt wanted to address Aiden’s comment, since it was out of character for his brother to insult someone in that manner.
Not to mention, while he’d found Brianna annoying and self-centered, her behavior while she’d stayed at his house hadn’t warranted that title.
But now wasn’t the best time or place to question Aiden about it.
“I’ve known her brother since college.”
He shared a condensed version of how he’d met not just Liv but the Middleton family and recounted everything that had transpired over the past few months.
“Why didn’t you bring her with you? Were you worried we’d share all the embarrassing stories we have about you?” Aiden asked.
“I invited her, but she’s catering an event.”
“Sounds like a convenient excuse to me. Are you buying it, Jake?” Aiden turned to their cousin.
“Nah, he probably thought we’d make sure she got to know the real Matt Sherbrooke and then she’d kiss him goodbye.”
“Hey, you’re all welcome to visit us anytime you want. We’re in Maine, not the other side of the world,” Matt said.
“It sounds like you’re not going back to Florida.” Aiden’s comment was followed by the sound of a car horn, and he pulled his phone out.
Who uses a car horn for text notifications? “What, couldn’t you find a more annoying sound to use when you get a text?”
“I tried, but this was the best I could do.” Aiden responded to the message and then placed the phone on the table. “So, are you staying in Maine?”
Matt nodded as he reached for his drink. “And I’m going to ask Liv to move in with me.”
He’d almost done it before he left for Virginia, but he’d decided to wait until maybe next month.
While it felt as though they’d been together a long time and he couldn’t imagine not having Liv in his life, their relationship was still new.
And although he was ready to take the next step, she might need more time.
The annoying car horn came from his brother’s phone again. “Now I’ve got to meet her,” Aiden said as he responded to his newest text.
Pulling out a chair, Adam sat in time to hear Aiden’s comment. “Me too. Evie and I plan to visit the second week of August. Why don’t you join us?”
Back in May, they’d briefly discussed Adam, Evie, and Reagan visiting, but they’d never finalized things. “When did you plan on telling me?”
Adam slapped him on the shoulder. “I just did.”
“Not a bad idea.” Aiden opened the calendar app on his phone. “Can’t. It looks like I’ll be in Dallas for three days that week and then in Phoenix for the rest. However, I don’t have anything important scheduled for Monday or Tuesday. I think I’ll fly back with Matt on Sunday.”