“I’m sorry. I was trying to tell you about Poppy and Matt before they arrived…”
“It’s really okay.”
“Your face isn’t screamingokayright now.”
I shrugged. “Really. It’s fine. I just…” my voice trailed off. I justwhat? I’d seen a different side to Matt than he showed everyone else all those years ago. I felt like I’d seen the real him. But maybe all the rest of it had been real instead. I swallowed hard. “I just hoped he’d end up with someone…nicer.”
Kennedy pressed her lips together.
“What?”
“Are you saying you’d be more okay with that?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I always just wanted him to be happy. And I can’t imagine him being happy with someone so…cold.” I’d felt the same way when I heard about James marrying Isabella. It just felt wrong. “But I mean, it’s his choice obviously. And it’s none of my business. I got over him a long time ago.”
Kennedy took a deep breath. “I need to tell you something. A lot of somethings actually. I’m just so worried you’re going to hate me.”
Homecoming - Chapter 9
Sunday
Matt
I heard laughter and turned around. Penny had her hip propped against the doorjamb and was wearing a huge smile.
“You really are a great dancer,” she said.
“I know.” I shimmied my shoulders and she laughed again. “Did you two enjoy your nap?”
She nodded. “We must have just passed out. Liam was up all night. You’ve calmed him down though.”
Liam did seem perfectly content and happy in my arms.
James walked into the room with a big yawn. “Hey, Matt. What’s up?”
I stopped dancing to the imaginary music, but I kept bouncing Liam on my hip because he was less fussy when he was moving. I was about to tell James why I’d stopped by, but he was looking around the room.
“Wait, how did you get in here, Matt?” His gaze paused on Scarlett.
“It wasn’t me,” she said.
“There’s no one else here, pumpkin.”
She pressed her lips together. “It was an accident.”
“Accidents don’t happen on purpose.”
“This one did. Right, Uncle Matt?”
I did not want to be in the middle of this. But Scarlett really needed to stop opening the door. I would have thought she’d learned her lesson by now. “It’s okay, we were just having a dance party,” I said, hoping to change the subject.
“A dance party?” Penny asked and lifted Scarlett into her arms. “But where’s the music?” She tickled Scarlett’s side.
“We don’t need music,” Scarlett said through her giggles.
“Hmm.” Penny twirled her daughter in a circle. “I guess we don’t.” She kept twirling her around.
I cleared my throat and turned to James. “I actually need your help with something.”
