Page 106 of Fierce-Matt

Matt turned from where he was opening the door and squinted one eye at her. “Had to get that last part in there, didn’t you?”

“Always,” she said, batting her eyelashes.

He leaned down and gave her a quick smooch. “You keep me on my toes.”

“My son needs that,” Grace said. They were walking to the back of the house.

“Hi,” Anya said. “Thanks for brunch today. I’ll be so stuffed by the looks of that and with Matt’s driving I’ll be sleeping for the whole trip.”

“What’s wrong with my driving?” he asked.

“Nothing. Just saying, with you driving, I’ll be sleeping.”

“I remember you always fell asleep in the car on trips with us,” Grace said.

“Are you going to sleep in the car?” he asked. His face was scrunched with a mixture of annoyance and moping.

“I doubt you’ll let me,” she said. “You’ll want to talk nonstop.”

“He always did,” Tim said. “He hasn’t outgrown it that I’ve seen.”

“You haven’t been on a long trip with me in years,” Matt argued, looking at his father.

“We went to Myrtle Beach last year golfing for a week,” Tim said. “This is about the same distance and you didn’t shut up once.”

“You’ve got a point,” he said. “Sorry, Anya. Guess you’ll need earplugs.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, running her hand on his arm. He looked embarrassed and she didn’t want that. “I can’t wait to see Charleston again. I haven’t been back since the year I went with you guys in high school.”

Both Phoebe and Matt had been allowed to bring one friend for the spring break with his parents.

She loved that the Kellys included her in so many day- and week-long trips back then. Her parents didn’t go on many vacations when she was a kid.

Not because of money but more her father wouldn’t step away from the business for more than a few days. And if she could ever bring a friend, she opted out because EJ was such a dick, and she didn’t want to put any friend through that.

Phoebe had witnessed it a few times when she’d come over and that was enough in Anya’s eyes.

“We aren’t in the same hotel,” Matt said. “I was lucky to get the one I did, but I thought it’d be fun to return.”

“Are you going to be nice to Anya this time?” Tim asked.

“Sit and eat,” Grace said. “I know you want to get on the road soon. I’m glad you were willing to stop over for a quick holiday brunch before you go.”

They pulled chairs out and Matt poured her orange juice from a pitcher, then they passed around plates of muffins, assorted fruits, a quiche, and waffles. She put some of everything on her plate.

“You didn’t answer your father,” Anya said, nudging his arm. “Are you going to be nicer to me on this trip than the last time we were there?”

“I don’t remember what I did that was so bad last time,” he said.

The frown on his face said it all.

“Seriously? You threw me in the pool fully dressed. My watch broke.”

“Oh shit,” he said. “That was there?”

“Yeah, Matt,” Grace said. “You had to buy Anya a new watch.”

She’d felt bad about that. She had told no one it died. Phoebe saw it on the dresser and knew Anya was wearing it when she went into the pool. Her best friend told her parents and the next day, Matt knocked on the adjoining room she and Phoebe had, with Matt and his friend on the other side, and he presented her with the new watch and apologized.