“Nice to meet you, Andrew.” Matt pulled out his wallet as Andrew rang up the champagne. “Hey, is there still a florist over on Webster Street?”
“Sure is. New people took it over about three years ago, totally rehabbed the place and made it bigger. You can’t miss it.”
Taking the bag and the receipt, Matt thanked him and walked out, feeling good. He still hadn’t called in their dinner order yet, so he had some time to go and pick out flowers for Vivienne. In the time they’d been together, he realized how much she had done for him and how little he’d done for her. That was about to change.
The offer to do the shows with Riley was everything he had been dreaming about—but he wanted Vivienne to go with him. Maybe he should have talked to her first, before giving Riley an answer, but he had been so excited that he hadn’t been thinking completely straight.
What if she doesn’t want to go? he thought. Hell, Matt had no idea what he’d do then. He would be disappointed, no doubt, but surely they’d come up with a compromise. They had to. They were good together and always seemed to find a way to make things work. Maybe she’d come with him to some of the shows, and they’d go back to her place during the breaks. Matt knew enough about the tour that the dates were fairly spread out, so it wasn’t like he was going to be gone for weeks on end.
Okay, they could make this work.
He drove through town and made a left onto Webster and drove past some familiar sights—the dry cleaner, the butcher, and the dentist’s office where he’d gone while he was growing up. This was home. Every one of these places had a memory attached to them that made him smile. Turning into the parking lot on the right, he saw that the florist was definitely larger than the last time he’d been here. Back then, it had been a single storefront, but now it was easily three times the size and was called…Reed’s Floral Gifts.
His heart squeezed hard in his chest at the same time the rest of him went numb.
It was a coincidence.
It had to be a coincidence.
The smart thing to do would be to simply pull out of the parking spot and leave. No one would know he had ever been here and Matt would simply push it out of his mind.
But he couldn’t. Now that he’d seen it, he had to know.
As far as he knew, the only Reeds in town, ever, were him and his parents. His mother was gone, and Matt knew for sure that he didn’t own the place, so that could only mean one thing. And he almost laughed at the absurdity of it. His old man, the twisted alcoholic, owning a flower shop? It just couldn’t be.
With a deep breath, Matt climbed from the car and stared long and hard at the sign. It wasn’t as if Reed was an unusual name. And he had been gone for more than a dozen years. There was a very real possibility that it was just a coincidence. For all he knew, it was a chain and they all had this name.
Still…he couldn’t quite shake the unease that was keeping him from moving.
“Do you want to buy some flowers?”
Matt looked down and saw a little girl of about seven or eight years old staring up at him with blue eyes the size of saucers. She had light brown hair and was holding on to the leash of a French bulldog puppy. Crouching down to pet the dog as it sniffed Matt’s shoes, he smiled at her. “As a matter of fact, I do want to buy some flowers.”
She smiled at him, obviously pleased with his answer. “That’s good. We haven’t had a lot of customers today.”
The comment made Matt chuckle. “So…you own this place?” he teased, and when she giggled her entire face lit up.
“Noooo,” she said, still laughing. “My parents do. But I have to come and hang out here after school and on the weekends. Murphy comes with us too.”
Matt looked down at the dog and gave him a good scratch behind the ears. “So I’m guessing this is Murphy.”
“Uh-huh. He’s a really good dog and my best friend.” She glanced at Matt. “Do you have a dog?”
“Nope…but I always wanted one.”
“So maybe you should get one,” she said simply.
“Carly!” a woman’s voice called from behind them.
“Uh-oh,” Carly whispered. “That’s my mom. I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”
Matt quickly stood up and waved to the woman who was eyeing him warily.
“I’m gonna be in so much trouble…”
Murphy started to whine beside them. “You should probably take him for a walk. I’m going to go buy some flowers.” They waved to each other as Matt walked toward the store and the woman. When he was no more than a few feet away, her eyes went wide.
Ah, so she recognized me, he thought. Not a bad thing. He was used to it.
Then she paled.
Okay. That was new.
“You’re…you’re…” she stammered, and Matt realized she was a lot older than his normal fans. Not that it mattered. He was used to women being nervous around him and a little tongue-tied, but this one looked like she was about to get sick.
“Hey,” he said softly, placing a hand on her arm. “Are you all right?”
“I…I need to go inside,” she said quickly and all but ran into the store.
Matt followed, but once inside, he began looking around. The place was huge. He couldn’t remember ever seeing such a big display of flowers. They were everywhere. Some were real, some were silk, and there seemed to be something for every occasion.
“You’ve got some great stuff here,” he called out. “I’m looking for something for my girlfriend.” It hit him that he had no idea what kind of flowers Vivienne liked, what her favorites were, and frowned. “I’m not sure what exactly she likes, but I’d love to do something a little different than just a bouquet of roses. What do you suggest?”
Silence.
She probably was checking on her daughter or getting some water—maybe calling or texting a friend to say that Matty Reed was in her store. He almost laughed at the thought. Now that things were back on track and he wasn’t the laughingstock of the entertainment world, it didn’t bother him to think of more fans coming out to see him.
Matt continued to browse and came across several displays of lilies. The colors were vibrant, beautiful. He opened the door to the display case and smelled them and thought, Perfect. Yeah, these were the flowers he wanted to get for Vivienne. Now all he had to do was find little Carly’s mom and—
“Hello, Matt.”
The last time he’d heard that voice, it had been in a nightmare two nights ago.
Slowly, he turned around and had to fight the urge to be sick. Matthew Reed Senior. Yeah, he was a junior, but he’d never used it. The face was the same for the most part, but it was older. The hair was grayer. And there wasn’t any of the cocky defiance Matt remembered.
For the life of him, Matt couldn’t make himself utter a single word. His throat went dry and his tongue suddenly felt like it was the size of his fist.
“I’d heard you were in town,” his father said, his voice oddly gentle, almost contrite.
And Matt had to wonder who had tipped him off. Until today, no one had acknowledged him by name. He wanted to know who he’d heard it from, who had ratted him out, but still he couldn’t make himself speak.
Standing before him was his every demon. This man was the reason for every bit of self-doubt, insecurity, and feeling of worthlessness he’d ever had about himself. But looking at him now, all Matt saw was a stranger, a shell of the man from his worst memories.
As if sensing the direction of Matt’s thoughts, his father took a step forward. “Matt…I…”
Matt took a step back and saw the sad acceptance on his father’s face.
“Daddy! Murphy peed and pooped. Can I give him a treat?” Behind them, Carly walked in with the dog. Her cheeks were rosy and she was doing her best to hold on to the dog’s leash so he wouldn’t take off running around the store.
She spotted Matt and grinned. “Did you buy your flowers yet?”
It hit him like a punch in the gut. This little girl was his sister. Well…half sister. And he looked from her to his father and sneered. If this son of a bitch—
“Why don’t you get Murphy his treat, Carly?” The little girl scampered off, leaving them alone.
Matt cleared his throat and knew he had to speak. There was no way he could go back in time and change anything that happened to him, but he could certainly make sure that nothing happened to that sweet girl. He stepped in close to his father—menacingly close. “If I ever so much as hear a whisper that you even thought of hurting that innocent little girl, of tormenting her like you did to me, I’ll make sure you pay,” he sneered.
And right before his eyes, his father seemed to shrink—his shoulders sagged and he hung his head. “Matt,” he whispered. “I…I don’t even know what to say. Or where to begin.” Lifting his head, he looked at his son. “Not a day has gone by that I haven’t wanted to die for what I did to you. To your mother.”
Rage—more rage than he thought possible—filled him. “Don’t talk about her. Don’t even think about her!” he hissed.
Matt looked around the store. “Do you do it to them? Huh? Your new family? Do they know what a sadistic son of a bitch you are? Did you tell your wife how you abused the hell out of your first wife? How you put a gun to your son’s head?” Then he grunted with disgust. “Of course, you wouldn’t. Either that or she’s just as twisted as you if she was willing to have a child with you.”
He turned to walk out the door, but his father’s words stopped him.
“I thought you weren’t mine.”
Stopping dead in his tracks, Matt slowly turned around and looked at the face that had haunted him for years. “What?”
Matthew Reed swallowed hard as he stared at his son, nodding. “For years…most of your life…I thought you weren’t my son.”
It felt like he was in the twilight zone and had to wonder if the old guy was drunk again.
“Your mom and I dated on and off before we got married. She was pregnant. It didn’t occur to me back then, in the beginning, that you weren’t mine. But she said it once, while we were fighting. And it…it stuck.”
“You’re wrong,” Matt said in a near growl. There was no way his mother would play that kind of head game—that was his father’s department all the way.
“It wasn’t every time we fought, but it was something she’d said and it just… It took root and refused to let go,” he said helplessly. “And it killed me. I was already a damn mess, drinking too much, had a lot of bad luck with my job, and then the added stress of a bad marriage… I was slowly coming unhinged. I couldn’t stop drinking. I needed the job… You became a convenient target. It was the only way I had of getting back at your mother.”
“I was a kid!” He took a step closer to his father. “And you selfishly took my childhood away! Did it ever occur to you to get help? Did you even realize, or care, about all the damage you were inflicting?”
“I… At the time, I didn’t. I swear to you, Matt, I wish I did. I…I didn’t know how to handle things! And after your mom left—”
“You made her leave,” he growled.
His father shook his head sadly. “I know. I realize that.” He looked up at Matt, regret marring his features. “And you look so much like her… I…I…”
He was definitely going to be sick. Matt placed a hand over his stomach and willed himself to keep it together until he could leave. All he had to do was turn and…
“I’m so sorry.” The words were barely audible.
“And you think that makes it all right?” Matt snapped. “You’re sorry? Big fucking deal! You made my life hell! There wasn’t a day that went by that you didn’t do your damnedest to take away my self-esteem! Every day was misery!”
“I…I know. I realize that now. But I’ve changed and—”
“There’s no way anyone can change that much,” Matt interrupted. “You’re not capable of it.”
“I’m so sorry,” his father repeated. “I’m so damn sorry. For all of it.”
“You tried to kill me! And all you can say is sorry?”
“I don’t know what else to say!” Matthew yelled back, but there was no anger in his voice. “Tell me what I need to do, what I need to say, Matt, and I’ll do it.”
“There isn’t a damn thing you can say,” he replied venomously, and when he turned and walked away, he managed to make it all the way to the door. But then he stopped. Dammit, there was one thing he had to know. “Am I?” he asked without turning around.
“What?” Matthew responded in a low voice.
“Am I your son?” It shouldn’t matter, Matt reminded himself. For years he had sworn that his father was dead to him. Finding out this man wasn’t his father would be a relief. Either way, it wouldn’t change anything—it certainly wouldn’t change the past.
“You are. You’re my son. You’ve always been my son.”
It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter, Matt chanted to himself.
“Daddy?”
Carly’s small voice stopped Matt from walking out the door. Part of him couldn’t walk away without knowing his father wasn’t repeating the past with this child. One hand had a white-knuckled grip on the door handle as he looked over his shoulder at father and daughter.
His father was crouched down beside Carly, lovingly stroking her cheek as the little girl talked softly to him. Matt had no idea what they were discussing—swore he didn’t want to know—and yet he couldn’t move.
“He’s changed, you know.”
Carly’s mother—well, his father’s wife—was standing beside him. He hadn’t seen or heard her approach. Matt turned and looked at her. “I’m Susan,” she said, holding out a hand to him. Reaching out, he shook her hand and saw the first traces of a smile on her face. She looked over toward her husband and daughter, and her smile grew. “I can’t even imagine what you must be feeling right now.”
Matt let out a low, mirthless laugh. “I couldn’t even describe it if I wanted to.”
She nodded. “I met your father a year after you left. After…what he’d done to you.”
He arched a brow at her, wondering how she could know that. He sure as hell didn’t believe his father would have admitted to all the stuff that had happened.
“He had finished a year in rehab and needed a place to live,” she began. “I had an apartment over my garage for rent that he called about.”
Matt glanced over at her and, not for the first time, wondered if the woman was crazy. “And you didn’t have a problem renting a place to guy fresh out of rehab?” He didn’t quite disguise his disgust.
She met his gaze steadily. “My sister Maureen was one of your father’s counselors while he was getting treatment. She vouched for him. In fact, she was the one who told him about the apartment.”
All he could do was nod. He still thought she was crazy.
“He had lost his house, his job…and you. He needed a fresh start to get his life back.”
“Good for him.” His voice was flat, emotionless.
Beside him, she huffed. “There wasn’t a day that went by that he wasn’t tormented by the things he’d done.”
“Yeah? Well that makes two of us.”
“Matt,” she said softly, “all I’m saying is that maybe…just maybe…you could give him a chance to apologize. To make things right.”
“He can’t.”
She looked dejected. Her shoulders slouched as she lowered her gaze. “Just…think about it. Please,” she added softly. “I’ve begged him for years to reach out to you, but he was so ashamed. He didn’t want to cause you any more pain and thought that by leaving you alone and staying out of your life it would make things better.”
Matt look
ed out the door and willed himself to move, to leave, but he couldn’t.
“You both have so many issues to resolve. I’m not saying that you have to be close or even friends, but…you at least deserve the chance to have some closure with this. Please, Matt,” she begged as she placed a hand on his arms. “Let your father at least have the chance to make things right.”
Yeah, he was pretty much ready to leave. Was this woman for real? Make things right? How was that even possible? Which is what he was starting to say to her when Carly made her way over. Damn. The kid was all big, sad eyes, and it just tugged at his heart. When she stopped in front of him, she crooked a finger at him to come closer. He crouched down in front of her.
“Are you my brother?” she asked nervously.
Matt looked over her head to glare at his father.
The man still fought dirty.
With a long, slow sigh, he looked at Carly and saw the hopeful expression on her face. He nodded. “I am.”
She gasped and looked at her mother for confirmation, and when Susan nodded, Carly flung herself into Matt’s arms and hugged him tight. His heart squeezed so tight in his chest that he could barely breathe. This little girl, this child, seemed to love unconditionally. And Matt had no idea what that felt like.
Except…he liked it.
Wrapping his own arms around her, he hugged her close.
“I always wanted a brother!” she said excitedly and then pulled back. “That’s why Mommy and Daddy adopted Murphy for me.” She looked over her shoulder and then turned and took off. “Wait right there!” she called out.
Matt stood and looked at Susan in confusion.
“You’ll get used to it,” she said, chuckling. “Carly’s rarely still for long. Chances are she’s got something to show you.”
He had no idea what it could be, and he noticed his father had moved closer but looked skittish.
“That was a pretty low thing to do,” Matt murmured, straightening. “Using Carly to get me to stay.”
Matthew gave him a helpless grin. “I knew you wouldn’t have any problem walking away from me, but I have yet to find anyone who can look your sister in the eye and tell her no to anything.”
One More Kiss Page 27