She whispered the words as they glided toward the ground. It was cowardly to admit it to the wind when there was no way Matt could hear her, but she needed to let it out somehow. He’d come into her life again by chance and was quickly becoming one of the best parts of it.
She smiled the whole way down to the ground.
* * * * *
WHEN MATT PICKED up the phone to call his sister, it was with a sense of anticipation he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Say congratulations.”
“Congratulations?” His sister was obviously not paying close attention. Normally she would have caught on by now that something was up. He’d told Mara to expect him home today. He hadn’t wanted to let her know that he might not be coming back in case Penny hadn’t given him a chance. He’d be depressed enough on his own. The last thing he needed was all his friends finding out that he’d been rejected.
“Aren’t you going to ask what for?”
“What for? Are you okay? You’re acting really weird.” Mara must have finally sensed something was up because she suddenly said, “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be coming home today?”
“My home is no longer in New Haven. I’ve decided to move up to Northern Virginia so I can be close to Penny.”
“Are you serious?”
Matt pulled the phone back from his ear at Mara’s high-pitched squeal. But he was laughing when he said, “I take it you approve, then? You don’t think I’m moving too fast?”
He’d meant to call her yesterday after he and Penny had come home from skydiving. But they’d been so hopped up on adrenaline they’d ended up making wild, sweaty love all afternoon. They’d passed out, exhausted, after a few hours.
Mara sobered. “No, I don’t think you’re moving too fast at all. Life is short and you should do what you want. Matt…” She stopped and he could have sworn he heard her sniffling. “I am truly thrilled for you. You’ve been living a half-life since you got back and it’s not fair. I was worried that I was never going to see my brother again. The real you hasn’t been around in a long time, but I saw him when you were here.”
Matt coughed, the lump in his chest feeling suspiciously like the precursor to tears. He wouldn’t have been able to articulate it as well, but he’d been worried about himself, too. For the first time since his injury, he was hopeful and excited about the future. There were so many things he wanted to do and they all started with Penny.
Everything started with Penny.
“I’m going to be okay now, sis.” It was something he felt strongly. No matter what happened, it would be okay if he had Penny at his side. He could get through anything, endure anything, knowing that she was waiting for him at the end of each day.
“I know. I knew that when I saw you with Penny. You were laughing, Matt. I haven’t heard you laugh like that in a really long time.”
Maybe it was because he was feeling hopeful for the first time in so long that he felt compelled to ask, “Are you happy, sis? I mean about getting married? Because I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to wait a little bit. Take your time. Travel.”
“Yeah. That’s what it is. I guess I just thought I’d have done more before I settled down.”
“Don’t let Mom make you feel like you have to rush into this. It’s your wedding. You should deliberately pick a wedding venue that’s booked for years to buy some time. Then you and Trent can take some wild vacations to a nudist colony or go blow all your money in Vegas.”
“You know what? I think I’ll do that.”
She sounded lighter than she had at the start of their conversation, so Matt decided to ignore the niggling twin-sense that something still wasn’t right.
“Now I just have to figure out what to do with my house. I’m not sure I want to sell it yet.” He’d bought it so he could feel like he was building a life, but he’d barely done anything to the place. There was no great sentimental attachment to that particular location. He knew now that building a life was about more than just the things you bought. It was about who you shared things with. Eli’s place was more of a home to him than his own house was. When he closed his eyes in this house, he could smell Penny’s scent and imagine her laughter bouncing off the walls. They’d already made some pretty great memories here.
“Rent it out. I’m sure we can find someone who’d rent from you until you decide to sell. Plus, since I’m here I could keep an eye on it for you. Make sure they take care of the place.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“I’m full of great ideas. Such as you and Penny. That was my idea, you know. I’m totally taking the credit for matchmaking.” She let out a happy sigh. “You’re so lucky you have an awesome sister who bugs you and makes sure you go to your appointments.”
Matt couldn’t agree more.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“TEN MINUTES, KAY.”
She looked up when Matt stuck his head into the dressing room. Anxiety had become a constant companion for Kaylee the past few weeks. Now that Jackson had announced the group would go their separate ways after the summer, there had been an undeniable thread of tension present at each of their gigs.