“Thai sounds good. Get comfortable. Take your shoes off and prop your feet up. I bet your ankles are hurting from sitting with your feet down for that long. Mine are” Matt said.
Savannah chuckled at the mother hen sound to his voice but did as he said and settled on the sumptuous leather couch. She kicked off her shoes and winced a little as she propped them on the ottoman.
Matt had just set their drinks on the coffee table and settled next to her when his phone started ringing. She supposed it was to be expected since he’d been out of the country. It wasn’t as if his being tied up with work was anything new. In the past, though, she’d never hesitated to needle him or distract him. Something that had both exasperated and thrilled him in equal parts.
But now she sat quietly as he fished his phone out of his pocket. His lips thinned a bit before he put the phone to his ear.
“Hello, Mom.” He said.
Savannah sighed. That hadn’t taken long.
Matt wasn’t one of those guys who was tied to the apron strings, but he respected his mother, as any son should, and like most children, she supposed, had a bit of a blind spot when it came to her.
Or maybe he just didn’t want to see her as the conniving vindictive witch that Savannah knew her to be. She couldn’t blame him though, it was his mother.
Savannah was sure his mother had her good points. She obviously loved her sons. But she’d never be someone Savannah would warm to. Ever.
“Yes, we’re back. Listen, Mom, why did you send Leila there? I don’t appreciate you interfering. I won’t tolerate any disrespect toward Savannah. You need to accept that she’s with me. If you can’t do that, then you and I are going to have a serious problem.” He said.
Savannah’s eyes rounded. There was anger in Matt’s voice and his eyes were hard.
“We’ll see,” he continued. “Right now Savannah and I need some time together without interference, no matter how well meaning. I’ll call you when we’re ready to have dinner together.”
Ugh. It took all of Savannah’s control not to make a face. But this was Matt’s mother, no matter how much she wished it to be different.
“I love you too, Mom. Let me go. We just got in and we’re both tired.”
He tossed the phone on the couch and Savannah looked inquisitively at him.
“Mom wants to express her apologies for Leila’ sactions. And her own. She wants to have dinner with us one night. I told her I’d be in touch when we were ready for that.” He said.
There wasn’t anything she could say so she remained silent. She leaned forward to pick up her glass of orange juice to mask the awkwardness of the moment and leaned back, sipping at the sweet and tart drink.
He glanced at her propped-up feet and then back to her face and he frowned. “You look very tired” he said.
She sighed. “Yeah I am.”
“Are your feet hurting? Want me to rub them?”
“No, I’m fine. They ache a little but there’s really no need to. I’ll just sit like this for the rest of the evening.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead just as the buzzer sounded.
“That’ll be our luggage. Be right back.” He said.
She adjusted her position so that some of the tension was relieved in her back. The truth was she was tired of sitting after being on the airplane for so many hours.
Deciding to dispense with sitting at all, she turned on her side, stuck a cushion between her legs and let out a sigh at the bliss of being off her behind and her feet.
She stared across the room out the panels of glass that led onto the balcony and watched as a few snowflakes spiraled downward.
The weather didn’t seem to be able to make up its mind whether it wanted to rain, sleet or snow; but, at least for now, a few fat flakes were falling.
The flames from the gas fireplace gave the living room a warm, homey feel and as she adjusted her gaze to the fireplace, lethargy stole over her.
She reached for the throw draped on the back of the couch and pulled it over her body, sighing that she finally felt comfortable after traveling for so long.
Her eyelids were drooping and she didn’t fight the urge to sleep.
Matt would wake her in time for dinner.
When Matt returned to the living room, he found Savannah fast asleep on the couch, her hand tucked under her cheek. He was struck by how young and innocent she looked. Not at all like someone who played brother against brother.
He supposed it was unfair to think such thoughts when they’d both made an effort to get beyond the past, but the dark thoughts always crept in.
What fault did he have that would cause Savannah to seek comfort with his brother? And why had she been vengeful enough to want to ruin his relationship with his only sibling when Enzo had told her that he was going to confess to him that they’d had sex?
Matt felt more like a father to Enzo than a brother. Five years separated them in age and their father had died when Matt was barely a teenager.
He’d stepped in, assuming the paternal role with Enzo, who was still a boy. He’d attended all his baseball games, taken him to sporting events. Taken him to movies. He’d been there for his graduation from high school. Had helped him move when he went off to college and supported his decision to return home and pursue a career in finance.
Nothing should come between brothers. Certainly not a woman. But one had. Savannah had. Not only had it struck a blow to his relationship with Enzo that he still hadn’t recovered from but it had destroyed his relationship with her as well.
A relationship he was determined to rebuild.
But to go forward, he had to determine what had gone wrong in the past.
No matter what they’d vowed, at some point the past had to be addressed. It couldn’t be ignored forever.
He picked up his phone and quietly walked into the next room to call Dash about the wedding.