Oliver glanced his way, a small frown tugging at his lips that Matt didn’t understand. He turned away before Matt could comment on it—or at least, Matt told himself that he shouldn’t.
“No problem. It’s nice to do something different.”
When they arrived at the restaurant, Oliver dropped off the car with the valet and they made their way inside. Ralph and Viv were already seated at a table in the upscale restaurant right down the street from the symphony.
As soon as Viv saw them, she pushed to her feet and covered her mouth with her hands.
“She’s a little excited,” Oliver teased but for Matt, a warmth spread through him, settling in his chest while at the same time he felt guilty because of it. He had his own parents who loved him with all their hearts. But it was different with Oliver’s family. They’d always accepted the boys for who they were, always understood them in a way his own family struggled with.
“Matt Daniels, I cannot believe it has been so many years since we’ve seen you. If I weren’t such a respectable woman, I’d kick your butt!”
She smiled a smile that was just like Oliver’s. Her hair was lighter in color than Oliver’s, but he looked a lot more like his mom than his dad, who was a beefy man.
The second Viv opened her arms, Matt stepped into them. “I know. I’m sorry,” he said as he hugged her. And he was. He hadn’t done right by anyone back home—not Oliver’s parents, Oliver, or even his own family. “It won’t happen again.”
“You bet your ass it won’t!” she replied before letting him go. “Oh, hey, Oliver. I didn’t see you there,” she teased, and Matt heard his friend laugh.
“You’re a real comedienne, Mom.”
“Come here, you,” she told her son just before Oliver went in to hug her.
Matt said his hellos to Ralph next, followed by Oliver, and then they sat at the table.
They asked Matt about his life in New York. Viv teased about seeing him in his underwear in a magazine, and that he needed to keep his clothes on. They laughed. Told Matt how proud of him they were before they spoke about their son and all he’d accomplished.
“We’re so proud of all four of our boys,” Viv said. “You’re all such good men and have done so many wonderful things.”
Had they, though? What had Matt done except use his face and distance himself from people he loved?
“I have to admit, you’ve broken my heart a little bit, though.”
Matt’s eyes shot toward Viv at that.
“Mom,” Oliver warned.
“Yes. You have that correct, Ollie. I’m the mom which means I’m allowed to say these things, and Matt will write it off as sappy things a mother says.” She turned her attention back to Matt. “We miss you. I understand, but I wish you didn’t have to go so far away. There was a part of me that always thought I’d be able to really call you my son one day.”
Matt had taken a sip of his wine just as she’d spoken. He coughed as it went down the wrong tube and nearly choked on it.
Oliver chuckled while he patted Matt on the back.
“I always thought you would end up with Oliver one day. Matt, your mother and I used to talk about it.”
“You did?” he asked, hearing the surprise in his own voice. His mom had thought that about him and Oliver? It wasn’t something they’d ever talked about—Matt’s future. If he would get married or have a family.
“Oh yes. I think she was surprised when I mentioned it. She didn’t realize Oliver had a little crush on you back in high school.”
“Ma. Really?” Oliver interrupted and Viv just winked at him.
“Anyway. I told her and she was happy. She worries about you, Matt. She’s like all other moms out there, and she just wants her baby to be happy.”
It wasn’t his mom he’d been as worried about as his father.
“Anyway. You know I love your family, and I thought we would all be one big family one day. I guess Ralph was right about this one, and the two of you were only meant to be friends.”
Matt turned to look at Oliver then. He gave Matt a small shrug and looked away as Viv continued. “Now, if my son doesn’t hurry up and find himself a good boy, I’m going to have to find one for him. Are you dating, Oliver?”
“Do we really have to do this right now?” Oliver asked, and apparently they did. Viv, Ralph, and their son went back and forth about Oliver, dating, his being their only kid, and she wanted to plan a wedding, damn it. The whole time, Matt just watched Oliver. Thought about him finding someone. About him settling down and sharing his home with another man, and how whoever it was would be the luckiest guy on earth.