Matt glanced over Vivian’s shoulder. Another one of his cousins and his wife had joined his brother, and it appeared as though Brianna was doing all the talking.
“You’re not positive, are you?” Vivian asked, pulling him away from his thoughts and back to the dance floor.
Three months ago, the answer would’ve been easy. But not now. Theo hadn’t been himself during his stay in Maine, and the fact that he hadn’t spoken to his twin in so long only reinforced the fact that something was off.
“I’m 90 percent certain he’s not engaged.” But he wouldn’t be surprised if Brianna were pressuring his brother for a ring.
“Maybe we should both keep our fingers crossed that you’re right. Can you imagine spending Thanksgiving with her across the table? Talk about an absolute nightmare.”
“I’d start celebrating alone if she was there.”
Vivian patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, you can always come and celebrate with me. Or maybe I should say you and your girlfriend can come. I’ve seen the pictures. I thought she’d be here with you.”
The slow song ended, and one with a much faster tempo took its place.
“Or has that relationship already ended?” Vivian asked as he led them off the dance floor and to the table where Aiden sat.
“Liv couldn’t take time off from work. What about you? I noticed you’re flying solo this weekend.”
It had been eight or nine months since he’d seen Vivian. At the time, she’d been with someone, but he didn’t remember his name.
“Wyatt and I weren’t working out. I’ve been on a few dates since we broke up but haven’t met anyone I like enough to go out with a second time.”
“I ordered you another drink.” Aiden pulled his ringing cell phone out and checked the screen. “It’s Dad. I’ll call him back later. Does he know Adam got married today?”
“I don’t know.” Matt’s phone rang as he sat next to his cousin. He’d promised to call Liv when he got back to his hotel room and wasn’t expecting a call from anyone. For a moment, he considered letting it go to voicemail, but just in case it was Liv, he took out his phone. When he saw the name “Dad” on the screen, a knot formed in his stomach. If their father was calling them, something was wrong.
Pressing Accept, he skipped a proper greeting. “Dad, what’s wrong?”
Across the table, Aiden frowned and set his drink back down.
“There’s nothing for you to worry about, but I wanted you to know your mom was in a car accident earlier today.”
If it had been a simple fender bender, his dad wouldn’t be calling him, so how could he say there was nothing to worry about? “How is she?”
“She has a broken leg that’s going to require surgery and a broken wrist. Otherwise, she’s fine.”
He’d broken his leg when he was ten and had been in a cast for weeks. If his mom required surgery, her injury was far more serious than his had been.
“I’m in Virginia right now, but tomorrow I’ll fly out there.” He hadn’t intended to take a trip to California without Liv, but when he explained the situation, she’d understand.
“That’s not necessary. I only called so that you’d know what was going on if you had trouble getting a hold of us for the next couple of days.”
“I’ll—”
Dad interrupted him before he finished. “Your mom wants to talk to you.”
He already knew what she planned to say, and it wouldn’t change his mind.
“Matt, there’s no need for you to come. Your dad’s right. I’m fine. Enjoy your time in Virginia.”
His mom’s speech was slower than usual and slightly slurred, a good indication that the hospital had given her some strong pain meds.
“I’m coming. I planned to leave Virginia tomorrow anyway. When I land, I’ll call Dad. And I’ll let Aiden and Theo know what’s going on.”
Matt still held the phone when Aiden asked, “What happened?”
He gave his brother a recap of his conversation as he opened the app for the charter flight company he frequently used.
