They were joined a moment later by Daniel, who held champagne for her and punch for Noah. He wore his usual khakis and sports jacket.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the champagne after a quick hug. “I can’t believe you’re such a party pooper that you didn’t dress up. You could have been Uncle Fester from The Addams Family.”
“Do you hear that, Mom? She called me Uncle Fester.”
Susan rolled her eyes teenage-style. “You’d make a better Thing.”
“Isn’t Thing the weird hairy creature?”
Susan laughed and ruffled her son’s hair. “No, dear, but that’s apt since you need a haircut. Thing is the severed hand.”
Daniel held up his arm, pulling back the sleeve of his jacket. “See, I came in costume. I’m Thing. I just haven’t been severed yet.”
They all laughed, and it was so good to feel like one of them even if she wasn’t. Not yet. Not until Matt was ready to let himself love her the way she was sure he wanted to. But she understood how past experiences made you scared to trust or to risk. So she’d be patient, no matter how badly she wanted to hear him say I love you.
“Where’s Sebastian, dear?” Susan asked, her hand on Will’s arm.
“He and Charlie are up at the haunted house putting on the last-minute touches.”
Harper looped her arm through Will’s. “Charlie was wonderful in lending her artistic talents for the haunted house. Did you see it up on the hill?” She waved in the general direction. “Jeremy wanted to do something fun, and they’ve gone all out for him with scary creatures. She made a lot of them, in papier-mâché instead of metal. And there’s—”
Jeremy pulled on her arm. “Har-purr,” he said with huge exaggeration. “Don’t spoil the surprise.”
Harper put her hand over her mouth. “Oops.”
“Oh my.” Susan gasped. “Will you look at that dashing figure?”
Everyone in their group looked up the stairs. Matt descended dressed in an immaculate tux that fit him so closely it defined every one of his magnificent muscles. He’d slicked his hair back, and he sauntered down the steps like he owned the world. Which he undoubtedly did.
Ari’s mouth went dry just watching him. He held out his hand to her when he reached the bottom, saying, “Bond. James Bond. At your service.”
She shook his hand in a daze, feeling heat all the way to her toes. He was so polished and perfect. She wished she’d dressed as a Bond girl to match him.
Then, realizing too late that everyone’s eyes were on them, she withdrew her hand, sliding it behind her back to hide how his touch affected her.
“Daddy, guess who I am?” Noah was bouncing, his T-Rex tail hitting the floor.
“Oh no, it’s T-Rex!” Matt cowered, throwing his arms out in fear. Noah roared, a loud, perfect rumble that shut down all conversation for three seconds while everyone in the hall stared.
“It’s going to get me,” Matt cried and ran in small steps so Noah could catch him.
“Really,” Daniel drawled. “James Bond should have more dignity.”
“At least I dressed up,” Matt said, pulling on Noah’s tail.
“You’re just wearing your tux.”
Matt suddenly crouched in a Bond shooting stance, reaching quick as lightning behind his back to draw out a gun, and shooting Daniel with a stream of water. “Bull’s-eye.”
Just like that, Ari fell in love with him all over again.
It was his laughter, the water pistol, the way he’d played the terrified victim with Noah. And how beautiful he was in that tux. You could love a friend. You could lust after a man. But with both lust and love coming together, it was enough to make a girl swoon.
Noah grabbed Matt’s hand. “Daddy, take a picture and send it to Mommy. I want her to see T-Rex.”
Matt shot a quick glance at Ari, and the look said so much. Irene was the ghost in Noah’s funhouse—and if he didn’t hear back from his mother, he’d be hurt all over again.
Quickly hiding his reaction, Matt said, “Sure, buddy.” He caught a shot of Noah roaring, then texted it. “It’ll scare her to death.”
Thankfully, two seconds later, his phone pinged. Irene had sent back a terrified smiley face followed by lots of heart emoticons, which made Noah laugh.
For one long moment, Ari felt as if she were alone in the hall with Matt, everyone watching Noah, only Matt’s gaze on her, communicating silently. He could have refused to take the picture. But he’d done the right thing, giving Noah the contact with his mother that made him so happy.
She wanted to reach out to touch Matt even if the time wasn’t right. And she might have if Jeremy hadn’t started to chant, “Haun-ted house. Haun-ted house.” Noah joined in, then Susan and Bob, and finally the downstairs filled with the cry.