"Matt, it needs to come from me, and I don't want him blindsided when he gets home."

"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" he asked, still stunned at her plan. "Why didn't you mention this to me earlier?"

"For this exact reason. I don't want to argue with you about it. We aren't kids, and we're not going to spend our time sneaking around now that my brother is back. I know how to handle Aaron, and it's important to me that I have this time with him."

There were at least a dozen reasons Matt wanted to disagree with her.

But he didn't.

He trusted her. And if she said this was the way she wanted to do this, then he would go along with it. Not happily, but he'd go along with it.

"You're pouting," she said.

"No, I'm not," he said, and dammit, he knew he was pouting.

"Matt," she sighed, taking his hands in hers, "believe me. This is going to be a good thing, and when we get home later, you'll be thanking me."

"I still think we're not giving your brother enough credit. For all we know he's going to be fine with this, and we've been worrying and freaking out for nothing."

She chuckled even as she disagreed. "You weren't around for a lot of years, Matt. My brother has been giving guys-all guys-hell since I started dating. I doubt you'd be excluded from that."

For a minute, all he could do was stare at her. "Okay, fine. Go and get him. Talk to him. Make him see reason." He paused. "And what is it that I'm supposed to be doing while you're gone?"

"You're in charge of the steaks, remember?" Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed him softly on the lips. "All of the side dishes are ready and just need to be heated up. I'll call you from the car, so you can time everything from there. I put a list on the counter so you can follow those instructions."

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the piece of paper sitting on the granite island. His girl was so adorably organized.

"I really need to go," she said and leaned in to kiss him one more time. "Wish me luck!"

Before he could say a word, she was out the door. Matt stood there and watched her climb into her car and then pull out of the driveway. Once the car was out of sight, he realized he was alone for the first time in a long time. Even though he spent a lot of his time over at Aaron's while Vivienne was working, he always knew she was just a few steps away. It seemed odd to be in her house without her there.

A quick glance at his watch showed he had plenty of time to kill before she was going to have Aaron in the car with her. With nothing else to do, he walked out the door and across the yard.

Dinner was going to be a no-brainer-steaks, au gratin potatoes, and salad-and Vivienne had baked an apple pie for dessert. Apparently, this was one of Aaron's favorite meals, and she was hell-bent on going out of her way to keep her brother in a good mood. They had talked about wine, and while Matt knew both Foresters had several bottles on hand, he was really in the mood for a good Bordeaux.

He searched through Aaron's wines and didn't find one and then trekked across the yard to see if Vivienne maybe had one somewhere that he hadn't seen. She didn't. Looking around the room, he decided he would take Aaron's car and head into town.

"Do I want the wine that badly?" he asked himself on his way back across the yard. It wasn't that he had to have the wine, but he knew it would go perfectly with the meal, and as Vivienne had done all of the preparations and the shopping, Matt felt he wanted to contribute something other than his grilling skills.

He found the keys and walked out to the garage. It wasn't until he was sitting in the car that he realized he was shaking.

"This is bullshit," he muttered, starting the car. Sure, it had been a long time since he'd driven himself pretty much anywhere, but that was only partially what was freaking him out. For the most part, Vivienne-and Aaron-had kept him sheltered. Whenever they went out, he had on a hat or sunglasses or pretty much did whatever he could to blend into the background. This was going to be the first time since the show tanked that he was going out and being himself.

And the weirdest part was that he felt like he was doing it for the first time.

All those years ago, the last time he had lived in this town, he'd walked around as a rebellious teen and wannabe rock star. Then, his first years in LA were spent with an overinflated ego as they began making a name for themselves. Once the band started touring, he became Matty Reed, who was really like a caricature of himself-a little flamboyant, a little over the top, and always in search of a party.

It was time for the real Matt Reed to stand up.

And it was far more daunting that he would ever have imagined.

He didn't move, didn't back the car out of the driveway as reality seemed to kick him in the gut. Even he didn't know who the real Matt Reed was anymore.

Throwing his head back against the cushioned headrest, his breath came out in a loud whoosh. Why now? Why did he have to come to this conclusion about himself right the hell now? All he had to do was go out and pick up a freaking bottle of wine and he'd managed to turn it into a life-altering event.

Okay, he told himself. Breathe. After a minute, Matt gripped the steering wheel and chided himself for creating so much damn drama. Why did he have to know exactly who he was? Most people go through life trying to figure that shit out. That meant he was no different than anyone else.

He should take that as a good sign.

But he didn't.

Saying he was Matt Reed was easy. Matt Reed, musician. Just because he currently wasn't recording or touring didn't take that identity away. He was a talented performer, no matter what those Broadway critics claimed, and he was looked up to by many of his peers for his guitar skills. And along with being able to play kick-ass guitar, he was an accomplished songwriter. True, he'd done it primarily for Shaughnessy, but that didn't mean he couldn't do it on his own for other projects, other performers.

For the first time in years, he didn't have a plan or a schedule, and rather than letting it make him crazy, he knew he should embrace it. There were endless possibilities out there. Besides the music, there was his personal life.

He finally had one.

One with meaning.

Although he and Vivienne had been struggling with how Aaron was going to react to the news of their relationship, Matt didn't see it as a problem. A future with Vivienne was what he wanted, and if he hadn't been such a damn coward, he would have professed that before she got in the car today.

Or anytime in the last couple of weeks.

Coward.

And the thing was, he had a feeling it was going to be a sticking point when he talked to Aaron later on. They'd been friends for far too long for him not to call Matt out on not making his intentions clear. But in his defense, he knew he had fallen hard and fast, and was trying to give Vivienne some time to see if she felt the same way. He sighed. She hadn't said it yet, but he felt it in everything she did-her every touch, her every word.

Still, it would be nice to hear her say that she loved him and that she wanted a future with him, and not just allude to one.

Okay, maybe he wasn't the only coward in this relationship.

Hell, they both had baggage. Lots of it. But he had faith that together they could make it work and overcome it all. Matt wasn't sure if it was the reality of everything that happened after the show failed or the time alone or the time spent with Vivienne that had had the most impact. More than likely it was the combination of it all, and as much as it pained him to admit it, he was glad the show had failed. He wasn't happy about the public response to the failure, but the failure itself had forced him to take a long, hard look at his life.

And it had brought him to Vivienne.

Back to Vivienne.

The confidence he hadn't felt a few minutes ago filled him as he reached out and turned the radio on. He smiled when the last ballad Shaughnessy had released together, "Suddenly Mine," filled the air.

He'd done that. He'd been the one to write the chorus, the one who had first presented the idea for the melody. And it just proved they were all wrong-the critics, the paparazzi, the press...and his father.

He had talent.

He was someone.

And by the end of the night, he was going to ask Vivienne if she wouldn't mind being someone with him.

Traffic had been a bitch.

She'd already circled the airport three times.

And if Aaron didn't come out soon, Vivienne wasn't going to have any other choice but to park her car and go wait inside the airport.

It was beyond frustrating, and she wanted to wail at the unfairness of it all. She had everything planned out, even made a list. First, pick Aaron up at airport. Second, ask about his trip. Third, get him caught up on her job and how she was doing. And fourth, tell him about her and Matt. It was simple. Beyond simple. She'd had it planned out almost to the minute. But now he was late, and the more time she had to herself, the more her nerves were beginning to act up.

It hadn't been a lie or simply bravado when she had told Matt she would handle this because she knew how to handle her brother. But saying she could do it and doing it were two completely different things.

What if she didn't get around to telling him about her and Matt? What if he talked about his trip for longer than she thought he would, and they got back to the house and Matt wasn't aware of the change of plans? How was she supposed to convey all of that to Matt in a quick text or call with Aaron sitting right beside her? And with all of this traffic, would her instructions for dinner still work or would things end up overcooked?

Dammit! She hated when all of her well-thought-out plans fell apart. If only- A loud knock on the passenger window had her screaming. When she looked over, there was her brother, grinning like a loon and motioning for her to open the trunk.

"Okay, crisis averted," she murmured as she reached for her phone and quickly sent off a text to Matt telling him Aaron was with her and to wait twenty minutes before starting their dinner.

The car door opened and Aaron quickly climbed in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," he said breathlessly. "I didn't think I was ever going to get out of there."

"All the sites said you landed on time. I was beginning to get worried."

"Sorry about that," he said, leaning his head back on the seat. "It was a crazy flight-loud. There was a crying baby that never seemed to stop. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Luckily they got off the plane in New York. The second flight was better, but it was a small plane and filled to capacity. I was getting seriously claustrophobic."

"That's not a good thing," she said. "I hate flying for those exact reasons. I'm just not good at it. I like my space; I like my peace and quiet. And when I don't get them, I get very cranky."

"Yeah, well, it was definitely getting to that point."

Vivienne eased into traffic to exit the airport as Aaron talked about his successful trip. Between work and the visit with their parents, he was very pleased. "They were asking when you're coming to visit."

"Your clients?" she teased.

"Ha-ha, very funny. Seriously, Viv. I think you'll notice a big change in Mom and Dad when you see them. They've...mellowed."

"Right."

"It's true!" he protested. "And their friends were all incredibly nice and friendly. For a little while there, it felt like I was in some strange parallel universe."

She rolled her eyes. He always did this, made their parents out to be nicer, sweeter, more...parent-ish than they really were. And like an idiot, she'd believe him and go visit them and find them to be the same cool, distant people they always were.

Not falling for that trap again.

But she let him talk. What was the harm? If it made him feel better, she could pretend to consider what he was saying. Merging onto the highway, she felt herself relax. She was back on schedule and barring any unforeseen traffic or accidents, they'd be home on time for dinner-or before dinner was ready, so she could oversee the final minutes of cooking.

"Are we getting takeout on the way home? Maybe it's strange but...eating in restaurants almost every night gets old. Although I did find some incredible new places on this trip that I'll want to go back to the next time, but I have been jonesing for Chinese. Plus, the thought of being home and maybe throwing on sweats and a T-shirt and eating in front of the TV sounds like nirvana."

"Sorry," she began, "no takeout tonight, but we can do that tomorrow. Tonight we're having steak, au gratin potatoes, and salad," she said, sounding very pleased with herself.

"Wow! Okay, I was wrong. That is definitely better than takeout. But I'm still changing into sweats. You've been warned," he teased. "So we'll be eating late?"

Vivienne shook her head. "Nope. The potatoes are hopefully in the oven right now, the salad is already made, and Matt will be putting the steaks on the grill any minute."

Aaron's eyes went wide as he turned his head to look at her. "Matt's cooking? How did you convince him to do that?"

"There wasn't much for him to do, and he grills a fabulous steak. And I wanted to make sure you had a home-cooked meal for your first night back."

"Thank you," he replied, smiling. "And I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. You've both been telling me about him helping you with meals. It still just seems weird how you managed to domesticate the rock star."

She chuckled. "He wasn't too far gone, so it wasn't that hard to do. I think the distraction was good for him, and he's finally starting to see how the life he was leading wasn't making him all that happy."

"Yeah, I'm sure the millions of dollars, world travel, and beautiful women begging their way into his bed were real hardships."

Hell. The reminder of the women who had come and gone before her hurt more than it should have.

"Maybe, maybe not," she said casually. "Either way, there have been some changes." She told him about Riley's visit and some of the things they'd all discussed, particularly the future of returning to the studio with Shaughnessy.

"That's great news," Aaron said enthusiastically. "I think that is the best thing for him. Not that I think it's wrong to want to try something new, but he was at his happiest when the band was together. At least, for a while he was."

"What does that mean?"

"I know he started to get disillusioned toward the end. The drinking, the partying-it was all too much. It would be nice to see him calm down a bit and maybe...I don't know...settle down a bit."

Okay, here was her opening-her brother had segued to it perfectly. "It's funny you should mention that-"

"Although who the hell am to judge?" he interrupted, seemingly unaware Vivienne had even spoken. "I'm settled down and it doesn't seem like I'm any closer to having my shit together than Matt does."

Here was a second hiccup in her well-thought-out schedule. "Why would you even think such a thing? You have a great career, a beautiful home; you travel and have a ton of friends. What's not together?"

Aaron looked at her and gave her a lopsided grin. "Try not to take this the wrong way..."

"O-kay."

"But it would be nice if someone other than my sister was waiting for me when I came home."

"Oh... Well...I, um-"

"It's okay, Viv. I don't expect you to have a solution for me and it's not that I don't love seeing you and appreciate you taking the time to come and get me. It's just that..." He stopped and sighed. "I'm ready to move on to the next phase of life-a wife, kids. I'm tired of being alone."

And there was her opening again. "I know what you mean," she began. "I've been feeling the same way. And I finally realized..."

"I met this amazing woman while I was in Paris!" he blurted out and then sighed. "God. I can't even believe I'm saying this, but..." He twisted in his seat to look at her. "I never believed in love at first sight. I thought it was ridiculous. Then I was walking along the Rue des Barres, and I saw her. Before I knew it, I had turned around and was following her. I've never done anything like that in my life!"

Vivienne was speechless. Aaron wasn't kidding-he wasn't the spontaneous type at all, and she found herself gripping the steering wheel a little harder as she anxiously listened to his story. "So what did you do? Did you go and introduce yourself?"

He shook his head. "Not at that point. But I followed her. I had no idea what I was going to do. Then she stopped and walked into L'Ebouillante-remember that place? It's a tearoom. Mom's always talking about it."

"I've gone there a couple of times with her."

"I sat down at the table next to hers, and I drank more tea than I think I have in my entire life." He chuckled. "When I ordered my sixth cup, she finally looked up at me and I swear, Viv, it was like getting hit by a lightning bolt."

She could totally relate to that. Which reminded her... "I know that feeling pretty well myself. Actually-"