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Chris laughed. ‘Love?’
Sometimes Matt really despised his brother. ‘Strangely enough, that’s the driving force behind most marriages, Chris. Love.’
‘Like you’d know anything about love.’
The accusation hit home. As it was intended.
Matt gripped the chair arms, making them creak. ‘Which is why I’ve never married. Maybe if I’d felt the way Zac does about Megan, I might have.’
That shut his brother up.
‘Also, they’re adults. Whether you like it or not, they’re capable of making their own decisions.’
‘Not necessarily good decisions,’ Gemma added, clearly not wanting to be left out.
Matt turned to her. ‘Based on what? An age gap? Because as far as I can see, that’s all you’ve got.’ He looked at them all in turn. ‘They’ve been together for two years, the honeymoon period is long over. You’re worried about Zac developing his career? Statistically, married men have more stable careers than single blokes. You want Zac to act responsibly? Nothing requires more responsibility than marriage, just as it requires commitment and stability, all the things you want him to demonstrate. Well, he is.’ He gave Zac a discreet wink. ‘And if they’re really lucky, they’ll also have plenty of hot sweaty sex.’
Chris and Gemma gasped.
Bobby and Diane smothered a smile, and Will openly laughed… until his sister glared at him.
Matt released his grip on the chair arms – the furniture had suffered enough. ‘Seems to me they’ve got it all. Plus, they’re in love, they want to get married. What else is there? Sounds near pretty damn perfect to me.’
‘But—’
‘And the more you resist,’ he cut Gemma off, ‘the more you risk losing your son. Because if he’s forced to choose between you lot and the love of his life, I don’t like your chances.’
Their shocked faces said it all. They hadn’t thought of that.
Gemma’s hand went to her cheek. ‘Our son would never cut us out of his life.’
Matt shrugged and reached for his beer. ‘Push him hard enough and he might.’
Zac picked up the overturned chair and sat down, looking resolute. ‘I’m doing this, whether you approve or not. I’d prefer it if you were on board, but it’s happening either way.’ His statement might have had more impact if his voice hadn’t wobbled, but Matt admired the lad for standing his ground.
Matt knocked back the dregs of his beer and stood up. ‘Time to head off. As nice as that barbeque smells, something tells me I’m not a welcome addition to the party.’
No one disagreed.
Diane nudged her daughter, forcing her to grumble under her breath. ‘Er… right, yes… stay if you like.’ She turned to her husband, looking for confirmation. ‘Right, Chris?’
Chris nodded half-heartedly.
How sincere. ‘Thanks, but I’d better head off.’ Avoidance was the best tactic when dealing with Chris. ‘See you all at the wedding.’
They collectively flinched. Sometimes it was more fun to land a blow with words. He walked off, leaving a sea of unhappy faces in his wake.
Zac ran after him. ‘Thanks, Uncle Matt. I owe you big time.’ He gave him a hug. ‘Your support means everything.’
Matt patted his back. ‘No worries, mate.’
‘It’ll be fun, right? Planning the wedding?’ Zac looked hopeful.
‘Sure. A blast.’
‘And don’t forget we have Megan’s sister helping us.’
How could he forget.
