Page 142 of Let Me Show You

“You did?”

“Yeah, I’m a mom. I hear everything.” She smirks. “You handled it well, by the way. I’m sure you weren’t expecting that.”

“No, I really wasn’t. I feel bad I had to put my foot down.” I frown. “I don’t want him to hate me.”

“He’s testing you, well—us. Owen’s never had a man live with us before, and if you don’t set boundaries, he’ll walk all over you. He’s ten, going on sixteen and is trying to see what he can get away with. When he realized he couldn’t talk back to you, he did what you asked. But don’t worry, he won’t hate you. Owen’s always adored you, Noah.”

“He said I wasn’t his father,” I say softly. “Does he think I’m trying to replace him?”

Katie shrugs, opening the fridge. “Possibly, but I’ll talk to him. I’ve been so busy and not spending as much time with him so⁠—”

“I’d like to talk to him first, if possible.”

“Sure, that’s fine. Or we can talk to him together if you want?”

“I think we need to have a man-to-man chat beforehand.”

The last thing I want Owen to think is that I’m taking the role of his father. Though he never met Gabe, it doesn’t mean it’s easy to just accept me being here all the time. I’m content with just being in his life, but respect has to go both ways.

“Sure, babe. Just remember that he’s full of hormones and will probably have an attitude and rebellious side for the next eight to ten years.”

I snort. “Considering he’s your kid, probably longer.”

“Excuse me!” She swats at me, but I capture her wrist and pull her into my chest.

“Which I loved, by the way. Always gave me something to look forward to.”

Just as I slide my lips against hers, the doorbell rings.

“Oh my God, they’re here!” she squeals. “I’m so nervous.”

“Don’t be. They’re gonna be over the moon.” I give her a quick kiss. “Let them in. I’ll grab the plates.”

Thirty minutes later, everyone’s seated at the dining room table. Katie bought gifts for both couples and plans to hand them out before dessert. I can tell how anxious she is and hope the conversations about other things calms her.

“Speaking of which, Archer called today and said he’s finally eligible for parole,” Tyler says, and Gemma’s eyes brighten.

“Oh my God, yay! That’s great news,” she exclaims.

“Wow, that’s sooner than he thought,” I say. Tyler told me about Archer weeks ago. He was Tyler’s cellmate back in Vegas, and they became good friends. He’s hoping he’ll move here and work at the gym since he wants a fresh start. From what Tyler’s told me, Archer’s obsessed with working out and boxing. He could probably be a trainer and keep a steady flow of customers.

“It might be a few months before he’s released, but he’s scrambling to figure out what he’ll do, and I keep telling him to come here. The only problem is…” He hesitates for a moment. “He needs somewhere to live until he has enough money to get his own place.”

“Isn’t the apartment above the grocery store available for rent?” I say. “Maybe you could talk to the landlord to give him a deal for a few months?”

“It was rented out last week.” Tyler sighs.

Since he and Gemma live in the cottage behind our dad’s house, I know they don’t have any extra room. Most of it’s covered in baby gear now that Gemma’s due soon.

“What about Everleigh’s? She has a spare room,” Gemma suggests.

Tyler shoots her a glare, but Gemma shrugs. “You needed ideas.”

“Yeah, but not living with my sister!”

“I’m right here,” Everleigh chimes in. “I can have whoever I want in my bed.”

“Spare. Room,” Tyler emphasizes.