Page 9 of Let Me Show You

Katie’s new house is on the same street as my dad’s, which is quite convenient. She probably hates that I’m so close now, but she better get used to it because I’m not going anywhere this time.

“I can’t wait to show you your bedroom,” Gemma squeals as we make our way inside.

“Why?” I snort, carrying my bag. “It probably looks the same.”

“Hey.” She smacks my arm. “I spruced it up for ya.”

“Of course, you did.” I smile, following her upstairs.

“Any chance you upgraded my old nineteen-inch TV to a fifty-inch?” I tease as she opens the door.

“As a matter of fact…”

My gaze wanders around, and I notice everything looks the same except for the new flat-screen TV sitting on my dresser. “Shit, really?” I give her a hug. “You’re my favorite sister.”

She rolls her eyes with a grin. “I even washed all your old clothes and put a couple of new things in the closet. Figured that’d get you through until you had time to go shopping yourself.”

“You’re seriously the best, thank you.”

Gemma smiles. “You’re welcome. I’m so happy you’re home, and you’ll be here to meet the baby.” She pats her stomach.

“Me too. Gonna spoil that kid rotten.”

“You and Tyler both.”

“Damn straight.” Tyler walks up behind Gemma and wraps his arms around her waist.

“Gemma, Noah. Come down,” Dad calls from the living room.

When we enter, Dad hands me a set of keys. “These are for you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing fancy, but it’ll get you around town. Let’s go check it out.”

We walk out to the garage, and I see a blue F-150 single cab. “I fixed it up as best as I could. Should last ya until you can buy a newer one.”

I hope Dad hasn’t been spending his spare time on this, considering he retired recently. He was the best mechanic in this part of Alabama, and though I’m sure he’ll miss parts of it, I can already tell he’s enjoying his free time.

I steal a quick hug and grin. “Thanks, old man. It’s great.”

“Wanna go for a quick drive?”

I hesitate, not sure if that’s a good idea. I haven’t renewed my license yet, and a ticket is the last thing I need. He climbs behind the wheel, almost as if he read my mind, and waits for my answer. I can’t deny my dad the chance to spend some alone time with me.

“Okay, just a quick trip,” I agree and climb into the passenger side.

“I’ll give you the updated Lawton Ridge tour.”

Soon, we’re on Main Street, and he’s giving me all the details about the new shops.

“That’s Everleigh’s boutique.” He points at a corner shop with the words “Ever After” on a sign. “You remember her? Gemma and Katie’s friend.”

“Yeah, isn’t she Tyler’s little sister?”

“Yep. Last I heard, she’s single.”

I snort, shaking my head. “Slow down. I’m not diving into the dating scene right away.” Or ever. No one around here is going to want to date an ex-con.