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“This is seriously a bad idea. How are you guys agreeing with this?” Gemma glances around, furrowing her brows at our dad and Belinda.
“I’ve pushed her away long enough, Gem. Let me do this,” I beg. “I have to win her friendship back.”
“Alright, on one condition…” Gemma’s shoulders slump as she blows out a breath. “She must never know I knew about this plan. Got it?”
I smile victoriously. “Deal.”
Gemma rolls her eyes, then repositions herself in her seat. Though I know it’s a crazy plan, it feels good to have my family’s support. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to Katie how sorry I am and that I’m no longer pushing her away.
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 for wanting 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.” He smirks.
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.
“I know what you’re thinkin’, but get it outta your head,” my dad scolds. “You have a lot to offer, and any woman would be lucky to be with you.”
I stay silent because while I know he’s being genuine, I don’t believe the words. People around here are judgmental as hell, and even though plenty of them have had their own share of scandals—typical small-town drama like affairs and tax fraud—they don’t hesitate to ridicule others.
Swiftly, I change the subject as we make our way back home. Lawton Ridge looks the same with just a few different businesses.
“Just in time, boys,” Belinda says as we walk inside the house. “Lunch is ready.”
“Great, I’m starving.” I take a deep breath in. “That chicken smells delicious.”
“Your dad said you loved it, so I made it just for you.” Belinda smiles sweetly.
“Don’t let this one go, Pops,” I taunt as I take a seat next to Tyler.
My dad wraps his arm around her and plants a kiss on her cheek. “Never in a million years.”
As we sit and eat, things almost feel normal, but then again, they don’t. I’m used to sitting on hard benches or stools and scarfing down my food without really tasting it. If you hesitated, someone would steal it. It was almost always cold and bland, but I needed to get something in my stomach to keep my strength. Not long after I arrived at the facility, some of the prisoners found out what I’d done. Some taunted me about it, some were legit scared I’d kill them with my fists, but others—the ones who were lifers—didn’t give two shits. They started fights just to entertain themselves.
