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“Oh, excuse me,” she says all dramatically. “What I should’ve asked was how are you and Tyler?”
“Good. Actually great, if I’m being honest. We’ve been inseparable, and while we haven’t put a label on it, it feels official. I can’t stop kissing and touching him anytime he’s near. It’s never felt like this with anyone but him.”
Katie glances at me. “Happiness fits you, Gemma. Have y’all…you know?”
“No,” I rush out. “Notyet. We’re taking things one day at a time. I appreciate how patient he is, though I’m ready to jump his bones,” I admit, and Katie chuckles.
“Don’t blame you a bit.” She drives to the end of the cul-de-sac and turns off the car.
The street is packed with vehicles, and other people are taking the sidewalk that leads to the perfectly landscaped yard. The suburban neighborhood is cute, and I could picture Katie living here.
“If you’re already like this and you haven’t banged it out, I can only imagine how you’ll be when you finally do.” She waggles her brows, and I snort.
“If…we do,” I correct, but I know it’s just a matter of time.
“You might be able to pull that on someone else, but it’s more than obvious how you both feel. Always has been.” We go to the front door and are escorted in by a real estate agent. While the outside of the house is brick with picture-perfect shutters, the inside is a living time capsule. Brown shag carpet and flowered wallpaper are in the main rooms. Katie and I give ourselves a tour, and when we enter the bathroom, the Pepto pink fixtures and tile nearly blind us.
She turns to me with her mouth in a firm line. “Okay, this is where I draw the line.”
“But you can remodel and make it however you want,” I remind her with a snicker, but she’s not convinced. The rooms are large, but the ceilings are low, and it all needs work. While I think she could handle it, this place would be a huge undertaking. Before we go, the real estate agent hands her a card.
“Thank you,” Katie says. “How’s the neighborhood? Are there a lot of children?”
The woman contemplates as though searching for the correct answer. “Not really. Lots of older people.” She pauses with a smile. “But it’s very quiet, and the crime rate is low,” she adds.
“Great. Thanks so much,” Katie politely says before we leave. “No, but hell no,” she mumbles when we’re out the door.
“We still have four others to see. That’s just the first,” I remind her.
She nods and laughs. “Hopefully, it gets better. Too bad I don’t have Chip and Joanna with me. They’d be able to help me find a good buy.”
“Who?” I ask as she cranks the car, then takes off.
“The Gaines.Fixer Upper! They had a show on HGTV.” She glares at me as though I’ve committed a crime.
“I don’t watch much cable,” I explain. “Just movies and Hallmark.”
“There are tons of reruns you can watch. They’re amazing and gave me a lot of inspiration for what I want. I highly recommend it if you have any spare time.” We make our way into an older neighborhood with trees so large they shade the streets. Once she parks, Katie turns to me. “Is this the right address?”
“Yep, this is it,” I look at the paper and confirm.
“This house looks creepy, doesn’t it?” She stares at the two-story mansion that hasn’t been touched in decades, the paint chipping and flaking on all the boards. It seems like the kind of house where a villain inScooby Doowould hide, and I’m kinda scared to go inside.
“Welp, let’s go find the skeletons in the closet,” I suggest, trying to lighten the mood. I love Halloween, but I’m actually a wuss when it comes to things like this.
“I’m good.” She nervously laughs. “Totally notthatdesperate. I’ve watched way too many horror films.”
I shrug and snort. “Just know, I would’ve walked in and gotten possessed for you.”
“You’re a true friend.” She snorts. “But I’m too chicken.” Katie sighs, and we continue down the list. The next is on the outskirts of town, so it takes us fifteen minutes to get there. It’s cute and needs a lot of love, but it has potential. An older lady’s selling it, and she walks around with us, nearly explaining her life story and why she’s moving. Apparently, her husband passed away and she wants to move closer to her sister in Texas.
“Not in the house, right?” Katie asks, and my eyeballs nearly bug out of my head.
“No, but that would’ve been something.” The woman smiles, keeping the conversation lighthearted. “Gonna be real honest with you, honey. This house is adorable, but it’s a damn money pit.”
“I appreciate the honesty. I’m trying to find a forever home for my son and me. I’m a single mom and want to give him the best life I can,” Katie admits.
The older woman’s demeanor softens, and I wonder if she’s aware of Katie’s story. Lawton Ridge is small, and news travels fast, but it happened so long ago that many people have forgotten.
