Pushing You Away - Noah & Katie (Ex-Con Duet 3)

“Claudia,” she answers. “I thought you liked her?”

My shoulders rise and fall as I pinch my lips together. “Liked her enough to use her, I guess.”

“Noah!” she scolds.

“I needed someone to join me for our double dates!” I defend. “Otherwise, I was the awkward third wheel, and there was no way I could do that. Not to mention, Gemma kept trying to set me up with her other friends too. So it was a win-win…at the time.”

“I’m learning so many new things about our teenage years.”

“It feels like a lifetime ago,” I say.

“It was a lifetime ago,” she reiterates. “Now I’m a widow, have a ten-year-old son, a half-demolished house, and a career to focus on.”

“You have your shit together more than you realize,” I tell her.

“Kinda, maybe. But adulting sucks. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.” She bursts out laughing, which causes me to do the same.

Moments later, I help Katie clean up, and we say our goodbyes. Once she’s gone, I go back to looking at all the paper she has scattered on the counter and try to make sense of her scribbles.

“Noah!” Owen shouts my name as soon as he barges through the front door.

“Hey, buddy,” I greet him with a high five as soon as he sees me. “What’re you up to?”

“We brought dinner,” he tells me, then I see Katie rushing forward with her hands full. “And dessert!”

“Hey, let me help.” Quickly, I grab the slow cooker and carry it into the kitchen.

“Thanks,” she says breathlessly, setting down a bag from Belinda’s deli.

“I didn’t know you guys were coming tonight. You know you’re not responsible for feeding me. Gemma or my dad can bring me something.” I pause, then lower my voice so only Katie hears me. “Though I do enjoy seeing you.” I wink, and I swear she blushes.

“Well, it’s hard to cook for only two, then the leftovers usually go to waste. Plus, Owen wanted to see you, so…” She shrugs.

“It smells delicious. Can’t wait to try it.”

After we’re seated at the table and start eating, I mention the pieces of paper I read today. “So you haven’t told me a whole lot about your plans for the house. I tried to read your chicken scratch, but I think I need a detailed list.”

Katie glares. “That’s because I’m writing notes as I watch videos, and they talk so damn fast, I can’t always keep up.”

“Ever hear of typing?” I snicker. “Okay, well, I saw one of your drawings, and I think it’s a pantry?”

She immediately lights up. “Yes, the pantry of my dreams.”

I snort, taking another large bite. “I’m very invested in what you consider the pantry of your dreams.”

“You can make fun of it all you want, but it’s gonna be amazing. I’m turning one of the closets into a floor-to-ceiling pantry that’ll have plenty of storage. Wood shelves along all sides that are wide enough for wire baskets and Tupperware. I need to find a contractor for it, though, because it’s beyond my skill level. But I already have the paint for it in the garage. ”

“What color?” I ask.

“Like a robin’s egg blue.”

I scrunch my nose, trying to imagine it.

“Hold on, let me show you my Pinterest board.”

“Really? People still use that?” I chuckle.

Owen giggles as he shoves potatoes in his mouth. “Mom’s obsessed with Pinterest!”

Katie furrows her brows. “I am not! It just helps me visualize my ideas.”

Moments later, she shows me her screen and scrolls through dozens of images. “Okay, this one here. This is how I’m hoping it’ll turn out.”

I grab the phone and study it. It doesn’t look that hard. Most of the aesthetic she’s after is in the wire baskets and white brushed jugs.

“It looks really nice, Katie,” I tell her honestly, then wonder if I could actually do this for her. I could easily get it done while she’s at work, and I doubt she’d notice.

Plus, she wouldn’t have to hire someone, so it’d save her some money.

“So besides the pantry, what else are you thinkin’ for the kitchen?”

“I want to restore the cabinets. It’s far too expensive to get new ones built, so I’m gonna sand and paint them. I just need time to do it.”

“My offer to help is still on the table. You can boss me around all you want…”

Katie nearly chokes on a piece of chicken and scolds me with her eyes.

After we’re done eating, I help clean up. “So Owen, what do you think about the house? Are you excited to move into a new place?”

“Yeah, but it’s taking literally forever!” He groans, and Katie laughs at his dramatics.

“I’m hoping to have it done before he graduates high school,” she teases, though I remember her mentioning the end of the year as a dream goal.

“I doubt it’ll take that long, especially if you let me take over some of the big items on your task list.”