My phone vibrates in my hand, Levi’s name flashing on the screen. I could ignore him, but knowing him, he’d worry or hack into my phone to make sure I’m safe. Or, even worse, call Noah to check on me.
“Hey,” I say. “I hit your number by mistake, but you should know that Holly sold my painting. For full price.”
He’s quiet for such a long moment, I’m worried I didn’t actually accept the call. “Holy shit,” he says finally. “That’sfantastic. I knew it was going to happen for you, baby. You are amazing. Please say you’re going to start painting again.”
My eyes, already stinging from the good news, release a tear down my cheek. My chest aches so much for his arms around me as he calls me baby and celebrates with me. “I’m going to start—” Movement across the street catches my attention. It’s my dad and Trisha walking out of the real estate agent’s office, both smiling.
“Gentry. You there?”
“Uh, yeah,” I say, my heart racing. Why would a man who already owns a house be seeing a real estate agent? Not for any reason that will be good for me and my sisters. “I just saw… Um, yeah, I’m going to start painting again.”
“That’s great news,” he says, his concern clear across the line. “What did you just see?”
I hesitate because I know if I tell Levi, he’ll start digging into my dad again. And it feels selfish to ask him to do that. But this isn’t just about me. It’s about my sisters. I need to know what Dad’s up to. “It just surprised me to see my dad and Trisha leaving the real estate agent’s office. They’re probably doing something totally normal, right?”
“Which agent?”
“Jamie Stinson,” I say. “Maybe Dad knows him from when he lived here before. I’m sure it’s totally innocent.”
“Jamie Stinson moved here a year ago.”
I chew on my lip, thinking it over. “The deed is in Mom and Dad’s name. He can’t sell the house without Mom signing off, right? Maybe he and Trish just want their own place.”
“I’ll look into it.”
“Levi. I’m not asking you—”
“You’re not asking me. I’m asking you, Gentry. Can I help you with this? Can you trust me enough for this?”
“Levi. Don’t do anything crazy.”
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep you and your sisters safe, but I won’t go behind your back again. Tell me you’re okay with me helping you, and I’ll do my best to keep you in the loop.”
“Okay. Thank you, Levi. I…” But I don’t know what else to say. I miss him so much, but I’m still not ready to forgive him.
“Don’t thank me yet. I don’t have any proof, but I’ve got a feeling… Just keep an eye on your dad and don’t make any big changes right now, okay?”
“What do you know?”
“Nothing that means anything yet. Call me if you find out anything big, and I’ll do my best to keep in touch with you.”
“Levi? What are you—”
“Be careful, Gentry.”
He hangs up, and I stare at the phone, my heart sinking. Whatever Levi’s already found can’t be good. And that combined with Dad talking to a real estate agent…
I don’t know much for sure, but I know I have to do everything I can to keep Dad from selling our house.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Gentry
Somehow, I manage not to question my dad until I find him alone later that night. He’s in the den, watching sports ball and scrolling on his phone. Trisha’s in their room, talking loudly on the phone. The kids are holed up in their rooms, supposedly doing homework but probably watching something mindless on the Internet.
“Hey, Dad,” I say. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
He pauses the game and turns to face me. He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Sure, kiddo. What’s up?”
