Page 3 of Finding Redemption

“No problem, Mr. Pennington,” she responds.

Riley holds the door as I walk out. “You think she’ll stay?”

“Yes. She’s an excellent assistant.”

“She’d have to be to work with you.” He smirks as we open the car doors.

“Asshat.”

Riley starts the car, pulls out of the parking lot and onto Highway Seventeen toward his waiting bride-to-be. I’m happy for my brother, but I’m also a little jealous. Nobody to blame there but myself.

“Ava’s blowing up my phone,” he grunts, pulling his phone from his pocket at the first light.

“I’ll apologize. I can’t fucking sleep.” I lay my head against the cool glass, hoping it’ll stop pounding.

“Because of the move?” Riley questions, quickly texting something before laying his phone on the seat when the light changes.

“Everything.” I drag my hand over my face.

“Yeah, I can understand. It must be hard being good looking, rich, having your own law firm and all the potential in the world.” He smirks. “Helluva hard life.”

My jaw ticks as I glare out the passenger window. “You’ll never understand. You haven’t done the things I’ve done.”

“I’ve made my share of mistakes.”

I glance at him. “Oh, yeah. I remember that one time.” I smirk when he flips me off.

“Fucker,” he says as I pick at my thumbnail, trying to clear my thoughts.

My soon-to-be sister-in-law stands at the front of the men’s wear store. Her black hair peeks from under the white-blonde, drawing attention to her curvy body that could stop traffic. But it’s the smile on her face that brings men to their knees. She’s a helluva woman, in more ways than one.

If I didn’t know better, she was tapping her foot as we parked. As Riley steps out of the vehicle, Ava’s face lights up. There it is, the look on my little brother’s face is worth everything. My chest tightens as memories cloud my vision.

“You’re late. I was worried,” She presses her lips into a thin line, narrowing her eyes. Riley reaches her, taking Ava in his arms and leaning her back to place a kiss on her lips. When he releases her, she murmurs, “You’re forgiven.”

“Thanks for waiting.” Riley kisses her again.

“It’s the least I could do. You waited for me long enough.” She wrinkles her nose and giggles.

“And you’re both making me wait. Get to movin’, lovebirds.”

“Hey, brother,” Ava greets me with a kiss on my cheek.

“I overslept. Sorry.” I shrug my shoulders.

Riley fell in love with Ava when he was six-years-old. We’re four years his senior. After running to the Army to try to forget Ava when she had a baby with one of our childhood friends, he came home still in love with his favorite version of trouble, and they finally found each other.

If only love was that easy.

“We’re fine. You’re here, so let’s go order some tuxes.” She locks her arms with ours as we walk toward the door.

“Where’s Dad?” I ask.

“Already gone.” Ava’s eyes flicker to Riley.

“Wonderful. Guess I’ll hear about it later.” I grimace, thinking of the conversation about responsibility coming my way.

“It’s all good.” Riley holds the door open. “Ava blamed it on me.”