Ready or Not (Ready #4)(41)

“It was more than that. I was always a little different. I never fit in with any of my parents’ friends’ kids—until Mia. Mia was like me, different and special. We got into our fair share of trouble, me especially.” She grinned.

“But soon after graduation, Mia left, and it was just me. I went off to college, and for the first time, I was on my own. It should have been liberating. I should have felt free, but I had this sudden realization that none of that would actually happen. I had always lived with the understanding that my parents would take care of me, so I wasn’t free or on my own, and I never would be until I learned to take care of myself. For the first time, I wanted to see what the world would be like without a safety net. So, I changed my major from business to sociology, and I told my parents I wanted to change the world.”

“Your parents didn’t approve?”

She shook her head as her hands wrapped around the warm cup. “No, not at all. My father was very upset. He gave me an ultimatum, thinking I would never be brave enough to defy him. But I did, and I’ve been on my own ever since.”

“They really let you walk away?”

“Not at first. My mother begged me to reconsider, but I knew what I wanted to do with my life. At this point, I think the press caught wind of some sort of family crisis, and that’s when the lines of communication severed completely. Two weeks later, I received a check in the mail with a note that said they loved me—a parting gift, I guess. That was how I paid for my house.”

“So, they helped you start over anyway?”

“Yeah”—she chuckled under her breath—“I guess they did.”

“Do you ever think about contacting them?”

“All the time,” she admitted.

“Why don’t you?”

She looked out the window and sighed. “Perhaps I’m hoping they’ll love me enough to make the first move.”

“What if that never happens, Liv?”

“Then, I guess I have my answer.”

~Jackson~

Liv looked up at me, her lips curved into a flirtatious grin that held mischief and humor. The serene water of the lake sparkled behind her. Boats zoomed by the windows on occasion, making white trails in the dark blue waves.

“Do you…have any eights?” she asked.

I shook my head, unable to keep from smiling back at her. “Go fish.”

“Damn it. I have half the deck already!”

“Guess I should have warned you that the Reid men are supreme masters of Go Fish.” I laughed.

“I should have given up after Noah kicked my butt the first time.”

She threw a piece of popcorn at Noah, and he chuckled.

“It’s not my fault you suck at this game.”

“Hey, be nice to your elders.”

“You’re not my elder. You’re just Liv.”

She didn’t respond, but the way she bit her lip, trying to cover the shy smile spreading across her face, told me Noah’s response meant a lot to her.

Since that evening when I’d found Liv against her front door, frightened and scared, as a man she’d once trusted tried to take advantage of her, I’d watched her slowly coming back to life.

It had only been a few days, but I’d started to recognize the fiery woman I’d grown to know. Every day that pushed us further from that moment, she would come out of her shell more. The first day had been the worst. We had spent the majority of the day wrapped around each other, watching old ’80s movies while eating popcorn and candy. I’d known it was bad when she ate an entire box of Milk Duds.

The following day, she’d seemed to find peace, going back to her patients and becoming immersed in their lives once more. It wasn’t until she’d come home and remembered I’d met with her father that I saw her falter.

“I didn’t tell him about you,” I assured her.

“How was he?” she asked quietly.

“In charge, commanding, and captivating.”

She nodded and fell into my arms. “I miss him.”

“I know.”

The instant her father had walked into the building, my fists had tightened, and the need to defend Liv had overwhelmed me. This man had hurt her.

The last man who had hurt her ended up with a broken nose and a trip to jail.

Yet, her father had stood in front of me, and I couldn’t do a damn thing.

It had been excruciating to shake his hand and talk to him as if he were just another potential client and not the man who had crushed her heart.

I had wanted to ask him so many things.

Why?

How could he have forgotten about her? How could anyone forget about someone as amazing as Liv?

But I had Noah and bills and a life of responsibilities that I couldn’t forget.

So, I had let reason win that day. I’d managed to keep my job and land the client my boss wanted so badly.

It looked like I’d be spending a lot more time with Senator Prescott.

“All right, I give up. I forfeit!” Liv threw her massive pile of cards down on the coffee table we were gathered around.

The quaint cabin Mark owned was light years from the definition of the word. It was massive, extravagant, and luxurious in every sense of the word. But Mark came from wealth, and he was a founding partner in one of the top firms in the city, so I guessed it made sense.