Ready or Not (The Ready Series Book 4)(12)

“Uh—” he managed to say before I cut him off.

“She yelled at me. She told me I was overbearing and…and a lawyer!” I threw my hands up in the air in frustration before finally sitting down on the sofa across from my son.

“Well, you are a lawyer. She was right about that,” he chimed in.

“That’s not the point.”

“Okay.”

“We need to find a gardening store,” I announced suddenly. A wicked genius idea started to formulate in my head.

“Um…okay. Why?” He glanced out the window to catch a glimpse of the men still working outside.

“Because we are going to do a bit of gardening of our own today,” I answered. “Come on, let’s go.”

I may have received a few odd looks as we roamed the aisles of the gardening store, and I tried to keep the maniacal laughing to a minimum.

I said I tried.

When I told the staff member who had pulled the short straw and was sent over to help us what my plan was, he eagerly agreed to help us.

An hour later, we had enough supplies to fill up my entire truck bed.

Catching Liv’s stunned face as Noah and I began hauling bag after bag of bright red mulch out of the truck onto the grass of the backyard was worth every goddamn penny.

“What the hell is this?” she asked as she stepped off her patio and began walking toward the edge of the fence.

I thought seeing her in that flimsy robe had been a treat. Watching her walk up to me in a bikini had me nearly swallowing my tongue.

But this woman was the enemy now, and I had to keep my wits about me.

That meant keeping my thoughts to myself and my dick in my pants.

But damn, she was swinging her hips with her sun-kissed tan breasts peeking out of her bright orange top. Then, there was the belly-button ring, glinting and winking at me with each sway of her hips.

Focus. Must focus.

I shook my head and stared straight ahead, making sure my eyes wouldn’t waver again.

“We’re gardening,” I answered sweetly.

“Again?”

“Yes. Your love for gardening really brought out a side of me that I didn’t know existed. So, I decided to just go for it, you know?” I motioned toward the stacks of mulch and rows of various flowers that Noah and I had picked out. Nothing matched—seriously, nothing. There was no rhyme or reason to the plants we’d selected. I was betting half of them would die in a matter of weeks.

I was actually hoping for it. It would make the victory of this day so much sweeter.

“Is that what I think it is?” She pointed to my crowning achievement of the day as it was peeking out of a plastic bag.

“Oh, yes,” I answered, grinning. I bent down, pulled my new friend out, and firmly planted him into the lawn.

“Oh my God, that’s hideous. You’re not actually going to put that in your yard?”

I looked down at the bright pink plastic flamingo. “Oh, yes, I am. And he has an entire family in the truck. We couldn’t separate him from his mama.” I grinned.

“You’re insane!” she screamed.

“Right back at you, babe.”

With that, she turned around and stormed off, and I enjoyed the view of her ass and hips swaying all the way back to her house. The slamming of her door and the high-pitched scream were priceless.

Game, set, match.





Liv

Good friends were always there to listen and lend a helping hand.

Great friends did all of the above but also showed up at your doorstep bearing wine and food.

I had great friends.

I pulled my front door open and found my three best friends standing there with beaming smiles on their faces. “I am so glad all of you managed to find babysitters tonight!” I exclaimed with excitement.

“Babysitters?” Leah replied. “Who needs babysitters when we have husbands?”

“And grandmothers!” Clare chimed in, raising a bottle of merlot in enthusiasm.

“Well, let’s get this party started!” I said, ushering them in.

Mia followed the others inside and gave a wink as I helped her with her load of food and beverages.

They gathered around the kitchen island, and they all sat down on the comfy barstools I’d picked out from an eclectic boutique down the street as I began popping corks and setting out trays of food.

“So, we’re all mad at you, Liv,” Leah said, her fingers grabbing a handful of chips.

“Yeah, totally mad,” Clare agreed, pulling handfuls of cheese off the tray.

“Why? What the hell did I do this time?”

Being the only childless, single one, it could be anything really. Shaving my legs two days in a row could elicit a riot among them.

“Your hot new neighbor?” Clare said, raising an eyebrow. “We saw a glimpse of him as we were walking up. He was shirtless while working up a sweat. Don’t tell me you haven’t peeked outside your window.”

I sensed my change in color because I could already feel the heat of anger radiating through my pores.

“That neighbor,” I stated, “is a jackass.”

“Did you see that back, Liv?” Leah asked. “I think I need to go to the window to refresh my memory again!” She hopped off her chair and took off running.