Ready or Not (The Ready Series Book 4)(41)

“You’re his daughter,” I said, turning back to Liv.

She simply nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She shrugged. “I never tell anyone.”

Since I’d met Liv, she’d never mentioned family, and when she had, all she’d ever said was, there was none. Sure, they had the same last name but so did a lot of people. Plus, Liv didn’t exactly look like a senator’s daughter. I’d never even considered her elusive family could in fact be state royalty.

“What happened?”

“It’s a long story,” she replied.

“Well, why don’t I make us some coffee, and you can tell me about it?”

“Okay.”

She sat down at the small kitchen table, the one I’d sat at years before when I was small and came to visit for the summer. Nana would make pancakes and sing songs she’d learned from church while I’d color pictures or play with Legos on that worn, old oak tabletop.

Liv’s fingers slid across the grooves and dents that age had brought to the table as she gathered her thoughts. I poured us each a cup of coffee and grabbed the cream from the fridge. I sat down beside her and handed her a cup.

“My father was my world when I was growing up. He was the best kind of dad,” she said, smiling. “But then, he became Senator Prescott, and everything shifted—his focus, priorities and even me. His entire world revolved about his image, the next campaign, and what the voters thought. He was swept up in this whirlwind, and my mother and I were left by the sidelines to watch.”

“You grew apart,” I guessed.

She took a sip of her coffee, not bothering to add anything to it. I, on the other hand, poured in a hefty amount of cream and dumped in three spoonfuls of sugar before bringing the cup to my lips.

“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.