Ready or Not (The Ready Series Book 4)(49)

The elevator dinged, and all three of us exited out the double doors toward my car.

“Noah said when he asked you to take him school shopping, your suggestions were terrible. Ralph Lauren? Really, Jackson?”

“What? I buy stuff there!” I scoffed, unlocking the truck so both of them could climb inside.

I’d won a game of rock-paper-scissors last night so the gas guzzling ozone killer was our ride of choice tonight.

We’d come back later to pick up Liv’s tiny circus car.

“Suits and clothes for work, Jackson! You don’t buy school clothes there!”

“Okay,” I relented. “Point taken.”

We all took our seats in the truck, and I revved up the engine. I drove out of the parking lot and stopped at the light just outside the gate.

“So, where are we headed?” I asked.

“Where else do tweens and teenagers go to get cool clothes?” she asked.

“Obviously not Ralph Lauren.”

“The mall, silly.”

This was going to be a long night.





Jackson

Who knew shopping could be that exhausting?

Besides the brief stop at the food court, we’d hit every major retailer that sold clothes in Noah’s size. I could barely see beyond the four-thousand bags in my hands on the way out. I’d thought we would be in and out, an hour tops, considering I’d spent a fortune to enroll Noah in a prestigious school that had uniforms four days a week.

Who knew shopping for that one free day would be so time-consuming?

Wasn’t this a chick thing—worrying about clothes and what other kids thought? Being the father of a boy, I always figured I wouldn’t have to worry about such things, but I was quickly realizing that middle school was an exception to the rule. It made everyone nervous, gender be damned.

After we got home and Noah raced upstairs to most likely play video games, I shuffled into the living room, still brimming with my grandmother’s antiques and handmade doilies, and I tried to remember what it was like to be Noah’s age. Taking a peek out the window where I’d watched Liv disappear into her own house minutes earlier, I recalled that eager, nervous feeling I’d had when starting a new school and settling into a completely different way of life.

Middle school was the big leagues as far as any kid was concerned. It was when a kid would put away dolls or action figures and grow up. It was a hard middle road, one that I still recalled living. Even though I couldn’t remember making my mother buy me clothes or worrying about my haircut for the first day of school, I did remember coming home and racing up the stairs to play with my favorite toy and realizing I couldn’t—or shouldn’t.

What if the other kids found out? Would they call me a baby?

Sadly, I had packed everything up and stuffed it under my bed, saying good-bye to the little boy I’d been the day before.

I guessed Noah had been doing the same thing all summer.

The familiar sound reminding me of wild elephants alerted me that my son was flying down those ancient wooden steps once again. No matter how many times I’d reminded him, he’d always take them two at a time and race down as if he were being hunted by an ax murderer.

“Hey, Dad! Bye, Dad!” he announced before running to the door. A stuffed backpack was slung over his shoulder.

“Hold on!” I called out, halting him mid-step.

He turned just before he reached the front entrance, and a smug grin was on his face.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked, wrapping my arms across my chest.

This was my fierce, imposing dad pose. It was supposed to cause fear and rampant obedience. It wasn’t working. He didn’t look threatened.

“I’m spending the night at Leah and Declan’s house. They have a son around my age. His name is Connor. He likes soccer, too, and baseball and Xbox.”

My head hurt. Too many words were coming out of his mouth at once.

“You mean Liv’s friend Leah—the one I’ve never met?” I asked.

“Yep.” He shrugged.

So damn confused.

“And you’re spending the night?”

“Yeah, Liv called and said Leah and Declan had a son named Connor, and he really wanted to meet me, so they invited me over to spend the night. Pretty cool, huh?”

“Uh…”

“So, I’m gonna go. Leah is picking me up, and she just texted to say she’s outside. I sent you the number. It’s on your phone. See you tomorrow! Bye!”

Then, he was gone, just like that.

What the hell?

I stood there in a daze. I turned back to the window and watched as a beautiful blonde woman around Liv’s age greeted my son. A young boy got out of the car, and he waved at Noah. Minutes later, they were gone.

I’d been dragged through the mall for hours with nothing more than a crappy hot dog to keep me going. I’d spent hundreds of dollars on clothes my son apparently needed to feel grounded and better about this life-altering shift in his existence.

Now, Liv had taken it upon herself to send him away for a bros’ sleepover—without my permission.

I was not in a good mood.

Stalking forward, I yanked the door by the handle and stomped forward. That woman was about to get a piece of my mind. We might be close, but there were lines, and this was one of them.