Ready or Not (The Ready Series Book 4)

by J. L. Berg

  From the moment he had come screaming into this world, everything revolved around him. Even my career had become about him. I wanted to be someone he could look up to and respect. I’d worked hard to get to where I was, finishing college by night and taking classes in between working forty hours a week. Nothing I’d accomplished was ever easy, but I’d managed it all. I hoped he would one day see that anything in life was possible if he tried hard enough.

  I jotted a few words onto a sticky note and stuck it on his door before racing into my room to change. The note would probably go unnoticed since he tended to sleep until I’d pull him out of bed and force him to get ready for the day camp where he went while I was at work.

  He’d tried to persuade me that he was old enough to stay home by himself, but I wasn’t quite convinced.

  A couple of minutes later, I was back downstairs in a pair of running shorts and a T-shirt, ready to go.

  “No shirtless running today, Jackson?” she mocked as we walked out the door.

  “Wouldn’t want to cause a riot.” I grinned as we stretched.

  We started out slow, jogging down the street at a leisurely pace, as our muscles warmed and lengthened.

  “Do you run every morning?” I asked as my feet hit a steady rhythm.

  “No, I try to mix it up. I ride my bike some days and do yoga on other days. I get bored easily.”

  “And what about Don Juan DeMarco? Are you bored of him yet?”

  She slightly turned her head, smirking at my reference to her ridiculous date.

  “Hmm…I don’t know. Our evening got cut short. He didn’t have the same reaction to the balloons as me, so he went home early.”

  I couldn’t help the smug look of satisfaction spreading across my lips.

  “That’s too bad,” I commented.

  “Mmhmm…”

  “What do you see in a guy like that anyway?” I asked.

  Our speed slowed slightly as we curved around a turn and crossed the road.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He was unlike you in every way.”

  “You mean, just like you?” she goaded.

  “I mean, in the ways that count. He didn’t seem genuine or caring. He didn’t look at you the way you deserve to be looked at.”

  We all but slowed to a stop as her eyes found mine.

  “And what way is that?” she said.

  “Like the sun was made just for you,” I said. “You deserve more.”

  I didn’t realize that we’d stopped. Standing face-to-face in the middle of an empty street, her eyes met mine, budding with promise before she blinked, and I watched the moment drift away with the wind.

  “And you got all this after a two-minute meeting with him?” she asked, trying to bring our conversation back to light and casual.

  “I’m very wise,” I answered, smiling.

  “A wise lawyer? That’s a new one.”

  “Smart-ass.”

  “Race you back to the house?” she yelled before taking off in a hard sprint.

  Trying to catch up, I chased her down the street.

  Somehow, I didn’t think it would be the last time I chased after Olivia Prescott.

  ~Jackson~

  Liv was in the forefront of my mind the rest of the morning.

  While I showered, I pictured her beautiful bikini-clad body walking toward me as the glint of her belly-button ring winked and sparkled under the sunlight. I thought of her smile and quick-witted sense of humor as I flipped eggs and poured cereal for Noah before quickly scurrying out the door for work. It was her face I thought of as the elevator climbed up to the fifteenth floor, bringing me to Jeffrey, Morgan, and Stein—one of the most prestigious law firms in the area, and my new employer.

  It had been roughly two weeks since I first walked through these glass doors and took my new position as associate attorney. I had a long road ahead of me and a lot of ladders to climb, but for once in my life, I felt like I was being judged for my merit and not for which people I knew. Being the new kid on the block was never easy, but so far, I’d earned several gold stars. I had a fierce, ready-for-anything attitude and zeal for success.

  “Good morning, Mr. Reid,” a sweet voice greeted me from behind.

  I turned to see my secretary moving toward me with a fresh cup of coffee in her perfectly manicured hands.

  “Good morning, Kate,” I replied. “You know, you can call me Jackson.”

  She smiled sheepishly as I took the cup from her, my fingers briefly brushing hers.

  “It just sounds so intimate,” she admitted, her eyes turning away, as a blush stained her cheeks.

  Kate was everything a single young lawyer like myself could hope to find in a woman. She was beautiful, smart, and charming. Her body could bring a man to his knees, and I was nearly there, but something was stopping me. Something was keeping me from taking the plunge on what I knew would be a sure thing with Kate, and it had little to do with our work situation.

  In the back of my head, I already knew.

  Kate was exactly how I’d envisioned my perfect girl next door. She was everything I’d wanted but exactly the opposite of what my body craved.

  I’d found that girl next door, and she was nothing like what I’d expected.

  “Well then, I guess we can stick to formalities for now,” I responded politely.

  Her blush quickly faded as she straightened and regained her professional composure.

  I had no idea where things were going with Liv, but I knew where they were not headed with my secretary.

  Kate was perfect for someone else maybe, but she was definitely not for me—at least not anymore.

  At work, my dick would stay firmly in my pants.

  At home—well, the verdict was still out on that. I’d made the same promise regarding Olivia Prescott, but damn, if I didn’t want to break it. I’d never met a woman who could drive me insane and set me on fire at the same exact time. It was a recipe for disaster, but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to try, even for just a night.

  Looking around, I walked to the row of windows highlighting the Richmond skyline. Rays of orange and yellow sun streaks were making their way through the clouds, heating up the early morning air. As I looked down at the city, everything still felt so foreign, so new. I’d spent many childhood summers here, but places had looked different through the eyes of a child. Gazing down at the city now as an adult, it was as if I had just arrived for the first time.

  We’d been here for two weeks, and I still hadn’t found the time to take Noah anywhere. We hadn’t even been out to eat.

  He must be bored out of his mind.

  “I think I’m going to work until noon today and then take a few hours off,” I suddenly announced as I made my way to my office door.

  “Okay, Mr. Reid. I’ll clear your schedule. Anything special planned?” she inquired.

  “I think my son and I need to spend some time getting to know our new city,” I answered.

  “You picked me up early?” Noah said in amazement as he got into the car.

  “I did,” I said as I did the same.

  “You never pick me up early.”

  His stunned and confused expression left me feeling happy and ashamed in the same breath. I was glad my job was flexible enough that I could take a few hours of my day to finally spend some much overdue time with my son. At the same time, I was sad that it had taken me so long to realize how necessary it was.

  Had I really neglected Noah so thoroughly that an afternoon off from work was that much of a shock?

  “So, what are we going to do?” he asked, his eyes trained on the leafy green trees whizzing by.

  “I thought we’d walk around, check out different areas of the city. Liv said we’d never feel at home here until we explored and made this place our own, so that’s what I thought we would attempt today. Sound good?”

  “Better than craft time at camp. Crafts are for babies…and girls,” he answered.

 
I tousled his hair and laughed as he ducked away from me.

  As we turned onto the block leading to our street, he turned to me in question.

  “We’re just stopping at home, so I can ditch the suit. Ten minutes, tops.”

  He gave a nonverbal answer as we pulled up next to the curb. His car door flew open, and I watched him bounce down the lawn toward the front door. Within seconds, he had his key out, and he was walking through the front door.

  A car drove past, and I turned to find Liv parking her little blue Prius along the curb. She pushed the door open and stepped out, her eyes colliding with mine instantly.

  “Playing hooky today, counselor?” She smiled.

  “Might say the same thing about you,” I replied, stepping through the grass to meet her halfway.

  “I had taken a half day to spend the afternoon with Mia, but her son, Asher, came down with a cold, so it looks like I’m flying solo.”

  “Can I hire you as a tour guide for the afternoon?”

  Her eyes darted to our front door where Noah had just reappeared.

  “Finally taking my advice I see?”

  “Yeah,” I answered, “but I have no idea where to start.”

  Taking a leisurely gaze down my body, she grinned. “Start by stripping off that monkey suit, and I’ll handle the rest.”

  “Deal.”

  ~Liv~

  As soon as I saw Noah meandering out of the house in his I Heart Football shirt, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them. First, I wanted to make a few stops and show them the Richmond I loved.

  We also needed to eat. I was starving.

  Our first stop was one of my favorites, second to the farmers’ market. I loved Carytown. Here, you could shop the world, eat pretty much anything, and spend hours discovering new talent. It was the heart and center for art, music, and food in the area, and it was where I felt most at home. With brightly colored buildings and funky shops on every street corner, it was the one place in the city I never felt different.

  “So, what do you boys feel like eating?” I asked as I took the first available spot in the parking garage.

  “What’s good?” Jackson asked.

  Everyone hopped out of the car, and we began our journey.

  “Pretty much everything. There’s an awesome Thai place a block or so that way.” I pointed down the street. “Oh, and there’s a killer Mexican place right there,” I said, motioning to the brightly painted sign.

  Noah squinted his eyes and frowned. Jackson didn’t look too excited either.

  “Sushi?” I asked.

  Their faces fell further.

  I was beginning to guess my Charleston neighbors were not the adventurous eaters.

  “Um…pizza?” I suggested.

  Their eyes instantly lit up, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Okay, pizza it is!” I announced.

  We headed to the right in search of pizza. The place I selected was well known, a Richmond tradition for years, and had some of the best pizza in the area. I hoped my guys wouldn’t be disappointed.

  Once we were seated, a hush fell across the table as everyone’s attention fell to the menu.

  I peeked up over the top of mine and stole a glance at Jackson. His eyebrow rose, and a small smirk appeared at the corner of his lip.

  “Stop staring at me,” he whispered.

  “What are you ordering?”

  “A cheese pizza.”

  I snorted and shook my head.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I just would never have believed the super fancy lawyer ate like a five-year-old.”

  “I do not. I just enjoy basic food.”

  “You mean, boring food?” I quipped.

  “As opposed to whatever the hell—heck,” he amended, looking quickly over at Noah, who was still buried in his menu, “you eat. What was it you suggested? Thai food?”

  I nodded. “Just you wait, Jackson. I’m going to get you to love Thai food.”

  “Not in this lifetime, sweetheart.”

  Whenever he said sweetheart, his accent would grow thicker, and my panties would simultaneously grow wet.

  Smug bastard.

  The waitress came by to take our orders, faltering when her eyes stumbled on Jackson. She quickly righted herself when she saw me. She must have assumed Noah, Jackson and me made a happy little family. I didn’t bother correcting her. She could keep her eyes to herself.

  She needed to learn to be professional. That was the only reason I wanted her to stop eye-fucking Jackson, and damn it, I was sticking to that lie.

  Both men ordered a slice of cheese pizza, and I managed to keep my snicker to a minimum.

  “And for you, ma’am?” Miss Perky asked.

  “I’ll have the veggie calzone,” I answered.

  The waitress finished up and walked away. I couldn’t help but look up to see if Jackson was watching her very obvious saunter into the kitchen.

  His eyes were trained on me, and it gave me chills.

  “So, you don’t eat meat? Like, ever?” Noah asked, breaking our connection.

  “Um…what? Oh no. I haven’t for years.”

  “Why? That’s kind of weird,” he said.

  I laughed. I loved the raw honesty of a child. While most adults kept their opinions to themselves, only to voice them when in the restroom or after leaving for the evening, kids would be upfront—no pettiness, no games. It was refreshing.

  “I guess I just don’t like it,” I answered.

  “Not even steak? My dad makes the best steak.”

  “I bet he does, but no, especially not steak.”

  “Someday,” Jackson said, “I’ll get you to eat one of my steaks, and when I feed it to you, it will be the best damn meal of your life.”

  His voice deepened, and I wondered if the offer came with the option to lick his fingers clean as well.

  “Better than Thai?” I asked, trying to keep my brain out of the deep gutter I’d created.

  “Way better than Thai.” His lopsided grin nearly had me but I refused to be charmed.

  “Sorry, sweetheart,” I mocked his pet name from earlier, “never going to happen.”

  Our food arrived just then, and the conversation quickly died to a minimum as food became the main focus. I did manage to get Noah to talk about school a bit.

  “Are you excited?” I asked between bites.

  “I guess.” He shrugged.

  “That’s about all I can get out of him, too,” Jackson said.

  He had already managed to polish off his extra-large slice of pizza while I was still only three bites into mine.

  I gave Jackson a wink. He’s just playing it cool, I mouthed.

  We finished up lunch, and being the Southern gentleman he was, Jackson insisted on paying.

  “Are you sure? I can pay for my part,” I said.

  He stole the check out of my hand right after the waitress had placed it on the table.

  “I asked you to join us, so it’s my treat,” he pressed.

  “Okay,” I relented. “Thank you.”

  His eyes met mine once more, and he gave a brief nod.

  “Where are we off to next, tour guide?”

  “If our next stop doesn’t amaze you, I don’t know what will.”

  ~Jackson~

  Liv pulled the car into the parking spot and cut the engine.

  “Is this what I think it is?” I asked.

  “It depends on what you think this is,” she mocked.

  “Are we at the training camp for the Washington Redskins?” I looked around, watching families pile out of their cars, covered in burgundy jerseys.

  “Why then, yes, Jackson, this is in fact exactly what you think it is.” She smiled.

  “Holy shit,” Noah whispered from the backseat.

  “Noah!” I scolded even though I had been about to say the same thing. The little nut had just beaten me to it.

  “Did you not know the team trained here during the summer?” L
iv asked.

  We climbed out of her tiny car, the one she’d insisted on driving because mine was, as she’d put it, “a gas-guzzling ozone killer.”

  I helped her pull a few things from the trunk. The woman had come prepared with blankets, a few chairs, and even a picnic basket and cooler.

  “I knew. I mean, I heard from a few guys at work that the team practiced here.”

  “It’s a big thing for the local fans. They’ve only been training in Richmond for a couple of years, and it’s become one of the biggest events of the summer. We just need a ticket to get in,” she said, waving her hand in the air, “which we have.” She dove into her tiny purse and produced a printed piece of paper from its depths.

  I grabbed it and saw it was indeed the golden ticket to get us in. She stole it back just as we reached the gate and as if the gates of heaven were opening up, they let us proceed forward, and make our way to the field.

  “Whoa! Dad, look!” Noah exclaimed, pointing ahead, as the first string made their way across the grass.

  “This is amazing, Liv. Seriously. I would never have thought of this.”

  “I know. All the chemicals in your brain from that crappy food you eat clog the thought process.”

  I looked over at her and watched the serious face she was trying to uphold melt into a fit of laughter.

  “I’m kidding!” She giggled. “Mostly. Come on, let’s go, counselor.”

  Watching a training practice was light years different than seeing an actual game. There was no stadium or huge jumbotrons advertising various sponsors and vendors. It was simple and gave real fans the opportunity to see behind the scenes.

  We found an open spot of grass with a great view of the field. Together, the three of us spread out the large blanket and set up the two chairs for Liv and me while Noah lounged on the ground.

  “What do you have in here?” Noah asked, peeking in the basket.

  “Fruit and crackers. Some cheese as well as some water is in the cooler.”

  His face scrunched together in displeasure, and I laughed. Noah was not a fan of health food.

  “Some cookies might also be in there somewhere,” she said in a sweet tone.

  That kid’s cookie radar hadn’t lessened with age. In three seconds flat, he found the chocolate chip cookies, and he was stuffing one in his mouth.