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home clarifying to Oliver that everything was okay and that Uncle Jax
wasn’t mean or hurting anyone. Which was true—he was just horny—but there was
no way to explain that to a three-and-a-half-year-old.
    “I’ve apologized to Katherine over and over again. I sent
flowers like Mom suggested, and even had the florist throw in a box of
chocolates and a little basket of soaps and crap. Not to mention I haven’t gone
anywhere near Lisa, so how long do I have to wait this out, huh?”
    “I don’t know and don’t really care. Right now, we’re
here to talk about what you plan to do after graduation.”
    He threw his leg over his knee, getting comfortable. “You
already know that answer. I just need a job to make some money. Something easy.”
    I held his gaze, considering his words. I did know what
his dream was, and it had nothing to do with an office building or a suit. And
as much as I wanted to hand him a check to make it happen, I knew it wasn’t the
right way.
    “No. If you work for me, it won’t be easy. You’ll start
from the bottom and earn your place.”
    “You sound like Dad,” he ground out.
    I ignored his statement and the stab that accompanied it.
“My architect Joe needs a new assistant. I think it will be a good start for
you.” I pushed back in my chair enough to open my top drawer, grabbing his
business card.
    “Joe? The big burly guy?”
    I nodded, extending my arm across the desk to hold out
the card. “Yeah, he’s expecting your call. He’s an ass, but he gets the job
done and needs someone to keep his shit together.”
    “An assistant—as in fetch coffee and schedule meetings?”
His brow puckered and nose turned up.
    “He has a secretary for his schedule. You just need to
fetch the coffee and do whatever else he needs so he can focus on the job.”
    “No fucking way.” He laughed as though I was joking. When
he realized I wasn’t, his grin melted away. “Screw you!” He snatched the card
from my hand, ripped it in two, then stood.
    I inhaled through my nose, eyes holding Jax in his place.
“Excuse me?” I grated through my clenched jaw.
    “You heard me! I’m not a dog.”
    “I’m aware. You’re a West, which means you need to stop
playing little-kid games and prove to this family that you have the drive it
takes to someday run a business—no matter what type it is.”
    “I wanted to work for you, but if you’re going to pawn me
off on some nobody, then I’ll take my chances with Dad. And like you said,
Lawrence will come around eventually, and when he does, I know he’ll find me a
better job than as someone’s bitch.” He turned on his heel and stormed to the
door.
    “Jackson!” I called out. He stopped in his tracks, but
didn’t bother to look back. “I expect that suit dry cleaned and returned to my
closet by Monday morning.”
    He said nothing, his anger evident in the clenched fists
at his sides as he exited the room, slamming the door behind him. I sat back in
my chair, wondering when I’d become my father. My goal was to give Jax a
reality check. He needed to know that he couldn’t just stroll in and expect
people to respect him because of his name. He needed to work for it, just as
Lawrence and I had. That work was the reason we were able to step out from our
father’s shadow early in business. We worked hard to make the right connections
and earn the respect of the right people. Because of that, we were able to join
forces and open our own company where we oversaw multiple ventures in different
areas executed.
    Like Julia, Jax only needed time to realize that without
a job, he’d have nothing. I only wanted to help ensure they were on track for
success. It wasn’t just for them, though. I wanted Oliver to be surrounded by a
strong working family—role models worth looking up to.
    I took one more peek at my calendar to confirm Jax was my
last meeting of the day. Since it was still early, I knew there was enough time
to make one stop before picking