Page 57 of Doing It for Love

“You can show me tomorrow, then.” She starts lazily stroking my head again. “And you never answered me.”

“About what?”

“Landon’s family. Do you think they’re able to help out with the flowers and tuxedos?”

“Oh…um…I don’t know.” I drum my fingers along her knee. “I suppose I could…I could ask.”

That conversation is bound to go smoothly. “Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Wangford, I know I completely ran my mouth at you, but let’s let bygones be bygones and give me some money.”

Mom tugs on my chin, eyebrows meeting in the middle of her forehead. And my frown that follows is completely involuntary.

“Landon’s mom hates me.”

Mom’s brows relax and she pinches my lip. “Of course she does. That’s what mother-in-laws do.”

“So you hate Landon? Peachy.”

She chuckles, smoothing my lengthy blond hair. “Why do you think she hates you?”

“I drank too much wine and I don’t know what I said to her, but it pissed her off enough to basically kick us out the next morning.”

“Oh, Lizzie…”

“First impressions are not my forte.”

“Something you and Landon have in common?”

She gets a snort out of me. “One of many things.”

“What else?”

“We’re both pretty competitive.”

“You found someone to butt heads with.” She pinches my nose. “Just what you need.”

“We like the theater. Broadway would be our weekly date if it weren’t so expensive. We’re both Leos. He has a great work ethic. He can’t cook, but he can sure order a mean takeout. We both have tattoos we’re not very proud of. Our favorite TV shows areThe Walking Dead, The Big Bang Theory,andSurvivor.He’s well-rounded, exciting, fun…And, of course, we’re bothhilarious.”

I twist around since Mom’s stopped her soothing strokes. There’s a slight glisten in her eyes.

“You have a tattoo? New York Lizzie is different from Georgia Lizzie.”

“Not really. I’m still picky about my vegetables. I still keep everything in Rubbermaid bins, my toes are always painted, and I have a Hurdle List for every life-changing event.”

She smiles, taps my arm so I move from her lap, and she pulls out her tablet.

The Hurdles for Planning Your Daughter’s Wedding

I pull my feet up on the couch and cuddle closer. The first one on the list gives my heart a warm squeeze.

1.Learn to let my Lizzie go…again.

“I don’t know why I put the biggest Hurdle first.” She laughs, squeezing me into her side. “I’ll never be able to get to the other ones.”

I bite my lip and push into her hold for a second, then reach to my laptop and pull up my own Hurdle List. I meant for her to see the one about telling her about the engagement, and how nervous I was, but she points to the top one on the list and raises an amused eyebrow.

“Operation Great Sex, huh?”

“That isnotthe one you’re supposed to be looking at.”

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