Love Today Read Online Free

meet her and her husband-to-be.
    I could understand why Zack held a personal interest in the wedding. His brother was the groom.
    I met with Melissa and Jason twice that week . I made the thirty-minute trip from Everett to Bellevue on Tuesday, and then on Thursday we met at the Seattle hotel that the wedding would be taking place. I really enjoyed working with them , and I knew it was going to be a great experience.
    Again I saw Zack at the soccer fields that Saturday. I was somewhat disappointed that my sister was actually at the game that day, but I was annoyed for a different reason. I kind of liked having Maggie to myself to use as an excuse if I had to. Now it would be pretty obvious that she wasn’t actually my daughter, and I wasn’t sure if Zack would think that to be better or worse. Maybe he liked the idea of dating another mom with a child the same age as his. I’d already determined that he wasn’t married—he didn’t wear a ring—and I was sure he wouldn’t be interested in a person publicly if he had someone in his life already. So yeah, I was a little intimidated by soccer dad, especially now that Maggie couldn’t be my crutch.
    “So you ready for tomorrow?” Zack asked after the games were over. Again he’d wandered over to the field that we were on, but Rachel was the one handing out treats with Maggie, and I was left all alone.
    “I am ready. I’m really excited.”
    “ My brother and Melissa really like you,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about you.”
    “Oh, yeah? Are they the things tha t I made up just because I knew it’d get passed along to you?”
    He laughed, but I was embarrassed when he said, “That means you wanted me to think good things about you?”
    I could feel my cheeks turn warm. Jeez, was I that stupid?
    I tried to recover quickly when I said, “Well, I prefer you to remember those things and not the vomit on your shoes.”
    He laughed again, seeming to agree, but said, “I’ve been puked on before. Not a big deal. Do you want to make that up to me? –Because I’ll let you be my date to the wedding.”
    I was a little surprised, yes, but I answered , “I’m employed by the bride and groom. Sorry.”
    “Ah,” he replied with a nod. “So that means post-wedding date? I’m free all next week.”
    Thankfully my niece saved me by handing over a Twinkie. “Oh, for me? Thanks, munchkin.”
    “Bye,” she also said.
    “Oh, are you leaving with Abigail now? Okay, you be good. No bullying her brother this time, got it?”
    She giggled. “He’s a pain .”
    That made me laugh. “Yes, most boys are.” I looked at Zack deliberately, but he seemed to agree with a nod. Rachel was busy talking with a few other parents, so I took the liberty of reminding Maggie of her manners while she played at someone else’s house, and then I made her give me a hug.
    “I’ll miss you,” I told her. “Have fun.”
    She skipped off to join Abigail and her parents, so I waved at them to acknowledge that I knew Maggie was leaving.
    My sister glanced my way as I grabbed my stuff, and she just waved as well. I guess she was busy enough, so I didn’t bother her with formal goodbyes .
    “You have plans for the rest of the day?” Zack asked me. “You are now childless.”
    I scrambled for something to say, an excuse I guess, but nothing came to me. I wasn’t very good at lying, but I was okay with letting him think that Maggie was my kid . I felt safer that way. I really was awkward when it came to guys and dating, but jeez, now I’d resorted to using my four-year-old niece as an excuse?
    “I don’t really have anything set in stone,” I finally replied. “But I do have some things I need to get done at home while I have the chance.”
    He didn’t respond to my lame excuse, but we’d made it all the way to my car again, and it was his turn in the conversation. He didn’t say anything though, and I didn’t have anything to put away that time to busy myself