Page 21 of Pretend Girlfriend

“So you’re free next Saturday?” Marisa pushed.

“I guess I am! Which is nice, because the Blackhawks are playing that night.” I felt Danicka’s eyes on me, and I remembered what Landon said about needing to impress her. “Unless you guys wanted to get together? Maybe a girl’s night?”

“No, silly,” Marisa said. “The wedding! Landon doesn’t have a plus-one. I’d love for you to come.”

“Depends on what food you’re serving,” I joked back.

“Wagyu filets and garlic mashed potatoes.”

“Say no more. I’m in.”

“Oh yay!” Marisa exclaimed. She patted Bradyn’s arm. “Joanna says she can come to the wedding.”

“Landon said she couldn’t come.”

“I know! But she says she’s free now.”

“That’s wonderful,” Clark said.

I could feel it all spiraling out of control. Laughing, I said, “I was mostly joking. I’m technically on-call for work, and I’ll need to check my workload, because my boss likes to randomly dump assignments on us…”

Danicka put her hand over mine and leaned close. “Oh, Joanna. It would mean so much to me, and this family, if you came to the wedding. To see both of my boys with beautiful, smart women… it’s every mother’s dream.”

Make her happy, Landon had insisted. Tell her what she wants to hear.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me,” I said. “I’ll come to the wedding.”

Danicka threw her arms around me and gave me a motherly hug. “That’s what I was hoping you would say. We’re going to have so much fun! We need to talk about the dress you’re going to wear…”

“What’d I miss?” Landon asked while returning from the bathroom.

“Joanna’s coming to the wedding!” Marisa said.

Landon gave me a blank look. “Really? Because I thought—”

“That big case I was supposed to work this weekend? They settled out of court. I’m free now.”

“That’s… wonderful,” Landon carefully said. “But Marisa, I don’t want you to have to rearrange everything at the wedding just for my date.”

“It’s no problem at all! The wedding planner said she keeps one or two extra seats in case someone shows up who forgot to RSVP.”

“That’s Landon for you,” Danicka said, reaching around me to pinch her son’s arm. “Always hiding his girlfriends away where we don’t get to see them. Not this time! Joanna and I are going to have so much fun.”

The rest of dinner went smoothly. Everyone ordered dessert, except for Marisa, who said she wanted to make sure she fit into her dress next week.

Landon and I walked outside ahead of the others. As soon as we were alone, he spun me around and growled at me, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Making your mother happy. Like you told me to.”

“Tonight’s dinner was supposed to be an isolated event. An encore wasn’t part of the deal.”

“It’s fine!” I insisted, glancing back at the restaurant to make sure they wouldn’t see us arguing. “Wait a few days, then make up some excuse about why I can’t come. No problem.”

“Yes, problem,” Landon gritted out at me. His chiseled face was red with frustration. “My mother hates people who can’t keep their promises. If you don’t show up, she’s going to spend the entire wedding trying to get me to break up with you and date one of her colleagues.”

I smiled sweetly at him. “That sounds like a you problem. I met my end of the bargain tonight, and then some.”

“You ruined the evening,” Landon shot back. “I’m not helping you get that job, now.”

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