Page 17 of Love in Overdrive

Here we go. Well, at least she’d made it to the table before her mom started in on the matchmaking. Laney shook her head no.

“Anyway, she was telling me about her son. I think you might like him.”

Her mom meant well, but Laney wasn’t in the right frame of mind to handle her matchmaking tonight. Usually, she would try to gently steer her mother away from the subject, and more often than not, she would end up meeting the man in question.

But not tonight. “Sure, like I liked the last guy you arranged for me to accidentally run into last month. What was his name? Oh yeah, I remember, Hubert.”

Her father cleared his throat. Crap. She was being disrespectful. But really? It was her life. Time to change the subject. She turned to Connor. “Did your team win last week?”

“What was wrong with Hubert? He was a perfectly lovely gentleman with a great medical and dental plan,” Laura said as she passed the beans down to Dean.

Attempt to divert, failed. “Mom, he whistled when he breathed and snorted like Aunt Loraine’s pug when he laughed.”

“He might’ve had a cold.”

“No, that was just Hubert, and besides, he had the worst comb-over I've ever seen.” Laney didn’t want to seem superficial, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell her mother about Hubert’s wandering hands. She hadn’t even gone on a date with him, only met him for coffee, and he was making a play for second base.

Laney contemplated making a dash for the door. All she wanted was to escape this conversation.

“Hubert, isn’t he the weird little man who rides the trike around town in the summer? Her sister jumped into the fray.

“He doesn’t drive. I think he’s going for the green lifestyle,” her mother added.

“Mom, he’s a creeper. Let Laney pick her own dates.”

Laney almost wept for joy at her sister’s response. Finally, someone who agreed with her.

“You aren’t getting any younger, sis. Maybe you should lower your standards and take Mom’s advice. Go out with this guy. He can’t be that bad.” Sawyer had extracted himself from the conversation on lures and bait to jump into their discussion. He was playing devil’s advocate, and she wanted to stab him with her fork.

She had had enough. “So, who are you dating, Sawyer? You’re older than me.”

He shoved the last bite of steak in his mouth, chewed three times, and swallowed. “Well, it’s been fun. Thanks for dinner, but I have a game to get to.”

“Coward,” Laney mouthed to him as he kissed their mother’s cheek and ran for the door.

“Jodell has been asked to take a new position at the hospital.” Shelly’s statement pulled her mother’s focus. Laney sent her sister a silent thank you.

After dinner was done, and the dishes were finished, Laney pulled on her boots. Her father wrapped her in his tree-trunk arms. “Remember to change your furnace filter.”

“I will, Dad.” Her father’s goofy little tips started the day she’d moved out on her own. But he’d upped his comments since the divorce. What he didn’t realize was that Pete wasn’t the handy one in the house. She was. Laney maintained it all. The cleaning, painting, even replacing her filters. But she just smiled. He meant well.

Her mother pulled her in. “I’ll see you Thursday.”

“Thursday?”

“My eye appointment. You’re driving me.”

“Oh, yes. I have it in my phone. See you then.” She pulled on her coat.

“I know this year has been… challenging. Keep an open mind and pray for the answers. Remember when God closes a door, he opens a window.”

Laney couldn’t help but think that the window God wanted to open for her must be painted shut, but she hugged her mother and waved goodbye to her sister and nephew.

On the way to the ice arena, Laney replayed the conversations at dinner. Would it be nice to have someone special to come home to? Yes. Did she think her mom had the perfect guy for her? No.

“I’m not ready to date.” She wasn’t lying about that. Dating was equivalent to bra shopping in her mind. It was her least favorite thing to do.

She had to go to the store, browse all the different choices. Then try on bra after bra to find the right one. A bra that didn’t gap or pinch. A pretty one that supported her and had the right amount of lift. And after all that, hopefully, it made her feel sexy.

Yup. Just like men. Some pinch, some gap, and all she wanted was to be swept off her feet. No shopping involved.

A rueful chuckle filled the silence. What she really needed was a dog. Loyal, cuddly, and protective.

Someday.