AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Liza felt herself grinning from ear to ear. “You look like royalty!”
“It’s… exactly what I wanted! Simple, sophisticated, and elegant."
Maggie carefully walked toward Liza and gave her a gentle hug. “I can’t believe I get to wear a wedding dress designed by my sister!”
“I can’t believe youwantto wear a wedding dress that I designed!”
After staring in the mirror a few more minutes and snapping some photos, Maggie reluctantly changed out of the dress.
“We should probably get going.”
“Oh yeah, what time does your church start?” Liza asked.
Maggie laughed. “Aww, you were going to go to church with me?”
“That’s what you said we were doing…”
“I just said that to see what you’d say. But I know church isn’t really your thing, so I thought today we’d go to brunch and then get our nails done.”
“It’s not that I don’t like church, it’s just… I don’t know. When mom made us go as kids, it seemed like the pastor was speaking a different language, and I always had to fight falling asleep.”
Maggie slipped her shoes on as Liza grabbed her coat. “Well, there’s a new pastor at Grace River. I really like his style because he makes the messages relatable. If you ever do feel like going, you might like it there.”
“Good to know.” Liza nodded. “Can we get breakfast? I’m starving.”
After stopping at Java Jill’s—the closest thing to Starbucks in Oakville—Liza and Maggie sat in comfy massage chairs while having their toes painted.
Maggie’s phone vibrated. Looking down she told Liza, “Mom just asked if I prefer doves, peacocks, or butterflies.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know… Maybe the send-off when we leave the reception?” Maggie guessed.
“It’s December. You can't release butterflies!”
“That wouldn’t stop Deborah Eckland. Just for fun, I’m gonna say peacocks.” Maggie typed her response quickly into her phone.
“This I have to see. Is she just gonna have a herd of peacocks roaming? And why are you letting mom be in charge of everything?”
“She’s not in charge ofeverything." Maggie leaned her head back. "I’ve always wanted to get married at Pleasant Valley. It’s the most beautiful and quaint country church. And it’s tiny, so I get to choose who's invited to the ceremony. That’s the part I care about, so I told mom that she could organize the reception.”
“You know the guest list is going to be like five hundred people, right?”
“By the time we get to the reception, Chase and I will be married. That’s all that matters to me.”
“So, you put mom in charge of the reception to keep her occupied?”
“Exactly.”
“Maggie Jayne Eckland, clever girl.” Liza spoke in her best British accent. “Didn’t know you were so sly.”
“Hey, if there’s one thing Mom can do—it’s throw a party. I’m just playing to her strengths while at the same time keeping her from driving me crazy.”
Liza settled into the heated chair. “I gotta admit, I'm intrigued to see what mom pulls together. It's going to be completely over the top. That’s not exactly your style.”
Maggie shrugged. “I don’t even think I’ll notice. I’ll be happily married to Chase.”
Liza shook her head and peered over at her sister. Her outward appearance looked pretty much the same. She had a light in her eyes that was new, but it was her overall attitude that Liza kept tripping over. Moving to LA and getting engaged to Chase had changed her—in a good way. She seemed unbothered by pretty much everything.
