Yes, I have no patience, but I figure no one will argue when I just up and release a book without warning. Catching Lizzy came out on Friday, and I’m thrilled with the feedback I’ve received so far. It’s not a long story, but it was just the light-hearted romp I needed after a few Regency stories in a row. The first reviews and ratings are in and it seems a lot of people enjoyed a low-angst feel good tale for the holidays.

“L.L. Diamond has once again treated her readers to a delightfully feel-good story, that starts out with a hilarious situation followed by an unforgettable introduction. The story is funny, romantic, steamy, and sentimental. I got teary a couple of times, but only in joyous kind of way.” – Marie, Goodreads

“Who doesn’t love a sweet holiday romance Darcy and Lizzy, his adorable 3-year-old, her BFF Richard…and kittens! “ – mainmom5, Amazon

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, ladies!!

For those who have read or or going to read, I have a Pinterest inspiration board I used when writing. You can see the inspiration for Lizzy’s wedding gown and other fun bits. I love Pinterest when I’m writing. There’s no end to the fun stuff, not to mention inspiration, you can find.

So, I’m still previewing Chapter 3 for those who haven’t read the story yet. If you haven’t read Chapter 1 or Chapter 2, click the links. After, I’m offering 3 ebooks of Catching Lizzy for 3 lucky winners, so don’t forget to comment to enter the drawing.

Happy reading!

Chapter 3

I pulled into the long driveway and followed the winding path until we reached the house. After two hours on the road, Lizzy had awakened, and her semi-sober state had been too much. The bottle of Patròn now contained less than half, and my best friend was a giggling, crying mess—albeit rarely at the same time. She would one moment say something that made her start laughing hysterically, and the next, she would mention Faith or Jane or some other devastating consequence of today and dissolve into sobs.

As we drew up to the garage, her eyes perked up. “Oooh, pretty.” Even I had to admit, my cousin’s house was impressive with the long, wooded driveway and its situation facing out over the lake. She hadn’t even seen the main façade of the property yet.

“Grab the garage door opener out of the glove compartment, please.”

Lizzy fumbled with the latch for a moment before the door dropped, and she startled. She brought the controller closer to her face and concentrated on the gadget like the fate of the free world depended on her pressing the button. After two attempts, the door opened.

After she tossed the controller back into the glove compartment, she relaxed back into the seat and raised the bottle of Patròn to her lips yet again. Shit! I needed to slow her down. My cousin was going to have kittens!

As soon as I had the truck inside, I reached over and took the bottle. “Whoa! Let’s slow down. I don’t want to have to carry you.”

“You want some tequila?” She pushed the open bottle in front of my face. The familiar tang made my nose crinkle. I’d had a particularly bad experience with tequila a few years ago after a breakup. Other than the occasional margarita, I never touched the stuff.

“No, but why don’t you let me hold it for you?”

Thankfully, she passed the bottle of clear liquid over to me without argument, then peered down at her lap. “Where’s my phone?”

“You threw it out the window a couple of hours ago. Don’t you remember?”

She snorted and covered her nose for a moment. “Oh, yeah.” A fit of drunken giggles made her bend over at the waist.

I hopped out to plug in the truck before making my way to her side of the vehicle. When I opened the passenger-side door, she all but fell on me, and I grabbed her to steady her on her feet. “Come on, let’s get you some water and a bed.”

“I’m not ready to go to sleep yet. I have to finish the bottle of tequi… tequil… tequila.”

“Sweetheart, I really don’t want to make a trip to the ER tonight. Why don’t we save the tequila for in the morning?” I’d be pouring it down the drain tonight, but she didn’t need to know that. 

“Good idea, Dickie. I knew there was a reason I kept you around.” She lightly slapped her palms on my chest before she turned toward the door.

I had an arm around her back as I supported her on unsteady legs into the house. “You keep me around because I’m your best friend. Who else will you get to shop with you for the perfect dress?”

“Not Faith! She doesn’t like my fashion sense.”

“Yes, well, Faith is a dumbass with an unhealthy addiction to lace.”

Lizzy buried her nose in my neck and snort laughed. If I hadn’t already known she was wasted, that would’ve been a sure sign. “Did you see the suit she bought for the wedding?” Her head lolled onto my shoulder while she looked at me.

“I did. She looked like a baby blue doily.”

My friend grinned. “Lace blouse, lace covered coat, and lace covered skirt. There’s nothing Faith can’t find in lace. It’s an evil superpower.”

No, Faith’s evil superpower was taking a beautiful and talented woman and reducing her to a self-conscious, approval-seeking mess. As much as Lizzy knew the truth for herself, I wasn’t going to beat her over the head by bringing all that up. She had to make the decision to stop allowing herself to be her mother’s punching bag once and for all, and I would be her staunchest supporter when that day came. I could only hope this was finally that day!

When we reached the living room, Will Darcy, my cousin, stood with his arms crossed over his chest, the forbidding expression he was famous for pasted upon his face. “Richard, what in the hell is going on?”

Lizzy dragged her head up. “Dickie, who’s the hottie with the stick up his ass? That scowl might just scare Faith, it’s so good.”

I fought to keep from laughing when Will’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “You brought one of your drunk friends to my house?”

“It’s a long story. Which room can I put her in?”

“Are you sure she’s not going to vomit?”

I glanced down at Lizzy, whose eyes appeared as though she was having a difficult time staying awake, but so far, she had no green around the gills. “I think she’s fine at the moment, but Mrs. R.’s puking pot would certainly not be refused.”

Will’s jaw clenched and released. “Georgie’s upstairs, so you’ll need to bring her to a hotel.”

“It’s after eight! Georgie’s asleep like the rule-following little mini-me she is. By the time your daughter wakes in the morning, Lizzy’ll be sober, and no doubt, nursing one heck of an alcohol and emotional hangover.”

“Lizzy? You mean the Lizzy?”

“Yes, the one you refused to ever meet.”

My cousin’s foot began to tap in a furious rhythm upon the wood floor. “Because you were attempting to set us up. Don’t get any ideas, Richard. I’m not interested.”

“Why would I want to be fixed up with a tight ass like you?” Lizzy swayed with a finger pointing at Will’s chest. “Geez, and I thought Bill could be a prick.” She flounced the skirt of her dress, then giggled again. “These bows are the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Is she wearing a wedding gown?”

“What an astute observation! Yes, it’s a wedding dress. She ran out on her wedding today and needed a friend to help her get away so she could think. I brought her here because you’ve said I’m always welcome, and this is the perfect place for her to gain some perspective on her life. Now, can I take her upstairs before I have to carry her?”

“I don’t feel so good.”

This time, when I glanced down, she was green. Fuck!

Before I could shuffle her into the half-bath down the hall, she folded over at the waist and puked all over my cousin’s bare feet. Will squeezed his eyes closed, his nose scrunched, and his lips pressed tightly together.

“Will—”

“Take her upstairs. Second door on the left. That room has an en-suite. You won’t be able to leave her alone tonight. She’ll need someone to watch over her to make sure she doesn’t get sick in her sleep. But I do want to talk to you after you get her settled in.”

We turned at a gasp to my cousin’s nanny/housekeeper standing in the doorway. “Oh, sir! I’ll be back in a moment with some towels.”

Lizzy slumped against me, and I groaned. “Crap! I guess I’m carrying her now.”