The Marriage Adventure. Hannah Bernard

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      “Yes! I would have needed years of therapy to get over it! I didn’t get therapy, so I’m scarred for life, and it’s your fault.”

      Eddie’s eyes twinkled in hurt innocence. “It was locked in a jar. It couldn’t have harmed you. It was just a nature lesson.”

      “Just like old times,” Kara said. “Too bad your parents are so far away, Eddie. Still happy in Egypt, aren’t they?”

      “Yup. They love it there. Dad has a new obsession with mummies and a secret fantasy of discovering a lost tomb. Mom just rolls her eyes and enjoys the sunshine.”

      “Good for them. I did reach your sister on her cell phone, but she and Samuel are out of town for that workshop for a few more days, aren’t they?”

      “Yes. I haven’t even seen Jenny since I got back. And I haven’t seen Samuel since he was a baby. Really looking forward to it.”

      “We haven’t seen her in ages, either. She told me getting a competent sitter for Samuel is almost impossible so she rarely leaves the house these days. Well, sit down, kids. Birthday dinner coming up.”

      Her parents and Eddie talked business over dinner, and as she had little to contribute to a discussion about rafting and gliding, Maria felt free to space out and think about Marius and his adventures.

      Finally. Eddie was the perfect model for Marius. It would all come together now—and about time. Her deadline was approaching too rapidly. She stared at Eddie as much as she could without it looking weird, and hardly tasted the wonderful food as all the missing scenes came to life in her mind’s eye. Finally.

      She woke up abruptly from her musings when her father started talking about Intrepid Adventurers, possibilities for the company’s future, the new things Eddie would bring to the business, expansion and all sorts of things she’d never heard about before.

      She cleared her mind of Marius and his adventures and focused. There was no mistake: the conversation was sounding more and more as if they thought Eddie would one day take over Intrepid Adventurers. A lot of fatherly advice was being dished out—and then she caught her mother’s gaze, moving between her and Eddie with a secret smile.

      It became terribly obvious and terribly embarrassing what they were thinking, and she felt like sinking under the table—or pouring gravy over their heads. She prayed that Eddie wasn’t catching on to their matchmaking scheme.

      Eddie to take over Intrepid Adventurers one day—when they got married.

      It had been a running joke when they were kids, but had faded away when Eddie got old enough to find the constant jokes about his promised child bride annoying and embarrassing.

      Now, out of nowhere, it had resurfaced.

      What were her parents thinking?

      She did her best to steer the conversation in a safer direction, and succeeded, then cornered her mother off in the kitchen as dessert was about to be served. “Mom, have you and Dad lost your minds?”

      “Not recently,” Mom replied. “Why? You in the lost and found business now?”

      “You know what I’m talking about, Mom! What do you think you’re doing?”

      Mom looked innocent as ever, digging in the fridge for something. Maria hoped it involved chocolate. She needed chocolate. “What? What are we doing?”

      “Eddie!”

      “What about Eddie?”

      “Come on! All this talk about the future of the company! I know this was funny when I was five, but now it sounds like you’re trying to sell me off! Arranged marriages went out of fashion quite a while ago, you know!”

      Her mother just shook her head and stared at her in astonishment. “Arranged marriages? What in the world are you talking about?”

      “Look, Mom, you can forget it. There’s never going to be anything between Eddie and me. Even if I were madly in love with the guy, I wouldn’t want him because he’s not good for me. I want a boring life, okay? I spent all my childhood with a couple of adventurers, I wouldn’t want another one if he came served on a silver platter.” Of course, on a silver platter in nothing but a bow…Maria bit hard on her lip. Brain, please cooperate, she ordered. What was with the sudden bow fetish, anyway?

      “Wait, love. What did you just say? You saying you’re madly in love with Eddie?”

      Mom had always had selective hearing. She was also looking joyfully surprised. Maria rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth at the same time. “No! I’m not in love with Eddie! I would never, ever, in a million years, get involved with someone like him. So forget it!”

      “Ouch. You just broke my heart, kid.”

      Eddie and her father were standing behind them, carrying piles of dishes. She didn’t care he’d heard. In fact, all the better. It would rid him of any misconceptions he had after that terribly embarrassing dinner conversation. “Don’t call me kid!” she snapped.

      “Look, honey…” he said, and she gritted her teeth even harder because he’d called her honey and she liked that much more than kid. She held up a hand and cut him off.

      “Eddie, I’m sorry about my parents’ nostalgia, but don’t worry. I’m not in on the plot. I don’t want you.” She smiled to show it was nothing personal. “No offense. If you’re ever the last man on earth, I promise to reconsider. You know, for the future of mankind.”

      Eddie put the dishes away and clutched his chest in pretend pain. “Ow! That’s the only loophole? You’d only have me in order to save the human race from extinction?”

      “You’re being silly, Maria. And you’ve got it all wrong,” her father said, frowning. “This has nothing to do with you. Eddie is buying Intrepid Adventurers. The deal should be final next month.”

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