The Marriage Adventure by Hannah Bernard

Author:Hannah Bernard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

“MARIA, I think we’ve pretty much exhausted the subject of the weather, traffic and politics. Can we talk about our jump now?”

Maria sighed. Eddie had arrived almost an hour ago, and she’d been doing so well with small talk. Anything to avoid getting down to business. He’d brought scary books and scary brochures, and she could imagine that anything he had to say on the subject would be even worse.

She looked at him. Stared hard.

He didn’t look like a madman.

But he’d done this kind of thing hundreds of times. Willingly thrown himself out of an airplane thousands of feet above the ground. Climbed mountains with hundreds of feet of sheer drop behind him.

What made people do things like that?

Whatever it was that made people enjoy fear—it had kept Intrepid Adventurers going for almost fifty years now. Obviously she was missing something. There had to be something thrilling in risking your life—or at least having the impression you were risking your life.

Intrepid Adventurers rarely had accidents. Things were relatively safe. They just didn’t feel safe. And that was exactly the attraction, wasn’t it?

Why?

Maybe she should go back to university and research the phenomenon.

“Maria?” Eddie was waving a hand in front of her face. “You awake?”

“Do we have to talk about the jump?”

Eddie’s mouth moved as if to start on a long speech, then he settled for something short and to the point instead. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what I’m here for, remember? If you’re going to jump, don’t you want to know what you’re doing? Do you just want me to throw you out of the plane with no instructions or training?”

“I’ll jump with you, right? I won’t be on my own—I’ll just be along for the ride.”

“Yeah. The first time.”

“So I don’t need to know anything for now. I just need to show up and shut up.” Sleeping pills. That was the way. If she popped a couple of those on the way to the airstrip, she’d sleep her way down.

Eddie crossed his arms on his chest, showing off his pecs nicely. She looked the other way for now. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, scowling.

“Yes. Of course I’m sure.”

“Okay, then be serious about it and stop wasting my time. We need to prepare.” Eddie rose and got a bag from where he’d left it at the front door. He pulled out a skateboard and put it on the floor. Maria just stared.

“A skateboard? What are we doing with the skateboard? Is this a new thing? Riding the clouds?”

“You lie down on it.”

“Hmm. Kinky, but I don’t think so.”

Eddie looked blank for a moment, then he rolled his eyes even while he grinned at her. “Women. It’s hard to be a gallant hero in a world where you’re always ready to assume the worst of us. No. This is how we prepare. You’ll pretend you’re in free-fall, and I’ll show you the moves.”

“What? Why? What does the skateboard have to do with anything?”

“I can move the skateboard to give you a feeling for how you’ll be moving in the air.

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