Page 26 of The Marriage Game

“Is that the same movie where they go to Paris?” Brooke asks.

“Uh, no.”

“Oh. Well then I haven’t seen it.” She gives me an apologetic smile. “But this place looks like it, huh?”

“The views do. This building is way nicer. Anyway, not important.” I force a smile. “When do I get to ride a horse?”

Brooke and Hannah laugh. “We have couples’ horseback riding tomorrow,” Hannah tells me. “I thought I’d make the whole thing more romantic by orchestrating a situation where Luke has to rescue me, but then I remembered he doesn’t have any experience riding a horse.”

“Will does,” Brooke says slyly. “What sort of rescue scenario did you have in mind?”

“I don’t know,” Hannah muses. “I couldn’t think of one that wasn’t potentially life-threatening. All I know is that I imagined some sort of scenario where we ended up alone in the woods together.” She sighs dreamily, and my stomach clenches with a feeling that’s dangerously close to jealousy. I remember when I used to want to end up anywhere alone with Max.

Now if we’re alone together things usually take a businesslike direction: what’s on the schedule for the week ahead, how the kids are doing, did that bill that came in the mail get paid?

“Oh yes, alone time in the woods. Why is that not on the itinerary?” Brooke agrees. “Or at the very least we could be doing two riders to one horse.” Goodness nowshe’sgot a dreamy look on her face. Meanwhile— if Max and I had to share a horse he’d probably end up complaining about the brim of my cowboy hat hitting him in the face.

“I’ll suggest that to Dorothy,” Hannah declares and my ears perk up. Did she say…Dorothy?Before I can ask she goes on,“When Luke and I initially talked to her about her and her husband Mick coming, she told us a story about how she commandeered a retreat once because the itinerary was so dull. It was at a ski resort in Colorado, and she made every couple ride the ski lift until they came off looking as if they’d kissed each other senseless. She made one couple go around six times, but when they finally got off they were both grinning and wentstraight back to the lodge…if you know what I mean,” she finishes with a wink. “She said if that was the sort of retreat we wanted, then they’d love to come. I’ve never seen Luke so eager to book a speaker,” she adds with a laugh.

There’s a rushing in my ears. This cannot be happening. “Did you say Dorothy and Mick?” I squeak. Hannah nods and the rushing intensifies. I feel as if I’m underwater and the rest of the world has disappeared as my oxygen supply dwindles.

“What’s that you’re saying about me, Hannah?” Luke’s voice breaks into my panic. He slides a hand around his wife’s waist, giving her a squeeze.

“Oh just how excited you were to have Dorothy as a keynote speaker at the retreat,” Hannah says with a smirk of delight. “Especially after that ski lift story,” she adds mischievously. Luke, though, shows no signs of embarrassment.

“Oh yes,” he agrees. He turns his gaze on Will and Max. “You two can thank me later for booking her to come.”

Will chuckles. “I’ve read two of the books she wrote,” he tells us all. “There’s some crazy stories in them.” His eyes land on Brooke, and I’m embarrassed at the sight of the heat in his gaze. Good grief. Those two need to get a room. Or, you know, go to the one they already have.

“We should get our luggage,” I say hastily, suddenly desperate to get out of here, “but we’ll catch up with you guys later.”

“Oh sure,” Hannah sounds taken aback by my abrupt desire to depart. “You go unpack. We’ll find you at the welcome reception in an hour.”

“Sounds good,” I say with faux brightness. “See you then. Max, shall we?” I ask my husband as I turn to him. I almost flinch at the stony expression on his face. I was so wrapped up in my own horror over the fact that Dorothy is apparently the keynote speaker at this retreat, that I didn’t notice before. But now I don’t see how I missed it. Sure, he’s attempting to seem fine,but I’ve been married to him long enough to know that the tense posture of his shoulders, thin line of his mouth, and slight pinch of his eyes means he’s upset about something.

What happened during his time with Will and Luke to make him angry?

We walk outside in a silence charged with his fury. As soon as we’re at the car–and away from prying eyes– I tentatively ask, “Uh, Max, what’s wrong?”

He shakes his head. “Not here,” he says tightly, before deftly removing our luggage and setting off down the sidewalk to the side entrance of the lodge. “Our room’s this way,” he grunts. I grab my purse and the handle of my suitcase and hurry along after him, worry quickening my steps.

“Max, please,” I hiss as we go, “tell me what’s wrong.” Dread is making me both anxious and impatient.

“Not here,” he repeats.

We arrive outside our door and–after violently swiping the key card–Max leads the way inside. I can’t fully appreciate the amazing western aesthetic of our room because I’m too focused on Max and whatever it is that’s bothering him. “Now?” I plead.

Max whirls around so fast I swear I feel a breeze of anger blow my way. “Did you tell your sisters that you didn’t want me running for attorney general?” he demands.

“What? No–” the lie dies on my lips as his glare narrows. “May-maybe,” I stammer. “I mean…sort of, I guess. It was more like they knew I was looking forward to you being done with the senate…so they probably we’re able to infer from that…you know, that perhaps I might not want you to run.” My flimsy excuses aren’t helping. He only looks angrier. “Or I may have directly told them,” I add in a tiny voice.

“What?” The word bursts out of him so loudly that I flinch. “So youdon’twant me to run for attorney general?”

“I—” I squeak. His eyes bore into me. “No,” I whisper and shock flashes across Max’s face. It’s quickly replaced by his original ire.

“And you didn't think that was something I should hear from you instead of–oh, I don’t know, your sisters’ husbands?”

Again I flinch. “I didn’t know they would tell them…” I say lamely.

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