“What were you thinking about?” she asked.
“Marriage,” he answered.
“Ah.” She nodded. “It makes me frown, too. Actually, just the thought of it gives me hives.”
“Why? Afraid you’ll be an old maid?” he asked.
She laughed. “Actually, no. I’m more afraid I’ll end up as someone’s missus. No thank you!”
“You don’t want to get married?” he asked in surprise.
“No, I don’t believe in it.”
“Oh no.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“What?”
“You sound just like my mother,” he said.
“She doesn’t believe in marriage?” she asked in astonishment.
“No, she and my father don’t believe in the institution of marriage,” he said.
“Wow, that’s remarkable.”
“No, it’s ridiculous,” he corrected her. “They’ve been together for thirty-five years. It’s just asinine.”
“But they’re happy?”
“Very.”
“Maybe they just know what works for them,” she offered.
“No, just they’re just ridiculous,” he said, unable to mask the affection in his voice.
“Oh, please,” she said. “I’ll tell you about ridiculous. My parents have seven marriages between them. Mom’s plunged four times. Dad’s jumped three.”
“You win.” Fisher raised his hands. “That’s...I don’t even know what. Is that why you don’t believe in marriage?”
“I’m sure it’s a part of it,” she said, “But, honestly, I’ve never...”
“Anne, here you are,” Stewart called as he came striding across the lawn toward them. “Eve is looking for you.”
“Oh, okay.” She turned to Fisher. “Excuse me, duty calls.”
“Sure.” He watched her yellow skirt swirl around her long legs and her hair swing across her back as she dashed across the lawn. His fingers tightened around his beer.
“Don’t lose your heart to that one.”
“What?” He turned to find Stewart standing beside him.
“Don’t lose your heart to her. She belongs to someone else.”
“You?” Fisher asked.
Stewart nodded. “She doesn’t know it yet, but we belong together.”
“Then you brought Tiffany because...?”
