Page 113 of It takes a Psychic

“They are your mothers. Of course they saw me coming. Just so you know, I didn’t simply introduce myself. I told them that I would be asking for your hand in marriage at some point in the near future. I wanted to give them a heads-up. Figured it was the traditional thing to do.”

“Wow. So that’s why we’ve got an appointment at the Banks agency tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow evening we will be having dinner with my family. We will continue to go through all of the conventional steps to a Covenant Marriage because that will satisfy everyone involved. But in the end, we will get married.”

“What happens if the Banks agency doesn’t think we’re a great match?”

“That’s not going to happen,” Oliver said.

“But if it does happen?”

“You and I got away with Pandora’s box and the key crystal the night of the reception. We avoided getting swept up in an FBPI raid. We found a long-lost Vortex machine—to say nothing of dismantling a cult and taking down a killer megalomaniac who was trying to become the next Vincent Lee Vance. We can figure out how to hack a matchmaking computer.”

She relaxed. “So you have a backup plan.”

“Always. For everything except for you. I don’t have a backup plan for any scenario where you are not in my life.”

She went into his arms with a sense of certainty that thrilled all of her senses. This was the right man.

“I love you, Oliver.”

“That’s all I need,” he said.

Chapter Fifty-One

The positive match from theBanks matchmaking agency (When it comes to Covenant Marriage, you can bank on Banks) came through twenty-four hours after they registered. Oliver was in the process of moving his things into Leona’s apartment when the news arrived on his phone.

Late that afternoon he took a break from arguing about which side of the walk-in closet would be his to pick up a bottle of champagne at a nearby wine shop. A small, private celebration was in order.

Leona smiled at him over the rim of the glass. “No backup plan required.”

“I told you we wouldn’t need one,” he said. “Sometimes you know when things are real.”

“Yes.”

The champagne led to an intimate dinner for two at a nearby restaurant and more champagne. Neither of them noticed when Roxy disappeared.

Chapter Fifty-Two

When the chaos ended, theattendant at the River of Alien Nightmares ride told the media that he never saw the dust bunnies coming. He pointed out that it was midnight and the Underworld Adventures theme park was thronged. He never had a chance to stop the pirates.

The dust bunnies materialized out of the shadows beneath the Great Wheel and a nearby row of food stalls and rushed the gate in what appeared to be a coordinated assault. “There was no way to secure the little suckers with the safety bar,” the attendant said. “All I can tell you is that the ringleader was wearing a blue hat with a lot of ribbons on it. I think it may have been a licensed emotional support dust bunny.”

Estimates of the actual number of pirates involved varied widely, but certain facts were not in dispute. The uninvited guests breached the gate at the dock and piled into one of the self-driving boats before the attendant realized what was happening. The vessel shot off on the artificialriver and disappeared into the dark ride. Much excited chortling could be heard.

The boat was empty when it appeared at the exit of the ride. The screaming began as soon as the next vessels filled with paying customers entered the tunnel. In the end, the hero of the night proved to be the server at the pizza stand. She and her team leaped into action and raced to the rescue. They set several pizzas into an empty boat. The attendant sent the vessel into the dark ride. The strategy worked. When the boat emerged at the exit point, it was crammed with dust bunnies dining on pizza.

Upon arriving at the gate, the pirates grabbed slices of leftover pizza and vanished back into the shadows. After all, the night was young. More adventures awaited down in the Underworld. On Harmony, the real excitement came afterdark.

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