Page 218 of Chasing Sparks

Mina squeezes Ori’s hand, offering her a thin-lipped smile. “I’m thrilled for you and Ash. Really, I am. But ... I have a situation. Never mind me, we can talk about it later.”

“Or we can talk about it now.” Concern etches Ori’s face as she looks at her friend. “What’s going on?”

Mina rolls her shoulders and meets our gazes, determination flickering behind the tension. “My great-aunt has offered to sell me her dance studio in town.”

“That’s amazing,” Ori exclaims, clapping her hands together. “Mina, you can go back to dancing now. That’s your dream.”

Mina wrings her hands, pacing the area in front of the bar. “Yeah, but it’s not that simple. See, my great-aunt has attached a stipulation to the deal.”

“What kind of stipulation?” Braden asks, his brows furrowing.

Mina hesitates for a beat before exhaling sharply. “She wants me to settle down. As in, bemarried, before she’ll sign over any of the paperwork.”

“Whoa,” Braden murmurs, taking a long pull of his beer.

“Crazy, right? Ridiculous, especially in this day and age.”

“So, it would be a business deal?” I ask, hardly able to believe her great-aunt’s offbeat request is real.

Mina nods. “I guess so, though she couldn’t know that. But, it’s always been my dream to own a studio, so … um, do any of you happen to know someone who might want to marry me?”

THE END