Trusting Stone Read Free Page B

been something of a stumbling block for her.
    Eden decided to ignore her discomfort and focus on the conversation at hand—whether Mara would say yes to her boyfriend, Enzo, who had asked her to marry him during their Easter break.
    “We’re so young , though. I still want to have fun. Sow my wild oats, right?” Mara exaggerated her accent, pretending her impeccable English was worse than it was. She knew when to play the sexy Spanish card, even with her friends. Eden giggled. She was going to miss her so much.
    “You’ve had plenty of opportunities to jump some bones here in Edinburgh, Mara, but you’d rather sit at home and chat with Enzo on Skype. Don’t give me that crap, you know you’re going to say yes.”
    There was no doubt that Mara was stunning. At five-foot-eight, she was taller than most women and she made no qualms about it. In fact, she insisted on wearing heels whenever the occasion called for it. She had jet-black hair that she wore in a razor sharp bob that hung just under her chin. Mara was naturally slender and that, added with her height, gave her a willowy appearance, making her look like she would do better on a catwalk than a boardroom, which was where she dreamt about being.
    Mixed with her Latin style and attitude, Mara was a whirlwind of intimidating sensuality once she got her nose out of a book. Whenever they went out, men were clearly intrigued by her and also slightly daunted. Mara was not a flirt, but she oozed sex and seemed to know it. Eden had never met Enzo, but she’d seen pictures and knew that, at least physically, he was a perfect match for Mara. He was easily over six feet tall and his own dark Spanish features seemed to mirror Mara’s.
    “I know, I know. I’m not serious. I just need to be sure about Enzo, you know? We’ve been together forever and I don’t want to make the wrong choice. I guess I’m just nervous about going home and facing my old life again.”
    “Oh Mara, you don’t have to tell me. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve logged in to try and change my flight date?”
    Eden was more than aware that moving all the way to Edinburgh hadn’t been nearly as hard as moving to New York was going to be. At least here she had a clear role as a student—she had classes to keep her busy, an internship at the Edinburgh Gallery, and a wonderful roommate to keep her occupied.
    In New York, she would be on her own. Well, not completely. She knew her parents had a list of numbers they would want her to call, mostly grown children of families that lived in Elmbridge, the elite Boston suburb where she grew up. But Eden never would contact them. And of course there was Joachim. She pushed the thought out of her head. For now, she was going to enjoy the day. She stretched back, taking in the scent that wafted over them from the aromatherapy candles, and breathed out.
    “And what about Joachim, Eden?” Mara obviously wasn’t going to let her off the hook after teasing her about Enzo.
    Eden had grown up with Joachim. Their parents were best friends and she had let slip to her roommate that she and Joachim had been dating on and off for years since she was 15. He had been her first and really only boyfriend. When she had left Boston for Edinburgh, not even stepping foot in New York where Joachim now lived, despite the St. Leonard’s connection, it had been clear that things were off with them, but that hadn’t stopped him from emailing her almost every week. They couldn’t really be classified as love letters, but general updates sprinkled with a few terms of endearment. Mara had snorted when Eden had waved off the emails as simply polite correspondence.
    “Correspondence! Really? I’m not sure this is the standard signature for ‘polite correspondence,’” Mara had said, pointing to Joachim’s signature that was the same at every email— miss you, yours always, Jo xx .
    “Is he still sending his weekly emails?” Mara continued.
    “Yes, but I