Trouble in the Tarot (5 page)

“Oh, no, she doesn’t! This is our town. And besides,
Granny
was here first,” a Sister replied. “No one calls her Gertie.”

“Well,
Gertie
can come back later,” another Nana said. “We have plans.”

“Who says we don’t?” another Sister responded. “We certainly don’t sit around on our bums.”

“I don’t know. You’re looking a little heavy on the bottom to me,” someone else chimed in.

Meanwhile, Granny and Fiona kept tugging the bag of flour back and forth between them, knocking over
display cases and various items off the shelves. Gretta scrambled after them, attempting to pick up the mess and hollering at them to cease and desist at once or she would call the cops.

“Ladies, stop this at once.” I tried to step between them. “This isn’t doing anyone any good. You’re acting like children. The bakeoff isn’t until Sunday, for Pete’s sake.”

The bag of flour ripped in half, with a shower of white flying up in the air like a snow globe at Christmastime. The women stumbled backward, leaving me standing alone in the middle with no umbrella. I thought to hold my breath, thank goodness, until all the flour settled. The room quieted as I blinked to clear my eyes. There wasn’t a speck on me that wasn’t snow white.

That was the exact moment Mitch Stone walked back into my life.

He strode through the doors, stopped, and stared. More like gaped. His usual scowl was gone, and the corners of his full lips tipped up ever so slightly as he arched a thick black brow and let his gaze run over every inch of me. His ink black hair was tousled from the summer breeze, and his whiskered face was in need of a shave.

The long jagged scar on his square jaw pulsed in his obvious attempt to stifle a laugh, but it was his dark eyes that held me captive. I hadn’t seen him in two months. He looked amazing, standing there with his hands on his hips in a tight gray T-shirt and jeans, while I looked like a big ole pastry puff mess.

Not the way I had wanted to greet him for the
first time. I had wanted to look hot…not like a hot-crossed bun.

“Why am I not surprised to see you involved in this ruckus, Tink?”

“Funny, Grumpy Pants,” I said with a smirk.

He’d nicknamed me Tink—short for Tinker Bell—when we first met, while I’d nicknamed him Grumpy Pants because of his permanent scowl and cranky disposition. Though I had to admit, he’d grown on me. The nicknames had somehow stuck but were uttered with much more endearment these days.

“I, uh, stopped by your fortune-teller booth at the carnival. You know, to see you first,” he said, looking awkward at having to reveal even that much affection, especially in front of a captive audience. “Sean was there, looking pretty comfortable.” Mitch frowned, his scowl slightly back. “Anyway,” he shrugged, “Sean sent me here.” Mitch surveyed the scene around him. “What on earth is going on?”

“Anyone care to tell
Detective
Stone what’s going on, ladies?” I crossed my arms and stared down the crowd.

“Whoops, look at the time. The flour’s all yours, Gertie,” Fiona said, and with that, she and her Nanas scooted out of the store as quickly as their little old legs could carry them.

“Darn right it is,” Granny Gert hollered after her. “And don’t bother coming back because I’m buying all the bags off the delivery truck, just see if I don’t.”

“Who’s going to pay for this mess and damaged goods?” Gretta asked.

“Don’t you worry, Ms. Frey. I’ll take care of the damages. I’ve got plenty of dough of the monetary kind in my shoe boxes and freezer bags back at the house. It will be worth every penny if Fiona gives up and leaves town for good. In the meantime, send me the bill, dear,” Granny said to Gretta. “I’ve got more cookies to bake.” She left the store without another word.

“Welcome home, Detective.” I gave him a sheepish grin.

“I’m not so sure I want to be back after all this.” He grunted. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“He’s all yours,” Gretta said to me. “It’s going to take me all day to clean up this mess.”

“Speaking of messes. I’d like to clean up a little myself. Rain check?” I asked Mitch, hoping he would understand.

His gaze softened. “Sure,” he said in a gentle tone. “I just got in anyway. I need to unpack and check in with the captain. I’ll call you later.”

“That sounds good.”

He looked like he wanted to hug me, but then he must have thought better of it. “See you later.” He turned to leave but stopped just short of the door and looked over his shoulder, a bit uncertain and a whole lot uncomfortable. Then he cleared his throat and said in that deep smooth voice I’d missed so much, “It’s good to see you again, Sunny.”

My smile came slow and sweet, and my heart fluttered as I melted inside. “You too, Mitch. Really good.”

He nodded once and then walked out the door.

3

The rest of the day went by in a blur. After showering and changing at home, I went back to the carnival and sent Sean home. I kept my eyes open, but there were so many outsiders in town because of the carnival, it was hard to see anything suspicious. Nothing eventful happened to top the mini-mart incident, so I went home that evening to wait for Mitch to call.

He didn’t.

It was only his first night back and he had a lot to do, but still. What about me? Us? Didn’t he miss me like I did him? He hadn’t dated in a very long time. Maybe he’d forgotten how. Who was I kidding? Maybe this was all one big mistake.

Morty appeared at that moment and gave me a
look that confirmed my doubts, his plaid bow tie firmly in place. It was hard to take him seriously when he looked like that. He wore a knowing expression, then stuck his nose in the air and pranced out of the room with his arrogance swirling cosmically around him. He’d warmed up a smidgen toward Mitch, but not enough to allow him into our lives on a more permanent basis.

The question was, could I?

Only one way to find out.

Wearing my shorty pajamas and fuzzy slippers, I wandered into the room I’d set aside for my readings. My sanctuary. Parting the strands of crystal beads, I entered and immediately felt at peace in the small cozy room. I took in the soft blue walls and inhaled the scent of my aromatherapy oils, feeling their calming effect.

I bypassed the plants and tropical fish tank in one corner and headed for the other corner that housed a small fireplace and my supply shelves. I pulled my tarot cards down and spread out a silk scarf on the old-fashioned tea table in the center of the room.

Sitting at the table, I shuffled my cards three times and thought about exactly what I wanted to know as I stared up at the constellations on my ceiling. I didn’t need to know what would happen in the past; I was more concerned with the future. Was I supposed to be with Mitch, and did our relationship stand a chance?

I chose a three-card spread with no positional order. I drew three cards and laid them all down at once, faceup, then studied the spread as a whole. I had drawn
the Major Arcana cards of VIII Strength and XIX The Sun and the Minor Arcana card the Two of Cups. Given the question that I’d asked, relief washed over me.

The strength card represented a calm controlling force that soothes a situation. It featured a woman with her hand on the head of a lion. The woman was necessary to the beast, calming and soothing his thoughts and guiding them in a healthy direction. Mitch needed me. I knew that much for sure.

The sun card represented a straightforward clarity that brings joy. Like my name and bright sunshine, it is positive, happy, and joyful. I could see beneath Mitch’s darkness and was pleased with what I’d uncovered. Being with him would make all things right in the world, and everything exactly as it should be.

But what I was most excited about was the Two of Cups. This card represented a deep emotional connection or attraction, making me believe our relationship really did stand a chance. The two indicated the relationship was new, and it verified there was a strong attraction between us, and that was a start. It didn’t predict the attraction would remain or last a long time, but it was enough for me to feel confident in pursuing what was between us.

If only it came with an instruction manual for him.

I wouldn’t get mad that he hadn’t called when he said he would. It wasn’t his fault I’d fantasized for two months about what his homecoming would be like. I would simply remain patient and calm and guide him
through the dating process. Because one thing was for certain…the man didn’t have a clue.

*    *    *

“It’s getting really hard to remain calm and patient,” I said on Monday morning to my best friend Jo in Warm Beginnings & Cozy Endings Café.

We’d just entered and passed by Ozzie, who looked a bit agitated. I didn’t know him, but I recognized him from the carnival when he’d been arguing with Quincy. Not two minutes later, we were nearly run over by two very large men in their haste to exit the café. They were two of the outsiders I’d seen hanging out at Animal Angels yesterday. Maybe Ozzie had an issue with allowing them to adopt one of his rescued dogs. Maybe they were the ones sabotaging the carnival because of it. Maybe it was time I started doing some digging.

“Earth to Sunny, I said maybe Mitch needs some help in the field of dating. It’s been a while, you know,” Jo said, leading me to a small, round wrought-iron table by the window, with a view of the library across the street. The waitress appeared and we placed our order for breakfast.

“Mitch doesn’t need an instruction manual for dating; he needs a knock upside the head.” I played with the handle on the ceramic mug sitting before me. Minutes later the waitress brought us our breakfast. I dug in immediately, regretting bringing up Mitch in the first place.

Jo studied me with her smoky gray eyes. As the owner of a bar, she was a student of human nature and had a knack for sizing up people just from looking at them. And since she’d started dating the local carpenter, Cole West, she’d become wise in the ways of love. “Knock him upside the head, then.” She wagged her winged auburn brows. “And then make his boo-boo all better.”

I laughed. “I would if I ever saw the man. He’s been home for two days, and I’ve only seen him once. Saturday he spent all day sorting his belongings back in order and settling in. I get that. I mean, he’s been gone for two whole months.”

I traced the rim of the mug with my fingertip. “But then Sunday he called me from his office saying he’d have to reschedule our date for Monday because it was going to take him all night to get caught up at work. What the heck is up with that? If you were gone that long, wouldn’t you want to see the person you supposedly cared about?”

“Look on the bright side.” She took a bite of toast and looked off as though considering her words. “Today is Monday, so you should get to see him tonight, right?”

“
Should
is the operative word.” I sipped my raspberry cocoa, almost afraid to utter the words running through my mind out loud. “With my luck, that won’t happen, either.”

“What happened to my optimistic Sunny?” Jo chugged her espresso.

“The pessimistic clouds have rolled in and rained on my parade.”

“This is a busy week for everyone, sweetie. You really can’t complain too much because your days are consumed with the carnival. Don’t you have lunch and dinner breaks?”

“Yes, but so far none of our breaks have been at the same time. It feels like he’s not even home. I have been looking forward to him coming home for so long now, but I think I talked to him more when he was away. That’s depressing.”

“It will get better. You just have to get through this week.”

“Easier said than done. Something suspicious is going on at the carnival. Quincy and Ozzie are butting heads for some reason. Sam and Bernadette are trying to outdo each other in the bakery department. Strangers in town are acting suspicious. And the Sewing Sisters and Knitting Nanas are at each other constantly. Granny says Fiona has always tried to outdo her, and she’s at it again. It’s not just the two of them, either. Both groups are more competitive than high school athletic teams. You’d think they were teenagers with the amount of energy they suddenly have. I’m exhausted just watching them. I don’t think they’ll stop until someone gets hurt. Meanwhile, I’m spending all my energy trying to make sure the carnival doesn’t get ruined, and no one seems to care.”

“Listen to you. You sound like a mother hen.”

“I can’t help it. If one more thing happens, I’m putting them all in a time-out and calling it quits.”

“Come on. I’ll drop you off at the carnival before
you’re late. When did Big Don say your car would be ready?”

Big Don was a giant of a man at six-foot-six. He ran the local auto body and had finally opened his eyes to Lulubelle—a jovial woman who was the head of the Bunco Babes, had more gossip than anyone in town, and had a heart as big as her triple chins. Seemed everyone was in a relationship these days except me.

I tried not to let my social life get me down. “Tonight. He’s just giving her a tune-up for me,” I answered as I followed Jo outside and climbed into her big Suburban.