AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You live over the Star Parlor?” Owen is on his knees at the table, picking the meat off his stick with his fingers.
“I do.” Britt nods, using a fork to do the same.
“Dad said that place is a bunch of hogwash.” My throat tightens. Perfection slipping. “Ryan said you took him there when he was a little boy, and there’s lots of candles and incense. He said it’s a magic place where you do card tricks to read the future.”
Britt cuts worried eyes to me. “Um, well, you see… Ahh…” She blinks a few times, looking at me again as if waiting for me to help.
“It’s okay.” I shrug, glancing at my plate.
Her family is what it is. Her past is what it is, and if this thing between us is going to go anywhere, we can’t hide it from Owen.
She exhales, speaking slowly as if she’s choosing her words. “It’s not actually magic, but it’s not card tricks either.”
“What is it then?” Owen wrinkles his little-boy face picking up his corn and chewing on one side.
“Tarot cards were invented hundreds of years ago, back when people didn’t have a lot of tools to help them make sense of their world or their lives. Each card has a different picture on it, and the pictures can have lots of different meanings. Fortune tellers say they can predict the future using them…”
My son’s eyes grow wide. “Did you ever predict people’s futures?”
She answers quickly, shaking her head with a little laugh. “No.”
“Did your mom?”
This time her answer isn’t as fast. Her eyes blink down to her plate, and a hint of frustration filters through my chest.
When she finally answers, she’s again choosing her words. “Some people think she did, but my mom has a gift.”
“A magic gift?”
My hands are on the bench beside me, and my fingers tighten as I wait to see what she’ll say, and how I’ll deal with it.
“No.” She shakes her head. “She has a strong sense of empathy, which means she’s really good at reading people’s emotions. She’ll ask a lot of questions, and get an idea of what’s bothering you. Then when she deals the cards, she reads them in a way that gives you comfort.”
Owen’s brow furrows, and he looks up at me. “That sounds kind of nice.”
Britt jumps in immediately. “It’s very nice at first. The problem is people start believing she really is reading their future, then they start living their lives by what she says, then they depend on magic to make all their decisions, and when bad things happen, because bad things always happen, they don’t understand why it all came crashing down when they believed…”
Her voice breaks off, and she puts her fingers on her mouth, blinking up at me guiltily. I see she’s still struggling with oversharing, and I give her a consoling smile. My urge to hold her hand is strong.
Owen nods in a knowing way. “It’s like when I thought I was going to get a puppy for Christmas, and I believed Santa Claus was going to make it happen, and it didn’t happen and now I don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore, but dad says I can’t say that to my friends because some little kids still believe in him, and their parents will get mad at me if I say he’s not real.”
I sit up straighter, clearing my throat and feeling unexpectedly thrown under the bus. “It’s not the right time for a puppy, Owen. Dogs are a lot of work, and our schedule is too tight.”
Britt’s eyes flicker with amusement, and she jumps in to save me. “It’s exactly like that, Owen. You’re very smart.”
“My teacher says that.” He nods, hopping off the bench and running around to where Edward is lying on the deck at Britt’s feet. “It’s okay, because Edward’s a great dog, and I think he’s going to win the race tomorrow.”
“I hope so.” A gentle smile curls her lips, and I hesitate, watching them from where I sit.
The two of them play, and I long to pull Britt into my arms in the growing twilight. We made it through that little eddy, and the idea of us together grows stronger in my chest.
Britt reaches down to scrub her fingers lightly in Owen’s hair. “You need to find an old T-shirt or socks to lure Edward instead of Zander. I’d feel terrible if something bad happened to your friend.”
“He wouldn’t hurt Zander. Would you, boy?” Owen cups Edwards jowls, leaning forward to touch their noses.
Britt glances up at me, and I give her a supportive wink. “Britt’s right, little man. Even if he didn’t mean to, Edward could still hurt Zander pretty bad.”
Britt exhales a cough as she sips her beer, then she stands. “I’ve had such a good time with you guys. Dinner was delicious, Aiden. Owen, I can’t wait for the race tomorrow, and I hope Edward wins.” She’s moving quickly as she speaks, and I’m confused by this sudden change. It’s like something went wrong, and I missed it. “I have to work in the morning, so I’d better get on the road before it gets too dark.”
