Page 38 of Mountain Man’s Mystic Touch

“Apple, cinnamon bark, and woodsmoke,” I tell her.

“He would call that breakfast, work, and everything he owns.”

Chloe laughs. “Jack would ask whether the woodsmoke was a warning.”

“Rocco did,” I say.

Both women look at me.

“Rocco with Blackridge?” Chloe asks.

“Yes.”

“He inspected the venue,” she says. “Jack liked him.”

“Rocco is very thorough.”

I gesture toward the cards before the conversation can wander further. “Which of you booked the reading?”

“Me.” Chloe sits and takes another look around the booth. “Delaney booked the massage.”

“She insisted,” Delaney says. “I mentioned that my neck was tight after working at a computer all week.”

“You also said Mason’s solution involved removing your clothes.”

“That was not a complaint.”

Chloe looks at me. “Now you understand why we came together.”

I laugh as I sit across from her. “Have you had a tarot reading before?”

“Once in college. The woman told me I would meet a mysterious dark-haired stranger.”

“Did you?”

“I met several. None of them were Jack.”

“That sounds like a useful elimination process.”

Delaney slips into a chair near the display and lifts her cider. “I told her not to ask whether Jack is her destiny. If he isn’t, she has no intention of returning him.”

“Correct,” Chloe says. “I’m also not asking how many children we’ll have, when I’ll die, or whether Jack is secretly plotting anything.”

“Does he secretly plot often?”

“Frequently. Usually construction.”

I take out the cards. “Then what would you like to explore?”

Chloe’s humor softens. “The wedding venue we’ve created.”

Her fingers rest around the cider cup. A simple ring catches the lantern light.

“It has grown faster than we expected,” she continues. “The autumn campaign brought inquiries from all over the state. We’ve already booked more weddings for next year than I thought we would, and Jack is talking about adding two additional guest cabins.”

“That sounds positive.”

“It is. I think.” She glances toward Delaney. “I wanted this, but sometimes I look at everything happening and wonder whether we’re building a place we love or creating something that will eventually own us.”