11. Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Wrapped in a blanket that still held Kieran’s woodsy scent, Addy dragged herself into the kitchen, filled the teakettle, and stared out the window at drizzly rain dripping from glossy madrona leaves. She should be sharing this peaceful moment with her new friend, but he’d bolted into the night.
Her heart ached for him, and for herself. Other than Liv, it had been ages since she’d met anyone so easy to talk to. Kieran’s warm, steady gaze held so much promise—but now, his absence echoed in the once-cozy cottage.
Damn it to hell and back, this was so unfair!
First, her own PTSD threatened the military career she’d called home for eleven years.
And now that she’d finally met a man who really got her, who busted through her defensive walls and gave her supernova orgasms, echoes of his own trauma menaced their budding connection.
How could she persuade Kieran to trust her with his darkness?
She filled a mug with steaming water, dunked in a tea bag, and trudged to the sofa. Snoot hopped up beside her and rested his chin on her thigh, his liquid eyes brimming with concern.
“I know, Bud.” She stroked his sleek head. “I miss him too, but he needs space.” She slumped against the cushions. “Which usually means the guy has changed his mind.” She sipped the tea, scalding her tongue, then set the mug down too hard and sloshed scorching liquid over her knuckles.
“Crap on a cracker!” She blew on the injured skin, which didn’t do a damn thing to ease the sting. Neither did Snoot’s tongue-swipe.
Tears prickled Addy’s eyes, and she hugged the Lab tightly. He rested his head on her shoulder and sighed.
“I’ve had one-night stands before, you know? Sometimes it was my idea, and sometimes the guy was dishonest about what he wanted, but Kieran seemed so sincere. And a guy who’s just out to get laid says all his sweet words before sex, not after.”
Snoot woofed softly.
“You’re right. I’ll text him.”
The dog nudged her cheek with his cold nose.
“Just once, then I’ll let him be.”
She fetched her phone from its charging stand and tapped out,
Last night was amazing. Please don’t let one bad dream come between us. When you’re ready to talk, I’m here.
After a trot on the beach with Snoot, Addy checked her phone again. Still no response from Kieran, who’d promised her a tour of the town and some special spot on the beach today before…
“Well, he’s not here, is he?” Addy forced a grim smile as she brushed out her wind-tangled hair. “And I’m not going to waste a beautiful day waiting for a call that might never come.”
She left Snoot with a new bully stick and headed into town, disappointment weighing her steps.
“Fake it till you feel it,” she muttered, but when she rounded the corner onto Main Street, the kitschy Halloween decorations coaxed a genuine smile to her lips.
Even in the off season, Trappers Cove embraced the funky, joyfully tacky vibe that drew tourists all summer.
So much more fun than her bland, new-construction neighborhood near the base.
She started with the little shops of Souvenir Galaxy, an UFO-themed outdoor mini mall where tinsel spiders, bats, and witches on broomsticks dangled over the brick pathways.
The window displays were cute, colorful, and inviting, but nothing tempted her inside to buy.
If Liv were here, she’d probably leave with armloads of shopping bags, but shopping alone? Meh.
Next door, the sugary, yeasty smells drifting from Sweet Dreams Bakery reminded her she’d skipped breakfast. Fortified with an almond Danish and an Earl Gray tea, she packed her sourdough loaf into her canvas tote and continued up Main Street, passing art galleries,— Why decorate when I’m moving soon?
, a neon-lit arcade— Kid stuff, and the cute bookstore— Already been there.
Pretty pathetic how, in a beach town brimming with amusements, nothing tempted her to play, or sample, or indulge. Kieran’s rejection had morphed her into a world-class grump.
Across the street, a garish window display caught her eye.
“Madame Zora’s Psychic Emporium.” She chuckled. “Well, that’s different.”
She moved closer to inspect the life-size skeleton wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and holding a wicked-looking carved dagger.
Real jack-o’-lanterns spilled glittering crystals from their grinning mouths.
LED candles flickered from brass candelabras draped with spider webs, and a menagerie of figurines—dragons, elves, fairies, trolls, Sasquatch, space aliens—danced around the tableau’s centerpiece, a glowing crystal skull.
“Very creative,” Addy murmured and stepped through the door.
The doorway bell’s merry tinkle greeted her, along with soothing pan flute music.
And wow, what a riot of colors and scents!
A stone Buddha on the counter wafted patchouli-rose incense.
Racks of rainbow-hued clothing crowded the narrow aisle, bumping up against book racks, glass display cases, trickling mini-fountains, hanging macrame plant holders, musical instruments from faraway lands, and an alluring array of crystals, some raw, others carved into pillars, wands, angels, skulls, dragons…
The proprietor, a short, round, grandmotherly woman with a pouf of gray curls and enormous dangly earrings, was busy at the counter helping a customer, so Addy drifted to the crystal display, running her fingers over their smooth coolness, their jagged points.
So many colors and textures. Fascinating, to think of all these beauties hiding in the earth.
A touch on her arm made her jump.
With a squeak, Addy set down the crystal she was examining and clapped her palm over her heart. “Sorry, you startled me.”
The old hippie mama smiled up at Addy, her dark eyes twinkling. “Jumpy, aren’t you?” She gave Addy’s arm a comforting pat. “I’m Zora. Tell me, what’s troubling you, dear?”
Hard to imagine a less frightening personage than this sweet-faced woman, dressed in Birkenstocks, leggings, and a fluttery batik tunic. Something about her smile invited trust.
“Too many things to count,” Addy confessed. “But mostly, I’m stuck on how to help a friend.”
“Ah?” Zora lifted a questioning eyebrow.
She was sorely tempted to pour it all out to this sympathetic stranger, but—
“It’s not really my place to explain his troubles.”
“I see.” Zora nodded sagely. “You’re a good friend for keeping his secrets.” She tilted her head toward a carved wooden screen at the back of the shop. “Tell you what—I know a way to offer insight without divulging sensitive information. Are you willing to try?”
What would that involve, Addy wondered? Crystal balls? Palmistry?
“On the house,” Zora added with a wink.
Addy shrugged. “Okay. Why not?”
“Excellent!” Zora beamed and rubbed her palms together. “But first, let’s find the stone you need. Hmm…” She ran a fingertip along the shelves. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Green.”
“And when’s your birthday?”
What did that have to do with pretty rocks? “June twenty-sixth.”
The little hippie mama nodded sagely. “Cancer. A homebody and a natural caretaker.”
A less polite person would’ve snorted in the old gal’s face. Ever since she left Smithsville, Addy took military life’s frequent moves in stride, and she damn sure wasn’t feeling very nurturing towards her family.
If Zora sensed her skepticism, she didn’t let on.
“Cancer is a cardinal water sign,” she continued, examining another basket of stones.
“You’re like a flowing river, always moving, navigating around difficulties and other people.
Cancers require healing rest because they give so much and care so deeply.
Ah!” She lifted a basket full of polished stones striped with shades of green from brightest emerald to darkest pine.
“Malachite is excellent for centering your psyche and making decisions when you’re in a state of emotional distress. ”
“Sounds perfect.” She couldn’t care less about that zodiac nonsense, but the stones were beautiful, reminding her of the deep-green Pacific Northwest forests she’d soon leave behind. She sifted them through her fingers, enjoying their cool heft, and finally selected a heart-shaped pendant.
“Good choice,” Zora remarked. “Wear it over your heart to guide you as you tackle whatever’s got you so on edge. Now, come with me.”
Addy followed her behind the screen to find the quintessential fortuneteller’s lair: a table draped in purple velvet, holding a by-God crystal ball and flanked by two plush armchairs. An antique sideboard held an ornate silver samovar and china teacups.
“Here, you’ll find this relaxing.” Zora filled a delicate cup with fragrant, spicy tea. “My special blend. Have a seat.”
She sat opposite Addy, removed the crystal ball, and winked. “That’s for the tourists. Locals get the real deal.” She interlaced her fingers and cracked her knuckles, then pulled out a deck of tarot cards wrapped in red silk.
Addy’s skepticism must’ve bled through her smile, because Zora added, “Just one card, dear. What can it hurt?”
Chiding herself for the shiver that raised goosebumps on her arms, Addy shrugged. “I guess forward progress requires a leap of faith, right?”
“It does indeed. Now, concentrate on the question you most need answered in this moment.”
That was easy. What the hell is my next step?
“Got it.”
While Zora shuffled, cards sliding through her hands like water, Addy wondered what Liv would say if she were here.
Hell, she’d probably laugh and ask for a reading—tarot cards, palmistry, crystal ball, the works.
Though a woman of science, Liv had a taste for adventure and a sense of humor—qualities Addy could use more of at this juncture.
Zora fanned the deck face-down on the table. “Pick the card that calls to you.”
Really, none of them did, so Addy picked one at random. Zora turned it over.
“Ah.” She nodded. “A very profound card.”
Addy peered at the illustration. This could not bode well—naked men, women, and children rising out of coffins, their arms raised toward an angel blowing a trumpet.
“Judgment,” Zora intoned, confirming Addy’s fears. “This card heralds absolution and the completion of a significant undertaking. It symbolizes learning from past life experiences, leading to a spiritual awakening.” She tapped the card with her forefinger. “Does that ring true?”
“I suppose. I’m in a place where I have to choose a path, but…” She snarled her fingers into her hair. “How do I decide? And why are these people naked?”
“Nudity symbolizes vulnerability and self-forgiveness.”
“Huh.” What did she need to forgive in herself? Surviving where others didn’t? Giving up on her toxic family? Both goals made perfect sense in her head, but in her guilt-addled gut, those battles were far from over.
“Life-altering decisions require lots of self-reflection,” Zora said. “To achieve personal growth, you’ve gotta peer under heavy rocks and examine all the ugly, squiggly things hiding there.” The older woman’s grin was infectious.
“Yeah, I’ve definitely got some ugly squigglies.”
Zora patted her hand. “We all do, dear. Don’t hide from them. You know what they say about bugs—they’re more afraid of you than you are of them.” She gave Addy’s hand a squeeze. “Just be honest with yourself and listen to your intuition.” She tapped the card again. “And there’s good news.”
“Oh?”
“The card is upright, which suggests you’re about to recognize your true intention. You’re standing on a promontory, overlooking all you’ve done and learned. Use this new perspective to heal your psychic wounds and move forward from the past.”
New perspective? Well, she was in a new place, meeting new people. Perhaps this time away from the hurry and pressure of her workaday life would reveal some crucial detail she’d missed.
“Okay, um, thanks very much,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“That’s my job, dear heart. I open people’s eyes to fresh viewpoints.”
The doorway bell tinkled, signaling a customer’s arrival, and Zora pushed her seat back. “Excuse me, Doctor. Come up when you’re ready.”
Addy’s brows slammed together. “How did you know?”
Grinning, Zora tapped the inside of Addy’s wrist.
“Oh, right.” A self-conscious flush heated Addy’s cheeks as she touched the tiny caduceus tattoo, souvenir of a drunken night out with her fellow first-year residents.
The old gal probably had no more psychic powers than Snoot did, but she was a keen observer, and her woo-woo advice was worth considering.
At the counter, Addy asked, “By the way, that tea is delicious. Do you sell it?”
“Good, isn’t it?” Zora pointed to a wire display rack. “This blend comes from Del Toro Botanicals, right here in Trappers Cove. Organic sage, blackberry leaves, lemon verbena, and ginger. Excellent remedy for overthinking.”
Addy paid for her purchases and, wandering home in a bit of a daze, contemplated the eerie tarot card, at once creepy and yet kind of…hopeful?
“Holy crud!” she exclaimed as she reached the cottage. “I wanted to ask her how to help Kieran.” Perhaps Zora’s message held something useful on that matter as well.
She chewed on that question as she unpacked her purchases and assembled a monstrous sandwich, truly a work of culinary art, but when she lifted it to her lips, her stomach twisted.
“Well, shit.” She set it on the counter with a disgusted sigh.
Attentive at her feet, Snoot wagged his tail, hoping she’d drop him some scraps.
“Sorry, Bud. Can’t have you getting an upset tummy in a rental.”
She checked her phone. Still no response from Kieran.
Her mind spinning, she stared at the sandwich. And stared. And stared.
“Well, why not?” she asked Snoot. “We connected over food twice now. Maybe…”
Humming to herself, she assembled another sandwich, washed two apples, and brewed a thermos of Zora’s tea, then tucked the picnic into her backpack.
Snoot needed his midday walk anyway, and some brisk exercise in the salty air would revive her appetite. She picked up the leash. “Come on, boy. Let’s go visit the keeper.”