I sure could use a little of that right now, I thought as I continued shuffling.
“Would you like to draw one?” Boone asked. “I can see if it’s one I remember.”
I didn’t see the harm in it, so I shuffled once more, then drew the card right at the top. Flipping it over, I saw it was an image of a tower surrounded by clouds with lightning bolts. The top of the structure was etched in flames, and I shivered with a foreboding sense of destruction.
“The Tower,” I said, holding it up so Boone could see.
He frowned, his features troubled.
“What?” I prodded, setting the card on the counter. “Do you know what it means?”
He nodded. “The Tower looks nasty with the storm clouds and lightnin’ bolts, but it can be a very nice card,” he said, placing his finger on top. “The Tower must fall in order to be rebuilt. Out with the old, and in with the new.”
My insides twisted, and I immediately jumped to the conclusion that read Aileen was old, and now you’re here in her place. The younger model. That was the problem. I didn’t want to pick up where she left off and become Aileen version two. I wanted to be me. I wanted to be Skye, and no one else.
I scowled and snatched up the card. “Out with the old, you say?”
Boone’s expression fell, and he straightened up. “Skye, I dinna mean…”
“I know. It’s just… I don’t know what to think anymore. There’s some kind of conspiracy going on here.”
“Conspiracy?” He tilted is head to the side.
I opened my mouth, desperately wanting to discuss my wild theories with someone, but quickly closed it again. I knew how it would sound. Sky Williams would be the talk of the town for a different reason once I started flapping my gums about omens and strange coincidences.
“Is somethin’ botherin’ you? You can tell me, Skye,” he murmured. “I won’t judge.”
I almost crumbled, but I ended up shaking my head. “It’s just an adjustment thing. It’s the same but different here, you know?”
The door opened, interrupting us at the perfect moment, and the little bell rang furiously as Mairead strode in, her boots clomping on the floor. When she saw Boone standing by the counter, her eyes widened.
“Hi, Mairead,” he said, flashing her a smile. He fished around in his pocket and held out an MP3 player toward her. “Sorry I kept it for so long.”
“That’s okay,” she muttered, taking the little player from him. She smiled shyly, then not knowing what else to say, turned away.
As she hurried out the back, I gave Boone a pointed look.
“She loaned it to me after Aileen passed,” he explained with a shrug. “It was about time I returned it.”
“She made you a mixed tape,” I said, raising my eyebrows.
“Aye, a playlist,” he said, not getting her ulterior motive. “It was quite good. I liked it.”
Rolling my eyes, I scooped up the tarot card and put it back into the deck.
“What?” he asked with a frown. Men. They were so clueless.
“You really don’t see it?” I asked, thoroughly annoyed. I had no idea why I was jealous of a seventeen-year-old girl. It was all a little petty.
“See what?” Boone, however, was oblivious to just about everything it seemed.
“Never mind.” I waved him off. “Did you need anything? Or were you attracted by the lure of tarot cards? You know, how cats run at the sound of a can opening?”
He laughed. “No, not really. I was just stoppin’ by to see how you were gettin’ on.”
I raised my eyebrows slightly, my chest tightening. “I’m getting there. Slowly.”
“That’s good.”
“I suppose.”
We stared at each other awkwardly for a moment, then as Mairead reappeared, he snapped to attention.
“I better be goin’, then,” he said, backing toward the door. “I’ve got some work to do for Mary. I’ll see you around.”
“See ya,” I replied, raising my hand in a small wave.
“Bye!” Mairead said cheerily as Boone disappeared through the door, the bell signaling his departure.
She stared after him with a dreamy expression. “He never comes into the shop,” she said to me. “At least, not while I’m here.”
“Have you got a crush on him?”
“Pfft, no.” She rolled her eyes and pouted.
“You made him a playlist,” I stated, making a face.
“So? He was alone after Aileen died. He still is.” She sighed dramatically, and I could almost read her thoughts.
“Yeah, right,” I muttered, walking over to the bookshelf and picking up a book about tarot cards. “Pull the other one.”
* * *
When I went back to the cottage that afternoon, the tabby cat was waiting for me on the stoop.
“Hey, Buddy,” I said, bending over to pat him on the head. I had no idea what his name was, but Buddy was universal. Kinda like calling someone mate.
Over the past week and a half, we’d become good friends. He didn’t visit every evening, but more often than not, he would be waiting for me. Then he would be gone in the morning, disappearing like a ghost. I’d stopped wondering how he was getting out and accepted that like the rest of Derrydun’s inhabitants, he was just as special.
Unlocking the door, I let us inside, dumped my bag on the kitchen table, and went to the freezer. Taking out my snap-frozen dinner of choice, I pierced the film on top with a fork and shoved the meal into the microwave. Leaning against the counter, I flipped open the book on tarot I’d borrowed from the shop called Learning the Tarot.
Buddy began doing figure eights through my legs as I skimmed the introduction. Learning the Tarot is a complete beginner’s course on learning the hidden meaning of tarot for personal guidance. These lessons teach you the fundamentals of basic readings to help you learn and practice. Fundamentals such as, how to use one card to interpret a situation, two cards in synchronicity, and how to weave multiple card spreads into a cohesive story.
The microwave beeped, and
