Page 71 of Speak of the Devil
Typical. Although the cards the psychic had laid out did seem as though they had some relevance to her and Caleb’s situation, Delia still couldn’t help thinking it all felt like a bunch of double-speak. No absolutes, just a bunch of statements that were entirely up for interpretation.
This was one of the best psychics Las Vegas had to offer?
But then, even though Delia had only played around with Tarot and had never gotten serious about interpreting the cards, even she knew that it wasn’t the sort of thing that would come right out and state an absolute fact. It was all about knowing the meaning of the cards and doing your best to see how they applied to your situation. Maybe Marva actually had told them everything they needed to know, but they were just too dense to figure it out.
“Well, thanks,” Caleb said, and although he didn’t add,I guess,Delia could tell he’d wanted to.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you something more concrete,” Marva replied. “But I know in my heart that this is an accurate reading. It’s up to you to see how it fits your current situation.”
Somehow, Delia managed to slap on one of her cheery real estate agent smiles, saying, “Oh, it’s been very helpful. I think Caleb and I have a lot we need to discuss.”
At least that much was true. She could tell he was fairly bursting to sit down and talk over what Marva had told them.
The psychic seemed to realize they were done, because she shuffled the cards from the spread back into her deck and returned it to its velvet pouch.
“Yes,” she said, “I think you do.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Well,that had been a waste of a hundred bucks. Sure, he’d barely miss it, but still, he’d kind of been hoping that Marva the Marvelous could have offered a bit more in the way of concrete advice.
About the only thing he could agree with was the Lovers card. Although Delia hadn’t given him the slightest hint of encouragement, he had to hope he’d still be able to get her thawed out one of these days.
Or, as the psychic had pointed out, maybe that card really had meant only a partnership. Considering how Delia had agreed to lend advice and moral support for the reno at the Pueblo Street house, you could say they’d already become partners of a sort.
At least it was a nice day, the temperature way above average for January, just kissing seventy. That meant he might be able to coax her into getting an outside table for lunch, preferably one that was off in a corner so they could talk about what they’d just heard at Marva’s without having to worry about anyone eavesdropping.
“Buy you lunch?” he said, and Delia, who’d just pulled away from the curb, lifted an eyebrow.
“We only had breakfast a couple of hours ago.”
“It’ll be almost one by the time we find someplace to eat and sit down and get served,” he responded, and she let out a small breath, as though she knew she might as well capitulate.
“All right,” she said. “See what you can find that’s near here.”
He got out his phone and had Google pull up all the restaurants within a ten-minute drive of the route they were currently traveling.
“There’s a kind of farm-to-table place about five minutes away,” he said. “Turn left at the next light.”
Delia obliged, following his directions until they pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot. Since it was just past twelve-thirty by that point, the place looked packed, but luckily, someone was backing out just as they arrived, so they were able to snag a prime spot near the entrance.
“Do you have reservations?” the pretty blonde girl at the hostess station asked as they approached.
“Um, no,” he said, then sent her a smile he knew generally made most of the female half of the population a little weak in the knees. “We were in the area and hoped you might have a table.”
Next to him, Delia shifted her weight, and he wondered if she was going to say it was okay and that they’d just go somewhere else.
But then the hostess replied, “I think we might have something on the patio, if that’s all right.”
Since it was exactly what he wanted, Caleb knew it was much more than “all right.” “That would be great,” he said. “Thank you.”
She led them out to the patio, where a wall fountain burbled quietly away on one side and a latticed pergola provided some shade. However, she took them to a table that was mostly in the sun, probably figuring that on a mild day like this, there wasno reason to hide from its rays, which in the summer could be absolutely scorching.
After she handed them their menus and said a server would be out to see them shortly, she went back inside, leaving him and Delia alone. Her gaze was already fixed on the contents of the menu, but he guessed that wasn’t what she was actually focused on.
“What do you think?” he asked.
Her mouth pursed. Without looking up, she said, “I think we should wait until we’ve ordered our food.”
