At Hayward House

“A little to the left,” Julie Kingsley directed her best friend Gustavia, who was standing on a step ladder nearby. “No. Your other left.”

“Sorry.” Gustavia tilted the reflector the other way so the soft morning light streaming through the window bounced off its silver lining to highlight the pretty teapot glazed in turquoise and white. “How’s that? Better?”

“Perfect. Kat, could you tilt your hand just a little more toward me?” Julie peered through her camera’s viewfinder to line up the shot. “Right there. That’s good.”

“What about me?” Amethyst held the position she’d been in for the past five minutes but felt a case of the shakes coming on. “Are you about done yet?”

“You’re fine. Don’t move.” Julie clicked the shutter twice. “Almost done, now. Move into the second position. And hold.” The shutter clicked twice more. “And done.”

“Phew,” Kat said, shaking her wrist to get the feeling back in her hand. “You wouldn’t think a teacup was so heavy until you’ve held one in the same position for half an hour. I hope we got the shots you needed.”

Her grin wide, Julie flipped her laptop around to show off a series of gorgeous photos featuring the teapot and matching cups cradled in her friend’s hands. “They’re perfect. Amaya’s gonna sell a lot of teapots thanks to your pretty hands and Gustavia’s head for heights.”

“I’ll take the flattery,” Amethyst rose and stretched to ease the kinks from sitting still for so long. “And the standard model fee since we decided to go with the premium windows Finn’s been harping on about. I’ll be glad when the building phase is complete.”

Having climbed down the stepladder, Gustavia spun and clapped her hands. Yards of paisley in a sunny yellow swirled around bracelet-adorned ankles. “I stopped by on my way here to check on the progress. The addition is coming right along. I can’t wait until you start buying fixtures. The best part of any remodel is putting in those personal touches.”

Helping Julie gather the cups to take to the kitchen so they could be washed and repacked for shipping, Kat teased, “Three guesses what the color scheme will be.”

Since purple had been Amethyst’s signature color for a few years, it wasn’t much of a leap to assume its varied shades would figure highly into her decorating.

“You might be surprised to learn I’ve decided to go with neutrals for the walls.” Amethyst’s chin tilted up in mock defense. “It was Reid’s idea, but I’ve been considering a change anyway.”

Three sets of eyes widened at the declaration.

“No kidding?” Julie tilted her head and let her eyes go slightly unfocused while imagining Amethyst in various shades. “I could see you as a Ruby or maybe Sapphire. With your skin tone, you should stay away from yellows. I can’t see you becoming a Citrine or Sandstone. Jewel tones look better on you.”

“Citrine would be better than plain Jane.” Even though plain had never been a word to describe her, Amethyst’s dislike of her given name had driven her to change it legally. “But I think I’ll keep the name and just try some different colors on for size.”

“Twenty bucks says you’re back in purple by the end of the summer,” Kat fished inside her pocket and pulled out the folded twenty she kept on hand for just this reason. She and Amethyst would put their money on the table for almost any reason.

“You’re on.” A second twenty joined the first. “Sucker bet.” Still, they shook on it.

Since many hands make light work, twenty minutes saw the teacups washed and packed and a fresh pot of tea brewed to share.

“Did Everly and Drew get checked in okay?” Gustavia asked Amethyst while she added a dollop of cream to her tea, followed it up with a spoonful of honey, and selected an oatmeal raisin cookie from the plate Julie placed in the center of the table.

“As far as I know. She messaged me when they arrived but not since, so I figure they’re settling in and doing the honeymoon thing. Didn’t want to disturb.”

Waiting for her tea to cool, Kat began to shuffle the Tarot deck she’d pulled from her purse, “I could read for her. Or just pull a card for one of you.” She scanned her friend’s faces.

“I’m good,” Julie said, as usual.

“Same.” Gustavia chose a second cookie, broke off a chunk, and popped it into her mouth. “Ammie?”

“Read for Everly. I’ve got no burning life questions at the moment—unless the cards can help me decide between Steely Gray and Morning Fog for my bedroom walls.” Rising, she retrieved her purse and pulled out two paint sample chips.

“Morning Fog,” Kat glanced at the samples and cut the deck. “It’s softer. More bedroomy.”

“Is that the technical term?” Julie teased.

“It is,” Kat said, nodding her head with enthusiasm as she shuffled again and chose a five-card spread. She laid the cards face down on the table, all in a row, pausing theatrically before turning over the first. Her brows shot up with the revelation. “The High Priestess. Now that’s interesting.”

“I’ve had that one before,” Amethyst said, leaning forward to get a better look. She reached across and tapped the card. “She stands for intuition and secrets, right? Do you think something’s up with Drew? Maybe he’s hiding something from her. Not the best way to start a marriage.”

“Could be Everly with the secrets,” Kat mused, tapping her lip with the tip of her finger. “She’s been known to keep a thing or two to herself.”

Julie cradled her teacup and blew gently on the surface to cool it. “Probably wise in her case since few people would believe her if she told the truth.”

Shrugging, Kat turned over the rest of the cards, showing the Page of Swords, the Tower, the Five of Cups, and Judgment. She frowned at the combination. “Hmm. Definitely interesting and more than a little concerning.” She glanced up at her friends, gauging their reactions before diving deeper into the interpretation.

“Why?” Julie asked, curious and without the others’ depth of insight into what the cards meant.

Kat pointed to the Page of Swords. “Well, this little guy suggests curiosity and a search for the truth, maybe even some cleverness or manipulation involved. It could mean someone’s hiding something, and Everly’s on the hunt to figure out what it is. Then there’s the Tower, which represents unexpected events or an upheaval that leads to a breaking down of existing forms. Probably means she’ll get more than she bargained for. Shocking secrets, maybe?” Her eyes sparkled a bit at the dramatic turn of events the cards predicted but softened as she considered Everly’s penchant for landing in hot water.

Julie’s brows drew together in concern. “Like, something’s going to happen to shake things up?”

“Exactly. Most likely when she’s not expecting it. And it doesn’t look like it will be a small thing. Very disruptive.” Kat sighed and tapped the Five of Cups, her finger lingering on the dark card.

Gustavia frowned down at it.

“This doesn’t bode well.” Kat turned to Amethyst. “See all these spilled cups? Maybe Drew has something in his past. Something Everly won’t be happy to find out about. This card is all about disappointment and emotional loss.”

“I’m not buying it,” Amethyst declared. “There’s nothing in Drew’s aura to suggest a sordid past. Couple of dark spots, but nothing different than I’ve seen with other veterans.”

“The cards don’t lie,” Kat said, her tone mild. “But they could be open to other interpretations depending on the circumstances. It’s hard to tell, but this is not the reading I’d want to get on my honeymoon, and three major cards out of five lend more weight.”

“And just when will that be, anyway?” Gustavia quirked a brow at Kat. “You and Zack have been married for almost a year. Seems like the honeymoon phase is over, and you missed it.”

Grinning, Kat scooped up the cards and returned them to the deck. “We haven’t figured out a destination, and Zack couldn’t get time off right away. And you know he has to think every decision to death.”

“Pfft.” Gustavia waved that away. “I love my brother, but he’s an idiot.”

“He’s not.” Kat defended her man. “And I’m not in any rush. I like the scenery here.”

“What about Everly?” Julie offered a gentle reminder. “Should we drop by and see how things are going? I don’t want to be a honeymoon crasher, but if something’s up…”

“Something’s definitely up,” Kat agreed, nodding.

“Then we should go.” Gustavia began to rise.

“I think we have time to finish our tea first,” Amethyst said, picking up a cookie. “Then we’ll go.”

“Should we call first?” Julie wondered.

“Not if we want to get a solid impression of things. Better to show up without warning, I think.”

“You’re probably right.”