Page 45 of Love, Legacy, and Little Green Aliens

“Let’s see what the cards say.” She shuffled expertly. “You’re an Aries, right?”

“Um, yeah.” Had she found his birthday online too? Man, you couldn’t hide anything these days. “Shouldn’t we address my issues one at a time?”

“Ah, but they’re connected, aren’t they? Now, try to quiet your mind.”

Vegas dealers had nothing on Zora. The cards slid through her fingers like water. She spread them in a perfect arc across the table. “Choose three cards that call to you.”

Turning off his buzzing thoughts was not one of Xander’s strengths, yet his fingers moved quickly, plucking three cards from the spread.

“Turn them over.”

He scanned the mysterious designs. Well, the artwork was pretty, if nothing else. “What do they mean?”

Zora tapped the first card. “This one offers guidance for the change in your life. The High Priestess upright. She calls you to embrace your inner wisdom and trust your intuition. The answer lies within you.”

Hard to imagine a less helpful suggestion. His inner wisdom urged him to chuck the aliens—or was that just his personal taste? Beyond that, he had no clue.

“The second card points to the best self-care during this time of change.” A wide grin spread across her plump face. “Well, well, well. The Ace of Cups. This signifies a new relationship with the potential for a deep emotional bond. Does that call to mind anyone you’ve met recently?”

She knew damn well he was sweet on Hannah. By now, they’d been seen together all over town.

Nevertheless, he folded his hands on the table. “I’ll think on that.”

She tapped her temple. “Smart. Now, the third card reveals the best way to center yourself on this journey. The Six of Cups takes us back to happy memories from childhood. How apropos.”

“Huh. I’m already in Trappers Cove. So I should just…?”

“Remember what you once loved about this place.” She tapped the first card again. “Your inner wisdom already knows the right path.”

It was all he could do not to stamp his feet like a petulant toddler because he had no freakin’ idea what it all meant. That’s why he’d come here, for God’s sake.

Forcing a smile, he thanked Zora for her advice and asked how much he owed her.

“Not a cent, dear. First reading is on the house.”

“Ah. Smart marketing.”

She chuckled as she pushed to her feet. “Even a psychic needs to understand basic business principles.” She enveloped his hand in both of hers. “Now, let’s deal with that curse. Come.”

She towed him to the front of the store, where, humming along with the mystical flute music, she filled a small wicker basket with packets of herbs and a six-inch rod of luminous white stone.

“Selenite,” she told him. “For cleansing your energy field and breaking the curse’s grip on you. Hold the wand above your head thusly and slowly sweep it down your body while you visualize the crystal clearing away negative vibes.” She demonstrated with a dramatic flourish.

“Um, okay…”

Zora quirked a playful smile. “Worried about looking foolish?”

“Honestly, a bit, yeah.”

She tapped his sternum with the wand. “That’s the root of your problem, dear. Now, take a bath with Epsom salts and a palmful of these hex-breaking herbs. Let it steep like tea, then have a good, long soak.”

“I, uh, don’t have a bathtub at the moment.”

She pressed the packet into his hands and folded his fingers around the cellophane. “Ask a friend.”

Of course, his mind sped straight to Hannah, but how likely was she to lend her tub to the guy she was hellbent on avoiding?

“After your bath, infuse a bucket of hot water with the rest of the herbs, and clean your space with it—walls, windows, and doors—then toss the mop water out your back door.”