“I honestly don’t know what they were thinking.”
They both laughed loud enough to disturb Elliott, who frowned and gave a small squawk.
“Oops. Sorry. Shh...” Fliss said.
Still smiling, they quieted to let their son get back to the business at hand.
EPILOGUE
Three years later...
SAINT CAME DOWN the stairs from tucking in Elliott to find Fliss on the floor at the coffee table, shuffling her cards.
“That was fast,” she said with surprise.
“He was asleep before I cracked the first book.”
“Lapping Nana’s farm a few hundred times will do that to a boy.”
They always joined his mother for lunch on Saturdays, but today had been an extra exciting visit because she’d rescued a pair of miniature horses. Elliott was convinced they were his, and no one had disabused him of that notion.
“I’m thinking of going to bed early,” Saint said as he lowered onto the couch behind Fliss. He bracketed her with his feet and gave her shoulders an affectionate massage. “You haven’t done this in a while. What’s going on?”
“Work. I’m wondering if I’m taking too big a swing with the expansion.”
“You’re selling out each season. It’s time.”
“I know, but you’ve got the launch of your security thingy coming up.”
He loved that she called his military-grade privacy software, which was surpassing expectations in its effectiveness and was already being pre-purchased by governments and security forces around the world, his “security thingy.”
“That’s all under control,” he assured her. It was. Willow was leading the charge on its launch. Saint had an amazing top-level team who needed minimal supervision.
“And your mom has a real shot at a triple crown,” she reminded him.
Norma could really use a win. They all could. They’d had a rough year after his father had passed suddenly eighteen months ago, shortly after Saint and Fliss had married. Sweeping all three races was a long shot, but Norma wouldn’t be crushed if it didn’t happen. Her priorities had shifted these days, too. While she still adored her horses, her grandson had stolen her heart the day he’d asked without prompting, Go see horses, please, Nana?
“I love that you’re worried about the rest of us, but don’t hold yourself back,” Saint chided Fliss. He nibbled the rim of her ear until his lips brushed the pretty diamond studs he’d given her on her birthday last year, making her shiver in the way that delighted him so much. “Go big. I’m right here behind you to support and help if you need it.”
“I know.” She made a noise of satisfaction as she wiggled backward, snuggling herself into the cage of his covering chest. She tilted her head so his jaw was against her temple. “I’m just not sure now is the right time to take on more.”
“See what the cards say, then.”
She set out three cards. They were all right side up. She tapped the first one.
“Ten of Pentacles. Financial reward. That’s nice to know.”
“And look at those Lovers.” He pointed. “They’re naked. They need underwear, Fliss.” Against her ear, he whispered, “I might have conjured that one.”
“I know your thoughts are always in my underwear,” she teased, reaching back to cup his cheek. “But this card isn’t so literal. It represents choice and figuring out what you stand for. Sometimes it means you’re facing a moral dilemma.”
“Expanding your company is hardly a moral dilemma. It’s a business strategy. Your plan is sound. Is that really what that card stands for? I would have thought it meant something more romantic.” Saint was genuinely disappointed.
“Like soulmates?” She turned her head so her smile was against the corner of his jaw. “It means that, too.”
“I knew it.” He dipped his head to burrow a kiss against the side of her neck. “See? Even the cards agree that we should make like lovers and go upstairs.”
“I’m almost finished. Look. This is interesting.” She tapped the Queen of Cups. “She can be about intuition and compassion and caring. Other times, she’s so busy looking into her fancy cup and wondering what’s inside that she forgets to look up and appreciate the world around her.”
“You’ve definitely got a lock on compassion and caring, but isn’t that warning you to make your dream happen? Not sit here thinking about it?”
“What if I have other dreams, though?”
He sat up taller, then tilted around so he could see her face. “If you have other dreams, you need to tell me what they are so we can make them happen.”
“It’s something that we talked about at one point, then things got busy. So my dilemma—which isn’t a dilemma at all—is to decide which is more important to me. Financial reward or...” She pinched the Queen card and brought it into his line of sight so he could see her thumbnail was drawing his eye to the tiny cherub carved into the throne.
“Angel.” His voice shook with the sudden emotion that washed over him. They had talked about another baby very abstractly, only saying that they’d like one eventually but that they ought to wait until things felt more settled.
“It’s just a suspicion, but it changes all of this, right?” She set the card beside the others and waved her hand across the line of them.
“Come here.” He gathered her into his lap, heart pounding so hard it caused a rushing in his ears. He set his hand against her abdomen. “Really?”
“I think I missed a pill somehow during the trip to Australia. You know how I am with the time changes.” She wrinkled her nose ruefully. “And I just feel different. But also a lot like the way I felt with Elliott.”
“You know there are perfectly scientific tests that can tell you? You don’t have to ask your cards.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Her brow quirked indignantly.
