Page 116 of No Rings Attached
The woman spun, eyes flashing. “And if someone wasn’t such an uptight ass, maybe the energy wouldn’t be so hostile. I bet many of us would have a truly amazing day ifyou’dlighten up a smidge.”
“Energy healing for pets is a scam,” Marc shot back, jaw tight.
“It’s a complementary support service,” she snapped, emphasizing each word. Then she looked at me, her lips softening. “You get it, don’t you?”
I did. I hoped I wouldn’t alienate my fake boyfriend’s brother with my response, but I had taken a Reiki class years ago and knew the basics of energy work. “I don’t see anything wrong with it,” I admitted carefully. “Especially if it provides comfort.”
Marc groaned, but didn’t argue.
The woman turned back to her display with a smug grin. “See? I’m not the only one with sense around here you closed-minded jerk. It’s tohelpwith healing, not in place of medical intervention.”
Marc sighed. I thought for sure he was about to boycott me, but then he said, “I heard about your sister’s grand entrance. She sounds a bit much.” He rearranged pamphlets as he talked, and I could see that he was getting anxious. It was in the tightness of his mouth, the tenseness of his shoulders, and the slight exhaustion in his expression.
“How did you … ” The incident literally happened a few minutes ago.
Drew, who had moved next to me, laughed.
“People passing by the booth were talking about it,” Marc explained.
Silly me. Small-town gossip moved fast. “Oh, yeah. Glamma definitely stole the show. I don’t think that’s ever happened to my sister before.”
“I bet that’s why she hates that you’re writing a romance novel. She’s afraid you’ll steal her spotlight.” Marc stated so matter-of-fact it took me a second to realize he knew about my book and thatholy crap,he might be right.
Mind. Blown.
My mouth dropped open slightly, and I shot a startled glance at Drew.
He slipped his arm around me. “He didn’t hear it from me, but it’s probably good that you learn now that my family has no idea how to keep a secret. And I think Marc’s right.”
Delaney, from the booth next to us, plucked a yellow-ish stone from her table and placed it into a basket. "Citrine. Good for enhancing creativity and attracting wealth and abundance.”
“Why don’t you check out her booth?” Drew pressed a kiss to my temple, then gave me a gentle nudge forward. “Marc and I need a minute.”
I hesitated, not wanting to cause tension, but Drew’s warm gaze told me it was okay. “Thank you,” I whispered.
The woman stuck out her hand. “Delaney. Nice to meet you, Ellie.”
My startled gaze shot to her face. No one had said my name.
Her palm was cool and firm, the beaded bracelets on her wrist were stacked one on top of the other creating a rainbow effect. “Small town. And Glamma already told me.”
I grinned and let her guide me around her U-shaped table formation. The sunlight shone and reflected off the polished stones. The small shopping basket she handed me quickly filled with rose quartz, tiger’s eye, labradorite, and clear quartz.
“Are you from Ruby River?” I asked and picked up a pretty piece of amethyst she had set out and added that to the basket.
“Yes and no. I visited my great-aunt who was a resident every chance I had growing up. She owned the New Age store until recently, and now I’ve moved to town to take it over.”
“So that means you know the Kingsleys?” Now my writer’s brain was spinning all the reasons why she and Marc didn’t get along.
“Their family is amazing. Drew, Wyatt, and Grace are the very best people,” Delaney said loud enough for Marc to hear his name was excluded. His answering grunt said she’d accomplished her goal.
“Yes, they’ve all been so welcoming to me.” No matter the short length of time, I’d always treasure their family.
Delaney pulled out a reddish-brown stone. “I’m not sure where you’re at with your book, but you should connect with Adele. She took over the bookstore from her parents. She’d love to host a local author when you’re ready.”
“Do you think so?”Wow.It was so weird how things were just falling into place.
“Oh, yeah. And in the meantime, we’ve decided to hold the upcoming book club meetings in my shop. You’re welcome to stop by anytime. We love to hear about new authors.”
