Page 6 of No Artful Refusal
“You’re stubborn as hell.”Hoffman sighed.“If she’s got a tip, I’m listening.Rensler will have to deal with it.We follow up on tips all the time.So far, Devyn is far more reliable.”
“Why can’t you just be her client?”
“Because I took this job to help other people.”Hoffman’s gaze was somber.“Being her client would only help me.”
“Ever heard of self-care?”
She laughed.“Maybe I’ll try that out once I retire.”
They went their separate ways at the office, and although a few of his colleagues speculated on his summons to meet with Rensler, no one gave him any real grief.
He dug into the paperwork and kept his head down.He wasn’t anywhere close to retirement and he didn’t really want to start looking for a new job.Like Hoffman, helping people was what kept him coming back day after day.
Better to focus on that, rather than sweat all the other details he couldn’t control.
Devyn Norris—and Hoffman’s fascination with her—was definitely outside of his control.
Chapter 3
Marlene was still alittle under the weather when Devyn showed up, book in hand, ready to share the novel with her friend.
It was clear from the moment she walked in that something serious was on Marlene’s mind, though she wasn’t ready to share.She bustled about, dabbing at her runny nose as she welcomed Devyn.
There were fresh flowers in the pitcher on the kitchen table and another colorful arrangement on the dresser in the guest room.
Devyn let Marlene fuss, recognizing her friend needed to procrastinate.There was no reason to push.If Marlene had taught her anything, it was that rushing often led to the wrong assumptions.
Whatever was bothering her friend couldn’t be too urgent or she wouldn’t have waited for the in-person visit.And Devyn trusted Marlene’s psychic gift of prophecy and foresight to let them know if something pressing needed their attention.
Devyn took stock of the tidy house, not needing any of her gifts to see how worn out Marlene felt.“You should lay down,” she suggested.“I’ll run to the grocery store and put together some chicken soup and dumplings for tonight.”
Marlene’s quick laugh ended in a dry, hacking cough.She waved off Devyn’s concern.“You’ll find all the ingredients here,” she said.“I had a craving, but hadn’t managed to put it together yet.”
Devyn grinned, hoping to hide her growing concern.“How about you make tea for us while I get the soup going?”
Something about their combined effort in the kitchen shifted the energy, bringing a light and ease that Devyn sensed her friend needed most.Within the hour, the herbed chicken soup was simmering.The earlier tension faded from Marlene’s face as she sliced up some fresh fruit to go along with a second pot of tea.Devyn added crackers, cheese, and some fig jam to the platter.
