“Good.” Mairwen dipped her cookie in her coffee, then nibbled at the soaked corner. “Mayhap, ye will decide to stay permanently.”
“Oh, I couldn’t do that. I’ve got too much back in Kentucky.” But deep down, something within her wished she could take MairwenandScotland up on that offer.
“What if ye found something more here?” Mairwen’s smile insinuated so much more than her words. “Or someone?”
Lexi’s heart dipped a little, and she stared down at her coffee. “I am not looking for anyone. I intend to enjoy Scotland and rejuvenate and recharge without worrying about dating. Relationships can get complicated too quickly.”
Mairwen gave a teasing shrug. “Ye never know. The Highlands are known for bringing fated mates together.”
“Fated mates?” Lexi wanted to say that was the stuff of fairy tales, but she didn’t want to sound bitter. Mammaw had always warned that bitterness poisoned the one who spewed it, not the one who heard it. “Do you really believe in fated mates?”
“Do ye not?”
“Well, if I did, I fear I haven’t found mine yet. He appears to be hiding.” Lexi struggled to keep the conversation light. She refused to ruin the gorgeous morning by letting self-pity or negativity creep in and taint the air.
“Fated mates can be elusive, but that love, that furiously strong bond, is well worth the search. Ye must never give up, lass. Trust the Highlands. Scotland is a place of magic, a place of love.” She drew a deck of tarot cards out of her wide sleeve. “Do ye happen to believe in the cards? Enjoy the tarot?”
A sense of pure joy bubbled up from deep within Lexi, making her laugh. It was as if Mammaw had nudged Mairwen with one of their favorite hobbies, so she would enjoy her visit to Scotland even more. “I adore tarot. My grandmother…my Mammaw and I consulted the cards all the time. They really can be helpful, you know?”
“Oh, I know.” Mairwen’s mysterious smile as she shuffled the cards drew Lexi in like a bee to a bloom. She dealt a three-card spread, nodding as she revealed each of the cards. “See? Ye are close to yer fated mate. Closer than ye have ever been before.”
“The Lovers, the Ace of Cups, and the Two of Cups.” Lexi swallowed hard, her heart beating faster at such a strong message from the cards. “Mine weren’t nearly that straightforward or insistent when I dealt them back home.”
“Ye are in Scotland now, lass. The magic of the Highlands strengthens the cards, makes the readings clearer. Be aware. Yer fated mate could be just around the corner.”
Lexi calmed herself with another sip of coffee, forcing a smile as she set the cup back down. “Wouldn’t that be something?”
“Would ye stay here, then?”
Why was Mairwen so intent on getting her to say she would stay in Scotland? She couldn’t stay in Scotland. Maggie had her own practice to take care of, and doing both hers and Lexi’s stretched her pretty thin. She would owe Maggie big time when she got back home. And that didn’t even take into account the management of Vinemagic Horse Farms. Thankfully, she had good people both on the board and working at the barns, but she was the head of the family business. It was her responsibility, just as it had been Mammaw’s after Pappaw died.
“Lass?” Mairwen prompted as she set her cookie back on her saucer. “Would ye consider staying here, then?”
Lexi decided to brush that question away with some cunning Mammaw wisdom. “My grandmother always said to be wary of thewhat ifgame. It can be a dangerous thing to play.”
“Yer grandmother sounds like a wise woman.”
“She was. I miss her.”
Mairwen nodded. “She is still with ye. Watching over ye. She will guide ye if ye let her.” Mairwen fidgeted with the cookie on her plate. “Have ye any plans for today?”
Lexi shook her head. “None at all. This is the perfect vacation. No plans whatsoever.”
The way Mairwen kept fiddling with her cookie and readjusting her cup on the saucer made Lexi brace herself. The lady was working up the courage to ask something of her. Lexi could feel it.
“Would ye have a bit of time today to help out an old friend of mine?” Mairwen dabbed at the corners of her mouth with the paper towel Lexi had given her. It was far from a fancy napkin for company, but it was all she had, and it served the purpose. “He contacted me earlier. Simply overwrought.”
“Help him how?” Lexi wasn’t about to agree to anything without knowing what it was.
“His dear old horse refuses to eat.” Concern poured from Mairwen as she sadly shook her head. “And this horse is more of a friend and companion than an animal to ride.” Crumpling the paper towel and placing it next to her cup and saucer, she deftly gathered up the tarot cards and tucked them back into her sleeve. “Would it be too much of a bother for ye to look in on him? Give him some idea as to how he might help his dear friend?”
“I don’t have any of my stuff with me. Not even my stethoscope. But I could take a look.” Lexi didn’t want to refuse. What if the animal was in dire straits, and she could help it or at least recommend that a local vet be called in for more extensive treatment? Besides, it went without saying that she loved horses. “I’m happy to do whatever I can.”
“Ye are a warm-hearted lass, and I am grateful to ye.” Mairwen rose from the table. “The address is easy to remember, 777 Sevenrest Lane. I shall have Keeva text the directions to ye. ’Tis quite easy to find, though, even without the aid of yer phone. Simply head due north for about an hour. Ye canna miss it, and Mr. Seventhson will be ever so grateful.”
“Mr. Seventhson. 777 Sevenrest Lane. Don’t bother Keeva with texting it. I can head that way as soon as I’m dressed.”
“Are ye certain?” Something unexplainable sparkled in Mairwen’s eyes. She reminded Lexi of a mischievous child setting the stage for the prank of a lifetime.
