Women, wonderful creatures that they are, are suckers for the walking wounded.
“You remember when Cash ate two plates of beignets all by himself?” I say as I pick up one of the sweet treats and pop a corner into my mouth. The taste of sugar, warm dough, andheavenexplodes on my tongue.
Maggie laughs. “He got high on powdered sugar and spent two hours tormenting the tarot card readers in Jackson Square.”
Cash makes a face. “I wasn’ttormentingthem. I merely pointed out that none of them prophesied the same future for me and that I thought it might be a good idea if they teamed up so their next customer didn’t pick up on their discrepancies and begin to doubt the efficacy of their trade.”
“When you used the wordefficacy”—Maggie makes air quotes—“I swear that one guy looked around for a dictionary.”
“Apparently, a firm grasp of the English language isn’t a requirement before the Board of Tarot Card Readers gives someone a certificate for tarot card reading,” Cash laments.
Now Maggie’s fighting tears. “Oh my Lord.Pleaselet that be a real thing.”
I’m laughing too. “What? The Board of Tarot Card Readers, or the certificate for tarot card reading?”
“Either!” She grabs her side like it hurts. “Both!”
Cash grins at us. For a moment, I can forget about everything that happened to drive us away. I can forget about the explosion that brought us back. When we’re like this, it feels like no time at all has passed.
Maggie wipes her eyes. “And then there was that time you got into a fight with Wesley Madigan on your way here and showed up with a bloody nose. You remember that, Cash? That poor waitress serving us kept giving you the side-eye like she thought you were some barroom brawler about to start a ruckus.”
Some of my humor disappears. “I remember she asked me for his number after you dragged him to the restroom to clean him up.”
Maggie gapes. “You never told me that.”
I shrug and point at Cash.
“What can I say?” He spreads his arms wide as the waitress reappears with his coffee in hand. “Even bloodied, I can still make the ladies come a-runnin’.” He winks at the waitress and she blushes to the roots of her hair.
Maggie acts like Cash’s flirting doesn’t bother her. Only someone who knows her well can see her smile is a bit wobbly.
Cash’s plan will be a slam dunk if he’ll pull his head out of his ass and stop screwing around. I don’t know if he’s aiming to make her jealous to see if she still has feelings for him, or if he’s a complete and total dick munch. If it’s the former, I need to slap him upside the head. All it takes is one look at Maggie to know all her old feelings are still thriving. If it’s the latter? Well, I reckon I still need to slap him upside the head.
“And speaking of making the ladies come a-runnin’.” He blows across the top of his coffee. “What’s this I hear about you taking home a leggy blonde?” He pins me with a look.
“I didn’t take her home. We only snogged for a while on Canal Street. Then I walked her to her hotel so she could meet up with her friend.”
Maggie shakes her head sorrowfully. “And after all that big talk about casual sex? How disappointing. Then again, sometimes a good snogging session is better than sex.”
“Amen, sister.” We bump knuckles.
“Ugh.” Cash rolls his eyes. “Snogging. I’d hoped you two had outgrown Harry Potter.”
She presses a hand over her heart. “Outgrow Harry Potter? Never.”
“What she said,” I agree, and then we’re at it again. Smiling at each other like a couple of dopes.
Cash shoves a beignet into his mouth. “Don’t know how much spare time you have today, Maggie,” he garbles, “but I think we should stop by Jackson Square before we go see the counter guy. Been years since I’ve had my fortune read.” He brushes powdered sugar from the front of his shirt. “Might be good to hear what the Fates have in store for me.”
Indecision plasters her face. It’s obvious she thinks he’s operating under the notion that all is well, that the past is forgotten and forgiven, and that he can pick up right where he left off without so much as a by-your-leave.
“Come on,” he cajoles. “Let me buy you a reading as a thank-you for the gift basket. That was really nice, by the way. You know how much I loveThe Big Lebowski.I’ve already watched it twice.” He grins at her. “Haven’t managed to shake off all those genial manners Miss Bea instilled in you, I guess.”
“Genial manners aren’t something you can shake off. If anything, the older I get, the stickiertheyget.” Maggie makes a face. “This past winter, I forgot to send a get-well card to a sick employee, and I felt so guilty I couldn’t sleep until I’d made up for it by bringing him a Crock Pot full of homemade chicken soup and an industrial-sized tub of Vicks VapoRub.”
Cash laughs. “Do you still pick up street litter and toss it in the trash can?”
Her lips twist. “Notallthe time.”
