Booked for Christmas

flickering firelight and the glow of the twinkling lights wrapped around Bert, she said, in a calm voice, “I want you all to reflect on what you’d like answers about. For those who are new to tarot, it’s important to remember that tarot isn’t meant to predict the future but rather just provide guidance on possible paths forward. The interpretation of the card will be up to you. Try to think of open-ended queries rather than yes or no questions. If you’re ready, go ahead and focus your question in your mind’s eye now and take a few deep breaths.”
Everyone obliged. Peyton had one hand wrapped loosely around her crescent moon pendant, and both she and Damien had their eyes closed. They were sitting really close together on the love seat even though there was plenty of room on either side of them, Sophie noticed. Smiling to herself, she began to shuffle the deck.
Sophie walked around the room and let everyone pick a card, memorize what it was, and then put it back so the deck was complete. Wolfe’s dark eyes met hers for a long, sardonic moment. “You’re going to let Bert pick a card, too, right?”
Refusing to dignify his “joke” with a response, Sophie quirked an eyebrow and looked down meaningfully at the tarot deck. Smiling a little, Wolfe pulled a card, his cool fingers accidentally brushing along hers as he did.
Both of them startled a bit, their eyes meeting again. Sophie felt her cheeks flame, but managed somehow to keep her face impassive. As she moved on, she felt Wolfe watch her go, but she resisted the impulse to check.
Once everyone had picked their card, she walked back to the center and sat on a small furry footstool. “Okay. So. Who wants to tell me what card they pulled?”
Ivy and Quinn raised their hands, smiling. Their other hands, Sophie noticed, were entwined around each other’s between them on the couch. They were sweet enough to give you diabetes, but you couldn’t help but love them for it. “I got the Empress,” Ivy said, “and Quinn got the Ace of Cups.”
Sophie stopped short. “Are … really?”
Ivy frowned. “Yeah. Why? Is that bad?”
“No, not at all.” Sophie nibbled on her lower lip, wondering how to say what she wanted to say. “It’s just that … those two cards generally herald the birth of a baby girl when a couple pulls them together.”
“Oh.” Suddenly, neither Ivy nor Quinn was making eye contact. Ivy picked up her glass of Sprite from the coffee table and sipped it. She hadn’t had a single sip of alcohol all evening, Sophie realized.
Sophie’s mouth popped open but she waited for them to make the announcement—or not.
Ivy looked at Quinn, and now, they were both grinning. “Okay,” Quinn said to the room. “We haven’t officially begun announcing it yet, but Ivy’s pregnant. Fourteen weeks today.”
Sophie clapped her hand over her mouth and then walked over to hug them both as everyone cheered and congratulated them. Even Wolfe, she noticed, looked happy.
The rest of the cards were also met with enthusiasm—Peyton and Damien both pulled cards that symbolized sexual union, but Sophie could’ve told them that without tapping into the tarot’s unknowable ways; Marco pulled The World, which symbolized a life-changing travel experience (a good thing for a travel writer); Jonah pulled The Hierophant, which could symbolize marriage and commitment, and nearly had a choking fit about it, but then looked serenely happy once the shock had worn off. She’d have to ask him about that later.
Wolfe was the only one who was unimpressed by his card—big surprise. “The Two of Cups.”
“That’s a sign that a new, exciting relationship is coming your way. One that has the potential to grow into true love.”
He tossed her a casual half-smile, but something deeper and more serious lurked in his eyes. “Yeah, not interested.”
Sophie frowned in spite of herself. “Everyone’s interested in true love.”
He met her eye almost defiantly, his jaw hard. “And yet…” Wolfe gestured to himself. It was meant to be a joke, she could tell, but something about his expression told her this might be a sore spot for him. Interesting.
Sophie had been about to say, Well, maybe it’s for the best that you’re not looking for a girlfriend. She couldn’t imagine any woman putting up with his annoying, smug sarcasm or cutting criticism for more than thirty seconds.
But then she caught herself and smoothed out her expression. If love was a sore spot for Wolfe, it was one she could sympathize with. And she wasn’t about to prod at it.
“Hey, where’s your card?” Quinn smiled at Sophie, (thankfully) interrupting the interlude.
“Right. I forgot.” Sophie shook her head a little and pulled a card from the deck. “The Lovers.” She looked up at Peyton, Marco, and Jonah, who were grinning now. Marco was even giving her a subtle thumbs-up. “A profound connection with a soulmate is in the offing.” She smiled, feeling a warm glow around her. “You know, I saw a cardinal just the other day when I was thinking about love. I think it was a sign.”
Unfortunately, her gaze snagged on Wolfe at that precise moment. The expression on his face could most politely be described as “dubious.”
Sophie narrowed her eyes. “What? Just say it. I can practically hear you scoffing in your head from over here.”
Ivy and Quinn watched their interchange with a subtle confusion, but Damien was already flirting with Peyton and not paying attention. Sophie would have to fill them in later on why she was being so rude to one of her guests.
He swirled the rum in his glass as he stared into it. Ugh. So pretentious. “No, no. It’s just … you know. Signs, tarot cards. I gave it a try tonight, but it’s all a little out there for me.”
“‘Out there’?” It was Sophie’s turn to scoff. “I saw your glowing review of Esther Goulding’s UFO Primer.”
Wolfe’s eyebrow rose slowly. “Yes. Because the likely existence of extraterrestrial life is based in