Page 118 of Better Luck Next Time

The older woman reached across the table and covered her hand. “You areverybrave. And full of happiness and light. Sagittarians don’t cotton to lies and untruths. They’re optimistic and bright, and you, my dear, are the epitome of your star sign.”

Adalia sighed. “Dottie…”

“Gemini is an air sign. The twin sign. They’re not called the twin sign without reason. They love to talk and sometimes they’re too busy talking to really listen. They’re change makers, partially because they’re easily distracted and often grow bored.” Dottie had given her a pointed stare then. “Do you know who’s a Gemini?”

“Finn.” Did it make her a stalker that she’d looked up his birthday after she’d broken up with him?

“That’s right,” Dottie said, “which is why his new career will be perfect for him. He’ll have a constant stream of new clients and new ideas to feed his need for change.”

Was Dottie confirming what Adalia had already suspected?

“But Adalia…” Dottie squeezed her hand tighter. “Once Geminis find the love they are destined to have, they hold on tight and don’t let go. And they’re extremely compatible with Sagittarians.”

Adalia hadn’t confessed her fears to anyone, so how had Dottie known?

Wait. Had she saidlove?

Adalia’s eyes narrowed. “Have you been talking to Finn?”

Dottie held her gaze. “Yes, I’ve spoken to Finn.”

“About me?”

“We’ve discussed you, but I’ve never once betrayed your confidence or shared anything that I think would hurt you.”

Adalia didn’t know exactly what that meant, but she trusted Dottie, as crazy as that seemed at times.

“Your life is your own to do with as you wish. But sometimes we shouldn’t struggle against fate. Just keep that in mind.” Dottie winked at her. Then she picked up her fork and said, “Are you sure you don’t want to make a space for the goat paintings? Stella Price could bring some of her goats to the event. We’ll already have dogs. A few more animals might make it feel like a petting zoo. Very festive.”

“Maybe we should skip the goats,” Adalia said, grateful for the change in topic. “At least the dogs are house-trained. Do we really want goats pooping in the brewery event space? Not to mention, they might start eating the other artwork. Or the patrons’ clothes.”

Dottie got a faraway look in her eyes. “That might be interesting. A nude art exhibit.”

“As open-minded as I am,” Adalia said, “I think we should encourage people to wear their clothing, and to ensure it stays on, we should be safe and skip the goats.”

Dottie made a face, then shrugged. “Perhaps you’re right, but keep it in mind, will you?”

Adalia had promptly tried to forget the goats and their owner, but Dottie’s words about Finn had stuck with her.

Was it a bad thing that she was thinking about going to see him?

What if he didn’twantto see her? He’d be well within his rights. And what if he’d already met someone else? The thought made her physically sick. How could he date anyone else? Finn washersoul mate.

And now she was running late for her girls’ night out with Blue and Maisie.

She quickly changed into a dress and flats, then headed out to Bessie to make the short drive to the Italian restaurant Maisie had chosen. She’d gone from the brewery straight to the studio to get some work in before seeing the girls, so she hadn’t taken Tyrion with her. It felt weird to go out sans her sidekick, but Jack had assured her multiple times that he’d smother the dog with plenty of love in her absence. He’d said if she were this bad with a dog, he couldn’t imagine how protective she’d be when she had kids.

Which had made her think of Finn, of course. Did he want kids? She was pretty sure she did.

It took her a while to find a parking place and then walk to the restaurant, and when she got there, Maisie and Blue were already seated with drinks in front of them. Another drink was on the table between them.

“I took the liberty of getting you a sangria,” Maisie said, lifting her own drink. “They make the best I’ve ever had.”

“No complaints from me,” Adalia said as she took a seat between them. “Sorry I’m late.”

“You’re not late,” Maisie said, checking her phone, then glancing up with a smirk. “You’re exactly on time. If you were one minute later, I’d feel justified in giving you a hard time over that grease smudge on your cheek. But since you’re not, I won’t say a word.”

“What?” Adalia reached for her cheek, but Blue pulled a tissue out of her purse and began to swipe at her face.

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