Free What the Heart Knows by Shyla Colt

like he was in the middle of being reborn. Colors were brighter, and ideals were fresh once more when he saw them through Juniper’s eyes. At the time his world had til t ed on its axis and collapsed, hers had opened with limitless possibilities for the very first time. It was why they made such a good match.
    Juni turned to him and met his gaze with a serious expression on her face.
    “You have to promise me something before we go inside,” she said.
    “Shoot . ”
    “You have to be respectful, even though you don’t believe in what she does.”
    “Of course.”
    “I’m serious , Oli . I don’t want to offend her and adversely affect our reading.”
    “I promise.”  The familiar nickname still sounded strange on her lips. Though he’d never tell her this out loud, it cre e p ed him out.  There was an infliction in her voice when she said it that reminded him of Hannah. He’d be willing to pay Madeline a hefty sum of money if she could tell him how to exorcise the memories that haunted him.
    “Good.” She leaned across the car’s cons o l e to hug him. “Smile, this is supposed to be fun.”
    “Until she pulls out the death card.”
    “You should know from those horror movies you love so much that can mean the end of something.”
    “Can, but never does.”
    “Come on , you big baby, we’re not even having our cards read.”
    She rolled her eyes before she stepped from the car, and he exited on the driver side. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they made their way up the tiny concrete path and up the stairs.  A sign posted on the door told them to ring the bell for service.
    “I’ll let you do the honors,” he said.
    His hand gesture made her roll her eyes and he fought back a snort at how solemn she’d become.  The doorbell seemed to echo through the house and he had to give Madeline an A for effort when it came to ambience.  They hadn’t even made it inside the house yet, and his creep factor was at three and rising. The warm night seemed to turn chilly and the shadows deepened a tad bit more than usual as the sun set. Orange and red hues shifted to deep purples, and he tensed as the doorknob turned. The sight that greeted him made him want to laugh.  The older woman who stood in front of them looked to be in her mid - fifties with olive skin, dark eyes, and salt and pepper hair that trailed down her back. She was dressed in a simple black skirt and black blouse that screamed normal. The only jewelry she wore was a gold wedding band, and her round face was kind and etched with laugh lines.
    “You’re here to see me, yes?” she asked.
    The minute she spoke, his concept of grandmother went out the window. There was power in that voice. An authoritative tone that made you sit up straight and pay attention to what she was saying. He tensed as a knowing smile appeared on her face, and the dark eyes that had seemed harmless became piercing.
    “You’re Ms. Madeline?” Juni asked.
    “Yes, but please just call me Madeline. Come on in. You’ve picked the perfect time for a visit. I’m clear for the rest of the evening.”
    She stepped back to allow them to enter the house, and Oliver was surprised to find it looked like any other business run out of a home. There were chairs lined up in the foyer , which served as a waiting room, and off to the right there was a water dispenser and a table with a coffee pot, creamer, sugar, swizzle sticks, and paper cups. It was rather anti - climatic.
    “This is not what you expected?” Madeline asked.
    “No , ma’am.”
    “Please, it’s Madeline, and who might you two lovely young people be?”
    “I’m Juniper, and this is my boyfriend Oliver.”
    “Aaah, young love , yes? The emotion that exists between the two of you is quite powerful. The two of you are very well matched.”
    Juni’s eyes lit up as she squeezed his hand.  They followed her through a door on the right.  The room they entered contained a large, teak wood table that held a