Her husband, Hal Haverton, was also a part-time deputy sheriff, ranch owner, and he was working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a special agent with Tracey. She had quadruplets by her husband and the first thing she said to Ava was, “Ditto for me. Something other than I’m pregnant. I’m thrilled for Mandy though. So what do you see for me?”
“Your horse, Misty, is going to foal.”
“What? We had no plan to breed her. Wow, okay, thanks.” Tracey began texting away and left.
Deputy Sheriff Ricky Jones was standing in line after that, arms folded, looking cross. “Mandy’s excited about having twins and mad at me because I sounded shocked instead of being as excited as she is.”
Ava smiled. “Sorry, Ricky. I am just giving everyone a reading. It just happened hers showed she was pregnant with twins and they’re due in the fall. I thought you had already both known. Do you want me to read your palm?”
Ricky kept his arms folded across his chest.
Kolby, Ricky’s older brother, gently pushed Ricky’s shoulder. “Get it done or move out of line. I want to get my fortune read and the new fortune teller is coming, and she doesn’t have true insight.”
Ava was so glad that her relief was going to be here soon. She was ready to swim again. She was getting hot.
“All right.” Ricky gave Ava a twenty-dollar bill.
“An old girlfriend is coming to town and you’d better find a way to ditch her quickly.”
Ricky’s mouth gaped. “No way.”
“Yeah, way, Deputy Sheriff.” Ava smiled.
Ava could be so wicked. Chet knew she had dated Ricky too, until his old girlfriend, Mandy, turned up, ran into him with her car, accidentally, and he bit her, as a cougar, accidentally. He better not bite the new old girlfriend.
“Great. Her name?” Ricky asked.
“I have no idea, but she won’t be easily thwarted.”
Ricky ran his hands through his hair and glanced at Kolby, who winked at him. “Mel Paccato, betcha. And her dad has ties to the Mob. I told you she was bad news, and you shouldn’t have dated her.”
Ricky’s jaw dropped. “Great. It just better not be.” He headed off to do his deputy duties.
Kolby stepped up to the booth next. “Do you see anything for me?”
Ava looked tired, like she had seen about all she could handle. Chet wanted to rescue her.
Ava read his palm. “You will have some good news this fall.”
Kolby frowned. “About?”
“I’m not sure, but you’re ecstatic, and I see Jack-O’-Lanterns in the vision, so it will happen around Halloween, it appears.”
“Are you sure? Hmm.” Kolby brightened, "Ted is finally going to let me take on some more leadership roles at the ranch."
Smiling, Ted Weekum, Hal and Tracey Haverton's horse ranch foreman shook his head.
Kolby turned and grinned at Ted. "Thanks, Boss." Then he thanked Ava and hurried off.
"What about me?" Ted asked Ava, stretching out his palm after giving her a twenty. "Am I going to give Kolby more reign over the ranch?"
"You do. It will take a lot for that to happen, but it will."
Ted frowned. "So what's going to happen?"
Ava shrugged. "You know me and my visions. I just see bits and pieces."
"Okay, thanks, Ava."
Amy Mayflower, the sheriff’s department dispatcher was up next, with her eleven-year-old son, Bobby, and her husband, Deacon, who was a news reporter and doing some cougar-human interest stories for the paper.
“Bobby, you go first.”
Bobby was eager, but he was also looking a little apprehensive. Chet hoped Ava didn’t have bad news for the boy.
“Your girlfriend is going to give you a great gift for Christmas, but I can’t tell you what it is.” Ava smiled.
The boy’s jaw dropped. “I’ll have a girlfriend.” He pumped his fist and yelled out, “Yes.” Then he ran off, calling to some other kids. “Hey, you don’t know what I learned.”
Amy smiled at Ava. “I hope that they don’t have a terrible breakup in their future. So what about me?”
Ava touched her hand and closed her eyes. “You’re going to win at some contest today.”
“But I’m supposed to return to the sheriff’s department as soon as I eat.”
“Maybe you win something later.” Ava shrugged, but she sounded certain it would be soon.
Deacon offered his hand then. “What can you see about me?”
She laughed. “Sorry. You’re going to take in a stray kitten, and Amy and your son are going to be shocked.”
Deacon laughed. “Okay, thanks.”
“I’m here as your relief,” Nina said. “Kolby’s in charge of the canoe race and I heard you were