“You’re just jealous she didn’t make you one,” he said with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders.

Cassidy giggled behind her hands.

Wendy shook her head. He looked so pleased with himself! “Cass, you really shouldn’t be talking to strangers, and you especially shouldn’t tell them your name!” she chided. Cassidy had just started elementary school, hadn’t they taught her about stranger danger yet?

Cassidy tried to wrestle the blade of grass back between her thumbs. “I know, but I didn’t. He already knew!” she said, face screwed up in concentration.

Wendy gave Peter a confused look.

He leaned back on one hand and made a wide sweeping gesture to himself with the other. “Peter Pan, remember?” he asked with a conspiratorial wink. “It’s kind of my job.”

Wendy let out a huff. “You’re impossible,” she muttered before turning back to Cassidy. “Well, where are your parents, Cass? They should be watching you.”

“They’re at work. Rebecca is supposed to be watching me,” she said, glaring in the direction of her house. Sure enough, Rebecca sat in a lounge chair on the porch. She seemed deeply engrossed in a book, a set of headphones covering her ears.

Wendy’s frustration boiled. How did Rebecca not notice her sister talking to a random guy?

As if he could hear her thoughts, Peter said, “Sometimes teenagers are just as bad as adults when it comes to noticing magic.” He raised an eyebrow, giving Wendy a pointed look, which she pointedly ignored.

Wendy glared at Rebecca, feeling a surge of protectiveness for Cassidy. “Well, this teenager has a lot of things she needs to talk to you about,” she told Peter. “Let’s go, Flower Prince.”

“Only if you promise to call me prince,” he said, helping Cassidy readjust her thumbs.

“Peter.”

“Your Highness is also acceptable.”

“Peter.”

Finally noticing her tone, Peter looked up. He gave her a quizzical look, cocking his head to the side. He took the flower crown off his head and held it out to Cassidy in both of his hands. “I think you should hold on to this,” he told her. Cassidy reached a hand out to take it, but before she could, Peter added, “But I think it needs to be a bit more fitting for a princess.”

Slowly, the small, wilting buds began to glow a faint gold. Cassidy gasped and Wendy’s heart fluttered.

The flowers swelled into huge blooms, the stems growing thick and knotted together. Rotating slowly, the circlet rose into mid-air. Eyes wide, Cassidy watched as it came down to rest around her neck, too large to perch on the top of her head.

“There!” Peter said, wiping his hands off on his worn jeans, looking pleased with his handiwork.

Pixie dust.

Cassidy let out a squeal of excitement and clapped her hands together. “Are you a magician?” she asked, bubbling over, her tiny body literally bouncing with glee.