“No, not at all,” he said. “I had a job down the highway this morning. On my way back, I found myself turning up the old road to this place. I don’t know why.”

Devin ran into the clearing. Her wings were starting to droop. They’d seen better days. They’d snagged on some branches on the trail, and there was a bit of Spanish moss clinging to one of them.

Kate leaned against the van beside him. The engine was cool. He’d been here awhile. They hadn’t interacted much at the party after bringing Devin back from the woods. They hadn’t danced again. Kate wasn’t sure where they stood.

“I talked to my uncle one last time this morning,” Wes said. “I couldn’t change his mind. He said he’ll still be coming by late this afternoon to give Eby another chance to sign over her land. Otherwise, he said he’s going to sue. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m sorry I got mad at you at the party,” Kate said. “I know you’d never do anything to hurt Eby.”

“What do you think she’ll do? Do you think she’ll fight him?”

“Oh, she’ll fight him,” Kate said. “But I don’t know what will happen.”

“What are you going to do?”

She pretended to think about it. “Oh, I don’t know. What are the schools like around here?”

“The schools?” he asked. “They’re good.”

“What are their dress codes like? Do they allow tutus and fairy wings?”

He looked to Devin, then back to Kate, his brows rising from under his sunglasses. “Are you staying?”

“Fifteen years ago, I never wanted to leave in the first place,” she said. “I’m just finally making my way back.”

He smiled and made a huh sound. He paused, and she could see the tension growing in his shoulders as some sort of realization set in. “There was something of yours in the Alligator Box. If you’re staying, I think I need to show it to you now.”

“Something of mine?”

He pushed himself away from the van, then went to the side door and pulled it open. The Alligator Box was there, tucked in a mesh hammock. He opened the box and took out a plastic sandwich bag. Inside the bag was a letter. He handed it to her.

On wide-ruled paper, in fading gray pencil, Wes had written:

Dear Kate,