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“Great.” August sighed. “They know we’re here.”

With a fortifying breath, he unbuckled and opened his car door.

“Hey, Meg,” he called. The door slammed shut, and the rest of his greeting was muffled.

Esther looked at Uther.

“After you.” They both spoke in unison. “Jinx. Stop it.”

She glared at him. This was his idea. He should be the one to lead the way into the strange house in the middle of nowhere with an intense-looking dog. Seriously, that dog still hadn’t moved. He just stood there, staring at them.

Another woman came out of the house, this one much shorter, and beelined it for August with a squeal and upraised arms. She jumped, and he caught her, lifting her in a full twirl before setting her down. Uther was watching now.

“Did he just kiss her?” He threw off his seat belt and was fighting with the door lock.

At least that got him moving.

“It was on the—” The door slammed shut behind him before she finished with “cheek.” She rolled her eyes and got out of the car. Uther was getting so territorial lately. He and August needed to define that relationship before Uther fretted himself into the grave. She should have a talk with him about giving people their space.

The second woman let go of August and turned to Esther and Uther as they cautiously approached, Esther keeping her distance from the dog.

“Hi, I’m Gwen. Is it okay if I hug you?” She had green corduroy overalls and a pink cardigan that popped against her earthy brown skin. Her black curls were pulled back into two fluffy buns.

“Sure,” said Esther. She wasn’t much of a hugger, but she didn’t mind them, and she liked that Gwen had asked permission first, like she cared about Esther’s comfort.

Gwen swooped in, and it was worth it. She gave good hugs.

“Did you bring the book?” The woman with the dog—Meg—asked August.

“It’s in the car,” he replied. “I’ll grab it.”

“You found it?” Gwen chased after him, her run more of a frolic than anything else.

Gwen wore cute vintage lace-ups. Esther looked at her own scuffed, black boots wondering if she needed to get something new yet. And that was when she noticed the grass around her feet. A November frost had sapped the color from them, but a circle of dewy emerald radiated out from her grungy boots. Smaller patches trailed off from the larger like someone had dropped the green from a bucket but spilled along the way. She followed the trail with her eyes to the car. Did she have something on her shoes that was reacting to the grass? Balancing on one foot, she pulled her other up to check the bottom of her boots. Nothing there that she could tell.

“It’s the book!” called Gwen. She jumped up and down, and…

Flowers sprouted from the ground around her. Esther tumbled out of the patch of green and away from the car and growing flowers. What the hell was going on?

“August?” Esther tried to sound calm while continuing to back away from the encroaching green but heard the waver in her voice.

“What’s wrong?” His brows furrowed into his classic grumpy stance as his gaze shifted from her to the growing patch of flowers.

“Damn it, Gwen. I haven’t told them yet.” He sighed.

“Oh my god, what are these flowers?” said Uther, jumping over patches to join Esther.

August opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out.

“Oops.” Gwen twirled, looking at all the winter greenery she’d awakened. “Did I do that again?”

“Let’s do this inside,” said Meg. She whistled, and the dog reanimated and ran back into the house, Meg following behind. Gwen frolicked after her, small twists of flowers and vines sprouting in her wake.

Esther turned to Uther and nodded to the house. He could go first.

Uther’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

She replied with her sternest look, and he countered with a mocking stern look and tilted his head to her. She squeezed her eyes, focusing lasers on him, and he matched her look with a glare of his own.