“How can she run a business without answering calls?” River asked.

“She must filter the calls, only answer the numbers she knows.”

“She’d lose customers if she did that,” River said.

“Your mother has never followed the usual rules of society.”

Raven was intrigued by this woman who’d divorced her family and society as Mama had. “Do you know her address?” she asked.

“There’s a business address for the plant nursery,” Jonah said.

“Then we can go there,” Raven said to her aunt.

“This doesn’t sound promising,” her aunt said. “She clearly wants no contact with her family.”

“I don’t care. I’m going.”

“And you expect me to take you?”

“If you don’t, I’ll get there on my own. I’m not staying here.”

“I’ll drive you down there,” River said.

“You will not!” his father said.

Raven sensed River had only been trying to stir trouble, but Aunt Sondra glanced at him uneasily. “I’ll take you,” she said. “But only if you promise to stay with your family after you’ve met her.”

Another promise that felt like being trapped in a cage. Just like Mama. Maybe she had learned to force promises on people from her elder sister.

“Do you promise?” Aunt Sondra said.

“I promise.”

2

ELLIS

Ellis helped Tom load the last of the potted Fakahatchee grasses into his truck. She stood back and surveyed the thicket of native plants in the dark cavern of the truck interior. She would send many more trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers with Tom and his landscaping crew in coming months. The plants were going to a new upscale subdivision, the largest order Wild Wood Natives had ever filled.

“Thanks for the help,” Tom said.

“Of course,” Ellis said.

“Damn, it’s hot,” he said. “More like August than April.” He lifted the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe his face, exposing his muscular stomach and chest.

Ellis turned away, filled a cup from his big thermos of cold water. She gulped the water so fast, it ran down her chin onto her sweaty T-shirt.

“I like a woman who knows how to drink.”

“Seems I don’t,” she said, wiping her chin.

He gestured at something behind her. “The ranger has perfect timing.”

Keith was walking over from the house, still in his uniform. Quercus III plodded behind him, tongue hanging.

“I came over to help,” Keith said.

“Too late,” Tom said. “Ellis does the work of two of my crew in half the time.”

Keith wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her.

Tom closed the truck and pulled out.

“Truthfully, I came over to kick his butt out of here,” Keith said, watching the truck turn out of the nursery.

Ellis snorted.

“Don’t say I’m imagining it. His flirting is too obvious.”

He wasn’t imagining it. But Ellis knew how to handle Tom.

“He’s a friendly guy,” she said.

“Too friendly.” Keith pulled her tight against his body. “And I can see why. You look damn sexy when you’re covered in dirt and sweat.”

She pressed harder against him. “I think you should come home from work early more often.”

“Do we have time?”

“There’s always time.”

She led him into the nearest trees, slid down her shorts and panties, and leaned her chest against a big live oak.

“Jesus, Ellis. How do you still do this to me?”

“Do what?”

She heard him quickly unbuckling his belt behind her. “You know what, Witch.”

She smiled. Even after all these years, he still sometimes called her Witch.

Quercus paced around them barking, as if he thought their lovemaking was a game.

“Remind me to lock the dog in the house next time we do this,” Keith said afterward.

“That might ruin the spontaneity,” she said.

They walked hand in hand to the house. Inside, Keith gave her a few pieces of mail. There was a card from Dani. More pictures of her baby.

Keith picked up the photos. “Wow, she’s adorable, isn’t she?”

“Yes,” Ellis said.

He put the photos on the refrigerator with the other babies and kids. There were a lot of them now, his nephew and two nieces at all ages, years of Christmas card photos of friends’ children, and ten months of Dani’s baby. Ellis would rather have a clean refrigerator, but she wouldn’t make a big deal out of it; he enjoyed the ritual.

While she showered, Keith changed into shorts and a T-shirt.

They put Quercus in the house and locked the door.

They sat in the old SUV they were trading for a new full-size pickup. She hoped the old car made it to the dealer. Keith had kept it running far beyond the usual mileage, but now it was definitely in its last throes.

“Excited?” he asked.

“You know I’m not one to get excited about cars.”

“It’s difficult to get rid of it, isn’t it?”

She ran her hands over the faded, sticky steering wheel. “Yeah, it’s been all over the mountains with me.”