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talents do you have?”
    “Talents? I’m afraid there are none, unless you count talking. I excel at oral communications.” Flora heard herself answer, before choking on the next sip of her hot chocolate. Snapdragon! Could she not keep a decent thought in her head and control over her tongue? It seemed to have developed a naughty side since running into Tharin. “Though I obviously need more work at keeping it civil! I’m having a hard time filtering my thoughts in your presence.”
    “I find it delightful and will take it as a compliment that my presence encourages impure thoughts. It would seem great minds think alike. There are certainly more than a few crossing my mind at the moment.”
    “ Sweet marigolds .” Flora blushed, changing the subject, eager to keep the conversation going in a milder direction she was more comfortable with. “So, what brings you to Peabody?”
    “I was in need of a change of scenery. I’d been in Europe a century too long and needed something different. When the offer of working in the States came up, I couldn’t refuse.”
    “A century, wow, and how old are you exactly?” Flora asked.
    Fae tended to stop aging after they’d reached the mature age of twenty-five. Old age would eventually catch up to them a few thousand years later. But until then, their bodies were frozen in time.
    “I just celebrated my two hundred and thirtieth year.”
    “Congrats.” Flora smiled.
    “And you? I wouldn’t ask,but…”
    “You’re not from around here and need to get your bearings. I don’t mind telling you. I’ll be twenty-six this May.”
    “One hundred and twenty-six?” Tharin clarified.
    “Nope. Just plain, two-six.” She shook her head, refusing to be self-conscious.
    “You’re just a baby!” Tharin exclaimed.
    Flora was well aware how rare it was to meet a fae-kin as young as she was. Fae offspring were few and far between. “I’ll have you know that in earth years, I’m nearing middle age.” She laughed. “In a few years I’ll be over the hill.”
    “And your friends?”
    “We were all born the same year. Peabody enjoyed quite the population boom. Human and fae-kin were popping out all over the place.”
    “Interesting.”
    “Not really,” Flora confessed. “So, um, how long do you think you’ll be staying in Peabody?”
    “As long as there’s something worth staying for, I’ll be here.”
    “Good,” Flora finally answered, swallowing audibly. Her heart was pounding and her hormones were keeping pace. “Peabody’s a good place to put down roots,” she said, recalling Fia’s earlier words.

Chapter 6
    “That’s what I’m counting on. What else can you tell me about Peabody?” About yourself, Tharin wanted to say, but now he was afraid of rushing her. He hadn’t lied when he said she was just a baby. There was a huge age difference between them even for fae. Most didn’t even start considering a serious relationship until they were at least a hundred. Heck, he knew plenty of couples who refused to marry until they had reached five hundred. When time passed more slowly, there wasn’t any need to make hasty decisions, and he refused to put Flora in that position for his personal gain. Though from her middle age stance, he could see she considered age as quick a progression as humans did and he intended to use that to his advantage.
    “It’s a great place to live. There’s plenty to do year round. Runa, she’s the assistant town manager. Her boss, Jackson, along with the Mayor, and city council work hard to make sure of that. Just past the square, on Sawyer Street, there’s a set of vacant lots they use for roller-skating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter. I’ve been so busy this year I haven’t had time to go. In the spring and fall, Hawthorne Farm offers a seasonal u-pick area. Strawberries, apples, and a petting zoo. Pumpkin patch with hayrides, Christmas trees, and hot chocolate.” She smiled again, lifting her nearly empty cup