War threatens newfound happiness for a matched-up magical couple in this Southern Gothic, new adult fantasy novella prequel to Blackbird Summer. When Rex Somersby's family matchmaker sets him up with the famous Evelyn Cadeau, he can't believe his luck. Evelyn is the woman with the perfect Gift—the woman every man wants—while Rex's own magical ability leaves much to be desired. He travels from Missouri to meet his dream girl in her rural Mississippi home, where Evelyn makes it clear that winning her heart won't be an easy task. Good thing farm-boy Rex has never been afraid of a little hard work. Evelyn Cadeau is used to getting her way. As the woman with the most powerful Gift, she knows she can have her pick of anyone she wants. And who she wants is slick, handsome, and off-limits Guy McCallister—not gawky, buttoned-up Rex Somersby. Yet, after an arranged date with Rex takes a dramatic turn, leading to a bottle of wine and sneaking to the creek for a late night skinny dip, she realizes there may be more to by-the-rules Rex than meets the eye. Just as the young couple start to think their family's tradition of matchmaking isn't quite so backward, Rex is drafted to Vietnam. With war threatening to tear them apart, will love be able to save them? Or will it take a bit of magic? "Slow-burning and leisurely, this romance captures the charm of small towns and the tension of the late 1960s, allowing its leads to come together at their own pace.... A tender story about the healing power of love."—Publishers Weekly