“Maybe he was being nice?” Astrid, ever the optimist, took a cookie and glanced up to find their aunts eyeing her with open disbelief. “Okay, okay. I’m sure he’s planning something devious.” She took a bite, her brows rising. “There? Better?”
It’s not like he hasn’t done that before.Tansy forced a laugh.
“I know he’s been a right toot in the past but—” Camellia shrugged “—it’s not impossible he was trying to do something nice for Tansy.”
Tansy felt ridiculously buoyed by her aunt’s comment but said, “I think it was his way of paying me back for helping out with Annie.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Aunt Mags shook her head. “Be that as it may, I... I suppose I’m grateful.”
“Me, too.” Aunt Camellia lifted her hands so Beeswax could jump into her lap. “Come on, sweetie.” Jammie, who was older and insisted on being next to Beeswax 24/7, sat beside the chair and yowled. “There’s room, Jammie-kins.” She patted her chair until the cat was up and curling around his sibling.
“You two need to spend less time in laps and more time being cats.” Aunt Mags glared at the felines. “There’s a lovely, juicy parrot living right under this very roof. Aren’t you supposed to keep the house vermin-free? Bring your owners tokens of your prowess? I’d love a dead-as-a-doornail parrot delivered right at my feet.”
“Uma, Ida and Corliss don’t always gossip.” Camellia went on as if Mags hadn’t said a thing. “We’ll have to hope they won’t.”
“That’s not being hopeful, that’s being delusional.” Aunt Mags shot her sister a look. “You know better, Camellia. Those women will tell Willadeene everything. Wanting to believe a person can do better doesn’t mean they will—or that they would want to. All you’re doing is setting yourself up for disappointment.” She pointed at Tansy. “Tansy, for example, would never trust Dane Knudson. She knows him too well and knows to keep him at arm’s length and protect herself.”
It was a solid reminder. Keeping Dane at arm’s length was always the best option. Yes, the air was extra charged between them and her insides sort of melted when he smiled and his kiss had her clinging and breathless. But...
How had she let this happen? When had she let her guard down? Somehow, she’d conveniently set aside their past.Probably around the time I threw my arms around his neck. And she couldn’t be mad at him. She’d started it and she sort of hoped there’d be more kissing in their future.
This was a problem. A big one.One I created.
“I’ll get back to the lotion.” Astrid stood, brushing crumbs from her lap.
“I’ll help. Maybe we can check in on the south yards before the sun goes down?” Tansy cleared her and Astrid’s teacups from the table. “If you’re game?”
“Always.” Astrid never said no to time with the bees.
“Good.” Amidst the buzz of the bees working diligently toward one common goal, life was simple. She needed simple right now. Bees and family and honey and knowing, in her heart, what she wanted—what was right. Simple, as in Dane was an untrustworthy and prodding rival not an appealingly tempting and supremely kissable hottie. Because he was oh so appealing.
Simple was good. Simple was predictable and easy. The question was, would things ever be simple between her and Dane again?
THEMINUTEDANE’Salarm went off, his nerves kicked in. He’d given himself a week of no Tansy. After he’d rushed her back to the Honey Hill Farms booth at the Alpine Springs Arts and Wine Festival, he’d decided the best thing to get his head straight was space.
And it hadn’t worked one damn bit.
No matter how hard he pored over old order sheets, negotiated prices on pest strips for the hive or did a sugar shake test to check for mites, he couldn’t stop the flashes of memory or sensation that only Tansy stirred. Things between them were getting dangerous. Too tangled up in each other’s business—and emotions. He was headed for trouble, he knew that, and he wasn’t doing a damn thing to stop it. But, fool that he was, he was looking forward to spending time with her today.
“Leif!” He thumped on the wall that separated their rooms. “Rise and shine.” He listened as he tugged on some loose-fit carpenter jeans and a thin gray Texas Viking Honey T-shirt.Nothing. He knocked on the wall again. “Leif, wheels up in five minutes.” Once he’d stepped into his well-worn leather boots, and slicked his hair back into a tight ponytail, he left his room and headed to Leif’s. He knocked. “Coming in.” He waited five seconds before pushing the door wide.
It looked like everything Leif owned had been dumped on the floor so it took a minute to realize Leif wasn’t there. He eyed the empty bed. “Damn.”
All this week, Leif had come home and pulled on his bee suit to work with Birmingham. After the sun went down, Leif washed up, did his homework and went to bed. Whatever the reason for Leif’s turnaround, Dane was going to have a much easier time showing their father Leif was right where he needed to be.
Now he’s gone.
Dane hurried down the back stairs into the kitchen. “Dammit.” He checked his phone—no messages—and flipped on the coffeepot. “Dammit all.” He pulled a mug from the cabinet and set it on the counter, waiting as the coffeepot boiled and gurgled.
There was a crunching sound. Dane paused. A scrape and more crunching. He turned slowly. It was Leif, chowing down on Fruity O’s cereal. Dane was grinning like an idiot. “Morning.”
Leif didn’t respond. He was entirely engrossed in the book he was reading.
“Morning,” Dane said, a little louder. Still nothing. Dane stepped forward, tapping on the top of the pages.
Leif looked up, pulling his earbud from his right ear. “Hey.” He nodded.
“Morning.”
