“Of course,” Astrid whispered. “You knew the swarm was coming, too. Don’t act like you didn’t.” She kept her voice light and airy—she insisted the bees preferred it that way—and shielded her gaze as she peered up at the swarm buzzing amongst the sprawling lower branches of the mesquite.
“Nope.” Tansy placed the empty nuc box beneath the ball of bees. “I guess they like you better.” The box would keep the bees safe until they were moved into the brightly painted new hive adjacent to the wildflower fields awash with color.
“Maybe they know you want to turn them into attack bees?” Astrid laughed softly and gripped the branch the bees were attached to, pausing to ask, “Ready?”
“Yes.” Tansy stepped back, a stack of old wooden rulers in her hand.
Astrid shook the branch once, causing the lump of bees to undulate and sway. None fell, they were too busy protecting the queen deep inside the swarm. “Come on,” Astrid coaxed. “It’s only me and Tansy,” she crooned, shaking the branch again. “Stubborn, aren’t you?”
Tansy shrugged. “It is a beautiful day. Maybe they want to hang out in the sunshine and take a break?” Beesnevertook a break. There were times Tansy felt sorry for the little creatures. As soon as they emerged from the pampered comfort of their hive cell, they went to work. Bees were single-minded and efficient and all about taking care of each other.A lot like us Bee Girls.She glanced at her sister.
“Tansy thinks she’s hilarious,” Astrid faux-whispered to the bees. “We have a beautiful new hive all ready and waiting for you to make lots of babies and fill with lots of pollen and honey.” Another shake and a vast portion of the swarm fell into the box. “That’s the way.”
“You sweet talker, you,” Tansy said with a laugh.
Astrid shook the branch a few more times, until only a few dozen bees remained on the branch. Others flew slowly around them, stirring the air with the merry hum of their wings. “There. There she is. The queen.” Without her, the bees would leave the box and return to protect their royal highness.
A bee landed on Tansy’s veil, giving her an up close look at the bulging tummy. When a beehive was too crowded, the old queen would venture out with half the inhabitants—their guts full of honey to get things started in their new home—while leaving a new queen with the rest. The swarm would find a place to wait, a mass of bees that caused an alarming roar, until a scout had returned with the perfect place to start a new hive. Lucky for these bees, they wouldn’t need to search.
“Poor thing looks ready to pop.” Tansy bent forward, gently shaking her veil until the bee let go and drifted, sluggish, into the bee-filled box. Tansy knelt and slowly slid one ruler at a time across the top of the nucleus box. “Watch out,” she said, gently pushing aside some bees with the ruler and resting it along the box rim. Tansy left a tiny opening between the last ruler and box side and stood. “Good?”
“Very,” Astrid said.
Once it was dark and all the bees had returned from scouting new locations, the sisters would come back to tape up the box and move it next to their new hive. In the morning, before the Texas sun was too hot, they’d relocate the bees inside their hive. It wouldn’t take long before they made themselves at home—bees didn’t believe in wasting time.
“See you later, bees.” Tansy waved, hooking arms with Astrid as they walked along the deer trail they’d followed along the edge of the field. “Good work, sister-of-mine.”
“You, too, sister-o’-mine.” Astrid smiled at Tansy. “They didn’t even know we were there.”
Tansy wasn’t so sure about that, but they’d be happy enough once they were settled in their new hive.
It was Granna Hazel and Poppa Tom that had taught their Bee Girls the importance of interfering as little as possible with their bees.
Don’t get in the way of the bees being bees. They know what they’re doing, so let them do it, Poppa Tom had said. He’d also been a stickler for respect.Respect the bees, take care of them, and they’ll take care of you, he used to say.Treat them wrong and don’t be surprised if they sting you right on the nose. He’d tap them on the nose then, teasing. He’d had a saying foreverything, some of them so cheesy Granna Hazel would roll her eyes and make them all laugh.
They wandered along awhile before Astrid let go of Tansy, lifted her veil and tucked it on top of her hat. “Feeling better?”
“I feel great. You know me, I love ticking off items on our to-do list.” She was a big list-maker. “Not that there’s not still plenty to do.” There always was. They were always busy—like the bees.
“I mean about this morning. Your visit to you-know-who. I figure that’s the reason you were contemplating assassin bees?” Astrid sighed. “I’m sorry it didn’t go well.”
“How about we enjoy the peace and quiet?” Tansy asked, pulling off her elastic cuffed gloves and tucking them into the back pocket of her tan denim overalls. Which reminded her... “He made fun of my overalls.” She draped her veil up and across the brim of her hat.
“What’s wrong with them?” Astrid stopped walking and turned to assess her sister’s attire. “They’re practical and adorable. I love the buttons.”
Tansy held out the strap of her overalls out and stared down at the whimsical button and its tiny painted bee. “Itwasthe buttons.” He’d practically sneered at her buttons. And her boots? He remembered her bee boots? From middle school. A detail she’d forgotten until now. “The bees, in particular.”
“He has no sense of fashion.” Astrid looped their arms together again and started walking. When Astrid wasn’t being the bee whisperer, she helped the aunties run the Hill Honey Boutique on Main Street. The shop was chock-full of all things bee-centric. From apparel to skincare, beekeeping supplies to how-to books, made-to-order quilts from the local Honey Bee Ladies Society to jars and jars of all types of honey, the shop had enough personality and unique wares to bring in a steady income stream to help offset things at the farm.For now.
If they didn’t win the prize at the Honey Festival, they’d have to sell the farm and move into the cramped space above the shop—after it was thoroughly renovated. Just thinking about it made Tansy’s heart ache.It won’t come to that. It won’t.
“Did you tell him those buttons are one of our bestsellers?” Astrid asked. “They are.”
“No.” Tansy had to smile then, tucking a curl behind her ear. “Are they really?”
“Yes, really.” Astrid squeezed her arm. “I can hardly keep them in stock. You are a trendsetter and he’s probably just jealous.”
“That’s me.” She glanced at her sister, but Astrid wasn’t teasing. Astrid didn’t tease—she was too tenderhearted for that.
