“I’ll try to convince her to stay put. But hurry, okay?”
“Yep.” He disconnected and sent Dane a quick text explaining there was an emergency at the farm and asked him to inform Mayor Contreras and Sheriff Myers. His patience was gone and being diplomatic wasn’t at the top of his list.
He’d almost reached the doors to the parking lot when he heard his name called out. He turned, braced for resistance, to find Rosebud running his way.
She was breathless when she reached him. “I thought you could use an extra hand? Maybe?”
“Thanks, Rosebud.”
She nodded, pushing through the heavy metal doors ahead of him without saying a word. That was the thing about Rosebud—she seemed to know what he needed before he did. Like now. Having someone along to keep his mind from worst-casing things would help. And he could tell her just about anything, and she’d never tease or pick at him or ply him with questions. It made being with her easy.
Once they were driving to the farm, she asked, “What’s happened?”
“I’m not sure.” He shook his head. “Jenny said Gramma Dot’s stuck up a tree?” He glanced her way.
She blinked, her green eyes wide. “Right. Well, that happens... I suppose.”
He laughed, surprising himself.
She smiled, then laughed, too.
And things felt a little better.
“Everett, I’m worried about you.” Her gaze traveled over his face, her own expression grave. “You look tired. Like you’re running on fumes.”
Is it that obvious?He nodded. “Maybe.”
“I... Well, you’ve always been someone everyone could count on.” She turned in her seat, facing him. “And while it’s a good thing to be nice, obviously, people can take advantage of that. Of you. Because you are you.” She paused, shrugging. “The thing is, you can be nice and still say no. It might be hard for you at first, but laying down some boundaries might be a good thing. Or you’ll wear yourself out.”
She was right. And damn, she was pretty. It was a good thing he had to keep his eyes on the road, or he’d likely wind up staring at her. “Are you saying I’m a nice guy?”
“Yes. But that wasn’t my point—”
“I know, Rosebud. I’m teasing you.” He sighed. “About six months ago, Robbie—Mayor Contreras—had a minor heart attack. He’s kept it quiet, not wanting people grabbing on to it and making it into a thing... When he asked me to help out, I couldn’t say no. Somehow, what started out as a temporary arrangement seems to have become an expectation.” He glanced her way. “He’s done. He has no intention of running for office again. In fact, he’s trying to convince me to run for mayor.”
“Oh wow.” She was quiet for a minute. “That’s amazing—if you want to run for mayor?”
“I haven’t had the time to really think about it. I like the idea of being mayor—and I do love working with people—and the community.” At the same time, his life had become all about what needed doing, without any downtime. “But not if it’s going to be like this. Relentless.” He glanced at her. “And that article didn’t help. Kinda hard to be taken seriously when that’s hanging over me.”
“You’ve got a lot of stress in your life, Everett.” She sighed, wholly sympathetic. “Maybe you need to come work with the bees.”
He looked at her then, confused.
“You used to say it helped clear your mind.” She tucked a strand of deep red hair behind her ear.
“Right.” He smiled, a twinge of guilt forcing him to admit, “I might not have been entirely truthful about that.”
“Oh?” She frowned.
“Growing up in Honey, it’s almost a crime not to be a fan of them—bees.” He shrugged, turning off the main road. “I’m...well, I’m not. A fan. Bees make me nervous.”
“What?” She shook her head. “Why didn’t you say something? You helped me so many times.”
He milled over how to answer this, driving along the one-way frontage road until he reached the long gravel drive leading to his parents’ farm. There was no reason not to be honest with her. Honestly, it was kind of funny. “I only said that because I was so in love with you, Rosebud. Back then, I’d have swum with sharks if it meant I’d get your undivided attention.”
She was staring at him, her mouth hanging open.
“But that was a long time ago... I got over you.” He forced a chuckle, waiting for her to laugh and wishing he’d kept his mouth shut.
