Six Months Later
Kate and Mia stood behind the table, waiting for their first customer to show up. The Carter’s Hollow Summer Festival was the biggest event of the year, and Sweet Charlene’s Honey had its very own table at the event. They couldn’t wait to get their first sale.
“Any takers yet?” Darrell asked. He’d insisted on being a part of the big day after getting the first jar of honey from Kate’s hives. He told her it was the best honey he’d ever had, although Kate thought he might be partial. “You know, some say beekeeping is the second oldest profession.”
“Oh really?” Mia said, trying to feign interest. Darrell was full of useless information.
“Hey, Darrell, do you mind getting me and Mia some lemonade? They have the best stand down there at the end of the road.”
Darrell nodded his head. “Sure! I might even get me one of those corndogs I saw earlier…” he said as he continued walking. Darrell didn’t seem to care if anyone was actually listening to him. He just liked to talk.
“Thank you. I love him to death, but it’s like sitting next to an encyclopedia that’s just blurting out random information,” Mia said, laughing.
“Am I your first customer?” They looked up to see their father, Jack, standing there with Sylvia.
“Oh my goodness! I didn’t know you guys were coming to the festival. I’m so happy to see you! It’s been months.” Kate walked around the table and hugged them both.
“I know, I know. Between having my procedure and trying to do my cardiac rehab, my calendar has been full. But they released me last week, and I’m good as new!” Jack rubbed his chest.
“Well, I wouldn’t say good as new. You’re still an old geezer in my eyes,” Sylvia said, smiling up at him.
“Seriously, what did the doctor say about your progress so far?”
“He’s really happy. My arrhythmia is gone, and my heart function improved ten percent during rehab. They are switching me to a plant based diet, which is not something I ever thought I’d do. You know how I love hamburgers.”
“But he’s doing it because he wants to live a long life with his daughters and beautiful wife,” Sylvia said, poking him in the side.
Kate was very happy to see them getting along so well. They had really had a rough patch when her dad first got diagnosed, but when he finally gave in and opted for the ablation, everything turned around. They seemed closer than ever.
“So, how much is this Sweet Charlene’s Honey?” Jack asked.
“For you, it’s free,” Mia said, handing him a jar.
“I guess it pays to know people in high places,” he joked.
“Well, I guess we’re going to do a little walking around. Jack promised that I could buy some wonderful candles I smelled on the way over to your table.”
“I don’t remember promising anything…”
“We’ll see you girls later,” Sylvia said, smiling as she pushed Jack out into the pathway.
“I can’t believe he’s here. I’m so glad he’s doing so well,” Mia said.
“How is business?” Cooper asked as he walked up behind Kate and slid his arms around her waist. She looked up at him.
“Well, we haven’t sold a thing so far, so business is actually pretty slow.”
“The way I see it, you have to get people interested in your product. Why don’t we put out some samples?”
“That’s a good idea. Mia, do you still have those little plastic cups. Maybe we could use those?”
“I’d be glad to walk around and stir up some business,” Cooper said.
“My hero,” Kate said, smiling. Mia handed him a jar of the honey and a few of the cups.
“Anything for my honey,” Cooper said, laughing. “Get it? Honey?”
Kate and Mia both rolled their eyes. “Get to work, funny guy.”
As they continued standing behind the table, Kate wondered if her honey business had been a good idea or not. Everyone just kept walking past the table, and she was starting to second-guess things when an older woman walked up, a big smile on her face.
“Hi. Welcome to Sweet Charlene’s Honey. Would you like a jar?”
“Oh, yes, please. Charlene was one of my dearest friends back in school.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We served on student council together back in high school. I’d like to buy three jars, please. There’s nothing better than honey on a nice warm buttermilk biscuit with a little bit of extra butter added.”
Kate smiled. She would never totally understand southern cooking, but it was definitely the epitome of comfort food.
She bagged up the three jars of honey and took the woman’s debit card, swiping it across the little device that she had on her cell phone. She asked the woman if she could take her picture since she was her first customer, and she happily obliged.
After she walked away, Mia and Kate had a private little celebration. “I guess we are truly in the honey business now, aren’t we?” Mia said.
“I guess we are. Who knew this is where we would be this time last year? Sisters, boyfriends, Dad… And now honey?” Kate said.
“I guess you never really know where life is going to take you.”
A few minutes later, Evie sped past the table on a scooter. Following behind her were Abigail and Elijah, her brother and sister. Brandon and his wife had opted to move to Atlanta shortly after his bone marrow transplant. They were impressed with the hospitals, and Brandon wanted to be closer to Evie.
Many weekends, they would come up to Carter’s Hollow and spend time with her, letting the kids get to know each other and sometimes even staying at the B&B. Kate and Kara couldn’t have been any different, and she wasn’t really all that fond of the woman, but she and Brandon had mended fences enough to be good co-parents to Evie.
“Slow down on that thing!” Kate said, waving her hand at Evie as she flew by. Evie groaned and kept going, her siblings following after her like ducklings.
She was very happy that Brandon was considered to be in remission, although he would have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life. He still had to be careful and go to his doctor appointments to make sure that things were still going well. From what she could tell he was finally getting back on his feet.
Kara, although not her favorite person, had thanked Kate on multiple occasions. Of course, Evie had also thanked her mother time and again for what she had done. But to Kate, there had been no other choice. You help people, even when it’s someone you may not understand or like.
Mia had told her that she got that from their mother, and Kate was starting to believe that genetics were a strong factor in her life.
“Where’s Travis?”
“He’s down at his table. After working on that book, he is in high demand now. I’m surprised he even has time to sell his photographs at an event like this. He’s been fielding offers from all over the world.”
“How do you feel about that? I know you don’t want to be away from each other very much,” Kate said, rearranging the jars of honey for the twentieth time that day.
“He’s only working on projects that might take him away for a day or two, but anything longer he’s pretty much turning down. Although, he did get one offer in the Caribbean, and we’re thinking about making a trip out of it. I hope you can watch the B&B if we do that?”
Kate laughed. “I think I can help you out with that. You deserve to see the world, sis. Mom would understand if you left the B&B sometimes.”
“I know, I know.”
As Kate stood back and looked around at the festival, she could see all of the different people that she loved. Evie was zipping around in the parking lot with her two adoring siblings behind her. Cooper was walking up and down the pathway, trying to convince people to have a bite of honey. Her dad and Sylvia were smelling candles at a table off in the distance. And of course, her sister was standing right next to her, always her sidekick and best friend.
There was nothing that Kate could imagine that would be better than this. No, this life was getting sweeter all the time.
***
Ready to pre-order the next book in the Sweet Tea B&B series? Click here to reserve your copy of SWEET TEA & WEDDING RINGS right now!
Also, don’t forget to check out my women’s fiction series that starts with THE BEACH HOUSE!