ASTRID MOVED SLOWLY. So far, the bees were behaving but she and Tansy had yet to start the removal process. “Good morning.” She kept her voice low and soft. “Tansy and I are here to move you someplace safe.” She peered inside the grill. “Looks like you ladies have been working very hard.”
There was no finer architect in the natural world than the bee. Astrid had seen hundreds of different hives and combs in her life but it hadn’t dampened her admiration for their work. Inside of Abner Jones’s barrel grill was a highly productive colony. Row after row of deep U-shaped stalactite-like comb hung, the colors varying from gold to deep amber.
“It’s a good thing Abner’s grill is heavy-duty.” She pointed inside the barrel with her gloved hand. “That’s a lot of honey. We should have brought another bucket.”
“Definitely should have brought another bucket.” Tansy leaned forward over Astrid’s shoulder. “I wonder how long it’s been since Abner used this thing? Or if these little ladies are just super productive?”
Astrid went back to inspecting the comb. Hundreds of golden bees crawled across the hanging comb. Feeding baby bees. Attending to the hive’s queen. Capping honey into the comb. Flying off to gather more pollen. Adding propolis to keep the combs securely in place. A bee was never still so a beehive was a very busy place. Bees were all about work.
Like Charlie Driver. Considering she was always one hundred percent focused when working with bees, the thought was surprising. But not exactly wrong.
“My smoker’s about ready.” Tansy pressed the bellows pump of her smoker. “Are we good to get started?”
She and Tansy were both fully suited—taking precautions since they didn’t know the temperament of these bees. In her pockets, she had her hive tools, a frame brush and a queen catcher. Tansy had the same. Beside her sat an empty nuc box to move the frames of baby bees, called brood, and some honey into. The two five-gallon buckets were for the honeycomb only. But she held up her hand before Tansy could start pumping smoke into the barrel. “Did you say hello to the bees?”
Tansy gestured at the hive with her smoker. “You said hello—that’s what matters. You’re the one who gets the bees with that mind-meld thing you have going on. You’re the bee whisperer.”
Her grandfather, Poppa Tom, had been the first one to call her that. When she’d been a little girl, she’d trailed after Poppa Tom to learn everything she could. She’d spent hours in his shadow, sitting and watching and listening and talking to the bees. She still did. Poppa Tom said the bees were so delighted with her interest and dedication and hard work that they had decided to make her an honorary bee. That was the reason even the worst-tempered bees wouldn’t sting her, he’d said. Whatever the reason, Astrid had developed a way of doing things. One of them was saying hello to the bees before working a hive. It was just good manners. “Tansy—”
“Hello, bees.” Tansy leaned forward. “I’m here, too. With Astrid. So, you know... Please don’t sting us while we move you someplace safe.”
Astrid gave her a thumbs-up. “Much better.”
“There you go.” Tansy pumped the bellows on the smoker and the buzz inside the metal grill grew softer. “It’s like bee valium.”
Astrid laughed as she reached inside the barrel grill. “I never thought of it that way before.” The cement-like propolis holding things in place gave with a pop and crunch and Astrid freed the stalactite-like comb. With a few light sweeps, she brushed the bees into the barrel grill, and put the sticky structure into the bucket. “All honey.” Astrid repeated the process. “You stay right here, safe and in the shade,” she said to the bees. Removing a wild hive was hard work. Removing a wild hive in triple digits made it twice as hard.
“At least they’re not aggressive.” Tansy turned the long comb she held. “More honey.”
“I can’t wait to see the queen. She’s got a high-producing team here. Honey and brood. Even though foraging is getting harder with no rain.” Queen bees had always fascinated Astrid. Beyond their size and oftentimes interesting coloring, there was something regal about the queen. It wasn’t just that she was the largest bee in the colony, it was the way the other bees parted and tended to her. Royalty, indeed.
It took a good forty minutes but she and Tansy managed to get the brood comb secured into frames and stored inside the nuc box and most of the combs of honey packed tightly into the five-gallon buckets.
“She’s a shy queen, I think?” Astrid was leaning into the barrel, peering into every seam and divot of the old metal barrel. “Can you imagine? You’re doing your bee thing and all of a sudden faceless white giants are puffing smoke into your house and taking things away. I’d be a little wary, too.” Tansy didn’t say anything so Astrid used her softest, most encouraging voice as she said, “I promise, we’re not going to hurt you. We’re going to give you a lovely new home. It’s like...like a bee resort.”
Tansy laughed. “It’s true, our bees are living their best life.”
Astrid agreed. Honey Hill Farms made sure their bees had everything they needed and more. Several of their original beeyards even had themes—a little something more than the traditional white bee boxes. From detailed and elegant castles and famous Impressionist re-creations to the boldly painted Alice in Wonderland apiary, the beeyards added a sense of quirkiness that made Hill Farms extra special. “You don’t want to leave your hive. We don’t want to have to find them a new queen. We both want the same thing. Plus, I’d really like to meet you.”
Tansy’s giggle was soft but her hand rested on Astrid’s back. “You sweet-talker, you.”
Astrid kept on murmuring encouragement until, finally, the unmistakable larger, oblong body of the bashful queen appeared. “Well, hello there. Aren’t you lovely?” She pulled the queen clip from her pocket and carefully encased the tawny-brown queen inside. “We even have your very own transport, your majesty. You’ll be safe. And so will your bees.”
“You literally talked her into coming out.” Tansy pointed at the nuc box. “I’m going to have to start carrying around my phone so I can record that.” She started picking up the supplies. “You. Bee whispering. It’s unbelievable. Instagram. TikTok. You’d get lots of followers—”
“No, thank you.” That sounded awful. They had contractual obligations to do promotional stuff due to winning the Wholesome Foods partnership, that was one thing. Tansy and Dane might enjoy posting and sharing and talking with the strangers online that commented and liked and subscribed. Just thinking about it made Astrid shudder. “Why would I want that?” She slipped the queen clip between two of the hive frames.
“To meet people? New people. Male people.” Tansy picked up the nuc lid. “It wasn’t all that long ago you were telling me you wanted lots of babies. The conversation was basically burned into my brain so don’t even try to deny it. A lot of babies normally requires a little help from, you know, male people.”
Astrid giggled. “I won’t deny it. I can still remember your face. And I do want babies. Eventually.” Tansy was with her every day—she had an up-close-and-personal glimpse into Astrid’s nonexistent personal life. But now was not the time to have this conversation. It was hot and only getting hotter. She did her best to move all the straggler bees into the nuc. “That should do it.” She stepped aside as Tansy slipped the lid onto the nuc but stooped down to say, “We’ll be back after the sun goes down.”
She hefted the five-gallon buckets into their squeaking wagon and started tugging it to the Honey Hill Farms van parked under a tree on the far side of the unfenced yard. Between then and now, Astrid had to work the closing shift at the Hill Honey Boutique and babysit precious baby Beatrix while her cousin, Shelby, had an online meeting with her California client.
And there was that other thing. That thing she kept avoiding because she wasn’t sure what to do.
It had been two days since she’d left Charlie’s house and she was still processing what she’d learned. The word accident covered a broad range of things vague yet ominous. But Charlie’s hint was enough to tell her all she needed to know and it gutted her. First the girls’ mother, then Rebecca. She’d had no idea what that little family was dealing with. It had taken her years to come to terms with losing her mother, then her father. The Drivers’ loss was still new and raw. And here she’d sauntered in with a basket of muffins and an offer to play Monopoly—as if that could do anything more than provide them a temporary distraction.
All the little bits and pieces she couldn’t make sense of fell into place. Like how upset Charlie had been when he came into the shop that first day. And his frustration as he fought to shove the bike into Rebecca’s car. Imagining Nova and Halley bicycling along the busy roads was enough to cause fear in any parent. But she couldn’t begin to imagine how Charlie had felt. A busy road, his girls missing, the memory of his late wife and her accident. For Charlie, the whole incident would have been like a waking nightmare.
Then she, Tansy and Dane barged in unannounced to return the bike when the little family was playing a game. Because he’d needed to spend time with them, be with them, see that they were safe and sound after all that.
It didn’t matter that they’d meant well, they’d invaded.
Tansy began unzipping and tugging off her vented bee suit so Astrid did the same, setting aside her concerns about Charlie and the girls for a bit longer.
“We’re thinking about going to that bee farm in Navasota. Dane and I, that is.” Tansy hung her suit on one of the hooks in the van, then reached for Astrid’s. “They’ve really embraced the agritourism thing and are doing well. They’re willing to share some secrets with us.”
It wasn’t all that long ago Tansy would have balked at the mention of agritourism as a potential revenue stream. Thanks to Dane’s persistence and enthusiasm, Tansy was willing to consider it. It was nice to see how the two of them were growing together.
“Do you think people would talk if Dane and I went away for the weekend? The two of us? Alone.” Tansy stretched her arms over her head.
“Why would people talk? Everyone knows the two of you are working together now. You’re compromising. That’s what you do in a healthy partnership, isn’t it? We both know Dane would never do anything that would threaten—”
“No. Not that. It’s just...” Tansy broke off. “Dane and I haven’t gone away together. You know, the two of us. Alone.” She rolled her eyes. “Will this set the tongues wagging and kick up more talk than it’s worth? I mean Willadeene Svoboda is going to do and say whatever she wants but...” She glanced at Astrid from the corner of her eye. “But I don’t want people thinking we’re running off to have wild and vigorous sex all weekend.”
“Wild and vigorous sex all weekend?” Astrid was so surprised, her laughter sort of erupted. Finally, she could breathe. “That is what I immediately thought when you said the two of you were going to a bee farm for the weekend. Bee farm is universal code for a weekend sex-fest.” She shook her head, still grinning as she said, “No, Tansy, seriously? That, what you just said, is a giant leap from visiting a bee farm to take notes on agritourism.”
“Is it really? Good.” Tansy’s smiled widened. “But... I hope Dane doesn’t feel that way.”
“I don’t want to know that.” Astrid was laughing again. “Go, enjoy your weekend away, learn how to make an environmentally friendly agritourism vacation, and have some time with your fella.” She fanned herself, the sun already beating down on them. “How about we finish this in the AC?”
Tansy slammed the rear van doors. “I was going to use all that to transition into setting up your online dating profile. Nicole has already started it, I think.”
“What?” She blinked, staring at her sister. Nicole had been her friend since they’d moved to Honey and Astrid loved her dearly. But Nicole was into risk-taking, painfully blunt, and not the person Astrid envisioned creating a dating profile for her—not that she’d ever imagined creating an online dating profile. “You need to seriously work on your openings. Why do I need an online dating profile? A profile Nicole is making? Um, how did you two imagine this would play out?” Astrid made a face at her sister, then walked down the side of the van and climbed into the passenger seat. This wasn’t what she wanted. Once the AC was blowing, Astrid decided shutting down all talk of her dating life was the best sort of action. “It was one silly comment. Yes, eventually, I do want a big family. But I’m not going to force anything. It’ll happen. Or it won’t. Let’s just leave it at that.” She lifted her long hair up so the AC could cool her neck.
“It wasn’t silly.” Tansy turned to look at her. “And if it’s what you want, then I want you to have it. But you do need to help it along, Astrid. There’s not one man in Honey, except Everett Taggert, that’s worth a fig.”
And Everett Taggert had given his heart away at the tender age of ten, so he wasn’t an option. “I don’t want to pick some guy off the internet—like a mail-order groom.”
Tansy stared at her. “Is that a thing? You’re joking?”
“Yes, I was joking.” She stared, open-mouthed, at her sister.
“Try the online option. Please. One, there are no options in Honey.” Tansy ticked off one finger. “Two, at least you’ll have options.” She ticked off another finger. “Three, you’ll have practice with men. I’m not saying you won’t go through a lot—a whole lot—of frogs before you find a prince or a duke or a lord—heck, even a noble stable boy. I’m just saying you have to start somewhere.”
“Options and practice and kissing all the frogs?” Astrid’s good mood dimmed. “What a horribly depressing conversation, Tans. Really, talk about a pep talk.” She twisted her hair up and tied it in a messy bun at the back of her head. “Maybe I’ll follow Aunt Camellia’s lead and collect strays?”
“You would be guaranteed unconditional love.” Tansy put the van into gear and pulled out onto the gravel road leading out of Abner Jones’s homestead. “Don’t judge me but, deep down, I was sort of hoping Charlie Driver was the amazing man Rebecca had made him out to be. I mean, you’d already be ahead on the lots and lots of babies and, he might be an ass, but he’s handsome and all that. Then you’d have what you want and I’d have what I want—you here forever with me.” She held her hand out.
Astrid took her sister’s hand. “It was a nice idea. And Charlie is handsome.” He seemed to get more handsome every time she saw him. But she was nothing but a nuisance to him. “I haven’t told him about the Junior Beekeeper project yet. Can you drop me off on the way home?” She’d put it off long enough.
“Can do.” Tansy squeezed her hand, then let it go. “And if he is rude to you, Dane has offered to come and talk to him on your behalf.”
“Thanks.” Astrid could only imagine how that talk would go. Dane didn’t need to be involved. She could do this. He’d seemed less prickly by the end of her last visit. While he might not be thrilled over the Junior Beekeepers invading his space, he’d honor Rebecca’s wish. Astrid had to believe that.
FROM HIS DESK, Charlie could see out the large picture window that sat in the middle of the front wall of his aunt’s home. He’d commandeered the formal dining room for his office because it was in the center of the house. He could hear every creak and pop in the wooden floors or squeaking older hinge and he could see anyone coming or going. Thankfully, there hadn’t been much of either the last couple of days.
But it looked like all of that was about to change.
He sighed, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back to watch his neighbor draw ever closer to his house. It was Astrid. Here. Again. Without notice. She pulled a wagon behind her. Her white veiled hood hung back between her shoulders so her long red-blond hair was visible. If he hadn’t known she was a beekeeper, her getup might have been cause for alarm as the head-to-toe white suit looked a lot like a hazmat suit. But it was the determination on her reddened face that had him kicking into fight-or-flight mode. What was she after?
He could pretend they weren’t home, turn her away or find out why she was here dressed like that—without giving him some sort of advanced notice.
“Charlie, Charlie!” Nova’s voice was excited—followed by rapid footsteps descending the stairs. “Did you see?” She ran into the living room and sucked in a deep breath. “Did you see Astrid and what she’s wearing?”
Now that Nova was in the mix, his choices vanished. He’d have to engage with the woman. He ran a hand over his face. “I did.”
“She’s dressed like a spaceman, sort of.” She grabbed on to the arm of his chair, her wide eyes earnest. “For protection. Do you think she’s here to do some bee fighting with Rebecca’s bees?”
Charlie couldn’t help but smile at the image of Astrid squaring off against a swarm of bees. Something told him she was more likely to charm the bees than fight them. Which was, for him, an odd thought to have.
“She’s got lots of stuff.” Nova stood on tiptoe. “Is she staying for a while?”
He hoped not. “She does have lots of stuff.” He rolled his head, stretching his neck.
“Is that Astrid?” Halley appeared from the living room, her headphones around her neck and her phone in her hand. “She looks like some cool chick from an end-of-the-world or alien movie.”
“I like her boots,” Nova added.
Charlie felt certain nobody looked cool or chic in a bee suit but he didn’t argue. Besides, there wasn’t enough time. Astrid was climbing the steps and...knocking on the front door. Four knocks. Then silence. He didn’t move.
“Are you going to let her in?” Halley took a couple of steps toward the door and stopped.
“What if she is here because there is a bee emergency?” Nova’s little face crumpled into concern. “To warn us?”
“I’m not sure that’s a thing, Nova.” Halley wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. If there is a bee emergency, Astrid will fix it.”
The girls had spent less than eight hours with Astrid so how was it they both looked at her like she was some sort of superhero. Nova was into superheroes—which meant Charlie was into superheroes—and, apparently, a lot of them came from outer space. Astrid was not from outer space. She was not a superhero. She was a persistent nuisance he wasn’t sure how to deal with.
Astrid knocked again, then stepped back. The problem was, she stepped back just enough so that she could see through the window. His window—the very window they were all staring through. He could only imagine how strange it would be to find the three of them inside not opening the door. First, she made eye contact with the girls, who waved wildly, then her gaze met his. She waved once, then stood there.
Manners dictated he answer the door, but he was sorely tempted to just close the curtains. If he did, maybe she’d get the hint. He’d had two blissfully normal days and now she’d popped up and whatever happened next would be anything but normal. Closing the curtains sounded good—
“Charlie?” Halley hissed.
“I can open the door if her outfit is scaring you.” Nova offered, patting his arm. “It is a little scary.”
Both girls were staring at him with round, expectant eyes.
“I’ll get it.” He stood, took a slow breath in, then out. As he crossed to the door, he did it again. He opened the door. “Miss Hill.”
“Hi.” She waved again. While her style was nothing like the business suits and pressed shirts required for all his virtual conferences and meetings, Astrid had her own version of presentable. Normally. But not at the moment. Her cheeks were flushed pink, there was a smudge of ash on her cheek, and her hair was a mess of braids slipping free from a knot at the back of her head. “I’d like to check on Rebecca’s hives, if that’s all right? It won’t take long.”
He nodded. She wasn’t coming in. This could work.
“If you have a few minutes, you could come with me? I have something to discuss with you.” Whatever it was, Astrid was the one having a hard time making eye contact.
But before he could call her out on it, Nova squeezed between him and the doorframe.
“Hi, Astrid.” She was hugging Scorpio against her chest. “You’re wearing your bee-fighting suit. Is there a bee emergency?”
“No.” Astrid smiled down at Nova. “No emergency.”
“Do you always wear that when you’re working with the bees?” Halley stepped around Charlie and onto the porch.
“Hi, Halley.” She smoothed her hair back, twisted it and tied it in a knot on the back of her head. “Not always. Tansy and I got a call this morning about an unwanted beehive and, since we don’t know the bees or how friendly they were, we suited up.” Her green eyes returned to Nova. “The bees had filled up our mailman’s barbecue grill. I guess that could have been a bee emergency for the bees if Mr. Jones had started the grill without checking it first.” She shuddered. “Poor little bees.”
“But you and Tansy rescued them?” Nova asked, her worried face easing.
“We did.” Astrid nodded. “We rescued them and will move them to our farm once the sun goes down.”
Charlie found it all oddly fascinating. Tending bees sounded like herding cats—was there any control in either situation? Still, he listened to his girls’ questions, having quite a few of his own answered in the process.
“Why when the sun goes down?” Halley asked.
“The bees will come home and go to bed and then we won’t leave any behind.” Astrid blew a strand of hair from her forehead. “We get everything set up in the morning, make sure the queen is secured, and come back when they’re all asleep to move them and put them in their new home.”
He wondered what “the queen is secured” meant, but Nova asked another question before he could get clarification.
“Is it hot?” Nova pointed at her suit.
“It is.” Astrid patted the suit. “But this is a vented suit so it’s not too bad. See all the little holes?” She held the suit out. “Air can go through but the bees can’t.”
“Can they sting you?” Halley was studying the fabric. “Through those holes?”
Astrid shook her head. “Nope. But I should go check on Rebecca’s hives before the sun gets any higher.”
“Can we go?” Nova jumped up and down, Scorpio swinging.
“I haven’t visited them in a while, Nova. I’d want to make sure they were on their very best behavior before I brought you or Halley with me.” Astrid blew the same curl from her forehead.
He was so relieved she was the one to tell them no. There was a chance the girls wouldn’t be mad at him for the rest of the day.
Nova wasn’t ready to give up. “But—”
“Listen to Astrid, Nova. If she says you need to wait, you need to wait.” He was quick to back Astrid up—but gently.
“Okay.” Nova’s shoulders slouched.
Astrid’s smile was all sympathy. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Nova.”
“It’s okay.” But Nova’s sigh told a different story.
“Could you stop by when you’re done? And tell us about Rebecca’s bees?” Did he want Astrid hanging around? No. Did he want Nova anywhere near an actual beehive? Absolutely not. But if Nova was interested in bees, Charlie didn’t want to dampen her curiosity. Sitting safely around the kitchen table talking about bees with a beekeeper, even Astrid, seemed like an appropriate way to accomplish that.
Charlie had been married to Yasmina for almost a year when she’d had her accident. In that time, she’d done her best to help him parent. She’d called him a dad in progress. And while his parenting knowledge was limited, he had enough disappointing childhood memories to remind him of what not to do. Namely, ridicule or act disinterested in the girls’ interests or try to shut down their inquisitiveness. Nova and Halley were both so smart—so full of life. He wanted them to pursue everything and anything their little hearts desired. But he knew he had a lot of work to do to get his overly protective instinct under control. “If you have time?”
“Oh...” Clearly, Astrid wasn’t expecting his response. “Of course.”
He wasn’t the best at reading body language but she seemed to...perk up a little.
“Really?” Nova’s smile was back. “Yay!”
“Nova and I will make some lemonade.” Halley nodded. “We can. It’s Aunt Rebecca’s recipe.”
“While you do that, I’m going with Astrid.” Charlie shoved his hands into his slacks. Like it or not, he was curious to find out what Astrid wanted to discuss with him. “I won’t be long.”
“To the bees?” Nova was looking worried again. “But is it safe?”
“Yeah, you don’t have a suit.” Halley was frowning, too.
“Don’t worry.” Astrid pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “I have an extra one, if you want it.”
No, Charlie did not want it. In the time he’d had the door open, the heat had rolled into the house in waves.
“You have to, Charlie.” Nova wasn’t going to let up. “Please.”
“Okay.” How could he say no to that?
Astrid nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Be careful, Charlie.” Nova hugged him around the knees.
“Come on, Nova.” Halley guided her inside. “Let’s go make lemonade.”
Charlie pulled the door closed behind him and followed Astrid off the porch into the brilliant Texas sun. He drew in a breath, his lungs filling with thick, warm air. It wasn’t unpleasant—it was familiar. Cycling, in Texas heat, meant hot air and sweat—lots of it. But it had felt good. Riding for hours, going until his restlessness had subsided.
“Here you go.” Astrid handed him the suit. “It might be a little short on you.”
“It’s fine.” He shrugged into the suit and it felt like the temp shot up a good ten degrees. He pulled up the zipper and turned to face her.
Astrid circled around him, checking the suit zippers and cuffs before nodding. “Do you know where her hives are?” She pulled the wagon behind her.
He nodded. “They’re your hives, aren’t they?”
“Oh, no. These are Rebecca’s bees.” There was a smile in her voice. “She’d become quite a proficient beekeeper. She liked collecting pretty things and offering it to the bees to thank them for the honey.”
His aunt had always taken pleasure in the “treasures” nature left around her property. “That would explain all the shells and rocks and tiny statues around.”
“Yes. She was one of a kind.” There was a hint of grief in Astrid’s voice.
“You miss her.” It wasn’t a question. Until now, he’d believed he was the only one who’d missed his aunt.
“I do.” Astrid glanced back at him. “But being here helps. This place will always hold a part of her.”
He nodded, appreciating Astrid’s take on things. Even though his aunt was his mother’s sister, he’d never met two more different women. Rebecca had been affectionate and communicative, she’d loved visiting with friends, gardening and hunting for snails and pretty rocks on long walks. His mother wasn’t a hugger, she was silent and withdrawn, and she didn’t like dirt, animals or bugs, and very few people. As far as he knew, his parents had a gardener and if his mother worked out, it was inside with her personal trainer daily.
Astrid stepped in front of him as the path narrowed. “Rebecca and I were of like mind there. Adding a bit of whimsy—for the pure joy of it.”
Whimsy. It wasn’t a word he’d ever use, but it could also apply to Astrid. Her hair had slipped free to pile in the hood of her bee suit. It was an unusual color. Not quite red, not quite blond. A few braids. Whimsical, maybe. With the sunlight filtering through the branches overhead, there were hints of gold and copper threads, too. It was when he realized he’d been pondering the color of Astrid Hill’s hair for at least a solid minute that he stopped, ran his fingers through his tangled mop and stared up at the sky overhead. When he dared look ahead of him, he realized she’d left him behind.
Which was fine until he heard Astrid sounding very un-Astrid-like, saying, “Who are you... Be careful. Please. Stop! No, don’t move—” Her cry had Charlie running down the path after her, cold fear gripping him by the throat.