Chapter 11 Buzzing Along
Buzzing Along
Lawson didn’t like leaving an unknown man sitting outside Dani’s cottage.
With the flat stare and the muscular build, it was unlikely James McPhee was a simple courier.
Probably employed by the family or their company in some kind of bodyguard capacity.
He held himself like he knew how to use his body to fight. Or to intimidate.
Lawson was glad he’d followed his instincts and arrived early at the cottage. He doubted the man would have tried to coerce Dani into signing immediately, but he couldn’t be sure.
The man likely had orders to move things along peacefully. But if Dani refused to sign, what would happen then?
She’d asked good questions earlier. Was the merger and name change necessary for survival or an expansion plan? Each reason would have different repercussions for Dani.
She wasn’t the type of woman who turned her back on people in need. Even a family that hadn’t treated her well.
It killed him that she didn’t think of herself as a competent adult. She most certainly was. Obviously, there were complicated feelings about her family. He imagined there always were.
Even with his parents and grandfather, the feelings were complicated. While he’d had a fantastic childhood, they’d also experienced trauma.
Dani’s trauma had been different. More long-term and subtle.
Insidious was the word he wanted to use, but he wasn’t sure it was appropriate.
She might be right that they just hadn’t understood her.
He’d reserve judgment until he knew more, but he couldn’t stop the anger simmering beneath the surface.
How could a parent not be proud of a person as kind and hard-working as Dani?
“Are we meeting Jolie or any of the others today?”
Dani nodded. “Jolie said she would come over to the new field again so we can get things moving. Why?”
He stopped and pulled out his phone. “I’ll ask her and Ford to drive to your house and walk in from there.”
She frowned at him. “Are you checking on the courier? Do you think he’d do anything to my cottage or my garage? I can’t imagine my parents telling him to do that.”
Lawson shrugged. “It doesn’t seem likely, but I want to see if he’s still there. And I want him to know you’re surrounded by people here.”
She smiled as he dialed. He ran Ford through the basics of the morning’s encounter.
Ford growled. “Asshole. We’ll finish up here and be on our way in maybe twenty minutes. Want me to bring your drone?”
Lawson grinned. “Good thinking. Thanks. See you soon.”
Bibi sat in the shade while he and Dani donned the bee suits over their clothes. The air inside wasn’t as stifling as he’d expected. It would be hot during the height of summer, though.
When they were all sealed up, he grinned at her. “I feel like the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters.”
Dani laughed. “I think you look very sexy.”
Even with the suit, walking right up to the first set of hives was unnerving.
He now knew there were thousands of bees in each tower.
The bottom brooding box was where the queen did her thing.
The upper boxes were where the other bees created their honey.
When the honeycombs were almost full, Dani added another box to the top, so they had room to make even more.
“I’m looking forward to finding out how you harvest the honey. I imagine it’s too early in the season for that?”
She nodded. “It is. They’ll take some time to build up after the long winter.”
She held up a tin container that looked like an oil can. “Would you like to try the bee smoker? It helps keep the bees calm when I lift the lid. It makes them a bit sleepy. You wave it over the top though, so it doesn’t affect the honey.”
“Let me watch you first. Then I’ll give it a shot.” Excitement at learning a new skill rippled through him. He’d never considered owning an apiary, but now he wanted to know everything. Wanted to help Dani with these and the new ones she would set up in the new clearing.
A while later, Ford and Jolie entered the field with Hemsworth. Bibi leaped up from her shady nap spot and trotted to welcome her friends.
He and Dani moved over to Beatrice. He didn’t remove the hat or the suit until she said they were at the proper distance. It wasn’t like bees were aggressive on a typical day, but they were also instinctual creatures you couldn’t reason with. Better to be safe.
Jolie’s smile was wide and happy. “Lucky. I want to check out the apiaries one day. Is it as cool as it looks?”
Lawson grinned at his sister as he put the suit in Beatrice’s bed. “It is. I used the smoker, checked out how they make the honey, and saw how Dani knows when to add extra frames to the supers.”
Ford grinned. “Look at you using all the bee lingo.”
Lawson laughed. “It’s been fun. We should order more suits for when we set up the new colony. I think you’d both enjoy it.”
Jolie nodded. “Definitely. I’d love to help. Now that the main pond is pretty much set, I’ve got more hours to spread around helping other areas of the farm. I’m looking forward to seeing if the apple trees help the bees make good honey.”
Dani’s smile widened. “You’re welcome anytime. I love showing people how to work with bees. And they actually don’t take up that much time.”
Ford pointed at a nearby tree. “Lawson tells me you make all the art hanging from the trees. They’re beautiful.”
Jolie grinned at him. “We should order everyone some for Christmas.”
Lawson laughed. “That’s months away.”
His sister shrugged. “That’ll give Dani time to get all the orders in. And it’ll be unique. They’ll love them.”
Damn, Lawson wished he’d thought of it first because she was entirely right.
Ford turned to Dani. “Your unwanted guest is still there, sitting in his vehicle. No sign that he’s done anything other than sit. He didn’t call out or approach us when we parked in your driveway.”
That was good. The man wasn’t there to harass anyone. “You brought the drone?”
Ford nodded and shrugged off the backpack. Putting the machine together didn’t take long, but Lawson stopped before he powered it up. “Wait. I forgot to check whether drones bother bees. When I first flew over the property, you worried about it. Did you check?”
Dani worried her lip and nodded. “I did. And yes, the buzzing can disturb them. There are even instances of bees swarming drones. I’d rather you didn’t start it up here.”
He nodded. “I’m glad you checked. We can wait until we’re at the new clearing. With no bees to disturb there, it should be fine. I’ll make sure it doesn’t come close to this area.”
Relief showed in her smile. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “Of course.” It pissed him off that she hadn’t been sure he would care, that she hadn’t mentioned it when he’d brought out the drone. He wasn’t pissed at her, but at her family, who’d taught her that her needs weren’t important.
He gave her a quick hug and a soft kiss.
He was ready to spend decades proving them wrong.
They spent a few hours at the new clearing, digging out the pond, and deciding which plants would enhance the area.
According to Jolie, adding natural barriers around the pond would deter erosion. They’d use rocks, sturdy plants with deep roots, shrubs, and wildflowers. Jolie even showed them how to make a shallow end of the pond that would encourage smaller birds and wildlife to stop and drink there.
Encouraging nature to do her thing would help all the creatures, including her bees.
They worked easily together, and it helped Dani relax. Lawson had flown the drone over her cottage several times. Each pass had shown the parked car hadn’t moved. He’d also ensured that there was no damage or sabotage to her cottage or garage.
She couldn’t imagine the courier wanting anything other than her signature, but it was good to know he hadn’t planned to do anything damaging.
What was she going to do?
It surprised her when she brought up the issue with Ford and Jolie. She’d always been intensely private, but having these friends know her business wasn’t scary.
For the first time, she was deliberately expanding her circle of friends. Look at her adulting with the best of them.
It made her grin as they made their way back to Beatrice. “Why don’t you all come back to the cottage, and we’ll make up something for lunch? Usually, I make things before I leave in the morning, but I was too nervous about the courier.”
Jolie nodded. “That sounds great. You know you can call me to chat anytime, right? It’s always more nerve-wracking to wait and worry on your own. I find it’s better to have someone to bounce ideas around with.”
Dani smiled, heart expanding. “I’ve never had that before, not until I met Lawson. I’d love to do that.” And count herself lucky to have such an incredible friend.
Back at the cottage, the dark sedan remained in place. Dani almost considered shooting her middle finger at him, but decided that was too childish, though it made her smile. “Maybe I should offer the guy some water. If he’s going to sit there all day, he’s going to get thirsty.”
Lawson guided her into the cottage after she unlocked it. “That’s his problem.”
Which made her smile. Lawson wasn’t feeling kind toward the man at all. She’d see how she was feeling after lunch.
As they made sandwiches, they batted around ideas of what Dani might want to ask the lawyers when she spoke to them.
Ultimately, she decided it would be smarter to start with the lawyers from her mother’s firm. Until she knew more, she didn’t even know the right questions.
After they ate, Jolie and Ford left, giving her more privacy to make the calls.
Lawson pulled her in for a hug. “Do you want me to leave too? If it’s easier for you to deal with this alone, I’ll head out.”
She shook her head and leaned into his warmth. “No. I’d rather you stayed, if that’s okay. I’m going to be nervous either way, but with you and Bibi here, I’ll be more grounded. And you can help me remember what I want to ask and help me interpret the lawyer talk.”
He chuckled. “I doubt I’m much good at lawyer-speak, but two heads are always better than one.”
They set up at her small bistro table with the letter and a notebook where she’d written questions to ask.
Lawson pulled out his phone. “Let’s look up this firm first, to make sure it’s legit and that the number is real.”
Shock had her gaping. “I never would have thought of that possibility.”
It took only a few minutes to confirm that the law firm and phone number were legitimate. They had excellent reviews from customers. That was a relief. While they represented her family’s business, a legitimate lawyer wouldn’t lie to her about anything.
When the call went through, she spoke to the receptionist. “This is Daniella Richards. I received a letter from your firm this morning and would like to speak to someone about it.”
“May I ask what this is regarding?”
“Frances Bishop Cosmetics.”
A minute later, the receptionist connected her with Shirley Mitchell. Assuming she was the Mitchell in the firm’s name, it appeared Dani’s family was a large client.
“Hello, Ms. Richards. How may I help you?”
Dani took a deep breath. “I received a letter from your firm asking for my signature to approve a merger and name change for Frances Bishop Cosmetics.”
“Is there a problem?”
That made her smile. “Until the letter, I didn’t know I had any rights in the company. Can you tell me when I was given these rights?”
There was a beat of silence. Then the woman asked if she would wait while she looked up the information.
It took about ten minutes to get the answer she wanted.
Apparently, Frannie B had included Dani’s rights in the company in her will and in the paperwork for the business itself. That had been when Dani had been six, although her rights didn’t kick in until she was twenty-one.
The lawyer wouldn’t tell her whether her brother and sister had the same rights because of privacy restrictions.
If Dani didn’t approve of the changes, they wouldn’t happen. It had been a lot of responsibility to assign to a child. When she hung up, Dani thumped back on the couch. “I can’t believe she trusted me with decisions about her business when I was six.”
Lawson angled on the couch, so he was facing her. “Sounds like you and your great-grandmother had a special connection.”
She smiled. “Unless she did the same for all three of us.”
“Do you want to call your sister or brother to find out?”
That was the question. She needed more information about the situation before she decided.
“I don’t know. It’s probably better to call my mother.
She’s the one who sent the courier, so she’s the one with all the information.
She’ll know the state of the company. But will she be honest with me?
Or will she only tell me what she wants me to know? ”
Lawson picked up her hand. “Why don’t you let it simmer in your brain? We could go play in your metal shop.”
Dani grinned. “That sounds like fun. Working with the bees helped my brain get my questions for the lawyer organized. Maybe the metal will help me do the same for the conversation with my mother.”
The sedan remained in the same spot when they moved to the garage. The poor guy had been sitting there for hours. “I’m going to bring him water and a snack.”
Lawson laughed. “Only you, Dani. Only you.” His voice was filled with amusement and affection.
She grabbed a reusable mug and filled it with cold water. Then she filled a container with a sandwich and some of her baking.
When she approached the car, James McPhee opened the door and stood. He nodded to the three of them as they approached.
Dani figured it was up to her to initiate the conversation. “I’m sorry you’ve been stuck waiting here for the documents. I’ve done some research, but I have more to do before I decide, and I’m not even sure if that will be today.”
The courier’s eyes remained flat. “Mrs. Richards—”
Dani waved that away. “I’ll talk to her later, but it won’t be for an hour or two. In the meantime, I brought you something to eat and drink.”
Surprise flared in his eyes, but he reached out and took the containers. “Thank you.”
She nodded and turned back to her driveway. When she reached the door to the garage, she looked back to see the man watching her, surprise evident on his face and in his body language.
Lawson chuckled. “He wasn’t expecting that.”
Dani shrugged. “It’s not fair to him to have to sit there all day. If I don’t decide tonight, I’ll have to tell him about the B&B in Phail.”
That made her smile. “The town's name would horrify my mother.”
Lawson kissed her. “Okay, sexy lady, let’s play with the metal.”