Chapter 5
Mattie sat on the edge of the bed, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as morning light streamed through the windows. It was early. Unusually so for her. She hadn’t slept that great because she was worried about Blueberry.
It was weird to wake up without him around. Usually, as soon as he heard she was awake, he’d come flying in, eager to go check on the bees, ready to eat breakfast, and sometimes, he’d attempt to distract her from whatever new trouble he’d gotten into overnight.
The house was oddly quiet. She wondered how he was doing with getting that forest ranger to make his wishes.
She hoped it was going smoothly and quickly. As much trouble as Blueberry was, she still missed him.
She got up, went into the kitchen, filled the kettle with water and turned it on. She was going to need an extra-large mug of tea this morning with a considerable amount of honey to get her going.
Besides worrying about Blue, she’d had the strangest dream about being chased through the forest by a bear. Maybe that wasn’t the strangest dream for a witch who was the prime honey supplier in her town, but the strange part had been she’d sort of liked being chased.
She gave a little shudder. What was that about?
While the water heated, she went back to the bedroom and made the bed, then picked out an outfit for the day. Her khaki overalls and blue paisley T-shirt would be fine. She heard the kettle click off.
Back in the kitchen, she grabbed a big mug, dropped in a tea bag, then filled it with steaming water from the kettle. The tea’s earthy perfume rose up to greet her, bringing her a little more awake.
While the tea steeped, she got her phone and checked the weather. No rain, which was good for the bees. Once she had breakfast, she’d do her rounds, which involved inspecting all of her hive boxes, including the ones not on her property.
As it was spring, she’d put out some pollen patties to make sure the bees got all the nutrients they needed.
She gave her tea a stir, her mind on the man who’d come to her door last night. She didn’t even know his name. Wouldn’t be too hard to figure out since he worked for the forestry department.
She opened the jar of honey on the counter and drizzled twice the usual amount into her tea. She didn’t care that the bag was still in there. The stronger the better. She was trying to decide if she had the energy to make pancakes when her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen. Undrea was calling. Mattie answered. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Mattie. Sorry to call so early. I just wanted to see if Blue showed up.”
“Um, sort of.”
Undrea laughed. “I can only imagine what he’s gotten into now.”
“I don’t think you can.” Mattie stifled a yawn. “What are you doing up this early?”
“Client had a tank emergency. Small leak. It’s situated now, but I didn’t get a chance to eat, and I’m starving. Hey, you want to meet me for breakfast? You can give me the latest.”
“If you’re talking Mummy’s, I’m in. I’ll need half an hour to get ready and get there.”
“Works for me. See you there.”
Mattie carried her tea into the bathroom with her and got a quick shower. She dressed, grabbed a few supplies for the bees off property, and got behind the wheel.
Undrea was in the parking lot when Mattie arrived at Mummy’s. Undrea hugged her, then made a face when she pulled back. “You okay? You look … tired.”
“I didn’t sleep great.” Mattie shrugged. “Let’s get a table and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Mattie didn’t actually start the story until they were seated and they’d ordered their food. She’d gone for a tall stack of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. It was just that kind of morning.
Undrea had chosen an omelet and home fries with coffee.
Mattie stuck with tea. Mummy’s was one of her honey customers, so she sweetened her drink with the good stuff.
“Okay,” Undrea said. “I’m dying to know. What’s going on with Blueberry?”
Mattie took a breath, then launched into how she’d seen the truck driving toward her house and the man who’d gotten out of it and how he’d apparently found Blueberry in his chocolates.
“That imp. So much trouble!” But Undrea was laughing. “Who’s the guy?”
Mattie shook her head. “I don’t know. He never told me his name. But he was driving a dark green truck with the forest ranger insignia on the side. He was a big guy. Tall. Broad.” She hulked out her arms at her sides, making herself wider.
Undrea sipped her coffee. “So he must be a ranger, right?”
“I guess. Or he works for the department in some capacity. He was not happy about the whole wish thing.”
“I can see that. Most supernaturals know enough to be wary of wishes. It’s the normies who think they’re just fun and games.”
“I suppose. But I’m worried about Blueberry.
I really have no idea where he is. I don’t know who this guy is or where he lives.
” She thought about the man who’d stood before her last night.
Who’d shoved the box of chocolates into her hands.
He’d radiated raw male energy in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. More than Aaron had, that was for sure.
Undrea tapped her fingers on the table. “You still with me? You look like you’re somewhere else.”
“What? Oh, sorry.”
Undrea frowned. “You’re not still mooning about Aaron, are you?”
Mattie frowned right back. “No. Not even a little bit.”
“I know you weren’t happy about him leaving.”
Mattie drank her tea. “That job was a great opportunity.”
“Yeah, but he could have at least asked if you wanted to go with him.”
“I would have said no. My life is here. And besides, we were only just friends.” Although she’d thought they were more. How wrong she’d been.
“You could have told him how much you liked him.”
Mattie gave her friend a look. “I don’t want to talk about Aaron. Even if he came back to town, I wouldn’t want to talk about him. No second chances for that one.”
Undrea held her hands up. “Message received. So, back to the ranger. Birdie would probably know who he is. She knows everything.”
“True. Maybe I’ll call the department, see what she can tell me.”
“Or you could take her a cinnamon roll and see her in person. For a cinnamon roll, she’d get you just about anything. And she’d probably tell you more in person than on a call.”
Mattie smiled. “Good point.”
The server arrived with their food. “Here you go, ladies.”
Mattie had never been happier to see a stack of pancakes, but she probably thought that every time she saw pancakes. Maybe someday she’d go on a diet and get rid of that extra twenty pounds, but it wasn’t going to be today. Or tomorrow. “Can I get a cinnamon bun to go?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take care of that.”
Undrea grinned. “Smart move. What are you going to do when you find out who he is?”
Mattie tipped the syrup over her pancakes. “I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But at least I’ll know where Blueberry is. That’ll give me some peace of mind.”
After they finished their meal and paid, they said goodbye in the parking lot. It had been good to talk to Undrea. Mattie felt better, but she’d feel better still when she knew exactly who it was that Blueberry was with.
She walked into the sheriff’s department, Mummy’s to-go box in hand, and found Birdie Caruthers sitting behind the reception desk.
Birdie lit up when she saw Mattie. “How’s my favorite beekeeper this morning?”
“Good. How many beekeepers do you know?”
“Just you,” Birdie said. “But you’re still my favorite.”
Mattie set the container on the desk and tapped the lid. “Is that because I brought you a cinnamon bun?”
“No, but I’m really glad that’s for me. I smelled it as soon as you came through that door and immediately wondered if I could slip out and get one. Thank you.” Birdie took the container, opened it, and pulled a piece of the cinnamon bun off, popping it into her mouth.
“Mmm … that is so good. Still warm.” She licked her fingers clean, then eyed Mattie a little more closely. “To what do I owe the honor of this bun?”
“I need some help, actually. Figuring out who someone is.”
Birdie frowned as she used her knuckle to wipe a stray bit of icing from the corner of her mouth. “What can you tell me about this someone?”
“I think he works for the forestry department. Big guy, short beard, tall, drives a green pickup with the insignia on the side. A Toyota, I think.”
Birdie tapped at her computer, eyes on the screen.
“There’s only one local forest ranger, a man by the name of Gunnar Briggs.
I don’t know him socially, but he’s good at his job.
Solid worker. Willing to go above and beyond.
He was in the office a few months ago when we had that big snowstorm.
He came in to see if he could help with the plowing.
This him?” She turned the monitor around so Mattie could see the screen.
Mattie would know that scowl anywhere. “That’s him.”
Birdie’s mouth did a little lopsided grin. “I don’t generally go for the lumberjack type, but he’s H-A-W-T. Don’t you think?”
Mattie shrugged. “I guess he’s all right.” He was hot, but she wasn’t about to give him a compliment. Even one he couldn’t hear.
“All right? You’re in a mood.” Birdie turned the screen back around and typed something else. “You’re not still peeved about Aaron, are you?”
“No. I’m over him.” She was over people bringing him up, too.
“What is it then? Someone messing with your hives? Is that why you want to know who the ranger is?”
“No, he’s got Blueberry. It’s a long story. The short version is Blue owes him three wishes for rescuing him.”
“That explains your mood.” Birdie’s carefully shaped brows rose. “I don’t know much about the guy, but I remember two things.”
Mattie leaned in, curious to learn anything she could about Gunnar. “What’s that?”
“He seemed grumpier than my nephew, Hank, and that’s saying something.” Birdie tapped the side of her nose. “And even if I hadn’t caught a whiff of him, I could tell you that he’s a bear shifter.”