Chapter Ten #3
“And I’m sure you were working most of it.
” She didn’t add the part about Natalie and the kids.
Provoking Phil wouldn’t solve anything. What leverage did they have anyway if Andrew refused to go back to school?
She hated the thought of him walking away right before finals, but he was on the edge.
Even getting out of bed was an effort. At least she’d made him an appointment with Dr. Milburn.
Glenn helped her dad into the truck, then handed him the bag of powdered sugar.
Cassie smiled. “I have to see this.”
“Powdered sugar?” Andrew said but ambled down the driveway with her. “Does this bee guy know what he’s doing?”
“More than I do. Actually, he’s been a lifesaver.”
Her father, who thankfully had put on a veil, was given the job of holding the frames flat as Glenn sprinkled the bees with sugar. They immediately went into motion, hurrying away like animated white raisins, a few lifting off in a powdery haze.
“Let’s do this quick,” Glenn said, sliding in the first frame and removing another. “Before they get too annoyed.”
Andrew, blinking in surprise, leaned in for a look.
Glenn offered him the sugar. “Want to try?”
“Um, sure.”
Cassie was about to protest that Andrew wasn’t wearing a veil, but she had to smile at the sight of him in his pajamas sprinkling sugar over the tray of bees, like a kid making Christmas cookies.
Glenn handed her father another frame and Andrew dusted sugar over that one too, laughing as the bees turned white. “Mom, you should try.”
“Me?” Her stomach seized at the thought of cozying up to a frame full of bees.
Glenn raised an eyebrow, another frame at the ready.
“Um…I really don’t…”
“Oh, come on. It’s fun.” Andrew handed her the sugar, looking happier than he had in days.
She took the bag, eyeing the bees apprehensively. They oozed over the wooden frame, a wiggling black mass of movement. A few lifted off right in front of her nose, and it was all she could do not to jump back. She crept closer and sprinkled a little sugar on top.
“Look close,” Glenn said, “you can see them grooming each other.”
Andrew’s eyes went big. “I see them!”
“Oh, my goodness.” Cassie let go a laugh. “I see them too. It’s like a little salon. One right on top of the other.”
Andrew laughed, a real laugh, which was the best sound she’d heard all week.
Once the bees were dusted, Glenn replaced the bottom boards with the screened frames and attached a sticky mat beneath each one. The bees were wound up now, zooming around their heads. Wait. What was that? Oh my God, she had one in her hair!
She let out a shriek, swatting at her head the way you weren’t supposed to.
“Stand still,” Glenn said. “They don’t notice you unless you’re moving.”
“It’s already noticed me!” She made herself stand still, but every nerve ending was vibrating. “It’s walking around,” she said through gritted teeth. “What do I do now?”
“Give it a sec, it’ll probably decide there’s nothing worthwhile up there.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, her skin crawling with the horrible sensation of little insect feet roaming through her hair. Six little feet! Wasn’t that what bees had? And a stinger on the end! Oh, why had she come down here?
“Don’t let it near your eye,” her father advised.
“Hang on, Mom,” Andrew said. “It looks like it’s about to take off.”
“How can you tell?” she muttered. She took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm. The worst thing that could happen was she would get stung. She wasn’t allergic; she would survive. The bee probably didn’t want to be caught up in that mess either.
She took another breath, trying to ignore the tiny tickling sensation on her scalp. In about three seconds she would scream.
“There you go,” Glenn said with a touch of laughter in his voice. “It’s gone.”
She opened one eye, then the other to see the bee wobbling off in the direction of the hive.
Andrew gave her an approving look. “You were really chill, Mom.”
“Not everyone can hold still with a bee in their hair,” Glenn agreed.
Her knees were a little wobbly, but at least she hadn’t made an idiot of herself by running and screaming. And she hadn’t been stung like her poor dad.
Glenn offered to drive her father back to the house, but her dad, who appeared invigorated by the goings on, wanted to walk.
“I’ll walk up with him,” Andrew offered.
Cassie handed her dad the cane, which she’d brought along just in case, but he waved it off.
“Well, that was exciting,” she said as Glenn stowed the rest of the powdered sugar in the truck. She was surprised they hadn’t used it all. There’d seemed to be clouds of it in the air.
“Hopefully it’ll slow down the mites. At least we’ll be able to see how many end up on the sticky mat.”
The bees had settled somewhat, but dozens were still flying around.
She couldn’t help admiring them. Such fearless creatures.
Scrambling like fighter jets when the hive was opened, ready to defend their home.
She didn’t like them in her hair, not one bit.
But they were heroic, going about their business even in the face of adversity.
Half of their brood had been wiped out by mites, but they still got up in the morning.
“What other remedies do you have, anything with chocolate?” She needed to take a shower and get to work, but the morning was warming up and she had the irresponsible urge to shuck off her shoes and sit in the sun on the stone wall.
He laughed. “No chocolate, it’s pretty much all about honey in my house. Oh, I almost forgot, I brought you some.” He reached through the open passenger window and retrieved a glass jar filled with a thick amber liquid. “Lilah designed the label for me,” he added almost shyly.
“It’s adorable.” The jar had a whimsical bee on the front and was warm from sitting in the truck. She tipped it up to the light. A wedge of comb floated inside. “Do you eat the honeycomb?”
“Sure, you can. A lot of people like it.”
She unscrewed the lid and dipped a finger into the jar.
The honey clung luxuriously, unspooling in a languid stream from her finger.
Thick and slow and decadent. She gave up on propriety and licked it off.
“Mmmm…” A bit more was about to drip so she licked that too.
“It’s delicious. Much better than supermarket honey.
” She looked up, embarrassed to find him leaning against the truck, watching her with amusement.
“Glad you like it.”
She screwed the lid back on, but her fingers were still sticky so she had to lick them again. “Don’t look. I’m a mess.”
He reached in the open window. “Want a paper towel?”
“No.” She laughed. “I’d rather make a fool of myself licking my fingers.” She inspected her hands. “Anyway, they’re clean now.” She turned the jar over again, admiring the label. “Lilah’s very artistic.”
“Yeah, she’s talented.” His face lit. “I think I’ve kept every drawing she’s ever done.”
“Let me guess, they’re all over the fridge, right?”
He laughed sheepishly. “Pretty much and everywhere else too.”
“She must like that.”
“It’s mainly for me. I get an eye roll for everything I do these days.”
“Andrew was horrified by having parents at that age. I think he preferred to believe he sprung from a rock.”
Glenn chuckled. “He seems like a good kid now.”
She looked toward the house, where Andrew and her father had gained the porch. “He is a good kid, just in some trouble at the moment.”
“You mentioned he got suspended,” Glenn said cautiously.
She sighed, debating how much to say. “A friend of his got badly hurt at a frat party. Fell and hit his head. They were all drinking, of course. Andrew’s pretty shaken up, as he should be.
But now he doesn’t want to go back to school.
” Besides Phil, she hadn’t told anyone about this yet, not even Shelly.
She wasn’t sure why she was confiding in Glenn, except he had a calm, nonjudgmental way about him.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure what I can do, but I worry about him leaving school.”
“Maybe it’s better if he takes some time, gets his head straight.”
“You might be right.”
“I’m not looking forward to the teenage years,” he admitted.
“They’ll be here before you know it.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “You’ll be fine. You seem like a good dad.”
“I don’t know, I hope so.
“I just meant, you know, you light up when you talk about her.” She was making it worse; he was practically fidgeting. But it was true. He was clearly devoted to Lilah.
His face clouded. “Her mom just had her for four days.”
“Oh. I thought her mom wasn’t in the picture.”
“She isn’t, I mean she wasn’t.” He fiddled with the roll of paper towels he was still holding. “She took Lilah to Vermont to see her mother, Lilah’s grandmother.”
“That sounds sudden.”
He looked deeply unhappy. “She reappeared after four years, but that’s how she is.”
“Four years is a long time.” She tried not to show her shock. But four years. “How did Lilah feel about it,” she couldn’t help asking, “her showing up after all that time?”
He shrugged. “It’s her mom. She wanted to go, but I worry she’s going to get hurt if Sophie flakes out again.”
Sophie. So that was the ex’s name. Probably drop-dead gorgeous judging by the daughter. She wondered if Glenn was still a little in love with her. “You make flaking out sound like a sure thing.”
“I hope not for Lilah’s sake, but her mother doesn’t have a good track record.”
She felt sorry the way he said it, how things must be for Lilah. A twelve-year-old girl with a truant for a mother. “Must have been pretty quiet around your house the last few days.”
“You could say that. At least she’s back now.” The relief in his voice was unmistakable. “Anyway, I didn’t mean to go on.” He looked like he wanted to change the subject. “I better get going.”
She felt a twinge of disappointment. This was the most he’d spoken since she met him, and she wanted to keep him there talking.
Find out what happened with his marriage and everything else about him.
He was a reserved guy, but she sensed something solid underneath.
And it didn’t hurt that he was nice to look at too.
But she had a meeting in an hour, and he was talked out anyway.
“Thanks again for the honey,” she said.
“Anytime. I’ll come by later this week and check on those mites.”
“Okay great.” Then to her astonishment, she blurted, “Hey, want to grab dinner some time? I mean just something casual.” Her face went hot.
Oh God, did she just ask him on a date? It had just come out of her mouth.
She liked him and he was alone too, and oh Christ. Now she’d gone and embarrassed them both.
For a second he looked stunned, then smiled uncertainly. “Sure. I guess so.”
“Listen, I didn’t mean it like that. Not like a date date.
I haven’t gone on a date in twenty-three years.
I just thought it’d be fun to get together, you know, get out of the house.
” Oh wait. That was all wrong. “Not that it’s just a way to get out of the house,” she amended.
“I mean, it’d be nice to talk some more.
” She groaned and covered her face with her hands.
“I’m sorry. I’m so rusty at this. You don’t have to say yes. ”
“I’m pretty rusty too. And yes, I’d like to.”
She peeked up at him. “You would? Ok, wow. I mean, that’s great.
When should we…is Thursday okay?” Her mind was already spinning with what to wear.
She’d hardly brought anything with her, she’d been living in the same jeans and leggings since she got here.
Would they drive together? Oh no, that would be awkward.
One of them picking the other up. Best to meet him there. Wherever they were going.
“Thursday’s good.” He glanced up at the house. “Can you leave your dad?”
“For a few hours and my son might still be here anyway.” She had a feeling Andrew was not heading back to school on Wednesday. Spending a little time with his grandfather might do them both good.
“Okay then.” Glenn still looked slightly stunned. “Should we touch base later this week?”
She nodded, smiling, and gave him a wave as she started up the driveway, hoping he didn’t notice her stumble on an uneven patch of pebbles.
She had a date with the beekeeper. Wait until she told Shelly.