Chapter 9
Watching RJ shake hands with Zander was very, very strange.
And not just because Zander was still in the full bee suit, meeting RJ through the netting of the veil.
Seeing her best friend greeting her—neighbor? Nemesis? Guy who meant nothing to her so why was she coming up with a label?—only added to the sense of disorientation spinning Penny all around.
Being around Zander threw her off. Was he the brooding bad boy who hated being back in Sullivan’s Glen? Or the fawning dad who beamed when his kid found the queen bee?
Whoever he was, he filled out the bee suit more than Henry ever had, and listened more intently than most people managed when Penny talked about her work.
She’d watched him stare rapt at the emerging bee, unable to find a jaded excuse for the awe on his face, or the gentleness in his expression as the bee took its first unsteady steps.
Who was this guy, and why did he make her feel like this—squirrelly and out of sorts?
“I was always down at my dad’s in Atlanta when you were here for the summers,” RJ was saying. “So we never met. I sure heard a lot about you, though.”
Zander laughed. “I hope you don’t believe everything you heard… only most of it.”
And for that, RJ patted him on the shoulder like they were old buds. Traitor.
“Hey.” Penny interrupted the budding bromance. “I didn’t think you were around today.”
“Actually, Ruth came over to hang with Mom, so I thought I’d check out the wax worm situation in the orchard hives. And I happened to remember you guys had plans out here, so I figured…” He shrugged.
Since hearing of Penny’s first encounter with Zander, RJ was unsatisfied with her limited sharing of details, scoffing each time Penny redirected the conversation to the Honey Festival.
“Hey man,” RJ said. “I heard how you stepped in at the market the other day, and I owe you big. I got pulled away and I know Penny really appreciated the help.”
Zander cut a look toward Penny with a small grin. “I’m not sure she did, but I was happy to pitch in regardless.”
“Whatever magic you worked, I appreciate it. Pen said we sold out of all my pies, and I made twice as many as last month.”
“Those were yours?” Zander whistled. “I didn’t get to try one, but the pastry looked perfect.”
RJ’s jaw dropped. “Did you hear that, Penny? Zander called my pastry perfect. And he was in Bon Appétit!”
He was in what?
“Oh gosh,” Zander said with a laugh. “How’d you see that?”
“I googled you as soon as Penny told me you’d come back. Duh. Pen, did you see that article about a restaurant Zander started?”
Penny shook her head vehemently. “I didn’t google him. That’s not actually a normal thing to do.”
“You should. This guy is, like, a big deal.” He grinned at Zander. “What do they call you, a restaurateur?”
Zander’s laugh was deep and resonant. “I avoid that word because it sounds too fancy, but technically, yes. All it means is that I help start restaurants.”
“And you’ve started a bunch, right?”
If Penny had a clear view through his veil, she would swear Zander was blushing.
“Um, yeah. Over a dozen in the last few years.”
“That’s so cool,” RJ proclaimed. “What’s that like? Like, what do you actually do?”
Penny turned quickly and moved to dampen the smoker. She had nothing to gain by learning more about Zander, which was why she’d resolutely not hit enter after typing his name into a search engine the night before.
“I help start restaurants, but I’m not the chef or anything,” Zander said from behind her.
“I help pull together all the pieces. I work with chefs but also investors, contractors, and marketers. I got into it because I’d worked a long time in kitchens and wanted to keep more human hours for my days with Winter. ”
“That’s so awesome,” RJ replied enthusiastically, as if Zander had told him he’d solved climate change. “I’ve just started gravitating to baking in the last few years. You saw those pies I’ve been doing, and I have a few other ideas if I can find the time.”
“Always here to taste test, man.”
“What?” RJ sounded like he’d won the lottery. “That would be awesome. I’ll bring you guys some samples for sure! Speaking of you guys—hey, Winter!”
From her crouch, Penny looked over a shoulder to see Winter kicking the dirt. The smile he’d had for the bees was long gone. Hadn’t taken him long to return to the brooding kid she’d seen the other day. “Hey.”
“I remember spotting you last June, but word is you all are here for the whole summer, right?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Mom and Dad are making me stay the whole time.”
Zander clapped a gloved hand over his shoulder. “And we’re going to make the best of it, aren’t we, bud?”
Winter only rolled his eyes, but RJ wasn’t dampened.
“It won’t be half bad, I promise. I teach a basic skating skills class for kids your age if you ever want to get out on the ice while you’re here.
And we have a pretty cool Fourth of July celebration with fireworks over the lake, and then…
” He glanced at Penny as the easy smile on his face morphed to something else.
Something calculating. “The Honey Festival.” RJ smiled back at Zander.
“You guys will be here for the Honey Festival.”
“That sounds cool,” Zander offered. “Right, Winter?”
“I guess. Honey’s cool.”
“It’s a great event,” RJ went on. “It was really small years ago, started by Penny’s grandma, but now it’s a whole thing. Downtown closed off, vendors all over, music, food, the whole shebang. And it’s all planned by this little lady right here.”
Penny stood quickly. “I doubt they’re very interested in hearing about it.”
“And you know what? This year it’s even bigger than before, but Pen is still doing all the work. I can’t do more because of my family stuff, and Ruth isn’t the best co-planner.”
Penny cleared her throat. “RJ.” They’d known each other forever, so RJ had to recognize her cut it the fuck out tone.
“But Zander,” RJ bowled ahead. He knew her tone all right, and was blatantly ignoring it. “You’ve got this great skill set from your work. Juggling all those balls, right? You probably manage invoices in your sleep. I mean, setting up a restaurant sounds a lot like planning a big event.”
Zander shifted on his feet, his big bee suit rustling. “Um, maybe?”
“Dude! It’s fate that you’re here for the summer, just as the hardest parts of the festival are coming together.”
“I’m not sure I know what you’re—”
But RJ interrupted Zander with a happy clap. “You can help Penny with the festival!”
As soon as Penny stopped this conversation, she’d sneak into RJ’s house and break all his hockey sticks.
“Oh, I don’t know—” Zander started.
“I bet you could be so helpful,” RJ rushed. “You have the perfect experience for this! Think about how you could show off your new life to the whole town.”
But Penny had had enough. “No, RJ.” She threw the rest of her hive tools into a bucket and stomped to her friend’s side. “I don’t need Zander for this.”
Zander glared at her as his jaw went tense. “While I have no doubt that I could prove to be extremely useful, my priority this summer is to spend time with Winter—”
“But the Honey Festival sounds cool,” Winter chimed in. “If Penny needs help, you should help her. We made a deal.”
At the mention of a mysterious deal, Zander’s face softened. “Hey now, I said I’d try to make the best of it. Not that I’d start planning local festivals.”
“Whatever,” Winter huffed. “Knew you’d back out.”
“Really. It’s not necessary.” Penny unzipped her hood and yanked it off. “I don’t need any help.”
RJ stepped toward her, tipping his face down and lowering his volume. “You know that’s not true, Pen. Not with everything riding on this.”
Behind them, Zander and Winter engaged in their own whispering battle.
“RJ,” she warned quietly. “Enough. This isn’t happening.”
“Penny, you are being so—”
“I wish you’d just stay out of my—”
“It’s because I care about—”
Zander interrupted their go-around. “Actually”—he nodded to Winter, then focused on Penny—“I’d love to help out.”
No fucking way. “Did you fail to notice I didn’t ask for your help? If you think you can waltz into town and act like you—” Winter’s widened eyes stopped Penny’s words in her throat. She shouldn’t ruin his time with the bees by unleashing on his dad, even if Zander was asking for it.
RJ stepped in, smiling broadly. “Tell you what, Winter? Sounds like your dad and Penny need to work out some details like mature, reasonable adults. Why don’t we do some of that pie taste testing right now? I happen to know Penny’s mom has some in her kitchen.”
“There’s not anything to work out—” Penny blurted.
RJ flung an arm around Winter’s shoulders. “I’ll get his suit back in the trunk, and Zander can come grab him at the house.” He passed Penny, bumping her shoulder with his as he whispered, “I know you’re pissed at me right now, but try to consider this. I think it could be really good.”
“RJ. I swear to god, if you actually leave right now—”
But they were already gone, headed down the path as RJ asked Winter if he ever watched hockey. Penny tossed her veil on the ground before stomping to the hive and replacing the lid, all too aware of Zander behind her, watching.
“You can take your suit off,” she called behind her. “The bees are docile; we were mostly suited up for Winter’s sake. Just leave it on the ground and I’ll take it back.”
The zipper scraped open as he cleared his throat. “You don’t want to talk about—”
“No.” Penny turned as Zander stepped out of his suit, his hair ruffled and wild.
She would absolutely not think about how it would feel in her fingers, just like she wouldn’t imagine the sandpaper of his cheek beneath her palm.
The steady order of her day—the order she needed to get everything done—was disturbed, but not beyond repair.
She just had to get away from this guy. “RJ was overstepping. I don’t need any help. ”