CHAPTER EIGHT #2
Bee laughed while Wes brushed the dust from his hands. Grandma appeared in the doorway and looked at the cabinet before giving a satisfied nod.
Grandma turned toward the kitchen. “Come eat.”
Wes closed his tool bag. “I’ll eat when I get home.”
Grandma looked back at him. “You worked all day.”
“I ate lunch,” Wes said.
“That was hours ago,” Grandma replied.
Wes lifted the tool bag. “I don’t want to be any trouble.”
Grandma pointed toward the kitchen. “You’ll eat now.”
Bee smiled at him. “You should probably listen to her.”
Wes looked at Bee. “You’re taking her side?”
“Always,” Bee replied.
He set the bag back down. “I walked into that one.”
Dinner settled into an easy rhythm. Grandma talked about things that needed doing around the house while Bee told Wes about something funny she had seen online. Wes listened more than he spoke, but he answered every question Bee sent his way.
Bee took another bite before looking across the table. “You’re still getting comments about the cereal, aren’t you?”
Wes glanced down at his plate. “Some.”
“People really liked that video,” Bee said.
“I know,” Wes replied.
Bee studied his expression. “You don’t sound happy about it.”
Wes looked back at her. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say when people like watching me talk about cereal.”
“Apparently, people like you,” Bee said.
Wes shook his head. “I don’t know why.”
Bee held his gaze for a moment. “You really don’t, do you?”
“I just make videos,” Wes replied.
Bee smiled faintly. “That might be why.”
When dinner ended, Wes gathered the plates before anyone asked him to. Bee followed him to the sink with the glasses.
Bee reached for the plate in his hand. “You don’t have to do that.”
Wes moved it out of her reach. “I ate your food.”
“And?” Bee asked.
He set the plate beside the sink. “I can at least help clean up.”
Bee watched him gather the silverware from the table. The quiet boy she remembered had grown into someone who noticed what needed to be done without waiting to be asked.
Bee rinsed one of the glasses. “You really are different.”
Wes looked over. “Different how?”
She lowered her attention to the water. “Nothing.”
Wes watched her for another second. “Okay.”
Once the kitchen was clean, Wes picked up his tool bag and thanked Grandma for dinner. Grandma packed leftovers into a container and handed it to him before he could protest.
Wes accepted the container. “You don’t have to feed me every time I come over.”
Grandma closed the refrigerator. “I know. You’ll bring the container back empty.”
“I will,” Wes promised.
He headed toward the front door, and Bee followed him. They had almost reached it when Grandma called from behind them.
Grandma stood near the kitchen entrance. “Wes, did you give Bee your number?”
Bee’s eyes widened. “Grandma.”
Wes looked between them. “She has my TikTok.”
Grandma folded her arms. “That is not a phone number.”
Bee turned toward her. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“You may need his help again,” Grandma explained.
Bee gestured toward the door. “I can call somebody else.”
Grandma raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
Bee stared at her grandmother. No answer came quickly enough to help her.
Bee narrowed her eyes. “You planned this.”
“I needed the porch fixed,” Grandma replied.
Bee glanced toward the other room. “And the cabinet?”
Grandma kept her expression calm. “I needed that moved too.”
Wes pressed his lips together, but Bee saw the smile he was trying to hide. The effort only made it more obvious.
Bee pointed at him. “Don’t encourage her.”
“I wasn’t,” Wes said.
“You’re smiling,” Bee replied.
Wes tried to straighten his expression. “Sorry.”
Grandma nodded toward his pocket. “Give her your number.”
Wes pulled out his phone and held it toward Bee. “It might be easier.”
Bee accepted it. “You’re really doing this?”
Wes glanced toward Grandma. “I don’t think either of us has a choice.”
Bee laughed under her breath and entered her number. She handed the phone back when the new contact appeared.
Wes looked at the screen. “What did you put?”
“Bee,” she replied.
He looked up. “Just Bee?”
Bee slipped her hands into the pockets of her shorts. “That works.”
Wes tapped the screen before putting the phone away. Bee’s phone buzzed in her pocket a second later.
Wes reached for the door. “Now you have mine.”
Bee pulled out her phone and saw his name on the new message. “Goodnight, Wes.”
He stepped onto the porch. “Goodnight, Bee.”
Bee stayed at the door until his truck disappeared down the road. She closed it and turned around, already aware of Grandma standing behind her.
Bee held up one hand. “Don’t.”
Grandma looked innocent. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to,” Bee replied.
Grandma looked at Bee’s loose knot. “I was only going to say you should probably fix your hair.”
Bee touched it before she could stop herself. “You’re terrible.”
Grandma smiled. “You liked him seeing you anyway.”
Bee lowered her hand. “I didn’t say that.”
Bee walked back toward the living room before Grandma could answer. She made it to the couch before realizing she was still smiling. Grandma noticed, of course, but she let Bee have the last word.