Page 53 of You Shouldn't Have Come Here

“I think I might.”

Joe let on a small smile. “Well, like I was trying to say earlier, I’d be careful with my brother there. He tends to fall hard.”

I tilted my head. “How hard?” I wasn’t looking for anything serious.

Joe’s eyes narrowed slightly and he quickly glanced back at his brother.

“Joe, what are you telling her?” Calvin called from the grill.

He cleared his throat and relaxed his eyes. “Just that you’re a big softie.”

Calvin’s face turned a little red. “Get over here and man this thing.”

Joe stood from his chair. “If I don’t mess with him, he’ll be at that grill all night and you won’t have any time with him. You’re welcome.” He winked, grabbed the spatula and tongs from Calvin, and took his spot in front of the grill. It was like Joe felt he owed Calvin something, but I wasn’t sure why that was.

Calvin picked up two beers and sat down beside me, handing one over. Charlotte was only a few steps behind him like a puppy following its human. She took Joe’s open seat right next to Wyatt. He sat up a little taller. Charlotte glanced at Wyatt and gave him a challenging look, but he just smiled back.

“Anyone else coming?” Wyatt asked.

Calvin placed his hand on my knee and gave it a gentle pat. I leaned a little into him. “Yeah, Dr. Reed and Patsy.”

I looked to Wyatt and Charlotte. “So, you two are exes?”

“Don’t remind me,” she scoffed.

“We are not exes. We’re just taking a break,” Wyatt challenged.

She jutted out her chin. “We’re not getting back together, Wyatt. That means we’re exes.”

“I’m not giving up on us.” He shifted in his seat, angling himself toward her. “You randomly broke up with me for no good reason.”

“You two are really cute together,” I chimed in with a grin. Sometimes you just had to stir the pot.

“See, C? We’re good together.”

Charlotte elbowed him in the side and swigged her beer. I knew he thought she was just being flirty because he smiled and patted her knee like Calvin had done with me. He probably thought he saw a spark reignite between them. I knew there was nothing flirtatious about it. It was a spark... a spark of violence. Charlotte didn’t want to flirt with Wyatt. She wanted to hurt him. I wondered what exactly had gone wrong between them. Wyatt seemed like a nice enough guy, a little rough around the edges, but I’d expect that from a country boy. Perhaps nothing went wrong between them. Perhaps something went right between her and someone else.

“Why did you two break up?” I asked, deciding to continue to poke the bear named Charlotte.

“I don’t know.” Wyatt shook his head. “One day we were good and the next she was breaking it off.”

“We were not good together,” she spit.

Wyatt narrowed his eyes. “We were.”

Betty let out a yell. “The bees are so agitated!” Her voice was panicked.

Calvin stood quickly and helped her out of her beekeeping hat, gloves, and suit.

I noticed red splotches on her hands and neck. The bees had made their way inside her suit. It’s ironic how the ones you care for most are the ones that are most easily able to crawl inside you and do damage.

“What happened?” Calvin asked.

“It seems like they had been messed with. They were buzzing all around, trying to sting me, and they ain’t usually like that.”

“Betty, they’re bees. They’re not trained. What do you expect?” Joe crumpled up his face and flipped a burger patty on the grill.

Betty scratched at her neck and shot him a glare, but quickly softened it. “You wouldn’t understand, Joe. Your dog doesn’t even know its own name.”

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