Page 18 of Must Love Bees
“We got up. I read. Nova did a puzzle. Charlie had a phone call and then the washing machine exploded.” Halley started picking at the black nail polish on her pointer fingernail.
Charlie was taking business calls on a Saturday? “What sort of puzzle?” Astrid asked.
“Animals.” Nova watched, wide-eyed with excitement, as Astrid put one of the oversize muffins on her plate. “Wow. That’s enormous-ful-big.”
Astrid grinned. “Andit tastes good.” She set a plated muffin in front of Halley.
“Thanks, Astrid.” Halley slowly pealed the wrapper back. “For the frog—”
“Hero.” Nova was turning her plate, sizing up the muffin.
Halley rolled her eyes. “Thanks for showing us the whole Hero the frog thing.” She paused to watch her sister. “Just take abigbite.”
“It’s gigantical.” Nova propped her elbows on the table, then rested her chin and stared at the muffin. “Maybe I’m too tired to eat. The rat monster was scratchingallnight.”
Astrid carried two forks to the table. “Maybe this will help with the muffin. Do you want to tell me about this rat monster?”
Nova glanced at Halley, who groaned and rolled her eyes. “No, thank you.”
“If you don’t eat it, I will.” Halley nodded at the muffin.
Nova grabbed the muffin and took a huge bite.
Astrid laughed and patted Nova’s shoulder. “Napkins.” She looked in the spot where Rebecca had stored her paper products. As far as she could tell, everything was just as Rebecca left it—making it that much easier for her to find the mop to clean up the laundry room floor once the girls were settled with their muffins and juice.
“You don’t have to do that.” Charlie came into the kitchen with slightly damp hair and a dry shirt. A shirt that was in no way, shape or form see-through.
“It’s no trouble. Almost done, anyway,” Astrid assured him. “I like to stay busy.” She nodded at the table. “There’s a muffin for you, too.”
“You didn’t have to do that, either.” Charlie eyed the muffin but didn’t sit with the girls. Instead, he leaned against the kitchen counter and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I didn’t. My aunt Camellia did.” She winked at Nova, who grinned. “She’s the foodie in the family. It’s her love language. If she likes you, she cooks for you. Or gives you a piece of candy or a muffin.”
“She gave us candy. And muffins.” Nova grinned. “She likes us.”
Charlie’s grunt was disapproving.
“What’s not to like?” Astrid asked.
“These are big and de-li-cious.” Nova rubbed her tummy. “Yummy.”
“They are.” Halley peered into the basket Astrid had placed on the table. “I can’t wait to try the other stuff.”
“It’s too much.” Charlie crossed his arms over his chest and shifted from one foot to the other.
“If I’d brought what my aunt had wanted me to bring,thatwould have been too much.” Astrid carried the basket to the counter and pulled the plastic wrap from the kitchen drawer. “I’ll cover the pie and put it in the refrigerator.” But she paused, glancing his way. “I’m sorry. I showed up and started making myself at home—”
“It seems to be a habit.” Charlie’s gaze held hers for a few seconds, then fell away.
She didn’t like it when he scowled, but at least she had some sort of clue as to what he was thinking. But this, the blank face, the intense eye contact, then the avoiding eye contact? She had no idea what to make of that. Her tongue felt a little thick as she started to ramble. “I’ve always thought of Rebecca’s home as a second home. I’d come care for the bees that tended her garden and I’d stay to chat or share some lemonade or weed a flower bed. I think we got along so well because we had such similar interests. And we both like to do things and stay busy. And, for the most part, live a quiet life.Quietis one word I wouldn’t use to describe my home. Not to imply I don’t love my home and my family, I do. I adore them...” She stopped before she could keep going.
“She was fond of you.” His tone was equally hard to decipher.
“What will happen to the bees when Charlie sells this place?” Halley was picking up the remaining crumbs of her muffin.
“I imagine I’ll take them to Honey Hill Farms.” Astrid shrugged. “Maybe the new owners will want to keep them? Or I’ll find someone else who will. She has very gentle bees.”
“How do you know?” Nova was still working on her muffin. “Do they dance for that, too? To tell you they’re nice?”
