Page 2 of Honey Be Mine
“Maybe she’s not ready to share.” Astrid patted her hand and went back to making daisy chains.
Rosemary was fully aware that they were both watching and waiting. “Telling you will make you upset, because you love me. And I don’t want you to be upset, because then I’ll get upset, too. And I’m trying really hard to let it all...go.”
Astrid and Tansy kept right on staring at her.
“The project lost funding.” She let out a slow breath.
“Oh, Rosemary.” Astrid let the daisies fall into her lap, her expression pained. “I’m so sorry.”
“Which means I’m out of a job.” She plucked at a blade of grass. “At loose ends.”
“Wait. You mean, you’re not leaving? You’restaying?” Astrid’s grip tightened on her hand. “Here? Home? With us?” Her smile was bright and oh so happy.
“For now.” Rosemary squeezed her hand back. Astrid had always been the one to see the bright side of things.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be smiling.” Astrid’s attempt not to smile was an utter failure. “Iamsorry the project is over, but I’m not sorry you’re back home. I’ve missed you. We’ve missed you.” She glanced at Tansy.
Tansy nodded. “I’m sure someone will snap you up for another project soon. You were working with one of the field’s experts. Your work won’t go unnoticed, Rosemary. Don’t worry.”
“Well...” She took a deep breath. “The thing is, my research wasn’t...exactly...attributed to me.”
There was a stretch of silence.
“What?” Tansy murmured. “What are... Wait. Is Dr. Voigt taking credit for your work?”
“But he can’t do that.” Astrid shook her head, her long strawberry blonde hair shimmying.
“He can, and he is.” Rosemary shrugged. “He literally pulled everything off the shared server and deleted all the working copies—right before the rest of us learned the project hadn’t received continued funding.”
Tandy’s face went scarlet. “What a complete and total di—”
“How awful,” Astrid said. “There has to be someone, anyone, you can tell about this?”
“Not really. He istheDr. James Voigt—a renowned expert in our industry. I’m a postgrad research assistant with no significant independent credits or discoveries to my name. Why would anyone listen? Or believe me anyway?” She blinked, ignoring the sting in her eyes. “Honestly, I feel like such an idiot for trusting him.” She shook her head, refusing to shed any more tears over the situation. “I just need to figure out what to do next.”
Tansy was all but fuming. “But, Rose, you need to know—”
“Please, Tansy, let it go.” Rosemary added an extra, “Please,” for good measure.
“It’s just that—”
“No. Really. I’d rather not talk about it or him anymore.”
There was another stretch of silence—heavier this time.
“There’s a lot I can do here. The bees, of course. I’ve missed so much.” Rosemary smiled at her sisters, eager to change the subject. She looked at Tansy. “I mean, Dane is no longer the villain. That’s huge.” She turned to Astrid. “And I barely know Charlie and the girls. Your husband, which is so weird to say, and stepdaughters.”
Astrid squeezed her hand again. “They’re delightful. And easy to love.”
“The girls are, yes. But Charlie’s a little...” Tansy paused, tapping her pointer finger to her chin. “Quiet? Prickly? Awkward? Um...”
“Shy.” Astrid frowned. “Not everyone has a big, loud, and loving family like us. It’s a lot to take in—a lot to get used to.”
“Whatever.” Tansy rolled her eyes. “He thinks Astrid is the sun and the moon and the center of the universe, so he’s growing on me.”
“Oh, I picked up on that much.” Rosemary grinned. “All you have to do is look at him to know that.” And she’d been instantly won over by Charlie Driver’s obvious adoration for her sister. He was quiet and reserved, yes, but he was entirely in tune with them. And when he smiled, it was entirely because of Astrid and his daughters. “If that’s all I knew about him, that would be enough to make me like him.”
Astrid’s face lit up. “He’s...he’s... Well, I love him so much.”
