Page 5 of The Beekeeper

Holding Pais to my side with one arm, I opened the door, gritting my teeth as Harper brushed along my front to try and maneuver the car seat into the back.

“Won’t she need it⁠—”

“Not until tomorrow morning,” she answered, her voice muffled as she clipped it to the seat. “All right, I think we are good.”

She stepped back and smiled at Pais, careful to avoid my eyes.

“Ready to meet the bees?”

Paisley nodded, more decisive and eager than I could ever remember seeing her.

She might be ready, but as I buckled her in and climbed into the passenger seat, I knew I wasn’t.

But if it was what my daughter wanted, I’d suffer all nine circles of wanting a woman I couldn’t have.

Chapter 2

Harper

“Where are we going?” Paisley asked, clutching my hand tighter as we walked along the path through the woods toward the field of wildflowers where my hives were.

“To the bee houses to meet the bees,” I said, keeping my voice excited.

My family’s property was just a few minutes from town but big enough to make it feel like wilderness once you were on it. Dad’s thirty acres used to be a huge part of Aunt Ailene’s jam business—so huge that was where it got its name: Stonebar Farms. But it wasn’t long before they’d outgrown it and the land shifted to other uses.

My oldest brother, Max, had taken over the back acreage for massive greenhouses and packing facilities for his flower delivery business, Mainestems. The front fifteen Dad kept for my other brother, Nox, and me, though my apiary didn’t need that much space and Nox only wanted the old red barn.

I’d given Paisley a brief tour of the property on our drive in, pointing out my childhood home which we passed first. Blaze didn’t even glance out the window. Later, I’d convince myself it was because he had a lot of other things on his mind and not because that house was where my infamous teenage shrine to him was located.

Next came Nox’s barn that he’d renovated into his glassmaking studio and an apartment where he lived. After winding a little deeper, we passed the old farmhouse that had been on the property when Dad bought it, where I now lived. Finally, we reached the shed at the end of the drive where I kept all the equipment for my apiary and where we unloaded from the truck.

“Are you sure there are no camera monsters here?”

“Oh, I’m sure. We’re way too far from the road for them to be able to get here,” I said, doing my best to hide how my heart broke, hearing her fear.

I could still hear Paisley’s cry echoing through the pastry shop where I’d been catching up with the owner, Ella, and my heart had fallen to the floor where it shattered when I’d run outside and saw her bawling in Blaze’s arms.

I’d had to do something. I had to try to help even if Blaze wished the assistance came from anyone but me. As tenuous as things were between him and me, he would burn the world down for Paisley—to keep her safe. And agreeing to come to the farm with me fell just a hair shy of world destruction.

“Couldn’t they drive?”

“They’re not allowed to,” I promised her. “My dad owns this road, so if anyone comes on it who isn’t allowed, he’ll have the police take them away.”

She let out a deep breath, and I hoped it was one of relief, but I couldn’t see her face well enough to tell.

“Is Daddy going to come meet the bees?” My heart clenched as she looked over her shoulder to where we’d left Blaze at my tool shed. He’d needed to make a few phone calls, and told me to take Pais on ahead.

“Your dad just has to talk to Uncle Wade, then he’ll come meet them.”

It had been four months—since Christmastime—that I’d last seen Paisley and Blaze. They tended to keep to themselves, and I’d made it a point to keep away from them, from him, as much as I could. It was too painful to be around him, and my family, reminding me at every turn about my crush on him, didn’t help.

When Blaze had stayed at my cousin’s inn, one night, he’d wandered downstairs just as my shift started and we got talking.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

“Sobriety.” He grimaced.

“Of course, sir. If you want to pull up a seat.” I motioned to one of the chairs tucked against the wall.