Page 40 of The Burbs and the Bees
“Hear what?”
“I thought I heard voices.”
I listen for a second. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Okay, hur
ry please. It’s kind of creepy out here.”
I jog to the barn, grab the cowbell, and race back to Alyson. I shake the bell in front of Sid, and she starts moving toward it. Alyson jogs to catch up to me.
She gives me a sidelong glance. “Funny you left that little bit of information out.”
“You saying I did it on purpose?”
“It’s not like you want me here,” she says with a huff.
My gut clenches. “We called a truce, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I really did forget, Alyson.”
“Okay,” she says so quietly, with such defeat in her voice, my heart thumps. I steal a glance at her and once again resist the urge to pull her into my arms and tell her everything will be okay.
“You found Jack’s shed?” I ask, switching subjects.
“Yeah, and it’s packed with the weirdest things.”
“Did you see the head in the jar?”
She stops walking. “What the hell?”
I laugh. “Every year, he does a haunted house in the orchard. People come all the way from the city.”
“No way?”
“Yup. The kids are really going to miss it this year.”
“Why do they have to miss it?”
“Ah, Jack is gone, remember?”
“I can do it.”
“Oh, right,” I say, not believing she’ll still be here then, and her face falls at my lack of faith in her. Her sadness is like a kick to the nut sack, and I sort of hate myself right now. She opens her mouth like she’s going to say something, then closes it like she’s changed her mind, her eyes defeated. “He does weddings in the vineyard, too.”
Her face lifts. “I have a vineyard?”
“Not a big one. Jack grew the grapes for himself. He was a vintner, and his wine was strong.” I tip my fingers to my lips and make a face like I swallowed something nasty. “You haven’t come across the grapevines yet?”
“No, but I think that’s awesome he did weddings.”
“Colin was going to have his wedding here, but…”
She frowns. “Is it too late?”
“They already secured another venue at another vineyard.”
