Page 187 of Seasons of Love
“Do you hear the buzzing sound?”
I close my eyes, and I do. It’s faint, but it’s there.
“That’s Reed’s bees. I read on their website that he keeps the beehives in the middle of the fields so the bees pollinate the lavender. His honey is amazing.”
“I’ve seen it in the farmers’ market but couldn’t afford it. I hear people ask about it at the store all the time, but we don’t stock it.”
He kisses my hair. “How about we check out the gardens?”
“Okay.”
I didn’t think the lavender fields could be topped, but the gardens on the side of the main building are even better.
“Wow. My mom would have loved it here,” I say. “You see those roses over there? They’re her favorite.”
Ellis looks at me. “They look like the ones you planted in my backyard.”
I feel my cheeks warm, and not from the sun. “Yeah…I wanted to leave something of myself behind. Like a kind of personal touch.”
He frowns. “Are you planning on going anywhere?”
“No. No, of course not…never mind.”
“Good.”
We hear footsteps on the gravel path, and then a tall guy with dark hair and a lumberjack-type shirt comes from between two hedges. He’s on the phone shouting at someone but then stops when he sees us. “Don’t bother coming back.” He pockets his phone and holds out his hand to Ellis.
“Hey, Teacher. How’s it going?” he asks Ellis.
“Hi, Callan. We’ve come to visit the lavender fields and your gardens. This is Milo, and this is Sara,” he says, then turns to me. “Callan is Reed’s farm manager.”
“Hi, nice to meet you. I’m so in love with your gardens. Whoever looks after them does a great job.”
Callan wipes the sweat off his forehead. “Not any longer he doesn’t. What you just witnessed was him getting fired. Why is it so hard to get good workers these days? Anyway, I don’t want to disturb your visit. Come by the farm restaurant when you’re done. I’ll set up a honey tasting menu for you on the house.”
He takes his phone out and waves us off as he heads to the main building.
“I guess you’re going to try Reed’s honey after all,” Ellis says.
I laugh. “Are you saying you brought me all the way here, and you weren’t going to treat me?”
Ellis pulls me closer until his lips touch my ear. He nibbles my earlobe, and his warm breath makes me shiver in the best way. “If you wanted to try Reed’s honey, you could have told me. I have some at home. I propose I accidentally spill some of it on me so you can help me clean it up.”
I swallow. “That’s a…yes, please.”
For the rest of the day, it’s easy to forget everything else happening in my life. The honey tasting is wonderful, and I spend the whole time wondering how it’ll taste when I eat it off Ellis.
He squirms in his seat and keeps giving me heated looks, so I know he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
Since we’re quite full from honey and bread, we decide to buy three crab rolls and take them home in time to give Sara her dinner. I wasn’t prepared for us to be out, so I have snacks but no actual food and no extra formula.
Ellis invites Florrie to join us while I get Sara's dinner ready, and it’s the end of a perfect day.
That is until my phone rings and I see Gloria’s name pop up on the screen.
I answer, and for a moment, there’s just silence.
“Hello?”
