Page 22 of Fumbling for Affection

Maggie gripped the counter, blinking back her tears. Her dream crashed and burned as she watched Lucas saunter up to the judges and claim what should have been hers. This time, he’d truly ruined her life. He’s dead to me.

Chapter 10

Lucas added a handful of chips to the smoker. The weather had cooled in the last few weeks, but Barbara Buchanan’s bees were busy gathering what they could before winter, and they didn’t appreciate the interruption. They’d stung him twice so far, and each had been a painful reminder to keep his thoughts on the job, not on the frustrating, stubborn, she-devil who ignored his every attempt to talk to her.

As if reading his mind, Barbara asked, “Has Maggie spoken to you yet?”

“Other than, asking for my drink order and telling me the amount, no.” He lifted the side of hive and set it back gently. “This one feels light. Do you want to combine it with the other light one or feed it?”

“Not sure,” Barbara said, lifting the lid. “You lifted both of them, and both colonies appear healthy. What do you think we should do?” Barbara asking his advice on her bees was almost as golden as Coach Shockley praising him, which he hadn’t done since congratulating him on winning the baking competition. Probably because you’ve played like crap.

“Let’s combine them. Have you given any more thought to renting out the hives?” Before falling in love with football in high school, that had been one of Lucas’s plans after graduation. He was going to rent hives to the farmers in the valley. He would deliver and maintain the hives, the bees would pollinate the fruits and vegetables, the farmers would pay him rent for using the bees, and he’d harvest the honey and sell it. Lucas had even won a 4-H prize with his business plan. But his dad had squashed that plan when he saw Lucas play football.

“Lucas, between the sheep and the goats, and keeping Three in line, I’ve got plenty to keep me busy. I don’t need to add bee rentals to my list.”

“You ever think of getting a partner? For the bees? I know Five plans to take over the ranch when he’s done with football,” Lucas said quickly. It was important to him she knew he wasn’t looking for more. That he knew his place and prospects.

Cal had thanked Lucas more than once for helping Barbara with the bees. He wasn’t a fan of the buzzing and the smoke and after two heavy pours of handcrafted Thistlestone whiskey, he’d admitted that after working the bees, he couldn’t sleep at night because he imagined them crawling on him. Cal would rather spend his time tending the crops, mucking out stalls, repairing machinery, and babysitting Grandad’s still—the still that Callum Buchanan I had brought with him from Scotland—than tend the bees. Cal’s dream was to perfect and bottle Thistlestone whiskey. Lucas wouldn’t know an excellent whiskey from a bad one, but Bash said it had potential.

“You offering?” Barbara secured the lid, then stood to her full height and met his gaze. She looked serious, and she sounded skeptical. It wasn’t the enthusiastic response he’d hoped for.

“Maybe.” He pumped smoke around the hive’s opening.

“What about football?”

“Bees don’t need a supervisor. And if it’s a normal year, I’ll be done with most of the honey extraction before training camp.”

“And if you’re not with the Tetons?”

“I’ll get help for the fall. Maybe the 4-H honey group from the valley would be interested. And I’ll tell the team I can’t start until the last week of training camp.”

“You can do that?”

“I can try,” he said, winking. “If not, we’ll think of something. That’s what partners do. They work together.”

“I’m not saying no, but I’m not saying yes. I’d want to sleep on it and run it past Three and Five.”

“Not Four?” Lucas teased. The farming gene had skipped Four, and they were grateful he’d found a life outside of it. Three had said Four would have been the death of Thistlestone.

“As long as Four doesn’t have to pay for his honey, he’ll be fine. Are you sure this is something you want, Lucas? Why take on an old woman as a partner when you could do this in the valley? Use your parents’ farm as your home base.” Lucas brushed the bee off his netting. Just like dad brushes me off.

Everyone in the family had a role at the Rodriguez farm. It was a well-oiled machine, but if there was friction, they called Lucas and his wallet in to help. But he couldn’t tell that to Barbara. She wouldn’t understand that his family didn’t need or want him. Not yet, but they would. Once he convinced them to buy Brewster’s’ space and let him and his sister run the restaurant. Between his career, the hives, and the restaurant, he’d be as busy as the bees, but he could do it.

“Good questions, but I like the potential I see here, and I can’t think of a better partner and mentor than you.”

Barbara blinked her eyes rapidly, and she wiped under her nose. “Darn smoke,” she mumbled, and Lucas hid his smile. “Let’s finish this row and leave the rest for next week. If you don’t dawdle, you might have enough time to get home, get cleaned up, and get to Brewster’s so Maggie can scowl at you. I don’t know what’s up with that girl, but something is. Stick with her, Lucas. She’ll crack at some point.”

Lucas locked his truck and walked around Marketplace. He was tired of Maggie spotting him coming in the main entrance and ducking away to hide in the back office. The few times he had cornered her, she’d slapped on a smile, but her eyes were vacant. No spark. No life. It was like losing the competition had killed her and she was dead inside.

From the hallway, he watched her interact with the customers, but it wasn’t with the joy he’d seen before the Tumble Falls Festival.

He played sports for a living. Losing was part of the deal and he had plenty of experience dealing with sore losers, but Maggie beat everyone. He wondered how she’d feel knowing that she was the best, worst loser he’d ever met.

Vivi grabbed the dirty dish bin and began gathering the mugs and plates left behind. They closed in about an hour, and Lucas knew it was only the two of them on duty. With Vivi busy cleaning, Maggie had no choice but to deal with him.

He tilted the brim of his ball cap down and opened the door for two college-aged women loaded down with books. He gave a curt nod as they passed and met Maggie’s glare when he turned.

“Lucas.”

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