“Speaking of community members, our viewers know nothing about you. Where are you from and how do you know Amber Carter?” Kelly asks the camera but thrusts the microphone at Millie to respond.

Millie’s beautiful message about the conservation center and the forest goes in one ear and out the other. Unfortunately, her dig about the wedding’s public nature flies into the ether too. She all but told Kelly that we wanted our married life to be private and our public message to be about saving wildlife. How hard is that to comprehend? We’re offering public outreach to the forest, not to our bedroom!

“I’m born and raised just outside of TNT, just like y’all. I don’t have Horus’s fancy degrees or the Carter’s lavish lifestyle. I’m simple folk, but simple folk’s been running this town since its inception. My relationship with Amber is through Horus, as are most of my friendships. I owe him everything for opening my world and introducing me to many good people. The best part of being a newlywed is building a life together, wouldn’t you say? But Horus and I want to build more than a life for ourselves. We’re building a legacy where our community’s children and their children’s children will enjoy the forest. We hope to save the ecosystem one pollinator at a time.”

My wife goes from bumpkin to expert in one paragraph. She identifies with the viewers and hammers home our mission in the manner of a friend. No question is out of bounds because she answers with grace and dignity—befitting a lady. We promised Rash that we wouldn’t divulge Amber’s whereabouts and send a pack of reporters to his MC’s clubhouse. Who knows how the two cultures would receive one another? But their secret is safe in Millie’s tender hands. I grin like a loon as she shutsdown Kelly’s invasive interview tactics with surface answers and charm.

“Children’s children? Does that mean there are future beekeepers in the works? Will we see a new bumblebee join the hive this spring?” Kelly’s eyes light up with excitement. I’m half expecting a drool-coated tongue to flop out of her mouth. A double shotgun wedding—with me as the father of two at the same time without twins—would raise the sensationalism of our wedding to new heights.

“You’re putting the cart before the horse, Kelly,” Millie says, placing her hand on Kelly’s shoulder as if their gal pals. “We aren’t rushing into parenthood, but we’re not preventing the Good Lord from adding to our family. Whatever happens, happens.”

“Religious reasons, then?” Kelly nods as she asks her most impertinent question yet.

Millie clasps her hands together as if asking them to hold her temper in check. If Matthew were here, he’d run into the building. She’s about to detonate. I drop my arm as she steps around the beehives.

“Nope, just a couple of horny hillbillies,” she snaps with a shrug. A chorus of snickers from the camera crew covers my chuckle. Red-faced and scowling, Kelly’s madder than a rattlesnake in a forest fire. “Allow me to take you on a tour of the rest of the gardens. You can ask more questions along the way.”

Kelly doesn’t answer for the count of ten…fifteen… The local chatterbox is at a loss for words. Her eyes bounce to me, the building, the hives—anywhere for inspiration.

“Your shoes!” The exclamation flies out of her mouth as she looks down.

“Aren’t they the bee-knees? Horus surprised me with them for my first day of work!”

One camera person pushes Kelly out of the way, so the other one can zoom in on Millie’s footwear. Custom-designed black and yellow striped stilettos adorn my wife’s dainty feet. She twists her left foot to show the camera the hand-painted bees and flowers on the side panel. I offer my hand for balance. I just knew she would lift her foot to show off the tropical flowers between the footpad and the heel.

“I’m fortunate to have a husband who knows how to make me happy.”

Chapter 18

Millie May

“Are you sure I can wear this where we’re going? I’m kinda exposed,” I say, rubbing my bare arms. The windows of Horus’s truck are tinted to the legal limit, but I can’t help but wonder what outsiders can see. I’d be much more comfortable in my beekeeper’s suit.

“The new dress is stunning on you,” Horus replies, taking his eyes off the road to give me a once-over. “Do you like the shoes? The heels are thicker for walking outside.”

Translucent platforms with pink liquid sloshing around in the chunk heels are the newest pair for my collection. Not only does the glitter inside them shine, but the glow-in-dark laces go up to my knees. My new husband is a master at shoe shopping.

“I love them, but the dress doesn’t have a back…”

“I couldn’t find one with wingslits, and I’m no tailor,” he says, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “Okay, you got me. I’m lying. I never looked for a dress with wingslits because I wanted easy access to my wife.”

The white, glittery halter dress is borderline indecent, but I love the way the fabric shimmers like moonlight when I move.The car seat is cold on my butt, so I know not to bend over with anyone watching—or they will get a peep show they’ll never forget. The front is low, and the back is nonexistent. I bundle my wings into bulky clothes when in public—like my beekeeper suit at work or the velvet cape I usually wear in the car to my in-law’s house.

“Scandalous, Dr. Mills,” I say, my face heating ten degrees. At least he didn’t say anything crude in front of his parents. They love me like a daughter, but I’d hate for them to think I’m a cheap tramp. “You neglected to tell me where we’re going. Your parents seemed to know, so I couldn’t listen to you tell them about it either.”

“By design, beauty,” he says with a smirk. “I knew you’d be listening to everything within twenty miles with those super antennae of yours…so I told them aboutour eventwhen I bought the tickets.”

“That’s why we slept over! I didn’t believe your malarky about the dangers of driving the two hours late at night!” I playfully slap his shoulder.

“You better kiss that to make it feel better,” he grouses. “Want a hint?”

“More than you know! I’m so nervous I could thread a sewing machine while it’s running.”

“I have noise-dampening earbuds in the glove compartment in case this event is too loud for your sweet little ears. You won’t be wearing a veil over your antennae or face.”

What?! Not only are my wings exposed to the general public, but my antennae too! Last night, I ate with my wings hugging his parents’ dining room chair and my antenna waving. I felt self-conscious for the first hour. The way they took my mothy traits in stride and focused on getting to know me as aperson brought tears to my eyes. A new family accepting me was the greatest gift Horus could give me. We left his parents’ house but didn’t drive south toward home. Where are we going that would welcome a MothLady?

“One more turn, and…”