Page 19 of Must Love Bees
“No.” Astrid smiled, wrapping the bread in plastic wrap as she spoke. “It’s a beekeeper’s job to manage the bees, to keep a healthy and strong queen, and protect them from pests. Rebecca’s queens are all Italian—golden and gentle.” She stored the pie and bread in the refrigerator.
“Do they buzz in Italian?” Nova asked.
“You mean, like do the bees have an Italian accent?” Halley was looking longingly at Nova’s uneaten half of a muffin.
“That would be something, wouldn’t it?” Astrid pulled one of the kitchen chairs out and sat at the table. She tapped her chin, then shrugged. “As far as I know, all bees speak bee. No accents—just buzzing.”
“Are there French bees?” Nova asked.
“There are bees in France. Bees are all over the world. People need them, you see. For plants and food—they keep us healthy so we should help them.” She resisted the urge to get Halley another muffin and kept talking. “It’s up to each beekeeper to try to find the best bees for them. Bees, like people, have different characteristics. Do they produce a lot of honey? Are they hygienic and resistant to pests? Gentle? There’s a lot to think about when it comes to bees.” Astrid couldn’t help but smile when Charlie finally sat and broke off a piece of his muffin.
“What sort of pests?” Nova had stopped eating and had propped her elbows on the table once more, focused on Astrid. “Mosquitos? They are pests.”
“They are.” Astrid leaned forward. “They’re even worse when you get one stuck in your bee suit.”
Nova wrinkled up her nose. “Itchy.”
“Very.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Charlie’s resistance fade—the muffin was gone in three bites. “But mosquitos don’t bother bees. Wax moths, small hive beetles, varroa mites—theydobother bees. Keeping those critters out of the hives is one of the most important things a beekeeper can do.” Something she could teach both the girls about when the Junior Beekeepers came over. She took a deep breath, trying to find a way to slip that into conversation.Hey, Charlie, I hope you remember that you’ll have eight-to-ten high school kids on the property in a week,seemed a little too forthright.
“You really like bees?” Halley was smiling at her.
“I do. Deeply. They’re...family.” Astrid had always considered her bees part of her family. “Taking care of the bees is a part of who I am.”
“Like Charlie loves to code and Mom loved the stars.” Halley shrugged. “I guess everyone should have something they get excited about.”
“Mommy loved the stars.” Nova held up Scorpio, making the toy dance. “That’s why Halley is named Halley and I’m named Nova.”
“Halley’s Comet.” Halley pointed at herself. “Nova is a bright new star.” She pointed at Nova.
“That’s lovely.” Astrid sat back in her chair. “My parents named us after bee-friendly flowers. Astrid, Tansy and Rosemary. My aunts are Camellia and Magnolia. My dad was lucky—he was named James.”
“Is your dad a beekeeper, too?” Nova asked. “And your mom?”
“No. Dad was a science teacher and my mother was a nurse.” She hurried on. “But my grandparents were and their parents before them. Now, it’s up to me, my sisters and my aunts to care for our bees.”
“Can we meet the bees, Charlie?” Nova was one hundred percent adorableness when she turned wide, pleading eyes his way.
If Charlie noticed Nova’s adorableness, he didn’t let on. He was staring at Astrid, his brown eyes unguarded and pinned to hers. And this time, his face wasn’t blank. For a minute—less than that—there was a flash of grief. It all seemed so clear to Astrid then. Charlie wasn’t grumpy or mean or rude, though his manners might be lacking. Charlie was hurting. So much so that Astrid found it hard to breathe. He’d just lost his aunt. But he’d lost his wife, too. Rebecca had mentioned something about an accident... It hadn’t been all that long ago.
Aunt Magnolia would tell her to mind her own business. Tansy and Dane had already made it abundantly clear that Charlie Driver wasn’t worth her time. But this changed things. This wasn’t just about Charlie, it was about Halley and Nova, too. Astrid knew the pain of losing a loved one. As deep as her grief had been, she’d had her aunts and sisters to comfort her. She was beginning to think Charlie and the girls only had one another and the three of them were chasms apart.
There were plenty of reasons to leave it alone. One, she didn’t know them. Two, and this was a big one, Charlie would likely resist—and possibly resent—her interference. Three, she had no idea what she could do to help. Not to mention they’d be gone soon. She’d be wise to leave the basket and the baked goods, get the dreaded Junior Beekeeper conversation out of the way and wish them well.
But Astrid had always listened to her heart first, something Aunt Magnolia constantly warned her against. Her heart didn’t give a fig about all the reasons she shouldn’t get involved with the Driver family. Her heart wanted to help—all three of them—desperately.
CHARLIEWATCHEDTHEplay of emotions on Astrid’s face with mounting concern. Her features were fluid, shifting from one thought to the next. The initial droop to her mouth turned into the flat line of her full lips. From there, her jaw tightened and there was the slightest jut of her chin—as if she was making up her mind about something. And then, those green eyes of hers met his and her smile was so blindingly warm that Charlie’s concern ratcheted up to very definite unease. He dropped his gaze immediately.
“Do you like dogs?” Astrid asked. “My aunt’s dogs followed me. I should probably get them some water before I head back.” She stood, crossed to the kitchen sink and opened the cabinet beneath. “They loved to visit Rebecca with me.” She pulled an oversize metal bowl from the cabinet. “She kept treats for them.”
That explains the large box of dog treats. He ran his fingers through his hair.
“Let’s go meet them.” Halley slipped from her chair. “Come on, Nova.”
“I’m coming.” Nova held out her hands. “Wait for me.”
“They’re right out front.” Astrid nodded. “Oatmeal is the big one. He does drool a bit—it’s the St. Bernard in him. Pudding is the brown shaggy one.”
“Does he drool, too?” Nova asked, her nose wrinkling.
