Page 72 of Must Love Bees
She paused long enough to inspect the small pond Rebecca had installed as a water source for the bees. It had overflowed, spilling several corks onto the ground. She scooped them up and put them back into the pond, bobbing on the surface like mini-islands. They were the perfect landing spot for a thirsty bee—and essential since bees couldn’t swim.
On the other side of a slight hill, were four hives that were each three boxes deep. Rebecca had taken Astrid’s advice and built frames to hold her hives off the ground. The frames lifted them just enough to make working the hives back-pain free. It also helped thwart the invasion of pests like the small hive beetle.
She left her wagon in the shade of an old Spanish oak and walked around the small beeyard. It was early yet so the sunlight was soft and gentle but, far as the bees were concerned, it was time to work. “Hello.” All four of the hives buzzed. “Already working hard and getting things done?” She watched as bees flitted through the small exit and set off for pollen.
“It’s just me, for now.” She rested a hand on the top of the first hive. “I’ve got some friends with me today so I figured I’d give you a heads-up.” She moved on to the second one, brushing debris off the top and checking the seams between boxes for signs of water damage.
“I know things are getting a little crowded in there so we brought you room to grow. Now that we’ve had so much rain, everything should perk right up and give you plenty to harvest before winter.”
She scanned the space around the hives. “I’m going to do a little gardening.” Armed with the shovel, she dug up two clumps of prickly pear cactus and deposited them in an empty five-gallon bucket. “I’ll take those with me. A few cacti are fine, but let’s not turn this into a cactus field. Don’t you think?” She scanned the ground for any remnants. One cactus pad on the ground could turn into a sizable plant in no time. Satisfied, she returned the shovel to the wagon.
One of the cedars had grown so big, branches rested on top of the last hive. “That won’t do.” She used the loppers to trim the shrub back.
She collected the branches, pulled off the smaller shoots and leaves and put them into the wagon. “I’m going to ask you to be extra gentle with Benji, too.” She’d add the branches to the pond, too. More floats for the bees. “This is his first time to do this solo. He’s a good boy and he’ll be an excellent beekeeper.”
“They don’t talk back, do they?” Charlie sounded amused.
Charlie. “No.” Astrid turned. He was here. And her smile was so big her face hurt. “But Poppa Tom taught me to talk to them, so I do. I don’t know if it was to soothe the bees’ nerves or mine, but it’s a habit now.”
“A bee pep talk?”
“Sort of.” He was so handsome. “How long have you been standing there?”
He shrugged.
Not handsome.Gorgeous. Even more so because he was wearing a bee suit. Her heart sped up.Goodness. Like her, the hood of his suit was open and back so she could study his warm brown eyes for as long as she liked. “You look especially handsome.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “We match.”
“We do.” She couldn’t stop smiling.
“You weren’t with your aunts when they came to get the girls this morning.” He kicked at a rock.
“It was so early. And I needed to help Tansy get everything ready for today.” She took a step toward him. “AndI wasn’t sure I could behave myself,” she confessed, closing the distance between them. “I didn’t want to tackle you in front of the girls. Or the Junior Beekeepers.” Her arms twined around his neck.
His arms were tight about her waist. “I wouldn’t have minded.”
Which was what she’d hoped he’d say. But, to clarify, she asked, “The not behaving part or the tackling part?”
He pretended to think about it. “Either.”
“Oh, good. I’ll remember that.” She stood on tiptoe. “Should I tackle you now?”
“Mmm.” His kiss was packed with all the urgency she felt.
“I’ve never kissed anyone in my bee suit before,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Me, neither.” He smiled, she could feel it.
“See, you are funny.” She leaned back so she could see his smile. “I like your smile, Charlie.”
He shook his head, his cheeks going an adorable shade of pink. “What are these Junior Beekeepers doing today? Besides bee fighting.”
“Beekeeping.” She patted his chest.
“So far, Nova’s description fits.” He smoothed her hair back, twining one long strand between and around his fingers.
“I guess that means I’ll have to show you, then.” She stepped out of his arms and marched over to the closest beehive. “In Texas, becoming a beekeeper is a lengthy process. Which is good. A person should have a real understanding of the importance of this work. Today, Benji is working toward his first-level beekeeping test. Kerrielynn is ready to take the test for the Master Beekeeper’s exam.”
