Page 30 of Honey Be Mine
CHAPTER SIX
HONEYHIGHSCHOOL’Scafeteria had changed since Rosemary graduated. Which was a good thing—she didn’t have to worry about flashbacks or panic attacks. Her high school years were equal parts academic and intellectual successes and abject humiliation and torment. The mural of the large honey badger—Honey High School’s mascot—scowled at her from its place on the wall. Rosemary resisted the urge to scowl back.
She was here because this was the only place big enough to host today’s city watch training. After Dane shared what had happened in Rose Prairie, she hoped everyone in Lewis County would be attending the training.
She and her sisters sat in folding chairs around one of the two dozen round tables that had been set up. She had a notebook in her lap for notes, but since the meeting hadn’t started, she’d doodled a climbing vine along the edge of the page. Her notebooks from school and university were covered in little birds, bees, flowers, or snippets of home. Now that she was almost done creatingABC’s with Baby Beefor little Bea, she had more ideas than ever.
She was just finishing a flying bee and a butterfly when Kerrielynn Baldwin stopped beside her chair.
“Hi, Miss Hill—Rosemary.” The teen girl waved.
“Morning, Kerrielynn.” She put her pen and notebook on the table. “How are you?”
“I... Can I tell you something?” The girl shifted from one foot to the next.
Rosemary wasn’t sure what was coming. She wasn’t the talker—that was Tansy. And she was nowhere near as empathic as Astrid. But if Kerrielynn wanted to tell her something, she’d listen. “Of course.”
“I, you know... I...” She paused and shook her head. “Ohmygosh. I think you’re awesome... Well, I want to be just like you. You’re so smart and calm, and...you have it all together. You know? You’re so young, and you’re, like, a doctor and doing all this research and stuff. Reallydoingit.” She glanced at Tansy, then Astrid. “I mean, you all are awesome. Of course.”
Rosemary was in shock. Awesome? Her? This bright, outgoing, bee-adoring young woman wanted to be like her? It was mind-boggling. And so precious. The only thing Kerrielynn had gotten right was the smart part. She wasn’t calm or together—she was freaking out over sitting in her old high school cafeteria. Hardly worthy behavior for anyone’s role model. Still, it touched her heart that Kerrielynn felt this way. Very much.
“She is pretty awesome, Kerrielynn. I totally agree.” Astrid nodded. “She’s the smartest person I know.”
“Same,” Tansy agreed. “Neither of us graduated from high school at, what, ten?”
Kerrielynn’s mouth dropped open. “Really?”
“No.” Rosemary laughed. “I wasnotten.”
“Have a seat, Kerrielynn.” Astrid nodded at one of the chairs.
Rosemary pulled out the seat beside her.
“Okay.” Kerrielynn hung her backpack, with little bees embroidered all over, on the back of the chair. “My brother Silas is here, too. Is there room?” She nodded at the back of the room where a handful of groups had gathered to chat, get coffee, or refreshments.
“There should be.” Rosemary scanned the chairs. Even if Charlie, Leif, and Dane all sat with them, there was room for a few more.
Leif arrived seconds later, a paper plate stacked high with pastries and donuts. “Hey.” He sat, pushing the plate toward Kerrielynn. “I brought enough to share.”
Kerrielynn eyed the plate and laughed. “With the whole table?”
Leif frowned, glancing from the overflowing plate to each of them. “I guess.”
Rosemary grinned and shook her head. “We ate.”
“You go ahead, Leif.” Tansy nodded. “You’re a growing boy, after all.”
Leif sighed, scooting his chair close to Kerrielynn’s. “I don’t think I’ve stopped being hungry since Camellia left.” He sounded so forlorn.
“When we get back from the beekeeper’s convention next weekend, she will be home.” Tansy sighed. “Thank goodness.”
Rosemary wasn’t the only one missing her aunt. When she’d been in California, she’d pored over every one of Aunt Camellia’s weekly letters and care packages. The woman was a human rainbow—full of praise and support, eager smiles, warm hugs, and a never-ending banquet of lovingly prepared food. Her time away had taught Rosemary how to survive without her aunt’s cooking, but nothing ever tasted as good.
“Astrid, your hubby is here.” Tansy waved over her shoulder. “And he’s looking for you.”
“Is he?” Astrid turned.
Charlie Driver’s well-crafted mask of indifference dissolved into an adoring smile the moment he saw Astrid. It was one of the dreamiest things Rosemary had ever seen in real life. That was love. It rolled off the man. Warm. And tangible.
