Page 43 of Honey Be Mine
She’d written an entire children’s book and delighted as each illustration came to life on the page. Her first meeting with the Junior Beekeepers club had inspired her to look into adding queen-rearing here on the farm, and Everett had offered her a job. Not so shabby for nine days. She took another sip of her coffee.
And just like that, she was caught up in Everett again. Not only what he’d said—which was still mind-boggling—but all the new and fascinating and unsettling things she’d begun to notice about her longtime friend. Like how...manly he was. Sweet, always, but most definitely manlier than she’d thought of him anyway.
Not that him being unbelievably handsome suddenly changed their friendship. It didn’t. Nothing could. But the whole wanting him to kiss her and, possibly, consider her more than a friend certainly did.
Everett had been a fixture in her life since she and her sisters had moved to Honey Hill Farms years ago. He’d become her best friend the day he’d found her crying behind his barn. The aunts had thought it would be good for the girls to make new friends and brought them to the Taggerts’ for lunch. While Tansy and Astrid ran off with Jenny, she’d been missing her father and gone to find a quiet place alone.
She’d been crying so she hadn’t realized Everett was sitting beside her until the baby goat in his arms bleated—scaring her half to death.
“This is Samson,” Everett had said, his too-big cowboy hat sitting low on his ears. “I’m bottle-feeding him. You want to help?”
She’d sniffed, eyeing the black-and-white baby resting his chin on the boy’s arm. “Will he bite?”
Everett shook his head. Even then, there’d been something soothing about his warm brown eyes. “Did you know a goat has a four-chambered stomach? They can also tell when you’re happy or sad. Oh, and watch this.” He put Samson on the ground. Seconds later, Samson was jumping and hopping. His front half didn’t always line up with his back half, making his movements awkward and silly enough to have Rosemary laughing.
That was the start of it. Since then, Everett had always been able to make her laugh. He’d been a constant. Supportive and funny and there whenever she wanted or needed him. And in all that time, she’d never once picked up on or wanted anything other than his unwavering friendship.
Until now.When it’s too late.
It wasn’t too late to help him. He’d offered her a job because he needed help. If taking this job took some of the stress off his big broad shoulders, she was happy to do it. If she were being completely honest with herself, she didn’t mind the idea of spending more time with Everett.
Maybe she was being ridiculous. She’d have to deal with Libby.That won’t be fun.And if Libby was telling the truth about being involved with Everett, she might be setting herself up for a whole lot of hurt.
Butif Libby wasn’t being entirely truthful, then who knew... Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe there was a chance for them. She swallowed. Her and Everett?
“You look serious,” Shelby whispered, carrying her own cup of coffee as she sat in one of the overstuffed wicker chairs along the wide wooden porch that circled the entire house. “Am I intruding?”
“Please.” She welcomed the intrusion. “Just waking up with the sun.”
“It’s my favorite way to start the day.” Shelby tucked her legs up and under her, her puffy eyes peering out over the softly pink sky. “When Bea sleeps in, I get a little me time.”
“Me time is important.” Rosemary glanced at her cousin. She looked so much like Aunt Mags there was no denying who her mother was. “I don’t feel like we’ve had a lot of time to get to know one another.”
Shelby looked at her, smiling. “I’ve got the inside scoop on you—from Mags and Camellia and your sisters. Basically, you’re a genius who’s going to save the world someday. Or do something of equal importance.”
“That’s a lot of pressure.” Rosemary winced. “I was just sitting here thinking about how nice it was to be home—no world-saving included.”
“I’m sure they’d be just as happy with that.” Shelby grinned. “But it’s nice to know how much they believe in you.”
“It is. It’s just... I don’t want to disappoint them, either.” Yes, they were happy she was here now—they’d missed her. But in the long run, would they be saddened if she stayed—content to live the life of a beekeeper on her family farm?Would that make me happy?
“First, I don’t think that’s possible.” Shelby’s look was considering. “Second, and more important, this is your life, Rosemary. You’re the only one that really knows what’s best for you.”
Rosemary nodded, heartened by Shelby’s advice. “Now, tell me something about you.”
“Like what?” Shelby stifled a yawn. “I’ve lived a rather uneventful life.”
“You have your own graphic design business. You tracked down your birth mother. And you’re raising your daughter on your own.” She paused. “May I ask what happened to Bea’s father?”
Shelby stared into her coffee. “I don’t know. One minute, we’re in love, and I know he’s the one. The next, I’m telling him we’re going to have a baby, and poof, he’s gone. Disappeared without a trace.” She blinked, her smile teasing as she said, “The ultimate ghosting.”
“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry, Shelby.” She’d no idea. And now... Her heart hurt for her cousin.
“Me, too.” Shelby shrugged. “His loss. He has no idea what a treasure Bea is. And he never will.” She smiled at her. “It was hard in the beginning, but I got over it. Bea helped with that. And thanks to my dad, I was never alone. He’s always been my number one fan.”
“It’s clear he adores you.” Rosemary had very few memories of her parents, but those she had were like a warm bear hug. They might be gone, but their love was always with her.
The steady chant of “Ma ma ma” on the baby monitor cut their conversation short, and Shelby went in to get Bea up. Rosemary headed upstairs to get dressed, deciding now was a good time to clear her head and inventory the honey house.
