Plan Bee (34 page)

“So Noel had been trying to lead us to Eugene, not Bob. And the false hostage report at Clay’s house?”

“Noel again, trying to protect Patti. Eugene was using the house as his base. Patti was a serious threat to his operation.”

Wait a minute. What about P.P. Patti? I’d forgotten all about her. Everything came rushing back—the wasp spray, Patti hitting Eugene with the shovel, watching him fall down the steps, trying to save Noel, the tornado and explosion. “Oh my gosh,” I said. “What happened to Patti?”

“I’m over here,” I heard from the far side of the room.

That’s when I noticed a curtain drawn between the voice and me. When Hunter pulled it aside, I saw Patti lying in the next bed. She looked like she’d just woken up. She had big bandages wrapped around her head and her eyes were more purple than black.

“My head hurts,” she whined. “I keep asking for more painkillers and they won’t give them to me. And I had splinters all over in the palms of my hands from that stupid shovel. They pulled each one out individually, and boy did that hurt.”

Hunter was trying to contain himself. But when he saw the expression on my face, he burst out laughing.

“And how does a person get any rest in this place,” P.P. Patti went on. “The only good part of this whole arrangement is that”—she gave me a huge grin—“we’re roommates!”

I sunk back in the hospital bed and grimaced.

Hunter brought me home from the hospital. We sat in my backyard with Ben at our feet. Having almost lost my life proved good for our relationship. My man even took time off from work to take care of me.

Now, as we sat gazing at each other across my patio table, he said, “I think it’s time to take a step forward.”

I needed clarification. “Like?”

“Like, maybe it’s time we moved in together.”

Wow! Really? On the inside I was bouncing up and down. On the outside, I smiled serenely and said, “My place or yours?”

He smiled back. “It doesn’t matter as long as we’re together. We’ll talk more in a few days when you’ve recovered fully. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

And with that, he did.

It felt good to get back into the daily routine, back to my busy but normal life. My honeybees buzzed happily
along in my absence, unaware of my close call with death. Stanley Peck had made sure they were cared for while I was in the hospital. Noel had even helped out in the beeyard before he’d had to head home to get ready for school to start. Stanley told me he and his grandson had had a serious conversation about keeping the whole safe-blowing escapade from Noel’s mother, for fear she’d never let him come within a hundred miles of Moraine or his grandfather again.

A few locals expressed relief for the peace and quiet Noel left behind.

The store also ran smoothly without me for the few days I was out, thanks in large part to Carrie Ann, who put aside her online game playing to actually help manage the business. Maybe I
would
consider giving her a promotion.

I was back behind the cash register a few days later, though, when Mom came into The Wild Clover. She was holding hands with Tom and grinning.

“You need to put your money in a bank,” I advised my mother’s boyfriend. “We’ll all feel safer.”

“I already have,” he assured me.

Grams was right behind them, with Dinky straining at the end of a leash. “I’ve decided to keep Dinky with me,” she said. “I’ve grown so fond of her over these last few days. Even though she’s still peeing where she shouldn’t. Hunter promised to help me train her.”

What wonderful news!

“Let’s get a family photograph,” Grams suggested, hauling out her point-and-shoot.

Holly came out of the storage room just in time to get into the picture. Milly took it for us.

Through the front window, I saw Lori Spandle and DeeDee Becker. Lori peered in, then rushed inside. “That dog isn’t allowed in an establishment that caters to food products,” she said with an airy sniff, indicating Dinky. “I’m filing a report.”

Just then, DeeDee moved closer to the window, where I could see her better. She was wearing a scarf around her neck. It was an animal print. A bead or two in the fringe glistened and sparkled in the sun.

I heard Mom say, “Lori Spandle…” but that’s all I caught. Because I was out the door, intent on the klepto who’d stolen my scarf from the library.

DeeDee saw me, recognized the look on my face as her death knell, and took off running.

Like the bulldog I could be (a family trait from my mother’s side of the family), I was right behind her.

  The Wild Clover August Newsletter  
Notes from the beeyard:

• As goldenrods and asters begin to bloom, honeybees will be busier than ever collecting nectar.

• Bees need water to drink and to dilute thick honey. If it hasn’t rained, help them out with an outdoor water supply (bucket or bird bath).

• Late August and September are perfect times to visit a beekeeper, and if you’re lucky, he or she will let you sample comb honey right from the hive.

Here are a few simple honey concoctions:

• Honey sticks—stir into a cup of hot tea.

• Drizzle honey over a wedge of salty cheese for a delicious combination.

• Add a little honey to your bath water for a soothing, silky soak.

Nutty Rhubarb Muffins

1 cup brown sugar + ½ cup

½ cup honey

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

Hannah Reed lives on a high ridge in southern Wisconsin in a community much like the one she writes about. She is busy writing the next book in the Queen Bee Mysteries. Visit Hannah and explore Story’s world at
www.queenbeemystery.com
.