Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 137131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Archer sighs as she disappears, leaning back into his seat.
“Mythical bee lady?” I ask. “They weren’t sure I existed? Or do they have something against bees?”
“They know the bees exist,” Archer says with a shrug. “They figured I wasn’t lying about you. But the way I played up the honey, I’m sure they wondered.”
“Well, I guess you have to see the stuff to get why it’s special…”
But that doesn’t explain the mythical part.
He grits his teeth, and for a second, I think he’s upset.
But eventually, he says, “Frankly, they’re not convinced this is about the bees. They suspect something else is going on.”
“You told them about my dad?” I hold my breath.
“Absolutely not. But that doesn’t mean they’re stupid. I said you had a personal concern keeping you at Solitude and left it at that. They know there’s more to the story than keeping you around to scare up purple honey.”
I touch my bee earrings lightly between sips of mocha, trying to think past the weird feeling in my chest. Suspecting there’s more to the story isn’t the same as thinking Archer has any secret motivations beyond the kindness of his heart.
I’m getting carried away.
After everything that’s happened over the past two weeks, I need to keep my brain in check. Especially with a generous, bad-tempered, flipping married man as drop-dead gorgeous as Archer Rory.
Before I can think too much about why that’s so hard, Junie returns with our honey cupcakes. They look flawless.
There’s honey drizzled neatly over the top with tiny flakes of sea salt. A little like salted caramel, I guess.
“Enjoy!” she says with a wink.
Archer scowls at her, but she doesn’t give him time to think of a comeback before she sails away.
“You guys are on good terms. That’s nice with in-laws,” I observe, because that’s safer than doing anything else. Like thinking about Archer and his motivations or what his brothers must think.
What he’s not saying about getting raked over the coals thanks to my situation.
Holy hell, does his wife know he’s asking for special favors and losing money over a strange woman?
“She’s a nice girl,” he says. “She makes my brother happy, which is a miracle I never thought I’d see.”
“So he’s like you? Grouchy?” He raises an eyebrow at me and I grin.
“I’m a serious man. Dexter just sucks.”
I laugh. “Sure, sure, and I’m just a bee lady.”
His lips thin and he takes a long pull off his coffee.
I do the same with my mocha, loving the balanced dance of dark chocolate and sweet sugar. It’s like a symphony in my mouth.
I lick a dab of whipped cream from the side of the mug and glance up to find him staring.
My face bursts into flames.
“I’m sorry about the other day,” he says abruptly. “When you ran into Rina.”
Oh, crap, he’s reading my mind.
But I guess we have to talk about it at some point, right? Since he’s doing me a big favor, he has to mention the two times we got—way too close for comfort.
Any sane man would do the same and put me in my place, remind me that it can’t keep happening.
“Your wife?” I whisper.
“Ex-wife,” he growls.
What?
Oh. I never considered that.
But even though his eyes shutter at the mention of her, the tight pinch in my chest eases.
I haven’t caused any arguments between husband and wife. He’s not married.
Calm down, Win. Not married doesn’t mean single. Let alone available and interested in you.
But it also doesn’t mean covered in barbed wire and off-limits. I shake myself before I get carried away. Again.
“We don’t communicate much. I haven’t seen her in a long time,” he adds.
“Really?”
“She travels a lot.”
“Oh.” I take a slow bite of my honey cupcake, quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever eaten. “Dear God, this is amazing.”
The small moan that slips out of me almost kills me from embarrassment right there.
His eyes glow like sapphire discs as he watches me and says, “It’s nice to see you smile again, Winnie.”
At least his expression eases now that we’re not talking about his ex-wife. Though I desperately want to ask him more about her—like when they broke up, why, and whether he’s ever dated again—it’s so not my place.
We talk about normal things.
Safe things.
There are a couple more cabins not too far from Solitude and one that’s still under construction and not open for rentals yet. He says it’s basically livable and I might be able to use it as a backup for a longer term stay if I need it.
I hope I won’t have to burden him.
But I thank him anyway, and I don’t dare mention how much that means to me. I need every door open until I can find a real job.
First, though, I have to make sure the bees are being managed properly and find out what we can really do with the honey. I’m determined to pay back his generosity by taking this gig seriously.