“I’m sure that’s not what he was thinking.”
Missy pulled away. “What do you know? You were in medical school at the time. You don’t know what went on around here.”
Arianne crossed her arms. “I know Dad didn’t mistreat you.”
“Not physically.”
“Then, what?” Fear clutched Arianne’s throat. She’d never heard her sister speak in such a way before.
“Come on, Arianne. He never looked at me the same way he did you. He always looked right through me.” Missy crossed her arms around herself as if she needed protection. “I don’t look like Mom or Dad. Or you. I’ve never had anything in common with any of you. It’s like…like I’m not even a member of this family.”
Arianne huffed. “What, do you think you were adopted? Dropped on our doorstep by aliens? I was there. I remember the day you were born.”
A single tear trailed down Missy’s cheek. “No, Arianne. What I’m getting at is that maybe I’m not Dad’s kid. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t stand me.”
Arianne uncrossed her arms and threw her hands on her hips. “That’s absurd. Dad loved you, and to say something like that is to insinuate that Mom had an affair.”
“After you moved out, his drinking got worse. Sometimes he’d look at me like…like he didn’t know what to do with me. I think Mom did have an affair.”
Arianne gasped. “Have you lost your mind? Mom loved us, loved Dad. She’d have never done something like that.”
Would she?
“And you’re such a great judge of character.”
Though the words weren’t hostile, they hit their mark.
Missy sagged against the wall. “My inheritance didn’t make any sense. I had to leave. Link the pieces to this puzzle.”
Her sister’s gaze focused on something far away, nonexistent. A chill ran down Arianne’s spine, despite the warmth blasting from the ancient baseboard heater. “What do you mean?”
“People don’t just leave strangers money when they die. I knew there had to be a reason.” Missy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I found out that Mom and Martin Billings used to be engaged. They were high school sweethearts.”
Air whooshed from Arianne’s lungs.
“The Washington County public library has their engagement picture on file from an old newspaper dated May 4, 1969.”
Milk and cookies curdled in Arianne’s stomach. Her legs trembled. She made it to the couch. “Why didn’t they get married?”
“I don’t know. I’m still working on that one. But I’ve heard they always kept in touch.”
Like a light bulb blazing in the darkness, Arianne recalled what Lucy Cosgrove had said to her at the hospital that first day. “I forgot you two were related. Cousins, right?”
Arianne was about to see her dessert again. “What are you saying?
Missy dropped next to her and leaned her elbows on her knees. “I think I’m Martin’s illegitimate daughter.”
~*~
Huck ran his fingers through his damp hair and padded across the cold kitchen floor. The house was too quiet. He gripped the freezer door handle and yanked it open. He missed the pictures Emma used to color for him. Arianne had taken them all. Except the very first one of his wreck and the angel. That one never left his office desk.
Salisbury steak or meatloaf? He reached in and grabbed whatever was on top. Food tasted as bland as his existence, and it had only been a week since they’d gone.
It was like an episode of The Twilight Zone in reverse. Unlike the characters that couldn’t get back to their old lives fast enough, he wanted to stay. His former life played in black and white, but Arianne had shown him Technicolor.
Baby Kitty, as Emma had originally named him, wound around his ankles, dropped on its side, and bit Huck’s toe. “Yeow!” Huck nudged the cat away with his foot and slammed the freezer door. He tossed his dinner into the microwave and moved to the cabinet to pick his poison. He stared at three amber bottles. They hadn’t helped the night Arianne left. Or eased the loneliness of spending Thanksgiving alone. He doubted they’d help now.
Distraction. That’s what he needed.
Huck removed his pajama bottoms and pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt. He left for Sharky’s Sports Bar, ignoring the frozen dinner spinning in the microwave.
His truck tires squealed into a parking space. He turned off the engine, got out, and strode toward the bar. Voices clamored, bottles clinked. The smoky atmosphere stung his eyes. He took a deep breath, and then coughed into his fist.
The regulars greeted him, asking him where’d he’d been. Worley, a crusty old man with yellow teeth, slapped Huck’s back and bought him a round. Yep, this was exactly what he needed, to get back to his old life. He hadn’t thought of Arianne once in the last—he glanced at the neon clock that read, It’s always time for beer—fifteen minutes.
A group of guys next to him balked at the hockey game on the wide-screen. Huck tried to keep up with the score, but it reminded him of Arianne in the mornings when she’d greet him with coffee and her sleepy eyes, wearing an NHL shirt.
Tilly invited him to join their poker game, but he’d never been a card player. Besides, he hadn’t touched a deck since his and Emma’s last game of Go Fish. He moved his glass in little circles on the bar, swirling the brown liquid. Those two females had brainwashed him.
He threw back the contents of the glass and ordered something stronger.
After two hours of mindless yapping and a six-beer and whiskey shot buzz, Arianne slipped from his mind. He scanned the smoky room, and his gaze landed on Jessa, a voluptuous red-head he’d kept company a few times. She winked. Before he knew it, she’d left her chair and swayed his direction, sporting a provocative smile and a low-cut blouse that had his full attention.
She stood close, leaving no space between them, one elbow on the bar, the other on his arm. “I thought you’d abandoned us.”
Her perfume and lipstick both needed to be turned down five notches. She didn’t look natural or smell fresh like Arianne. Huck shook his head to clear his thoughts and gulped the last of his whiskey.
“It’s been lonely around here without you.”
He knew lonely. Huck motioned to the bartender. “I’ll take another.”
Tack’s eyebrows raised. Or at least Huck thought they did. Everything was rising and falling right now.
Jessa reached into her blouse and removed a few bills that she slid across the bar. “Give him one more, Tack. I’ll make sure he gets home safe.”
With that statement, she ran a long fingernail on his thigh. Was the fire alarm going off, or were the bells in his head? Huck looked around the room. No one else seemed to notice, so it must be him.
Tack slid him another shot. “That’s it.”
Old habits consumed and Huck gulped it down in one swallow. A deep belch escaped from his gut. He moved the glass toward his lips again, disappointed to find it empty.
Jessa tugged it back down. “You trying to pass out on me before I even get you home?”
Sweat rolled down his temple. “You know I don’t take anyone to my place.”
“I wasn’t suggesting we go to your place.”
Huck willed the room to stop spinning. Something about this scenario made his skin crawl. He’d tried this before, and though it was great at the time, it left him empty.
If only the room would stay still, he could think.
“Why don’t I get you out of here?” Jessa’s whisper purred in his ear.
Her lips brushed his earlobe. Once. Twice. He turned his head and kissed her. Hard. She tasted like liquid smoke and mint chewing gum.
Jessa pushed at his chest. Four eyes glared at him. He blinked. No. Two eyes, and they weren’t happy.
“Who’s Arianne?”
“What?” Had he said her name out loud?
“Who’s Arianne?”
A pang hit against his chest. Must have. A crooked grin crept up his face. “Jessa, are you drunk?�
��
“No, but you are. And you didn’t answer my question. Who’s Arianne?”
Hearing her name made his heart physically hurt.
Jessa’s mouth fell open. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with this woman.”
Arianne had left him. “Course not.”
Jessa’s arms wrapped around his neck. “Prove it.”
He stood and nearly hit the floor. He held Jessa’s tiny waist for balance, then moved his arm around her shoulders and stumbled out the door.
When bees believe their hive is under attack, they release alarm pheromones to alert the other bees. Smoke masks these pheromones and confuses the bees. This allows the beekeeper to work the hive.
27
Daylight stole the darkness from the back of Huck’s eyelids. A war drum beat in his temples. He cracked an eye open. Searing pain shot through his head. He closed his eye again. What happened?
Cold air seized his lungs as he took a deep breath. He shivered. Why was it so cold? Remnants of the night burst like balloons in his mind.
Oh.
Huck shielded his eyes and forced them open, prepared to find Jessa beside him. His stomach rolled.
A beige glove box cleared in his vision. A dashboard. Windshield. He reached beside him, and his fingers met the leather seat. His truck. Fog escaped his lips, and he shivered again. Why was he in his truck?
He pushed to a sitting position, and the drum beat louder, harder. A blanket fell from his shoulders into his lap. The gray-and-black-striped wool one he kept behind the seat for emergencies.
Huck swallowed and cleared his throat. His vocal chords rubbed together like sandpaper. What was that stench?
Frost glazed the windows, but Huck could see enough to know he was in the bar parking lot. His was the only vehicle left. Where was Jessa? Had they…?
His gut churned like waves at high tide. Huck thrust open the door for air and stepped down on the concrete. Right into—
He cursed. Now he remembered. Jessa had shoved him in the truck after he’d let loose all over her new shoes. Those must’ve been some nice shoes too, because the words she yelled would’ve made a sailor blush. She’d also made it clear that her name wasn’t Arianne. His ears were still ringing.
All that root beer had made him soft. Wimp. Then again, it kept him from making a mistake he’d regret. Arianne’s doing, even if she didn’t know it.
He eased over to the crunchy grass to clean the sole of his boot. Jessa’s brash kiss still lingered on his lips. Had things gone further, it would’ve appeased him for the night, but it wouldn’t have quenched his thirst. Jessa hadn’t felt right in his arms. Huck thought he could drown Arianne from his mind, but he’d failed.
Arianne wasn’t in his head. She was in his heart.
Huck raised a palm to his throbbing forehead. Now what? How did a man who was in love—and he could no longer deny he was—when he didn’t want to be, get back to his old life? Huck’s stomach dived, and he blew out a slow breath.
Did he even want to go back to his former life? It seemed so empty now.
An icy breeze blew across his chest through his unzipped coat. He tugged the zipper, and his hand met something wet. He looked down. It matched the mess on the concrete.
Huck crawled into his truck through the passenger side and scooted behind the wheel. No. He didn’t want to go back to his old ways. But where did he go from here?
The engine hesitated then turned over. He revved the motor a few times to warm it up, willing the heat to work faster. A few minutes later, he backed out and drove home. John Wayne would go get the girl. After a shower, some sleep, strong coffee, and more sleep, Huck believed he’d find his inner cowboy.
~*~
Should he follow them in?
Huck gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. It had been almost two weeks since they moved out. How would Arianne react when she saw him?
The stragglers in the parking lot thinned. He opened his truck door, eased out, and closed it quietly, afraid the noise would finish knocking his world off its axis. His boots thumped across the cold pavement. His heart pounded even louder. He ran his palm over the back of his head. He felt naked without his hat.
Huck turned around at the double doors. He couldn’t do it. Wasn’t ready. No confounded woman on earth was gonna make him—
“Hello, sir. Glad to have you today. Did you leave something in your vehicle?”
Huck groaned softly. Yeah, my sanity. He turned to spout some lame excuse and met the eyes of a man not much older than himself. “I, uh…”
“Welcome to Pine Bay Baptist Church. I’m Pastor Dave.” The man thrust out his thick hand and shook Huck’s with the grip of a grizzly bear. Lean, broad-shouldered, and slightly gray-headed, this pastor in trendy glasses banished all Huck’s preconceptions. Huck introduced himself and before he could sneak away, the pastor ushered him into the church.
This was a really bad idea.
The pastor led him into purgatory—or so it felt. They stood in the doorway that lead to a room full of pews. Huck confessed he was Arianne’s visitor, and the pastor pointed in her direction. Of course she’d chosen a front row seat.
On shaky legs, he walked down the aisle. Halfway there, the pianist broke out in song as if she were commemorating the occasion. Were everyone’s eyes burning holes in his back, or did it just feel that way? Most of the congregation probably knew him by reputation and were wondering if hell had frozen over.
Come to think of it, he was too.
As Huck neared, Arianne hunched over and dug around in her purse. His gaze locked with Jack’s all cozied up beside her. Huck puffed out his chest, nodded, and slipped onto the pew next to her.
Arianne looked up at him, wide-eyed. She touched his arm as if she were unsure whether she was hallucinating. Then she tilted her head and broke out the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.
Heaven help him; he loved her.
~*~
Sweat beaded along Arianne’s temples as the heat from both Huck’s and Jack’s bodies warmed her sides. Huck. In church. Was he finally opening his heart to God?
The temptation was too much to resist. She turned her head and sneaked a glance at him from the corner of her eye. Huck tugged at the collar of his blue dress shirt and ran his palms down the legs of his jeans. The motion stirred the scent of his cologne. She breathed it deeply. He always smelled like leather and sunshine.
Huck turned his head and met her gaze. The intense longing in his eyes brought back the moment in the wedding gown. Her heart beat faster. Then she remembered they might be related—sort of.
Jack closed his song book and placed it beside him. The deep timbre of his last note crooned in her ear. Jack always smelled good too, like designer cologne and wood chips. She couldn’t compare anything else. Jack hadn’t kissed her yet, but she doubted it would be anything less than wonderful.
Pay attention to the message. Every time she tried, she found her mind wandering off again.
When the service ended, she introduced Huck to several church members. He rocked his weight from one foot to the other and unbuttoned his collar, revealing a sliver of white T-shirt underneath.
“Huck!” Emma bolted through the sanctuary, clutching her Bible, her red dress flapping around her knees. Curious faces followed the stomp of her black dress shoes. Emma swelled like a helium balloon, filled with so much happiness she might fly away.
Huck scooped her up. “Hey, darlin’.”
Emma hugged his neck so tight his face turned pink. “I missed you. How’s my kitty? Can we go to your house and see him today?”
Huck patted her back. “Sounds like a plan.”
Arianne’s heart squeezed at the sight of Emma in his strong arms. It had been days since her daughter had shown any happiness, and she hated to disappoint Emma. Jack’s hand on the small of her back made it inevitable. “I’m sorry, Emma, but we can’t today. We promised Jack that we’d spend the afternoon with hi
m.”
The duo frowned at her.
“But, Mommy…my kitty…” Emma’s chin quivered.
Arianne stroked her daughter’s cheek. “We’ll visit your kitty soon. I promise.”
Emma turned her face away and buried it in Huck’s neck.
“Tell you what,” Huck said. “I happen to know your landlord, and he said it’s OK to let the kitty live at your house. How ‘bout I bring him over one night this week?”
Emma lifted her head and placed a chubby hand on Huck’s face. “Will you stay too?”
“For a little while. Then I’ll have to go back to my house.”
Emma nodded, her lips turning down at the corners.
Jack’s hand moved up Arianne’s back to her shoulder. “I’ll warm up the car. You girls come out when you’re ready.” He released Arianne and shook Huck’s hand. “Good to have you, Huck. Come back any time.”
“Thanks.” Huck’s narrowed gaze followed Jack until he disappeared out the door.
Arianne set her purse and Bible in the nearest pew and unwound her coat from her arm. Huck put Emma down and took it from Arianne. He held it up, and Arianne slipped her arms inside. He left his hands on her shoulders and his touch seeped through the wool. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered.
His breath stirred her hair. A tingling sensation ran through her body, as if it had been asleep and was waking. “Huck, I…” She turned, and he dropped his hands.
Longing played across his shaven face. It started in his ticking jaw and poured from his eyes. After a moment of silence, Huck looked down at his boots and shoved his hands in his coat pockets.
“Emma, go find your coat, please. We need to go.”
Emma trudged toward the foyer. Arianne smiled, knowing how hard it was for Huck to come to church. It stirred all kinds of things inside her. “How’s Friday night?”
He looked up at her.
“You can bring the cat, and I’ll make dinner.” And we’ll discuss the idea that you and Missy might be cousins.
“Depends. What’cha makin’?”
She swatted his arm.
His deep laugh filled the space between them.
How to Charm a Beekeeper's Heart Page 21