The man could wait.
Chapter11
Buzzing Along
Lawson didn’t like leaving an unknown man sitting outside Dani’s cottage.With the flat stare and the muscular build, it was unlikely James McPhee was a simple courier.Probably employed by the family or their company in some kind of bodyguard capacity.He held himself like he knew how to use his body to fight.Or to intimidate.
Lawson was glad he’d followed his instincts and arrived early at the cottage.He doubted the man would have tried to coerce Dani into signing immediately, but he couldn’t be sure.
The man likely had orders to move things along peacefully.But if Dani refused to sign, what would happen then?
She’d asked good questions earlier.Was the merger and name change necessary for survival or an expansion plan?Each reason would have different repercussions for Dani.
She wasn’t the type of woman who turned her back on people in need.Even a family that hadn’t treated her well.
It killed him that she didn’t think of herself as a competent adult.She most certainly was.Obviously, there were complicated feelings about her family.He imagined there always were.
Even with his parents and grandfather, the feelings were complicated.While he’d had a fantastic childhood, they’d also experienced trauma.
Dani’s trauma had been different.More long-term and subtle.Insidious was the word he wanted to use, but he wasn’t sure it was appropriate.She might be right that they just hadn’t understood her.He’d reserve judgment until he knew more, but he couldn’t stop the anger simmering beneath the surface.How could a parent not be proud of a person as kind and hard-working as Dani?
“Are we meeting Jolie or any of the others today?”
Dani nodded.“Jolie said she would come over to the new field again so we can get things moving.Why?”
He stopped and pulled out his phone.“I’ll ask her and Ford to drive to your house and walk in from there.”
She frowned at him.“Are you checking on the courier?Do you think he’d do anything to my cottage or my garage?I can’t imagine my parents telling him to do that.”
Lawson shrugged.“It doesn’t seem likely, but I want to see if he’s still there.And I want him to know you’re surrounded by people here.”
She smiled as he dialed.He ran Ford through the basics of the morning’s encounter.
Ford growled.“Asshole.We’ll finish up here and be on our way in maybe twenty minutes.Want me to bring your drone?”
Lawson grinned.“Good thinking.Thanks.See you soon.”
Bibi sat in the shade while he and Dani donned the bee suits over their clothes.The air inside wasn’t as stifling as he’d expected.It would be hot during the height of summer, though.
When they were all sealed up, he grinned at her.“I feel like the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters.”
Dani laughed.“I think you look very sexy.”
Even with the suit, walking right up to the first set of hives was unnerving.He now knew there were thousands of bees in each tower.The bottom brooding box was where the queen did her thing.The upper boxes were where the other bees created their honey.When the honeycombs were almost full, Dani added another box to the top, so they had room to make even more.
“I’m looking forward to finding out how you harvest the honey.I imagine it’s too early in the season for that?”
She nodded.“It is.They’ll take some time to build up after the long winter.”
She held up a tin container that looked like an oil can.“Would you like to try the bee smoker?It helps keep the bees calm when I lift the lid.It makes them a bit sleepy.You wave it over the top though, so it doesn’t affect the honey.”
“Let me watch you first.Then I’ll give it a shot.”Excitement at learning a new skill rippled through him.He’d never considered owning an apiary, but now he wanted to know everything.Wanted to help Dani with these and the new ones she would set up in the new clearing.
A while later, Ford and Jolie entered the field with Hemsworth.Bibi leaped up from her shady nap spot and trotted to welcome her friends.
He and Dani moved over to Beatrice.He didn’t remove the hat or the suit until she said they were at the proper distance.It wasn’t like bees were aggressive on a typical day, but they were also instinctual creatures you couldn’t reason with.Better to be safe.
Jolie’s smile was wide and happy.“Lucky.I want to check out the apiaries one day.Is it as cool as it looks?”
