"It's nothing," I countered with a glare for them all. "We can explain, but first, I did sort of cause Dr. Frost to get stung several times. I just brought him over for some salve."
Still clearly amused, Nan nodded sagely. "The creek."
"The creek," Benjamin and I both confirmed.
Tessa looked between all of us, confused. "What's the creek got to do with getting stung?"
"Have a seat, Benjamin," Nan offered, gesturing to the seat catty corner to hers. "I'm sorry you had a run-in with… which hive was it?"
"Albania," I sighed, moving past them both and into the cluttered kitchen. Nan's house was small and stuffed full with memories, and only someone who had lived with her long enough would know where she kept specific things on all the open shelves.
"Is this going to be a Denmark kind of situation?" Tessa asked warily.
"I hope not," I frowned, going to a shelf above the tea counter where she kept the medical supplies. "That was disastrous."
"What happened to Denmark?" Benjamin asked with a laugh in his voice.
"They revolted," I replied seriously over my shoulder.
"Their queen started putting off fighting scents," Tessa explained in highly unscientific terms. "They got all stingy."
"I had to kill the whole hive," I added, reaching up on tiptoes for the little orange tin on top of a stack of the bandages. With my voice strained, I said, "It was horrible."
"Poor Denmark," Benjamin murmured. "Evie, do you need help?"
"No," I eked out, stretching as far as my arm would go. I knocked off a roll of gauze that bounced off my head. I gave up. "Okay, maybe."
The wooden chair scraped against the tile floor, and Benjamin came to stand close behind me. I tried to move out of his way, but he pressed his chest against my back, reaching over me and plastering his hard body against mine. I froze, stunnedby the sudden warmth and the surprising pressure of his abdomen against my back. He grabbed the tin easily, bringing it down and wrapping his arm around me to place it in my hands. I rotated a look his way, wide-eyed and mute with surprise. He stared back steadily. "Some ninja you are."
I gathered my thoughts enough to reply, "I did sneak out this morning."
His eyelids contracted together subtly at that. "Yes, you did."
Suddenly the kitchen was dead quiet, and I realized he was still pressed against me, his arm curved around me and his hand on the tin. I wrapped my fingers around it and danced away from him. "Thank you, Benjamin."
That only seemed to amuse him more. "Anytime."
Nan looked like one of the characters from her novels had come to life, her eyes round with glee. Maybe he had. Benjamin certainly looked the part of an eighties romance novel cover model. Tessa groaned loudly. "Gross. I'm going to braid Phillip's hair. Goodbye."
Benjamin slid a questioning look my way as he sat back down in the kitchen chair. "There's another kid?"
"No, Phillip is a buck, not a kid," Nan said.
Benjamin's expression implored me to elaborate. I took pity on him. "A goat. Phillip is a goat."
Benjamin looked suddenly weary. "Christ."
I unscrewed the lid from the drawing salve and came to stand behind Benjamin, dipping my finger into the orange cream. "I don't know what this is exactly, but it really does help."
He lifted his shoulders in resignation. "I am a leaf in the wind, Evie. I concede to whatever chaos is running this place."
"That's wise, really," I murmured consolingly.
"I'll make tea," Nan offered, her expression taking on a strangely calculating air, and she hurried to the back of the kitchen where a stove that matched mine sat by the back door.
I looked over Benjamin's skin, noting that it was smooth and pale, and it was clear that he didn't spend much time outdoors. In a way, it only accentuated the contours of his finely honed body—the shadows between carved muscle and his hard shoulder blades were honestlyfascinating.Bee stings, I reminded myself. I found three on his chest, one on his neck, and four on his hands and arms. I winced apologetically. "They really got you."
"I hadn't noticed," he intoned.
