He just didn’t know what those things were. But boy, did he want to learn.
When he had suggested they take the new hive to the community garden where his mother volunteered, he knew he’d gotten close. She loved the idea. It was the perfect distance with the perfect source of food for the rescued bees.
Warmth gathered in J.P.’s chest. When was the last time he’d gotten so much satisfaction from making someone else feel good? Even with Kenzie, he had wanted to please her constantly, but that was like chasing something that could never be caught. A butterfly constantly sifting through the holes of a net. Her happiness was always just out of reach.
Until the point where she looked for—and found—it elsewhere.
Happiness with Nora didn’t seem so unachievable.
His foot nearly hit the brake pedal at the thought. He caught himself just in time, merely tapping the brakes instead, but Nora lurched forward in her seat, eyes swinging his direction.
“Everything okay?” She studied him, then twisted to check on the bees through the back window. Thankfully, the hive was only jostled and not moved completely.
“Everything’s good.” He eased his foot back onto the gas. “Thought I saw a rabbit run across the road. Sorry about that.”
Her slanted gaze hinted she didn’t believe him, but she settled back in.
Within five minutes, they were pulling up to the garden, tires crunching over gravel as they rolled into the lot. Waylon bounded out to greet them, the familiar hum of the truck’s engine cluing him in that his owner had arrived. J.P. tried not to be offended when the pup came up to Nora’s side of the vehicle first.
“Well, hello there, Waylon.” She hopped down from the cab and shut the door behind her. “Nice to see you too.”
He gave her a wet kiss on the cheek when she stooped to loop her arms around his furry neck. For the first time in his life, J.P. was actually jealous of his dog. Go figure.
“I hear you have a present for me.” Pearl moseyed out to the small gravel lot outside the garden, face aglow with love for her son and obvious excitement about this secret gift. J.P. hadn’t shared what it was, just that he had a surprise and couldn’t wait to bring it by. His mother always loved that sort of thing.
“Hi, Pearl.” Nora moved in for a friendly hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too, darling.” Pearl grinned, gaze ping-ponging between the two. “If your outfits are any indication, I think you might have some bees for me?”
They hadn’t removed their suits, just unzipped the protective hoods, which they now lifted back into place.
“Bingo.” J.P. led his mom to the back of the truck where the new hive was ratcheted down. He made quick work of untying the straps while Nora came over to help with the other side. “Where would you like these honeybees to go?”
“You know? I’ve got the perfect spot, right near the shed you reroofed at the beginning of summer. There’s a beautiful little patch of wildflowers growing there that they will just love. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. I’ve always wanted bees here, just never knew how to get started with that sort of thing.”
“Well, I’m happy to teach you everything I know,” Nora offered and something bloomed across Pearl’s face. It was the same admiring look she’d given Kenzie a time or two, but J.P.’s ex-fiancé never reciprocated, never seemed to pay any mind to Pearl’s attention. Nora, on the other hand, beamed under the appreciation.
Pearl stayed several yards back while Nora and J.P. carried and positioned the hive into place. Once settled, it felt as though it had always been there, an expected—and necessary—part of any thriving garden.
They disrobed from their bulky suits and stowed them in the truck, then joined Pearl in harvesting her latest crop of blueberries as late afternoon eased into dusk, bright blue skies fading into softer, paler tones. It didn’t go unnoticed that Pearl did her picking a few rows over, giving J.P. and Nora their own space to work in the small field of berries.
They shared one bucket, moving leisurely down the row at their own unhurried pace, pulling only the freshest blueberries from the shoulder-high plants.
“There’s a little secret to blueberry picking,” J.P. said. He dipped his chin. “Something my mom taught my brother and I when we were young.”
“Oh, is there really?”
He gave a slow nod. “You want to pull off the berries that are almost the color of denim. Even the ones with a little purple on them are still not quite ripe,” he instructed, lifting his finger toward one matching that deep blue tone. “And do you know the best way to collect them?”
She shook her head in ano.
“You tickle them.”
“Tickle them?” Her question soared out on a dubious laugh.
“Yep. You tickle the blueberries.” He cupped his hand under an indigo cluster. “Like this.” Moving his fingers and thumb gently over the bundles of berries, several broke free from their stems and gathered in his palm. “Go ahead. You try.”
Nora mimicked his motions, repeating the movement on her own clump of berries. “Oh my goodness. That actually works!”
