“They should release that information in the next few days.”
Two more steps forward and they were at the register. Nora ordered a mango coconut smoothie, April a plain strawberry, and Tillie opted for the smoothie-of-the-day, some dragon fruit, kiwi mixture with an immunity boost and extra chia seeds with a drizzle of agave on top.
They pulled off to the side near the curb while their orders were processed.
April slipped her hands into the pockets of her dress and swished, the fabric billowing beautifully around her legs. This dress was a new one with bright yellow daisies dotting a white eyelet fabric with a hem that hit mid-calf. It looked great on her, and it was the first thing to make Nora smile that day.
“You don’t think it has anything to do with the bee removal, do you?” Tillie asked in between yells from the food truck worker calling out drink orders and corresponding names.
That thought hadn’t even crossed Nora’s mind. “I don’t see how it could.”
“I mean, we were using a smoker,” April tacked on with a lift to her brow.
Their names and respective drinks were read, and April and Tillie moved to collect them, but Nora stayed back. “Wait.” Her hand cuffed April’s arm. “You took that out of the house when we were all done, didn’t you?”
Slipping the wrapper off the tip of her straw, April cocked her head. “No. I thought you had it.”
Nora’s insides swirled around on high speed, just like the noisy blender that pulsed inside the smoothie food truck. Whirling and twirling in a cyclone of emotion. She felt sick.
“I didn’t get it.”
Tillie made a disapproving face as she sucked on her straw. “Blech. This is absolutely terrible.”
“Did you get the smoker?” Nora frantically switched her attention to Tillie, holding onto the last shred of hope, even though she already knew the answer.
“I left way before you guys did. I didn’t help with the cleanup at all.”
Nora nodded. Her hands went clammy. She had to use both to hold on to the smoothie cup so it didn’t slip through her fingers and drop to the ground. “So none of us got it out of there?”
“Maybe J.P. did,” April offered, shrugging.
“Maybe,” Nora said, but she knew it wasn’t the case.
In her excitement—or rush—whatever you wanted to call it, she’d left the smoker in the house. A burning, kindling filled canister full of embers with the potential to ignite into something much greater.
When Nora first started beekeeping, she had done a few dumb things. One time, she’d forgotten to twist the handle on the honey spout when filling her jars, resulting in the biggest, stickiest mess her kitchen had ever seen.
But this mess was amilliontimes worse.
Had she let her infatuation with J.P. cloud her judgment? Had she been so enamored, flustered, and taken by him that she could no longer competently do her work with him at her side?
That was an inexcusable, unforgivable problem.
“You okay?” Tillie chucked her smoothie into the nearby waste bin, cup still half full.
“No, I’m not okay.”
“You don’t actually think the smoker caused the fire, do you?” April was sometimes too innocent for words. Normally, it was endearing, but right now, it only made Nora’s pulse skyrocket.
“Of course, I do!” It wasn’t a yell, but her voice was sharp enough that April jerked back. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap. I just don’t know what I’m going to do about this. I can’t believe this happened! And I can’t believe it’s all my fault.”
“It’s okay, Nora.” Tillie brought a hand down to Nora’s forearm, but she shook out from under it. “It was an accident.”
“An accident that cost the Callahans their home and J.P. his job!”
“They have insurance. They will rebuild. And I’m sure J.P. will help with construction once everything is cleared and back on track,” Tillie assured, but it was no assurance at all.
J.P. needed the worknow, and if he couldn’t find it in Harmony Ridge…
