Before I could speak, Joe cut in. “She’s here for another four nights. Why would she start packing?” He gave her a peculiar look and shook his head.
Joe clearly didn’t understand that Charlotte wanted me out of Calvin’s house. The sliding door opened and out walked Betty, dressed in a full bee suit.
“What are you doing?” Joe laughed.
“Well, I figured while I was here, I may as well check on my honey-bees.”
“Betty, you’re never not working. Make it quick, I’m about to throw the meat on the grill.” Calvin flipped a spatula in the air and caught it again.
“I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Betty carefully walked down the steps of the deck and headed toward the apiary just in front of the woods.
I took a seat and watched Calvin work the grill while Charlotte stared at him longingly. How could he not see how she felt about him? That girl was more than in love. She was obsessed. Maybe he knew that. And maybe he liked the attention. But why the hell was she dressed like me? I looked down at my clothing, then back at hers, and considered changing into something else. But imitation was the sincerest form of flattery. Joe and Wyatt tossed around a football. Every time Wyatt threw or caught the ball, he looked over at Charlotte. He was like a child seeking his parent’s attention to show off how talented he was—but she was paying him no mind.
Charlotte walked over to Calvin, engaging him in a whispered conversation. She playfully tapped his forearm and giggled like a schoolgirl.
Wyatt, realizing he wasn’t getting the attention he desired, stopped playing catch and took a seat on the love seat across from me. Joe sat down next to him, putting his feet up on the coffee table. I was about to ask about the missing girl again, but Wyatt spoke first.
“So, you got a man back home?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
Wyatt flashed a smile and nudged Joe with his elbow.
“You like my brother?” Joe asked.
I cleared my throat and glanced at Calvin, who was still in whispered conversations with Charlotte.
“I think I might.”
Joe let on a small smile. “Well, like I was trying to say earlier, I’d be careful with my brother there. He tends to fall hard.”
I tilted my head. “How hard?” I wasn’t looking for anything serious.
Joe’s eyes narrowed slightly and he quickly glanced back at his brother.
“Joe, what are you telling her?” Calvin called from the grill.
He cleared his throat and relaxed his eyes. “Just that you’re a big softie.”
Calvin’s face turned a little red. “Get over here and man this thing.”
Joe stood from his chair. “If I don’t mess with him, he’ll be at that grill all night and you won’t have any time with him. You’re welcome.” He winked, grabbed the spatula and tongs from Calvin, and took his spot in front of the grill. It was like Joe felt he owed Calvin something, but I wasn’t sure why that was.
Calvin picked up two beers and sat down beside me, handing one over. Charlotte was only a few steps behind him like a puppy following its human. She took Joe’s open seat right next to Wyatt. He sat up a little taller. Charlotte glanced at Wyatt and gave him a challenging look, but he just smiled back.
“Anyone else coming?” Wyatt asked.
Calvin placed his hand on my knee and gave it a gentle pat. I leaned a little into him. “Yeah, Dr. Reed and Patsy.”
I looked to Wyatt and Charlotte. “So, you two are exes?”
“Don’t remind me,” she scoffed.
“We are not exes. We’re just taking a break,” Wyatt challenged.
She jutted out her chin. “We’re not getting back together, Wyatt. That means we’re exes.”
“I’m not giving up on us.” He shifted in his seat, angling himself toward her. “You randomly broke up with me for no good reason.”
“You two are really cute together,” I chimed in with a grin. Sometimes you just had to stir the pot.
“See, C? We’re good together.”
Charlotte elbowed him in the side and swigged her beer. I knew he thought she was just being flirty because he smiled and patted her knee like Calvin had done with me. He probably thought he saw a spark reignite between them. I knew there was nothing flirtatious about it. It was a spark . . . a spark of violence. Charlotte didn’t want to flirt with Wyatt. She wanted to hurt him. I wondered what exactly had gone wrong between them. Wyatt seemed like a nice enough guy, a little rough around the edges, but I’d expect that from a country boy. Perhaps nothing went wrong between them. Perhaps something went right between her and someone else.
“Why did you two break up?” I asked, deciding to continue to poke the bear named Charlotte.
“I don’t know.” Wyatt shook his head. “One day we were good and the next she was breaking it off.”
“We were not good together,” she spit.
Wyatt narrowed his eyes. “We were.”
Betty let out a yell. “The bees are so agitated!” Her voice was panicked.
Calvin stood quickly and helped her out of her beekeeping hat, gloves, and suit.
I noticed red splotches on her hands and neck. The bees had made their way inside her suit. It’s ironic how the ones you care for most are the ones that are most easily able to crawl inside you and do damage.
“What happened?” Calvin asked.
“It seems like they had been messed with. They were buzzing all around, trying to sting me, and they ain’t usually like that.”
“Betty, they’re bees. They’re not trained. What do you expect?” Joe crumpled up his face and flipped a burger patty on the grill.
Betty scratched at her neck and shot him a glare, but quickly softened it. “You wouldn’t understand, Joe. Your dog doesn’t even know its own name.”
Joe shook his head and chuckled, turning over the brats.
Charlotte set her beer down and stood. “Let me help you apply something to those stings.”
Betty nodded, and Charlotte helped her into the house, closing the sliding door behind them.
“What’s with Betty?” Joe asked.
Calvin put his thumbs in the loops of his jeans like he usually did when he was apprehensive or didn’t know what to say. I had only known him for six days, and I had already picked up on that little tell of his. He would never do well in poker. Too many tells.
“Don’t go saying this to anyone else.” He lowered his voice. “But when I took Grace to Dr. Reed after she fell off the horse, he mentioned Betty hadn’t refilled her prescription in two months.”
Joe’s eyes went wide. “Have you talked to her?”
“Of course not. Dr. Reed shouldn’t have told me that in the first place. He could lose his license to practice.” Calvin rubbed his forehead.
“Chicks be crazy, am I right?” Wyatt said, swigging his beer.
Calvin rolled his eyes.
Joe shrugged. “This is a small town. Who really has a license around here?”
“I would hope a doctor would. Dr. Reed removed my appendix.” Calvin gave a look of dismay.
“Yeah, and you’ve never been able to do a full sit-up ever since.” Wyatt let out a laugh.
Calvin rolled his eyes and flicked a hand at him. “Everyone knows crunches are more effective.”
“Says the guy with a four—pack.”