I thought, Why are you asking that? To see if your pillow smells like me when you get home? What kind of a question was that? I wanted to say, Yeah, I’m sleeping with your pillows and your sheets and I’m rolling all over your bed. Why should I even answer? But I did.

I said, “In Hunter’s bed. He’s sleeping in Tyler’s bunk.”

He cleared his throat.

“And everything is fine?”

“Yes, Archie. Everything is fine. The rentals are gone. I took the boys to the park to play. They ran around like nuts for over an hour. Then we had ice cream. I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, which they inhaled, and then we watched 60 Minutes. They took a long bubble bath and then they practically passed out, they were so tired.”

“Wow. You’re incredible, do you know that?” He didn’t say it in just any old friendly tone. He said it like, well, you know.

“Don’t play with my heart, Mr. MacLean.”

He was on his honeymoon with Sharon, but I was on his brain. Well, wasn’t that nice? No. It wasn’t.

“I’m not playing with you at all. I am just acknowledging that you amaze me, that you’re able to step in and accomplish so much, especially with my boys. It’s simply remarkable. Carin was like that. She arranged everything for them.”

“Well, I love those little rascals. You know that.”

“Yes, and I’m grateful for that, too.” There was a long sigh from Bermuda. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

We hung up and I thought, Holy hell, I need some advice on this one. I’d consult the hives in the morning.

Chapter 16: Bee Advised

“What happens if the queen bee dies?” Hunter said.

“The colony can’t survive without a queen, so they make a new one.”

“How do they do that?” Tyler asked.

“Two parts royal jelly and one part bee magic!” I said. “Or you can actually buy them.”

“Wow,” they said. “Cool.”

Chapter Sixteen

Bee Advised

Getting the boys off to school was the best start of my day, controlled chaos, but a time filled with laughter. I knew I would miss them until they came home, and I told them so. They blushed, and my heart sent out beams of love like the Care Bears used to do. I was just smitten.