“Sure. When bees swarm they make a loud roar. My bees were quiet. That’s a sign. Also, swarming occurs in the spring. Not the summer. I just changed the bottom of the hive to a screen to give them more ventilation. They’re happier now.”

“She claims that the bees swarmed her car, causing her to become hysterical.”

“That she got hysterical is her own mental problem. For the most part, honey bees are harmless.”

“She had to take something and lie down.”

“She lies down a lot,” Momma said. “That’s how she hooked Archie.”

“Momma!”

“Sorry,” she said.

Ted smiled and I blushed.

“She says you caused the bees to swarm her in retaliation for her putting Tyler on restriction and refusing to allow him to attend his birthday party because he called her a bad name.”

“Good Lord, Ted! Did you hear what you just said?”

“I know.” Ted smiled at me. “And I said it with a straight face. Good, right?”

“You always were the best actor in the whole dang school. I think I’ll never forget you singing “Maria” in West Side Story.”

“Somebody call Hollywood,” Momma mumbled.

I kicked her under the table and cut my eye at her.

“Well, thanks, Holly.” He ate the last of his cake.

“Anyway, she called me a bad name, and did I get to put her on restriction?”

“She did?” Momma said. “What did that Jezebel call my daughter?”

“She said I was a freak, a menace to society, and that she was going to sue me for a million dollars.”

“She said that? I ought to go over there and slap her face!” Momma said.

“Oh, Momma, she was just being crazy,” I said. But I did love it that Momma defended me.

“Where in the world did Mr. MacLean find this new wife of his?”

“An online Transylvanian dating app,” I said. “Listen, she’s not from here, you know? She doesn’t understand the first thing about nature or children. It’s pitiful.”

“No, she’s not a Lowcountry girl. That’s for sure. Still, I have to ask, is there a way to keep the bees away from her? Apparently, she’s terrified of them.”

“That’s her mental problem, not mine, but I’ll mention it to them when I check the hives in the morning,” I said.

“Tell all the palmetto bugs to get off the island while you’re at it, okay?” Momma said. “And to take the coyotes with them.”

“You bet,” I said.

Ted laughed at that and stood to leave. I walked him to the door.

“Thanks for the cake and the tea,” he said. “Did you know they made me the interim chief?”

Our chief of police on the island had retired at the end of last year.

“No! I had not heard that. Congratulations!”

“Yeah, they got a search going, but my hat’s in the ring, too. You never know.”