Despite her tough appearance, she didn’t seem threatening. Bree tossed her gloves down next to the smoker she’d been using to calm the bees. Myra used to work the hives with her bare hands, but Bree wasn’t even close to being ready for that. “Toby’s grandmother passed away at the beginning of May.”

“Really? That’s interesting.” She extended her hand, an odd thing for a young girl to do. “I’m Viper.”

Viper? Bree returned the handshake, but it felt odd. In her old social circle, hugs were de rigueur, even with women she barely knew. “Bree West.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Bree. Does Toby happen to be around?”

How did this girl know Toby? Once again Bree felt the scope of her incompetence. She didn’t know where Toby was or what he did when he was out of her sight. “Toby!”

No answer.

“He’s probably in the woods,” the woman said with a kindness that made Bree realize she wasn’t a teenager after all. “Are you Toby’s mother?”

Bree’s pale redhead’s complexion had earned her the nickname Corpse from her brothers, and considering Toby’s racial heritage, she thought the woman was being ironic. But she seemed sincere. “No. I’m … his guardian.”

“I see.” Something about her steadfast gaze made Bree feel as if she really did see—maybe more than Bree wanted her to.

“Can I help you?” Bree knew she sounded brusque, but she wanted her to leave so she could get back to the bees. More urgently, she needed a cigarette.

“We’re neighbors,” the woman said. “I’m renting the Remington house.”

The Remington house? Her house. Could this be the woman Toby had been spying on? She pretended ignorance. “Remington house? I … only got here a couple of weeks ago.”

“It’s on the other side of the woods. There’s a path.”

The path she and Star had raced along a thousand times.

The woman glanced toward the hives. “You’re a beekeeper.”

“Toby’s grandmother was the beekeeper. I’m just trying to keep the hives alive.”

“Do you have a lot of experience?”

Bree laughed, a rusty sound that she barely recognized as her own. “Hardly. I worked with bees when I was growing up, but it’s been a long time. Fortunately, these are healthy, established colonies, and the cold spring seems to have kept them from swarming. If I don’t screw up, they should be okay.”

“That’s great.” She seemed honestly impressed. “Would you mind if I borrowed Toby for a while tomorrow? I need help moving furniture. He’s visited me a few times, and I thought he might like some work.”

He hadn’t been visiting. He’d been spying. “I … hope he didn’t cause any trouble.”

“An angel like Toby?”

Her ironically lifted eyebrow took Bree by surprise. Once again, she heard herself laugh. “He’s all yours.”