Plan Bee Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Brings out the beast in all of us.”
    “Doesn’t that apply only to nighttime? It’s a gorgeous sunny day. Everybody should be happy.”
    “Full moons bring out the worst in people no matter what time it is,” Patti went on. “Violence, suicides, accidents, everybody’s more aggressive than usual, but more so after dark.”
    “Mom’s ripping into me,” I said, ticking off my complaints, sounding suspiciously like the woman I was talking with. “Aggie and Tom are arguing, even Holly is more snarly than usual.”
    “You’re lucky,” Patti said, putting some whine into her voice, the Pity-Party part of her personality floating to the surface like this was some kind of contest between us to see who had it rougher. Because if it was a competition, Patti intended to win. “You have family and friends and a boyfriend,” she said. “Look at me; I’m all alone.”
    This was my cue. We’d been through this same scene before. “I’m your friend, Patti.”
    “You keep saying that, but we don’t hang out like friends.”
    That was certainly true. Patti was weird, impulsive, and whenever we did get together, got me into more trouble than I really needed. I managed to make enough of my own problems without any outside interference.
    “What’s Hunter up to tonight?” Patti asked.
    “I’m not sure,” I made the mistake of saying, instantly wanting to take the words back. Hunter and I had spent time together the night before and didn’t have any plans for later tonight since I was immersed in the festival
and
managing the store, my booth, and the educational honeybee hive. But if I had to choose someone else to spend time with, it wouldn’t be Patti.
    “How about hanging out tonight then?” Patti said, brightening. “We could check out all the full-moon mental cases together. I might even dig up a story.”
    “Gee, that sounds like fun,” I said, thinking exactly the opposite, “but I have so much work with the festival. I have to move everything inside, including the bee observation hive, and…”
    “See? We aren’t real friends.”
    “Of course we are. Okay, all right, I’ll go wherever you want, at least for a little while.” Was I easy, or what? But I just couldn’t stand the pathetic expression on her face for one minute longer.
    Patti’s face transformed instantly into a big, wide, excited grin. “Good. And just because you’re my best friend, I’m going to share some news with you that I think you’ll appreciate knowing, even though it isn’t exactly the best news.”
    I’d begun to turn away, my mind more on Stanley’s observation beehive and the three-deep group of interested spectators surrounding it. I wanted to be over there withthem, telling honeybee stories. The first thing I would talk about was the way my bees sounded when they were busy and happy, which for bees went hand in hand. I can tell by the low frequency when I walk among my hives. They actually sound happy as they fly over to inspect me. And if their collective mood changes because of some perceived or real threat, they warn me with a loud, shrill, high-pitched sound.
    What Patti said next stopped me in my tracks, and if I were a honeybee, I’d be piercing the air with the same hostility they reserved for their worst enemies.
    Because Patti said, “Something’s going on over at your ex-husband’s house. I think Clay is back.”
    Please, say it ain’t so! Please!
    I instantly experienced all the physical symptoms of a woman suffering a major heart attack. Since I’d experienced these same feelings many times during our marriage, I wasn’t too worried about my actual health. But I felt clammy, sweaty, and light-headed just thinking about the jerk.
    An anxiety attack threatened. To describe my immediate future as “impending doom” was Patti-like overkill, but imagine something two degrees milder. And I was sick to my stomach remembering some of the stunts he’d pulled. I should have burned down his house