Sweet as Honey (8 page)

“Lily, you have always been . . . I have always thought of you as . . .” He sounded thick and deep and sincere. He cleared his throat. “Lily, I think you are prettier than a hundred sunsets.”

She thought of his favorite nicknames for her. “You do not.”

“I would never lie about that.”

The way he looked at her made her heart do a little skip. Her heart shouldn't be doing little skips. Paul would admonish her for her vanity. Still, it felt nice to hear someone, even Dan Kanagy, give her a compliment.

She banished all vain thoughts from her head and drew her brows together. “So you really didn't say that about me?”

“Lily, I was a stupid boy in eighth grade, but I wasn't mean.”

Jah,
he had been mean, but maybe she wouldn't scold him for that today. It was enough to know that he hadn't said she looked like a dog. How could Paul have gotten it so wrong? One look in Dan's eyes told her he wasn't lying. That assurance made her feel a thousand times better.

“I'm sorry I got mad at you for something you didn't say. And I should have forgiven you, even if I thought you had said it.”

He shook his head. “Those kinds of things are hard to forgive. I feel bad you thought they were true.” He seemed to realize that he still had hold of her shoulders. He dropped his hands and took a step back, coming up against the bushes behind him. “Will you do me a favor? If Paul has any other memories of eighth grade, will you let me know? I should at least get a chance to apologize before you decide to hate me.”

Lily bowed her head in embarrassment. “A good Christian would have forgiven you first thing.”

He grinned. “Maybe. But if I had said those things, I would have deserved one of Poppy's best shoves. Or a good sock in the mouth yet.”

A giggle of relief tripped from her lips. “Poppy thought so too. I told her she wasn't allowed to hurt you.”

He swiped a hand across his forehead as if he'd escaped with his life. “Phew. I'm glad you're around to protect me.”

He smiled with his whole face, as if there wasn't enough room in his mouth to contain all his happiness. The way he looked at her made her want to blush, as a pleasantly warm sensation trickled down her arms to the tips of her fingers.

Dan Kanagy could be rude and insensitive, but she didn't hate him. She'd come pretty far in three minutes.

She held up her ball. “I should get back to the game.”

“It looks to me like you're losing pretty soundly.”

Lily's lips twitched involuntarily. “I always do.”

Dan peeked between the bushes. “They seem to be doing fine without you. You could forfeit. We could sit here in our little hideout and talk about books. I finished
Where the Red Fern Grows
.”

“I wish I could,” Lily said, smiling to soften her refusal. “But Rose is so nervous at gatherings. I should be with her yet.”

He didn't seem the least bit offended—a little disappointed maybe—but he grinned as wide as ever so she couldn't be sure. “Of course. You should be with your sister.” Before she squeezed back through the bushes, he said, “Could I drive you home?” She stopped as if she'd frozen in place. He tilted his head to look her in the eye. “We could talk about books.”

“I . . . I don't know.”

And she really didn't. Aunt B usually drove her and her sisters to gatherings, and Paul usually drove them home.

“Paul isn't here,” he coaxed.

Did he know how to read minds? “We were going to catch a ride with Hannah Yutzy.”

“Why ride home with her, when you can go with me? My buggy is really comfortable, and we can decide if Billy should have cut down that big old tree just so his dogs could catch a raccoon.”

It took her half a second to realize he was talking about the book. Her lips twitched teasingly. “Of course he should have. There was no other way.”

“I would have climbed up and scared the critter down. No sense killing a perfectly good tree.”

She smiled. “I see we have a lot to talk about.”

“Then you'll ride home with me?”

“My sisters and I won't all fit in that courting buggy of yours.”

“I brought the other buggy. It wouldn't be right to take you without your sisters.”

“Okay,” she said.

His smile was as blinding as the sunshine. “Okay? You'll let me drive you home?”

“
Jah.
Okay.”

He looked like a little boy who'd gotten seven puppies for Christmas.

She laughed. Who knew it was that easy to make a boy happy?

Dan cupped his fingers around her elbow to help steady her as she went back through the gap in the bushes. “Will you be sure Poppy knows I'm not as terrible as she thinks I am? I'd rather she not break my leg in an attempt to protect you.”

“Okay,” she said, as his touch set off some sort of explosion in her head.

And why did her heart do that wild dance inside her chest? A fifteen-minute buggy ride was nothing to get excited about, and she had only agreed to it because Paul wasn't there to take her. Paul usually drove her and her sisters home, even though he'd made it clear what an imposition it was. But for all his complaining, he never would have let Lily actually find another ride. He wanted other boys to understand that Lily was taken.

Dan didn't seem to care that Lily was taken. Probably because he really wanted to talk about that book.

So, it seemed, did she.

Chapter Nine

Poppy insisted on sitting in front next to Dan. Either she didn't believe that Dan had reformed or she wanted to glare at him the entire buggy ride home.

Lily told herself she didn't mind, but a tiny seed of disappointment festered in the pit of her stomach. She should have been the one up front to make talking about books that much easier. If she sat up front, Dan might flash one of those cute smiles that made her toes curl.

Disappointment was silly. He would likely call her some mean nickname or tease her about her glasses. Paul would be annoyed enough when he found out Dan had driven her home.

If
he found out. Why would he ever need to find out?

She should be ashamed of herself that she'd started keeping a list of things she hoped Paul would never know. It didn't seem right to be sneaky with the boy most likely to be her future husband.

Dan didn't seem to mind that Poppy studied him like a chicken might study a tick. If his smile had seemed a little forced when Poppy sat in the front seat, he acted cheerful enough and had even offered her the Spongey-Man blanket in case she got chilly.

Dan had a good hand with the reins but didn't seem compelled to push the horse all that fast. They pulled away from the gathering at a leisurely pace. The sun had set below the horizon, but it was still light enough to see the road ahead of them. “There's another blanket on the floor if you get cold back there,” he said.

“
Denki
.” Rose tucked the blanket around their legs. “It's a tiny bit chilly yet.”

Smiling, Dan quickly glanced back at Rose and Lily. “Everyone loved your cake, Rose. I saw Mahlon and Sol Petersheim playing rock-paper-scissors over the last piece, and Junior Zook asked the deacon's wife if he could lick the plate.”

Rose smiled that tentative, shy smile she always used around people she didn't know very well. “You're teasing. Junior wouldn't dream of getting crumbs on his shirt.”

Dan shook his head. “Not teasing. That cake tasted wonderful-
gute
.”

“It's Lily's recipe. She thought of putting almond extract in the frosting.”

“You said it's a honey cake. I'm assuming there's honey in it,” Dan said.

Rose smiled, for real this time. “J
ah
. We use honey in most of our recipes.”

“What other desserts do you make with honey?” For being a boy, he seemed unusually eager to talk about recipes. Paul wouldn't have gone near the topic.

“Well,” Rose said, nibbling on her fingernail, “we make honey buns and Dutch Babies and honey cookies filled with jam. Poppy's honey-peach cake is the best thing you've ever tasted in July when the peaches are fresh from the tree.”

Lily did her best not to gawk at Rose. She'd said more in the first few minutes of their buggy ride than she ever said in a whole trip with Paul. Had this been Dan's doing?

Of course. His seemingly genuine interest in honey recipes was coaxing Rose out of her shell a bit.

Lily could have kissed him.

Well, not really kissed him, because she never, ever wanted to kiss incorrigible Dan Kanagy. Ever. But his kindness certainly made up for a lot of past sins.

To Lily's delight, Rose didn't fall into a timid silence like she often did when she thought she might be doing too much talking. “When the hives really started producing, Aunt Bitsy realized we could make a whole business out of it. We sell beeswax and royal jelly, even a queen once in a while. And of course Poppy's bread and Lily's cookies sell well at auction.”

Poppy turned her head and gave Lily a significant look. She had noticed it too. Rose was talking to a boy.

“I think it's fascinating that bees can make so many different things: honey, beeswax, propolis. Did you know honey is good for burns?”

“
Jah,
” Rose said at the same time Poppy spoke. “Of course.”

“Some hives get stacked so high with supers, they're hard to manage,” Dan said. “I noticed you stack two or three shallow supers on top of a couple of brood boxes. Much easier to work with. And you're smart to have planted trees and flowers that bees love. I understand why Bitsy is protective of her dandelions.”

Lily found herself gawking again. In a few sentences, Dan had spouted off more beekeeping facts than Paul had ever learned. Paul didn't even know what a super was. He'd never been interested in their beekeeping operation.

Lily cleared her throat. Why did Paul need to know anything about beekeeping? He was her boyfriend, not her assistant.

“How do you know so much about the hives?” Rose asked, sounding more than mildly impressed.

Poppy folded her arms and smirked in an obvious attempt not to look amazed. “Were you secretly a beekeeper's apprentice in Pennsylvania?”

Dan turned his face toward Lily and grinned sheepishly. “I've been doing some late-night reading.”

Rose's eyebrows inched together. “About bees?”

Dan chuckled. “I wanted to get to know . . . you sisters better. I thought if I read some bee books, we could have a more intelligent conversation about them.”

Poppy inclined her head in Lily's direction. “Lily is the smart one. You can always have an intelligent conversation with her.”

Dan turned and winked at Lily. Actually winked! Her heart became a whole troop of circus tumblers. “I'd love to have hundreds of conversations with Lily.”

“But how many bee books have you read?” Rose asked. She seemed concerned that Dan might not be getting enough sleep.

“The library only has three,” Dan said.

Three more books than Paul had read. Lily tried to ignore the warmth that pulsed through her veins. Dan had stayed up late reading bee books for her. He wanted to get to know her.

Well, not just her. All the sisters. And Aunt Bitsy.

It was a very nice thing for such a mean boy to do.

“Why did you go to Pennsylvania?” Rose asked, continuing to impress Lily with her fearlessness.

“My
mamm
and
dat
claimed they sent me to learn how to care for cattle and other livestock. My onkel Titus knows more about caring for cows than most people who go to college. We're expanding our dairy, and Dat wanted me to learn animal husbandry so we don't have to call a veterinarian so often. But they really sent me to Pennsylvania because they wanted me to find a wife.”

Lily tensed. She hadn't heard anything about Dan looking for a wife in Pennsylvania. Dan's
mammi
had kept her well informed of Dan's activities while he was away. Dan had been his
mammi
's faithful letter writer, and Erda had shared Dan's detailed letters with Lily. Erda had always been so proud of her grandson, and Lily hadn't been inclined to tell her how mean Dan had been to her in school.

He hadn't said anything about a girlfriend in his letters—at least, Erda hadn't mentioned a girl—but maybe he'd left that part out. It would make sense that a boy wouldn't be keeping his
mammi
updated about his love life.

Thank goodness Poppy wasn't afraid to ask the rude questions. “And did you fall in love?”

“Not in Pennsylvania.” Yet again, Dan briefly turned to look at Lily. He gave her a mischievous smile that shouldn't have been so endearing. “I've always preferred Wisconsin.”

Too soon, they came to the dirt road that bordered the east side of their farm. Lily had never enjoyed a buggy ride quite so much as she had this one. They'd talked about Pennsylvania Amish customs, dairy cows, Rose's latest beehive painting, and Poppy's penchant for slugging boys in primary school. He said he loved Aunt B's blue hair, and Lily could tell he meant it. They talked about bees and other critters and told him about the mouse that Farrah Fawcett refused to catch.

He had also made Rose laugh twice, and even Poppy relaxed enough to crack a smile occasionally. Dan could certainly be charming when he wanted to be.

“
Denki
for giving us a ride,” Lily said as they approached the turnoff to their lane. “It was very kind of you.”

“If you ever need a ride, I'd be happy to take you. That is, if Paul can't do it.”

Instead of stopping the buggy so they could get out, Dan turned his horse as if to go down their lane. Lily tapped Dan on the shoulder. “This is where Paul lets us out.”

Dan cocked an eyebrow in puzzlement. “Why?”

Poppy snorted softly. She seemed to think that if she did it quietly enough Lily wouldn't be offended. Poppy often snorted when Lily talked about Paul. She thought Paul was a baby for the way he fussed whenever a fly or a bee or any other buzzing insect landed on him.

Lily tried not to be annoyed with her sister. Poppy didn't know Paul the way she did. Poppy hadn't been the painfully awkward girl in eighth grade befriended by Paul. He had sacrificed his recesses to be with Lily, sharing scriptures with her and discussing ways that girls could be
gute
wives and boys could be
gute
husbands. He had assured her that glasses and braces and pimples were nothing to be ashamed of. They helped make her humble, and every boy wanted a humble wife.

“Paul doesn't want bees to fly into his buggy,” Poppy said.

“He's terribly afraid of bees,” Rose said. She probably sensed Lily's irritation. Dear Rose had always been sensitive to other people's feelings. She sincerely wanted everybody to be happy, healthy, and content.

Poppy smirked. “He's not afraid. He just doesn't want to be bothered.”

“Poppy,” Lily scolded. “You know that's not true. It's not that long of a walk from here, and it's too hard to turn his buggy around at the end of our lane.”

Dan didn't hesitate, even at the thought of having to turn his buggy around. He prodded his horse over the small wooden bridge. “I'll brave the bees if I can spend an extra five minutes with the Honeybee Schwesters. Besides, I can't let you walk home in the dark.”

When they got to the house, Dan jumped out, slid the buggy door up, and let Rose and Lily climb out his side. Rose took Lily's hand and squeezed it and then did something so bold Lily wouldn't have expected it in a hundred years. “Would you like to come in?”

Come in? Inviting a boy to come in after a gathering wasn't a casual thing. It meant you might be interested in forming a more serious relationship. It meant he was welcome into the family circle. Lily didn't know how she felt about inviting Dan Kanagy in.

What would Paul think? What would Aunt Bitsy say? She didn't react well when boys came over.

By the light of the lantern hanging on the porch, she saw the slight curl of Dan's lips. Did he want to come in or was she imagining the hopeful restraint behind that half smile? “What do you think, Amtrak?” he said.

And there it was, the little jab to remind her of her ugliness. To remind her that she was Lily Christner and he was Dan Kanagy, the handsome boy who could put her in her place with a single word. She felt the blow as if someone had thrown a rock at her. It was like being back in eighth grade all over again.

She took a deep breath and tried to pretend his words hadn't hurt. “Tonight is not a good night.”

It would never be a good night.

His disappointment was palpable, as if she'd spit in his face and he didn't know how to pretend it hadn't happened. “Oh. Okay.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It's late. I should get going.”

Lily nodded. Rose glanced at her. Poppy huffed and marched up the flagstones as if Dan had insulted her instead of Lily. Lily grabbed Rose's hand for support, and they marched toward the house.

“We still need to talk about that book,” Dan said, almost as an afterthought.

She turned her head in a barely civil acknowledgment. “
Jah.
Okay. Sometime. Good night.”

“Good night.”

They heard him climb into his buggy. The wheels crunched against the gravel, and it sounded as if he had no problem turning his buggy around. The noise faded as the buggy made its way down the lane.

“Lily,” Rose whispered, a hint of urgency in her voice. “I think he likes you.”

Lily frowned. Whatever gave her that idea? “He called me Amtrak.”

“I know, but I still think he likes you. A lot.”

“How can you say that, Rose? After eight years, he still calls me names. And they still hurt.”

“Maybe they're not meant to hurt.”

“Maybe he's never outgrown the urge to put people down.”

“I don't think he's like that. He's really nice, Lily. And really easy to talk to.”

Lily lifted her chin obstinately. “Then make him
your
boyfriend. See how long it takes him to start calling you names.” The thought of Dan being Rose's boyfriend sunk Lily deeper into dejection.

Rose smiled one of those smiles that made her seem wise beyond her years. “I don't like him that way. He's too energetic for me. I don't think I'd be able to live with all that enthusiasm. Besides, he likes my sister.”

Lily growled and quickened her pace, dragging Rose up the porch steps. “He does not.”

“You can't be so sure.”

“I already have a boyfriend. I'm not one of those flighty girls who moves from boy to boy like bees go from flower to flower.”

“You don't have to buzz around the entire meadow. You only need to find the right flower,” Rose said. “Maybe it's a dandelion. Everybody overlooks dandelions because they're weeds. People don't even give them a chance.”