The Beekeeper's Daughter (Harlequin Super Romance) (5 page)

He frowned, thinking of Annie Collins running the apiary alone while her father was away. Then he shrugged the thought aside. Whatever was happening in Garden Valley was no business of his. Anyway, more than likely the perp was simply some troubled or bored teenager.

Andrews came back, a grim expression on his face. “Warren was just telling me he decided to drop the insurance on the barn a few months back. He was using it basically as a storage shed and the premiums were getting higher every year so…” He shook his head. “Damn bad luck.”

“So you think it was arson?”

“Oh yeah. One of my men found an empty gasoline canister in the bushes over there that Warren says isn’t his.”

“The same person who’s been setting the other fires?”

“We won’t know for sure till the marshal’s had a look around, but my guess is a yes.
Why
is another big question.”

“Someone obsessed with fires?”

“Possibly, but
here?
In Garden Valley?”

Maybe Andrews considered the valley some kind of Eden but personally, Will was a bit more skeptical. Life so far had convinced him paradise existed more in the imagination than the real world. “So what other reasons have you been tossing around?” he asked.

Andrews absently patted down his jacket pocket before pulling out his pack of cigarettes again. He offered one to Will, who shook his head. “Oh yeah, sorry. Forgot. I have to quit—so the doctor says. I’ve been having some angina.” He took a long draw, blowing out the smoke in a satisfied sigh. “I promised the wife this would be my last pack.”

“That you bought? Or borrowed?”

Andrews gave a sheepish grin. “Right. I’ve been working on that. Anyway, at first we thought the fires were part of some kind of insurance fraud thing. Couple of the farmers were really down and out—on the verge of bankruptcy. But then about a week ago, one
of the most prosperous outfits in the area lost its hay barn.” He took another drag on the cigarette. A sprinkle of embers from its tip flew into the air with the evening breeze.

Will had a sudden vision of calling back the trucks, this time to put out a blaze started by the captain. “No pattern to the victims then?”

“None we can see. Except all of the barns and sheds have been used for storage or whatever. No animals.”

Interesting. The perp has a heart? “When did the fires begin?”

Andrews shrugged. “About three months ago. It took a while for us to realize we had a serial arsonist at work.”

“Serial arsonist? That doesn’t sound like teenagers.”

“Could be, though. You know—one with serious problems.” Andrews finished off the cigarette and carefully ground the butt into the earth with the heel of his boot. “You ever encountered a serial arsonist?’

“Can’t say I have. The only arsonists I’ve met were hired.”

“I thought of that, too, along with the possible insurance fraud. But the one thing every victim had in common was a different insurance company. Or, like poor Warren here, no insurance at all.”

“Poor guy,” Will muttered.

“No kidding. Anyway, knowing folks in the valley, there’ll be a barn-raising organized before the end of summer. Okay, that’s it for me,” said Andrews with a
loud sigh. “I’m beat. You wanna follow me? There’s a pretty decent motel about five miles this side of Essex.”

“Sounds good,” Will said.

“Motel’s got a sports bar attached.”

“Better still.” He turned to open the van door, but caught Andrews’s appraising stare.

“Too bad you’re not planning on hanging around a bit. I could use some big-city expertise on this.”

This
meaning the fires, Will assumed. How could he let the captain know fighting fires was the last thing he wanted to do? Did the man think the sheen of sweat on Will’s face had been put there by the fire’s heat?

Something in Will’s face must have been answer enough for Andrews. “Oh well, can’t blame a guy for trying.” He signaled to one of his men, who began to climb behind the wheel of the fire engine. “Give us a sec to turn the truck around and we’ll lead you right to Traveler’s Way Motel.”

Will could just as easily have found the motel himself, but the gesture was meant to be hospitable. He got into the van and watched the engine reverse until its nose was aimed toward the main road. As he followed, Will glanced in his rearview mirror. Warren Lewis and his wife were still standing arm in arm, staring at the black, crumbled beams and timbers that had once been their barn.

A
NNIE’S RELIEF
was palpable. Jack had just been wheeled out of surgery and everything had gone well.

“I know he’ll be asking me when you’re coming to visit,” Shirley said on the other end of the line. “Have you decided yet?”

“Soon,” Annie said. “I called Auntie Isobel after you left yesterday and I’m going to stay with her. Did the doctor mention how long Dad might be in the hospital?”

“There’s a rehabilitation center nearby that will have a bed for him in a couple of days. The doctor said maybe a few days there to get started on a program and then he’d be able to go home.” Shirley’s sigh resonated along the phone line.

“Are you worried if he comes home too soon, he’ll want to get right back to work?”

“Of course. You know how stubborn your father can be, Annie.”

Tell me about it.
“I thought you planned to stay on a bit longer in Charlotte—to visit your cousins.”

“That was the plan but last night Jack was hinting quite strongly that he wanted to get back to Garden Valley as soon as possible.” Another sigh.

“He may not feel the same once he tries to get up on his feet. I’m sure you can persuade him to stay a few days after the rehab center.”

“I hope so. Anyway, dear, can I give him some kind of timeline?”

Annie hadn’t thought that far ahead. She had to call Danny McLean to let him know she’d be away and to discuss the work he’d be doing in her absence. “I’m not
sure. I’ll call you later tonight or tomorrow morning to let you know. Give Dad a kiss for me, okay?”

After hanging up, Annie sat staring at the phone. Since receiving the letter yesterday, going to Charlotte had suddenly taken on a whole other meaning. Auntie Isobel would be expecting her to have made a decision about contacting the adoption agency while she was there. Her father likely wanted her to come as soon as possible, bringing mail as well as news about the business and Garden Valley. The walls were closing in.

She pushed her chair back and took her empty coffee cup to the sink. The day promised to be bright and sunny, but she couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for it. She’d impulsively given herself a deadline of the next morning at the latest and saw no way out of it. Going to Charlotte also meant having to make a decision about her daughter.

If she started down that path this early, she’d never get through the day. There was shopping to do in town and she wanted to check on the new hive she’d set up in the Vanderhoff orchard yesterday.

Was it only yesterday that the firefighter from New Jersey had arrived on her doorstep? She smiled to herself. Will Jennings had flashed across her mind enough last night to make her want answers to several questions.

Such as, what was her attraction to a quiet, almost solemn man with a scarred face and an obviously traumatic past? Was her life so empty that she was com
pelled to fill it with some crush on a complete stranger? Annie grimaced. She had no answer for the first question but the second—well, how much longer could she delude herself about the so-called life she’d had since returning to Garden Valley?

In the beginning, the plan had been to stay long enough for her father to find a replacement worker for Pete, the hired hand who’d retired. Annie had been grateful for the excuse. It sounded a whole lot better than admitting to friends and colleagues in New York that her fiancé had jilted her. In fact, she’d quickly come up with the line that her wedding to Jim had to be postponed because of family reasons. And Annie knew the very best place to recuperate from the pain of the breakup was Garden Valley.

What she hadn’t realized until she’d come home, was how badly her father needed help. She still couldn’t believe how quickly a few weeks had rolled into a year. Her life in New York—teaching, her friends and even Jim—was now a distant memory.

Inexplicably, and against all reason, she hoped Will Jennings had stayed. Seeing him one more time just might guarantee a better day.

A
NNIE WAS ABOUT TO
climb back into the cab of the pickup when Marge Vanderhoff’s voice halted her midstep.

“Heard that friend of yours helped save Warren Lewis’s farm last night.” At the farmhouse back door, Marge loomed on the other side of the screen mesh.

“Huh?” Annie asked, her eyebrows raised.

“That fella who came with you yesterday to get the bees.”

She was talking about Will?
“What happened?”

Marge stepped out onto the small porch. “Fern Lewis said the fella—what was his name again?”

“Will Jennings.”

“Seems he told Captain Andrews that he’d been visiting the apiary, so when I heard that, I put two and two together and figured it must’ve been him they were talking about. Anyhow,” Marge went on, “this Will Jennings was driving by the Lewis place when he noticed smoke coming from the barn.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“No, thank heavens. The fella told Warren he was a
real firefighter and Captain Andrews said he did all the right things.”

What must it have been like for him to have to deal with another fire? She glanced up, realizing that Marge was waiting for her to respond. “Does the captain think it’s the same person who’s been setting the other fires in the valley?”

“Word’s out until the fire marshal investigates.”

The idea of someone creeping about the valley setting fires unnerved Annie. This blaze was too close to home. It wasn’t the best time to leave the apiary untended.

“By the way,” Marge said, “have you had news of your father yet?”

“I talked to Shirley about half an hour ago. He’s fine. Everything went well.”

“That’s great. Any idea when he’ll be coming home?”

“Tomorrow, if he had his way.”

Marge laughed. “That’d be your dad all right. But they don’t keep them in the hospital long anymore, do they?”

“No. Shirley’s hoping she can persuade him to take some vacation time in Charlotte.”

Marge’s laugh deepened. “Good luck to her!”

Annie’s smile felt forced. She pictured herself and her father driving back together, while Shirley stayed in Charlotte. If he got wind of this latest fire, so close to the apiary, he wouldn’t even consider recuperating longer.

Marge must have made a similar connection. Suddenly sober she asked, “You going to be okay staying at the apiary on your own?”

Annie gave a dismissive wave. “Of course. Besides, the thing with all of these fires is that no people or animals have been hurt.” She paused, adding, “It’s almost as if the places have been chosen for that very reason.”

“Still, accidents can happen.”

“Hmm,” Annie murmured, thinking of Will. “Look, I have to go into town. Want me to pick up anything for you?”

“Thanks, dear, but I have to go in later myself. You take care and give our love to your daddy when you’re talking to him.”

Annie promised and climbed into the truck. As she turned over the engine, she realized she hadn’t mentioned she might be seeing her father in a day or two. If she had to leave the apiary, it would be good to have the Vanderhoffs keep an eye on it. On the other hand, it might also be better if no one knew she was away and the apiary untended.

On her way into town, it occurred to her that if Will had spotted the fire, he must’ve been heading away from the campsite. Presumably he’d decided not to stay there after all.

No doubt Will Jennings was driving out of the valley at that very moment and that was a good thing.
Wasn’t it?

T
HE CAMPER VAN
stuck out like a parent at a high school prom. It sat in a far corner of the parking lot behind the Red and White Grocery Store, surrounded by an assortment of cars, SUVs and pickup trucks. Annie spotted it as soon as she turned into the lot and almost sideswiped an exiting car. Her heart rate surged, which she blamed on the near accident rather than the sight of Will Jennings’ van.

As she pushed a grocery cart through the store, Annie automatically scanned the customers, although she knew he could be anywhere in town. Most people parked in the Red and White lot, situated in the center of the main street shopping area. Annie strode up and down aisles, looking for Will rather than the items she needed to buy. By the time she’d reached the opposite end of the store, she was disgusted.
You really do need to get a life, Collins.
Then she sighted him at the end of the express checkout.

He was staring absently into his shopping basket and didn’t glance up until she was standing right beside him, her cart angled away from the next checkout line.

“Hey.” He smiled.

“Hey yourself.” She paused to calm her breathing. “So you found the best shopping place in town.”

“Heard it was the one and only,” he said, his eyes fixed on hers.

“Almost. You won’t need to buy honey, anyway.”

“No.”

The man was definitely no master of small talk, as
he’d said yesterday. “I heard you helped save the Lewis place last night.”

His face flushed. He winced and gave a half shrug. “The fire brigade did that.”

She could see that he didn’t want to discuss it, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Still, it would have been a disaster for Warren and Fern if they’d lost their house, too.”

“It wasn’t at serious risk,” he muttered. “Word travels fast here.”

“Oh, yeah. The Garden Valley Grapevine. I almost missed it when I was in New York.” Someone jostled Annie from behind and she turned sharply. When she looked back up at Will, his gaze hadn’t wavered. So now what? Annie wondered.
Nice to see you again? Have a good road trip?

“So, are you heading out of the valley?” she asked.

“Uh, no. Captain Andrews gave me the phone number of the fellow who owns that campsite you mentioned. I’ve arranged to meet him there at noon.”

Annie hoped her voice was calmer than her insides. “It’s a beautiful place. I think you’ll like it.”

“I drove through it yesterday, but there was no one around.”

“Ah. That’s when you spotted the fire.”

He nodded, then noticed it was his turn at the cashier and moved forward. Annie peered into her cart. She had enough for the express line but still hadn’t completed her shopping.

“It’s early yet,” she said. “Want to go for a coffee?”

A trace of a smile crossed his face and he said, “Sure.”

W
ILL STIRRED
his coffee slowly, trying not to be too obvious about staring at her. Her hair was tied back in some kind of knot that made her look a bit older. Or sophisticated, he amended, except for the jeans and sleeveless cotton blouse.

“How’s your father?” he suddenly thought to ask, careful to angle his body so she wouldn’t have to look straight at his scar.

“He’s fine. Everything went well.”

Will nodded. He took another drink of his coffee, glancing at her again as he swallowed. She didn’t look any more comfortable than he was feeling. Was it the scar? He didn’t blame her. He couldn’t stand to look at himself in the mirror. Reminded him of too much…

The problem was he really wanted to talk about Annie. How she spent her leisure time. Or more to the point, with whom. She was far too pretty not to have someone.

Don’t even go there, Jennings. You could hardly expect her to be attracted to you. Not like this.

“I’ll probably go to Charlotte in the next day or so,” she added.

He thought immediately of the arsonist on the loose in the valley. “What about the apiary? Will someone be looking after it?”

“The McLeans—Danny, our student help, and his father—will check on the place for me.”

“Will that be enough?”

“Enough?”

“Of a deterrent.”

He saw something in her face. He couldn’t tell if it was annoyance or anxiety. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it?”

He shrugged.

“Is there something else?” she asked, her forehead lined with worry. “Something you found out at the Lewis place?”

“No, no,” he said, clearing his throat, trying to think of a way to get past the roadblock he’d just set up. “The captain—”

“Scott Andrews.”

“Yeah. He thought the fire might have been set by the same person responsible for the others in the valley but he doesn’t know for sure yet.”

“So there you go,” she said, pursing her lips. “For all we know, the fire could have been caused by somebody driving by the place and tossing a cigarette butt out a car window.”

Except for the gasoline can, he thought. “Sure. It happens.” They looked at one another long enough for Will to realize she guessed he was saying that to ease her mind. But the chances of the arsonist striking so soon and so close to the Lewis farm were small. How many fires had actually been set—something like four
in a three-month period? Nah. The odds were in her favor. “No point in panicking,” he added.

She continued to stare at him before finally picking up her coffee mug and sipping from it. When she set it down, she asked, “What time do you have to meet Sam Waters?”

The unexpected change of subject took him aback. Obviously, she didn’t want to keep talking about the fires and any potential danger to the apiary. What options did she have? She had to visit her father and there wasn’t anyone else at home. He looked down at his watch. “In about five minutes.”

Her eyes widened. “Guess you’ll have to go.”

He wished now he hadn’t set a time with Waters. The coffee break might have segued into lunch. He pushed back his chair and got to his feet.

As he glanced down at her upturned face, he thought he saw disappointment. Maybe his intuition had been right yesterday after all, when he’d felt a connection with this woman. It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. “Thanks again for the coffee.”

She rose from her chair. “I should be going as well. Lots to do before I can head for Charlotte.”

He followed her out to the street, his mind teeming with images. The way the sun picked up strands of amber, chestnut and honey in her hair; the scatter of gold in her eyes. Her skin reflected a glow of good health. Next to her, he felt old, wrung-out and far too worldly.

“Well,” she said almost breathlessly, “if you need any more honey, you know where to get it.”

“And if you need any help with swarms, you know where to find me.”

That made her smile. She turned, walking away from the Red and White Grocery.

The old Will Jennings—the one before the accident—would never have let a beautiful woman slip away like that.

He was still mulling over this transformation when he turned onto the gravel road at the campsite entrance. The sunlight-dappled trees, sparkling stream and distant hills confirmed the wisdom of his decision to leave Newark.

There was a Chevy Blazer parked in front of the office and when Will pulled up alongside it, a burly man in faded jeans and plaid shirt who looked to be in his late thirties ambled out to greet him.

“Jennings?”

“Yeah,” Will said as he climbed out of the van.

“Sam Waters. Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking Will’s hand. He cast his eyes across Will, lingering a fraction of a second on the scar before switching to the van. “Haven’t seen one of those in a long while. Right out of the sixties.”

“It’s a later model, but you’re right. Not many around.”

“Too bad. I bet they’re better made than most of the new vans.”

Will thought of the struggling transmission but just nodded.

“Scotty said you were interested in hanging around the valley for a few days. Were you planning on doing any fishing or hunting?”

“Maybe some fishing and hiking.”

“Okay. Just asking ’cause there’s trout in the stream but the season’s not open yet. As for hunting, not much around except white-tailed deer and season’s not on for them either. Unfortunately.” He paused for a moment. “If you do go hiking, wear long pants. Lots of ticks in this area.”

“Sure. Uh, how much is it for the night?”

The man scrunched up his face in thought. “Tourist season isn’t quite open yet so… How does twenty bucks a night sound to you?”

“Fair enough.”

“Do you want a cabin, or are you going to bunk in the van?”

“Is the cabin twenty bucks?”

“Maybe double that.”

Will had the feeling the guy was making up the prices as he went along. He peered around at the otherwise deserted grounds. “I assume there are facilities, if I stay in the van.”

“For sure. Even got hot water. The washroom and shower lodge is over there.” He pointed to a cabin halfway between the office and the stream. “Me and my brother are working on a laundry right now. That shed
there,” he said and jerked his head to a wooden structure the size of a small garage several yards to the left of the office. “The place is in a bit of a turmoil right now but…”

Will wondered for a moment if he might be better off going back to the motel. But then he caught sight of a large hawk skimming over the trees. The ambience was a heck of a lot more relaxing here than the sports bar adjacent to the motel.

“No problem,” he said.

“Great. Well, c’mon in and get registered. I’ll show you around before I have to leave for work.”

Will followed him into the office. The desk wasn’t so tidy today. It looked as though most of the contents of the filing cabinet had been dumped onto it. Waters waved a hand at the mess.

“Don’t mind that. The one piece of paper I need seems to be missing. Isn’t that always the way?” He opened a drawer and fingered through it, coming up with a pair of keys. “Here. The small one opens the padlock on what we call the wash house—toilets and showers. I keep it locked when I’m not around. I don’t want any teenagers vandalizing the place.”

“There’s the arsonist, too.”

Sam’s eyes flashed back to Will. “Damn right. By the way, congratulations on a great job yesterday. The Cap was telling me about it.”

Will was getting tired of the fuss. He knew, without a trace of false modesty, that what he’d done had been
miniscule. “So I heard this is your first season. Think people will find the place, given that it’s not on the main highway? Not that it’s any of my business,” he swiftly added at the cloud that fell over the other man’s face.