Chapter Twenty-Two Bee

Chapter Twenty-Two Bee

Sunday night, December 17, 2023

“... and Bob and his wife. Am I missing anyone else?” Bee sat perched on the edge of the living room couch, a notebook balanced

on her knees as she examined her list of names. Knox sighed, his body angled awkwardly so that his leg was elevated on a pile

of pillows.

“Bee,” he said for the ninetieth time that day, “I can have someone else do all of that.” She ignored him.

“It’s a good way for me to see the town and figure out what else this place has to offer,” she said brightly. “I like feeling

like a local.”

Knox narrowed his eyes and let out an exasperated huff. The slight movement knocked strands of brown hair into his face, and

Bee resisted the urge to tuck them away. Instead, she winked and double-checked her list.

“What are you going to do about it, anyway? Hobble after me?”

She hopped away with a surprised squeak when she saw Knox reach vengefully for a nearby pillow, and he was stopped only by

Jimmy’s arrival. He had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, and when he saw the two of them in action, he only shook his

head. Still, Bee didn’t miss the ghost of a smile on his lips.

When Jimmy had first seen Knox leaning on Bee, he had howled with laughter. “You take the city girl out riding, and you’re

the one who comes back a mess?” He’d hee-heed and haw-hawed for what seemed like hours as Knox’s pale cheeks grew red and

he crossed his arms like a schoolboy getting teased on the playground. Then he insisted, like Bee had, that Knox stop being

so stubborn and get himself up to the Big House.

“The kids told your mother, and your mother called me,” Jimmy explained as he and Bee helped Knox up the steps. “Your mother

is going to have a field day when she’s done with you.”

As predicted, Knox received half a dozen calls from both his mother and Janine while Bee prepared the couch and made sure

he was as comfortable as possible. His mother would come and pick him up later that evening, but for now Knox was under her

care. Despite his protestations, she didn’t mind.

“It’s technically my fault you’re in this predicament,” she’d said.

“Technically, it’s Tilda’s fault,” he countered, “and you don’t see me lying up with her and Bennie in the hay.” Once his stubbornness finally subsided, though, he groaned with sudden realization. “Damn. I don’t know how I’m going to get all those deliveries done now.”

“Oh, right, you mentioned those. Is that the side gig you actually have? Since being a walking stick is out of reach now,

I mean.”

“Nah,” he said with surprising seriousness. “Just something I had planned for the holidays, that’s all.”

She’d poked and prodded him for what seemed like ages, until he gave in, and now here she was, making her list and checking

it twice, while Jimmy sat on his beloved love seat and sipped his coffee. She didn’t know anyone who drank coffee so late

at night, but Jimmy attributed it to his Cuban grandmother. “Helps me sleep,” he’d said, and it was clearly true, because

it didn’t take long until she could hear his snore warm the house.

Bee and Knox exchanged amused glances, and the familiarity of it took Bee by surprise. Knox must have felt the same, because

she saw his gaze darken and his eyes cloud over.

“I should go,” he said. “I appreciate the hospitality, but I don’t want Clover to feel some kind of way about me stomping

through her house.”

“She doesn’t mind,” Bee said, and then immediately regretted it. She’d meant to be a little more tactful. “I mean, I called her, while you were on the phone with your family. I told her the situation, and she basically insisted that you stay at the house too.”

Knox stared at her. “You called Clover?”

Bee nodded slowly. “Yeah. I mean, we’re swap-mates. I have her number.”

“But you talked about me.” Knox rubbed his face. “That’s—that’s crossing a line, Bee. Clover is my ex-fiancée.”

“I know that,” Bee said. “But I knew her before I met you—”

“No, you don’t know her. You’re staying in our house. Her house, I mean. You’re a guest, a visitor, that’s all. You don’t

get to come here and try to replace her. You’re buddying up with her dad, you’re spending Christmas at her aunt’s house, and

now you’re trying to get me to—”

“To what?” Bee snapped. “I’m not trying to get you to do a damn thing except heal. I’m not one of your town groupies, Knox.

I’m not following you around like a lost puppy. I have my own life. Contrary to what you might believe, not everyone’s life

revolves around whatever you and Clover had going on.”

“Whoa, hey, hey.” Jimmy sat up sleepily, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on here? What are you two yelling about?”

The muscles in Knox’s jaw clenched. “Nothing, Jimmy. Sorry for disturbing you.” With effort, he stood, and though Bee let

her anger dissolve enough to try to help him, he waved her off. “I’m going to wait outside, if that’s all right. I’m feeling

a bit suffocated in here.”

He limped around the couch, and Jimmy looked at him, bewildered. Then he scrambled up and tried to catch Knox’s weight with

his own. “Okay, son, now listen—”

“I’m not your son, Jimmy.” Knox looked ashamed the moment he spoke. “Sorry. I’m sorry, Jimmy. I just gotta go.” He made his way to the door and let it slam shut behind him.

Jimmy looked at Bee and sighed. “It’s not your fault,” he said.

Bee believed him, but it didn’t stop the tears that had sprung into her eyes from falling.