Chapter47
“What’s going on?” I asked as I walked up beside him.
He put his arm around me and pulled me close, pressing a kiss to my temple.
“You said you wanted to try raising vegetables, and I know fuck all about it, so I asked the experts for some help. You can start with two beds, and if you like it, we can add more. If you decide it’s not your thing, these are easily removed.”
I had just tossed that out there one day, never expecting Dash to remember that, and the look on my face must have given my thoughts away.
“It’s amazing what you hear when you listen, Zin.” He kissed my forehead. “How was class, my little beekeeper?”
I told him about some of the interesting new techniques we learned about that Sunny and I were thinking of implementing, and the instructor had also given me the name of a woman who dabbled in making honey–related products.
“And she said the woman just makes gifts for friends and family, but she doesn’t want to take it past that. Think of all that I could learn from her!”
He kissed me again, but on the cheek this time. My mouth is a little lower, Dash! He’d been insistent on keeping things G rated between us since he moved back in full time.
“Just for now,” he said mysteriously. “We’re getting back on track, Zinnie. There’s no rush.”
He indicated one of the women who was pouring a bag of dirt into one of the beds.
“Terra Luna said she’d help you decide what to plant,” he said.
Reaching up I pressed a kiss to his lips.
“Thank you for this, Dash. I’m going to go help fill the beds with dirt until Melitta wakes up, and I’ll talk to Terra.”
“Let’s go pour dirt, then, baby.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
One week later, Aggie came over and watched me pulling weeds from the raised beds. Melitta was
Chapter47
47.47%
snoozing against my chest in a baby sling.
“Bees and gardening,” Aggie observed. “I don’t suppose you want a little baby goat to keep the grass trimmed? Plus, they make excellent watch goats. Kind of.”
I was on to her ways by now.
“Ah, maybe not now, Aggie. Melitta, the bees, gardening and my apiary class are keeping me pretty busy, and on top of that, I’m thinking of starting a honey business. Maybe sometime later.”
Like sometime never. Aggie’s shrewd eyes took my measure and recognized the lie about sometime later. Then she changed the subject.
“Your husband has been making waves, so rumor has it. Not in a bad way.”
“How so?” I asked.
“Well, Branch won’t give me details, but Dash has been gathering the men on the commune for something. We just don’t know what because they’re being annoyingly tight–lipped about it. Your husband hasn’t said anything to you?”
“No. But he has been acting like he has a secret.
“Branch has been disappearing every Tuesday night, and Sunny said Flint’s been gone every
Tuesday, too. They’re not the only ones, either.”
“Dash, too!” I said. “He told me he was meeting some of the men on the commune for a special
project on Tuesdays.”
“No one’s saying anything,” Aggie grumbled. “I even tried the ol‘ razzle–dazzle with Branch to get him to talk. Let’s say he razzled, but he didn’t dazzle me with any information.”
I couldn’t help laughing at her.
“Well, I suppose we’ll find out soon enough, Aggie.”
We did. Sort of.
The following day, there was an invitation on the commune Facebook page from all of Serenity’s men to all of Serenity’s women and children, asking us to gather by Peace Lake on the evening of the full moon this coming Saturday at sunset.
Dash refused to give me any information, but the entire commune was buzzing about it. When Sunny and I went to tell the bees about the gathering, we also tried cheating and asked the tiny creatures if they knew what was happening.
They hummed and they buzzed but didn’t give up any secrets.
It was a night none of us would forget.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.