by Lori Wilde
fered hadn’t changed him one whit. He remained hell-bent
on self-destruction.
“Daisy.” He reached out to her, his eyes pleading for
forgiveness. But she shied, skirting a wide berth around
him.
“Don’t.”
“You’ve got to know I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
She pressed her lips together in a hard, cold line and
gave him the most hateful glare she could muster. “Face
facts, Kael Carmody, you’ll never grow up.”
With that she pivoted on her heels and stalked across the
burned, smoking alfalfa field, the dead bee’s body clutched
tightly in her fist.
Chapter Three
Even when he’d lain bleeding in the arena dirt at the PRC
championship in Las Vegas, his knee mangled by the Texas
Tornado, Kael had never experienced such pain. After run-
ning from commitment and responsibility for seven years,
he’d returned home to put his life back together only to
repeat the same mistakes he’d made in the past. He’d al-
lowed his rebellious nature to rule his head.
Forgetting the look on Daisy’s face proved an impossi-
bility. Her disgust, disappointment and despair had been
plain to read. Her bitter stare had reprimanded him for his
sins. In her accusing eyes, he was beyond redemption.
Kael sat on the split rail fence, raking his gaze over the
destruction. The air stunk of burned alfalfa. He could lit-
erally taste the caustic flavor. The whole pasture was black.
Hours after the destruction, smoke continued to spiral up-
ward in lazy patches.
Daisy had every right to despise him. He deserved her
disdain. Just as he had seven years ago.
How different might his life have been if he had es-
chewed bull riding for the only woman he’d ever loved?
But you didn ’t.
No. Instead, he’d let the best thing that ever happened
to him slip through his fingers while he pursued his career.
A career with no stability, no longevity, no guarantees. A
career that had earned him a ruined leg and a whole lot of
pain.
If he had stayed, he and Daisy would probably be mar-
ried by now. With two or three children of their own. Daisy
wouldn’t have to worry about money. Their lives would be
filled with love and laughter instead of sorrow and loneli-
ness. Why, oh why, had he chosen one path to follow in-
stead of the other?
Kael cracked his knuckles and recalled the cocky young
male he’d once been, so sure of himself. Confident that
fame and fortune were the keys to happiness. Certain that
commitment and marriage would lead to boredom and con-
finement. Convinced that making a name for himself would
prove to his successful father, once and for all, that he was
indeed a man.
His recklessness had cost his parents an alfalfa field, but
that was nothing. They had plenty of money and lots of
insurance. His inexcusable behavior had extracted a much
higher toll for Daisy Hightower and her little family.
He had to make amends. If he could just figure out how
to approach her.
“Ah, Daisy,” he whispered under his breath. “I never
meant to hurt you.”
Kael glared at the Harley still parked beside the fence.
Daisy was right. It was about time he grew up and accepted
responsibility for his actions. Now if she would only let
him.
Determined, Kael eased himself down off the wooden
fence and mentally girded himself for battle.
“We’re ruined,” Daisy whispered.
For once, Aunt Peavy had nothing to say. She sat at the
kitchen table looking as shocked as Daisy felt. Her iron
gray hair, normally well coifed, lay disheveled against her
head. Abundant tears had left makeup tracks down her
plump cheeks. She smelled of the cinnamon buns she’d
made for their breakfast that morning, but instead of cheer-
ing her, the sweet aroma only served to depress Daisy fur-
ther.
She clenched her teeth. She could tolerate the pain for
herself. But it hurt so badly to see how this turn of events
affected her aunt.
“Hightower Honey Farm has been a staple in Refugio
county for three generations,” Aunt Peavy said, mopping
her face with her apron. “I’m sorry to be alive to see this
day.”
“Now, Auntie.” Daisy got up and gave her a hug.
“Don’t get upset. I’ll think of some way to save the busi-
ness.”
“How? Without bees there is no honey.”
“I’ll just have to get more bees.”
“With what? We’re flat broke.” Aunt Peavy wrung her
hands. “We’re gonna end up on the street.”
“I’m sorry I let you down,” Daisy said, the lump in her
throat growing larger.
“Heaven knows you’ve done your best, sweetie.” Aunt
Peavy patted Daisy’s arm. “I’m not accusing you. If any-
body’s to blame it’s that no count rascal Kael Carmody.”
Daisy agreed wholeheartedly. The man was a menace.
To both himself and others.
“There’s no use crying over spilled milk. What’s done
is done. The bees are dead and we’ve got to make a fresh
start.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t hold Kael Carmody accountable
for what had happened, because she most certainly did. She
simply didn’t see any point wallowing in self-pity when
there was work to be done.
Aunt Peavy had a penchant for dramatics, and Daisy was
determined to quell that tendency before her aunt’s nega-
tivity caused repercussions in her own mind. Picking her-
self up by the boot straps and trudging forward had been
the only way she’d survived her parents’ deaths and Rose’s
suicide. Losing all the bees in the world couldn’t top those
personal tragedies, but she’d survived and come out of
those experiences a much stronger person. She’d survive
this, too.
“What are we going to tell Travis?” Aunt Peavy fretted.
“The truth.”
“The poor little lad.” Aunt Peavy sniffled.
“Travis is tough. He’ll manage, just like we will.”
Daisy constructed a brave front, but in her heart she was
as worried and frightened as Aunt Peavy. What were they
going to do? Where would she get the money to pay the
bills and buy new bees?
At that moment the front doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it. You collect yourself,” Daisy said, rising to
her feet.
Aunt Peavy nodded, and Daisy left the woman sitting
there alone and forlorn.
Mentally attempting to shake off the gloomy pall that
surrounded her, Daisy opened the front door.
Kael Carmody slouched on her porch. He hung his head
and stared at his boots.
The sight of him took Daisy’s breath. No matter what
the man had done, no matter how often he had caused her
pain, she still could not seem to stop her heart from tripping
over itself eve
ry time she saw him.
“Go away,” she said abruptly and started to close the
door.
As if he’d been anticipating her response, Kael moved
quickly and wedged his foot inside the door. She couldn’t
close it without hurting him. A devilish impulse urged her
to slam it shut, anyway, but her more rational side pre-
vailed.
“Get your foot out of the door, Carmody.” She sighed.
“Will you let me speak?”
“Why should I?”
“Because I feel bad about what happened.”
“Oh, go ride your motorcycle,” she retorted. “It’s not
up to me to relieve your guilt.”
“Dammit, Daisy, you’ve got to give me a chance to
make amends.”
“Since when did the great Kael Carmody start assuming
responsibility for his actions?’ ’
“Since now.”
He rested his hand against the dooijamb and looked her
right in the eyes. She felt as if he’d sucked the very essence
from her marrow with his blistering gaze.
“Yeah, right.”
“Will you just hear me out? Please?” There was no
mistaking the exasperation in his voice.
“All right.” What did she have to lose by listening?
“Come on in, but I can’t promise Aunt Peavy won’t lynch
you.”
Kael followed her into the foyer. Daisy closed the door
against the insufferable heat and watched him limp toward
the living room. She motioned toward the couch, and he
eased himself down. Daisy sat beside him but put two cush-
ions distance between them.
“I talked to our insurance agent,” he said.
Daisy folded her arms across her chest. “Yes?”
“Our policy should cover the loss of your bees.”
Her heart welled with hope, but her pride warred with
her common sense. She hated to take anything from this
man. She longed to tell Kael Carmody exactly where he
could stick his insurance policy. But there was Aunt Peavy
and Travis to consider, not to mention the family’s long-
standing history in the honey business.
Swallowing her pride, Daisy grudgingly relinquished.
“It’s a beginning.”
“I know.” Kael nodded. “I owe you much more than
that. Money might buy you bees, but I realize there’s a lot
of work involved in starting new colonies.”
“Yes, there is.”
“I intend on helping you.”
“Oh, no way. I won’t have you hanging around here
causing more trouble and grief.”
“It’s the very least I can do,” he insisted, sliding across
the couch toward her.
Daisy leaned back. What was that warning spark in his
eyes? “No. Absolutely not.”
“Be reasonable. You’ve got more than you can handle,
running a business, raising a seven-year-old, taking care of
an elderly woman.”
“I’m not that old, young man!” Aunt Peavy scolded,
shuffling into the living room. “And he’s right, Daisy.
You’ve got to have help. Already you get up at five in the
morning and don’t find your way to bed until almost mid-
night.”
“Auntie,” Daisy spoke sharply. “I’ll handle this.”
“The man wants to make amends. Who are you to deny
him?”
The woman whose heart he’d broken those many years
ago, that’s who. Daisy couldn’t bear the thought of Kael
Carmody constantly underfoot. The mere idea of him run-
ning around with his shirt off, doing physical labor, had
her contemplating a cold shower.
“Look, if you don’t let me help, I’m going to go nuts.
The truth is you’d be doing me a favor,” Kael said.
“Why on earth should I do you a favor?”
“Pity?” He gave her the grin that could melt any female
within a hundred-mile radius. “I don’t have a thing to do.
I’m sitting around at my parents’ house, waiting for my leg
to heal, watching cable television and getting fat.”
“Don’t forget starting fires in your spare time.”
Heavens, how she wanted to say yes. But did she dare?
This time could she keep her heart from harm’s way?
Kael followed Daisy across her back pasture toward the
hives. He couldn’t believe she’d acquiesced and was going
to let him help her. She must be in more pressing financial
straits than he first believed. He knew from past experience
that this hardheaded woman rarely changed her mind about
anything.
‘ ‘I haven’t checked the apiary since the fire. Come along.
You might as well see the damage you’ve caused.”
Her words added to the guilt already towering inside
him.
The air lay thick and heavy. Kael had forgotten just how
humid it was in Refugio county. Here, ninety degrees felt
hotter than a hundred and twelve in Las Vegas.
Even the gulf breezes ruffling their hair blew hot. By the
time they’d traveled the short distance to the apiary, sweat
plastered his shirt to his back, and his leg thumped with
pain, but he refused to give in to it.
Daisy stopped short. Placing her hands on her hips, she
gazed at the dormant hives in dismay.
Gone was the normal hustle and bustle. A few frantic
bees circled. Appearing nervous and unsettled, the remain-
ing bees raised their heads from the hive and lined up be-
tween the tops of the frames.
Stepping to the work shed, Daisy went inside then re-
turned with two veils and a bee suit.
“Here,” she said handing him the bee suit. “Put this on.
They’re upset and more likely to sting.”
Nervously Kael donned the zippered, white coveralls,
tugging them on over his clothes. He wondered who nor-
mally wore them. They were far too big for Daisy’s petite
figure.
At the thought of a man in her life, jealousy stabbed
through him. Mickey had told him Daisy never dated, but
Mickey Standish didn’t know everything in Rascal. Per-
haps she had a secret beau.
“Whose coveralls?” he asked.
“Aunt Peavy’s. But she rarely helps with the bees any-
more. Her eyesight is too poor.”
“Oh.” Why his spirits would lift with that information,
Kael couldn’t imagine.
Daisy removed more equipment from the shed. She car-
ried a contraption that resembled bellows and another tool.
Settling a bee veil over her head, she crouched and struck
a match to light the smoker. Walking past Kael, she ap-
proached the hive, coming at it from the side and taking
care to avoid the flight line of the remaining bees.
He watched, fascinated. She moved with practiced mo-
tions. The afternoon sun glinted off her hair, shining like
some glorious crown. A deep, abiding ache started in his
gut and fled upward. Daisy Hightower was more beautiful
now than ever. Her skinny girlish shape had rounded into
womanly curves. Her freckles had lightened, and her face
had grown to fit those wide green eyes.
He’d been
such a silly fool seven years ago. He’d thrown
away their budding love affair for bull riding. Then that
awful incident with Rose had capped off his sins. Now, by
starting the blaze and killing Daisy’s bees, he had blown
any chance he might have had at rebuilding their ravaged
relationship.
“Pay attention,” Daisy snapped, turning her head to
glare at him. “If you’re sincere about helping me rebuild,
then you’ve got to know what’s going on. I’m checking on
each queen and seeing exactly how many bees I’ve lost.”
“Okay.”
Bees gathered around the opening, buzzing angrily. Kael
winced and steeled himself.
With the bee smoker clutched in her right hand and the
hive tool in her left, Daisy blew two smoke puffs into the
hive entrance.
The smoke calmed the bees.
Daisy removed the hive’s outer cover and blew a puff
of smoke into the center of the opening. Taking the hive
tool, she pushed it gently into the inner hive.
Realizing he’d been holding his breath, Kael forced him-
self to suck in the air that smelled of smoke and charred
alfalfa.
She worked slowly, gently, removing each frame and
examining hive activity. He continued to watch, fascinated
by Daisy, the bees, the whole darned process.
Sighing, Daisy replaced the frames and then the cover.
When she turned to face him, he saw tears glistening in her
eyes.
“Daisy?” Alarm raced through him.
“This hive is almost completely wiped out. The queen
is okay, which is good. But I’ve lost at least ten thousand
workers.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“I know they’re just bees.” Her bottom lip trembled.
“But they meant a lot to me, you know?”
“I...I...” He had no idea how to respond. Her tears hit
him like a solid punch to the solar plexus. He’d caused
this—her anguish, her grief, her despair.
“I can’t bear to look at the rest of them. Not now. Maybe
later.” She stepped away from the hives and stripped the
veil from her face.
She wiped at her cheeks with the back of a hand.
He removed his veil, as well, and walked toward her.
“Daisy, I can’t begin to tell you how I regret what I’ve
done.’’
Tilting her head, she angled him a green-eyed glance that
