I pulled o my sweat-soaked wifebeater and tossed it in the grass. It splatted against the ground. Wiping my brow, I bent over the hood of the car. e mechanic xed most of the things wrong with Grace’s vehicle, but left me to
nish the job. He’d given me pretty clear instructions on how to nish, but I wasn’t sure I was doing it right. However, I was determined, and determination could sometimes o set skills or talent. I had less than twenty-four hours with her and it terri ed me. I wanted her to stay. No, I needed her to stay. Maybe not forever but just for a while—so she could see what we had. What Grace and I had most people wouldn’t experience in a lifetime. It was electric . . . no, it was magic. We had what everyone dreamed of.
“Hey, Calvin,” Betty called from behind me.
I was so deep in thought that I didn’t hear her drive up or get out of her vehicle. I turned around to nd her standing there with a pile of new drapes slung over her shoulder.
“Let me grab some of those,” I said, taking them from her.
Betty raised her brows and surveyed my face. “How ya holding up?” She was always so concerned with how I was doing, almost too concerned at times.
I shrugged and blew out my cheeks. “I’ve been better.”
“Where’s your guest?” She looked toward the barn, then the pond, then the ranch.
“I think she’s showering. She’s still shaken up,” I said, looking over at the
house, imagining Grace in there.
“I bet.” Betty gave a slight nod. “Must have been scary.”
I led her inside and dropped the drapes on the couch. Betty surveyed the damage. e curtains were nearly disintegrated. e walls around the window and the ceiling were scorched black from the smoke.
“Joe sure did a number on these,” Betty said, twisting her lips. “I don’t understand what made him act like this.” She pursed her lips and looked over at me, waiting for an explanation.
“I think it had to do with our parents.” I raised an eyebrow, and my lips formed a straight line. “Did you know what really happened?”
I knew Joe was mad about more than that, but the rest wasn’t Betty’s concern.
Before she could answer, I already knew she knew. Her eyes glistened. Her lip trembled, and she let out a sigh. She lied to me.
“How could you not tell me?”
Betty lowered her chin. “I was trying to protect you.”
“ ey were my parents. I had a right to know. And Joe knew all along. He had to deal with that on his own. at’s why he’s so messed up.”
“I’ve tried to help him, but you know how he is. Once I saw how much it a ected him, I knew I couldn’t tell you too. Someone needed a clear head to take care of this ranch.”
“ is ranch? at’s what you’re worried about?” I walked to the wall and forced my st through the weakest part of it, where the ames had licked and eaten it.
“Calv, don’t do that.” She put her hand on my shoulder and tried to pull me away. “I’m so sorry. I really am.” Her voice shook.
I shrugged her hand o and pulled my st from the wall. My knuckles were bloody but I didn’t feel any pain. I didn’t feel much of anything since I returned to this godforsaken ranch.
“Okay. Okay.” She sni ed. “Please don’t be mad at me.” Betty stood there for a moment.
“I’ll give you some space and go check on my bees.”
When I didn’t say anything back, she left the house. I watched through the window as she walked across the porch, down the stairs, and out toward the woods. What gave her the right to decide what I needed to know and what I didn’t? How could she hide what really happened to my parents from me?
ey say the truth will set you free but they never tell you it’ll enrage you rst. I pulled what was left of the burned curtains down and started removing the drapery hardware. Part of the drywall would need to be replaced and the whole damn thing would need to be repainted. More work for me to do, when I already had enough on my plate.
A piercing scream echoed outside. It was so loud it felt like the person was standing right beside me. I knew immediately that it was Betty. I bolted out the front door and ran toward the screams. I found her standing near her apiary. She shrieked into her hands over and over again. Turkey vultures scattered from the trees above, ying in all directions. e beehive receptacles were knocked over.
Albert laid on his back, his mouth gaping open. Vomit dripped down the side of his face which was swollen like a balloon blown up past its capacity. His eyes, although open, were barely visible due to the in ammation. His skin was red, blotchy, and covered in hives. Chunks of esh were missing; most likely the turkey vultures had got to him rst. His clothes were damp, and the bees were still buzzing around him, crawling over his esh, in and out of his mouth, over his glazed eyeballs.
I pulled Betty into me. Her screams turned to uncontrollable sobs. Her body shook violently, and I thought she’d fall apart in my arms.
“What was he doing here?” she cried.
