Page 34 of Honeycombs & Homecomings
“I can’t wait to try out this Royal Jelly,” Cynthia said. “If it’s as good as they have reported it to be, we’re going to be very rich.”
With the royal jelly? He needed to pow wow with Jo and get more details. “Great.” Cash glanced back at Jo once more. She laughed at something Cowboy Brandon said and threw her head back. “I’ll be right back.”
He went to her, sliding an arm around her. This time she stiffened in his grasp and didn’t acknowledge him. Cash clenched his jaw.
“I wish you hadn’t waited in line,” Jo said to Cowboy Brandon.
“I wouldn’t dream of cutting,” the man said, his gaze cutting to Cash and back. “Have you seen the people in this line? I’m afraid they’d give me a good walloping if I dared cut.”
Jo laughed. “You may not be far off.”
With the palm of his hand, Cash put just a little pressure on Jo’s side, reminding her he was there.
She glanced up at him. “Oh, sorry. Cash—” her gaze cut back to Ryan and Cynthia, and she swallowed, “Tony, this is Brandon Carroll, he just purchased our house, and Brandon, this is Tony, my fiancé.” She frowned.
Who was this guy? Cash extended his hand. “Good to meet you.”
“You too,” Brandon said, squeezing Cash’s hand a little tighter than Cash thought was necessary, so Cash squeezed back a little harder than necessary. Maybe the guy was just stronger than he realized. It was possible. Or maybe he was after his girl—or Tony’s girl.
Did he think this was Allie? Or Jo? And Jo wasn’t his girl. What was he thinking?
Brandon grinned, then faced Jo again. “I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I don’t know which of the twins you are.”
Jo smiled. “I’m . . . Allie.”
“Well, I was totally off base then,” Brandon said.
“What do you mean?” Jo asked.
Brandon rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Well, last time we met, you seemed none too pleased to meet me. Not that I could blame you. So, I just assumed—”
“That I was my sister?” she asked.
Cash cleared his throat. So, Allie was mean to the guy? Not surprising, and good on her. But Jo had been nice? Cash didn’t like that.
Brandon nodded.
Jo shrugged. “That was just a hard day. It wasn’t you. She—” Jo cleared her throat. “I know that. And I can’t tell you how grateful we are that you’re letting us keep our hives on the farm.”
“It’s my pleasure to have them there,” he glanced back at the line. “If the honey is as good as this line is long, I’m happy to have a part, even if it’s just a jar.”
“Well, you’ll be getting more than a jar,” she said.
How much more?! Cash scowled.
“Well,” Brandon said, “I guess I better buy some honey and get before these people turn against me. What flavor do you recommend?”
Jo tilted her head, a move she’d used in high school when she was flirting. “Oh, there’s so many—”
Cash spun around and grabbed a jar of the Orange Blossom and a jar of the Hot Habanero Raw. “I’d recommend either of these. Both delicious.”
Brandon gave Cash a questioning stare, then glanced at Jo, who Cash only realized now was staring at him with her jaw dropped. All right, that might have been abrupt.
Brandon picked up both jars and looked them over. “I guess I better take them both, then. How much?”
Jo put up her hands. “No, no. This is part of your payment, remember? These are on me.”
Brandon held his wallet in front of him. “I’m happy to pay.”
