A Bee in Her Bonnet Read Online Free

bad he didn’t have a personality to go along with it.
    He tapped his fist on the table as a signal of finality. “I’ve done all I can do, Bitsy. You’re on your own. I hope she doesn’t come to regret her stubbornness.”
    Aunt B grunted. “Never accuse someone of weakness to cover up your own, Luke Bontrager.”
    He stomped to the door and yanked it open.
    â€œLuke, wait,” Rose said, in the timid voice she used with strangers.
    Poppy eyed her sister. Luke’s imposing presence should have rendered Rose completely mute.
    Rose bustled to the counter by the oven, put down her bread dough, and rinsed her hands in the sink. Then she took three honey cookies from the cooling rack, wrapped them in a napkin, and gave them to Luke. “ Denki for saving my sister.”
    The surprise was evident in his expression before he flashed Rose a tentative smile. “You’re welcome,” he said. Taking the cookies as if Rose were handing over her most prized possessions, he made his voice low and sweet. “Your cookies are the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted.”
    Men, in general, made Rose extremely nervous. She only seemed completely at ease with Lily’s fiancé, Dan. Any boy who was sensitive to Rose’s feelings melted Poppy’s heart into a puddle of mush.
    She bit down hard on her tongue. She wouldn’t let Luke make up for past sins with one soft word to Rose. He’d painted their barn and said something nice. That didn’t compensate for his many faults, like his inclination to call girls ugly, his arrogant confidence, or his belief that girls were helpless.
    He glanced at Poppy, and his expression hardened like mud on a hot day. “I hope your hand feels better, Poppy. If I were you, I’d stay away from strange cars and suspicious-looking people. I’m next door. Fetch me, and I’ll investigate for you.”
    Probably knowing exactly what she’d think of that, he didn’t stick around long enough for her to reply. He stomped out of the kitchen, shut the front door, and left them in blessed peace. Was it too much to hope that he’d never cross their threshold again?
    Aunt B propped her hands on her hips. “Rose, you have a kind heart, but I wish you hadn’t given him those cookies. Boys are like stray cats. You feed them once, and they’ll keep coming around.”
    Lily laughed. “I don’t think Luke will ever want to set foot on the farm again. Poppy put him down right gute .”
    Aunt B shook her head. “Mark my words. He’ll be back. We made the mistake of feeding Dan Kanagy, and look how that turned out.”
    â€œIt turned out wonderful- gute ,” Lily said, her eyes dancing with a thousand lovely possibilities. “I got a fiancé out of it.”
    Aunt B growled. “See what I mean? A complete disaster.”
    All three sisters giggled. Aunt Bitsy’s sour disposition often scared fainthearted boys away, but she only wanted the best for her girls. On the day Lily and Dan got engaged, she had cracked a smile and put on her long, green earrings in celebration. She had been ecstatic.
    Aunt B went to the window and peeked out between the curtains. “Luke Bontrager is too big for his britches. I’m tempted to toilet-paper his house.”
    â€œHe only wanted to make sure Poppy was okay,” Rose said.
    â€œHe wonders how we’ve managed without him for so long,” Poppy said.
    Aunt B shrugged. “Let him think what he wants to think. He’s young. He’ll learn—and probably the hard way.”
    Rose went back to her bread dough. “He saved Poppy, and I’ll always like him just for that. What if that car had driven away? Poppy might have been run over.”
    Aunt B examined Poppy’s hand. “Rose is right. And it won’t be said of me that I don’t give credit where credit is due. You might not have been able to get a