we visited in the summers. But now my dadââ Anders paused, like he was embarrassed to continue. âWell, my dad worries about me getting thrown, or trampled. Itâs stupid! I mean, I know how to ride a horse already, and I never got thrown off, not even when I was six! It makes Grandma really mad. She gets mad at my dad for worrying about everything. For being afraid of everything. He didnât used to be, but now a lot of things scare him. Like if you accidentally drop a book on the floor? My dad jumps sky-high.â
âMy momâs a nervous person too,â Abby said. âNot like your dad or anything, but sheâs always worried about people being unhappy or mad at each other. Sheâs always trying to smooth things over. She hates it when anybody yells. That makes her super nervous.â
Anders nodded. âMatt doesnât like yelling either. But the funny thing is, he yells all thetime. Mostly at night, in his dreams. But sometimes during the day, too. Stuff just gets to him more than it does other people.â
Abby glanced toward the house. She wondered where Matt was. Was it okay to leave him alone? She sort of wanted to see himâwas he really as handsome as she remembered?âbut at the same time she didnât. What if he came outside right now and started yelling at her and Anders? What if he had a gun? Heâd been a soldier, so he might have a gun. Suddenly Abby shivered. What was she doing here? She might not even be safe.
Abby looked at Anders. They wouldnât let him live in the same house as Matt if Matt were dangerous, right?
âSuck in your gut!â Mrs. Benton yelled, and Abby sucked in her gut before she realized that Mrs. Benton was yelling at her students, not her.
âCome on,â Anders said, tugging on Abbyâs arm. âIâll show you where we have our pick-your-own patches. Thereâs a strawberry patch and blueberry bushes. In May, when the strawberries come in, we get about a hundred peoplea day. Oh, and I can show you the beehives, too. Theyâre way on the other end of the farm, away from the horses.â
Beehives? Great , Abby thought as she followed Anders around the side of the barn. Something even scarier than horses. âSo you guys keep bees?â
âYeah, Grandma set up these hives a few years ago, and now itâs Mattâs big project, raising honeybees and selling their honey. He used to have hives when he was growing up.â
âDonât the bees make him nervous?â Abby asked. âIsnât he scared of them?â
âYouâd think he would be,â Anders agreed. âBut bees donât bother him at all. Most animals donât, except for horses. He spends a lot of the day outside, if the weatherâs good. And when heâs inside, heâs writing stuff down about animals.â
Matt was pruning blueberry bushes when Abby and Anders reached the other side of the farm. âHey, guys!â he called when he saw them, waving his pruning shears in their direction. âYou didnât happen to bring any water with you, did you?â
âSorry!â Anders called out. âWeâre dry. We came over to look at the hives.â
Matt laid down his shears. âGreat idea. Iâll come with you. I havenât checked on my guys since Friday.â
They walked into a brushy area that reminded Abby of the field across from her house, the weeds shedding their seeds, the leaves on the bushes turning scarlet.
Anders pointed ahead. âThe hives are just about fifty yards that way. We keep them back here so they can have a little privacy.â
âAnd to protect them from the wind,â Matt explained. âThey need some space, but they need protection from the elements, too.â
Abby studied Matt from the corner of her eye. He looked better today, like heâd gotten a good nightâs sleep since the last time sheâd seen him. Still,