Free A Bee in Her Bonnet by Jennifer Beckstrand Page B

to hurt her in the process. He occasionally glanced up to check her expression, but all he saw was fascination in her eyes. If he was hurting her, she didn’t care.
    â€œWell,” Bitsy said, returning to her place at the table. “Do your best, and don’t glue your fingers together.”
    â€œI’m more likely to glue my finger to Poppy.”
    Bitsy frowned. “I’m not letting you hang around here just because you’re glued to my niece.”
    Luke kept a straight face. “I don’t mind sleeping on the floor on a sleeping bag.”
    Poppy looked at Luke, cocked an eyebrow, and twitched her lips as if she were trying not to smile. It was the most adorable look he’d ever seen from her. His heart hopped in his chest like a startled grasshopper.
    â€œDon’t worry, young man. If you need to be detached from Poppy, I can cut off your finger. I’m good with a meat cleaver.” She casually jotted something in her notebook as if she hadn’t just threatened him with a sharp object.
    Luke chuckled, though he didn’t doubt Bitsy might seriously consider cutting off his hand just to be rid of him.
    Once he dried Poppy’s cut, he took the lid off the glue and carefully pressed the two edges of the cut together. He ran a thin line of glue along the jagged skin and then went across the wound again with another layer.
    Keeping the wound pressed together with his fingers, he glanced at Poppy. “Don’t be alarmed. I need to hold on to your knee like this for a few minutes.”
    â€œDon’t get fresh,” Bitsy said, not even looking up from her notebook.
    Luke forced his lips together to keep from grinning. It didn’t work. “I’ve never heard the bishop preach against boys holding on to girls’ knees.”
    â€œThat’s because you missed church yesterday,” Bitsy said.
    Luke shook his head. “I was there. Erna King fell asleep and slipped off the bench in the middle of the minister’s sermon. You gave her a hand up. The minister didn’t say anything about knees.”
    Bitsy nodded. “Okay, then. You have my permission.”
    He looked at Poppy. “Do I have your permission?”
    Was she blushing? Probably just flushed from the pain. Then again, a boy she didn’t like very much had his hand on her knee.
    â€œWhy do you have to hold it?”
    â€œIt needs to dry completely so I can apply another coat. Every gute carpenter knows you have to let the bottom coat dry or you’ll mess up the paint.”
    Poppy regarded him with her brilliant green eyes. “Okay. Just don’t get your germs on my cut.”
    â€œI washed my hands,” he said, before falling into an uncomfortable silence. He didn’t have anything to do but sit on the floor with his hand on her knee and try to look busy.
    Poppy must have felt the awkwardness creeping between them. She gave him a half smile. “ Denki for fixing my knee. I don’t like the hospital.”
    â€œNeither do I.”
    â€œThe last time I was a patient in a hospital was at my own birth,” Bitsy said. “It was not a good experience.”
    â€œYou remember when you were born, B?”
    â€œ Jah . But I can’t remember what I had for breakfast yesterday.”
    Poppy craned her neck to look at her aunt. “What are you writing? You’ve been at it all morning.”
    Bitsy set her pencil down and leaned back in her chair. “We’re going to need a little extra money for Lily’s wedding. Especially if we want fireworks.”
    Luke nearly choked on his laughter. “Does Lily want fireworks?”
    â€œNae,” Bitsy said. “I’m going to surprise her.” She pointed a finger at Luke. “Don’t tell.”
    Luke closed his mouth and shook his head. Not in a hundred years. The look on Dan’s face when Bitsy started lighting things on fire at the wedding would be worth keeping the