Nineteen
Beck slipped out after Jill’s presentation. Melissa watched him go, feeling sorry for him and vaguely responsible for his discomfort. The bee theme was popular, but it had shone a spotlight on Beck, the farm’s beekeeper, who disliked being the centre of attention. The Lanark Ladies’ a cappella group sang, the bee kids went back onstage for a hilarious encore and still Beck didn’t come back. The television reporter wanted his interview, but no one could find Beck, and the reporter left the banquet venue scowling. The hall emptied and cleanup toil began. Annoyance crept in, souring the end of what should have been a one-hundred-percent successful evening. Jill politely excused herself from a small crowd of admirers and cornered her daughter.
“Where’s Beck – did you have an argumen
