Diane Greenwood Muir - Bellingwood 06 - A Season of Change (3 page)

“You are certainly a perfect friend for her, Andrew Donovan. Do you know where she lives?”

He nodded his head, “I think so.” He pointed toward the front of Sycamore House. “It’s over across the highway back there. She said it’s a little green house.”

Polly took Andrew’s hand. “Come on, let’s finish these cookies. Tell me what Rebecca looks like.”

Andrew bounced along behind her, his energy level increasing with every step. Polly knew exactly how he felt. Once the secret was out and someone else knew what was happening, the pressure inside was gone. Now if she could just figure out how to help this little girl and her family.

Polly put the next sheet of cookies in the oven and set the timer, then pushed the first batch off the cookie sheet and handed the scoop to Andrew. “Here, you know what to do. I’m going to start cleaning. What color is her hair?”

He scooped some cookie dough and looked at Polly with a glint in his eye.

“Don’t you dare,” she warned. “You’ve already had two. Your mother will kill me if you aren’t hungry for supper tonight.”

“Her hair is kind of brown. Not dark like yours. More like Henry’s.” He pursed his lips and dropped the dough on the cookie sheet. “She’s taller than me.”

“What color are her eyes?” Polly asked.

“I dunno,” he said and dropped more dough on the sheet. “What color are my eyes?”

“They are a beautiful green. Sometimes when the light hits them just right, it looks like the leaves of a tree in summertime.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. You have nice green eyes.”

“What color are Jason’s eyes?”

“His eyes are a darker green and when he gets mad, they light up like there is fire inside.”

“How do you know that?”

Polly laughed. “I don’t know that. I know that they are a little darker than yours. They are closer to the color of your mother’s eyes.”

“Why did you say that about the fire?”

“Because I was being creative in how I described them, just like I was with the color of your eyes. Can you think of something to compare my eyes to?” She bent down and peered at him.

“They’re blue, but not like the sky.”

“Think about what kind of blue they are like. That’s your assignment for tomorrow afternoon. You have to come up with something really cool to describe the color of my eyes.”

“This is because I want to be a writer, isn’t it?”

“You got me!” She nudged his shoulder with her elbow. “Every time you look at something, you should think about cool ways to describe it. Maybe you can tell me what an object is without using its real name.”

“You sound just like Miss Albert.”

“Then I’m in good company. Now tell me more about Rebecca.”

“She wants dogs just like me. We’re going to grow up and live in a big house like this and have a yard for lots of dogs and cats. But we aren’t going to have horses because they’re too big.”

“How about donkeys like Tom and Huck?”

“They’d be okay if they need a place to live. Rebecca said her neighbors have goats and they aren’t too bad either. She likes watching them play.”

The front door opened and Obiwan bounded across the room, sliding to a halt in front of Polly. His fur was filthy.

“What have you been doing?” she asked and glanced at Jason, who looked a little sheepish.

“I tried to stop him before he got here, but he played with the horses and got muddy. Eliseo didn’t want to wash him down at the barn because it was too cold between there and here. Do you want me to give him a bath?”

Polly laughed. She was thankful for wood floors and rugs that would shake out. This wasn’t the first time her dog had come in filled with dirt and mud and it wouldn’t be the last. She usually tried to bring him up the back steps though.

“Are you done in the barn?” she asked.

“Yeah. We got everyone settled in for the night. We had to brush the horses’ legs down. They were dirty, too. Tom and Huck weren’t done playing, so Eliseo said he’d take care of them tomorrow.”

Obiwan tried to shake and she stopped him by putting her hand on his collar. “Let’s get this bath started. Jason, would you mind listening for the timer and take the cookies out? Use the hot pad. There’s just a minute left. Come in when the cookies are done.”

Andrew watched as she crossed the room.

“Are you coming, Andrew?” she asked.

He ran to open the door for her while she led Obiwan into the bathroom. When they got inside, she said, “You should talk to your brother about Rebecca,” Polly said. “He’s pretty good with that stuff, isn’t he?”

“But he might tell someone.”

“You’ve already told me. Now you need to tell Jason and you should also tell your mom.”

“But that’s three other people and I wasn’t supposed to tell anybody!”

“If Rebecca and her mom need help, that means people should get involved.”

“But she says they can handle it.”

“Do you think they’re handling it?”

“I dunno. It’s not my business.” He sulked a little.

“If she told you, it’s your business.”

“Since I told you, is it your business now, too?”

“A little bit,” Polly said.

“Can I wait to talk to Rebecca before I tell anybody else?”

“Absolutely. But tell her that people want to help, okay?”

“Okay.”

Polly turned the water on in the tub and made adjustments until it was warm. Before she knew it, Obiwan had jumped in and stuck his head under the faucet, spraying water out into the room.

Andrew laughed and Polly pulled out the dog shampoo. She squeezed some into Andrew’s hands and when Jason came into the bathroom, she squeezed some in his. Soon the three of them were soaping the dog and laughing as he tried to play with them. By the time they were finished, everyone was soaking wet.

There wasn’t much time before Sylvie would arrive, so Polly made a quick call.

“Hi Polly, what’s up?” Sylvie asked.

“I soaked your boys.”

Sylvie laughed and asked, “You did what?”

“We just gave Obiwan a bath and they are soaked to the skin. What do you want me to do? It’s too cold for them to be running around in wet clothes. I can give them a couple of t-shirts and toss their things in the dryer, but that might take too long if you’re in a hurry.”

“Go ahead. We can wait for things to dry. You’re hilarious.”

“I’ll see you in a bit,” Polly turned to the boys. “You two are going to be stuck in my clothes until your things dry.” She shuffled in her drawers and pulled out a couple of t-shirts and sweat pants. She found a pair that she’d cut the legs off of years ago and handed those to Andrew. “Now go back into the bathroom and change while I dry Obiwan. Your mom will be here soon.”

The boys went back into the bathroom and Polly sat down on the bedroom floor with a pile of old towels and her very happy dog. “You love baths as much as you love playing in the mud, don’t you?” He rubbed his face on one of the towels and then dove into the pile and rolled in them as they exploded on the floor. She picked one up and rubbed his tummy while he rolled, laughing until the boys came out with their clothes.

“Here, you two keep rubbing him dry while I put these in the dryer. I’ll be right back.”

She went downstairs to the sound of the boys
‘ laughter and thought that was one of the best sounds in the world.

CHAPTER THREE

An early wakeup call for Polly gave her time with the big animals in the barn. They were tired of the cold winter and while Polly was thankful for a safe place for them to live, she knew they had to have cabin fever as much as she did. Short days and long nights with below zero temperatures had kept everyone inside too much this winter. The thermostat was supposed to move into the upper thirties today and Eliseo was sending everyone out
to play.

Eliseo Aquila was smiling when she walked into the barn. He smiled a lot these days and even though his cheeks had difficulty pulling up, his eyes glittered and danced with joy. The burns he’d experienced more than twenty years ago in the Middle East were part of who he was and he loved spending time with animals that didn’t care what he looked like. Everyone at Sycamore House had grown comfortable with him and he was finally comfortable enough with the community to become a regular for lunch at Joe’s Diner downtown.

“I think we’re finally past that horrible cold weather,” he said to Polly when she walked in the door. “We aren’t springlike yet, but it’s coming.”

“I’m so tired of this stinking cold weather. Nothing is normal. It’s no fun to be outside with the dog. I can’t run or walk anywhere. I worry about every child walking home from school. I want it to be over.” She scuffed her boot across the floor. “And I’m turning into a whiny girl about weather. Surely there are other things to be worried about.”

He laughed at her. “Maybe, but we don’t worry much down here. The cold is forgotten and we’re looking forward to warmer temperatures. That’s the joy of being around animals. The right now is greater than the memory of yesterday.”

Tom, one of the donkeys, heard Polly’s voice and came to greet her. Eliseo pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket and handed it to her when she sat on the bench.

“Thanks,” she said and opened the bag of carrots. “You make it fun for me.” She took one out and held it up for Tom to reach. He snatched it out of her hand and then pushed at the bag with his head. Polly scratched his ears and held the another bit of carrot a little higher. The next thing she knew, he was standing on the bench beside her, munching the carrot. She looked up into his face and hugged him. “I love you so much. And to think I wasn’t sure when Mark Ogden wanted to bring you to live with me. He knows me better than I know myself.”

By that time, Huck, the other donkey, had made his way back into the barn and was pushing at Polly’s hand. “I know, I know. It’s not fair if you don’t get some treats and love, too.”

“Where are the cats this morning?” she asked Eliseo, who was carrying feed into Nat’s stall.

“I think they’re both in with Demi. I saw Gretel dart in when I opened up this morning. Demi was still sleeping. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find that he stayed down so they could keep warm. They have him exactly where they want him.”

Polly walked over to Demi’s stall and sure enough, he was still lying down with one cat tucked behind his neck and the other on top of his shoulders.

“Demi, you are coddling those cats!” Polly said. All three animals came fully alert and the cats scrambled as Demi climbed to his feet. Of the four horses, he was Polly’s favorite. He put his head over the door, smelling her hands. “If I give you something, I’ll have to give everyone something,” she laughed. “How about I start with breakfast. I’ll be right back.”

The donkeys had followed her to Demi’s stall. He was the most easygoing of the four Percherons in her barn and everyone was drawn to him.

“Can I let them in?” she asked Eliseo.

“Sure. Demi can wander around with us this morning.” He opened Daisy’s stall into the main alley as well. “We’ll let them mingle for a while before they go outside.”

Polly opened Demi’s stall and the donkeys wandered in to sniff the room and check out the cats. Demi quickly figured out there wasn’t enough room for everyone and followed Polly to the feed room. She filled a bucket of feed and went back to his stall, then waited for the donkeys to make their way back out. Eliseo simply watched it happen and called them out with some more bits of carrot.

“Oops,” she laughed.

“Don’t worry. It’s Tuesday morning in the barn and nobody is in a hurry. Where’s Obiwan?”

“He saw something in the pasture. Probably a stick. He’ll be in after he’s gotten himself good and filthy. The poor boy already had one bath last night. This is going to be a long spring.”

They finished feeding the horses and cleaning the stalls, then let the horses out. There was still snow on the ground for them to play in and all four took off running for the far fence line. Obiwan chased them and then tore back to the barn to greet the rest of the crew.

“It looks as if everyone is glad for a nice day,” Eliseo said.

“I certainly am.
Can I do anything else to help you?” she asked.

“No, I’m going to leave them outside and go over to the hotel. I talked to Henry and he could use my help.”

“Really? Thank you!” Polly exclaimed. “I have a couple of things to do today, so I won’t be over there. What does he have you doing?”

“I’m pulling down plaster right now. It’s messy, but it’s good hard work.”

They were going to completely redo the insides of the rooms, adding more insulation and re-wiring everything. Polly and Henry had both agreed that if they were going to do the work, they’d do it right and be happy with the outcome.

“Thank you for helping,” she said.

“Henry is stressing about all of the work he has ahead for the next few months. Since I can’t do much outside here at Sycamore House until spring comes, I might as well make myself useful.”

“You’re more than useful, Eliseo. I appreciate everything you do.”

Polly went outside and called for Obiwan. He dashed over. “Buddy, we’re going to have to go in the back way. You’re a mess again.” He followed her to the back of Sycamore House and they went in through the garage. Before he could get very far into the apartment, she grabbed his collar and rubbed him down with the towels they had used last night to dry him off. Fortunately he was mostly wet and not too muddy.

“Breakfast!” she called as she walked to the kitchen. The cats beat her to their food dishes and Leia rubbed Polly’s hand as she filled them.

Today would be busy. She stood in front of her closet, peering at what she had hanging there and glanced at the very full laundry basket. “I’m sure everything I want to wear is in there,” she said to Obiwan and flipped through the hangers. A pair of nice black jeans would work and since she didn’t want to wear a heavy jacket, she layered a knit top under a sweater.

She was riding with Henry to Ames this morning to pick up a construction trailer for the winery, then she was meeting Lydia, Beryl and Andy for lunch at Davey’s. This afternoon she and Obiwan were spending time at the library. Joss Mikkels had invited her over for dinner later this evening. While Nate and Henry played in the garage, Joss wanted to show Polly the work they were doing on a nursery. They were waiting for the day their new baby would arrive.

Polly checked the time on her phone. Henry would be here soon and she wanted to stop in the office before she left for the day.

“I love you guys,” she called as she left by the front door. When she got to the office, Jeff Lyndsay and Rachel Devins were hovering over a piece of paper on his desk.

“Good morning,” she said, startling both of them. “What are you peering at?”

“Hi Polly,” Jeff said. “We’re looking at menu requests for a group that will be meeting here each week. They want to use the classrooms every Thursday and are asking us to cater meals.”

“That’s cool,” she replied.

“I can’t wait for Sylvie to be done with school.” Rachel sighed dramatically. “I’m going to need her help.”

“She’ll get you up and going,” Jeff said. “They don’t start until mid-April. We have plenty of time to prepare.”

“How many people?” Polly asked.

“It’s a women’s leadership group. There will only be ten or twelve at the first few meetings, but they plan to grow. I’ve seen the list of speakers they’re bringing in and it is pretty fantastic. We’ll be moving them into the auditorium before long.”

“You are amazing, Jeff.” Polly touched Rachel’s arm. “And you’ve been doing great here since you started full-time. I appreciate the work you’re doing.”

“I like it here. It’s so much easier than working at the nursing home.”

“Even with all of the cleaning?” Polly asked.

“Oh, that’s nothing. I can do that on a schedule and the cooking is easy because Sylvie does so much work on the weekends. All I have to do is follow her instructions.”

“I appreciate it,” Polly said. “I think the guests are glad to have food available during the day.”

Rachel looked up. “I was thinking that when Sylvie came back to work full-time, it would be fun to open a coffee shop during the day. We don’t have one in town and …”

Polly laughed, “Maybe that should be my next investment. Henry and I can buy one of the empty buildings downtown and put a coffee shop in it.”

“How serious are you about that?” Jeff asked.

“Not serious at all. If I decided to do one more thing right now, I think both Henry and Steve would kill me.” Steve Cook was Polly’s CPA, investment counselor and financial advisor. He’d worked for her dad for years and she trusted him implicitly. He had taken her through the original purchase of Sycamore House and knew her finances inside and out.

“Well, when you do get serious, tell me. I know people who would get on board with this.”

Polly rolled her eyes. “Don’t tempt me. I can barely think straight now.” Her phone buzzed with a text from Henry telling her that he was waiting out back.

“I’ve got to go. Don’t make any crazy plans without me.”

She ran through the kitchen and out the back door, arriving just as Henry was getting out of his truck.

“I’m sorry. I was in with Jeff and Rachel.”

“I didn’t mean to hurry you. I was worried that you had fallen asleep upstairs.” He crossed in front of his truck and hugged her.

She swatted him. “I’ve been up since six! I’ve been down to the barn and played with the horses and I came back and took care of my animals, then spent a few minutes in the office. Jeff and Rachel think I should open a coffee shop downtown.”

Henry held her out at arm’s length. “Tell me you didn’t agree to
it.”

“Are you kidding me? Like I need one more thing going on? I told them that you and Steve would kill me if I came up with another crazy idea.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I’m about to stop breathing as it is,” he sighed. “Come on, let’s get going.”

Polly jumped up and into his truck and put her seatbelt on. When he reached the highway, she said, “I’m a little worried about you. Eliseo told me he’s helping at the hotel because you’re stressed. Now you tell me that you are about to stop breathing. What’s going on?”

“It never occurred to me that I would have so many things happening at once. The lodge and Sycamore Inn are two huge projects. I have two other remodeling jobs and I’m bidding on a fitness center build-out that I will probably get. I don’t know how in the world I’m going to manage everything. I can hire people to do the work, but my head is going to explode.”

He came to a stop and turned the corner. “I completely hit the panic button about midnight last night and I haven’t slept since then.”

They hadn’t spent time together last night after Henry called and told her he had too much work to do. Polly had never seen him in a panic like this. He managed his time well and knew what his employees could and couldn’t do.

“How can I help you?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know where to begin. At some point, I will just get all of the projects going, but I’m afraid I may never sleep again.”

“I don’t know anything about construction, but I can help in your office.”

“I know that and I appreciate your offer, but I need someone back at the shop watching the work that goes out of there. I need someone the guys can call as a backup and someone who knows the yards around here.”